Dangerous Seduction | Asuka Hino Review: Falling for a Cunning Spy

When I first saw that Voltage had skipped the sexy doc’s route I was pissed, I have been waiting for a new route to be released since I finished Arimura’s. So, imagine my surprise when I saw that Voltage decided to release Asuka Hino’s route first!

Asuka Hino was so different from what I imagined, I had this image of him in my head before I started this route and he turned it right on its head… in a good way. I never expected to like this route as much as I did, in fact I was actually thinking of skipping it all together, I’m not really into the whole younger guy thing, but I’m so glad I didn’t!  If you want a general overview of Dangerous Seduction, click HERE, it’s covers the basic premise of the game and includes links to the other character reviews I wrote for the game. 

Available: Google Play | App Store | Amazon App Store

Thoughts on the Route: Would you fly with me?

Unlike the other routes I’ve covered so far, Asuka Hino doesn’t volunteer to be the MC’s bodyguard, she actually chooses him herself! Unfortunately we don’t get to see the actual selection process, because Voltage decided to go with a cold open this time around, picking up the main story the day after. However the MC does admit that she chose Hino as her protector because she was charmed by his gorgeous smile…yeah, I kid you not, she made a life or death decision based on a guy’s smile… *sigh*

Of course Hino immediately makes the MC regret her decision, by teasing her relentlessly and just being an all around jerk (though he’s not nearly as bad as Masaharu). He’s a manipulative bastard that delights in watching the MC squirm, but I had a hard time believing that that was all there was to him…

As a former spy, Hino is well versed in the art of deception, even his fellow team members have no idea who the real Hino is or what’s really going on behind his carefully crafted smile. He’s just a genius jack of all trades, skilled in cooking, combat, seduction, and a whole host of other “gifts”… When he has that dazzling smile on his face, it’s hard to think of him as a criminal, especially when he’s calling the MC “oneesan” all the time, he seems like a perfect angel, but out of all of the guys, Hino is by far the most dangerous!

In the beginning I had a really hard time pinning down Asuka Hino’s true intentions, he has no qualms about using people to get what he wants. While out searching for clues about the MC’s father, he uses the MC as bait to lure her enemies out of hiding, he even seduces the mistress of a politician to dig up dirt on one of his targets. When it comes to his job, he will stop at nothing to get the information he needs.

But, it’s easy to get sucked into his web of deception, he’s just that good an actor. Even I have to admit that I kind of hated the guy at first, but as the story progressed it became apparent that Hino was much more complex than I originally thought. Due to the nature of his profession Hino has to keep his guard up at all times, just one slip of the tongue and that’s it.  So while he appears to be upbeat and approachable, Hino is actually harboring some dark secrets, that constantly test his loyalties to the team and their mission.

This route sent me on an emotional tailspin from which I may never recover. It didn’t take me long to warm up to Hino, I mean sure he’s a jerk, but that’s just a part of his facade. In reality he’s a rather pessimistic guy with some deep emotional scars, that have kept him from moving forward with his life. It isn’t until he is forced to protect the naively optimistic MC that he begins to let go of some of his emotional baggage and finally open up about himself to another person.  

Now, this is going to sound silly, but Hino kind of reminds me of the Pokémon, Mimikyu. He desperately wants people to see him for who he truly is and all of his pretenses are just his misguided attempts to get people to like him. I fell hard for Hino and it wasn’t because he did anything especially mind-blowing, there’s just something tragically beautiful about guys like him, they just make you want to love them.

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Do I Recommend Hino’s Route?

I’m not gonna lie, when I first picked up Dangerous Seduction, Asuka Hino was the guy that stood out the least to me. In fact, the poor guy didn’t even register on my radar at all, like I said earlier, I don’t really like younger guys all that much. They tend to be overly friendly and childish, so I tend to skip their routes or at the very least play them last. And from what I saw of him in the prologue and previous two routes, I wasn’t impressed with his antics.

So, can someone please tell me why this is my absolute favorite route in the whole damn game (so far)?! This is the first route that after finishing it, I felt compelled to buy all of his available stories… yes, even the End Set! I bought it all happily and I am only taking a break from playing his stories to write this review, I fully intend to get back to it when I finish!

Asuka Hino is a smooth talking baby-faced spy with a knack for deception, but when he finally takes off his mask he’s much more vulnerable and raw than anyone could have ever imagined. I give this story a 10 out of 10… and remember, I don’t give ratings!  I absolutely loved this route, Hino is a well developed character, his story is much more emotionally charged than the other routes I’ve played so far. The conflict was well written and the relationship between the MC and Hino was well paced. I honestly have no complaints about this route at all…  So, I highly recommend going out and buying this route right now, seriously, RIGHT NOW! This is hands down my favorite guy in the game!!

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