 |
| Before Matsurika no Kei... there was Olympia Soiree. (Wait... that kinda rhymes?!) |
Developer/publisher: Otomate.
Platform: Switch.
Official Site: https://www.aksysgames.com/olympia/
Official Site: https://www.aksysgames.com/olympia/
VNDB: https://vndb.org/v24241
Release date: 09-9-2021
Alright, I was always kinda curious about this one and got this on a discount for 38$.
I generally played pretty slowly since there wasn't anything else I wanted to play.
It was quite long and I kinda missed the time when a route took me almost a week.
Disclaimer: This is purely my own opinion and it could be different from yours
this is not meant to be some kind of all-truth, just an opinion that came from playing this.
If you don't like what you're reading then close the tab, move on and just idk play it yourself.
Pro's
- Interesting setting and characters.
- Gorgeous art and fitting music.
- A heroine that quite literally spits fire.
- Monologue haters rejoice cuz there's none!(except extra's)
Grey Area
- Character focused and can be repetitive to do all routes.
Con's
- Long common route without choices, felt too rail-roaded.
- 3249432593 flashbacks.
- Clunky UI.
- There are plenty of CG's but the pacing for some was not balanced.
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The OP was alright but not something I watched everytime I started the game.
I liked the ED themes more for reason.
The story hooked me easily but this do be one of those games where
I found my fav right away and most other LI didn't quite click with me.😔
The only reason I did all the routes was for story reasons really! maybe its dueto the heroine, who was alright but I did enjoy watching her interact with the LI's.
I liked her self-concious and grounded personality and she certainly spoke her mind
however I think she was a bit much as well.😅 Olympia can be a firebreathing b!tch
who will take no shit and does as she pleases but atleast she was self aware which is rare.
I do not blame her considering how she lived, she had all the right to be assertive.
There was also a tender side to her and I loved how she confided in Daifuku
this reminded me of trouble magia and it was adorable. I'm glad I didn't sit on this
because it was surprisingly romance driven with some good worldbuiling to boot.
However not every route went into the plot and you will need to do it all to fully get it.
When I looked back on the routes after Himuka's the initial four were
hilariously self-contained only revealing things as necessary.
---
The common route is just a long intro, the focus is mostly on Olympia
and explains the way of the world. It wasn't really a bad thing but I can understand
It could be too long for some. The whole game is about picking a husbando
and you have a whole year but... despite that it happens within 2ish weeks. GIRL.
The story definitely drove on desperation and at times it could feel unrequited or some
mild angst of this never going to work but... for the most part the romance was believable.
It didn't seem like the story cared about what if she couldn't find a partner. To which I started
to think this game is some propaganda for japanese teens to get babies due aging population.
The lore sure is rich but most of the routes were more character focused
and a lot of main plot threads are just left hanging in most route.
---
Wasn't really sure what was up with the technology level of the island, I know
there's random stuff that washes up ashore but some stuff was never explained.
I did start to dislike the setting of this game the more routes I did.
I persevered for Himuka/Akaza and to uncover all the secrets the island had buried
but its rough when you already found your best boi which for me was Riku.😔
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Music/Art/System stuffs:
Music was good, it fit the tone of the scenes. Art was gorgeous for the most part.
The sprites were great and most CG's were good, the awkward ones were few.
Most characters had a near equal amount of CG's but they would include variations
into the total amount so it said there were 30 when the unique ones are like 13 or so.
Some routes like Riku also have poor CG pacing so you get a lot of CG at once
near the end, other route had better balance but it stood out to me when I looked back.
I knew some complains about kiss cg's but they had some good variations...
One of Himuka's looked awkward at first but it was fine due to he follow up.
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| Extra's screen was cute. |
the character route, the common route is devoid of choices.
Heroine had a sprite too which was nice. There weren't many monologues, the dialogue
flowed well and was easy to read. The translation was very good and it flowed well
and some dialogue was really funny too, any mistakes I found were really minor.
Each route had two bad ends but I think they're better if you got them unawares
I found that by going back for them after the best end, that they were rather abrupt
some even had characters behave OOC. I only liked 2-3 bad ends out of all.
At first I did find the UI to be kind of clunky, text log is accessed from the corner and
you can't select save or load separately like in other games. You first have to click
on history and then you can save but if you wanted to load to have to press R.
Also what is history? just from its name I thought it was a flowchart...💀
I did get used to the UI but something about it esp the save/load section doesn't
sit right with me. Though with the ability to backlog jump why are there still
quick save/load options? feels like that is a relic from a bygone era.
It can be nice to quickly see the other choice but there were barely were choices.
Also when you hide the text to look at a CG it didn't hide the menu's
in the top left&right which seems like a huge oversight to me.
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More ramblings about common route:
---
I'm not bothered by the length but I was disappointed by the lack of choices in them.
Thankfully its a one time thing! you can start from the end of it on subsequent playthrough's.
Tho suddenly I realized many otome gamers had fallen here...💀💀💀
After four routes most of it was generally unmemorable too. Like cool setup bro.
Now what it did well was establishing the setting/lore and characters of the game
however it is 9 chapters long💀. The average chapter length was maybe 30-45 min to an
hour some were short other longer. (9 common chapters and around 12-14 individual chapters.)
Olympia Soiree was a 50-70ish hour game for me.
---
At the end of the common route there is the choice of which LI to pursue.
You can only do Riku,Tokisada,Yosuga and Kuroba first. Himuka unlocks after them and Akaza last.
What kept me going was the lore and the cast of characters.
I blasted through the first few chapters on my first day, but I continued
by reading subsequent chapters in the evening so it was pretty slow and chill.
By the time of the 8th common chapter I was like any minute now...
as I get bombarded with more lore upon already existing lore.💀
To make up for it, the final common chapter was rather short but ayyy sure took its time.
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There were too many flashbacks! thankfully the promise one
can be easily skipped but they even used flashbacks for things that
were said a little while ago and that's just annoying.😠
I don't even mind stuff like callbacks at a later time to what a character says early on
but honestly if Olympia remembered something just her saying so would be enough
so if they had removed over half of them flashbacks it wouldn't be so annoying.
---
Most LI had good routes but my favorite was Riku.
Tokisada was just not for me, Both Yosuga and Kuroba grew on me then again....
when I really think about it they're also not for me but still great in supporting role.
Akaza was good enough to rank 2nd. Himuka was just OK I just have beef with his route.
Then who's 3rd? Daifuku of course!😊
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Overall
I think I am rambling a bit much but it was a long VN so it evens out.
 |
| Cold and Cruel and HEARTLESS! |
better than say Matsurika, both games got some nasty stuff inside of them.
This game was pretty long it took me nearly a week to clear a route, I kinda missed this.
Every route was relatively interesting in its own right but damn I think this game
has some of the worst side characters I have ever laid my eyes upon.💀
That ***king Kiwi and Tangerine, ISTG Ryuki! lemme borrow that air freshener!!!!
 |
| 😠😠😠 |
---
Much like Matsurika no Kei the setting of Olympia Soiree also isn't very kind
to the heroine or other people living in the world, in the beginning I found it even
more restrictive. There were no choices untill much later into the game. Though both
games sure did love their lore its just the way they handled things was entirely different.
While wanting to change things was hopeful... its terrifying women couldn't even go to school.
Both games also kind of force the idea of having kids being a sense of duty for a woman
and to that end it really isn't much better than Matsurika with its old fashioned worldviews.
Does that make them bad otome games? no not at all! but during my 3rd route I really
wondered why there wasn't a route that was okay with not having kids.
I did think Matsurika had more varied ends than this game, Olympia was definitely stronger
as a heroine than Naaya but not every heroine needs to be the same that would be boring.
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| Things that aged poorly. |
but has the ability to self-reflect however I do think they reigned her in a lot which
mostly relates to her power. I can compare Olympia to Cardia... but Cardia was a bit better
in using it to her advantage. Olympia on the other hand felt like she was held bac
by trauma, she hated her ability but honestly its handled well all things considered!
---
The beginning of the game already foreshadows the tone so it was not gonna be an
ultra happy game and the setting is sad. I knew the writer was known to
put mysoginistic stuff in their games but I don't think this is a bad thing?
They're are allowed to create worlds with problems whether or not
they overcome them is different matter entirely but it would be nice if it did.
Though reading stuff about the island like culture/way of life was depressing...
most of it is told through minor characters. It did make it feel like change had to happen.
Needless to say, its easy to get comfy in the first three routes of the recommened order
because most of the worst stuff only happens in route 4 and beyond.
---
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| Felt like he gets fatter every route as well... |
Well... its still a pretty good otome game its just that I found my
favorite LI right at the start and most of the others weren't for me.😅
It had a great cast of characters so despite the common route being choiceless
it still was interesting going through it! but sadly while some side characters were likable
there were a bunch who were just made to be hated especially in bad ends.
Most route do leave me satisfied but there was a lot left up in the air or not
explained well enough. I brushed it off as Riku being an early game route but even
Tokisada had loose ends, Yosuga felt the most progressive thus far.
The only other drawbacks were the many flashbacks and clunky UI(but you get used to it).
Also Himuka's route frustrated me when it was over since it screamed the truth is in the next route!
Akaza ended up having the most well-rounded route, its sad but most others
including my fav Riku didn't quite execute all the storybeats well enough.
I generally did have a good time with it despite some small grievances and in terms
of romance it left me more satisfied than Cafe Enchante but doing all
the routes just felt a bit repetitive, especially if you find your fav early.
8.5/10
I'll recommend Olympia Soiree to those who like assertive heroines that speak
their mind and grow over the course of the story! as well as enjoy more
meaty otome games with decent worldbuilding & don't mind darker themes.
Though if you prefer shorter games and settings that are not problematic then I don't
really recommend this because it does have some of the same issues as Matsurika.
((If Naya and Olympia met though... I think they'd be great friends.
While most of Naya's LI's are safe, Olympia will roast Ruwo till he's burnt for sure.))
I am not sure if Matsurika no Kei will ever get localized though
but I don't see why it can't if Olympia Soiree could make it over.
Character babbles after the jump, while they're not summaries its just
commentary/impressions along with as some of my fav CG's.
Its nearly a 5 year old game and its in english so digests are not necessary.
To be safe if you don't want spoilers don't read further.
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Play order: Riku > Tokisada > Yosuga > Kuroba > Himuka > Akaza.
Last two got locks on them so got no choice but to do them all.
The first four routes can be done in any order but Riku is the safest choice to do first
and this order goes from least reveals to most, so if care about story this is ideal.
Riku.
CV: Shimazaki Nobunaga.
he's a jerk because of that. Nah that's putting it lightly he was pretty damn racist
when you first meet him. Still there was a cute side to him? so I couldn't wait
to get to know him more. Maybe doing him first is good heheh.
Honestly he reminded me a lil of Enrai, Riku had the heroine's best interest at heart
but they didn't click with each other at first but he wasn't a bad person.
Sadly Riku was no Enrai and this route was very self-contained.
Either way it was interesting to see them get to a wavelength. However it took longer
for me to like Riku mostly due to the fact he easily misjudges things
and takes stuff way too seriously like my dude, chill. 💀
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| Riku not really thinking about what he is saying and doing his job. |
where the LI and heroine don't seem eye to eye at first.
Knowing that he can be nice helped a little but he acts so cold and feisty
I wasn't sure if he was a tsundere or a kuudere. Though seeing him burn red
like a tomato after spitting fire its probably a tsundere........
Honest to a fault, arrogant, also shy as heck yep that's Riku.
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| Riku realizing he said something stupid and regrets it but is embarrassed AF. |
like a normal human being which gave me the most hope for their relationship.
What I kinda disliked about this route was some Akaza favoritism and the situation
being complicated making Riku an unlikely candidate. There's more to it
but there were a lot of problems to overcome. Riku wasn't present much at first.
Still it was nice to see the distance between them slowly close.
It focused on building trust as well since without that how can there be love?
Riku taking a misstep at some point was a turning point, it only got better from there.
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| He is so real for this... |
it was almost unbearable seeing them. I'm repeating myself but I loved
the way they grew closer and thought he had a pretty solid route.
I can't believe how much Riku changed, I loved how he told Hairi a piece of mind too.
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| He's never been more real than this... |
hambun and the dance practice CG's and the one at the cherry tree at the end.
I dislike bad CG pacing and this route had it. Didn't think the plot was particularly strong
so that was a bit of a downer but I suppose its good in terms of his character.
There was nothing too heavy but some things are still left up in the air.
Riku had a really beautiful kiss CG and I remember people complaining about
this game having really awkward ones... uhm hello? this is gorgeous.
The direction of the art piece is really good but one of the variations of
a different CG certainly lacked this quality(Iykyk).
At the very least this satisfied me in terms of romance but storywise? I know
there is more to it but of course that is not for us to find out here.
Riku had two bad ends but they were kind of mild, the 1st could be heartbreaking
if you got it blind but going back for it... they're both just sad.
Riku's shortstory was really cute though, also dayum dat CG.😳
8/10
By the time the route was over, I actually didn't want to do any other routes...
wait did I just find my best boy right away? ...welp.
I suppose the theme of this route was impossible love? out of the initial suitors
Riku doesn't seem like the best candidate and the route struggled to make it work.
But what is life without a little bit of struggle? the romance between them certainly
wasn't a straight-road, more like a road with some bumps in it.
That said the route was very self-contained and did not go to deep into anything
but Riku himself, I can see why he is recommended first because of this.
~
Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.
CV: Uemaru Yuuto.
 |
| Hasn't quite sank in that they named a soda after her... |
in learning more about him so I didn't do this route solely for the sake of Akaza.
This route was actually a little less self-contained than Riku's and touched
upon a little bit more lore, mostly because Tokisada is an outsider.
I got the idea he came from past japan or something but it took a while before
that was revealed, other than that I thought Tokisada was SUS he would easily
get flustered over things like being dissatisfied with the island. While also
being very eager to get more involved. Unlike Riku's route I thought things
went a bit too smoothly so I couldn't help but think there was more to it.
I started getting the idea that the things that wash up on the island
can be from multiple time-periods as is with the bottled message being a time like the
present but Tokisada also seems to suggest the past due to his own archaic customs.
Meaning Tenguu and Tennyo island must be in some sort of boundary space
but as to how and why... the story hasn't elaborated on it yet. So just speculation.
Not that I disliked Tokisada or his route but it had the this is brilliant energy
but I like this, or rather I like Riku more i'm sorry LMAO.
Tokisada was cute but as the route went on you could tell there was something off about him...
and the whole thing with his long arse name was interesting. Either way the route
had me engaged despite not really being here for the romance, so it wasn't bad.
I didn't really have a problem with Tokisada being a year younger but some of the
rules of the island did start to bother me as much as it did Olympia.
This route felt heavier, there were some politics and while there certainly
is romance I just wasn't vibing with it? maybe its cuz Tokisada is not my type.
I already thought Kanan was creepy but in this route, he ended up on my shit list. Absolute dirtbag.
Nagusa also doesn't seem much better, I suppose birds of a feather flock together...
Tokisada did nothing wrong and I am willing to forgive most things that irked me
since he was not at fault and thought it was obv he was roped into things.
Tokisada definitely needed some kind of light in the darkness and I didn't
like seeing him so lost, Olympia trying to save him was a bit selfish
however at the same time I did think it was kind of endearing.
So since he didn't mind, I was like oh well as long as they're happy! the private wedding
was kind of cute too but part of me was like aren't you rushing things?! I thought the
panties almost flew off a bit too fast... to the point I was like wew lad what a night huh?
 |
| Never used this one before but it seems to fit. |
satisfying but I do think there are some things that were left up in the air.
Tokisada had two bad ends; one of them was creepy and gross
but my reaction it happening was just kinda eh... da fowk is this?!
It made me hate Kanan even more. It also felt a bit OOC and random.
The other bad end was more of a tragic outcome.. a bittersweet one at that.
The CG was rather nice but it did make me sad when I looked at it too long.
The short story was nice, don't got much to say about it.
7/10
Well this route was pretty self-contained, almost feels like a character game at this point.
Compared to Riku it felt like Olympia and Tokisada connected a bit better but even then
there was some distance between them and they had to build some trust too.
Though what bothered me the most was Tokisada calling Olympia sis/neechan...
but anyway this LI wasn't my type and I wasn't even sure why they were in love
felt more like desperation.💀 The plot intrigue carried the route f or me.
Yosuga however has been pretty much a wingman in both routes so far
so I do look forward to his route soon! also I was surprised Olympia's hair turned
green and not brown, I suppose its because the crystal infused with Tokisada.
The best ending was satisfying enough but it felt like the conclusion was kinda rushed?
the message was good though and sometimes change just take time.
~
Yosuga.
CV: Uchida Yuuma.
Turns out he's some bigshot named Jigoku-Dayuu so I started calling him hell daddy
for some reason. Anyway I did think I'd prefer someone like Yosuga as a friend rather
than a lover.💀 Though after hearing why he is single I was like f@ck it let's goooooo.
Olympia and Yosuga's situation is quite similar but I wanted to see them find happiness
and it wasn't easy since there were quite a few problems to overcome.
When Kanan showed up in this route for the first time I wanted to spray him
with air freshener like I am roleplaying Ryuki from CupiPara.💀💀💀
This route really started showing us even more of the ugly side of things and its
similar to Riku's route with the LI being an unlikely candidate, at the very least
Yosuga was actually more present in both his own route and outside of it.
It bothered me the most how Olympia has to find a husband to mate though...
what if she doesn't want children and just live with someone she loves? isn't that enough?!
Oh well... I still wanted to see what happened next and seeing Olympia discover
her feelings for Yosuga was really cute too but... you know how it is.
Sadly something happened midway through that irked me... and wew lad
its like I am really romancing Anaxa cuz that's all I heard in that scene.😨
I actually really disliked what followed and I wasn't even sure if I liked Yosuga anymore
but then he got oddly overprotective so I was like aww you're so sweet.
 |
| Ah I guess the gloves are off now huh...? drag me down to hell baby. |
Anyways i'm not a fan of fake-love relationships especially if its obvious one side
likes the other already. Romance wise it felt really one-sided but for some reason
I don't think Yosuga disliked her... as it went on it only seemed like he cared more than
he'd like to admit. Kanan whom I really want to spray with air freshener managed to add some
possible hints to what the island may be but not that I trust him or a-anything!
Even in this route Kanan was a lil shitter but not who you should worry about here.
I couldn't get a complete read on Yosuga though like... he's definitely a good person
but he went from being vengeful to overprotective in the blink of an eye.
LMAO turns out this guy just can't admit he likes Olympia.💀
Also he could suddenly be a childhood friend? I couldn't believe that...
I mean not directly but by proxy cuz Tsukuyomi handed him that seashell
since lil Olympia felt bad when he told her about what happened to him.
Moving on; I liked how Olympia was reasonable when confronted by the leaders and that
she did say she didn't completely know Yosuga despite having clear feelings for him.
I find it funny that the drama that could prevent Yosuga from being a husband wasn't that
big of a deal. Even Olympia thought it was SUS the leaders went along with it so easily.
Gotta love how Olympia tried to tease Riku a little bit... heheheh.
Yosuga's real feelings remain a mystery but then she remembers him saying
he will drag her down to hell and for some reason she doesn't mind, okay then!
Unfortunately Nagusa was more of an ass this route than Kanan and couldn't stay in his lane.
Yosuga was a real gentleman however and took care of him immediately, absolute legend.
I thought it was cute how Olympia made Yosuga lose it and she was completely oblivious
as to why but then he kissed her and it was so sweet it made me go aww.
Sadly... there were complications and I couldn't believe how he shut himself out. >:(
Well everything went mostly fine afterwards but it felt like I was tripping like why is
Yosuga like this? i'm so confused lmao meanwhile the plan was going on too.
The finale of the route really showed how shrewd Yosuga is and I can't help
but further compare him to Anaxagoras because same seiyuu & tone of voice.😂
had been robbed of being able to take revenge. Even so the situation remained complicated
but what surprised me is how Olympia threw the situation to their advantage.
I didn't expect such a good ending to come out of it so that was a surprise. So far its
the most progressive in terms of change, others are simply a step into the right direction.
As for the bad ends... the first one was undoubtedly bad and so was the CG that came with it
I mean that's gotta be the worst kiss CG in the whole game so far💀 it got her knocked up.
He can't see her anymore because he's a criminal and wanted to die by her hand, nice.
Olympia got to keep a stone in his colour though, ima wakare no tokiiiiiii.
Somehow Moonlit Criminal was still one of my fav bad ends........
The second bad end was just gross, I think it was worse than the Ozmafia brothel ending.
In which she made some kind of deal with Sakyo but in doing so she's being used by him.
Never thought I would be reminded of that in the year of our lord 2k25.💀
To make up for the shitshow above atleast Yosuga's shortstory was cute...
I say but this made it pretty obvious he's really possessive in a good way.
Hmm... Yosuga was a mixed bag, it did followed up on a bunch of hints in Riku's route
mostly surrounding Sakyo/Shura. Both Olympia and Yosuga also share some similarities
so it was nice to see them bond on that. This route had ups and downs, I didn't hate it
but what I enjoyed the most was getting to know Yosuga and learning more about him.
It rode on Yosuga's grand plans but it was still rather calm despite it carrying heavy tones.
As said I found it hard to get a read on Yosuga, like he's not a bad person and he doesn't seem
to fully hate Olympia but idk I just didn't quite vibe with the romance that well.
There was a certain bittersweetness in the end but hmmm... not my favorite.
6.9/10
~
Kuroba.
CV: Tomokazu Sugita.
 |
| Better savor this CG because this route was another one of far and between! |
Anyways! I barely hear Sugita in otome games but I like him best
when he uses the voice he used here. I like him as Varka too.
As a character he's not bad at all, a good moodmaker.
The romance felt kind of forced at first though since Camelia and Juliet decide
to play shipper on the deck right off the bat. Maybe it was a good thing
because if they didn't do anything he'd be sidelined forever.
The comedy really wrote itself atleast in the beginning... Olympia said it was hard
to tell if Kuroba was a good guy but that's how I felt about Yosuga.😂
Needless to say I mostly enjoyed their interactions I wanted to throw that handkerchief at him.
I thought aksys gave up on translating the title of Kuroba's chapter 3... Tokijikutan Ne.
However for this game its fine to have japanese terms stay japanese... so its actually
a good thing and the term worked very well within the game's own context. GG Aksys.
Tokisada tried to invade into this route and turn it into his own for a hot minute but
Olympia promptly sended him on his way... sadly the NPC drama is getting a bit repetitive.
I was pretty sure the stuff with Aohito and Aone already happened. it was in Riku's route wasn't it?
Anyway as the route went on I started to like Kuroba more and more maybe even as much as Riku!
oh no he's got competition now who would have thought it!? it did piss me off how it seemed they
were pushing Nagusa as a candidate... i'm sure Kanan had a hand in it due him being a journalist
and as well as Nagusa's friend. So I was ready to get that air freshener to shoo him away. >:(
What I disliked about the route, it was too obvious Olympia was crushing on Kuroba
but on the other side it didn't seem like he was feeling the same way. It felt awful
but it really obvious he is very busy with his research so I was conflicted on my own feelings.
Like Kuroba grew on me but when it came trying to romance him... it was a slow process.
He sprayed Olympia with a freshener to get the scent of those paper roses off her.
Maybe there is hope for their relationship after all!😂 The rumors with Nagusa were annoying tho.
I think this was another one of those routes with a CG pacing problem, ah so Riku's not the only one!
6 chapters flew by but there were barely any but hey atleast we got some... foodporn.💀
Oh nvm there it is just as I was starting to complain there were no CG's we got not one but TWO.
I feel like a shriveled up grandma who just had her first drink in a day
but from there the route only got better, you could say things went too well!
Though issues arose and it felt like a lot of it could be avoided had they just talked
but they couldn't and it just got worse and worse which I don't find funny.
Nagusa who flocks with Kanan was a bit creepy but in most other route he is just kinda there.
At first I was like hmm maybe but Nagusa really wasn't much better. I really disliked the second
half of the route and this is coming from someone that sometimes forgives communication issues.
I thought my feelings on Yosuga were conflicted but after a point it just went downhill...
and then it slowly got better wew lad what a wild ride that was and I want to get off from.
 |
| There weren't many CG I liked this route but this was adorable. |
The best end was really good at wrapping it up, although I do have questions it was satisfying
to see both Olympia and Kuroba tell a certain Kiwi a piece of their mind.
As for the bad ends.... the first one was kind of random, it made the best end seem natural
but this is what you get when you let that damn kiwi pull some strings. Unbelievable
but next time better let Kuroba directly examine you and avoid the hospital?
I thought it was a bit OOC for Kuroba to go down that route... it just left me flabbergasted.
The other bad end was eh... just a bad outcome maybe its a cue to go and do Himuka's route.
The short story was fun but would not sure why they were half naked... folding papers
but I guess they're too busy enjoying each other so whatever LMAO.
7.3/10
This route had a good start, it was nice to see Olympia and Kuroba grow closer!
around the half-way point my general enjoyment just kept dropping at times
it could seem better but it was overall going down hill. I forced myself to finish the last
4 chapters so I could do Himuka, Forking hell but atleast the best end was satisfying!
Why was there drama about her hair when in other routes it was not a big deal????
I guess they were like we can't use Sakyo as baddie again so let's turn Nagusa into a real creeper.💀
I did enjoy the lore tidbits and I like Kuroba as a character, i'm just glad the route
was able to recover from that shitshow that was going on. Wew~~
I'll say that in terms of romance I prefer it over Tokisada though... but not by much.
Also you can skip the bad ends here and nothing of value will be lost.😑
~
Himuka.
CV: Horie Shun.
 |
| Meet Houdini! |
He's quite adorable at times but also one of those type you don't wanna get mad
but honestly I kinda forgot about him as a LI but hey! we made it to the locked route(s). \o/
Turns out he is quite shy and would rather just watch... though I feel like he's
been watching for all the routes now, uh guess it good it his turn now.
Well he's literally houdini since he only pops up and disappears as plot demands
I mean it appeared that way to me in other routes.
Sadly it seems Himuka has some baggage that makes him who he is...
despite that Olympia doesn't mind being his friend... well gotta start somewhere!
Something about Himuka did feel off though but I did want to know more about him.
Also while we know by now Hairi is a bit of a jerk, in this route they really pushed him
into the; those side characters suck club! he fit right in with Kanan and Nagusa.😓
There was a small part where I thought it turned into Riku's route, not that
I mind this since he barely gets screentime outside his own.
to cover parts of the island lore again. Romance wasn't too disappointing but TBH
I wasn't really feeling it this time. Himuka is kind of shy so watching him and Olympia
grow closer was still nice, what was not nice was Nagusa being a dick again.
Also the thing that makes Himuka feel off was really weird, I don't dislike him personally
but it was starting to get odd how he seemed to know things but refuses to elaborate.
Himuka is also one of those who could be a poor fit and maybe he can't do you know what
so Kuroba suggested she'd push him down and then Olympia is like no way!
Meanwhile Olympia in Riku route... which I found this hilarious.😂
Himuka was also a bit overprotective, it gave bad vibes but I couldn't even be too hard on him
because there was a sense of innocence to it. There's honestly a lot to unpack here
but it was still an interesting route nonetheless. What bothered me the most though
is that some stuff introduced here surrounding Hairi doesn't even seem to matter
in other routes which may be the only weakness the overall story has. Or does Himuka
die in every route...? that's kinda sad if true but not like they elaborated on it.
The best ending was still satisfying but I can't help but be bothered by the overall plot now...
when I look back all I see is a setup route and i'm just not sure about everything else.
Bad ending 1 was random and sudden, I felt nothing from seeing it.
Bad ending 2 is gotten from making bad choices on purpose and I found it hilarious
that the guide I used made me redo like half the route. I could sense an ill omen.
What followed was a bad experience in general similar to one of Tokisada's bad ends
which was not very original and only made me dislike certain side characters more.
The side story was as cute but that's about it! a nice extra scene for the best end.
Well I did enjoy getting to know Himuka but this route was mostly focused on revealing
what hasn't yet been revealed but also not everything which they were obviously saving for Akaza.
The romance wasn't bad but... it was also not great. While I was not too romantically invested
in Himuka I did enjoy the revelations. Also by now I am so tired of Kanan&Nagusa
but its also not them you should worry about here, Hairi also got on my nerves
and before this route I was like oh whatever with that guy. 😑
The route gets extra points for me for finally going into the lore again but that's about it.
I want to like Himuka more but... this route didn't really do well to sell him as a LI.
~
Akaza.
CV: Matsuoka Yoshitsugu.
They obviously went for the whole hate-to-love thing so Akaza being locked
behind 5 other routes because of plot reasons is a complete crime.
but eyyy its been 48 years my beloved is a mood when you get to him.
The townsfolk already thought Akaza was a good match in other routes and in his own
Camelia starts pushing the agenda too because who else? (like Riku maybe).
Olympia is still like hell no to Akaza... which made it interesting at least? or i'd like to say.
It was kind of hilarious to watch actually when Akaza decided to go all in
or more like convince Olympia he's worth it. The whole thing was just basically
him hitting on her and Olympia hissing like a cat and wanting none of it.
Apparently its a bad idea to choose Akaza because of the curse of the red... what really
bothers me is Tsukuyomi and how he barely elaborates. I'm tired of the hidden truth's
but thankfully the truth was slowly laid bare, thank you Douma.
The revelations just kept coming and I couldn't even believe some of them...
Tsukuyomi ended up not staying in his lane, like who asked?! and for the first time I disliked him.
what ticked me off was Jigen has the answers but it wouldn't be right for him to say them
and somehow Douma still managed to be evasive about some things. I suppose we used up
all of our priviliges for the year! but I am still grateful he told us something earlier.
Just when I start to see Akaza as being okay, of course choosing him somehow
isn't a good idea despite him being like the no,1 choice anyways. 😑
Their relationship ended up being like this dumb meme because
Olympia was just running from Akaza's advances but its kinda obv she was slowly
falling for him anyways, I thought she was kinda similar to how Yosuga was in his own route.
then some random sub character drama happened but let's just blame Kanan for that.
Even when they have a romantic outing Olympia was constipating herself.....
but here I am just like kiss already you admitted it earlier you wanted his ass!
wew what is up with this girl? was she always such a tsunderella?!
After much ado she finally admits it and lets him kiss her.
When Tsukuyomi revealed more things I honestly wasn't sure to believe him and just thought
he was being a big jerk but then he started dropping more bombs and then a nuke.
Olympia told him to shut up even Akaza is like shut it old man! I refuse this fate.
Kanan kept being a shitter but what else is new? still I continued to see the conclusion
can't say I was liking the build up to it but whatever! let's go!
Olympia decided to postpone her letter service but after a bath decided to delivera letter to the red?! but then she tells Jigen she postponed it?
Jigen dropped some more revelations but the rest is basically Tsukuyomi's fault
or so it seemed to me, Akaza really was like the only reasonable person around.
If there was a scene that would make me fall for him... its when he stood up for Olympia that night.
Due to this I hated what Olympia did or tried to do, to the point I cheered for Akaza because hell yea!
Olympia was very conflicted with her sense of duty but I honestly couldn't tell what
her real feelings were because she acted the same way Yosuga did.
Eventually she gave in which lead to a steamy scene. His seiyuu gets extra points from me.😳
Tsukuyomi continues being a jerk but what else is new? about the truth of the world
it wasn't even that far off from what I suspected but its more like the island is
in a bubble of warped time, things that wash up are either of the 1st world or... beyond.
However I still don't think it was very well explained so what I thought it was may actually be correct.
On another note the voice of Olympia's father sounded familiar... wait a minute OMG.
Tsukuyomi got on my nerves though... maybe that was intended.
I can't believe he has the same voice as Ankou, far better character tbh.
We find out who Olympia's father is and the truth of the red calamity.All you need to know is a certain someone is an angel compared to Tsukuyomi,Kanan or Nagusa.
The conclusion to the whole issue was bittersweet and i'm happy for them!
made me really lament the fact there is no skip to the next choice option. Bad end 1:
I though this was balls, Olympia was too late so a certain jerk got the other piece before her
and decides to be even more of an ass than ever before. Mr:Jerk takes her to his nice boat and will
tell her a romantic story like none before. Whatever, this was so random it may as well not exist.😑
Bad end 2: This was just a bad outcome for the good end but its poorly executed
like yea its possible but it seems like if you're not max affection you... get... this.
The past basically repeated itself and its a bit sad to hear Akaza despair on the titlescreen...
The side story was cute as always and made up for the above two disasters.
---
Well uh this was definitely a finale, the romance just felt like Akaza wanted to pet a cat(Olympia)
who just kept hissing at him but also sometimes making it seem like she wanted to be petted.
Its like thinking I hate this person! only to be like well he's not so bad when you actually spend time
with him. They both masked their real self and hid it from most people, guess they're meant to be!
In terms of story... I found it frustrating, sure we got reveals but I thought there were some
pacing issues. It was a hate to love route but there were times I was confused about
Olympia's feelings at times like she wasn't even sure herself despite saying so earlier???
weird flex but ok. In other routes its Olympia that does the chasing but with Akaza its reversed.
Nvm the letter incident with Jigen but I will write that off as an aksys moment.
9/10
What else can I say but its the most well rounded route in the game? I am sold on Akaza
as a LI too even if Riku is still my fav, so uh yea there you have it, great truth route all around.
~
My Fav route:
Akaza > Riku > Yosuga / Kuroba > Tokisada / Himuka.
I liked Riku's route a lot despite his route not being that involved in the grandscheme of things
and its difficult for me to place Tokisada but he's OK. I liked the intrigue but romance wise
it wasn't really for me, sorry. The reason Himuka is so low is.... while it is interesting
in its own right it also got like; do you want to know more? then do Akaza! 😠
My Fav character:
Riku>Akaza>Daifuku>Yosuga&Kuroba>Tokisada>Himuka>
Douma>Hairi>Tsukuyomi>Nagusa&Kanan💩.
This is preference, as for side characters... I thought Douma was an ass at first but he's
actually an angel compared to that lil shitter Kanan or Tsukuyomi for that matter.
For real post Tokisada route I want to squeeze a orange everytime Kanan appeared.
Nagusa wasn't much better but its the company you keep eh?😑
Hairi on his own isn't even bad, its the shitters that's to blame but Douma can gatekeep em.
My fav bad ends:
- First and final letter.
- Lovers atop the waves.
- Moonlit Criminal.
Final Thoughts
 |
| Fullcomp CG seems to compliment my favorites... |
i'm a bit conflicted about some things.😅 Its still a well crafted otome!
The worldbuilding/lore was good but there were a lot of loose ends, especially if your name
is not Akaza. I also started disliking the lore the more I played and by the end of the
second route I was like this island sucks! some routes do have a step into the right direction
and the approach to it was very realistic, you can't expect everything to change overnight.
When it came to the routes most of the buildup was shoved aside for character
focused stuff, you may learn bits and pieces here or there but that's about it.
Taken individually most of it was nice so I won't complain over that.
I suffered through some routes cuz I didn't like anyone as much as Riku
except Akaza but no other LI was unlikable by the time the route was over.
It was also a bit too slowburn for me but I didn't hate it, I did enjoy slowly crawling through it.
Maybe its also nice if you think most otome games are too chaste since OS does have
some sexy stuff. But... I really think OS pushed the having children theme a bit too much
like in route 3 I honestly thought, isn't it enough to just love someone?😔
After four routes it did start feeling repetitive, new info was slowly revealed
and trying to romance the LI carried it hard but it was worth doing Akaza.
 |
| That was so satisfying...! |
its just that certain side characters were really annoying grrrrrr.
Some stuff in the story wrote itself... right from the beginning.
Like look for a husband they say but then lore gets explained and the problems appear.😅
Olympia was great, I adored her for a number of reasons.
I thought the goal in the common route was basic to the point I was like
that's easier said than done! Olympia had no clue how to go about it most of the game
was just watching her trying to figure it out. Olympia was capable of self reflecting
but she did seem a little reckless? not too much either. Although here willingness
to learn was a nice qualitiy! I suppose it showed how little she knew and by
interacting with everyone her knowledge grew immensily so I can't be hard on her.
In some routes Olympia was also a bit more hornier than others but I thought it
was handled too inconsistently so some routes still had her like a good girl.
---
It was long but I like that it took its time and the romance was grounded. I do think they sort of baited the reader to do all route because some barely
even revealed anything and the locked routes start dropping plot like bombs.😑
The level of despair or angst was at an acceptable amount it didn't feel like it overtake
and fit in with what the story tried to tell. They knew to keep most of
the bad stuff in the bad ends but most weren't very compelling.
There were a lot of hilarious lines in this game that made me laugh
and the dialogue read well so aksys definitely did a good job!
8.5/10
This game does have some problematic content but its not worse than Matsurika hench same score!
and I am not going to say one is better than the other, pick your poison. Other than that I feel
like such a grandma looking after my daughter when playing this otome and I really think
Olympia is almost as great as Cardia(Code:Rea) or Lucia from Trouble Magia.
This game is five years old(in JP), its only now getting a sequel but had I played
this game at release I would be like too little too late! I'm invested now
and I kinda want to get it for Riku but I need to think about it.
If it had been years since you played this and are interested in the sequel I'd recommend
to replay Akaza route and/or your favorite before diving into the sequel.
Next? probably will just play something from my backlog...
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