Ken ga Kimi Review: A masterpiece that's long due for localization

I bought this game on a whim when passing by a game story. The cover art is really pretty! That's the only reason why I got it LOL! Finally, after almost a year, I finished the game so here's the review!

剣が君 Ken ga Kimi (literal eng translation is "Sword is you"), gets its title from its entire theme:

The sword, equivalent to his life, is wielded for you

Some info:

In this beautifully written story, each LI has 4 ends. Common route is 8 chp + LI route 6 chp (Long game!)
2 ends from the Ken (sword) route where he chooses the path of the sword
2 ends from the Kimi (you) route where he chooses to pursue a relationship with you
There is no concept of bad/happy/best end in this game. It's really however you wish to interpret, which I thought was great. Some ends broke me, some ends healed me.
There are extra stories with bonus CGs of each LIs' 4 ends! Yes, very hefty game
No particular route order because each route is pretty self-contained. But ig the "true" route is Tsuzuramaru's because he is poster boi.

TLDR sypnosis (cuz I was confused by so much info and names when first playing):

There's a dude, Tadanaga, who killed himself and left his 7 year old son, Choushichirou alone. He used to be the head of Sunpu.
The dude's older bro, Iemitsu, is the current shogunate of this period (think of him as similar to an emperor's status)
Iemitsu wants his younger sis, Hisahime, to marry the new head of Sunpu (Tadashige), to strengthen political bonds
But Hisahime is fragile and would not be able to travel from Edo to Sunpu wearing a heavy bridal gown so they asked MC, Kayo, daughter of a restaurant owner, to take her place in the bridal procession
So the common route is Kayo, pretending to be Hisahime, heading to Sunpu with 6 samurais AKA the LIs escorting her

TLDR on some other background info useful to know (still with me here?):

There is the present world (Utsushiyo) where humans, onis and yokais live. Humans are the dominant species. Onis are forbidden to wield swords due to past war treaty, Yokais are supernatural beings.
The underworld (Tokoyo) is ruled by Marebito. There are 5 gates that connects Utsushiyo to Tokoyo.
A dude called Asakura, who served the deceased Tadanaga, takes Choushichirou into hiding and aims to revive his dead lord by opening one of these gates
There are 5 Heavenly Swords which the strongest samurais can compete for. Most LIs are samurais who are aiming to be the best and win the honour of the sword.
The sword has the power to seal yokais AKA protect humans from yokais
But winning the sword in the competition does not mean you can wield it. The sword chooses its wielder. If it deems you unworthy, you can't unsheath it or use its sealing powers.

LI Routes (in my play order)

Kei

Tsun samurai with many cute/blushing moments
Dual-sword wielder with "lightning" powers
Some ends are bittersweet, some are cute, some will leave you speechless
Great development with MC, love their cute banters

Enishi

Flirting with MC every chance he gets
Development of the character was a little bit all over the place for me, but his backstory is great
Has one of the most beautifully tragic ends and I LOVE IT, I didn't cry though I know some ppl told me they bawled their eyes out
He has some moments with MC I like and overall, this route is great, there were consistent motifs and symbolism

Sakyo

I would buy the game full price for this man
The group's nagging mom
Really set the bar on how to write a great route/character with beautifully poetic and symbolic ends
Beautiful man #1. Sometimes I forgot who's the woman in the CG LOL.
Sakyo: Stop calling me pretty... I'm a man you know
His story and 4 ends really are the best imo

Tsuzuramaru

Nickname: 990, because his kanji literally spells that
Best chemistry with MC
A+ poster boi material, so cute, so sweet and sometimes spicy
Some ends had me leaving unsatisfied due to some unanswered questions but it was addressed in extras so all good now
His motives were a bit weak compared to other LIs

Saneaki

Master swordsman but a gentle kuudere man who loves flowers
I love how other LIs love to challenge him to a duel because he's THAT strong
I realllllly like his dynamic with MC. They are so cute and so well-suited for each other T^T
Beautiful man #2
His backstory is simple yet developed and well delivered and they know how to make it hurt

Suzukake

The purest of them all
The doctor of the group, great with animals too
Nice and kind youngest boi
Surprisingly strong warrior
Least crazy backstory

LI Ranking: Sakyo >>>>> Saneaki > 990 > Kei > Enishi

Route Ranking: Sakyo > 990 > Saneaki > Enishi > Kei

Is this a masterpiece? Or is it overhyped?

It addresses heavy topics like dealing with loss, grief, revenge, repentance, discrimination and conflicts with your own identity/values. Every LI has either the Ken or Kimi end, which means they all ultimately have to choose the path they want to take. Note that if they choose the path of the sword, it does not necessarily mean that they will have to leave MC. It just means that they prioritised their "sword" goal. Every LI feels fleshed out and real. They have depth and all their routes are overall well-written and gripping. You will definitely find at least 1 LI in the game who you can relate to. The themes and motifs are also consistent in the game, and with clever, sometimes subtle use of symbolism, this makes the game such a joy to read and analyze!

Kayo is one of the best MCs in an otome game. She's headstrong, perserving, kind, patient and always looking out for others. I love how detailed the writers are. Every word/action said by a character is intentional and well thought-out. And the way Kayo responds to them AKA by the choice menu, can heavily influence the end of the story. If I had to point out a tiny gripe, I wish she was voiced because all the emotions she flet would have been 10000X amplified and it would increase the PAIN T^T

The art... can we just TALK about it? Yomi, the artist, also draws for Virche Evermore! It is gorgeous and I don't know anything about art but I know that my eyes were very pleased while playing the game. The CGs are in one word: STUNNING. I have to stare and admire them like a painting for a few minutes each time one pops out. And this game is incredibly generous with their CGs. You will see 22 CGs per LI and more in the common route. The music is also fantastic. It really fits with the historical and heavy themes, There would be piano tracks that would loosen your tear ducts and there would be bass-hitting drum themes for exicting fight scenes. The cast of the VAs were also spectacular and contributes a lot to deliver the emotions of the LIs so well! T^T

Use of symbolism (Flowers)

Probably the most prominent symbolism in the game is through flowers, though note that there are other forms of symbolisms they have used exclusively in an LI route for foreshadowing or motifs such as poems/certain objects/wordplay which I won't cover here. Every LI has a representative flower which appears in their route or their official artworks. Some flowers also appear to symbolise character traits of the LI at the time it was shown. Generally, the flower depicts the overall theme of their route or their emotions or their character traits. Here are some flowers we see in the routes (I won't disclose which routes to keep it spoiler-free).

Purple hydrangea: longing for deep connection and understanding
Purple wisteria: resilience and longevity, sentiments of love
Purple/blue morning glory: beauty, nobility, and royalty, deep emotions, infinitive love, trust, respect, and honesty
Red spider lily: abandonment, loss, death, and separation, connection to underworld
Yamabuki: Often depicted in poetry to express youth, change and elegance
Garden marigold: joy, remembrance, grief
Cherry blossom: rebirth, renewal, new beginnings, the fleeting nature of life
Dark pink primrose: a lack of merit, instability and shyness, femininity, resilience
Purple violets: Humility, faith, profuseness, determination
Fluorite flower: symbolizes a guiding light, follow its ray to help one find oneself

My verdict: A masterpiece. Every route delivers something that will make you feel something. The actions of these characters make sense and pacing was excellent. Stories were well-written, there were no major plot holes.