So Much More Difficult Than It Looked

Ugh, I'm just going to apologize immediately: this is not my best work by far. I really like this picture, but, between it being rather blurry because it was blown up, the odd angle, and the fact that kimono are loose and baggy, the anatomy is not very good. I'm fine with anyone altering my bases anyway, but I would actually encourage you to fix this one if you have the capability. I clearly don't.

Anyway, this is another Shall We Date? cg, this one from Scarlet Fate--which I know because I have played that one a bit. I'm a little ambivalent about it--it feels less like a romance than a political drama where the main character happens to fall in love. I rather like the main character, though. Too many Japanese heroines are cheerfully optimistic to the point of being too stupid to live, not to mention being weak, clumsy and absolutely helpless. The nice thing about Scarlet Fate's heroine is that she actually is good with a sword--better than almost all the men in her village, even the ones trained for it--has some facility with magic, and has a traumatic past that has left her deeply troubled and rather brooding in a way that usually only male heroes get to be. She's refreshing in a lot of ways, even if she does still do that whole "I don't know what this pain in my chest is because apparently my sexuality and other romantic proclivities can only be accessed by the man I'm fated to love" thing that makes me roll my eyes at so many of these otome. Seriously, Japanese writers. SERIOUSLY. This is not how actual people work.

...where was I?

Right, download, full resolution, etc.