Showing posts with label Morikubo Showtaro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Morikubo Showtaro. Show all posts

Saturday, November 28, 2020

Piofiore no Banshou ~Episodio 1926~ review

 Genre: Otome/VN.
Developer/publisher: Otomate.
Platform: Switch.
Official Site: https://www.otomate.jp/piofiore/1926/
Release date: 12/11/20.
 
Sequel to the original game, though this one seems more honest about also being a -sequel-
unfortunately its lighthearted and is still as suspenseful as the first game.
At first I did think that this would be a FD but as time went on and info was revealed
it looked more and more like a sequel. FD's hardly introduce that many new characters.

 
Pro's
- Unique, character focused routes.
- Suspense and Unpredictability.
- Art and bgm are as good as its ever been.

Con's
- Cg's while memorable are far and between.
- Landmine bad ends.
- Most of the new sub characters are garbage.
- Some routes don't solve anything, inconsistent antagonists.
 
Meanwhile system is also back atleast this time auto mode will stop
and its harder to miss the meanwhile scenes which iirc wasn't a thing on vita.
They try to have these flashback aria's to help us remember scenes from the first game
with the guy's POV which is nice but this works the same as meanwhile so sometimes
i'd get annoyed because i'd just gotten into the scene and it would want me to
review the past or see a scene elsewhere, I honestly prefer just the meanwhiles.
Oh apparently the switch port of the first game actually had some new cg's? nice.
 
Episode Burlone, stories that takes place after the characters route in the first game
though its not a simple after story... the enjoyment you get here might vary.
For play order here, I'm going to recommend Donte for later as he has
the most spoilers and Gilbert is the most original and imo fun route out of all
but other than that you can do Gil's route whenever you want.
Yang,Orlok and Nicola are mostly self-contained so the order of play doesn't really matter
for them doesn't matter that much either! Just Donte later or midway if you don't want
a certain side character's story spoiled right away.

Alternativa:
Like the name suggest this is an alternative story set after the true end
of the previous game! it featuring 8 short stories which were mostly lighthearted
as Lily interacts with various characters (mostly side) within the year of 1926.
Most of the episodes are refreshing and perhaps a nice palate cleanser after one of the routes
but unfortunately for me I did them all after doing said routes which might be a blessing
in disguise because they all do seem to hint at more and after completing said 8 stories
you unlock a full route where you can get an alternative end with the main guys
as such it doesn't matter when you do either the mini route or Henri because
the story told here is completely separate from the after stories.
In all honesty the whole tone of this scenario was much more enjoyable than the after stories
itself, I do have to add that it had some weird vinyl earporn, otomate please...........😑
Not much else to say but just to do your fav guy in alternativa first because
it is copy pasta scenario and annoying to collect all ends.

 
Story for the after stories was interesting enough hard to figure out what was going on or why this
was happening but got explained as it went on, the length is that of a normal game so about 6-8 hours?
Each route was unique and dealt with various issues not addressed in the prequel
they brought in some new characters as well that're tied to the stories.
 Kind of hard to recommend this game unless you want more of the same, because
you're getting just that while it fleshes out the characters and relationship.
They did a good job with Yang even though I still don't like him all that much he's just ok to me now.
What romance is there is nice but it still retains a serious atmosphere.
The writing was exceptionally good and its still as unpredictable as ever the first game
also had that kind of suspense and if not use a guide you'll better brace yourself.
As there are landmines and one wrong choice could lead to an abrupt bad end just like the first game.
The chapter titles are also still in a different language! I always thought that was neat.
Yang's chinese, Donte in spanish, Orlok be German , Nicola's italia, oh and Henri in french.
The routes varied greatly in terms of enjoyment, I absolutely loved Gilberts
and liked Donte and Yang but Nicola was a disappointment but great as a refresher if you
had forgotten some of the stuff from the first game as for Orlok... sigh
that was just depressing to sit through and didn't really solve much if anything.
Donte's or Gil's route were probably the only well rounded routes in the whole game.😓
I mean that in terms of how it balanced plot/romance which is honestly kind of sad
nice that they all came in different flavors but the only one I truly enjoyed was Gil.
I also did like Henri maybe because it had no Theo! though disappointed
otomate didn't give him an ending but I guess that fad is over now.🙃
 
All things considered... it was a decent sequel, if you liked the original and want to see more 
including things getting fleshed out I could recommend this game and if the after stories
are too much then you can settle for alternativa? because the tone is drastically different.
Piofiore has never been an otome game that's for everyone in fact its themes
are not otome at all! I can praise it for not sugar coating what a mafia does
and I like that but i'm kind of disappointed for a reason I cannot explain without spoiling
but its related to the character Theo whom in Donte's after actually made me really angry and upset.
Its really funny how the main cast in the previous game could all do something
that could make you hate them but here its mostly the sub characters that are disgusting
especially Theo, idk I could make a rage post about him, lmao.
Also after I finished the after stories I got to alternativa which was fun at first
but then it unlocked a route and I was like there is MORE?! at that point I couldn't help
but feel slightly burnt because I was looking forward to Henri, though it was nothing
a small break couldn't cure! the tone of alternativa also helped.😅
Other than that this game was more than worth the price though! as there's plenty of content
its just that for some characters the afters might leave to be desired.
I tried to do the bad ends as I went through including the tragic end first but it was too much
and just went for the happy end which might have saved what was left of this game for me.
I know at the end of the day its just a game... and you can easily avoid the more gruesome ends
by using a guide but not everyone can stomach contents in which people die all the time
and there were too many bad ends were that happened especially in Henri's
I mean what was up with that?! in the whole game I think there's almost 20 of those.😓😓😓
That aside I think the piofiore sequel is decent but yea it ain't for everyone.

 7,4/10
I might not like everything but this was a pretty good sequel...

This is the end of the no spoiler section more ramblings/spoilers after the jump.

Friday, October 26, 2018

Piofiore no Banshou - Review

Donte be like; being in the same room as these guys gives me a headache.
 Genre: Otome Visual Novel.
Developer/publisher: Otomate.
Platform: PSV.
Release date: 2018-08-30

This was probably my most anticipated new otome game in a while
and to be honest barely anything that has released recently caught my eye.
The theme of mafia has been touched upon in arcana famiglia and even ozmafia
still the way this was presented got me excited and back into the otome mood
but whether or not this was a good otome is up to the reader/player but imo? its not bad
and I do not regret getting the limited edition.

 Pro's
- Immersive scenario that isn't wasted and good cast of characters.
- Amazing art and music fits the setting/mood.

Con's
- While Meanwhile events are insightful it'll get on your nerves sooner rather than later.
- It can get a bit brutal like fights/deaths etc... not otome in the slightest.
- You will find a reason to dislike every main character in this game.



The only thing that got me worried was if the protag would be able
to hold herself in such a setting like this... she was raised in a church
and looks like the pure ''I know nothing about what's going on type'' needing to be protected
 but she actually has a bit of a mind of her own and isn't some dumb blonde except in Yang's route.
The story takes place in this italian city Burlone and three mafia familia's struggle to get
control over it there's no justice because its a bloody mess due to all the fighting! there's some
folks who have enough of their crap too and want this BS to end.
One day Liliane meets Dante by the graveyard at the church she lives
he seems to be mourning someone and it all rolls from there.

The game also has this ''meanwhile'' system where you can see what is happening elsewhere
this is nice considering all the different familia but can also be annoying if not used right.
I don't have any complaints about the music, it fits the setting and mood
and the art is gorgeous! RIRI did an amazing job!
So about that MEANWHILE SYSTEM... let me just say that while nice it also sorta sucks.
You can easily miss these events that happen at the same time to the point one can say
why didn't you just implement them into the story without having to go out of your way
to view them every time meanwhile shows up on the screen?!
I ended up missing many of them during dante's route which btw wasn't that exciting
to begin with but i figure different POV's would make it more interesting
but they were mostly just insightful things like what is that character up to.
The only route the MS system affected an ending was Orlok's... but its best
to pay attention and catch them all as you go which means less hassle later on.
They do not affect the platinum trophy I missed a bunch of them and still got it though...
I think some of them might affect the ending like one in Orlok's route but the most
important ones happen automatically which makes me go like why not do that with all of them.

Overall without going into spoiler/plot details of course...
I did liked how the routes actually have a Best/Good/Bad branch and choices actually change
the scenario quite a bit... leading to an entirely different ending you never know what
is going to happen which considering the setting is really good.
Prologue/common is also nicely done you will branch out to a new route in different ways
so basically the choices actually make a difference and without a guide it could be difficult.
Not everyone is going to like this game; fans of arcana famiglia expecting an awesome
MC like Felicita? nope you aren't going to find it here.
Fans of Ozmafia might be disappointed too since Piofiore is much more serious with little fluff.
 So what do you have to expect? Serious story centered on mafia problems
with a girl with a kind heart at the center of it, she isn't a complete doormat so that imo is a plus
of course there's romance and memorable otome moments but not much
which going by say Donte's route is just enough feels more like a normal VN would be better.
 This game also has a ton of suspense, in some route its better than other and
certain choices can lead to dead ends so be careful with what you pick.
IMO Piofiore is just right, if you can stand the mafia problems atleast!
the writers do not hold back to how serious they can be and while I have some
gripes with how this isn't all otome-like as in only one route ever getting close to it
I still hope it gets a FD one day but what exactly is an otome game?
there are many different types and yet this is very much one of them its just more serious.

I still think this is a solid otome game compared to other disasters I have recently sat through
*cough*Chouchou Jiken*cough* this game is a lot better suspense wise than that one ever was.
I can definitely recommend this otome game if you want a serious story centered on the mafia
and don't mind things ending up in a bloody mess, while I have gripes here and there
its imo as good as Collar x Malice or Code:Realize since the otome bits might leave to be desired.

Side note, I love how the chapter titles for each character are in different languages.
Dante's are in spanish, Nicola's in Italian, Yang's in chinese, Orlok is in german,
Gilbert is English and the finale was in french lol.
If they ever localize I hope they keep this haha.

If I have to recommend a play order the one I followed didn't cause problems
and flowed naturally so I will recommend it to others:
Dante > Nicola > Yang > Orlok > Gilbert > ???.

and that is all if you want no spoilers! more ramblings after the jump.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Code:Realize Shirogane no Kiseki - Review


Genre: Otome Visual Novel. 
Developer/publisher: Otomate.
Platform: PS Vita.
Release date: 2017-12-21

The 2nd code realize fd... well we know the first (shukufuku no mirai) had more plot than fanservice
and that they sort of falsely advertised it so when this was announced I was like wow really?
surely they couldn't have put it as one game in the first place? but I guess
this is also to have yet another game to sell right after the anime finished airing. $$$hing
Oh well happy 2018 can't say I fully appreciated this FD but...
 atleast it gave content most fans wanted to begin with albeit a bit late.

Pro's
- Certain characters will finally get the epilogues they deserve.
- Triangle date, fanservicey but fun mini episodes.
- Art, Miko gets better and better!

Con's
- Christmas stories should've been shorter (looking at you Van).
- Was there really a need to split the FD?

This FD is christmas/holiday themed so I suggest you play it around that time of the year
it didn't arrive till the 28 for me but since I am not really that invested in the holidays 
I was just like i'll play it now before moving on to anything else like I do think
code:realize is a wonderful series but... I hope they won't milk this series too much so as much
as the idea of seasonal fandisk is nice I also dislike, I hope otomate doesn't get any more ideas.
Atleast the artist is still the same but I really hope this doesn't become the next hakuouki.

So what content is in this FD?
After stories for Finis and Sholmes because they needed it especially the latter.
A scenario titled Cantarella this is pretty much like the mafia one last time but better.
Christmas stories for the original characters set after Finis's after story.
An epilogue for the 5 original guys set after the after stories in shukufuku no mirai
to finish what the last FD started because apparently it couldn't be told back then. >_>

System? typical stuff, you select the story you want to read
there's no real need for a guide except for dictionary but since its so short
its easy to go back and select another choice so there's no fear.


To keep it short...
First off I don't want to sound ungrateful its just... starting to seem like code:rea is being milked.
Its short but the entertainment was there and the value was good... more so than tierbladeFD
speaking of volume it might be just right, I thought some of the christmas stories was too long for
their own good(especially Van) or maybe that's just me... I liked Impey's and Fran's a lot though.
Finis and Sholmes after stories... the latter bored me for some reason but still give good conclusion.
I think it would be better received if you actually like code:realize a whole lot, already said this at the
start of the post but it cannot be coincidence this came out right after the anime finished airing.
Cardia is a great heroine AND she kicked ass, got her happy future...  but there's not much else
that needs to be told is there? the more otome I play the more I realize that open ended
endings are perhaps the better kind like make your own fantasies instead of being spoonfed them
of course some could benefit from a little teensy bit more but I feel otomate is going overboard here.
I'm sure we could get a FD for everything that is new to Cardia but I hope that won't be necessary
the score is more than fair, I actually get tired of having to come back FD after FD, once is enough.
 7/10
''Its a nice addition with plenty of enjoyable fanservice but there's not much else to it.''
So do I recommend this FD? only if you are a fan and absolutely need more code:rea in your life.

Monday, December 5, 2016

Code: Realize ~Shukufuku no Mirai~ - Review

Game: [Code: Realize Future Blessings]
Genre: Otome game Visual Novel.
Developer/Publisher: Otomate
Platform: PS Vita.
Release date: 2016-11-24

The fandisc of Code: Realize Sousei no Himegimi / Guardian of Rebirth!
You now that one otomege available in english with an amazing heroine and a story that's actually good.
The romance? it was but an after thought but it was most definitely there.
This game however is the much needed ~after story~ because we all now how some things
 such as Cardia's poison just wasn't properly resolved in most routes.
 There is also a new side story set during/after the common route which focuses on Shirley and Cardia befriending her.
We also get routes with Finis and Sholmes in the FD and personally 
I was really looking forward to the latter.
As expected the FD is short, this isn't a bad thing since most fandisk are
and there are no choices in the after stories, except for Finis and Sholmes.
There was also Dora's room where you can view some short events sometimes with CG with him...
Dunno but I guess they couldn't be bothered to give him a route so now we got this instead.
If you haven't played the original game then don't bother, this is the Fandisk made for the fans
with content lacking in the original game but with less volume to count as a sequel.

I did not review the original game but since i've replayed the english version
to refresh my memory before the FD i'll sum up my thoughts and while I think
its still a great otome game its not perfect but so are most games and no matter how much
 I like and praise it, the more you like something the more you may be more reluctant to ignore its flaws.
  *Note that they do contain slight spoilers.*
Feel free to skip this section lol...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The recommended play order for Code:Realize Sousei no Himegimi/Guardian of Rebirth is:
Impey > Saint-G > Van > Fran > Lupin.

Pro's
- Engaging story.
- Decent in length.
- Awesome Heroine.
- Art/BGM is great and Seiyuu done an amazing job.

Con's
- Only Lupin and Fran's route truly concluded a certain aspect.
- Pacing issues.

---
Impey Barbicane.
CV: Morikubo Showtaro.
 The typical comic relief character and honestly he's quite annoying
at times outside of his own route but he's not a bad character or anything.
He's a good guy with a sad past, his route in the original game was an over the top adventure
but I am having trouble seeing them as an actual couple even though the romance itself was there.
So I hope the FD fixes some of that, other than that imo Impey's a great guy!
Also I know Nemo was pretty bad and twisted but I couldn't help but show a little pity towards him
because in reality Nemo was just misunderstood and no one sees him for what he was
nor his talent, so if someone did and helped him way back when he was younger
then maybe he could've been saved but sadly there's no use thinking about it too much.
I don't really have a lot to write down about him because his route was very self contained and didn't
bring up any major detail not explained elsewhere which is why Impey's route is best done first.
  Romance ★★☆☆☆
Plot ★★☆☆☆
 Enjoyment overall ★★★☆☆
---
Saint Germain.
CV: Hirakawa Daisuke.
In general he's a nice guy who extends his hand to Lupin and the others.
He's also the resident kitsuneme and when he does open his eyes you know shit is about to go down!
Yeah you really do not want to get on Saint-G's bad side!
Honestly Saint-G is perhaps the most complicated character in the game.
In short he's the typical white haired boy who's suffering inside with a past
 that's shrouded in mystery but hides it all with a smile that and he has a mission
from the leader of the organization which is very hard for him to carry out.
Though I wonder about Idea in general during some of the other routes except Saint and Lupin's
they do not take drastic measures but there's no use thinking about it too hard.
 Guinevere was tragic yes, but I found myself to be able to sympathize more
with Victoria and Leonhardt at Fran's route because of the bond they had.
Whoops am I going off topic?
Anyway at times I get that he could come off as a yandere but thanks to Cardia being the amazing
heroine she is and the writing in general, the uguu cage of love isn't necessary!
Yes... Saint-G actually wanted to go that far but thankfully Cardia won't betray him
not after what they've been through during the route in the original game.
 Personally I like him a lot, Saint-G deserves all the love and affection he can get. 💕💕💕
I'm glad Saint-G was able to be saved from the past that haunts him so.
   Romance ★★★☆☆
Plot ★★★☆☆
 Enjoyment overall ★★★★☆ 

---
 Abraham Van Helsing.
CV: Suwabe Junichi.
The human weapon... Van is a Vampire hunter and a former agent of twilight.
Van is mr serious business, aloof and quite hotblooded but has a surprisingly cute side to him.
He's quite cool, perhaps the coolest guy in the whole game?  atleast he is in my opinion.
Van's route was pretty grim, tense and dark but so was Saint-G's though Van's route was lacking
one thing and it was proper romance but atleast there were plenty of scenes that made me swoon
over him but yeah at times I questioned if this was an otome game during this route.
Not that that is a bad thing or anything just the route being different than the rest was great on its own.
But really out of all the guys Van gets the short end of the stick because Van's route was
more or less all action and adventure with Cardia just falling for him along the way
and the real romance only unfolds right at the end leaving me ????
 I'm like even Impey had more ''romanctic scenes'' than Van's route ever did.
Also the part with Finis was a major spoiler but now I scratch my head and wonder
 if he was alive all along during most of the other routes after that one point.
Anyway I get that Cardia's a special someone to him and he doesn't wanna involve her
but man those words and the way he expresses things are so harsh.
Van really is the most stubborn guy in the whole game, its really hard to see
 the romance between Cardia and Van even though it is there its not enough.
Also the villain in this route was the worst.. absolutely the worst and
most of the villain like from Impey or Saint-G's do not even compare.
One good thing is that the villain in question understands just how insane he is and thats awesome
even though everything else about him is sad and terrifying.
Even worse about this route is at the last chapter I wasn't even sure if
I was going for a bad end or a good end that's how grim it was.
Sigh the ending right before the credit roll was so frustrating, Van you stubborn idiot!
Van's also the only one in the original game that doesn't get a kiss CG...
but not to worry the FD delivers on that part so no bg deal! but what if C:R never got a FD?
Oh well Van's route wasn't bad it just ended in a way with their relationship only just beginning.
Its just that his route in the original game wasn't very satisfying but dayum that extra scenario. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Honestly though it was freaking weird to see Van like that...
Romance ★★☆☆☆
Plot ★★★☆☆
 Enjoyment overall ★★★☆☆
---
Victor Frankenstein.
CV: Kakihara Tetsuya.
 The kind man who saved Cardia out of a pince when she got separated
from Impey and Lupin in london at the beginning of the game.
 He is apparently a terrorist but this was all a misunderstanding because he was
an alchemist who worked under queen victoria and she was scared
 that when Fran left he'd like reveal the weaknesses of london to other countries, lmao.
 I'm like Victoria please! Fran would never do something like that...right?
Anyway if I had to be honest, Fran is the only guy who openly cares for Cardia, even
when its not his own route and he's really the nicest guy in the whole game by default!
Other than Lupin I supposed but to me Fran's kindness is on another level but
at the same time he also seems to hide something.... and i reality he knew everything
but kept Cardia in the dark because he thought the truth may have been too much
 Fran's past was pretty sad but he didn't do anything wrong...
atleast not on purpose no matter how he blames himself for it.
The villain in this route was perhaps the most tragic... but I can sympatize for her in the end.
This route really had the most plot reveals out of all four available routes
and for that reason its best to do him right before the hidden route Lupin.
In my opinion Fran is the easiest character to like and fall for, not only is he kind and adorable
plus his route didn't disappoint with romance either.
Tbh out of the routes first available Fran was easily the most satisfying but it
did have some pacing issues due to the time limit because some scenes in the end just
felt longer than they were supposed consideringg they were on the clock and all.
Making me get even tenser thn should be but its not that bad since it couldn't be helped.
 Fran's definitely one of my favorites next to Saint-G. 💕💕💕
Romance ★★★★☆
Plot ★★★☆☆
 Enjoyment overall ★★★★☆ ---
Arséne Lupin.
CV: Maeno Tomoaki. 
The thief who kidnapped... or more like saved Cardia in the beginning of the game
Lupin helps Cardia fnd her missing father and tries his best to make her wish come true.
 He's pretty much the canon guy because not only does his route unlock
 after completing everyone elses he gets the best ending out of all the guys in the game.
 We know Fran was kind but so is Lupin and he's probably the most understanding.
I'd agree that he's a bit too ideal at times but come on... Lupin has doubts too and this
 makes him far from the perfect husbando even tho he's perfect as is.
TBH I prefer Sholmes over Lupin and also love their interactions. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
 The rivalry between Sholmes and Lupin was entertaining to see and its kinda funny
 how at Eikoku I preferred Lupin but eh you know Karin-ent was hella biased
but then again so was otomate... sigh what is it with otomege devs and Lupin?
Oh and I liked how everyone fought their nemesis in this route for dat true end effect but Van's
litterally came out of nowhere since he had not appeared during the whole of this's route. 😂
Lupin had a great route in the original game and all but its sad how biased it is.
Romance ★★★★☆
Plot ★★★★☆
 Enjoyment overall ★★★★☆  ---

 Route ranking would be: (original game)
Lupin > Fran > Saint-G > Impey > Van.
This ranking is in the order of overall satisfaction of story and romance
it doesn't mean the route at the end is bad or anything.

Fav character:
Saint-G > Fran > Sholmes > Lupin > Van > Dora-chan > Impey > Finis.
Finis pretty much turned me off... but I did feel sad for him at the end of Lupin's route.

Also while I was replaying C:R in english I realized I didn't enjoy reading it as much as before
maybe it was the translation? some of it felt idk dry and I notice aksys
 just adds sentences when the characters already said everything they needed to.
Its a long game and I usually enjoy meaty games or maybe it was
 beause i've already been through it once.
It was still a great otome but far from perfect. Maybe replaying VN isn't a good idea afterall...
9.3/10
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shukufuku no Mirai
I recommend to go in the order of:
Lupan the gang > Saint-G > Impey > Fran > Van > Lupin  > Finis >  Sholmes > Dora's room.
There is no romance in Lupin the gang and its nice to have the cast back together 
and just enjoy a fun side story like the old times so all in all its a perfect place to start.
Then do San because its not all that fun after that let Impey heal your soul
before getting into more despair at Fran's, Van will welcome you with open arms afterwards.
Lupin will motivate for Finis route and do Sholmes after that.
End the game with Dora-chan's fun side stories.
**Spoiler warning for below, minor or major they may be**

Pro's
- Most if not all after stories/new routes were satisfying.
- Art, everyone got fair treatment in number of CG's.
- Lupin the gang was a fun side story.

Con's
- Less volume, I dunno though for a FD this is to be expected?.
- Copy Pasta, yes I am looking at your route Finis.
- Saint-G deserves better treatment.

8.5/10

Saint-G
 His after story starts with a flashback of how he became an agent of idea when he was about to die in the past.
Yep straight into more suffering... 😭😭😭
 The two are still on their journey to get rid of the poison.
They delve into San's past and Trismegistus research may help them out and San
knew him in the past, Fran and Lupin help out too.
San's route started out really sad but got a bit brighter only to bring a bit of despair before
 a satisfying conclusion, yeah sorry I can't write more without spoiling even more details.
Also the FD really made appreciate how beautiful Saint-G's eyes are...
Because for like 70% of the time his eyes were closed in the original game.
It was nice to have a conclusion to San's route and it also delved deeper into his past
so all in all I am satisfied with what I got, still it wasn't that bad in the end but man...
After this after story I am sure this sort of content is the type I don't want in a FD.
So in the end I am glad that I did San's route first!
San may be one of my fav guys but more angst? no thnx.  
 Romance ★★★☆☆
Plot ★★★★☆
 Enjoyment overall ★★★☆☆
 ---
Impey
 His after story starts with him narrating his dream of wanting to go to the moon
and how he fell in love with a girl who thinks she's a monster.
After that a scene followed where Cardia on her way back to the mansion
and ran into Sholmes and Lupan. 😕
Shenanigans aside they are a good combi after all. 😂😂😂
 Oh well just as Impey gets cozy with her b4 making lunch, Sisi gets jelly and bites him. 😂😂😂
Van and Dora-chan return to the mansion even Saint-G joins in and they end up going
to queen victoria and well Impey twists Leonhardt's words for picking the sea over the skies... 😂
Impey works really hard with Fran for Cardia's sake and to make a ship that can go underwater.
One night she watches over an overworked Impey asleep and later
 also saw Impey naked in the shower, dayum son. 😳
Thnx to Fran, Cardia's poison problem is solved too (as expected).
His after story was light and fun compared to what some of San's was, I enjoyed it a lot more.
I also liked how everyone else appeared in the route anyway thats all you get out of me.
Impey fans will be pleased with this indeed! even those who don't like him like me may enjoy it.
 Romance ★★★★☆
Plot ★★★★☆
 Enjoyment overall ★★★★☆
---
Fran
Don't be fooled this after story wasn't all sunshine and rainbows.
 As usual it starts with Fran narrating about the sin he commited and how how treasures Cardia.
Sadly Cardia's poison hasn't completely disappeared yet....
Fran still feels guilty and needed to tell Dora-chan of his ''sin''
while Dora-chan was like why now? and naturally forgives Fran while Van watched. 😂
Cardia come in just in time to bring Fran his bento and Fran gets embarassed. 😘
Victoria has fun talking to Cardia and wants to get married too... cue tsun reaction from Leonhardt.😂😂😂
Later back at the mansion Saint-G comes in and crashes the party and wants Fran to meet a certain someone.
Omnibus wants a talk... because she still believes the Horologium is dangerous.
She gives Fran the option to become an apostle but he needs to think about it...
Let the suffering begin...
Some day later San even helps Fran  to really think about it since he knows as well as anyone how much suffering it is.
At one point Cardia is confronts him by toppling him and tells her she doesn't like a future
where he joined and probably makes the same mistakes as in the past.
Fran jokes about joining for her sake but he won't do it if it'll make Cardia unhappy. 😭😭😭
After that it partly felt like a repeat of San's route in the original game. ( ´_ゝ`)
 ATLEAST that's what I'd thought till Lupin saved the day along with Impey,Van and... Dora-chan.
This was all thanks to Saint-G himself... best boy😇 outdone himself .😂😂😂
 The ending was bittersweet but there is this one bit that irks me about it
since its only mentioned in this after story and no other.
Welp I kind of had a feeling Idea would act... but I wasn't ready for more suffering. 😞
It wasn't that bad and I liked it more because Cardia and San were da best in this route
I just do not understand why Fran was the only one next to San who had to suffer so much...
Like come on its a FD? I just wanted more time to spend with Fran and not
want to watch him despair because of him being the closest to Isaac?
Also why Omnibus only act in this after story and not the others? consistency what is it?
Thnx for informing us that Cardia could be out living her husbando's thus becoming
a threat to Idea if maybe her poison would go out of control, tempting Fran
into becoming a member of Idea meaning he has to do more dirty shit
which he definitely doesn't want, this after story wasn't all sunshine and rainbows.
So yeah please do Fran after story inbetween Impey and Van so you can atleast relax afterwards.
  Romance ★★★☆☆
Plot ★★★★☆
 Enjoyment overall ★★★☆☆
---
Van
 It starts with Van Narrating about a ''girl'' who saved him.
He ends up rushing back to the mansion after hearing the news Fran made a cure.
Van can't control himself any longer and one of the first things he does is kiss Cardia.
He doesn't even realize Fran was in the same room... 😂😂😂
Oh well later Lupin and Impey return to the mansion too and well shenanigans ensue...
San couldn't make it so he wrote a letter instead, Van returned after his work and peaceful days continue.
There was a misunderstanding and Van lost his mojo for a bit but all works out in the end.
There really wasn't much to write about...
This route was really peaceful? which was welcomed after all dat action in the original.
The poison problem was solved right away! unlike San and Impey were it took the whole route.
Compared to Fran this route was relaxing and I enjoyed it for what it is even if
the writing in general could be better because it was a bit boring to me.
Van fans will be happy with this thats for sure and so am I!
After the last route I really needed something like this so its all good.
  Romance ★★★★☆
Plot ★★☆☆☆
 Enjoyment overall ★★★☆☆
 ---
Lupin
 As per usual it starts with him narrating of how he saved and fell in love with a doll like being
and granted her wish to feel warmth and release here from the curse of the horologium.
Oh and this after story also starts off with a bang like literally.
Fran notes how Cardia has become much more cute and girly. 😂😂😂
Cardia is a bit worried Lupin is in a slump and tells the others about it...
One night some twilight soldiers infiltrated the mansion...Revenge? whatever the case
 Cardia thinks Finis may still be alive too... they'll try and dispatch them
But they apear to be much different and stronger from the usual twilight mooks.
As turns out they aren't twilight but just Van and Fran having ''fun'' and are trying to steal Cardia.
 Lupin tells em he will never let them have his precious treasure that is Cardia. 😂😂😂
Later Impey, San and Cardia end up going on a ''date'' much to Lupin's shock...
however this is all according to their Keikaku.
 Just seeing Impey and San too close to Cardia makes him jelly. 😂😂😂
The route also delved deeper into Isaacs past but this is all you get out of me.
All I am going to say is after Lupin's after story I definitely wanted to see Finis happy.
I enjoyed Lupin's after story, it was great to see that side of him and how
he still has a ways to go in becoming the greatest thief and husbando.
  Romance ★★★★☆
Plot ★★★☆☆
 Enjoyment overall ★★★★☆
 ---
Shirley (Lupan the gang).
 This side story is set? before the end of the common route of the original game, possible b4 chapter 8.
Lupin is after a treasure from the vampires Leonhardt and Sholmes
 are at the scene to prevent it from being taken. (Lupin disguised himself as Sholmes lmao)
Just as Lupin escaped, he gets surrounded by the mafia and barely makes it out.
One day Cardia and Sisi runs into Shirley, a girl claiming to be running from the mafia.
Cardia ends up coming along... but before long a man named Darius catches up
ready to give his daughter Shirley a good spanking but Cardia and Sisi also gets caught. 😱
Nothing bad happens since it was just a misunderstanding between father and daughter. 😂😂😂
 Sadly just as Cardia is in the care of Shirley they ended up finding out that her touch melts things...
but instead of Shirley being afraid like all the other people in the room she finds this amazing
and even Darius the leader of the Gordon mafia family finds this ability to be useful.
Thats when Lupin and the others come in and cause a ruckus trying to rescue Cardia. 😅
A mystery guy is brutely torturing a guy... the man kills him when he gets the info of lupin he wanted.
Turns out the treasure Lupin stole before was a fake... hahaha nice job Lupin.
A day later Shirley and her father come to see Cardia at the mansion, because
 Holmes got hired by the Gordon family to track them down. 😂😂😂
Serious talk aside Cardia ends up going along with Shirley into the town
because she wants to be a normal girl! so eventually her overprotective father gives in. 😂😂😂
 Cardia still has flashbacks of the time with Elaine and Etty and has doubts about all this though.
On the way back they ran into Leonhardt and some guy stalks them.
The guys discuss some dude named Avido Crudele from Italy who is stirring up trouble
here in london so the gordons, so the gang join up and try to stop it.
 That's all you get out of me, somebody else will surely make a better summary.
TL;DR Avido Crudele don't come near me, my family or my friends ever again.
  This side story was more or less the same as a common route chapter or even a regular route in the original game and longer than any of the after stories so far, sadly its not perfect.
It focused on Cardia befriending Shirley and while also having a cool story about family to boot.
(Ok opinions on plot may differ here...)
Still I think this original story dragged on a bit too long and the antagonist got so bad it was funny.
Sigh this is why you don't piss the mafia off.
I'm not sure why they bothered focusing a story on side characters... part of it was boring
and part of it was good aka Cardia getting a female friend.
There was no romance in this original story but this route was enjoyable
 and had its own twists along the way but at the end of the day I do not really care.
  Romance ☆☆☆☆☆
Plot ★★☆☆☆
 Enjoyment overall ★★☆☆☆
---
Finis.
CV: Kaji Yuki.
 Route starts after the common route of the original game, Cardia leaves Lupin's mansion
and travels by train alone to seek for answers at her mansion only to be found by Finish there.
 There's some copypasta from Lupin's route in which the villagers attack her when she runs out of the old mansion.
When they go too far and try to set her on fire Finis catches up and laughs at Cardia being worried for him.
When Finis has enough of their idiocy he orders Alister to kill them one by one
and Cardia ends up going with them voluntarily.
Of course Idea are determined to stop it so they bring in a handsome new apostle.
Cardia ends up casually spending time with Nemo, Alister and Finis, which was nice in its own way.
Lupin ends up infiltrating the cathedral aka twilight's base  but Cardia won't go with him this time
because she wants to save her little brother! so Lupin gives her a transceiver instead.
Still the gang tries to rescue her and all hell breaks loose when ''that'' apostle Henzeru Heksenhaus shows up.
Lmao forgive my shitty romanization... his first name should be Hansel.
This route was basically Lupin's route from the original but still a bit different and without
 the focus on Lupin(cuz his presence was like 7%) so it could focus on Finis.
 While disappointed I honestly don't care, I mean how else were they gonna do it?
Also at first I never cared for Finis but Lupin route + his after story was enough
to make me change my mind also om the topic of Hansel his backstory man... T_T
 Hansel also really redeemed himself over the course of it all and I'd love a route with him.
I mean come on... don't tease us like this!
Hansel /swoon/ this boy, if only... if only he had a route.
Copy pasta aside Finis's route was still good! lot's of interesting things to learn about Finis and Isaac.
 I suppose I could complain about the little things but that would get us nowhere at all, it is what it is.
I'm glad Finis found happiness but I wish there were more cute scenes with Finis!
There were not enough...
 Also as much as I like the scene above with Hansel that should've been one with Finis
I dunno Hansel CG can stay... just put it in the other section at the gallery? :/
 Oh well the ending itself is sweet but its only the beginning for them.
Finis fans will surely be pleased with this route... if they don't mind sitting through a repeat of Lupin.
Sadly no kiss CG... not even a kiss on the cheek I mean what gives?! do they want to milk this series?
Romantically I couldn't really see Cardia + Finis, I just want them to be happy as brother and sister.
At the end of it all I was more like Finis iz happy, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! lol.
  Romance ★★☆☆☆
Plot ★★★★☆
 Enjoyment overall ★★★★☆
---
Erlock Sholmes.
CV: Murakami Kazuya.
The route starts with... a flashback of two people agreeing to work together
 I betcha you can even tell from the voices who they are. 😂😂😂
Afterwards Sholmes narrates about his encounter with Lupin and the others in
the train snatch incident, he was particularly interested in the girl with them but he did not find out
her name till later and he wishes he could have the chance to ask Cardia more about herself.
After Cardia left the mansion on her own tll she hears some rumors abotu jack the ripper....
Oooooh boy... welp this confirms it even more that Sholmes route is based on Van's.
However Cardia had a brain fart, ends up walking into the sewers and well she ran into Jack...
Cardia acts smart when she is cornered and used her poison on jack, before
 jack can counter Watson showed up just in time buuut Jack gets away.
Since Watson is a nice guy, he takes Cardia in for the night.
Next day when Cardia sees a picture taken at Watson's wedding with his wife ms hudson.
She instantly recognizes one of the persons as Erlock Sholmes who
Watson knows as Sherlock Holmes a friend who passed away.
Once Watson realizes what's going on he rushes to where Erlock is... and Watson's pissed AF.
Before we know it Watson became shipper on the deck... this is the beginning of a long story
and I won't write much but I loved the part where Sholmes tasted the scone for Cardia after she
showed that her poison melts and she hesitated to eat it... that was SO SWEET OF HIM. 😍
Also the part where Cardia told him of Elaine and Etty... 😭😭😭
Shoooolmes *howls* told her it wasn't her fault and consoled her and told her to love herself more.
He let Cardia go off on her own and guess what? she ran into Jack again, thankfully Sholmes followed her...
Also the part where Lupin saves em all on the Ornithopter and Sholmes holds on to Cardia...
Oh man... my heart 😊 and then Sholmes hands her to Watson and goes after Moriarty. 😭😭😭
This part was so romantic, my heart melted at the sight of his smile.
The route started out with a huge derp moment but got a bit better quickly.
It also used Van's route from the original as a base but Sholmes route was still great
and was more unique than Finis was! even though some things couldn't be avoide
dalso why is Aleister so gay for Sholmes? usually I'd say I ship it but :/
My biggest fear was that they wouldn't be able to fix the poison problem
so I was prepared for disappointment either way.:(
This route was good though I love Sholmes and he sure knows how to melt my heart
and also stick a knife into it and twist it for extra pain. 😭😭😭
As a Sholmes fan I couldn't be happier when I finished it, i'm just sad that no kiss CG...
because for some reason the poison wasn't fully gone? I remember he mentioned that.
That aside this route had plenty of romantic moments... so I don't really care that much about a missing kiss CG.
After this route I have taken a liking to his seiyuu too! but he doesn't have many roles
he's also Uranami from reine des fleurs, one of the few guys I liked in that game. hahaha.
  Romance ★★★★☆
Plot ★★★☆☆
 Enjoyment overall ★★★★☆
---
FD Route Enjoyment:
Sholmes > Lupin  > Impey  > Finis > Van > Fran > Saint-G > Lupan the gang .

Fav character
Sholmes > Saint-G >  Hansel >  Impey > Van > Fran  > Finis / Lupin > Watson > Shirley .
Hahaha its not like I am biased towards Sholmes or anything...
---
 Final Thoughts
 I was surprised that some of the after stories still had a heavy plot but were still short.
Sadly I expected FD's to give everyone a treatment they didn't get in the main game and for
Impey and Van this is correct... but I am salty because of the treatment Saint-G got.
Look I did not need more angst okay?!
 Other than that San's after story was still good but honestly he deserved better and I could nag
about how lazy half of Finis route is and all but whatever... It could've been worse.
 I don't really have much to say about it so this is going to be short but I enjoyed this FD!
Also I like how they advertised them wedding outfits yet only one guy gets an actual wedding. ಠ_ಠ
Man talk about false advertisements...
In the end Code Realize fans shouldn't be disappointed by it because there are
 many good otomege that never get a FD so we should be grateful we even got this much.
7.8/10
This game loses points for Saint-G and Fran's treatment, false advertisement and copy pasta
from Lupin route at Finis but it still managed to be a good package for C:R fans.
I wonder if they're planning to continue this series seeing how succesful it is...
Haha even if they do they better not change the staff like with Norn9 Act Tune.

Friday, October 14, 2016

Geten no Hana with Yume Akari Aizouban review (1)

下天の華
 Game: [Geten no Hana with Yume Akari Aizouban].
Genre: Otome game Visual Novel.
Developer/Publisher: Ruby Party / Koei Tecmo
Platform: PS Vita.
Release date: 2016-09-08

Note that this review is for the original game, since both are included in this port.
I will  have to make a separate post for the sequel when I get to it one day as I am not
going to play both games right after the other since its unlikely i'm going to appreciate it
and I do not wish to make the same mistake as with Juuza engi 1+2 in which most of
the first games route/endings were better than its sequel to me.

 So this is the third Koei otome game I played, this one is set during the classic sengoku period.
Our heroine Hotaru is a ninja who is sent to infiltrate Nobunaga's castle, due to circumstance ends up
working for Mitsuhide and under his orders Hotaru disguises herself as Kikyou his sister.
 Will Hotaru's heart sway for one of the seven handsome samurai's including Nobunaga himself?
Only time will tell...
 As for play order I had no idea who to go for first so I ended up going for the one guy
 who interested me the most first, since I figured I may as well enjoy myself the first time.
 Mitsuhide > Momoji > Nobuyuki > Hashiba > Ranmaru > Ieyashu > Nobunaga > grand finale.
There is no recommended order, just that Momoji and Nobuyuki unlock 2nd+ play.
 As for recommending you an order, I think you should be fine with doing whatever
 Feel free to forge your own playorder based on this information below though!
Mitsuhide's route was nicely balanced and I think its best to do him first because
all of the routes I did afterwards with the exception of Momoji ended up being more enjoyable.
Doing Momoji second is actually a good thing since not only you learn more
about Hotaru and his past, plus his route is sorta a drag compared to the rest.
Also good for farming flowers due to all the training you have to do...
Nobuyuki had the more ''serious'' route which helps to understand him more
which might be good for midway through. Hashiba's route was just fun all around!
Ran's high in moe content, Ieyashu  was really sweet with some light drama.
Nobunaga was also more serious and perfect for  last because of the way it was concluded
which was even better than grandfinale.

TL;DR
Pro's
- Story.
- Heroine; princess by day, shinobi by night.
- Strong cast of characters.
- Choice of seiyuu.
- Art, very unique style.
- BGM, OK fits the mood some of the ED theme songs are A++.

Con's
- Short.
 - Random choices to raise doubt/affection.
- Skip a thon, 2nd+ play.
- Every chara's tsumi endings are copy pasta, just with a different flavor of sprinkled cheese on top.
 -

Geten no Hana is different from most Koei's games while its obv not a straight-forward 
visual novel it has no real annoying gameplay mechanics compared to other koei games
which could bother you from enjoying a good read.
If that's what's stopping you from getting into this please set your prejudice aside.

 Here's what the actual gameplay entails:
-  Interact with the guy on a daily basis to get affection for his next event, while
 also trying to achieve the mission Mitsuhide gives you, the game is short
so there's limited time but just enough to do one characters events.
- Fight, select the right buttons within the time limit, you gain flowers 
while training which increases affection when given to the guy.
- Its easy to play without a guide however some choices could prevent you from getting the guys next
flag event or lead to an abrupt game over, I still recommend a guide for a comfortable playthrough.

Seriously the above is not as annoying as it may sound so please do give it a shot.
There's even a demo available for the first game on JP PSN so if you still have doubts go try it.
Geten no Hana is not a straigh-forward visual novel, if endless screens of text 
test your patience koei's otomege are perfect for you.
 TL;DR end.
From the start the guys are all very likeable and they fit into their historical selfs well but still
its an otome game so some adjustments have to be made mmmkay? The story
 was surprisingly well written and easy to follow despite being old timey
also there's furigana so its easy to understand kanji for important terms.

I must say I like the heroine Hotaru a lot, she is combat capable but is a bit dense 
regarding romance but it all makes sense considering her upbringing.
Hotaru is awesome but has her moments of doubt and being insecure because
she's still a girl after all but I wish she had more courage in certain route/ending.
I rather have a proactive heroine like Hotaru who kicks ass than a meek heroine
where the guys are literally all over her like in most otome.
Its sad that badass otome game heroines come in extremely small shipments.
Unfortunately the romance in some routes was more obvious than others, hmm how to put it?
This game wants you to pay attention to the characters words and actions more than anything.
If its not obvious that doesn't mean its not there at all, the route that was the hardest
to grasp any sort of romance for me was Momoji's all the others were easy to understand.
  System wise its pretty much like Harukanaru 6 just without rpg aspect.
 You have the guys side events and/or romantic moments during the main story and the
 character story is at the end which slightly change the events and ending of the game.
Everything else is mostly the same every play just the outcomes are different
due to whom you for which keeps things fresh even if the general story is the same. 
You got missions which usually include having to shapeshift into a maid, bird, samurai or a frog.
 I really liked the scenes you could get if you turn into a frog only for Ieyashu to notice it
and take it back to the pond, it was word the failed attempt for the reaction alone, lol.
 In between your missions you can visit the guys and talk with them, the conversation topic
are random some may raise or lower affection, you don't want the latter since
you need affection to trigger event flags and you need all of a character event flags
to get their best endings, if you want their normal end simply abort by chapter 3/4.
 Talk topics include their past, favorite food... and other things plenty of interesting facts to learn.
This is much better than Angelique Retour were the topics were kept even simplier.

Battles include having to select the right buttons in time, its nothing too difficult
but it is easy to mess up sometimes since you are on the clock(there's a timer).
There are a lot of bad ends like for failing a mission, though only a few are recorded
in the scene recollection, IIRC max doubt? and failing plot battles isn't recorded.

For guides momokan,otome-girly and Halfadder are good but they all are for the PSP version
so they lack the info on how to get the newly added sinful flower endings made for this port.
That is why I highly recommended you Syrup26's guide as its perfect.
Choro has done gods work by putting up a glossary check list, with these two you are all set!
I really do not recommended playing this without a guide due to shear amount of bad ends
from certain choices in scenes, basically aborts the whole cutscene, granted a quick save will help
but sooner or later it would drive me crazy not knowing which leads to an abrupt bad end. (눈_눈)
 I recommend only getting the guys events which ever one you go for that round
and don't see anyone else because you don't even have time for it, also quick saves! use them!
Seriously though due to most of the game being the same every play its better to save the unique
character events for every play you do since it just becomes more worthwhile.
There are some secret events which pairs up characters and give you a close up CG
and you'll most likely get them when going for grand finale, honestly
if it weren't for a guide I would have probably never got them since it requires
you to view various event flags of both characters during chapter 1/2.
You don't even have that much time so even getting it really puts your managment skills to the test.

 Some choices when visiting the guy are random but don't worry they're not infinitely random
so just quick save before a choice if you're unsure if its gonna lower affection or raise doubt.
 The scenes aren't long either only a few of them are so if you have short attention span
 don't worry this game like most of Koei's game is perfect for you.
Sadly this also means the game is a pain in the ass to platinum, because
this game does not give you all keywords like they're candy.
Following Syrups guide will get you everything except that, missing glossary entries?
Use Choro's masterlist to see which you missed it some of Hashiba's talks may need high affection.
Getting all cg's and scenes is easy peasy, selecting all choice in the daily conversation is not
because they're random and some only give you the keyword at high/low affection.
Okay on to another topic...
The guys do not show much interests/harass Kikyou which is good! no need for queen bee syndrome.
Okay... Hashiba does shower her with affection from the get go but there has to be one of those...
Also you'll never see Ranmaru's cute side outside of his own route, Momoji may be charming
  outside of his own route but you'll find out more about him and Hotaru's past in his route than anywhere else in his own route though he was sort of grumpy to me.
 Point is you won't find out anything about other characters in someone elses personal route
as they're very character focused on themselves as is and to be honest, this is a good thing.
Honestly while it may look the guys routes are like side events along the main road it really
isn't all that different from the average otome game because some things just won't change.
Overall Koei sure knows how to work their magic, thats for sure.
They know how to make the characters and scenes so dreamy...!
The characters also manage to fit into their historical counterparts especially Nobunaga
though for some adjustments had to made so its not completely accurate
but not like it needs to be and this game did a damn good job at trying to stay true.
No character felt like they had a route for the sake of having one and thats good!
2nd+ play like most of koei's games doesn't have the same feel but most routes still manage
and bring something new to the table as they're very character focused.
Everyone is likeable in some way and there are no yandere if you were wondering, also not
everyone get a kiss cg which is common for Koei's games to only get  or two most of the time. 
Even if there is no CG for it they do kiss, there is just no pretty picture for it...
It is sad that the characters don't get any kiss CG in their best ends. T_T
Ranmaru's tsumi end doesn't count because its not exactly something I want to remember...
Speaking of the new Tsumi no Hana endings are essentially more bad ends for some added despair
and imo they are totally unnecessary its more like a what if Hotaru betrayed Mitsuhide and everyone.
The story for it was pretty crap because the same reason is copy pasted into everyone's tsumi end.
If you already played the both psp games and think about getting this port for it and other content
I suggest to not unless you're a real fan of this series and absolutely want to support it. :)
Also me thinks the normal end and pair CG's are a ripoff... since its mostly
just their standing picture and for the pair ups its just a close up, lol.
While there isn't a canon guy there is bias present in Nobunaga's route, because
not only does none of that happen in anyone elses route it was made as clear as day he was
Hotaru's first love! I am just glad they don't shove this down your throat too much in other route
not even the grand finale, this is all good because the player is supposed to choose who they like.
Other than that Geten no Hana is a great otome game and really I recommend it!
Though I think I wrote down/repeat a bit too much...
9.5/10
The usual spoilers be they major or minor awaits after the jump, you've been warned.
Anyway i'm sure you've realized you can read the full summary and character background in detail at
koei wiki so I won't bother to be detailed with plot i'll only mention my fav events and drop out the rest.

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Sangoku Rensenki ~Otome no Heihou!~ Omoide Gaeshi - Review

Spoiler warning just incase.


三国恋戦記 ~思いでがえし~ CS Edition -
Game: [Sangoku Rensenki ~Otome no Heihou!~ Omoide Gaeshi].
Genre: Otome game Visual Novel.
Developer/Publisher: Daisy2
Platform: PC,PSP, PS Vita.
Release date: 2016-02-04

This is the fandisc of Sangoku Rensenki, with after stories, minigames and such...
Wait minigames? I didn't find any in the Vita port though? maybe thats a PC exclusive?
I played vita port the original game last year, sadly I had to settle for the digital download via jp psn.
However for the FD I was able to secure a physical copy. :D
~
I greatly enjoyed the original Sangoku Rensenki, it was a fun otome game adaption of the 
sangoku period, which made me really excited after hearing the FD would also get a vita port.
Sangoku Rensenki is kind of like fushigi yuugi but it only borrows the book theme
everything else is basically unique, there are of reviews for the first
game available and none of them say its bad so if you're interested go pick it up.
I think the only flaw is too many characters but there should be atleast one that suits your taste
I really recommend to play the original sangoku rensenki, its really fun!
its quite light-hearted but does take itself serious in some moments.
If you end up liking that alot it you should really pick up the FD! 

TL;DR

 Pro's
- Fun after stories, though one of them was a bit depressing.
 - This FD makes me want even more, which is a good thing I suppose? T_T

Con's
- Its rather short, only get this if you want more and absolutely loved Sangoku Rensenki.
- The gag scenario while funny the first time is a waste of time on repeated playthrough's.

9/10
If you really liked the original Sangoku Rensenki the FD is definitely worth your time.
Especially if you also like Fushigi Yuugi as it borrows the book theme, between this game
and Jyuuza Engi I have to say I prefer Sangoku Rensenki much more, I'm all for
 heroines who can kick ass like Kanu but Hana still manages to be a A++ heroine 
despite being a little generic.
However if you've never played the original game don't even bother, but if Sanren
strikes your interest and you love the swept away to a distant land type of plot device
and chinese history by all means please do give the original Sangoku Rensenki a chance.