#I KNOW HOW RON AND ITSUKI ARE LOL

[bighawrt]

I’VE NEVER LAUGHED SO HARD IN MY LIFE WHAT TYPE OF BAD ENDING IS THIS

[atopearth]

Norn9: Last Era Part 3 - Senri Ichinose Route

I'm not the biggest fan of Senri but I do understand his feelings of not feeling like he's on the "same level" as all the espers around him so he chooses to hole himself up in his room. Honestly, I never realised that Senri was actually doing his job but just at times when no one was there. He tended to the fields and did chores when everyone was asleep! He's really such a good boy that just can't bear being with people huh? Honestly, I'm always so touched when Koharu says she's fine with starting from the beginning again with Senri (him hiding in his room and refusing to come out for days) because she wants to be friends with him and go at a pace he is comfortable with. It's cute how no one can resist Koharu's sad face, they always give in to her haha. It was difficult to watch from Senri's perspective how much he hurt himself and Koharu with his words saying that he wish he had Koharu's power, something useful and that will help people. It's like yeah, he didn't know what she did and stuff and what exactly what she went through, but it felt pretty saddening that he thought of it from his desire to be more useful and yet he hurt her because she hates these "useful" powers. I always find it so saddening that Senri had to endure the abuse from those villagers calling him useless for not being able to produce more water, and so in order to protect himself, it was easier for him to accept that he truly was useless. Anyway, I really didn't like the end of Senri's route especially with love stopping Koharu from mass murder part so I'm glad that from Senri's perspective, it was quite short so now we can fully enjoy the rest!

Considering that alot of the routes ended with the pair leaving the Norn, it's kinda refreshing to see here that Senri is with everyone and they've all decided to destroy every weapon in existence whether it be from The World or not to prevent wars. Something very interesting is that Ron is still on the ship after "reconciling their differences". I'm very curious about how that happened lol. It's funny to see Ron relaying messages back and forth between them and Natsuhiko when he's got a terrible memory lol. It's nice to see Senri willingly and happily eating with everyone. Senri and Koharu dipping their feet in the water and enjoying time alone together is so cute. I wonder what happened between Itsuki and Masamune's uncle, enough that Itsuki wants to leave the ship because of him being there. I feel bad for Mikoto though, he just randomly asked her to leave with him without any reason or context and wanted her to go along with it. I didn't think we'd encounter Senri's village.. Senri is very strong to even think about going back to face his past, because I definitely wouldn't want to go back. I have to agree with Akito, I wouldn't let Senri go back either if I could stop him. He definitely didn't go about it in the best way but I can understand why Akito is desperate to stop him from going. It was pretty funny when Nanami said Akito was sulking because he said awful things to Senri hahaha. I know it's naive, but hearing Koharu say she would like to face dangers together and that even if they get hurt, as long as they walk together and go through it together then they can become better versions of themselves made me want to cry. Akito wants to protect Senri from pain, but Senri and Koharu want to move forward and become stronger versions of themselves by facing things they don't always want to. It's tough..

Lmao when Nanami said Akito's a baby and it's his bedtime now to get Koharu to leave🤣🤣 I don't know whether I should feel relieved or disgusted that the villagers are still the same terrible people they were back in the day. The villager blaming Senri for them having to move is so ridiculous. I would like Koharu to just raze this village, I have no sympathy for them regardless of how dire their circumstances are. To preface this, I am usually not one to skip voiced lines but I absolutely could not take how disgusting the Village Chief (who is Senri's grandpa! Ridiculous) and the villagers are to demonise Akito's actions and say he was using Senri for his own gain when they tried to kill Akito and forced him to run away. I just couldn't stop crying for Akito because he was powerless to save Senri and was forced to leave him in this village by himself, I can't imagine the guilt he feels for leaving Senri when he had no choice. I really can't blame Senri for feeling so confused and thinking that maybe Akito did use him like they said because Akito feels too much guilt to say these "excuses" but Senri really needs to know. I just feel so bad for Senri that everything was dumped on him all at the same time, the fact that he has a brother and that it was Akito all this time, that his memories were erased and that it was Nanami who did it, that's just way too much for him to digest especially when he just started getting comfortable with people again. My heart breaks for these two brothers.

It made me really happy to know that Senri actually only said he'd go back to the village because he wants to push Akito to do something. I'm so glad, because I thought it was nonsense for him to want to go back to such a terrible place that has no future because they destroyed themselves by constantly mining and destroying the area. It really warmed my heart to hear Senri say that even without his memories, he felt like he always yearned for warmth because he most likely knew of warmth. Even if he doesn't have his memories, Akito's existence affected him too much to completely forget him. Lmaoo I love how Senri doubts Akito's love for him because he doesn't show it, but Senri just says he wants to eat sweets from that stall made by Akito, and then Akito goes and asks for tips and the recipe, he's such a good brother🤣 I was so proud of Senri when he said he didn't need a device or anything to show him his past to clear the misunderstanding. All he needs is to hear the truth from Akito and I totally agree! I'm glad Senri stopped Koharu from getting lured in by the World to help the brothers by sacrificing herself to get the device. Akito crying uncontrollably because Senri called him brother just made me so happy for them😭😭 Akito finally had the courage to tell him everything and Senri was able to tell him that even without his past, he considers Akito his beloved brother😭😭 It was so good, and I loved how both Nanami and Koharu supported their respective partners throughout all this. They really will be the best sister-in-laws haha!

Koharu dreaming about a lazy child Senri is so funny hahahah. LOL I died at Senri's dying message saying 'Yuiga'😂😂 When Nanami said they were going through milk really fast, it was obvious that Senri wanted to grow taller but it was still cute how he ate alot and exercised alot hoping to be as tall as Akito hahaha. Senri has really matured. Not only is he capable of using his water magic better after training his body and having the other half of his powers returned, he is also strong enough to tell Koharu that what he wants to know is what she wants to do with her powers rather than what she is scared of happening with her powers. I always thought of Koharu's actions back in the original route silly especially when Senri was able to just stop her like that, but when Senri acknowledged that her actions were wrong but that he'll always be on her side because she was taken advantage of and thought she was doing what was right, I felt really happy for Koharu. Senri is willing to right her wrongs beside her and to help support her in believing in herself and making decisions for herself from now on rather than relying on others, it just felt so beautiful to see. Awww! Senri and Koharu's matching costumes for their performance are so adorable!! It was so sweet to see a water dragon and fire dragon with their powers, and I love how the game put in effort for some effects! I love how they both supported each other to get the results of their hard work in this performance, it was only because they both worked hard to overcome their respective fears that it was able to culminate in a beautiful performance that everyone enjoyed.

LMAO at Koharu's dream in the epilogue, I love the voice they did for the Senri who had a growth spurt, legit terrifying😂😂 I honestly didn't expect Senri and Koharu to continue their performances as a way of living and I think it's kinda random but I guess it's cute. I'm sad that even though they're basically living together and sharing the same room, they didn't even really get a kiss CG?! Poor Senri lol! Overall, I definitely enjoyed Senri's route much more than expected as well. Moonlight was exactly what I wanted from the original route and I absolutely love how Senri and Akito were able to reunite and tell each other their thoughts and feelings. It took time, it took them arguing, it took them being awkward but they got there and I loved that. The best thing was seeing Nanami and Koharu both support Akito and Senri respectively so that as they tried their best to express themselves, their respective partners were able to cheer them both on and also give them comfort when needed. I loved watching over them all doing their best. I also really enjoyed seeing more of Senri's assertive side protecting Koharu and then supporting her as she overcame her fears of her powers. Seeing him accept her powers for what they are and instead of putting out her fire, he built upon it and created such a beautiful visual performance with their powers just made me so happy to see their growth visualised in those dragons they were able to create. I love how they are both unafraid to keep improving as people and facing their fears to grow as people because they have each other by their sides and it's sweet to see them constantly support each other. I kinda wished the romance was more romantic but I really can't fault the route when the character growth was so beautiful, especially for Senri.

[carcharsaur]

finally finished something else to put in my got damn tag, let’s go gamers

norn9: var commons an interesting game, charming and understandably a classic from the vita era, but over-ambitious and kind of unfocused and bloated, with a few rough spots

without spoilers, I legit think my perception of this game got really skewed at the beginning based on the play order I did... I would not recommend kakeru first HAHA

I think best off for overall plot elements would be something like: Senri -> Heishi -> Sakuya or Itsuki -> Masamune -> Kakeru -> Akito -> Ron -> Natsuhiko -> epilogue but the only one that is super super required is natsuhiko last, I think. I definitely think them putting kakeru on “recommended” was a MISTAKEEE it left me so dazed about stuff playing it first

part of the game’s problems is just that right there... too many damn routes! a lot of them had endings that felt really unfinished, and there’s a fandisc being localized later this year for the first time but! ideally a game should stand on it’s own merits rather than needing a sequel to feel properly resolved v_v that said, I am rather excited for the FD regardless because I’m invested now lol

on a positive note, I loved all 3 heroines! they’re all characterized distinctly and thoroughly, helped by them all being voiced which I love love love to see in this genre. it helps their characterization a ton, and makes me so much more attached to them. they interact frequently, and have each other’s backs in the stressful situations they find themselves in, rather than squabble over things which was really good. I struggle to pick a favorite from the 3, they all have different charms points and mild frustrations for me. mikoto got the most tears from me overall, I adored koharu and her well-executed (imo) neurodivergent vibes, and I could relate too well to nanami’s emotional wall she builds around herself and her, well, PTSD? T_T haah

my fav pairings for each were: Koharu and Senri, Nanami and Heishi, then Mikoto and Natsuhiko!

-getting into spoilers now-

I also really loved this game’s setting/world lore! it was really interesting, but at the same time it almost feels like the premise of all this would’ve been better served with something that’s not a romance game. it feels like the background and over-arching issues should have had more time and development rather than being brushed over in the course of 10mins in most routes... I know it’s heretical to say for otome games but that’s how it had me feeling. by the time you get to the epilogue it makes thematic sense that the love is an important part but it really, really, does not set that up and build on it well before then so I was left kind of wishy-washy on the game in the middle. I dislike comparing games like this; but the scenario director’s later work, Even If Tempest, handled the romance being integral to the overarching plot much better. though that also was a linear single-perspective story rather than 3 POVS with 3 routes each. orz

getting into more critical things now, the age stuff was a little weird and I just. ignored it most of the time but if that’s something that’s uncomfortable for you (16-17 yr old MCs getting with 20+ yr old guys =_=;) then yeah I strongly do not recommend. they don’t mention it too much but when they do it’s just. man was this necessary. man why did you make nanami 16 when she acts more maturely than the other 2 girls... though that might be the PTSD more than anything AGH. speaking of, I disliked that all of nanami’s routes either have the potential to, or just do straight-up mistreat her... not much to be said about it other than it sucks! it’s not unrealistic but well, forgive me for wanting my romance games to be a bit more idealistic unless they’re going for full tragedy/thriller/etc.

also I think 2 of the routes could’ve been straight-up dropped and had almost no impact on the overall game. ron’s just had... virtually no insight into him other than how awful he is which is like. a matter of taste I guess but god it was more boring than it was shocking or appalling. mundane in his slimy-ness? just magically fix your horrible mans by erasing all the memories that make him who he is. and when he wakes up, he’s somehow the same dude but without all the sadism? wateverrr -_-

and then masamune, I really really like him as a side/support character, and in a bubble I like his character too, and I LOOOOVE his voice actor but man. his dynamic with koharu was uncomfortable. not outright bad but just not a good vibe even if she was never uncomfortable with him it doesn’t sit right. and despite being one of the more ‘important’ characters to the overarching story his route had very little about that stuff in it.. ended up feeling pretty lacking. extremely ironic considering his whole power is being able to see the past of people (and objects?) he touches with his right hand (WHICH ONLY GETS USED ONCE?????). I ended up liking his bad end MORE than his normal end because it focused more on koharu’s relationship with mikoto in a way I liked, even though it was still a tragic circumstance.

they’re just good friends : )

my other least favorite route, which I admit at least has important plot and character and background information, is sakuya’s. I was enjoying it somewhat until he straight up ASSAULTS mikoto in a way that was too visceral and realistic for me, immediately made me want to dumpster him and the lack of real consequence or even anger from the MC in response made him irredeemable to me and I was sick of him by the end. even as a side character he chafed me rather than his overprotective comments being funny or... anything else. common yandere L

on the other hand, I think my fav character overall is heishi. his bad end is a little... huhhh... but I try not to judge too hard on those because most feel like insane non-sequitur anyway.. it felt ooc for him even with his emotional instability. I did enjoy that it was longer than basically every other bad end, though. most are throwaways but his felt like there was some real effort behind it, at least in regards to the decisions nanami brings herself to

but anyway, I could understand people not loving his route or being frustrated with the route it takes with his genki-seeming character. but I find his struggle to control and suppress his negative emotions out of legitimate concern for those around him relatable and compelling! regardless though, when he’s a supporting character he’s MVP for me, no doubt. I didn’t expect him to grow on me so much!

alright after all that I think I’ve run out of steam and thoughts for now...

other than, the epilogue being about robot love was cute! love giving even robots the power to make their way through life: really cute! but the shit about rebirth and exact dna.... man nah. good and bad I guess. I had a mostly good time though

masamune go bald in 5 years

[atopearth]

Norn9: Var Commons Part 6 - Masamune Toya Route

Okay, after Itsuki not flying with me, I'm a bit more cautious towards being excited for Masamune, but I really love big brother types so I can't hold in my excitement anyway lmao. One thing I just realised about choosing Masamune for Koharu though, that means Kakeru and Senri are partners! Lol! Poor Senri, I apologise. Lmao, I love how Koharu described everyone as nice, I mean she's not wrong I guess🤣 I died when Ron appeared with a gas mask and Koharu said they're nice sunglasses😆 it's so cute how she tries so hard to see the good in everything hahaha. I feel sorry for Akito though, the poor guy who's the best cook had to be stuck with Heishi and Nanami. I died when Koharu was about to faint from the terrible smell HAHAHA, I mean it's not funny for her but omg, I'm glad Masamune came to her rescue lol. I feel kinda bad for Masamune, he has to go around solving all the problems everyone makes lol. Dang Koharu is strong, she weeded the whole place herself and watered it too! Masamune blushing because of Koharu saying she wants to help him as much as she can is so adorable. He's finally found someone that genuinely cares about how much rest he's getting, acknowledging all the hard work he does mediating and tries her best to support him to make his work burden lighter haha. The sad thing is that Koharu thinks she's a bother to him, which is totally not true! I mean, it was pretty funny how she accidentally intruded on the guys bathing hahaha. But since she feels so bad about it, I feel like I shouldn't laugh haha, especially since it makes her think about how whenever she tried to interact with people, they would think of her as a bother and call her a monster.

I actually wanted to cry when Koharu said she wanted to dissolve her pairing with Masamune and pair up with Senri and stay in her room all the time as well so she won't cause any trouble to others. My heart broke that she had to come to that conclusion. I was really happy when Masamune told her he wanted to stay partners with her so he can keep an eye on her or he'd be worried sick. I'm also glad he told her that it's impossible to not hurt people, but that doesn't mean people can't learn from their actions and become stronger and better at it, and if you don't interact with people, you can't help them either! LMAO when Masamune started tearing up because Koharu thanked and appreciated him for all the work that he does. The best part was when Nanami appeared and said the salesman analogy, legit died. Okay, Masamune with glasses is a 10/10, I love him. I also love how he's properly spending time with Koharu now and teaching her common knowledge, although Koharu is great at stumping Masamune with her questions haha. To be fair, fairy tales are dodgy and it's true that the princesses, well I guess both sides are basically silly for jumping into a relationship barely knowing each other but what would I know~ people would just say you're not romantic haha.

I think Masamune really suits Koharu because he's really patient with teaching her things and to listening to her when she finds it difficult to express herself. LMAO, I died when Koharu really listened to Masamune and covered up her ears when Itsuki started talking to her😂😂 I honestly love Akito though. The moment he heard Kakeru got sick, he immediately started making rice porridge, he's such a great guy😭 Omgg and he even bothered to make rice balls for Koharu because she missed out on breakfast, that's so sweet!! Mikoto and Koharu baking cookies together was the cutest thing ever, I loved how Mikoto made some for Sakuya too. It was funny how Masamune went up to the rooftop to enjoy the cookies but I honestly didn't expect him to act that way and kiss Koharu, like nooo, don't become the "all men are wolves" guy hahaha. Yes, Masamune, it was wrong of you to just do that, but that's not what I wanted to hear!! Koharu was so brave to ask about it and thinking whether he likes her and he apologises without elaborating😭😭 I can understand why though, since he did ask Koharu to trust him and that he wouldn't do anything to her but then he ended up doing something he said he wouldn't do..

AHHH Masamune, remember your own words! You're the one who said it's impossible to never hurt anyone, don't run away thinking you won't be able to hurt Koharu if you're not her partner anymore!! I definitely blame Masamune in this situation. Koharu is the one that's clueless and doesn't know anything so he needs to get a grip! Sorata in hiyoko PJs is so cute. What I hate the most is that Koharu has always been honest with Masamune but he always holds himself back, it really hurts to see Koharu put in so much effort but Masamune won't really show her how much he likes her. Soo glad he finally told her how he felt and that he has a duty to be impartial to everyone on the ship so he couldn't and shouldn't make her be any more important than she already is in his heart. It's always so nice when they finally communicate, I'm glad Koharu was able to tell him all her negative feelings since she was trying so hard to be a good girl for him. I guess it's funny because Masamune was trying his best to be a good guy to her too. HAHAHA, Masamune gets drunk eating sweets?! Is that why he was so different and couldn't control himself lmao. That's hilarious and random. Anyway, I find it so adorable how they're both sighing now because they want to touch each other but Masamune's duties prevents him from being allowed to do so. I love how Koharu helped Mikoto and Sakuya's love. It always hurts me to see them distressed over hiding their feelings for each other so I'm glad Koharu told Sakuya that it's okay to love someone.

Trust Kakeru to be the one able to convince the military guys to give Mikoto time off from helping out with the war. Honestly, I really do wish there was a Kakeru X Mikoto route haha. Koharu patting Masamune's head and telling him he did a good job today was so cute, I definitely wanted them to touch each other more though considering how much they've missed each other haha. Lmao I didn't expect Setsu to be such a weird pervert, definitely gross if even Koharu thinks so😂 Masamune protecting her and kissing her hand was omgg☺️ Honestly though, even though I like Masamune, I have to agree with Natsuhiko that the Reset definitely isn't the way to do things. I....didn't expect to have to witness Sakuya dying for Mikoto in this route. I didn't expect to have Mikoto experience that. Now she'll blame herself forever, especially since they were a pair in this route.. I agree with Akito that Masamune should really start thinking about what he wants to do rather than always following what The World says, especially since Koharu is being used by the army now. It took really long, but I'm so glad Masamune has finally decided to prioritise Koharu over what The World says after everything that has happened, even he has finally understood that this isn't Aion's will, but in fact the islanders' input have instead become The World's instructions. However, I can understand why Masamune took so long to make the decision to abandon his duty. It's been something he's been entrusted with for his whole life probably and he's always believed in it, so to abandon that means to abandon everything that he's believed in and followed this whole time, and to do that requires alot of courage, especially to admit that what you're doing has now become "wrong".

It broke my heart when Itsuki couldn't decide whether forgetting about the person you loved or living in a reality without them was better, but I'm glad that they didn't choose to erase Mikoto's memories and are instead planning to stay beside her and support her, because erasing Sakuya's existence within Mikoto would break my heart, he's so integral to her it'll definitely feel like she's missing a part of herself. But I'm very very sad that they erased Koharu's memories of everyone. She finally made friends and now she's forgotten them. I do enjoy seeing how hard Masamune is working for their future though. The tragic love ending ended abruptly though, like what??? Lol. I was so into it when Mikoto listened to Koharu and blamed her for Sakuya's death, and Koharu was ready to protect Mikoto forever. I mean, aside from the endless guilt and pain for the both of them, I enjoyed how protective Koharu was of Mikoto. LMAO at the bad ending when Koharu puts too much sugar in the cookies for Masamune because of Heishi and Nanami and he never changes back from the "drunk" version of him and gets the harem ending where he just rules the ship and ignores The World, legit died, what a random ending😂😂😂 Also lmao at the other bad ending when you go into the room with Ron and Itsuki, I want a harem end!! Not some ending where Itsuki and Ron are never heard from again LOL, I mean that's so funny in a morbid way but still!

Overall, I liked Masamune's route but I do think the latter half wasn't as good as it could have been. For me, I really enjoyed the caring Masamune who slowly got healed by Koharu's sweet personality that always tries her best to help people around her and not be a burden. I liked how just as she helped Masamune feel appreciated and understand what it means to be cared for, he also taught her that it's impossible for people to not get hurt but it was fine as long as we learnt from it. I guess my main problem with the route was that because of Masamune's duty that they never bothered elaborating on, Koharu always had to be the one chasing him, telling him her thoughts and feelings whereas he always held back because of those duties. I mean it's good that he at least eventually told her how he felt and stuff, but it was still frustrating to see how hard Koharu was trying all the time to support Masamune. Anyway, alot of drama, but I think the main conflict I enjoyed was how both Masamune and Koharu tried to be a good guy/girl in the other's eyes until they couldn't anymore because they couldn't help but express their true feelings. I liked that breakthrough. Otherwise, I'm disappointed that considering Masamune is a locked route, we still basically know nothing about the island from this route. Like c'mon, he grew up there!! He has a mission!! But the story didn't bother exploring it at all! I mean I knew the plot was thrown to the side but it's completely ignored here, and lol, Masamune's powers weren't even talked about, I completely forgot he had any lmao. I also would have liked to see more of their "touching" in the story after they left the ship, like whyyy, he's the oldest, he's not restricted by his duties anymore and we're still robbed of further intimacy between him and Koharu?! Otherwise, it's hilarious how in the short story, we're still feeding Masamune cookies, the guy needs another way to relax haha!

[atopearth]

Norn9: Var Commons Part 5 - Itsuki Kagami Route

I am so excited for Itsuki! He really steals the show in the other routes so I'm really interested in him! I love his playful but sincere love for Mikoto haha. Mikoto is definitely in for a ride though. I'm glad he's picked up that Mikoto is exhausted from constantly keeping a barrier up over the ship, it was pretty funny how naturally he just grabbed her hands and warmed them up that Mikoto didn't even realise what he was doing for a moment lol. Lmao when Mikoto burnt breakfast and Ron wanted to cook the hiyoko to eat😂 I loved it when Kakeru said Akito would make the better wife hahaha. Interesting to know that Itsuki was raised in a brothel. It was a bit much for Mikoto to create a barrier against Itsuki and she's exhausted too but really doesn't think through alot of things, but at the same time, Itsuki can be difficult to deal with especially when it seemed like he tried to use his powers on her. I do like how he got Mikoto to join and play cards with Nanami and Heishi, she needs to play more! I can understand Mikoto's feelings of not wanting to hamper the enjoyment of others playing games because you don't know how to play and your personality isn't a "good fit" though, so I'm glad Nanami explicitly told her that she would be happier if Mikoto stayed and played with them. Mikoto beating Heishi was funny and super cute lol, kinda wish it wasn't a choice thing though because it's basically a guessing game until the end lol. Lmao when Itsuki kept making excuses and made Mikoto chase after him all the time instead of looking for the traitor. Obviously he wants to protect her and that's why he's doing it but it's so silly thinking of Mikoto just spending her days chasing after Itsuki lol.

I can understand Mikoto's sentiments though. When you bear a heavy responsibility, you'll want to bear it yourself because exhausting and breaking yourself is okay, but if you rely on someone else and end up breaking them, you'll never forgive yourself for asking them for help and involving them when it was never their business. I guess that part of her is also exactly why her and Sakuya found it so difficult to understand each other in his route. I can't help but soften up a bit towards Itsuki when he says stuff like giving Mikoto his shoulder to lean on and says he's serious about it because he wants to be her protector. It's actually pretty funny how much of a mess Mikoto's feelings are on the inside. She can't handle Itsuki's compliments because she's too innocent and can't help but feel happy about them, it's very cute but at the same time saddening since it also goes to show how much of a burden she has carried her whole life and how she's always forced herself to be strong. I love how headstrong Mikoto is. Like yeah right she was going to let Itsuki dictate what she should do even if it's a dream! I loved how she just completely brushed off Itsuki when he asked if she could make him laugh in reality lmao. Mikoto is definitely not playing the romance game, she just does whatever she wants🤣 Itsuki's really good at making Mikoto cry lol, he needs to stop saying the stuff he said was a joke, it's hurtful. Itsuki definitely deserves getting attacked by Sakuya for bullying Mikoto lol.

Seeing Mikoto understand better when Itsuki's real thoughts are leaking out is kinda endearing, especially when she apologised for being too harsh. I'm happy that Mikoto expressing a bit of her feelings finally got Itsuki to tell her how he really feels about her. Honestly, even though it was cute, I'm finding this route quite underwhelming haha. Anyway, the future has changed for Sakuya! Does that mean now Mikoto will die for Itsuki or will Itsuki die for Mikoto?😆 Hopefully it's something else because that would be boring. Even though I get why Itsuki stayed in his room since he was unable to grasp his own feelings and was overwhelmed in a sense by how deep Mikoto and Sakuya's consideration for each other was, but I feel like the flow of it wasn't really done well? Just felt kinda random. I'm glad they finally talked to each other and made up though. Honest Mikoto was cute though, I was like awww when she agreed that she wanted to stay in bed longer with Itsuki haha.

The dream of Itsuki and Mikoto living peacefully together in their little house was really cute, if only they really could stay that way forever, but I'm glad Mikoto realised it soon enough, because I'm sure if he kept that up, Itsuki probably really would die exhausting himself after those injuries from protecting Mikoto. I'm not sure how I feel about how it was Ron threatening Itsuki all along and that's why he does what he does whether it be giving Ron his powers in the other route or giving him Mikoto's in this route. However, I do have to say I am happy for Mikoto to lose her powers. Just as Kakeru said, Mikoto based alot of her worth as a person through her powers, if she didn't get closer with Itsuki, she really might have broke after losing her powers, but because he was there, she was able to actually appreciate not having to bear the burden of being someone who protects everyone around her. She can finally just live for herself and be "weak" if she wants. She can finally choose a life where she doesn't need to be the one that protects others. I would have liked to know what happened to everyone else in the happy ending though. As for the tragic love ending, I'm not sure how Itsuki's powers work for it to continue even if he dies and it just replaces himself with a dream Itsuki?? Like is that really what you want? Trapping Mikoto in a dream forever?

Overall, Itsuki's route wasn't bad but it definitely wasn't as exciting as I would have hoped. I guess the main turn off for me was how much Mikoto seemed to cry in this route, like honestly, I understand because I've cried for similar things before so I get her feelings, but at the same time, it made me remember how vulnerable and how much you lose control over your feelings and actions when it comes to love. So I guess if you enjoy that, you'll like the route, because it's all about how falling in love can mean you reveal the "weak" parts of yourself to your partner and embrace those feelings together. Personally, my favourite thing about this story was when Mikoto played cards with them because I quite enjoyed seeing Itsuki crack her shell by getting her to exposed to all these things she's never experienced because she's always regarded them as a waste of time due to her upbringing. Otherwise, I guess their romance was cute in the sense that they quarrelled their way into love whilst exposing their real thoughts and feelings. I guess I liked the whole idea but I don't think the execution of it all resonated with me because I don't feel like Itsuki's playfulness really charmed me here whereas he really did as a side character in other routes lol. Oh well I guess, at least watching them live together peacefully aiming to hold a wedding in the future after saving enough money was cute.

[atopearth]

Norn9: Var Commons Part 2 - Heishi Otomaru Route

Hmm, I don't really remember Nanami having much of a role in the anime so this should be interesting, especially since I definitely don't remember anything about Heishi. Hahahaha, sorry Heishi, if I didn't play a route in this game yet, I totally would have thought the same thing as Sorata and be like who was this guy again😂 I knew Nanami was terrible at cooking but I didn't think Heishi was a disaster too hahaha. To be fair, it's not necessarily that they're bad at cooking, since technically they didn't even cook lol, all Nanami did was throw random stuff in everything and Heishi forgot to cook the fish but couldn't be bothered lmao. I think it's quite funny that Nanami's description has it that she doesn't talk much but I honestly think she talks quite alot haha. Anyway, Heishi's powers are definitely a favourite even if he can't fully control it, telepathy and feeling other people's emotions are very useful. Oh, how interesting, Heishi just randomly wandered aboard the ship and wasn't actually "called" I guess? From first impression, I'd say that Heishi matches Nanami the most because of how bright he is and how he's always able to make her feel a bit happier because of the person that he is, but I am very curious about her other matches with Akito and Ron. However, Heishi really doesn't know what personal space is huh! The worst thing is you can't even shut him up because he uses telepathy to wake Nanami up in the morning, what a nightmare! I think I would strangle him.

I guess it's understandable for Nanami to not really understand what it means to be feminine and why it's important when she's grown up never having been taught about it. Personally, Mikoto does push the ladylike thing a bit too much so I think Nanami should just do what she likes. Lmao when Masamune went to help out the fight between Senri and Kakeru, and Kakeru ended up growing flowers on Masamune's head😂 Under Heishi's happy-go-lucky personality, it seems that his smiles are also fake in a way in that he feels like he's forced to always be happy because he knows that his emotions can be felt by others so he does his best to suppress anything negative, which must be pretty tough. Lmao at that flashback of Heishi accidentally barging in when Mikoto was changing and he kept blurting out his thoughts about what he saw and how Sakuya was going to kill him through telepathy😂 I like how much Nanami is agonising over how to express her feelings to Heishi in a way that he can understand what she is truly thinking. Words are difficult because even though you know exactly what you mean, the other person isn't you so they don't necessarily process it in the same way, so I like how Nanami finds it so troubling but refuses to give up on trying to convey it. I've been really enjoying how much guidance Itsuki has been giving Nanami, it's very kind.

One thing I've been really enjoying with Norn9 is how all three heroines' romance progresses with their respective partner in the route you're on. It's cute how protective Masamune is over Koharu, and even though I can understand Mikoto thinking Itsuki is annoying, it's actually really cute how she's about to go to sleep and she can't stop thinking about how frustrating he is haha. I never saw how much Itsuki seemed to like Mikoto but seeing him watch over her sadly at times makes me wonder about their relationship. It's quite convenient that instead of Heishi explaining love to Nanami, he could just have her experience the rollercoaster of emotions for her to understand haha. Even though Heishi and Nanami are cute, I don't feel like I see the chemistry enough to think that they match or even that they really like each other. However, I do think Heishi's dream of wanting to have a happy family was cute, it wasn't something I expected Nanami to want though. I guess what's lacking in this route is that I don't feel like I really know Nanami at all and Heishi is still a mystery in terms of his background. Aww that's slack, they finally confessed to each other and now Nanami has to use her power and erase his memories to protect him since Ron and Natsuhiko don't want him to remember that they're here on this ship. Ron is honestly quite cruel to Nanami and he's going to need to do alot to redeem himself in his route lol, I think the worst was when he kept telling Nanami she's all alone and that he'll kill Heishi if she told anyone about him and Natsuhiko. I never really thought about fusing esper powers together, so thinking about how destructive it could be to have Nanami's power fused with Heishi's to mass wipe out people's memories is very interesting. I felt bad for Heishi when Nanami thoroughly rejected him..

Lmao at the hiyoko penguin version. I like the CG with the guys in swimsuits, that was an unexpectedly nice surprise. I definitely liked the second confession during the power outage much more haha, I thought the CG of them putting their hands on the door separating them was sweet. They were blocked by a door but their feelings connected. Gotta love Heishi for knowing how to ruin the mood for saying he'd reject Mikoto even if she threw herself at him naked LMAO. I'm not sure how I feel about the whole escaping the ship thing but I really did enjoy how much of a bro Itsuki was the whole time even when Heishi wasn't the most amicable about it. Interesting to see that Masamune can see people's past. Anyway, even though I'm still not too fond of the pairing, I really like Heishi and Nanami's life of travelling together and taking photos for a job, that's very nice and sweet. However, I think I prefer the sadness of the tragic love ending. I liked how Nanami ended up using her power to erase Heishi's memories of her so he could live happily again without being burdened about the need to protect her because dang he went nuts and abusive. But yeah, I felt really bad for Nanami in that ending. Personally, I think the short story is basically what I enjoyed most about Heishi and Nanami's relationship, where they're both troublemakers, but at the same time, they both try their best to try and make the other happy, and they both just relish spending time together and enjoy the moment.

Overall, I had high hopes for Heishi's route especially since the first half was not bad, but I thought the second half was quite boring especially after the escaping thing. Otherwise, I enjoyed seeing Heishi and Nanami cause trouble for Akito and all the people who try their best to avoid their food lol. I liked how Heishi basically never left Nanami alone so you can say his existence itself helps to mend Nanami's past sadness for being all alone and forced to erase people's memories to sustain her clan. Personally, even though I don't mind Heishi and Nanami individually, I find them rather bland together. They don't click imo haha, I mean, they did on paper but not in this route apparently lol. Even though I enjoyed the scene where Heishi expressed his feelings towards Nanami the second time, I really didn't feel their feelings towards each other. I also think it's because they never really developed as characters for me either. I never really felt like I knew as much about Nanami and Heishi to make me feel like they "came to life" for me, or enough for me to think that I would like to care for them anyway. So yeah, disappointing imo but hopefully Akito will be the better route since he seems to be the poster boy for Nanami.