ruby-kweens

[ruby-kweens]

Written By: Lauren

Guess who’s finally back with some otome game reviews?

I’m back again with my review of “The Niflheim+,” and I have a few things to say about Skeletiano’s Chapter 8. Although this wasn’t my favorite chapter, there were a few scenes that left an impression on me and taught us more about the characters.

Our lovely Princess and Skeletiano have found the Great Wizard who’s rumored to have the elixir that’s changing skeletons back into humans. The Great Wizard tells Skeletiano to bring him his most valuable treasure and Skeletiano brings back a photo of himself.

The Great Wizard gets offended that Skeletiano thought that would be good enough for a magical transaction. He carries Skeletiano away with a really strong gust of wind, and the MC runs after his flying body.

She finds his scattered bones in front of Victor’s clinic and finds that Victor is acting a little… strange. Turns out he’s not Victor, but Fun.

He tries taking Skeletiano’s bones, and when the MC fights him off, he changes into Wild, another one of Victor’s personalities.

He tries to claim MC for himself, so Skeletiano attacks him. He isn’t fully assembled yet, so his skull flies at Victor/Wild, knocking him out.

Skeletiano gets reassembled, and they return to the Great Wizard to confront him. Our romantic Skeletiano declares that MC is his only true valued treasure, and touched, the Great Wizard gives in and gifts him with the elixir that’ll make Skeletiano human again.

Pros: I appreciated the humor in this chapter, particularly where Skeletiano gets blasted away by the wind and falls apart on the ground. It was interesting encountering Fun and Wild (Victor’s alternate personalities), but it wasn’t essential for the storyline.

I loved the part where Skeletiano’s skull flew at Wild/Victor. I’d kill to see that animated!

Cons: While there was some humor and suspense, this chapter was a little boring for my taste. Victor isn’t essential to the plot, so I don’t think finding out he has multiple personalities further developed or enhanced the story.

There could have been different approaches to thickening the situation with the Great Wizard. For example, the Great Wizard could have conducted a “test” on Skeletiano to see if he was worthy of the elixir, instead of him just sympathizing and giving it to him.

Having a “test” for Skeletiano would enhance the plot by giving him a specific goal and certain obstacles/checkpoints that he would have to meet to satisfy the Great Wizard’s expectations.

It would also have been more interesting if MC was more involved in helping him retrieve the elixir. The two could both participate in a “test” to prove they are worthy of the elixir.

Ren’s Rating: 7/10

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Otome Corner! ♡ “The Niflheim+” Skeletiano Ch. 8 #NTTSolmare #OtomeGame Written By: Lauren Guess who’s finally back with some otome game reviews? I’m back again with my review of “The Niflheim+,” and I have a few things to say about Skeletiano’s Chapter 8.

[ruby-kweens]

Written By: Lauren

I’m back for yet another round of reviews! Skeletiano is really growing on me as a character, and I’m growing to appreciate the writers’ craft more and more as the story progresses. However, this chapter was not one of my favorites. There was nothing really wrong about it, just that it was lackluster compared to other chapters.

Let’s get reviewin’!

As Skeletiano spots a burning building, he is reminded of how he died: in a fire. He goes to help the zombie brigade save people and put out the fire, telling the Princess to stay behind while he does so.

While standing there, the Pale Ghost comes to her and gives her directions to the Great Wizard, who apparently possesses the elixir that will restore Skeletiano back to his human (well, non-skeleton) form.

She relates the information to Skeletiano, who decides they should buy the Great Wizard something to set a good impression. They bump into Orlando and King Jean at the shop, and after finding out about MC and Skeletiano, Orlando gets furious.

Jean abates his anger by saying that if Skeletiano and Princess truly love each other, then Jean will start believing that love is real, too. (Flashbacks to his route…)

Jean tells them the Great Wizard has a hobby of collecting stuffed animals, so they buy a teddy bear for the wizard. They find him selling hot dogs, and when they explain their situation to him, he tells Skeletiano to bring him his most valued possession. Turns out he doesn’t even like stuffed animals. What a waste of money.

Pros: This chapter shed light into Skeletiano’s past and had a good amount of comedy and realistic reactions to difficult situations. Skeletiano’s character just keeps developing and becoming more lovable.

I love the interactions between him and MC. Sometimes, it even feels like I’m third-wheeling!

We also get to see some maturity from King Jean’s side, something we’re not used to seeing (unless you play his route). You can tell that Orlando and Jean are important to each other, even without their stories being explained. You can just get that atmosphere of intimacy from their short conversations.

I loved the fact the Great Wizard was working a hot dog stand. I mean, in what game will you find a Great Wizard selling hot dogs in the middle of town?

Cons: No con really comes to mind. I personally don’t like Orlando’s character at all, but that isnt’ much of a con, is it?

I do feel like it was an average chapter overall. It wasn’t too engaging, but it wasn’t so boring to the point that I just breezed through it.

Ren’s Rating: 7/10

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Otome Corner! ♡ “The Niflheim+” Skeletiano Ch. 7 #TheNiflheim #NTTSolmare #OtomeGame Written By: Lauren I'm back for yet another round of reviews! Skeletiano is really growing on me as a character, and I'm growing to appreciate the writers' craft more and more as the story progresses.

[ruby-kweens]

Written By: Weslee

Hi everyone, guess who’s back with another serving of delicious cuisine? I’m Wes, back from Vegas once again, this time we found ourselves at the mercy of mouth-watering Asian fare. This time around, I decided we take a look at more modern Chinese-American restaurants, these dishes infused with traditional recipes with a modern twist.

I am an absolute fan of Asian cuisine, and since I’m Cantonese-American, my favorite dishes come from Hong Kong inspired recipes. So, this time around our food stop was P.F. Chang’s, located in the casino of Planet Hollywood!

I’m sure many of you from California are aware of the name P.F. Chang’s, since there are multiple chains in the Los Angeles and Hollywood area! I have never visited any California branches, but I did get to try this one in Las Vegas several times.

The ambiance of the restaurant is meant to be romantic and a bit alluring with the candlelit tables and dimmed lighting, and I appreciated the artwork and tapestries that decorated the front bar entrance and sides of the restaurant. Another great thing about the place was the extremely kind wait staff! Every time my family and I go we are received with lovely smiles and a bright introduction.

  Now, onto the delicious food!

Chicken, beef, and seafood were the primary meats available in their dishes, but there were great selections of vegetarian-friendly options!

For an appetizer we ordered the Chicken Satay, which are freshly grilled upon ordering them! While the meat was tender and lean, it didn’t take from the charred flavor from the grill. The spicy peanut sauce on the side was tart, (a bit too much for me) and the acidity help cut that really dark char on certain parts of the skewers.

It was accompanied by a small mixed salad of pickled vegetables, which helps clear up your palate from the smokey flavor– they switch it up every time we go, but this time it consisted of diced carrots, cucumber, and radish!

I really enjoy a good plate of stir-fried noodles, so I had the Signature Lo Mein. With this order, you can choose from vegetarian, chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or a combo mix. I chose chicken, and with it came tons of mushrooms which are my favorite vegetable! The lo mein was hefty with flavor and had a strong taste of their signature delicious sweet soy sauce. Other veggies included the noodles were carrots, onions, celery, bean sprouts and green cabbage.

With the entree dishes we all shared, so we ordered the Crispy Honey Chicken, Almond and Cashew Chicken, and the Stir-Fried Eggplant.

Almond and Cashew Chicken (Upper Left), Crispy Honey Chicken (Bottom Middle), Stir-Fried Eggplant (Upper Right) 

The Crispy Honey Chicken is forever my favorite dish there, the sweet and tart sauce they dress the freshly deep-fried chicken bites is amazing. The chicken isn’t filled with batter or fat and is lean and tender, each bite leading straight to another. The honey sauce is definitely worth a try, they have it for shrimp as well which is just as delicious! They garnish lightly with some sliced green onion and place the chicken on a bed of crunchy fried rice noodles.

The Almond and Cashew Chicken is worth a try since it’s extremely flavorful, the garlic soy glaze they use as the sauce is heavy on the soy sauce (a bit too strong for me but went great with white rice!) One thing I didn’t quite like in the dish were the green bell peppers which gave a weird taste to the dish (it’s pretty obvious I don’t like bell peppers).

However, the diced cashews and almonds were delicious and not toasted, and the coating of the sauce on them reminded me of certain peanut snacks I enjoyed before! There was a good amount of crisp white onions and mushrooms (yay!) included as well.

And lastly, the Stir-Fried Eggplant which was originally a bit more spicy was ordered with less spice since most of my family doesn’t really have a spicy palate (especially me). It’s a bit dark in the photo, but the sweet chili soy glaze was delicious for someone like me who doesn’t really enjoy extremely spicy foods. The right hints of sweetness from honey and hoi sin sauce was a good complement to the lightly spicy chili paste! The eggplant slices themselves were fried lightly and were warm and squishy on the inside and tender on the outside.

While the some of the dishes we had weren’t exactly to my tastes, I really enjoyed the Crispy Honey Chicken which I highly recommend when any of you go there, and the overall ambiance of the restaurant (especially at night) and the waitstaff were just as amazing!

Wes’s Rating: 7/10

    Kweens Cuisine :: Course 2 #food #lifestyle Written By: Weslee Hi everyone, guess who's back with another serving of delicious cuisine? I'm Wes, back from Vegas once again, this time we found ourselves at the mercy of mouth-watering Asian fare.

[ruby-kweens]

Written By: Lauren

Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m totally hooked on “White Island,” and for more reasons than I can list off the top of my head.

After finishing the intro, I jumped right into Episode 1: “Can’t Let You Go Alone.”

A lot of new characters are introduced this episode, including main characters we saw in the intro, like Jae, Jina, and Seo Hyun (who were on the list Ji Hoon saw). We also meet characters like Min Hyeok, Dae Han, Jang, and Kim Seo, some of whom I feel will become very important later on.

Episode 1: Can’t Let You Go Alone

I was confused as hell at the start of the episode, because Ji Hoon was standing in between some buildings with an unfamiliar surrounding. The intro ended with him getting captured by two creepy people in suits, so I thought it would be picking up from there, but it wasn’t. I assume that’s because the intro is actually the climax of the story, or where it starts getting intense.

You get to examine Ji Hoon’s surroundings, and you see things like a dog poking at a bowl of food with money in it. He’s looking for his professor, so he tries to dial him. He approaches a phone booth, and inside of the slot, you find change to call, but he doesn’t pick it up.

Ji Hoon then looks for someone named Seo Hyun. He goes to the harbor terminal, thinking he should make an announcement on the intercom to call her to the terminal. He meets a fisherman named Kim Seo, who acts just a little suspicious… or downright unlikeable.

He also meets Jang, who gives him a squid in exchange for a fluorescent float he needs for night fishing. He also learns the ferries are canceled, so no ships will be leaving the harbor.

Jang, the jerk working the information booth, shoos him off when he tries asking for help. Ji Hoon buys him a drink from the vending machine, and comes back later when he’s finished. Jang is gone, so Ji Hoon uses the intercom to make an announcement.

His girlfriend, Seo Hyun, then shows up at Geomun Island Harbor, and they meet with Jae and Jina, two other friends who are tagging along on the missing person search. They’re that one couple that constantly bickers and makes you question why they’re even together in the first place.

The group decides to go look for their professor on White Island. The ferry is gone when they’re back, so Ji Hoon gets suspicious. They manage to get a ride from a friendly fisherman, who takes them all the way there when they help repair his boat.

A few hours later, they arrive at White Island. They see the two jerks from Geomun Island fishing there. The village is unusually empty, and a shady figure stands in the center of the town. His name is Min Hyeok and he’s an investigator in charge of the town.

The friends check in at the Village Community Center. They see a clipping with their professor’s picture on it, and they find out he was there just recently. Jae decides to leave and look for clues, so they all go out after him.

They meet the mean detective, Dae Han, inside of the Village Head’s home, which is eerily untouched. Apparently, it’s a crime scene that they have no business looking around.

There’s also a sign in the middle of the village that’s missing pieces. They go inspect the lighthouse area, where they see the infamous White Island Lilies that are said to contain hallucinogens that cause cannibalism. Creepy stuff.

We know right away that this is very important. Just what are these flowers? What do these flowers have to do with mysterious disappearances? Cannibalism? What the heck?

Trust me, I was intrigued by them, too. They’re beautiful, yet something about them are frightening. More about these flowers will be revealed sooner or later, since they’re one of the key elements of the story.

There are a few loose stones in the foundation of the lighthouse. They find stuff that belongs to their professor hidden there, including a photo album and a map with mysterious markings on it.

They also uncover the missing pieces of the sign and put it together, which is one of the first major puzzles we get to solve ourselves. Using the light of the candle (which only lasts for a certain time duration), we piece together the puzzle and hear the story behind the image from Seo Hyun. It talks about how Rock Island became known as White Island and sounds just like any old fairytale.

A little bit after they solve the puzzle, they realize the Village Community Center is on fire. As they look at the destruction, Seo Hyun looks at Ji Hoon and says, “Do you have the ALB 21 injection solution with you, right now? If you get it, you’d better use it right away.”

He tries to ask her why she suddenly says that, and all she can say is, “Just do it.”

Okay, then…

First of all, why would anybody have something like that with them on hand? Secondly, what’s with the sudden cut? That was pretty strange in my opinion, especially since at the start of the episode, she miraculously fell asleep with the ferry disappeared from Geomun Island, and she gave one of her most prized possessions to Ji Hoon.

If you ask me, that’s outright suspicious. She obviously knows more than everyone else does. Either that, or she has a premonition something bad is going to happen to her.

After Thoughts

I honestly don’t care much for Seo Hyun’s character. She doesn’t have much personality, and seems like the typical “knows-something-but-won’t-say-anything” character. I don’t hate her, but she’s extremely lackluster design-wise and personality-wise compared to the rest of the characters. Even minor ones like Dae Han and even Jang appeal more to me.

She reminds me of Naho from “Corpse Party” or characters from horror flicks that could’ve saved their friends’ lives if they just opened their mouths.

“Honeymoon,” anyone? The whole movie was based off of the decision of the protagonist’s fiancee hiding a horrible secret from him. He literally spends the entire duration of the movie yelling and begging her to tell him, and she just doesn’t say anything. It was so frustrating and annoying. I wasted two hours watching him ask her about what’s going on over and over again.

I hope that “White Island” doesn’t do the same with Seo Hyun and drag on the “mystery.” She better have a good reason for hiding what she knows or feels, because it’s uninteresting and outright frustrating when the logical reaction is to be honest with your friends if you know something that can save them time or their lives. Why hide something that important, right?

So far, she’s unoriginal and boring. I might grow to like her, depending on how she develops throughout the storyline. Stories have made me love characters I originally disliked, so she might be one of those!

On the other hand, Jae and Jina have interesting characters. It’s annoying how they bicker like children, but there’s a depth to them that makes me want to learn more about them. I actually really love Jina.

The progression of the story is decent for the first episode. I was thrown off by the beginning, since I expected the story to pick up from the intro, but there’s no complaint there. I appreciate that there is a chronological order to actions, so you have to pay attention to your items and surroundings to know what to do next.

For example, when you approach the phone booth, you have to pick up the phone first, take the coin from the slot, and insert it. You have to do this order specifically, or the coin will just come back out of the slot and you can’t dial.

I love the “Action” and “Converse” buttons. It adds a strong interactive element that many visual novels don’t have.

When you use the “Converse” button, you get choices of what to say. It’s usually three options, and there’s one right one, but choosing the “wrong” responses is not necessarily damaging to the storyline. You can play around with it and learn more by choosing the “wrong” options, then choosing the “right” one so you can move on with the gameplay.

The scenery is gorgeous on Geomun Island and White Island. It’s original and works well with the character sprites. It doesn’t look like sprites were just copied and pasted onto the backgrounds. The color palette is dark, flat, and beautiful. I’m in love with it!

I did find myself getting a little confused with all of the stuff about the professor going missing and what he’s doing on the island. There were so many details throughout the episode that my mind drifted.

Overall, this was a good start to the game. I enjoyed playing it, and spent a good 45 minutes digging into the details. I have wonderful feelings about “White Island,” and I can only anticipate the goodness the game has in store for me. I can’t wait for what else Visual Shower has lined up!

Ren’s Rating: 7.5/10

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VN Reviews ♕ 'White Island' Episode 1 @VisualShower #WhiteIsland #하얀섬 #비주얼샤워 Written By: Lauren Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m totally hooked on “White Island,” and for more reasons than I can list off the top of my head.

[ruby-kweens]

Otome Corner! ♡ “The Niflheim+” Skeletiano Ch. 6

Otome Corner! ♡ “The Niflheim+” Skeletiano Ch. 6 #TheNiflheim #NTTSolmare #OtomeGame

Written By: Lauren Guess who’s back with another edition of “Otome Corner?” Here’s my review and summary of Chapter 6 of Skeletiano’s route, which I’ve liked a lot so far. In Chapter 6, some of my most beloved characters show up, such as the Pale Ghost and King Jean. As usual, I’ll summarize first, then describe the pros and cons of this chapter. Enjoy! After they request permission for their…

[ruby-kweens]

"It's a Kweens' Life" Comic #2 is now live! #illustration #comics Illustrated By: Weslee I'm back again for our weekly comic strip! This time I think it's due for some ice-breakers, so why not share a few random facts about ourselves to get started? I'll be going first, so enjoy my 3 random facts! Ren will be supplying her's next week so stay tuned!

[ruby-kweens]

Written By: Lauren

I absolutely adore “Wizardess Heart+” and love Joel Crawford. NTT Solmare’s “Wizardess Heart+” is one of my favorite otome games, with its perfect blend of comedy, romance, adventure, and of course, magic!

I’ve played Elias and Yukiya’s routes and a handful of special stories. Joel’s route is the third one I’ve played, and let’s just say I loved it. From the characterization to the plotline, everything was well-executed and up-to-par with what I expected from NTT Solmare.

Needless to say, Joel is now my favorite boy from “Wizardess Heart+.” Sorry, Elias, Yukiya.

This review is full of spoilers, so please don’t read it unless you’re okay with that!

Overview

Joel Crawford is a spellsinger, so his magic comes through his singing. The central problem in the route is that he’s suddenly lost his magic and is at risk of being booted out of Gedonelune Magic Academy. Liz Hart, our beloved MC, meets him unexpectedly by the pond and is struck with nostalgia. Somehow, she feels like she knows Joel, even though it’s her first time seeing him.

They become Buddies (matched pairs of students who are reliant on one another to graduate and grow as a wizard), and Liz promises Joel that she’ll help him get his magic back. They gradually grow close, and one day, Eress comes into the picture. Eress is a fairy (or a bug, according to some people) that’s lost her memories, so Liz decides to take her in.

Joel and Eress have a cat-dog relationship and are constantly bickering with each other. However, the three of them make a good team, and gradually unravel the mysteries behind Joel’s lost power and Eress’s missing memories.

Liz also experiences more waves of nostalgia while being with Joel. She starts to remember someone from her childhood named June, a beautiful girl with similar features to Joel. June was from the same region Joel was, where all of the spellsingers originate from.

Joel accidentally picked a flower from the Fairy Garden, a sacred place where no humans should ever dwell in. The flowers represent a fairy’s life and power, and by plucking the flower, he’s accidentally taken away something very important from the King of Fairies.

The flower he plucked is actually Eress’s, which explains how she’s lost her abilities, memories, and form. As a result of the flower being plucked, Eress has disappeared from the world of Fairies, and the King is upset.

Because he’s upset, the world Liz and Joel lives in is suffering the consequences of the wrath of the King, resulting in natural disasters and abundance of violent, magical creatures. The King put a curse on the person who took the flower, taking away what’s most important from them. As a result, Joel lost his magic, which explains the central problem in the story.

Joel and Liz try to fix the problem and go to the King to explain themselves and return the flower. Fortunately, after sensing their honesty, the King accepts their apology. However, he can’t undo the curse he placed on Joel. The only way to undo it is by speaking the King’s true name, which is Oberon. Oberon’s daughter is Eress, so he was struck with grief and anger after she vanished.

King Oberon likes Joel, so then he appoints him as the new overseer of the Fairy Garden. His job is to make sure that nobody wanders into the Fairy Garden, and thus, he gets access to the Fairy Realm. They can visit Eress and Oberon whenever they want to! (Woohoo!)

Liz also realizes that the person from her dreams and memories, June, is actually Joel. When they were young, they were best friends, and promised each other they’d go to the Academy, get married, and be together forever when they grew up.

Joel had to move, and because he didn’t want Liz to be sad, he wiped her memories and told her to forget him. Liz feels horrible for forgetting him, but realizes Joel must have been in pain for a long time, too. Joel has always been in love with her and knew that one day, they would reunite and keep the promise they made when they were children.

I played the Happy Ending, so Liz gets accepted as an official student and gets together with Joel (finally!). They decide to keep their promise, and Joel kisses Liz’s ring finger and tells her to save it for him. (Trust me, I screamed at that part.)

The route concludes with a glimpse into the future, where Liz and Joel are raising a little boy with different-colored eyes, like Joel. They sing their son to sleep, and of course, it’s the song including Oberon’s name with it. (Aww!)

After Thoughts

Joel’s character was well-written and believable. He didn’t come off as obsessed with his past and Liz from the past, and was accepting of Liz as she is now, rather than his vision of her from before. The two have great chemistry, and he treats Liz as an equal. Sometimes, I feel like he even thinks she’s superior to him because of her optimistic personality and determination. He acknowledges that she can do many things he never could, which I appreciated.

His personality was realistic and likeable. I never felt annoyed or frustrated by him. He was just the right balance of hot and cold, with qualities and emotions that make him human. He’s so brutally honest that you can’t even get mad at him for being harsh. I appreciate honesty, even if it’s harsh.

He just cares about Liz’s well-being so much that it makes me happy and sad at the same time. Even though it’s sometimes hard to tell, he puts her before everything else. It shows how much he cherishes her, even after all of those years apart and knowing she couldn’t remember him from the past.

I love Liz. I don’t need to explain myself, do I? She’s tough, lovable, determined, and believable. I’m really fond of her.

As for Eress, I thought she was a bit annoying, but lovable nonetheless. It was heart-warming to see her relationship with Liz and Joel progress over time, and gradually, I even became attached to her.

The storytelling for this route was superb. I liked it more than Elias and Yukiya’s routes, which surprised me. There was a natural progression to everything, and there wasn’t too much unnecessary sugar in the story. It was just the right balance of hardships and highs.

The only major complaint I have is the amnesia trope in this route. It’s really overdone, and even though NTT Solmare executed it well with Joel’s route, it’s unoriginal. June was obviously Joel, and it doesn’t surprise me that Liz couldn’t piece the puzzle together and realize that from the start.

However, NTT Solmare did a great job in explaining the reason why Joel was raised as a girl. I knew June was Joel, but I couldn’t figure out why he was presented as one until he got older. His family did that to protect him from Leanan-Sidhe, who targets wizards to take their powers away.

Also, I loved that there was basically a canonically non-straight relationship. Even though Liz believed June was a girl the entire time, she loved June.

Overall, I fell in love with Joel (and Liz, too) in this route, and I’m very impressed! Great work with this story, NTT Solmare!

Let’s hope that Randy’s route will be just as good, if not better. I’m ready for my cotton candy-haired boy!

Screenshots

Ren’s Rating: 9.5/10 (Excellent!)

Otome Corner! ♥ '#WizardessHeart' Joel Crawford (Review) @ShallWeDateApps Written By: Lauren I absolutely adore “Wizardess Heart+” and love Joel Crawford. NTT Solmare’s “Wizardess Heart+” is one of my favorite otome games, with its perfect blend of comedy, romance, adventure, and of course, magic!

[ruby-kweens]

Written By: Lauren

I’m back for another review and playthrough of “Oz+” by NTT Solmare! So far, this game is beating my expectations, and I’m actually really enjoying the story. A lot of the plotline is progressing as I predicted, but I’m interested in what kind of curve balls NTT Solmare will throw at our beloved characters in the coming chapters. Let’s recap!

After a night’s worth of festivities, Dorothy goes to her new room to rest. However, she’s unable to sleep, and because Toto Jr. is begging to go out to explore, she takes him out on a walk. While she’s on a walk, she bumps into Oz, who gives her a fright.

They decide to walk together, and she tries to question Oz about that strong will in his eyes. She doesn’t much of an answer, though, because Toto runs off. They then go after the trouble-making pup and walk into a fancy hallway. Apparently, it’s the biggest attraction of the palace.

They don’t see Toto, so Oz comments that he’s either run into the throne room, dance hall, or out into the garden.

They find the mischievous dog in the dance hall, which Dorothy muses is grand and someplace a princess would have their ball.

Of course, Oz invites her to a dance. She’s blown away by how good he is, and he guides her movements. She notes how mature he is and how being with him makes her feel a little more grown.

Per usual, our heroine trips, and being the gentleman, he quickly catches her in his arms. She immediately gets flustered, but he brushes it off and acts like nothing happened. She’s a little disappointed, thinking he’s treating her like a little girl. (Well, Dorothy, you are young… But I get you.)

Oz walks her back to her room, and before he leaves, he says something that keeps her awake with worry the entire night. He tells her not to trust people from Oz: not just Crowlie, Heartmann, and Leonardo, but Norton and Solomon as well. He doesn’t say why though, and warns her not to get too caught up in her excitement.

This ties back to my theory a while back. Oz has been dropping hints already that something isn’t right, or that he (and Wesley) know much more than they’ve been saying. Obviously, there’s more to them inviting Dorothy back to the world of Oz than she thinks. The fact she had to spontaneously choose a romantic partner was puzzling as well.

I can only speculate that the world of Oz is in need of help, or they’re using Dorothy to restore some order or fulfill a prophecy. Maybe she’s going to be pivotal to deciding the next leader of the world of Oz or something like that.

Whatever the case, NTT Solmare is doing a pretty good job at hiding it from me! I can’t figure it out quite yet, so I’m anxiously reading the story trying to piece the puzzle together. It also adds good mystery to Oz himself. Maybe he’s determined to protect her from whatever is coming up… or maybe to protect her from reality or the truth.

Pros: Overall, I enjoyed this chapter. It’s an ideal chapter 3, with a rather casual, slow pace with hints of mystery occasionally dropped into the story. I’m impressed with the structuring of the characters, especially the enigma shrouding Oz. It makes me genuinely interested in learning more about him and delving deeper into the story.

There are also realistic reactions from Dorothy to the situations given to her. I would be annoyed, too, if I felt like someone was treating me like a child when I’m not. (Dorothy is young, though, but I understand how she feels.) It also made sense that she had a hard time sleeping.

After an eventful day, and Oz’s ominous warning, I wouldn’t be able to sleep so well either.

Cons: None that I can think of!

Ren’s Rating: 8/10

Otome Corner! ♡ "Oz+" Oz Ch. 3 #Oz #NTTSolmare #VisualNovel #OtomeGame Written By: Lauren I'm back for another review and playthrough of "Oz+" by NTT Solmare! So far, this game is beating my expectations, and I'm actually really enjoying the story.

[ruby-kweens]

Upon searching for more visual novels to play on the Play Store, I uncovered this gem: “White Island: A Flower Unto Death.”

“White Island” is an interactive visual novel reliant on puzzle-solving and quick-thinking to uncover mysteries. Produced by Visual Shower, “White Island” has been translated from Korean into English, opening the game to a wider audience. It’s a mystery-thriller adventure story, with a good amount of horror thrown into it.

What caught my attention right away was the icon, which had dark image with a pretty girl reaching her hand out. The game had a nice title, gorgeous art, and looked intense, so I was interested!

I’m a huge fan of visual novels and simulation games, so I dove right into it after it installed. The first thing I noticed was the friendly graphic interface, which had fonts and colors that corresponded to the dark elements of the story.

“White Island” involves puzzles and player decisions, such as finding items, combining them, and using them. You can also tap on different parts of the scenery to move locations or make observations.

If you’ve played any game on the “Ace Attorney” series, “White Island” has a similar gameplay. You control the actions of the main character, so you can inspect your surroundings or make conversation with other characters.

You can also pick up items and give those items to people, or use them to help your situation (such as placing a coin into a payphone, then tapping the phone to pick it up and dial.)

Intro: When You Open Your Eyes

The prologue, although brief, was as perfect a hook as you can get. The protagonist, Ji Hoon, wakes up in a dark place. It’s damp and it’s raining outside.

He peers out through the small crack between the doors and sees a dead girl lying outside. Two gloved and suited figures appear to retrieve her body, saying things like, “We have to remove all traces of this,” and “This is the freshest one we can get?” and making us automatically anxious.

No thriller is good without the “thrilling” or “hair-raising” aspect of the story, and of course, “White Island” delivers well. The two mysterious figures hear a sound coming from inside the container, and Ji Hoon panics, thinking they’ve discovered him.

Thankfully, one of them dismisses the sound, saying it’s probably a rat, and says they’ll through the “whole damn thing” into the sea. Uh oh. Ji Hoon better get his ass out of there.

Luckily, they don’t notice Ji Hoon peering out, giving him the chance to try to break out. Now we get the opportunity to interact with the game and inspect our surroundings. You can tap on various spots on the screen, and Ji Hoon will make an observation about it. You can also tap the “Action” tool, which allows you to pick up, combine, and use items.

You discover a bloody shirt and an axe head, and a shovel handle. You combine the handle of the axe with the blade to get a makeshift axe. You use the shirt to wrap around the bar holding the doors shut, so that it’ll muffle the noise while Ji Hoon hammers at it.

When he finally breaks free, he realizes with a start that he is surrounded by dozens of dead bodies, and that he has been lying in the container with them for some time. It was eerie, as the light suddenly flashed and showed the corpses surrounding him.

He runs out to the dock and finds the two mysterious people collapsed. They’ve been stabbed to death. He uncovers a notebook on the ground, and sees a bunch of photos of people. All but four people have been crossed out in red.

One of the photos is Ji Hoon himself. The three others who aren’t crossed out are Seo Hyun, Jae, and Jina. He angrily observes that “those bastards” knew the people on the list would be killed all along. But that leaves us to wonder who exactly he’s referencing and what their “plan” was. What are their motives, and how do the people on the list coincide with them?

Ji Hoon has hope Jae is still alive, so he runs out to the village. Before we can even do a single thing, someone sneaks up on him. The screen pans around as Ji Hoon looks around, and a horrifying face appears before him. He’s then knocked onto the ground, and the attackers, masked like the ones before, are standing over him.

Apparently, Ji Hoon is the “experiment” that “survived.” They eerily promise to “make good use” of Ji Hoon for a “very long time…” Well, dammit. Ji Hoon is done for, already?

After the intro is over, there’s a short video clip or trailer showing intense shots from the story, all of which I assume I’ll be experiencing in future episodes. The animation was impressive, and I commend the artists and animators for the beautiful art.

After Thoughts

At first, I thought my choices were what brought Ji Hoon to the fate of getting attacked, but that’s just how the intro unfolds, no matter what you do. It was a great hook to the story and got me thoroughly invested into uncovering exactly what unfolded on White Island, and how Ji Hoon got himself into that horrifying situation.

The dialogue, interactive elements, storytelling, and overall gameplay were fantastic. There was just the right amount of suspense for the intro. The writers didn’t try to jam all of the intensity into the short intro, which I really appreciated.

(I’ll also like to mention how cute Ji Hoon and Jae are. Who doesn’t like a game with attractive characters?)

The purposeful ambiguity and mystery of the entire situation leaves me with a lot of compelling questions. What exactly is White Island? Who is Ji Hoon, and why is he there? Who are these creeps in suits, and what do they want with him and those people on the list? Where are Ji Hoon’s friends, and why is he not with them?

There is just so much to be answered and so much anticipation for the unraveling of the story.

Ren’s Rating: 9/10

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Install “White Island” for Android / iOS

VN Reviews ♕ 'White Island' Intro @VisualShower #WhiteIsland #하얀섬 #비주얼샤워 Upon searching for more visual novels to play on the Play Store, I uncovered this gem: “White Island: A Flower Unto Death.”

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"It's a Kweens' Life" Comic #1 now live! #comic #illustration #art Illustrated By: Weslee RK now has a weekly comic strip, illustrating our daily lives and what it's like to be in the life of a busy Kween. It's all about our silly little troubles and fun we experience everyday, I hope you enjoy!

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Written By: Lauren

I’m back again with my review of Oz’s 2nd Chapter! I’m so excited to see how this story will progress. NTT Solmare is my favorite otome game developer besides Otomate (they’re both equal), so I’ve been super psyched about playing one of their newest installments, “Oz+.” Here’s my review/playthrough of Chapter 2!

After deciding a banquet would be held to celebrate her returning, Norton leads Dorothy to the wardrobe. It’s basically a huge room with more dresses than a whole city can wear. She picks out one to wear, then goes to the banquet hall, where an amazing reception awaits her.

Everyone’s like, “Wow I’m so happy Dorothy’s back!” and commenting on how pretty she looks. Oz notes she looks “truly beautiful,” with a cute blush on his face. (Screeching is heard in the distance  and it sounds a lot like Lauren’s screams.)

I love how he refers to her as the hero! Finally a girl gets to be the hero!

Oz soon becomes the center of attention for being her “boyfriend,” which starts some friendly conflict between the others, especially Wesley. We also get the first CG! I LOVE IT!

“I’m beautiful, she’s beautiful… don’t you think we make a perfect couple?” I second this!

We get a glimpse of Oz’s strong will again when Dorothy looks at him. Seems like he has a particular motive for being back in Oz and being with Dorothy. Wonder what it is?

Dorothy gets a chance to speak about how she feels, in which NTT Solmare provides an option we can all relate to: “I really just want to eat.” That describes me at social gatherings. There for the food and nothing else.

I picked it just for fun, and Oz is like, “THAT’S how you feel right now?” Yes, it is.

I refreshed and chose the right option, which was “I’m glad to see everyone again.” Everyone is awed by her, and everyone wishes even more to be her boyfriend.

When Wesley and Oz pick a fight, Dorothy intervenes and says, “You’ll ruin the banquet.” Dorothy ends their childish spat in a second, and even the three stooges (Heartmann, Leonardo, Crowlie) are impressed.

The chapter ends with everyone finally eating. Woohoo!

Pros: Love everyone’s characters and their interactions with each other. We still don’t know much about everyone or why she had to choose a boyfriend, but it’s nice to get a feel for the characters.

I really appreciated the importance of the MC as a hero, rather than a sidekick. Dorothy is referenced all the time as the “hero,” and is well-respected by everyone. She’s not subordinate, which is fantastic.

The options were relatable! Even if they weren’t necessarily always the “correct” option, it was funny to see them there.

Cons: Still not a big fan of the super short scenes. Nothing else to really complain about!

Extra End Scene: Turns out Oz’s favorite food is Omaha steak.

Ren’s Rating: 8/10

Otome Corner! ♡ "Oz+" Oz Ch. 2 #Oz #NTTSolmare #VisualNovel #OtomeGame Written By: Lauren I'm back again with my review of Oz's 2nd Chapter! I'm so excited to see how this story will progress.

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Otome Corner! ♡ "Lost Island+" Review

Otome Corner! ♡ "Lost Island+" Review #LostIsland #NTTSolmare #VisualNovel #OtomeGame

“Lost Island+” is a horror and action-themed otome game by NTT Solmare, the creators of titles such as “Destiny Ninja” and “Wizardess Heart.” Being an avid fan of horror and action (and of course, otome games), I jumped on the game when I saw it. It took me a while, but eventually, I got through every playable character’s routes and am eager to share a brief review of the game! Warning!: This…

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[Review] "Ace Attorney" Episodes 7 & 8

[Review] "Ace Attorney" Episodes 7 & 8 #AceAttorney #逆転裁判

Written By: Lauren A ton of things happened in “Ace Attorney” episodes 7 and 8, so I’ll do my best to recap and point out important details I noticed. Episode 7 was the conclusion to the Steel Samurai/Turnabout Samurai case, and episode 8 was the introduction to Turnabout Goodbyes and the DL-6 incident, which is significant towards Edgeworth’s character. I didn’t love Episode 7 at all, and I’ll…

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Written By: Lauren

Let’s just say episode 5 and 6 were my favorite episodes thus far. It also covers my favorite case in “Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney,” the Turnabout Samurai. Many of my favorite characters were introduced, such as the talkative Oldbag, lovable Will Powers, and adorable Cody Hackins.

Like usual, I’ll be doing a summary mixed with my thoughts about the episode. I’ll also compare and contrast scenes from the anime and the game!

EPISODE 5

Episode 5 hit it off with an animation of “The Steel Samurai.” We finally get to see it animated! It was just like I imagined it to be, giving off the feeling of a children’s show but with the right amount of action to make it appeal to people like Edgeworth.

I’ll admit I didn’t like the way Maya was represented in the previous episodes, but they’ve hit the nail on the head with this one! Her enthusiasm for “The Steel Samurai,” coupled with her eccentric personality, is portrayed perfectly in this episode, especially the beginning. I loved seeing the back-and-forths between her and Phoenix.

After watching the show, Phoenix mulls over their lack of clients and there’s a sudden transition to Phoenix sleeping at home. He gets a call from Maya, and when he returns to the office, he discovers Will Powers, the actor who plays “The Steel Samurai,” was arrested for [allegedly] murdering the actor playing the antagonist in the show, Jack Hammer. Let’s just say anime Jack and Will were perfect depictions of their game selves.

  Maya drags Phoenix to the detention center, where they take on Will’s case. After all, they’re in need for clients, and who better to defend than the Steel Samurai himself?

The pair then go to Global Studios, where we meet Wendy Oldbag, the security lady who said she saw Will heading towards the crime scene. She blabbers on, earning herself the well-deserved title of a windbag. Or maybe a rapper. Our pal Dick Gumshoe is there too, and gets a shock when he sees Phoenix and Maya.

We also meet Cody, who was hiding in a bush watching them. My first impression of him was, “Where the hell are his eyebrows?” besides thinking he was adorable! Cody’s actually one of my favorite characters, so I was most excited to see him. I’m also wondering why they didn’t keep his signature pose with the camera, but that’s a minor detail.

  When he runs off, he drops his photo album, which they pick up.

We get to see cuts of Dee Vasquez and Sal (who is slobbering… gross…) and brief scenes of Phoenix and Maya investigating. We don’t officially get to meet Penny Nichols, but we see her and the pair talking. I was disappointed about that!

There’s even a brief scene where Edgeworth speaks to von Karma. Dun dun dun. [Major Spoiler Alert] Ready for the DL-6 case and the heartbreak that comes with it.

Day 1 of Will Powers’s trial commences. It’s hilarious to see Oldbag fawn over Edgeworth, who gets flustered by her. With Phoenix’s improv skills, the finger is pointed at Oldbag for the true killer, and when cornered, she confesses that she was told to keep quiet by the big wigs.

With these new discoveries, the trial is prolonged, giving more time for everyone to investigate.

This episode had great animation! The art was polished, vibrant, and beautiful.

Ren’s Rating: 8/10

EPISODE 6

In this episode, we return to Global Studios for some more sleuthing. Phoenix and Maya bump into Sal Manella (what a tragic name) and he shows them to Studio 2. They meet Dee Vasquez, who states there’s no way she nor Sal were involved in the murder because of the road blockage (aka a giant monkey head statue).

Phoenix and Maya play cat-and-mouse with Cody until they finally get him to reveal information. Turns out he knows more than everybody else does about the murder. They find out he was there on the day of the murder and followed the person in the Steel Samurai outfit, snapping photos along the way. He deleted them because the Steel Samurai lost. However, he kept one picture, which shows the Steel Samurai in front of Studio 2’s gate.

He also mentions that the Steel Samurai did a pose, which Phoenix realizes is the Evil Magistrate’s pose, not the Steel Samurai’s. Phoenix deduces that the person in the suit was actually Jack Hammer, not Will Powers.

Phoenix comforts a crying Cody and tells him that the Steel Samurai wins because he’s righteous, not because he’s strong. I liked that.

With these revelations, Phoenix and Maya confront Dee about Jack coming to Studio 2 to see her. She seems awfully suspicious for someone who had nothing to do with the murder, right?

While he confronts her, her men surround him, creating an imposing atmosphere. Thankfully, Gumshoe shows up to approve Dee for testifying in court tomorrow, and that concludes the episode.

[Major Spoiler Alert] What my sister pointed out to me was really interesting! If you look at the small garden in front of the Studio 2 trailer, you see that the true murder weapon, the spike on the fence, is bent, like it should be. The animators really paid close attention to details there. Props for that!

Ren’s Rating: 8/10

[Review] "Ace Attorney" Episodes 5 & 6 #AceAttorney #逆転裁判 #AnimeReviews Written By: Lauren Let’s just say episode 5 and 6 were my favorite episodes thus far. It also covers my favorite case in “Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney,” the Turnabout Samurai.

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Written By: Lauren

Chapter 1 of Oz’s route was very short, but as most beginnings are for otome games, it was sweet! This follows our lovely Dorothy selecting Oz as her “suitable man” and the comical reactions from the unselected suitors.

After Dorothy makes her selection of Oz, the dismayed others demand to know why he was chosen over them (or more like beg her for the reason).

Here, we get the option of: “He’s from the same/real world,” “He seems reliable,” or “He seems interesting.” At first I chose, “He seems interesting,” because that’s what I really thought, but then when he frowned, I knew I chose the wrong one so I restarted the scene. (Whoops!)

I then picked “He seems reliable,” and it was the right answer! It’s mentioned that Oz is older than the others (he’s comically referred to as a “geezer”) and because he’s already well-respected and known, he’s someone Dorothy can rely on if she needs help.

The boys also find out that Oz is technically only the “temporary boyfriend,” since she might end up falling in love with someone else.

The boys quiet down with that, and we get to hear a little bit from the handsome man himself. That determined look never leaves his face for even a second, and he even teases cute Dorothy, who is embarrassed by his actions.

There seems to be a specific reason he’s determined to make her fall in love with him, or a reason why he’s drawn to her, as he mentions something along the lines and trails off before we get to hear what he has to say.

Once the chatter dies down, Solomon asks Dorothy whether she wants to have a ball or a banquet, and Oz suggests that he holds a magic show. Her stomach rumbles, so they decide it’ll be a banquet. Oz promises Dorothy she’ll see a lot of his magic shows in the future.

Pros: The character dynamics are interesting between all the characters. Oz and Wesley really make the environment ten times more fun. So far, all of the characters are lovable, and the mystery surrounding Oz makes me curious to learn more.

I’m also curious to what Oz and Wesley seem to be in on that Dorothy (and maybe everyone else) aren’t. Maybe they know something about the reason for this “suitable boyfriend” thing. Maybe it has something to do with more power/leadership? I’m ready for some intense stuff, so I hope NTT Solmare throws some at me!

Cons: I’m a little disappointed that I chose the wrong answer with “Magic Show” instead of “Banquet,” but it’s not a big deal. I am on Oz’s route, so I wanted to see his magic skills right away! I guess we’ll see them soon enough.

The scenes are so short. If you’re expecting long scenes like “Wizardess Heart,” you’ll be very disappointed with this game. Either I read way too fast, or the scenes are shorter than they ever have been with NTT Solmare.

Also disappointed the entire chapter was brief and took place in the same setting that 80% of the prologue did. Also, does Norton not have any close shots? I’d like to see his sprite art up close!

Stay tuned for my playthrough of Chapter 2 of Oz’s story! See y’all soon!

Ren’s Rating: 7/10

Otome Corner! ♡ "Oz+" Oz Ch. 1 #Oz #NTTSolmare #OtomeGame #VisualNovel Written By: Lauren Chapter 1 of Oz’s route was very short, but as most beginnings are for otome games, it was sweet!

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Let’s be honest here—I love otome games, especially ones by NTT Solmare. From “Shall We Date” titles like “The Niflheim,” “Destiny Ninja,” “Wizardess Heart,” “Scarlet Fate,” and more, NTT Solmare has continuously retained my interest throughout the years.

Although I’ve recently been on hiatus from otome games because of academics and work, I’ve jumped back into playing again. I’ve just begun playing “Shall We Date?: Oz+” and am delighted with what I’ve seen so far!

As someone who has played otome games (and games, for that matter) for a long time, it takes a lot to grab my interest. I’m a terribly picky person, so it’s hard for me to enjoy a lot of games that others do. However, “Oz+” is on my positive side, with diverse characters, fantastic art, great soundtracks, and a relatively interesting story.

I’ve never been a huge fan of “The Wizard of Oz,” but I’m familiar with the story. “Oz+” is the otome game spin-off where Dorothy grows up, is turning seventeen years old, and the Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow come to the human world to visit. They’ve assumed human forms and invite her back to the world of Oz to celebrate her birthday (how nice!).

I’ll do a summary of the prologue and explain what I did and didn’t like, along with future expectations.

  Basically what happens in this prologue is our cute MC (Dorothy) is sitting at her house, thinking about her upcoming birthday and how much she misses Oz. Her dog, Toto Jr., son of the original Toto, is at her side. She hears a knock on the door and is greeted by three good-looking men, all whom she doesn’t recognize, even though they all clearly know her.

  To her disbelief, these three are the Scarecrow, Lion, and Tin Man who journeyed with her in Oz. Scarecrow is Crowlie, Lion is Leonardo, and Heartmann (I see what NTT Solmare did with these names…). They invite her back to Oz to celebrate her birthday, and after writing a letter for her uncle and aunt, she takes off. All she says is that she’s going to be at her friend’s house and mentions nothing about Oz or magic.

I was so tempted to choose Option 2 because it’s the prologue and my decisions don’t matter much, but I felt too mean so I picked the first one.

Anyway, she, Toto Jr., and the three men cross this rainbow bridge into Oz, where they meet Solomon and another guy (I forgot his name! I remember it started with a “V”). They also meet Oz and the Wizard of the West, Wesley.

After this reunion, Solomon announces that Dorothy should choose a guy to date. It’s here that we get to choose which guy we’ll be playing (for lack of better term). Of course, I choose the one that caught my interest right away, which is Oz.

It was either Oz or Crowlie for me, since I love the smart, mysterious ones.

Pros: I love how they treat Dorothy! They’re all pretty respectful of her space and their boundaries, unlike some otome games where the guys don’t have a problem touching the MC without her permission. They’re all considerate of her, which I appreciate.

The character designs and variety in personality are fantastic! What I look for in otome games, besides a good plot, is diversity in characters. They all look very different from each other and have their own atmosphere. There’s a pull to all of the characters, and I genuinely want to get to know all of them better. None of them jump out to me immediately as “the garbage boy,” which is a good sign.

Here are the characters!

Even Dorothy is very loveable. I notice that NTT Solmare does a good job now with making the MCs relatable and endearing to the player. They’ve transitioned away from annoying MCs whose choices and thoughts we can’t connect with (“Ninja Love” and “Destiny Ninja,” for example) to characters we instantly become fond of.

The music is well-suited for the game, with a country feel to it. Dorothy is from Kansas. It doesn’t get too annoying to listen to while playing the story, but the music while navigating the app (like on “My Page”) does get annoying because it restarts frequently after you do something. I just turn the music off, like I do for most NTT Solmare games.

As for art, the art is great. I hate to admit it, but art is really what draws me to a game. Good art doesn’t make up for a crappy story, though. Let’s hope my gut is right, and “Oz+” is going to have a good story to match the fantastic art. There’s also a friendly, navigable interface and well-design graphics in the game.

Cons: Not very many cons at the moment. What I was confused about, though, was this coding error in the game. It might not have shown up for everyone, but while I playing the prologue, I noticed that when the screen transitioned to black between scenes, it said “set font” at the top left corner. It’s probably a programming bug that went unnoticed.

I’m genuinely excited to dive deeper into “Oz+” and get to know the characters, especially Dorothy and my man, Oz. I love that Dorothy was interested in Oz’s determined/serious gaze, because that’s what would have drawn me to pick him as well. I always like a little mystery, so it will be interesting trying to uncover what he has in store for us. Plus, he’s super attractive!

Stay tuned for my review of Chapter 1 of Oz’s route!

Otome Corner! ♡ "Oz+" Prologue #Oz #NTTSolmare #VisualNovel #OtomeGame Let’s be honest here—I love otome games, especially ones by NTT Solmare. From “Shall We Date” titles like “The Niflheim,” “Destiny Ninja,” “Wizardess Heart,” “Scarlet Fate,” and more, NTT Solmare has continuously retained my interest throughout the years.

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I’m back with my second playthrough of “The Niflheim+” by NTT Solmare! I just completed Chapter 5 of Skeletiano’s Route and have a few thoughts (and a summary) to share with you all.

In terms of overall feel, this chapter was less interesting than the previous one and lacked elements that made huge, pivotal moments pop up. The “make-it-or-break-it” scenes in this chapter were more watered down than I’d like, and I’ll explain to you why.

The chapter starts with MC in her room mulling over what Sunny said about her being in love with Skeletiano, and when she hears a knock at the door, she gets excited, thinking Skeletiano has come to visit her. She’s disappointed when she sees that it’s friendly Philippe, who was summoned by Orlando to pick a book for her training. MC, being the obvious and bad liar she is, can’t help but show her disappointment at seeing Orlando instead of Skeletiano.

Philippe notices her crestfallen expression and asks her about it. She eventually fesses up to being in love with Skeletiano, and just as she finishes confessing, Skeletiano waltzes into the room. What a surprise!

MC wants to continue talking to Philippe, knowing he can help with the situation, and when Skeletiano tries to tag along with them to the library, MC brushes him off. She says something along the lines of: “It won’t be good if we spend all day and night together all the time, right?” Philippe then comes to her defense, noting that the Princess probably needs some air once in awhile and get away from all things related to the castle.

The scene transitions to a dejected Skeletiano, whose saddened about how good Philippe and the Princess look together. He then resigns to be happy for them if they’re a couple, even if it hurts him. Poor Bones.

Fast forward some time later, and our lovely Princess and Skeletiano meet up again. Skeletiano observes that it seems like she’s avoiding him, and she blatantly confesses that she doesn’t hate him, but hates the fact they can only be friends because she’s in love with him.

Skeletiano professes his feelings for her as well, and after establishing that there’s a “mutual love,” they run off to ask the King to pardon their relationship. (Feels all too familiar, after playing J.J and Pale Ghost’s routes…)

Pros: We finally get to see the MC hang out with someone other than Skeletiano, and it’s Philippe! It was refreshing to see the MC being honest with herself and seeking advice from a trustworthy friend. We also get a little hint about Philippe’s story, as he reveals that he was once a prince. (Makes me interested in playing his route, even if he’s not exactly my type.)

MC and Skeletiano finally come to terms with their feelings with each other! Finally! No more of that “I wonder what this feeling in my heart is…” I was actually pretty enlightened with how upfront Princess was about liking Skeletiano. She was even the first one to say it!

There’s a good bit of humor in this seemingly dreary chapter, with Skeletiano falling apart (literally falling apart) and piecing himself back together after the MC brushes him off. I also loved that NTT Solmare described the colors of the rose intensifying on Skeletiano’s chest: finally they acknowledge the thing I’ve been noticing.

They confront a realistic situation and know their boundaries. At least they acknowledge their limits, since Bones is one of the King’s people and the Princess is the King’s fiancee. I’m glad they respected that and went to go ask Jean for permission right away! (It pains me a little to break the King’s heart all over again in an alternate universe…)

Cons: This chapter was lackluster in terms of the writing strategies used to show a conflict between Skeletiano and MC. The “avoiding all contact” and “accidentally lashing out at the love interest” is too common and just all-around uninteresting. It gets old quick when people struggling to understand their feelings take out their frustration on the others.

It’s usually the male love interest who lashes out at the MC, but this time it was the MC doing it. Either way, I didn’t think it was interesting at all and just stumped the progression of relationship between the two, rather than developed it. There are many options to show a conflict or a problem between the two characters, and this didn’t cut it out for me.

Ren’s Rating: 6/10

Otome Corner! ♡ "The Niflheim+" Skeletiano Ch. 5 #TheNiflheim #NTTSolmare I’m back with my second playthrough of “The Niflheim+” by NTT Solmare! I just completed Chapter 5 of Skeletiano’s Route and have a few thoughts (and a summary) to share with you all.