If a happy ending with Jun/ko is denied, than I hope an ending where the MC is getting themselves killed isn’t.
A rage of being unable to save the one you love, throws themselves at the last demon recklessly, knowing that it will kill both of them.
Let the others deal with the fallout. The ronin has suffered enough.
Of course, I continue to hope for some kind of happy ending, but if I can’t have it just a simple ending… Suicide by demon
Is there any confirmation on the MC’s age? I don’t recall it being specified.
As far as I know, the ages of all of the characters haven’t been revealed. Most people have the MC pinned in the 30s or older based off of how they describe themselves in the game.
So, I have a question about (possible) missed information and interpretation of a past event. (sorry for the wall of blurry text)
I may have (I was) bawling my way through the scene with the ‘fake’ sensei, and I’m not sure if I missed any information about his role/interaction with Jun/ko and their father. Are we given any indication whether he “saved” them from their father by “taking them from him” or if he killed their father; if he did so out of a moment of kindness or purely to harvest that “potential” he then says they’re a waste of, etc. If not, what are your thoughts on it?
Also, mystery character: Who is their father? The sensei said something to the effect of being scared(?) of him - a man of great skill - so he’s probably a big deal, right? Have we met him, will we meet him? Is he a demon or just a really despicable human?
Anyway, really loving the amount of discussion this fabulous game produces! I spent all afternoon yesterday reading it in one sitting (please don’t do that your mental and emotional health!) and I don’t think I’ll be able to concentrate on anything else until I blurt out all my thoughts and feelings on it, so… you know, sorry in advance for that.
That scene was definitely one of my favorites, so I may have been a little distracted as well. But I first assumed that the father was dead, likely by Jun/ko’s hands. Jun/ko’s father was described as a “peerless samurai” so I would assume that he was killed when he was vulnerable, and I can’t see anyone else being in a better position to do so than Jun/ko. The powerlessness Jun/ko was feeling at the time could have been the perfect time for Gensai to plant the seeds for a future student, since Gensai obviously knew the situation Jun/ko was in. Gensai offered Jun/ko power when they had none, and Jun/ko exercised it by killing the person who had robbed them of everything; their father.
It’d also be one of the reasons why Jun/ko held such respect for Gensai as a father figure. Granted, I’m not very good at psychology, but that’s my take on it. I don’t have any guesses for the father’s identity, though I can say without a doubt that he was a despicable human being.
Yes, absolutely also one of many favourite scenes from the series so far. This unfortunate revelation has my mind churning for all the implications it has for Jun/ko as a character (so, so many), as well as for the MC and the role they played during that turbulent time in Jun/ko’s life.
I agree the father is likely dead, as I can’t imagine Gensai allowing that sort of “loose string”. I’m not sure about Jun/ko’s involvement in it, though. I can see it playing out as you say, with Gensai seeing that situation as an opportunity to get rid of a rival and gain a potential weapon - Jun/ko - at the same time.
I’m not, however, sure about Jun/ko actually being the one to kill him. (Maybe Gensai somehow managed it and that’s how he first gained their trust?).
I say this only because I feel like that would require Jun/ko to see what their father did as wrong and abhorrent, which it absolutely is, yet when they’re confronted with the idea that the MC has left them and is now, in Jun/ko’s words, infatuated with this child for their “purity” - the condemnation seems to be only in the fact they’ve been replaced, not necessarily the fact that Masami is a child. (if that makes any sense).
My point here being that I think Jun/ko’s extremely distorted view of what (healthy) love is - the father who abused them, the Gensai father-figure who physically punished them and was emotionally distant, the lover who indulged their darker impulses and killed the person who became her non-sexually-abusive father-figure (whom, for or better or worse, Jun/ko genuinely loved) right before abandoning them- may have kept them from turning on their father of their own accord.
I could of course be completely wrong. Just because Jun/ko seems to accept/excuse the abuse they received from Gensai, and even the MC, on account that that’s the sort of love they were conditioned to understand, doesn’t mean they wouldn’t still have hated their father to the point of killing them, or even just done so to receive Gensai’s gratitude/training.
(minor note- I took “peerless samurai” to mean they were without equal, as in, extremely talented, though your interpretation also makes sense)
Sorry for babbling, I’m just fascinated by how this whole ordeal leads us to re-examine an already interesting character and further complexifies(?- that’s not a word) the dynamics between various other characters. I’m also in no way an expert on the psychology of these sorts of issues, so I apologise if anything I’ve said is wrong, offensive or just outright stupid.
From my understanding the reason the MC becomes so useless after losing their memories is because those memories were associated with when they learned how to fight. Like the footwork, posture, etc is off because they learned them while associating with jun/ko and learning the demon technique.
Also Masashi/mi’s age and whether theyre a romance option really needs ro be addressed because I like a lot of people thought he was around 16 and acted a bit childish because of his upbringing, (and an mc in their 20s) but then some people pointed out that they were described as prepubescent which meant around 12??? Depending on the age some scenes can be interpreted as completley different and I’d like them to be in their teens if theyre going to be a romance option because age gaps can be creepy.
Some crits
Apparently with Kohaku you’re blamed for not bringing up relationship status
“The fault was mine, and mine alone. When he asked if I was in a relationship, I hadn’t given him a definitive answer. To Kohaku, that might as well have been a confession of love. Another misunderstanding to add to the list.”
Which is really shitty especially after a rape scene and should def be reworded because not stating relationship status is in no way a green flag. So many times its safer to say “i have a boyfriend” even if youre single because otherwise a #niceguy will think that means youre interested or leading him on.
I think you struggle the most with romance scenes and I wish you’d gotten more feedback and editing on them. While I attribute it to tosh kinda losing their mind because of lack of sleep, the tosh romance wss too fast. Its like a slice of cake, no matter how much you want it or how long you’ve been saying you want the piece of cake and will give all the money in the world for a slice, once you get a slice youre going to want savour it not scarf it down all at once.
The MC also cuts off the sensei at a weird place if you ask about why Jun/ko wasn’t picked as a heir.
PS: if anyone has any dialogue tips for an alligator calculated/brutal/protective/stoic ronin in the 2nd part of the book (when you reach the village) please let me know its painful 
I can see it going that way, especially since, as you said, Jun/ko has a distorted view of love. Jun/ko could have been used as a distraction for Gensai to kill their father, since (looking back at the scene now) he does state that Jun/ko’s father “was the only samurai I feared” with “no weakness save for one.” Though it does make me wonder how he convinced Jun/ko to go along with it, unless Jun/ko was not aware of Gensai’s intention to kill their father and had grown a bond just by virtue of Gensai’s adoption being an act of kindness.
I wonder if Gensai had originally planned to dispose of Jun/ko’s father, and just took Jun/ko under his wing as an added bonus?
You’re not wrong on the “peerless samurai” thing, that’s actually how I took it as well. I figured that, if Jun/ko’s father was as dangerous as described by the illusion, then he would have to have been not watching his back in order to be taken down. If Gensai feared him, he must’ve been very formidable.
Nothing wrong with babbling! I can go off track quite a bit too. The revelation of Jun/ko’s trauma has definitely added more pieces to the puzzle. It’s nice to have other people’s perspectives on it.
Enough hints and descriptions are given for us to come to the conclusion of about 14.
Damn.
I finally finished my first playthrough and I’m still reeling so my thoughts are gonna be all over the place but I have to get it out somehow.
I freaking loved it. Best one of the trilogy imo and that’s already a feat on its own. It was so good I wish I had a time machine to skip ahead a year and continue reading the next book.
There is no other COG game where my favorite character is the main character themselves. There is never a scene I find boring or lacking because she’s in all of them and whenever the ronin is around we are bound to have a good time. Perfect, deep, hilarious character. The MC sadness and uncertainty in this book is heartbreaking - I just wanted to reach into my phone and give her a hug 
(tho she’d probably punch me in the face if I dared).
Also, Jun’s past revelation stole all the breath in me and opened the tear gates. God damn. I can’t wait for the long overdue reunion in the next book.
And hopefully see his redemption along with the MC’s? I hope we can get back together with him. Crazy as he is my ronin doesn’t have eyes for anyone else. And I refuse to believe he is completely lost, somewhere inside that brain there has to be a shred of the real Jun, not just crazy Jigoku Jun.
If I had to point out anything I didn’t enjoy as much it had to be about Toshio. He really steps up this book and I loved seeing a new side of the mysterious shinobi, but regarding his confession, I felt like we didn’t really get the chance to just plainly say “no”. With Momoko we could tell her we didn’t love her and never will but with Toshio, it felt more like the MC was somehow confused and didn’t know what to do. Even if we don’t kiss him and stop that overly intimate massage, it just feels like a non-action. Besides friendship, my ronin has no interest in Toshio whatsoever and I wished we could have told him that - I fell like I owe it to him, the poor guy.
Also, does anyone know how to save Keiko? I was so shocked when she died. What have I done wrong?? How have I failed my dear student?
For those of you who are struggling to save Daisuke/Keiko , the author has posted the Book 3 Achievement Guide on his website, as well as a description on how to achieve perfect score tests for all students.
I wonder if Gensai had originally planned to dispose of Jun/ko’s father, and just took Jun/ko under his wing as an added bonus?
I hadn’t thought of that… a sort of middle ground between actively “saving” Jun/ko (which, interestingly enough, is a possibility I don’t think anyone’s suggested yet) and manipulating Jun/ko into killing him for his own benefit.
You’re not wrong on the “peerless samurai” thing, that’s actually how I took it as well. I figured that, if Jun/ko’s father was as dangerous as described by the illusion, then he would have to have been not watching his back in order to be taken down. If Gensai feared him, he must’ve been very formidable.
Ahh, I misunderstood that part of your post, sorry, and thanks for the clarification. And, yeah, that makes sense, and, of course, backs up the possibility you first suggested of Jun/ko being the one to kill him.
The revelation of Jun/ko’s trauma has definitely added more pieces to the puzzle.
And they’re driving me slightly mad. I guess we’ll only really know come next year 
But if we do find out more about it, it can only (I think) be from Jun/ko’s own lips, which… I’m not sure how to feel about that. I’m not ready for that (yes, even a year from now!) 
Nothing wrong with babbling!
It’s nice to have other people’s perspectives on it.
Absolutely! And thanks for sharing yours, they’ve definitely got me thinking!
Sooo… I know this has been somewhat of a conflict in this fandom, and I’m really not trying to start up any fights (pweease be civil 
)
I’m just curious, without judgement or anything,: for those who fancy/fancied Masami as a potential RO, has the revelation about Jun/ko (and the way they perceive your relationship with Masami)
changed your views on romancing Masami, be it present or future, in any way?
Hm, not really. I mean, In my case, when it come to games and interactive fiction, I’m not as much playing as character, but more like taking role of “screenwriter”, trying to create some interesting/emotional story, centered around certain character with specific worldview and personality(MC) and his surroundings. And I really enjoy story and chemistry between Masami and Ronin, so I definitely wouldn’t mind her ending up as RO.
On side note, i’m kinda depressed that nowadays when someone mentions ROs alot of people first thinking about sexual relationships… I’m more into innocent puppy love XD
I actually think there’s going to be a time lapse between book 3 and 4. The emperor said that after his wedding there will be one year of peace and prosperity.
It seems to me that’s what we achieved throughout the first three books. The yakuza are defeated, the rebels crushed and a power hungry fox demon is slain. Besides, Hatch now commands an enormous samurai army that is loyal to the emperor.
Maybe we’ll jump ahead for when things restart falling apart? At the end of that one year, new threats might arise against the empire and, more importantly, its people.
Whatcha you guys think?
No, even though I go for Toshio, I don’t think it should.
What happened with Jun/ko is terrible, but that is a completely different situation. I know some people think that the MC shares a blame for what is going on with Jun/ko, but I don’t see why. They never reached out and said anything to the MC, so how were they to know?
I think Jun/ko is just messed up, and any close relationship with any person is a threat in their mind. Masami/Masashi is just the unfortunate focus of their rage because they hired the MC. The fact that Jun/ko can see the innocence in our pint sized companion and notices the particular bond we have with our pint-sized employer just fuels their fire more.
That’s… Actually that’s a very plausible thing that could happen for book 4. Maybe during the year time skip, the MC could be searching out Junko the entire year and not be able to find her until that year is about to pass by and everything could hit the fan by then. And Hatch is most likely will be unrecognizable by the time we meet with him again, same goes for the kid. The kid is like 14, right? So he/she might be hitting puberty when the ronin is gone (however I am not interested in the kid as a RO, it would be too weird for me since I look at her as a daughter/little sister). Maybe we’ll run into Momoko again and once the ronin finds out about the tongue thing, he’s gonna be very pissed.
Hey I just heard this from a website but is Jun/ko a demon now after mastering the Jigoku Itto-Ryo?
I wouldn’t exactly say that she’s a 100% demon at all because she wasn’t in one of the six prophecies that Satsuma told us in the first book (at least that’s the gut feeling I have about her). More like a monster from the ronin’s past that has to be dealt with in one way or another due to the fact that she will stalk you and harm anyone that got in her way of getting to the ronin. Remember, the ronin mastered the Jigoku Itto-Ryu a long time before the first book started but didn’t become a demon either. In fact I believe the Jigoku doesn’t exactly turn you into a demon, just a mindless rampaging beast kinda like how Bruce Banner turns into The Hulk from the Marvel comics and movies.
I have to say I love this game. There is so much emotion and heart in the story that I can’t get enough of it.
Particularly I’m loving MC and Jun/ko, so much history and heartache. I was hoping book 3 would explore more but hopefully that will happen in book 4 now.
Learning a little of Jun/ko’s past was like a piece of the puzzle clicked into place for me. His/her obsession and possessiveness towards MC made more sense and the loneliness Jun/ko must felt when MC abandoned them.
I don’t think Jun/ko should die and would hate to see it. MC and them have a lot of potential and never really liked the “beyond hope so killing is a mercy” kind of narrative. I feel MC has done as much if not worse things but just haven’t lost their minds to Jigoku style the way Jun/ko did. MC got a chance to try a new life from their past and Jun/ko hasn’t. It would be nice to be able to give Jun’ko that.Especially after their father’s abuse.
Just like the MC grows I love to see that with Jun/ko. Them as part of the group would make for interesting dynamics between characters.