2017 in review

Time for another one of these, I will limit myself to only otome visual novels as per usual.

Played:

Ken ga Kimi Momoyo Tsuzuri.

Harukanaru toki no naka de 6 gentou rondo.

Getsuei no Kusari Kyouran Moratorium.

Geten no Hana Yume Akari (vita port)
Hana Oboro Sengoku Den Ranki.
Hyakka Hyakurou Sengoku Ninponchou.
Harukanaru toki no naka de 3.
Wand of Fortune R2.
 Black Wolves Saga Weib und Schwarz.

Charming Empire.
Gakuen Club.
 SideKicks!
Shiro to Kuro no Alice.
Tsumikui.
Utsusemi no Meguri.
Re:vice[D].
Moujuutachi to ohime-sama FD.
Shinobi, koi utsutsu FD.
Yuukyuu no Tierblade FD.
S.Y.K Shinsetsu Saiyuuki.
Bad Apple Wars.
HimeHibi.
Usotsuki Shangri-la.

Have but not yet played:
Chouchou Jiken.
TaiAli FD.
Code Realize Shirogane no Kiseki.
Himehibi 2.

💩Worst:💩

Harukanaru toki no naka de 6 Gentou Rondo.

Okay, while I enjoyed going through most every route, overall I think it wasn't that good
 of a sequel(yes it is not a FD). This heavily relied on dues ex machina to the point I went whatever
at the end of it all like part of it doesn't even make sense, yeah sometimes a bad sequel is better

 than no sequel at all but still. The only good thing that came out of this was Wan-chan.
 This sequel was literally a cross between code:realize and clock zero like the whole
ruined future and the mysterious doll/robotic-like Man. >_>
 There was little point to it all, Ludo's new route was pretty enjoyable but I personally
just wanted a FD with after stories not a sequel which resets the relationships!
The original guys routes here are just new version... a new chance
but it didn't work out like KOEI's other work geten no hana.
Darius suffered the most welp my fav character goes down the drain especially
after a near perfect route in the previous game, to the point i wish this didn't exist the worse part
the whole time slip thing hurt my head and his confession. T~T
I think I am done here, its clear they rushed this to please the fans
and I truly have no energy to discuss this dues ex machina trainwreck further.
 

The Charming Empire.
While I think it was decent for being a mobage but there's so many things that make me say
 it wasn't all that great compared to other otomege nor was it that memorable
and I have no incentive to pay 6000 yen for additional content in the vita port
if you want to try give the english version on steam a spin please try but don't expect much
because this truly was of mobage quality, hehe atleast I can admit Sera was a cute.

Gakuen Club.
From the same makers as Charming Empire it also was a mobage and I wasn't
surprised at the quality that I got which was inconsistent, the only
route I really enjoyed was Saku's and everything else followed after that.
Its nice if you want something simple really but veteran otome gamers should stay away
because the endings aren't worth your time like most don't even give proper conclusion
not to mention the whole secret club thing felt childish nor did it felt like it was that secret. -_-

Tsumikui ~Sen no Noroi, Sen no Inori~ for V.
An otome game focusing on reincarnation, sin and morality... also TL;DR.
Mediocre at best, interesting story and most of the guys are likeable, now for the bad parts...
Its a little slow at parts and drags on the early slice of life parts, it also loves to throw
internal monologues at you even in action scenes which totally ruins the moment
the character interaction? not fun but sometimes its gold but it just doesn't happen a lot
because the story doesn't allow it which most of the time was gloomy and dreary (2serious).
I don't mind serious type of otome games but there's so many reason why I just couldn't like it.
I don't know if all operetta games are like this but I sure have no incentive to buy their other games.
This was a mixed bag and the story never reaches full potential, I only really liked one or two routes
plus the side characters most of them are underdeveloped, all in all it could've been better
so there it just goes on my shit list because it has no place in my neutral or positive sections.
 ~
Moujuu-tachi to Ohime-sama ~in blossom~.
Oh otomate must've planned to release this FD... all you need to know is
its as lacklustre as the original, why did I bother? characters/seiyuu thats why...
but honestly I learned my lesson here no matter how great a setting may sound sometimes things
are too good to be true and characters/seiyuu won't save a paper thin story not even my love
for fantasy settings saved this lacklustre entry set in the same world as ye olde moujuutsukai
which honestly was a whole lot better than this new series in the same world. -_-
Otomate next time get the original staff to work on your sequels but I guess
they're too busy with tierblade which I actually managed to enjoy.

Bad apple wars.
Well if I had to nominate something as Kusoge of the year it would be this.
I DID NOT ENJOY THIS GAME... the protag is an empty shell whom in
the bad apple routes whines and complains more than I could count without trying to fix
her own issues because all development went to the guys and the sub characters.
Granted she was tolerable in the disciplinary routes and if anything I liked her development
in Higa's but its not much, like I said in the original post she's no Cardia Beckford.
Which side you choose it doesn't make a difference in the end story wise its the same no matter
which character you pick not to mention the forced copy pasta in every route is very sigh.
The only thing it had going for it was the characters sad past... but for a supposed Nakige
it overall wasn't that sad, if only the heroine had some sord of backstory other than I haz nothing.
Most the romance was rushed and then there's Shikishima :eyeroll:
Atleast I managed to enjoy Higa and Watase's routes and to some extend Satoru
but this was such a miss for me, I regretted buying it so much why did this even get localized?
clearly there was bias towards it but I don't see what makes it that special.
Maybe just maybe if you're not familiar with angel beats one might enjoy it...
but if you are you just better off skipping it, I constantly compared
this to angel beats to the point i'd say this is the poor man's version of it.
~

Neutral/so-so:

Getsuei no Kusari Kyouran Moratorium. (Vita port)

Decent FD of a not so typical otome game, vita port has added features that make it
so much more worth the price, all in all I cannot complain even tho its still depressing
but don't expect much fluff its still as dark and dreary as its predecessor.
If you like your coffee black and bitter you may enjoy the original (and this FD).

Black Wolves Saga Weib und Schwarz.
A dark fantasy otome game which a decent story, good art and amazing music
however as an otome its a little lacking so I can't help but say it ain't that great
if you want more romance and well finish the game once the rest will fly by
cuz its 90% common and 10% individual. >_>
Well the characters were interesting, the plot, art and music was good
and overall despite drawbacks its worth it, however it definitely need an acquired taste.

Wand of Fortune R2.
Sequel to the first WoF, the system is more straight-forward but still has some annoying tidbits.
Its recommended for those looking for character development, I managed to enjoy most of it even
if part of the overall plot was a little meh but we all know the best thing about WoF is still the
characters, everything else comes after it which makes the journey through it all the more worth it
even if the system just plain sucks, honestly if you manage to fully complete this it just means
you enjoyed it despite system woes because the characters save it for you (probably).
Its also a little sad Lulu is less cheerful and that's all Bilal's fault!(kidding) the true end was meh
since Lulu had to be told a simple thing by Ami that she might've known all along :eyeroll:
The only downside is that this does not come with the FD kimi sasageru epilogue
which in my opinion would've made up for the bad parts in the main game. :(

Sidekicks!
Let's be honest here... its an improvement compared to Oumagatoki~Kakuriyo no Enishi~
as the core story was actually good but I feel its a bit overhyped I only found the last two routes
(which were locked) actually good as a whole. Also the heroine Inori didn't really stand out.
 What did she do before she joined sidekicks? this is important! not even her family
was mentioned all we know is she lives alone and that she was probably born with
 her precognition which again they do not go into she basically just joins sidekicks
because she saved their asses and could be of use. That aside she wasn't that bad or annoying.
Other flaws like some chara episodes(routes) in the game feel like filler like you get in detective
drama and imo some are good and other are bad and then there's one character entire purpose
 literally exists to only narrate certain chapters... sigh I guess they wanted to give Morikubo a role.
I could only be surprised by a small amount of revelations outside of Nora's route and another
story. Some routes(Chika) still exist for the sake of having one but in some case like Hibari
it not bad it got better by my fourth route and Nora(best boy) didn't disappoint.

At the end of the day I can still recommended this if you like otome detective stories
like Eikoku tantei mysteria, collar x malice or similair.

Shiro to Kuro no Alice.
Another otome game that's Alice themed, I haven't played much with it
but it was surprisingly enjoyable despite some stuff, sadly this would've benefited
from an enforced playorder, I really can't stress that fact enough because the story is too
scattered and without proper order you'll be lost and probably confused if you do X chara first.
That aside I think most people may find something to their liking here not everything but something.
In my opinion black side was the only worthwhile thing, Luna's just an adorable heroine but white
side on the other hand was just typical stuff... of a meek heroine having to put up with crap.>_>
Keep in mind this is no substitute to any other alice related work, All I can say
if you want to get this, do it for Luna I really did find black side to be most enjoyable
but don't look at this as a replacement for a certain other alice-themed work.

Utsusemi no Meguri.
Honestly I can say this was neither particularly amazing or that it downright sucked
so my opinion is truly neutral, the feel of the game is nice and the chara's are interesting
but overall I am just meh as it just never stood out in what it tried to do
except in the true route of the game which is fine in a sense.
Its nice to discover darker sides to the guys in the kyouran endings but with half of them
 I was like ENOUGH, please stop. もういいよ
 If you like extremely japanese and old timey stuff this might be for you though.

S.Y.K Shinsetsu Saiyuuki.
I managed to finish a PSP otome game! this was an otome based on journey to the west
and it was pretty fun but I never looked forward to doing another route due to
the common route and how much filler that had(call back to certain anime?)
hench why it took me forever like 4/5 months since I only played once in a blue moon.
The characters are fun but I felt that most of this game focused on the lore part
and the romance was lacking especially in routes such as Gyokuryuu it was
not interesting to watch a moeblob fiddle around over his feelings for his past
 and present master :eyeroll: atleast the rest of the routes were great especially Ranfan
but its clear the main guy is Gokuu, his route was the most well rounded in terms of story/romance.
Its was a decent otomege for its time but it doesn't hold up all that well today, I do look
forward to the FD which i'll get to eventually not to long from now.

 Shinobi, Koi Utsutsu FD.
In all honesty this FD was fine however it just came too late for me(like almost two years)
and I was no longer invested, I didn't even remember much of the original so go figure.
I think they did try but the charm was no longer there for me and well some of the art looked weird
and I figured this is another case where otomate used tracers instead of the original artist.
I enjoyed what I could but... I feel like most of it was wasted on me and the general writing bored me
because too many characters, I liked Yuri, Daisuke and Garaiya the most this time
around. I wish they didn't advertise this as a fandisk because it was a sequel in disguise
with all the maturing stuff  not to mention everything I liked about the original
such as fanservice and shenanigans was watered down.

HimeHibi ~princess days~.
For what its worth I enjoyed my time with it but it didn't leave that big of an impression on me.
Himehibi had a stellar cast, a good dose of comedy and a decent plot but that's it
open ended and there weren't much romantic scenes with Aizaki and the guy.
Not to mention most of the cg's are either solo shots or with another guy which is fine
since they looked great but still... the otome part left to be desired and the best way to put it
is that its very pure in what it tried to do. I found this to be a perfect otome game for beginners
who don't expect much out of otome games there's nothing else I can add on it
if you haven't played much and want to test your japanese.

 Usotsuki Shangri-la.
I didn't thoink it was particularly bad or good... some of the art was weird
and only one route truly made everything come together which might be great but I never felt
attached to any character due to the lack of volume I still think it rushed it self even if
it tried to pace it well. In the end this felt like an apology for the disaster that was moshikami.
~

🏆Best:🏆

Ken ga Kimi Momoyo Tsuzuri.

This is probably the best FD a KgK fan could ask for, so much content via side stories

that went deeper into matters of the original game while also giving us after stories
its seriously more than anyone could ask for even if not every side story was as interesting.
Other than that to me this series is finished, they could prolly make more but...
I feel everything needs to end someday even if you really like it and want more.

Hana Oboro Sengoku Den Ranki.
A historic fantasy otome game and for the most part it was alright aside from the poster boys routes
being lackluster(to me), its also sad how Alan who was supposedly the 6th romanceable character
gets the shaft so hard, sequel/FD? maybe but I can only recommend if old timey games
are your thing but this isn't a jyuuza engi, you definitely have to accept certain characters fate
which despite other flaws makes it a whole lot better to me, this ain't a kusoge that's for sure
because some routes were great especially Katsuie, the poster boys aside who cares?
Hanbei and Shingen were still good but overall I suppose it was a little convoluted.

Geten no Hana Yume Akari.
 Unlike Harutoki6 GR this was actually enjoyable and the story additions made sense
like hanbei's route explained even more about the setting and background of hotaru's village.
A decent sequel to a stellar otome game and even if most of the original characters routes
in this game feel like alternative takes I still enjoyed most route even tho it was still short.
 Sadly the shining stars of yume akari really are Hanbei and Kanbei but its oh so worth it and
I fully recommend to buy the vita port since it comes with both games, definitely a hidden gem
and I was always motivated to find out more about the cast <3 even though
the original casts routes felt like a new version.

Hyakka Hyakurou Sengoku Ninponchou.
After 3 kusoges who would have thought that D3P could release something decent?
Guess what D3P was only the publisher for this and RED entertainment saved the day.
Enju was a great heroine despite being naive at first and well after being on the run
she learned a great deal and in turn helped some of the guys too, every route was interesting too
but Gekkamaru's had me on the edge of my seat, is out in english as Nightshade so please do
buy it if you haven't already, the story is the same in every route with the ninjas on the run thing
but atleast they kept it interesting every route was another side of the story.
However if you don't like ninjas and morality stuff it might be better to pass...

Harukanaru toki no naka de 3,
Otomege set in the heian period and well it had a surprisingly proactive heroine
willing to fight to protect the things she cares about, Nozomi isn't all bark and no bite
that much is made clear, the overall story was okay its not too heavy but I wish they would've
given everyone epilogues and not just a handful while giving others side stories that took place
during the journey but we never saw those to begin with till the extra scene, oh well whatever.
Even without knowledge of the time period, its not hard to understand as long as you read up on
tale of the heike or not, you may even learn a few facts about this specific period!
Nozomi does become a little too perfect after god knows how many loops
but you know practice makes perfect so please don't hate on her too much
because she just had a convenient scale and used it to her liking (which is amazing)
like thats better than being ignorant and not doing a thing right.
Either way I had loads of fun, the guys were all great in their own way could never hate anyone
even if they are the equivalent of garbage(yooo Benkei), most importantly RPG part was
fine sure battling weak mobs got redundant but eh thats normal.
 The gameplay really isn't that annoying but it doesn't hold your hand, a good guide is recommended.
If you want an otome RPG look no further! because Haruka3's pretty much the closest right now.

Kenka Bancho Otome FD.
Honestly this was a fun fandisk with plenty of fun but much like the code:realize FD they tried
to still put some weight to some after stories which in my opinion only two
of the bachelors got enjoyable after stories: love comedies for (Totomaru/Konparu) another
gets stuck with i'll be back ™ (Houo) and fades into the background(Rintarou) or
idol dramatique(Mirako), Rintarou was literally a waste of space he barely said anything
and at times I was like hey he's there... maybe its because of his seiyuu being on hiatus
but still its like they planned lines for him but they couldn't get his VA to voice them. :(
I understand not everything should be the same but Rintarou fans will be majorly disappointed
I enjoyed Totomaru and Konparu the most, followed by Mirako even though I loath idols.
Most of the content I come to expect of normal FD delivered, others did not
but I still think its a solid fandisc that'll please its fans.

Re:vice[D].
Well this turned out to be better than I expected, its most definitely an overlooked gem.
I loved the character interaction and the story is unique for an otome game
most of the routes were good but its a bit on the short side, however I enjoyed it a lot.
This had such a stellar cast of characters... I mostly liked everyone cept Suou.
 Aika as a heroine is out there as well, she's awesome and won't take shit most of the time
but as an otome heroine she may not be what people want that aside she is still awesome.
This games value isn't high which may be good for your wallet?
It definitely was a fun otome and I have no regrets playing it but I can see why
 its just not popular because in some routes the romance itself left to be desired
to the point I only ever really liked two routes(Iroha and Ryouga).
Nothing against Yukine(he did nothing wrong) but... part of his route was off-putting
like it makes sense by the end but he felt like a stalker at first.

Yuukyuu no Tierblade -Fragments of Memory-.
This FD was more than I could ask for but it was rather short, had I not delayed finishing
the last two eclipse chapters I'd say it would've just flown by me.
Atleast it managed to be on point while still expanding upon the world of tierblade
much like KgK momoyo tsuzuri did its definitely in my top 3 of best FD this year
despite feeling a little lukewarm by the time I finished it.
Tierblade is by no means a perfect work but does that stop me from liking it? no.
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
~special section~
 -Characters-

Most hated/disliked
~Auger - Black Wolves Saga~
This speaks for itself... the character is a complete nutjob and I doubt anyone could top him.

Surprise favorite (one per game)
Alan - Hana Oboro ~Sengoku Denranki~.
 Kanbei - ~Geten no Hana Yume Akari~
 Taira no Tomomori - ~Harutoki 3~.
 Hanzo - Hyakka Hyakurou.
 Nora - ~Sidekicks!~.
Solomon - ~Wand of Fortune r2~.
 Iroha - Revice[D].
Hiiragi - ~Utsusemi no Meguri~.
Rinto ~HimeHibi~.

Other characters I liked a lot.
 Atsumori/Benkei/Shirogane - ~Harutoki 3~
 Hanbei - ~Geten no Hana Yume Akari~
Jack - ~Shiro to Kuro no Alice~.
Shiou - ~Tsumikui~.
  
 aaand because I am bored...


Best Otomege I played this year -top 3-
Harukanaru 3.
Hana Oboro ~Sengoku Denranki~.
Re:vice[D].
Special mention: Geten no Hana with Yume Akari.

Best FD -top 3-
Ken ga Kimi Momoyo Tsuzuri.
Kenka Bancho Otome FD.
 Yuukyuu no Tierblade -Fragments of Memory-.

What's for next year?
Well I plan to atleast play WoF2FD and S.Y.K FD. As for new games I think I after
the 2017 left overs (TaiAli FD, Chouhou Jiken, Code:ReaFD2 and hime hibi2.)
I am really going to slow down, it feels like the more I play the less I like or maybe
its the quality of the games it might also be a little bit of a burn out.
I still plan to buy new otome games like Harukanaru port, Dorico no toshokan
 and Variable Barricade but I think I have seen the most of what otome games can offer.
I still like otome games and all but the more you play the higher your standards get(in terms
of writing) and sooner or later stuff you could stand at first just aren't all that great anymore.

Usotsuki Shangri-la - review

 Game: [嘘月シャングリラ] 

Genre: Otome Visual Novel. 

Developer/publisher: Rejet.

Platform: PS Vita.

Official Site: http://rejetweb.jp/usotsuki/

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v20634
Release date: 2017-11-30

Rejet's latest game... and I shall be your guinea pig in trying to figure out
if it was worth it, UsoTsuki is Lie and Moon together it means liar. (lol lying moon.)
Well uh that's all for crappy lessons in japanese you get from me.
Shangri-la is a name of a fictional paradise...

Pro's
-A good mix of sweet&serious scene.
- I'd say the story was ok like there is drive to get to the locked route.
 - Slow skip but there's jump to the next choice.

Con's
- Did they really need to have to force everyone to call Akari Usotsuki-chan a l l  t h e  t i m e.
- The characters are plain, cliche, I find unable to attach myself to most of them.
- Its actually pretty short when you think about it.
- Would be better if there are actual epilogues.

Art, looks a bit weird but not bad or anything infact the background art was fine.
Music, its decent, OP... some BGM could be better because the castle-like theme drove me crazy.
As for seiyuu choice... meh its the popular boys.

System... typical stuff, you select the route of your choice right after the prologue.
 I had no preference so I just went with one of initial ones. Ende is locked till you do the other four.
Now this is a bit of a minor complaint but the text was pretty blurry while everything else
 was crisp IDK but it bothered me, it also small but uhm the font in himihibi was pretty big
so maybe thats why it bothers me now. xD

I like the OP and all... atleast they're honest at to what expect even if the context was different.

As you've figured this game is about lies... with the usual rejet spin but lighter?!
it has a pretty generic setup of girl ends up in another world not like her own.
The protagonist is typical, she seems good natured but no experience with guys
this is okay but I sort of laughed when Akari said how well everything else is going
to a relative on the phone in the beginning. I was like girl if you know what you're in for!
 The prologue/common route was an introduction, they explained how the protagonist
Akari is the usotsuki who might save the world and Fenrir, Hel and Jorm are the brothers
of calamity who are believed to cause misfortune and are scorned for it...  they seem
normal enough, like they saved Akari but there seems to be more to them than meets the eye.

Smartphone? what is that? why thank you for this gem...

Who thought this whole usotsuki concept was okay? I can't take it seriously.

At first I thought this whole game is a pun on the word ''Usotsuki'', I joke about it
 but in the beginning it was actually really cringe worthy. Constantly hearing the protag called
usotsuki-chan or liar-chan in plain english is so incredible off-putting...
but as I did more routes I eventually stopped caring.😅

Can't say the transition from Akari's world to shangri-la was very good in fact it confused me.
That aside there is a bit of mystery to it all... and Usotsuki-chan >_> frequently has these
visions/dreams when she touches water so I still found drive to continue, since its
like the way she learns more about the chara's the happiest
ends aren't necessary the best for sake of world which is sad.

The romance and plot developed side by side so it was good mix of sweet/serious moment
the pacing and sense of mystery was nice too bad some routes are just disappointing
story wise since there's only one where all makes sense. As for the protagonist
Akari wasn't that annoying just a bit too nice for her own good I guess...
the guys however are pretty bland they don't have much personality and felt plain to me.
So on the topic of lying, if you lie at certain points you change the ending...
dunno if it was the guide i used but in certain routes you dont need to lie to get best end.

I do think it has its place in the game... Its nice that each route had something new
to reveal, atleast the turn of events was never the same which was nice.

 

 I thought Usotsuki was so-so... its pretty tame for a rejet game atleast NO VERY TAME
in the first half of the routes(not counting bad ends). Each route focuses on that
character, its unique enough just doing one route won't get you to the truth of the story.
They all have something they don't want others to see and its also very realistic, not everyone
is nice even if at a glance they appear to be. I suppose Usotsuki shangri-la
is like an apology after the disaster that was Moshikami because I believe they went too far
with that one, you might know what I am talking about.
Well if you don't want to read more, I'd say it Usotsuki gets the OK from me...there's no
creepy oniichans or extreme yanderes here so if you expect that then you'd be disappointed.
Might be better for newbies... since veterans may notice how lacking certain aspect are.
So-so otome game but Nice Try Rejet.

If I had to recommend any play order it'd be:
Fenrir / Hati >  Jorm > Hell > Ende.
I do not think it matters when you do Hati he might be nice first, midway or right before Ende
idk it was pretty much the most otome-like route so just do it when you feel like.

Himehibi ~Princess Days~ Review

ひめひび -Princess Days-

Game: [Himebibi ~Princess Days~] 

Genre: Otome Visual Novel. 

Developer/publisher: Takuyo.

Platform: PS2, PSP, PS Vita.

Official Site: http://www.takuyo.co.jp/products/himehibi/himehibivita/

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v1640

Release date: 2017-07-20

After the previous disaster otomege I wanted a more normal otome game that doesn't take itself
too seriously with light drama and since this is like the only recently (re)released game in my backlog I went for it. Being a Takuyo game, no one probably gives 2 cents about their games... but here I am!

Its pretty fun despite the cliche setting of girl goes to all boys school...
I went into this with little expectations which was probably for the best.
You've probably realized this ain't a story heavy otome game, it does have a story, some members
of the board of directors don't even want the heroine to go to this elite boys only school.
Some developments actually surprised me but its not much, I liked how every route
tried it slightly different. The language used isn't that difficult, they don't
 use that many Kanji so this is perfect for beginners but keep in mind
having a fair grasp of the language is still necessary.

Pro's
- Comedy, (mostly) light-hearted shojo-like otome game.
- Great cast of characters.
- Art, old but it still looks great.
 - Read text marking, no copy pasted scenes and can skip over with ease.

Con's
- Can't skip minigames on 2nd+ play.
- Have to hold R button to read skip.
- Repetitive scenario.

System... typical choices to make but also you need to do a minigame and succeed to give
out flyers to people so Aizaki can become the school idol(thank you Ken for this brilliant keikaku).
If you fail the dude may never notice you- nah I am kidding about that.
I still think the minigame solely exists to break the mold of only having to read
because I really don't see the point outside of Ken's subplot, it quickly became a nuisance
of having to hand out flyers and score 500~ points. Okay its not that hard because
it becomes memorization game, if blond bishonen, short black haired kid
or bandana dude show up on the screen its ok to press the button really early. ^^;
There's another minigame in the 2nd half to give fanservice... but you can get away
 with button mashing a little so its less of a hassle to get the needed 1000+ points.

Common route itself is pretty long, the latter part is shared with another character
but the routes aren't long its of average length, doesn't beat around the bush!
There's a flag system something like Geten no Hana or Harutoki, if you ignore
 characters it won't get you their ending. A downside... only way to skip is to hold
the R button but for some reason they automatically put it on skip all
from the start I don't even know if there was a readskip.
I wish Takuyo would have upgraded this game a little because this is so 2006-ish
well atleast the text already read was marked so it was easy to stop skipping. 
However I am sure I missed a new line appearing here or there... sometimes
I can't be bothered to go back for it, a line of text or two is not going to be a big deal.

The art... it doesn't look like it belongs in the current generation
but is it bad? not at all, infact its beautiful and fine the way it is
besides the characters still look handsome especially Rinto.
Music fits the mood... its not as bad as ye olde idea factory bgms that's for sure
as for the OP I let it play once or twice but then I skipped it.

In short:
If you are looking for an otome game with an amazing ''story'' I suggest you look elsewhere
himehibi is anything but that, its a simple but classy modern day shojo-like story.
Compared to the last otome game I played Aizaki was actually a decent heroine
Aizaki will speak her mind and isn't a doormat constantly moaning about her problems
she can't fix, she's pretty head-strong but that doesn't mean she's not allowed to be weak

or have girl problems.
The first route took me a while to finish maybe its because early on each ingame
day was relatively short and a bit of a repeat but I am glad it didn't go on longer than needed.
Overall this game's length is average but when I think about it its just right, most will fly by
on 2nd+play the unskippable minigames started to annoy me by route 4 but to be honest
they're not that bad at all.😅 The characters are all great tho except Kitsuneme-san😡
 they threw in a good dose of comedy I often found myself snickering at a piece of dialogue
so yeah it has fun, serious and sad moments but all in all it is light-hearted.
 You could say this game is like prince of stride except much older.
A turn off could be like two of the romantic interests are cousins to the protagonist
and she had a crush on one of them from the start but atleast they're not blood related.
 Ahaha this excuse will never get old will it?
That aside I still found them likeable so it didn't bother me that much... like I have seen worse.
I suppose I could critize the subplot of becoming the school idol and the minigame it
brings with it but eh... its part of the game and if you remove it you'd be left with very little.
If you are going to play this otome game I recommend to start with Naohito the rest of the order
doesn't matter just try to do the characters that are paired up with each other right after the other.
Naohito > Masaya > Hikaru > Yamato > Shinobu > Rinto; should be a good order. 

The game ends where it should, there's plenty room for more but part of me is glad
Takuyo doesn't really milk their games. Yes there's a himehibi 2 but it has a completely
different protagonist and some returning faces. That aside this didn't really leave that big
of an impression on me but it was still refreshing. Himehibi is perfect
for beginners/those who don't expect much out of otome games.

Since this is just a straight port there's nothing new or updated except now it can be enjoyed
on the clean psvita screen so if one has already played the ps2/psp version there's little reason
to get it unless you're a fan, ''i'd recommend himehibi if one want an otome game
with fun characters, a simple story that doesn't try to be something it is not''.

You should probably stop reading here if you don't want spoilers.

Shining Resonance re:frain (PS4 port) announced

 This is probably the only JRPG I like enough to bring it back and write a little about it.

The PS4 port will include all DLC content so this will pretty much be the definitive edition

as they will even be enhanching it and add improvements such as being able

to retry after event battles which imo is a god send especially in chapter 7

since you'll be unable to save for a while at the end of it.

The other is making Rinna's AI smarter... well I usually ended up playing as her

in some battles late in the game because it did suck and also take care of my party members. (lol)

There will be a new mode which will allow you to recruit Jenius and Excela at the beginning

I do not know if this will change the story since it would require rewriting the whole game
so I doubt that... its pretty much a wait for more info. They'll also be using a new OP 

but if I had to be honestIy prefer the old one more like I feel they only made it for the sake of
this port, when I look at the old one as seen at the end of this post the new one seems messy visually.

I hope it will be localized, the director seems to want to do it since he commented on it
but if they do they'd probably use the PS3 box art or atleast I hope so...

 The limited edition will include:

Game soft.
 Art specifically drawn for the box.
Shining magazine fanbook.
Drama CD: The days of the dragon knights.
Theme Song CD: Eien Iro no Aria.(Aria of an endless colour).

I am not mad it includes all DLC content, all of that back when it was released
was so expensive I wrote about how much it would cost  you if buy it all
and well that would be the price of another game but over time they even
put discounts/sales on it which was nice, can't help but mention it
because not many people probable knew about that.

Now people can enjoy the game in one piece (and at higher FPS if you care about that).

Personally I really liked Shining Resonance even if its very much a cliche JRPG

but atleast it had a great cast of characters that join your party and not just waifus, guys too
heck you could even let Yuma date the guys and they had an ending.
I liked the art as well, a lot of people hate on tony take for his same face syndrome
but boy if they knew how many other artist have the same problem... just wow.
I remember Lesty who early on was pretty much an ass, being rather gay towards him at the end. 😂

Most of my favorite RPG's tend to have a mix too much of one side is bad(imo)
I mean even in otome games I'd prefer there to be girls that aren't antagonistic towards the heroine.

The story isn't perfect... nor was the gameplay, its pretty casual and thats fine.

I liked the game enough to buy the soundtrack and art book on release like even
Kirika,Rinna and Excella's figures! nothing against Sonia but I didn't like the one they released
sadly they never did release a figure for Marion... guess she's just not popular
if anything I found he past the most touching and she could be very powerful in battle.

 I guess that mini review concludes this post... feels good to write something positive in a while.

PS3 Opening... 

Bad Apple Wars - Review

 Genre: Otome Game Visual Novel.

Developer/Publisher: Otomate.

Platform: PS Vita.

Official Site: http://aksysgames.com/baw/

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v17344

Release date: 2015-11-19(JP), 2017-10-13(ENG).

Well I bought the english version... since I didn't bother with the japanese version
and wanted to try it  since I passed on other localizations this year such as Pcube
or CxM, I already played those and not buying something twice
that aside it seems it would've been better for me to pass on this.

The setting seems strangely similar to a certain anime... as for our dear heroine Rinka
I haven't exactly heard great things about her and can be quite annoying so before I started
I hoped she wouldn't be that bad but alas, the story is about life and death
and she ended up being quite an annoyance on my first play.

Pro's
- Characters... even the side ones have interesting backstories.
- Gorgeous art and catchy music.
- Interface.

Con's
- If you expect an otome with a solid story and unique individual routes look elsewhere...
- Bad/good split was pointless.
- Short, some routes may leave to be desired coughShikishimacough.
- Copy pasta, after a few routes you might've just seen it outside of character stuff.
- Protagonist in general, no backstory either because apparently her life was that boring.

Saw other people have mentioned that the font of the text seems kind of an odd choice
which I agree with but in all honesty its not that bad, its surprisingly easy to read for me
but maybe for those with eye problems it can be an issue I guess.
The localization was overall pretty great?! for aksys standards... very little typos but its sad

that this had to be the one that was given extra care except for the following
you might want to skip reading this its a minor spoiler.
White Mask's family name... its not shou but iku like, he even says Iku
 I know translators  can't hear this but how did they mistranslate this?! 
maybe they thought lol... Iku is pretty odd  so let's roll with Shou *tilts head and rolls eyes
...its a key aspect of his character like how did the editors not realize this!
and like it was at the end of his route which out of all I enjoyed a bit more, sigh

thank you aksys games for completely ruining the meaning.
Next... the font or a name is the least of your problems, if you don't know a lick of japanese
soul touch scenes could be a problem. Thing is they don't have subs
so the dude would say stuff and you might not be able to understand.
Its just lazy you know? they should've added text boxes but they didn't
I can understand japanese so I get by easily but other people might not. >_>

System, standard VN stuff such as choices, some map movement and you apparently get
 the choice to join the disciplinairy commitee or a group of odd balls fighting against it
some routes are only available if you pick a certain side of course.
You can pretty much play this without a guide, its impossible to miss stuff or get lost
and to get bad ends just touch the spot he doesn't want to be touched.
Well the common route was very simple yet informative, I liked the introductions
and most of it didn't feel longer than needed it all was quite straight-forward but
there is just so much shared throughout the routes even if you join the other side
the writer really didn't care to give everyone a unique route, a shame...
Art... despite setting its colorful and different than most otome games, I sort of liked it.
the BGM seems to fit the setting as well, no complains and a catchy OP by nano.

Here comes the ranting...
This... is a depressing game but I found Rinka's entrance to be not sad at all?
I can't say I liked the heroine in general either I know she's supposed to be this girl
who has never suffered in her entire life but still got by but because of her constant negative attitude
in the first route I did and her lack of actual backstory/development I just shook my head.
If I liked anything about her it would be her design, she does look adorable but that's it and
 part of me should be able to relate to her but I don't think I want these type of otome game heroines.
Just so you know I tried to like Rinka and find positive traits, she had little of it.
I am not lying when I say she does not have much of a personality and just goes with
the flow of things in some routes the whole I am empty thing is more annoying than others.
Rinka doesn't really have much of anything, no interests can't fit in and is easily jealous of others
but she doesn't do much on her own, instead she brings herself down time and time again
if I hadn't done Higa's route when I did I probably would've raged quit but weirdly enough
after his I did a disciplinary route and Rinka was a lot more tolerable than most bad apples routes!

Does being a good or bad apple mean much in Rinka's case? not really just another perspective.

 I wish we saw knew more of Rinka's life though... it can't have been that boring
like did she have hobbies or friends? she didn't because she can't fit in.
Early on she says she wants to return to her everyday life but to what exactly?
Well apparently she does like cute things like the gothic girls dress... but I guess Rinka being passive
makes it easier to get into her (like self-insert) I just wish she wouldn't be so negative is all like in
bad apples routes she's wahwah i'm empty I haz nothung! yet in disciplinary she thinks like a proper
human being and mentions having tv,manga and games would be better wow... the difference.
I too can get real depressive and say I have nothing... but i'd see something in my life
that would snap me out of it, can be as simple as a material thing.
In truth there are people who really have nothing but those prob wouldn't be playing this...
depression is not fun, still BAW does a bad job of showing it atleast for Rinka's case
because some of the other side characters are much better written.
Also mostly everything goes her way because somehow she's not limited like the others
because SHE HAS NOTHING and somehow this empty shell manages to heal
all the guys problems too because who else possible could, just because she is warm and gentle
on the inside which makes the guys comfortable for some reason! everything makes sense now right?
 In all honesty its amusing how Rinka knows her own flaws and doesn't do much about it!
No... the problem is she doesn't get many opportunities for that because the time for that
went to the sub characters and the love interests. I didn't even understand why some of the guys
fell for Rinka... maybe its because she's a natural good kid with an empty heart of gold
but is just so insecure about everything and somehow when she sees people in their weakest
moments she racks up the courage to help them if that ain't mary sue-ish idk what is. >_>
I found myself the most frustrated with Rinka in the bad!common routes because its the same
just with a different guy at your side and then the fact the routes themselves are so short
it becomes almost unbelievable in terms of romance coughShikishima&Satorucough.

 Honestly I have never seen an otome game heroine be more pathetic than this
atleast she has more personality than the protagonist of AMNESIA...  yeah I went there
because even if Rinka is irritating she does grow and you know actually talk outside of choices.
IF ONLY they fleshed out Rinka more so that she got proper development too but alas
Rinka is no Cardia Beckford, if anyone gets development its the guys
heck even the side characters got more development than our dear protagonist.
A protagonist can make or break a game, clearly this one is breaking it for me
because a narrative can only be as strong and/or good as the person at the center.
When you think Rinka gets better she gets worse again, this sort of repeats and then
 you do another route also yeah she is special, most otome game heroines are
but with Rinka I just wish they actually fleshed her out. >_>

Also there are hardly any choices except as to where to go and whether ot not you do
the soul touch thing depends on which ending you get, this combined with Rinka's personality
going with the flow never improving cept a little at the end just makes it worse.
Maybe its because she has nothing she can take in their problems but in reality that's not the
way it should work, I found Rinka's character to be quite shallow compared to everyone else.
If its supposed to give people struggling with depression a little hope then
it might have done so in the worst way possible, atleast flesh out your protag please.
 If anything this game shows even if you have barely anything you can be someones light...

Okay that aside on my first play I did like the mystery aspect what little there was

since this is not the focus of the game nor was romance btw it was just shoehorned in in some routes.
So yeah at NEVEAH gakuen those that died early get another shot at life if they get expelled
or join the cycle of samsara if they graduate but for that they have to let go of everything.
Bad apples are people who don't follow the rules of this school and then there are the
people of the disciplinairy commitee who try to make sure everyone follows the rules
and try to correct the bad apples, huh this sounds awfully like angel beats! they even had a freaking
concert, lmao I think this game may be better if you are not familiar with that franchise. >_>
Its up to Rinka(or better put you) to decide to be a reject or a goody two shoes... not that it matters.
In some routes like Higa's I'd say the romance was believable but whether or not
some of the other guys are is a whole different matter entirely.
Also trashy sugitan and creepy koji yusa sub characters, check...

So now to the important part do I recommend it?
Not really but if you are in desperate need of another ENG otome then yeah go for it.
I am not even sure what I liked about this otome game as a whole... but I think
the one thing that shined are the characters even the sub chara's! but as for the whole
war thing may have been a bit overhyped I guess, because neither side goes THAT far.
The story well... after two routes you might've just seen it all since it stays the same
no matter what guy you go for the only difference is scenes with him and his past etc.
Outside of the characters past, I still found most chara's to be plain except some of the side
characters like Naraka for example imo  he was a great sub chara.Also there are no real individual
routes so if you thought Code:realize was great for having a unique story for each guy
then you'd probably be disappointed here by the amount of copy pasta to the point by route four
 litte amazed me. I've played lots of otome games some also have content that just repeats
no matter what but then something else made up for that, I can't find that here.
BAW has some touching moments which could make you think about stuff but that's it
I hardly found much to be memorable it pretty much focuses on the characters over anything else.
Rinka needed more development but if I think really hard it wouldn't have worked in another way
that aside I need not repeat myself to how much of a disappointment she was for me right?
Yeah sorry I cannot fully recommend this otome game when the protag is literally an empty shell
from begin to end- the only thing that helped her realize her purpose was the guy of her choice.
Don't want to be that person but the guys aren't that interesting outside of their (sad) past...
nor is the otome part that satisfying, in other words imo this is a mediocre game.

Well that ends my probably spoiler free section, I recommend to not read any of my
character babbles if you want to play the game yourself because I did wrote done their past
so there are definitely detailed spoilers of stuff including the endings.

S.Y.K Shinsetsu Saiyuki Portable - review

 Game: [S.Y.K Shinsetsu Saiyuki]

Genre: Otome Game Visual Novel.

Developer/Publisher: Otomate.

Platform: PS2, PSP

Official Site: http://www.otomate.jp/syk_psp/

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v2251

Release date: 2010-07-29

Like I promised I finally finished up the last route in the game a couple of days ago.

I don't think anyone even cares for this anymore and I don't see otomate bringing it back and port...😅

This game is based on journey to the west and basically this is Otomate's version of it

so even if you're not familiar and here for the bishies and lolz you're still good
but some familiarity would be better to appreciate points others would find annoying.

Like I am not a saiyuki fan I was interested in the shinsetsu series
so I found myself a copy on ebay for about 20$(each) along with its FD and L.G.S
because why not have some otome with chinese folklore?
So this became my backburner when I didn't have anything better to do.
Let's just say it was nice to kill some time with it because it was mostly fun but some aspects
are a pain in the ass, not wand of fortune bad but I never look forward to common route here.
Most of my thoughts are just me raging about the boring ass common route.
The story in most route was average and it only shined in Gokuu's, also due to me
 taking breaks and play over longer period of time I do sort of become attached, I don't usually
 play two games at once but this game is perfect for it, its not really that long either there's just
 a lot of content that adds up, in total there are 26 endings 6 are good ends other are
gag and bad ends, atleast the way this game is designed often makes me say ok enough for today. 😓
Also just so you know this is NOT an easy visual novel language wise.
If you want to invest in this I highly suggest getting the FD as well, without it the original game
may feel lacking in terms of romance because some routes just weren't well rounded.

Pro's

 - Likeable characters.

- Comedy.

- Art, its on psp...everything is smaller but still fine.

Con's
- Takes too long to get started with episodic common route filler even then
it focuses on story/chara/lore with romance as bonus.

- Game pretends to have a serious plot then it drops some deus ex machina and all is well. >_>

- Music, ye olde idea factory bgm... it was below average at best.

-

The first OP well... I didn't like it that much at first but it sorta grew on me like
 its surprisingly cool and fits with the first half of the game.

Also yes it did sound like crap the first time I heard it and the 2nd OP by Mao is much better.

Honestly speaking the first OP to some extent sounded like something from a 90's anime
to the point the 2nd OP was a blessing to my ears.

System is typical visual novel stuff and its mostly the comfy type so no issues h o w e v e r!
During the first half of the game you have to select a location on a map to go to and choose
which guy to help the peasant, this is actually the worst part because its boring as hell.

The guy will tell you in the baloon if this job is for them or not but still recommend a guide
for the endings atleast because getting them all is cumbersome.
The name of the heroine is fixed for obvious reasons, so you're gonna
have to deal with getting used to the role of Genjou Sanzou.

The common route is told in episodic story like an anime and imo its fun since it really feels
like you are on a journey to somewhere but not much of note really happens. >_>

They also love to shove an OP and ED in for the complete anime-like experience!

I found the post credit previews of what's not going to happen for the next chapter to be hilarious
atleast the first time through after that its just skip it.

~

I shouldn't even need to write this but...

The heroine Genjou Sanzou is a monk, she'll know when to put her hetare companions
into place when they are unwilling to get shit done or fighting with each other.

She's apparently the reincarnation of this Konzanshi person... ow well that all u hear out of me here.

It would be so much better if she had a sprite next to the text box but alas...

As you know its based on Journey to the west, the heroine is destined to go to Tenjiku

 and save mankind, a lot of shenanigans happen along the way some fun and some bad
her only flaw is that she wants to help everyone she meets along the way...
thus making the game longer than its supposed to be that aside I think Genjou is the only
sane one and that putting up with her companions is half the journey...

Without the side tracking each chapter is actually pretty short? if it gets on your nerves
just skip the dialogue when helping peasants... Otomate's really knew how to add
quality padding that adds nothing to the plot so yeah its a call-back to that one anime.
Even if it seems useless and adds nothing to the actual plot the only
thing that is important about it is if you don't help people you'll just get a bad end
because the peasants will give you some magical rock piece as a thank you which you need.
Nice design right? they should've made the dialogue more interesting and not the typical
Anatatachi wa tsuyoi watashi o TASUKETE onegaishimasu, cue Genjou forcing her harem
to do just that. Helping people with random shit that isn't even interesting to watch/read
because on 2nd+ play I did more skipping than reading. ( ´_ゝ`)
Well atleast if you finish the game once with normal end you get a handy dandy 
skip chapter1/2 option but I wish we could've skipped helping those peasants cuz its 
been there done that once is enough but no you need to do it like six times to get to the routes
not to mention each chapter plays an op/ed ad near infinitum for fullcomp.

This games length is average and the above made it seem annoying but atleast I had a few good
laughs here and there in the more boring parts so I can't really complain that much. 😌

This otome game is best played in short burst, the chapters itself aren't long and like I said
before they have their own OP and ED, its easy to take breaks and do something else. Just so
you know I never had that much fun skipping through the common route cuz there's too much fodder.
Once you latch on the route the OP changes like for example the common route
 is season 1, a character route is season 2, the latter is actually the good part of this game.

 I just recommend that your first play is a clean up fest consisting of getting random endings
since some CG's of the guys only unlock on a second play so may as well try and get the most out of
what this game has to offer, then on 2nd play you can do routes without fear of missing something.
Unless you're absolutely dying to romance someone I guess just do as you please then...
but in all honestly I found the romance to be lacking in most routes because it focus more on plot/lore
which wasn't bad or anything just a little boring but I figure this is because its an old game.
There are also many endings but over half of them are gag/bad ends.
 I don't think I can explain how this game works any better than this lol.

One of the many bonus CG's you get for clearing their routes, too bad you have to survive a massive text dump first.

Overall its a fun otome game but can't really recommend it if you aren't interested 
 to re-enact the journey to the west in otome fashion, or don't like chinese fairy tales
it has a certain charm to it that makes it even more worth it if you are familair.
Some people may even be put off by the character designs or genderbend Sanzou
so S.Y.K really ain't for everyone, that I can say with certainty.
I wouldn't say the plot was fantastic but its there and its decent but it only really shined in Gokuu's
and Ranfan's routes. At the very least most of the story in everyones route was unique
but some things will never change and like I said most of the good stuff might be in the FD.😓
 This isn't really popular and I can see why... its a pain in the ass to play
like I only did so when I had nothing better to do but if not, lol.
I mean the characters are likeable but after one play you have dat common route... to skip through
its great to come back to every once in a while and see everyone again but I just never looked
forward to the first half point and click adventure of saving peasants.😅
At the end of the day I can only recommend to fans familiar with the themes and/or are interested enough.
Its 2017 and I am sure you can find better otome games worth the investment...
I can't say this was all that good at all and well just look at my pro's and con's again to see why
if you don't want to sit through more of my ramblings, lol.

Any play order is good except don't do the latter other end's 2 such as Kanro no Yume
 that are knee deep in Gokuu's till you are actually ready to do Gokuu right after it.
Not recommened to do Gokuu's route too soon or you'll be spoiled making most route look
 self contained that said the order of Gojou/Hakkai/Gyokuryuu by itself do not matter.
Therefor I recommend this guide and the same order I used:
Other ends 1 > Gojou > Hakkai > Gyokuruu > Other ends 2 > Gokuu > Ranfan.

More babbles after the jump, I doubt anyones interested but here goes nothing, lol.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yuukyuu no Tierblade Fragments of Memory - Review

悠久のティアブレイド Fragments of Memory
Game: [Tierblade FD]

Genre: Otome Game Visual Novel.

Developer/Publisher: Otomate.

Platform: PS Vita.

Official Site: http://www.otomate.jp/tierblade/fd/

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v21140

Release date: 2017-10-05

Another fandisk? what about new games- all in due time!
I am actually really excited about this one in particular, I know the original
had its fair sets of issues but I really enjoyed it nonetheless.
There's not a whole lot to write about without going full spoilers though...
I don't want to overhype this series, it has flaws but I do believe
it should have a shot at getting localized, it certainly has appeal even if its an otome.

Pro's
- Plenty of random fanservice.
-  Expands upon the world of tierblade, telling what couldn't be told before.
- Art/BGM.

Con's
- A little on the short side... but still satisfying for what you do get so this con is none-existant.
- Wish it was easier to keep track of what fragments unlocked especially if multiple at once.

This fandisc is divided into three sections:
 - Eclipse - A new story set after the true end of the original game.
 - Fragment - Some of these tie into Eclipse, its stuff that couldn't be told before.
 - Future - After stories set after the happiest ends.

It is recommended to start with Eclipse, then do the fragments till you unlock more.
Eclipse 2 >  Future(After stories) > Eclipse 2 / the rest.
 It doesn't matter when you view the bonus future fragments it could be last or before last fragment.
Order doesn't matter much but if you value the story the above may be right.
Some could say to start with after stories(end with Roh) and then do eclipse for max story enjoyment.

So in short:
Well after the last two fandisks I sat through I thought this was a whole lot better?
The only downside... its short most scenes are to the point but there are parts they could've

expanded upon but imo they already did a great job with what they did focus on.
This FD further expands the story and covers the past... in a way that keeps it interesting
while still giving fanservice scenarios in between, some are nice.
The future aka the after stories which are self-contained, to focus on each character
the shortest would be Cradle and whichever version of him you do last will be even shorter.
You guessed it... they still copy paste for him because why not both?
For fragments its nice how we get to see scenes from the past... which gives side characters the
time of day much like ken ga kimi momoyo tsuzuri I very much appreciate this even if not all
is as interesting but uhm that is to be expected some fragment here did feel random.
I can safely say this is a good FD, definitely one of the better ones this year for sure
like I have a few problems with it here and there but most of the content was worth it.
A shame its so short, had I focused on it more it would've flown by me but in all honesty
 its better if a story knows where to end than unneededly drag itself out.
System wise... easy peasy, just go through everything and no choices so what to complain about?
I can honestly recommend this FD to a fan of tierblade, the content as a whole
 is more than worth the price, what more do you want really? So go for it if you haven't
preordered it, but if you are really worried about price/value then I suggest to wait for a sale
because there really isn't that much content hench why I cannot give it a ten of ten.
9/10
Yeah maybe I sound a bit like a tierblade fanbo-girl, but for a mecha/scifi otome
I still think its pretty great? and I really hope this series get localized.

I do not recommend reading any of the spoiler babbles about the scenarios below, I feel
Tierblade is best experienced without knowing anything. 

Shinobi, Koi Utsutsu Kanmitsu hana emaki - Review

 

忍び、恋うつつ ― 甘蜜花絵巻 ―
Game: [Ninkoi FD]

Genre: Otome Game Visual Novel.

Developer/Publisher: Otomate.

Platform: PS Vita.

Official Site: http://www.otomate.jp/nin_koi/kanmitsu/

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v19847

Release date: 2017-9-28

Yep... its time for another fandisk but in all honestly I don't consider myself being that
much of a ninkoi fan anymore and sincerly questioned why I even bothered.😅
 Like I expected more fanservice but got an actual story about them maturing...

I tried not to be too negative and my final score reflects this, this FD is just fine for what it is.

I had mostly a great time with the original but I am sort of eh at coming back to it after so long...
because after like a month or two I wrote off its vita port as a one off game.
The original was far from perfect as well like it having copypasta problems with Takaie all being like you got no chance make your time! and their being meromero shenanigans with Kaede
slowly falling for her partner of her choice said partners all following a trope too.
I still liked it because of it was brainless fun stuff...
Honestly speaking this FD feels more like a sequel there's fanservice but honestly I found the
graduation story for everyone lacklustre some nice moments here and there but it wasn't worth it
overall. Well I shouldn't complain atleast it got a FD right? i'll just do a general review like the original.

Pro's
- Everyones getting married... yeehaw.
- More shinobi action if thats your thang, (honestly in a FD I do not want this).
- Music, its nothing memorable but it fits the scene most of the time.

Con's
 Art, its still gorgeous but there's a noticeable difference... did the original artist really work on this?
- This is subjective but the overall writing, fluff, comedy all could've been better, overall its meh.
- Too many characters... basically only do your favorite(s).

Most of my rage/discomfort comes from the facts that originally Ninkoi is a very fanservicey game
with the plot sort of just being there, with the FD I expected more fanservice but got
more plot instead to the point this doesn't classify as a FD but a sequel instead.
They did it backwards usually its story centric game > fluffy FD afterwards...
At this point I just feel Ninkoi was one of those one time experiences there was little need
for more but we got it anyway albeit a bit too late for some.

Regarding the OP theme... its okay but I don't like it that much and they should've
 gotten the old singer back. I got nothing against Hisano but her voice just does not fit
with the background music, I liked her work for shirotokuro but here? not really.

The theme of this installment is graduation... honestly speaking I barely remember

much about the original cept some small details and I did not replay it either
because other games have been taking up my time and honestly I didn't find a reason.

Not that plot was ninkoi's strong point yes it has one, the original story(psp) all seemed
 like a light-hearted fluffy otome game to me never taking itself too seriously.

Length? about the same as the original we got fanservice and ''plot'' both of which are
fine but compared to say KBO FD the times I really laughed out loud could be count on a single
hand. The plot varies depending on character but I didn't find the writing to be exciting
because redundancy re: exams/graduating and marriage, its good to see them mature
but I expected more fanservice and was let down.
Disclaimer: no not everything is the same, every guy has their own story
of maturing/problems etc its just some stuff gets predictable to me.
System wise its just select after story... standard VN stuff if you do well in that
mero-mero practice thingy you unlock bonus stories for one of them I am annoyed
because one of them is a flashback scenario which would be better before their after stories.
The shenanigans is why I liked ninkoi to begin with but ever since setsugekka koi emaki
it feels like otomate is trying to make this series take itself more seriously like expand
on the setting in detail but stuff I came here for like fanservice felt dry and/or watered down
compared to the original which is just such a shame.
I expected a fandisc but got a sequel with more plot/lore instead of fanservice.
That aside everyone gets marriage ends! wow thanks no not really, suddenly I appreciate
it when only one or two/three characters gets one, I guess I first realized
this with Geten no Hana but happy endings come in all sorts of variations like marriage
would be icing on the cake sure but when there's 10 characters some difference in the end would be nice.
Sometimes I was just like they're just gonna get married in the end... maybe its better to skip lol. 
It is sad if your fav doesn't get one but isn't it nicer to fantasize a little...?

I think each after story is about 3-5 hours, most of which is spend with them graduating
and working together on a mission, marrying and sexy times(maybe).
Every character basically still has their charm and the comedy's decent
but I feel that's lacking overall it may still be nice to wrap things up though.😅
Its funny there's indeed a story to ninkoi but here I am... drawn to the humor, shameless stuff
and the colorful cast of characters, I don't think the core story is bad I just never expected
otomate to get serious about setting and stuff with setsugekka koi emaki's additional ninjas.
 I mostly did one after story a day for some such as Ukita or Tadehito it took me two days
because simple put I lost motivation and they were a drag in general.
Had there never been a FD err I mean sequel I probably wouldn't have cared... I feel like the past
one and a half week have mostly been an exquisite waste of time except for a few characters.
Going to add this right here and I feel its going to be my trademark line for everything 
otome now its impossible to like every character especially in a character game like this.
Sooo I came here for a fandisk with fluff not a sequel with more plot, its like otomate doesn't know
the difference and whatever plot there was felt stretched out to me, completely uninteresting like
I couldn't even keep focused and just let it auto play and I still understood it if I zoned out.
Of course there's a few nice moments but yeah that's it almost not worth to write about.
 Atleast Garaiya's as adorable and chuuni as ever even outside of his own after story. =w=
 Sadly the seal on Kaede's jutsu breaking was just an excuse to give us this poor excuse of a FD... haha round two? why not! except this time with actual character development.
This is why I can still rate it a 6 out of 10 because even if not what I come here for THEY TRIED.

Depending on how much of a ninkoi fan you are... you may enjoy this or you may not
if you're like me and its been too long its better to pass on it, its hard to write
my thoughts on this, the content in this FD(sequel) is just okay I enjoyed what I could, the end.
6/10
Its fine... might have been better if it came out sooner rather than later.

 More ramblings after the jump.

Moujuutachi to Ohime-sama ~in blossom~ - review

Game: [Beast and Princess FD]

Genre: Otome Game Visual Novel.

Developer/Publisher: Otomate.

Platform: PS Vita.

Official Site: http://www.otomate.jp/beast_princess/fd/

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v21112

Release date: 2017-9-07

Ah yes... who would've thought otomate would release a FD for a work that was
a rather poor attempt to cater to a fanbase of Moujuutsukai,  I bought this FD because
 I still liked some of the characters and the setting.
Was it worth it? well not really... this FD was either planned or otomate
had money to burn to deliver this mediocre addition to a mediocre game.

After stories:
Set after the happiest endings and deals with problem that couldn't be told back then
and goes deeper into the character because lololol witch problems.
Each was about 2 and a half hours  so thats an okay length any longer and i'd say get out
sadly some followed the same pattern and by the last one I was pretty meh about it.

IF story:
Continues from the previous game's what if there was no fighting?
and goes further into stuff related to Julia's powers and some new guy named Czarny.

System? typical stuff, there are choice during after stories
but they might as well have not been there.
Mofumofu is also there as a bonus and you'll unlock cg from it.

In short this FD is only for those that really REALLY liked moujuutachi to ohime-sama
but honestly don't expect much... because there isn't much in terms of content.
Some after stories were nice but others were boring... the fanservice was subtle
but there wasn't much and the writing quality more of the same as the original.
Just gonna add that there's so many otomege that don't get a FD so enjoy it if you can/want.
Moujuutachi might not be as good as Moujuutsukai but really a lot of sequels
tend to leave to be desired when you think about it and/or critisize/compare.
 Moujuutachi is only really good for beginners of the otome genre
and those whom do not have high standards in terms of plot/romance developments
then again if you only get moujuutachi a lot of references to moujuutsukai will just fly over
your head and I am more inclined to recommend Moujuutsukai than this game and its FD.
SO I can't recommend this fandisc unless you liked the original and have time and money to spare
speaking of time... the length was okay each after story was two hours at most with IF being 5-6 hours.
Honestly enjoy the CG's... I couldn't be bothered to write much if at all.

I've said enough for now and typical character rambles and/or spoilers after the jump.