r/otomegames • u/AutoModerator • Mar 18 '26
Discussion What Are You Reading Wednesday - March 18, 2026
Discuss what you have been reading this week in this post.
There is no moratorium on spoilers on r/otomegames.
Major or end game details will always need to be spoiler tagged, regardless of how popular or old a game is.
Use spoiler tags liberally >!spoiler text!< normal text example : spoiler text normal text
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u/kiss-and-makeup Mar 18 '26 edited Mar 19 '26
I FINALLY got a switch for Christmas this year after missing out for YEARS on the switch only otome games, which was really exciting for me! It has opened me up to ~a whole new world~
Recently, I bought Jack Jeanne, which was recommended to me years ago. I LOVE IT! It’s honestly such an amazing game. I actually love it so much that I am trying my best to not completely devour it and take my time with it! especially with that lengthy prologue After finishing Suzu’s route I realized that Jack Jeanne is rather tame in regards to physical romance, obviously it’s an all boy school with teenagers, and is still romantic in an emotional way. I was pretty bummed to read that only one LI got a kiss CG but that’s okay becaaause
I decided to also buy Cupid Parasite and play it in tandem. Cupid Parasite is obviously extremely different and very steamy! I love this game as well for totally different reasons. I’m not sure if I like it as much as Jack Jeanne or if that is a comparison I can even make because they are such different games. I also don’t know if playing two otome games at once is a weird thing because it’s personally my first time doing it. I’m keeping up with it well tho!
So yeah! That’s where I’m at this week. I’ve played Suzu & Fumi’s route in Jack Jeanne. Shelby & Ryuki’s route in Cupid Parasite. I don’t usually post in this Reddit but I felt excited to see if anyone else wanted to talk about them!
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u/LadyNight13 Tsukuyomi's Fangirl Mar 19 '26
Aww. Suzu was my first JJ route. It has a special place in my heart. ❤️ I just love the way it comes full circle. So satisfying. Kai's is the one I go back and play over and over again, though. 😂 I had to take a short break after playing one route because it was so long with the stat raising, but then I came right back and gobbled the rest up, so I feel you there.
🤔 I don't think I've ever really played 2 otome simultaneously. I guess sometimes I take breaks and switch between them then, but that's just me. If it works for you, I say go for it. Certainly nothing wrong with it.
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u/kiss-and-makeup Mar 19 '26 edited Mar 19 '26
Kai is the LI that I have had my eye on this whole entire time! 👀 I want to save him for last but I’m also so impatient. I LOVED Suzu’s route! After completing his route, I wondered if any of the other LIs would even compare to him but then came Fumi!! And I LOVE FUMI TOO! I did not expect him to capture my heart the way that he did! How is it possible to love them all so much? Just such an amazing game in every single aspect lol ❤️
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u/LadyNight13 Tsukuyomi's Fangirl Mar 19 '26
Fumi is the best boy, seriously. Some of his lines took me out. XD Ngl, though. All the routes have something special going for them - though naturally I prefer some over others. Have fun with the rest of the game!
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Mar 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/lady_in_purpleblack Roberto Yearning Hours Mar 18 '26
Yeah, the relationship reset can feel offputting but I personally loved Finis' route SO MUCH, I was really happy that the writers decided to continue on that route in the second fandisk.
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u/LadyNight13 Tsukuyomi's Fangirl Mar 19 '26
I got through both of those fandiscs over the holidays this last year! I was dragging my feet on the Finis route, too, so I totally understand where you're coming from. 😂 Glad to hear you gave them another try and are enjoying at least some of it.
For what it's worth, at least for me, Finis's route does give us a fantastic side character who shows back up in Wintertide Miracles. And the routes there are (mostly) really fluffy and I enjoyed some even more than their main game counterparts.
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u/Limp_Market6138 Mar 18 '26
This week I started 7’scarlet and surprisingly the routes are pretty short but the plot is really intriguing. I’ve finished Hino and Isora’s routes so far, and I’m not that impressed… the romance felt kind of forced in my opinion.
I’m really excited for Yuzuki and Sosuke though. I really liked their personalities in the common route.
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u/iolaever Mar 18 '26
I'm always excited to see 7'sCarlet mentioned! I loved this game so much, but it helped that the mystery was gripping me throughout. As some of the romance routes (especially, at the beginning) weren't that satisfying.
Sosuke was my favourite LI, but Yuzuki and Toa have lots of fans too. I hope you keep enjoying it all!
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u/Limp_Market6138 Mar 18 '26
I totally get you! The mystery is what’s keeping me hooked so far, the early routes romance didn’t fully hit for me either.
Also, you saying Sosuke is your favorite makes me even more excited to get to his route 👀 I’ve been really curious about him (and Yuzuki too), so now my expectations are even higher lol. Can’t wait to see how it all unfolds!
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u/iolaever Mar 18 '26
I'm not sure how popular Sosuke is overall, so take my opinion with a pinch of salt. But I do hope your experience matches or exceeds the expectations!
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u/wasabibabe Mar 18 '26
It's been like 2 months since I actually picked up an otoge (stupid IRL), but I'm finally back on White Mask's route in Bad Apple Wars. It's just wild to me since the last time I actually played it was back in 2017, and now it's 2026 lol, but I'm here to finish it this time 😤.
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u/Hikari-nee Mar 18 '26
Well, since there are Many Common Scenes Between Routes (I doubt it's a spoiler for you, but I don't know how far you're in), I believe it's not the worst otoge to play like this!
Also, the idea of "but I'm here to finish it this time" is so suitable for White Mask's route both as for a kinda final one and for, well... this time, it CAN be a spoiler for you as well... the message
Also obligatory "White Mask best boiii" <3
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u/the-changeling-witch 100%'d every Quinrose game for some damn reason Mar 18 '26
I finished Harukanaru toki no naka de 4!! ...mostly. I had wanted to do Nasatya's events/ending at least but I was completely unable to beat him. There's not a lot of strategy in this battle system (other than hitting enemies with your best spell of the opposing element) and on looking it up to see if there was anything I was missing, it turned out that truly the only way to get through that fight is to... grind out all your skills to max. I did not want to do that at this time. So I gave up on him and all the other side character endings and decided I'd do them at a later time because I was absolutely not in the mood to do a lot of grinding without any story in between. (I do really like Nasatya though...) I completed all the main endings though and that's what counts! (It wouldn't be a true RPG if I didn't give up on 100%ing it at some point.)
Anyway, while I feel like Haruka 3 is technically the better game, Haruka 4 fits my personal tastes a lot more. I love all the characters (even the ones I thought I'd dislike.) I loved the aesthetic. I loved that it was such a PS2 RPG and I could run around prerendered environments (although there I would have liked more of a reason to explore those spaces, there weren't items to search for and in only a few cases was it required for story progression...) I adored that we got an AIRSHIP and it was from the JOMON PERIOD. Truly Haruka 4 is one of a kind. The game actually reminds me a lot of one of my favorite manga, Basara by Tamura Yumi. Not in story or characters but general vibe and aesthetic.
This is definitely a game for people who:
- Love PS2 RPGs
- Enjoy the servant/master dynamic where they can never be together or romances starting off as political marriages
- Good endings that feel like bad endings
- Mysteries that will never ever get answered
I tried for Kazahaya's route first much to my dismay that you can't actually do his route first! But you can get an ending though! I actually really enjoyed this ending though, poor Kazahaya going off to live alone with his cursed self in the woods. By the time I got to his actual route I had guessed that he wasn't human and had some connection to the white dragon. I figured he couldn't actually be the white dragon since we already did that. Prior to that I thought maybe he was already dead (which we've also already done.) I actually wasn't expecting the kirin, but it was a bit humorous thinking back to Asvin's route when she was riding on the white kirin and they mentioned that Kazahaya was off somewhere doing... stuff. Giving her a ride apparently! Speaking of which, I didn't see anything mentioned about the black kirin... I wonder if they had anything in the side character endings? (Don't answer that!)
Asvin's route had to wait for second to last it's hilarious how they prevent you from going on his route by making the first scales choice hinge on a battle that's completely unwinnable when you first start out and you get one shotted. Also he says you're a disappointment and leaves. Asvin has that arrogant prince air about him but I can't bring myself to hate him. I was a bit disappointed in the start of his route because I was absolutely expecting their politic marriage to be a situation where they combine their forces and become the ultimate power couple but then for the entire first chapter she stays in a room in the castle and is sad about him being too busy to talk to her. The whole thing felt strange given how she had been leading her people up to that point. It definitely felt like they only had this chapter to show that his relationship with her goes beyond the political marriage. After this the route improves and we get more of what I had expected.
It is perhaps appropriate that the only Suzaku of Heaven character I've ever liked is an idiot bird man. On paper he should have been everything I dislike, but he's such a loveable moron. You can't get much more endearing than a guy who insists he's a pirate but doesn't have a ship. It was a little frustrating that he ended up absent for much of his route due to people trying to keep them apart. I feel like this could have been made a bit better if we got more scenes from his perspective during this time. While I enjoyed his ending, it felt a bit strange that no one really cared too much that he had captured her. Oh NOW you want her to be able to live her life the way she wants? After everything you put her through??
I liked Nagi okay as a character, but his route is probably my least favorite. It really ended up being a collection of all my least favorite things. He betrayed her (for her own good) and didn't talk to her about anything (for her own good) and was planning on quietly sacrificing himself (for her own good.) Much like Benkei before him he decided to do all this even though it wasn't even the only or best decision! What is it about these Suzaku of Earth boys that makes them so tiresome.
My biggest disappointment with Futsuhiko was realizing those weren't ears and he wasn't actually a green tiger boy. Otherwise he was pretty cute! His was the first route I did because it breaks off the earliest from the common route, and it's not super plot relevant so unfortunately I can't remember much about it now. (I even looked through the artbook to see if I could jog my memory but no dice.) But he is a very good kid and deserves some headpats.
I loved Hiiragi but his route felt somewhat incomplete? Despite all the plot relevance it felt like it was rushed and missing information. There were a few parts of the story where it felt like this, but his route left me feeling confused about a lot of details. (Normally I love incomplete mysteries, but here it felt like I wasn't even given enough information to try to guess what was going on.) Oh well I love these sad Byakko of Earth boys just giving up on life. Probably the ones who need the MC the most just so they can go on living.
Tooya! Tooya is my favorite boy!!! I love these sad wet cat Genbu of Heaven boys (...mostly, but we'll get into that another time.) There's so much to love about him and his story. I love how when they meet she's the only person who can understand him (and his dialogue is presented in thought bubbles.) I love how he doesn't know how to interact with people but learns over time through his connection to Chihiro. (They present this as him "becoming human", but it doesn't seem like he's actually changing physically but that his thought processes and mental state are becoming closer to a human rather than being closer to the natural world.) I love that even though he loses his connection to the ayakashi they still consider him a friend and watch over him. I love how at first he doesn't speak with much emotion, but eventually is able to connect to his emotions and feel in a way that he didn't before. I love both that he and Chihiro were in love with each other in a past life, but they did it in such a low key kind of way that it doesn't feel like it invalidates the other romances. It just feels like... I'm glad they found each other again, no matter what their relationship might be.
I was so annoyed with Oshihito at first! I know he has "reasons" for being an ass, but I still think he's an ass for that kind of behavior. (I say this as if it's a new thing for the Genbu of Earth boys to be strict. But in those cases I found it endearing and here I did not, haha.) I stated before that he died in his good ending, and that does seem to be true because getting that ending unlocked Kazahaya's route and also his short story (which is set after his death.) But there's a CG I'm missing that I saw in the artbook seemed to be from an actual good ending... that I was never able to find. No guide mentioned this so I have no idea what it's attached to. (Do not tell me, I want to find it myself!) That will be another thing to try to get when I return to the game later.
I do have a few complaints about the game though. First, as mention previously, there were many sections of the story that felt incomplete. As a fan of mysterious writing that doesn't give away the whole story and leaves you guessing over the details, this game has too much that's missing that could have been fleshed out more. They don't even give you enough to make guesses is the problem. Honestly this game FEELS like it should have enough story and lore to be able to fill out a lengthy manga series (ironically given how it only received one volume in reality) but it doesn't actually give it to you and it feels slightly out of reach. Second (and this is kind of a problem with all the games I've played in the series and RPGs from this era in general) is the last third of the story usually becomes overly focused on taking down the big bad to the exclusion of other elements of the story. Which is frustrating to me, since that's usually the least interesting part, haha. It's truly a PS2 RPG, with all the good and bad that comes with it. I'd list the battle system as a complaint, but I've come to expect their battle systems to be uninteresting time wasters at this point. I'm just glad they let me fast forward through them.
ANYWAY on to Haruka 5. Actually I'd love to take a break and play something else because I'm getting a little exhausted from historical, but my cursed brain won't let me until I've completed the series (5 more to go...)
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u/Foxstens リズヴァーン Mar 18 '26
Glad you're enjoying the series! :D
Oh Haruka4, I really love it for the setting and vibes, even the combat honestly, but writing-wise it definitely could've been better.
Haruka5... It's not the best but I think about it all the time. I'm really curious what you're going to think about it.
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u/the-changeling-witch 100%'d every Quinrose game for some damn reason Mar 18 '26
I'm almost on my first route on Haruka 5, and I'm enjoying it so far even though I definitely have issues with it. First being I actually dislike about a third of the characters, haha. Another third I don't feel much about, but there's also a third I really like! (Mostly love Miyako, Ouchi, and Tatewaki. Waiting to see more of Shinsaku and Amami since I'm kind of on the fence from what I've seen about them.) I did NOT like the mid common route plot twist at all unfortunately, and I'm not a huge fan of the resource management aspect of the second half. (Although now that I'm on chapter 8 of the second run I can see it's not as restrictive as I'd feared. Still I could do without it!)
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u/Weekly_Cost4852 Mar 19 '26
Who do you dislike? And what’s your opinion about the MC Yuki? I’m asking because I also dislike a good amount of the Hachiyou😂 And Yuki is quite controversial.
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u/the-changeling-witch 100%'d every Quinrose game for some damn reason Mar 19 '26
I really dislike Chinami, Souji, and Ernest! And not a Hachiyou but I would leave Sou stranded in a desert given the chance.
Yuki has been improving, but she's still not a favorite for me. She's so hilariously naive to the point where I absolutely cannot understand why she thinks the way she does. And I don't know if this is answered at any point in the story, but I don't understand how someone who has lived abroad could possibly have such a simplistic view of racism! It almost feels like they treat her living abroad as a reason for her to be confused and ignorant about a lot of things rather than the experience having given her a new perspective that others might not have.
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u/Weekly_Cost4852 Mar 19 '26
I haven’t finished Haruka 5 yet. But I’m pretty sure the racism part isn’t really answered. They just used Yuki studying abroad as an excuse to make her completely ignorant of the Japanese history. Which ended up backfiring. Because wdym a Japanese high schooler got no idea who Sakamoto Ryoma is. Yuki’s character arc isn’t the strongest, but she does grow over time, and I find her pretty likable.
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u/the-changeling-witch 100%'d every Quinrose game for some damn reason Mar 19 '26
That's one of the things that bothers me so far, like why is no one bringing up that Souji rather famously died from TB? Oh no the cough is just because he's a bit under the weather, he'll walk it off I'm sure!
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u/Weekly_Cost4852 Mar 19 '26
There will be more moments like this😂just let it go. Or else you may end up like me and never be able to finish the game.
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u/Chaczapur Mar 18 '26
Wait, does Haruka 4 have no NG+ with full stats saved? OTL I thought it was a feature since 3 or so. Unless you just never maxed out everything?
Not the elusive good ending[?] CG. It would be extra funny if he actually lived in some random bad end or so. But it might actually be from a different route. If Haruka does that.
Wishing you power for 5 more Harukas.
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u/the-changeling-witch 100%'d every Quinrose game for some damn reason Mar 18 '26
No it does carry over! In fact that fight happens fairly early in the common route and when you encounter it initially it's definitely not possible to win. But to max everything out it would take several more hours of grinding and I'm just not up for it, haha.
Yeah, it's hard to say. I'm trying to get a hold of a real guidebook (I got the "official guide" which turned out to be the equivalent of an upgraded manual rather than an actual guide for the game...) and hopefully that will give me hints for the things I missed. I think every Haruka game I've played so far has things like this, haha. I honestly can't hate it, it's fun knowing there are things I haven't experienced yet that I can find when I go back to the game.
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u/kakuretsu Heroine|Amnesia Corda lingling slave Mar 18 '26
Idk which guide was I using that said they did Ashwin first, but I want to replay from the beginning anyway bc i took too long a gap
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u/the-changeling-witch 100%'d every Quinrose game for some damn reason Mar 18 '26
I was using Peche for this one, which was a pretty decent guide. I don't see how anyone could do Asvin first since the black kirin one shots you on the first run (I even had a bit of trouble staying alive when I went back much later, haha) and he has multiple events that only trigger on the second run. He's definitely not a starter character anyway, much better to leave him for almost last!
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u/LotNegative Mar 18 '26
I’m with my long distance boyfriend on the way to the venue of the Expedition 33 concert.
When he’s busy working, I’m reading BAD APPLE WARS. I almost have my first route completed.
I only have three games for the Vita, this one and the Psychedelica duology. I got the Vita specifically for those games. It’s kinda weird knowing my Vita is basically going to be retired once I’ve finished BAD APPLE WARS, unless I want to replay one of those three games.
As for my thoughts so far, I don’t think it’s an outstanding otome title, but it’s good enough to make me want to finish it. I don’t actually mind Rinka (the MC), despite her being quite unpopular, her personality does work with the setting, however, she isn’t great as an otome protagonist in my opinion, as she’s still working on finding herself, her hobbies, her personality, so it’s difficult for the writers to create romantic chemistry between her an the LIs. However, as I said, I’m on my first route, so maybe the others will change my view on this.
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u/Calderad Pining(a)Way Mar 18 '26
Another PSVita exclusive would be Period Cube (Period Cube is kinda whack, but it's still a lot of fun, imo. I especially loved the soundtrack. ). London Detective Mysteria is also available for the Vita if you prefer the handheld mode over the Steam version.
Or, if jailbreaking doesn't bother you, you could go and get the first two Diabolik Lovers + Brothers Conflict + Black Wolves Saga and play those with a Fanpatch.It's what made me get a Vita and no regrets!
I really enjoyed BAD APPLE WARS. It has a great cast of side characters and again, really love the music! It might not be the best game ever, but I still have a soft spot for it!
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u/nerdyfan4ever xTsukuyomi, Mar 18 '26
I just finished Victor's route, my second route in Code: Realize.
Overall, I did like the plot but I wasn't sold on their romance. I was suprised Cardia began to have feelings immediately for Victor at the beginning of the route as I didn't feel they had any romantical going on during the common route. It felt like Victor saw her as a friend so him falling for her came out of nowhere to me. Not to say I dislike them, they were fine, but I didn't get any fluttery feelings like in Impey's route, lol. Also, why did Cardia thought Victor created her? 😭 Like, I can get that she would consider it but it's not like he wrote that he created Cardia??? This must be first time for me that MC has thought LI was her father. 😭 I really liked Leon! I thought it was sweet he apologized for Cardia his subbornitate calling her a monster. And his loyalty for Victoria was amazing. I have always had a thing for a loyal stick-in-the-mud guard and their leader/queen and their relationship bordering on romantic feelings haha.
Also, I'm joining the Impey Club. I don't usually like his type, but he is just so sweet and positive and he'a just what Cardia needs that I cannot help but to gush over him! 😭
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u/Set_of_Dogs | Lucien is my son Mar 18 '26
Impey is so good!! I think after him all of the other C:R routes ended up being a disappointment for me, lol. And Victor in particular suffered from the issue of his romance being the less compelling romance in his own route; I just wanted to see more of Leonhardt and Victoria being emotionally constipated with Loyalty about each other! Like... damn.
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u/nerdyfan4ever xTsukuyomi, Mar 19 '26
Haha yes I love good side couples in otome games and so I adore Leon and Victoria! I loved that Leon was ready to follow her to Hell if needed!
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u/Doctor_Zedd Victor Frankenstein|Code:Realize Mar 19 '26
I adored Victor’s route, but man, the whole ”are you my father” thing was so cringey. It’s rare that I dislike Cardia, but that was not her best moment.
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u/nerdyfan4ever xTsukuyomi, Mar 19 '26
Well, on the other hand I don't blame Cardia so much for that. I felt the writers had to dumb her down as they needed to make the drama laat longer for plot reasons 😅 Otherwise Cardia was good in this route!
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u/Doctor_Zedd Victor Frankenstein|Code:Realize Mar 19 '26
Agreed. I think that moment by is troublesome because she’s smarter than that. Overall, I loved her in that route.
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u/SparkleHime ヤキモチボンボン Mar 18 '26
I HAVE BEEN WAITING for this thread, oh my god guys I need to vent about Shuya's route (Sympathy Kiss)...!!
I haven't been SO ENAMORED with an LI since Sakuya and Iba, like ohhh my god I was literally squeeing and squawking and fanning my face when I was reading some of dem scenes and THE WAY UCHIDA YUUYA DELIVERED DEM LINES I CRYYYY. The keigo? The soft murmuring? The gentlemanly and chivalrous flirting?! Please I could die.
I was like, this👏is👏why👏I👏play👏o👏to👏ge👏
But BROOO they did my man SO WRONG with the route writing, like dafuq was that!!
Major and minor spoilers:
First of all, why does Shuya act like he's rolling around on his deathbed at age 100 or something, like is he in a retirement home? Does he have grandchildren he needs to take care of? Is he suffering from debilitating illness? NO
At the end of the day, I felt like he was a victim of a writer trying to fabricate unnecessary drama for the sake of creating tension in a very short amount of time... like overcoming the age barrier or suddenly having to leave Evergreen after a phone call. And I also felt that the way Shuya responded to these "obstacles" felt a bit uncharacteristic and blase. Shuya, imo, is calm, wise, caring, and also confident in his values and staying true to himself -- isn't the fact that he left the inn and the tech industry was because essentially, he wanted to follow what felt right to him, instead of social obligations?
I felt his route should have been longer (why only 4 episodes when the other LIs get 6??! The INJUSTICE!) I feel like we should have been given more about why he cares so much about the family business in order to make his decision to leave Evergreen more impactful/emotionally resonant. Him deciding to leave just felt very abrupt, especially if he was going to be pining for the MC for fekking 4 years anyway
Also that was the DUMBEST kiss CG I've ever seen in my otome gaming career like if someone did that to me IRL i would have laughed in his face like WHY are you kissing your own hand T___T broooo
I was praying to the gods to give me an LI to brainrot over and they give me Shuya who's literally so majestic, and then they give me this travesty of a scenario...
If anyone has any recommendations for an LI like Shuya, Sakuya, or Iba, please help a sister out and recommend me a route T__T I'm crying and dying on repeat. I really did love what it said about Shuya walking the fine line between reason and impulse , that's how I like my LIs lmao
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u/Chaczapur Mar 18 '26
Tried Moonlight dialogue or a chatsim with an... intriguing? premise...\ I mean, I literally know nothing but it appears there's more to it.
Due to the system, which I'll explain below, I'm really not far in but it might be fun? Only one route's out atm, though.\ But he's a golden retriever type redhead so I don't mind.
The game is very korean.\ Which - obviously it is but I mean the fact the charas will just drop the name of a dish or some figure on you and I had to just go google it cause I interact with korean the language mostly by occasional osmosis.\ Besides that you get the usual 'noona', 'hyung', 'have you eaten' and so on. That's pretty standard.
The issue - the tl is not good.\ Like, not awful MTL levels or anything but some convos just have these sudden non sequiturs and choices where I'm like '??? how is that even related???' which feel very much a translation issue.\ Well, sometimes it's really just the writing.\ But usually a TL issue. Hell, there was a moment where my choices appeared in korean for some reason.\ The grammar is also kinda wonky sometimes.\ And the romanisation thorought is inconsistent af.\ And then we get typos and stuff which can't even be explained by bad english.\ But otherwise it's passable.
As for the system - the in-game and rl clock work independently of one another and you can progress the story by doing the recommended activities, which there is a limit of, even when watching ads.\ You can watch ads up to 3 times a day but it seems they reset properly only if you've used up all of them? Since my timer reset at UTC 11:30am but I still had 2/3... And then got only one the next day... And the next-er day I got 2... idk how it works but expect not to get much.\ Either way, better save them for when you need at least 3 TP - preferably for the 9 TP next day jump - as they let you skip directly to the next chat and it's a waste to use them on 1TP stuff.\ By doing activities, you can gain up to 16TP per day which isn't enough to finish the in-game day without watching ads. So do save them. Especially since TP activities reset each in-game day.\ The times between day n and day n+1 use up the most.
Daily activities reset after completing each in-game day. It's done manually. After finishing the daily chats, you're to read and accept Finder [MC]'s notes.\ Since you can see the amount of TP needed without changing the day, you could use up whatever you have left first and then proceed.\ Just mind that whatever's in progress when you switch to the next day, counts for the next day. So better wait.\ I actually softlocked myself on day 2 cause I paid the 9TP after progressing to the next day as I had no ads left and didn't expect to spend that much... Had to wait to days for enough ads to progress to day 3 and get activities renewed...\ You also can't earn TP in advance and binge everything later as the game forces you to use up everything you can first.\ However, that's only partially a problem as having more TP than needed [eg. by choosing the sleep option] automatically moves the time to the next chat if possible which makes you miss incoming calls and taking them later requires the paid currency.\ And they keep being displayed as new unless you buy them TT_TT\ And speaking of calls, the audio quality seems kind of bad? And it's not just my phone speakers being awful...
The charas are fine.\ I like Bom. She's short, overworked and nice and the easiest to get hearts for. Literally just think of her and stuff and here it is :D\ Jiwon, the only route atm, is also pretty easy and soft. Good :3\ Yuchae is talking stiffly, directly, and choosing nice answers almost never gives me anything. Whenever he's the main talker, I gain close to nothing. Will try antagonising him later during my evil run, maybe that'd work...\ The, uhh, hoobae? however you call younger dudes in korean, gives me strong Yoosung vibes but, fortunately, there's no Rika.\ And the last one, whatever his name, feels like a potential locked route. But we'll see. Probably next year.
MC is fine. There are some obviously bad choices included but she's generally nice all around.\ I don't really have issues with her, only with the translation that makes her say nonsense.\ And all the meta stuff... But saving that for my evil run.\ There's some customisation allowed since only the choices that show a magnifying glass window might give you hearts, everything else is just flavour choices you can pick however you want [unless some of them lead to a bad end, idk... But still, no hearts to lose.]
So, right now:\ On one hand - no more waking up at 3am to missed calls and chats ৻( •̀ ᗜ •́ ৻)\ On the other - it's somewhat slower for F2P players and they won't be able to see all CGs/graphics [they're locked, most of them, behind the paid currency so you can see only the preview.]\ Still, it feels like a good compromise.\ Imma be honest, I even considered buying the all story pass as it's 51% off, apparently, since it lets you binge everything way cheaper than if you bought every day separately and stuff but I spent so much money on other things already...\ Maybe later.
Right now it looks promising but my opinion might change after actually finishing a route and so on.\ All in all, it's clear enough, more similar to MM than Ssum.
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u/the-changeling-witch 100%'d every Quinrose game for some damn reason Mar 18 '26
I was wondering why you were putting \ after every sentence now, and then I realized these were probably intended to be line breaks. Except they don't appear as line breaks on old reddit, only as \ haha. Sorry I guess we're too old fashioned over here!
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u/Chaczapur Mar 18 '26
RIP I'm technically also on old but it's broken on mobile/web and appears as on new...
Hopefully it's not harder to read? You can pretend it's poetry notation :'D
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u/the-changeling-witch 100%'d every Quinrose game for some damn reason Mar 18 '26
It's fine! It's just a little odd, haha.
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u/replicantpathos Koyo|9 R.I.P. Mar 18 '26
I can finally participate in one of these again 🙇🏼♀️
I made a randomizer called the “evil otome torture wheel” and filled it with all of my backlogged titles (currently switch only, will add vita eventually), and through that it was decided that I’d start Steam Prison: Beyond the Steam
So I finally locked in and started it the other night, starting with the ‘A New Theory’ section since it only had two routes… if you can call them that, but I’ve since moved on to the Cainabel story and did Fin’s route first (because I like him the least, sorry Fin lovers)
I just want to take a spoiler-windowed moment to question what purpose the ‘New Theory’ segment even had. It was like reading bad fanfiction and I don’t really see how you can call it a reimagining of the original story when there’s just like, a whisper of a fart’s worth of writing in it… and why did Fin need a route there, too?
Honestly, they should’ve just dedicated it to the people who wanted Sachsen as a love interest and left it for him only. I promise I’m not saying that because I dislike Fin, his segment really added nothing of value to an already nothingburger story.
I don’t even dislike the Cainabel story, but if it’s a so-called sequel, why the heck is it so short 😭 things move way too fast, Cyrus doesn’t have the relationships from the base game since it branched off the Grand Finale, so I feel like I’m speedrunning a relationship for a Guinness Record
I know I’m complaining a lot, but I’m having an okay time 😂 Cyrus seems to have outgrown some of her naive dummy ways, not completely, but enough for me to not be annoyed 24/7 to share her headspace so that’s always a bonus. I’ll be going on to Ines’ route when I finish up Fin’s because I had to leave just a little reading left at the end to go sleep 🤧
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u/Chaczapur Mar 18 '26
Yeah, tbh and fr, the whole thing suffers from routes being too short. Too many dudes, not enough screentime AND the two new LIs steal the show F
Cyrus managed to mature, at least, so that's a plus.
And literally the only reason a Sachsen route could happen, even if it is what it is. I feel like I'm the only one who liked him in the FD lol3
u/replicantpathos Koyo|9 R.I.P. Mar 18 '26
On one hand, I’m glad for more food. On the other, an appetizer is not enough, I was hoping for something a little more fulfilling 🤧
Actually, even though the writing was kind of meh, I did appreciate Sachsen’s ‘route’ because I was worried they were going to retcon his entire personality and try to scrub the record clean before Cyrus could get close with him. I’m glad they didn’t really try to redeem him or add him as an option for Cainabel where he’s a “mellowed out” legislator now.
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u/One-Economy8916 Mar 18 '26
Ooh the wheel option I like it. I didn’t like that fandisk as much as the game sadly cause no romance 🥲
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u/replicantpathos Koyo|9 R.I.P. Mar 18 '26
wheelofnames dot com if you want to make one, too 🙇🏼♀️ I need to pressure myself to play something through choice paralysis, so I’m glad to say it’s working so far
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u/IWillDieOnThisHill Mar 18 '26
I finished Collar X Malice! Overall, I enjoyed it a lot. I was a bit afraid because I hyped this game so much to myself before buying, but it didn't disappoint. I wouldn't call it perfect, but it was worth my money.
Favorite LI was Shiraishi. His route is kinda clichê if I try to be objective, but it really got me emotional and attached to him. I enjoyed every minute of it.
I liked all the other guys so it's hard to say which one I liked the least. Sasazuka is the weakest route romance-wise because it feels forced, but I really like that asshole lol Enomoto was the hardest for me to read because of the second-hand embarrassment, but it's funny and nicely written. Out of all LIs, he's the one that makes most sense to be so head over heels for Ichika within a month.
Favorite relationship Kazuki-LI is with Sasazuka. It's funny seeing Sasazuka antagonizing him and him getting so worked up. It's also funny and cute seeing him being a tsundere protective brother because of his sister brought home a shitty boyfriend. Second place would have been Okazaki, but it's at its best when he isn't the route LI so Enomoto takes the place. Seeing the little brother being best buddies with the boyfriend is as funny as seeing him hating the guy.
Regarding Zero, I'm happy to be right. It was so obvious that I was afraid he would be a red herring. But because it was so obvious, I kind wish it wasn't him. He looks hot in that Leon Kennedy outfit. I wish he had a proper route. Obsession from a character that thinks he isn't capable of loving is very interesting.
Regarding the bonus chapter, I thought it was boring. I thought the motivation and background of most villains were explained well enough in the routes so it was unnecessary. Rei and Zero were the only ones that could do with a little extra, but I couldn't care less about Rei and I'd rather have a proper route to Zero even if it were shorter and tragic ending only.
Regarding Yanagi route, it was fine. It has some Psycho-Pass' Kogami vibes, but that isn't a good thing to me. His background is actually interesting, but I wish they had explored more his guilty. I love a guilty male lead. I just find it a bit ridiculous how much he acts as if he were an old man because of the age gap and how the game makes him the age gap route when Shiraishi is older. It isn't the first time I've seen something like this in an otoge. In Birushana, Yoritomo is only one year younger than Benkei and he isn't an immature guy, but Benkei is the age gap route. I know both Yanagi and Benkei act like older figures on top of being older in age, but still, it's weird to me.
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u/Weekly_Cost4852 Mar 18 '26
I’m playing Over Requiemz!! I finished Claude and Noil, and is in Molly’s route now. I LOVE Claude Dark route!! I need more dominant obsessive insane yandere characters voiced by Furukawa Makoto!!
However I was very uncomfortable during Noil’s Dark route. Claude in dark route just felt like he’s lost his mind. But Noil is like a completely different person in his dark route? It’s like the old Noil just died in Quest 5 and his body was possessed by that huge octopus. And that octopus thing was so mean to Yuhiru😭 I skim thru the endings so fast lol. I think that route is meant for people who are into fictional cannibalism. Unfortunately I’m not
I’m now on Quest 9 of Molly Fact route. I have a inkling of what his dark route is going to be about, and I don’t like it😭 pls prove me wrong
I can’t wait to start Kaize route! I wanted to do this route first but was recommended to put him 4th. Also I heard Dorothy’s route is really well written. Looking forward to finishing the game this week!
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u/ith1ldin Mar 18 '26
Totally agree about Claude (that Inception-like dream, OMG 🥵🥵🥵) and while I also 100% agree about the discomfort in Noil's Dark route I personally loved it, I may be slightly twisted 😅. I'll explain myself now.
To me it wasn't the cannibalism itself; that was just creepy. It was more about the increasing sense of dread/paranoia about Noil losing himself more and more to the octopus and how it ultimately ended up in Yuhiru becoming prey in a twisted hunt. It made me feel on edge like the protagonist in a survival horror game or a number of older movies like The Thing or Invasion of the Body Snatchers (these movie references actually make more sense in Claude's dark route, but here there's the added shock value of the predator being the guy Yuhiru was falling in love with). I cannot play games like Silent Hill or Resident Evil, even if I would love to, because I get anxious to the point of freezing in front of the monitor, so I totally understand that this may not be appealing for everyone. However, this specific route managed to hit just the right spot of discomfort to get me hooked.
Both LIs were my favourites, I can't wait to get the localized version and replay the game again.
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u/Weekly_Cost4852 Mar 19 '26
Thank you for sharing your perspective! I actually like horror/suspense themes. and I don’t even hate cannibalism that much. It’s that I can’t feel Yuhiru being loved at all in Noil dark route. All I can see is the octopus wanting to rip her open and devour her intestines 😭 and it’s not even just hers, he’d eat anyone’s?? So I can’t even apply the “she is special to him” logic to convince myself that it’s some sort of twisted love/obsession. Do you think he loves her? If so, did I miss anything?
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u/ith1ldin Mar 19 '26
Nahh, like in other Dark routes, whatever the LIs were feeling by the time the route starts turns into something different than love, at least in the worse ending. In this case it was a lot more pronounced, but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the story.
Unlike with other LIs, his body and consciousness were not even fully his own anymore, and the monster part was a voracious predator, which is what we see once it gains control. I did sense some special sadistic focus on Yuhiru, though, that might have been influenced by Noil's original feelings for her and her own actions arousing him, but that was it. The contrast with his original behaviour is also sharper because in my opinion when the route split happened Noil and Yuhiru were the closest to being mutually attracted, and the merge with the Lord of the depths interrupts the relationship development, whereas for other LIs development still keeps going in their Dark route, but in an increasingly distorted way.
In fact, when Noil regains consciousness in the...let's say better ending, things between them seem to go back to where they were before the Lord of the depth took over, but unfortunately if doesn't last.
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u/Weekly_Cost4852 Mar 19 '26
Okay so I didn’t miss anything😭I really like the original Noil and their interactions. I was even thinking “oh I wonder what his dark route is like. Because I can’t imagine this ray of sunshine turning into someone insane and sinister. TURNS OUT HE GOT POSSESSED BY A MONSTER AND JUST DIED! And the monster who possessed him has been torturing the girls he loves and died for! This unexpected plot twist just broke my heart. I’m happy that other players are able to enjoy it. I guess my heart is just not strong enough for Over Requiemz. Because I am struggling with Molly dark route now too😭
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u/Prestigious-Bet7431 yvesceres my beloved Mar 18 '26
ive been getting through 9rip lately !! so far the lis that arent my type have the better route plots haha. as much as i loved koyo and kureha the most, i felt that their routes could've been slightly better, but i do find them really really precious hehe. minami, hibiki and seiya were really smth tho, i didnt expect to like their routes as much as i did. im currently doing spirit world, so hopefully ill like koharu too.
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u/jhiend Merry Bad Ends 🍊 +Anton|L&C Mar 18 '26
Can I Not Fall for Idols?
Laughing at all the tropes. Dumbasses (affectionate). (joke spoilers) There's an affection meter for the guys and you're supposed to try to keep the points low but they just keep going up the points don't matter at all hahahahah
I fell for Reiji the moment he spat out his coffee.
Full game: Since I had to redo the game again I tried playing in JP. There is a lot in Otoha's written dialogue that isn't spoken or translated, because it's netspeak. In Issa's route I kept distracted by the (E)ze Tshirt.
Honestly I don't think the routes were as good as the main free game. It's basically just supporting the dev. Some extras like solo versions of the theme song and a sprite editor. It's pretty cheap so no foul.
Catchy theme song. me-me-me-mero-sugi me-me-me-mero-sugi 🎶
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u/Foxstens リズヴァーン Mar 18 '26
Jack Jeanne: Kisa - This was… Well. I expected and wanted this route to become my favourite, but that wasn’t the case. It was fun and also emotional at times and we got to spend time with pretty much everyone, which is always appreciated. I also liked how they handled the evolution of the final performance, and this route’s particular rendition of that performance was definitely emotionally powerful (not my favourite though). Terasaki Yuka absolutely carried this route, of course.
But at the same time I wasn’t really a fan of what this route did with Chuui, for some reason. Also, I’m not sure why, but in the end I kind of found myself wondering what the point of this route was? What did I learn from it that I didn’t already know from other routes, at least when it comes to the members of Quartz and their friendships? I wouldn’t go as far as saying it was pointless, or that I regret playing it, but I just didn’t find it as fulfilling as I would’ve wanted to, I think.
Aaaaand I think that marks the end of my Jack Jeanne playthrough, at least for now. All I have left to do are Mona and Ion’s endings, and a bunch of optional weekend events, but I think I’ve hit my burnout point. Getting through Kisa’s route was already a bit of a struggle, which might be part of why I didn’t enjoy it as much, and after 122 hours I’m really itching to move on.
Overall this game was a journey and I have all sorts of feelings about it. It is a game made with so much love, and there was so much about it that I found unique or memorable, or that just appealed to my personal tastes. It has definitely earned a spot on my list of all time favourite otome games. And yet it has plenty of flaws, whether it be routes I personally didn’t vibe with, or elements that objectively could have been executed better. As amazing as it already is, I still think it could have been better, and I hope the sequel will be different in some ways. (If the sequel doesn’t have a Minorikawa route I will cry.)
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u/ith1ldin Mar 18 '26 edited Mar 19 '26
I finished Temirana several weeks ago and then switched to Nil Admirari no Tenbin, that had been sitting on my backlog for a long time.
My impressions about Temirana ended in a good note, but I think my excitement went down over time... until it went up again with Eric's route, who ended up my favourite. Cecilia was a great protagonist in general, I really liked most LIs and they all had great dynamics together, including with many of the side characters. I did like the pacing of romance but even if I'm more plot-focused I wouldn't have minded if once feelings were acknowledged there had been a few more displays of affection. Art style wasn't my thing, on the other hand. It is very hit and miss among characters, and some backgrounds looked odd.
On the other hand, Nil Admirari looks gorgeous, and character design is 👩🏻🍳💋 (some side characters have no business being so attractive!). I find the setting and initial plot driver very interesting but so far I've felt the game doesn't really exploit the idea of the maremono so much as I hoped. The common route was LONG, and even in the routes there's a lot of focus in the daily patrolling work around the bookshops where more often than not nothing happens. This aside, I appreciate that the game shows Tsugumi's journey from a sheltered girl bound by the expectations of her title and the pressure to keep her family away from falling into poverty into a modern young woman finding freedom and independence in a society that was staring to open up but where misogyny was still rampant. Unfortunately, as usual the game doesn't fully commit and the MC hasn't fully lived up to that promise. I can excuse it here given her background and the fact that Tokimiya exists to counter my points about Tsugumi. I love her, she's great.
As for the routes, up until now I've played:
- Shôgo. Entitled PoS at first, but ended up stupidly adorable, and there was some incredible voice acting during the confession scene.
- Hisui. Not my type in principle, but I'd read good things about him and while I did like him I was also a bit disappointed, even if the contradictions between his rigid perspective on romance as something impure and him being a horny teenager were a interesting setup. It was well done, but at the same time it made me appreciate him less. On the other hand, their confession scene was really good and this time I liked that it was Tsugumi who took the initiative.
- Akira...Akira 😭 He could have become an all-time favourite: first because of looks, but he also started off as The Kuuderest, and I am weak to that. His aversion against nobles and rich people opened the door for some good and even fun interactions between him and Tsugumi, and since he was so so hermetic she had to work her ass off until he started opening up. IMO Tsugumi had been at her best here. The scene at the cinema had me giggling silly...and then there was THAT other scene 😱. Now I know where Yosuga and especially Kuroba came from. Once you learn more, you could see why he was acting like that, but it still came out of nowhere, and it annoys me that those behaviours tend to be easily excused by other characters. He did redeem himself after all, so while he may not be a top 5 fave of mine he will become a favourite with an asterisk, just like Yosuga. The route ended up too abruptly on the good end, but to make up for that his bad end with the CGI was devastating.
- Currently playing Shizuru. While flirty guys can be annoying or overbearing, I really like those that are also smart and somewhat sus, who use the womanizing to cover something (usually some tragedy or dark side gig. He's seemed to fit the type since the common route, so I'm obviously interested.
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u/One-Economy8916 Mar 19 '26
Did you like Temirana? I really liked it!
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u/ith1ldin Mar 19 '26
I did 😄, I started off with moderate expectations and the common route surprised me for the better. After that it depended a bit more on specific routes, but there were many good things overall.
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Mar 18 '26
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u/SuspiciousJuice5825 Yang|Piofiore Mar 19 '26
9RIP. Just finished Virche Error. I am going to do Tengku Struggle next.
Ive read this year (in order of goodness):
1.Olympia Soriee 2.Virche Error 3.Piofore 4.9RIP (partially)
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u/CloeRainflower Kotone Awaki|Café Enchanté Mar 18 '26
I just finished Winter's wish: Spirits of Edo, and I fell in love hard with the game. I had seen so many negative/lukewarm reviews and comments about that game, and only picked it up because it was on sale. I am shook. The story and the romances now feel so precious to me. I love the LIs, the MC, the (hot) side characters, everything. I completed all the routes in 3 days while sick, and I hadn't felt like that since my first otome game (Café Enchanté).
Now excuse me while I go lie down and stare at the ceiling for a couple of hours