Developer/publisher: Otomate.
Platform: Switch.
Official Site: https://www.otomate.jp/lp/
VNDB: https://vndb.org/v22986
Release date: 25/03/21.
After the disappointment that was Ryza 2 and not much otome games coming out
I decided to get one of their newest release lover pretend a shot because
the premise seemed interesting and the art is gorgeous... AND it has an all-star seiyuu cast.
Other than that I had no real expectations...
Pro's
- Interesting story, unique character-focused routes.
- Likeable heroine.
- Art.
- Catchy BGM.
- Light-hearted nothing too serious.
Con's
- Too many bad ends that don't add much of value.
- Some routes have loose ends that do not properly get resolved.
- The common route can get a tad repetitive by route 4.
Plot/characters
Chiyuki our heroine has two dreams on is to fulfill her deceased mom's dream to be a writer
the other to find her biological father whom she never met. The clues to him
seem to be in some script her mom wrote before she have birth.
Chiyuki thinks hmm maybe the people involved with my moms work may know something!
by some string of events beyond her control she finds herself cast in a drama herself
and has to pretend to fall in love while never really having done so.😅
Actually this sounds like a recipe for disaster...
Most of the guys are all popular too so Chiyuki has to deal with some of their admirers/fans
oh well atleast there was some conflict so it wasn't boring at all.
I did like Chiyuki a lot though she her personality was great whether it was telling
Yukito to go buzz off or trying to keep her act together... she had off moments
but all in all she was pretty human! which might be why I liked her so much
she knew what she wanted and went for it, the poster boy Kazuma was great too
the best friend Chiyuki could have or maybe as a lover too? who knows... but his route
I wasn't a fan of it. Yukito was ok but his route was full of general idol bullshittery with him being
a massive flirt but I gotta admit I was trash for him by the time it was over. (wait what...? yeah.)
 |
| TFW I find out i'm trash for yet another 2d man... |
Harumi is gonna be a no from me as he's more like a little bro. UwU
Riku was fine in more ways than one... his route was quite entertaining
and out of all for me he was an easy favorite. Asagi is well okay I guess?
he's the only one I don't have a strong opinion of might've been cuz his route was rather short.
System
The director of WoF,Reine and VB gave us his newest masterpiece 'pretend time'
but atleast this system actually somewhat works with the story flow and whenever there's some
problematic situation Chiyuki has to pretend to get out of it or something like that.
This system is basically just an excuse for plot development and only a handful
actually involve pretending. In the routes of Riku and Yukito it was good. For Harumi it was
okay at best, in Kazuma it wasn't really necessary and in Asagi it was like pretending? what's that.
Like in the beginning Chiyuki pretending to know how to be a girlfriend to having to explain
she has a reason to be around Harumi was good or Riku trying to pretend to be lovers
for personal reasons. Well this is miles better than the RNG in WoF
or that weird barricade breaking system in variable barricade.
With it being similar to reine des fleur also means each guy has like 4 bad ends...😱
most are just fail ends and don't add much but atleast you get prompted to save
before it starts so its actually very forgiving, thank you otomate.
It does get tiring having to do all endings but good news! there's no need for CG completion
maybe personal satisfaction........ so you can always do it, I gave up after Yukito's.
Atleast there's the option to skip pretend times you've already done and min/max affection you gain from it which made it even much more bearable, wow otomate really learned from reine huh? (maybe)
without it being too deep it still managed to tell a decent but entertaining story
and with the exception of one route whatever drama there was in the routes
didn't feel like it was dragging it down too much. The heroine was proactive and sassy
which lead to some hilarious scenes, overall she was pretty great.
Depending on the route the title of the script she writes changes as well.
I want to add... that this games theme really is more or less about COMMUNICATION
the characters are not perfect they have flaws and it might require some understanding
Harumi is literally just a kid with a less than ideal family situation but was willing
to IMPROVE and GROW despite that, the heroine being understanding definitely helped
if you truly want a healthy relationship with anyone romantic or not it is important
to be there for someone even if they said mean things and IMO this otome game did really well
which out of all routes I had to pick Harumi as the example but they all pretty much came down to it.
I mean you could dump someone for it too and sometimes you'll have to throw in the towel
and someone might be beyond your help but that's not what a game should be about
even if something looks bad there is still hope. Afterall if you give up its all over.
The common route served its purpose in setting up the potential pair
it was neither too long or too short. It made it feel like this game was from years ago.😂
Story was good at slowly revealing more information and her fulfilling her dreams but of course
some was halted based on who you go for as the guys problems were more important.
This is one of those where certain information is locked into the hidden route.
Which leads to routes being more or less self-contained, Yukito, Harumi being the biggest
offenders and to some extend Riku but it felt they kinda blue balled that one. Don't get me
started on Kazuma... Kaz... oh you cute but dumb boy! the route was cute and all but then
you get hit with PAIN that is like when a truck hits you that came out of nowhere😓
idk it felt like the writer had a block and struggled trying to make something of it
because unlike the other routes the whole mood did a 180.
Either way none of the characters were terrible but the routes sure were... unique!
if any route managed to surprise me it was Harumi, his is the one that truly stands apart
from say Yukito or Riku. Kaz doesn't compare to any route if you do his you'll know why.
There were also a bunch of bonus scenarios you can read after you finish the routes
some with a extra cg others which was nice.
a decent enough plot going on to keep you invested in it as a whole while you chase bishies.
Though that didn't stop it from some routes being less interesting as a whole
but i've played enough VN to know by now this is all too common.
Atleast the routes never bored me if anything I was a little lost at the direction of Harumi's route
both him and Yukito are probably the safest picks 1st play but it shouldn't matter much.
Lover Pretend had a better plot and more interesting routes than the last otome game I had played
which when looking back was quite barebones when compared to this game
it may have been more dramatic as well but hey its about acting? and much like
variable barricade these boys are far from perfect... all have their own issues.
The only thing that I think might be bad is the high amount of bad ends that don't have much of value
and making one important plot thread into a loose end that do not properly get resolved
till the final route which kinda makes sense buuut yeah a FD could fix this
but you can't always bet on that happening. At the very least all routes were enjoyable enough
that I could turn a blind eye to this. To be fair games like code:realize also did this...
so I do not make a big deal of it any more than needed.
All things considered, I didn't expect much and almost passed on it but managed to enjoy it anyway.
For what its worth this was a pretty okay otome game!
8,5/10
My play order: Yukito > Harumi > Riku > Kazuma > Asagi.
Which I thought was fine and the order doesn't matter that much might say Yukito or Harumi first
and no choice but to do Asagi last as he's locked till you do all.
That ends the non spoiler section, usual spoiler babbles after the jump.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sena Yukito.
CV: Suzuki Tatsuhisa.
I think he's a fusion of Ikki and Shion.😅 I didn't feel attracted towards him
as I figured it would be pain and it kind of was but I have to say Yukito grew on me.
Yukito flirts with Chiyuki a lot but she won't have any of it, he thought she was a fan.........
bruh imagine being famous and thinking some random chick who had a chat with is your fan.
I was howling during his pretend time in the common route... he asks for kiss
and Chiyuki thinks its on the hand right... so he's like nonono of course on the lips.
Which leads to him begging for her to go out with him, this was all an act for a scenario
but absolutely hilarious of how desperate he seemed, it was really good acting. Some other time
Chiyuki catched him practicing for the mini drama and he was really serious about it...
something about how he couldn't let go of his acting dreams. Hmm~
They managed to get their mini drama approved they were working on
and Chiyuki fulfilled one of her dreams... later Yukito took her out to a summer festival
guess that's a date? turns out they both wanted to talk to each other anyway
it was a cute little scene and it didn't feel like he was putting on an act.
They might not meet for a while but in this line of work they sure might... Some time later
it turns out some gravure idol Kirari is in love with him so he gets constantly harassed by her
when he finally sees Chiyuki he can't help but jump into our lovely heroine's arms.😂😂😂
Kirari says he's lying (and probably fuming too) but eh he's so desperate
to get ''idol-chan'' off his ass and promptly apologizes to Chiyuki later.😅
Asagi tells Chiyuki she should probably becareful with helping Yukito
before anything scandalous happens, ah yes this is a classic.😓
Chiyuki even overhears some fans talking about the rumor of someone
having a girlfriend they'd obviously make hell or even kill her. 😨
Chiyuki rushes over when Yukito was in trouble... but turns out he waited for her
to show up with his producer who thinks she is perfect for a photo shoot.
WAIT THAT IS WHY HE ASKED HER FOR HELP?! REEEEE~
I don't like where this is going nothing good can come from this... to add fuel to the fire
she has to pretend to be a fan wait now I could understand why Kirari
is so in love she might have gotten the wrong idea but whatever.
Yukito even whispers something like why not treat it like a real date? right~
Turns out he hopes Chiyuki and Kirari could get along too well that would be peachy...
they have some drink at a bar but its just the usual bullshittery with him oh he's always serious. Ok.
Turns out its not just Kirari trying to hang out with Yukito... other girls try too
oh my look who is popular? oh well he has work with Chiyuki so they give up lmao.
Basically Yukito is tired of being mr popular and wants some alone time too and with Chiyuki
he can let his guard down. If this isn't were Chiyuki started falling for him then idk when she did.
Chiyuki manages to somewhat convince Kirari after some extended talk and later
Kirari tells Chiyuki to come along which leads to a hilarious scene of them spying on
a photoshoot with Yukito half nude. Kirari says thats the Yukito everyone sees and no one
can take their eyes off of him and wish they were with him. They got busted though...
There was some weird drama going on too and I ain't got the energy to go into it
Kirari's reputation took a hit but she really respects Yukito and his job.
Chiyuki became like a submanager, and now Kirari believes Chiyuki really loves him for real
not like when she first saw her with him. Chiyuki notices she's changed around him and
he wants to talk about it cuz he thinks she sees him differently now. Yukito saw through her
trying to lie to him... she finally gets to tell him the truth and her feelings for him. UwUb
Chiyuki gets to write a script again buut they have to explain the sittuation to Kirari
who is quite upset at how Yukito chose Chiyuki instead of her, Yukito doesn't dislike Kirari
or anything and tells her he can't return her feelings. All's well that ends well?
Unfortunatelly after they break the news to the others Chiyuki gets approached by some reporter
asking her to answer some questions, so she tries to throw him off-guard till Kazuma catches up
and tells reporter-kun to back off. Now all they have to do is wait for the audition results!
Yukito had to dye his hair because of some old bullshit with his old man so he had to give
up on his acting dreams and become a model instead but now... he has another chance
regardless if his current image he wants a change for the best. While Yukito works on some drama
Chiyuki finishes her script and get together some time later and turns out the thing with the bar
was his old man doing and he has her back. And well Yukito can barely hold back
to be with his ultra cute loving genius girlfriend, the end~
Btw her script was titled dream to love...
there will be another chance and he won't let it go then. He bullies her over it in the epilogue. 😂
Common bad end: Chiyuki made a mistake and decided to give up... she watched some
drama on tv with Riku and Yukito in it and had some lingering regrets.
Bad end 1: Chiyuki couldn't hold it together during the photoshoot which was a failure
Yukito apologized but yea... nothing else came from this.
Bad end 2: Chiyuki can't convince Kirari at all whom loses all trust in her and decides to act
on her own trying to make sure nothing bad happens to Yukito's reputation.
Bad end 3: Chiyuki couldn't be honest with Yukito and ran away... the scandal
that surounds Kirari gets out of hand and it reaches the news it all ends badly.😥
Bad end 3: Chiyuki decides to give the reporter the silent treatment which just
leads to him forming his own opinion which wasn't a good thing.
''Hmm.. well the route was okay and I could say Yukito grew on me, like he had his reasons
and wasn't a bad person but boi was this route dramatic and i'm not a fan of idol problems either
but it was alright and in my opinion this was in no way a bad route cuz really both of them
got the best ending possible and it felt well-rounded or maybe i'm just trash for Yukito
just not sure I don't remember there being much hints about her dad but atleast
Chiyuki found the love of her life and became a scriptwriter.''
Romance ★★★★☆
Plot ★★☆☆☆
Overall ★★★★☆~
Makino Harumi.
CV: Kawanishi Kengo.
Sensitive college student who wishes he was better at acting, he's a tsundereeeee too.
His dad is also pretty strict, Harumi has this kind of aloof, cool air about him
so people tend to get the wrong image of what he is like.
Harumi is a bit of a nerd and can go on and on about his favorite anime due to circumstances
he is a bit shy/insecure about talking to women... and has no real friends.
During the summer excursion she finds his keychain and brings it back to him
turns out he needed some peptalk too. Festival sceene was cute, totally different vibe
than Yukito, he gets her a fox mask that suited her and one for himself.
basically he's a closet otaku and is too shy to share it cuz he's being shamed by his dad.
Chiyuki ends up being one of the only people he can be himself with... literally the first half
of this route is Chiyuki hanging out with Harumi and watch him nerd out over his favorite anime
which is also a tierblade reference. When Chiyuki comes back home she literally falls
on her bed because the whole ordeal was exhausting she even contemplates her life decisions.
When they're out aggain they run into some girls from school who recognize Harumi who gets
a little tense and blurts out Chiyuki is his girlfriend. Which leads to them asking several question.
As cute as this route was it is basically Chiyuki helping Harumi get over his shyness
toward women and awkwardness of being a nerd so he could pursue his dreams of acting.
They get slapped back on track by Asagi and Hanai to get to work on a script again...
about time cuz I was forgetting what they were supposed to do.😅
 |
| This CG literally sums up his whole route... |
Not that it stopped them from attending fan events... or anything uh yea about that plot?!
Chiyuki almost gets run over by angry fans cuz she won a poster. Which leads to Harumi acting
like a loving husband wanting vengeance on those people that hurt his waifu.
Turns out he was just lacking in courage after all... but what does chiyuki know about him right?
she gets through to him and Harumi won't run from his problems anymore. Sigh~
so he decides to stop being a wuss and join the anime club at his school and
dramatically asks to be their friend. Then the girls of the club walk in and wonder
if someone as handsome as him is really an otaku. They start calling him the worst
for lying to them about being a normie and to face the fact of what he likes is what he likes.
When he reports back to Chiyuki she has completed her script as well... and so Harumi
attempts to gather his courage but the other guys in the drama group figure he's being bullied
so they help out get those girls off his ass and be on good terms, thank you next.
Eventually Kazuma interrogates Harumi because he questions the relationship he has with Chiyuki
which was hilarious, after he leaves Harumi promises to expand his horizons more and grow
but then his dad is finally back home who wants to have a talk who is disappointed
in his taste of media, Harumi is like mind your own business old man.
His dad tells his mom to throw out the degenerate media, Chiyuki butts in and pretends
some of it is hers which means they can't just throw it out thus the dad has an anime quiz for her
because he doesn't believe she's the type to like anime. Chiyuki basically tells him to stop
making fun of weabshit and he doesn't mean it like that but yea he worries of his son
even Harumi wonders why she blatantly lied for him like that things get awkward
and when they meet again he says he will give up his hobby and get serious with acting
saying it can't be helped anymore, he can't defy his dad cuz he has no allies in his home
saying she can't possible understand cuz she had such a loving family, Chiyuki then rushes off.
At home she's frustrated and wonders what it is she feels for Harumi who feels just as conflicted...
Hanai finds him and wonders why Harumi is so upset who drags him off, Yukito
finds Chiyuki and tries to fli- I mean talk with her wondering what's up.
Meanwhile Hanai gets Harumi drunk who ends up telling the old man to shut up
saying he's gonna be the hero or something like that. After some time
passes they manage to meet again and Harumi apologizes to Chiyuki.
Turns out his dad forced him overseas to join a public school which was hard on him
it was then that he started to like anime and managed to get through it, becoming his passion.
Harumi also tells her he wants to stop being just friends... because he likes her more than that
so he wants her to be his girlfriend for real. The whole scene was just too cute.😳💕
they go back to his home and he finally tells his dad the truth of his otaku collection belonging to him.
Harumi also tells him of his dream to work in the anime industry like 'live action'
because he respects them his dad tells him to reconsider because he misinterprets what he wants.
His dad really did worry about him but didn't realize it was such a problem for his son...
Harumi's dad also told Chiyuki he knew her mom and respected her work to see
her daughter follow in her footsteps... kids sure do take after their parents huh?
Other than that he's more willing to talk and get along with his son more, all's well that ends well!
Harumi came over to her place which just lead to more cuteness and hilarity
Nothing else really happens, Harumi and his parents get along better they even end up going
on a date themselves😅 They all visit an amusement park. Harumi was adorable as always
he gave Chiyuki a hair accessory. Chiyuki is forced to help Harumi's club due to one
of the members succumbing to the influenza. What even is going on... just Harumi doing a cosplay
of Guy... and Chiyuki is Gerda. Harumi can't believe his eyes when he sees Riku,Kazuma and Yukito
show up which leads to Harumi and Chiyuki having to pretend hey its totally not us guys!
cosplay, what's that? oh feel free to take some pics if you want. Riku says they're suspicious as hell...
Harumi is acting it out so perfectly the audience loved it... but he still has a lot of work to do
and will work hard so he can work in the industry some day as an actor.
Chiyuki will do the same with her scripts... they both have grown so much!
The epilogue was even more fluff I could barely take it... a cute and happy end for them both!
how he is always being saved so he wants to change himself to not rely so much on her
Chiyuki is like his best friend and says he will study hard to become a better actor
when they meet again years later he truly has matured so much Chiyuki be about to confess
but he tells her he wants to say it first, he always liked her a lot. I actually liked this ending?!
''Overall I say this route was enjoyable, Chiyuki and Harumi are cute together
but like half the plot in this route felt so self-contained at the very least
it was very entertaining but the plot had me going oh god not like this?! and WhY?!
Literally let your kids like what they like, anime/manga is a valid hobby... I get why they could
be concerned but still in most cases its not worth to try to stop a kid from enjoying things.
The genre is just as vast as there are normie shows. Imagine having to be a closet otaku
because your parents can't handle you being a nerd. I'm sorry but i'm getting heated... Uh yea
that aside Harumi seems much more like a little brother to me and Chiyuki more of a friend.😞
I still thought it was solid Harumi is plenty likable but this route also felt slightly longer?
but I think it was necessary to flesh out the relationship which was still fine just not for me.
The plot was kind of weird though it was hard trying to tell where it was going! never did expect
them to try and go into live action territory in this game which was a nice surprise.
Not sure about that good end though... first ya make me think this is a friend ending
but then some time passes and oh so he does like her? okay lmao.
Not much info of Chiyuki's dad but Harumi's dad did know her mom... I don't remember
him actually saying much about her partner though its an improvement atleast.''
Romance ★★☆☆☆
Plot ★★★★☆
Overall ★★★★☆~
Nishishima Riku.
CV: Maeno Tomoaki.
Apparently takes naps on the stairs in broad daylight... he's sure a busy person huh?
He's also about as popular as Yukito or perhaps a bit more...? comes with the territory
of being a handsome and talented actor I guess. Other than that Riku is super sweet and gentle
I could definitely see myself falling for him. I guess he has another fan now! 😂
After Chiyuki finds him sleeping again working on a painting she managed to gain his trust...
when someone tried to start trouble with him. Later Chiyuki helps Riku prepare the food at
the summer camp turns out he also has some daddy issues but a little more complicated.
Of course we get a date to the festival as well... she wanted some cotton candy but they had
to be quick about it which is because of some folks watching Riku like a hawk.😓
They meet again some time after the camp... and he asks her to come to his place
because he has something really important to talk about.
Riku then asks Chiyuki to marry him... LMAO. Wait marriage? WhY?!
Chiyuki forces him to explain himself... and it really isn't like that and its for a drama
but he has never asked something like that from a woman so he wants to try with Chiyuki
because he's no good for the role he has right now. His dad is stingy so he has to try
Riku actually wants to quit too but his dad keeps giving him more roles
so now is literally the perfect chance to try to create a scandal. 😂😂😂
 |
| Riku is evil.. this was them imagining what'll happen. |
as per usual Asagi tells Chiyuki to be careful too. They proceed to act overly friendly in public...
and explain their relationship to Riku's managers/staff. It all goes well enough and his acting
never ceases to amaze Chiyuki... almsot had a hard time telling when he was not acting.
What pisses me off is that he used a hidden camera to record his performances with her...
without her knowing and when he told her even she is like chotto-a-minute.
Riku sure goes very far to cause trouble huh? and its funny how he's so casual about
using her which just makes Chiyuki want to find out his reasons for doing it which
just leads to him asking what she really want to know, the drama stuff... and he's more than
willing to cooperate so he tells her he just wants to quite to move on with his life
that's why he's been studying on the side, lmao he's such a simple man. He comes home with her
one day and it got a little spicy turns out he was just messing with her yet again
I get the idea Riku just likes teasing her a bit too much. Sometime later they hangout again
to further the keikaku but this time it felt like a proper date. He even wonders what her brands
are but Chiyuki is like wut I don't really know about any of that (unlike girls her age)
They visit a planetarium where he tells her hhow important she is to him
and Chiyuki is rooting for him, this was almost like a real proposal. Sometime later
Chiyuki finds him half asleep backstage and she almost doesn't recognize him because of his getup
but he was really glad that Chiyuki is on his side cuz he did get discouraged at times
when they get back to his place they go with his plan of being lovey-dovey
which was incredibly corney to watch because they were acting like lovers
it gets weirder because after he's all I like you more than I thought before passing out.
Chiyuki even starts tripping balls he is confessing to her for real... in her dreams.
Either way they're looking more and more like a proper couple or should I say husband and wife?😂
Chiyuki ends up hanging out with Yukito but it almost turns into a date... Riku called
her while he bought drinks and came to come get her. Which leads to a bitch fight
as Riku's all like don't touch my girl and tells Yukito to give up. Who is like why?
Because Chiyuki is Riku's fiance. EEEEEH Yukito is flabbergasted.
Yukito who is like damn that's some good acting mate so they gotta fake some more
to convince him of their relationship, lmao the whole thing was hilarious
Yukito even warns them that this would be a lot of trouble if you get found out.
''NGL I though this route was interesting? but it was really confusing at times
atleast it was funny to see what wouuld happen. Riku reassures him
that she is his number 1 ally and not to worry about a thing.
After he leaves Riku tells her that he actually likes being with her
and wants to be with her more so they go to watch a play afterall. Riku also continues
painting backstage so Chiyuki brought him some food before he collapses again.
The plan is finally bearing fruit but he tells her to keep it secret for a bit longer
then he remembers that she wanted to know more about her father...
but then the reporters show up like Riku hoped they would
and Riku just tells them Chiyuki is a friend and the rumors are wrong.
for some reason she is a bit upset and well she has all the right to be LMAO.
Riku's dad comes to pay them a visit after he heard the rumors about them
being engaged. Riku tells his dad that atleast she paid attention to him unlike HIM.
So Riku tells his dad that he won't quit right away and that he will work for a bit more
but his dad is like nope not gonna work because they can't write him out of the season just like that.
His dad doesn't approve of his son marrying a woman like Chiyuki cuz there's no merit to it...
basically his dad is just using his son's talent and there's no getting through to him
so Riku and Chiyuki leave him behind to get some air. Then he tells her its a lost cause
to go up against his dad and doesn't want her to become wrapped up in his problems.
Riku really did enjoy his time with her before he tells her goodbye.
and his dad asks if he was at her place, she better not be lying god he sounds so desperate.
Chiyuki ends up investigating and goes to Riku's appartment but no ones there
then she goes to his usual place backstage and finds him lying amongst a painting.
Turns out he just passed out again, they talk and he tells her he fell in love with her
and well its the same for her. Then Riku asks if she wants to go out with him for real
and they make out on the stage with pretty lights turned out, the scene was both cute and romantic.
After all that Riku decides to talk to his dad again and tells him everything and this time
its no lie he is going to marry Chiyuki and do what he wants with his life too.
His dad is frustrated but no matter what his dad says Riku has made up his mind
so all it takes is some gentle persuasion from Chiyuki to make them see eye to eye.
His dad does want his son do what he wants but is too obsessed with wasting his talent or whatever.
Riku is grateful for what his dad helped him to become but somewhere along the line his dad changed
oh well his dad eventually gives in now and will let Riku do whatever he wants, they both
end up on good terms for once. All's well that end well huh? Riku and Chiyuki end up
celebrating xmas together, feels weird to see them like this as a real couple.
After the movie premieres he lets everyrone know how grateful he is to have worked on it
and hopes to work with everyone again once day. Wasn't sure if that was just typical japanese
politeness. Chiyuki muses about her dad but she found out nothing concrete yet again
instead she found a man she loves instead and that she's doing fine.
They go shopping one day so she ends up getting him a present but he just ends up teasing her
when she doesn't tell him why and finds her reaction cute. After she gives him a birthday present
he figures she's been planning this for a while. Riku can't wait till its her birthday...
Sometime later Chiyuki ends up trying out painting with him... which was cute.
Good end: Kazuma and Harumi end up helping out after those reporters show up...
to give her a makeover so she can meet with Riku in some arcade as they decide to lay low
they both come to terms with their feelings for each other, Riku wants to go his own way for a bit
and asks her to wait till he continues his work as an actory, he knows she'll support him.
One day Chiyuki accidently walks into a live set with him in it which was kind of cute...
its not like it was completely an accident but it sure look like it.
''Overall I thought this route was hilarious, Riku was surprisingly likable and an evil genius....😅
The ending was super cute... and well I enjoyed the route as a whole but the good end was
pretty weird honestly, I don't have much to say about that other than it was a cute way to end it.
I like how this game shows that you can probably solve a lot of problems by simply
communicating and this game shows that well in both Riku and Harumi's route
unfortunately while she finds happiness with a guy the complete truth eludes her
but I guess its not a big deal cuz she was fine with it, its not all that uncommon for
vn to have a route that is more dedicated to plot more than others but in the case of Riku
I think they really did blueball the matter of her dad more than in other routes.''
Romance ★★★★☆
Plot ★★★★☆ (???)
Overall ★★★★☆ ~
Kamikubo Kazuma.
CV: Furukawa Makoto.
audition he's a real friend to her. Kazuma's also pretty cute but dumb which was a plus.
Childhood friends are not my thing but atleast I looked forward to doing his route.
Despite there being an interesting selection of dudes right infront of her nose
she ends up thinking about her childhood friend instead! ...which lead to even more cute scenes
such as Chiyuki trying to remove chocolate from his face making him super embarrassed.😂
He checked up on her when she was feeling down during the camp and well like a true friend
so Chiyuki had to try and tell him I'M FINE REALLY. But Kazuma still found her kinda sus...😅
so he tells her not to push herself. SIGH~ Kazuma is too pure and good for this world.
Its hilarious how suspicious Chiyuki appears for Kazuma... he knows her so well
he can tell somethings up and its cute how he wants to help her. Literally the pretend time
in the common route go like this: Kazuma: Are you ok? Chiyuki I'm fine! Kaz: you sure?
Chi: really I am! Kaz: hmm... Chi: REALLY! Kaz: okay gotcha.
Kazuma sneaked up on her when she was making curry and he begs her
to let him have some... so she gives in and lets him taste test it.😅
Kaz ends up helping her try to find info on her dad so he takes her too the festival...
because he didn't want her to go alone, it was cute how he was so worried.
They end up seen as a couple and end up winging it... so he remembers that time
in the prologue when they had to fake being a couple in that cafe. Chiyuki ends up
making Kaz even more embarrassed than he already was.😂😂😂
and in the end she just asks Kaz to be her boyfriend he has doubts but he doesn't
want her to get in trouble either if she is caught snooping around so he goes along with it
and forgives her for trying to hide it before at the camp.
They end up visiting Kazuma's grandma's grave... who meant alot to him
but they kept talking about the good old days that I kinda glazed over because I do not know
those days so this might be the first time I was slightly bored. Is this the curse of the childhood friend? its like being a 3rd wheel and watching two good friends talk about the past. 😓😓😓
Oh well movingn on he told his grandma that Chiyuki is also doing
very much her best and will continue to protect her, awww.
This was also the first route were I thought they didn't have to pretend to be lovers
so half the time I was like going WhY?! it also was too obvious Kazuma wanted it to be real
so the majority of the route was just plain suffering. TwT Atleast Kaz was cute.
Chiyuki figures its because they're lovers now so atleast she got that hint.😅
Even Kazuma doesn't know what he's doing no more... but it was easy to see he really likes Chiyuki
unfortunately there was an accident and he got amnesia and he lost 10 years of memories.😭😭
Kaz litterally forgot he ever met Chiyuki ''noooooooooooooooooooo~'' 😱😱😱
Riku and Kaz's teacher came as soon as they could too... at a later date Chiyuki
tries to jog his memory by bringing a picture book. Though he's easily irritable
which all things considered is understandable... Chiyuki keeps trying and visits everyday
even if he doesn't remember the Kaz we all know and love is there. Too bad Kazuma
thought Riku was her boyfriend. Either way this was kinda painful to sit through
but eventually Chiyuki managed to make him remember that they visited his grandma...
and his dream of being a make up artist. Kaz also gets convinced they're lovers
so Chiyuki has to point out they weren't really lovers yet. So he's like wait wut?!
Then they bump into each other but then we get this long boring monologue
about their highschool life and my eyes just glazed over i'm sorry what???
Something something bullying they became bestiest and he always looked up to her.
Chiyuki continues her work and reports back to Asagi who's just glad it ended on a good note.
Too bad his teacher/supervisor won't let him take on a job while he is still recovering...
and he gets a little annoyed forgetting simple things that he's been doing years so he wants
some space which again is understandable but here I thought the painful stuff was over.
After Kaz's mom talsk with Chiyuki, she decides to go out on a date with him...
he figures its not normal of her to ask that so something has to be up
she makes him realize his current state and how much he cares for Chiyuki.
Kaz also relies more on her than he had thought he did.. ever since they were in highschool.
Yes... being in a fake relationship never sat well with him because he'd rather it be real...
so he's sorry to have took so long to tell her even though its not his fault.😭
Turns out he was also jealous but Chiyuki doesn't care about that for some reason
which just makes everything worse to me since Kaz was so supportive of her.
Kaz never wants to forget about Chiyuki ever again... all's well that ends well right?😔
Everything is back to normal.. one christmase eve Kaz even tries to surprise Chiyuki
but he ends up getting smacked cuz she thought he was a burglar.😂😂😂
They exchange gifts, a make up set and a fashion accessory... how fitting
in the epilogue they watch the drama Riku and Yukito starred in and
she tells him the title of her script lover pretend. Not only did she
fulfill her dream she got a boyfriend who is a make up artist...
Good end was not much different...? they might not be lovers YET unlike the happy end
but Chiyuki will always be special to Kazuma. idk but this felt like a friend end. Poor Kazuma.😂
''Well that was dramatic... I couldn't really enjoy the route anymore after the accident happened
which was a shame because everything before it was great. I don't like it when the
amnesia trope is used like this in routes... part of me thinks this was the best the writer
could do to make it a little interesting or to have a problem occur cuz it went too smooth
too bad the end result was less than desired which made half the route so painful
(look I didn't sign up for all this pain that hits like a truck coming from outta nowhere)
in a way that makes it kind of good? still not fond of that TL;DR monologue. The other bad part would be this route was perhaps the most self-contained and disconnected aleast she still
managed the script part idk about the dad part but I think this is a love it or hate it route
might also depend how much you can stand amnesia tropes and all the angst
which just made for an awful route in general don't get me started on him being fake-nice.''
Romance ★★☆☆☆
Plot ★☆☆☆☆
Overall ★★☆☆☆~
Asagi Eichirou
CV: Morikawa Toshiyuki.
A teacher and writer I wasn't sure if he was a love interest but apparently he is! his route
is hidden from the gallery and ending list, I do not understand why but whatever I guess?
Asagi's rather important to the plot and well he is as he was one of credited in the drama
albeit under a different name. Unfortunately his route is rather short compared to the initial fourit is basically an extension of the common route like what if she got close to Asagi
and he actually helped her with her dreams? Well Asagi is very charming... i'm pretty sure
we all want to know who is the dad by now because other routes did not follow up on that
this basically just wraps up the remaining plot thread. During the summer camp
Asagi is the one who talks to her when she was confused which lead to her
trying to get him to tell who the person she wants to find is. Chiyuki got busted since
she was acting kinda sus so she has to explain her reasons.
The summer camp audition continues, not without problems of course...
idk there were some scenes with the other guys but it wasn't worth mentioning.
but she had to keep it a secret and apparently this was not important before either.😂
Other than that Chiyuki wasn't making much progress with pretty much anything...
Asagi starts acting weird though and suddenly she has his full support.
Chiyuki went to the summer festival by herself and some dudes harrassed her good thing 'old man'
Asagi showed up, Asagi sure was sweet to her and stayed with her for the remainder of the evening.
Asagi asked where she wanted to go and so the destination turned intoa arcade which was cute.
Some passerby thought that they were a couple, afterwards they go to a bar
I got some bad feels and turns out it wasn't wrong, some girls at his work
get the wrong idea and that Chiyuki definitely isn't the only girl he has been seeing
then his other students start asking questions and telling him to be careful of Chiyuki
turns out they're just jealous and see her like a bug, he tries to tell she hasn't done anything wrong
but they're mean girls and try to tell Asagi that Chiyuki is a bad girl.
Asagi encourages Chiyuki to not succumb to the bullying like in her childhood...
they apologize after being lectured by 'sensei' and end up on good terms with Chiyuki.
After that's over with Asagi at his place tells Chiyuko that he's sorry he told her a lie...
its about his dad being overseas but he was in japan all this time with her mom.
His own mom isn't mentally stable and still thinks Asagi's dad is alive.
It started when he himself was like 5/6 years old but his dad had some illicit relationship
with Chiyuki's mom... Asagi stayed with his mom to support her even today.
Knowing Chiyuki had the same dream as her mom he couldn't bear to lie to her no more.
and then promptly confesses that he wants to be more than a teacher to her because they might
be connencted by blood but to be applies for a DNA test just to be sure.
After Chiyuki falls asleep he kisses her good night. He gets all sappy about it.
The next day he tells her the results of the DNA tests which was negative... Aww yiss onii-sama GET.
Asagi tells her to come over to his place again cuz his mom recognized her as someone
so they want to try to get her to confirm something who gives Asagi a key to a box with a letter
about his affairs during a difficult time ah how I met your mother!
Asagi's dad didn't mean it in a bad way, he did love the daughter he never met.
All is well that ends well? and well there's nothing stopping them from becoming a couple either
while she works on her scriptwriting that ended up being low priority.
Chiyuki tells him she does has feelings for him so he asks her if she can hold her.
In the bad end Asagi's mom gets all angry and tells Chiyuki to get out... must've had a bad day?
Asagi tells Chiyuki before she leaves that he'll always be rooting for her.
''I didn't dislike the route as it was pretty decent in terms of romance atleast Asagi turned out
to be a decent guy but couldn't help but be slightly weirded out by him at one point.
The story was okay it all makes sense why she couldn't figure it out (or care to) before and despite
being shorter it didn't feel entirely shoe-horned in either but I admit it did feel a little rushed.
That aside I liked it much more than Kazuma's route but man... never did I expect them
to do a surprise onii-sama route, i'm a little horrified. Now it makes sense Chiyuki
never really finds it out in other routes, didn't feel like writing much about it
and I don't have a strong opinion on Asagi either, he's just an okay dude.''
Romance ★★☆☆☆
Plot ★★★★☆
Overall ★★★☆☆~
Route enjoyment:
Yukito/Riku >Harumi > Asagi > Kazuma.
Sorry but Kazuma was the least interesting by far, Harumi was a lot better and
I honestly thought Yukito was the most well-rounded route
in terms of romance love and her becoming a writer
with Kazuma being on the other side of that... as least interesting
also the angst pretty much killed it for me idk why this route did a complete 180
compared to the others but I guess its the poster boy curse striking yet again.
Riku enjoyment wise was the same like Yukito...so its a tie.
Harumi was original enough considering the setting and it was rather cute.
Asagi's route was okay and perfect to finish the game with... it makes sense
why he's locked annd why certain things don't get revealed in other route.
Fav character:
Riku > Yukito > Kazuma > Harumi > Asagi.
Not that I have anything against Asagi he's just the last person I think about...
i'm still surprised about liking Yukito this much but I think Riku's my fav.
A few days after full complete I really think about it once more... which lead to this:
''In terms of Kazuma it really is just him being better as a non romance interest (hint; comic relief)
and in terms of him being romanceable he'd be last on the list but as said above that spot
goes to Asagi because of his rushed route and I really don't think about him a lot than others.''
Final Thoughts!
This game was honestly pretty well-rounded, all the guys were interesting and their routes
were unique which didn't bore me, the heroine was pretty great as well.
Most of the routes are all self-contained and sure do hide the truth well as they never really go back
on certain plot thread and if they did then Chiyuki didn't really care cuz she was happy with her lover.
Unless this game gets a FD I could see them trying to give Chiyuki further resolution but it wouldn't
be very interesting unless they'd reveal it in different ways but I honestly think its fine as is.
There were a lot of bad ends like 4 per route (except Asagi's) but its not necessary
to do all for scenario completion and am glad about that because they don't add much if anything.
The characters are all far from being perfect and that's okay... people are allowed to have flaws
and show their insecurities its up to you the player to accept them. Atleast the heroine tried...
It also had high production values in terms of seiyuu,art and bgm so overall it was better than say Dairoku. The music also was definitely better than in himehibi 3. The only bad thing is
that the template this game uses but its not too bad, another thing to note is that the final route
is hilariously badly hidden I do not understand why they went so far as to hide
Asagi from the gallery, the big giveaway is his CG's in the common route are not
viewable in the album and the fact that the OP blatantly shows a festival CG with him.
All that just put me on edge and thus making me wonder what type of route it was in the first place when it was just simply a truth route with a little romance.😩 That aside I enjoyed this otome game
and am glad I did not pass on it, definitely deserves to be up there with other otomate titles.
I think they really made a good love comedy, light and sweet nothing too serious
while still making a point that communication is key.
I really don't have much else to say about it, this didn't try to be something it was not and with
the exception of one route being out of place/more angsty it was a pretty solid otome game.
8.5/10
Hi there Rurunikiri,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, my deepest apologies for commenting under a game which I still haven't played yet (as I received my copy today), so I unfortunately can't share my thoughts with you.
But I just wanted to let you know how much I love your blog & am grateful for your reviews (I'm a shy long time reader). I truly appreciate your opinions & point of views according to your very own tastes, but also your part of subjectivity, it's a real breeze to me.
I'm of course, absolutely not in search of people who can act as a sort of "confirmation bias". But the fact is that I more than often agree with you, your overall feelings & I'm just, glad not to feel alone, for once.
I hope it wasn't too weird or embarrassing to read orz. I wish you a sweet day/night!
Thats very nice to hear, hope you have a good time playing the game.
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