The Edo period in Japan was coming to an end. The shogunate, which held power in the country for more than 200 years, found itself contested by the imperial court, and several domains that crackle under shogunal rule. In these conditions of political instability, an organization rose to prominence: the Shinsengumi. Originally created to protect the streets of Kyoto by the samurai, they have come to represent the last, tragic bastion of honor of the samurai culture that has defined much of Japan's history.
In Hakuoki: The Demon of the Fleeting Blossom, a young woman named Kanako comes to Kyoto in search of her missing father, and soon discovers danger and the Shinsengumi in quick succession. When it becomes clear that her father is also looking for the Shinsengumi, Kanako puts herself under her protection. But strange things are happening in Kyoto-perhaps even supernatural phenomena. Can Kanako navigate this labyrinth of deadly peril and political intrigue? Among so many secrets and death, can she find romance?