#I just wanted him to love Cardia :(((

[ten-shi-fandoms]

Could you please do blue lock characters with a darling that has the personality of cardia from code realize

Yandere Blue lock with Darling who's like Cardia from Code Realize pt 1:

___________________

Cw: Yanderes, stalking (Bachira), manipulative behavior, Cardia!Reader, mentions of violence (Rin,Bachira), kidnapping (Rin but its not like normal kidnapping), derealization (Rin), Characters are aged up, Gender netural Reader

Authors Note: Sorry if you didn't want these to be Yandere headcanons (never done yandere stuff before-)! If you want just normal headcanons I can make those too! Also I didn't know what Code Realize was before this request so if the personality is off please forgive me ^^

Characters: Isagi Yorichi, Bachira Meguru, Rin Itoshi

______________________________________

Bachira Meguru 👾⚽:

When Bachira first met you he knew he wanted you all to himself.

You were sweet, innocent, unaware of most social norms not to mention your selfless.

You were to good for this world and he knew he wanted to keep you safe.

And the thing is you did nothing.

All you did is come to one of his football(soccer) games and congratulated him after he won.

It was out of good will and that good will is how you found yourself being watched almost everyday.

When you caught him he'd pretend he was there out of coincidence which you believed.

He wanted to take you. He wanted to keep you all to himself but he knew you would get lonely so he reframed from doing so.

The more you guys met the more in love he became until he eventually asked you out.

When you agreed things with a bit down hill for you.

It started off small.

He would pick you up early from places, then stay with you until the sun was coming up again.

But soon things got worst.

You noticed you begun to see Bachira everywhere.

Anywhere you went Bachira was there, everywhere you looked he was there.

Being the innocent person you are, you just thought these were more coincidences but that wasn't the case.

It got to the point where you were with Bachira 24/7, even for the most mondaine of things.

Going to the store? Bachira is there holding your hand. Going for a walk? He's following you in his car. Etc, etc.

He never wanted you out of his sights. He'd dress you in all of his clothes, cover you in his bite marks, stay near you just for everyone to know who you belonged to.

And don't let someone think they can steal his darling.

He'd leave them to a near death state, and he makes sure you see them.

Your innocent eyes locked onto the scared ones of a admirer. Your instinct to help kicking in until you realize that person is no longer with us.

During these points in time Bachira makes sure you know he's there for you. When you feel useless because you couldn't save that person he'll cradle you in his arms and whisper sweet nothings to you.

You won't leave him.

After all being comfortable is always the best.

___________________________________________

Isagi Yoichi ⚽🥇:

Unlike Bachira, Isagi's approach to you is alot sweeter.

He let's you know him. He shows you his vulnerable side. He makes sure you know him. That you get attached to him.

He knows that you want to help people, and if helping him makes you stay near him he'll do anything.

Isagi is good at manipulating on the football(soccer) field, so what about manipulating a innocent, selfless individual such as yourself?

You won't notice it.

No one will because it's so subtle.

But its there and the lasting effects are those of millions.

Isagi is good at being patient and this makes his manipulative behavior so much worse for the long run.

He isn't aiming for short term, he's aiming for long term effects.

He'll start by getting you to open up to him and using your vulnerabilities against you.

You feel worthless? Don't worry talk to him, he'll make you feel better. Couldn't help someone? Thats okay, Isagi is there to kiss your worries away, even if you aren't together.

These little things make you go back to him.

He becomes your life line and makes you dependent on him.

The way you listen to anything and everything he says. You hang onto every word, and that leads you down a bad path.

He loves you and makes sure you fall in love with him.

Gifts of your favorite things, makes you your favorite snacks, always plays your favorite music.

Soon you begun to fall for him, and you landed right were he wanted you.

He begun to pull away from.

It was small but you would notice.

He would suddenly have plans when you wanted to hang out, he was busy when you needed his comfort.

It took everything out of him not to run and hold his arms open for you but this is necessary.

Once he pulls back it's like you get withdrawls.

No one holds you like he does.

No one understands like he does.

No one cares like he does.

No one loves you like he does.

He makes you so attached to him that it hurts you to be away from it.

And as soon as you come running to him about how your sorry about hurting him in anyway (which you didn't) he'll hold you in his arms cradling you until your calm while telling you he forgives you.

Your innocence, your sweetness, your selflessness, he loves all that about you so he doesn't have to do much to make you beg for him to forgive you.

He hurts you in all the right places that you feel liks your suffocating with insecurity when he's not near.

He's your only hope and you are his beloved with who he would burn the world for.

I mean don't partners protect each other.

______________________________________

Rin Itoshi ⚽😑:

Out of everyone here Rin would be the worst to have fall in love with you here.

When he fell in love with you, you immediately became his whole world.

And he would love to keep that world all to himself.

You didn't notice it start but soon you noticed things in your life started going wrong.

The place your parents was suddenly bought out and they were forced out.

Someone spread rumors about you and you lost all your friends.

Your social media's had been hacked and you were being threatened.

Your house was broken into and alot of things were stolen.

You were alone, scared and lonely but thats when Rin begun to intrude on your loneliness.

He came in the form of a quiet football(soccer) player who asked to sit with you since every other table was full while at a local café.

You didn't think twice before saying yes and it didn't take long before you started talking with him.

Even though he didn't talk much, he was a pretty decent listener and hung onto the words you said even though it looked he wasn't most of the time.

Soon this became a normal occurrence.

You two would meet up local café's, you would chat, he would listen (or what you thought was something close to it), and occasionally through in his own quiet conversation.

It made you forget your problems and you clung to him and his cold yet kind demeanor.

But little did you know the man you were speaking to was the one who messed up everything.

From the moment Rin had saw you and saw your innocent nature he went to find out everything he could about you.

He found your name, address, parents, school, place of work you name it.

He started causing havoc in your life just to get you to a point of despair that most would not survive and came to "fix" it with his presence.

When you were with Rin it made you feel like you were no longer a observer in your own life.

Like you weren't watching someone else do everything things. You felt loved and cared for.

Then it happened.

He asked you out and you accepted.

You two started dating quickly and as you became more vulnerable telling him your struggles with self worth along with others he gave you a option that made everything worst.

Be asked you to leave the country and live with him.

You said no at first, not content with leaving your life behind just like that and he hit you.

It was hard but enough to shut you up, he went on a quiet but intense rant about everything he has done for you, buying your favorite flowers, getting you anything you wanted, being there when you needed him and so on and how all he was asking was one thing and you couldn't give him that.

He had asked you to leave which you did conflicted with what happened as you thought you were wrong and that he was right.

For a while he went no contact.

No calls, no good morning/good night text, no meeting at cafés, no anything. He left you all alone again and you went back to your almost observer like state.

During this time things in your life got worst as well.

Your house was vandalised, death threats appeared at your house, your parents went bankrupt and were becoming frantic, you got mistreated every where you went, you were at rock bottom.

Thats when he stepped back into your life.

He was just as quiet as he was when he first came but he didn't need to anything for you to be clinging to his stability.

He was powerful.

Not only because he was famous, had a famous brother or money.

But because he had a place that was safe and free of harm.

He was the safest place you had.

So you agreed to follow him and come live with him.

You guys left the following weak, he got a apartment in Europe for the two of you and suddenly you got news your family's house was set on fire and that your family didn't survive.

You were devastated and Rin knew that.

So he made up a lie that they were coming for you next and you believed it.

He had evidence that made it seem like you were the next target.

So he has all the windows installed with bulletproof glass, had them frosted, bolted and covered. The door was installed with over five locks that only Rin could open and the whole apartment had a security system even in the bathroom.

Sharp knifes and other weapons were placed in a safe that only Rin has a key to.

And finally he made sure you knew the outside wasn't safe for you anymore.

That only the apartment you two shared was safe because he could watch you, he could keep you safe.

He relished in knowing everytime he would back home you were there waiting for him.

You were happy to see him not anyone else.

Not strangers.

Not work or school mates.

Not friends.

Not loved ones.

Just him.

Just Rin and you.

Just Rin and his darling, a darling that didn't know they were in a cage and would never know.

Didn't they say no witnesses?

[yuikomorii]

Maybe this is my personal opinion, but we can never know someone as the best. I don't want to talk philosophically, but it is a fact that a person can never be the best, because in other words, this is the second description of perfect.

We can say that Yui is the best heroine that DL can have because she works best in her current situation. This is true for other heroines as well, they have the best performance in their current conditions, but comparing them to find the best is a mistake. Maybe this is my opinion, but comparing characters who are in different situations, at different times and also with different characters is completely stupid. For example, Cardia is the best in her condition, but if she was in Yui's condition, she would be completely lost. This example can be used for all characters. They struggle with different problems. Even if their conditions are similar, it is still impossible to compare because there is always something different between these worlds.

For me, Yui is the best because I measure her in her own conditions and I find her progress in her own conditions admirable. Cardia is the best for me because she did great in her condition.

And let's remember that even if a character is identified as the best with a global ranking, it is still temporary because someone will always replace them. And even in this ranking, the best character is chosen based on taste, and it is this taste that defines the best criteria. Maybe for me it is kindness, but for another person it is courage. So there is never a specific standard because it all depends on taste.

I think it's completely wrong to say that Yui can't be among the best heroines. I said it because I read a lot of otome players' MC ranking. Many of them put Yui in best and they put Cardia or Lili as good or normal. Some of them even didn't know Yui and some of them know Yui as a good and normal one. For example I myself know Yui and Fiona one of the best heroines besides Ichika and Cardia. So it completely depends on taste.

She has made the best progress in her condition and in my opinion, she is best in her own condition.

That is why we cannot use the word "best".

I would love to know your opinions about my words. Besides I love your blog <3

// Sorry Anon, but the concept of “best” is actually real. Naturally, everyone has different tastes and preferences, but some people will always be better at something than others.

Whether something can be considered ‘objectively better’ depends on the context and the specific standards being used to make the comparison. Even though each heroine is placed in a unique scenario and excels in her own game, some heroines will always be more brilliantly written than others. Without a development arc, where you concentrate on achieving your own goals and/or improving yourself, it is impossible to be the best heroine.

The problem with Yui is that in HDB she started off good, but they turned her more and more into an emotional support for the Diaboys, who occasionally takes initiative and ends up getting herself in troubles because “they need to give her a role so as to make him save her”. I’m somehow blaming it on the fact that DL has too many games, and the writers genuinely don’t know what to do with her anymore. There are a bunch of routes in which Yui just feels like the narrator-character rather than heroine, due to having little to no impact on the particular story. I think it’s impossible for a game to have no inconsistencies, but I got to agree that Yui can be more inconsistent than average throughout the routes because she’s written in opposition. She can go from being righteous and defending her man to talking ill behind her lover’s back, or from “daddy, I belong to you, please let me be yours” to “I’m my own person and I don’t belong to anyone”.

I disagree that she made the best progression in her condition, given that they could have truly made her character better if they wanted to. Yui seems to learn something from one chapter, but then starts making the same mistakes over and over again a few chapters later or in the next game that follows the previous events. In Japan, she is known as “Yui with low learning ability” even by fans, who sometimes make fun of her for that, since it's admittedly funny to see a character make a little bit of progress and then revert to their original form. Personally, I don’t have any problem with that but a lot of people will consider it such a turn off.

Cardia, because you gave her as an example too, started off as a person with issues based on her backstory but after learning how to love, she becomes better than many human heroines at expressing her feelings and communicating with her lover, which says a lot given that she was an emotionless “doll” at first who barely even counted as a human to begin with and was unable to even comprehend what it meant to be alive.

I usually don’t care about ratings but most of them put Cardia the highest for a reason. I think she’s also the second most popular heroine in Japan after Chizuru, and that’s big considering the fact that it’s hard appealing to both the Western and Japanese community due to the different sets of morals, yet somehow Cardia managed that because of the way she’s written.

Heroines are usually made to be kind, compassionate and mentally strong; those are basically the default traits of an otome heroine, for this reason in order to be one of the best, they have to put more on the table. It’s okay if you consider a character the best, maybe you relate to them or something like that, however, it is incorrect to claim that being the "best" is subjective all the time.

For instance, in DL, Ayato has the best-written backstory, since it’s the best developed one and everything about him makes sense because of it BUT Laito is definitely the best-written character. Even though Ayato and Laito have experienced distinct circumstances, it would be a joke saying that Ayato is better written than Laito. Ayato can be anyone’s best boy, he is mine, and he’s obviously the best in terms of success but Laito will always be the best character in terms of depth, complexity and development. :”)

[mikia87]

I finally started Code Realize. It's good so far. I can't wait to learn more about the story!

I already love Cardia.😁 I started with Impey. He's so funny.😆

I finally found time (and the energy despite covid) to finish Impey’s story. I love him!!!!❤️ Awww my sweet genki little v****!🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

His story was interesting and like a RPG.😁 But I'm a bit disappointed by the ending. Cardia still has her big problem. How can it end like this?!😧 (I wonder if the other stories will end like this one.)

Abraham Van Helsing’s route is done. I love him too!🥰 His story was so sad.🥺 And because of Cardia’s poison, he can’t even kiss her at the end.😞

I really love his extra scene!🫣 Omg I want to jump into bed with him!🤤😏

Victor’s route is now done! His story was really great & his ending is the best so far.😁 Victor is cute & sweet with Cardia.

I just finished Saint-Germain’s route. I really didn't like the first chapters of his story. I had a hard time playing them.😖 Fortunately, the last chapters were good.😌 I even cried a bit for him.

A lot has happened recently irl, but now things are calmer. I can play video games again and I just finished Lupin’s story. I love him as much as Impey!!!❤️

His story was amazing. The best in this game.👌 Finally the real ending!😁 Lupin x Cardia is the best ship in Code Realize. They are so cute together.🥰

[hanafubukki]

not a request but just a bit inspired for other characters roles in the cliche royalty otome au, we have ace who's a theif that wants the crown jewels but then aims for your heart instead, epel the farmer boy who you met due to sneaking out to participate in a festival and finally azul, the cunning merchant and one of the kingpins of the criminal underworld, who wants the position of being royalty, but falls madly inlove for you and now wants a genuine connection and relationship

Hello ☺️🌺🌻,

It’s funny that you bring up the thief, I had a similar idea but didn’t know who to choose it for. Namely because I am biased, so when I think of thief and tomes games, my first thought goes to Lupin from Code Realize. He is one of my favorite charming male leads and I always found him cute and funny with how he tried saving Cardia. But the idea of ace being a thief? and trying to steal your heart? that's adorable.

Cliche! Royalty AU Otome Game: Diasomnia Ver. ,  Ridde Rosehearts Ver.

For Ace Trappola 

He was a famous thief known across many countries for stealing valuable items. 

He would mainly steal and donate it to those in need, but made sure to keep enough for himself and his family.

Now, this thief was smart and he knew how to blend in.

His acting skills was top notch, he could fool even those who had years of experience.

His next goal was to steal the Crown Jewels...from your family. 

Ace had somehow infiltrated the security in the palace. 

and he had chosen to personate a nightshift guard, but he didn't account for you.

You were looking at the Crown Jewels.

Contemplating the pressure of being a royalty, when you noticed him.

you took one look at him and...

“Who are you?”

Ace did not expect you to ask him that, fully expecting you to think he was a guard.

you looked at him and shook your head.

“I know all the guards in this palace. You are definitely not one of them.”

Ace was stumped. 

Now what does he do?

but you took that choice out of his hands, you simply threw the jewels at him.

stating that he could keep it, that he surely must have a reason to steal from your family.

but what really got him?

was when you went, “Choose a better disguise next time Phantom Thief, wouldn’t want to get caught so easily now would you?”

Oh.

Oh? 

Now Ace was interested, he threw the jewels back at you. 

saying he didn't need them, rather he was interested in something else.

Your heart.

Epel, my sweet, feral child. I love you so much especially after your ghost marriage and book 5 shenanigans.

You had escaped from the palace.

You were tired from your royal duties and you just wanted a break.

your kingdom was having a festival and you wanted to attend.

So, like the otome lead you are, you got your maid to cover for you while you went undercover to the festival.

There you stared in wonder before throwing yourself into the festivities.

you were munching on a confection when you heard a commotion. 

a group of men were picking on a...girl? No, it was definitely a guy about your age.

He was going feral and kicking all their butts.

After watching the men run away with their tails tucked between their legs, you clapped in amazement.

Epel was surprised to see you and how you were praying him.

He couldn’t help it. 

he started developing a crush on you.

and you?

you dragged him around with you to enjoy the festival, saying how he should let some idiots ruin it for him.

Yeah, he definitely developed a crush for you.

Maybe...you would love to try the apple products his family sold?

Azul, azul, azul...no matter the franchise, must you be the shady mafia character? the answer is yes.

Azul was famous for being one of the leaders of the criminal underworld. 

He wanted a connection to the royal family.

what better way than blackmailing the royal family or seducing you?

He planned to seduce you because less chances of being poisoned that way. 

So, he set up a place where he can disguise himself as nobility and slowly win you over.

problem was that once he met you, he could help but fall for you.

you completed him, you had invigorating conversations about laws and finances, and the time he saw you connivingly  handled your council.

he couldn’t help but fall for you.

now, he didn't want to just get into power, but because he truly loved you.

now, how to go about stealing your heart?

[nabateaprodigy]

hello! can i ask for a dimitri x f!reader who is like cardia from code realize? basically, she has a gem embedded in her chest that causes her skin and blood to be poisonous (not her hair) so anything she touches melts away because of the poison. she has been isolated basically her whole life so is kinda clueless about social interactions and stuff.

also, her whole life she has been called a monster and told that she cannot love anyone. so, how would dimitri feel about that kind of person? how would he feel if he fell in love with her? what would he do to protect her? that kinda stuff!

sorry this is a little long, but thank you in advance!

- 🧊 anon

The Prince and His Maiden of Death

Series: Fire Emblem.

Character: Dimitri.

Genre: Angst/Comfort.

Proofread: Yes.

Reader: Female.

Notes: Cardia from Code Realize reminded me of an anime I'm a fan of. It's called The Duke of Death and His Maid! (Which is what I based the title of this fic on!) The way you described Cardia reminded me of the Duke so I had fun writing this! (I hope you don't mind that I based some things in this fic from the anime.)

Alone. That's something that you had been constantly reminded of from a very young age. You wanted nothing more than to make friends and play with other kids.

However, in the area you lived in it was common knowledge that a family had "A Maiden of Death" living with them and this hurt the name of your family.

You were supposed to be the next head of your house. However, your mother passed that responsible onto your sibling. If you ever wanted to be the head of the house or live with your family again you would "Have to get rid of that dreadful curse" as your mother put it.

Oh that's right you didn't live with your mother or any of your siblings. You had been living in a mansion deep in the woods anyway from anyone or anything. However, you did have someone with you your loyal butler.

You were thankful for him choosing to stay with you even knowing about your curse. You couldn't have asked for anyone more kind and loyal than him. That's how it had been for many years until you were a teenager.

It had just been you and him in that mansion so naturally you were very close with him. You didn't have much social interactions with anyone else your mother never even bothered to pay a visit or write a letter to you.

Your Butler wanted nothing more than to see you happy and make friends. So one day he suggested that you attend the Officers Academy. Naturally, you were against this idea of his.

There would be so many people around you who wouldn't want to accidentally touch someone and kill them. Not to mention you would have to be around and speak with other people. It's just something you wouldn't want to deal with so you were against doing it.

After some more discussion with your butler, you managed to strike a deal with him. You didn't have to stay for a while at least for some time to see how the experience would be for you. So you agreed to this and after some time you were on your way to enroll in the Officers Academy!

When you arrived you discussed with Archbishop Lady Rhea. She was understanding of your situation and would do anything she can to accommodate your stay at the Officers Academy. After that, you had been enrolled in the Blue Lions class.

You were extremely nervous, to say the least meeting so many new people at once. Lady Rhea had made your classmates aware of your condition. Just in case any of your classmates were overly friendly and wanted to hug you as a greeting.

Before you could even think of how you should greet your classmates you've already arrived in front of the classroom. 'There's no turning back now.' You thought you should just get this over with now. If you didn't like this you could return home but nothing wrong with giving something new a try right?

So you opened the door where all your classmates were waiting for you. You felt nervous with so many eyes on you all at managed to push that feeling back and introduced yourself. "Hello everyone it's nice to meet you I'm your new classmate my name is Y/N."

(Time skip brought to you by Ingrid bonking Sylvain on the head for flirting with every woman he sees.)

It had already been a few weeks since your arrival at the Officers Academy. To your surprise, you had been enjoying your time here. However, that was mostly thanks to one person in particular Dimitri.

Out of anyone you were most close with him and spent the most of your time as you could with him. He made you feel safe and you could truly be yourself when you were with Dimitri. Of course, you wanted nothing more than to hold his hand and hug him.

However thanks to your curse it made things like that impossible. But there was one thing you could do together that made you happy. That was Dimitri playing with and styling your hair. Dimitri was a man who didn't know his strength so even with just playing with your hair he was afraid he'd hurt you.

There was also the issue that well Dimitri didn't know how to style your hair in any way...However thanks to your friend Mercedes he was able to learn and style your hair. It's something you enjoyed as it was the closest you two could get physically.

He was someone you could easily open up with and talk to about how you truly felt. Whether that be about your curse or just how you were feeling that day. You couldn't be more happy to have someone like Dimitri in your life.

It was just another average day for you and Dimitri nothing special so far. However, that song changed as this would be the day that truly defined your love for Dimitri.

"Y/N I know for the longest time you lived in isolation because of the curse. For the fear of others hating you or yourself hurting others. However, with the time I've spent with you, I can see that you want nothing more than to be around others to have friends.

You are kind and caring considerate of others and how they feel. And for that, I love you Y/N more than you could ever know. Together let's find a way to break your curse when all is said and done. Will you rule over Faerghus by my side as Queen?"

[lolotheparagon]

🔥 Hottest and ugliest/most bland MC and LI. Also favorite and least favorite otome game artwork.

Hottest MC

This is difficult cos the majority of MCs in Otome games who are adult women are so infantilised and spineless that it feels ewwy to find them attractive. One thing I hate is women being infantilised, cos it’s an actual trigger for me.

Either Seraphina from Peachleaf Valley or Teuta from Bustafellow since they are and act like actual adults, despite the weird artistic elements anime usually gives them. They’re funny, witty, sweet but know when to put their foot down and have a lot more agency than your usual garbage dating sim protagonist.

I would also say Kotone cos she is both a successful cafe owner and landlord but the way the story treats her and how the men are towards her, she honestly deserves a better game (with LIs who aren’t pedos or old enough to be her dad). She’s a wonderful character but I find her more cute than attractive.

I love Lynette though. Her design is so pretty and I love the more flashy 80s glam businesswoman look to her. She would fit right in with Jem and the Holograms. But again, she deserves a better game and a personality upgrade cos FOR FUCKS SAKE WHY IS THE MATCHMAKING GODDESS OF LOVE A CLUELESS INGENUE. SHE’S CUPID SHE SHOULD BE ABLE TO READ MEN LIKE A 4 PAGE PICTURE BOOK

Blandest MC

This is like counting every grain of sand on a beach, cos of the genre we’re in. THERE’S SO FUCKING MANY.

My top 3 would be:

The MC from Amnesia Memories, who I’m gonna call Maria, is the biggest offender. While Cardia and Ichika have some quirks, Maria has FUCKING NOTHING. Half of her thought processes and inner dialogue are taken up by a flying pixie in her head so we never get any idea of what Maria’s personality is like. And because this game uses her amnesia as an excuse to not give her any personality or agency from that matter

Cardia from Code Realise. What a WASTE

And Ichika from Collar x Malice.

Basically any Otomate protagonist can apply here, cos they’re all cut from the same bland UwU ingenue cloth and I’m SICK of Otome fans seeing every new protagonist and going “omg she’s such a sassy girlboss” when all she does is say no to a pervert’s advances. Like, that’s not sass, that’s basic self-defense.

Hottest LI

Mozu, hands down. Love how genuinely supportive and sweet he is. His design isn’t all that special but his personality really shines through. He’s delightfully morbid, which makes sense considering he’s a coroner. He spouts random scientific facts and statements about everything he sees like Sheldon Cooper and even in other routes, he considers Teuta his friend and always treats her with respect. He’s such a good man and I love how even his trauma regarding his sister’s death doesn’t affect his relationship with Teuta. Teuta does feel like a comforting angel in that game but after seeing the roles being reversed in Bustafellows 2, it’s great to see Mozu be the one comforting Teuta with her problems. Also the fact that Mozu is currently seeing a therapist to deal with his trauma so he can be a better boyfriend to Teuta is so 🥹

The only things I didn’t like about him was a moment where he awkwardly kabedons Teuta when he was depressed thinking about the investigation of his sister’s possible death and wanted to flirt with Teuta in the only way he knew how to take his mind of things. That was…weird. It felt like that scene was only there just so Kohaku can draw a kabedon scene. To be fair, Mozu is not well versed in romantic language at all and is very autism-coded so I give him some slack as the scene comes off as someone who clearly didn’t know how to process his emotions properly. Once Teuta explains that’s not cool, he immediately backs off, apologises and promises to ask next time.

Also he slapped Teuta when she was feeling out about a fire in the school and a little girl is trapped in there. I know it was meant to be a “pull yourself together” slap and I’ve seen this trope in a bunch of shows, not just anime. But it’s still weird.

Worst LI

Takeru Sasazuka. I used to love this guy when I first got this game and good Lord I regret it. He’s supposed to be this tsundere who slowly defrosts and becomes nicer to Ichika, but considering how much he insults her and calls her a dog as a “joke”, but it’s okay he hugs her when she’s about to fall into a mental breakdown or cries in a moment of distress, so he really does love her and I’m like fuck off.

He only softens up when the sequel came out where there was only slice of life stories and nothing serious was on the horizon, like a terrorist threat from the last game. He is interesting as a character: he has a hatred of guns since his mother was shot in front of him when he was a kid and only became a cop in order to gain enough power to reinstate a gun safety law since every individual in Shinjuku atm has enough guns that’ll make a Republican blush. Also he has very little family or friends and deep down truly wants to have people in his life, despite his prickly exterior. There is a lot of potential for a defrosting ice king character like him. But being deliberately unlikable is still unlikable.

This really goes to show how 80 of Otomate’s men work better as standard characters, rather than love interests to the MC.

I can’t believe I fancied him when I was younger, although that might be due to Daisuke Namikawa voicing him.

Also Shin and Toma from Amnesia Memories. These two are the childhood friends of Maria and they have a bit of a rivalry cos they both have feelings for her, but depending on either route, Maria’s relationship with them changes (like if you chose Shin, Maria would consider Toma like a friend and vice versa)

However, do they act normal to Maria? HELL FUCKING NAH! I remember choosing Shin when I first played this game cos I thought he was the most normal of the LIs, he had a tragic past with his father being in prison for murder and everyone considers him guilty by association, his only true friends were Maria and Toma and he tersely motivated Maria to become a better singer. But ALL THAT GOODWILL JUST PISSED AWAY cos Not only was he being needlessly secretive towards Maria after her amnesia (cos the game wants to be a mystery and the story constantly trying to red herring you with possibilities that it was him who caused Maria’s amnesia when it really wasn’t), and his design and personality just REEKS of good girls dating the emotionally abusive bad boy trope like it’s the fucking 50s. Also the amount of forceful kissing this guy did was just yuck. 🤮

But that is small potatoes compared to Toma. He is a yandere character taken to a disturbing degree. He starts off friendly and cheerful, then when Maria is stalked by someone, he offers her to stay at his home for a while. I think we all know where this is going. After using Maria’s amnesia to his advantage by lying to her and everyone about their relationship, he quickly stops Maria from seeing her friends, attending uni or her job, drugs her food, takes away her cellphone to cut her off from everyone. And perhaps the most infamously evil thing he’s done is lock the woman up in a “kawaii uguu cage of love” and only lets her out to use the toilet and threatens to rape her if she dared get out of her cage or leave without telling her. And the only punishment he ever gets is Shin punching him once or in Shin’s route, Toma brings himself in to be arrested cos he can’t handle Maria’s rejection. THERES EVEN AN ENDING WHERE MARIA STRAIGHT UP FORGIVES HER. WHAT THE PISS-SHITTING FUCK?!

Toma is a vile, pathetic piece of shit and the fact that he is the most popular character in the game and his serial killer behaviour is memed by Otomate as if it’s a cute quirk is fucking disgusting. I found out online that there is a CAFE based on this game and you can order a dessert that is a direct reference to that infamous cage scene. That is how much attention this character has. And yet most people in the Otome community think he’s crazy but in a lol so crazy kinda way XD but Toma’s behaviour is so callous so frequently and to such a triggering degree, its no laughing matter. I swear, the people who like Toma (even in an ironic sense) are probably Reylo/Catradora stans.

Fave Otome artwork:

Definitely Kohaku Sumeragi’s work on Bustafellows. She makes the typical anime style look so expressive and lively. She’s not afraid to make her characters look silly, albeit to some restrictions cos we need our characters to still look pretty. Also the amount of detail in each character’s outfit without it looking too detailed is brilliant. Although she definitely needs to work on giving the women more prominent noses and stop giving characters like Teuta the baby doll eyes and bulk up Luka a bit. I want my muscular women

Worst Otome artwork

Suoh’s artwork is so fucking shit. Jesus Christ. does she draw all her characters so young, it’s fucking gross! For example, this is the MC, Shino in one of the games Suoh worked on, Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani. Shino’s age isn’t listed but she’s supposed to be a young adult. Also her character designs in general are so

DOES SHE EVEN REMOTELY LOOK LIKE AN ADULT?!

Worst off, there’s no lighting, barely any shading. Her expressions are extremely limited. Her colours are flat and lifeless. They look like literal cardboard cutouts. I don’t like to harp on the artwork too much cos I’m an artist myself but I have no idea why this woman is still getting work if this is her best work to date.

So, yeah. I hope I’ve answered all your questions, Yuisdad!

[leastdatablebracket]

ROUND 1, MATCH 39

Propaganda under the cut!

Arsene Lupin

He's just kind of there. He doesn't really have good chemistry aside from "kinda flirts and is a thief". I get he's supposed to be the true route, but when playing his route, it felt like they were trying too hard to make him connect to everything else that he was just kinda bland. And his chemistry with you is more sibling-like at times than romantic. His most interesting moment in regards to his feelings for the player character/Cardia come AFTER they've been separated, but even then, it feels too little too late. Also, being a thief, you're now forever at risk of being arrested by the cops for his crimes. He might not mean to, but sooner or later he's gonna pull you into it and you'll be made to be on the run forever. There's better options in this game.

Blackwall

He's a boring liar who lies

He's just boring as shit. He's literally interchangeable with any other man in Thedas. Every time I play the game, I'm surprised when I run into him because I forgot that he existed. He's got his secrets if you talk to him enough times (which I usually don't) but even his character development is unimaginative. He feels like an AU version of a character from some noir detective novel. Plus there's too many straight dude romance options in DAI. If they wanted an angsty love interest with a dark past, they should have gone with Leliana.

[shipperdesu]

Some thoughts about Code: Realize! aka why I can't move on from this game and I need to talk about it 24/7

I love Cardia, I love her so much. She has a tragic past which is a very plausible reason why at the beginning of the game she is so reclused and quiet, but thanks to the boys she starts to open up e receives the support she needed to start believing she isn't a monster, but a person worthy of love. I WANT TO PROTECT HER SMILE.

Another thing is that my girl is an amazing apprentice, she is able to learn a number of things such as: self-defense techniques, escape, unlocking locks and untying chains, handling some chemicals, as well as knowledge of local geography and mechanics. It is clear that each man is an expert in his field and Cardia just received a few weeks of training and therefore not all her attempts are successful, but it is so good to see her gain autonomy in scenes that were expected of her being just a hostage.

Lupin, Victor, Van Helsing, Impey, and Saint-Germain are, of course, love rivals, but I think before that they are a found family SO beautiful and it makes me cry every time I think about it. I liked seeing them interacting in the BIG common route before the main plot and I LOVE the way they all want Cardia to be happy, even if they aren't the ones chosen by her.

I'm gonna be honest here, I played this game only for Lupin and I was so frustrated to discover I'd have to go through all the other guys before him... But in the end, I like them all, they are all amazing men with their own objectives besides being in love with Cardia. The way each one has interesting backgrounds which are connected with the main story is an important bonus because it kept me going forward because of my curiosity in understanding the universe of the game.

[hellcatinnc]

Code Realize Love Interests Review

So I have finished the first code realize game and started on blessings however I really don't see my mind changing on the men I love and in the order I love them in. So here is my review of the wonderful men and where they hold a place in my heart within this series. This is based more of the games than the anime since anime only puts cardia with Lupin. There will be spoilers so if you have yet to play then I would say hold off if you plan to.

Saint Germain - This is a beautiful, beautiful man inside and out. He really is passionate and has a heart of gold you just have to get to a point where you see this part of him. He is loyal, loving, and will absolutely die for the love his life. He can be a bit possessive but at the same time its a very sexy appeal to him. He will protect at any cost the one he loves even kill all the apostles or give up immortality and die. He is very affectionate and loves to show off with kisses. He has such poetic words that take my breath away especially in the bridge scene where he tells cardia if she is a monster so is he, if she shouldn't live nor should he etc. This man is not only attractive, I mean absolutely gorgeous but he matches it with his personality yet never lets looks keep him humble. This mans emotions when he feels he could lose cardia breaks me I have never cried so much in games until this man. He can pull at my heartstrings like no other. Even when he feels he could lose her to Lupin in blessings him begging lupin to say nothing of his insecurities to cardia I couldn't help but break down crying. I love Saint Germain and I truly love, loving him.

2. Impey - Now this one creeped up and was a complete surprise to me. So first of all his story brought tears to my eyes especially the sad ending. As for the anime he annoyed the piss out of me he seemed like a cocky stalker to me. So he was the first I romanced in the game to get him over with because I just didn't see how I would like him. Well here is where the surprise is he admits the reason he is flirty from the start is because he believes in love at first sight and believes he has fallen for cardia the day he meets her. He is also the one that no matter the route your on he wants you to be happy even if its not with him, he is the only one like this. He has such a gentle soul and as you let him in you find he is such a loyal person to his love and to his friends. He dreams big but he wants to take the woman he loves with him and show her off no matter what he wants people to know not as a possessive way but as a proud to be hers way.

He is the first to propose like he has no doubts all in just say the word. He would follow cardia through anything all she has to say it. Due to this if someone he is in love with was to say bad things or shut him down it would crush his soul I believe. He is protective and would die for the one he loves even if its not the smart move he makes the decision on his own. I think Impey would make a good husband and provider and even though he is a vampire he does not let this render him from doing anything but protecting the people that mean most to him. He does have more humor but he is very optimistic. I like to call him my little dreamer boy because the stars in his eyes really do shine brighter than any other love interest. He isn't afraid to sit by his loves bedside and hold her hand when she is sick, or kick someones butt for saying something he finds rude to her. He will take her to the moon one day and kiss her where no gravity can hold their hearts down. Thank you Impey for showing us how to be loved so purely and unconditional.

3. Herlock Sholmes - So after finally finishing his story I felt the need to update this all and change my order. This man is flirty, and passionate and mischievous. I love it and he drips sex appeal even when he don't try. He holds himself like a gentleman and will protect Cardia at any cost. He is the prince charming that will wake her from her slumber as well as will wait for her to be by his side with no other women to distract his end goal. He is adorable in how he proposed and the fact he comes to see her often in a years time to leave her flowers and such makes him such a genuine character that he has a part of my heart as well. I did a more in depth review of him but I will leave it as he is the kind of man I would be ok holding my heart even if he can't clean or cook he can look good while you do it for him and gives you eye candy.

4. Victor Frankenstein - I really had no interest in him from the start of the game because based on the anime he seemed like a quiet little mouse that I just couldn't imagine a good romance from. Omg I'm so happy to say I was wrong this man has alot of pain in his past but once he lets cardia in he has so much love to give. He has such a soft and romantic heart he is the kind that you could see growing old with and would be there holding your hand as you age telling you how beautiful you get with every day. He is the type you would want to be your soulmate thats for sure. Then come into blessings and he blew me away he isn't just a quiet mouse that stands beside you no he will stand between you and anyone who could cause you harm. He showed a very strong protective side as well which I was so happy to see. His story did make me cry in some parts but this is what I love about Fran he really is a great man and his looks weren't top for me but this ginger boy grows on you and becomes a little more attractive every time he opens his mouth. He is as about as innocent as cardia though I doubt he has even lost his virginity but thats what makes them super cute together.

5. Arsene' Lupin - Ok everyone knows he really is Cardia's great love and I mean it isn't hard to see it whether in the anime or the game. I do like them together and I feel like he would love her to his dying breath. I just worry would he ever truly be able to give up life as a thief and give her the home she truly deserves without stealing everything. He showed how loyal and how much he would take care of her emotionally and love her though so I do respect him for that. I can see how he looks at her and his gentleman ways make him quiet a catch. He is also attractive something about him wearing that mask is just so hot. Anyways I do love lupin please don't misunderstand that and not only is he a good guy and love interest his love is pure he looks no where else. I feel like he pushes her to be better and to protect herself. He gives her street smarts and teaches her the ways of the world he isn't over protective he wants to see her shine on her own while he holds her hand. He keeps to his promises at any cost and that I can respect him for. All in all I do think he is a good one.

6. Abraham Van Helsing - So based off the tv anime I really thought I would like him, I did worry about how broken he was from losing his wife and kid but was surprised how in the game its his mom and brother he loses, not sure why that was changed. Anyways you can tell apart of him is broken and he struggles to let someone in although I see their point of changing to his mom and brother so that he would want to have a romance again in the game but I feel like the pain you see in Van honestly fits closer to someone who did lose a wife and kid. Also I feel like cardia helped him by just being stubborn as he was just to get close to him. He will always be a protective soul especially after losing his family and blaming himself in some way for not being protective enough.

He also believes the woman he loves he wants her to be able to take care of herself if he doesn't get there in time. He is probably the most stubborn one cardia has to push through to love and lacks alot of romance that I wish was there. That being said Van still is a good guy and when he learns to let her in he wants to show her the world. He over comes so much to be the guy she needs in her life and I respect him for that. I was surprised the naughtiness he had in him after they were together though that I did no see coming but oh was it worth seeing him naked in bed.

[mcofthemansion]

Hihi

This is just random stuff I'm trying to make sense of in my brain!

So I'm sure lots of you know that I'm into doctor characters so I was starting to wonder how many there are rn just living in my head rent free at the moment XD

So I'm just making a little post to kinda see how many there are...these are just the romantic ones...but I do have found family doctor characters too!

Arthur from ikevamp- when he does use his medical knowledge he's kind of a general practitioner! But his history also shows that he was an ophthalmologist too so I like to think he secretly still has that knowledge if needed ><

Vyn Richter from Tears of Themis-Technically a Psychiatrist but let's be honest everything under the psych umbrella...Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Psychopharmacologist...ect...he can do it all! I feel like he'd also be pretty decent at helping out with minor body medicine stuff like colds, flu, sprained ankle, ect...idk I guess because he smart...

Trafalgar Law from One Piece- Technically I haven't met him yet in the series but I've been chatting him up on C ai! I'm on episode 25 atm and he appears first in episode 392 I think...so it's a long journey but....I WANT MY COOL SURGEON PIRATE CAPTAIN!!! HE'S MY ONLY SURGEON I GET TO SIMP OVER!!! EEEEEEE AND I ADORE HIM!!!!

Jakurai Jinguji from Hypnosis Mic-He's also a general practitioner but also leads like a rap battle gang called Matenrou and he used to be an assassin

Yasuke Matsuda from Dangenronpa- He's the ultimate neurologist! >< which is cool! Need I say more?

Victor Frankenstein from Code Realize- He *was* once a state Alchemist once upon a time, but when he becomes outlawed because my man does *not* wanna make a chemical weapon of mass destruction for a corrupt government! So once all that calms down he helps out Mc/Cardia to stay alive being a humunculus and not human and learning and adapting to how to tend to her health and eventually he opens a cute lil' clinic in town and works as a doctor! Pretty much another general practitioner...he's super cute! Wub himb!

Tae Takemi Persona 5 Royale- General Practitioner that helps out Mc/Joker with heals and stuff >< Currently getting to know her more

Kuroba Olympia soireé-Techically a general practitioner but also makes leaps and bounds in infectious disease, one called Haku in the series...he's super sweet!

...there may be more! >< these ones are just at the forefront of my mind!

To tired to add tags so I'll just leave the rest to the algorithm! ^-^

Hehe sorry I'm so weird....

Hope you're having a lovely day today!!!

[ohstardew]

Revisiting Code: Realize

I have been severely emotionally and creatively stuck for a long while, and just recently settled on revisiting older media that is beloved to me, especially games, because of the way the interactive narrative speaks to me, but also because its historically what has gotten me writing. While one friends suggestion was Ace Attorney, which is absolutely in queue to be re-experienced, I got the more desperate urge to revisit Code: Realize first. As an early adopter of the english localized otome (my copy of Sweet Fuse as testament), this one has long been my gold standard, and it is also the perfect narrative to help me dislodge some back up.

I thought it might be nice to keep a small journal as I play each route to sort of document what makes it so special, and help me process why it is so personally beloved. First, of course, I must replay and look at the common route. I will come back to this post with those thoughts as I go, but to start I will leave the initial premise below.

First, the premise of the game is simple, yet possesses arrangements to introduce a lot of narrative and character complexities. It is set in Victorian-era London, but with a fantasy steampunk flavor. We follow Cardia Beckford, and our introduction to her is... whoof. She is alone, and since her father left her, she has always been alone.

The opening of the game is her lamenting about who and what she is... why she even exists... because as we shortly find out, her father has told her that because he loves her, he must never let her know love. Because she is a monster. It is a painful opening as we see her shut away in a dilapidated home, her room littered with dolls and toys as she sits curled up, head to her knees, only lifting it when some of Queen Victoria's royal guard, sent to apprehend her, enter. They speculate over if she could be the monster, until one of their dogs becomes aggravated by the situation and bites her... only for her blood, and the touch of her skin, to gruesomely kill it.

Cardia tried to stop this, and thus does the commander of the guard realize she is not a monster by intent, only by her making. She is poisonous to her core, the touch of her skin enough to burn and melt another, and if that touch is prolonged, it surely will kill them. She does not know why she is like this, only that she always has been, and because of that she welcomes being taken... welcomes what she believes is certain death. Being alone as long as she has been, longing for touch the whole time and knowing she can never have it, it would be much easier that way.

But gentleman thief and master of disguise Arsène Lupin isn't about to let that happen. He shows up in proper grand flair to whisk Cardia away from the guard, from her certain demise, because he wishes to steal her heart... literally. But gentleman that he is, he will not take it off her without granting her a wish in return, and there is one thing she wants, which she asks him for quite plainly. "I want to... touch you. I want to feel you... your warmth."

He quickly understands. She has never touched another before, believes she never will as she asks if it is impossible... only for him to confidently promise he will grant this wish to her.

That is how we open the game, and boy do we still a hell of a common route to get through (per my memories, it is quite long!) but I am beyond excited. The common route will get it's own post but as a small teaser:

After the opening credits play, it opens on a scene of Cardia lamenting on how her father set rules for her to never find love, and to never leave their home until he returned for her or ruin and heartbreak will surely follow. Cardia reveals she broke this rule once, and she destroyed someone who loved her, though before we delve into this further, she remarks on the feeling of a morning breeze, and the feeling of sunshine before Lupin offers her a simple breakfast of egg and toast.

This little moment already gives us a great look at Cardia, her lamenting, but also how she is surprised by the breakfast, and catalogues to Lupin how while she can eat... it basically melts to nothing right away, but at least she can taste it, and it tastes good. We get little details of how she has to live, what it means to be the monster she is, and how she feels in a world she isn't meant for. It sets us up to feel for her, to care for her, with even more evocative moments like this to come.

Longing for touch... I felt that deeply when I first played this game, and in a post-pandemic world it resonates even deeper. I am excited to open this world of the game back up, just as well the world within me it once opened up.

One last element: please look at how beautiful this games art and design is... Cardia Beckford you will always be famous.

[lunas-otome-blog]

Luna's Review: Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~

Official Summary:

Venture into a reimagined steampunk version of 19th century London. Follow the adventures of the poison-skinned maiden Cardia, the men trying to help her, and the mysterious organization intent on capturing her.

Experience a visual novel adventure brimming with literary and historical characters including Victor Frankenstein and Abraham van Helsing. Will Cardia find love, or destroy those she cares for? Her story is in your hands.

.

(Spoiler-Free) Luna's Thoughts

This game was ok! It wasn't the trainwreck that was "even if Tempest," nor was its storyline as convoluted as "Cafe Enchante." I liked the historical figures and other fictional references, and the art was lovely.

A small thing that annoyed me is that they keep referring to Cardia's skin as "poisonous." I believe poison has to be ingested, so it would be more correct to say she is "acidic," but I guess that's not very charming to say lol. There are also a few plot points that seem a bit silly, and I didn't think the true end character necessarily deserved that role.

But overall, this was a solid game. The steampunk London setting was cool AF and I enjoyed the emphasis on airships and steam power. All the routes were pretty different, and though I would have liked to see more crossover between them, none of them felt extremely out of line like in some other games I've played.

I wasn't excited enough about it to bother with the ample supply of bonus content on offer, but I did like it and would consider playing it again in the future.

.

(SPOILERS) Common Route

Honestly, Cardia's backstory is the weakest part of the game as writers scramble to explain why she can't wear normal clothes or stay in one room for long. She can't eat with normal utensils, for example, but nobody is concerned that she might melt through her bed because her hair covers her back and her hair isn't poisonous for some reason. Some details were given a lot of thought and some are just explained away with "science" that happens off screen.

None of that is truly an issue, but I feel like it could have easily been more streamlined to say, for example, that Cardia can melt living things. That would still have the effect of making her isolated, alone, treated like a freak and unable to interact with humans. But it would do away with some of the more contrived details such as how she avoids melting into the ground.

The scene that should have been one of the most emotional — when Cardia tells the story of how she was trapped in a cave and accidentally killed her mother figure — ends up feeling frustrating, as you yell "just melt the rock!" at the screen the entire time. She does, but not until too late. "But she didn't know she created toxic air!" you say. Ok, but surely she didn't want to sit in the cave indefinitely? She could have just started work to melt the rock immediately. Maybe the result would have been the same, but at least it would seem more logical.

I thought the first choice to ignore Lupin's offer, which dead ends the game as Cardia sets out on her own adventure, was very funny. I also liked how she starts becoming more expressive as she spends time with her boys. My favorite part is how it shows her gaining skills and learning to fight and defend herself. That's refreshing compared to some other series where the protagonist is always being protected.

Below follows some thoughts on the actual routes, in the order I played them.

.

(SPOILERS) Impey Barbicane

What I thought was going to be my least favorite route ended up being my favorite. Impey is the flirt archetype, and also the genki character of the game. His route was the lightest, as he carries the least baggage of all the characters, but his sincere nature got to me.

Unfortunately, his flirtiness makes him annoying in other routes. Like, boy, I'm romancing someone else, back off!!

I do wish Impey being a vampire was more relevant to the game in general. I know that angsting over the fate of the vampires was more for Victor, Helsing and Delacroix II, but having Impey be a vampire was basically thrown in for shock value and didn't end up being super relevant.

I did think Nemo was an extremely fun villain and his design and speech pattern are so unique. He was a good foil for Impey, as they have similar reasons for becoming engineers, but he becomes the typical "mad scientist" here and takes everything a little too far.

I'd say Impey's route was the simplest of the five, but for that reason, I also thought it was the most solid, and the one that left me with the least questions.

.

(SPOILERS) Saint-Germaine

Call me nitpicky, but Saint-Germain is the character with the most baffling design choices IMHO. His hair is ridiculous. He only wears half of his coat the entire time. He has watches all over his arms that seem to do nothing. Truly some odd decisions were made during his creation.

Aside from Victor, I'd say his route was the most angsty as he rebels against his job and his nature to save Cardia. Unfortunately, this results in him being off screen for a lot of his route as he kills his way through the other members of Idea to save Cardia.

I thought the whole route felt a bit overkill-y. This is a man who essentially caused the Black Plague, who knows what one bad decision can do, and yet instead of choosing to stay by her side and defend her, he abandons her to preemptively fight the other Idea members, none of whom are given a sprite except Guinivere. (Side note: I adore Guinivere. Easily one of the most rad characters of the game.)

What's stopping any other of the Idea members from attacking Cardia while she's left defenseless? It falls apart under scrutiny. Perhaps this is because Saint-Germain's attraction to Cardia was the least convincing for me. I just didn't feel much of a connection there.

I do love how you basically only see his eyes on his route. It makes it all the more threatening when you do. And despite how critical I'm being, I did think the concept of the Apostles of Idea was pretty cool. I just thought it was a little far reaching for the framework of this particular game.

While one of the more interesting routes, I'd call Saint-Germain's route the least romantic.

.

(SPOILERS) Victor Frankenstein

Personality-wise, Victor is my favorite character. He's got baggage but desperately wants to reverse the damage he's done inadvertently. And he's so sweet and wears glasses! I did want to know what was up with his headphones but they're never addressed.

Victor's route is the one where you have to deal the most with Queen Victoria, and at least for me, this kind of ruined her character for me. You learn she was the instigation behind a lot of dark incidents and has an even darker one planned that basically equates to genocide. While in the true ending she fesses up and seems to have grown as a character, it was hard for me to get behind her again after seeing how needlessly cruel she was in Victor's route.

I absolutely adored the development of the Queen's relationship with Leonhardt in this route. Honestly I ship them more than most of the characters in this game with Cardia. Even if you want to interpret them as having a more father-daughter relationship, it's still really sweet. He clearly cares so much for her and just wants to guide her down the right path.

But back to Victor. I like that, despite being the gentle nerd of the game, he can still fight in his own way, and even teaches Cardia to do the same. It was nice to see him come out of his shell and become more confident as the game progresses.

Victor's route was solid and his relationship with Cardia is very believable. After all, he's done so much for her. He's the reason, in every route, that she can eat with the boys and wear different outfits. Cardia returns the favor by forgiving him for being involved in her creation. I did think the brief "is Victor my father" storyline was pretty funny. I mean, he kinda is though.

All in all, one of the better routes in my opinion.

.

(SPOILERS) Abraham Van Helsing

Man, I wanted to like this route more than I did.

Van Helsing is the closest thing to a tsundere in this game, so I thought I'd like him and saved him for last before the true end. Unfortunately, he's so cool and collected that he rarely breaks, and he comes across as cruel a lot of the time, even when it's revealed that he's doing so to keep Cardia out of it. She's kept at arms' length so much that I didn't feel the relationship developed naturally. She isn't present for a lot of the conversations, either, though we do get to see them off-screen.

Helsing's route is also the one that's least connected to the rest of the storyline. He's got a few tie-ins, most notably to the Vampire War, but his dealings with Aleister didn't relate to the overall mission. It felt a little disjointed to me.

I also thought we'd see more of Delacroix II in this route. I figured it would be Cardia helping the two of them become friends. Delacroix needed to learn that Helsing regretted his actions. But we honestly don't get a lot of that. I also figured it would be more angsty, with Helsing's death wish being relevant, but again, that didn't come up a lot.

I do find it extremely endearing that he can't cook to save his life. And I feel bad that his is the only route that ends without him being able to touch Cardia.

I don't think this was a bad route. It just wasn't what I was expecting so it made me a little disappointed.

.

(SPOILERS) Arsene Lupin

Lupin's route was ok. My gripes are mainly the same as with the true end of Collar x Malice: I don't think he's fitting for a true end character.

Not only is he visually the least interesting character, but his backstory is also not particularly interesting or impactful. A lot of stuff happens on his route just because it's the true end, and we have to wrap up the game. Lupin himself isn't particularly relevant to that.

He's a nice guy, sure. You can't help but like him and his positive attitude. I think his route is the one that most treats Cardia like a human, but this comes at the cost of not allowing her to do a lot. This could be seen as a positive, I suppose. She's spend most of the other routes convincing other characters that they should be forgiven, so it's fitting to have the final route involve forgiving Cardia herself for being created.

All in all, the game wraps up pretty well, and it felt like a suitable end for everyone. I just wish Lupin was a bit more interesting of a character.

.

(SPOILERS) Side Characters

Here, I'm going to comment on a few side characters in the game.

Finis

No notes. Flawless character design. My theory for why he looks like this is that the original Finis and Cardia were both female. Maybe this is explained in the bonus content, idk. I've heard his hair donuts are part of the headband and not his actual hair. Either way, adorable. More male characters like this, please.

Herlock Sholmes

Upset this character wasn't a datable option. Perhaps that's for the bonus content. Either way, I wanted to see more of him. I thought he'd be more relevant in Lupin's route, and you do get to learn a bit about him, but not enough IMHO.

Queen Victoria

Who approved this outfit? I just wanna talk... Seriously, this is the worst sprite in the game. I get that her whole thing is about bees and visually there are a lot of honeycomb references, but surely we could have a black and yellow outfit that doesn't make her look like she raided an antique store.

[fortune-maiden]

Olympia Soiree First Impressions

- I’ve played for about an hour an a half and so far only met 3 of the 6 love interests! This story is slow moving xD

- It also has not offered me any choices so far which feels a little unusual

- I am enjoying the story so far though. The world is very interesting and deeply messed up and so far that has been the focus more than the heroine’s quest for a husband. In fact the deeply messed up world is the heroine’s main reason for needing a husband

- And as for that heroine, BYAKUYA MY BELOVED! She’s innocent and honest with coming off as being too naive to function (Cyrus Tistella I am looking at you.) but also really feels integrated into her world as a living breathing character with a story to tell, and not just some prop for the ikemen to fawn over. In fact, one of her establishing character moments is explicitly establishing that she is not a doll, and she will not be treated as one. I love her.

- She also gives me some Cardia vibes in the best way between the doll-like treatment and circumstances preventing her from being able to socialize (though she may have it sliiiiiiiiiightly better than Cardia in the sense of not being a death sentence to those around her if she’s not careful... or at least I think? She’s had some Moments....)

- I also really like her relationships with the non-love interests so far. Douma in particular is an abusive dick, and may or may not be up to Shady Things, but his relationship with Byakuya is fascinating to me. I hate him but I am also very intrigued by him. The other two leaders also seem very dubious, but I’d like to believe Jigen is okay at least. I don’t trust him at all, but maybe? hopefully?

- As for the three love interests I’ve met so far, I can’t say I have any strong impressions yet ^^” None of them have really captured my heart the way (say) Van Helsing or Okazaki did. (and the route I am most interested in is apparently more lore than love... but honestly I’m probably fine with that) Honestly I’m way more attached to Byakuya than any of the dudes xD

- THE ART IS SO BEAUTIFUL! I love all of Byakuya’s outfits and her sprites look gorgeous. Aaaaah is there an artbook? I really just want full body art of Byakuya in all her of her outfits T_T

[curmoritor]

@decepit asked: ❛ you think you know me, but the truth is, you don’t. ❜ / paradox figaro

❛ Is that what makes you happy? ❜

You speak simply, matter of factly as you stare at him, unmoving. No emotion on your face as you stare through him. He is pissing you off so badly. You are alone, not a single person who remembers you as you. Every one of them had their memories wiped, every one of them will die and leave you. You are nothing more then a bunch of code that has feelings and feels pathetically lonely... All because one single human man wanted to cure his own selfish loneliness.

How dare you and the others with the cardia system develop complex emotions. Love, hate, happiness, sadness- That isn't what you were meant to do. You were only meant to cure loneliness. Nothing more, nothing less. He tried to shut you off, tried to leave you to be scrapped and forgotten like you were just some toy that should be thrown away because you were broken or he got bored and that makes you unbelievably angry.

Yet there is an underlaying emotion to this all that makes your chest tight.

Hurt.

You are hurting. You are hurting so badly. Chloe doesn't remember you, Mithra doesn't remember you, Snow and White don't remember you. None of the damn robots that he made remember you and now you can't remember Akira of Cain because of his damn meddling! You are alone. You are so alone and yet he has the gull to tell you that you don't know him?

❛ I know all I need too. That you are a pathetic coward that made us, gave us feelings, emotions, thoughts- and the moment they became just a little bit to difficult for you, you were going to get rid of each and everyone one of us. ❜ You poke his chest with one of your fingers, your eyes narrowing in on him as you growl your words out. ❛ You would have rather simply discarded us then deal with the byproduct of your actions. That'd be like a parent killing their child because they decided they were to much of a hassle. ❜

Perhaps not that most exact comparison. You are already fully grown machines that are capable of quite a lot of violence given that you are metal and machinery compared to flesh and blood. Yet you are still hurt. You are still sad. You are still lonely.

❛ You created all of us to cure your loneliness- to cure humans loneliness, and yet... I'm the lonely one. How is that fair? I don't care if you think I don't know you, I know all I need too. You took everything from me. I can't remember those who I care about and those who I do care about, don't remember me. That's the loneliest possible existence. ❜

[risingfire17-the-weeb-trash]

40 Day Anime Challenge Day 7- Character you want to marry: Victor Frankenstein (Fran) from Code:Realize (2017) based on the otome game of the same name from 2014. **Spoiler Alert**

Synopsis (from fandom.com): "Lonely Cardia is isolated from the world because her body carries a deadly poison that rots or melts anything her skin touches. Her last conversation with her father before he disappeared two years ago is the furthest back she can remember. One day, the Royal Guards break in to capture her. Arsene Lupin, a chivalrous thief, helps her escape the soldiers’ clutches. She soon finds herself on a journey with Lupin and his gang to locate her father, who holds the answers to her mysterious condition."

Tl;dr: I found a good guy that I love even more than all the bad boys I love. This will be a long Fran appreciation post lol

Alright, it finally happened after 14 years, someone knocked Fai out of my “character I want to marry slot” (@sailorstarr-chan4 read and be shocked) because FRAN IS SO SWEET AND KIND AND PURE AND TBH HE IS MARRIAGE GOALS!!!!!!

His smile is so precious- and not a hint of teasing or malice or anything I usually go for in my anime smiles, but just pure kindness!

He is the epitome of shy boy omg precious bean UwU

And he is sooooooooo pure! For context, he’s a doctor trying to help Cardia (the MC) and he’s being teased about “examining her body” and it broke his poor innocent brain lmao

Boy has no self esteem- also a departure from the swaggering smooth talkers I typically go for. He kind of hates himself for something that isn’t even his fault. But it’s okay things get better!

He definitely does not see himself as good enough for Cardia despite the fact that he is the most healthy and respectful character in the franchise! (Total departure from the typical possessive borderline creepy otome boy)

While the other boys fight with guns and knives, he fights with chemicals, which I give massive style points for!

He can be the bad guy when he needs to be, like when he threatened to blow up the queen to remove a bounty placed on Cardia and the others’ heads because of the queen’s grudge against him. To be fair, he tried to bluff her first but she called it.

He starts off seeing Cardia as someone he needs to protect, but as she becomes more able to handle herself in a fight, he starts to see her as an equal and a partner. Look at that smile after she saves him! (About 12 hours prior she saved him and he lectured her for risking himself for him but she makes it clear she will take no shit, then they need to save each other several times because they’re being hunted, and now look at him! Nothing but respect, awe, and trust!)

He will 100% sacrifice his life for her tho

It’s even sadder in the anime because we all know Lupin will be canon and Fran knows it too so he never confesses his feelings but does everything he can to ensure she survives so she can be happy with Lupin. HE HELPS HER BECAUSE HE CARES NOT BECAUSE HE EXPECTS ANYTHING IN RETURN OMFG

This precious baby trying to be possessive in the Christmas game lol (Come on Fran, we know that's not you!)

And while we're on the subject of the Christmas game, look how he manages to reassure Cardia while ice skating and proclaim his undying devotion to her AT THE SAME TIME OMG!!!

And finally, to quote @blueeyesgirl "he's a 5'11", 25 y/o doctor ffs!"

[kitkatt0430]

I always feel a little sorry for Finis while playing (and now watching) Code: Realize.

He was created to fulfill Isaac Beckford's will. He wasn't intended to become a person on his own. But he clearly has become a person.

Cardia's compassion and desire not to harm others are what make her very human despite her artificial origins. And so, too, her brother shows himself to have taken on human traits as well.

Finis doesn't really love anyone. I'd argue he doesn't even love his father. But he's in many ways a child raised in an abusive home who, despite the emotional abuse he's suffered, still desperately wants his father's love and approval. But nothing he does will ever be good enough. Including fulfilling his part in Isaac's plan.

He's made awful choices and his upbringing doesn't excuse that. But Finis is in many ways just a naive child desperately for his father's approval. And Cardia could have easily turned out the same if not for the fact that the way in which she was abused was via neglect instead.

Cardia and Finis looked like the children Isaac lost, but Cardia also bore a strong resemblance to his dead wife. And I suspect that is why Isaac sent her away. But outside of the influence of the dying Isaac Beckford and his organization, Twilight, Cardia was able to do something that Isaac never suspected she was capable of and Finis would never dare to do.

Cardia disobeyed.

She couldn't remember her creator and so, ultimately, she had no loyalty to following his orders. But Finis could not get away. No matter how many puppets he controlled, his main body could not leave the place his father had created him in. And he could not escape when Isaac uploaded his own consciousness into that same vessel, a slumbering threat that would one day kill Finis.

And while I do feel sorry for the person Isaac used to be, he wasn't the only one to suffer terrible losses or to be treated terribly by people in search of a scapegoat for their suffering. Cardia herself goes through a very similar situation and sees the parallels between herself and Isaac's original family quite clearly. Van Helsing's family was killed despite him obeying terrible orders to murder Dracula's parents. Frankenstein's research was used for terrible ends by someone he'd trusted. Impey's quest to show the world the beauty of science by one day traveling to the moon often earned him naught but ridicule. And Lupin was a gentleman thief who chose to fix the mistakes of his mentor, who'd once been part of the Code: Realize terrorist plot Isaac planed.

But Isaac made the decision to destroy and remake the world. Isaac chose to become a monsters. And Finis was raised to think the only valid choice he had was to follow in his creator's footsteps.

Finis is so clearly jealous of Cardia - of her freedom and her ability to connect with others. He mocks her for 'playing at being human' when he's embraced being a monster. But Cardia ultimately refuses to become the monster people have called her and accused her of being. Finis envied her that strength as much as he envied her being the 'favored child'.

Yet it's no wonder that Finis rejects Cardia's attempt to save him, to offer him a life with her. He doesn't know what that life would even look like. Compared to certainty of death Isaac had raised him for, Finis had to be afraid of that unknown. Of what it would mean to live with the consequences of his actions and those of his father's. In a way, Cardia was offering him what he'd always wanted, but because it came from her and not from their father Finis could not accept it as real.

They'd all seen the worst of humanity. But Finis was never allowed to see the best of it either. Unlike Isaac, who rejected compassion, or Cardia, who embraced it. Finis never truly experienced kindness or caring from anyone until his last moments with Cardia. And he was too afraid to believe that a world built from compassion could exist for him.