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Advika and the Hollywood Wives by Eliza Clark // Review

To realize one dream is to have lost another, perhaps forever.

CW: Age Gap; Sexism; Christianity bigotry; Grief; Death of sibling (not a spoiler)

It's 1AM and I am writing the draft for this book’s review. Don't worry, this is not the day I finished the book—I let it sit for a few days instead.

I remember first listening about this book from a podcast whose name I don't recall. The host sold it to me right away, and before I knew it, I added it to my TBR. Welp!

I haven't heard much from this one, so I don't think there's a huge following for Ramisetti’s works? It was completely by chance, so I thank yet again for this mystery podcast who recommended me this.

The ending was quite anticlimatic, but the climax scene was what hyped me up to finish it (as it should) so fast.

I don't usually read domestic mysteries, and it was particularly shocking that as I kept reading and expected the thriller genre for the story, it instead takes a more mystery facet midway through.

Plot

At age 26, Advika Srinivasan considers herself a failed screenwriter. To pay the bills and keep her mind off of the recent death of her twin sister, she’s taken to bartending A-list events, including the 2015 Governors Ball, the official afterparty of the Oscars. There, she meets the legendary Julian Zelding—a film producer as handsome as Paul Newman and ten times as powerful—fresh off his fifth best picture win. Despite their 41-year age difference, Advika falls helplessly under his spell. Advika is enthralled by Julian’s charm and luxurious lifestyle, but while Julian loves to talk about his famous friends and achievements, he smoothly changes the subject whenever his previous relationships come up. Then, a month into their marriage, Julian’s first wife dies, and a tabloid reports a shocking stipulation in her will. A single film reel and $1,000,000 will be bequeathed to “Julian’s latest child bride” on one condition: Advika must divorce him first.

This plot is full of mixed feelings for me. On one hand, I enjoyed the overall execution and would say it’s a good mystery story. On the other hand, I think the cast could have been better explored, especially when it comes to Julian and the other ex-wives. There is a specific one that was completely forgotten, only being mentioned… thrice? I don’t even remember her name, so that says something about her importance.

The pacing for this was a bit all over the place. It was fast paced, but its mystery wasn’t. Although I felt some tension and suspicion from Julian during the first 30% of the book, it was only midway through that we get the mystery trigger: the shocking will from Julian’s first wife, now dead.

I was enjoying the story so far, but the fact that we were only getting started on the mystery 50% in bothered me. How would the other 50% be spent? Well, I got my answer and I think there could have been some improvements.

For starters, I think the initial honeymoon phase could have been cut short, so it wouldn’t take half the book. I wanted this book to be focused on not just Advika but also the other ex-wives. Instead, we get pages and pages of Julian and Advika’s sexy times: while this builds their relationship and dynamic and it is needed, I found it a bit much at times.

His life story flooded onto the screen, but it was soon interrupted by a phone call from an unknown number. Advika declined it, only for another one to follow, and another after that. Then came a text from Julian: Don’t pick up the phone, don’t talk to anyone. Stay there, I’m coming to you.

From the book description on the podcast, I was also expecting a sort of domestic thriller, so I was very much disappointed when I only got a mystery and a weak one at that. I think part of this is how Julian’s character is built, but we also notice the plot rushes through the plot, and it feels like there were no challenges—whenever there were, it never felt stressful or catastrophic.

Criticisms aside, I enjoyed how this time, the other women aren’t our enemies. It’s female solidarity and I’m all here for it! I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen this type of trope being used, but I never get tired of it. However, as I mentioned before, I WISH the other women could have appeared more often and played a more active role in the story.

Writing

I really liked the writing! Both the narration and the dialogue are easy to follow and full of emotion. I particularly enjoyed how Advika’s observations are expressed through the narration.

The writing is full of personality and commentary on Advika’s part, and because of that, you fly through the chapters!

The way Ramisetti describes the senses is fantastic, to the point that it feels like you are invading her privacy. You can feel the pressure of Julian’s grip, the expensive perfume Advika wears, the description of Julian’s nude body. I even felt anxious, while “watching” them in their intimate scenes. Don’t worry though, the writing isn’t explicit.

Worldbuilding

It’s funny how Julian is always travelling around the world and wants to take Advika with him, and yet most of the book is set inside his house. We get to explore the entire house, and this only serves to further intensify Advika’s alienation in her own life, both as a person and a wife.

Advika’s escapades are probably the most fun and thrilling scenes to follow, but they don’t last long and don’t have any damning consequences.

Characters

Advika, being our protagonist, is a very relatable person. Not necessarily in all aspects, as I myself am very much white (well, not by US standards). However, she is lost in life and grief, both for her dreams and for her twin sister, Anu. I don’t have the best relationship with my family and sister, but I can understand the pain of losing an important part of you, being twins and all.

I’ve been trying to outrun my emotions, stuff them away in a box, or turn my life upside down just to escape them. And I’m exhausted. I can’t do it anymore. But at the same time, I don’t know what to do with myself either.

I enjoy her overall characters and development over the book, but I do wish she played a more active role in the story. It feels like she’s only active around 70% in, and that may be the reason it felt so rushed towards the end. I like how she is confronted by reality as she relies on others who, unlike her, have bills to pay and other worries. This is the same thing that bothers me, though. The way she was written, it feels like she did a 180 and started acting like a rich lady when that’s not who she really is. Sure, this is talked about in the book and I appreciate that, but it still felt uncanny.

Julian is a weird character to unpack. Let me just get this out of the way first: the way I first pictured him, I thought he was latino from his name alone, for some reason. That stayed with me until their make-out session in the car, and it embarasses me still. Julian is a lost opportunity, in my humble opinion. There were some very well-written aspects to him, like how he manipulates Advika’s action and thoughts, but his main motivations for the whole mystery fall flat, like the writer got lazy. While there are a lot of men like Julian, I was expecting a greater villain out of him. The way he explains his reason to marry Advika and have a family with her is very superficial and… normal? Don’t get me wrong, he’s still a shitty character for what he did, but it sure was anticlimatic.

Olive certainly grew on me, pretty much reflecting Advika’s opinon on her. I like how she’s Advika’s voice of reason and at the same time the person who indirectly puts her in this whole mess. This idea that OIive is somehow responsible for Advika’s situation is also explored through their relationship and dialogue, and I enjoyed it a lot.

The other cast (even Anu) was overshadowed by Advika’s worries. The Oaks were only there as a way to represent Advika’s safety net and only served their purpose to help her. I enjoyed Vik’s presence in the final chapters, even if he didn’t appear much.

I mentioned this a bunch of times already, but it bugs me the “Hollywood Wives”, being in the title and all, play a very passive role in this mystery. They mostly serve as leads to Advika and nothing more, although I will admit: the way Advika finds more about them enables them to have their own story, which I enjoy. Well, except that one forgotten “abomination” (Julian’s words, not mine) which I wanted to find out more about but never did. I was even expecting it to be a shocking plot twist, but nope! Such a wasted element.

Themes

The whole book feels like a social commentary in story format, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing. It doesn’t feel preachy and the themes are well integrated in the plot, although some plot aspect are a bit shoehorned. The theme of Christianity and religious opression is one I would have loved to see more of, instead of being used as a quick explanation to some questions.

These women were a constellation in her sky, and even if some of the stars had burned out long ago, their light still traveled through the darkness to reach her.

However, I loved how this book touches on the way white men can control women both through their power, influence, gender, and race. It’s a colonial dynamic which still persists to this day: the fetishism and need of control.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a nice read and felt satisfying enough, albeit cut short.

If you enjoy domestic mysteries and Hollywood settings, you’ll probably enjoy this. Expect a light mystery with heavy themes.

If you are looking for a non-white author or non-white cast/protagonist, this is also a very good choice!

In a general sense, I’d say this deserves 3.5/5 stars.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Thank you for reading it all to the end! Hey, kind stranger! Would you be so kind and consider giving me a little tip? It can be as low as 3 bucks and it’d make a huuuuuge difference!! If you tip 10€ (or higher), you can dictate my next read and be credited (if you’d like) on that review! Have a nice day!!

#blog #review #book review #bookblr #books #age gap #sibling death tw #tw sexism #poc characters

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fujoreads · 2 months

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Boy Parts by Eliza Clark // Review

I wonder what I have to do for people to recognise me as a threat. Do I have to smash a glass over the head of every single man I come into contact with, just so I leave a mark?

CW: Rape & SA; Grooming

Boy Parts was one book I was quite hyped to read. I remember first listening about it in a podcast (no idea which) and I just had to read it.

This book is more of a deep dive into Irina’s (our protagonist) psyche and past, and how trauma shapes who we are—especially when we don’t have an emotional support system in our life.

I was fearing this to be another Perfume, where I’d think the big final twist was the main concept. However, the way this is written, you understand the more shocking things are out of focus for most of the book.

I remember finishing the book and just taking it all in. It was weirdly calming, even after the mix of chaos that was Irina’s daily life and the big revelations during the final part of the book. This is one of those books in which you don’t know how to feel. I personally enjoyed it, but I wouldn’t know how to recommend this, just like My Year of Rest and Relaxation—another book I enjoyed, though not as much.

Compared to others of the same subgenre, I don’t see a lot of talk about this title. Granted, I don’t surf booktube or booktok, but I did find it weird to have only heard of it once in a podcast. I hope more people talk about it, because I sure love weird books.

Plot

This is a book I find hard to recommend. A lot of people enjoy likable or more neutral protagonists, and Irina is NOT one of them. She is nasty, hard to like, and her inner commentary is even worse.

You’ll be thrown into her world, which revolves around going out at night, drugs and random SA, followed by a hangover and barely eating anything nutritious to begin with. It’s been a while since I’ve read this, but I’m pretty sure Irina doesn’t mention having an eating disorder—as obvious as it is. I had a hard time getting through the introduction and setup, as it was just all so vile and I felt sad for the entire cast. Maybe I’m just not a night person, but the idea of filling your nights out of your mind and waking up with the worst headache in ages doesn’t sound like “fun” to me.

For the rest of the story, though, we follow a bunch of flashbacks as Irina recalls a lot of older photography projects for a client. We also follow her in the present, but it’s mostly as a way to dive even deeper into her character, and not as a way to advance the plot itself (we have parallel stories being told, one from within Irina, the other in the present.)

The climax, I would say, occupies the entire last third of the book. The final chapters are all full of adrenaline and things happening all at once, but because the story is so focused on Irina as a character, you don’t even care too much for what is happening. Hell, it doesn’t even feel like the book is ending when it does.

Characters

As I mentioned before, this is a very character-driven story and it shows.

We follow Irina and her life, both her past and present: in a way, it makes us also consider her future. I’ve met some Irinas in my life, in one way or another. Of course, I’ve never befriended one—we wouldn’t last either way.

Many criticisms I see for this book is that it’s too white, since this is from the POV of a white woman and her personal struggles. I think this is a valid criticism and why someone could dislike the book, but I also think it’s intentional. For starters, I’m pretty sure the author is white and maybe she didn’t feel comfortable enough to go so deep into the psyche of a non-white woman and possibly messing up. In a way, too, I see Irina’s character as a satire of the typical white woman, just as much as I see an alienated and traumatized woman. She deals with feeling “old” (even just being in her thirties, which never fails to sadden me) and sexualized at the same time, since she is very conventionally attractive. Her sexualization is an interesting aspect of her, since they seem part of just who she is at first, and then you learn how early trauma and grooming has affected her mentality on sex(uality), people, and art.

I especially enjoyed her best friend Flo and Eddie. Flo reminds me of so many people on Twitter and Tumblr, only virtue signaling and not realizing their own faults—even if their intentions are good.

Since I mentioned virtue signaling, I must say I find quite interesting how Irina’s jaded and apparently cynical mind comments on “woke topics”. She reminds me a lot of people online, not caring who they offend—I don’t mean this as a good thing. She’s depressing to follow, but that’s the point. The way she casually talks about her grooming experience without acknowledging how traumatizing it was and even joking about it is a huge sign of how emotionally stunted she is.

But it must be if I’ve said it, because I’m the worst mother in the whole world, aren’t I? Just the horrible bitch who nursed you, and bathed you, and who pays your rent.

Irina’s mother doesn’t appear often, but when she does, I sure remember her. She’s just like a amplified version of my own mother I do not enjoy experiencing more than I need to, so she felt particularly stressful to handle.

Writing

I feel like there’s something sharp, and crunchy, in my mouth. Something sharp; I spit it into my palm, but all I get is a chewed lump of white bacon fat. The waiter asks me if I’m alright.

If there’s something that sticks with me, is the writing of a fiction book. Usually, discussing the writing is my achilles' heel, since I don’t have much to talk about. However! As the quote shows, Eliza Clark has a very sensorial type of writing, which I love. One of the reasons I felt so disturbed and sad during the introductory chapters of the book was the way sensations were described: the throbbing DJ music; the smells of beer and alcohol; the sticky walls and wet toilets. The way visual scenes are written are my favorite of all.

Sometimes it would be Will in the doorway, sometimes a red cat with the fucking bell. Sometimes, a different boy, younger, with dark hair and scars, choking. I knew him. (...) He dissolved around the corner of the small doorway. I couldn’t follow him. I went back into the toilet, where I saw his face in the water, swirling away with the flush.

Another thing I enjoyed is how sensual—sexual, even—her gaze is. Yes, the gaze. A lot of discussion on art is how the male gaze affects the characterization of both male and female characters, and Irina is the perfect example of an unabashedly sexual female gaze, eye-fucking her victims even before anything happens. It’s uncomfortable and feels borderline violating, and it’s all intentional.

Worldbuilding

The story is set in both Newcastle and London, and I feel like some things were lost on me, not being from the UK at all.

However, I did enjoy how the social and economic dynamics were incorporated into the settings, due to Irina’s Northern origins. It’s an interesting take that a lot of people don’t take into account: how even amongst white people, there is geographical discrimination, which usually goes hand in hand with classicism (the North is seen as the poorer part of the UK).

Themes

This book tackled a lot of issues, from the way women are not taken seriously or even seen as a danger by men—no matter how crazy things get. There were scenes, especially towards the end, where I was getting just as exasperated and confused as Irina, when even after physically endangering someone, the other party not taking it seriously and playing it off like it was nothing.

This also plays into her obsession with keeping her body sensual and desirable to men, as a way to still feel worthy and seen. It’s ironic, since her appearances are exactly what makes it so hard for men to see her as a danger.

Eddie is an interesting way to show this. She feels attracted to him for his defenseless and shy behavior, and this is exactly what makes everything fall apart so fast. He gets entranced by her and their dynamic almost feels like Irina is grooming Eddie into becoming her plaything. Which works, to a degree. Eddie is the perfect example of how sexual and physical assault can be normalized by both society and the victim when it’s done by a conventionally attractive woman. Irina being so sexual is very important to her character and it’s fascinating to observe how it manifests during the entire book, from her teen years (and how the grooming started) to her adult life.

A lot of things made me very uncomfortable, but they weren’t just shock value. For every little thing that happened, we learned more about Irina and that was the point—how your internalize trauma and how that can leave you jaded and shape the way you see your worth, your body, and how you even see love (the romantic kind).

Final Thoughts

This read gave me a lot to talk about, but if I had to summarise: this is a deep dive into an exasperated woman’s mind and how trauma can shape your whole thinking. The writing is crude and realistic but jaded and there’s a lot of themes to make us reflect on various issues.

Personally, I love flawed protagonists and cast, so this was a great read for me, even if heavy at times. It’s one of those reads that made me stay a bit too late reading, so definitely a page-turner!

If you don’t enjoy unlikeable characters or crude ways of showing heavy issues, I wouldn’t recommend this. You’ll just have a bad time.

While I’m not too into crime as a subgenre, I enjoyed Eliza Clark’s writing and tone so much I may give her Penance a try! She’s Always Hungry sounds fairly interesting, although I’m not too keen on short stories.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

#blog #review #bookblr #book review #books #Boy Parts #Eliza Clark #tw sa #tw grooming

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fujoreads · 2 months

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If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio // Review

Heey it’s been a while!!!

I have been busy writing for Fuwanovel (you can check my VN reviews there!) and because of that, both my reading and reviewing got delayed :( But I'm finally writing this one.

I finished If We Were Villains on January 18th and I chose its audiobook version. Even with a personal pet peeve I discovered listening to this, it was a good experience.

CW: murder, toxic relationships, violence, body horror & drug (ab)use

I love me some dramatic tragedy and tragic queer stories, but for some reason every time I tried to read a story around literal theater, it never worked out. Maybe it’s because I’m not a theater kid.

If We Were Villains is all about theater and how a group of friends is shaped by the roles they play on stage and out of it. If you are a theater kid, you’re probably going to enjoy this, but if you’re like me, you can still enjoy it! It definitely grew on me.

I don’t remember where I found this, but I think it was recommended to me somewhere a long time ago. I have this tag called “be gay do crimes” to which I add the most horrible, tragic queer books or book with that vibe, queer or not. The way the book was described, it fit the bill, so I added it there—it was mostly thanks to that that I read it before the others. And yes, I’d say it fits.

It’s been weeks since I’ve finished it but I can still remember how empty and reflective it made me feel. I just love the main relationship dynamic (that will become more and more central to the plot as the book progresses) and how it makes me think of one certain relationship in my own life. For the sake of not spoiling the book, I won’t mention anything else.

I haven’t seen any reviews or comments about this book, but I just bet they are mostly super positive. I mean, this is just perfect for the booklr and booktube community. I think that if I had read this years before, I would have loved it so much more.

I definitely didn’t expect this to be so character-driven. I thought there would be more action, but nope! It’s mostly “slice of life” in a more tense way—but it takes a while to begin.

Plot

Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail – for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he's released, he's greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago. As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.

The beginning and setup was a bit confusing, I must admit. I was still struggling to understand who was who and how everything fit into place, especially since we change time and places all the time (from present to the past.) The audiobook was not helpful either, since everytime a character changed, the narrator would say their name, like in a play. Was it intentional? Witty, but still annoying.

The book had a bit of slow start, but once it got the tension going, it went places. I do have to admit that the drama was a bit much for some of the scenes. I don’t mind dramatic scenarios but there’s only so much I can take before it starts being a bit silly. There were parts were that line was somewhat crossed, but I was too invested at that point.

The final arc was the best when it comes to character development, but the story did get a bit stalled at some points, since it’s such a character-driven book. It was a lot of Oliver thinking to himself, and not a lot really happening…? Let me correct myself: there were things happening, but nothing that screamed for my attention.

While the story certainly escalated during the middle part (and conflict arc), it didn’t feel like a climax or peak of action during most of it. There were some high-anxiety scenes but other than that, it’s like it returned to the beginning of the book, except it’s now a bit tense.

Characters

Oliver is a bit of an odd one. On one hand, I am used to YA protagonists who are all feelings and no thoughts. On the other hand, I appreciate his character and mentality. It feels more real, even if the scenes of him and Meredith were awkward for me to listen to. It felt… forced.

One of the things I was looking forward to was the queer relationships and dynamics (remember the tag?) and while the final arc did deliver on what I was looking for in way I didn’t expect, the rest of the book was very… well, very straight. Look, I’m not saying it can’t have straight romance in it, but I did have certain expectations and the fact that two of the male characters had so much tension at a certain point and that was very poorly explored until last minute was unfortunate. It felt like the dynamic between Meredith and Oliver was forced, kind of like the Pair the Spares trope.

Other than Oliver and Meredith, it felt like the other friends were more in the background. James and Alex were barely there; Richard was important throughout the whole story but it didn’t feel like it; I loved Pip’s character but she felt like wasted potential. I wish there was more work done, since this was like focusing on the plot in a character-driven story.

Themes

A lot of concepts and themes were very explicit from the beginning: the masks we wear, and how they can be hard to take out once you get used to the shape.

I enjoyed the way this was portrayed, even if they felt one-dimensional at times as a result. Some masks were more developed than others, and the ones lacking development could be seen from miles. I am aware that unless the book was longer, there would be some sacrifices to be made (and making the book longer could have made it drag too), but it’s still a pity to see such interesting characters remain very one-dimensional, with a sprinkle of more at best.

I do think the way the ending was left open-ended and how it connects to the final arc’s dynamics and relationships was a good move. I personally don’t hate open-ended endings, even if they can sometimes leave me in anguish. I was tearing up by the end of the final chapter.

Final Words

I think this is an average book. It’s entertaining, sometimes poetic, and it may make you emotional at times. Not all books have to be absolute masterpieces.

However, I think this can be much better enjoyed if you read this in your teens instead of how I did it, at 23. I’m just over university and YA-type of drama frustrates me more than it should. Besides, I was way more impressionable back then.

If you’re looking for a TL;DR: entertaining and somewhat poetic at times, can be very thrilling; however, it’s also a bit slow and doesn’t have much action, so if character-driven stories aren’t your thing, you might become bored midway through.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

#blog #review #book review #bookblr #books #if we were villains #m.l. rio #this is for the theater kids

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fujoreads · 3 months

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The Summer Hikaru Died Vol. 1 + 2 // Review & Thoughts

I just finished reading volume 2 and realized I did not talk about vol. 1 at all, so let's talk!

The Summer Hikaru Died (story & art by mokomokuren) is a cosmic horror story with a queer-coded complicated relationship, set in rural Japan. Got your interest? Well, you’re in for a ride!

CW: Death; Body & Cosmic Horror; Gay Panic & Homophobia

I honestly don’t remember how I got to know about this… I think someone talked about it in a podcast episode? I remember the concept being very interesting: your friend is gone for a week and when he comes back, it turns out he’s some sort of creature that only our protagonist is aware of.

I read both volumes with a huge time gap—almost an entire year, I think?—and every time I finished one, I was just too stunned to read much of any other thing that day. It’s immersive, it’s creepy, and it has that gay panic vibe only these types of works can give. I love me some fluffy and dramatic romance, but the angsty, scary and out there stuff is what conquers me.

I’ll admit: I thought this was going to be just another BL I’d forget soon enough, so the horror aspect caught me off guard… and I absolutely loved it! It’s intense without being always present. I wouldn’t say it’s psychological horror as the horror is present, but it does not rely on cheap jumpscares. Instead, it builds its tense atmosphere, and the use of cicadas for that is amazing. I remember getting the same anxiety-inducing feeling when reading Higurashi: When They Cry (the visual novel), like the heat is getting to you.

I’m not a huge horror fan. Not that I don’t like it—I love it—but I just can’t find stuff that suits my specific tastes. This one does, and I can’t get enough of it. I love mystery and horror but I hate the kind of horror that relies on visuals to scare the reader. This one managed to have a healthy balance and it serves as the exception.

It has Hikaru’s face. It has Hikaru’s voice. It even has Hikaru’s memories. But whatever came down from the mountains six months ago isn’t Yoshiki’s best friend. Whatever it is, it’s dangerous. Carrying on at school and hanging out as if nothing has changed—as if Hikaru isn’t gone—would be crazy...but when it looks so very like Hikaru...and acts so very like Hikaru…

This story is fantastic. It’s fast-paced, and yet you feel stuck in time, glued to your seat. I sometimes even forgot the background cicada noises I’d play while reading.

This is mysterious, but don’t expect your typical mystery read. This is a slice of life existencial thriller, dealing with bizarre creatures and worst of all—your own feelings.

Mokumokuren’s art is just superb. It’s so unique that if I wasn’t already drawn by the synopsis, I would have read it for the art alone. Not only is the artstyle pleasing to look at, but the way they draw perspectives and play with the shading does wonders to the horror elements.

Also, I have to shoutout to Abigail Blackman (the letterer) and Yen Press! The way the sound effects were inserts in the panels made a world of difference, especially when it comes to the cicada sounds.

The story follows mainly Yoshiki and Hikaru, two best friends in a rural Japanese village. Yoshiki is more of a gloomy kid, while Hikaru (just like his name, “light”) is the sunny, dumb kind. This all changes after the events the synopsis presents, showing Hikaru as more feeling, and even more childish.

These two are so interesting to follow: a co-dependent pair that doesn’t want to admit it and the way this shows through a literal monster is just delicious.

The way Yoshiki feels repulsed towards his friend and his own feelings, while feeling seduced to accept something that might not be so good to him—and yet, it feels right. He misses his friend and feels conflicting feelings towards this new creature inhabiting Hikaru’s body. Is it alright to accept this as Hikaru, or will it never be the same? Are is feelings true when directed to someone who isn’t there anymore?

The way Hikaru tries to come to terms with the meaning for his feelings and what is “Hikaru” and the being’s own identity. His strong feelings of loneliness and feeling overly attached to Yoshiki is something I could definitely relate to.

While there’s nothing explicitely better about queer media, something I’ve noticed is how more subtle and metaphorical dynamics and relationships can be, either because of direct societal prejudice or because of how queer people grow to hide their feelings, in fear of rejection and humiliation. Of course, the latter can also happen with hetero couples, but the feelings of rejection that can lead to co-dependence and loneliness are just that much stronger within the queer sphere, especially amongst gay men—and it’s visceral, to the point of fitting right into the horror realm.

Dealing with the unknown can be scary, and the way mokumokuren portrays this relationship and mixes it with the cosmic horror elements is masterfully done. It feels gross but erotic—like a guilty pleasure you find as a teenager—without ever being pornographic in nature. Hell, there’s not even a kiss or explicit thoughts, it’s all a play of “will they, won’t they” for the readers to munch over. While this is a fast-paced series, it’s also a slow burn when it comes to their relationship.

The writing iself isn’t anything too grand, due to its format. You can’t expect too much of a focus on writing in a visual medium.

I’ll talk about this into more detail in the following paragraphs, but the way the writing mixes with the environment and horror elements is where it peaks. There’s occasional bolding and a play with the font sizes, making it more tense to follow along.

I’ve always loved stories set in rural Japan, but all I’ve read that checked my boxes were set before the 2000s—before smartphones and other modern technologies.

The Summer Hikaru Died is set in contemporaneity and even then, you sometimes forget it. There are occasional shows of a smartphone, and even a mention of the Nintendo Switch, but the rural setting makes it so that feels useless.

When reading Higurashi (which is set in the 80s), I always thought “man, this wouldn’t have happened if they had smartphones” but reading this now, I realize that was a futile thought. Sure, they could use the GPS tracker in moments of panic, or call a friend, but in the moment of fear and paranoia, that could only aggravate a situation. Mokumokuren takes full advantage of that: someone sneaking a glance at a message notification they weren’t supposed to see; being too scared to grab the phone…

The horror elements here were only intensified by the creative use of the format!

The concept for this story by itself isn’t anything unique: things inhabiting our loved ones’ bodies isn’t a new thing. However, the way this trope is used to explore other fears and themes is where it stands out.

The exploration of sexuality mixed with feelings of guilt for both parties; the “what if” scenarios in Yoshiki’s mind that could have saved Hikaru; and the overall way being queer plays into society, especially one such as the rural community in Japan.

It’s not uncommon for queer people to have lost a friend or two, be it to mental health or an STD, and the way homossexuality is sometimes compared to an “illness” by the townfolk, I can see the being inside Hikaru as a personification of his feelings and desires, and how Yoshiki struggles to accept them and his own love.

The series isn’t over, but I strongly recommend checking it out.

The third (and latest) volume comes out in April 16th, and I’m super excited! From the cover alone, it may focus more on the minor cast, such as the group of school friends.

In summary: this is a fast-paced (but slow burn when it comes to the main relationship) horror story, more within the cosmic horror sub-genre. It has BL elements and I personally find it to be the main topic, even if it’s not explicit. If you enjoy these, go for it!

Even if you’re not a fan of BL, I find it interesting and subtle enough most times so even people who aren’t into BL can enjoy it, as long as you enjoy slow-burn horror.

I’ll give all my starts and love to this one, as it’s one of my personal favorites! I’m looking forward to more from mokumokuren!

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

#blog #review #manga #bookblr #the summer hikaru died #yaoi bl #eldritch #cosmic horror #rural Japan #cw death #cw body horror

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fujoreads · 3 months

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To Strip the Flesh // Review

To Strip the Flesh is a short tales collection in manga format, containing 5 stories in total—the main one going by the book’s title.

I remember someone mentioning this in a book-related podcast I listen to, but I don’t remember which one. I found it at a bookshop when I went on a little date last year, and I just had to buy it! It took me a while to finally read it, but I’m glad I did.

CW: Gender Dysphoria, Explicit Nudity; Organs; Hunting; Animal death; Sexism; Transphobia; Body Horror

This manga was something else. I may not have the exact same experience as our protagonist Chiaki, but I related so hard I cried—thrice, in fact. I got such a headache from crying I had to end the day that evening. Powerful stuff.

I knew I would probably enjoy it because of the art and the topic of trans issues. I myself am a transmasc bastard, so it’s always nice to see manga talking about these things.

When I finally finished it, I had to pause for a minute or two. For the first half, I read many scenes where I felt dysphoric together with Chiaki, but the way the story ended made me actually try to be stronger and fight for my right to happiness, even if I have to face transphobic doctors on the way.

Chiaki Ogawa has never doubted that he is a boy, although the rest of the world has not been as kind. Bound by his mother’s dying wish, Chiaki tries to be a good daughter to his ailing father. When the burden becomes too great, Chiaki sets out to remake himself in his own image and discovers more than just personal freedom with his transition—he finds understanding from the people who matter most. (The StoryGraph)

Although the main story is this one about Chiaki, there are many others who are also just as enjoyable, albeit shorter.

This tale is condensed in about 100 pages, but packs an emotional punch enough to leave you in tears. It made me realize that I have my own found family and I don’t need to keep living a lie.

The flow of the story may have been somewhat rushed due to its overall length, but it still felt neatly presented. I do wish I could have seen more of Chiaki and the rest of the cast, especially his late mother.

This manga’s artstyle is interesting. It feels very anime, but it does feel different in some aspects, like how soft the eyes are. I really enjoyed it.

As someone with a big chest, I personally related to Chiaki’s struggles and the way it was visually presented was just wonderful.

Chiaki is the son of a hunter (who also butches his own kills). He lives as a closeted trans man and desires not to betray his parents’ wishes for him—to be a bride—hurt as it may. He struggles with trying to impose his masculinity to his father, who refuses to see him as anything else but his daughter, saying how “women don’t hunt”, and never letting him get hurt, seeing him as a frail girl. However, we also see his weaknesses: how he never lets his father know his true feelings, even when his father clearly shows he cares for what he thinks is best to Chiaki. It’s understandable, but also what strains their relationship at some point, even if from Chiaki’s perspective.

It’s so sweet to see Chiaki’s growth after a big moment where he has to make an important decision, both for him and his father, and how that improved their overall relationship.

His father was an interesting character to follow as well, even if we see less of him, and usually accompanied by Chiaki. I wish we could have had more moments with him.

I enjoyed Takato as a friend of Chiaki’s, but while he is sweet and supportive, he’s also a bit annoying. Maybe having him grow more throughout the story instead of a last-minute development would have made him more justice.

This was a lovely read, and not just for the main story. Personally, the Hot Watermelon short story was my second favorite, followed by David in Love.

I got even more excited seeing how Oto Toda, the author, worked as an assistant for Tatsuki Fujimoto on Fire Punch—one of my favorite works ever, as despair-inducing as it was.

If you care about stories centered around trans issues, you’ll certainly like it. It’s also a tale of father-son love, and how old wounds can be treated, even if it seems all too late.

This is a very short story, followed by other even shorter stories, so if you desire a more detailed and lengthy tale, you might not enjoy this. It’s a powerful narrative, but it’s rushed at times and unless you personally relate to Chiaki’s struggles, you might feel less emotionally affected.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

#review #manga #lgbtqia+#trans ftm #cw: gore #cw: dysphoria #to strip the flesh

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fujoreads · 4 months

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Umineko: Episode 3 // Review & Thoughts

VNDB | Steam

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

CW: Murder (duh); suicide attempt; blood

P.S.: There are broken youtube previews due to my blog's theme, so they won't look as good, but I refuse not to show them.

With this review, I am almost up to date with my Umineko reviews, so let's get this started!

PLOT

I would say this is the easiest episode to solve to far, but to be honest, I'm second-guessing myself as I type.

This episode had its focus on Eva and I loved every bit of it.

For starters, this is the first episode we get where all Ushiromiyas survive the first twilight! It was pretty cool to see all the dynamics in these moments of stress and panic.

The first twilight was rather tame; it's only after the second twilight that things get more serious for both sides: the purgatory side, and Rokkenjima side.

I gotta say though, Kumasawa turning into Virgilia was surprising, and the fight scene was 100% chunni hype KEKW

I don't necessarily love chunni works, but I also don't hate them. For some reason, I really like how Ryukishi writes theses more fantastical scenes; hell, even the dumb comedy scenes! Maybe it's because the works are so heavy that you get relieved when you see some lighthearted action. Though to be fair, this is a split opinion amongst the fanbase.

I find it extremely funny how Schrödinger's cat is always mentioned in VNs. It goes with the plot this time, though.

Evatrice torturing Rosa was tough to watch...

ESPECIALLY this part. Like, holy shit, what a description lmao

This sceneeeeee! When I saw his eyes and heard his tone, I knew Beato fucked up. It was so hype!! So hype I wrote this when I read it lmao

Beatrice's trial sure was something... I even shed some tears.

And then we get this... UOOOOOOH BEATORICHEEEEEE!!!

I got tricked so hard and I can't even hate her.

CHARACTERS

Ushiromiya Kyrie & Rudolf

This is the episode where Kyrie & Rudolf both shine as a couple and individuals—though Rudolf less than Kyrie.

The fight scene with the Stakes was one awesome fight!! I never wanted to marry Kyrie more <3

Ushiromiya Eva (ft. Evatrice)

Evatrice is a very interesting character, even if somewhat annoying. We can see her as the antagonist witch, or just as a personification of Eva's fuel and desire... and trauma.

Ooooh that's a nightmare face alright.

The violence of growing as a woman, living in extremely sexist times and amongst a shitty family, with a powerful surname to uphold... I can relate to two of those aspects, but even if I'm not rich like Eva, I can understand her drive and feelings. Seeing the way Rosa and Eva are developed over the episodes, I can only look forward to the rest of the cast!

Ushiromiya Hideyoshi

I haven't met anyone as compassionate as Hideyoshi. I would say Eva doesn't deserve him, but he's the perfect match for her. She's a lucky woman, in that sense.

Ushiromiya Kinzo

Kinzo might be the one individual I can't like. He might be an entertaining fella, but he's an utterly horrible human being—and I bet I haven't seen half of it.

The way we learn more about her time being Kinzo's captive... it's all too painful to see. It also feels like a romanticized tale, twisting human reality.

Her sweet smile is surely a sight to see, though. For that, I can understand Kinzo's fire, but it seems he has given her more damage than happiness.

Speaking of fire, I absolutely loved this CG. It looks like a painting, and Umineko Project's version animates this scene, making it seem like it's actually burning. Fantastic!

youtube

Virgilia

I really liked her character! She is nice, but cunning—a true witch. I enjoyed all the help she gave Battler, and how she betrayed him in the end, outdoing Beato.

AND OF COURSE SHE ALSO HAS A NIGHTMARE FUEL FACE UGH

Chiester Sisters

I love the Chiester sisters! Especially Chiester410—but honestly, the two of them are both fantastic.

(This brought me Maggot Baits flashbacks lmao)

Bernkastel

One of my favorite characters, even if I don't see much of her. Maybe it's because I've read Higurashi beforehand and got hyped seeing someone so similar-looking to Rika?

These moments are precious too. It feels like a treat to Higurashi readers. It's so sad, though...

Lambdadelta

She's here!!

I didn't know anything about her, but I had seen her before, along with Bernkastel. At first, since Bern is clearly based on Rika, I thought Lambda would be a version of Satoko, but looking at her now, I think she might be either a mix of Satoko and young Takano or just Takano.

Her laugh and childish demeanor reminds me of Satoko, but her obsession with Bern and absolute certainty clearly reminds me of Takano and how she keeps Rika trapped in an endless tragedy. Plus, she's very calculating and controlling, which just adds to that theory.

Ange

It's Ange time!! What an introduction to her character :D

I can't wait to explore more of her character in Episode 4, wink wink

Though playing Wingless as she is planning on jumping to her death sure is painful :(

Atmosphere & Soundtrack

As always, great tracks. They make my ears blush ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶

Discovering both Miragecoordinator and Lost Paradise was such a blessing. I added them to my music player as soon as I listened to them in-game!! Oh, and I must not forget about Dance of the Moon Rabbit. I love that track, though I can't unhear Evatrice's voice over it.

Art

There were so many wonderful CGs in this episode, as I've shown over this entire post. Some scenes were animated for this version, and it adds so much to the immersion!

Final Thoughts

Fantastic as always, no complaints!

I'll give this a score of 7.4/10, aka 4 stars!

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Thank you for reading it all to the end! I’m working full-time and looking for another job to make my life possible; would you be so kind and consider giving me a little tip? It can be as low as 3 bucks and it’d make a huuuuuge difference!! If you tip 10€ (or higher), you can dictate my next read and be credited (if you’d like) on that review! Have a nice day!!

#umineko no naku koro ni #visual novel #review #when they cry #ryukishi07 #07th expansion #blog

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fujoreads · 4 months

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Umineko: Episode 2 // Review & Thoughts

Heey it's Episode 2! I've just finished Episode 4, so I might as well catch up on these.

VNDB | Steam

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

CW: Murder (duh); non-explicit nudity; child abuse

P.S.: There are broken youtube previews due to my blog's theme, so they won't look as good, but I refuse not to show them.

If Episode 1 was crazy enough, this episode just gets crazier—and so on. I don't remember much of the details from this, but I do remember it focusing more on Shannon and Rosa this time.

There's even some cool foreshadowing I understand now after finishing Episode 4! I will only reference it in my EP4 review, though.

By the way, unlike EP1, I won't go into as much detail since we're all aware of who the characters are.

Let us begin!

PLOT

Different deaths, different order, different victims!

We get to know more about Shannon and her inner desires for a successful romantic relationship with George. They are very cute together, though I found the whole aquarium date a bit slow.

THEY SAID THE THING!!!

Hahaha, it's fun to see how this sentence can apply to so many different situations, meaning different things.

CHARACTERS

Ushiromiya Battler

This might be the most emotionally brutal episode to him. Well, to an extent they all are, but the way Beatrice made him submit so hard is something else.

This was a fantastic episode for femdom enjoyers such as myself kekw

Ushiromiya Eva

Eva plays a huge role in Shannon's view of herself (and her role in George's life) as an obstacle.

I don't have much to add—she'll have her time next episode.

Ushiromiya Jessica

I almost forgot this was the episode we discover Jessica has a crush on Kanon. I'm not going to lie, I hate this ship. Well, hate is a strong word, but I don't really feel any chemistry and it feels forced, so it's kinda funny how Kanon keeps rejecting her.

Ushiromiya Rosa

Her relationship with Maria is a continuous focus over the entire arc, but this episode focused a lot on how her relationship with her family shaped her into this well-meaning but abusive parent.

This dynamic will be better developed in Episode 4, but I really enjoyed these scenes, even if they hurt a lot to read through.

Rosa is the leader this time. It's fun how our reaction towards her with a gun is completely different from EP1, when Natsuhi was the surviving parent.

It's the eyes, I tell you. They have malice in them o_o"

Though I'll admit, the last scene with her and Maria was hella badass, and it was nice to see her trying to save her at all costs, even if she was a bit greedy as well.

Her Tea Party torture scene was... man, that was tough to read.

Shannon

Shannon had huge character development throughout this entire episode and I loved it. But to be completely honest, I can't remember a lot except for Rosa's paranoia.

The Stakes

Ooooh man, I wasn't expecting to see actual demons. I don't know why I wouldn't expect it, but I just didn't. I liked Asmodeus, she seems fun!

Atmosphere & Soundtrack

youtube

My favorite banger for the episode! It's such a great ending scene aaaa

Mechanics & Gameplay

We get introduced to the red truths. I finally understand the memes!!

I love how Ryukishi is always introducing new concepts even within the game. It keeps things fresh, especially considering how long this game is.

Final Thoughts

Well, this was it for me! I think the next episodes might be more detailed, I just forgot a lot about this episode. Of the Question Arc, this may be the least memorable, unfortunately.

It was still a great episode, and I finished wanting more! I'll give this a 7.5/10, aka 4 stars!

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

#umineko no naku koro ni #visual novel #review #ryukishi07 #07th expansion #when they cry

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fujoreads · 4 months

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Memories of Emanon // Review

Yesterday was my birthday, and I decided to read Emanon: Memories of Emanon—a manga adaptation of Shinji Kajio's novel of the same title.

I remember when I found this title. I was at an anime con, looking at new translated releases when I found it. I had never even heard of it before and so I got curious. To be honest, I partially bought it because I felt pressured by the seller, but the art was so pretty that it wasn't a difficult purchase.

The whole art and vibe of the manga reminded me of my parents when they were young—in their case, it was more during the 80s rather than the 60s.

As someone who reads a lot of manga, it’s nice to find new manga I don’t know anything about, so this was an exciting purchase. It did take me almost an entire year to read it though, given I bought it almost in June.

When I searched for this work online, I found multiple volumes, so I wasn’t sure if this was a standalone or a series. I got worried, thinking I’d get invested and then not have the whole story with me.

Turns out this is pretty much its own story, and the following volumes are a little extra for those looking for more. I might check those out.

I can’t describe my experience reading this, but it was like I was just vibing the whole time… It felt peaceful, reflective, and mysterious.

I’ve been getting more and more into literary fiction and “plotless fiction” (a story where nothing big really happens) as of recent, and this certainly satisfies my urges. In an unexpected way too.

By the way, this does have a plot, just a very vague one.

Plot

What would you do if you had a three billion year old memory?

In the winter of 1967, a 20-year-old man returns home from his travels aboard a ferry, where a chance encounter forever alters his perception of the world around him. While relaxing in the cabin, he is approached by a beautiful yet enigmatic girl who introduces herself as Emanon; later that evening, the pair accompany each other to dinner. After seeing the man read a science fiction novel, Emanon offers to tell him her life story, saying that he doesn't have to believe it unless he wants to. And much to the man's surprise, she proceeds to inform him that her memory dates back over three billion years, to the very moment when life first appeared on Earth.

You know about those stories where a stranger tells you an abusrd tale that makes you stand there thinking? I see it happen a lot, especially in Japanese media.

I find this form really beautiful, though I don’t really understand why. Maybe it’s the way casual conversation with humans can be so interesting, even if a lot of them don’t appear that way.

Art

One of the main factors for this purchase, as I previously mentioned. Emanon’s art is enchanting, somehow seducing me into reading it without knowing anything about its plot—literally.

The way Tsuruta draws Emanon is so charming. Her clothing reminds me a lot of my parents own outfits, so I’d say it fits with the whole setting.

I find this artstyle a breath of fresh air, even if I too love the moe side of manga and anime.

Characters

This story technically has three characters, though it mostly follows Emanon and our protagonist.

Emanon, as her name implies (if you reverse her name, you’ll get ”No Name”), is a mysterious girl. She does have her own personality, but it makes you wonder what or who she really is. Though in the end, she’s more of an idea than a character. I’m pretty sure she’ll be better developed in the extra volumes, but since this is an isolated story adaptation, I’ll be judging according to this alone.

Our protagonist doesn’t have much going for him as well: he’s mostly our eyes and POV. He loves reading science fiction, and that’s what makes Emanon tell him her story. Besides that, though, he’s very average—which isn’t bad, especially for these kinds of stories.

Writing

This was a very much direct adaptation from the original written story. You’ll notice in the first pages that there are 1:1 sentences from the original work. That said, I enjoyed it. It’s casual but captivating, and does a great job showing Emanon’s character.

Worldbuilding

The story is set in the real world, Japan.

However, the writing gives us context of what has been happening in these past years (the 60s).

Themes

What is time? What do memories make us as individuals—and most of all, can one random encounter change your entire life?

This is a story that will stuck with you for a while, especially when it comes to these topics and themes.

The way the author approached this felt very ethereal and even divine, like this girl wasn’t even human.

Conclusion

This was a shorter review, but I truly enjoyed my time with this read. It got me in the mood to read more of this girl’s life, so I might just do that in the future!

If you enjoy sci-fi concepts like reencarnation through memories, you’ll like this! I’d say to give it a try either way, as it’s so short!

Overall, I’ll give this a 7/10 or 4 stars!

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

#manga #review #omoide emanon #memories of emanon

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fujoreads · 4 months

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Forget Me Not // Review

This week has been especially tough on me, but I still decided to read my Christmas’ only gift, by my parents.

It’s really touching, and you can easily read it in one sitting, though you’ll probably need some tissues; I had to pause a couple of times.

CW: death; homophobia; (non-explicit) sexual content; nudity; violence

I had never heard of this one before, since I don’t read many graphic novels. I should really read more, since I usually enjoy them a lot.

Forget Me Not (Ne m'oublie pas) is Alix Garin’s most famous work: a graphic novel on family, memories, and at the end of the day, regrets.

As I’m writing this, I’m still processing everything I experienced, and my head (and heart) hurts a bit from all the crying and feeling.

Maybe I’ll lend this to my sister, who might also enjoy it.

Plot

When Clémence, a student and actress struggling with personal issues, sees how miserable her grandmother is in her nursing home, she decides to break her out and take her on a road trip to the coast so she can see her childhood home one last time. But traveling with a senior with Alzheimer’s Disease comes with a fair amount of challenges, and the journey is fraught with highs, lows, and near misses. Still, it’s a chance for the two women to reconnect, with each other and with themselves, and it’s a chance for Clémence to give Grammy the gift of one last thrilling and joyful experience. (from TheStoryGraph)

This is more of a character-driven story, though the plot itself is also relevant to convey the overall message.

Even though this is a short story and you can read it quite quickly, it approaches various subjects, almost all of them to do with either our protagonist, Clémence, or her grandma.

The plot itself is a retelling after the story is done, and we find the protagonist being questioned by the police. What could have happened…? You’ll only find out later.

Art

Don’t expect something grandiose, it’s a simple-looking artstyle for a story based on nostalgia and old memories. This is not me saying it’s bad—on the contrary, I found it lovely.

Characters

This story follows Clémence, as well as her mother and her grandmother—all developed through their connection to her.

Clémence struggles are beautifully presented here: she struggles with her sexuality, so she pretends to be straight; she struggles with her mother’s emotional wall, so she pretends she isn’t hurt; and so she latches onto acting as a way of dealing with the need to be a different person altogether. I understand that all too well.

I wish I could have seen more of her mother, if anything. Yes—the story is about Clémence and her grandmother, but her mother also plays a big role in her life and I would have liked to see that better explored.

Writing

The writing was simple, as almost any graphic novel (that I have read, at least.) At times, it felt very poetic, but that was mostly when Clémence was reminiscing to herself.

It did fit with the story, since it was mostly dialogue and quick thoughts—observations.

Worldbuilding

This story is set in Belgium, during a roadtrip. The worldbuilding isn’t the focus of the story, but there are beautiful scenes along the trip.

Themes

I would say there are many subjects, but only one big theme: live in the present, without regrets; otherwise, it might be too late to close certain wounds.

Clémence’s pretending towards her sexuality, her mother, and her profissional life; her mother, always working and neglecting time with her daughter; and her grandma, living now in the past, still regretting what she could have said, now too late. These are all issues that revolve around the same theme, while we also have the minor themes of memory, sexuality and overall relationships.

Conclusion

This review is coming to a close, so let me summarize it.

This is a quick read, but one emotional journey that will make you cry a river, especially if you relate to the subjects.

However, if you don’t care for character-driven stories and would rather have a plot-centric story, you can skip this one.

Overall, this was a 6.7/10, or 3 stars—don’t let the score underwhelm you, it’s a fantastic little story.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

#book review #bookblr #graphic novel #lgbtqia+#books #forget me not #alix garin #alzheimers

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fujoreads · 4 months

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2024 Reading Goals & Plans

Welp, I'm late! My ADHD acting up as usual, it seems.

Anyway, I'll be talking about my 2024 plans!

Aaalrighty, the year has started, so let's get right into it!

So basically, I'm doing the 52-a-year challenge (aka, read one VN a week) for all of my reading media (VNs, books, and manga).

I thought about including anime and cinema in general, but it'd be way too much.

Visual Novels

Phew... That's a lot!

I was already reading Umineko back in 2023, but I want to finish it all by the first week of February. Oh, and Little One is one I need to finish as well; it's more of a stats sim, so I'll have to use my brain orz

They are in weekly order, so with exception of Umineko and The Divine Speaker, just think of me reading through them weekly!

Manga

In theory, I'd have read Goodnight Punpun (Vol.1) by now but I haven't been so lucky! I'll try to read through half of it today and the other half tomorrow, but oh well.

Books

Okay, I got lazy and it shows. This grid is a bit different: I'm reading TWO books weekly. One is shorter (less than 300 pages) and the other is a bit longer, but not too long (around 300~400 pages).

You might be asking: but why do they stop midway? Well... I forgot to take into account that I'm reading TWO chonkers this year: Kafka on the Shore and The Old Curiosity Shop. For those two, I'm diving them into weekly quarters. For the rest of the year, I'm reading medium-sized books.

Anime

I haven't made any specific plans for anime... HOWEVER!

I did spend days filling my 2TB HD with all the anime I still want to watch and maybe rewatch. For self-hype, I will list the ones I'd like to (re)watch! 12 picks, one per month.

Ocean Waves

Wolf Children

Tokyo Godfathers

In This Corner of the World

Inuyasha (trying to finish rewatching it)

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Serial Experiments Lain

Trigun (the OG one)

16bit Sensation: Another Layer

Jormungand

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt

Michiko & Hatchin

Cinema

Same thing: 12 picks, one per month.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

The House

Love, Death & Robots

Adventures from Moominvalley

Summer of 85

A Very English Scandal

The Handmaiden

Funeral Parade of Roses

Carol

Merlin

Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears

Life Is Beautiful

Games

12 picks yada yada yada—

Alicemare (replay)

DELTARUNE

Bayonetta (I need to finish this fr fr)

Moonlight Ghost (replay)

Mistrick

Who’s Lila?

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe

Inscryption

My Sticker Book

Hades

Faith

Pocket Mirror

Aaaand that's about it! I'm super excited for all of these!!

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

#Guess who deleted the original draft for this :')#2024 goals #reading #bookblr #blog #visual novel #books #cinema #anime #games

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fujoreads · 4 months

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The Mother // Spoiler-free Review

This one took me a long time to read. Not because it was difficult or dense, I just have a hard time picking it up back again if I pause my readings for whatever reason.

But hey, I finished it in the first week of the year! The score...? I LOVED IT!

I have this habit of going through my parents’ attic once in a while and I always manage to find more books that interest me. This time, I found a very old version of Mother, gifted to my late grandfather back in 1971 (though the book itself was probably published around the 50s). It’s really fun to go through their shelves, because I’m able to find so many socialist authors.

It’s been a day since I’ve finished it, and I still feel kind of empty inside. It was such a good read.

Mother is a tale of Pelageya, a mother of a revolutionary, and how her worries for her son turned into love for all Humanity.

I’ve always loved Russian literature, but I had only read the big classics mostly before the Russian Revolution. It’s really interesting to see how Gorky approaches the miserable living conditions people had in Tsar times after the first attempt of the Russian Revolution and the struggle for the truth and justice.

In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone talk about Gorky around me or any post-revolution Soviet (or Russian, after the USSR’ end) work. It’s sad, the way you have to really search for them to even find something. I’ve never regretted reading them. Even Tolstoy’ Anna Karénina, which I didn’t love: I still managed to take something from it and enjoy a good story.

That said, I didn’t know what I was getting into. I only knew the author lived during the early years of the USSR and this was one of his works. Nothing more, nothing less.

This might become one of my favorites. Even if the ending destroyed me from the inside, it also filled my heart with a never-extinguishing love and passion for my way of praxis. For me, that is translating works I find important for other people to read/watch; this book managed to make me feel more accepted for not being able to do “more” than my local communist youth. Crazy.

Writing

For reference, I’m reading the Portuguese translation, not the Russian original nor the English translation (I did look for the English quotes in the review).

The writing is simple but burning with passion. It makes sense, since the focus here isn’t a noble or aristocratic family, but the working class as a whole.

The day was swallowed up by the factory; the machine sucked out of men’s muscles as much vigor as it needed. The day was blotted out from life, not a trace of it left. Man made another imperceptible step toward his grave; but he saw close before him the delights of rest, the joys of the odorous tavern, and he was satisfied.

While the description of the senses isn’t anything praise-worthy, the prose is. I teared up at times from the inner thoughts of Pelageya or the dialogue between comrades.

”Why, this is like a new god that’s born to us, the people. Everything for all; all for everything; the whole of life in one, and the whole of life for everyone, and everyone for the whole of life! Thus I understand all of you; it is for this that you are on this earth, I see. You are in truth comrades all, kinsmen all, for you are all children of one mother, of truth. Truth has brought you forth; and by her power you live!”

Plot

First things first: this is a semi-biographical work. If you can’t stand literary fiction or any work without the typical “beginning-middle-end” structure, you might not like this.

This is mostly a walk through Pelageya’s approach to life through her son Pavel, who becomes a revolutionary against the Tsarist power. It also deals with things which surprised me for the times this was written in—the 1900s—like domestic violence, how (Christian) faith interacts with socialism, and how comradery can make one be truly reborn.

The entire book is very heart-warming and full of love for people, so the ending got me by surprise. I had almost forgotten this was Russian literature. While its original purpose was to get people to recover from the defeatist mood they were in after the failure of the first attempt at a Russian revolution, I’m not sure I’d recommend this to absolutely anyone. If you need a light in your life, this is a 50/50 read. Overall though, I’d give it a shot. If you can take a medium-paced story without much super exciting happening, it’s a great read.

Characters

While I talked a lot about Pelageya’s character growth in the Plot section (since she is the true protagonist), The Mother has a vast cast, and many great characters.

The main characters here are obviously Pelageya, but also her son Pavel. We also have other characters, like the anarchist Rybin, the Ukrainian Andrey Nakhodka, and Anna, a revolutionary girl.

How we come to know these characters is mostly through dialogue and Pelageya’s perception of them. It’s really endearing how being a “mother” begins to change and morph into a more universal meaning—that being her motherly love and care for all her comrades.

While I enjoyed the cast as a whole, I will have to say that for the exception of Pelageya, all of them felt very one-dimensional and I didn’t feel any growth or change. It’s not too bad, considering the focus is almost always on Pelageya’s growth, but once you finish the book, it makes you think about those little factors.

Maybe I just enjoyed Pelageya so much because I too am a motherly person towards the people I care for and would probably be like her if I ever become a parent. Plus, the “found family” fits perfectly in here.

Worldbuilding

This book is set in our world—Sormovo, Russia. However, if it weren’t for the characters’ names and the constant mentions of the cold, I wouldn’t have known better. I did enjoy how grey and smokey the factory scenes are.

This might be the weakest aspect of the book. I do not have anything else to add.

Themes

I’ve talked about this a bit in the plot section, but I really see this as a hope manifesto: something to make you fired up and full of passion to change—yourself and the world.

That aside, there are also other themes: Pelageya’s love as a mother [figure]; how religion can chain you down if you have nothing else; and the importance of comradery in life, political or not.

Pelageya’s relationship with Christianism was one of the most interesting aspects of the book, even if it wasn’t a main focus over its entirety, but snipets showing how she was feeling and evolving.

Just like Marx said, Religion is the opium of the masses. No one blames the working class for being so dependant on religion for their life meaning, as we live a life devoid of true meaning, where we only work so we can survive, not thrive.

I’m not Christian but I deeply respect Jesus and what he stands for (personally, I believe all religious and divine entities exist, I just don’t worship him.) He was a comrade, and I believe being a Christian and fighting for the working class is not contradictory at all. In fact, it should be expected.

It was such a captivating book, and I found Pelageya’s development truly lovely. She inspired me: I can only hope I am as good as her in my future.

Conclusion

In summary: great themes, a wonderful protagonist with constant growth and in general, an uplifting story. The cast can feel a bit one-dimensional at times, but the focus is on the protagonist, Pelageya.

If you can’t stand stories where there’s nothing super exciting happening, then this is NOT for you.

However, if you want a heartwarming tale of a mother-son relationship blooming after a cold winter, do give this one a try!

After this, I’m very much wanting to read more of his works—and I do have another one somewhere in my shelf!

Overall, I will give this one a 8/10, or 4 stars!

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

#blog #maxim gorky #russian literature #soviet #the mother #book review

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fujoreads · 4 months

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Umineko: Episode 1 // Review & Thoughts

I was initially NOT going to do this since I played Episode 1 long ago last year, but since I'm doing this from episode 3 to 8, might as well have these.

I have daily logs with my reading sessions' reactions and thoughts, but I'll try to find my highlights and summarize everything!

VNDB | Steam

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

CW: Murder (duh, it's a murder mystery); ableism + dysfunctional/abusive family talk

P.S.: There are youtube previews but they break inside my blog's theme, so they won't look as good, but I refuse not to show them, hmph!

This Episode was definitely more of an introduction, even though we seem to get introduced to new concepts, characters and even plot points with each chapter—just like with Higurashi. They do have the same author, after all.

One of the most common complaint I hear from folks about this episode is that it's too much of a slog at the beginning and while I can understand people's issues with pacing in general, I disagree. Maybe I just read too fast and am used to slow pacing, but I feel like people are just too used to having everything quickly presented to them without having to wait at all.

I see this same complaint with Higurashi and I gotta say: it's exactly BECAUSE it's not scary and mysterious from the bat, that when it does become crazy, you feel it. And it's gradual, even at that stage. You can see that as you go further: so far, this is the tamest episode yet and each ones outdoes the previous.

Anyway: I really enjoyed this as a first episode. It truly felt like an Agatha Christie and then it went 180 on it, just like I was expecting from Ryuukishi.

The incest jokes are fortunately short and quick to end, and I get why they'd bother so many people looking for a serious story, but at the same time I feel like people made too much of a ruckus over it. Battler is a horny teen and hasn't seen his family in 6 years; while that doesn't excuse him being a creep, this is clearly meant to be a funny scene and not be taken seriously. You can either laugh it off, roll your eyes or just ignore it, not drop the VN altogether—though if you can't take some tasteless jokes, you wouldn't last the entire ride for how long it is (lol)

I really like how similar yet so different the MCs from Higurashi and Umineko are. While they are both lovable perverts, Keiichi is quick to paranoia and doubting his friends; meanwhile, Battler shows a strong resolve to never doubt his family to the very end. ...This might age poorly depending on future episodes.

PLOT

youtube

Honestly, the score doesn't matter that much to me anymore. Especially not when I've read further and have been therefore corrupted with more exciting scenes.

This might be the less out-there scenario, and I appreciate it for what it is. This is basically Ryuukishi saying "hold on to your seats, this is gonna be crazy, but for now, just take it all in and get ready."

On the other hand, the family drama got INTENSE. Eva being voiced by Takano's VA makes so much sense, her being so sly and scheming. Poor Natsuhi, she's a bit too serious for her own good, but Eva is just a bully T^T

The scene where the first twilight happens is too much of a banger!!! I was not to control my emotions: I didn't know whether to dance or to grieve/be shocked. Ugh. But I'll talk more about it in my Soundtrack part.

Also, I just fucking love all the subtle (and not so subtle) references to Higurashi. It's really lovely to see a connection to one of my favorite VNs ever.

And those are my thoughts for the plot itself! I'll be talking about other aspects of the game after, but before, we still have the Tea Party and ??? chapters to talk about!

I knew beforehand there would be something akin to the All-Cast Review Session (from Higurashi) but it certainly surprised me. I was expecting a 20-minute read and I got 2 hours of reading AND a direct connection to the main plot??? Bonkers.

Plus, Battler was so badass the whole time, even if I called him an idiot a few times before this.

Oh yeah, and he was a bit of a savage at times LOL

(this hurt even ME)

CHARACTERS

Since this is the introduction, most characters are still very barebones compared to how far they've come where I currently am. HOWEVER! Ryuukishi is a fucking madlad writing characters.

Everyone feels like their own person with their own faults and liking points. Hell, he plays you like a puppet whose strings have been cut masterfully, shaping your opinion of certain characters just for that illusion to be broken along with our tame expectations of them.

Ushiromiya Battler

My cutie patotie, my little meow meow.

He started off a big incestuous weirdo but he's more mature than he shows, being all considerate for people around him and never being malicious. I love him.

Oh yeah, the whiplash I got from hearing Akasaka's voice is no joke-

Ushiromiya Rudolf

He's a dork and not a great father, it seems. I like his character but I know I wouldn't stand him irl. Though to be fair, I would be more like Maria—but we'll get there in a sec.

Ushiromiya Kyrie

MY WIFEEEE 🛐🛐🛐

I just love Kyrie no matter the episode. She's badass, reliable, but always mysterious. I never thought those "cool" mysterious characters were all that until I met her.

Ushiromiya Eva

MY QUEEN, SLAY 💅🏻✨ Jokes aside, she's a fucking great character. She might have a venomous tongue and be very shitty at times, but that's what makes her her.

Ushiromiya Hideyoshi

Hideyoshi is my utmost "can do no wrong" pick. What a wholesome and cute husband, especially to someone like Eva. God have mercy on this man.

Ushiromiya George

George is another cutie patotie, but he makes me a bit suspicious. I don't know, while Battler is just a pure-hearted goofball, George seems a bit more formal, more intentional with his behaviour and acting. Maybe it's just the glasses... Probably.

I gotta say though, some of the phrasing in his scenes with Shannon (or Sayo, I guess) are uuuuhm... I'd call this a red flag. Unless they were both into it, I guess lmao

Ushiromiya Krauss

I still remember my first impression of him:

He doesn't stand out particularly in this episode, so I won't make any comments. He does remind me of one of my uncles. As I said: insufferable.

Ushiromiya Natsuhi

So far (currently on episode 3), this is her episode. Maybe we'll get further character development (I hope so!) but for now, this a Natsuhi-centered episode. She starts off rather traditional and even cruel to servants, but she quickly earned my respect as the leader of the group, when the murders start happening.

Kinzo acknowledging Natsuhi as an Ushiromiya made me tear up 🥺💗

So many queens in this game 👑

Ushiromiya Jessica

I find Jessica a bit lame as a character. Maybe I'm just an adult, but her whole teen drama felt a bit too much. I mean, I get it; hell, it could even be envy... My own mother is mostly a Natsuhi-type and I can relate to Jessica's feeling, but I have grown up more contained—afraid— than her, let's just say. (Growing up autistic + ADHDer and undiagnosed with a overworked mother who now rejects my official diagnosis does things to you lol)

Ushiromiya Rosa

Rosa started as one of my favorite characters. As the younger sibling to a Eva-type of sister, I could relate to her struggles so much. That is, until you see how she is as a mother. I can still sympathize with her own individual struggles and I don't suddenly hate her because she isn't perfect, but again, as someone who grew up undiagnosed and was the "weird thing" that freaked everyone out and shamed my mother for exisiting, Rosa's behavior towards Maria was hard to watch.

Ushiromiya Maria

I will say: Maria's behavior is a bit weird when the occult is involved, but I daydreamed my whole family would die in a traffic accident at 11 so I'd be free of them—who am I to judge?

I could relate SO MUCH to Maria. I swear to God, Maria is so autistic-coded it hurts: ecolalia (the "uu"s, even if it's also supposed to be a moe? trait lol), lack of facial expressions, special interests (occult, Beatrice), not understanding jokes (even if she is a child)…

She's just like me fr. Her meltdown over the Rose reminds me so much of my own childhood, even if I don't remember much. Beatrice should just adopt her, heh.

Also, pretty sure Maria is the one writing these character profiles.

Ushiromiya Kinzo

OOOOOOH BEATORICHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Nothing much to say, he's painful to listen to. I mean, I guess that's intentional so hey, the VA did a wonderful job!

I think this is how my family must feel as I shut myself in my room all day long, only leaving to walk the dog and eating lol

Shannon

As of this episode, Shannon isn't given much spotlight. I'll be commenting more next episode!

For now, she's my little cutie patotie (3)

Kanon

I didn't love Kanon at first, but he’s just a teenage boy, it’s understandable. I still don't love him, but he's grown on me.

Genji

Genji is an interesting character. I don't remember much from him during the first episode, but I basically saw him as the reliable type.

I wouldn't be too surprised if there were any Kinzo x Genji fanart, not that I ship them

Kumasawa

Ah yes, the only able to outdo Battler in the pervert lines.

Kumasawa is a fine supporting character, but we don't see much from her. I mean, there are some things about her during episode 3, but not really? I can't explain without spoiling, so I'll complain more when I get to it.

Nanjo

Nanjo's cute mustache my beloved. That's all.

Gohda

Gohda might be the funniest character, actually. The fact that he is just a random dude caught in the whole mystery is so funny to me.

Other than that, I absolutely hated Gohda this episode. He gets a bit less insufferable for the next episodes, but maybe it's just me sympathizing for the poor guy just trying to do his job.

Atmosphere & Soundtrack

FUCK. I LOVE BEING ABLE TO HEAR.

Seriously, what a divine soundtrack. Especially the ones by zts.

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I just couldn't stop banging my head!

And I've heard Umineko has around 200 tracks—I can't wait to get through all of them <3

I'm kind of sad I don't know what else to say, but I'll just leave this video here. It's what made me pick up Umineko once and for all:

youtube

Ooooh I almost forgot about the Voice Acting, so I'll include it here. I LOVED IT. A lot of VAs from Higurashi came back so it's always fun to notice these little things. It makes the drama much better too.

Art

I've chosen the PS3 sprites. Yes, I know: heathen behavior. But personally, I love them. I know that compared to the OG art, they may not be as expressive, but I just enjoy them a lot more. I've grown to appreciate Ryuukishi's art a lot more as I played Higurashi, don't worry.

The Pachinko version, on the other hand, is fucking awful. Say what you will, I just can't swallow it down.

Writing

I know Ryuukishi's forte isn't his prose, but it's actually not bad at all!

I don't have anything in particular to comment on, so I'll make this one short. Great writing, even if a bit convoluted at times.

Mechanics & Gameplay

This is a weird section, as Umineko doesn't even have choices, let alone "gameplay", but hear me out: I'm playing with the mods.

The visual and sound rain effects, the lip sync, the overall visual effects... chef's kiss! I doubt my enjoyment would be so great without these. Call me spoiled, but they are truly amazing.

Final Thoughts

Phew, I wrote a lot!

Umineko is not an unknown work for those into visual novels so I don't think I have to particularly recommend it, but I am absolutely loving it. No wonder people praise it so much.

My final score for this episode is a solid 8.5/10, aka 4 stars!!

If you want to have an idea whether this is for you, don't drop it until the first murder happens, please! It's considered to have a slow start, so take that into consideration. If you're a fast reader like me, you'll get there in no time!

For reference, the first episode took me around 15~17h to finish, a length somewhat close to Higurashi's Episode 1. Episode 3 and 4 are said to be the longest ones and they average a total of 30h, but when you get there, you'll be hopefully fully immersed. I certainly am, at least!

Well then, I'll be writing my thoughts on Episode 2 soon! Look forward to it~

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

#review #visual novel #07th expansion #when they cry #umineko no naku koro ni #blog

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fujoreads · 4 months

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White Blight // Review

Ayeee first read of the year!

It's a poetry book I read in Portuguese. It started great, but it quickly became too all over the place for me.

(CW: Family abuse and discrimination)

First of all, this is a REALLY short book. Makes sense, being a poetry and all: it's exactly 66 pages long, and it took me only half an hour to finish it.

Not sure how to feel about this. While I found some highlights, the situation depicted is so distant from my reality that a lot went above my head.

Also, it seems the Portuguese translation was translated from the Spanish translation and not from the original Swedish, so that certainly doesn't help. It just made some writing more confusing than it needed to be.

The beginning was certainly more on the heavier side, though, mostly focusing on what I interpreted to be an abusive mother-child dynamic. That hit me especially hard, growing up within a very dysfunctional family.

However, as the book continued, it seems to go into the writer's relationship with discrimination as someone of Iranian descent living in Sweden and not fitting in, not even linguistically. One of the poems is even about how the pronounciation of Swedish is near impossible for her mother.

If you have some background information on these situations, you might enjoy it, but either way, it's short enough for it not to be a big loss if you don't enjoy it.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

#blog #white blight #athena farrokhzad #book review #poetry

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fujoreads · 4 months

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What’s Your Wifi Password? // Review

This is an old review from December, so sorry for the late deliver!

VNDB | Itchio

Hi, welcome, welcome!

I’ve been quite busy reading Umineko, but I managed to finish one silly OEVN this week. It’s called What's your wifi password?

This VN was recommended to me by an internet buddy. They were asking for someone to help proofreading and editing their PT-BR translation of it and since it looked short, I offered my hand. I wanted to obviously play it all first, so that is what filled my morning, right before lunch.

What's your wifi password? is a silly short story of Bearie, our MC, visitng Gina to study. After a whole afternoon of studying, they are both hungry and Gina goes out to buy some chicken for dinner. That’s when Bearie remembers to ask for the wifi password but alas!—Gina isn’t here anymore! Will we get a happy Wi-fi ending, or is there more to the story?

The game was made by Lynis and just like it says on their itchio page, [DESPITE EVERYTHING, ALL OF MY GAMES ARE SHITPOSTS. HEE HEE \ =^w^= /]. They truly are. Overall, it was a cute dumb game that I enjoyed.

PLOT

The plot is easy to understand: you are bored and waiting for your friend, and so you want the wifi password. You meet your friend’s brother and you get to talking! Will you choose the wifi or him?

This game is not trying to win you over or anything, so I won’t judge it as harshly and I would otherwise. Although I gotta say, it feels sad to see a potentially cute romance or just friendship being cut short.

I found it cute, getting to know Gina’s brother—we learn his name is Tim—like this. It makes me miss watching movies with my partner and enjoying the little things.

CHARACTERS

The cast is quite reduced: just 3 characters.

The MC might be the blandest of them all, so I won’t comment much.

Gina is a fun character, but we don’t spend much time with her (and her cowboy erotica.)

Tim is the best character of them all, as we spend the most time with him, getting to know him and his interests. He’s very gentle and feels nice to talk to, though I wish I could spend more time with him.

ATMOSPHERE & SOUNDTRACK

The OST did a good job reflecting the whole atmosphere and game’s plot: simple but cozy. It got a bit repetitive at times, but after a while it didn’t disturb me much.

ART

I must say, this is the best aspect of the game. I went completely blind, but as soon as I saw that character art, I looked forward to reading it.

It’s amazing what good art can do to you.

MECHANICS & GAMEPLAY

This might be my biggest criticism. This is a perfect example of the ren’py stereotype: LOTS of (meaningless) choices and wheel backlog.

I know, I know: it’s a shitpost game. I shouldn’t take it seriously. I gotta say though, I found the constant “Ask him abt the wifi password” choices quite annoying tbh; it feels superficial after a while. The fact that you can just mouse scroll it back to the choice selection part like nothing happened doesn’t help.

If anything, it felt like a break of the flow. It would have been much better if there was only one choice, the one to move the story forward. That way, it’d feel like we (the player) are interacting with Tim but it still felt like a told story.

CONCLUSION

Even as a shitposting game, I still felt an overall message: enjoying the little moments, live in the present, and keep your eyes open—good friends may come in all different forms. And who knows, maybe even some romance!

I don’t even know how I managed to talk so much about such a short game, but here we are!

We have a short story with a silly plot and a wholesome execution, even if sloppy at times (mechanics-wise).

If you enjoy something light, fluffy, and dumb to read that will only grab you for an hour, give this one a try!

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

#blog #visual novel #what's your wifi password #shitpost #OEVN #queer

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