This is a list of characters from the visual novel and anime series, Koihime Musō.
All characters are loosely based on characters of the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms and are grouped in the faction/kingdom they belong to and called by their Japanese names. Also, all of the voice actresses reprise their roles in the anime, under different names. Both names are written here.
Protagonist
Kazuto
Voiced by: Takahiro Mizushima (Drama CD) Visual novel version The main character of the visual novel series. He is a modern day Japanese student who was trained in kendo, military strategies and has pretty good knowledge about Asian History in general. He was sent back in time to ancient China when he attempted to stop a mysterious student from stealing an ancient Chinese mirror within the school's collection and ended up breaking the mirror in the process. Due to his abnormal costume (his school uniform) and manner of speech (English loanwords), he is saved by Kan'u and is mistaken to be the "Messenger from Heaven" who is said to be able to bring peace to China. He initially denied and turn down the role but later on decides to aid Kan'u in her quest, hoping to find his way back home. However, as time passes, he feels himself attached and begins to think twice about whether he should go home. He's often regarded as being too carefree and too big a skirt chaser by almost everyone. In Shin Koihime Musō, regardless of which kingdom is chosen, Kazuto is sent to the other world when he was sleeping back in his own world. Usually before he is found, the lords of each kingdom comment how they saw a shooting star in the sky. Like in the first game, he is still considered the Messenger of Heaven. He is often shocked as to how heroes he knows from literature are so very different from what he has learned from his time. In the first Koihime Musō game his role is akin to Ryūbi. However he takes an entirely new role in Shin Koihime Musō, as Ryūbi has become a separate character. In the sequel, Kazuto can ally himself with any one of the warring factions, becoming the main partner of either Ryūbi, Sōsō, or Sonsaku. The ending also varies depending on who he partners with.
Shoku (蜀, Shǔ)
Kan'u
Real name: Voiced by: Nami Kurokawa (visual novel, anime) (credited as Mina Motoyama in the visual novel) Visual novel version Arguably the main heroine of the first game, Kan'u shows up shortly after Hongō is transported back in time and saves him from a group of bandits. Due to Hongō's strange attire and manner of speech, she subsequently mistakes him to be the "Messenger from Heaven" and becomes the first person to vow her loyalty to him. Kan'u remains the driving force behind the Hongō/Shoku army and displays many heroic actions in the war, often being the leading voices for the other girls as well as the motivator of the group. However, due to her past, she strongly rejects Kazuto for calling her a girl, stating, "Nothing as weak as that!". It is also noted that she easily turns dangerous, even vicious when provoked. She's completely scared of ghosts. In Shin Koihime Musō, Kan'u is relegated to the position of Ryūbi's second in command and confidante. Here she is a very strict general and disciplinarian, especially towards Ryūbi herself (due to Ryūbi being a rather naive and reluctant queen), and Kazuto (likely out of jealousy over Ryūbi's closeness to Kazuto, since she herself in fact harbors romantic feelings towards him). Anime version Kan'u is known as the Beautiful Black-haired Bandit Fighter and wields the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. She is also one of the main characters beside Chōhi. Her past reveals that her family was killed by bandits, which made it her quest to ensure innocent people will never suffer like she did. She cares a lot for her friends, and she is a sister to Chōhi after they swore a vow of sisterhood because she felt sorry for Chōhi's loneliness. Two common recurring jokes about her are: 1) people who have heard the legend of the black-haired bandit fighter remark that the rumors describe her as the a most beautiful woman, and because of this did not think Kan'u was her and 2) some of the female characters mistakenly believe she and Rinrin are mother and daughter despite the fact she is still young. The second running gag is carried even further in Shin Koihime Musō when Kōsonsan mistakes Kōmei as Kan'u's daughter as well. Somewhat self-conscious of her appearance, she often finds herself as the butt of jokes to those who blatantly point out physical aspects of her, such as her age, which she is very sensitive of. Another notable gag was when Kan'u seemingly found a suitable male soulmate, the relationship was to be very short-lived. She is a pure virgin, as noted in season 1's fourth episode, where she nervously admits to Karin that it was her first time when she conceded to sleep with the young ruler in exchange for Bachō's release. After having Ryūbi join them in the second season, she becomes a role model for Ryūbi who later decides to makes a vow of sisterhood with her as Kan'u's older sister (as Kan'u already made vow with Chōhi's as her older sister). Kan'u at first felt it was inappropriate as she is older than she is but by the beginning of third season, she accepted calling Ryūbi her Aneue (older sister).
Chōhi
Real name: Voiced by: Miya Serizono (visual novel, anime) (credited as Hiroka Nishizawa in the anime) Visual novel version Chōhi joins Kazuto along with Kan'u after the two discover him together. Unlike Kan'u, who holds a more reserved master-servant-like relationship with Kazuto, she treats Kazuto like an older sibling and calls him "big brother," similar to how she treats Kan'u. As a powerful character, Chōhi has the strongest Damage ability when used as a general in the game. However, she has no defense technique when used as a commander, thus making her unfit to be one. As a running gag, she's often grouped with Bachou as "the two who doesn't have to help in councils". Anime version Chōhi is a talkative and always cheerful girl. Although she is small and very smart in some things, she is naive in others, yet very powerful and strong, capable of competing against Kan'u in armed melee combat. She is one of the main characters and the first person to join Kan'u. Chōhi will also be very dedicated to her duty no matter what the cost to her (in one episode, for example, she fights bandits despite having a cold.) During the second season, she was opposed of Ryūbi of becoming Kan'u little sister as Chōhi was already made a vow with Kan'u to be her little sister but accepted when Ryūbi decides to make Kan'u her little sister instead. By the third season, she has accepted Ryūbi as her other older sister and even calling her Tōka nee-chan. She wears a hairpin in the shape of a round yellow "smiley-faced tiger" that changes expressions according to Chōhi's mood.
Ryūbi
Real name: Voiced by: Oto Agumi (visual novel), Mai Gotō (anime) Visual novel version The young queen of Shoku Kingdom in Shin Koihime Musō. Being quite young she is naive, often reluctant to go to war, and hates paperwork (much to the chagrin of Kan'u who as a result often scolds the young queen and reminds her of her duties), but has a lot of confidence on her subordinates. She falls in love with Kazuto, causing Kan'u to feel a bit of jealousy. Anime version Introduced in Shin Koihime Musō. A descendant of a distinguished family who was given possession of a sword, the family heirloom, before she encountered the man who would eventually steal her name (leading everyone to believe him to be Ryūbi Gentoku in the first season) and her sword, causing her to fall into disgrace. To redeem herself, she ventures out in search for the man and her sword, which leads her to Kan'u and company, who are greatly surprised of her identity (in fact she is nearly assaulted by Kōchū, and later Bachō, upon hearing of the name Ryūbi again). After being attacked twice by bandits (and almost being raped in the second attack) while venturing alone, she concedes to Chōun's suggestion of joining their group for protection. She is revealed to be an old classmate of Kōsonsan in primary school, even though she doesn't remember Kōsonsan's real name Pairen much to the latter's disgust. She eventually gets her sword returned to her from Enjutsu, thanks to Shokatsuryō who conned Enjutsu with a "mysterious container", in the same fashion Enjutsu herself obtained the sword from Enshō. Sadly, she loses her sword again in an effort to help defend a village from an army of attacking bandits. However, she realize her bravery to sacrifice her sword to defend the village after a lecture from Kan'u so she decides to follow her example by making a vow of sisterhood as her younger sister (contrary to the historical fact that Liu Bei is the eldest of the three) but Chōhi was against it as Chōhi was already her younger sister so instead she becomes Kan'u older sister. By the third season, she, Kan'u and Chōhi have accepted calling each other sisters. Also to her surprise, she is given a new sword, claimed by the Tōka villagers to be a "sword left by the gods".
Chōun
Real name: Voiced by: Emi Motoi (visual novel, anime) (credited as Nana Nogami in the visual novel) Visual novel version When Kan'u was fighting the Tō army, she fought alongside Chōun for a while; when this war ended, Chōun met Kazuto and took a liking to him, promising to join his army later. She joins alongside Kōchū after the battle with Enshō. She has a strong obsession of menma of all kinds. Of Kazuto's harem, she can be considered "the weird one". As the (self-proclaimed) second master of love in the Three Kingdoms, she, along with Shion (who is the first), constantly give Kazuto advice in his love affairs. However, unlike Shion, she is usually straightforward and blunt, lacking much sense of shame. She also has a habit of running around the city as the masked hero of justice 'Butterfly Mask' in her patrol shift. Strangely, no one other than Kazuto and Shuri can recognize her true identity, despite only wearing a mask and her fighting style recognized. Furthermore, Chōun herself doesn't recognize how obvious her disguise is to Kazuto.Despite her seductive front, she can be surprisingly pure at times which shocks Kazuto. Unlike the other girls, she refers to Kazuto as "aruji" rather than "goshujin-sama". Anime version Chōun is a mysterious girl who appears calm, collected, and very powerful. She is the second person to join the group. She loves to tease Kan'u and other women frequently, and seems to relish whenever she gets up close with them. She also assumes the identity of a hero of justice named Butterfly Mask (Kachō Kamen), hence wearing a butterfly mask. Unlike in the visual novel, the majority of the characters--even Chouhi--recognized her right away. In Shin Koihime Musō, Chō'un (in Kachō Kamen's form), saves Ryūbi from bandits with her secret technique, making Ryūbi develop a crush on Kachō Kamen. Chōun asked Ryūbi who saved her, and she 'innocently' said good things about her (Kachou Kamen is super cool, and noble), raising Chōun's mood high. Chōun is also scary when she's smiling (Sui will have nightmares about it and Shion won't let her daughter sees Chōun's smiling face). Chōun even continues teasing Kan'u in more ridiculous ways (like an embarrassing introduction of Kan'u to the bandits who attacked Ryūbi - and Chōun gets a lump on the head as a result). In Koihime Musōs OVA, Chōun (as Kachō Kamen) appeared and swam, but Kōchū, who acted as the school's doctor, said that its okay, since Kachō Kamen's appearance looks like Chōun, and she immediately tied up and put into an unused class, until night and no one seems to notice her missing (even her daughter, who asked about her whereabouts before).
Bachō
Real name: Voiced by: Mio Ōgawa (visual novel), Maki Kobayashi (anime) Visual novel version