Lovebrush Chronicles: Godheim Review
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My very long, informal, and definitely biased review. This will contain minor spoilers for the Godheim arc only so take caution. This review is also only limited to the Godheim series so there will be no overall thoughts on the game itself. I followed Otome Kitten's format and I really hope it helps out any beginners to LBC.
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ART:
I found the art very pretty and was extremely glad to see that they did not skip out on giving us CGs either! The sprites all looked good, but I personally have some issues with Lars' outfit (the orange did not look good on you sweetie 💀).
Not all CGs are drawn by the same artist however, which may be off putting for some. The total count number of proper CG's for each route (not including common route) boils down to around 4-5, so that also may be a pet peeve for some.
On another note, there are also mini CG's which appear as small boxes, whether you consider it as an actual CG is up to you. Personally, I enjoyed the roles they played towards aiding the narrative.
Unrelated note, I'm banging on the floor crying and wondering who the hell did Ayn's CGs (the one where he was cleaning his sword was my absolute favorite 😍) and why didn't they come back.
MUSIC:
If there's one aspect of the game that I shall praise to the ends of the earth, it's the music.
Colour me shocked when I listened to the intricate and deep soundtracks for the first time, they just took my breath away! There were many gorgeous orchestral scores that depicted the fantasy setting perfectly. Not to mention the battle ost's which had more effort put into them than necessary.
My personal favorite OST's would be the "River's End", and "Starry Sky", which plays the same tune as the OP song you hear when you log onto the game. It's honestly so iconic. 😭👌
Opening theme:
VOICE ACTING:
I was absolutely flummoxed by the stacked japanese voice cast, which all included extremely famous seiyuus from the otome industry:
1. Ayn Alwyn
[JP VA: KENN]: Shelby Snail (Cupid Parasite), Yukimaro (9R.I.P), Limbo (Bustfellows)
2. Alkaid McGrath
[JP VA: Tachibana Shinnosuke]: Seiya (9R.I.P), Henri (Piofiore), Rafayel (Love and Deepspace)
3. Lars Rorschach
[JP VA: Junichi Suwabe]: Artem (Tears of Themis), Van Helsing (Code: Realize), Sukuna (Jujutsu Kaisen)
4. Clarence Clayden
[JP VA: Kosuke Toriumi]: Rei Mukuni (CollarXMalice), Ichiya (Variable Barricade), Chojiro (Nightshade)
5. Cael Anselm
[JP VA: Daisuke Hirakawa]: Saint Germain (Code: Realize), Tower Overlord (Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk), Lucas Proust (Virche Evermore)
COMMON ROUTE:
To my delight, the pacing was done very well. Nothing was dragged out and the introduction to the overall plot of the game was well established minus a certain plot point which definitely could have benefited better by being introduced in the common route itself.
I didn't really expect it to turn out as dark as it did however. The common route + modern prologue took me around a total estimation of more than 4 hours but in reality the prologue itself shouldn't take that long at all.
ROUTE ORDER:
Once you've completed the common route, you are given the option to start either Ayn's or Alkaid's route. After you've completed both, Lars' route is unlocked. And once you've finished all three routes, Clarence's route unlocks as the grand finale.
This was my personal playthrough and I wouldn't have changed it if given the chance. I believe it had the best flow of story progression. Though that was mainly because I wouldn't have enjoyed Alkaid's route as much if I'd played Ayn's first:
Alkaid = Ayn = Lars = Clarence
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AYN ALWYN:
- Crown Prince of Godheim
- Tsundere
- Sweet tooth ❤️
Ayn is Lars's cousin, but you soon find out that there is not a hint of familial love between them. He shows up as a mysterious figure during the common route and portrays a conflicting character, making the heroine unsure of his standing. While he appears blunt and crude, he is a determined young man who's sworn vengeance, and with an unexpected love for sweets.
Ayn's route in my opinion had the best consistent pacing as well as romance. I did find the romance somewhat abrupt early in the story, but the strong chemistry between him and the heroine more than made up for it! 🥰 It was just so enjoyable to watch them banter with one another and watching them just click.
I enjoyed the storyline for this route a lot and I think it had something to do with the fact that Ayn's route provided a different perspective in comparison to the others. In this route, we learn more about the the political situation surrounding Godheim and the royal family.
I also loved Ayn as a character, and not unexpectedly became my oshi ❤️.I do think a lot of people will enjoy him as a love interest. His route also has a wee bit of spice 👀, so for y'all thirsty gamers be sure to savor it slowly, as it's the only bit of spice we're getting here lmao. I did find some of his actions, mostly in the bad ends, to be OOC, but I easily brushed it off seeing as how much I liked him.
ALKAID MCGRATH:
- Member of the Noventrate
- Good, sweet boi
- Tea
Devoted and caring, Alkaid is the mage assigned to guard the heroine during her stay in Godheim. He's always expressing his concern for the heroine and will do anything to help her, even if it means betraying his mission.
Alkaid is the character who the heroine interacts the most during the common route. His romance with the heroine was sweet, even if it did feel way over the top in it's initial stages when I first played it. But once I got to learn more about him, I realized that he truly just wanted the best for the heroine, romantic feelings aside. 🥺
The route was fine. But I personally wasn't the biggest fan of the direction (?) it took on halfway. Some parts of it felt irrational to me and didn't really feel like it had any real relevance to its own story.
On another note, Alkaid is such a dreamy man. 😩 I adore just how respectful of a man he is in general (women respect juice, bottoms up!), and it was so sweet how attentive he was in making sure the heroine was always out of harm's way. I guess you could say he was someone akin to a hero in fairytales.
LARS RORSCHACH:
- Emperor of Godheim
- Good at combing hair 🥰
- That chest doe 👀
Known as the "Tyrant Emperor" from the heroine's manga, he immediately sweeps her off her feet, claiming her as his bride the moment she first arrived at Godheim. While his initial impression was flirty and playful, he lives up to his name as a cold-blooded tyrant. For some aspects at least.
His route focused more on the Silver Knight, which was the main (and wrong) reason why I enjoyed his route so much! 😆 On that note, I think that the writers had a bone to pick with Lars. They just had to force him to share the spotlight with an intriguing side character lmfao. The route itself was paced and executed well for the majority, but the quality of the writing towards the end was slightly skewered.
But to be honest, I quite enjoyed Lars a lot as a character, rather than a love interest. It was interesting to see the conditions surrounding his birth as a tyrant and his motivations for his questionable actions.
That's not to say that the romance wasn't enjoyable. I actually quite liked the relationship between him and the heroine. I found some moments they shared together really sweet. I also adored the development of Lars' feelings, and you can see just how important the heroine's existence was to him at the end of the route.
Though I guess I would have found the romance more believable if the heroine articulated her feelings for Lars more. I found it difficult to see the romance from her side. In short, the romance wasn't it's strongest point.
Clarence Clayden:
- Godheim's Archmage
- Get the tissues
- I've never been the same since...
Clarence has somewhat poised himself as an antagonist, only giving leeway in Lars' route. Distant and cold, he is stubborn in wanting to use the heroine for his goal and is willing to sacrifice anything to achieve it.
This route was an emotional rollercoaster. It broke me down, dumped my heart 6ft underground, trampled on its grave, and then some. It left me broken for a whole week for real goodness gracious...😭
This route can probably considered the "True Route", seeing as how it tackles the problem straight on unlike in other routes. The pacing slows down a little bit for a few chapters, but once it picked itself back up, it picked up HARD.
Now let's get to the romance. Out of all routes, some may say it had the least sugary romance, and a part of me agrees. But do igaf? No! ❤️Clarence turned out to be such a longingly sweet character and despite all the harm and pain he's done, I have no qualms in forgiving him and wanting to love him with all my heart🥺, as does the heroine.
I honestly don't want to say too much as it may ruin the experience. I went into this route completely blind and boy was I glad. All I can say that this route was the most popular out of all the routes for good reason. Got me playing up to 2 am with no regrets.😆😭
CAEL ANSELM:
- The Silver Knight
- The bias wrecker
- The sus
- He ruined me...
He is known in Godheim as the Silver Knight as well as the leader of the Rebellion. Decisive and apathetic, the heroine is unable to affect him emotionally in any form.🤡
Cael does not have an actual route, but a personal story, labeled as Expedition from his POV which may serve as an epilogue to the Godheim series. In his story, any unanswered questions are explained here, as well as the many actions he took that did not make it on screen.
If this wasn't a review I'd spend one whole section brainrotting about him so be grateful I'm trying to keep this short. 😅 Cael is a surprisingly interesting character by nature and it was very liberating to finally get a glimpse of his true feelings and thoughts throughout the heroine's journey in Godheim.
I'm scared to say more in case it may ruin any surprises. In my opinion, I enjoyed his story a LOT! It definitely made me feel depressed and empty in its own way and it hurts my heart to see that he never got a route of his own for reasons I won't get into right now. Absolutely amazing and one of my favorite parts of the Godheim series!
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TRUE EPILOGUE:
Once you've finished all routes, the game will give you the option to choose one "True Ending", wherein you choose one of the boys to have a happily ever after with and by your own accord.
"One can only paint a world in which they believe in." 🥰
Please note that you can only choose one boy at a time. Your choice will then give you a Pictura based on which boy you choose.
To change your "True Ending", buy the Diadem from the shop to change your choice. You will not receive a different Pictura however.
I think the best thing about these endings were the music.😆 Each soundtrack was unique to each character and drop dead gorgeous to listen to. 😩
HEROINE (LITTLE PAINTER):
- Cheeky
- Anonymous manga author
- Needs a therapist (rly tho)
Despite China's strange attempts at creating self-insert heroines by leaving them nameless, the Little Painter was far from a blank slate! She's extremely relatable when it comes to her reactions and actions. Often times I would react a certain way to something an LI said or did, only for her to do the same thing! 🤣 I guess that could also count as a self-insert personality.
But if there's one thing I admire her greatly for, it would be her drive and determination to save Godheim. Her journey was far from easy and I doubt I could ever stay sane the way she did. Tbh, I didn't like the fact that her sufferings were never truly addressed properly, or rather, professionally ig?
I also found her quick adaptation and flexibility to her new environment extremely impressive. That goes the same to the way she wielded her powers for the first time. And how she grew stronger to go head to toe with even Clarence in his own route! You👏 Go👏Get👏 Em👏 Girl!
That said, she's not perfect. Some people found her to pushy and annoying though I personally found it okay. I was really glad how she didn't force herself to tolerate any crap and got that anger out rightfully.😆 (Asmoran deserved it...)
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Final Thoughts:
I have enjoyed my journey immensely! The whole premise and setting drew me in, and I was surprised with the impressive narration which absolutely pummeled me to the ground (mostly on Clarence's route and no I'm not shutting up abt that).
The localization was also really superb? Yes it had a few typos + mistakes here and there, but they really pulled out all the stops when it came to making the dialogue natural and relatable. Not to mention a few large words that even I don't understand. 😂
It's not without it's imperfections of course. There are definitely some issues with the writing. And if you're looking for heavy romance or even fluff, Godheim is not the place to go to. 😅
Playing the Godheim arc took me about a week-ish, considering I had to level up and such. It may be a tedious process for some, but for me, it was an iron gate which I violently shook every day, screaming for the next chapter.
All in all, it's definitely worth playing! You don't lose much anyway considering it's free, so just give it a try. You can always drop it if you don't like it. My rating for this game is also very much biased and should not be taken seriously:
8/10
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Hi! I’m a different anon than you responded to, and I get absolutely everything that you’re saying about not everyone being good and moral because I have seen it over on Twitter, but idk how much of the rpg community writes for fandoms, but over here on the indie side there is so much writing for fandoms, and many of the fandoms that get a lot of traction are YA media like Legacies for example, or more recently House of the Dragon. And while a lot of people do seem to make their own icons, it’s wild to me seeing resources made like that for public use while also expecting writers to essentially not write the characters those faceclaims play, you know what I mean? and on an unrelated but similar note: people making resources from shows that feature darker content but saying people cant use them for the exact same content featured but i digress The dissonance is just funny over all to me, because while I absolutely agree whole heartedly that the people who are gross are gross, they’re not going to stop, and they’ll just go private with everything if they feel they need to to stop people from going after them.
hi, it's skye. (related to this post) hola friendo, and ty for the support. i have actually never rper outside of tumblr, so i have no clue what happens in twitter world. BUT, you're actually right on my train of thought yk? one of the things that is so hard to mitigate is the fandom love, i'm one of them straight up and down. i haven't dabbled in a straight fandom character (i have made OCs in the world though, or a rpg set in the world) in a long, long time. given i haven't dipped into that world in ages idk what its like on tumblr, i have been OC'ing it up for at least 5 years now. however i do agree that if you are making resources for underage actors in lead roles, read: ya lit and fandoms, medieval fandoms, high school ones too, it's absolutely wild to not allow someone to use them. there needs to be a clear standard that the content creators set out and i def think i have seen some people on HOD packs note that they ask that people not use the underage FC in taboo and nasty stuff, which can be difficult in that genre, but i know firsthand it is completely avoidable. if someone has a blanket rule for all their content, its kinda unfair to make a pack that goes against their statements and lowkey tantalise people in that way. i personally havent seen it, but i can sympathise with the frustration.
the fandom issue is super hard, because that blanket rule does technically include many of our favourites. i have a legion of characters i would love to play or play again, but the rules have made it a bit harder from what i can tell. i'd be curious how admins of these fandom rpgs handle it, i'm certain they're still out there. like... how could you leave hogwarts behind?? when it comes to the indie verse, i have also spent a few years there and actually came to love it. independent writers who make their own resources and the like have a lot more freedom, they are bound by their own rules and it's by those rules that people find mutuals and thread partners. from what i remember, its a system that worked and gave AMPLE room for fandom characters (i played canon characters from YA fandoms in the indie verse actually). again though, i haven't been back in that community so i can't speak on it now.
i think the general vibe, when it comes/came to fandoms, is that if it is a universe bound in young adult land (again, i'm thinking hogwarts as my example), there is room for movement because they are real characters in a real world and we just get to create a group fanfic lmao. if it were me and i was running a RPG in that world, i think i would model mine off the later years (senior? i think americans call it? the last two years) because it's more realistic for a 17 year old to experiencing their own maturity. we all did it. i do not condone using underage actors for smut, lbc, however first kisses and dates? these are acceptable moral issues to handle in that young adult fandom realm. but i would tackle it with great care and great planning, some people will try and push the boundaries sadly. someone with recent knowledge will have to lmk whats the deal 🙏🏾 but look genuinely i cant speak for the fandom side, i think i outgrew the desire to rp in the YA fandom in general, i love the worlds though but i don't vibe with characters that (for me) are a decade younger than myself.
i also agree that whoever is doing the Bad Shit will continue, its such a shitty fact of life, but i have to believe that if we manage to force them into a private space at least we won't be exposed to it and therefore avoid potentially triggering content coming across and impacting our mental health. i'm lucky enough to not have a visceral reaction to written content, but many many many ppl are not that fortunate. we just gotta work together when this happens, and if not, simply block and move on if nothing else. sometimes thats all we can do. protect ourselves and hopefully, each other.
LASTLY tho, by darker themed shows are you talking like... saw franchise? horror vibes? blood/gore? or like a sexual thriller? thats just where my mind goes to be honest. i'm probably missing something lmao so fill me in if so!! but i sincerely do not understand the concept of making a gifpack from a 'darker themed' show/movie and then... not allowing someone to portray darker or mature themes? isn't that kind of redundant? i made two gif packs from a martial arts action film and i wouldn't disallow people from portraying fighting/violence because... that was the genre i giffed? personally, i havent seen it happen, but i do believe you. of course 'darker themes' can obvs mean different things to everyone, everyone has their own boundaries and standards of belief, but like... don't make a gifpack of a Heavy Topic show/movie and then disallow people to utilise the pack, aesthetics or role it was of that actor. that seems hella silly on face value 🥴
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Good morning! I hope you slept well and feel rested? Currently sitting at my desk, in my study, attired only in my blue towelling robe, enjoying my first cuppa of the day. Welcome to the weekend!
Wow! We are here again: Friday! Where did that week go! Time is absolutely flying by! Tomorrow will be October!
Thursday was interesting. I became a talking head! I became one of those people giving a very short interview about the life and legacy of a dead celebrity. Following the death of Coolio (R.I.P.) I did interviews with LBC, Times News, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC TV News, BBC World News, Channel Four News, Talk TV and BBC Radio Sheffield. Quite an experience!
Now, obviously, Coolio was not a political rapper. He wasn’t NWA or KRS1 or Public Enemy, Coolio was a different kind of guy. He was signed to Tommy Boy, the same label as De La Soul, and they made happy, hippy-dippy, whimsical and humorous hip hop, and there’s definitely a place for that. Coolio’s legacy is that he let young hip hop artists know that being laid back and reflective was cool too.
Yesterday was a really good day! I had the house to myself. As it happens, I took care of my family: went food shopping, washed clothes, cooked dinner, but I also enjoyed moments of quietness and stillness. At times yesterday, I just sat and thought. Sat very still, just me and my thoughts, trying to work out what I needed to do, trying to work out what I wanted to do, thinking about friends past and present. At points, just looking through the window, daydreaming. It felt great. Haven’t done that in ages. I would advocate it very strongly.
Denmark’s kit sponsor, Hummel, have sent out a powerful message ahead of the Qatar World Cup. “With the Danish national team’s new jerseys, we wanted to send a dual message. They are not only inspired by Euro 92, paying tribute to Denmark’s greatest football success, but also a protest against Qatar and its human rights record. That’s why we’ve toned down all the details for Denmark’s new World Cup jerseys, including our logo and iconic chevrons. We don’t wish to be visible during a tournament that has cost thousands of people their lives. We support the Danish national team all the way, but that isn’t the same as supporting Qatar as a host nation.”
Okay, I admit it! Whenever I see animal videos on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, I always stop and watch. I love animals! We don’t have pets in my house because we don’t have time or space but I simply love all animals. Seriously, even the big, scary ones! And I’m still haunted by videos of animal cruelty that I’ve seen. For some reason, I can’t erase those images from my brain. It makes me think back to the Kurt Zouma video, which did not offend me in any way at all. We are now living in this world where ‘innocent until proven guilty’ no longer exists. We’re living in snap judgement world. It could happen to me and it could happen to you. People are so quick to pass judgement without a pause for contemplation, without hearing the other side of the story, without all the facts. Back in the eighties, I distinctly remember the face of a black man on the front cover of The Sun and one word in huge letters ‘Monster’. Needless to say, within weeks, the man was proven innocent.
Hope you can join me tomorrow at 1.00 p.m. for ‘The A-Z Of Mi-Soul Music’. The second part of The Letter J, executive produced by Charlotte Rabin who, back in the day, was a hardcore raver, so get ready for some uptempo tunes!
I post this status every single week day, Monday through Friday. If you want to read it but you don’t see it, just go to my profile. I’m always here!
Have a fabulous and funky Friday! I love you all. You’re probably thinking, “You don’t even know me!” but, if people can hate for no reason, why can’t I love?
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