The men of Hiiro no Kakera DS

Since kanji is abundant Hiiro no Kakera, the latest DS dating sim for girls', it may be difficult for those with mediocre Japanese reading skills to get to know the eligible bachelors. So hopefully this short primer will help players get to know the men looking to win Tamaki's heart.

Takuma Onizaki is the first guy you'll meet in Hiiro no Kakera, and he shows up during the game's introduction period. He's the typical dating game prince, as he's the one who would appear in the canon ending if this were, say, a novel or anime. He has brown hair and eyes, and is in the same grade as Tamaki. He's also 17, just like Tamaki. He's also an all around good guy, who's concerned for her well being and what-not. The only problem is, he has trouble expressing himself at times and can be a bit rough.

Mahiro Atori is the third guy you'll encounter, and he's quite energetic. He's older than Tamaki, and attends the same school. Yes, he is shorter, but older – 18. He also has purple/black gair and green eyes. He's the second guy you meet – Tamaki and Takuma encounter him at school. He also acts a bit childish and selfish. Personally, I was a bit stumped by his voice, as it seems fairly deep and masculine for someone who looks like a jailbait brat. Quite a few characters tease him about his childish appearance. He also can manipulate wind.

After your encounter with Takuma and Mahiro, Tamaki returns to the classroom and goes through the rest of the day. She stops at the library once classes are done and runs into upper classman Yuuichi Komura. Yuuichi is 18, studious, responsible, relaxed and quiet. Appearance-wise, he's pretty attractive with white hair and yellow eyes. He's also quite a gentleman, and my favorite of the available bachelors. He can use fire to attack, and has quite a few admirers at school due to his appearance.

Takuma then escorts Tamaki home, where she meets the older Tsuguru Oomi. Tsuguru is a friendly, older man (25) with long black hair, brown eyes and glasses. He's friendly, and almost seems more like an older-brother type. He is almost always seen in some kind of kimono. He also has a childish side, which shows through at unexpected times. He has the power to control water and also earth.

The final two bachelor-warriors of Hiiro no Kakera aren't encountered until later in the story, and they are Shinji and Ryu.

Shinji Inukai is adorable. At 15, he's the youngest guardian. He's like a cute little brother, or a saint. He's a perfectly little gentleman with gold eyes and purplish-brown hair who's also a guardian and student at the same school as Tamaki, Takuma and Mahiro. He loves to cook, is very gentle and doesn't like to fight.

Ryu Kutani is the last guy you'll meet and he's, well, frisky. Ryu is the Hiiro no Kakera DS bad boy. He's 18 years old, has unkempt beige hair (yes, beige) and red eyes. He is one of the warriors who's supposed to assist Tamaki, so he's not all bad. Except he's not really all good either – Ryu's a mystery. He does seem to truly care for Tamaki. 

Images courtesy of Idea Factory.