#like no hate to otome games its just way too much for me i get way too embarassed abt playing them its def a me thing

[yuikomorii]

// Ok I didn’t want to go this far but at this point, you guys are hating on Ayato just for clout and it shows. It’s okay not to like a character but straight up spreading misinformation about him is not okay. If you lack reading comprehension, just admit it.

What makes Ayato’s past so sad isn’t only the fact that Cordelia was mean towards him. She mentally and physically abused him, yet what genuinely hurt Ayato the most was the way Cordelia treated ALL the triplets. A part of him didn’t even want to kill her, given that he CRIED in the MB flashbacks because, despite being a huge abuser, he STILL felt sympathy even for someone like her. No matter how horrible Cordelia was, Ayato still wished for Karlheinz to reciprocate her feelings only to finally see her happy.

Don't even get me started on the Adam curse. He was practically used as bait and abandoned to death by his own brothers, but he still hoped for their safety after escaping. That curse literally destroyed his entire life because its purpose was to make the person who ate the fig drown in despair and go insane. That's why he was sooo obsessed with Yui's blood. Heck, he's cursed in routes other than his own, as he goes insane in Ruki's MB one, to the point that his brothers had to lock him inside the dungeon. In addition, in his MB Vampire Ending, he falls into a coma because he refuses to hurt Yui and keep drinking her blood.

Other than that, Laito was the one who made him believe that he wasn’t special, hence he adopted the “I will never make someone special again” mentality. He also wanted to kill him when he was younger (no hate towards any of his brothers though). Kanato was the only one who never did something bad to him, considering that when Ayato was a child, Reiji called him the disappointment of the family after failing a test.

Ayato did twisted stuff too; no character is a saint, but he always tries his best to fix things. Even when not dating Yui, he’s capable of showing compassion, support and a desire to improve his relationship with his brothers BY HIMSELF. Check this analysis for example.

Other than that, despite every time being hurt when trying to show kindness, he still became a very selfless guy who’d sacrifice himself for anyone at any given time. What makes this even more admirable is that according to Karlheinz, he’s literally the only one who actually VALUES his life. This guy who loves life would risk it all for Yui, even when not dating, or for any of his brothers.

Credit to: dialovers-translations and tournesolia on Tumblr

On top of that, he's incredibly empathic?? He forgives everybody, no matter what they do to him, and seeks to maintain good relations with them. In Kino's LE route, for example, he tortures and burns Ayato, but Ayato is the first person to recognize him as his brother because he wanted Kino to feel that he, too, belonged to a family.

Last but not least, nobody silences Karlheinz as good as him. He was also the only one who connected the dots by himself about his dad being the root of all evil, including being the only one who didn’t want to kill him only because he didn’t want to fall into his plan. Check this post.

Oh and, Ayato is actually really big; it’s not that only his fans make him that way! This post basically proves that he’s the IT boy of otome games and I should also mention that he’s the character that sells the most in Japan and China! Just look what Japanese fans think of him. ;)

You can dislike him as much as you want but nobody can deny how brave and pure-hearted he is. He’s the definition of from zero to hero.

As I mentioned earlier, it's fine to dislike him, but don't become obsessed with it, lol. At the end of the day, he's merely a fictional character with endearing characteristics and the male lead. It's really not that deep. Besides, it's embarrassing when the hate comes from Yui stans because she definitely wouldn't be happy of any of you talking about her man in that way.

[tigermousse]

Particles of reality: Obsession

genre: dark, yandere, otome, crime, supernatural, NSFW

Not all stories have happy endings…especially this one.

I have a feeling this visual novel has done some permanent damage to my mental health, but I'm not regretting reading it.

!Please note: This game is for mature audience only!

Particles of reality: obsession is dealing with very dark themes including gore, extreme violence, torture, sexual and mental abuse. It has graphic depiction of consensual and un-consensual sex (including sex between minors and sex between siblings). List of triggers for each path is enormous and it was pretty hard to read through some paths. There are options to hide some content, but even with "lower violence" filter it was gruesome enough. Like Monika, I hate the violence, but I was too interested in characters to skip everything.

Monica is studying medicine in college and working at the cafe Luna to pay her bills. She has two close friends and a bunch of phobias, since she is a traumatized young woman with a troubled past. Monika hoped to separate from her family by enrolling to a college. But now she's stuck on a dead-end job, feeling claustrophobic in a small crappy apartment, also failing her studies and doubting her choice to be a doctor.

This is the time when in her life appears a tall handsome man, who has a strange interest in her. But the story unraveled…

Particles of Reality is a macabre satire on dark romance, where relationship with violent people are romanticized, - and otome games, in which every character falls in love with a MC no matter how plain, or dull she is.

It is a splendid idea to show in visual novel that relationship with obsessive people can only cause you pain, but still overall it was a depressing experience for me. I can not recommend this game, but it has a highest rating from me, because it is unique and memorable. All the characters are either traumatized or just pleasurably insane.

You are warned from the beginning that there are no happy endings in this novel. In those few where main characters at least don't die, Monica is still can not be happy because she's feeling trapped.

It makes sense, because it shows that with the characters like these, who are obsessed (and sometimes possessed), there can be no happy ending. They're traumatized, violent and mentally unstable. It is said that in Obsession the characters are the worst possible versions of themselves.

After a while it is getting too frustrating that no matter what you do the game finds its way to punish you. The characters are making very stupid mistakes and decisions - and you can do nothing about it but watch. Also sometimes the game is forcing you to read a lot of information that you already learn from other routes. I can see why it was hard to avoid, but still it was too much unnecessary reading.

The structure of visual novel is unique - it has additional unlockable content for each character that helps to look further in their past or shows their point of view on the story. At some points the story is breaking the forth wall.

Nice touch that choices that doesn't affect the ending, are clearly marked.

Still after reading everything including the secret character routes, the story still has more questions then answers - and feels incomplete. The secret route was more confusing then revealing.

CHARACTERS

MC Monika Viotto (name changeable, but I don't see why someone would like to relate to this MC more, so I left it as it is)

My diagnosis: Post-traumatic stress disorder + Dependent personality disorder

For me, Monika is a bit annoying. She's is your our typical otome MC - she is kind, shy, not very smart with average looks (though I think that she looks pretty cute). Because she was abused and neglected at home since childhood, Monika developed some phobias like nyctophobia and claustrophobia.

She says that she hates violence, but in each route she's attracted to violent people - probably that is the route of all the problems. In some paths she even shows a violent streak that she probably has (probably that is why she resents violence - because she knows she can have it in her too). Her family is mafia and though she wants to get away from them so bad, the violence in her household probably couldn't left her intact. However usually Monika is absolutely oblivious to everything happening around her. Sometimes she can stand for herself, but these moments of clarity happen usually too late.

Who she is now is a result of her traumatized past, but also we can see that she's really passive and co-dependent since young age. She can't decide for herself (and when she is, she's deciding badly), she's not trying to learn something new, she doesn't understand her feelings and is not good with people. She's not good with anything really. Though she doesn't lack empathy and sincerely grieving loss of those who are close to her.

Sometimes she can be funny and snappy, but not often. She is more self-assured and interesting in some "what if" scenarios and in some branches in Brandon's route.

Love interests (SPOILER ALERT)

Which one do you have in mind?

None of the characters are mentally healthy. Some are aware of this fact, the others aren't. There is almost no romance, except maybe for the Sebastian route (which is my least favorite). There are some sex scenes though.

Each route starts differently and has slight time difference, but except for the Brandon's route, the circumstances in these are very similar.

Sebastian Dallarosa

My diagnosis: Narcissistic personality disorder (?) Also typical yandere

Sebastian is tall, rich and handsome. Probably smart too. He's meeting MC on the street, saving her life from a car accident, and then taking care for her when she is getting sick. But something is not right about him. Or is it?

He's in love with MC since they were children. It was love at first sight, and now he believes that Monika is his soulmate - and he wants her no matter what.

Dallarosa is a mafia family too, like Viotto, but several years ago Sebastian and his twin brother refused to take over the family business - and it seems that Sebastian put all his effort to get Monika Viotto, because it is the only thing that he wanted - ever.

Sebastian is probably the favorite character of the developer, because his route is longest, plus he's appearing in every other route and in most branches. He has the most CG's. And I really hate him. Either because he's triggering something from my past, or because he is so sure of himself. He is the only one with almost no regrets or remorse. He thinks that his "love" justifies everything he's doing. I hate how he doesn't give Monika a chance to decide for herself, how much he's suffocating her, how he manipulates her. He doesn't care at all what she thinks, for he has her image in his head for a long time, and he doesn't care what Monika is like for real. He shows in all the routes, and in each one he's madly in love with Monika.

When you start the game, Sebastian's route is the first you have to finish at least once, and for some time his route is pretty romantic. He says nice things to MC, dotting around her, telling her what she would like to hear. But when things unravel, he shows his true violent and/or manipulative self.

The best part of Sebastian's route was Alexander. He seems much more sane (Maybe that is because he doesn't has his own route yet)

Julian Andrei

My diagnosis: Dissociative identity disorder

Julian is working with Monika in a Cafe Luna. He seems rude at first, but otherwise he is funny and always ready to help a damsel in distress. Except he has a strange habit of vanishing for several days once a month. What does he hides?

In Julian's route Monika has a crush on him when they first meet, and in other routes it is other way around. Julian in his route is the most different from himself in other routes, except Brandon's DLC. Because in most routes he is just a friend and co-worker of Monika, and doesn't show his violent streak, also he's pretty weak and can't stand himself against other characters. However we know from his route that he should be experienced in killing people, so it is strange that he's always trying to rescue MC unprepared. (I guess it is one of frustrating features which lead MC to unavoidable bad ends).

Julian is in constant conflict with himself - because he has a split personality, which seems to have a mind of its own.

As for the core personality, and not the worst version of himself, I like Julian very much. He is funny, honest and noble in his own way - and trying to do his best. I don't mind his complaining and self-consciousness.

Quinn Deidre

My diagnosis: Borderline personality disorder

Quinn is gender-fluid non-binary person. And also they are the most normal character. They are a ball of sunshine. Funny, active, kind, caring, creative. But they're trying too hard to get attention that they are forgetting what is good for themselves. Quinn definitely have BPD, and it is pretty accurate portrait of this disorder. Given their traumatic past, it is not strange that Quinn has it. Their family is fundamentally religious and they always felt that they don't belong at home. So they're looking hard for the place where they belong.

Meeting Monika as a roommate, Quinn is falling in love with her non-judgemental attitude. But of course, they can't stand to her other suitors. (Brandon strangely accepts Quinn)

Quinn is really sweet. His bad ends are pretty sad, because they mostly end with him hurting himself.

Brandon Viotto (free DLC)

My diagnosis: Antisocial personality disorder (Psychopath)

Due to the themes of incest and underage sex (also extreme violence, but Steam is OK with it), Brandon's route is not accessible in the base game and can be downloaded as a free DLC (optionaly, because for some people this route can be too fucked up.)

Brandon's route is a history route: it begins when Monika was five, and all events in all branches are happening earlier than the beginning of Sebastian's, Julian's or Quinn's routes. You don't need to read through this route to finish the game and open secret character, but it is giving better view of Monika's personality in other routes, also after reading it, I hated Sebastian a tiny bit less.

Brandon is Monika's older brother. He's just a year older than she, but since the early childhood they were raised differently. Brandon was the favorite child, Mama's golden boy, he was given best teachers and was combat training to become the head of the family (Don). And Monika was neglected, harshly punished for all tiny mistakes, given little to no education. Most of the time their parents didn't pay any attention to her at all. Luciana Viotto is a powerful, cunning and cruel woman, and Antonio Viotto seems totally indifferent to everything that is happening in his family, until it becomes too late.

Things doesn't add up here - while Monika as a mafia princess was prepared to arranged marriage if nothing else, she probably had at least attend different social events to meet important people, but she didn't. Otherwise she would be just a disgrace of a mafia family (which she obviously become, when she went to a college, living in a worst district of a town and working for a minimal wedge)

Since tender age Brandon was trained to be a merciless killer. And while his first kills brought him tears and nightmares, later he started to enjoy killing and torturing people. Now he is hungry for power and control. And the only one he cares about is his sister. Monika.

Since they were children, Brandon always tried to defend Monika from their abusive mother. They grew very close, because they always had to depend onto each other and didn't have anyone else. Monika needed Brandon because he always came to her rescue and Brandon need his sister, because she appeals to what left of human in him. She is still his moral compass after years of killings.

When he was about 15 year of age, Brandon felt that he his feeling for Monika is not completely brotherly.

After some time of his doubts and regrets, they've became lovers, when Monika was still 14 y.o. They both knew that incest is wrong, depending on the branch, they're having more or less doubts about it.

In most scenarios revealed that when Monika was 16, she attended school, where she has met a boy and started dating him. But Brandon was furious and beat the guy so bad that he couldn't recover. Monica hasn't talked to Brandon since then, until she decided to go to college where she begins all other routes.

Brandon is the one who sees the best in Monika

I do not justify the incest, I've never understood it either. But given all the circumstances in this novel I think in Particles of Reality, Brandon is still the best choice for Monika. Maybe I'm prejudiced, because despite of everything , I liked him too much since demo. He's the only one who will never hurt her willingly, she can trust him completely and he's the one who accepts and understands her as she is.

The thing I like about Brandon the most is that he is the only one whose personality doesn't change a bit in all the routes and branches. I'm afraid that is because he's the least favorite boy for the developer, but still he doesn't pretend. Also he's the only one who is changing through his route - for worse, but still.

He is extremely violent, and doesn't hide that he is enjoying killing people, but it seems that he can have his doubts and regrets about everything that concerning Monika. (Nevertheless he still thought and done disgusting things)

He is also very smart, with a dark sense of humor, but I always felt that Monika can depend on him. With him she is safe, but he can go too far to secure her.

I can't rate any of the characters, since they're shown as the worst versions of themselves. As for their "core personality", I like Sebastian the least, because I can't find any of his personality outside of his obsession. As for secret character, his purpose in this novel seems only for breaking forth wall, so it is hard to say something about him for now.

Overall:

Visual: 4/5

Story: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Romance: 2/5

Originality: 5/5

My Rating: 5/5

(I can't recommend it to anyone, since it is very dark and not for everyone, but also couldn't give it less than 5 stars, because I'm sure that this game has a powerful impact on every person who has read it)

You can get this visual novel by Arewar on Steam or on itch.io

[quartztwst]

The Yuri fluff manga you told us to read is completed and I finished it, in a day.. what else would you recommend.? Just curious.

my friend would hate me for this but

read BLUE FLAG

its about gay boys and their sexuality ill have to reread it again but it explores sexuality and same sex attraction and stuff it made me cryyyyyy

ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION is I’M IN LOVE WITH THE VILLAINESS

i love claire so much you should read it. its about a girl that has been isekai’d into her favorite otome game but she’s not into any of the boys BUT SHE’S INTO THE VILLAINESS AND SHE’S SO RIGHT Claire’s so cute i love her. there’s an anime and manga bc it’s actually a light novel. I LOVE YOU CLAIRE I LOVEEEE YOUUU MWA MWA! i’m also so into the tsundere girl troupe im so weird

also there’s incest going on but it’s only for a bit and it’s none of the main characters (just a warning bc it also got me confused)

BRO BRO BRO BRO BRO BRO BRO BRO

HEAR ME OUT RIGHT NOW

YOU RIGHT NOW read

READ MISS GUILLOTINE

it’s not a manga BUT A WEBCOMIC AND MANHWA

I read it when I was younger because I thought it was about pretty magical girls

I MEAN IT IS ABOUT MAGICAL GIRLS but there’s a dark twist to it PLEASE READ IT I LOVE IT SO MUCCCHHAA SA HDOHSADFKJAH also i dont think it’s safe if you dont like death and blood and dark shit but it’s not too bad

there’s just a lot of bad people

for a short read,

here’s brutal satsujin kansatsukan no kokuhaku

THERE’S A LOT OF DEATH AND MURDER AND DARK TOPICS IN THIS SO PLEASE BE WARNED BEFORE READING THIS

THAT INCLUDES R@PE AND @BUSE

It’s about this cop and he’s basically a serial killer but he only kills people that are horrible people and criminals.

he’s actually really nice to good people and regular citizens but he kills and tortures bad people.

and ummm i found him kinda.. fineeee i mean likeeee teheeeee…

this manga is a spinoff off of another manga called Brutal I think but this one is good if you want to see justice served in a BRUTAL way.

also he’s kinda silly

OKAY LET’S GET OUT OF THE DARK TOPICS AND INTO SOMETHING SIMPLE AND SOFT

I introduce you to A Bouquet for an Ugly Girl

SHE’S NOT EVEN UGLY SHE’S SO CUTE

IUGHSJIFHALHO

anyways this is about a cute romance about a girl that finds herself not really attractive but she manages to be friends with the most popular guy in school (omg!! so cliche!!) but he’s actually nice guy and they have feelings for eachother

there’s more recommendations but there’s nothing i can come up with at the top of my head

[mint-yooxgi]

Hi! Could I request a Yandere! Otome! Felix x reader?

The game Felix is apart of is sort of like a virtual reality of sorts and when Felix meets and gets to know the Reader, he absolutely falls in love with her and can’t bare the thought of her leaving him so he tries to transfer his programming into an AI robot so that way he can keep taking care of her even in the real world?

The game had started off as something harmless. Something that you could go to when you needed a pick me up at home so you could attempt to feel less lonely. Something that was supposed to be just for fun.

Hours were spent just laying on your bed with your oculus on your head as you submerged yourself into this game. A game which had many different options to choose from in terms of romances and friendships, as well as characters whom you could select or change at any point in time if you no longer wanted to continue on their route.

One boy in particular slowly started creeping in your heart.

Out of all of the options, Felix was probably the one you got along with the best. He was kind, caring, and a complete doofus at times, but that only made him even more endearing to you. So, of course he was the one that you spent the most time with, ending up on his story route more often than not. Even if you started on another path, you somehow always found yourself drawn back to his, whether by choice or some weird glitch of the game.

It was fine at first, until each time you would log in to be with him you started to remember just how lonely you actually were in the real world. You needed to separate fiction from reality. No matter how badly you wanted to simply stay with him in this virtual world, you knew you couldn't. Being with him didn't replace that hole in your heart. That emptiness of which you would be reminded of every time he would do something sweet for you, or make you laugh in the game.

Felix noticed. Of course he did. How could he not when he was so desperately in love with you ever since you talked to him that first day you logged into the game. Finally, someone chose him for himself, and not just his 'sexy-ass deep voice'. Though, he knows you're just as affected by it as everyone else, especially if the way you react when he teases you with it is anything to go by.

It bothered him. Every time you would leave, the world around him would seemingly lose its colour, his senses dulling until you came back into his life.

All he wants to do is love and cherish you, to hold you close and whisper those sweet nothings he knows you've always dreamed of having said to you. Only, he can't. At least, not yet.

You've been distant lately. Not signing in to interact with him as much as before, and Felix hates that. He hates not being able to see your face every day. He hates not being able to spend hours talking with you just like all those weeks prior. More than all of that, though, he hates not being able to touch you.

The two of you had been sitting outside at one of the cafés. The sun had been shining brightly in the sky as a cool breeze drifted past.

Nothing could have made him happier in this moment other than being with you. He thought things were going great, too. You were laughing at something he just said and he could feel his heart racing in his chest at hearing that melodic sound coming from you. The fact that he was the one that made you laugh, too, is just icing on the cake.

Until he saw the way your eyes had dimmed right afterwards, a sort of sad expression taking over your features.

"Sorry, Lix," you send him a tight smile as you stand from your seat. "I have to go now."

His mood plummets as you log out right then and there, disappearing from his line of sight in the blink of an eye.

Felix can only sit there, stunned, as he stares into the empty air in front of him where you just were. Did he do something wrong? Did he say something that upset you? What happened?

His breathing starts to quicken, panic rising in his throat as he overthinks everything he did in this past little interaction with you. You can't be leaving him, can you?

A few days go by without any sight nor sound of you. Felix cannot help but begin to panic even more. What if you never come back? You can't just leave him like this. No, he won't let you. You're meant to be, and the amount of time you've spent together, the connection you have, proves it.

You, on the other hand, had decided to try and get your mind off of Felix and that dating game. Instead of sitting at home by yourself, you decided to try your hand at online dating. Finally, you could attempt to actually have something that's real.

Which is exactly how you find yourself standing beside the fountain at the mall waiting for you date to arrive. The two of you made plans to meet up in the early afternoon to simply walk around the mall and get to know each other better. Hopefully, all goes well.

Looking up when someone calls your name, a smile tugs at your lips as you see Hyunjin, your date, approaching you. However, before you can so much as reply to him, another voice - a familiar voice - has your blood running cold.

"There you are," Felix grins as he steps in beside you, wrapping an arm around your waist as he does so. "Sorry to keep you waiting, my love."

Of course he would know exactly where you were. It took him no time at all to hack into your phone and discover that you were trying to leave him; to replace him. Like hell Felix would ever let that happen.

Finding and creating a perfect replica of himself for your world was the hard part, but he managed. The shock on your face is worth it, every time.

Hyunjin looks almost as shocked as you do as he raises a brow at the blond male across from him with his arm around your waist, "and who the hell are you?"

"Me?" Felix chuckles, and you notice something within his eyes flash as he introduces himself, a smug smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Their boyfriend."

[lunatic-fandom-space]

Im gonna play obey me and i'll hopefully finish atleast one route of this one bc I onky play otome games when im unwell (read: in the mood for romance bullshit) like last time i ended up tryingbto play like 6 at once and then i got bored and sck of romance shit so i just abandoned all of those, but this one is about demons and ive been on a demon kick lately so mayb2 i'll manage this one

And like, the reason i do this shit instead of just picking up a romance book is that in romance fantasy ya books which are the ones i like, especially if they cameout post acotar you get two guys and one oc them is blonde and controlling and almost weirdly paternalistic in a way and the other one is blackgaired and horny as whell and i wanna kill him and theyre BOTH S o muscly fucking muscles wrapped in even more muscles like STOP i hate that im gonna kill you, give me some twinks thid a threat upon your life, and i dont even get choose like its always gonna be the horny as fuck dark guy because everyones trying to have the next rhysand nolastname for some reason

Atleast in otome games theres usually atleast three guys and theyre like, fun charming guy thats too boisterous and obnocous for me but i kinda like him, a guy i think is really cute or inteesting thats alwys my choice and then a guy whos literally the worst guy you can possibly be without committing a terrorist and i get to choose which joker i wanna fuck or whatever idk. also my brain feels like mush rn and ototmr games doknt require as much brain power as books so

[windywriter]

I mean, MC being Lilith's descendent was to set up their ability to bypass certain wards and such as well as allow them to communicate with her, as far as I'm aware it's the reason they're immune to Asmo's charm as well. MC wouldn't have the ring either if they weren't born with the power of angels.

The game never solved anything by "we have our sister back technically", the entire first season is MC helping the brothers with their problems, including the fact that letting go of the constant grief isn't letting go of Lilith and getting that understanding that moving on isn't bad, you still have her in your heart.

If you're talking about the fandom idea that the brothers only think of MC as Lilith then I'll let you know that was an angst au type thing. If one of the canon brothers treated MC as Lilith or her replacement then I'm almost certain that the others would beat some sense into him and make him apologize.

The brothers love *MC*, not Lilith's descendent. Belphie could be argued but the reveal was more about Lilith getting the life she always wanted in the end (living proof standing in front of him) and that hating *all* humans would be hating her too. And the reason he knows this now, the reason he's back with his brothers, the reason everything's going to be okay is MC. Maybe Lilith's descendent played some part in him wanting to get closer to them at first but I really don't think that'd last, his brothers and even MC would catch on quick and shut that down (saw a fic about that a while ago). After all, he also knew MC before any reveal, they were only "friends" but that meant he did know MC before "Lilith's Descendent".

MC being Lilith's (reincarnation's) descendant just solved certain plot holes with things like their abilities and why Lilith could talk to them but not her brothers.

Sorry if this is messy I'm not great at communicating my points or ideas. I've also got a really bad headache which isn't making it easier--

I actually used to think the same as you in some ways but I've been obsessed with this game for over a year and between rereading the story and reading fandom analysis, I've come to firmly believe that it wouldn't matter if MC wasn't Lilith's descendent, it was just an easy explanation for the plot holes and a typical otome wrap up for what was (iirc) supposed to be a 20 Lesson game.

(Not part of my take but I think the idea of Lilith being so done with the boys' shit and unable to knock some sense into them that she uses "power of fate" to knock around the papers so the boys get to deal with her most chaotic fucking rizzmaster descendent is absolutely hilarious and the entire plot point is worth it just for that)

Hi Anon, Yeah, the whole thing of Lilith being the reason MC can bypass certain stuff could easily be changed with the fact that the divine fruit Lilith gave her lover allowing them immunity against shit, plus my newest post about Lilith as a concept of love protecting MC (check it out here!) I think i mentioned it? idk, but if i didnt here it is.

As for the "technically we have out sister back" because its so ambiguous with the relationships lilith had with the other brothers, its hard to tell, except lucifer who i think mentions holding MC's hand reminds me of when he would hold lilith's hand which is a weird thing to say on a date. As for Belphie's situation, yes it does make sense that if Belphie were to hate MC who is a descendant of lilith he'd be hating her as well, but I think it would be much more interesting if we got him to forgive humanity or at least make steps towards it by confronting the one who he blames for it. And by seeing that they still have lilith's blessing it would mean that Lilith still loves them, and by hurting MC belphie is basically spitting in the face of his beloved sister's wishes.

Also overall, I made this version purely because Lilith being the brother's Sister, and MC being her descendant has some really messed up implications (going back to the lucifer part i pointed out) and technically they arent related by blood but if you have to put "technically" in front of something like that its still pretty strange. But im glad to hear your input! I hope you feel better!

[sytokun]

there's so many cool but missed opportunities in rwby for their characters, like sun! yk how he's based of "sun wukong" from journey to the west? IK its FOUR characters to a team but i think it would have really been cool if they took more inspo from journey to the west and made HIS team journey to the west characters

Honestly I think that'd be really cool to base the rest of SSSN on the other Journey to the West characters, especially when the basis for a four-man team is already there. And knowing that SSSN was modeled after K-pop boy band Big Bang, imagining the Journey characters as modern hot boys already sounds like an otome-game level move that would fit RWBY pretty well.

That said, if you're making your own interpretation of SSSN, such as by rewrite or AU, you're free to do so. It depends on whether you put more stock into a more cohesive theme for the team, or their original canon inspirations.

...Which is a good opportunity for me to talk about the sketches I did for Sun's team in RWBY: Remnants some time ago. They won't be appearing for a super long time, but I might as well talk about them now.

Here, I renamed them as Team SNSD (pronounced "Sunset"), with Sun Wukong, Neptune Vasilias, Sage Ayana and Scarlet David. (yes, I am aware there is a K-pop group with the same name, the synchronicity is not lost on me) They're still based on their original allusions as I wanted to work within the constraints of canon here, but the full Journey team may be too good to pass up, so I'll consider coming back in the future to tackle it.

People have always been divided on Team SSSN's name, with many preferring to rename them as SSNS ("Seasons"). I do get it - Team SSSN ("Sun") has that kind of dumb, corny "how do you spell?" vibe that matches a team of himbos. But I think having three S's for one word is just going a step too far into... just plain dumb.

Sun is pretty much the same here, but I decided to dial back towards his Asian features and grey eyes - though they're black here cause I like black eyes too. I also added the Monkey's King's famous golden headband, the jǐn gū zhòu, around his neck.

Neptune is pretty much the same here - honestly I really like his original design and think it's one of those "if it ain't broke don't fix it" situations - but I do want to redesign him more in the future to better reflect his allusion as Poseidon.

For Scarlet, I wanted to lean more into their "pirate king" vibe and androgynous appearance, so of course the coat-cape slung over the shoulders is a must. I also wanted to change their Semblance into something similar to their canon one but... not boring.

Instead of just gliding, Scarlet can either control air currents (and I do mean that in a very loose, fantasy way) or affect the trajectory of any moving object their Aura recently comes into contact with. This Semblance is called Pixie Dust, and instead of a gun and cutlass, Scarlet wields two guns, either named Hook and Darling like in canon... or Faith and Trust (geddit). They can use this Semblance to fly, and infuse their bullets with their Semblance when loading them to cause them to curve in midair when fired. Yes, basically like that one movie, Wanted.

People who don't like physics breaking in live action movies hated the bullet curving mechanic, but I think it'd be a perfect fit in RWBY's universe. It adds a much-needed cool factor, and picturing Scarlet engraving smug comments and poetic farewells onto their bullets like lethal fortune cookies injects an element of charisma and playfulness to what I think is a really underutilised character, and one based on Peter Pan no less.

Now for Sage, he had a very ambiguous allusion. Some say he was based on an Aesop fable, and others on Hindu mythology.

Glad to know Miles Luna doesn't know the allusion to one of his own characters, especially knowing that SSSN is one of the earliest teams designed for RWBY, predating JNPR. But sure, let's give him the benefit of the doubt like we always do for CRWBY. /s

Given that this was so ambiguous and he also had no Semblance, I decided to take some liberties with Sage, and given his surname and appearance, I decided to look to Hindu mythology for Sage's allusion - a really cool but unexplored source of inspiration in RWBY. I was looking at some famous warriors and gods of myth like Arjuna, but I eventually settled on Kartikeya.

Kartikeya is the Hindu god of war. Known for riding a peacock and sometimes depicted having six heads, he also wields a spear with a leaf-shaped blade called a vel. In other countries he is named Murugan, and has a famous statue of him in Malaysia's Batu Caves.

I've redesigned Sage's clothes to more reflect Indian fashion (albeit a fantasy version of such) and with peacock feather motifs on his collar and chest. Sage here also fights with this spear instead of a greatsword, which you can see him holding in the sketch. His Semblance, Sanmukha ("Six-faced"), allows him to see in six different directions at once, having total 360° vision around himself. This vision can also pierce solid objects within a certain range.

While not immensely powerful by itself, Sage uses this to gain an almost unparalleled martial prowess, spatial awareness and foresight in combat, reflecting the god of war's own wisdom and skill. While I do really like the Roman numeral tattoos on his neck, I was also considering using Sanskrit or Tamil script - I should try that next time I go back to his design.

So yeah, that's Team SNSD from me! I'm pretty attached to Indian Sage, but next time I come back to them I want to take a shot at basing them after Tripitaka, Zhu Bajie (Pigsy) and Sha Wujing (Sandy) from Journey. I also need to be sure actual Hindu people are fine with him, since Kartikeya is still a widely-worshipped god in current times unlike Thor or Poseidon, so I hoped this portrayal of Sage as alluding to him is respectful enough.

[shinkaishoujo103]

ASK GAME UM. IZUMI

(ask game here!)

RAE. RAE SHAKING YOU. STARING YOU INTO THE EYES. ARE YOU SERIOUS. IZUMI FUCKING SENA OF ALL PEOPLE. DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG THAT WOULD TAKE. HOW MUCH I HAVE TO SAY. do you even know anything about whatever the fuck i have going on with him. do you even. well allow me to elaborate then

First impression

The earliest opinion of him i can remember is "I don't hate him but he's extremely funny to bully on" i think so. let's say this is first impression. oh how did it go downhill from now on. this is so funny actually. oh my god. past me had NO idea

Impression now

How even am i supposed to express that. what i feel about that man is so. so MIXED i cant put it into words. basically i hate him but i love him but i need to push him off a cliff but i am oh so extremely down bad for him but he's the fucking worst asshole ever but why is he so fucking pretty and his voice dear god but whY EVEN DO I LOVE HIM DEAR GOD I HATE HIS ASS and it just goes on and on

Honestly. i may act kinda tsundere with him ngl. act like i hate him (which i DO. btw.) but sometimes it slips and hum. we do not talk about that. but its funny since hes a tsundere himself

Also i think he should stop being down bad for leo for at least one second please but also they should make out (saku stop izuleoing everything challenge impossible. im sorry it gets worse from now on.)

Favorite moment

Good question. I have no idea. Does izuleo scenes cou- /gets shot

Oh can i say the like 2 cards where he's a sad pathetic crying wet cat. I love those. I think we need more of this genre of sena. Because he deserves it

Look at him. Absolutely utterly pathetic. I love when he's like that happyele should make him cry more methinks

Im guessing actual snippets of the stories would be more accurate as to "moments" but i dont have any screenshots and no way im gonna go all the way to get those so

...so does anyone still want to see my favorite izuleo moments any- /gets shot

...

WELL TOO BAD! YOU CAN'T STOP ME!

These two are like. My absolute two most favorite izuleo quotes + these two, relating to the second one

...oh my god i izuleoed this ask game IM SO SORRY I SWEAR TO GOD I GENUINELY DIDNT EVEN REALIZE I JUST NEEDED TO TALK ABOUT THESE TWO SOMEHOW OH MY GOD i am way too izuleopilled for this world oh my fucking absolute god i need to be put down methinks

Idea for a story

MMM i have a lot of story ideas but not sure if i have anything sena focused enough to tell about it here mmm.......

So what about something knights focused instead? Is that okay

Well, ideally, it would be more for an otome game methinks...because yeah its like. knights x reader or however im supposed to put it. yeah i think about them normally i swear

But basically its set in a royal setting and like-

Mc is the prince/princess/gender-neutral-term (what is it help) of a kingdom

Sena is their personal knight (and childhood friend)

Naru is their personal maid (and childhood friend)

Tsukasa is the prince from another kingdom and like. his father and the mcs put these two in an arranged marriage so the overall "plot" of the. story(?) would be that mc goes on dates with kasa to get to know him (but ofc the other charas butts in)

I genuinely have no idea what role ritsu is i just need him to visit the mc at night by sneaking into the castle on an almost daily basis does anyone get me

And leo is just your average town bard who one day catches mcs eyes

I already kiiinda have the beginning of a plot but then. i. got stuck on ritsu. yeah.

Unpopular opinion

.......honestly i have no idea help??

Im not even sure what opinion of mine would be considered "unpopular"

...oh my god im gonna izuleo this again im so sorry but

I generally see more people treat leo as the "down bad one" in izuleo and like. yes. he is. but

Sena is just as bad. Just as fucking bad. Just you know that. His tsundere demeanor might hide it better but personally i see right fucking through it

Theyre both so fucking down bad for eachother actually thats the thing. And i hate it. I fucking hate it out here

Favorite relationship

Come on. Look me in the eyes and dare tell me you have no idea. Yes you do. You absolutely know. How can you not.

...its izuritsu of course (JOKE JOKE JOKE)

MORE SERIOUSLY who expected me to say izuleo. Everyone? As you should. I better be known as the izuleo girl here or else i am Ready to become more annoying about them. Hey actually recently i was like this

(its 6:51pm by the time im writing this)

By nothing to express about i meant. No brainrot like. At all. For once. Since usually there's always a brainrot to accompany my izuleo moods. But no there i was simply being crazy about them Just Like That

Favorite headcanon

I generally dont have much headcanon and when i do i tend to forget about them so uh. I dont really have anything much ngl

Ig the first thing that comes to mind is he/she/they agender sena

But even then i usually dont use my gender hcs that much and just stick to the canon. Im simple-minded like that. I greatly support other peoples hcs though!

[mekorausada]

Blooming Panic: Full Bloom Edition Game Review

Spoilers Ahead

May I present to you Mystic Messenger's less overwhelming counterpart.

Blooming panic was something I played a few months ago while searching for something new and refreshing to play and it really did the trick Blooming panic has

Amazing art

Beautiful Voice Acting

Great Story

Interesting and Lovable characters (Both the romancable and the non-romancable ones)

Realistic Dialogue that I would see in an actual server (And fandom) from actual people.

Blooming Panic (Or Bloomic) has sort of the same hook as MM, you are a fan of a webcomic called Blooming Panic and one day you mysteriously recieve an invite to a server for fans of the webcomic.

Bloomic doesn't really focus on how you got the invite, why links to the server keep getting deleted and such until NakedToaser's route and its really a breath of fresh air from lore-heavy, confusing stories. Bloomic doesn't shine in its great stories in my opinion, it shines in its characters and their interactions with one another. When you play, it truly feels like you're in a fan server. The way they fangirl/fanboy over fanarts, Ship wars, some of the members being more devoted to Bloomic and others. Plus the way they respond is realistic.

So I've talked too long about the dialogue and not the characters, it is an otome game after all. There are a total of 11 characters who appear and 9 are active characters who appear and interact with you in every route and 4 are romancable. Each of the characters have very diverse personalities and play different roles in each route, I'm not gonna go over them all but I am going to be going over the lis and their routes.

The first is a menace to society, a lurker in the shadows ready to pounce you with a funny quip.. this is no other than our resident troll.. xyx. Holy shit did xyx remind me of so many people I know, hes got the same attitude, everyone treats him and his jokes the same way and he has the same dilemma. xyx was the first route I did and honestly, it was a bit over the place, I think his main conflict is his cat and his injury? but he had alot of stuff. Buut, very enjoyable. The voice actor(Mike Young) is absolutely wow (kudos to him for doing the tongue twisters lol). Overall 8/10 maybe?

Our next guy is a little jealous, a college student, has a bit of a habit of staying up, blonde, 5'7 and a cutie <3

Ah.. wait a minute.

There he is.. may I present to you, Night Owl. Nightowl is a bit overwhelming ngl. Honestly he scared me quite a bit, he is very loveable but he can get really expressive and it can become suffocating to stay, especially in the videocall where he gets drunk before his exam. Still, his story was very interesting and had me glued more than xyx's did. btw still waiting for that onion videocall, please onion route robobarbie

The next guy is buff and tired dad of the server, no other than Quest. Ngl Quest isn't really my type so I wasn't really excited to play his route but it was very sweet. One thing I have to say though, fuck societyboy, all my homies hate societyboy. Fr saw the joker movie and decided the joker was his idol smh. I ended up swooning over Quest though, hes the perfect mix of promising he'll bring you home by 9 and your daughter calls me daddy. very nice...

Last boy is Nakedtoaster, don't let his name fool you.. he is.. very serious. This is the last route you'll play and it will finally address the suspicious part about all of this. This is way more serious than the others routes than a we can get over this together! type of thing.. well it sort of still is like that. The reveal of who the author of Bloomic is also here lol, much more lore focused than the other ones, I was sort of tired doing his route and I just used the max speed option alot. Nakedtoaster's good ending is VERY satisfying though, seeing everyone come back and all. It felt so relieving.

So conclusion, definitely recommend Blooming Panic, its on itch.io so go download it and swoon.

10/10 voice acting, 8/10 story, 10/10 art, 9/10 characters and 9/10 script.

[hitsuyou-fukaketsu]

hi shav can you tell me about some of your favorite villainess mangas with villainesses that go HO HO HO and do the hand pose and i will try to see if i can read them for free on the internet

HI AURELIA!!!!! OF COURSE I WILL (and even put the site where you can read them! <3)

I present to you my absolute favourite and the reason why i made that post: I favor the villainess!!

JUST LOOK LOOK AT HER LOVE OF MY LIFE <33333 CLAIREEE<3333 SHE HAS DE HOHOHO POSE SHE HAS THE BLOND HAIR AND SHE HAS THE RINGLETS

SO CUTE<3333 This one is about a reincarnated heroine that just loves the villainess and they are so cute and <3333 aaahhh!!!!! I love them so much their dynamic is everything!!! 'I loooovee you!!!' 'and I utterly hate you!!!' 'sure!! Hehehe'

Claire is very aware that her personality puts people off so she's very confused on what Rei sees on her. Little does she know that Rei is a tsundere expert!! I love them so much gfs for real

This one was a reccomendation from duckie my beloved!! THIS IS SUCH A GOOD MANGA!! RLY MADE ME INSANE. Endo and Kobayashi are two highschoolers that do live commentaries as a hobby! And one day, one character from the game they like, start to hear their commentary as if they were the gods from that game. It's a rly cute funny and VERYVERYVERY SHOUJOO. Similar to Claire, Lise is a tsundere! But she's more sweet and gets flustered more easily, she is more of a misunderstood villainess + self steem issues again, also she's super pretty

Some others that I recently read but are not really the hohoho villainess:

This one is a reincarnated villainess that is obsessed with farming exp, she became the strongest in the game so that they cant defeat her at the end, she is more of a kuudere with strange tastes and very passive personality but it was still a nice read <3 i love girls with black silky hair!

THIS ONE IS SOOOO PROMISING!!! THE PLOT IS EVERYTHING!!!!!! Reincarnated villainess again but at a very young age!! Very previous from the game's plot. She normally has nightmares about the kind of person she should be (totally evil, the villainess was Evil, cold and manipulative) so she, year by year surrounds herself of people that love her but that could take her life easily if given the chance. Its a rly heartwarming manga with a cool plot, every 5-6 chapters there's a little timeskip of the kids <33

Sadly it's on hiatus rn because of the artist's health :((

Also i know you said manga but you should check out the villainess anime of this season! 'I'm the villainess so I'm taming the final boss' It's a banger, one of my favourites for sure! It also has a manga but the manga only covers like the first 4-5 episodes of the anime

The anime is so good tho!! But the artstyle of the manga is pretty good too!

[hellcatinnc]

Scandal In The Spotlight Nagito & Iori Routes Review

So I decided I'm going to start going through my games and romance the ones I want then come back later and do the ones I don't much care for. So this game was super fun but only 2 of them even interested me. I am however glad I did both routes and I plan to do the others later but I swear the other few there all seem like assholes these are the only 2 that stood out. Anyways Nagito is my favorite he is an amazing man in the end you will see too. He makes this game alone worth buying if you haven't already. There is spoilers ahead jus so you know.

Nagito Aoshima

He honestly is kind hearted sweet with a naughty side. He likes to flirt but if he gets turned down he turns it right into a ray of sunshine like it was a joke all along. Its not hard to see how you could fall in love with a man like this. Not only does he make you smile but he makes your heart plain happy to be with him. This guy is a one of a kind I mean seriously he can be flirty but he is adopted and he goes out of his way to make clothes for orphan children, talks about one day having a big family and a fluffy dog and having a wife that loves and understands him like no other. I mean my heart melted at how sweet this guy is like not one negativity about him and he has this infectious happiness that makes you grateful to have even met him but not in a bad way but in a humbling way.

When he knows someone is in love with him like he finds out in the story he becomes more confident he wants to be near you. What I love is even when the words come out that your character is in love with him he admits he has feelings but isn't over the top I'm in love with you kind of thing he tells you he wants you to be his girlfriend but he wants to take day by day falling in love with you slowly because he can see being with you forever. Like most of these otomes its like oooh I'm in love with you and me too which feels good but this guy feels like someone you would want to be with in real life the kind of guy that is upfront but you can still tell he is falling every day a little more in love with you.

He also makes clothes outside of sings and he goes into mentioning he will make a wedding dress one day for the woman he sees he could marry and spend the rest of his life with just like his brother in law did for his sister he made her dress. Then later he tells you that he wants to make you a dress for the wedding line he is doing so at that point its not hard to not get giddy this man sees wedding bells in the future. I don't know its so hard not to get caught up in this story and in Nagi he is my sweetie when it comes to love interests in this game and many others. He is that special one that holds a dear place in my heart and he also has a slight jealousy letting everyone know your his and no one can make a move on you. Just Ahhh Nagi is amazing! I will say without spoiling every part of his main story but there is some ups and downs and secrets that have to come out but in the end on the romantic end at least you will not be let down by it.

Iori Enjo

Not gonna lie he caught my attention right away so damn attractive. Anyways its even kind of cute that he can't see well so he needs glasses. This man falls under Tsundere easily he spends most the time in the beginning talking to you like your nothing and are stupid.

However when you meet someone from his past you find out about him and how women have done him wrong even his first love who became his dads mistress. I mean how can you trust after something like that.

However you see little by little his walls slowly crumble and he shows a softer side to him that makes me all warm and fuzzy all over. The way he realizes he is in love with you is just so sweet he is called the prince and really is that the way he is there to protect you in cases as well as to protect your heart.

For a man who hated women in the beginning warms up to the idea of having a woman to spend his life with. He likes a woman who is upfront and doesn't beat around the bush about what she thinks and wants. I did both his main story with both dramatic ending and romantic ending and both are so sweet and he really is a sweetheart in the end.

[daffodi1]

I know literally nobody cares but I'm doing a first impression review of The Ssum (because my otome blog is p much dead at this point)

The good:

-I like that you can set your own schedule! That's a really nice change from MysMess where you had chats happening at hours you might not be awake or might be busy.

-It's kinda cool that the game takes place over the span of 200 days. I feel like that's fun and there's a lot of ways to get content from that.

-The community features are really nice! I like that the game has its own built in social media app for you to communicate with other players, I think that's so fun.

-The bgm is really soothing and nice.

-Pets are always a welcome addition.

The bad:

-The artstyle is.... eh. I don't *hate* that they took a slightly more realistic direction, and some of the CGs are really cute. But some of them are really uncanny valley and dare I say it... the ultra pale skin and lack of nose definition in some of them makes Teo look like James Charles 😭 Also the backgrounds look like stock images w filters over them. They're not bad but... I miss having drawn backgrounds.

-Teo as a character is... well... he's very cute and sweet, and I appreciate him being an awkward dork. But he's unfortunately bland to me: and I feel like this is less of a flaw with the writing and more of a flaw with the game itself. I actually have two points to make about this:

1) The ssum itself seems to revolve around an app that connects you to your "special someone", which is something I kinda assume is like... your soulmate maybe? But the thing is, Teo is the game's only character. If you make *one* character to be the soulmate of every single person who plays the game, well... of course he's going to turn out to be a bit bland. Everyone has different things they like and dislike in an otome game character-- some people think tsunderes are cute while others think they're mean. Some people think possessive characters are sexy and others think they're scary. So if you wanted to make someone appeal to everyone, it'd be hard to give them any meaningful flaws and quirks. I personally don't understand the design choice of making Teo the only character-- the game itself has a personality test feature, so wouldn't it make more sense to have a cast of different characters and to connect players to them based on their personality test results? This also gives a degree of replayability to the game since they could try to get different results each time, with the one they got playing organically as their "true ending". But perhaps that's not how the game is meant to be played, bringing me to my next point:

2) I've heard from a lot of people that Teo is supposed to change depending on how you speak to him, which makes me wonder-- maybe instead of being a traditional dating sim where you fall for the characters as they are, you're supposed to change one character into your ideal partner? I'm sure that's an interesting concept to some, but to me, it feels a little too much like nintendogs or some other pet simulator where you have to train them. That kind of concept isn't really appealing to me, bc I play dating sims to meet these different characters, get insight into what makes them who they are, and fall for them. So maybe this isn't a *bad* game per se, just not for me.

The ugly:

-Cheritz. I'm begging you to please stop with the microtransactions. I know you need the money but I cannot afford these subscription services and there's no ingame way to grind for currency. Please fix it.

-Some of the mechanics are not really intuitive and take a lot of guesswork. More detailed instructions and a better translation would be really helpful for those parts-- I don't mind the translation for Teo's dialogue since he is Korean and it makes sense his English wouldn't be perfect, but it is still important for us to understand how to play the game.

Once again, this is just my first impression, so I might change my mind as I play the game and discover more about it. But it really depends on what they show me. If anyone has any other insight to offer me; please feel free!

[mrszeoxin]

BUSTAFELLOWS

Going into this game I didn’t really know much. The trailer video for it looked really awesome, but I didn’t know much about it other than the stuff in its eshop page. I ended up buying it because it had a major sale (I want to say like 50-60% off), so it felt like a waste not to get it especially since I’ve seen it mentioned a bunch in the otome community.

One thing that was a little rough for me is there isn’t really a prologue to really get to know each of the guys which made it hard for me to decide who to pick since the choices you make in common route determines who’ll you’ll get. I wish there was more time to get to know the guys before my choices mattered. So that’s definitely one complaint I had. But let’s talk about my thoughts on the routes!

Limbo

I chose Limbo first since he’s kind of the poster child and the little part you see before picking choices was mostly with him, so he seemed like a safe bet.

I think Limbo is very attractive from his character design standpoint, so that’s a plus. And his personality was pretty solid too. I have no real complaints about him and his route, but I also didn’t feel anything crazy about him either.

I think he’s a solid character with a fun route and is probably who most people would try and play first since the game really hooks you into him early.

But I don’t feel like I have too much to say about him. Although I do like him and his sister’s dynamic, and I think he is a very caring and sweet person so that’s really nice.

Helvetica

I decided to play Helvetica’s route second, because honestly I didn’t like him very much based on the common route and Limbo’s route, so I kind of just wanted to get him out of the way and done with.

I feel very conflicted after playing Helvetica’s route. On one hand I’m not a fan of the type of love interest he is (where the game shoves in your face how good looking he is, he’s overly confident/arrogant, and where he teases/bullies MC a lot), so it was a little hard for me to really be into him. But on the other hand I think his character and story was actually really good, and more compelling than Limbo’s route (even though I prefer Limbo’s personality).

Helvetica’s route was super interesting, and had a lot of good moments. Even though I don’t prefer his character archetype I still really empathized and cared about him as a character.

My biggest complaint is this game didn’t commit to its conflict. It really annoys me when these games put high stakes, drama, and interesting plot points only to basically negate everything so there’s no real consequences. I don’t usually like to include spoilers but I’m going to have to because I need to address this so if you don’t want spoilers for this route as well as some from two other games, feel free to skip to the next route’s review.

Basically in this route Helvetica gets seriously injured, that in real life would result in some serious scarring. I wish the game committed to their story and actually left him with some scarring, it doesn’t have to be as bad as possible, but something to show there are real consequences to his actions would have been nice. One of the things I really loved about Mystic Messenger and Empherial was both committed to their injury plots. When Yoosung’s eye gets damaged they committed and kept it damaged. When MC gets scarred in Ray’s route of Empherial they commit and keep her scar. I love that because it means there are actually stakes. I hate it when a game will do something crazy like in Helvetica’s route, but then don’t fully commit to leaving consequences and evidence for their choices. It’s a really big pet peeve for me. So that also made me pretty annoyed with his route. But overall I think his route was good.

Shu

I decided to play Shu next because I was kind of interested in him, but not as much as the last two. I wasn’t really sure how to feel about Shu before playing his route, I don’t like that he’s a smoker, but he didn’t annoy me or seem like a bad guy. So I felt kind of conflicted and wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy his route or not.

After playing I actually enjoyed his route more than I expected to. I think it was pretty engaging and fun to play. I like that you can encourage him to stop smoking, honestly wish that was an option in more games. I also really enjoyed the ending of his route, it was very sweet. Much like Limbo’s route I don’t have much else to add other than it’s good and I like him. If you like the “bad boy” or “family first” type guys you’ll probably like him.

Scarecrow

The two I was most excited to play was Scarecrow and Mozu, so I really struggled to pick who to play first. But I landed on Scarecrow on a whim. But he seems pretty cute and awkward, plus he’s a hacker so I’m pretty down to play his route.

As expected I really enjoyed Scarecrow’s route! He’s so cute and awkward and that’s one of my favorite type of characters to play in these games! He’s also the youngest of the group (I think?), and I like that since I’m not a generally a fan of age gaps.

I would say he’s a very wholesome and sweet guy, very gentlemanly. His route has Enomoto vibes from CxM, so if you liked that you’ll probably like this.

The plot was good and it had a great hook, definitely had me questioning how everything would turn out. But I think Scarecrow and MC have such a cute and wholesome relationship! Just everything about this route was straight up my alley. Very cute and fun to play!

Mozu

I decided to play Mozu last because once again I was most excited for him and Scarecrow, since they both seemed the most like my type. Mozu appeals to me for two reasons, one he’s the quiet and reserved type which I enjoy, and the other is I like his personality a lot. I love that he’s a coroner, and the stuff he says, especially since I used to want to go into a similar field. So overall, very excited to play his route

As expected I really loved Mozu’s route! I just really love Mozu and his route was so good. It was the only to make me cry as well. I felt so many different emotions while playing his route, it was so engaging and interesting. It made me kick my feet happy and also crying from a wide range of feelings. I’m definitely glad I played his route last as he’s probably my favorite of these five. I loved this route! My only complaint is we got the lest of his POV which makes me sad, I also think they have the least couple-y content as well which sucks. But even with that I love him, he’s my favorite, and I enjoyed his route.

Last Two Chapters

I’ll be frank, Full Circle kind of sucked and was lackluster but I didn’t hate it. Auld Lang Syne I actually hated and despised. I need to rant so if you don’t want spoilers go to my final thoughts or click off.

But oh my gosh I hated this so freaking much. Words are not enough. In the common route and all routes I really loved Adam and was holding out hope the secret route would be an Adam route somehow. But no instead we got Auld Lang Syne. Which to be fair you could keep part of it for an Adam route and I’d be happy. Like sure MC’s brother Zora can still be an evil r*pist who SA/r*pes Luka and threatens to do the same to MC, because it’s sick but like we know Zora was a bad guy. You can even keep Adam killing him. But make Adam a route! Don’t give the guy a tumor that makes him loose his grip on reality and destroy his life! Like why did the writers hate Adam?! He did not deserve to go through all the suffering he does. It’s so insanely stupid they refused to give him a route and instead force fed us this rushed garbage. I’m livid, justice for Adam!

Overall

There is a lot I want to say about this game but I don’t know if I’ll remember it all so here we go. One thing I feel kind of conflicted about it the common route feels so long compared to individual routes, which makes some of the romance in the game feel rushed. This paired with the fact you basically have no time to get to know the love interests before your choices matter was not something I’m a fan of. I found it to be pretty frustrating. The common route also sets up a lot of things that don’t have an impact on any route and rather a forced together last minute in the “true ending”. Overall the game was really bad at adding any foreshadowing and suspense, like the fact Shu is a hit man was shocking to MC but not the player. A lot of the game kind of feels like that.

I feel really conflicted about how I feel about this game. On one hand it’s absolutely stunning, has great and dynamic art and animation, great voice acting, and an intriguing premise that really hooks you into the story. But on the other hand the romances feel a tad rushed and don’t really connect or drop hits to the “true ending”. That combined with the fact the last two true ending chapters really sucked, really left a sour taste in my mouth. I think I’m disappointed because before I played the final chapters I think I would have strongly recommended the game. But honestly it’s kind of ruined for me and I don’t think I’ll play the sequel like I had originally thought. And from what I’ve seen online it seems many people don’t like the final chapters. It kind of makes me wish I could be like the MC and go back in time to prevent myself from playing those last two chapters, because then I would have had much more positive things to say.

I don’t think the game is bad, it’s objectively really good and high quality (art wise), I just don’t understand what the writers were hoping for with those last chapters of the game, which sucks because as the true ending that’s where the sequel picks up. So sadly, I don’t think I like this game as much as I originally did and that sucks. I’m kind of worried to post this because I don’t want to be negative, but also not every game will be everyone’s cup of tea, so feel free to take my opinion with a grain of salt. But that’s all for this one! I’m planning on playing Café Enchant next so look forward to that!

[k1ngj0ve]

Playing a game lets call it 'Cinder Sella Phenome', its an otome about people being cursed with 'reverse fairytail' curses. so our main character started out a princess but is turned into a begger

(that is not what cinderella is about but okay)

and the logic in t he game (as well as the opinion ive heard everyone have when talking about it) is that the main character is a villainess, is cruel and evil and that this curse will turn her into a better person and they are happy to see her grow

ive barely started it, im like 2 hours in, on chapter 3

and im full of so much impotent rage

in WHAT way is she a fucking villain?? because shes rude to the father that she consistantly says hates her? the father that recently murdered a fuckton of witches (when we are told that many witches are good)? the father that refuses to hug her after her mom died and left for several months alone afterwards?

this girl whos mother was abusive and controlling to the point that she convinced her everyone wants to kill and hurt her? who never let her leave the castle after she was 4?

because she wouldnt call her stepmon 'mother' even though she only married in a year ago and the mc is 18?

because he wouldnt lie to her stepsister and pretend to have left the castle to hang out with her when actually her father ordered her to do it?

the only proof anyone has that shes evil is that she fired a maid for damaging one of her dolls. wow! so evil! that doll was literally a witch in disguise and the mc is so isolated that she talks to the dolls and refers to them as her only friends!

like 5 characters have told her she needs to smile more because 'good people smile because it makes other people happy'. like literally one of the things that makes her a bad person is that she doesnt smile. that character literally says 'i dont owe people a smile' and they just brushed it off and said she should do ti anyways

like damn sorry this traumatized emotionally abused isolated depressed grieving and terrified girl doesnt smile for you, fucker, i guess that mustve ruined your fuckin day

they keep saying she doesnt have enough faith in people but people are literally constantly plotting in open air about how she should lose her title and her new stepsister should be the corwn princess because shes-- what? prettier? because she smiles more??

the 'good' witch literally ripped her family and name and title from her and dropped her shoeless in the road and everyone in town was nasty to her and wouldnt let her buy food because she looked too poor. she got chased down and injured so badly she was unconcious for days. couldnt eat even though she had money, couldnt walk because the witch took her shoes. after shes injured the witch puts her up in her hotel for cursed people and says 'you can stay here but you have to work to earn your keep' and threatens to throw her in the street again (specifying 'without shoes') in order to make her work. then enchants a broom to force her to clean whenever there is dirt on the floor.. of a MEDEVIL TAVERN.

shes been there for MONTHS at this point but people still refuse to tell her why everyone hates her so much, even though other people in the curse house have shown themselves ready to beat her the fuck up for NO REASON. she says 'i have only left the castle twice in my entire life, i dont know why they hate me'

absolutely sickening <3

and then it turns out i cant even romance the 2 male leads that were nice to me (though they BOTH said i should smile more....) until i romance 2 of the shitty assholes.

wild writing

people keep trigger warning this game because you have the OPTION to romance your step brother (again, they only married into the family 1 year ago its not a big deal and also he wants me dead and is purposely refusing to help me get my family back so there is no familiar feelings there) but no one is trigger warning the insane abuse from the mother or the way the entire game is 'you deserve all the pain and wounds and mocking and punishment you get because you arent a warm enough person after your mother manipulated you'

tw 'you CAN date your stepbrother' no tw for 'physical mental financial emotional abuse from parental figures AND the LIs AND the 'good witch' of the story'

[dreamkidddream]

I’d like to request hc’s of the Brothers and Diavolo reacting to an MC that’s so cute, she could pass off as a doll. If she stands perfectly still, she could pass off as a full sized doll until she moves again. She has adorable doe eyes, wears cute clothes (Lolita fashion or just has an anime girl style), and even makes cute desserts. If the usual MC was weak and frail to them already, Doll!MC seems so dainty, precious, and fragile; these guys would ban paper if she ever got a paper cut.

Oooooo this is really interesting! I can just imagine Doll!MC just making everyone so scared every time she moves because they could probably hurt themselves just bumping into a wall because they look so fragile lol. These were short, so hope you enjoy!

Update: here’s part 2 with the other Undateables!

The Brothers and Diavolo Reacting to Doll!MC

Lucifer

...maybe he made a mistake in picking you for the exchange program after all

You just look so delicate, and just so pure. 

You have definitely made cute little snacks and brought it to him while he locked himself in the office with paperwork

He lowkey highkey likes it no matter how he brushes it off with the usual thanks. Keep doing it, MC, he really appreciates it

When you get in trouble and he gives you the usual lectures, he can’t look into your eyes for long

Geez, he already can’t stay mad at you for long but now he can just feel his resolve cracking

If you get hurt oh Diavolo prepare for helicopter parent Lucifer

As soon as you accidently cut yourself in the kitchen (it would be the tiniest cut, barely noticeable),  you’re no longer allowed in the kitchen unsupervised and can’t handle anything with a sharp end (whether its a butter knife or kid proof scissors that would be safe for Luke to use unsupervised)

“Let me do it for you, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Lucifer, thank you but I’ll be okay. It’s just a frosting spatula it’s not sharp-”

Will punish his brothers 10x worse and demons 100x more if he finds out you got hurt (doesn’t matter what the injury is, could be so much as a paper cut there will be hell to pay)

Constantly checks on you when he can’t see you in person

Handles you so lightly that you barely feel his touch

Move over Belphie, you’re the baby of the house now 

Mammon

Protective x100000

Is still tsudere around you, but doesn’t insult you as much

Who are you kidding as soon as he looks into your cute doe eyes, he forgets what he’s saying 

Complains about having to do stuff for you but doesn’t mind at all really. He loves it because it feels like you’re depending on him, and that makes him feel worth something.

“C’mon human, let the Great Mammon carry your books! You’re gonna hurt yourself and I don’t feel like hearing Lucifer’s mouth today!”

It was just your planner and a small recipe book that Luke gave you, and it weighed less than 10 pounds but okay. You don’t complain either when you see that he genuinely wants to help and do these things

Basically your loud guard dog and secret service agent rolled into one

He’s gotten into trouble more than once for “protecting you”. A student barely bumped your shoulder and Mammon already tackled him. Lucifer was not pleased (but he secretly understood)

He can’t help it that you’re weak and surrounded by hungry demons! It’s a pain to go through this much effort to just protect you, since you look so helpless

MC he’s just worried that you easily break if a demon so much as breathes on you but he likes that he can protect you because he knows that he can keep you safe. You’re just too cute and sweet okay??

Also stand in his room after watching a horror movie to freak him out and he’ll be sounding like Mariah Carey lmao

Leviathan

RURI-CHAN IS THAT YOU??!

Is for sure having an otaku/weaboo freakout moment

You blend in with figurines so well, every time you come into his room he asks you to stand next to them so he can feel that his collection is complete 

He does it sometimes when he streams so people can think he has a rare limited-edition life sized doll that they can’t get. Makes him feel superior 

DRESSING YOU UP IN COSPLAY 100%

You’re like an anime character but in real life and he does not know how to handle it 

Can’t stare into your eyes, it makes them too flustered because he’s used to seeing it in his otome games and not from an actual person that he likes

Who needs maid cafes when he has you? You even dress and make anime themed desserts (once he built up the courage to ask you to make it for him)

Has to calm his beating heart every time he talks to you, you’re too precious for him MC! 

Your like his very own idol, minus the singing and dancing. However, if you can sing and dance....

Levi.exe has stopped working 

Satan

Thought you were a real doll until you introduced yourself

He really thought that someone brought you to life Pinocchio style

You looked like a princess from the many stories that he read, and he was smitten

Treated you so graceful and elegant like until he had his rage moments, which he told you to stay far, far, far away from him until he calmed down completely

Secretly placed a hex on you to where if someone tried to attack you or touch you with harmful intentions, they would be somehow be subjected to looking at their worst fear

You were wondering why that random stranger was just staring wide at you with extensive terror, but then you saw Satan grinning, so you left it alone. You thought it was just some weird demon thing

Loved when you made him cat-themed desserts

If you wore cat ears while doing it, he will turn extremely red

If you meow for him, he won’t know how to handle himself 

Asmodeus

You are just the cutest thing he has ever laid his eyes on!!

Besides from himself of course, don’t get it twisted he’s still #1

He has most definitely had more than one photoshoot done with you both. And you guys have been trending on the Devilgram a couple of times already

Really you guys trend at least twice a month, and his fans love you!

They always ask where he got the doll from but he always laughs and says that “it’s a secret”

Imagine their shock when they see you walking and talking at RAD, some are amazed and some are downright scared

Fashion shows! 

He lives for dressing you up in cute clothes. Your style already suited you and he had great tastes so the new outfits he got you were just *chef’s kiss*

The cute little desserts that you made for him, he always posted it on the Devilgram before he ate it. They were just so cute MC and he couldn’t not show his fans!

Is the most careful brother when it comes to keeping you out of danger. He refused to let his body or skin damaged, and he wasn’t about to let it happen to you either! You are both way too dainty and fragile to let anything happen

Also spa days and self-care nights weekly!

You’re the perfect match made just for him MC

He finally has someone that can understand his struggle of being beautiful, bless you MC

Beelzebub

Soft boy is scared of touching you :(

He towers over you, and he’s scared to even be near you

It takes some time, but he starts to warm up to you

Is always gentle with you, no matter the scenario

Holding hands? He is hardly gripping your hand, said hand fitting loosely in his

Getting hugs? He’s meagerly holding you, not wanting to crush you

You once complained to Beel that it wasn’t fair to get half done hugs (if you were hugging, you were getting a real hug, not a scared one). 

He made you swear that if he was hurting you to let him know, so now you have your very own signal to use for him just in case

He was very tempted to wrap you in bubble wrap and just carry you around like that

He LOVES your sweets, even more than Luke’s and Barbatos’

No matter the size, he loves them, mainly because you made them and it was made with love, just for him

It always makes him feel so warm inside, and he doesn’t feel his appetite gnawing at him like usual

No one is dumb enough to try anything with you both in his presence and not, unless they want to end up either a: deep into the ground or b: into his stomach

You just make him feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and he just loves everything about you. He just loves you

Belphegor

Hm, you look cute 

For a human

Acts like he doesn’t care, but you’ve caught him blushing before (he still does it too)

Won’t outright admit that you’re charming in your own little way, but he does in his sarcastic way like usual

“MC, you’re such a half-pint. You’re like my personal sized teddy bear.”

Has cuddled with you like you were his personal teddy bear (and still does, but you don’t complain at all)

Has a secret sweet tooth and eat your desserts whenever you make it just for him (and he doesn’t even share it with Beel, that monster)

Demons just have to look Belphie in the eyes, watch him flex his claws, and they all of a sudden forget about whatever they were planning. Good

He hates that you look so fragile, but at the same time he kinda likes it

You just look so soft, and you’re just so kind

It makes him feel like he’s protecting and caring for you, and that makes him feel calm and peaceful 

Please make sure that he’s okay MC, he’s scared that he’s gonna mess up again

Diavolo

The Prince of Hell is both surprised and pleased at your appearance

Do all humans look this charming or is it just you??

If someone as soft as you can survive living and going to school with demons, then this is great

Knew that you weren’t a doll, but still liked to admire you like one

Has asked more than once for pictures, you are just too enchanting!

Wants to have a portrait painted of you so he can hang it up in the castle

LOVES you baking for him! Loves when Barbatos does it too (even though it is kinda part of his job), but it feels different with you. It feels...domestic in a sense. Makes him feel like Diavolo, your friend and very interested in being your boyfriend, instead of Lord Diavolo, the prince that will be residing over Hell in the future

No one would be foolish enough to hurt you. If someone was, they wouldn’t even get the chance to lift a finger before they were directly dealing with him. Don’t take his kindness for weakness, he still is a demon after all, the future King of Hell to be exact

Was scared of touching you at first, but quickly grew out of it! He can handle his own strength, and you guys also have a signal to use just in case he does squeeze a little too tight

Will want to dress you up in royal clothes (if you were okay with it). Nothing is wrong with your current style, as a matter of fact it suits you! He basically just wants to play a fancy game of dress up/have a fashion show with royal clothing

Will take 100s of photos, no exaggeration

Asmo will be jealous, so be warned

Plus, he wants to know how his future lover/ruler would look in a crown so he can start taking measurements. You can never be too ready, right MC?

[leonardhoee]

A Rant About Ikesen’s Treatment of Motonari

I’ve been away from tumblr for a while but I had to come back for this.

So something I’ve noticed throughout playing Ikesen is the way that the game is very biased agains Motonari and I think it needs to be addressed because he is the only brown character and his portrayal is full of harmful stereotypes against brown men. I love this game but I haven't seen a single person acknowledge how badly Motonari is treated by the creators and the fandom as a result of that.

Also any racist comments will be blocked.

Possible route spoilers under the cut…

So lets start with the obvious, he is the only dark skinned character in Ikesen and when I first started playing I was so happy about that because finally (regardless of his ethnicity which honestly in this portrayal of him can be up for debate, I HC him as south East Asian) we are getting some representation. Throughout the game though I started noticing a lot of harmful stereotypes being thrown onto him that none of the other characters face.

Both him and Nobunaga are relatively misogynistic, I’m not denying that at all. However the way it is portrayed in their routes is very different. Nobunaga should in fact have sexual harassment charges, yet its romanticized repeatedly throughout his route. Motonari on the other hand treated MC as a possession the same way Nobunaga did, however he is shown as aggressive and scary as opposed to Nobunaga being shown as sexy and romantic.

There is also a difference in their respective CG’s 

Motonari’s CG is shown much more threatening and aggressive than Nobunaga’s

That brings me to my next point. Every other antagonist so far is shown to have a gentle and redeemable side. Kenshin threatened to wage war on the whole country while keeping MC locked in a cell yet he is still shown to be gentle and romantic. Kennyo repeatedly kidnaps and threatens MC’s life in other routes yet he is shown as a gentle monk who just wants revenge for his fallen brethren. Why doesn't Motonari get that level of consideration and empathy? Why is he, the only brown man, shown as an aggressive two-dimensional brute in every single route that isn’t his own? And this is a harmful stereotype that shows itself in all kinds of media. Brown men are depicted as predatory and aggressive both in fiction and real life.

This leads me to his ethnicity (I’m only talking about Ikesen’s portrayal of Motonari, I am well aware he was a Japanese warlord irl). In his route there is a part where he is talking about slavery and colonialism. As a South Asian woman I completely understand his perspective and its what got me thinking about this subject in the first place.

This subject is clearly personal to him. These lines, the way he looks as opposed to the other characters, and the fact that he speaks Spanish (around this time period the Philippines were being colonized by Spain), leads me to head cannon him as South East Asian, specifically Filipino. However, historically, Motonari comes from a region of Southern Japan, which is known as Hiroshima today. Cybird meant to market him as Okinawan. A large part of the reason Motonari is being treated this way by Cybird stems from the fact that people from Okinawa face racism from mainland Japan. Considering the fact that this game was made in Japan, and knowing what we know about their history of colonization, racism, and east asian beauty standards revolving around colorism, I am honestly not surprised that Motonari is being portrayed like this.

Until now they just showed his reason for fighting the Oda to be “oh I just want to watch the world burn for no reason”. But no that’s not the reason. These lines. That’s the reason. A lot of the context behind those lines comes from the fact that comes from because people from mainland Japan treated Okinawan people as slaves. He doesn’t want to see another colonizer come into power. Sure he’s a bit of an extremist but historically people who have this ideology have always been portrayed as savage and barbaric and “against the betterment of society” (think Jet from atla or even Malcom x). It’s no different in ikesen. The devs are clearly villainizing this ideology. Let’s not forget the fact that irl Hideyoshi invaded Korea. And the fact that anime and otome games are part of Japan’s way of erasing their war crimes and rebranding themselves to the rest of the world. It’s blatantly obvious here with the way they’re villainizing Motonari for having a perfectly valid reason to fight the Oda. If Japan stays divided they can’t invade and colonize other countries like the Philippines can they? Anti-colonialism = bad. 

Lastly I want to talk about how they downplayed his abilities as a leader and a warlord in his own right. In all the other routes he is depicted as less educated and frankly “dumb”, and it shows itself in his speech patterns too. Compared to Nobunaga and Mitsuhide, Motonari’s speech is stereotypically “less educated” and “lower class”. Yet he is just as much of a leader as any of the other warlords. However instead of acknowledging that, the game chooses to focus on his crimes and behavior as a pirate, instead of his role as the head of the Mouri clan.

At one point Kicho even compares his intelligence to a fifth grader which just rubs me the wrong way because lets take a moment to actually look at Motonari’s abilities. He is multilingual, has knowledge of global politics and economics, is an amazing businessman, and extremely analytical. He is literally known as the God of Decit, yet I did not hear that name once until his route came out. His strategies are good enough to be called a god, yet that is completely buried in the other routes in order to simplify his character into a trigger happy psychopath and a violent brute. He is just as smart as Nobunaga yet he is not given the credit he deserves.

Both Motonari and Nobunaga are extremely similar yet because of the horribly biased portrayals, Motonari is one of the least popular characters whereas Nobunaga is the second most popular. It makes me angry to see people in the fandom choosing to blindly hate Motonari without recognizing the fact that this stems from a frankly racist portrayal of an extremely intelligent and powerful character. Although truthfully, I blame the devs because if they had given his character even half the consideration and depth the others got, this would not be the case. 

You can disagree with me if you want. I am simply bringing attention to something I haven’t seen being addressed.

I hope in future routes, events, and sequels he is treated better by the devs and and the fandom. Please stop projecting racist stereotypes onto brown men.