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By Tina Lam

“Kore wa dare no monogatari desu ka?” That means “Whose story is this?” And it was just one of the sentences I learned how to read thanks to a new kind of role playing game called Shujinkou. Even though I already knew who the main characters were, it was a question I found myself asking repeatedly when playing the Shujinkou. That’s mostly because I found that the story isn’t just about Shu, or the other main characters. The game layers the narrative so beautifully that it makes you wonder whose story you’re actually shaping.

So, what exactly is Shujinkou? By definition, I would describe Shujinkou as a Japanese RPG (Role-Playing Game) that revolves around language, mythology, and memory. The story is mainly about following a Samurai named Shu whose key goal is to explore the lands of Genya in order to confront the demons terrorizing his world.

But that’s only part of what makes Shujinkou so engaging. It’s also more than just a learning tool that can teach players Japanese. It’s a video game that incorporates a Japanese learning system with battles, exploration and storytelling. I find it important to note that learning Japanese here is completely optional. The game does not force it on you and players are not expected to need to know Japanese in order to be able to understand the story and progress. While it certainly was my favorite part of the experience, it doesn’t have to be yours! Shujinkou offers many other valuable experiences throughout playing that I found very fun such as exploring its fascinating mythology, solving memory-based puzzles, or playing its fun mini games.

Before you even play, you can set your difficulty level and Japanese proficiency. The game starts off by explaining the history of the world of Shujinkou and building up its lore. Shujinkou takes place in a fantasy world inspired by Japanese history and folklore. But the story officially starts in the Himamura village, located on the island of Genya. You begin the story playing as Shu, the samurai. One of the next characters you meet is Momoko, Shu’s younger sister. Through her interactions with Shu, the game quickly gives you a sense of his home life and makes the world feel real and lived in rather than just another tutorial area.

But that wasn’t the only thing that caught my attention when the game started. The art? Gorgeous. I was completely blown away by the art style and the designer’s choice in coloring. To me, I feel like colors make or break a piece. So imagine how pleasantly surprised I was by the warm and welcoming colors that Julian Rice used to open up the game with. Even the smallest details like the sunlight filtering through the windows or the color of Shu’s and Momoko’s clothes added so much personality to the world that I found it hard to look away. 

That sense of peace, however, didn’t last long. Not even five minutes after you finish talking to Momoko, Shu runs into an oni attacking a woman named Anoko, and players are forced into battle to save her. The oni has dark skin, glowing yellow eyes, and an ominous wide grin that immediately triggers your fight or flight response. But don’t worry! Battles in Shujinkou are simple and turn-based. In the beginning, players are given three main options: strike, defend, or item. Striking allows for Shu to attack the enemy directly, defending reduces attacks from the enemy, and items are used to heal and restore health. The fact that this system is so straightforward makes it easy to understand and enjoyable to play, even for players new to RPG combat.

Shortly after that first demon encounter, we get to meet new characters like Shu’s older brother, Daisuke, who runs the village blacksmith shop, Mokubukiya. There, you can purchase standard weapons or even forge custom items using materials collected from labyrinths. This reminded me a little of Genshin Impact’s forging, and it’s just as satisfying because it gives your characters higher stats and makes them  stronger, too.

And Shu’s friends, Shirouto and Toushiro? They might seem bland at first, but soon you’ll find that they are the perfect companions for Shu and make the story more heartwarming. This is because of their contrasting yet complementary personalities that balance each other perfectly. While Shirouto is thoughtful and analytical, Toushiro is the group’s muscle and charges ahead with pure optimism. This creates a funny dynamic between two characters you would never expect to get along, making the story feel fuller and more human. 

Once Shu and his friends leave Himamura, most of the game revolves around exploring Genya’s labyrinths. These dungeons are experienced from a first-person perspective and within them contain monsters, treasure chests, and hidden paths. While the layouts themselves aren’t that revolutionary, I found that the exploration aspect of it kept the experience engaging. 

So now you’re probably wondering, when exactly are we actually going to learn Japanese and how will the game make learning fun? I was asking myself this same question forty minutes into the game, and found that the answer lied in the Kanakae system.

When exploring the dungeons, players discover magical orbs called Kanakae, each containing a Japanese syllable. These orbs are used in battle to attack enemies, and choosing the correct orb also gradually reveals the enemy’s name. For example, when you face a Hikigaeru, or toad, its name starts as “???.” By attacking the correct syllable orbs (“Hi,” “Ki,” “Gae,” “Ru”), you reveal its name and deal extra damage. I found that this was a very compelling way to integrate learning new languages into a video game because it helped me memorize kana without feeling like I was studying it. This not only made the learning experience more fun. It also made each battle feel meaningful and serious.

What I really loved about the game was the music. Oh, the music. In the labyrinths, the soundtrack is filled with low, haunting percussion beats and eerie chimes which, while creepy, is something that I could easily fall asleep to. Even during battles, the music was never too overwhelming. It was intense enough to build tension but didn’t get my heart racing in a way that had me overthinking every single thing I chose to do. 

Despite being a single player game, I found that I never really felt lonely playing Shujinkou. In fact, the single player aspect actually made it easier for me to understand each character’s story and connect to each character on my screen. However, I did find a few aspects of the game that left me more confused than excited. To me, the first-person perspective when exploring the labyrinths wasn’t that enjoyable because I felt like it limited my mobility at times. Still, even these moments of annoyance were not enough to overpower the relationships I was making within this world and with the characters.

So, to answer my own question, Kore wa dare no monogatari desu ka?

Shujinkou makes it clear that it is our story to experience alongside its characters. 

Tina Lam, one of the Circle’s newest interns, is a sophomore at Baruch College Campus High School.

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