#charade maniacs review

[lunas-otome-blog]

Luna's Review: Charade Maniacs

Official Summary:

A mysterious figure abducts Hiyori Sena, transporting her to a strange world with nine other abductees and welcomes them to a world called Arcadia.

Everyone must act out "dramas" for a chance to escape, all whilst avoiding the trappings of a traitor.

From the writer of Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly, Uta Amamiya, and the illustrator of Norn9, Teita, who's hand will she take at the end?

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Luna's Rating (New!)

Plot: 8/10

Gameplay: 10/10

Characters: 8/10

Art: 10/10

Overall: 9/10

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Luna's Thoughts (Spoiler Free)

With a cast of fun but suspicious characters and less-than-subtle ideologies, Charade Maniacs is a warning to society not to let technology take over every aspect of life.

The (imho rushed and slightly contrived) intro of the game introduces MC Hiyori Sena, who lives in a technologically advanced society. Despite its advancement, we learn that 30 years ago, a big satellite was destroyed, effectively setting back society's progress by hundreds of years in a Library of Alexandria type data wipe. Of course this is plot relevant later, so pay attention.

Hiyori is whisked away, along with her childhood friend and 8 other randos, to "Arcadia," a mystery location comprised of a shared living space and a town occupied by mysterious "Arcadians." Leaving means certain death, so the only way Hiyori can survive and escape is to do what the mysterious "Director" tells them to do — act out weird dramas for an untold number of Arcadian viewers in the "Other World Stream." And of course, at least one of the cast members is actually working on the side of Arcadia.

I'll start off by saying that I really liked this game. But let's get the gripes out of the way first.

Every character in Charade Maniacs acts suspiciously and none of them are willing to answer questions. Everyone has knowledge they can't explain, and as per usual in these games, the MC asks very few questions. While this does heighten the suspense, it's lazy writing to just not bother asking questions that the reader would have.

As an example, we're told at the very start of the game that virtual reality is commonplace now, to the point where people go on vacation in VR. Yet after coming to Arcadia, not a single character suggests they might be in VR. We have jackets and board games and entire rooms appearing out of nowhere. Surely one of them would bring it up? But no, nobody even suggests it might be possible.

MC Hiyori is a pretty typical protagonist, generically kind and trusting. Her childhood friend, Tomose, keeps telling everyone she has a maternal nature due to her four younger siblings, but it doesn't come through on most routes. I'd have appreciated it if she had more personality. Because of her blandness, she really shines on the few routes where she becomes more assertive.

With nine character routes to play through, this game doesn't waste time with multiple endings for most characters, meaning choices in-route matter very little. I was a little disappointed with this, but I was impressed with the breadth of routes overall. Every route is very different depending on who you're investigating with, and each provides different pieces of the puzzle to figuring out what the Otherworld Stream is all about.

Each character's ending was highly customized, with some being happy, others bittersweet, but none fully wrapping up everything — even elements of the true end were left ambiguous to some degree.

Having knowledge from other routes made the sketchiness of other characters bearable. The customization of each route does get frustrating, however, when things happen but are just glossed over, to be left for another route to explain. There's scenery, props and dialogue meant to interest you, the player, but meanwhile you will be screaming at Hiyori to question them in the game and she just...does not do it lol.

Overall, this game excels at creating intrigue but suffers from frustrating writing. Instead of making every character seem innocent, Charade Maniacs presents you with an entire cast of people who act guilty, and then dangle scraps of information over your head. Instead of just lying, characters admit they know things and then just refuse to justify how they know them. And all the while, Hiyori claims she trusts everyone.

Charade Maniacs was an interesting mystery, but I also felt insulted during the whole first half of the game. This is a childhood taunt — "I know something you don't know" — in visual novel form.

It does get better the more you know, though, so if you can survive the bullshit long enough, it's a fun play. I genuinely enjoyed trying to sus out the traitors and I really did fall for a few of the characters. If you're a fan of a good mystery, this one's for you.

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Mamoru Chigasaki Route (Spoilers)

I actually was trying to end up on Dazai's route (lol for later reasons) but I'm glad I played Chigasaki's route first, because he was sus as hell throughout the common route, and for good reason.

Chigasaki is a sweeetheart who just wants to understand his own identity. Despite betraying everyone, he's sincere in not wanting people to get hurt, and would rather accept punishment than inflict pain on others, just like Hiyori. I thought the romance between them was sweet and actually worked pretty well. I liked that he got jealous of Hiyori and Ebana, though I wish he was a bit poutier about it. That would have been cute.

I do feel this route wrapped up too nicely. He just reports everything to the government and all is well? I don't buy it. And we never got to see everyone reacting to learning that he was one of the traitors, or follow up on Chigasaki's father. But I liked where it ended, and I can see the two of them continuing on as lovers.

I thought we'd get an explanation for how he was born, but we don't, even in the true end. I did manage to find an explanation for it online (spoilers: it's really horrible) but I wish we'd gotten to explore his family more in-game.

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Ryoichi Futami Route (Spoilers)

Futami was such an annoying character haha. First he's just a generic kind of nice guy. Then he's like a dad. Then we find out he's been acting and he's actually just insane. His backstory wasn't fleshed out enough for me to understand his motivations or care. We do get a little more context in the final route, but not much.

I really do not like this type of character. Futami speaks in riddles and shares little to no information, even when it would be to his own benefit. Every time I talked to him seemed like a waste of time. Hiyori decides she loves him even though he's batshit crazy, but he doesn't truly ever reciprocate, constantly reminding her that she'll always come second, even in the very last scene of the route.

Some interesting things do happen on this route, but they seem far removed from Futami and as usual, Hiyori just lets it all happen without asking questions. For example, we learn that Iochi and Akase have some sort of relationship outside the stream. We also see some cryo-looking pods and a mysterious door. None of these things are ever mentioned again and I wanted to tear my hair out lol.

I did like aggressive Hiyori at the end, but because I didn't feel like the romance was well achieved, the intensity of her feelings just felt foolish.

While Chigasaki's route ended well but suffered from rushing, Futami's ending has the opposite problem. I didn't necessarily mind the whole "come at me and maybe I'll learn to love you" angle, but the rest of the plot didn't actually wrap up. They're still in Arcadia, they still don't know who the other traitors are, and they aren't any closer to escaping or finding answers. It was a weird place to end it.

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Mizuki Iochi Route (Spoilers)

Iochi is the type of flirty character I don't usually enjoy, but I actually really liked them. I appreciate how they're somewhat maternal and protective of Hiyori. They try to act decisive because it's what they need to do to accomplish their goals, but deep down they struggle just like Hiyori, who prefers to sacrifice herself to make others happy. Iochi's appreciation of Hiyori's character made me like her more, too.

I love that Iochi remains nonbinary throughout the route. Everyone uses they/them pronouns for them, and Hiyori falls for them regardless of gender. Mentioning that it's possible for a character to lose their gender in the game but then revealing that's not actually what happened to Iochi and they're just Like That was objectively the funniest thing the game could have done.

In the end of Iochi's route, they have to choose between Hiyori and everyone else, but they're unable to choose and attempt to sacrifice themself instead, which lines up with themes from earlier in the route, but also doesn't make any sense. The Director didn't say that was an option, so I'm not sure why Iochi would think that dying would solve anything lol.

The ending, while a little disappointing, was more or less happy, with Hiyori and Iochi completing the dramas themselves while passing info on to the Information Bureau in secret. Which also didn't make much sense, because we never explored the technology they're using to do that. Did they have it all along? If so, why didn't they use it earlier? Why are we STILL not talking about the cryo-pods???

This route also opened up a bunch of questions regarding the Information Bureau. We know the stream participants' real bodies are kept there, but if so, that means the IB knows who the participants are. If there's a traitor in the IB, why didn't Iochi know about it earlier? Iochi admitted they knew the IB was in possession of the bodies, so why wouldn't they have been suspicious the entire time??? And no, we never again consider the traitor in the IB outside of this route.

Anyway, I really liked Iochi, and while the frustrations of this game's writing continued to annoy me, I thought they were a good partner for Hiyori.

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Souta Gyobu Route (Spoilers)

Gyobu was really annoying for most of his route, needlessly spinning lies and confusing Hiyori and others for seemingly no reason. But once he became serious, I thought he was a very good boy.

Gyobu is in the stream because he wanted to help someone he left behind. His confusing behavior makes a little more sense when you get the context that he doesn't actually remember why he's there, or know who to trust, just that he has a mission.

He's been seriously trying to figure out who's who from the start, and that's why he acts the way he does, particularly toward Hiyori, whom he starts to love before he fully trusts her. It doesn't make his contradictory, teasing nature more bearable, but it does add up.

I did think Hiyori fell for him too fast, but when he becomes more serious and sweet, I kinda got it. He's a charmer.

This is the first route I played where I felt like the other characters were present enough. In the first three routes, you mostly stuck with the characters Hiyori would be paired with, but in Gyobu's route, you get to interact with others, namely Dazai and Haiji. There's lore for other characters, too, so I felt like this route really expanded the world.

The ending was bittersweet, with Hiyori forgetting the man who saved her. The plot thickens! But she and Gyobu are doing just fine, and she even manages to convince him to come to school. I thought it was a fine ending.

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Kyoya Akase Route (Spoilers)

Despite being a white haired protagonist, meaning he surely has a tragic background (spoiler: he does), Akase is somehow the genki boy of this game. While his personality isn't that complex, he's a nice boy who just wants to be everyone's hero. I didn't find him to be that interesting, but I also didn't dislike him.

Akase is the only route where his relationship with Hiyori is cemented during the Otherworld Stream, which was super cute imho. He calls her his girlfriend in front of everyone like he's proud of it. It added some levity to this dark game.

I liked how his backstory connected a little to Hiyori's. And I thought his ending was maybe a little too tidy, but otherwise fitting for this hero of justice.

There was one scene during "maintenance" where Akase and Hiyori see the Arconians in their true form fighting each other, which is meant to be unnerving. However, we don't get any sort of explanation for it, and it is never brought up again — not even in the true end. Why do this?

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Tomose Banjo Route (Spoilers)

I usually love childhood friend characters, but Tomose is just such a creep at the start of this route lol. His personality sucks from the get-go, and he doesn't mind being stuck in the Otherworld Stream forever if it means he can pretend to be dating Hiyori. None of that is interpreted — he straight up says those exact words. Gross.

Of course, his feelings were obvious from the beginning of the game, and we find out that Hiyori isn't as dumb as she seems. She's just willfully ignoring Tomose's feelings to stay friends with him.

While Hiyori does blame herself slightly for warping Tomose's personality, I actually thought she handled herself really well in this route. She refuses to become the victim and let herself be assaulted, instead insisting on talking it out, even if it means she must take a penalty game.

And amazingly, Tomose actually learns from the experience, admits he's wrong, analyzes his own psyche and becomes a better person. I was really, really impressed with this route. I was thinking he might bully Hiyori into submission like in some other otoges out there (cough cough Cupid Parasite cough) but no, he realizes the creep act is wrong, gives it up and acknowledges he has to let Hiyori make her own choices.

The whole last bit of this route is convoluted, as Tomose gambles with his points instead of just reenacting the drama that got Hiyori her penalty game. There's no explanation for this, but it was exciting and we got to see Tomose's acting skills on display.

The only one who gets screwed over in the end is Gyobu, but he chooses his fate himself, so I guess it's okay.

All in all, I really liked this route, even if it was hard to deal with Tomose's shitty behavior in the beginning.

Side note: unless I'm mistaken, Tomose is literally the only cast member who wasn't chosen for a specific reason. Which means he was probably added to the stream only because he happened to be next to Hiyori when she was kidnapped. That is super funny.

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Keito Ebana Route (Spoilers)

I was so excited to play Ebana's route hehe. He's a total asshole, but because he's the tsundere character, I was thrilled to see him broken down by cute Hiyori.

Ebana was more resistant than I thought, and his reasoning for hating women was a little convoluted. I'd think it would be enough that he was assaulted by his father's girlfriend. That's plenty of trauma for one kid. But they added a weird additional layer with his slobbish sisters that just made his trauma seem less pervasive.

Hiyori is great in this route as she scolds Ebana for not seeing her as an individual, and boldly asks him to choose her.

The ending was rushed, as the Director himself triggers a random redo of the drama that got Ebana's arm lost. He completes it with Hiyori's help, and the two of them are allowed to escape. It was too fast and too clean imho.

But I did like Ebana, especially when he was sick and snuggly. The route was a little disorganized but he was a cute character.

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Mei Dazai Route (Spoilers)

Dazai was the first route I tried to play, which just shows how good my instincts are about these things, since he's a locked route. I figured he was too boring looking to NOT be a true end character lol.

Despite being the least interesting looking character in the game, Dazai won me over in other routes with his calmness, kindness and lack of interest in fighting with others. Despite being a good person willing to stay behind for everyone, he doesn't care to defend himself. He's a good bean.

Honestly, not a lot happens on this route with Dazai specifically. We get a lot of background on other stuff, and Haiji is very scary, but I felt like Dazai himself was largely absent on his own route. I think we actually talk to him more in Haiji's route.

But I still loved this route, and I fell hard for Dazai after learning his backstory with Hiyori. It's somewhat implied they might date again following the true end, so one can only hope~

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Takumi Haiji Route (Spoilers)

As the youngest cast member, Haiji is inherently suspicious from the beginning, but it was his concerning behavior on Gyobu's route that made me the most afraid of him. The way he acted toward Hiyori made me feel genuine fear, and I was worried how his route would play out.

Full disclosure: I did play some of Haiji's route before Dazai's, but Haiji's good/true endings are not reachable without having played Dazai first, so I went back.

Nothing really happens during the first part of his route. Hiyori just talks to him over several days, and each time he reveals more unsettling information about himself. It's like once he's decided he wants Hiyori to be with him, he drops all facades.

He has two bad endings depending on whether or not you say you believe him, and both are really bad lol.

The true ending branch consists of an extremely long info dump, which, while not very dynamic, was extremely satisfying to read. Then Hiyori is faced with an obvious choice that will determine whether the end is bad or good.

The bad ending is sad and doesn't really wrap anything up, so it's only good for the CG. The good ending, however, was pretty nice. I wouldn't necessarily call it romantic, but I was pleased with how it ended... except:

There are a lot of unanswered questions. What were Chigasaki and Futami doing at the end of this route? Why did we never return to the idea of there being a traitor in the Information Bureau? Did Hiyori ever talk with her mom about being a traitor? How was the other world stream able to manipulate physical bodies even though everyone was in VR? Why were the Arcadians hitting each other in Akase's route? Why did the evolve so much during this particular stream but still weren't capable of imitating humans after 30 years prior?

I'm sure there's more but that's all I can think of for now lol.

Anyway, I've played worse endings, and as far as wrapping up everything, mostly everything was addressed. So overall I'm satisfied with this ending, and with this game. Haiji was not my favorite love interest, but as a character he was very interesting!

[blerdyotome]

Charade Maniacs Otome Review

[hellcatinnc]

Charade Maniacs - Mamoru Chigasaki & Ryoichi Futami Review

(Spoilers Included)

Mamoru Chigasaki

This was my first route, his demeaner made him seem so sweet and cuddly I wanted to be close to him. From the soft way he spoke to his kindness in his actions he seemed like the best boy to have a real cinnamon roll character. First off the voice actor was amazing there was so much passion and pain even in his words and actions. He was a sweetheart but he had so much pain in his story. I mean I'm glad it ended good but the fact that he spent most of his route putting himself down like he deserved nothing. It was very angsty most of his route which is probably why it could never be my favorite. Every pain he went through was enough to make me tear up at times knowing what its like not to fit in somewhere

I think his story is about someone who doesn't know their own value and it takes someone else to show them how to see through their eyes. He was depressed and its funny cause I didn't even see him being one of the people you had to watch out for him being the sponsor. It surprised me cause here he was giving teddy bears and being a total bean in the common route but it took such a huge turn by his own route. I thought based on how he acted in the beginning he was alot like Shion in Variable Baricade. You know soft spoken and sweet and caring who wants to always make you happy and you can go to when you need someone to talk to. However by the time I got out of the common route all that mindset changed. He is still a cutie and I loved when he realized he was in love he was willing to give it all up even die for Sena. I loved his happy ending when he goes back to her world and gets a job and looks so handsome in his suit. I feel like his in the end is very forgettable

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Ryoichi Futami

Ok so I love the best friend tropes probably just as much as the big brother types. So to me he is both even though he is supposed to be the big brother type. Not gonna lie I was hoping for more from him through out his story instead was boring and felt no different than the regular route until the last chapter then it actually got good. Some points he seemed cold and distant even though before this time frame he was sweet and caring. It seemed like a Dr Jekyll/Mr. Hyde situation. At some points he even seemed a bit mad. At first I thought when you find out he was going to turn into a yandere but instead how he talks to you, he knew the path he chose but wanted better for you even though he still wanted you.

So a bit of dominance showed in some of the things he did and said but maybe its cause he is like the older dominant brother, who likes to kiss you lots. Sorry couldn't resist I swear its not creepy....its just anime. Even with that though his story was a struggle for me, ,to slow, and I have dozed off playing his more that I like to remember and wasn't just me that felt that. One of the lines irritated me cause it made Sena seem like she was this dumb girl in love. Even when she found out he was the sponsor her words became more annoying. Like I get it if you love someone you love them completely but they way she made it sounds was that it was ok to be loyal to someone who wasn't loyal to you. Even though I wanted to like him loyalty is big to me and he did lie to her, he pushed her away, he even at one point wanted to corrupt her. To me this is someone I wouldn't want to be with.

Then when he broke out in this evil laugh I was like nope don't even care about this at that point, dude was lost to me almost like he had split personalities. Then as the romance unfolded I found myself still longing this to be a cute love story then he says the moon is beautiful. I didn't get it at first so I looked it up and the term is actually "the moon is beautiful, isn't it?" in Japanese its a way to say I love you but in a indirect way so it doesn't come off rude or maybe you just can't say I like you or love you yet. I fell in love with this being added I had no clue and now I will hold that to my heart. However the way his love story ended was pretty stupid like no one ever left it was like they gave up and she stayed there to make him better it was just too confusing as you can see I flip flopped with it but definitely forgettable.

[wildflower-otome]

2024 Otome Game Progress + Year in Review

So unlike last year where I was game hopping like crazy, proud to report I actually finished every game that I started this year with the exception of the ones I’m still playing. Unfortunately, apart from White World, 9 R.I.P. and Bustafellows S2, didn’t get much done on the partially finished list since I played a bunch of new releases instead, but we’ll see how I go in the new year…

100% Completed List

Spade no Kuni no Alice: White World (Fave routes: Quin Silver, Lewis Carroll, Peter Side End – surprising no one with this one + below lol)

Spade no Kuni no Alice: Black World (Fave routes: Nightmare, White Rabbit)

Cupid Parasite (Fave routes: Gill, Raul, Secret Route)

Cupid Parasite -Sweet & Spicy Darling- (Fave routes: Allan, Peter Flage)

9 R.I.P. (Fave Routes: Secret Route, Hibiki, Seiya, Sena, Yukimaro...yeah, pretty much everyone)

Utakata no Uchronia (Fave Routes: Awayuki, Tsuyukusa, Finale Route)

Matsurika no Kei (Fave Routes: Seirin, Secret Route)

Mistonia no Kibou (Fave Routes: John, Linus)

Bustafellows S2 (Fave Routes: Helvetica, Scarecrow)

Even if Tempest/Even if Tempest Dawning Connections (Fave Guys: Crius, Lucien)

In Progress List

Gensou Mange (Only Arnaud and Finale route to go)

Norn 9 (Completed Kakeru and Sakuya routes, partway through Heishi and plan on playing Senri’s next)

Favourite Games Played in 2025: 9 R.I.P., Mistonia no Kibou

2025 Best Boys: Tsuyukusa (Utakata no Uchronia) John (Mistonia no Kibou), Toka (9 R.I.P.), Seirin and Bicorn (Matsurika no Kei), Peter Flage (Cupid Parasite+FD), Luciole and Lyon (Gensou Manege), Crius and Lucien (Even/If Tempest)

Favourite Good Ends: White Rabbit End (SnKnA: Black World), Peter Flage and Allan’s Sweet & Spicy Ends (CupiPara FD), Toka Godly End (9 R.I.P.), Bicorn’s Spring Prelude Ending (Matsurika no Kei), John and Linus’s Dawn Endings (Mistonia no Kibou)

Favourite Bad Ends: Crius’s Sad Love Ending (Even If Tempest), Ascot and Edward's Maze Endings (Mistonia no Kibou)

Favourite Side Characters: Maya and Ish (Even if Tempest), Tsuwabuki, Hiiragi and Narukami (Utakata no Uchronia)

Biggest Trashman Characters/Routes : Yori (Utakata no Uchronia), Conrad (Even if Tempest Dawning Connections), Ascot (John’s Maze Ending, Mistonia no Kibou)

Favourite OST’s: 9 R.I.P., Matsurika no Kei, Cupid Parasite Sweet & Spicy Darling

Favourite Artist: Ryou Hasumoto (Matsurika no Kei)

Favourite VA Performances: Tetsuya Kakihara (Ish – Even if Tempest, Sena – 9RIP, Carmen – Bustafellows S2), Nobuhiko Okamoto (Peter – CupiPara, Minami – 9R.I.P., Tobari – Utakata no Uchronia, Fey, Fuen – Matsurika no Kei), Yusuke Shirai (John – Mistonia no Kibou, Luciole – Gensou Manege), Shunichi Toki (Hibiki – 9R.I.P.)

2025 New Release Wish List: Over Requiemz, Fuyuzono Sacrifice, Olympia Soiree Catharsis, 9 R.I.P. Sequel, Matsurika no Kei FD, UN:Logical, Utakata no Uchronia Sequel

2025 Want to buy list: Wand of Fortune, Charade Maniacs, Utsusemi no Meguri, Kannagi no Mori, Moeyo Otome Doushi

Hoping to play from backlog in 2025: Ken ga Kimi, Radiant Tale+FD, Hanaemu Kare to & Bloom + anything on my partially finished list

[otomebanshou]

Charade Maniacs -- opinionated piece

Just gonna leave my thought's here. Be warned this is an OPINIONATED piece. No means a *review* of any sorts but this was how I felt about Charade Maniacs. THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS SO PLEASE DON'T CONTINUE TO READ PAST THE LINE!

So, after a very trialing journey, Charade Maniacs has been cleared. Defeated like the annoying final boss that drags on just a little too long.

Based on that, you might think I hate the game. Honestly? Yes and no. I think the game's biggest flaw is it wants to accomplish so much but accomplishes so little due to the fact the writing is pretty much atrocious.

Beware of spoilers below.

This otome... should've just not been an otome. I like "among us" plots, but this is probably the most poorly executed one I've ever read (otome or not). I just think there are better ones available as the routes themselves are rather short and you (Hiyori) are practically in love with them before you even blink. Also the LIs almost all fall flat. Minus a few of my personal faves: Ebana, Futami, and Iochi. These three stand out as the most intriguing cast members, Ebana especially once you let the story cook for once. Ebana being my #1 as his route felt like it offered the most payoff and balance. Hiyori's a bit insensitive and makes a very SUS comment about his trauma so I got a bit a beef with her. Futami is also a very interesting cast member as you come to learn he's not quite sane haha. But it made it interesting, plus he's one of the few to not be so weirdly quick to fall in love with Hiyori. Their relationship seems to rely on trust and working with one another which is a lot more believable than a majority of the cast.

Iochi, minus the questionable FBI flirting and suggestive comments with a minor, their route was pretty fun. Heart racing moments, but I found it quite predictable.

As for everyone else? Boring, forgettable, or just whatever.

Honorable trash mentions because I'm still mad!

Chigasaki, my first introduction to the game. I was EXCITED. Just to experience one of the WORST otome routes I've ever played. I've never felt so insulted by the blatant piss poor writing. Chigasaki goes from super sweet and feeling safe around him in the entire common route to colder than the ice in the Antarctic. No seriously, he even gave Hiyori some attitude. And omg don't get me started on the Arcadian father subplot that they just brought up then dropped in the next scene. Absolutely shocked that was given a green light to keep in the game. Wow. Gyobu. Just delete him. I'm ok with flirts (I love flirts actually), sexual comments, anything considered trashy in otome games. It's fiction. But I enter this weird area when it involves the MC being a MINOR. The difference between Iochi's and Gyobu's comments: multiple things really but Iochi isn't doing it EVERY FUCKING SCENE. Scene changes? Gyobu has to make some comment about Hiyori should kiss him, hold his hand, and the sexual harassment he would do to her. Dazai even remarked that he was a sexual harasser. It wasn't funny, it was cringe. And annoying. If he did this once or twice every few scenes, I'd probably not rank him as the WORST LOVE INTEREST ever to exist, but like... he doesn't even change once they confess their absolutely unbelievable feelings. He just stays true to being a sex offender! I'm sorry to be so heated over this but like wow.

Now what did I think about the Other World Stream and Producer, Sponsor and Fanatic and.. everything else? Honestly. Confusing. I think everything ended up blending together to the point I was getting confused of who we were actually going after. Sometimes the Director was nice in the routes or he'd just be unfair (which I expected him to always be unfair) and other times he just was like "yeah u win! lol u can go home with ur boyfriend and they can stay" or they'd change it and be like "oh 9 of u can go but 1 has to stay" which honestly drove me a litttttle crazy.

I only played 2 routes before I took a break for Virche Evermore's release as that was a priority for me to play so it's not like I really forgot bits and pieces.

Then this past month of December I pretty much binged the game so you would think a lot of things would make sense, right? Wrong. It doesn't. It feels like the game wanted each route to be some different among us game. It drove me bonkers bro. So like are you telling me, there are different sponsors??? Why? My head legit hurts even trying to make sense of what I just went through as I write this hodgepodge mess of a piece. I literally just want to make sense of it all. The only positive(s?) I can really say is: This game is only worth really playing for Ebana's route. He truly had a wonderful story and as someone who has experienced some trauma and unwanted touching, I really felt for Ebana and appreciated his story being told (minus Hiyori's awful thought comment wishing she was the pedophile who kissed and traumatized Ebana. absolutely WEIRD of the writers to even put that in, but OK I GUESS!)

I really wanted to like this game. I kept going and pushing because I wanted to find something special about this game. I love Period Cube a big amount but even I will tell you the game is bad, but I liked it because it had charm and still brought something different to the table. In my opinion, this game does none of that, sadly. Especially since Otomate already has an "among us" otome (Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly) and mystery titles that are just... better. But luckily I did find one gem: Ebana. Which is why: This is NOT my worst otome game but, it is in fact, my 2nd worst otome game I've ever played. (#1 worst otome is Cafe Enchante if you're curious lol)

Rating: 4/10, only recommend if on a big sale. Take breaks in between routes, maybe even write down some of the plot points and who ends up proving to be SUS AF. That opener is a BANGER tho!! P.S. Futami's route is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. In fact, it's fine. The two routes I've listed as honorable trash are in fact way worse and more frustrating. Futami's was at least enjoyable, not creepy on a minor MC, and at times he was the most romantic of the bunch. The ring scene is one of the most heartracing scenes and felt very meaningful. I just think the hate is a little mind blowing. Sorry I'm on the Futami Protection squad! P.P.S RIP PALT WAS NEVER WISHED TO BE REVIVED! WE FORGOT THE AA BATTERIES MOM TURN AROUND!!! lol P.P.P.S the "Truth" ending is absolute ass and way too damn long. It's just 2-3 hours of a plot dump that still leaves you feeling "wtf". Abysmal.

[rinamohn]

I wanna play Loop8 and Charade Maniacs in parallel, but I'm unsure if I should use a guide for Charade...

I heard the ideal route order spoilers stuff and playing the routes randomly does sound fun.

However the route order is said to make the game better.

Choices😭

Also kinda funny how I'm playing two often negatively reviewed games in parallel. (Loop8 more so)

Thankfully I don't need stuff to be perfect to have a good time.

I got Loop8 to see NPC AI's be funky and for nothing else✌️

[almorica]

now on backloggd:

reviews (serious): charade maniacs, code: realize, therapy with dr. albert krueger, ace attorney investigations 2, psychedelica of the black butterfly (replay; includes some spoilers)

reviews (less serious): trace memory (replay)

lists: otome games I've played ranked by story quality, otome games I've played ranked by romance focus

[smlpodcast]

The SML Podcast - Episode 885: Wall-E Spoilers

Download Episode 885 -- 

David Ventura of Ichigoichie returns to the show for another chat, so let's dive right in!

The show kicks off with Pernell Vaughan on hand to welcome David Ventura of Ichigoichie back to the show to get our chat on once again! We chat about the weather, Backbeat's newest updates and features, music suggestions, indie game pricing, and tons more! Plus a PartyCast with Pernell, Chris Taylor, and Brooke Poole with a big ol batch of reviews and a few massive world shattering spoilers for Wall-E!

0:00 - Intro/David Ventura 58:41 - PartyCast Chatter 1:08:44 - Charade Maniacs - Idea Factory, Idea Factory International (Brooke) 1:20:11 - Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life - Marvelous Inc (Brooke) 1:35:35 - Ray'z Arcade Chronology - ININ Games (Chris) 1:53:16 - Kingdom of Shattered Stone - AKrCos, Casey D'Ambrosio (Brooke) 2:20:00 - Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story 2 - Agate International, PQube (Pernell) 2:37:27 - GOODBYE WORLD - Isolation Studio, PM Studios, Flyhigh Works (Chris) 2:43:53 - SOULVARS - Ginolabo, Shueisha Games (Pernell) 2:54:38 - Garlic - SYLPH, Ratalaika Games (Chris) 3:04:47 - Yomi 2 - Sirlin Games (Pernell)

The show ends with some Secret of Mana goodness from Christian Pacaud & Kunal Majmudar!

3:14:22 - Christian Pacaud & Kunal Majmudar - On the Day the World Changed (Secret of Mana)

https://ichigoichie.org/ https://backbeatgame.com/ https://www.ideaf.co.jp/ http://www.ideafintl.com/ https://marvelousgames.com/ https://www.iningames.com/ https://home.dorian.live/ https://agate.id/ https://pqube.co.uk/ https://yo-fujii.itch.io/ https://www.pm-studios.com/ http://flyhighworks.com/ http://ginolabo.com/sv/ https://shueisha-games.com/ https://twitter.com/sylpharcade https://www.ratalaikagames.com/ https://www.sirlingames.com/ https://www.christianpacaud.com/ http://www.pixeltonemusic.com/ https://www.keymailer.co/ https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sml-podcast/id826998112 https://open.spotify.com/show/6KQpzHeLsoyVy6Ln2ebNwK https://twitter.com/theSMLpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/theSMLpodcast/ https://store.streamelements.com/thesmlpodcast ALL REVIEWED GAMES HAVE BEEN PROVIDED FOR FREE FOR THE PURPOSE OF ANY COVERAGE ON THE SHOW #PS5 #Xbox #Switch #Keymailer

[blog-retrogradewear]

Review: Charade Maniac Involves a Lot of Moving Parts https://t.co/deC9OJkMc7

Review: Charade Maniac Involves a Lot of Moving Parts https://t.co/deC9OJkMc7

— Retrograde Wear Gaming (@RetroGradeWear) Jun 23, 2023

from Twitter https://twitter.com/RetroGradeWear

[i0990]

CharadeManiacs Review

CharadeManiacs is one of the more satisfying titles I’ve played recently. The main draw for me initially was the art. I actually thought the premise of the game quite meh when it was first announced. Which is why I am so happy this game turned out more interesting than I’d expected.

The game’s primary plot revolves around finding out more about this world the characters have been brought to, and discovering who is the traitor amongst the midst so they can get back to their world. It’s all done in a way that’s still quite upbeat, so it’s not like the game spirals into Liar Game territory where everyone back stabs everyone left right and centre.

Mystery wise of course certain reveals mean more than others and probably not every reveal will come as a major surprise, but there were enough of them to keep me intrigued. The heroine’s decent, the characters are fun, and the whole game looks and sounds really good.

At this point if you’re already planning to play the game I’d suggest not reading the rest of the review to avoid clues and spoilers.

*spoilers after the cut*

Plot: As mentioned above, the characters(the ‘cast members’) are trying to get back to their world. To do so they can either act in the drama episodes to earn points, or name the traitor(the ‘producer’). However, they only have one chance and if they name the wrong guy everyone will DEAD END together. Hitting a dead end in Arcadia is pretty much having your entire existence erase. Nobody will remember you either. Now that there’s risk, there can be drama.

Every route reveals more about that particular guy, and at the same time will also drop hints about the others so there’s motivation to play through all the routes. Even when you do find the producer there is still another twist to it. The dark part of the game comes from how some of the dramas the cast acts out can be pretty cruel. Like stabbing someone else, or punching them repeatedly etc. Or it could be something particularly distasteful to certain characters due to personal issues. The penalties for not going along with the acting or ignoring warnings are also severe enough to make me care when characters suffer from them.

Another thing I liked about this game was how consistent the characters are. In a lot of the games I’ve played, certain characters tend to have traits that just evaporate in other routes, despite it being something as big as ‘there is a god sleeping inside him’ etc. For Charamani the personality and secrets of the characters are pretty consistent across all routes. The game also managed to make me feel for the chars.

This game also has many fun and comedic scenes, so it all balances out nicely. The game drops some red herrings along the way to try and make certain chars seem more suspicious than they are lol. The only bad thing about the writing is probably how due to the true route wanting to reveal as much about the characters as possible it’s somewhat of an info dump. The conclusion was satisfying enough. Some of the endings can be good or bad depending on your personal preference. I’ll just say the characters don’t always make it back to their world. Overall I’d say the plot is pretty solid but of course, don’t expect Sherlock levels of mystery solving.

Recommended play order: Banjo>Akase>Ebana>Ioti>Chigasaki/Futami>Gyobu>Dazai>Haiji 

Characters: I started the game feeling neutral about the characters, but grew to have favourites as I played lol. On the whole the characters are diverse and their interactions interesting. Some of the characters have personality traits I wouldn’t have expected. The voice acting was good, and especially amusing when the guy they are voicing is supposed to be one that can’t act.

My favourite is Dazai, because after playing his route, and then thinking about how he must have felt in all the other routes, my heart ached for him. He’s also very caring towards not just Hiyori, but the other cast members. I really like Chigasaki and Ebana as well. Chigasaki because he’s kind and sweet, and Ebana because that level of tsundere is just so amusing and cute heh. 

Akase is nice like an enthusiastic puppy. Ioti is rather cool but I find it puzzling how Hiyori is ok with dating someone she doesn’t know is male or female. I didn’t like how Tomose tried to force his feelings on Hiyori in the ‘I’ve liked you for so long why won’t you notice’ way. Gyobu gets on my nerves but has his heroic moments. Futami just isn’t my type and probably my least favourite after playing through the whole game. I don’t dislike Haiji but he’s too deadpan lol, and yeah he also has issues.

Hiyori has a rather standard personality for an Otomate heroine. She’s the nice, kind, likes to look after others sort of girl. She does put her foot down when she’s pissed, or will shrug of teasing when she gets used to it. Would have liked for her to be voiced because of the drama and acting quality element. Overall I think she’s pretty likeable and cute.

There aren’t any prominent sub characters in this game except maybe the Director. His main purpose is just there to be hammy and act as a trigger for various things. It’s interesting how sneaky some of his actions are so I guess he fulfills his antagonistic role well.

System/Interface: Bright, colourful, and clean cut. Everything looks modern and sleek. The exploration system is just a slightly upgraded ‘who do you want to go with’ option. The flowchart is good for when you want to replay different versions of the scene but aside from that I didn’t really use it. The affection up indicator is quite pointless since it only shows up in a few choices per route and there’s no meter to check anyway. Trophy collection is straightforward, just remember to view the short episodes unlocked in the flow chart.

Art/Music: This game is so pretty. The CGs look very crisp and clean, with nice colours and lighting. There aren’t that many CGs per char but since there are so many chars it’s fine. The backgrounds are nice as well.

^ just Dazai standing by the window but the lighting and everything makes it look so beautiful :3

The music suits the game and I enjoyed listening to them while playing. My favourite track is the one that plays for the bad end ED.

On the whole I really enjoyed the game and think it’s one of Otomate’s more solid titles recently. The game I played right before CharadeManiacs wasn’t very interesting so I’m glad this turned out to be so entertaining. I regret not getting any of the LE sets because I wasn’t expecting to like it so much. I tend to prefer fantasy-ish or period setting games so it’s quite rare that I find a modern/futuristic setting game that I like. Language wise it’s not too difficult and the game isn’t very wordy or long. Definitely would recommend this game to anyone who wants a fun, well-balanced game :D

[foxstens]

cendrillon palika......

[those-late-night-feels]

Unexpected

Part 1

Word count: 1614

Summary: As the personal assistant to the Avengers, you love your job. But when a certain someone joins, he starts to drive you crazy.

Another Saturday headed back into the office. Working as a personal assistant for the Avengers, you had very demanding work hours and basically no social life outside of the tower. Fortunately, Tony Stark paid you well for your service. If anyone needed anything–intel, a new identity, personal items, what have you–you were their first point of contact. Today was no different as Happy had told you to have an apartment set up in the 6B wing and to be on hand for any further instruction.

You looked the epitome of professional: low tight bun, a white button up blouse, black straight skirt with a slit running up the back, and dark heels. You prided yourself on the Avengers being able to rely on you when needed. And while you might not be able to kick ass physically, you got shit done.

Riding the elevator up to the helipad with Happy, you met Tony as he was just exiting his helicopter.

"Good morning, Mr. Stark," you greeted him.

"Is it a good morning, y/n?" he asked, continuing at a determined pace to the elevator doors while your heels clicked behind him. It was not unusual that while Tony was in the tower, you played his shadow. "I think it would be a much better morning if I were laying on a beach, sipping mai tai's while Happy plays cabana boy."

"Shall I have that arranged for you, sir?" you asked while side-eyeing Happy who rolled his eyes. You started to pull up cabana huts in Tahiti on your tablet while riding the elevator back down to the main lobby. With Tony, anything was possible.

He sighed. "Not today. Maybe after Reindeer Games goes back to the other side of the moon."

You laughed to yourself, understanding Tony's dislike of Thor's adopted brother. When Thor had brought his brother back down to Earth after their battle with Hela and all but demanded that Loki join the team, you just about choked on the tea you were sipping on. After the destruction he had caused, the pain he inflicted on multiple people you knew, now he was going to join the very team he had fought against? But, ever the professional, you kept your lips zipped and did as you were told. You had not been hired by Tony to give your opinion.

Reviewing the details of the agenda Happy had put together on your tablet, you followed behind the two men.

"Tony! Happy! All together again," a large Nordic voice bellowed in the lobby of the tower. You looked up to see the blonde man who towered over you, a large smile on his face. "Lady y/n, nice to see you again as well."

"Good morning, Thor," you greeted while typing on the screen of your tablet to make sure everything was ready.

"Yes, yes, together again at last. What a joyous occasion. And where shall my modest accommodations be?"

You looked behind Happy, who blocked your view of the new voice. But even without seeing his face, you knew whose sarcastic, entitled voice it was.

Tony clenched his jaw, no doubt holding himself back from calling for one of his specialty Iron Man metal gloves to punch Loki in the face you assumed.

"I see much hasn't changed. Thor, please make sure your maniac of a brother behaves himself while on this planet or I can get Hulk on speed dial for round two." Tony motioned to you. "Miss Y/L/N will be able to get you settled. I have to be…literally anywhere but here."

Tony put on his sunglasses and walked out the front door, Happy trailing behind him. Ever the drama queen, you thought, watching as he sauntered up the road.

Clearly you would be in charge of this little charade.

"Gentlemen, this way please," you stated and took the lead to the all glass elevator, inserting your badge to take you all to the suite levels where the Avengers stayed when need be. You passed a badge to both of the Asgardian men, explaining that this would be their badge to both clear security and access their main apartment on 6B.

Entering the main lounge area, you showed them the many over the top features and rooms. "Any questions?"

"And where might I find your chambers?" Loki asked you, a glint in his eyes. "If I am in need of something later."

Feeling slightly caught off guard, but holding your facial expression in check, you answered him cooly. "I am not on site after hours. If you need anything, you can buzz me on this," you said, offering him a cell phone. "My number is listed under Y/n. If I am unavailable, I will have someone on site assist you."

Loki took the cell phone and considered it. He was certainly not the first agent to hit on you, and you knew how to deal with their remarks and flirts. "Is there anything else I can get you gentlemen before I leave?"

Thor shook his head. "Thank you y/n. Helpful as always."

Loki walked with you to the elevator door. "So if I need anything at all, I just push this button and you come?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Anything within reason," you answered, pressing the elevator button.

He hummed. "Indeed."

*****

Saying that the following week was eventful would have been an understatement. The Asgardian gods were making sure you worked for that paycheck, with Loki making the majority of the requests. Exotic foods, lavish accessories, expensive alcohol. He would offer to share with you in the refinements–a glass of French champagne, oysters from Malta, chocolate covered strawberries –but each time you would politely decline his advances.

The one time you denied his request was for weapons not sanctioned by Tony.

As you packed up your bag for the night, looking forward to a warm bubble bath and a trashy novel, your cell buzzed on the desk. "You've got to be fucking kidding me," you mumbled to yourself.

Without even looking you knew it was him. He had been doing this almost every night, right before you were about to leave. You'd once sent a junior agent up to assist in your stead, and he persisted with calling until you actually picked up. "If I wanted a mediocre assistant to be sent up to me, I would have called Stark."

You rolled your eyes at his childishness. "Loki, you called me four times today. During any of those times, you could have brought up whatever you needed now. I am no longer available. Either be thankful for the agent I sent up to you or call me in the morning."

You clicked your phone off before he could respond. It was evident that boundaries were not something he had been taught, and now he was doing it again. Well, fine, apparently you would teach him about boundaries yourself.

Fuming with annoyance, you jammed the elevator button for his floor, running lines in your head about him abusing your role to the Avengers and giving you a little more respect. The more you thought about it, the more you were ready to chew him out.

You stormed into his suite, ready to give him a piece of your mind. "Loki, this has got to stop," you said, opening his door without knocking. "You are….oh my God, Loki!"

You covered your eyes and turned around. But not before seeing him standing there completely in the nude.

"Loki, what are you doing?!" you screeched.

"Well, I was enjoying the privacy of my own room until a moment ago."

You cringed. Of course this would be happening, and somehow it would be your fault. If it weren't for the fact that Tony absolutely hated Loki, you would most likely be fired. But there was still a good chance that a reprimand would be in order, as well as sexual harassment training.

"I– I'm sorry," you stammered in your humiliation, your back still turned to him. "I'll just go."

"But you just got here," he said as you motioned toward the door.

"And so anxious," he chuckled. "No, I think you should stay."

He placed a hand on top of yours as you reached for the door knob. In your peripheral vision, you could see that he was still naked, and you stared up at the ceiling in an attempt to not be tempted to look at….well, him.

His laugh was dark, like he was in on a secret you wouldn't understand. "Do I make you nervous, pet?"

You pursed your lips. This was not how this meeting was supposed to go. He caught you off guard and flustered you. You were fucking y/n y/l/n, assistant to the fucking Avengers, hired personally by Tony fucking Stark. And this asshole was trying to get under your skin. No, you would not stand for this. He would not have the upper hand.

Crossing your arms, you turned until your eyes were locked on his. "No, Loki. The only person in this room who should feel nervous right now is you. Because if you take one more step toward me, I will pin every goddamn Avenger on you in a heartbeat."

You reached for the door and turned the knob. "Put some fucking clothes on before you embarrass yourself."

The look on his face showed that this was not the reaction he had been anticipating. And then, the darkest smile you had ever seen bloomed on his face.

You strode down the hall, leaving his door ajar, not looking back. Boom. Boom. Boom. Your heart pounded in your chest.

Part 2

[sistercelluloid]

Audrey at 90: The Salute to Audrey Hepburn Blogathon is soon upon us, starting on her birthday, May 4!

We’re so honored to welcome a very special guest —Audrey’s son, Luca Dotti, author of the New York Times bestsellers Audrey at Home: Memories of My Mother’s Kitchen and Audrey in Rome. “I’m touched and delighted that so many writers are celebrating my mother’s 90th birthday,” he told us. “I look forward to reading the variety of topics on her films and her life which are covered here.” Luca also wrote the moving and insightful foreword to Robert Matzen’s brand-new book, Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn in World War II, an incredible story beautifully told—which will leave you even more in awe of Audrey.

And three lucky blogathon participants will win a copy of that book!

During the blogathon, we’re hoping to capture many aspects of Audrey’s remarkable life. You can focus on a movie or any other facet of her career, philanthropic work, style, or her early years and near-miraculous survival under the Nazis… whatever touches you the most.

And if you’ve already written about Audrey, you’re welcome to enter that post as well.

  Please join us in honoring this extraordinary woman. You still have time to enter, but hurry!

At the bottom of your story, please post one of the banners below and link to this post, saying something along the lines of: This piece is included in Audrey at 90: The Salute to Audrey Hepburn Blogathon, sponsored by Sister Celluloid. To see the rest of the posts, just click here.

  Belgian-born actress Audrey Hepburn (1929 – 1993) on the terrace of the Restaurant Hammetschwand at the summit of the Bürgenstock, Switzerland, circa 1955. (Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images)

I’ll be writing about Robert Matzen’s wonderful book, and he’ll be sharing his insights into what it was like to spend so much time “with” Audrey, compared with his other fascinating subjects, including James Stewart, Olivia de Havilland, Errol Flynn and Carole Lombard.

The blogathon will run from May 4 to May 7. You are welcome to post your entry any time between now and May 7; just send the link in the comments section and we’ll include a live link to it in the roster below.

Here’s the list so far:

Sister Celluloid: Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and WWII Robert Matzen: Spending time “with” Audrey as a subject, compared with other stars Caftan Woman: Charade Maddy Loves Her Classic Films: A Tribute to Audrey Cinema Cities: Audrey’s five Oscar-nominated performances Cinematic Scribblings: Two for the Road Moon in Gemini: The Nun’s Story Thoughts All Sorts: Roman Holiday Realweegiemidget Reviews: Robin and Marian Three Enchanting Ladies: Funny Face The Stop Button: Secret People The Story Enthusiast: Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn by Donald Spoto The Pale Writer: Audrey’s early career and How to Steal a Million Love Letters to Old Hollywood: Love in the Afternoon Champagne for Lunch: The Nun’s Story and Robin and Marian The Midnite Drive-In: The Children’s Hour The Film Catchup: Breakfast at Tiffany’s In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood: Audrey at Home: Memories of My Mother’s Kitchen, by Luca Dotti Poppity Talks Classic Film: The Unforgiven Diary of a Movie Maniac: Bloodline and Love Among Thieves Critica Retro: Paris When It Sizzles MovieMovie logBlog: My Fair Lady 

Please request your topics in the comments section. I can’t wait to hear from you!

  The Audrey Hepburn Blogathon Proudly Welcomes Audrey’s Son, Luca Dotti! Audrey at 90: The Salute to Audrey Hepburn Blogathon is soon upon us, starting on her birthday, May 4!

[hellcatinnc]

"Konnichiwa! Hajimemashite, watashi wa Danyale de desu yoroshiku"

Hi welcome to my Tumblr, my name is Danyale and this is a little about me and my blog. I have been into anime mostly shoujo for the last year as well as into otome games. I will share my reviews of love interests and games that are otome, shoujo, dating sim, and more. I also post some NSFW, Smut, Adult Fanfic, & Spoilers because I make fandom videos so be warned now but all things are tagged. Anyways hope you enjoy your stay and feel free to say hello I have many interests below if you see we have something in common say hi!

My social media:

Youtube

Tumblr

Reddit

--------------------------------------------

MASTERLIST

Writings/Fan Fics/Reviews/Walkthroughs

#2 Writings/Fan Fics/Reviews/Walkthroughs

AMV/GMV Videos

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Current Obsessions:

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Current Anime's Watching:

Uta no Prince Sama (season 4)

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! S2

Free! Iwatobi Swim Club

The Ancient Magus' Bride S2

The Rising of the Shield Hero

The Case Studies Of Vanitas

Promise of Wizard

Anyway, I'm Falling in Love with You.

--------------------------------------------

Now Playing:

Piofiore Fated Memories

Charade Maniacs

My Next Life As A Villainess: all Routes Lead To Doom! - Pirates Of The Disturbance -

Love And Deepspace

Tears Of Themis

Tengoku Struggle -Strayside-

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Otome Games:

Forever Favorites:

Sympathy Kiss

Code Realize - All Of Them

Amnesia (All Of Them)

Cupid Parasite

My Forged Wedding

Love Spell Written In The Stars

Glass Heart

EPHEMERAL -FANTASY ON DARK

Variable Barricade

Kamigami No Asobi

Piofiore Fated Memories

Lover Pretend

Collar x Malice

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Anime

Forever Favorites:

Bungo Stray Dogs

Amnesia

Code Realize Guardians Of Rebirth

Wolf Girl & Black Prince

Libra of Nil Admirari

Phantom in the Twilight

Magic-Kyun! Renaissance

Dance With Devils

Mr Love Queens Choice

Brothers Conflict

Diabolik Lovers 1 & 2

Kamigami no Asobi

My Happy Marriage

Uta Prince Sama

Snow White with the Red Hair

The Reason Why Raeliana Ended up at the Duke's Mansion

Tomo-chan Is A Girl

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale

My Apothecary Diaries

7th Time Loop

Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte

A Condition Called Love

Vampire Dormitory

I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History

The Do-Over Damsel Conquers The Dragon Emperor

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Favorite Fandom Love Interests

Bungo Stray Dogs

Chūya

Akutagawa

Atsushi

Sigma

Dazai

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Sympathy Kiss

Rokuro Yoshioka

Yoji Kobase

Nori

Esaka

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Code Realize

Saint Germain

Impey

Herlock Sholmes

Fran

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Amnesia

Ikki

Kent

Shin

Ukyo

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Love And Deepspace

Rafayel

Xavier

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Cupid Parasite

Allan

Ryuki

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EPHEMERAL -FANTASY ON DARK

Ray

Natsume

Shiba

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Lover Pretend

Asagi

Riku

Sena

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Radiant Tale

Liyan

Paschalia

Zafora

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Piofiore Fated Memories/1926

Dante Falzone

Nicola Francesca

Gilbert Redford

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Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte

Baldur

Endo

Sieg

Liese

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Misyr - Cafe Enchante

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Miraculous Ladybug & Cat Noir

Cat Noir

Luka

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My Forged Wedding

Haruka

Tamaki

Yomato

Saeki

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Irresistible Mistakes

Minoru Tsujimoto

Go Okuba

Toma Kiriya

Rei Kamiki

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Scandal In The Spotlight

Nagito

Iori

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Our Private Home Room

Shuya

Ryota

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Brothers Conflict

Tsubaki

Natsume

Fuuto

Kaname

Azusa

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Kamigami no Asobi

Loki

Hades

Balder

Apollon

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Variable Barricade

Ichiya Mitsumori

Shion Mayuzumi

Taiga Isurugi

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Dance With Devils

Rem

Urie

Lindo

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Diabolik Lovers

Azusa

Ruki

Yuma

Subaru

Laito

Ayato

Kou

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Libra of Nil Admirari

Hayato

Shizuru

Akira

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Snow White with the Red Hair

Obi

Zen

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Yukar From The Abyss

Imeru

Kiryl

Pewrep

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Star Crossed Myth

Partheno

Ichthys

Scorpio

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Collar X Malice

Kei

Aiji

Saike

Yoshinari

Mineo

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Tears Of Themis

Marius

Luke

Artem

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Vampire Dormitory

Ren Nikaido

Ruka Saotome

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Luke - Phantom In The Twilight

Teika - Magic Kyun!

Victor - Mr. Love Queens Choice

Kyouya - Wolf Girl & Black Prince

Lord Kudo - My Happy Marriage

Keiya - A Girl & Her Guard Dog

Arnold Hein - 7th Time Loop

Noah Wynknight - Raeliana in Dukes Mansion

Claude Jean Ellmeyer - I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss

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Non Otome Games:

Detroit Become Human

Life Is Strange True Colors

Sims 4

Houseflipper

My Time At Sandrock

Tomb Raider

All Mario Games

Heavy Rain

Dreamfall Chapters

Greedfall

Lake

Last Stop

State Of Mind

Last Day Of June

Road 96

Second Life

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Favorite Blogs

@misschimotosuwa-blog

@dialovers-lover-xoxo

@afra-blueraz

@dialovers-translations

@most-datable-datable-bracket

@reverse-harem-protag

@protags-fic-blog

@xxsycamore

@kissmetwicekissmedeadly

[magicbat]

A Mortal Engines Review/Outrage

Here thar be spoilers.

When I saw that Mortal Engines was finally getting a film, I was super excited. I finished the last book 7 years ago and always thought they had great cinematic potential. The film has finally come and, while as a standalone film it’s fun - and don’t get me wrong, visually gorgeous, basically exactly what I imagined it would look like - it doesn’t do the books justice. Like, at all.

I understand that there’s only so much time in a film and there is a lot that happens in the books, so naturally some things were cut or changed - things that immediately spring to mind:

the fairly natural introduction of Bevis Pod at a more audience-appropriate time so that he’s actually a character of reasonable significance when his time in the spotlight comes.

The removal of Chrysler Peevey - the pirates are a fun diversion but don’t contribute a huge amount overall to the plot at large I guess.

Less time spent in Batmunkh Gompa (erroneously referred by characters in the film as Shan Guo even though that refers to the land BEYOND the wall and it appears on a MAP in the film as Batmunkh Gompa so???????)

Equally, some things of real consequence were cut or changed to the significant detriment of the film:

Magnus Chrome being completely sidelined as a villain and all of his maniacal power being transferred to Thaddeus Valentine. Chrome instead just kind of appears and is ineffectual for two scenes, when actually he’s meant to be a key message carrier for the book - weapons of mass destruction are a BAD idea and you shouldn’t play with forces you don’t understand.

Continuing with the role swap of Magnus and Thaddeus, Thaddeus was absolutely a villain in the books but he was a bit more sympathetic. The one thing that the film DID get right is that Thaddeus was ambitious - but mostly because he wanted the best for Kate, not because he actually particularly cared about London. He was an out-country scav who had something that Chrome wanted (also touched on in the film), which afforded him the life of luxury he never could have had otherwise. He had a charade to keep up that got well out of hand.

Literally everyone hating Tom on Airhaven for being a Londoner. Yes, there are some people who are suspicious of him, but aeronauts are the driving neutral trade force of the world. Captain Kora is a warm and friendly man AND an anti-tractionist - the whole point of it all was to give Tom a reason to question Municipal Darwinism and challenge his convictions and stereotypes that AT’s are vicious and savage.

And then, there’s the absolutely unforgivable sins...

The extent to which London survives. London is meant to be obliterated by the meltdown of Medusa, taking the vast majority of its population with it. Chrome and Thaddeus are meant to be two sides of the same coin when it comes to facing their demise as a result of their hubris - Chrome weeping that he “only wanted to make London strong,” and Thaddeus clutching his dead daughter, the one thing he wanted to keep safe, watching the Jenny Haniver fly away with his other daughter, the one he treated so badly, and coming to terms with the fact that he did some pretty shitty things and that, really, a lot of this was his fault. And then dying in a fire. London was meant to be absolutely obliterated by MEDUSA and its survivors were meant to learn from its mistakes. More on the absolutely nuking of the series later though...

K-Division. This is meant to epitomise the degree to which Chrome’s reign had gone absolutely batshit. The creation of stalkers from Deep Gut prisoners was meant to be absolutely abhorrent and show how totalitarian and authoritarian Chrome’s madness for power had become. And speaking of K-Division and stalkers...

Shrike. Oh my God, Shrike. So, fair play to Jackson et al. - Shrike looks and feels absolutely fantastic in the film. He is terrifying, utterly unstoppable (but is apparently weak to a boot to the chest? More on that in a sec...) and exactly as uncanny as he is supposed to be. Also his war-shriek? Terrifying. Kudos there. But his characterisation is soooooo lacking and flawed. Shrike was meant to be an aged relic, relatively harmless unless you got in his way, to the point that he actually lived on a settlement. He helped out, didn’t need food and generally kept to himself, so what was the problem with him being there? While he was distinctly no longer human, he was, to a degree, able to think rationally - and the film does, I will concede, do a reasonable job of showing that it is specifically his dangerous obsession and confusion around Hester that activates the insane killing machine part of his head. Ok, sure, in the film he has his own little microtown and he takes Hester on board, exactly like he’s meant to, and they did a good job of showing how something deep within him is stirred by Hester’s ‘brokenness’ and his latent memories of his own child. But here’s the real problem I have, back to that point on the chest-boot - I was so incredibly disappointed to have Shrike die half way through the film? He’s the fucking NARRATOR of the ENTIRE SERIES! He survives THOUSANDS OF YEARS, experiencing and relaying emotion in a way that is so brilliantly uncanny and murderous and complex that... anyway. They done fucked up Shrike by having him be a metal Freddie Kruger for about half of the film and then suddenly and inexplicably having Anna Fang kill him with a This Is Sparta kick. Absolutely ridiculous.

Oh, but Shrike’s leitmotif? Brilliant. Absolutely terrifying musical queue. Good job on that one.

And last of all...

Hester. You knew this was coming. What have they done to you, Hester? First of all, ok, maybe it was difficult to give her a literally disfiguring face scar. But she is meant to be literally broken. She’s meant to have a crooked smile and one eye permanently locked in a scowl. I told myself that it was fine and that they only changed that to make Hester a bit more relatable and main-character material. It was a long shot and a vain hope but hey, I hoped to be proved wrong.

Hester is meant to be an insecure, selfish, murderous and wild girl. And they did a reasonable job of showing this at the very beginning of the film. They even included the bit where she robs Tom! Nice! But then they make her far too nice far too quickly in the subsequent sequences. And Tom doesn’t even like her all that much to begin with! More importantly though, Tom and Hester’s relationship develops much more organically in the books. Again, screen time, yada yada, but there’s so much important stuff! Hester’s desire for revenge is so strong that she sabotages so much just to get even an inch closer to Valentine, which really pisses Tom off when he’s trying to show her what is, to him, a more reasoned point of view. Hester has no qualms with killing - Tom does. In fact, unless I’m much mistaken, Tom scarcely raises a hand to anyone. Ever. In fact, one of the main things that happens is him getting shot and developing a heart condition as a result. Tom is absolutely a pacifist, give-peace-a-chance kind of guy, who may fantasise in the same way that many young people do about going on grand adventures, but never actually WANTS to kill anyone. Part of his arc with Hester is that, while he disagrees with a lot of the things she does, he never stops trying to see the good and shows her humanity and compassion. Again, Batmunkh Gompa was glossed over, but Tom is meant to buy Hester a new scarf, showing acceptance of her insecurities and empathy, if not agreement, with her situation.

All of this is for the sake of making Hester a bland dull tough girl Katniss Everdeen young adult protag. She is not a hero. She is not a good person. She is deeply flawed and scarred and traumatised... but she’s still human! As valentine is trying desperately to save Kate, Hester comes to help, and the book highlights how confusing this is for her!! I could go on and on about how the main characters of the book are so badly butchered by the entire thing but I’m acutely aware of how long this post is already.

So that’s my verdict. It’s a fun film. It’s a good watch. But honestly, as a huge fan of the books, it’s left a sour taste. The ending even conveniently ties everything up in a half-arsed bow that destroys the entire overarching plot of the series through to the 4th book. I suspect that they had so little faith in the committee-approved screwup of a script that they made sure there was no precedent for a sequel.

[aion-rsa]

The Simpsons Season 32 Episode 5 Review: The 7 Beer Itch

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This The Simpsons review contains spoilers.

The Simpsons Season 32 Episode 5

It feels like weeks since Homer last tasted the sweet temptation of bitter fruit, but there’s lime in his cognac, and extramarital peril in the air on The Simpsons season 32, episode 5. “The 7 Beer Itch” is, hopefully, the season’s traditional flirt gone awry episode. The Simpsons, as a family, like to keep their options open when it comes to romance, but with every near event the show confirms what we all know. The only thing Homer really loves more than Marge is beer.

The title refers to the film The Seven Year Itch, which is about how marriage gets stale after about seven years, and people are more susceptible to outside influences. But by limiting the time frame to seven beers is unrealistic. Homer’s way ahead of them on that. This season has been very musical, and Groundskeeper Willie gets to warble the explanatory song. It’s a tale of two cities, London and Springfield. Willie is singing it for Nelson, which makes it slightly rueful, and he doesn’t accompany himself on bagpipes. Those he saves for a major beatdown in a British pub fight against some wankers who are all in love with the woman of his dreams.

Olivia Colman (The Favourite, Hot Fuzz), voices Lily, a woman so vivacious and magnetic, Willie uses forks and knives in her presence. Her mission is to make life fun. She’s the kind of grand dame who can turn Macbeth into a comedy. She plays cricket on pool tables. Lily is a minor sensation, but like the Beatles and balmy weather she was too hot for England, and is banished to America, or as Willie calls it, Britain’s penal colony. Scots really know how to breathe new life into old jokes. Willie even dangles his haggis as a punchline.

The trip to America sequence is filled with a barrage of effective one-liners, as it tells the story through quip. Lily causes emotional turbulence on the plane. She gets Leonardo DiCaprio, in an uncredited cameo, to admit he plays the same part in every movie before he pleads with her to marry him. She has the same siren effect wherever she goes. Men hold up signs reading “We can kill my wife together.”

The Simpsons always affords more visual gags than might meet the eye to each installment, and while previous seasons lagged on it, they have been making a comeback since last season. While on vacation with the kids to the vinelands, Marge reads a book called “What to Read When You’re Reading.” These little bits, like Sergio Aragonés drawings in Mad, are consistently effective humor enhancers on the show. They are a happy distraction, and the episodes are much more fulfilling with them.

An errant wind on a dart board, because all Brits settle life decisions with pub acts of fate, sends Lily to Springfield: “America’s least romantic city,” a line which works on its own, but is actually a set up for the punchline about it being where men have the lowest testosterone. The most effective jokes follow the rule of three, so by the time she sees the “Welcome to Springfield, we put the sit in obesity” sign, the entire trip is underscored by as much inferred humor as it is moved forward through the musical numbers.

“There are songs about drinking,” a bewildered and besotted Barney asks. This is enough for the whole gang at Moe’s to fully embrace the British invasion. They’re as happy as the “little Nazi kids in Sound of Music,” the revelers enthuse with a deliciously subversive twist. Lily even turns Moe’s frown upside down, actually it’s his whole head, and quite surprising how much better he looks. It is at this point the episode plays with format. None of the Simpsons have made an appearance yet. Groundskeeper Willie makes note of it, and informally addresses his own second-fiddle status as the featured Springfieldian. He is only a small part of the story he narrates, because, even though he still treasures the last letter from Lily reminding him to never come near her again, this is all about Homer.

Homer is a loner in this episode. He’s been left alone before, with some chaotically funny results. This is enough to convince the family to leave the pets, and Abe, in the Flanders’s care. This and the “no Homer” clause in the three-week vacation offer is enough to set Homer up for temptation. Meanwhile, back at the bar, Lily is singing a song which ends “drink it up and throw me down.” Hallelujah. The show gets in a jab at English cuisine, however, when she has to validate her cooking skills as post-’90s.

While Homer spends most of the episode brooding over his missing family, Mr. Burns finds Lily stirs feelings in him he hasn’t felt “since they took cocaine out of Coca-Cola.” He tasks Smithers with tasking Homer with asking Lily for a date on his yacht, “Gone Fission.” The show continues the charade of Smithers’ sexuality when Burns explains he couldn’t have his lacky ask the woman out for him because he couldn’t trust him to keep his “hands off the ladies.” Smithers gives the knowing rejoinder. “How well you know me, sir,” with an underplayed acquiescence. His straight-line composure goes completely against the tried and true buildup, and the grin he brings to it is the subtlest of oral delivery.

Burns, on the other hand, goes full on James Bond villain: He hires a small orchestra like he did when he kidnapped Tom Jones to woo Marge in an early season installment, evilly strokes a cat, and giggles and giggles. Every giggle more maniacally villainous than the last. When Lily makes not of it, he appreciatively says “She gets me,” which, again, is a fine twist on a known cliché. It’s all going less than swimmingly until Burns does his princess cake dance, singingly wonderfully like Gypsy Rose Lee, “and his cardiologist makes three.” It is a grand move, but an anticlimactic ending.

The transition feels like a shortcut even though Homer gets to say “I hear you and I almost understand you” to Lily, which makes up for it. That and his admission that he specializes in saving people from trouble he gets them into. The climax almost comes when Lily asks for a damn proper kiss. Even though he and Ned got married in Las Vegas a few seasons ago, Homer has always maintained himself at unsafe distances. But the one element this almost-incident is subliminal. Lily says he’ll see her in his dreams, and the suggestible Homer takes it to an extreme and surreal level. Although his first concern is his dreams are where he keeps all his stuff.

Homer is very suggestible. Listen to how he routinely repeats every succulent description of any food mentioned on the show. He is a Pavlovian poster boy, the way he drools at the mere mention of even an appetizer. This actually gives the moral battle some suspense. It’s The Simpsons, and while we know the dilemma probably won’t go in that direction, the series finds another inroad to conflict.

On the vacation, Bart gets sick, which leads him to give a good take to a forced joke. When Marge asks if he’d like to watch “Itchy and Scratchy,” he moans, “I am itchy and scratchy.” Between this, the cobblestone roads which are torturing Maggie in her stroller, and the high costs of tourist traps, Marge decides to come home early. For an animated series, The Simpsons does a good job at skirting a delicate situation confined to a home. The unspoken conflict culminates when Homer actually makes an excuse to take a cell call. From a marketer, no less. You know how sensitive they are. The whole scene is actually played down, which adds tension.

The seduction comes down to who can more appetizingly sing about pork chops. Whether kindness, children and a true soulmate overrules the Mary Poppins of the barfly crowd, or if the whole thing can be written off for the chance to watch hot dogs spin at a stand. Homer is not a complicated man, but he is a big one, filled with fried food and heartbreak. Homer makes amends, but he is blameless because he is clueless. This usually works for him, as his cluelessness is his one great superpower. It’s saved him from an unknown quantity of calamity.

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In the past, Homer was more self-conscious of the temptations. He really isn’t a witting partner tonight. He almost exhibits a thoughtful obstinacy, it takes so long to register. This robs the episode of friction, and tips the balance. It turns Lily into more of a predator than she needs to be, but it also makes it all the more predictable. “The 7 Beer Itch” is loaded with funny lines and sight gags, but it doesn’t cover up how many times they’ve given us this premise. They can dress it up with a British accent, but it offers a performus interruptus payoff.

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