#it's by no means my least favorite otome but i wanted to love it and maybe it could have been one of my favorites

[my-current-obsession]

I decided to post a tier list of my thoughts of all the routes in various otomes that I’ve played. I was inspired to do this because I just finished Norn9, and while I’ll admit that upon finishing the game I have SEVERAL issues with the story as a whole and a few routes in particular, I did love Akito and Heishi enough to add them to my favorite routes of all time, and I’ll definitely return to the game every now and then just to replay those two, if nothing else. Looking forward to the fandisc, too!

I’d be happy to talk about my feelings in depth for basically any otome or specific route, if you’re curious. My absolute favorites are Code: Realize, Collar x Malice, Taisho x Alice, and Even if Tempest.

[captaincryolicious]

your bookstore crush III

➳ alhaitham x gn!reader

➳ oneshot, 1.4k

➳ cw. fluff, established relationship, this turned sappy lol, modern au, maybe alhaitham is a bit ooc here

your bookstore crush? more like your bookstore boyfriend [14.11.2022]

[part one + part two]

@yukina-otome you asked for a tag so here it is!

content under the cut | masterlist

The days you spent working at the bookstore always went by swiftly and rapidly, and you found yourself enjoying every minute of it. Sorting books, talking to customers and seeing them leave satisfied with their purchase, interacting with your handsome co-worker – who you happened to be dating, all in an environment you loved a lot. You grew to adore the little bookstore on the corner of the street all over again. 

So why leave when the day of labor was over?

At some point, a few weeks ago, the two of you lingered in the store until long after Alhaitham switched the sign on the door from open to closed. Choosing a dark corner, obscured from sight by the tall bookshelves and cozied up by the dimmed lights, you sat for at least two hours, talking quietly and enjoying each other’s company. 

And that grew into a habit. 

You never did anything in particular. You and Alhaitham simply closed down the store for the day and retreated to your favorite spot, where an old sofa stood against the wall for people who felt like reading while they were in the store. It was that sofa where you cuddled for the first time, where you had your first kiss, where he allowed you to be so close to him in the most peaceful way possible. You loved the little corner of the store, and it was such a nice spot to wind down together after a few hours of work. After all, it was your spot, of you and Alhaitham.

     “What a day,” you sighed, gently sitting down next to your boyfriend. “I don’t say this often, but I’ve had enough books for today. I’ve spent three hours moving around that new batch of fantasy novels and I’m still not entirely done yet.” 

Okay, you weren’t one to complain often, but those were a lot of books and you had to move them around all by yourself since today had been filled with customers. Alhaitham simply had been too busy to help you out. You didn’t mind, nor did you hold it against him, but you had to blow off some steam. 

     “I wish I could’ve lent you a hand, Y/N,” Alhaitham replied earnestly. “I’m not sure why it was so particularly busy today.” 

     “It’s fine,” you reassured him. “That only means that the store is proving to be a success, right? That’s a good thing.” 

     “That might be so, but I don’t want you to overwork yourself,” the male reasoned. He offered you a stern look. “Maybe my father should hire someone extra. I have a roommate who can use some money so maybe I can get him a job here.” 

     “Maybe,” you muttered, pulling your knees to your chest and leaning against Alhaitham with a tired sigh. Okay, you were cooked, but you weren’t too sure if finding an extra employer would make you any happier. You loved working with Alhaitham only. It made the bookstore feel quite intimate, as if it was something between you, and you didn’t want to throw that away.

Alhaitham watched your expression turn sour as your thoughts progressed, but he said nothing regarding it; it wasn’t that hard to guess what was on your mind and now that he thought about it, he found himself agreeing with you. He didn’t want anyone to get in the way of what you had going on in the little bookstore.

     “Just don’t overwork yourself, okay? That’d be troublesome,” he said, slowly draping his arm over your shoulders and pulling you a little closer against himself.

     “Aww, look at you caring about me,” you cooed, getting cozy against him. “You must really like me.” 

     “Y/N, we’ve been dating for two months,” the male with silver hair deadpanned. “Of course I really like you.” 

He gave you a look and you grinned.

     “It’s cute to hear you say it out loud.” 

     “Apologies, I assume I don’t do so enough,” Alhaitham admitted. 

You gazed at him for a moment. His turquoise eyes rested on you solemnly and his expression was as serious as always, but the dimmed lighting made his hair look absolutely fluffy and the male looked softer than ever before. You smiled giddily. He was handsome and adorable!

     “That’s okay,” you smiled. “That only makes it more meaningful when you actually say it.” 

And it really was okay. Alhaitham was a quiet lover, far from being over the top about it. His love language was subtle, without caps lock and exclamation marks. Having Alhaitham love you brought you a way more mellow side of him, yet it was still so skillfully hidden under his stoic mask. Your days were filled with stolen glances, and his turquoise gaze would grow softer every time his eyes locked with yours. Your days were filled with compliments and sweet nothings hidden in deadpanned remarks that may sound like sarcasm but were heartfelt and sincere – you knew him well enough to know. And then there was the way he loved having you near him, either with your hand snuggly in his or to have you cuddled against him on the sofa – while he pretended to be totally unaffected and that was the biggest lie because he adored every second of your presence. 

Would you ever fully break through his stoic facade? You had no idea, but you didn’t mind either way. You loved Alhaitham the way he was, just like the way he loved you. Blunt, serious, unfazed, secretly a tease sometimes, a sucker for dried Zaytun peaches. That was your Alhaitham. 

     “Why are you staring at me like that?” the male questioned after a while.

You snapped from your thoughts, blinking a few times before regaining your composure after being shaken from your little daze. You shot him a sheepish grin; you got caught. 

     “Because you’re handsome,” you bluntly said, shifting on the sofa so that you were facing him. “Do you know how much I like you?” 

     “Judging from the heart-eyes you have when you look at me? A lot,” Alhaitham guessed. “Y/N, I hope you’re also aware of how much I like you.”

     “Hmmm,” you hummed teasingly. “I don’t know. Unlike you, I’m not an academic genius.” 

     “I don’t think either of us needs a degree in how much we like each other,” the male with silver hair reasoned dryly. “As I mentioned before, I like you a lot.” 

He spoke in all seriousness, and that was one of the many things you liked about him. He was earnest and serious, blunt and bold. He was also very serious about you and he didn’t beat around the bush when he told you so. The way he looked at you so solemnly made your heart swell. 

     “Oh, I think I already got that degree the moment I saw you,” you added to the joke, before turning serious. “I don’t think I can like someone as much as I like you.” 

Why were the two of you turning so… sappy? Maybe it was simply because both of you were tired after a long day. and the fair share of boldness you adopted from Alhaitham was also playing its part. Usually it wasn’t like that. Most of the time you sat against Alhaitham as he was reading a book, often talking but never like this despite dating for two months already. But you liked it. You liked this sort of conversation with him. 

     “You speak big words, Y/N,” your boyfriend pointed out. 

     “I mean it, though,” you swore. “I’m as serious as you are.” 

     “Nice try, but you’ll never be as serious as I am.” Alhaitham gently flicked your forehead before turning away and grabbing the book that lay on the armrest of the sofa. But you saw it; the rare little smile that rested on his lips as he did so. 

Silence followed, in which Alhaitham grew immersed in his book and you rested against him comfortably, thinking about the words that still lingered in the air. Your conclusion? Alhaitham was down bad for you in his own way, but you were so just as much.

[yuri-is-online]

Call me tragedy anon w the way i slurp that shit up real. Okay but in all /srs i'm a firm believer that most love stories or stories in /gen in TWST are mainly happy love stories tragedy? Never heard of them!!!

But i think most would be more fascinated to figure out thats its popular in Yuu's world. Like why??? Don't people not like being happy more than sad? and its true!! But there's always something cathartic about well-written tragedies (imo at least) and people enjoy that feeling. Personally the media i enjoy and stick to me the most are usually the ones that have open ended or ambiguos endings that leave a bittersweet after taste in your mouth. Something about retrospecting and finding peace that yes even though it never ended well, there was happiness, or maybe if not happiness then maybe peace to be found in a story like that. The love was still there!!!! Do you understand!!!???

Orpheus can never be with Eurydice ever again, but the two loved each other!! Icarus will always die but the sun kissed his face!!! Do you understand!!!!!!!!!!

I want to thank you for sending me this on valentine's day. It is so fitting I should have answered immediately.

Welcome to the stage tragedy annon! W takes in this ask right here your brain is massive.

Orpheus can never be with Eurydice ever again, but the two loved each other!! Icarus will always die but the sun kissed his face!!! Do you understand!!!!!!!!!!

I UNDERSTAND I AM THINKING I AM FEELING I AM CRYING BUT I FEEL SO FULFILLED!!!!!!!!!!

I really like happy endings and have a hard time playing the bad end in otomes but one of my favorites, Birushana has these tragic endings that I have done some of and GOD. The image of Shungen screaming at Tomomori as he cradles Shanao's dead body, saying he can't just take her away as Tomomori prepares to jump into the ocean and drown with her only for him to say "You misunderstand, she is taking me." .·°՞(≧□≦)՞°·. i am crying, screaming, throwing up etc. and so on because fucking damn that's what it's about. The love is so real it has to endure even when everything else is gone.

I think that Idia might find some morbid comfort in that concept which is why I mentioned the Orpheus and Eurydice connection in his long fic musing. I don't think he would find it romantic necessarily, but certainly comforting. Like at least by Yuu's weird standards his curse isn't the major set back he thought it would be and even if things end badly they will still see it as worth it? That's weird, odd, and something he outwardly wants to make fun of but not something he really can when that's what he has come to believe too after his overblot.

Jade and Azul both work really well for this too. Azul because he believes love is inherently exploitable, so the idea that stories end badly in your world just further cements his own bias. The idea that you would consider the bad ending to make things no less real or valuable though, THAT he would need some time with. What do you mean Orpheus fails to save Eurydice is the point of the story? He has a hard time coping with the idea of losing already, adding that into romance as a selling point doesn't make sense from a consultant's point of view. You want to win in the end no? Not just be left ugly crying alone. Jade on the other hand... I just like to see him eat shit on something like this tbh. "Oh I would never do something like that, what an idiot for looking back-" Jade would actually show up at the gates of the underworld and he would still look back because he needs you to be there exactly like the myth foretold and he would be cursing fate the entire time.

I feel like I leave Floyd out of these sort of things so I want to add him here because I feel like he would dismiss the idea of tragedy as a good thing but not because he like. Doesn't think it doesn't exist or something he just doesn't care. He already knows the time you spend together will be enjoyable, and if it ends with death or with him going too close to the sun, well that was the point wasn't it? Kind of like he gets the point but not because of the example given. It's also why I could see him actually successfully making it through to a happy ending. He has this line in Chapter 7 when Lilia is scolding the Octatrio that made me scream because of how good of a job the VA did with it:

And if he says his place is a happy ending I believe he'd make it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[yuikomorii]

If it’s not rude of me, I’d like to ask how is Ayato the favorite in Japan among fans?

I’d always assumed it was Shuu, since he consistently ranked first in the polls and that Ayato was the favorite among the people who don’t play the games but buy merch, so that’s why he got a push in merch. I do not mean to offend, I quite like Ayato, I’m just curious.

(I apologize if my English is bad, it’s not my first language.)

// Shu has more active and sociable stans, Ayato has more solo and private stans in Japan. Popularity polls never really show how popular a character truly is because 1) you can vote once a day everyday in some cases, 2) it’s not that hard sending a link to your friends/followers in order to vote for your favorite character and 3) not everyone votes. I’ve never even seen any DL character get close to even 10k votes and I’m sure all of them have over 1 million fans. I mean… Just take a look at Piofiore's Dante, who came in first in the popularity poll, although Yang and Nicola are much more well-liked. The same is true for Lupin from C:R; even though he tops the polls, Van Helsing and Saint-Germain are all the rage. If we interpret it that way, Kou won the 2022 poll too, right? Ayato also won the 2017 Rejet shop poll, which took place in Tokyo.

Shu is still indeed very popular in the Japanese DL fandom, but Ayato is more popular in the Japanese otoge fandom and with locals. Sometimes you’ll find Shu merch a bit more expensive than Ayato’s one, other times you’ll find Ayato more expensive than Shu. It simply depends on how the sellers view the situation.

Another possibility is that Shu’s stans aren’t as active as they were in the past since things change or Ayato just had a huge DL fans boost. I know votes aren’t everything but the fact fans voted Ayato’s CD as the best Daylight one and also won best overall CD drama in 2022, surprised me a lot because I, at least, never found his CD dramas particularly good.

I made a post about this once, and as I said, it started off as a joke but Ayato is truly an IT boy, lol. A famous idol cosplayed him once… that should say it all. In 2020, people recommended him so much that he ended up co-starring at “Nino-san”, a program held by Kazunari Ninomiya, a national idol as well. I don’t know how, since he’s literally 40 years old, but he somehow knew who Ayato was and even smiled when he saw him. Moreover, the interviewer literally went to a stranger and interviewed her, then she started shaking and laughing when she saw Ayato and even admitted being his fan. That, imo, shows how HUGE Ayato must me, if even random people know who he is and bias him too.

I don’t think any Diaboy could ever be more known and loved than Ayato is outside of the DL fandom but that’s not because of his character or anything like that, but due to his unbeatable visuals. You’ll see a lot of people saying that his face is ideal/perfect/desirable, as seen here, and they’re not even joking. Most people find Ayato the most good-looking one there because he is the closest to their beauty standard. Don’t get me wrong, everyone is very handsome; Shu has one of the most liked designs too but the reason why his visuals are not more praised than Ayato’s ones is because he looks too western. Japanese people are fascinated by western features but they don’t want to look like that; the majority would prefer someone that fits their ideal of beauty more. Ayato has canonically big eyes, a small face but not too small, long dark lashes, a youthful and quite androgynous face but that still shows some masculinity, a slender yet muscular body, above average height (170cm) but not too tall. That’s what makes him visually perfect.

To sum it up, all DL characters still have their fans but due to the fact that a lot of other otome games came out, they lost some hype they used to have. Ayato still manages to be the most talked about, praised and trending character at the moment merely because of his visuals, since that’s what sets him apart. Him being super pretty makes otoge fans and locals bias him, so they desire his merch, plus he got a big amount of DL fans too. Is he the most popular in the jp DL fandom? Idk, I don’t think anyone could truly measure that. Is he the most popular DL character there? Yes.

[polymc]

I FINISHED CHAPTER 2!! I am now on chapter 3 but I think I'm gonna wait and level up characters? I need to level up skills and at least 2 of them to level 50/60(I like being prepared :>)

Anyway, off topic but I'm gonna go on a small rant under the cut so please ignore if you don't want to hear my stupidity >:3

why are people surprised by Minhyeok blushing/admiring the kings?? The game is meant to have all the characters/love interests be bisexual or pansexual due to MC being male or female, right???(Kinda wish it was like obey me and used they/them so anyone can play but that's okay ^^) guess that means it's not technically an otome but eh, everyone calls obey me an otome even when MC doesn't have a set gender, pronouns, or looks so I guess this counts XD

Literally the demons fucked solomon... I don't think they really care about anything XD And for Minhyeok, like I said, we can pick male or female at the VERY START of the game. Wouldn't that have clearly made everyone at least bisexual or pansexual for every single person to play??? I don't get why this is a whole thing that needs to so set in stone when it's just a game, leave it be and let people enjoy it as a dating sim or just a simple gacha game.

Anyway, my point is I don't understand some of the arguments going on about it being an otome or calling this game yaoi/BL. It's just a plain dating sim for anyone, no matter who, can enjoy. I am a polyam Gender fluid pansexual mess who just loves visual novels and some gacha games!

(Side question, Is there a word for just people like the same person/main character? You have harems, all women liking one man and you have reverse harems, all men liking one woman. But I never heard the term for a group of both liking one character :0 One of my favorite animes is like that! These guys AND girls like the main girl and it actually gives off really go bisexual feels TwT)

[oldestmakkapakkafan]

OK TOUCHSTARVED DEMO REVIEW!! I JUST FOUND OUT THIS EXISTED YESTERDAY AND STARTED PLAYING

So I was scrolling through tiktok and got THE video of the trailer, immediately started playing which is surprising from me because I normally only procrastinate for everything, even for things I like. But yesterday was a good day it seems.

I started the game and after the short intro selected "the unnamed" backstory I think it's called?? I don't really remember but it was the one where you ran away from your cult village or whatever. For two reasons.

A. I didn't want to have exclusively witty one liners as my dialogue. (The criminal backstory)

B. I'm already playing the arcana (the mage backstory)

Of course I'll play the demo with each one of them later but rn I'm doing various play throughs with variations of what I feel like my own choices would be.

Now for how I like it overall, IT'S SO GOOOOODD!!! I loved everyone just from the trailer alone, everyone except vere, I just really hate his archetype. Let's say me and red haired otome guys have a long time beef, ancestral beef if you will (I'm looking at you castiel...). I just don't like the playboy who is also really mean for no reason and only flirts by making a fool out of you. Anyways, enough about someone I don't really like.

First KURAS, he's soooo my type 🤭 long hair, dark skin, calm and collected! Soo cute, I like his dialogue and interactions in the demo, I haven't unlocked his red option so I feel like he was a little too distant for my liking but I know that'll probably change with the full game (I assume he has one, I mean I got ais' and leander's without even trying).

Now Ais, tbh I tried to stay loyal to kuras but Ais is so hot, cool and kinda flirty... I WAS GIGGLING SO LOUD AND PUNCHING MY PILLOWS, I'm not always for bad boys bc it isn't really done right most of the time (in my opinion) but Ais is really something else.

And lastly Leander, he's hot and sweet, I don't really have much to say about him, I can tell he's the easiest route, at least for me. He's the type of character I can get the good ending of with my eyes closed. I mean we might as well be kissing him by the end of the demo. I still like him tho. I'm just more normal about him than I am about Kuras and Ais. And I can already see him being a fan favorite, so I better like him because all those fanarts are about to infest my feed.

As for mhin and vere. They're not really that interesting to me, I'd say my top would be like this

Kuras and Ais (yes, I just decided I like them both the same)

Leander

Mhin

Vere

Ok now the fan girling is over. Time for SERIOUS BUSINESS!

Art Quality? 9.5/10 soo pretty, the street and city sheets could use a bit more work though. It's kind of underwhelming at the beginning when you see the city and it doesn't really stand out. But maybe it's just me.

Dialogue quality? 9/10 it doesn't feel repetitive, it's immersive and even when there's some corny lines here and there, I'd say it's vere's fault for being a devious bad boy archetype. Because that dialogue is only present with him 🧍‍♀️

And that's it. Even with the wall of text I just wrote I've only played once three routes with the cult(?) Backstory. I will probably write more text walls as I get deeper into the fandom and game.

[magicluckystars]

Speaking of ikemen/otome games; I want to ask you about the game you seem to really like; lovebrush chronicles

Tell me all about your faves (and least favourites if you have any), what the suitors are like, do you like how the MC(?) Is written, anything is fair game

first of all, thank you so much for asking!! I rarely get any asks like this so this made me really happy!

To answer your question, the game is about travelling through different universes. (The game's Chinese name literally means "the time travelling painter" or something like that) basically the MC (you) is an art major at this one school on an island, St. Shelter Academia (weird name i know) the MC is also a manga author however, and no one else knows except this one guy (I'll explain more about him later, he doesn't have any routes in the main story but he does in events) the MC created the manga because she's been having dreams about it for a while, but she was getting stuck on the content lately

you also adopt a cat

don't wanna spoil it for you in case you wanna find out for yourself, but stuff happens and you get isekaid to the world. in your manga. There you find out that you've been writing manga about an alternate universe, and the 5 (4?) love interests all play important roles in the story

Basically their country was being terrorized by ice butterflies that freeze everything they touch, so it's a neverending winter there. only the mages can hold the butterflies off but the public doesn't trust them

Now onto the love interests!!

the universe the MC came from is the Modern universe (earth) and the alternate universe is Godheim.

Lars is a wealthy entrepreneur who also happens to be a big fan of your manga (he doesn't know that you wrote it though). He's one of the school's investors.

In Godheim, he's the tyrannical emperor who summons you to that world and says that you're to be his bride.

I don't wanna paint him in a negative light because he's actually very caring and holds family close to his heart, he's also one of the few characters in Godheim that can take a joke lol. basically silly happy emperor actually has trauma. He is also a feminist.

His route is really sweet and pretty good but it wasn't my personal favorite.

Ayn is his cousin. In Godheim, he and clarence have an alliance.

His route has the second-most bad endings. He shares this with Ayn.

He's also the tallest-

Clarence is the student council president who abides by the rules and gets good grades. He's also a law major.

In Godheim, he is the steely cold, merciless Archmage (the leader of all the mages) of Magi Tower. He was the one who did the ritual to summon you, and he was gonna keep you in a bird cage with roses on it but Lars said no so you're allowed to roam the castle but if you make even the tiniest of mistakes BAM. Back in the cage.

Clarence isn't my favorite so I don't know much about him, but he wants you to do well so he tries to push you to do so.

Clarence's Godheim route is the last one, so it's where you uncover the secrets of godheim. I didn't like his route much but I did enjoy seeing his soft side. Also, you get to beat a pervert's ass. And the MC cusses in this route (she says "grade A ass whooping). It's amazing.

His route has the most bad endings.

Ayn is a music major and a freshman like you. He's really popular but also doesn't really like interacting with people, he's very much of an introvert. He can come off as rude but he's just tsundere. he's also a gamer, and a pretty dedicated one at that. He very much believes in tough love. He's not the comforting type.

In Godheim, he is the stubborn leader of the Inquisitors, who basically kill rebels and people who disobey the king. He was originally the crown prince but Lars took it from him (the reason why is a spoiler) and Ayn wants to kill Lars as revenge for that. He's been biding his time in order to do that.

Ayn's route was one of my favorites, it was action-packed yet still soft at the same time. Also, his outfit is 😳

I'm pretty sure his route has the same number of bad endings as lars.

He's the shortest.

Alkaid (my favorite!!) helps you and Ayn in this route.

And now, for my favorite, Alkaid!!

He's the kind upperclassman who helps you get settled at school. He's a junior I think, an astronomy major. He's so sweet I swear to God ❤❤ he has a cat, and your cat and his cat play together often. He likes gardening.

In Godheim, alkaid is the submissive but kind mage assigned to protect you and watch you for clarence. Clarence is his boss. He's one of the most powerful mages in the Magi Tower. Anything else I say will be a spoiler for the entirety of Godheim...

In both universes, even though he is kind and believes in the good of people, he doesn't let himself get walked all over and doesn't hesitate to stand up for others if necessary.

Alkaid's route is tooth-rotting fluff. It's so cute because with your help he finally realizes that he shouldn't be afraid to fight or question authority, and that he can't just let everything happen if there's something he can do. His route is my favorite, next to Ayn. It also has the least amount of bad endings, only two, but let me tell you those two bad endings are soul crushing. I got a bad end on my first playthrough and it RIPPED ME APART.

Last but not least, Cael. If you're into butler type characters then he is for you. Cael is the one who took care of you when your mom died (your dad died when you were like 3).

In Godheim, he is the silver knight leading the rebellion against the emperor.

I don't have much to say on him because he's not my favorite and he doesn't have a route, but he's behind the bigger mysteries in Godheim.

He plays a big role in Lars' route.

after Godheim, you can pick an ending for one suitor where you're both happy together. After that, the next world is Eden but I'm not going to go too much into that because i like godheim more

The mc is gorgeous. Her facial expressions in the cards are everything.

All in all the game's pretty good, but it's not very well-known here so it has a fairly small and non-toxic fandom

In the battles, something called "assist events" can trigger where you have to choose the correct option to get a buff. If you choose the incorrect option then you get a debuff. The voice acting is amazing and the illustrations are really pretty, the soundtrack is beautiful too

Sorry for the word dump ;; I just wrote and wrote and i didn't see how big it got 😅

Hope this answered your question!! lots of platonic kisses and i hope you're doing well <33

[protect-namine]

final performance thoughts (kisa's route) and I guess just overall thoughts on the game.

the thing is, I did expect the final arc to be a bit (thematically) underwhelming because it's hard to follow up oh rama havenna when both the play and the lead up to it was perfectly executed. and I mean, I was right, but I'm still a little bit disappointed lol. I see what ishida and towada wanted to do with the "jack jeanne" role, and I was really hoping it would land hard during kisa's route. it didn't hurt the game, but it also just. could've been more.

some thoughts on sissia of the central nation:

great music, probably has some of the best costumes for the cast. jj being a visual novel definitely removes some of the showmanship but I understand how sissia would be amazing to see live. it's like if you watch a mix of the greatest showman and les miserables. the border performance is like if a circus performed on the barricade from les mis.

I'm sure ishida and towada was itching to write a greater message with sissia but they're at least aware that they're writing an otome game lol

I think because all the actors have already gone through their character development in previous arcs, the rehearsals seemed a bit too easy? sissia rehearsals have to accommodate seven routes, so I imagine there are individual conflicts in each LI route. but when it comes to kisa's route, neji didn't really give anyone a challenging role. I realize that my favorite element of the story is when actors struggle to connect with their character, and there wasn't much of that in kisa's route. and because kisa's route focuses on sissia's relationship with the kielce troupe instead of individuals, there is a loss of intimate character moments that usually make neji's plays so good

the conflict was more around quartz vs amber. it's nice, but man I kinda wish the winter performance rehearsals was saved for the final performance because having neji give every single quartz member challenging roles to overcome for the finale with the help of kisa acting as the glue that keeps them together? and them winning because of it? feels like a better way to show that "gear" metaphor they love to use

but I also prefer that mitsuki was the one doing that during the winter performance, so idk. I get it

(watsonian) you know, I was gonna say that I can't believe that neji thinks sissia is one of his best plays when oh rama havenna exists, but actually, that's very in character lmao. neji himself didn't understand what made oh rama havenna entertaining. he's a writer whose inspiration can sometimes work on a deeply unconscious level sometimes.

I also just realized what else was lacking in kisa's route. I wish there was more improv!!! every quartz play has an improv scene that's designed to go straight to the actor's heart. sure, sou did improvise his monologue and kisa did tsuki's line at the beginning, but it's not the saaaame. it's not the same as figaro riling up charles riling up mary, or rukiora/mitsuki's "that applies to you too", or neji and kisa reworking mukai's characterization the day before the performance without telling anybody. I wish someone had thrown an improv scene at sissia. or even better, maybe kisa met eyes with chui in the audience and went off-script.

I like the exploration of gender expression in the game, so I was disappointed that they didn't really do more with the jack jeanne role. they SAY it's a revolutionary concept in univeil but like. there isn't anything in the script in kisa's route that really highlights how she's neither/both jack or/and jeanne. again, doesn't really hurt the game and its overarching themes, but it just could've been more. it could've landed harder. maybe it's highlighted more in the other routes though (I have high hopes for mitsuki to at least touch on this), so we'll see.

the closest we get is mitsuki and mare's commentary on it, as well as the audience's, but like. that's outside perspective. the actual play itself doesn't really do anything about it? neither does kisa's voice acting lend itself to being ambiguous about gender, which was supposedly the goal. if anything, it was closer to her voice acting as maiden. I thought her voice acting for chicchi and charles were closer to what the jack jeanne role intended, but that's just me

but!! for all the finale lacked, chui made up for all of it. which is ironic, but really, there's like so many things going on with the neji/kisa/chui dynamic on a relationship and theme level. love whatever's going on with them. I am petitioning for sui ishida to write a side story where they're all amber students

anyway, kisa is a great protagonist and I'm really glad all her lines are voice acted because I don't actually self-insert that much in these games. going through the other routes will be painful because this is 80% common route, but I am also so glad the common route is long but sprinkled with a lot of flavor text (I finished one route and I've only gone through 21% of the text). very slow burn. I'm also the kind of person who usually would just do 1-2 routes and move on, but because the common route is so long, all of the characters have endeared themselves to me, so now I do want to go through all the routes. amazing.

but I have to make the executive decision to do neji and mitsuki's route last because if I finish them first, I really will probably not do anyone else's routes. to me, neji is the deuteragonist of the game even if he's not intended to be.

[otome-asylum]

Piofiore: Fated Memories Review

Preface: More detailed, character-specific posts are to follow (excluding the Finale and Henri routes), but here are my thoughts about the game over all.

Piofiore: Fated Memories is an Otomate game from Idea Factory, localized by Aksys Games for the Nintendo Switch.

Overall Score: 8/10. I really liked the game in general, romanticized mafia is super fun! I loved the mafia premise and the thrill of illicit activities, haha. The love interests and side characters were excellent, too. The voice acting is fabulous! Two of my favorite VAs voice love interests: Showtaro Morikubo as Gilbert Redford (also voices Souji Okita in Hakuoki and Impey Barbicane in Code Realize) and Ryohei Kimura as Nicola Francesca (voices Kageyuki Shiriashi from Collar x Malice). Even fell in love with the voice acting of a new guy--Nobuhiko Okamoto as Yang (also does a side character's voice in Collar x Malice).

What I was not expecting was the somewhat heavy emphasis on Christianity and religion. That makes it sound a little more intense than I mean, but considering I wasn't expecting it at all, well. It wasn't the way one might expect, but it was enough that it was completely out of left field when I was expecting, you know, mafia. Honestly, had I known it wasn't just straight mafia, I might not have bought the game, but it was easy enough for me to ignore most of the time. There were some very--I mean very--minor translation issues, mainly typos, but it was good overall.

Heroine: 6/10. To start with, my opinion of the Heroine varied depending on the route. She was my favorite in Gilbert's route, and I liked her enough in Yang's, but she was kind of pitiful in the other three (not including the Finale/Henri endings; admittedly, I didn't read the Finale). Frankly, I found myself annoyed at her most of the time. It's annoying when a character that's meant to represent the reader, as a general rule, does, says, and thinks things that I never would. She has decent points at least once in most of the routes, but especially in the beginning of each route, she's so naive it makes me want to throw up. There are in-game reasons for why this is, so I understand it, but I still dislike it.

By the end of each route, she comes to terms with the fact that she's fallen in love with an incredibly dangerous man and gets over the fact that she's inadvertently complicit in organized crime, but the road to this acceptance long and annoying. At the end of it all, she's still a bleeding heart. Not that I really thought that would change, but still. Progress.

I'm just bored to death of many otome MCs' main (and often only) strength being strength of will and/or character. Mental and emotional toughness are good, but could the MC also be useful and have more interesting qualities? Just once, I'd love to play a badass MC, who's a bit hardened, not a bleeding heart, and isn't shocked by the sight of blood... Yeesh...

Narrative: As it typical of these console games, the plot caries slightly from route to route, though there is an overarching plot. Without giving too much away, MC is Special™, and that comes out/is relevant in only 3/6 routes. All of the routes were well written, though I didn't find all of them that interesting. The overarching plot bored me to tears. I just wasn't into it. In a world of what I assumed was just your standard period mafia piece, there was a lot of weird mysticism and Christian mythology. There's not magic or anything like that, but there are sacred relics that can only be retrieved from their super secret locations with specific "ingredients," if you will. MC has one of those ingredients, and in a game where it really advertises the mafia (that's literal the entire pitch of the game, there's no mention of anything else on the game case), it feels very out of place.

I can tell they were trying to do something different with the mafia premise, and I commend the writers for that, but I think it fell a little flat. I found myself enjoying the routes where there was more of those organized crime attributes--smuggling, drug and arms dealing, counterfeiting, etc.--most, while the routes that heavily focused on MC's specialness were a slog to get through. Of course, this is my own personal opinion, so others may feel very differently. Despite that, I truly enjoyed the game and can't wait to play the sequel!

Love Interests: I adore these characters, period. They're all very unique and interesting, even if a few weren't my type. There are technically six love interests: Nicola Francesca, Dante Falzone, Yang, Gilbert Redford, Orlok, and Henri. Gilbert is locked until you completed Nicola, Yang, Dante, and Orlok's routes, and the Finale/Henri is locked until you complete Gil's. You don't get a feel for who Henri is at all until you play the Finale route, so I personally didn't care for him. I had no vested interest in him, so full disclosure, I mostly skipped his route...

The other characters were wonderfully varied, so I think there's a personality type to suit nearly everyone. I can honestly say that, although not all of them are for me, I can pick out a quality I like in all of them. Dante is the kuudere of the guys; Gilbert is gallant and chivalrous; Yang is selfish and craves violence (in the best way, though); Nicola is a flirt; and Orlok is the quiet, shy one. Henri is mysterious, though not in an interesting way for me, personally.

Game Mechanics: The "Status" page is difficult to understand, especially when you first start playing and have no idea what you're looking at. I had to look up how to interpret the status of the character. The more colorful the flower on the status page is, the higher the affection, and the clearer the page (in this case, how much blood spatter is visible) is related to the tolerance level. So, full-color flower and no blood spatters are very good.

I also don't love the Meanwhile side stories. While you're plaything through every story, periodically you'll get a pop-up that is sometimes automatic, sometimes optional, that takes you to a different perspective--something that's going on at the same time as the main story. I like the idea in theory, but it sometimes felt like they came at inopportune times and broke the story flow.

Music & Art Style: The music is jaunty and fun, very 1920s jazz, screams mafia, too. If that makes sense. If you decide to play it, you'll see what I mean. The art style is beautiful! It looks very similar to, if not outright the same as, Hakuoki: Tales of the Shinsengumi/Kyoto Winds/Edo Blossoms. Since that's the game that started my love affair with these types of games, I love that it looks so similar. The CGs are gorgeous and worth collecting all of them, so 100-percenting the game is worth it. Some of them get pretty hot, too, like aaahhhhh. So 10/10 on the art!

[shytastemakerthing]

I do like Twisted Wonderland Romantic Matchups please!

I'm a ISFP-T My height is 163! I don't like to go out if I'm alone but if I with my parent,friends even if there is only one friend I'm good to go. When I with my friends or person I trust I'll be very lively and joyful. Hang out with my friends is very fun and I enjoy those time so much but when I have to go with other people I kinda not enjoy it and it make me feel tired but I can't say no to them.

I like Jazz,Electro swing music and playing games like single game of JRPG,Rhythm,Otome I don't like to play MMORPG when I have to play alone so I'll only play MMORPG when my friends want to play. I also like the sound of piano! I can play a little bit!

I like sweet a LOT! anything that's sweet is very welcome for me!(not you dentist-) I don't like vagetables,sour and bitter tastes. It's kind of surprising because my least favorite food is raw oyster like you know who-

I'm not good at sports but I like to cheer on my friends. like told them to do their best or prepare a cold water for them. I got a very bad score at math- but I'm very good with languages lessons!

I have a very polite manners when it come to other people I don't know or don't feel safe with. I mean I can't just trust them so easily but I get tricked so easily- I'm not good with teasing or flirting(but I didn't say I don't like it-) If they do that to me my face would go hot, I'll keep avoid face face with them until I cool down but if they know I'm embarassed and keep teasing me- I would stare at those people saying ‘Nooo I hate youuu go awayyyy(?)’ but I not really mean I hate you! and I'm sure almost people would know because they'll laugh out loud at that time... What so fun please!

I'm a very caring at other too. I like to observe person I have to be with or be friend with so we can understand each other and get along. I like to cheer for my friends. I mean every single words I say I'm sure it's probably help someone who hearing this. I never know what they might hear or face with terrible things but I can help them have faith and be kind with themself even if it's a little I want to say kind things to them.

Anddd this is all of me! I guess? was it too long? I hope you will not get tired from reading this. I'm very excite for the result. Whoever this may come I hope we'll get along! Thank you very much!

A/N: Thank you so much for your request! Honestly, as soon as I started reading this, i very quickly found out who would be absolutely perfect for you! I may or may not be showing favoritism because he is also one of my favorite characters 😂😂

I match you with.....

Idia Shroud

• For freaking starters, look at this man's hair! It's PINK because of the slew of compliments that he is wearing because of that drop dead amazing suit! I see you as someone like that when someone flirts with you or teases you in an affectionate manner! I swear, if you both do this at each other, there will be fumbling words, pink cheeks, AND pink hair. Honestly, you're both just too freaking cute!

• Now, Idia is the resident shut in of Ignihyde and the entirety of NRC. The man never leaves if he can help it! It doesn't change a whole lot when you're in the picture as his anxiety and fear of people is extremely strong. But if you're lucky, you can talk him into going to a certain shop with you either early in the morning or late at night to avoid a whole lot of people. Just please, stay close to him and don't leave him behind, he'll cry.

• Ortho is now your little brother as well! Words can not express just how happy the little robot boy is as soon as you even start becoming friends with his brother. But now you're dating him? You've been upgraded to sibling status and you now have another person who will go with you anywhere you want to go. As well as a personal body guard if anyone is giving you a hard time. Idia gave him a self defense and protective mode for a reason! And it's being used to protect you!

• You love sweets and so does Idia. He has a whole flipping stash that the both of you can snack on within the safety and confines of his room. You put everything in a big ol' bowl and turn on the mayest anime series, or you watch him play his online matches, or even he watches you play your rhythm games! If you're stuck on a level, he will fully help you out!

• Idia is also someone who is not good at sports. Honestly, he isn't even really that active and will avoid the exercise any way that he can. But, we have a compromise! If he were to ever go out, and it's the both of you, you both walk to Sam's shop from Ignihyde or your dorm, stock up on sweets, and walk back. It's not full exercise but it's at least something.

• Okay, we all know that Idia is basically one of the smartest people in NRC and is a complete genius. With everything he has built and created, he certainly knows his way around Math and is willing to help you with it. He may not be the best when or comes to tutoring, but he is trying his best. Besides, he gets to spend as much time as possible sith you to help teach you this, he can't complain about that.

• He honestly loves that you're so polite! He has seen plenty of cruel people in this world but the fact thay you face it all with a smile, all polite, and doing your absolute best to be a good person? Yeah, his hair is pink once again. And if you show that same kindness to him? The man has bluescreened.

• Okay, at first, physical affection is something he's not at all used too and he was extremely jumpy for a very long time. He still is a little bit but not as bad. Now that we've progressed, you would never expect him to be as clingy as he is. The poor boy is touch starved. You'll be laying in his bed and playing thr latest otome game and he'd be curled up around you, watching you play while also adding in some nice commentary that never fails to make you laugh.

• There was one time you managed to talk him into going to a dorm leader meeting IN PERSON! When he walked in, everyone literally had to do a double take because they LITERALLY couldn't believe it! How you managed to get him to go? You got your hands on a limiter edition figurine that he been trying to get for ages and it was the last one! All he had to do was go to one dorm meeting in person, stay the time, and as soon as he returned, the figurine was his. A bit cruel, but it worked. Honestly, be loves you so much and js such a massive simp that he would do whatever it takes to make you happy.

• Overall, the relationship certainly had a LOT of bumps in the road to get to where the both of you are at. But your kindness has prevailed and honestly, Ortho js completely ecstatic about it! He is your Player 1 and he does what he needs in order to keep seeing that smile on your face!

[woolieshubris]

okay so before tumblr rudely interrupted me, i was wanting to ask about your thoughts on atarashii gakko's new album, ichijikikoku! since i know you listen to them too :) i remember you saying a bit ago you thought their single 'the edge' was a bit boring, and i would be inclined to agree. but i think the songs on this album are fun! especially 'otome no bigaku' and 'odoru honno 001', which really feel reminiscent of earlier songs of theirs to me <3 'seishun wo kirisaku hado' also has a really fun and interesting feel to me, i really like it. and of course the addition of 'otonablue' on this album is. yes!!! i really like otonablue, i have for a while. it's one of my favourite songs of theirs overall. 'janaindayo' and 'giri giri' i also really love the sound of, tbh the only song on this album im not super a fan of is suki lie. overall i think it's really solid!! i will say it has a very different overall style than their ep snack time, and songs such as nainainai but i don't think that's necessarily a bad thing? i do miss that style a bit though. ANYWAYS i would love to hear your thoughts ^_^

MAN I LOVE IT SO MUCH. They went more for the ballad/rock stuff which I heavily prefer (mostly because they genuinely are good vocalists). Otonablue is genuinely like top 3 songs of theirs and top 10 songs in general for me, so to see an album drop that features it!!! Incredible. I do really like snack time and nainainai, ("free your mind" being a standout for me), but I was worried that it was going to mark a more permanent change in their artistic output. I hope that their new album performs well (especially overseas, because they were promoting snack time in the US at least), so that they realize that it's not a lost cause.

Janaindayo: it feels like an anime opening to me? (Maybe it is one?) I love it though!!!! This shit slaps. I love the speed of it. It feels like I'm running while listening to it

Seishun wo kirisaku hado: THIS SHIT IS SO GOOD.. it feels just like Splatoon music to me. I love vocal filters in songs. This is so fucking good. I don't really know how to put into words how much I like this track.

Giri Giri: interesting. A more typical pop track for sure! Giri Giri means round and round, (like spinning). I do genuinely like how they just let the vocalist go during the bridges. Not my favorite, but I don't hate it.

Suki lie: Also very typical pop track. I don't hate it (I've been listening to a lot of kpop lately so this just feels like a mediocre kpop track to me...) But yeah def a skip. I love the jazz section in the middle but the stuff around it... :(( It's just so mid LOL. maybe I'd like it more if I knew what the lyrics meant but yeah. A bit too repetitive for me

OTONABLUE: OTONABLUUUUUUUUUEEEEEEEE !!! (Incredible song love it so much it's my favorite out of the album. I love how it uses 80's synths. If this song doesn't have a music video I hope it gets one for sure)

Otome no bigaku: YESS let her SING!!!! me when women sing with deep voices and go crazy and go wild and just sing !!!!! I love music !!!! I love women!!!!! I wish we had a music video of this I wanna know which girlie is the one who sings

Odoru honno 01: YEASHDHXHHSAHA. it's not my favorite song out of theirs but I genuinely hope this is the direction they take their music! Imo it suits them really well as a band it seems like they want to do more uplifting and fun tracks for people to blast in a car with their friends and this def feels the most in that wheelhouse out of all of the tracks presented.

IMO everything after otonablue slaps!!! Suki lie def feels like they put it on their because their producers made them, but the rest are incredible. I wish they reserved the more traditional pop tracks for another EP but whatever it's still a great album :))) we love atarashii gakko in this house

[dulcesiabits]

heyy it's cafe enchante anon here again (incase you don't remember me😭: https://www.tumblr.com/dulcesiabits/695412570616643584/yahoo-cafe-enchante-anon-here-i-just-woke-up-and ) i see you post abt virche sometimes and i was wondering if you can talk abt it indepth?? (i dont mind slight spoilers)

ive been meaning to get a new otome game but i think it would be nice to know your thoughts on it before buying it,,, all ik it's pain but not the specifics

Oh my gosh!!!!!! Hi cafe enchante anon ^_^ it’s been a while! It’s nice to hear from you again <3

I don’t mind going more in-depth with my thoughts on Virche!! I’ll give my general opinion and also try to break it down by category and individual characters while trying to keep it as spoiler free as possible, with some vague allusions to events in each character’s route. Under the cut for length ^_^

As a caveat, Yves is locked until you finish Mathis, Lucas and Scien (can be done in any order), and La Salut (Ankou/Adolphe) is locked until you finish Yves.

Recommended route order (in terms of plot progression): Mathis -> Lucas -> Scien -> Yves -> La Salut (Ankou/Adolphe)

My personal favorite characters (ranked from favorite to least): Mathis, Lucas, Yves, Ankou, Scien, Adolphe

Overall: I actually really enjoyed my play through of Virche and I would recommend it to people if they enjoy angst/having to play bad endings first. It’s the first otome game in a while that I had so much fun with that I ended up playing it for 12 hours straight!!! I would rank it up there with games like code:realize, cxm and cafe enchante (in fact, the main scenario writer for CE is the same one for Virche… and you can really tell lmao). I had some minor complaints in regard to writing and character choices, but overall, I would rank it 8/10!

Music: The music was very gorgeous! The OP in general was so good I would listen to it every time I opened up the game, letting the opening video play in full, haha. I found myself going to the soundtrack list so I could replay some of the songs.

UI: I feel like otomate has gotten a lot better with UI. I love the “skip to unread section” feature, the flow chart, and the scene list! It made it easier to keep track of what I had to finish (bc I am a completionist), and the flow chart even tells you if a section has an unread piece of dialogue. The design of virche in general was pretty and neat, and never felt overwhelming or distracting. I wish there were afterstories, or bonus content, but that’s just a personal preference. I wanted something to soothe the angst, haha.

Voice acting: Listen. I’m one of those people who love to skip voice acting before they finish speaking because I read faster than the characters talk. However, the VAs (ignoring the fact some of my favorite actors were on there) really knocked it out of the park. I would replay some of the emotionally charged scenes just to hear the actors scream their lines!! The acting really helped to bring the characters to life!

Art: I’ll be real. I don’t think I would have liked virche quite as much if Yomi wasn’t the artist for it. Her art is gorgeous, hands down. I honestly open the game again just to stare at the CGs for Lucas and Mathis!! I was also pleasantly surprised to see that the characters blinked and their mouths moved in time to the voice acting. My only complaint is that outside of a few CGs, a lot of the ones for individual routes felt… very similar, at least in terms of the fact they always seemed to be static waist-up poses for the LIs, haha.

Plot: The mystery and suspense were extremely gripping, and I was impressed by how most things fit together. I also noticed all of the routes tended to have the fluffier and sweeter moments in the beginning of the chapter before it transitioned to angst and horror and started throwing issues at the characters as fast as it could. My only issues here were the way some of the science logic didn’t quite make sense and made me go “I don’t think it works like that…” though I was willing to suspend my disbelief because the writing was strong enough. Additionally, the good endings sometimes felt more like after thoughts, the way bad endings in most otome tend to feel, and some of them just didn’t provide enough cope for me.

Ceres: Ceres felt like her own character, with her own motivations and personality! I don’t like self-inserting into otome protagonists, so I always appreciate it when they can stand on their own. I think her motivations and development made a lot of sense considering her circumstances!

Mathis: My absolute favorite character because I adore the shy bookworm trope and he was so cute and sweet. I admit the romance felt a bit rushed, but his dynamic with Ceres was adorable. I also felt like aspects of his plot could have been changed to make it run a bit more smoothly for me. I feel like the writers didn’t like Mathis, or knew what to do with him sometimes, and his particular skill set could definitely have been more relevant/they could have made him a bit more involved in the other routes. Additionally, there was a character in his route I simply despised and I hated how the writers tried to redeem them. Some thematic elements of his route could have been elaborated on/carried through some more.

Lucas: Lucas is my other favorite, though I feel like he’s a bit more of a controversial choice in that regards due to certain… reasons. His route definitely felt the most horrific and tragic, but similar to Mathis, I felt like the romance was rushed, or at least needed more development. I didn’t get why Lucas liked Ceres, though I could see why she liked him. His route definitely could have benefitted from more time or even an extra chapter, and some scenes should have been extended instead of being left in summary. Certain thematic elements didn’t quite carry through either.

Scien: Scien is THAT bitch and he’s the most popular character for a reason. His writing was definitely the most solid out of the initial routes, with the plot and romance progressing smoothly without feeling too rushed or like it was dragging. I loved his development and his endings really tied up the thematic elements introduced in his route in a satisfying way. He’s really fun, even if he’s not my favorite!

Yves: Yves is super sweet! He has a bit of a longer route than the others, but I loved his character a lot. He’s definitely the one I think suits Ceres the most, and I loved his development and his motivations. The endings were satisfying, and the way he subverts typical tropes had me SCREAMING. It was so delightful and cunty of him, and I think when the plot kicked up, it kicked UP and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!

La Salut (Ankou/Adolphe): The beginning of the route felt liked it dragged a bit especially because it was rehashing the common route, and I admit, I wasn’t quite sold on Adolphe as a romantic interest and character until much later in the route. I did love Ankou a lot, and I cried several times when I was playing this route. It’s the final route so it ties together all of the plot points in previous routes and introduces answers to overarching mysteries in a really satisfying way, I believe. There are several tropes here that I particularly adore (and can’t mention for spoiler reasons), and I think it was a fitting end to virche!

[ming-sik]

villainess manga recommendation list

hi! i've read a lot of villainess manga/manhwa and i am here to tell you the ones that i think are pretty good that i don't think many people have heard of.

i'm not going to be recommending i favor the villainess or hamefura because they're either what got you into the genre or you have at least heard of them.

I want to read a lesbian villainess reincarnation story like I'm In Love With The Villainess/I want that but i was put off by the sexual harrassment jokes in I'm In Love With The Villainess: you want 请欺负我吧，恶役小姐!/Please Bully Me, Miss Villainess! the protagonist is reincarnated as yvonne, the mean rich villainess and an in-story all-powerful game system forces her to bully heroine elsa or terrible things will happen. yvonne does her best to bully elsa into banishing her or leaving her alone so she can't hurt her anymore but elsa chases her after she gets banished because she's really into being reluctantly bullied by a cute girl.

I want to read a lesbian villainess reincarnation story with an isekaid protagonist who isn't reincarnated: you want 限界OLさんは悪役令嬢さまに仕えたい/The Fed-Up Office Lady Wants To Serve The Villainess! midori is a hard-working office lady who gets fired for bullshit reasons before being whisked away to the world of her favorite visual novel as the familiar/pet of the twist villainess lapis. midori prevents herself from being discarded by claiming to be able to see the future by having knowledge of the VN, so now it's her job to try and save lapis from herself and also the guillotine.

I want a funny villainess reincarnation story with no romance/I want a funny villainess reincarnation story with an original premise: you want 悪役令嬢転生おじさん/Akuyaku Reijou Tensei Oji-san! 52-year-old father/civil servant kenzaburou is reincarnated into the villainess of his daughter's favorite otome game and my god is he fucking funny about it. his "elegance cheat" from years of polite civil servant ettiquette and loving fatherly attitude make the new grace accidentally beloved by every love interest and the original protagonist because of her old man charm, much to the chagrin of his wife and daughter who are playing the game he's in to try and get him to the end so he can wake up from his coma. the story is also genuinely sweet at a lot of points specifically around the topic of parenthood. the art is a little wonky but in a way that only adds to the experience.

I want a villainess reincarnation story that has basically the default premise but a little to the left and is just executed very well/I want a tsundere villainess protagonist who is funny: you want アルバート家の令嬢は没落をご所望です/The Young Lady Of The Albert House Wishes For Ruin! mary albert is the reinacarnated villainess of her favorite otome game and due to political reasons it's beneficial to her family for her to be exiled and as a reincarnated commoner she's happy to be banished to start a rice bowl store in the north, but that's just set dressing for good old-fashioned tsundere villainess action as mary tries her damndest to follow the plot of the original story but fails because despite being a tsundere she is too silly and practical to do anything genuinely harmful. mary is a very funny protagonist and manages to straddle the line between mean enough to actually be a tsundere but not enough that you have no idea why these people like her very well, the series in general is very funny, and the original heroine and the prince mary has an amicable divorce with(broken engagement technically but they act like divorcees) both have very funny and genuinely sweet relationships with her, especially heroine alicia. the new volume has mary come into contact with two other reincarnated villainesses following the two most default villainess paths(reverse harem and avoid the bad end). she and her butler who is her eventual love interest are the best comedy duo though.

I want a villainess story that isn't an isekai/I want a funny villainess reincarnation with an original premise that IS a romance: you want ツンデレ悪役令嬢リーゼロッテと実況の遠藤くんと解説の小林さん/Endo and Kobayashi's Live Commentary on the Villainess! endo and kobayashi are two high school students in the broadcasting club who decide to do sports commentary on the otome game kobayashi's playing only for the prince to turn to the screen and ask if the gods can hear him! as gods, kobayashi and endo have to use their powers to prevent liselotte the villainess from meeting a grisly end after she's possessed by the witch by repairing her relationship with the other characters and actually strategizing for the fight. this story actually has three romances, between kobayashi and endo, liselotte and prince siegward, and original heroine and the character who the game dooms to always die protecting her despite her best efforts. all three of these romances are well-done although liselotte and siegward are the standout. the manga is very concerned with why liselotte is a tsundere and why siegward hasn't ever seen past her exterior before. all of the characters have a lot of stuff going on, and despite juggling the three romances the story still manages to have a lot of genuine intrigue over what exactly is going on with this weird supernatural save file and parts of the world the game originally didn't let the characters see, as well as having time to flesh out a really good friendship/sisterhood between liselotte and the heroine.

I want a funny villainess reincarnation story with a well-characterized protagonist with romance that isn't the focus of the story: you want 悪役令嬢レベル99～私は裏ボスですが魔王ではありません～/Villainess Level 99 ~I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord~! the protagonist was reincarnated into eumiella, the secret final boss of an otome rpg who also serves as a villainess in the main game. eumiella is isolated from a young age due to her dark magic, but since she only really cared about the RPG part of the game as a toddler she has the idea to grind up so she can survive the otome part and eventually flee the country. her balls to the wall "blow the monster summoning charm and kill everything that attacks me" soloing strategy means that by the time she enrolls in magic academy she's hit level 99, which means that she can do shit like summon a black hole that swallows the sky above the entire academy or bend mithril with her bare hands. partly due to her isolation from a young age and partly due to her past life eumiella is a pepetually stone-faced hyper-introvert who doesn't care about anything except getting stronger, although she eventually grows a tiny soft spot for her first true friend, patrick, who has an unrequited(for now) crush on her that he's not really expecting to go anywhere. eumiella is not a coward's weird girl, she's genuinely off-putting to most people and although she's not malicious she's also not nice to people who don't benefit her. this is a compliment, one of my favorite things about eumiella is that she sticks to her guns! she makes enemies of all of the love interests and most of the school almost immediately because she keeps almost killing people, not because she's a sadist, but because her gamer mindset means she views deadly magic and summoning high-level monsters on students as acceptable risks for leveling up.

I want a villainess story that is a drama with a morally complicated protagonist/with really good visuals/with heavy worldbuilding: you want 悪役令嬢の中の人/The One Within The Villainess! this series was made in a laboratory for me. emi is a sweetheart of a protagonist who's reincarnated as the villainess remilia, her favorite character who she always wanted to give a happy ending, and has a heartwarming story of fixing all the tragedies of the original game and making everyone happy....... until the original heroine, pina, arrives and pulls some puppetmaster manipulation that ends up with emi facing the tragic condemnation she tried so hard to avoid, which drives her into the depths of despair, at which point remilia, who has been watching emi from her subconscious this entire time and narrating the story, reawakens in her/their body and vows revenge on everyone who made her beloved emi suffer, especially pina. remilia's twin motivations of wanting to get horrific painful revenge on her enemies and wanting to build the happy, peaceful world she knows needs to exist for emi to return to her make remilia a very engaging and complicated protagonist with a lot of stuff going on in her head. the story isn't perfect, my main gripe is that pina's manipulation centers around her sexuality and so she's aggressively slut-shamed which is frustrating because among other things having her be able to also manipulate women would make her a much more threatening antagonist. seasoned villainess manga fans are used to much worse, but that's not an excuse for a frankly lazy characterization in an otherwise standout story.

I want a story with the vibe of a villainess manga that's not actually about the villainess/I want a story that really reckons with "escaping the narrative" of an otome game: you want 乙女ゲームのヒロインで最強サバイバル/Otome Game no Heroine de Saikyou Survival! alicia is the protagonist of an otome game who gets ambushed while she's still in the orphanage by a woman who reincarnated as an unimportant side character who learned black magic to swap their souls so she can take over as the protagonist. alicia kills her, but is left with her memories and is not interested in playing along with the otome game's storyline, so she escapes the orphanage and tries to find her own way of surviving, although she can't fully escape the characters of the original story, especially the villainess. otome survival really makes you consider how much it would suck to realize your shitty situation is being manufactured for the sake of a romance you don't even want, and alicia's desperation to find strength and success without being forced into that narrative is compelling. like i said it's not technically a villainess manga, but it's definitely a variant of the concept. it's in the tag.

I want a villainess manhwa that is representative of the genre and done well: you want 계모인데 딸이 너무 귀여워/Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmom! villainess manhwa are an overlapping but not identical genre to villainess manga. villainess manhwa in general tend to have adult protagonists or at least protagonists who become adults, and they also tend to make the love interest also be a villain or even sometimes the villain, with the heroine being his wife/daughter/sister/mother/elevated side character/pet lizard. not-sew-wicked stepmom has the children's fashion designer protagonist reincarnated as abigail, the abusive stepmother of blanche and estranged second wife of her father who won't even sleep in the same room as his spouse. abigail has to figure out how to repair her relationship with both of them and give blanche the happy childhood with lots of cute clothes her daughter deserves. aside from generally just Being Good with a strong protagonist, this story is surprisingly deft at handling the topic of abuse, both blanche's and her father's. it's hard to make a cold emotionally repressed love interest not annoying but giving him a very very good reason to distrust abigail and not want her anywhere near him or his daughter does the trick, and their eventual opening up to her after she starts to earn both of their trust is sweet. unfortunately, it has not updated in two years.

I want a good villainess-ish manhwa that has updated in the last two years please: okay 장르를 바꿔보도록 하겠습니다/the villainess flips the script is technically a villainess manhwa but it becomes a straightforward romance pretty quickly and due to the premise where nobody knows the protagonist used to be a villainess it doesn't really read like a villainess manhwa. 남편은 됐고, 돈이나 벌렵니다/forget about my husband i'd rather make money reads like a villainess manhwa but isn't technically one. 여주의 시스콤 오빠와 이혼하겠습니다/i will divorce the female lead's older brother also reads like a villainess manhwa despite not being one but it only really hits if you've read a lot of really dogshit reincarnation romance manhwa so it's a bad first start, and its most available translation is REALLY rough as in most chapters have bubbles left blank or uncleaned so they're just overlaid over the raw korean text.

I want a good starter villainess manhwa that has updated in the last two years please: 입양딸 역할을 지나치게 잘해버렸다/I Played The Role Of The Adopted Daughter Too Well is pretty good except for all the bad parts!

[bronanlynch]

once again I've watched more anime than done anything else this week but I promise I also have other stuff to talk abt

listening (podcast):

Great Gundam Project: almost done with their 0079 episodes and it's so funny to hear how confused and surprised they are that Newtypes don't get mentioned until the last 10 episodes. also, once again, hearing them talk about Char reminds me that I miss seeing Char on my television screen :/

Palisade: once again it was crazy good this week. shout out to fucked up dream sequences/visions of alternate futures, gotta genuinely be one of my favorite storytelling devices

listening (music): MakeDamnSure by Taking Back Sunday, which is going on my Partizan/Palisade playlist for Balence reasons

reading:

Imperial Uncle: got to more fun reveals that make the main relationship a lot tastier and more fun. still having a good time with this one

The Death I Gave Him: part of the appeal of this book for me (other than that I love Hamlet & Hamlet retellings) is the romance with the sentient lab AI. this should shock absolutely no one (at least no one who knows me as the Sokrates/Integrity guy lol) but I'm real into stuff that explores like, how intimacy works when you don't each have your own separate bodies

A Power Unbound: also started & finished something I've been looking forward to, A Power Unbound by Freya Marske, the third book in a romance/historical fantasy trilogy (different main characters for each) set mostly in Edwardian England. I've enjoyed the other books in the series, and I enjoyed this one too (though I think I prefer the other two for reasons that probably don't have to do with the actual quality of this book and have more to do with what I like & don't like in a main relationship, and actually it's a testament to how strong the writing was that the relationship worked for me anyway, because it did feel earned in terms of both characterization & themes, even though it's the sort of relationship dynamic that I tend to be hesitant about because I often see it done very badly in fanfic in ways that do a disservice to the personalities of both characters involved). anyway. my actual review is that I love fucked up magic houses and there are several of those in this book so shout out to that, and one of the main characters is extremely my type (short, angry, hates the aristocracy, etc)

watching:

I'm in Love with the Villainess: we're caught up now, and I do love class conflict even if I'm sure it's going to be incredibly simplistic and silly because that's the show this is (which I am fine with, to be clear, this is a romance anime based on lovingly parodying otome games, I am treating it with the same kind of seriousness that I would treat something like Scum Villain)

Bakeoff: I'm glad that this year they seem to be better about not putting way too much weight on the showstopper and sometimes deciding star baker based on other challenges like. finally some respect for people who do really well in the signature!!

Legend of the Galactic Heroes: I mean. I've been posting through it about this one so I don't think I have any new insights here just. man. I love it when a major character death is done really well. what a show (positive)

Gundam Seed: you may, at this point, be asking why Seed is our next Gundam after finishing ZZ, especially when every week I talk about pining for Char. the answer is because my roommate watched some of it a while ago and wanted to revisit it, and also because we're saving Char's Counterattack for when we get really desperate for Gundam that isn't Seed. anyway. Seed is fun so far!

the above description of Gundam Seed was written a few days ago when we first started but before we got to the info dump about what's up with Coordinators & Naturals so I'm editing this to say: oof. it really is like what if someone took all of the parts of the original Newtype stuff that I was most skeptical about, took out all of the metaphorical stuff from Zeta that redeemed the concept for me, and then explicitly added literal eugenics. don't like that!

the other thing about Seed is the misogyny which like. god. at least the misogyny in Zeta felt more interesting to think about. at least it felt like Tomino was saying things about gender even if I didn't always like it. this is just peak early 2000s misogyny where everyone including the writers hates women so much that every man comes across as incredibly gay because their relationships with other men are treated so much more seriously

at this point you might be asking what I actually like about this show since I've been complaining for several paragraphs and the answer is I love it when childhood friends end up on the opposite sides of a war. also, a lot of Seed feels like it's trying very hard to Be A Gundam Show (for better or worse tbh, I can feel myself being marketed to, I can practically hear Bandai being like, hey remember how cool it is when a blue-and-white mobile suit fights a pinkish-red mobile suit, don't you want to buy some models), and I am not immune to classic Gundam shit like "oops these kids are involved in a war now because the military was developing a top-secret superweapon right next to where they live" and "your lives are at risk and/or you might get arrested for trying to protect your friends because the higher-ups are incompetent/selfish/do not care about you." I am also not immune to squads of edgy anime boys, or giant robots that each have their own special weapon/power, or whatever the fuck Le Creuset's got going on. I love him. I still miss Char and he's not quite filling that void but I do love him

playing:

another session of my Blades in the Dark campaign, based on the image below (from here). the crew was asked to get the sea serpent to go away and leave ships alone, and absolutely no one was surprised that the secret actual mission was to protect the sea serpent (a baby one) from the coast guard who were going to try to make it leave but more violently because we're playing Blades like it's a game about befriending creatures (see also: Missy is currently trying to resocialize a former fighting goat and Xiao Yun collects extremely fucked up birds)

Ace Attorney 5: not very far into the trial but man. sorry for falling for the trilogy nostalgia but I love to have Edgeworth as a prosecutor, I love the energy that he and Phoenix have, I'm such a sucker for defense attorney & prosecutor working together to find the truth and also they're in love

making: vaguely spanakopita-inspired stuffed pastry wreath. we made it once before and put too much extra vegetable in that released too much water while it was baking so the dough just straight up did not cook. we did it better this time! the dough is actually baked! (it's store-bought crescent rolls, we did not make the dough). anyway. there's spinach and mushroom and herbed goat cheese in there, and it's tasty

drinking: the grocery store had peppermint bark creme liqueur, and it's pretty good in hot chocolate

writing: continued to pick away at a zine fic, figured out what I want to write for my Nirvana in Fire exchange fic, and also did a little bit more on the Integrity fic that I've been working on. it has been a minute since I've written an action scene huh

The Principality knows how to contain divines, to leash them, to defang them and bend their powers to its will. And Integrity is an old divine, and never among the most awe-inspiring. Integrity is a small, quiet thing, precise and intimate and not suited for flashy displays of power like many of its fellows. But it is a divine nonetheless, and when it fights, it brings death. Orbit-and-Integrity steps into the corridor where the Princept fled. Orbit bares their remaining teeth, blood pooling in their mouth and seeping through the seams that begin to open in Integrity’s armor where it no longer has the focus to keep them closed.

[chaosangel767]

What Birthdays Mean

Happy Birthday to my Candyman. Here is to another year of Mischief and jelly beans 💛💛💛

Fandom: IkeRev

Pairing: Edgar  x F!Reader 

Type: NSFW - Minors DNI 

CW: teasing, slight cockwarming, vaginal penetration 

WC: 1000+ 

Tagging: @toloveawarlord​,  @thewitchofbooks, @queen-dahlia , @kissmetwicekissmedeadly, @aquagirl1978 , @devildomwritersposts , @canaria-blackwell , @ikesimp100 , @kpop-and-otome , @sarahann-1984 , @citizensofcradle , @littlewitty , @curious-skybunny , @lordsisterxotome , @ikehoe , @psychodreamer666, @tele86 - If your name is crossed out I was unable to tag you. If you want to be tagged/untagged please let me know or fill out this form here.

You continue to hum as you pull the cake out of the oven, ignoring the chefs and servants around you. Just like you used to, you frost the small cake, before adding the tray with your dinner for two. You smile to yourself, checking that everything is still warm. You had made all of Edgar’s favorites, complete with hunting down his favorite wine. Shedding your apron, you wave to the kitchen staff, bringing your tray down to his room, knocking twice. 

“Come in” His voice is normal, but when you open the door, you can see the exhaustion in his posture. He is sitting at his desk filling out paper after paper, just like before you left him. Placing the tray on the edge of the coffee table, you walk over to him. 

“Ed, take a break, it's your birthday” you murmur softly, wrapping your arms around his waist. He pauses for a slight second before resuming his work. 

“I am busy” he ignores you until you slip into his lap, straddling his waist. With the heat of the room, you look over his uniform, not understanding how he isn’t miserable in his officer's jacket. Taking it upon yourself to unbutton his jacket he pauses again. 

“Let me work” His command is icy, but you tilt your head, pressing your lips to his ear. 

“Birthday boys should behave and take a dinner break. I know you don’t have any actual deadlines.” You whisper in his ear, and he glares at you. 

“It's no big deal that is my birthday, nothing changes” There is a sad look in his gaze and your heart clenches at his words. Tilting his head up so he is staring at you you press your lips to his. 

“It’s a big deal to me. I made you dinner and dessert and I have a present for you. But you need to take a break first. The king already told me that you have no work that needs to be done” You push a little, trying to get him to at least take a break from his desk.  Bringing your hand to cup his cheeks, you bring his eye up to yours. Pressing a slow kiss to his lips, you etch all your love,  and adoration for him into the kiss, praying he understands how much he means to you. Pulling away, your hands wrap around his neck, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. His Jade eyes tremble with emotion for a split second before his work is put into a drawer and he stands up, wrapping his arms around you. Carrying you to the sofa, he settles down with you spread across his lap. Seeking kisses from your lips, his hands roam across your body. 

“Cake and wine first” he murmurs as you part for air. 

“Ed! You can’t eat just cake and wine for dinner, please eat something hearty first” you scold him, and he fake pouts, giving you an innocent look brimming with mischief. 

“I thought you said I was the birthday boy and what I said goes.” His hands tug open a few of your buttons, showing more of your skin.  His lips press to your collarbone, kissing it before looking back up at you. 

“I think that you should feed me my cake first”  He brushes your hair from your face and you melt under his touch. Picking up the cake, you lift the fork to his lips, watching as he eats it, accessing the flavors. 

“This tastes amazing, thank you” he winks at you and you can’t help but return the smile, getting another bite to feed him. The next few moments are quiet, other than the clinking of silverware and Edgar's soft hums. Edgar unbuttons your top, and bares your chest, while you try to ignore him. You know he can see your flush, and you pray he can’t feel how fast your heart is beating as you push off the heat developing in your chest. While you feed him, he slowly shifts you so that you are straddling him, your skirt up over your hips and your core situated directly over his length. 

“Edgar-” you let out a soft moan when his finger pulls aside your underwear and slips inside. 

“So wet, were you thinking naughty thoughts when you were feeding me my cake? Did you think I missed the lust in your eyes, or how your breathing changes every time my fingers brush along your skin?” Edgar whispers in your ear, delighting in your body’s reactions. Desperately trying to ride his hand, he takes the cake and places it down. Effortlessly flipping your positions on the sofa, Edgar strips your clothes.

‘Dinner can wait just a little longer, right?” the intensity of heat in his eyes mirrors your own, and you nod, wanting nothing more than to feel him inside. Popping his buttons, you pull him down for another kiss, showing his shirt completely off his body. Pushing your legs apart, he lines up to your entrance and slides in, you let out a moan at the stretch, knowing he will go all the way to the hilt first. Propping himself on his elbow, he traces your face, peppering your cheek and lips in barely there kisses. 

“Ahhh - don’t tease me so” you protest, rolling your hips against his length. As he pulls his hips back, you let out a whine, curling your toes as he thrusts back in. He sets a slow pace, driving both of you crazy. Your walls clench on him in a silent plea as your mind is reduced to moans of his name. Edgar reaches down and pulls you into his arms, pulling you off the sofa and walking you over to the bed, his eyes darkening a shade. Adjusting the angle, his length caresses your g-spot, and he speeds up. You grip his shoulders as your orgasm rips through you, leaving you a trembling mess under him. Wrapping your legs around his waist, you fall limp below him to catch your breath, whispering his name.  His hand captures your face, his thumb stroking your cheeks. Kissing his affection into your cheeks, he waits until your breathing is back to normal and your high has faded before propping himself back up. 

“You said I didn’t need to finish my work right?” When you nod at his question his smile brightens, even more, casting a glance out the window at the setting sun. 

“Good, I am going to spend the rest of my birthday making love to you.” 

[nekromeowncer]

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Fictional crushes: Mallek Adalov, Galekh Xigisi, Byakuya Togami, Hajime Hinata, Nagito Komaeda, Shuichi Saihara, Kokichi Oma, Korekiyo Shinguji, Rantaro Amami, Mitsuhide Akechi, Sasuke Sarutobi, Yoshimoto Imagawa, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Arthur Conan Doyle, Seth Hyde, Fenrir Godspeed, Oliver Knight, Clavis Lelouch, Chevalier Michel, Licht Klein, Sariel Noir, Sans, Stretch, Mettaton, Yuki Sohma, Hero, John Hancock, Nick Valentine, and my OCs 😳

Favorite Ships: Davekat, JohnRoxy, Nepkat, Nepquius, Davenep, Naegami, Naegamigiri, Komahina, Hinanami, Komahinanami, Saioma, Saimami, Amaguji, Shinsai, Amashinsai, Amasaimatsu, and Sunflower, Tamakyoharu