The greatest thief of all time: Ishikawa Goemon

Honestly, I have noooooooo idea how to start. Whenever I think about what to write about him, my emotions take over and I can't be as organized as I usually am! ARGHHH!

First, I find it quite amusing that in every other route, he's having a one-sided love for Rin but in his own route, Rin's the one thinking she has a one-sided crush on him. "Wow the way he talks about her... I have no chance." I'd feel the same way, Rin.

A poster boy that's VERY obvious

The game is not so subtle in introducing him as the poster boy. Since the common route, from uniting the 3 other prisoners, giving her sandwich, being on guard when Kamuro first appeared, we as the players, clearly can see that this man must have feelings or a past with our Rin. This is further confirmed in the bomb he dropped with "I still love you" right b4 common route ends. As if to tease us that we can't play him after making us so curious about him for the whole dang common route! AHHH this man is so ZURUII since the start! And we can clearly see that he really LOVES her in every route!! And that is enough to make this man the GOD tier of otome husbandos. The story of Goemon and Rin... though I can't say the plot-related part was exciting... this route truly stands out because of how beautifully tragic the love between Goemon and Rin is.

Their tragic story

They are finally together, after a journey full of PAIN and adversities. And it is through perservering and overcoming them all that is so beautiful about Goemon's unwavering love for Rin. Even after they finally reunited and confirmed each other feelings, both of them faced with the horrendous truth that Goemon has been hinting in his route since the start: that Rin died bc of him.

It was due to this very reason that Goemon was hesistant to approach Rin in the first place, even after finally seeing the woman he loves again. It must have been shocking to him that Rin, a pious woman, would end up in hell. That plus, he was afraid to know how she died at 19, the very age he saw her before he died.

He mentioned he asked King Enma and Takamura many times about how Rin died because... the very thought of her being killed bc of him is shuddering. "I didn't have the courage to touch the woman who was killed bc of me." He still remembered how his mentor's wife's body was treated after she was killed. It would immensely pain him if Rin died in the same manner. But the truth was revealed and the both of them had to face their painful pasts. Their love continues to be filled with tragic and PAIN but only this time, they will carry each other's pain.

I didn't have the courage to touch the woman who was killed because of me.

The foolish thief

He's such a foolish selfless man in the past. Bearing all his comrades' sins, not approaching the woman he loves to keep her safe, putting everyone he loves above his own safety... UGH... This man doesn't deserve centuries of torture in Eternal Hell at all... And yet, after meeting Rin again, he managed to smile behind all the years of PAIN he went through.

The most heartbreaking moment in his route for me was when he finally cried in front of Rin... I still remember crying as I heard his trembling voice was saying how he is looking forward to eating Rin's onigiri and treating it like it's a precious treasure T^T AHHHHHHHH the PAIN was real... I can feel his PAIN in his voice and expression... As Tama hinted in earlier routes, Goemon seems to be good at hiding his feelings. Perhaps from ninja training but in any case, he's been doning a smile and a happy demeanour throughout the game so the fact that he can't hold it together anymore when eating Rin's onigiri... GEUHHHH...... It speaks VOLUMES on how much she meant to him... A+ for the writing! A++ for Yashiro Taku for pulling that voice acting off!

The chapter called "Unheard Murmurs"... THAT WAS... PAINFUL TO HEAR AS WELL... I can see why the man has to drink vodka every night to drown in his sorrows. "What do you mean you'll pray for me? I'm talking about you, of course..." T^T

Seriously, when I imagine how hurt he must have felt to keep distance from Rin in other routes because he thinks he doesn't deserve her... OUCH... But see, that's what make him great! Because he always puts Rin first! His wants, desires and feelings doesn't matter! Even Okuni call him a fool in love...

I love how selfish Goemon becomes towards the end of the route. If it was the him when he was still alive, he would no longer be by Rin's side after learning the truth about her death. He would somehow mumei himself to atone for his sins. Even King Enma knows that this painful past and truth can be difficult to live with so he gave Rin a choice to either make herself or Goemon mumei. But Goemon was like:

I wish I could kill myself but that means another man would have you and I would hate that.

FINALLY! He decides to put his desires first and though he is aware of the mental turbulence and scars they will have to bear by being together, he still wants to be with Rin. As he says many times in the route, he simply loves Rin T^T That is soooo endearing to me!!!

I think one of the reasons why Goemon changed in the present was because Rin is much stronger than when she was alive. Since Rin lived during a time where women were oppressed and the fact that she was blinded, we see in flashbacks that Rin is often portrayed as a meek, timid girl when she was alive. But now, her sight is back and she has been trained as a Hell Guardian, going through all the stages of torture and enduring them. She's also more resolute and stubborn than she was before. Goemon's still living in the past, tied down by his trauma, whereas Rin, who lost her memories, is living in the present. It's contradicting but the fact Rin forgets about Goemon actually gave him the courage to be with her again.

And this influenced Goemon to also fight what he wants as he gradually fell in love with the present Rin all over again. He receives her strength and become the man that would not let go of her anymore. AHHHHH!! THIS MAN!

How love saved each other

Can we also talk about how these 2 saved each other? T^T ... I HAVE NO WORDS. Rin tried to drown herself in the river and Goemon saved her. While Goemon, who was shackled by his deeds and no longer finds purpose in life, was saved by Rin, who gave him a reason to live (protect her from afar). Ahhh and while they saved each other, they also hide their feelings from each other. Rin lying about her feelings for him all along and him hiding his feelings from her. Their love for each other is so strong that Nono-sensei even said that after Rin became only a soul, she still sought for Goemon in the Eternal Hell T^T Man... THE FEELS!!

Also, this was mentioned in the drama CDs, but both of them still have a lot of healing to do. At least they have each other now and are working towards it by enjoying the moments together every day. In one of the CDs, Sharaku once noticed Goemon reverting back to his old self, hiding his feelings from the group and wearing a mask again. He lashed out at Goemon because he is being unfair. Goemon, who lived his whole life as a ninja was not allowed to ever show emotions or even show any personality. He admitted to Sharaku that he can't help it but he wants to make Rin happy so he is aware that this is something he should work for. Expressing himself more honestly and having desires. He thanked Sharaku for pointing it out. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP!

It's just... so sad ok?

After replaying this game so many times, it becomes much easier to spot his subtle expressions (because he's too good at hiding his feelings), and the pain/longing in his voice as I don't have to focus on reading/rushing thru dialogues... In the Prologue, where they first met at Sanzu river, can you imagine the moments from Goemon's POV? Right before he saved Rin from falling. He must have been afraid yet anticipating to meet Rin again after he learned from Enma that she's in Hell as his daughter.

You can even read the official Tale of Goemon story from B's Log, where Goemon was still unable to forget Rin after so many years in Infinite Hell... Even King Enma was surprised by his stubborness and teased Goemon by mentioning Rin all the time. And Goemon wasn't even allowed to see her...

Yet, Enma left out the detail that Rin's lost her memories so when he finally saved her in the Sanzu River, his confusion/flustered expression when Rin doesn't recognize him... I CAN SEE THE PAIN BEHIND IT!!! Maybe he felt like his existence was nothing to her GEUH... He must have thought she's blind so maybe she just can't recognize his voice? Poor guy... After waiting for almost 500 years to see her again!! AHHHHHHHH!!!

And then he did find out in the early common route that she's a transient, which greatly shocked him, clearly. I noticed he can't hide the shocked face there. I bet he went to look for old Enma that night to ask what actually happened to Rin... And then stopped by to get her some sandwiches.

Across all routes, he will usually try to hide his concern for Rin to fit in with the rest but sometimes it would leak out like when he punched Yona for putting Rin in danger in Yona's route... Or in Jack's route, when he got jealous and warns Rin not to get close to Jack with that DEEP VOICE and kabedon in the onsen... GOSH!!! WHERE'S THE CG??? I DON'T CARE IF IT'S JACK'S ROUTE! I NEED THE KABEDON CG! HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS MAN?? Why is he so perfect? He loves her in every route! Unconditionally! Using his ninja skills to secretly protect, watch over her and wants nothing but her to be happy in this life.

Aside from all the despair and pain this couple had to go through, I also love his route best bc I think they really have such great chemistry! Like when he teased her if she likes men with glasses, or when she told him to eat poison and he happily complies, and the next day he hogs all the "poison" for himself, just for an embarrassed Rin to ask him to take off the note... AHHHH SOOO CUTE!! I love all their little dates too! Like when they went out to eat dango, or they went out to get groceries, when he picked daphnes for her both in their past lives and present... Goemon literally goes everywhere with Rin this whole route and I JUST... I JUST LOVE IT OK!! 😭😭😭

Cute Goemon X Rin moments for my own reference

• When he promised to pick flowers for her every day forever and make a hairpin out of it that even regal princesses don't have!!
• When he couldn't tell her he loved her so he recites a song "Though I can count all the grains of the shore, I cannot count how many ways I love you"
• The way he says "I love you" so many times that he's afraid she would get sick of hearing them!! AHHH CUTE!
• The way he rushed over to her with still damp hair after shower
• When he told her he actually had no wives so she's his only wife... GEUHHH
• When he saw a couple locking arms and he wanted to do that too... AWWW
• When Rin asked if the reason why he chose to ride the cauldron is so that she couldn't escape, he shyly admits "maybe"
• When he playfully throws the star origami towards her "I'm here to take your life!"
• When he admits he's such a big fool and should have just taken Rin and ran away T^T
• When he told Rin he loves both Rin when she's alive and now.. He fell in love with her again T^T
• When he always worried and puts Rin above everything else! T^T
• When he finally told her she's the one he loves all along and that she's been too dense! His BLUSH!
• When Rin asked if he was the one who gave her the sandwiches and he BLUSHED!
• Rin saying she loves Daigoro the most in the world (not knowing it's him), and his reaction was SOO CUTE!
• When he tricks/teases her that vodka is a "special water" LOL
• When he asked her to pick a vodka for him with a cute label or something
• His self-delusion that she fed him dango in the past AHAHA

Less emotional rant time

From a more analytical standpoint, I also love how this couple is the embodiment of the game's theme of justice. What is good and what is evil. What's considered bad in an era can become good later. And it all depends on perspective and the judge (AKA King Enma LOL). Like how Goemon was excuted as a heinous villain and later celebrated as a hero in the present. Goemon, being a thief, who supposedly live in the shadows, associated with dark, evil and bad. While Rin, a dango seller and pious girl, is living in the light, the good. When they're alive, Goemon thinks they're living in 2 different worlds and he doesn't want to take her as his wife despite being loving her so much bc he thinks by bringing her to his side, she'll live as a fugitive (in the dark with him). But Rin, to his surprise, ended up in Hell. So both of them were in fact sinners in King Enma's perspective and was judged accordingly.

Every individual is not black and white, good or evil. Justice itself is grey. Anyways, Goemon will always be GOD tier for me no matter how many games I've played after this one. I've translated all his drama CDs, short stories, few fanfics and more... so clearly, I can't stop ranting about him so that's the reason for this post!

Before I end this post, here's the FMV from our channel btw! Editor-san's skills are amazing! Truly captured their story well!

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