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tetrakys · 3 years

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About Uncoven...

I said I would not make posts about Uncoven (other than replying to asks) and I didn’t. But the game is now out and I gave it a chance so that I could make an informed opinion. Because yes, I’m the first to admit to have been biased from the beginning due to the whole Priya/Koori misandry situation, but I tried to be fair and take an actual look before making my final judgement on it. Here are my thoughts:

The MC

The main complain about Nyx the MC so far is that they are of male sex and non-binary gender, so then usual Beemoov fanbase has not been able to relate. Also customisation is non-existent and you can only choose between three avatars which are identical except for their clothes and haircut. I personally don’t care too much about this because I don’t self-insert (although I do prefer having a female MC). I can look past this, the problem is just that I don’t like the design at all. Personal taste. I also dislike the fact that their personality is very meek, all their friends are overpowered, and we keep hearing about how cool and perfect their are, while Nyx is the poor lost soul who doesn’t know what they want from life etc etc same old story.

The Characters

Other than Nyx, there are 6 friends. Again, personal taste but I don’t like the art style, as mentioned before they are all presented as perfect with no faults, I don’t know how many times I read how amazing each of them is in the half chapter I played.

They are also VERY stereotyped. Like Silas, for example, is the black fat guy who only talks about food, drinks and partying. Will, the ‘crush’, is the most basic white popular rich boy all the girls swoon for but with nothing really interesting going on for him (apparently). Kristen is the always cheerful extrovert gay best friend. Basically, I’m bored. Oh and there’s also Mavka, the pretty, feminine girl, is clearly one of the writer’s self insert (she even gave her her same birthday), and we keep complimenting her. I don’t like self-insertion, but it feels so icky to me that a writer would make the player compliment and swoon for a character that represents her? Feels like a creepy power move.

Nyx: “Mavka, her musical laugh, her eyes that shine with joy. Her fragile beauty almost makes me want to cry.”

She also seems to be into the only LI, constantly touching and complimenting him, so this looks like a love-rival situation.

The Cost

During the beta, people could get 100 free APs per day meaning reading 50 lines of dialogue for free every day. They must have thought it was too generous because we now get only 70 making up 35 lines (plus you can get 12 additional APs by watching ads). This is worse than Moonlight Lovers where you can read 50 lines per day. I didn’t play the whole episode, but checking with beta testers and other people, it seems that if one were to buy APs, one episode costs between 10-20 euros, the whole game is made up of 7 main chapters + 3 endings, meaning that the monetary equivalent of this game is around 150 euros. (+/- 20 euros I’d say).

Art and Music

I already mentioned I don’t like the characters design, however I absolutely love the backgrounds, I think they are very well made and give charm to a setting that had basically already been recycled from Moonlight Lovers (spooky manor in the woods). Also, the music is beautiful and, together with the animations, really sets the mood. My only issue is that it’s barely at the beginning of the chapter and had no sound other than some effects throughout the game, but maybe it’s a bug that will be fixed, I don’t know.

Gameplay and Writing

This is the part that upsets me the most and ultimately will prevent me from playing this game. Despite Beemoov advertising the game as an otome, this isn’t one, there is only one crush, and the 3 different routes/endings available are: 1 romantic, 1 friendship, 1 solo/personal-power. There are many choices throughout the game, each option leading to one of the endings, it’s exactly the same system as Moonlight Lovers. The problem is... that it’s INCREDIBLY easy, but easy in a really childish way. There is no complexity in this writing, no ambiguity, nothing that makes you pause for a minute wondering oh dang what am I going to pick? I have spent the past two years testing ML and literally LOSING MY MIND trying to figure out the routes. Yes, it was difficult, and frustrating, but entertaining as hell, and at the end of each route you feel like you have accomplished something. Uncoven is basically the child version of that. Example:

There is no need of guides in this game because there is zero doubt on which path each choice is leading to.

Now, second point about the writing: the romance route is written in a way where Nyx has zero thoughts in their mind other than Will and falling in love. They seem to be completely blind about anything else. And I’ve seen this before, albeit with much better writing: this is Raphael’s bad ending. Eloise used to act exactly in the same way there, with Raphael being her only interest and believing him about everything and following like a puppy. The difference is that was a bad ending for a romance that had 3 options, including a good one where Eloise could be more independent and call out his bullshit. Here there’s no such option unless you want to renounce the romance completely. This is a cautionary tale: there’s gonna be no happy ending with Will as this is a toxic relationship. If you are jumping into this game for romance don’t do it, pick the power route instead, Nyx may end up betraying everyone and taking power for themselves. Much more entertaining than being lectured.

And this brings me to the final point. Yes, again, the blatant misandry: romance = bad, white cis men = bad. I have been showed this rhetoric twice in half chapter already. First, when Will buys groceries for everyone and is mocked for it instead:

and the second is when Rose is telling Nyx that she broke up with her boyfriend with this random assertion out of nowhere

So, here we go, these are my thoughts. I have heard people complaining about other things like the description of magic and wicca (of which I know nothing so I am not in a position to comment on it), or bad representation of poc and queer characters (again, I can’t exactly comment on this, so I’ll leave it to people better informed than me).

All in all, I think the game could’ve had potential if it weren’t for these factors, but I can’t even comment on the plot because between complimenting all the friends, the only thing that happened in half a chapter was a broken mirror. I guess spookier things are going to happen in the future but I won’t see them because my journey with this game ends here. If anyone is going to keep playing please let me know your impressions :)

#uncoven #game review

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tiramisiyu · 3 years

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Thoughts on Xia Yan’s Anniversary/Kiss Date

Not a translation, but rather an unleashing of the many thoughts I had for his date because it made me feel so many emotions and think so many things;;

Wordcount: 2.8k

Date Translation

Preamble

Tears of Themis’ 1st anniversary features one of the most significant in-story events you can view within an otome game - the confession event between MC and respective male leads. The gravity of this confession event, however, is intensified with respect to the ML Xia Yan, as their emotions towards each other is not the only focus of said confession - he must also reveal the heartbreaking truth that his life is likely to end in three years.

In the below sections, I will discuss the significance of various components that comprise Xia Yan’s anniversary date. My primary focuses will be on Xia Yan’s internal struggles, his care for MC, and the nature of the confession, and I aim to ultimately express why this date had such a major effect on me and whoa if you’re still reading this rambling part, I applaud you. I’m really just doing a fancy thoughtdump here.

The Nature of the Confession Event

From the beginning, XY never intended for the confession to be full of pomp and circumstance - and this was out of concern for MC, fearing that she would be too swept up in emotion to make it. Based on how the other guys’ cards look (them being outside and MC’s all dressed up), I assume that there was some ceremony-like aspect to their respective confessions, and I think that this draws a stark contrast to XY’s (who staunchly refused Yang Xiao’s offer to help make his confession just as ceremonial). In XY’s, MC’s not dressed up the way she is for the others, and both have been drenched in rain and are dissolving into tears of sadness as they speak. In addition, their desires are conflicting (rather than a situation where both parties confess and get together, and thus have coinciding interests) - despite what XY has said before, he does not want MC to be with him, while MC wants the exact opposite. It’s not a beautiful or gorgeous scene by design - instead, it’s very raw, very 狼狈 as the two lay bare their own painful emotions, discuss/cry about heavy topics, and show very vulnerable sides to each other, trying to get through to the other person.

Speaking of showing vulnerability, the fact that Xia Yan is so anguished by what he has to say that he has to sit down and cry hits particularly hard because he has always, always tried to put on a strong face in front of MC. Whenever his illness strikes and MC sees it, such as in aquarium date or Neruda poem date, he’ll smile and/or joke about it after. When the two were talking about his posthumous letters during the RRG date, he still had a calm smile on his face. Even when he talked about being shoved into a car trunk to be “disposed of”, he was still calmly smiling. As MC noted, his job has taught him to have extreme control over his emotions, so it’s almost overwhelming, trying to imagine how much sadness pushed him to that point.

Pathetic fallacy also plays a part in increasing the impact that the confession event had. In the days leading up to the last part of the date, storms keep striking suddenly, such that it’s even described as “strange”. Storms are, of course, generally associated with less-pleasant things, such as conflict, anger, depression, difficulty, and so on. The meaning behind why they appeared suddenly or frequently is a little harder to understand, but my assumption for the frequency of the storms (rather than an ongoing storm or gloom) reflects how things could not completely “clear up” (despite uplifts in emotion from time to time) until they confronted each other with their feelings. During the confrontation, not only is the storm still going on, but they’re also harshly drenched in the cold rainwater. It is only after the kiss, after their interests finally coincide, that the storm lifts and the beautiful starry sky casts its light on Xia Yan, who was holding the majority of the conflict/sadness/depression between the two of them. (This is also highlighted in how MC notes that Xia Yan feels slightly cold (during the kiss), and she tries to transfer her warmth over to him, trying to alleviate that heavy emotion that’s wrapped itself around him.)

The Location

The attic of their old home remains an important location for these two, and I pretty much can’t think of a better choice to set the confession. It contains their childhood memories, and it also came into play during Xia Yan’s first birthday after his return (i.e. the idea of continuing to make memories there). It’s also interesting to note that Xia Yan, from his rational mindset, did not intend to see MC… yet he still came to this place - a place that was equally meaningful to both of them, and a place where he’s likely to get lost in emotion. He may be restraining his emotions for MC’s good, yet they still show in small places. (At least, there doesn’t seem to be any logical reason for him to be there, since he wasn’t setting anything up there…)

The Humanizing and Internal Conflict of Xia Yan

I call it “humanizing” because I’ve done some commenting before on how Xia Yan has felt a little superhuman - so many skills everywhere, and rarely a moment of weakness. Now, this date really drives home that he is just human too, with the harsh reality of imminent death hanging over him (especially since we also learn a few more concrete details on exactly what his illness is). This point is brought into attention when he talks about how he’s neither able to be as brave as Schumann (who acted based on emotion) nor as silently strong as Brahms (who acted based on reason). He’s pulled in so many directions for all the things he wants - a desire to stay by MC’s side and do so much with her, whether as family or as something more, versus his rational mindset that tells him to not see her at all, to disappear from her life after, or to push her away even after her confession. There was also his “rationally” created plan in which he would give her the letter and let her decide, yet he still tries to convince her to not be with him.

The Schumann/Brahms comparison shows how he keeps getting pulled back and forth between reason and emotion. He reveals his feelings to MC (Schumann), but wants her to make the optimal decision, which he believes is to not be with him (Brahms). He then kisses her after hearing her conviction (Schumann) and then gives her the gift that’s linked to Brahms. In realizing that he’s not able to stick to either path, he calls himself a coward - but he doesn’t need to be like either person. As MC says, his restraint is a part of his own background, and his emotional wavering is because of his care for MC - all in all, his motivations are because he is Xia Yan, not Schumann or Brahms.

Personal Story Chapter 2 Parallels

In Xia Yan’s personal chapter 2, Yang Xiao sets up the story of 零/Zero and 玛丽薇莎/Marivisa to mirror MC and Xia Yan (respectively). The mention of what will bring Zero and MC happiness is starkly similar in these two situations:

⊳ Personal Ch.2-9

Xia Yan: 因为...这样，零会更幸福... 她不是在牺牲，她只是用自己的方式让零能幸福。Because this way, Zero would be happier… She wasn’t sacrificing herself. She was only using her own methods to make Zero happy.

MC: 但零的幸福就是她啊。But Zero’s happiness is her.

Xia Yan: 她已经无法给零幸福了。 It’s already impossible for her to give Zero happiness.

⊳ Date

Xia Yan: 如果你选择别的男人。。。只要他能给你幸福。我只会带给你不幸，我没有时间了。。。If you choose another man… As long as he can make you happy. All I can bring you is unhappiness. I don’t have much time left…

MC: 你怎么可能带给我不幸，你怎么可能做不到给我幸福。你在我身边，你的存在本身，就是我的幸福。How is it possible that you can only bring me unhappiness? How is it impossible for you to bring me happiness? You being by my side – your very existence – is my happiness.

Yes, the Zero/Marivisa story was intentionally made to parallel these two, so it might feel moot to compare them like this. However, I still really appreciated that they brought this discussion of what brings MC/Zero happiness back, especially since XY’s chapter 2 was very major in developing his character. Back then, MC is vehement in that Zero would have been happier spending all the time he could with Marivisa, as well as even having the choice to spend that time with her. I think that this part was instrumental in Xia Yan eventually deciding to tell her the truth and letting her make her own decision (as he explicitly stated to Yang Xiao in part 1 of the date). However, he still wasn’t fully convinced by what MC said back in chapter 2, so we satisfyingly see this discussion of happiness come full circle by the end of this date, when Xia Yan finally trusts MC to make the best decision for herself.

Xia Yan’s Considerateness

Xia Yan’s enduring consideration for MC displays itself in nearly every single action within this date.

The flashback, when he thinks about MC potentially having to go through what the widow is now experiencing, and how his own happiness for three years isn’t worth that

His conviction to give her the right to decide in this matter that involves both of them, because he can’t be the one to decide everything

He insisted on not making it a romantic event, because he wants MC to make the best decision without having a mind clouded by emotion. He’s also made peace with the idea of not being with MC, for the sake of her long-term happiness. All he wants is for her to know the truth of his feelings and illness.

His decision to still make MC a gift to retain some aspect of the romance in the confession (but he only gives the gift after MC has made her decision, again to ensure that her mind isn’t clouded). I think the concept of the gift is particularly beautiful - the little, happy holograms of them inside the glass, as if ensuring that he will always be by her side in some way; the music that brings back their childhood memories and alludes to an enduring, quiet, and protecting love that puts the recipient first (i.e. Brahms to Clara); and the rainbow, which has its childhood memories and treasure implications that are already mentioned in the date, but it also reminded me of the miraculous double rainbow in his Lost Gold date. That double rainbow was the trigger for Xia Yan to proactively seek out a future with MC, when he took the initiative to ask MC if she could be with him to seek out more miracles. Overall, there are a lot of beautiful memories and implications wrapped up in that music box/snowglobe.

The little comical segment where he worries about the optimal time to deliver the letter, worrying about MC’s sleep or if she’ll be able to eat well.

His stress over what he should’ve done after the letter was delivered, and how he immediately answered MC’s call out of pure worry, despite being so resolute about not answering her calls that he’d turned on airplane mode before.

Their ensuing discussion in part 3 is just full of Xia Yan’s consideration for MC at its peak -

Rather than being ecstatic about MC’s confession, his first instinct is to tell her to take a few days to think about it logically. (But really, emotions aren’t logical to begin with, so it’s not like MC would’ve stopped liking you after mulling it over for a few days, haha)

His immediate apology after yelling that he has to mention his death

His worry about how MC will cope after he’s gone, going so far as to saying that she would be better off with another man

I think that this particular (above) line got a particularly visceral reaction from Xia Yan fans, including myself. Because like MC, our initial thoughts fell along the lines of “How could I ever choose someone else when the only person I like is you? There’s just no way someone else could make me happier…”. Another reaction that I’ve seen among Xia Yan fans (yep, including myself) is how we originally viewed the story in third-person, seeing “MC” in the story, but this date (and this particular scene, where MC says nearly everything that I myself would want to say) dragged us into a first-person position.

The heartbreaking scene where Xia Yan cries from being unable to give MC the happiness that he wants to give her (or so he thinks).

He’s just so painfully selfless. I also really like the line during the kiss where MC tries to transmit her warmth to him, trying to balance things out between them and have him feel better, when he had already written himself off by thinking that his happiness is better off sacrificed for hers.

Jin Xian’s Voice Acting

Jin Xian’s voice acting deserves a whole section to itself, because I think that he did an amazing job of portraying the intense emotions Xia Yan feels during the date. Just going to list some lines that really hit hard - both because of the content, and because of the voice acting that really considered how Xia Yan would be feeling then.

我可以去追她，我甚至可以和她结婚。我可以把最后的三年过得很好，过的毫无遗憾，但是然后呢？她一个人要怎么办。。。谁陪她走出来，谁来照顾她。。。(“I could pursue her. I could even marry her. I could live my last three years happily, without the slightest of regrets. But what about after? How will she cope on her own… Who will be with her as she handles this? Who will take care of her…”) The ups and downs of this section’s voicing really hit hard.

The gentleness with which he speaks about what he plans to tell MC, especially the line 她从来都是这样 (“She’s always been like that.”)

He’s so cute in Part 2!! The tone’s a lot happier and relaxed and it’s really nice to see and hear.

In part 3, the vehemence with which he talks about how the risks of MC’s work aren’t comparable to his established time limit, which then softens into something sadder when he talks about how Yang Xiao’s efforts haven’t extended his time by much.

The intensity when he says 我必须说 ! (“I have to say it!”) (when MC reacts to him using the word “death”), and how he immediately softens his tone after. But then his voice starts to rise again as he worries for how MC will bear his death… and then he takes a break to calm down, and then makes the suggestion of MC finding another man with a near-inflectionless tone that gradually slips into a whisper

His whispering voice makes the impact of 我在乎。。。！(I care…!) hit even harder because it’s suddenly loud, and you can clearly hear the tears in his voice. Once again, he takes a breath to calm himself down and quiet his voice. But even as he keeps talking in a voice that descends into a whisper again, you can tell that he’s still on the verge of crying…

Also the 我也。。。好喜欢，最喜欢你. (I also… like you. I like you the most) line left me screaming with how it was whispered but really strong and adamant-sounding aaaaa

Anyways I could list more but at that point I might as well list Jin Xian’s entire script lmao. He did such a good job!!!!!!

Sound Effects

I’m laughing at myself for including this section - if you turn off the music that accompanies Xia Yan’s card, you’ll… hear some very interesting sound effects [狗头]

They’ve got to make the most of their limited time together, after all, and this is the only date out of the set of four that’s indoors… it makes sense…

Other Thoughts

Two kisses!!

What sort of treatment would leave Xia Yan infected with drugs with prohibited components? What were they even trying to do?

The date was short relative to the other, super-long Themis dates, but I’m personally alright with that because it places focus on the confession itself. It hit all the points that I personally was expecting for Xia Yan’s confession, including his past struggles with the idea of staying with MC, his confession about both his feelings and his illness, and how resolute MC is about staying with him vs. how hard he tries to get her to understand the implications of being him, considering that he doesn’t have much time left.

I think now’s a good time for the two of them to get married if they’re well aware that Xia Yan’s time is limited, so Xia Yan, where’s the ruby ring?

I wonder what implications this will have on the main story - e.g. will the rest of NXX find out about Xia Yan’s illness in Chapter 7.2? Or will they never know? Actually, I wonder if they’ll have MC be aware of his illness in the main story because… that implies his confession happened, which might anger fans of the other boys.

Conclusion

I love Xia Yan and I love this date.

#tears of themis #xia yan #luke pearce #rambles #this whole thing is kinda messy so kudos if you made it through

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ladyloveandjustice · 4 years

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Belated Spring 2020 Anime Overview: My Next Life as Villainess

For the Spring 2020 anime season, I mostly watched continuations of shows I was already into. The one new show I did pick up was My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! follows Katerina Claes, a spoiled young noble girl deviously scheming to win the heart of a prince- oh wait, never mind, she hit her head and remembered her past life! Turns out she’s an eighteen year old Japanese otaku chick who died and got reincarnated as the villainess in her favorite otome game.

If you don’t feel like reading the wiki article, an otome game is basically a female- targeted dating sim where you play as a blank slate main character and date a bunch of pretty boys (and sometimes girls, but usually only if you go outside the mainstream ones), unlocking their backstories and collecting all the romantic endings.

Having played this game, Katarina is well aware that the Villainess character- who constantly tries to interfere with the game’s heroine and whichever boy she’s pursuing- is either exiled or killed in all of the games endings. And now she IS that villainess, living in the world of the game and all its characters! Does that mean she’s doomed to a horrible fate? What’s a girl to do?

Well, if you’re Katarina, what you do is be supportive and kind to the people around you and in doing so accidentally get every single character in the game to fall in love with you. And yes, this includes all the boys the heroine is supposed to date, the other female romantic rivals the heroine is faced with and the game’s heroine herself.

That’s right, we finally got us some bisexual romantic comedy hijinx last anime season, my friends! My Next Life as a Villainess was the delightful little show I really escaped into during these anxious pandemic times . All these girls casually falling in love with Katarina without it being treated as ‘weird’ was what particularly drew me to this show and warmed my gay little heart to see. It was honestly the perfect fluffy, low stress watch during these high stress times.

Anime has long been oversaturated with ‘harem’ stories- where a usually unwitting protagonist somehow gets a bevy of beauties in love with them- but it’s still unfortunately really unusual to see bisexual harems, especially ones with a girl at the center, so right away there’s a big draw to this story that helps it stick out from the rest. (And worry not, the story is largely focused on Katarina having fun with these pals-who-are-not-so-secretly-in-love-with-her, rather than having a ton the dubious shenanigans you see in more sexually charged tales.)

Harem protoganists also famously tend to have the personality of potatoes, being so painfully bland it’s unclear why so many people would fall in love with them in the first place. But that definitely not the case for Katarina. She’s brash, ridiculous, kind and INCREDIBLY dense, and that for a pretty dynamic combination in this setting! She does genuinely come off as a fun person to be around. Unlike a lot of modern isekai shows, she doesn’t stumble into having incredible magic powers or skills, so her compassion is genuinely her greatest strength and what saves the day and wins hearts time and time again.

Katarina’s five brain cells doing their weekly check-in

(The moment she won my heart was when she responded to a tragic Frozen style situation with her friend locking himself away from people because he believed his magic was dangerous by taking an axe to his door. My kinda girl!)

The premise also allows for some plausible built-in reasons for the characters to take such special notice of Katarina- having been raised in a different world, she isn’t beholden to all the social rules, class divisions and noble family drama all the other kids in this very specific midevial-esque fantasy world are so embroiled in. This combined with her naturally earnest, accepting and straightfoward nature means she’s able to cross boundaries and reach out to them in a way they aren’t accustomed to. She was significant in each character’s life because she genuinely was the first to show them acceptance and affection without pretense, if only because she isn’t even aware there was supposed to be a pretense.

Katarina’s focus on trying not to die and her fear she’s going to meet the same fate as the villainess in the game also at least gives some kind of a basis to her comical obliviousness to everyone being in love with her. She assumes that everyone has to be into Maria (the heroine) and terrified of her because that’s how the game GOES okay, that’s CANON! Of course, this logic stretches thin as time goes on and it would be abundantly clear to most people that things have diverged greatly from the game’s storyline, but the show makes it clear that Katarina’s determined, one track mind is as much a gift as a curse.

Her bullheadedness when it comes to picking up how everyone REALLY feels about her is an intentional gag on the show’s part and even her love interests are well aware of what a colossal dumbass she is and not afraid to point it out!

My Next Life as a Villainess isn’t without its flaws, and the personalities/backstories of some of the ‘love interests’ Katarina gathers may be a stumbling block on some- mostly the male ones. Geordo, “the black hearted prince” has a bit of the “ possessive shoujo bad boy” archetype about him, and though he’s far from the worst that genre of love interest has to offer (there’s not much bad he can get up to due to Katarina’s obliviousness, the lighthearted nature of the show, and his rivals constantly getting in his way), the way he refuses to break Katarina and his engagement off despite her repeatedly asking him to, as well as some of his lines here and there, are definitely NOT cute.

Keith is Katarina’s adopted brother, but clearly has a thing for her too. On one hand, they only first met when they were nine and he fell for her pretty immediately. On the other hand, he still refers to her as “sister” constantly which is kinda eesh.

The other two guys are all right- Nicol’s big thing is he’s inexpressive and doesn’t talk much which, considering show doesn’t spend much time inside his head, doesn’t make him a very interesting character in the ensemble (maybe he comes across better in the novels) but there’s nothing wrong with him. Alan is undoubtedly the Best Boy in my book. He’s another common trope- rambunctious and competitive with Katarina but clearly soft for her- but he’s done well and they have a lot of cute moments together.

I find the girl love interests to be a much more interesting group overall, though this may be my obvious bias talking. Sophia has the strongest connection to Katarina, their backstories being intertwined in a surprising and touching way (I’m told in the novels her affection for Katarina was treated as more platonic, but the anime definitely plays it up as having romantic elements). Maria’s original role as the game’s heroine puts her in the most interesting position (and would make her the most narratively satisfying choice of love interest, if the show was actually interested in choosing). And while Mary is comically tenacious in her pursuit of Katarina, she’s doesn’t ever act ‘sinister’ or overstep boundaries in the way Geordo does, her “scheming” only really amounting to straightforwardly asking if Katarina wants to ditch her fiance and run away with her.

As I mentioned, one thing that really contributes to My Next Life as a Villainess being a relaxing watch is that the queer characters are treated with casual acceptance. Mary in particular isn’t subtle about her crush on Katarina, but nobody bats an eye at her and she’s completely open and comfortable with herself too. The observing maid notes that the girls are in love with Katarina with the same bland affect as when she notes she notes the guys are. And while the social practices of the nobles are pretty heteronormative- girls are always engaged in arranged marriages to guys, the guys are expected to dance with the girls (something Mary complains about!)- there’s apparently a booming queer romance novel industry that inspires our young wlw.

Katarina, having grown up in a different world, seems to be the one most prone to heteronormativity of her group. She never really considers that a girl would ever fall in love with her, but is also never hostile to the idea. It’s telling that when Mary very clearly indicates her desired romantic partner would be a girl, Katarina’s the only one that gets tripped up and has to walk back her assumption that Mary would be talking about a guy.

Mary LAYING DOWN THE LAW

Also, Katarina has SEVERAL “she’s so cute! My heart is beating faster!” moments with the other girls, on par in frequency with her moments with the guys. This strongly hints she’s an oblivious bisexual disaster.

So, My Next Life as Villainess is a fun, frothy watch and the rare positive example of silly wish-fufillment that’s inclusive to a wlw audience. But is the actual plot good, or remotely complex? The answer to that is no, the plot is fairly predictable and one definitely shouldn’t got into this story expecting a deep examination of the nature of fate or anything like that.There’s no real explanation of big reason as to why why Katarina was reborn into this game world and so on.

The antagonist that does eventually emerge plays off otome game tropes a bit, but ultimately isn’t that interesting or built up all that well. . The attempts at drama the show makes towards the end fall a little flat, especially since it tends to rely on very-late-in-the-game-exposition-dumps (dark magic isn’t even MENTIONED as existing in this world until like, the second to last episode where it becomes relevant and we get a vague infodump explaining its mechanics). The conflict honestly almost feels shoehorned in and the climax is pretty standard and doesn’t really utilize the big cast of characters all that well

But in the end, that’s okay! The show makes it abundantly clear from the beginning it’s not here to be Deep, but to be some silly fun. And it really fulfills that purpose well, from it’s catchy, peppy theme tune to its consistently warm tone. It MAY get repetitive at times for some, and I do have some quibbles- like how I found the childhood segments to be some of the shows best material and wish we could have stayed in that section for a bit instead of rushing through it, how I wish Katarina had kept her cute little scar, etc- but overall, it was definitely the soothing balm I needed during a very rough time and I absolutely recommend it if you’re looking for a chill, feel-good watch.

And hey, a second season’s supposed to be on the way too, so there’s something to potentially look forward to!

#my next life as a villainess #my next life as a villianess all routes lead to doom #destruction flag otome #otome gemu no hametsu furagu shika nai akuyaku reijo ni tensei shiteshimatta #anime overview #katarina claes #catarina claes #my reviews #spring 2020 anime

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hikari-writes · 4 years

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I haven’t seen other isekai villainess series yet, I didn’t even realize it was popular until after getting into my next life, so if you have recommendations, I’d love to try out more!

HameFura was my first Isekai villainess ever! Coincidentally, I'm also a fan of reverse harem so the series really excites me! I don't think there are other animes for isekai villainess (in fact, I think HameFura is the first of its genre to have an anime adaptation. I wish they'd adapt more in the future though) but as you'd probably guess, there are a lot of Light Novels featuring that genre! There are also many manga adaptations of them! Some of the popular and the ones that I'm currently reading are these, though i must tell you that some of these recs are just isekai in general/reborn/reincarnated/transferred to isekai. So these are a variation of isekai genre rather than just a "reincarnated as isekai/otome game villainess" (ho boi,,,, this is a long ass one forgive me)

The Villainess' Slow Prison Life Began With Her Broken Engagement (completed, pretty short but there are the continuation in the LN, which I'll def check in the future!)

Middle-Aged Man's Noble Daughter Reincarnation (haven't read it yet, but it seemed interesting, so I'll just add this too!)

The Vengeful White Cat Lounging On The Dragon King's Lap (this is a transferred into isekai but i thought it's pretty cute! Ongoing)

The Mage With Special Circumstances Wants To Live Peacefully (MC originally lives in the this fantasy world, so i wouldn't say this is an isekai, but it's cute and interesting, so i totally recommend it! Ongoing)

Since I Became A Saint, I'll Do Whatever I Want With My Second Life ~The Prince Was My Lover Who Threw Me Away In My Previous Life~ (reborn in the same world, really interesting and I love the MC. Ongoing)

I'm Thinking Of Quitting The Villainess' Entourage (This is cute 🥺🥺 still ongoing though)

This Time I Will Definitely Be Happy! (I LOVE THIS SO FREAKING MUCH IT'S REALLY INTERESTING AND THE MC IS JUST 👌👌👌 Completed 😢)

Tensei Saki Ga Shoujo Manga No Shiro Buta Reijou Datta (similar to HameFura where the villainess recovers her memories and changed for the greater good, but the setting for this one is shoujo manga rather than otome game. I think the MC is really cute and love how hardworking she is. Ongoing)

I’M A Villainous Daughter, So I’M Going To Keep The Last Boss (WHY DOES THIS HAVE TO END SMH 😢 Like, I love LOVE this manga so freaking much! Totally recommend it 10/10! Just a heads up, original otome game heroine who's kind like HameFura Maria in isekai manga/LN is considered rare. Original otome game heroine like this manga are considered to be more common. So,,, prepare yourself 💀)

Mahoutsukai No Konyakusha (the world the MC is reincarnated in doesn't have any relation to something from her past life, so this is a general fantasy setting. BUT IT'S CUTE SO WHATEVER 🤗 I believe this one is completed 🤔)

For Certain Reasons, The Villainess Noble Lady Will Live Her Post-Engagement Annulment Life Freely (interesting MC, story has main subject, which is medical stuff cause mc was a nurse in her past life, ongoing)

Of Course, I'll Claim Palimony! (This is just so interesting, and i love how straightforward the MC is, not a reincarnated MC or anything, she is originally from the world :) ongoing)

I Was Reincarnated, And Now I'm A Maid! (Reincarnated as the villainess maid instead! This is pretty heartwarming but there aren't many chapters currently, still ongoing)

Endo And Kobayashi’S Live Commentary On The Villainess (This is just so amazing and interesting! Not reborn/reincarnated, but instead, the ones from the normal world is playing the game and gave commentary on the game, one of the character (the prince) can hear them, even though he's in the game. Ongoing)

Milady Just Wants To Relax (reincarnated in a novel world as the villainess! Tells the story of the after life of MC opening up a cafe after she was exiled. So fluffy and the Love interests are beastmen)

Fiancée’S Observation Log Of The Self-Proclaimed Villainess (One of the most popular isekai manga after HameFura! Instead of the female MC's point of view, this is told in the villainess' (aka MC's) fiance's point of view! Also, the villainess in this one wants to confront her bad end rather than avoid it like in HameFura 😂 and she's as dumb as Katarina so 😔😔👌👌👌 ongoing)

When I Woke Up, Twenty Years Passed! ~The Villainous Daughter’S Afterlife~ (cute as shit and hot male LI 😌😌😌 ongoing)

Seijo No Maryoku Wa Bannou Desu (this one is transferred into isekai, i stan the MC so much, she was treated like shit at first, but it gets better dw,,, and the lead male is just so 😍😍😍)

The Villainess Want To Marry A Commoner (this is honestly just so cute and relatable! The reincarnated MC loves one of the supporting cast rather than the main LI in the otome game, so she gets engaged with him and decides to stay away from the heroine and the LI, ongoing)

The Result Of Being Reincarnated Is Having A Master-Servant Relationship With The Yandere Love Interest (reincarnated into yandere otome game! Male lead is a lowkey yandere for his master aka the villainess (MC), ongoing.)

Isekai De "kuro No Iyashi Te" Tte Yobarete Imasu (similar to seijo no maryoku, but still quite different! This is enjoyable too! Completed)

Inso's Law (the only manhwa I'll list here. I just love the relationship the MC and all the LI and original heroine. This one is set in a world of romance novel, but not one that the MC already read or knew. The MC just knew she got transferred and is forced to live in a romance novel world because of how all the laws that applied to a common romance novel is shown when she was living her life there. She was assumed to be the heroine's (normal looking) best friend. Ongoing)

The Banished Villainess! Living The Leisurely Life Of A Nun Making Revolutionary Church Food (ONE OF MY FAV! This is just so cute! (Heads up, shit may or may not go down 👀) but this is still the cutest shit ever, male lead is a scary looking guy that's actually really soft and dense and he loves the villainess (MC) but again, MC is too dumb to realize that 😔 BUT IT'S CUTE SO IT'S ALRIGHT! Ongoing)

May I Ask For One Final Thing? (BADASS MC! YES!! MC is originally from the world and she kicks ass at the people who wronged her, ongoing)

The Villainess Is Adored By The Crown Prince Of The Neighboring Kingdom (again, one of the most popular isekai villaines after HameFura. And again, the original otome game heroine is the exact opposite of Maria, so prepare yourself! This thing is cute as heck! It shows how the Villainess (MC) was treated like shit by one of the male lead (a prince)but then a hotter guy (the neighboring prince) came and proposed to her,, lmao serves the prince right, ongoing)

Isekai De Mofumofu Nadenade Suru Tame Ni Ganbattemasu. (Reincarnated to a fantasy setting world, and the smol MC is adored by all animals, SUPER FLUFFY, just like the title)

I Swear I Won't Bother You Again! (Reborn again in the same world,MC decided to stay away from the Heroine and won't bully her.....which backfired horribly 😜ongoing)

Marielle Clarac's Engagement (MC originally from the world, just shows the life of her as a romance novel writer in the noble world. This one is super cute too, ongoing)

I’M Not A Villainess!! Just Because I Can Control Darkness Doesn’T Mean I’M A Bad Person! (Set in shoujo manga world, and the MC was a misunderstood girl 😢😢😢😢 i love her sm 😔 ongoing)

The Reborn Witch Foretells Destruction (reborn to a fantasy world, and the artstyle is my personal fav! I just love the relationship the MC has with the love interests)

I Am Troubled That My Fiance Is A Villain (just sum cute shit, MC born as a side character, but somehow caught the attention of the otome game Villain and was proposed by him. Also the original otome game heroine is....i think you already get it by now)

The Villainess Will Crush Her Destruction End Through Modern Firepower (BIG BAD BITCH ENERGYYYYYY even though she's a freaking loli, lol remind me of Youjo Senki...villainess MC was reincarnated to an otome game and one interesting trait of her from past life, she loves guns and revolver,,, and all those stuff, ongoing)

It Seems Like I Got Reincarnated Into The World Of A Yandere Otome Game (again, yandere otome game, but the yandere flags are all taken down, so it's safe, (still have some of those yandere tendencies tho) ongoing)

Fake Cinderella (just a patisserie reincarnated to a fantasy world, and she was engaged to a prince that is really fond of her (i say fond because their age gap is a little....questionable) ongoing)

Koushaku Reijou No Tashinami (i barely understand what's going on half of the time but i love the romance the MC villainess has with her LI. (And the LI isn't one of the capture targets from the og otome game) focuses on the subject of politic so.....RIP. but i still love the romance 🥳)

Lady Rose Wants To Be A Commoner (I 👏 LOVE 👏 THIS 👏 It's just freaking amazing and cute! MC is reincarnated as the otome game heroine, but she lets the event flowed to her bad ending, so she got to be exiled and live her life as a commoner. Interesting MC and amazing artstyle! Ongoing)

I Reincarnated Into An Otome Game As A Villainess With Only Destruction Flags... In A Dire Situation!? Verge Of Destruction Arc (HameFura spinoff! This one is set in the world where Katarina is already bullying Maria because her past life memories came like, 5/7(?) years after the incident with the scar with the prince unlike in the OG. I actually just need more HameFura content so,,, 🥺😔👉👈 Katarina's still the same ol dumb so dw,,,also more side characters are introduced! Ongoing)

The Villainess, Cecilia Silvie, Doesn't Want To Die, So She Decided To Cross-Dress! (Haven't read it yet, but i LOVE the genderbend idea!)

The Earl's Daughter Was Suddenly Employed As The Crown Prince's Fiancée (MC is already originally living in fantasy setting world, and her interactions with the crown prince is just so freaking cute i can't,,, ongoing....i think?)

The Daughter Of The Albert House Wishes For Ruin (This is so much fun to read! Same as fiancee observation log, the villainess MC wishes to confront her dead end for some reason, ongoing i think?)

AND THAT'S ALL I CAN GIVE! This post is long as heck, and i haven't even talk about ALL of them, plus there's also the manhwa. 😂😂😂 but i hope you'll like these!

#otome isekai #manga recs #manga recommendation #isekai manga #isekai recs #reverse harem #reverse harem manga

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gamer-chick-reviews · 5 years

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Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk (PSVita) Non-Spoiler Review

Hiya! Time to rate an otome game. I have played a couple otome games, but this will be my first review on one. Some of you might find this game familiar if you have played the first in the series: Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly. I played the first game last year, so it has been a couple months. You don’t need to play the first game to play this game, but there are some references to the first game. Players can always play Black Butterfly after Ashen Hawk.

For this review, there will be no spoilers. I will layout my thoughts on certain aspects of the game and will talk about the characters. In the character section, there will be brief descriptions to give players an idea of the characters personalities. If that’s something you want to experience for yourself, feel free to skip over that section.

Alright! Hope you guys enjoy the review!

Description: (Quoting from the PlayStation Store)

Uncover the secret – Unite the clans

In a town ruled by opposing clans and overshadowed by superstition and legend, a child is born with the dreaded mark of a witch.

She conceals her identity until the theft of a mysterious relic brings to light a series of staggering revelations.

The mysteries she will uncover could restore order... or destroy everything that she knows...

The Psychedelica series is an otome game that focuses heavily on the plot/mystery aspects rather than the romance. The romance plays a secondary role, but there are still alternate endings for each character. If you have played the first Psychedelica game, then you will notice some bias for the poster boys. I felt that it was more subtle for Black Butterfly, but I would say that it really shows in Ashen Hawk. Players might not like this, but I would say to give the game a chance because the plot and characters really shine in these games.

Characters: (9/10)

The characters in this game were all very likeable in different ways. Since this is a non-spoiler review, I cannot go into too much detail on each character, but I do feel that each one was delivered well based on the circumstances they were put in. I think that left a big impression on me because for each character, their ending is not necessarily happy or consequence free.

The Psychedelica series does a good job on showing each characters personality outside of the main plot through extra events you can obtain throughout the game. I found myself liking some characters more than others due to these extra events. However, each side story added a lot of texture to the characters and overall showed their dynamic with the main girl.

Some background before getting into the characters is that they focus on two opposing clans: the Wolf and Hawk clans. They both manage the town, but do not get along. Other characters are residents of the church and tower. Only the main cast will be described, while some side characters will be briefly mentioned.

Jed/Eiar (Jed is the name she uses as a man, while Eiar is her real name. Both names can be changed. Voice actor: Tamura Mutsumi)

Jed is the protagonist of the game and a resident of the tower. I am going to refer to her using her male name because it is mostly used throughout the story. It shows above that Jed is not her birth name but is given to her to disguise her gender because she has the mark of a witch. Jed is very independent, which causes her to not rely on others very often. She works as a handyman to make a living and is skilled in housework such as cooking. She is seen as a very reliable person, and often takes care of others. In search of the missing relic, she is often seen to long for what it would have been like if she did not have to hide her gender. This shows a different side of her where players can see more of her desires and thoughts, which can sometimes cause her to be a bit self assuming toward others. Overall, I thought that Jed was a strong protagonist because of her many skills and witty personality. I did not agree with some of her actions, but it was all very believable with how the plot developed.

Lavan (Voice actor: Hino Satoshi)

Lavan is the eldest son and heir to the Wolf Clan. He is loved by everyone, but keeps a distance from others at the same time. His closer relationships are basically with Jed and his family. He is good natured and skilled in combat. He often puts the priorities of the clan above his own feelings. He is pretty much the older brother type character.

My thoughts on Lavan were that I felt for him, but he was my least favorite of the group. I already had a feeling that he would be my least favorite, but I got to say the voice actor did a great job with his character. He wasn’t my type and his ending was alright. I just had vibes from him, and I am sure you will too. I think they made it pretty obvious.

Levi (Voice actor: Saitou Souma)

Levi is the second son of the Wolf clan who is in charge of the vigilante group. He is hot-headed at times when provoked by the Hawk clan, but he is an overall cheerful person. He thinks of Jed as a younger brother, but Jed often ends up giving him advice instead.

Levi is my favorite in the game. My first impression of him with the short description given was that he was going to be one of those short-tempered manly guys who like eating meat. A typical stereotype you see in anime. Not going to say if he was or not, but Levi went up a lot for me as the game progressed. Some things I can say are that I really like that his relationship with Lavan was not a basic sibling rivalry. They were brothers that supported each other. Levi had a lot of texture and flaws, but I like that as a character he accepted his flaws.

Lugus (Voice actor: Furukawa Makoto)

Lugus is the son of the current Hawk clan leader, Olgar, and the next heir. He has an intense expression where others find it difficult to approach him. He is seen doing his father’s bidding and does not care about the town residents opinions of him. Of course, there is a lot more to Lugus than this. He is a man that respects his father, and cares for his younger sister, Ti.

Lugus was probably my second favorite in the game. He is that cold type that is actually soft and adorable. He is also the poster boy of the game which is obvious from all the promotional art and the alternative game cover. It is also pretty obvious as the story progresses since there is some romantic bias. I honestly thought he was a great character, so overall poster boy material.

Tower Overlord aka Ashen Hawk (Voice actor: Hirakawa Daisuke)

Ashen Hawk is a free spirited man that does not remember his past. He is also a resident of the tower and is often scolded by Jed for his lazy behavior. Because of his behavior, he does not like troublesome things and does not go out to meet others. He is also one of the only characters that knows Jed is a girl.

My first impression of Ashen Hawk was that he was going to be the flirtatious type. He is, in a way, and often teases Jed, but he has a lot more layers than that. I found his interactions with her to be fun and sweet. He is very much like a guardian figure to her. Ashen Hawk is a bit of a mystery, so I cannot reveal much.

Hugh (Voice actor: Namikawa Daisuke)

Hugh is a mysterious traveler who comes and goes as he pleases. He takes an interest in the heroine and wants to see how her story plays out.

Hugh was my third favorite. I got the feeling as the story progressed that he was strangely easy to talk with. He drops a lot of hints to the first game and often tells the heroine stories from his travels. His character was actually pretty confusing, but most of his story was sorted out as you got more endings. He has got to be the most beautiful character in the game. I found myself liking him more in the common route and other people’s endings rather than his own.

Plot/Gameplay: (9/10)

The description and character section of this review basically shows the general story that will unfold. The beginning of the story is a very long common route that branches into different endings. In these games, you are usually required to complete the common route first to get character specific endings. It is all set up in a flowchart system that you will see below. I like this system a lot because you can skip over parts of the story faster. The plot consists of 10 chapters, but some endings can end in early chapters.

There is also a map function of the town that consists of different side stories and events. The events in pink are considered “Town Memories” which can be described more as questions that you ask the people of the town. It is almost like a trivia add-on because it even asks some of the main characters their favorite food or hobbies. The events in blue are considered “Short Story Episodes” where Jed/Eiar can interact with the main and side characters of the game. Lastly, the green events progress the main story. There is also an antique shop in the tavern of the town where you can buy extras that will reveal more of the mysteries of the story. I liked having this shop, but you had to gather town memories which got very repetitive. I suggest that you do all the town memories in the map before progressing in the main story or short story episodes.

The story itself was enjoyable because of the good balance of plot twists and character interactions. There are some clichés, but I would not say that they are bad. I felt that this game did a good job using some of these clichés. Some of the plot twists can be easy to predict, but I still found it fun and engaging. I am sure that you will have inklings about certain things and character. I had so many, and I ended up being right for the most part. I was still surprised even when I had an inkling about something, so that also left a big impression on me. I was definitely absorbed in the story and found myself wanting to know more as I progressed.

Music/Sound: (10/10)

I enjoyed the music in this game and felt that it was all thought out with the setting of the story. It sounds pleasant, lively, and dramatic depending on all the different scenes in the story. The transitions for the music were all on point.

The songs with lyrics were my favorites. The opening song “Haizora no Shizuku” by Akiko Shitaka feels very dramatic. I love her unique voice that I have often recognized in other games (The Liar Princess and The Blind Prince). The ending song, “Vermelho” by Eiko Shimamiya is also pleasant to listen to. I ended up really liking this song once I heard it a couple more times.

I also want to add that the voice actors did amazing with their characters. I think they all did equally well. I have to applaud Lavan’s voice actor though for reasons I cannot go into much. Let’s just say some of his extra events really gave me vibes from his voice actor.

Graphics: (8.5/10)

The artwork in this game is really nice. The soft colors match up with the snowy setting and look really clean. Like in their first game, they would add an animated effect to the characters to create movement in a 2D setting. I honestly like that they did this because it really gets you to picture the scene.

Another aspect that was great was that Jed gets a character portrait in the game. This was nice because the game gives her and the other characters great expressions. Jed has this amazing smirk that I really enjoyed seeing, while the others had a variety of expressions during extra events.

The backgrounds of the game were all nice as well. I thought there was a good variety since the town, forest, and tower were pretty much the main areas you could go to. The map of the town was actually a surprise to me that I ended up liking because it gets the player to have a more interactive experience within the game.

Lastly, the CGs of the game were all very beautiful. I could really feel the atmosphere from them and how heartfelt exchanges between characters were. The setup of the gallery also puts all the CGs together, so there are no separate character menus or repeated CGs like in Black Butterfly. Some character endings did not have a final CG for their romance, while there were moments where I felt there could have been a CG added. Although some characters did not get a super romantic scene or kiss CG, I felt like their interactions made up for that. Of course I was still a bit sad, but I do appreciate that these games put a lot into their plot and characters.

Verdict: (9/10)

I give Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk a 9/10.

If you are a fan of Black Butterly, I would say that this game definitely does not disappoint. I think it is worth the buy for new players as well because of the variety of characters and overall plot. I want to say again that this game can stand alone, but if you like to notice references than I suggest you play Black Butterfly first.

I had a lot of fun with this game, and felt that all the endings were interesting and matched up with each characters circumstances. It was not all happy times, so be prepared for some feels. I am hoping that there will be another installment in the future.

As always, thank you for reading this review. I hope you enjoy this game if you give it a go!

#video games #otome game #otome game review #psychedelica of the ashen hawk #psychedelica series #chick reviews

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tumblunni · 5 years

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I wish there was a name for the genre other than dressup games tho. Its one of many of my interests that i felt that i had to supress in order to be "real trans", yknow? Like its annoying how a giant pile of proof is never proof enough but having ONE hobby that stereotypically fits your birth sex is somehow proof that youre lying. And you get so used to that that even when you're alone your anxieties repeat those people's voices and it keeps you from enjoying what you love.

Also like..honestly if not for the name it wouldbt even be a "girly hobby", so man i worry about nothing. I mean its weird how (for example) dragonball zenoverse and soul calibur are manly dressup games, and like 90% of mmos are super male-aimed dressup games with near naked women. And there's bazillions of games with dressup functionality that are hybrids with other genres and actually let you take your custom character and DO STUFF WITH THEM, and thats the kind i love the most! Dressup deep dark fantasy action rpg time! I like making a character, i like dressup with armours or demon horns or anime fighter hair aura nonsense or god knows what! Its so limiting to have this image of the genre as just "girly fashion", like man who could enjoy a dressup game without OPTIONS??? Most of those stereotype pandering dressups are soulless cashgrabs, thats why Style Savvy looks so appealing to me as legit the first actual fully fleshed out non glitched as fuck girly dressup that ive ever seen! Also thankfully it does have options for multiple styles of fashion even though the general prrsentation is very cliche girly. The demo alone showed some nice punk clothes and gothic stuff!

Anyway i wish we could popularise a better name for the genre or make it so that people dont automatically associate the phrase dressup with negativity. Character customization is kinda another way to describe it but its a big clunkyness of crusty syllables. At least it better describes the main appeal which is creating characters! Seriously ive seen a lot of people assume that dressup games are literally only dressing up one premade character and then they go "oh yo actually that does sound fun" or "i think ive already played one of those!" when you tell them its like making an oc. So many sports games have dressup and all these stereotype-obsessed dudely dudes are like "wtf you mean the entire time this was the same damn thing??"

And oh man another genre thats unfairly ruined by badly made aggressively sexist shit games is parenting sims! Again i wish there was a word thats less pigeonholed into the stereotype but the obly other ones are raising sim or life sim which are basically the same. Like man when you hear all that you imagine a collection of boring minigames changing diapers and not a cool choose your own adventure rpg where your character grows and gets different endings. And in this case the more girly parenting versions are actually pretty ahead of the grade! All those shitty diaper minigame things clog up western stores but in japan there's series like Princess Maker that have RIDICULOUSLY in depth character choice progression algorhythms and 50-60 endings each time!

Like man seriously why is the whole genre of anything to do with making good roleplay characters considered "girly and vapid" but then rightfully recognized as in-depth and complex whenever it appears in a much smaller form in some macho game? Probably the same reason why otome dating sims are considered laughable yet male-aimed comparatively shitty awfully translated waifu nonsense is somehow top tier. Dude you could be having pron AND actual storywriting, dont settle for less! Seriously finding a non-terrible straight dude dating sim is almost as hard as finding gay ones in general, despite 90% of the entire market being straight dudes. I end up playing the "girly" dating sims more often just because...like..actual characters...actual words...

WAIT MAN THATS ALSO WHY I PLAY DRESSUPS!!!!

Shit that makes so much sense! Yeh whenever i try and be like "oh i'll only play the manly create-a-lil-dude games" they never last very long cos they're usually eithee smaller minigames or attatched to a genre i dont like. I have soooo many sports games despite hating sports games! Theyre one of the few manly genres with good dressup engines! Also like man yeah girly dressups are stereotypically considered the main thing of the genre so no wonder i'd find more of them. Also now im actually checking my library of dressup games is overwhelmingly macho stuff or mmorpgs, i dont know why i was even telling myself im being too girly for liking these??? Again, its the brain fallacy of all proof of your transness being invalid yet one single strike against it is somehow definitive proof. Man i still remember when i was too scared to wear one pair of pink socks because somehow one pair of pink socks would mean i was a "faker trans trender". Why am i so anxious!!! How do i take my brain to the mechanic!!!

So uhh yeah in summary gta 5 is a dressup game. End post.

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otomesruinedmylife · 6 years

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Comparable characters and routes in otomes to Mystic Messenger

Apologies, as this is going to be a VERY LONG POST AND CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!!!

So you liked Mystic Messenger but have no idea where to go as far as future otomes. That’s okay! Cheritz did a great job with mysme and if you enjoyed it, you’ll no doubt find someone else in an otome you probably enjoy as well, even if it doesn’t have exactly the same mechanics as mysme. For people new to the otome scene, I highly recommend Cheritz previous games if mysme was your intro to otomes, especially Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ since a lot of the characters are similar counterparts to characters you know.

For this post I’ll be using characters from:

Amnesia: Memories (PC, mobile, PS vita in Japan)

Code: Realize ~guardian of rebirth~ (PS vita, PS4)

Collar x Malice (PS vita)

Dandelion ~wishes brought to you~ (PC)

Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ (PC)

Norn9: Var Commons (PS vita)

Ozmafia! (PC)

while trying to spoil the least amount of the actual story as possible (aside from the yanderes/yangires).

Now before we do this we have to analyze why you liked the character(s) you did. To do this, bringing up some terminology you might have seen or see later that's used in the community to describe tropes/archetypes characters fit under.

The shota is the cute one, the little one. The one you want to protecc at all costs. Shotas come in many flavors (tsundere, yandere, or just plain sweet) but are always the token mini-moe of the game. Yoosung fits this to a tee. If you liked Yoosung, you may enjoy:

Yeon-ho from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ He’s honestly the spiritual predecessor of Yoosung.

Jieun from Dandelion ~wishes brought to you~ More of a kuudere version of this trope, another example of Cheritz heavily leaning on this trope.

Scarlet from Ozmafia! A bit of an inversion of the trope as he’s more than capable of taking care of himself. I’d file him under kuudere shota.

Jiyeon from Dandelion ~wishes brought to you~ Initially upon meeting. His route gives you a better idea of where he should fall in this list, but I won’t spoil it.

Senri Ichinose from Norn9: Var commons. This boy needs all the love in the world, he’s had it rough aka. You fucked up a perfectly good esper, you gave him anxiety.

Soh from Ozmafia! initially upon meeting. His route gives you a better idea of where he should fall in this list, but I won’t spoil it.

Nameless from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ though you might find him more of a Saeran predecessor.

The casanova or Bishonen... you know this type. They’re all about telling you how much they want to protect you and sometimes have an overinflated idea of their self-worth (though usually this is hiding insecurities you find out in their own routes). Mostly a harmless bunch who are surprisingly wholesome once you get past their innuendoes. If you liked Zen, you’ll probably enjoy:

Yuri from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ again a spiritual predecessor from Cheritz. Yuri is flirtatious and rather lewd but might actually be the most harmless of the Nameless bunch.

Ikki from Amnesia: Memories. Like Zen, this dude has his own fanclub. Need I say more?

Itsuki Kagami from Norn9: Var Commons. And how.

Impey Barbicane from Code: Realize ~guardian of rebirth~Though not completely like Zen, he shares similarities enough. Also similar hairstyle lol.

Mineo Enomoto from Collar x Malice. Probably the biggest stretch here, but he leans heavily on the “all men are animals trope” while being both too old looking to be a shota and usually the butt monkey of the cast.

Megane are technically defined by their glasses, but many share the same no-nonsense attitude and often adroit behaviors, though more due to not being good at socializing than anything else. Like shotas, meganes come in many flavors (most often tsundere or kuudere though). This is usually a male-oriented term, but I find this trope to be the closest to Jaehee. Also because of the lack of female love interests in otomes, this group will be primarily male. If you enjoyed Jahee’s route, you might like:

Kent from Amnesia: Memories. Neither dangerous or as kinkiy as he may look, Kent is just a wholesome megane who doesn’t understand how to human and just really loves math. A good boy and a breath of fresh air from the wild ride that is Amnesia: Memories.

Axel from Ozmafia! Basically the Kent of this game. He’s just a good guy who deserves all the love and sweets in the world. I’d say he’s less of a tsundere due to not being able to emotion, though he has moments.

Pashet from Ozmafia! Finally a female LI! Pashet has striking similarities to Jaehee actually, though not a megane. You might think neko-chan, but she’s actually super competent and kicks ass frequently for her famiglia Boots.

Victor from Code: Realize ~guardian of rebirth~ A good boy, a wholesome boy. I wouldn’t call him a shota, though he’s the closest to a romanceable one in this game. You might also like him if you liked Yoosung.

Lance from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ Though not a megane and more of a tsundere, he shows some of the emotional adroitness meganes tend to have, as well as being super competent.

Jihae from Dandelion ~wishes brought to you~ Again, not a megane, but has the politeness and adroitness of a megane as well as showing similar aspects of Jaehee’s personality.

Now here’s where the tropes begin to break down when we look at (arguably) more complex nature of the tropes that make up the stories and personalities of Jumin, Seven, V and Saeran. There will definitely be spoilers from here on out because we have to talk about what happens in their routes and how we see their character progression from our initial idea of them to after their routes. **Extra note: I can’t really find someone quite like V, though there is a special section for tragic backstory further down in this post.

You should already know what a tsundere is, baka! ~ Though no one initially quite fits this bill as classic tsundere in Mystic Messenger, you definitely see it later from Seven. Traditional tsunderes doth protest too much they don’t like the heroine, and usually call you and others ‘baka” (idiot) while hiding behind a chilly exterior. At some point they usually push you away in their route, often because underneath the insults is a cutie who might have already been broken in the past.

Kuuderes are the cool ones. Like tsundere, they use a frosty exterior to hide a deliciously squishy inner romantic but are less vocal about everyone else being idiots or don’t freeze people out because of intelligence/maturity level. Jumin has traits of being a gap moe kuudere. I’d definitely call him this if I was trying to not spoil the yandere parts of his route for someone. I'm lumping these together, but if you liked Seven because he pushed you away and then got over it (tsundere) or Jumin’s frosty initial demeanor (kuudere), you will probably like:

Shin from Amnesia: Memories. A classic, upfront tsundere. Get ready for the baka.

Takeru Sasazuka from Collar x Malice. Another classic, upfront tsundere. Many much baka.

Jiwoo from Dandelion ~wishes brought to you~ Another classic, upfront tsundere. Baka but now in Korean.

Van Helsing from Code: Realize ~guardian of rebirth~ Ah our megane tsundere combo. Van is a little bit of a combination of tropes, but ultimately I’d file him under very mature kuudere/tsundere. Also, call him master in a non-kinky context, he likes it.

Lance from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ Kind of an off-type tsundere/kuudere. He’s called the ice prince for a reason.

Caesar from Ozmafia! Classic tsundere. Also immediately apparent he’s a bit ax-crazy for Fuka.

Akito Shukuri from Norn 9: Var commons. Another classic tsundere. All your baka needs.

Kyrie from Ozmafia! is an atypical tsundere but shares traits of one. He definitely thinks you and everyone else are idiots, but doesn’t so much push you away as wonder why you even like him in the first place.

Normally a term used for girls, a genki boy is full of energy to an almost hyperactive degree. If the people around a genki boy are exhausted, astonished, or even creeped out by their chronic outbursts of vitality, then they probably fit the criteria. Often genki boys are in touch with their feminine side, not hetero and/or found cross-dressing either for fun or plot reasons. If you liked Seven because of his initial spunky defender of justice attitude but didn’t like that he went tsundere on you, you will probably enjoy:

Red from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ A non-tsundere version of Seven and just all around wholesome boy who actually thinks he’s a hero. Also brought to you by Cheritz.

Heishi Otomaru from Norn9: Var commons. Just for the love of god, don’t break the cutie.

Impey Barbicane from Code: Realize ~guardian of rebirth~ sometimes is also this, though he also shares traits with bishonen/casanovas.

Lupin from Code: Realize ~guardian of rebirth~ Another defender of justice and all around good boy. More mature. Calls himself a gentleman thief and will sweep you off your feet 10/10 times.

Kei Okazaki from Collar x Malice. Also more mature version and less energetic, but shares traits with when you meet Seven initially. He’s quirky and he protecc. He likes weird snacks too.

Dark and troubled past is a pretty obvious trope. Stepford smilers are obsessed with projecting an image of wholesome happiness in order to either be accepted by peers or left alone. The crafted facades of stepford smilers hide a deeply flawed person, usually breaking under the strain of keeping up their deception. They almost always have a Dark and Troubled past, though not everyone with a dark and troubled past ends up being a stepford smiler. If you liked Seven or V because of their tragic backstories and stepford smiling, you might like:

Saint-Germain from Code: Realize ~guardian of rebirth~ Oof, and how. The tragedy cranked up to 11 for this guy. I’d recommend playing his route last of the four because it contains the most spoilers aside from Lupin. And bring the tissues while you’re at it.

Kageyuki Shiraishi from Collar x Malice. Another cranked up to 11, similar to Saint-Germain, just different details. I’d recommend playing his route last of the four because it contains the most spoilers aside from Yanagi’s. And keep those tissues handy while you’re at it.

Actually everyone in Collar x Malice to a degree, it’s just that much worse with Shiraishi.

Ukyo from Amnesia: Memories. Arguably the most tragic of all the characters on this list, Ukyo is without a doubt a tear-jerking finale to the game. Not to be confused with Ura Ukyo also having the classic slasher smile.

All of the dolls in Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ have emotional baggage, but both Yeon-ho and Tei have more due to being secondhand, as well as Nameless, but Tei might be the most since he’s also clearly experiencing reset theory.

Both Robin Hood and Hamlin from Ozmafia! are pretty tragic. You find out why on their routes.

It's never hinted during his route or others, but Kyrie from Ozmafia! is probably the most tragic of all, you just don’t find out why until fully completing the game. Also, you are a monster if you end up preferring Kyrie’s normal end.

Senri Ichinose from Norn9: Var commons fits this, though lacking the stepford smiling. You get to find out in his route how they broke the cutie.

Jisoo from Dandelion ~wishes brought to you~ has a pretty sad story, but Jihae’s is equally if not more tragic.

If your fav is the guy with the best lines in the game, you probably like the deadpan snarker and might want to look at the tsundere options, as they usually have the most cutting wit and tongues. But if you liked Vanderwood’s cameos or Jumin for his lack of tsundere, you might enjoy:

Kyrie from Ozmafia! And how. The crowned king of deadpan snarking on this list.

Tei from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ It’s mostly Yuri on the receiving end of his snark, though others do find themselves victim at times. And yet he’s still called Prince Sunshine...

OKAY BIG HUGE MAJOR SPOILERS AND TRIGGERS HERE!!!! IF YOU DONT WANT SPOILERS OR TRIGGERS HERES A SIMPLIFIED LIST: Non-spoiler list if you liked Jumin’s route (YMMV):

Tei from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~.

Toma from Amnesia: Memories.

Kageyuki Shiraishi from Collar x Malice.

Non-spoiler list if you liked Ray’s route (YMMV) because of break the cutie and/or dating the enemy tropes:

Yeon-ho from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~

Ukyo from Amnesia: Memories.

Nameless from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~

Caesar and Hamlin from Ozmafia!

Natsuhiko Azuma from Norn 9: Var commons.

Kakeru Yuiga from Norn9: Var commons.

NOW ONWARD TO THE YANDERES!!! YOU’VE BEEN WARNED :)

Yanderes are people who will kill for the one they “love” and are obsessed with, going even so far as to stalking, drugging, trapping, raping or even killing the MC so no one else can have them. People tend to either love them or hate them, as they are usually the more complex characters of the games, but it can be hard to see the good aspects of them when they’re busy well... doing yandere things like locking you up, drugging your drinks for your own good or trying to kill your friends because of their obsession with you.

Yangires are often mistakenly lumped in with yanderes and to add ot the confusion, some yanderes can seem more yangire or even vice-versa if they were already a bit ax-crazy to begin with. The main defining feature is that yangires lack the love aspect behind their killing to be a real yandere. These characters are ax-crazy and ready to snap at a moment's notice (or already have) and start killing the cast. Up until his route, Saeran would have been considered a yangire, though now with his route that’s obviously changed.

I’ve divided these into two catagories: minor yanderes (one bad end or situation) or major yanderes (a pervasive running theme in their route, particularly violent ones and/or yangire-like ones, sadists, etc). I will also list the minor yanderes bad ends so anyone who wishes to avoid them can! Stay safe and don’t get triggered!!!

Minor Yanderes:

You (to Yeon-ho in Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~). You can become the yandere in his Bad end 1: Unforgiven doll.

Ikki in Amnesia: Memories. Bad end 2: “I’ll get rid of those who hurt you.” Situational. Ikki shows his yandere really only once in this end, shadowed eyes and all.

Yuri in Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ Bad end 2: Triangle. I’d still argue this is more Tei’s fault than Yuri being an actual yandere.

Heishi Otomaru from Norn 9: Var Commons. Bad end only. Situational yandere. Oof, and here I thought he was just a good boy.

Sakuya Nijou from Norn 9: Var Commons. There’s a minor unavoidable yandere moment in his route but he’s mostly just obsessed with Mikoto as some kind of savior for him. The obsession is apparent, but he’s a relatively non-dangerous version and barely deserves to be on this list.

Major Yanderes & Yangires:

Tei from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~. Jesus Christ, this guy so much. He’s probably the biggest yandere I’ve ever seen played to the trope and makes Jumin Han look like a vanilla amateur version. Completely wonderful wholesome exterior with darkness lurking below that only Yuri seems to notice. This guy gate crashes all the other LI’s in Nameless besides Lance’s bad endings at least once and makes them worse. Major trigger warning: Most of the bad ends involving him contain violence due to him. Honestly, so many a detailed list is silly, but the worst probably being the implied non-consensual sex in his Bad end 3: My owner.

Toma from Amnesia: Memories. Toma is probably the male yandere trope holder as most people know about the cage, which he did years before Jumin Han. A classic yandere, he’s obsessed with the MC so much he completely overlooks that she likes him. Expect all the classic yandere elements: childhood friend, drugging, caging, violence and rape-y comments but he just really loves you, okay??? Major trigger warning: A few of the bad ends in Amnesia: memories involving him contain violence due to him, especially his route and the unavoidable violence in Shin’s route. He stretches over into other people’s routes via bad ends a few times too, but the worst probably being the implied non-consensual sex in his Bad end 2: “We’ll be together forever.”

Yeon-ho from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ is a good example of when a shota gets obsessed. He’s upgraded from minor yandere because he’s pretty goddamn obviously obsessed with you and while seemingly not particularly violent, he shows he is capable of it in Bad end 2: Competitor. To be fair to Yeon-ho though, you really need to watch out for Tei more.

Saint-Germain from Code: Realize ~guardian of rebirth~. Unfortunately, you can’t avoid the yandere in his route, though I’d mostly consider him a situational yandere depending on how you look at it since he’s following orders. However, he does make a few offhand comments in other routes that firmly put him in the major yandere category regardless.

Jisoo from Dandelion ~wishes brought to you~. Classic yandere in his bad end. Shows yandere traits throughout his route, though maybe less extreme than most on this list.

Kageyuki Shiraishi from Collar x Malice. Again more situational than anything else and technically a yangire stepford smiler in other routes. Once this aloof boy likes you he’s pretty stuck on you for reasons that make sense. You can’t avoid the yandere in his route (it’s both good and bad ends) but it’s waaaaaay less creepy in the good one. Also his later bad ends are BAD. Hell, his good end is bad. Dear god, please just give this poor guy a break already.

Robin Hood from Ozmafia! Is a low-key example of this, but not for Fuka. I’ll let you figure out why. Major trigger warning: It’s debatable his route contains non-consensual sex.

Nameless from Nameless ~the one thing you must recall~ Think precursor to Saeran. Got it? Okay now play his route again to find out why.

The Wizard from Dandelion ~wishes brought to you~. Though not a playable character, it's obvious once you play through at least one route of Dandelion he’s obsessed with Heejung. It all comes to a tragic culmination in the final end of Dandelion you get from finishing all routes in the game.

Ukyo from Amnesia: Memories. Ax-crazy Ura Ukyo unfortunately puts Ukyo’s route firmly in the yangire category rather than yandere, as Ukyo himself is pretty wholesome. He kind of reminds me of V, honestly. And not just because of the photography thing. He gets a bad rap from anyone who doesn’t properly finish the game because of his ura side, but boy the explanation for why he kills you over and over again is one of the saddest routes I’ve ever played. Major trigger warning: Most of the bad ends in the entire game not involving Toma being yandere involve Ura Ukyo pretty much flat out killing you. Honestly, so many a detailed list is silly, since there’s multiple for each guys route iirc.

Ron Muraboshi from Norn 9: Var commons. Jesus lord have mercy I was not expecting this one. For all of his nonchalant attitude about everything, Ron might be the worst offender on this list. Not presented as a classic yandere as I am firmly convinced no one in the game or playing it actually likes Ron, his route devolves into some extremely problematic shit with yandere elements. His route is a relationship is based on obsession, abuse, and Stockholm Syndrome and even I felt icky after playing it, but his alternate bad ending (purple) is the worst IMO on this list because it's arguable he still sees you as disposable, while at least real yanderes cherish their object of affection. Also that 9 year age gap between him and Nanami… yikes.

Anyway, that's my list and character analysis of the otomes I’ve played so far! Hope you enjoyed it and feel free to leave me any asks or comments.

Also if you’d like to know who my personal favorites are, they are: Jumin Han, Seven, Ukyo, Tei, Saint-Germain, Kyrie and Kageyuki Shiraishi. And after reading this I bet you now know why. Just don’t make me pick favorites among my husbandos, they might kill me if they find out ;)

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brainsbrawnandcommonsense · 6 years

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Otome/Dating Sim Tag

Hahahahaa aaa... aaa...

I’m sorry it took me so long to actually do this... @em-jplaysotome

1) What is your favorite otome game?

For me, Wizardess would easily be my favorite. I actually wasn’t too interested when I first got it, yet here we are now!

2) What is your least favorite?

Uh... Most of the ones I didn’t care for, I don’t really remember the names of.

3) What is your favorite route?

Randy’s route is my favorite. I think if I went for my other first choice (Klaus), I wouldn’t be here. As much as I love Klaus, he is honestly kind of a dick if you haven’t gotten used to him beforehand. Another thing about Randy’s route is that I felt the magic. Some routes, it’s there, but... Yeah.

4) What is your least favourite route?

Uh... I actually don’t care much for 707′s route in Mystic Messenger. I feel like if it wasn’t everywhere, I would’ve enjoyed it much more. Since it was impossible to avoid spoilers though, I just didn’t enjoy it all that much since I knew what was coming.

5) How much money have you spent on otome games?

I’ve spent $25 on micro transactions, and a little less that $20 for actual games since they were on sale.

6) How much otome have you played?

Hmm... I actually started them many years ago, but it wasn’t until... I think 2015 where I started to get back into them. I’d say at least 15, but I’ve deleted some since then.

7) Do you prefer male or female love interests?

Though I like both, I generally prefer male love interests. Sometimes though... I really wish we could date the girls instead of the guys... [VOLTAGE WHY DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE LIAR! GIRLS SO CUTE IT’S UNFAIR.]

8) If you could make one LI in real life so that you could date them, which would you pick & why?

Randy. I mean, are you surprised? The biggest reason why though is that I feel like he’d like me for who I am at least a little.

9) Have you ever cried while playing an otome? If so, whose route(s) made you cry?

*Flashbacks to Shingen’s route in SLBP

N-no... Why would you even... As if I would... *Starts crying

Besides Shingen’s though, I can’t really call any that made me cry. Not that it didn’t happen, just that it’s really rare.

10) Favorite LIs based on personality?

Randy again, as well as Azusa Kurono from Liar!. ..Despite his name being Azusa... I love how silly he is! I also love Zen’s prince charming personality, and... Then there’s Kazumi Kagami (Liar!) and Shingen... Apparently I’m weak to older men who love to tease, and I’m not sure how to feel about that...

11) Favourite LIs based on Visual Design?

Randy because of how unique he is, Zen because oh man... He’s so handsome... And honestly, I’m weak for blondes, so Klaus and Bridgett (who I’m 99.999% sure isn’t actually a love interest in Blood and Roses) easily can steal my heart in that department.

12) What is your favourite plot from an otome game?

Uh... The plot for Shingen’s route was really good in my opinion. I’ve never really though of my favorite plots so I’m not actually sure.

13) Do you name the MC your real name or a nickname?

I use my own name. If I used a nickname, it’d be one I actually have, and I really don’t have any that I’m aware of.

14) What kind of love interests would you like to see in future otomes?

Just... More girls... Please... And not as friends... LET ME DATE AMELIA SOLMARE.

15) Which LI do you think you are most like?

Uh... I... Have no idea. If anyone has an idea though and want’s to tell me that’d be cool though!

Ahhh... I’m going to tag @bunnsea, @rayheart-wh, @nitia95, and... Whoever else really wants to do it. Also, I apologize if you’ve already done it but I just chose whatever names were off the top of my mind!

Anyway, I hope you all have a nice day!

#Wizardess Ramblings #Tagged

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boatspeak · 4 years

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Some of my favourite dramas from the past half a year, ranked:

1. Because This is my First Life

k-drama, 16 episodes, each 1 hour long

So sensitively and personally written. I was sucked into the storytelling and felt as though I was seeing these scenes through the eyes of the characters. Bravo to the scriptwriter; as I was watching it I felt, ah, she must have drawn from some intensely personal and important place. It was not a story anyone could have written. Because This is My First Life follows the stories of three BFFs as they experience, and grapple with, love and marriage. It does not shy away from the complicated sides of these issues - the societal, monetary and financial pressures that love and marriage cannot be separated from, the difficulties of communicating with others honestly yet sensitively. There are some frustratingly incorrigible people in the drama (like sexually harassing superiors), but most of the time the conflicts play out between good people who care for and support each other, yet inevitably butt heads because they have different - and equally valid - views of life. Is it wrong to want to marry and start a family? Is it wrong not to? It was painful at times, I think I cried for some of the characters. Not because they were pitiable, but because sometimes in life there is no right or wrong; you have to make tough choices and it hurts but you have to keep your eyes open and keep watching; keep walking. For the literature lovers out there, especially those who might be sick of gratuitous (often cheesy) quotes inserted randomly into dramas, well, good for you! Characters in Because This is My First Life read and are impacted by (real life) books, and you can see how the books they’ve read influence the way they think, act, and communicate with each other. It’s very realistic and mirrors the way you might consume and digest books in your own life outside of the drama. Oh, the PPL is also wonderfully done and actually contributes to character building. 8-9/10.

2. Raise de wa Chanto Shimasu (I’ll be serious in my next life)

j-drama, 12 episodes, each 1/2 an hour long

One woman, five sex friends. I know. I know it sounds messy and melodramatic and angsty. I hesitated for the same reasons as well. But when I finally got over it and watched the damn thing (very bingeable, totalling at only 6 hours), I regretted not watching it sooner. Raise wa Chanto Shimasu is a breath of fresh air. Most of the characters, whether hypersexual or asexual, are pretty unabashed about it, and I love their self-love. Want to have sex? Go for it, gurl. Don’t want to have sex? Also no problem. The title is an apt one and showcases this message of acceptance. We might have bones to pick with our current lifestyles, but welp, we’ll just be serious in our next lives. As one of the characters said at the end, “we all became independent, working adults, I think we should be proud of ourselves”. Much needed affirmation in a world of moralising, slut-shaming, virgin-mocking, and expectations to get married and settle down.

Warning: one of the characters in a bi/gay relationship is pretty vocal in denying his sexuality even in front of his partner, and a trans woman was harrassed at one point. These were discomfiting for me.

3. The Fiery Priest

k-drama, 40 episodes, each 1/2 an hour long (or 20 hour-long episodes)

Action. Comedy. Kim Nam Gil, who won the Baeksang for this role. Honey Lee. Badass babe. Ahn Chang Hwan, who was so realistic at playing a Thai immigrant my friend who studied Korean for three years didn’t even realise he was Korean. Father Han. One reviewer said he was a literal angel, and I concur. Most dramas leave you with at most three or four characters you really like; this drama makes you fall in love with the whole gang. Everyone has a backstory, or some hidden side that you didn’t expect that just adds so much more dimension when revealed. Where some might find it hard to balance the weight of action and the levity of comedy, dipping too deeply into angst or farce at times, The Fiery Priest manages the tone really well even as the plot deepens and our characters have to deal with deep-seated traumas. I have nothing more to say to promote this drama except, how could you pass on Kim Nam Gil doing action plus comedy MINUS tragedy and the moustache?

A final note: Technically, The Fiery Priest is a stronger drama than Raise and should deserve the no. 2 spot. The former deals with bigger issues like corruption, morality and forgiveness, while the latter is more light-hearted and deals almost entirely with personal choices. However, some issues Raise touched on were really important to me and came at a time when I really needed affirmation to believe in my beliefs, so it edged out The Fiery Priest in my heart.

4. 传闻中的陈芊芊 (The Romance of Tiger and Rose)

c-drama, 22 episodes, each about 45 minutes long

甜。This drama is just Sweet with a capital S. What a refreshing watch, especially for women. I loved not having tugging battles between two men. I loved the respect given to consent. I loved having so many smart and capable women who have conversations with each other that do not revolve around men. I love how the male lead wasn’t hung up on Male Ego and gave his wife space to be herself and make her own decisions and mistakes. A rare gem. I’m sure I will revisit this when I’m tired of the usual ドキドキ tactics involving possession and pulling around

(If you can read Chinese, I suggest watching it on the 腾讯视频 app with 弹幕 on. I found it pretty hilarious, meaning I laugh-cried so hard in the middle of the night my neighbour knocked on my door to ask if I was ok.)

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A quick rundown of the dramas and films I’ve watched so far in 2020 so you know the pool I picked these four from:

Penguin Highway

good watch. super cute. I cannot over-emphasise how cute the penguins were. It got me into a penguin phase and I’m not out of it even after 7 months...

ぼくは明日、昨日のきみとデートする (My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday)

good watch. bittersweet.

わたしに××しなさい！(Watashi ni XX Shinasai/Missions of Love) movie and drama special

would pass on the movie (which cherry-picked from the manga but unfortunately left out a lot of important character developing scenes so the relationship didn’t make as much sense as it did in the manga)

but the drama special. Whew. I watched the drama special twice. It’s trashy good. Because it’s basically a spin-off to build hype for the movie, it doesn’t have to follow the plot of the manga, instead taking on the format of a (very cheesy) otome game. So you have all these ikemen saying clichéd toe-curling lines like “I am also a man you know” and getting stuck half-naked bReAthInG HeAviLy in cabinets together but instead of playing it seriously (as the movie would do because it’s supposed to make you feel like they are falling in love), the main character goes huh??? wtf are you saying?? at her otome game screen, which is so realistic and just cracks me up. definitely would rec.

ごめんね青春！(Gomen ne Seishun/ Saving my Stupid Youth)

hmmm. so-so? Leading lady Hikari Mitsushima is pretty, cool, and fits the bill of gap moe. Ryo Nishikido is also pretty believable (once you suspend your disbelief that somehow all his students think he looks dorky and are not gushing over his ikemen-ness). Unfortunately, relationship development between the otp happened too late and too suddenly.

Он – драко́н (On Drakon/ He’s a Dragon/ I Am Dragon)

a pleasure to (re-)watch as always. Lovely visuals.

Tokyo Ghoul: S

decent! Great performance from Shota Matsuda as the Gourmet. He’s definitely a draw-point for this movie - you can see him being featured heavily in the trailers.

Strong Girl Do Bong Soon

great drama, would rec! 7-8/10. Points docked for all the digressing they did with monks and gangsters. I loved the otp’s dynamic, how healthy their relationship was. One line that struck me was, “Do you know how you’ve found the right person? When you see yourself in their eyes, you look happy”. It was a reminder that while these are obviously fictional characters, we can and should form relationships where our partners are as supportive of us (and us of them) as our dear otp, and not to settle for less. Also loved the fact that smol Bong Soon is so strong and no one can manhandle her >:-) 10/10 also to rookie actor Jang Mi Kwan, who was absolutely terrifying as the villain. How is he only a rookie??

Because This is my First Life

see above

The Fiery Priest

see above

선덕여왕 (Great Queen Seon Deok)

hehe I watched it (again). As great as ever. Somehow cried more than I did the previous two times I watched it? Took me a week to get over one of the characters (even though I already went through all that heartbreak the first two times I watched this..) Sayang... Definitely has a special place in my heart. Available in full on youtube with subs.

传闻中的陈芊芊 (Romance of Tiger and Rose)

see above

来世はちゃんとします (Raise de wa Chanto Shimasu)

see above

覆面系ノイズ (Fukumenkei Noise/Anonymous Noise)

pretty good! Adapted from a manga but very film-like with its color-corrected shots, many cut-scenes to birds and crashing waves. Shison Jun was great in his intense scene, Ayami Nakajo has the most manga-looking face I’ve seen and Koseki Yuta is my bb as always hahaha he’s appeared in, like, four dramas on this list.

博多弁の女の子はかわいいと思いませんか？(Don’t You Think Girls Who Talk in Hakata Dialect Are Cute?)

YES!! I DO!! Wholesome drama packed to the brim with hometown (Hakata) pride). I also loved Okada Kenshi going around looking for Ramen shops hahaha. Now I want to see him host a food discovery show. 8/10. Would rec!

帝一の國 (Teiichi no Kuni/Teiichi’s Country)

面白い。Interesting watch! In which a bunch of high school boys in an elite school take their student council elections very seriously and attempts at political hijinks ensue. Suda Masaki and his pals somehow make over-the-top super seem natural. I don’t know how they do it, but it’s pretty good. Peppered with interesting reveals and counter-reveals along the way.

男子高校生の日常 (Daily Lives of High School Boys)

I liked this! It delivers on what it’s supposed to. As a film, it is very film-like. The background is given a lot of weight in this film, and the director “shows, not tells”. The conversations of our characters are situated in the chatter of their schoolmates, you hear random snippets of conversations drift around, you see the school situated in the mountains, piles of decorations around the hall. This helps in conveying the “daily” nature of what happens in the film - not some life-changing adventure, but a warm high-school memory that is pretty like a paper star in a glass bottle. The boys are also very lovable and dorky in their high-school roles.

ピーチガール (Peach Girl)

not bad. Typical shoujo manga adaptation storyline, even if the leading quartet do well in their roles. Nagano Mei was especially memorable for me out of the typical shoujo heroine roles I had previously seen her in. Inoo Kei also really looks like a boy from a manga. He has a lot of exaggerated actions, but he pulls them off really well.

突然ですが明日結婚します (Totsuzen desu ga ashita kekkon shimasu/ It’s Sudden But Tomorrow We’re Getting Married/ Everyone’s Getting Married)

pretty decent. It’s not mind-blowing, but it’s definitely not bad. (Or you could flip it around and say it’s definitely not bad, but it’s not mind-blowing).

ヲタクに恋は難しい (Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku)

disappointing. I really wanted to like this film for Takahata Mitsuki and Yamazaki Kento, but there were too many useless musical scenes.

同期の桜 (Doki no Sakura / Our Dearest Sakura)

Hmmmmmm. About colleagues who become inspired in their work and lives because of their colleague Sakura. I wanted more love but that’s not the main point of the drama so it’s not their fault. It got a bit repetitive towards the end, and I felt there wasn’t enough character development. Another drama I really wanted to like more than I did, because I was looking forward to seeing Takahata Mitsuki, Ryusei Ryo and Mackenyu work together.

Tokyo Coin Laundry

A mishmash of lost souls meet at a coin laundry. A short drama about running away, making choices, and moving on. Katayose Ryota might have been cool in My Brother Loves Me Too Much, but this was where I first saw him and I prefer him in this. I enjoyed this a lot and even drew a postcard based on this. 7/10.

兄に愛されすぎて困ってます (My Brother Loves Me Too Much) drama and movie

ok don’t judge; I watched this because my friend said it was pretty good. Katayose Ryota IS pretty cool in this, and Tsuchiya Tao brings to life the quintessential image of the Japanese girl, but if you’re watching this for “so cheesy it’s actually good” I would point you to the Watashi ni XX Shinasai drama special instead. If you do want to watch this though, you should watch the drama before the movie, because they are not standalone.

Nodame Cantabile

What can I say? Classics are classics. 8/10, would rec. This is my first time seeing Ueno Juri acting, and she’s so believable as quirky Nodame I wondered if this was her actual personality. Straight out of a manga. There was potential for messy love-drama, but this drama took the high road and focused on proper character development instead. Thumbs up! They also did really well in “showing not telling” us the OTP’s relationship development. Rather than declarations of love, you can see it in the little caring gestures and almost subconscious smiles. I liked that too. Though maybe I’ll dock a point for how they treated gay expressions of love - “he’s a man you know” and icky faces - and how much casual manhandling there was against Nodame (exaggerated flying punches... maybe that’s how the manga wrote it?)

0 notes

katie-de-lune · 6 years

Text

Otome tag game

I was tagged by the lovely @sengokugenkigirl and I’ll tag @otome--gokoro @cavern-of-bells @guacameowle and whomever else wants to try this if you haven’t done so already!

1) What is your favorite otome game?

SLBP/Tenka for sure, those are pretty much the only otome games I play everyday. Although lately I am loving the Arcana as well.

2) What is your least favorite?

Our Two Bedroom Story. I just can’t get into it. Plus I’m not a huge fan of Shall We Date games.

3) What is your favorite route?

I love Kojuro’s route because of his relationship with him and his MC, but my favorite route probably has to be Ieyasu’s. There’s just so much character development and I love this bratty lil tsundere so much. Also I love Hanzo’s route in Tsuki. There were so many plot twists, like his route was a roller coaster ride, I’M STILL SHOOK THINKING ABOUT IT.

4) What is your least favorite route?

Uhhhhhh Inuchiyo’s? Lmao yeah Voltage completely screwed him over which is a shame because I love him but at least the SLBP fandom doesn’t let me down. Oh but probably Ota’s route in KBTBB as well. Sorry I’m just not into being called a dog? Can I mention Scorpio’s sequel in SCM? I’m still pissed that I spent money on that mess like it didn’t make any sense at all especially with the King like okayyyyy Voltage.

5) How much money have you spent on otome games?

LMAO LET’S NOT GO THERE. *nervous laughter* This is precisely the reason of why I never check my bank account or my email because I know Apple receipts will be on there.

6) How much otome have you played?

Uh a lot? I’ve pretty much played at least one story of every Voltage game except for a few.

7) Do you prefer male or female love interests?

My bi ass prefers both. There needs to be more female love interests in otome.

8) If you could make one LI in real life so you could date them, which would you pick and why?

Kanetsugu? Lol he’s not a love interest (DAMN SHAME) but I’d date him in a heartbeat. He’s so kind and he cares about his daughter so much. Plus I’d be there to give him daily massages after he got home from dealing with Kenshin lmao.

Otherwise probably Kojuro even though he’s a mess lol. But that’s okay because I’m a mess too. Or Jinpachi from Serendipity Next Door even though he was rude af at first, I fell for him and I still love his route to this day because he turns into a flirty/teasing sweetie-pie.

Yikes...do y’all notice a pattern?

9) Have you ever cried while playing an otome? If so, whose route(s) made you cry?

Shingen and Kenshin’s divine destiny endings. I am RUINED after those especially Kenshin’s. I got punched right in the feels with those two.

10) Favorite LIs based on personality?

Soryu (KBTBB), Zyglavis (SCM), Ieyasu (SLBP/Tenka), Hanzo (Tsuki), Inuchiyo (SLBP/Tenka) Jinpachi (SND) Hibiki (SITSC) Takashi (SITS), Kojuro (SLBP/Tenka) ...honestly this list could go on and on.

11) Favorite LIs based on visual design?

I’m not a huge Saizo fan as yall know but DAMN is he pretty? Zyglavis is super pretty too.

12) What is your favorite plot from an otome game?

Hmmm I like the historical plots but honestly I am a huge fan of where the LI and MC don’t like each other at first then end up falling for each other.

13) Do you name the MC your real name or a nickname?

I always call my MCs Katie which is my nickname of my real name sooo.

14) What kind of love interests would you like to see in future otomes?

More females for sure! Plus more NPCs? (cough cough KANETSUGU cough cough)

15) Which LI do you think you are most like?

Probably Mitsunari? I’m not sure actually.

#otome ask tag #about me

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miyaio · 7 years

Note

desu2!!

desu 2 meta brings out the tl;dr beast in me b/c i’m always thirsty to talk excessively abt this game.

My favorite parent-child relationship

- i think otome and koharu win by default, tho io’s brief scene w/her mother and the background we get on her relationship w/her parents is v heart-wrenching. i love the way otome’s single mom status is depicted–it feels very nuanced and sympathetic, without shying away from the way having parenthood thrust upon her would realistically impact otome’s life and koharu’s. when otome mentions in tri arc that she misses being koharu’s mother, despite how selfish that would be (as it would come in exchange for her cousins’ lives), i teared up, ngl. koharu herself is also really precious, tho i wish we had a consistent appearance for her–it seems to change between vanilla desu 2, ds2a, and tri arc?

runner-up goes to airi and her dad, despite the fact that she thinks he’s dead. the dera-deka sub-arc is well-worth doing at least once, imo. it made me bawl, and it’s also necessary for 100% compendium completion.

My favorite sibling relationship

- can i say saiduq and the other septentriones? yamato and miyako are the only sibs we see onscreen (tho airi mentions having a little brother), but tbh, i’m more interested in miyako’s side than i am in yamato’s. what goes on in the septentriones’ minds–if they even have “minds” as people would perceive the concept–is fascinating to me, and i really wonder what saiduq thinks abt his former “siblings”. does he simultaneously pity and envy them for lacking his autonomy? does he see them as extensions of polaris’ will that deserve to be beaten down by humans? the denizens of the akasha stratum are one of my fav aspects of desu 2′s worldbuilding, so i’m always hungry for meta on them.

My favorite family relationship (other)

- airi and ronaldo in a found family situation……… i love the way their dynamic develops, w/neither one aware of how strong a connection they really share. i do wish we’d had more of them bonding over their memories of airi’s dad (which i’ve always hc’d as happening at least on egalitarian route), but seeing how similar the two of them really are is always cute. airi loves her gay uncle 2k17

My favorite friendship between two people

- uffff this is so hard b/c i like a lot of my ships b/c of their friendships…….. ig i’d make it a tie between hibiki + daichi and jp’s trio’s dynamic as a whole? even tho jp’s trio isn’t two people, haha. one thing i really like abt hibiki in comparison to like, every male protag ever, is that it’s p heavily implied that he’s not popular at all. the one thing ds2a did right was hibiki’s backstory, which i think still fits in w/gameverse!hibiki’s description as someone w/a “blank” past. his friendship w/daichi and the relationships he forms w/the main cast mean a lot more in the context of daichi really being his only close friend at the start of the game, imo. s/t i love abt hibiki + both daichi and io is that their friendships are based on equity, abt hibiki supporting the others and working w/them as equals to help them realize what wonderful ppl they are in their own right, rather than him being the ultra-charismatic authority who’s always Cool and in control. like, this is the guy who has such Serious dialogue options as “RAINBOOOOOOW!!” and “tell everyone yr gay for yamato”. hibiki being really isolated from most ppl aside from daichi feeding into his decision to pursue the human admin end of br is a meta for another time, ig.

jp’s trio’s various relationships are all v interesting, in terms of the spokes of the triangle and all three of them together. it’s really refreshing to see that kind of dynamic between adult women who are professionals–their bond feels a lot less?? transient than it might between yet another group of high schoolers. you get the sense that all three of them being adults is what lets their friendships bloom and be so important to them, as the people they were in high school are hardly the same people they are now. the event in tri arc where fumi and makoto take care of a fatigued otome and tell her that she can lean on them, too, really made an impact on me. all three of them play off of each other so well in a variety of settings, and it lends a v mature, multifaceted air to their dynamic. otome taking a different faction than fumi and makoto, and how different fumi and makoto’s own reasons for joining yamato are, is also worth mentioning in that the three of them aren’t always in agreement, and that’s a part of friendship, too.

My favorite friendship between a group

- team nagoya……… i’ll be the first to say that i dislike both the extremist routes. whether or not the writers intended to make the player feel that way is subjective, and may well depend on where a player falls on the smt alignment continuum, or even on desu 2′s version of that continuum. either way, i at least liked egalitarian better than meritorious b/c team nagoya has such a strong rapport w/one another, compared to the cognitive dissonance-riddled mess that is team osaka. based on their dialogue from any daichi route, the members of team nagoya definitely know they’re not necessarily vying for the best solution to their very legitimate concerns. they’re a lot easier to sympathize with b/c their grievances are very real–as joe says in “dream’s end”, while society may be growing less prejudiced over time, for many people, there is no time to “wait for things to get better”. the problem lies much more in going thru polaris to make a change, as the ending p clearly (and horrifyingly) demonstrates that polaris just uses team nagoya’s passion for its own ends.

at any rate, the interactions between the four of them are great, from ronaldo and airi’s aforementioned dynamic, to joe and otome’s complimentary playful attitudes, to how airi represents the future that all three adults are fighting for. it’s really telling that team nagoya consists of three adults and one teenager–otome puts it most clearly in her post-defeat dialogue on daichi routes when she says that she was fighting desperately (yet short-sightedly) for the future of the world’s children. imo, airi really represents that future to the three adults, as a teenager who has already had so many doors closed in her face due to inequity. airi’s own stubbornness, selective self-flagellation, and issues w/moving on aside, schooling in particular really is s/t that can shape a child’s entire life, and i’m sure ronaldo, joe, and otome realize that. so seeing how well all four of them interact w/each other and how airi represents both the best and the worst of team nagoya’s ideals def makes them my fav faction.

My favorite mentorship

- speaking of airi’s interactions w/the adult cast, makoto + airi is so good….. i love how constructive makoto is w/airi, giving her the tools she needs to move forward in life w/o telling her to get over it, or denying that airi’s been screwed over by forces well beyond her control. makoto’s not a perfect mentor, but (as her name suggests), she’s honest w/airi, and owns up to it when she reacts too harshly. i think it’s great to see makoto helping someone in a way she knows for sure is right, in contrast to how uncertain her cognitive dissonance abt other issues in sep arc must be making her feel. on the flipside, airi gets to begin moving forward w/life again, which in turn contributes to helping her reconsider her own alienating abrasiveness (can you tell i like airi b/c she and severa are so similar……). the moral of airi and makoto’s mentorship isn’t “never ever give up on yr dreams b/c you can only ever have one True goal in life”, nor is it “there’s no need to challenge injustices done unto you b/c if you don’t rock the boat, life will move on eventually”. airi’s sub-arc comes to a more nuanced conclusion, and i don’t think she could’ve gotten there w/o makoto’s influence.

My favorite rivalry

- does hinako and yamato count? i love how often she calls him out, and how she’s not afraid of him in the least. while i doubt yamato sees hinako as much of consequence, she makes her beef w/him plain, w/o going “DIE HOUTSUIN MY JUSTICE IS SCREAMING” ala ronaldo www her voice is much-needed in a lot of situations, too. her confrontation w/yamato over whether or not he cherrypicked the results of the medium compatibility tests to get rid of io is really well-done, esp if you infer that hinako knows abt io’s own disastrous confrontation w/yamato earlier on friday.

My favorite hatred/antipathy

- while i know miyako and yamato don’t straight-up hate each other, their dynamic as enemies (or at least in opposition to one another) is great. i’m not just saying this b/c i love seeing yamato get dragged, i promise–there really is just s/t satisfying abt miyako not taking his shit at all, despite her own cognitive dissonance and his valid points abt the futility of her plan. yamato -> saiduq is also fairly interesting, tho ds2a bloated itself so much w/a tepid exploration of how their dynamic could potentially be explored that i’m not too keen on meta-ing it more. yamato is kind of a hate sink amongst the cast, tbh www saiduq’s own rebel angel-turned-usurper dynamic w/polaris is p unambiguous hatred, but it’s v interesting, given how saiduq feels he has no choice but to die as polaris’ sword on every other route. really seeing him shuck that alcor designation (ppl who call saiduq by that name when he explicitly says he dislikes it still drive me bonkers in 2017) and take up heaven’s throne is v satisfying.

My favorite potential relationship between characters who never talk in canon

- do u have a moment to talk abt how we were robbed of more io-joe interactions……… if anyone’s actually read this far, you probably do lmao in any event, i think this is mostly a limitation of how the fate system is constructed, and you can see the writers stretching and experimenting w/it in tri arc. if future desu games expand into s/t like fe’s support system, where you can see the fate system-equivalents between all characters, sometimes w/o the protag even present, i think that’d be a great step forward. i bring this up for one area in particular where i really wanted to see more joe-io interactions: on tuesday, after io’s parents die. joe has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it line in his own fate system w/hibiki abt how his own parents are dead, but it’s not framed in a more genre-typical “tragic orphan backstory” way. it really raises the question about when someone whose parents have died is too old to be called an orphan, given that joe is only 25.

this dialogue suggests that the losses are then fairly recent, tho joe writes them off w/his patent-pending brand of escape-avoidance. for all his flakiness (his term), tho, joe really does try to fill a big brother role for tokyo trio, and this is where i think he and io could have some v fruitful interactions. i think that most of the cast isn’t really faced w/the immediacy of the high likelihood that their families are dead, w/the exception of chars like joe, jungo, airi, and keita, who all lose parents prior to the game. io, on the other hand, watches her mother die in her arms. she displays astounding resilience and focus in how quickly she draws herself back together after the loss, despite her r5 confirming that she had pretty constant suicidal ideation throughout the rest of the week (and quite possibly before the game, too). as joe is the closest to io out of the four aforementioned characters at that point in the game, i really, really would’ve loved to see his take on providing her comfort and guidance in the wake of her sudden loss. i think it would’ve been a good set of conversations for both of them, especially if you buy into the reading that both joe and io let themselves die should the player fail to prevent their death clips. in this respect, i’m interested in the similarities between joe and io, and i think a good heart-to-heart between them early on in the game would’ve led to a variety of other interactions.

#usamimi desu

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furederiko · 4 years

Video

youtube

After a brief detour through Shanghai, London, and Berlin, it's time to land on Dai Teikoku Gekijou once again. The stage is set for our main cast to take the spotlight! Furthermore, these 5 songs (Track 7 to 11), are representative of each character's personality, traits, or even backstory (so... SPOILER alert?). Basically, the meat of this album. You'll likely hear these tunes in full once you've successfully secured their solo endings, right? And throughout, the BGM version usually accompanies them during the playthrough. Let the song show begins!

Otome Nandesu yo (I'm a Maiden) by. Sakura Amamiya (Ayane Sakura)

First on the lineup, is the leading lady herself, Sakura. And, I'm not sure how to put it, but from a purely subjective viewpoint, it's my LEAST favorite of this set. Elise left a big shoe to fill following her one-woman Opera. And Sakura just couldn't keep it together, that we had to step down into an idol-mode or some sort. Sorry, no offense to idol fans out there! Different people, different tastes, and my idol phase had gone over the rainbow. If I have to be honest, I only heard the short MV I posted above (first one released) only a few times, before forgetting about it completely. I can't really understand why. Perhaps, it sounded generic? Sakura Shinguuji's image songs weren't a stand out in "Sakura Taisen" and "Sakura Taisen 2" either. Nevertheless, I enjoyed both "Sakura" and "Haru ga Kuru". I have even recorded my own covers for those two songs! They told the tale of naivety and sincerity, of a country girl who went to the big city and burdened with the fate to be a hero. Comparing those to New Sakura's solo is unnecessarily unfair, but it also can't be helped. What is the message of this song? It's about a girl who reunites with her childhood friend (Captain Seijuurou, who else). But she's no longer fond of the idea of him seeing her as a younger sister figure. But she couldn't say it, because *drumrolls*, she's now a maiden. My memory is fuzzy, but I believe Kouhei Tanaka-sensei had already confirmed that this is, in fact, an "Imouto" song. Hence the reason why my interest is not that high. Fortunately, the song took a delightful tone the moment that harmonica came along (which was after the first chorus, on the 1:30 mark). I actually DID enjoy it more because of it. I also liked the bridge part, and how the final result sounded less like a pop song. But that final line? Why did it feel needy and/or desperate? *sigh* Oh well, at least Sakura already did wonders with "Shin GEKITEI". I admit Part 3 doesn't really start off on the right foot. But worry not! It definitely gets better...

Onna!! Matsuri no Kokoro Iki (Woman!! The Spirit of the Festival) by. Hatsuho Shinonome (Maaya Uchida)

Time to get fired up again! And seriously, I dare you not to shake your body or smile as soon as this song begins. Because you certainly would! On a glance, this sounded and showed the traces of being the Kanna Kirishima's style of the new generation. But with one obvious twist: It's... AWESOME!!! Kanna is a good character, but her solo numbers rarely appealed to my taste. Suffice to say, this song took the best parts of her numbers and blended it into one spot. I've always loved this song ever since the MV came out. And this full, almost-5-minutes, version with extra arrangements just sounded... MINDBLOWING. One would argue that a bulk of this song was instrumental, with Maaya Uchida as the Matsuri's (Festival) Miko shouting her commanding cues. That is undeniably true. But listen closely, and you'll get why I or anyone would dig this. If you have been keeping up with me, you'll know that traditional tunes from various countries fascinate me. So it should come natural that I'm a sucker to festival songs like this. Especially with that mix of heavy metal rock guitar building up towards the dynamic duo of the energizing Taiko beat and an iconic whistling of Shakuhachi that added the authenticity of things. Wagakki Band, anyone? Aaaaaahhhhh... and Kouhei-sensei just HAD to slip in that speedy CRAZY-sounding piano bit! *applause* Just like Lancelot's song, this made me feel like I was being transported to Tokyo or Kyoto, attending and witnessing an actual Summer celebration. Uchida, a good singer, didn't perform this in her smooth vocal style. But she shouldn't! This is something you sing at ease while plainly having fun. Being all out and letting loose is basically the key! For the first time in Sakura Taisen's music history, I've bumped into a song that I simply don't want to sing along. Instead, I would DIE for the chance to participate in that Taiko play. Oh my, I need to see this in a live performance. You TOTALLY need to hear this! And dance along if you will... PS: If there's any gripe about this, it's when Hatsuho and the background voices are yelling "Oisa!" (literally means "Hey!"?). It tends to sound "Oisa, Osa, Usa, USO, USO, USO!". "Uso" means "Lies", and ends up giving it a misogynist feel by accident. The message of this song is that a woman is the spirit of the festival. Girl power! Feminism! But then there's these choir of ALL MALE that seemingly shouts "Lies, Lies, Lies!". That's pretty contradictory, eh? I know I'm totally making too much of a big deal out of this, but it honestly bugs me out...

Ninja Azami (Azami the Ninja) by. Azami Mochizuki (Hibiku Yamamura)

We haven't left Japan, as indicated by another tune of Shakuhachi and Koto, preparing us for the next performer. It's a familiar tune that many have heard in "Naruto", "Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger", or other feudal Japan-themed series. And the title had already said it all. This is the biographical description of Azami, as Shin Hanagumi's resident ninja-in-training. But as soon as it entered the verse (as you could hear in the MV), the sensation changed pretty significantly. No longer a serious Shinobi song, it morphed into the franchise's usual playful little girl song. Yes, even though Azami is technically older than Iris Chateaubriand, Coquelicot or Rikaritta Aries! She mentioned her hobby on practicing the various ninja scrolls, and even her love to eat snacks like Manjuu during breaks. Yare yare... With just 3:28 minutes, this is the second shortest song after "Shin GEKITEI". Obviously, the tempo does play a role in that. Hibiku Yamamura is a Sakura Taisen fan, yet she had the shortest solo number in the album. Somewhat ironic, isn't it? Nonetheless, she did a fantastic job. In fact, her unique voice remains consistent throughout the album, and that's worthy to be praised. I liked the traditional Japanese feel in this, but it also had too many speaking lines for my taste. Still, I'll gladly take this bouncy and head-bopping fun tune over Sakura's anytime. PS: Both Yamamura and Ana's VA made guests appearances more than once during the monthly Teigeki Report, which apparently will still going next year (probably until the TV series airs?). So you can hear them sharing personal experiences and stories on those videos. It's insightful, that's for sure!

Kaereru Basho (A Place to Return to) by. Anastasia Palma (Ayaka Fukuhara)

Goodness! I've been itching to arrive to this song. A good song is one that tells a story. Just like the previous songs, this one does the same, but with a deeper meaning and values. Ana is most definitely the "sexy Onee-san" archetype of this game, complete with having a curvaceous figure (reminds me of Rangiku in "BLEACH", wait a sec...). But personality-wise, the Greek lady gave off this mysterious, unpredictable vibe. She's like a mix of mature Maria Tachibana, with a vibe of Glycine Bleumer and Soletta Orihime's European presence, but with a cloudy past of Hanabi Kitaouji, and the hidden sides of Reni Milchstrasse or Subaru Kujou. If I had to describe it in one word, she's puzzling. However, there's one trait that she's been constantly identified with: she's an actress. It thoroughly commanded the message of the lyrics. But I digress. Was the whole song really all about Ana's passion for acting? There seemed to be more than meet the eye. From what I gather, there's an underlying hint of a journey of sadness, past events or eras that had emerged and faded, beloved people that had come and gone. In short, she basically acted her way through the ups and downs of her life. A coping mechanism, perhaps? Laughing away loneliness, a facade of her true emotions. And what did she mean by "A Place to Return to"? Was it the stage, or acting, or just like many of previous Sakura Taisen's heroine: someone to go home to? Or someone who can finally discover and understand her real self? I need to either play the game or watch the TV series to confirm that. Now that I'm older (and wiser? Naaaah), this is my idea of a good song. It asks you to listen, pay attention, and also feel challenged to try to figure it out. This was the longest Shin Hanagumi and solo song of the album. You'll understand why it needed to be that long to be good. The moment that alluring piano intro kicked in, and the violin started to seep in, it's classy and elegant as hell. Ayaka Fukuhara stated that this was a challenge to sing, and indeed it is. It should be. Even though the vocal range wasn't as demanding as Elise's opera, the pitch work was exceptional! She gradually went from a lower tone to higher and higher. It sounded like the aura of the room changed every time another verse began (due to the modulation, as well as the flow of passion and emotions), seemingly depicting Ana's many masks. And those sharp notes? Oh my, oh my, OH MY!!! No wonder Subaru's VA, Mie Sonozaki (who is a prolific singer herself) congratulated Fukuhara on doing such a fine job. This is another highlight of the album for me and my favorite Shin Hanagumi character song by far. Now, where can I get the off-vocal version? Because I totally want to try singing this song... PS: Similar to Elise, voice-wise, Ana is one of my favorites due to her range and distinct pronunciation style. She can go mezzo-soprano and heavy, but also high and soprano. I strongly enjoyed that versatility is utilized wonderfully in this song.

Rondo (Round Dance) by. Clarissa Snowflake (Saori Hayami)

You're watching a European-based fairy tale romance. What happens at the end, when the one true love has been found and all evil that stands in the way has perished? They hold a gala, where everyone waltzes into a happily ever after... That is the core of this whole song, a composition that Kouhei-sensei described it as feeling "like a movie". As a character, Claris fancies herself reading books (nerd alert! Hahaha), and I think many of her scenes in the game takes place in the library. But she also writes stories and loves to fantasize about a paradise filled with mermaids and magical elements. Perhaps because she alone wields a magic book. And her dream is to dance with someone while surrounded by those things. Those are the essence of the simple but poetic lyrics. I admit, when I first heard it, I was taken aback by the decision to putting this track as the final Hanagumi song. But now it makes perfect sense. It easily serves as a calm and astonishingly perfect capper to a series of solo songs, a grand celebration to conclude a colorful parade. My knowledge of reed or woodwind instruments is poor, so I couldn't tell if it was an Ocarina or another type that played in the intro. I'm not sure if that's native to Luxembourg too. One thing for sure, the medieval melody would naturally pierce through your soul, until that graceful combo of Lute or acoustic guitar (again, sorry if I'm bad at names) and harp soothed you into a more familiar space. Then suddenly, the song changed tone halfway through and turned into full folk song mode. Yes, the Kouhei-sensei style I told you before. Someone on Youtube mentioned that this reminded him/her of Disney's "Tangled". Well, I can attest that the catchy interlude was very true to that notion. To think that this song arrived while "Frozen 2" is still playing. Such a great coincidence! Saori Hayami is a great singer, known for her gorgeous legato siren-like vocals. Just like Ana (oh hey, fellow non-Japanese Shin Hanagumi), I'm beyond happy that this song fully made use of her unique charm. Especially once it got into that royal ballroom dance chorus, reminiscent of Orihime's image song. It didn't take long for me to imagine Claris as the protagonist, dancing with her prince (or princess, if that's her thing. Right, Hallmark?) in a grand finale of her fictional story. Speaking of which, I'm still confused as to why Hayami's name is always placed at the end. Even though the promotions clearly showed that Claris is one of the first members of the team. Could it be that she's a "special cast member" type, like in Hollywood movies? That would make sense... Another highlight of the album, another personal favorite (that I've been humming and singing unconsciously on repeat), this clocked as the second-longest solo of the album. But just like the previous number, I doubt anyone would complain. You only need to close your eyes and just start swaying left to right, back, and front. Take your beloved person's hand, embrace him/her tightly, and just follow the musical flow. Dance the day or night away, with much joy and passion! PS: The official MV wrote the title as "RONDE". I still go with "RONDO" because pretty sure that's a typo, considering even the French (one of Luxembourg's official language) equivalent is "RONDEAU". Rondo itself is a musical form that refers to a theme that keeps coming back around. But in Japanese, the kanji can also be read as "RINBU" which means "Round Dance".

Next: the final part of the review, featuring voices old and new, and my overall impression...

Video is available on SEGA Official Youtube Channel. "Shin Sakura Taisen" is produced by SEGA, and RED Entertainment. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

#music #review #sakura wars #Sakura Taisen #shin sakura taisen #Shin Sakura Wars #project sakura wars #mind blown

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