Only the prayers of a maiden will make the flowers bloom, and Mikoto is that maiden. Originally just an ordinary young lady with an interest in hanafuda, a chance encounter with five mysterious young men gains her entry to the prestigious Kasen National Academy. This is a place that produces individuals with rare talents, a place where "flowers" are enrolled. From there, through the mysterious game kasen, played with the cards she holds dear, she is drawn into a tangled web that spans through multiple realities. The five who posses the most power in this place are revered, and they hold secrets that could alter her life irreversibly.
Hana Awase (華アワセ) is a series of Japanese otome games for PC and Nintendo Switch by HuneX, Dramatic Create, EnterBrain, and WoGa. Every game is centered around a particular boy and his relationship with the protagonist, although each game also has content involving the other love interests as well. The first game, Hana Awase: Mizuchi Hen was originally released for PC on December 5, 2012. This was followed by Himeutsugi Hen in 2014, Karakurenai/Utsutsu Hen in 2015, and finally Iroha Hen, as well as Hana Awase Zensho, which contains all four games, in 2019. All of the games were released internationally for the Nintendo Switch as Hana Awase Saku, or Hana Awase New Moon on October 26, 2023. A PC port of Hana Awase New Moon is to be published by MangaGamer and is currently in the works.
The gameplay is a combination of both visual novel and card game elements.
Hana Awase provides examples of the following tropes:
- Beautiful Dreamer: Even resident jerkass Kakurenai can be a good boy when he's asleep.
- Bishōnen: Himeutsugi the princess resents not being "seen as a man" by the protagonist.
- Bitch Slap: Aoi slaps Mikoto after her ego took a beating. Mikoto of course turns the other cheek By saving her from being executed after being possessed.
- Childhood Friend Romance: Averted. Mikoto is completely oblivious to Shou's true feelings toward her. Despite Hana Awase being an otome game Shou isn't a love interest option.
- Chick Magnet: All four of the main boys have their very own minamo who swoon over them.
- The Clan: The Mizuchi family is a powerful one with a rigid set of rules.
- Dude, She's Like in a Coma: Momotose gives Mikoto a kiss while they're sleeping next to each other. Other characters also steal kisses from Mikoto like this on different occasions.
- Gender-Bent Alternate Universe: Zigzagged. While this does occur for Momotose in the Iroha volume it doesn't happen with the other characters.
- Hereditary Curse: The Mizuchi family suffers from a curse that was sealed away by the royal family with the moon.
- Human Sacrifice: Mizuchi's grandfather sacrificed his weaker family members to Coin so Mizuchi could have a full moon.
- I Have You Now, My Pretty: Mikoto is forced to live out the rest of her days in a comatose state as Himeutsugi's beloved doll.
- Instant Fan Club: Himeutsugi's Team Moonlight make him five course meals of imported French cuisine and clean his room on the daily.
- Kissing Cousins: A one-sided example. Aoi, Mizuchi's cousin, has feelings for him but he doesn't feel the same.
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: A platonic example. Kagami is a woman who's masculine, handsome, and her classmates refer to her as a prince. Himetsugi is a kind and gentle "princess" to those around him.
- Non-Uniform Uniform: Kasen Academy students are expected to wear a uniform. These uniforms are a kind of formal attire that is primarily black with white underneath while also bearing the crest of the school. However, uniforms for all the on-screen characters vary, most noticeably in terms of type of garment, style, and neckwear.
- Obstructive Code of Conduct: Being a Minamo on Team Crane means adhering to a strict set of rules centered around keeping a respectable distance from Mizuchi, their Kaei who they all worship equally. When presented with the book containing these rules, Mikoto confuses it with a dictionary due to its sheer size.
- Power-Strain Blackout: Mikoto is prone to overexerting herself with hana awase and often faints.
- Smells Sexy: Apparently Mikoto has some crazy pheromones that drive all the boys crazy.
- Themed School Houses: The student body at Kasen National Academy is split up into five teams. Each is named after one of five cards that make up the “Five Brights” combination in Hana Awase: Team Crane, Team Moonlight, Team Cherry Blossom, Team Immortal, and Team Phoenix.
- Virgin Power: Minamo will lose their power if they lose their virginity.
- Virgin Tension: Minamo are critical sources of power for Channelers, and that power necessitates the Minamo preserve their virginity. At the very least, the hymen must remain intact. Otherwise, she is considered Defiled Forever.