#variable barricade review

[lunas-otome-blog]

Luna's Review: Variable Barricade

Official Summary:

Hibari is the sole heir to her family’s fortune. Her grandfather is determined to find her a husband. He houses her in a luxurious home with handsome bachelors. As the men try to win her hand, Hibari endures endless trials and temptations. Has Grandpa chosen poorly, or is there more to these men than meets the eye? Hibari decides NOT to fall in love.

Luna's Thoughts (Spoiler Free)

Variable Barricade is a fairly straightforward plot, which isn't a bad thing. Sometimes you just wanna watch a socially-inept tsundere girl fall in love, right?

Hibari is a fun protagonist right off the bat, because she is, at heart, a total failgirl. A lot of otoge protagonists are just kind of generic try-hard heroines, but with Hibari, she starts off a total loser with only a single friend outside of her butler. She seems dignified at first but is quickly revealed to be socially isolated and completely unable to even go outside alone. When given the chance for friendship, she makes a complete fool of herself. We get to see her develop alongside her romantic interests and enjoy how they influence her in different ways. She's so pathetic that it's cute.

The real MVP of this game is her only friend Tsumugi, who serves as the audience surrogate as she tries to ship Hibari with...well, anyone, really. She's an otaku and a gothic lolita, and most importantly, she loves Hibari for who she is and just wants what's best for her.

Something I really loved about this game is how the suitors develop friendships of their own. They're competing for Hibari's affections, yes, but they support each other as well, and actually encourage Hibari to be affectionate with the other suitors of they've earned it. You can tell they all actually do like Hibari and each other, and are willing to give up if it means happiness for her and someone else.

It's not a flawless game. There are a few routes that I didn't love, some abuse references that aren't given the attention they deserve, and definitely a few unhealthy tropes and questionable morals. There's also not a lot of attention given to the "red flags" of each suitor outlined in the common route, which seemed like they were going to be the core of the game. But I ultimately loved the cast of fun characters and snappy dialogue.

While this isn't the deepest or richest plotline available in the otoge market, Variable Barricade is a fun game that plays out like an anime, with lots of attention given to each character, including side characters. The art is eye-catching and consistent, the pacing is decent and relationships develop naturally as Hibari lets down her guard around her new friends.

Please find below my thoughts on the character routes in the order I played them. Spoilers abound.

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Shion Route (Spoilers)

As per usual, I picked the character I liked least during the common route to start with. This was a good choice, as I think Shion's route was the biggest misstep in this game.

This isn't due to the route itself, which was decently paced, if not a bit repetitive — they go back to the same art museum three times, for example, and Hibari gets tricked by a child twice in a row. No, my issues with this route are more about the morality of it.

Shion is a "kept man," which is a term I had never heard before this game. He basically has lived his adult life with sugar daddies, doesn't work and has always had his needs attended to with other peoples' money. Nobody except Hibari and her butler seem to think this is a problem. (Side note: as this was the first route I played, I figured Kasuga would dislike all her suitors, but no, it's only Shion, which is hilarious.)

Shion's role in the game is to show Hibari that it's ok to make choices for herself sometimes, rather than always considering what's best for her family name, which our heiress protagonist struggles with. There's a scene in which Hibari is running herself ragged for a thing at school, and while all the other boys try to get her to take time off, Shion seems to understand that Hibari won't listen. Instead, he offers his support by spritzing her hair with calming scented spray, and letting her know he's there for her. It was rather sweet.

However, it was difficult for me to sympathize with Shion because he truly believes he doesn't need to work. For every patron he had, Shion allegedly provided a "service," whether that be to serve as eye candy or just a friend. He believes that belonging to someone is as good as a job. I know that Hibari is an heiress and anyone she marries won't need to work, but man, as someone who isn't wealthy, this is such a weird thing to buy into lmao.

In his scenes away from Hibari, we find out Shion wants to free Hibari from the chains of her family name. Allegedly he falls in love with her along the way, but it never felt like he actually loved her. It was more like he wanted to find someone he could live for exclusively, because nobody has ever actually needed him for an extended period of time. It felt like there were a bunch of psychological issues that just weren't addressed at all.

Also, while he says he'll be whatever Hibari needs, he actually doesn't cook or clean or do anything he doesn't feel like. So he's not even good enough to be considered a house husband. He's also shown to be standoffish to anyone who isn't Hibari. Not exactly a good trait for someone who's supposed to be the spouse of the head of the Tojo family.

Shion's route would have been better if he had been more vulnerable. Instead, he directly admits to manipulating Hibari. When she tells him to get a job, he does so — not because he wants to work hard for her, but because he wants her to feel bad that he's away. He literally tells another character that he wants to make her cry. It was pretty messed up.

Shion's character is also coded like an abuse victim, which is not ever fleshed out. His father abandoned him twice. His patrons continue to send him gifts, even though he doesn't ask for them, and sometimes they even do things like kidnap him. In another route, he implies more than one of his patrons has threatened suicide if Shion tried to leave. None of this is ever treated like a problem.

All in all, Shion's route was just...bizarre. I don't see how the average person would relate to the values conveyed.

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Nayuta Route (Spoilers)

I was really interested in Nayuta's route, because while he's a sweet boy, he truly felt like the least romantic option. Hibari says more than once that she views him as more of a puppy than a human. I was excited to see how he would become a man in her eyes. But I was surprised when the route took the opposite turn, and it's Hibari who falls for him first.

Nayuta, it turns out, was entirely sincere is his desire to protect Hibari, as he comes from a family of security workers. He met Hibari once when working a part time job and decided she was his ideal client due to her strong sense of justice. This is also when he developed his weird fetish for being stepped on, which is hilarious and also somewhat plot relevant.

Nayuta is able to switch into bodyguard mode when he's working, and while he's very cool, Hibari finds herself missing the casual, cheery Nayuta, while also falling in love with the mature Nayuta who protects her. But Nayuta never actually considered himself a candidate for her groom — he literally just wants to be her bodyguard.

This is a very different route from Shion's route, in a good way. Where Shion spent the entire route manipulating Hibari into needing him, Nayuta is able to prove he's an asset simply by doing. The romance developed naturally and I enjoyed learning the backstory and motivations of who I originally thought would be a simple character.

I did wonder where the "walking debt machine" plot went. It's completely irrelevant beyond the common route so it seemed weird to even mention it at the beginning.

The second half of this route was pretty predictable, with Nayuta stupidly misinterpreting his own feelings and Hibari sulking about it. The ending scenes are wild, silly and dramatic in a Power Rangers sort of way.

While it was a fairly predictable end to the route, it was fun and felt fitting for a boy like Nayuta who, in the end, just wanted to be Hibari's hero. Of the four suitors, this was my favorite route.

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Taiga Route (Spoilers)

I didn't love Taiga at the start of the common route. Abrasive and rude with an alleged gambling problem, there didn't seem to be any positives to him. But by the end of the common route, you learn he's a good kid with an allegiance to orphaned children. He works hard and doesn't want to rely on others.

Before his route, Taiga actually shined the most for me on the Shion and Nayuta routes. He is shown to be extremely mature in his decisions and seems to have a deep grasp on others' emotions and motivations. You really can't judge a book by its cover.

Of course, upon playing his route, you find out there's a reason he's so observant and never treated Hibari romantically. Naturally, he starts to fall for her anyway, which was cute. You gotta love the tsundere x tsundere dynamic. And I loved how Hibari's grandfather is friends with Taiga and ships him with his granddaughter.

The first half of his route was a little too pervy for me, even if the perviness was played up because Taiga was trying convince the other boys he wasn't a threat. But eventually he declares himself a proper marriage candidate and most of that goes away.

However, Taiga pretty much immediately changes his tune after he decides to pursue Hibari. Once it becomes obvious she's into him, he gets cold feet and decides to give up. The rest of the route is somewhat predictable, but I still enjoyed watching Hibari and Taiga figure out the intricacies of how to treat one another.

I will say the pacing of this route was not great. I don't get why Taiga declared himself a candidate, only to very quickly decide to quit participating. The route would have been a whole lot smoother if he'd just never said anything in the first place. Maybe the point was to show how wishy-washy he is, but it just made the pacing feel weird. The gambling addiction is briefly addressed in the first half as well, but is never treated like a big deal, making me wonder why it was brought up in the first place.

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Ichiya Route (Spoilers)

Ichiya is the flirty character of this game, which is a trope I don't love, so I thought I would hate him. I didn't like him very much in most of the common route. But his level one board reveals that he is actually a complete failboy, and I love that for him. In his route, there's a scene of him crying under a sheet and when I saw it I thought "He's so lame. I love him SO much."

Ichiya's route was a little topsy turvy, and a bit more meta than I expected. There's some overarching commentary about falling in love that felt really self-aware for an otoge. The first part of the route is mostly about Ichiya realizing that his method of attracting women is flawed. He does some stupid stuff and it takes Hibari getting furious for him to realize he needs to cool it.

The second half of the route, however, lacks a clear narrative. It starts off with Ichiya's twin brother revealing himself (even though we already knew who it was), setting up for a twin vs. twin dynamic.

I never knew how I was supposed to feel about Kazuya, because it's left ambiguous as to whether he's just inept at expressing himself or a cold, calculating bastard. You're supposed to believe he was an absolute jerk the entire route, only at the end for him to say "jk, I was just mad at you for walking out on me so I was having a little fun." Then he says he really was pursuing HIbari after all. I don't understand if I'm meant to like him or not.

This route could have done with some tightening up, because it felt like four or five mini arcs rather than a consistent plot. However, it was refreshing to see a realistic view of love. When Hibari asks why it has to be her, Ichiya is unable to answer, and in the end, he still isn't. He tells her honestly that just because there are other people he could have fallen for, that doesn't make his feelings any less valid. And Hibari realizes that's good enough.

Rather than try and force some sort of soulmates plot, Ichiya's route is more about finding happiness with another person in a realistic way. I actually appreciated that a lot.

The thing that really upset me about this route is how Ichiya threatens suicide if Hibari doesn't choose him. That is a classic abuse tactic, and it felt very weird and gross, even if he only did it because Kasuga suggested it. It was an icky, manipulative way to end what was otherwise a decent route.

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True Route (Light Spoilers)

I knew as soon as I started the game who the true end would be focused on. But I can promise you, whatever you're expecting from the true end, it's wrong. The true end of "Variable Barricade" is not a romance route and does not provide a satisfactory end to the game.

It does clarify some of the overlying mysteries of the series, like what happened to Hibari's parents and how she developed into such a failgirl. But I was NOT expecting the major twist of this route, even though looking back, there was one fairly obvious sign.

The true route felt like someone jumping out behind a corner and yelling "gotcha!" It accomplishes absolutely nothing and left a bad taste in my mouth. What a letdown.

[hellcatinnc]

Variable Barricade Review

Contains Spoilers

So first off this game right out the bat was cute looking and I was looking forward to it since I kept reading it was like a rom-com and sometimes its nice to step away from the darker otome's or even the more in depth or sexual ones so this was a nice change. (however its not all light and fluffy but still loved it). I was confused when I started it and jumped right into choosing a rose to one of the guys and was married and done with the game I was like WHAT??? So I tried this again with each guy same out come different response of course.

That being said I was like guess thats not how you choose the route you want so I had to restart over and this time try to get to know the guys not pick anyone. So out the door after being introduced to them all my favorites in order were Ichiya Mitsumori, Shion Mayuzumi, Taiga Isurugi & Nayuta Yagami. From here on out I will be putting them in order of how I ended up loving them in the end that was just my starting order and how I played it out as well. That being said I will review each love interest below of things I thought of them and it will include spoilers. The little game board they use of each final ending is adorable and such a nice twist unlike most otome games.

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Ichiya Mitsumori

The MC always seemed to be hateful to him in the beginning and I hated that because I usually love the flirty guy so I did like him. Like this is the guy who puts it all out there he does go over board in the beginning I say that because his words of admiration are of something that would be after you have known someone for a bit where his is the day he meets her on out. I do hate though that he thinks women need to eat such small portions I mean like he doesn't want them to gain weight.

Ok on to my thoughts after I played his route they so changed I love him more than ever now. Like I can't for the life of me imagine why women are stupid and have walked away from him. Don't get me wrong I love a flirty man and he does over do it but then I saw him break down and in tears and tears started streaming from my eyes when he said he just wanted to love someone and be loved in return. This man soared to the top of my list I could relate and feel his raw emotion that made no one else matter anymore.

Honestly I felt like the mc was so mean to him for so long until he admitted he couldn't live without her and wanted to die if she didn't love him. I broke down so many times for this man and I saw his geniuses even before she did. Alot of the remarks she made along the way pissed me off this man is a sweetheart who honestly I now want to just hug and hold him and tell him everything will be ok. This is going to be one of them men my heart wants to protect. That being said he was a great character and love interest from flirt, to low self esteem which made him feel more real to a man who wasn't eventually afraid to cry in front of a woman with a man who is willing to die for someone than live without her as well as the one I love most a man who honestly wanted a soulmate someone to love him like he loves her.

I was irritated how his sexual assault that happened in his fake marriage mess. He was stripped down naked and drugged no matter what he lied about etc this was not ok. It obviously really messed up Ichiya as you see in his emotional status later. I am a rape victim this mess can cause some real PTSD. Poor Ichiya I can relate all too well. I'm just glad they never showed the CG picture of anything more than him laying on the bed out of it clothes with just his shirt unbuttoned. Still definitely a trigger warning for some. I found it wasn't my trigger this time but I could relate to his character the most.

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Shion Mayuzumi

There is something sweet about this man from the start. Like I know he is supposed to be the lazy one but who wouldn't let someone else do the work if they offered to take it off your hands. Does that really make him lazy if people jump to do things for him? Anyways I like how sweet he can be at times. He can come off as lazy the longer you get to know him but the only thing I don't like is he always talks about beauty being what matters thats like saying if your not beautiful then he will lose interest. What about when you grow old and your not so beautiful anymore will he still be around.

As time went on I got to see the sides of him and its not beauty that he revolves around because he loves habari with everything he has. The sweetness he gives her and how he gently holds her not expecting anything in return. He would listen to her fears, her wants, and her rants without thinking twice. He was never once disrespectful to her and he always put her first. Now don't get me wrong I can't say I truly agree with how he handled saying he wanted to see her cry however I also understand it. He wanted her to realize more to life than her status and what people want of her. He wanted her to realize she loved him as much as he loved her.

He is a very genuine soul and as you get to see his romantic side of the sweet words he says to her even when he confesses his love for her is absolutely beautiful. The way it ends the main story and how he admits he was possessive and didn't want to share his first kiss with the world I liked that side of him. He has a jealous streak down deep when he is in love with someone and that I can respect. Honestly I was really surprised with his words of her being his sleeping beauty and him being the prince. It really was a beautiful love story to watch them fall in love.

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Taiga Isurugi

So in the beginning I wasn't going to choose him first but damn I'm a sucker for the Tsundere types so before I knew it I was deep into his story. He has a sweet back story even though it is also sad. He was a orphan however he is the man he is because he considers them his family. He is always there to put Habari in her place when she gets to high up and stuck up with being rich. That becomes not only funny but you also see how she gets close to him and she makes him even fall. Even though he wasn't supposed to be a suitor and just helping out her grandfather it was adorable how he switched up and told her he was going to romance her like hell. The cute date moments and the telling her she turned him on all these parts are just a great side of this character. He is funny, sweet, smartass, and a all around great love interest that will keep you on your feet. Even when he first tells her he loves her its in the middle of a knock down drag out fight. They push each other to the extreme until they express how they feel.

They are the couple that would have yelling matches just to say sweet things to each. Its not really toxic because most times its just squabbles they only have one real fight but he does tease her often. He has some insecurities that makes him think she will leave him once she really gets to know him. He hurt her along the way but he apologized and has done everything he can to try to make up for that. He is such a real character its almost like seeing a every day love story with these too its not the happy ending like most with everything being perfect they still bicker at each other but they are both happy. I also thought was sweet the rest of the guys stopped perusing her when they realized she loved Taiga and went out of their way to comfort her and try to get them back together. The last part of the game where he writes his name on her hand then teases the guys that his name is on her she is his was priceless.

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Nayuta Yagami

He is cute but he is so annoying to me like I can't stand a guy who wants to be practically a slave to you and be treated badly honestly he sounds like he wants to be her bitch and have her use and abuse him. I really feel like he is into some kinky shit with that. I wanted to go back and do his route and probably will at some point and when I do I will probably write a more in depth review. I tried several times to do his route and I need a husband in the game not a pet he is sweet but honestly I can't imagine why any woman would want what he gives in a man just go buy a dog and be done with it just as loyal.

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Kasuga/Tsubame

Not gonna lie I know he isn't all that attractive and he isn't a love interest but I felt like from the very beginning he was in love with her. I feel like she trusted him enough if she had gotten off her high horse I think she would have realized he was good for her. Sadly the status of him being a servant would have never worked for her grandfather. Then when you see this man out in public one day shown above damn Kasuga got hot!!

Anyways he was another one that was a bit hot and cold for me although I did like him for the most part and his love for hibari was genuine. However even though I have yet to play Nayuta route I read online he is her brother. I was like are you serious I would have killed for a route with them. Its funny though cause I had to go back to the common route to see if I misread the love between them. I honestly still feel like he has yes been there her whole life but to me his jealousy at times is something that makes me feel like he is in love with her but would rather her be happy so he will step back for her sake.

I mean would it really be the first brother in anime/otome that was in love with their sister or visa versa. Anyways they could always do a route for him finding out where he thought he was her brother he was only adopted or something. Anyways unless its in Nayuta's route I don't understand why he would be her butler and not just her brother the whole time. Shit this will be what makes me go back and play his route soon as my heart is mended.

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Kazu/Kazuya

Well this man was a refreshing touch to the game I really enjoyed his smile and his actions in itself. Saving the MC was so sweet and I don't know there was something sweet about him from the start that I really liked.

Ok those were my feelings until I saw him in Ichiya's route and OMG he became a ass in 5 seconds. Even though I wouldn't mind seeing him as a love route fuck that he was a total dick to Ichiya and it kind of pissed me off.

After finishing the game my last thoughts and yes he has me wishy washy through the whole game so this is why its back and fourth. In the end I realized he did love his brother and wanted him and hibari to actually be together. He rooted them on in his own way while challenging his brother. When he thought his brother might kill himself he was right there and is already looking at hibari as his sister in law. All in all maybe he is a genuine guy just he is a workaholic and that part of him comes first the more serious side of him.

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I still need to do the after story of all of them so i might do Nayuto's then. Ichiya took alot out of me so for now will be stepping away from this game but still love it. I will definitely be back but because I love them all so much I don't want to say goodbye forever. I know I'm probably weird but this way I know I have to come back to it as I have code realize, amnesia and more this is my way to need these men in my life again. This is now one of my favorite games.

[nintendowife]

Nintendo Switch Year in Review is here again courtesy of Nintendo. It compiles my Switch play data between 01.01.2022 and 30.11.2022 and squeezes it into an infographic. 

Most played: 

Variable Barricade (65 hours played)

Pokémon Violet (59 hours played)

Triangle Strategy (55 hours played)

Played right after release: 

Pokémon Violet

Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation

Pokémon Legends: Arceus

Played for 3 or more years: 

Jump Rope Challenge

Fitness Boxing 2: Rhythm & Exercise

Fitness Boxing (Played the longest consecutively)

Favorite genres: 

Adventure 32%

RPG 28%

Training 12%

Sports 10%

Strategy 9%

Music 9%

Unfortunately the data didn’t include the total hours played on Switch this year. Interesting report nevertheless. I really like these type of statistics.

[xcerizex]

Lovebrush Chronicles: Godheim Review

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My very long, informal, and definitely biased review. This will contain minor spoilers for the Godheim arc only so take caution. This review is also only limited to the Godheim series so there will be no overall thoughts on the game itself. I followed Otome Kitten's format and I really hope it helps out any beginners to LBC.

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ART:

I found the art very pretty and was extremely glad to see that they did not skip out on giving us CGs either! The sprites all looked good, but I personally have some issues with Lars' outfit (the orange did not look good on you sweetie ���).

Not all CGs are drawn by the same artist however, which may be off putting for some. The total count number of proper CG's for each route (not including common route) boils down to around 4-5, so that also may be a pet peeve for some.

On another note, there are also mini CG's which appear as small boxes, whether you consider it as an actual CG is up to you. Personally, I enjoyed the roles they played towards aiding the narrative.

Unrelated note, I'm banging on the floor crying and wondering who the hell did Ayn's CGs (the one where he was cleaning his sword was my absolute favorite 😍) and why didn't they come back.

MUSIC:

If there's one aspect of the game that I shall praise to the ends of the earth, it's the music.

Colour me shocked when I listened to the intricate and deep soundtracks for the first time, they just took my breath away! There were many gorgeous orchestral scores that depicted the fantasy setting perfectly. Not to mention the battle ost's which had more effort put into them than necessary.

My personal favorite OST's would be the "River's End", and "Starry Sky", which plays the same tune as the OP song you hear when you log onto the game. It's honestly so iconic. 😭👌

Opening theme:

VOICE ACTING:

I was absolutely flummoxed by the stacked japanese voice cast, which all included extremely famous seiyuus from the otome industry:

1. Ayn Alwyn

[JP VA: KENN]: Shelby Snail (Cupid Parasite), Yukimaro (9R.I.P), Limbo (Bustfellows)

2. Alkaid McGrath

[JP VA: Tachibana Shinnosuke]: Seiya (9R.I.P), Henri (Piofiore), Rafayel (Love and Deepspace)

3. Lars Rorschach

[JP VA: Junichi Suwabe]: Artem (Tears of Themis), Van Helsing (Code: Realize), Sukuna (Jujutsu Kaisen)

4. Clarence Clayden

[JP VA: Kosuke Toriumi]: Rei Mukuni (CollarXMalice), Ichiya (Variable Barricade), Chojiro (Nightshade)

5. Cael Anselm

[JP VA: Daisuke Hirakawa]: Saint Germain (Code: Realize), Tower Overlord (Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk), Lucas Proust (Virche Evermore)

COMMON ROUTE:

To my delight, the pacing was done very well. Nothing was dragged out and the introduction to the overall plot of the game was well established minus a certain plot point which definitely could have benefited better by being introduced in the common route itself.

I didn't really expect it to turn out as dark as it did however. The common route + modern prologue took me around a total estimation of more than 4 hours but in reality the prologue itself shouldn't take that long at all.

ROUTE ORDER:

Once you've completed the common route, you are given the option to start either Ayn's or Alkaid's route. After you've completed both, Lars' route is unlocked. And once you've finished all three routes, Clarence's route unlocks as the grand finale.

This was my personal playthrough and I wouldn't have changed it if given the chance. I believe it had the best flow of story progression. Though that was mainly because I wouldn't have enjoyed Alkaid's route as much if I'd played Ayn's first:

Alkaid = Ayn = Lars = Clarence

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AYN ALWYN:

- Crown Prince of Godheim

- Tsundere

- Sweet tooth ❤️

Ayn is Lars's cousin, but you soon find out that there is not a hint of familial love between them. He shows up as a mysterious figure during the common route and portrays a conflicting character, making the heroine unsure of his standing. While he appears blunt and crude, he is a determined young man who's sworn vengeance, and with an unexpected love for sweets.

Ayn's route in my opinion had the best consistent pacing as well as romance. I did find the romance somewhat abrupt early in the story, but the strong chemistry between him and the heroine more than made up for it! 🥰 It was just so enjoyable to watch them banter with one another and watching them just click.

I enjoyed the storyline for this route a lot and I think it had something to do with the fact that Ayn's route provided a different perspective in comparison to the others. In this route, we learn more about the the political situation surrounding Godheim and the royal family.

I also loved Ayn as a character, and not unexpectedly became my oshi ❤️.I do think a lot of people will enjoy him as a love interest. His route also has a wee bit of spice 👀, so for y'all thirsty gamers be sure to savor it slowly, as it's the only bit of spice we're getting here lmao. I did find some of his actions, mostly in the bad ends, to be OOC, but I easily brushed it off seeing as how much I liked him.

ALKAID MCGRATH:

- Member of the Noventrate

- Good, sweet boi

- Tea

Devoted and caring, Alkaid is the mage assigned to guard the heroine during her stay in Godheim. He's always expressing his concern for the heroine and will do anything to help her, even if it means betraying his mission.

Alkaid is the character who the heroine interacts the most during the common route. His romance with the heroine was sweet, even if it did feel way over the top in it's initial stages when I first played it. But once I got to learn more about him, I realized that he truly just wanted the best for the heroine, romantic feelings aside. 🥺

The route was fine. But I personally wasn't the biggest fan of the direction (?) it took on halfway. Some parts of it felt irrational to me and didn't really feel like it had any real relevance to its own story.

On another note, Alkaid is such a dreamy man. 😩 I adore just how respectful of a man he is in general (women respect juice, bottoms up!), and it was so sweet how attentive he was in making sure the heroine was always out of harm's way. I guess you could say he was someone akin to a hero in fairytales.

LARS RORSCHACH:

- Emperor of Godheim

- Good at combing hair 🥰

- That chest doe 👀

Known as the "Tyrant Emperor" from the heroine's manga, he immediately sweeps her off her feet, claiming her as his bride the moment she first arrived at Godheim. While his initial impression was flirty and playful, he lives up to his name as a cold-blooded tyrant. For some aspects at least.

His route focused more on the Silver Knight, which was the main (and wrong) reason why I enjoyed his route so much! 😆 On that note, I think that the writers had a bone to pick with Lars. They just had to force him to share the spotlight with an intriguing side character lmfao. The route itself was paced and executed well for the majority, but the quality of the writing towards the end was slightly skewered.

But to be honest, I quite enjoyed Lars a lot as a character, rather than a love interest. It was interesting to see the conditions surrounding his birth as a tyrant and his motivations for his questionable actions.

That's not to say that the romance wasn't enjoyable. I actually quite liked the relationship between him and the heroine. I found some moments they shared together really sweet. I also adored the development of Lars' feelings, and you can see just how important the heroine's existence was to him at the end of the route.

Though I guess I would have found the romance more believable if the heroine articulated her feelings for Lars more. I found it difficult to see the romance from her side. In short, the romance wasn't it's strongest point.

Clarence Clayden:

- Godheim's Archmage

- Get the tissues

- I've never been the same since...

Clarence has somewhat poised himself as an antagonist, only giving leeway in Lars' route. Distant and cold, he is stubborn in wanting to use the heroine for his goal and is willing to sacrifice anything to achieve it.

This route was an emotional rollercoaster. It broke me down, dumped my heart 6ft underground, trampled on its grave, and then some. It left me broken for a whole week for real goodness gracious...😭

This route can probably considered the "True Route", seeing as how it tackles the problem straight on unlike in other routes. The pacing slows down a little bit for a few chapters, but once it picked itself back up, it picked up HARD.

Now let's get to the romance. Out of all routes, some may say it had the least sugary romance, and a part of me agrees. But do igaf? No! ❤️Clarence turned out to be such a longingly sweet character and despite all the harm and pain he's done, I have no qualms in forgiving him and wanting to love him with all my heart🥺, as does the heroine.

I honestly don't want to say too much as it may ruin the experience. I went into this route completely blind and boy was I glad. All I can say that this route was the most popular out of all the routes for good reason. Got me playing up to 2 am with no regrets.😆😭

CAEL ANSELM:

- The Silver Knight

- The bias wrecker

- The sus

- He ruined me...

He is known in Godheim as the Silver Knight as well as the leader of the Rebellion. Decisive and apathetic, the heroine is unable to affect him emotionally in any form.🤡

Cael does not have an actual route, but a personal story, labeled as Expedition from his POV which may serve as an epilogue to the Godheim series. In his story, any unanswered questions are explained here, as well as the many actions he took that did not make it on screen.

If this wasn't a review I'd spend one whole section brainrotting about him so be grateful I'm trying to keep this short. 😅 Cael is a surprisingly interesting character by nature and it was very liberating to finally get a glimpse of his true feelings and thoughts throughout the heroine's journey in Godheim.

I'm scared to say more in case it may ruin any surprises. In my opinion, I enjoyed his story a LOT! It definitely made me feel depressed and empty in its own way and it hurts my heart to see that he never got a route of his own for reasons I won't get into right now. Absolutely amazing and one of my favorite parts of the Godheim series!

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TRUE EPILOGUE:

Once you've finished all routes, the game will give you the option to choose one "True Ending", wherein you choose one of the boys to have a happily ever after with and by your own accord.

"One can only paint a world in which they believe in." ���

Please note that you can only choose one boy at a time. Your choice will then give you a Pictura based on which boy you choose.

To change your "True Ending", buy the Diadem from the shop to change your choice. You will not receive a different Pictura however.

I think the best thing about these endings were the music.😆 Each soundtrack was unique to each character and drop dead gorgeous to listen to. 😩

HEROINE (LITTLE PAINTER):

- Cheeky

- Anonymous manga author

- Needs a therapist (rly tho)

Despite China's strange attempts at creating self-insert heroines by leaving them nameless, the Little Painter was far from a blank slate! She's extremely relatable when it comes to her reactions and actions. Often times I would react a certain way to something an LI said or did, only for her to do the same thing! 🤣 I guess that could also count as a self-insert personality.

But if there's one thing I admire her greatly for, it would be her drive and determination to save Godheim. Her journey was far from easy and I doubt I could ever stay sane the way she did. Tbh, I didn't like the fact that her sufferings were never truly addressed properly, or rather, professionally ig?

I also found her quick adaptation and flexibility to her new environment extremely impressive. That goes the same to the way she wielded her powers for the first time. And how she grew stronger to go head to toe with even Clarence in his own route! You👏 Go👏Get👏 Em👏 Girl!

That said, she's not perfect. Some people found her to pushy and annoying though I personally found it okay. I was really glad how she didn't force herself to tolerate any crap and got that anger out rightfully.😆 (Asmoran deserved it...)

_________________________________________

Final Thoughts:

I have enjoyed my journey immensely! The whole premise and setting drew me in, and I was surprised with the impressive narration which absolutely pummeled me to the ground (mostly on Clarence's route and no I'm not shutting up abt that).

The localization was also really superb? Yes it had a few typos + mistakes here and there, but they really pulled out all the stops when it came to making the dialogue natural and relatable. Not to mention a few large words that even I don't understand. 😂

It's not without it's imperfections of course. There are definitely some issues with the writing. And if you're looking for heavy romance or even fluff, Godheim is not the place to go to. 😅

Playing the Godheim arc took me about a week-ish, considering I had to level up and such. It may be a tedious process for some, but for me, it was an iron gate which I violently shook every day, screaming for the next chapter.

All in all, it's definitely worth playing! You don't lose much anyway considering it's free, so just give it a try. You can always drop it if you don't like it. My rating for this game is also very much biased and should not be taken seriously:

8/10

[elinciarune]

So I have been slowly but surely playing variable barricade and have been able to finish the common route and Nayuta’s route after a couple of months, and now I want to write everything in my mind before moving on completely to Shion XD

Possible spoilers ahead 🙈

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To sum it up, I have been enjoying this game so much, it is really shaping up to be my favourite otome game! (Sorry Hakuouki you are still special and dear to me, but yeah, I’m being objective here XD)

At first, I was wary and kept my expectations low because the reviews were quite mixed. And I was entering the game assuming it is pure romantic comedy. I won’t lie at the first couple of chapters, the more slice of life-y tone that has some comedy sprinkled left me waiting for the rom-com to kick in Ouran-style, but the moment I appreciated and drilled in the idea that this game is indeed more of a slice of life, character-study kind of story, I immediately started enjoying the common route immensely!

The dialogue is top-notch, the character interactions are so good, and the characters themselves are multi-faceted and feel so real in a good way.

The common route was enjoyable from start to finish, every sentence and piece of dialogue I enjoyed.

Of course, Hibari herself has a huge role to play in this. She was thrusted in a very extreme and difficult situation from her point of view, so every thing she has said or done (including her ‘bratty’ attitude) totally makes sense and perfectly portray a 17 yr old teenager.

Plus she’s cute, really really cute, protect my baby at all cost 😤

So yeah overall I have been hooked😆🤝

Now for Nayuta’s route, I like genki, himbo guys so was looking forward to his route, and it perfectly delivered. I like how in the beginning, Hibari, as a way to work upon making sense of her choice of him, creates this scenario of him being her guardian and acts like a typical teenage girl who falls in love, and despite this shattering because of how oblivious and one track minded he is, her pursuing of him actually caused a huge ripple in his very straightforward simplistic world, where he sets on one thing and clings unto achieving it despite everything else.

That gets me to the fact that he was described as ‘selfish’. Which was a really interesting way to describe him. And yeah that one track mindedness of his and straightforwardness makes him put his own desires first and foremost and in a way he is ‘selfish’. But interestingly, as I said, the ripple caused by Hibari led to him gradually maturing in a way that uses such straightforward and ‘selfish’ thinking in a way that is more balanced.

In fact, I think him being ‘selfish’ is not bad at all! It means that his desires, when being directed towards becoming better and to also be and support those whom he loves, is actually much more better than a ‘selfless’ person who might put societies needs above theirs and would consequently get hurt or even hurt those around them.

So as his route progresses, I liked how he gradually started cherishing Hibari as someone dear to him for personal reasons, not idealistic ones, and he redirected his guardian skills in a way that made him perceptive of Hibari’s needs and compared to the beginning of the route, he became much more understanding.

By the end, the same one track mindedness that is an inherent part of his personality as well as the ‘selfishness’ became the drive for him to fulfil his desire to help Hibari and to be with her.

So 10/10 XD

Now to continue Shion 🤌

[dreamieotome]

Taking A Break From

MLQC - I feel I am so behind on the story and I’m so confused on the plot. I am dreading jumping back into it :’)

Mystic Messenger - I played through all the routes and then i lost my account RIP LOL so I’m trying to slowly restart it and get all the endings (I’m a completionist)

LoveUnholyc - I love prettybusy but by god they have such unfriendly UI and game mechanics like trying to play the game actually gives me mental damage. I’ve finished Hi’s route.

Ikevil - I started it on release day but none of the possible love interests... well.. interested me. So I'm gonna wait until there's one for me to sink my teeth into

Finished/Dropped

A3! (company discontinued the EN version)

Amnesia: Memories

Ayakashi Romance Reborn

Cindrella Phenomenon

Collar X Malice

Cupid Parasite

Ikemen Revolution

Ikemen Sengoku

Ikemen Vampire (on my knees for Arthur)

JackJeanne

Lover Pretend

Midnight Cinderella

Mystic Code

My Candy Love

Nameless: The One Thing You Must Recall

Olympia Soiree

Obey Me! (dropped bc I dont like the company LOL i still have a soft spot for some of the characters tho)

Paradigm Paradox

Princess of The Moon

Star Project

SWD: Blood In Roses

SWD: Destiny Ninja 2+

SWD: Guard Me, Sherlock!

SWD: Lost Island

SWD: Lost Alice+

SWD: Modern Cinderella

SWD: The Niflheim

SWD: Wizardess Heart+ (I... have so many feelings about this one)

Tengoku Struggle: Strayside

Variable Barricade

Wannabe Challenge (dropped)

I swear I must have played ALL of the Shall We Date series lmao

I will eventually make individual posts reviewing all of them bc I have. Thoughts™ . Especially with games that don't have much media presence online. Many people worked hard on them, and I think they deserve to be remembered (even if they're terrible) (looking at you, Princess of the Moon) (what the fuck was that)

[loosesodamarble]

14 and 19 for the ask game?

Oooooohhhhhhhh~! Thank you for asking, Anon~!

14) Exceeded expectations

Thank you for asking this one, Anon! Because the games that exceeded my expectations are fun ones!

So one of the games that went beyond what I thought they would give me is Variable Barricade~!

I bought Variable Barricade on a whim while buying other otomes to add to my library. I read a non-spoiler review, saw some art, and thought it would be a very light rom-com sort of otome. Something to balance out darker stuff like Collar x Malice and Piofiore.

It turned out that the men were more than just quirky, they were fucking dumpster fires and weirdos! Each one approaches life differently and is flawed in that way. I’ve only played one route through to completion and while the guy wasn’t my favorite, he is still highly entertaining. It’s honestly a lot of fun playing the game and seeing the clash of personalities and thought processes of each character. The main character Hibari is stubborn and harsh at times (which apparently gets her flack from a Japanese audience but has endeared her to the West from what I’ve gathered), but deep down she’s a person who wants to find a worthwhile love. I love seeing her struggle to understand her suitors, help them change, and open herself up to optimism and romance.

There are some more intense subject matter in a couple routes which are handled… not the best.

But VariBarri is still very amazing. And it blew away the mediocre expectations I had for it going in. The art is gorgeous. The characters are engaging. The story arcs had me hooked. And I loved many of the twists and surprises.

19) Favorite villain/conflict

Before I answer, I must make it clear that I will be discussing spoilers of a game so…

Spoilers for Cafe Enchante! Proceed with caution if you don’t want to be spoiled for the dating sim Cafe Enchante!

Anyways!

While not a villain outright, Solitus from Il’s route in Cafe Enchante is one of my favorite villains.

He’s really more an antagonistic force than villain. God is the real villain of the route but God isn’t as cool or memorable as Solitus. Solitus has this deep bond of devotion with Il and it’s heartbreaking to see the lengths he’d go for his (non-romantic) partner. He can be mean with how he explains aspects of Il’s existence. But he gets redeemed in the end because it’s made clear that the whole time, he cared and was hurting from missing his friend.

Solitus doesn’t get a lot of focus outside of Il’s route but he gets enough attention when he does show up that I got attached real quick and enjoy his story, even if he acts against the heroes for most of the route.

[mythicamagic]

Otomes I played in 2022

I thought I'd do some quickie reviews of otomes I've played recently such as: Hakuoki, Cupid Parasite, Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly, Sweet Fuse, Taisho Alice, Variable Barricade, Theory of Fear, Diabolik Lovers HDB and MB, Birushana, Ikemen Prince, Ikemen Vampire and Ikemen Sengoku.

Whew, I played more than I thought XD remember all this ranting is just my personal opinion.

Aight so Hakuoki:

For the most part I didn't mesh well with this one. The months in game felt pretty drawn out and slow-paced, and I didn't latch onto any of the characters except for the demons. I'm not entirely sure why. I think I just didn't feel like mc belonged there- and that she was way more invested in the Shinsengumi than they were bothered about her. I did enjoy seeing some historical events play out in Hijikata's route, and I liked seeing Kazama show up to wreck shit. Kazama was great, Kazama gave me a few months of brain rot. I did LOVE the music in this game though, dayme it was beautiful, and it goes without saying but the art style of the CGs were gorgeous. I'm glad I played this one because it's seen as a classic but I didn't personally get the hype sadly. I actually watched a playthrough of a fan-translated spin-off game (SSL) and actually PREFERRED it, despite it being just a comedy game. Whats wrong with me?

Best boy: Kazama

Cupid Parasite

I remember having mixed feelings about this one, it was a mixed bag. Pretty ok! I really liked Allan's route and the voice acting was solid. Art style was interesting but it hurt my eyes after a while XD I think for me I just didn't find much of a 'replayability' factor. I enjoyed it fine, but it won't stay with me as one of the special otomes I love, capisce? I just couldn't stand Gil or Ryuki. Raul was fine and Shelby was fine, so overall it was just 'ok' for me.

Best boy: Allan. Really enjoyed Jupiters voice acting tho (from Yangs VA hehe)

Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly

I remember while playing this game my friend hated its art style but man I LOVED playing this one. It felt really unique in terms of atmosphere, with mystery/suspense elements. It took me back to the earlier days of visual novels because I didn't look up a walkthrough for a bunch of this and it led to a lot of frustration and dead ends, but even that was kind of fun to figure out. Loved its twists and turns and bittersweet moments. I also loved having a voiced heroine with Beniyuri (which was one of my first experiences with the feature) and wish more heroines were voiced. Also this one had a BANGING OP, whooo! Reminded me of early 2000's nostalgia cheese, love it.

Best boy: Hikage and Yamato

Sweet Fuse: At your side

Hi um WHY DOES NO ONE TALK ABOUT THIS OTOME? Yeah I think its a bit of a lost gem but if you have a PS Vita, I totally rec buying this one. It's such a fun ride, and with a great MC to boot. The Love interests in this game were all very unusual and not typical otome pretty boyz but I really enjoyed the way they were written. The groups chemistry was great as well. The age gap thing might bother some people though so keep that in mind before playing. Anyway, the setting and plot reminded me a little of Danganronpa 2 and I had a real fun time with it.

Best boy: Mitarashi

Taisho x Alice

Hooo boy people were excited for this on the otome subreddit. I sat down to try it and...

Well, I didnt think it was possible for an MC to ruin my game experience but here we are. I couldn't stand this game's heroine. Yes I understand why she was written that way, yes I enjoyed some of the guys and the end reveal was unique and impressive- but was it worth suffering through Yurika? Mn...possibly not. She seems to be somewhat divisive though and if you can stomach her 'memeing' and 'I'm not like OTHER GURLS' energy as she twirls, winks with both eyes and shouts to the world that she's SOOOO Quirky guyz- maybe you'll like this game. Thing is, even putting all...that, aside, I didn't like her attitude with Red by invading his personal space, and a certain thing she did in the last route made me incredibly uncomfortable but of course it was brushed aside bc she's the HEROINE GUYS.

Best boy: Ryoushi and lil gremlin man Alice- actually while I'm here, if you can stomach the MC, Alice's VA had probably the best performance I've heard in an otome. He was hilarious- and had super great range

Variable Barricade

Boy I was super hyped for this one, it was probably my most anticipated game of the year. Great art style, great common route, great voice acting...and then the routes went on. I've noticed people seem to share the same sentiment that they usually enjoy the boys routes but then shit hits the fan and the boy is insensitive, the main heroine is too harsh or dumb- the boy LEAVES, the guy is manipulative- point is, something sours the routes and they're hard to recover from. I really liked Hibari as a heroine at first but as the routes went on I was actively wanting her to NOT be in a relationship, as she demonstrated time and again that she just wasn't ready for one. I ended up selling this game as soon as I was done with it, which I feel sad about, because I really wanted to like VB.

Best boy: Taiga

Theory of Fear

I don't know why I played this game. XD I actually played a couple of 'indie' otomes like Trapped with Jester, Blooming Panic and Boyfriend to Death (the latter I wouldn't uh...call an otome...plus it awakened unpleasant revelations that I might be into some disturbing tropes so THANKS for that game. Never have I been more uncomfortable with being asked if I'd prefer a Hammer or Drill)

Anywho, Theory of Fear isn't discussed much. It's this awkward lil game with Russian voice acting you can find on Steam. Very 'this is someone's first fanfic' vibes, rife with sexual assault around every corner. Every time Yuki showed up I was like - oh boy here we go again. I found Sadaos route quite interesting in some ways though due to his way of 'fear exposure' and quite literally exposing the mc to her worst fears and mingling that with pleasure. I dunno, a twisted concept that made my brain itch in a good way. The game is bad no doubt about it and I don't rec it but I at least took something away from it. I really enjoyed Blooming Panic though and would totally rec that any day.

Best boy: Sadao- look don't you JUDGE ME

Diabolik Lovers HDB and MB

In keeping with this trend of dark romance stuff that shouldn't make my brain go brrr but does is Diabolik Lovers. It's not English Translated but with the first two games in the series now on Switch, I used fan translations to play through the games and had a grand ole time. This franchise is only for people who like trash men ok. These boys are awful in every way and quite frankly you can't defend any of their abuse or actions BUT... it's fiction. And if you enjoy your fav VAs whispering degrading things in your ear, moaning and blood-sucking noises (wear headphones for these games oml) then you'll lurve this series like I do. I found myself enjoying Reiji more than I thought I would and Shuu a little less than anticipated, considering I used to love him in my earlier fandom days. Subaru remains the undisputed champ though.

Best boy: Subaru

Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei

This game was aight! Better than Hakuoki in my opinion but I know people will come for my head by saying that lmao. It wasn't a perfect game and holy hell did some battles drag on (hi Benkais route) but it really introduced some unique elements plus the best Rivals/ Enemies to lovers trope I've seen so far in otome with Noritsunes route. I recommend this game just for his route, to be honest. I thought Tomomori would be my favourite but he fell a little short for me.

Best boy: Noritsune and Shigehira

Ongoing- Ikemen Prince, Ikemen Vampire and Ikemen Sengoku

I haven't finished all the routes in these mobile game otomes but yup they're my latest addiction. I'm obsessed.

I think Ikesen is my favourite of the three (I'm not touching Ikerev sorry) because of its writing being stronger in terms of just how fun and lively the world feels. Mc helps in a big way with that, and her chemistry with most of the guys is great to witness. Ikesen's menu layout is defo the worst though and could do with an update.

Ikevamp is aight, I didn't enjoy Comtes route like I thought I would and Leo made me sad but I'm loving Arthurs route, what a good boy. I have no gripes with the layout and the music is cute. I've spent the least amount of money on Ikevamp but still had a great time, which I feel is important if you want to be a free to play player. Also Faust route localisation WHEN?!

Ikepri's layout is the best no contest, everything looks super clean and stylish and the gacha systems are dangerous bc holy hell the cards look so good and pretty. Ikepri has hurt my wallet the most though and I defo feel the most pushed out of all of them to spend money. I think the writing is fine for Ikepri but oddly I enjoy the Events more the Routes themselves?? anyone else feel that way? I like it though, I just need to be stricter on myself not to get sucked into gambling because of it loll

Best girl and light of my life: Ikesen's MC Mai Mizusaki.

Best ikevamp boy: Faust

Ikesen: Mitsuhide or Motonari

Ikepri: Chevalier

[otome-mondays]

Blog Updates

So I felt like making an update to kind of talk about what some plans are with the blog and behind the scenes stuff a bit!

First up, I am working on making a masterlist/masterpost. I have no clue when this will be implemented as I’ve had a weird month with my job and a busy week this last week. It will be up before March hopefully, seeing as there aren’t many posts yet!

Second, I have finally set up a planner so I have a more solid snapshot of when I’m posting what, as well as game accomplishments. Most of this is to help me with future posts for later on. I’m hoping to get to a point where I can have some Mondays with more than one post, but I’m still aiming for a post every Monday.

Next, games: As of writing I am on Vilio’s route for Radiant Tale, Lucas’s route for Virche, and have plans to start Variable Barricade soon. I want to play some other games though, so my time will be a bit more divided. I originally set a goal for me to play an average of one otome title fully a month, but I’m going to ease that goal down to one every other month. I also want to start chipping away at my games backlog in general, so my new goal is one game a month average. There will still be plenty of otome content to last on the blog!

Finally, posts: For February the posting plan is this post here, All Aksys stream thoughts, Amnesia Memories review, Lover Pretend review, and finally Virche Evermore first impressions. I know in March there will be a Radiant Tale review, Virche Evermore review, and Variable Barricade first impressions, but I am not sure of any posts beyond that. Reminder that ask box is open, feel free to ask any questions you’d like! Also feel free to send me posts for games I’ve played (spoilers allowed) or posts for games I am playing (avoid spoilers or ask first on my progress). I’ll most likely reblog it here :)

[otome-corner-cafe]

After completing one character route per game (getting good and bad endings), here are my thoughts on the otomes that I’ve been playing.

These aren’t comprehensive reviews I’m giving but just quick rambles of my thoughts based on just the common route and a single character route per game.

Variable Barricade: Honestly the one that I didn’t put much thought into when I bought it. It was added to my purchase on a whim because the art looked cool and one reviewer’s description of the LIs was weird enough to stick with me. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how the game made me invest in Hibari and the whack job suitors. I think the story progression being cut up into scenes across the barricade boards was well done as it gave me varying chunks of story to read through without anything feeling like it was too short or overstayed it’s welcome. Ichiya as a first route was delightfully wild but I do worry that none of the other men will quite match the energy. But I still have faith that some fun hijinx will be delivered.

Collar x Malice: I ended up liking this game a lot more than expected. And that’s despite a lot of the translation hiccups and the weird name bug within Takeru’s route. The game balanced despair and hope quite well in my opinion. And I do love it when stories can indulge both my desire to see darkness and still lead towards a bright and happy ending. Now I reached Mineo’s tragic ending before resetting my game after encountering the name issue in Takeru’s route so I will touch on both of those. Both romances develop pretty suddenly (when you’ve got less than a month’s timeline to work with, it’s inevitable) but both still made my heart flutter. Though I believe Mineo’s route was done better. I’m also very fond of Ichika who has thus far consistently shown to have kind ideals but doesn’t quite have much experience to guide her but her desire to help gets her through it. I’m very interested to see how the other routes handle the discussion of justice and challenge the characters’ resolves.

Piofiore: Taisho Era Italy game had decently high expectations and lived up to them. I like how the game doesn’t shy away from the brutality of the mafia while still making the LIs seem good (at least for Nicola, Dante, and Gilbert. Jury is out on Yang and Orlok). While I prefer more action oriented girls like Cardia and Ichika, Liliana’s position as an innocent lady suddenly being caught up on the business of the mafia didn’t feel like she was merely a damsel surrounded by men doing all the action. She’s adapting the best she can, asking questions and putting her effort towards showing the people around her kindness. Even though she’s naive to the world, she doesn’t run from it and instead tries to understand it (to varying results in Nicola’s endings). I’m looking forward to the future routes and getting more insight on what the deal is with the church because something is up there.

Cafe Enchante: The game I looked forward to the most and, because of that, the disappointment feels stronger. The cafe setting and the magical LIs got me excited. But that common route… Oof. Granted, Code Realize also has a common route that’s eight chapters long but it didn’t feel nearly as draggy (and I am replaying Code Realize right now so I can very easily compare). And when it came time to actually do a route… the pacing for Kaoru’s was fumbled I feel. I think the route might’ve needed one more chapter to give a little more time for the romance to develop and to prevent some tonal whiplash between that and the… actual plot of the route. I think it’s a good game. The art is lovely, the themes of belonging and finding understanding despite differences resonated with me, and characters are all charming in their interactions. The pacing is the only real issue I’m having thankfully.

[lunas-otome-blog]

Luna's Review: Lover Pretend

Official Summary: Chiyuki is a college student with dreams: One, to become a scriptwriter like her late mother, and two, to find her father, whom she’s never met. In a stroke of luck, Chiyuki lands a job as an assistant for an upcoming film, but things take a surprising turn when she’s cast as the film’s female love interest! Will she be able to find her father and pretend to be in love, despite not knowing anything about love herself?

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Luna's Thoughts (Spoiler Free)

Lover Pretend follows college student and novice scriptwriter Chiyuki as she works on a movie set, where all the men have connections to her late mother. Basically any romanceable character in this game has the potential to be Chiyuki's half-brother, so the vibes are a little weird lol. Obviously if you know how these games work, you know there's not gonna be any incest, but Chiyuki doesn't know that.

Lover Pretend is basically "Daddy Issues: The Game" as nearly every character has some beef with their father. There's a fake relationship in nearly every route, so if that's not your trope, maybe this isn't for you.

Chiyuki isn't the worst otoge protagonist I've seen, but I don't think the game goes far enough in making her seem awkward or lonely. The whole premise is that she's bad at socialization, which is why she only has one friend, but we never really get to see that in action except in flashbacks. She communicates just fine with others in the game, so there was a disconnect there. I'd have loved to see her struggle her way through social situations like Hibari from Variable Barricade, for example.

The gimmick of Lover Pretend is "Pretend Time," which is a rapidfire set of questions designed to convince someone of something or lie effectively. If Chiyuki says the wrong things, it might result in a bad end. IMHO, Pretend Time could more accurately be called Waste of Time. The premise of these games is already making choices, so why bother making the player slough through additional loading screens and long animations? Fortunately, starting from your second route, you can skip any Pretend Times you've already passed.

All in all, this game was alright. While the plot and characters didn't offend me, they didn't dazzle me, either. None of the characters stood out much and a lot of the plot was contrived in order to utilize Pretend Time. They could have hired any fanfiction writer from AO3 to do a better job.

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Yukito Sena Route (Spoilers)

As is my tradition, I went for the flirty guy first because I don't like that archetype much. But Yukito is a pretty alright guy.

He's a model turned actor who maintains a laid-back, flirty persona because people expect him to be a playboy, like his dad. But he's actually working hard behind the scenes, which is what initially makes him attractive to Chiyuki. It takes seeing him doing his job as a sexy model for Chiyuki to realize she's also sexually attracted to him, which is what finally causes her to acknowledge she likes him.

At first, I thought this route was sort of lackluster. It took until nearly the end, when Yukito was formally explaining why he loves Chiyuki, for me to see that it was actually subtle, mature and rather lovely.

Yukito actually fell for Chiyuki in the common route, when she encourages him to give acting his all. He wants someone who believes in him and his future, rather than someone who wants to keep him in the same place.

Love rival Kirari is annoying at first but charmed me with her straightforward nature, pride in her work as a gravure idol and excellent intuition. While she is rejected in the end, she's treated kindly, and I can imagine her and Chiyuki becoming friends in the future. Best character award goes to the faceless bartender who is forced to stand there awkwardly as Yukito formally rejects Kirari. (Chiyuki is present for this scene, which is so funny to me because why would you bring your current girlfriend to reject another girl??)

When Chiyuki freaks out because Yukito might be her brother, he tells her that's impossible (for reasons we find out later) and actually comforts her and lets her be sad about losing a chance to find her dad before hitting on her.

In the after-ending, we find out Yukito's dad is either a trans woman or a drag queen, and he refers to her with she/her pronouns and by her chosen name, which is amazing, especially for these sorts of games that are usually so heteronormative. I only wish we could have gotten to meet her in-game.

My biggest issue with this route is really that Yukito just isn't my sort of character. I like it when otoge guys struggle a little with their feelings and Yukito is just too confident for my liking lol. Overall, though, I thought this route was really well done!

.

Riku Nishijima Route (Spoilers)

Though he has different goals, Riku's personality is a little too similar to Yukito's for him to stand out. He's just a little too confident and flirty for my taste. I was hoping he'd have something unique about him, like that he's actually cold or standoffish, but no, he's just indifferent to acting.

The premise of this route is that Riku doesn't want to be an actor, but his dad forces him to be. He thinks if he confronts his dad with a fake fiancee, his dad will be forced to let him change his career path. Which already doesn't make a ton of sense but whatever.

Anyway, it was an okay setup for a fake marriage trope, which I was on board with ... until he blackmails her. Why ruin this tropey but classic setup with such a gross betrayal? Of course, Chiyuki still falls for him, but it felt completely out of nowhere because he hadn't really done anything nice for her outside of the fake fiancee stuff.

He's also supposed to want to be a stage designer, but we don't get any sort of context for that. We only see him in the act once or twice, and we don't get any sort of backstory on why he likes it or wants to do it. The result is that he seems dispassionate about everything. I didn't buy into his dreams the way I was supposed to.

We also completely drop the "Riku might be my stepbrother" plot until two seconds before the end of the route. It's wrapped up with a lackluster "I didn't know your mother well" from his father and that's it. For how much Chiyuki seemed to care about this mission, it was weird to just forget about it for so long.

Riku manhandles Chiyuki too much in this route for my enjoyment. It was not my favorite.

.

Harumi Makino Route (Spoilers)

Harumi was the first route I played where I actually liked the character, but unfortunately it has a lot of flaws.

Harumi is secretly an otaku, and the first arc of this route is him pretending NOT to be an otaku to ... do what, exactly? The only context we get is that there are two girls who like him at school and they think nerds are gross. Harumi throws Chiyuki under the bus and claims she's the nerd and he's just going along with her. Chiyuki, bafflingly, doesn't have any problems with this and helps him lie.

Anyway, he eventually hurts a friend by lying and decides to come clean. He's even able to convince the two girls that anime is kinda cool, and they end up getting into it, which admittedly was fun.

But then we repeat the entire plot for the second half of the route, only this time it's Harumi's dad he needs to convince. I don't know why we didn't just wrap everything up into one big ending, with Harumi convincing everyone he's serious about anime in one fell swoop. There was no reason to segment it into two chunks that just make it seem like he's wishy-washy.

The route goes on WAY too long, with the very last few scenes feeling completely unnecessary. Basically, Chiyuki and Harumi go to a cosplay event and meet people they know there, and for no reason at all, they decide to lie about who they are. Why? The entire thrust of this route is that it's okay to be nerds, but you have to hide from your best friend?

There's also a very weird scene where Harumi's mom spikes his drink (which imho is a huge betrayal of trust) just so Chiyuki can see what he's like drunk. He catches on pretty quickly, so we don't even get to see drunk Harumi. What was the point of this?

While I thought Harumi was a total cutie, this route was really disorganized. Harumi wasn't shown to be particularly vain or attempting to keep up an image, nor was he bullied as a child, so it didn't make any sense for him to hide his otaku side. This route just seemed like a weird excuse to make up lies and exercise the "Pretend Time" mechanic.

.

Kazuma Kamikubo Route (Spoilers)

Kazuma is billed as the most important character in the intro, but I would have played him last regardless because he's the childhood friend character. Man I love that trope!

Unfortunately, this route doesn't set up the fake relationship well. Kazuma lies and says he's dating Chiyuki to get her out of a tough spot, but there wasn't really a reason to continue the lie after that. Instead, we get a flimsy explanation for why they have to pretend to date, and the rest of the route is them being awkward around each other.

On the one hand, this route was pretty cute, as Kazuma and Chiyuki pretend not to be falling in love. On the other hand, it was a little tiring, as both of them are such beginners in love that they act nervous about everything. Like, y'all are in your 20s, you can handle watching a kiss scene in a movie theater lol.

They somehow found room for another classic trope — memory loss — and it's pulled off pretty well imho. But I do think it should have been the final arc of the route, because there's an entire other arc that just made the whole route feel disjointed, like it was comprised of several parts instead of one whole.

While not as smooth as I would have liked, it was an okay route. But like Riku and Harumi's routes, a quick overhaul would have made it a lot more successful.

.

Eiichiro Asagi Route (Spoilers)

Asagi is the very predictable true end character, but I was excited about it anyway. Who doesn't like a little student teacher romance in an otoge?

The vibes were a little off in this route, as Chiyuki and Asagi confess their love for each other while simultaneously acknowledging that they're half-siblings. Even though I know they're not actually going to be related, it was still weird to see lol.

Of course, this is the route where Chiyuki learns about her father. His past is entwined with Asagi's past, and they both learn some pretty tragic information that genuinely made me cry.

I thought this route was pretty good, if not a bit too short. We don't really see any of the other characters in this route, so it just felt too hyperfocused on getting Chiyuki and Asagi together. Overall, though, a solid true end to the game.

[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

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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

Haigakura

I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History

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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/1926

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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

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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

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

Favorite Blogs

@misschimotosuwa-blog

@dialovers-lover-xoxo

@afra-blueraz

@dialovers-translations

@most-datable-datable-bracket

@reverse-harem-protag

@protags-fic-blog

@xxsycamore

@kissmetwicekissmedeadly

[redflagfan]

i ❤️ problematic men

Currently playing: 9 R.I.P.

Hello 👋🏻 welcome to my otome blog where I can yap abt 2D men and post reviews of games I play

here’s some fun stuff about me :)

I’m 26 and use any pronouns !! I am a lesbian obsessed with 2D men

I keep a spreadsheet to track my otome collection and what routes I’ve completed.

I love characters who are red flags. My favorite LIs are:

Ukyo (Amnesia)

Allan (Cupid Parasite)

Secret Route (Cupid Parasite)

Yang (Piofiore)

Riku (Olympia Soiree)

Nori (Sympathy Kiss)

Ichiya (Variable Barricade)

Scarecrow (Bustafellows)

My favorite types of characters are tsunderes and yanderes and any man who ever shows the slightest hint of being a red flag. I also LOVEEEE pathetic men.

This blog is going to be a place for me to post reviews but also random rambles and thoughts and anything else I can think of.

And things might get NSFW at times so please be at least 18!

Okay I think that’s it :) have fun

[termitetreatmentbook]

The Ultimate Quick Guide To Deciding On The Right Termite Treatment Orlando

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Understand Termite Types And Problem Severeness

Prior to embarking on the option process, it is vital to comprehend the sorts of pests frequently located in your location and examine the severeness of the problem. Pests are actually identified right into three types: subterranean, dry out timber, and moist timber. Each types possesses distinct features and requires various treatment strategies. Identifying the termite types and also the magnitude of the attack will definitely help shorten suited treatment possibilities.

Find Expert Assessment As Well As Insight

To effectively assess the termite condition, it is actually a good idea to employ the companies of a qualified pest control firm. Qualified experts can carry out a thorough assessment of your property, pinpointing any existing pest task, damages, or even prospective danger variables. Their know-how is going to assist you in choosing the best successful Orlando termite treatment strategy for your specific scenario.

Research Study Treatment Options

There are various pest treatment techniques accessible, varying from chemical-based solutions to non-chemical choices. Exploring these options is actually crucial to find out which one lines up ideal along with your demands and choices. Some typical treatments include fluid termiticides, baiting devices, timber treatments, as well as bodily barricades. Each strategy has its perks, disadvantages, and also certain applications. Consider factors including performance, environmental impact, lasting security, and also expense when contrasting the offered treatments.

Examine Safety And Security As Well As Environmental Influence

While eradicating pests is essential, it is actually just as important to think about the safety of your family, pets, and also the setting. Some chemical treatments might position health and wellness risks or even have damaging impacts on communities. Try to find pest treatments that are tagged as secure for non commercial make use of and possess a marginal environmental influence. Environment-friendly choices as well as all-natural remedies are obtaining level of popularity, supplying helpful results while reducing potential damage.

Take Into Consideration Long-Term Defense

Choosing a termite treatment Orlando that offers lasting defense is a sensible expenditure. Some treatments provide urgent end results however might require constant reapplication, while others supply prolonged defense for a number of years. Determine the duration of performance as well as think about the linked prices and also servicing needs to make sure the selected treatment supplies lasting termite control.

Determine Cost-Effectiveness

Termite treatments vary in expense, and it is actually essential to review the general cost-effectiveness. Look beyond the preliminary treatment costs and take into consideration the potential financial savings in potential repair work and the worth of your residential property. Although it might be actually appealing to choose the least expensive option, it is necessary to weigh the cost versus effectiveness and long-lasting advantages.

Check Out Customer Reviews And Also Seek Recommendations

Collect understandings from others who have managed termite concerns through reading through consumer evaluations and also looking for suggestions. On the internet forums, social media teams, and also local community networks can easily offer important details regarding the performance as well as stability of different pest treatments. Nonetheless, it's important to approach testimonials with essential reasoning, considering the integrity as well as circumstance of the resource.

All American Pest Control

390 N Orange Ave Suite #2300

Orlando, FL 32801

(321) 559-7378

Orlando Termite Treatment

[thedailyjin]

I'm On My Way

These past few weeks had been so challenging for us students in conducting this project that we are pursuing because we are loaded with so much works with other subjects plus the fact that it really needs so much time for it to be conducted successfully. But despite of the hindrances and barricades, we successfully conducted our planned actions and activities as part of the group’s project.

                As a review, our project is entitled “Beezy”. This is a project that proposes the presence of a delivery service inside the Central Mindanao University to aid the students, faculties, and residents in their daily activities and to further allow them manage their time efficiently. Apart from that, it is also the aim of the group’s project to make another way for the habal habal drivers to have an extra income for their own benefit. One of the important components of making a project or even a research studies is the hypothesis. According to Wigmore (2017), in a scientific setting, a hypothesis is a tested assertion on the relationship between two or more variables or a theory put up to explain observed phenomena. The hypothesis is a succinct statement of the researcher's expectation of the study's findings, which may or may not be confirmed by the results, in a scientific experiment or study. The scientific method's central step is hypothesis testing. Correspondingly the hypothesis of the groups proposed project are as follows: Null Hypothesis

                There is no significant effect of having delivery inside the CMU in the students’, faculties’ and residents’ daily activities and in the income of habal habal drivers.

Alternative Hypothesis

There is a significant effect of having delivery inside the CMU in the student’s, faculties’ and residents’ daily activities and in the income of habal habal drivers.

There are a lot of ways in conducting hypothesis testing, but my group decided to choose the most feasible one which is the interview. The interview was being conducted to the students, faculties and residents inside the CMU to assess if there is a need for the project to be develop and to anticipate the feasibility and the appropriateness of the project to the setting especially to the people who will benefit it. Fortunately, almost the people we interviewed agreed to the idea of the project. Some even verbalized “ ay mayo kayo na kay, kapoy kayo muadtog market para lang mupalit sa gamit nga among kinahanglan” (that’s really a good idea because it’s too tiring to go at the market just to buy the our needs), “sige I proposed na ninyo nga project kay beneficial kayu na sa mga students, especially sa mga lagyo ug colleges” (Go, and conduct that project because that’s very beneficial to the students especially to those colleges that are far from the market) and many more. We also interviewed the habal habal drivers and generally, they agreed to the idea because they could have an extra income to the project making them way more productive in their everyday living. The stores were also interviewed especially those who are being associated by the project and they said that it’s a good idea because it can add to their income and customers.

                Based on the gathered responses as a way of testing the hypothesis, it can be concluded that our null hypothesis had been rejected. This means that there is a significant effect of having delivery inside the CMU in the student’s, faculties’ and residents’ daily activities and in the income of habal habal drivers which is our alternative hypothesis is fighting for. Thereafter, our group decided to choose the only option, to continue the project and aim for a big difference in Central Mindanao University.

                Aside from testing the hypothesis, there is also a Lecture Series that is being conducted by the subject. This Lecture series aims to guide us students in making the project and that includes the important considerations, and the things that are expected to accumulate throughout the process. There are actually many good points that are being emphasized by the speakers during the lecture series but the thing that leaves in my head is the idea that when conducting such projects, researches or studies, failure is very likely to occur and it is very common. I realized that, that thought pose a big sense. Indeed, in order for a project to be successful it must be toughen by failures. I also believe that these failures will make us more eager to continue the project or in simple sense, it will motivate us. Correspondingly, when we tend to experience failure as we go along with the process, we should not be sad or let our self be depressed just because it failed. We should take this as our foundation to make to make more efforts because if we think deeply this is an opportunity for us to grow and develop.

                Overall, the last few weeks have been extremely tiring, demoralizing, and exhausting. But even so, I managed to get through those trying weeks with amazing perseverance and by accepting my optimism. Even if things are becoming worse, I continue to stick with the route that I picked, and for that, I am grateful to God, my group, and myself. Greetings to everybody! I can now affirm that, despite the fact that things are getting harder, as long as there is improvement, I AM DOING GOOD. And indeed, I am on my way through my SUCCESS.

[otomegamesandme]

Oh right also finished VariBari and some super quick thoughts:

Nayuta and Shion's routes were my favorites. That seems like an unpopular opinion but idkk I like his calmness and level headedness. It was a really nice contrast to the rest of the cast. I like Nayuta cause he's just my partner lol

Also unpopular opinion but Taiga's route felt the weakest mostly because there was no reason for that conflict dkdkd really liked him as a chara tho

Didn't like how Ichiya's route was handled and honestly surprised I didn't see any trigger warnings for his route. I like him as a character just didn't like how throw away some serious things were

Kasuga is.....a character for sure

Himari is great and I love her friends so much. They were all a lot of fun together

This is my favorite otomate game in a while and despite a few gripes I had it's a lot of fun!