Chouchou Jiken Rhapsodic - Review

 Genre: Otome Visual Novel. 

Developer/publisher: Otomate.

Platform: PS Vita.

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

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v19851

Release date: 2017-11-30

I dunno why I bought this... I imported the first manga volume and was intrigued I guess.
Erena/Elena the protagonist seemed okay, there was a mystery vibe and the art is pretty
though the first promo art the protagonist looks like a freaking twig ready to snap. -_-
 I got the feeling I wouldn't like it that much so I bought the regular edition and I am glad.
Sydney's character trailer should've warned me but yet... I still bought.
PS: Some say they spoiled some stuff like Sydney in the promo image... but honestly speaking
if you don't know what the spoiler is you'd think he's some sort of fancy earl.

There are some difference from the manga like Erena for example... she is more typical otomate
heroine template which disappoint me because she appeared to have more personality in the manga.
 Don't want to say Erena was that bad since she had her moments in the game  where she managed
to shine if only a little. The rest flowed almost identically from what I had seen from the manga
dunno but in the manga it felt like Erena had more spirit, hopefully you get what I mean.
Part of me think the manga is supposed to be the main and this game just fanservice.(who knows)
for all we know this was supposed to be an interactive shojo manga... hench why
certain stuff is a bit all over the place and some routes especially the initial two
(Masanari and Haruka) can feel like filler compared to the locked ones.
If you care for the story then I'd say Ritomo is the true route of the game since everything
make sense but it all depends on preference, personally the guy is anything but likeable.

Play order:
 Masanari>Haruka>Sydney>Iori>Ritomo
The last three route are locked... I do know that doing Masanari unlocks Sydney.
doing both Haruka and Masanari get you Iori's route which in turn unlocks Ritomo.
So you could do Sydney second but I don't think that's a good idea... just do the 

initial routes first aka Masanari and Haruka and the rest will be natural to get to the truth.

Pro's
-  Just doing one route won't get you to the truth.
- Pretty art, well portraits look nice but CG's vary.
- Charming cast, atleast I found some of them to be 'charming'.
- MURASE AYUMU's stellar performance.

Con's.
- It can get a bit draggy at times and two routes are essentially filler.
- This womans blooood uwaaaagh, zombies overall writing may leave to be desired etc. >_>
- Protag/heroine was too ala otomate.
- You can't skip the credits, yep its 2k18 and yet they couldn't implement such a feature.
(There's no movie view feature either...)

The common route is basically a giant introduction too long for its own good each
chapter sort of introduced a character, chapters are not long but combined? they are.
Certain stuff will never change even if events play out slightly different
part of this is normal atleast there's something interesting to find out in the actual routes.
As for length its average, not too long not too short but the problem lies that its rather dreary.
There are two endings bad/good but its not very exciting since its just the typical two-choice system
where the correct choice raises affection which in turn lead you to best end, no guide needed!
Art is pretty, the music is so-so... bgm was awful in the long run definitely not worthy
to buy an OST of this.The OP/ED I can say these are fine but it not my thing.
I heard people say the lipsync is awful but honestly its OK most of the time it
looks awkward in some way so I tend to prefer no movement all together.
Characters seem interesting so there was drive to do the non locked routes to get
to the more interesting ones but uh TBH in the long run most of the story wasn't very interesting
since nothing makes any sense till the last two routes and even then... /shrug.

To get the platinum trophy you have to save the lines the characters say this is something
daisy2's games have had in the past, here's 60 slots but you only need a couple
to make a playlist and get the two remaining trophies.
In fact you can just spam the same line into all three playlist for the trophy.............
OTOMATE WTF ARE YOU HIGH? this isn't funny since there's not much
I'd classify as note worthy, if it had lots of comedy then yes but this is a waste
there's other games like for example Ninkoi that deserve this feature yet do not have it. -_-
Not saying there aren't any memorable lines but IMO... not enough to warrant this feature.

Let me try to keep it short...
Takes place in the early Showa period, shortly after WWII with some russian agenda mixed in.
So our heroine Erena is the unfortunate orphan who enjoyed a quiet life ever since an incident
in which her parents passed on from, she enrolls at this fancy school in the big city
after a sudden invitation and one day runs into these vampire zombie folks who want to devour her.
I kid you not I cannot even put it any other way,  for mystery driven chouchou jiken is decent
but it was too draggy and took forever to get somewhere. I feel this was meant to be a manga
 from the beginning like I already mention it but Erena is typical otome protag
aka meek and very otomate, I did had drive to figure out WTF was going on but my
first route didn't get very far nor did it make the guy feel relevant and it sucks if the dude
whom's route your on doesn't strike your interest at all.(like for me Masanari)
I think forced play orders are still good though but I think it is better to do Haruka first
since it felt like he was a whole lot more relevant and interesting than angry navy boy.
 Moving on...
The protag is 15 years old yet... most of her suitors are almost 10 years older, for the 

time period its ok but it is a little creepy. The plot only makes sense in the last 2/3 routes
This game seemed like a good mystery otome game that might be a little trashy
but it wasn't all that, it suffered from a rather cliche/over used protag has magical blood plot
which makes her wanted, the trashy bit never really gets that far, there's a somewhat decently writen
plot behind it all but you must have a pretty good attention span to get it, lots of TL;DR
 Well I wouldn't say its a kusoge downright since it had nice build up...
even then some stuff might not even add up to historic facts, partly that's fine but its not all
that great to get a load of bull, if you know your history of the period don't expect much.
In all honestly to me early on most of the plot was dull and only interesting if you like to have a
mouse nibble at ur toes like some characters could make it better which for me which
are Haruka and Sydney but that's it, Masanari's route was total filler and the plot
only picked up in Iori and Ritomo's route, Sydney? I like the guy but the route was still eh.

Most of the endings also gave me the is that it feeling like there could be more or better way
to end yet still... looking at you Iori suuuure let's go to sovjet together to look for more clues :eyeroll:
Especially with bad ends sometimes they tried too hard to make something of it

like bad fanfic I think Haruka's bad end is exactly that lmao.
While doing route no.2 so much flew by me that I just gave up all expectations...
 each route was unique enough though but sadly the last unlockable route aka Ritomo
makes you sit through the whole game from scratch unable to skip common scenes
just for a bunch of new flashback scenes in between old scenes. I'm like come on otomate?
It is so very fun to sit through it all just for a few scene here and there, also yes I did force skip it. -_-
Personally Haruka and Sydney's route are most enjoyable but tbh it might just depend on taste...
 whichever character you like the most will depend on personal preference.

5/10
''Chouchou Jiken seemed like it would be a decent mystery otome game but it
turned out to be hilariously average, its not a kusoge but its not exactly that good either.''

Code:Realize Shirogane no Kiseki - Review

Genre: Otome Visual Novel. 

Developer/publisher: Otomate.

Platform: PS Vita.

Official Site: http://www.otomate.jp/code-realize/fd2/

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v21521

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.

Bad Apple Wars - Review

 Genre: Otome Game Visual Novel.

Developer/Publisher: Otomate.

Platform: PS Vita.

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

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v17344

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

S.Y.K Shinsetsu Saiyuki Portable - review

 Game: [S.Y.K Shinsetsu Saiyuki]

Genre: Otome Game Visual Novel.

Developer/Publisher: Otomate.

Platform: PS2, PSP

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

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v2251

Release date: 2010-07-29

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

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

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

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

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

Pro's

 - Likeable characters.

- Comedy.

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

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

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

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

-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Re:vice[D] - review

リヴァイスディー
Game: [Re:viceD]

Genre: Otome Game Visual Novel.

Developer/Publisher: Otomate.

Platform: PS Vita.

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

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v14813

Release date: 2014-07-24

 Since the story setup ain't the typical otome I got interested since there's not much else
out these days so why not go back to some games I skipped out on?
This was like otomates first PS Vita otome game and impressions were good
but the values aren't so eventually I just grabbed a copy for 30$ on playasia
yep it goes for that cheap... they prolly just have too much stock and it needs to go to it etc.
Heck it even came with the preorder drama CD...
After the last game I played this was pleasant and much more enjoyable as a whole.


 I admit the art syle isn't why I bought it nor found it attractive at first but it grew on me.
 The music was great, definitely stood out and the OP was catchy.
I never skipped it and sometimes I'd leave it on the title screen so it loops.

-

Pro's
- Interesting set up for an otome game.
- Each character's interesting and has a reason to be a candidate.
- Comedy.
- Slick Art style.
- Music, great its not something to tire of.

Con's
- No touch features, I know this is otomate's first vita game but it may've as well been on PSP then!
- Typical truth route problems are of no concern elsewhere, guess Anvan is under tight-leash.¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- Not every route may be to your liking, well duh but whatever other con will there be?
 -

Aika's not amused at how laid back the other heavenly kings can be.

Our heroine Aika is  one of the four heavenly kings. She is tasked with finding
a successor in the human world, 3 of the other heavenly kings have already
assigned recommendations, Aika however adds the mysterious Yukine to that list.
Aika isn't a typical heroine she ain't one to take shit and this can lead to shenanigans,
It was funny to see her reactions and the guys to be blending in as a human highschool girl
but she's prett cool and won't sit still when her friends are in danger.
If anything she's anything but a typical otome game heroine
but remember no matter how cool she is, she's still a girl
some routes handle it better than others.

Aika isn't one of those otome game heroine's that would take the crap most do, she's more than capable.

Just by going through the prologue I was like? wow this is pretty fun/interesting
and it never beat around the bush while still having fun moments.
The system was standard so there's not much to add to that but I liked the way you select event.
 They're not long but sometimes it feels like a side story along general story but its nice
way to keep stuff character specific but uh by the last route everything flew by!
Gotta add that I found that it was a pain in the ass to read font in the selection screen, I literally
needed atleast a minute or two at times to decipher some of the scribbles, also
 no touch feature even though we're on PS VITA so use joystick or miss stuff....😅
 As unique the system was... without a guide I think you can get lost... because there's 
so many scenes and endings and without knowing you may derail into what you didn't want.
There are a lot of choices this combined with selection system made first play arguably 
the longest but each route was 4-6 hours at most which was decent in length.
Well I loved the interactions everyone had with each others, it feels some otome games miss out
on this comedic factor and only a few get it right to balance with serious & romance.
The common part of the game consists of Aika and her familiar Mike giving the candidates
situations to test themselves like will they face the problems and help each other or run away?

The side character Shinku, Suiu and Akatsuki were interesting as well and honestly
they do not need full routes, because story wise that would be jarring besides Suiu's an ass.
They do get endings though so there's something for them atleast!
All will become clear when you'll go through the routes, each character had his reasons
 for being chosen as a candidate, the weakest link may have been Hinatsu
because honestly he makes for a poor demon king, atleast his case was unique lol.
 My favorite character was definitely Iroha everyone else just followed.

The short version...
A somewhat decent otome game forever overlooked and it sold like crap
due to being the first new(that's not a port) otome on PS Vita
but didn't have much new features so it may as well have been on PSP.
While I only really liked two routes atleast every route was unique...
sadly certain character like Yukine just gets screwed over whom I only can pity.
It all depends on personal taste as I cannot like everything.
I suppose the only thing this game has going for it is unusual themes for an otome game
and crisp art due to vita but once again it may've been better if it was PSP.
 This is a relatively short game and the endings end when they should to the point
it can be good for those that do not play much otome and only pick one out
once in a blue moon after considering what the value is which sadly isn't that much
 since this is only one game, I still love the character interactions over most else which made everything come together but I wish Kuroda had more common events because his route flew by.😭
This may be a one hit wonder, you'll probably won't find anything else quite like it
nor does it specifically need more so even if one ends up liking it be prepared
that you'll won't find any goods related to it because its just not popular enough.

I guess some games like this and others are just outshadowed but that doesn't mean they're
not worth it, honestly Re:vice[D] is better as a whole than three otome games
 I played last year so that gotta say something.
hint: Period Cube, Moujuutachi and Suuran Digit.

Maybe its due to the way it was told and the comedy plus it not really losing sight of theme
while trying to keep it unique every route. I loved the characters, the story was there
and everything else was great, romance may need some work but what more do you want?
Otomate makes so much games and gems like this or that easily get overlooked
I am actually glad they didn't have much this year, means I can pick up stuff I passed on.
Re:vice[D] may cater to people who like otome game heroines
 who're more confident than average and don't mind its unique setting.

Playorder:
Hinatsu > Iroha > Ryoga > Yukine > Kuroda
This was recommended by others so may as well... use it
I do not know if Kuroda really needs all routes but honestly his makes the most sense
after Yukine and everyone else is self-contained compared to the last two.

Uh so you know character ramblings after the jump major or minor spoilers be there so be warned.

Code: Realize ~Shukufuku no Mirai~ - Review

Game: [Code: Realize Future Blessings]

Genre: Otome game Visual Novel.

Developer/Publisher: Otomate

Platform: PS Vita.

Official Site: http://www.otomate.jp/code-realize/fd/

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v18314

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.