route – Otome Reviews

Scandal in the Spotlight: Kyohei Rikudoh Review [SPOILERS]

Ah, Kyohei. One thing you should probably know about me before I get started is that I have been stanning kpop boyband EXO hardcore for years and there is album art on both my phone and my computer, haha. So to say I was thrilled to learn Voltage Love 365 app has a boy band otome would be a MASSIVE understatement! But how was the route, you ask? Read on to find out!

The world of Scandal in the Spotlight is uh… pretty cut-throat, to say the least. Aspiring MC starts out getting blacklisted from the industry after rejecting ~~Harvey Weinstein~~ her creepy, powerful boss. 😦 Then her coworker/secret member of popular boy band ~~Arashi~~ Revance, freaking STEALS poetry she wrote for a screenplay and adapts it into Revance’s latest hit (!!!). And then Kyohei, band producer/member and subject of this review, strong-arms/threatens MC into ghostwriting erotic lyrics for their 10th anniversary, in exchange for getting her un-blacklisted afterwards…!!

…Yikes. Poor MC (I hope she got paid for the plagiarism and she’s getting paid for the ghostwriting?! Super important 💰). Anyway, at first glance Kyohei definitely comes across as your typical scary/aggressive and demanding alpha male (“I make the rules here. Anyone who gets in our way will be dropped, no exceptions”). He might not be the official leader of the group, but he sure acts like he is. Kyo is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure Revance’s continued success, including using his professional clout to stifle an up-and-coming rival group (which I found very confusingly attractive, lmao). And with MC, he’s just as bossy, but also SUPER FREAKING FLIRTATIOUS like you have no idea (“If you don’t have enough experience…perhaps we can fix that”). And of course the guy has to claim it’s all in the name of inspiring MC to write sexier lyrics and he couldn’t possibly be attracted to MC, lmao.

But much like his giant adorable mop of a dog (named Little Yamada!! ^_^), when it comes to MC, Kyohei is all bark and no bite. From the start, he’s nice to MC his own bizarre, super extra way. When MC’s feeling down about her skills, he doesn’t hesitate to buy out massive amounts of ad space from Shibuya Crossing just to prove a point, lol. And after the turning point in the story, Kyo becomes downright protective of MC, keeping his manager and the other members off MC’s back while she struggles with writer’s block! Aww.

TBH, domineering types tend to be really hit or miss for me. But in Kyohei’s case, it’s a hit (mostly! more on that below). For starters, once Kyohei starts caring about MC he’s never mean ever again (even if he still loves teasing her) and I am so super weak to otome guys who pull off that transition well. I liked his tragic backstory/motivation, cheesy as it was. And finally, Kyohei plays into your typical diva-ish pop star romance fantasy really nicely. It’s all about expectations: a bad boy-type pop star is WAY more interesting than a super nice pop star imho, and this is one of the rare cases where I think a completely nice character wouldn’t be nearly as compelling as someone like Kyohei, who does turn out to be vaguely nice ish, but also has a bit of an edge to him.

Speaking of pop fantasies, I generally enjoyed the plot progression, which was one giant, unbelievably cheesy wish fulfillment fantasy. Poor, sweet MC’s struggles to come up with sexy lyrics tie in really nicely with her growing relationship with Kyohei, and I always do love it when the external plot and romance get intertwined. But one thing that I didn’t like as much is the plot’s main villain, who at once wants to produce for Revance, poach MC, and get in MC’s pants…?! It’s too much!! I personally think the story’s conflict would’ve been much cleaner if his creepy romance subplot were completely removed.

Also, this isn’t really a critique as it is a commentary, but: parts of this story were kind of sad/infuriating to read from a post-#metoo perspective. MC’s screenwriting career was completely screwed through no fault of her own, after all! And much as Kyo did grow on me, he did initially force MC into the whole ghostwriting gig. So, this might sound kind of weird, but I think an AU of Scandal in the Spotlight featuring Kyohei as a villain type would’ve been EVEN COOLER while satisfying my never-ending thirst for revenge against evil guys? Imagine: MC turns down Revance flat, and goes straight to rival group Grenade, romancing one of those boys instead. Her and Boy work together to start a viral internet campaign to take down both Harvey Weinstein and Revance. It becomes an epic tale of MC+Boy vs the world, and in the end Revance and Grenade resolve their differences IkeSen style (though Grenade wins), while former boss gets sent to jail. Now wouldn’t that be satisfying to read. 🙂 (…okay maybe this is why I was rejected from creative writing class in school lmao)

And while we’re talking about #metoo, there is one specific scene with Kyohei that I didn’t like! Early on, he smacks MC’s butt (flirtatiously??). I secretly kind of enjoyed all the other sexy, aggressively flirty things he pulls, but that one’s just straight up harassment! 😦 Fortunately, later in the route, Kyohei makes it clear that a) he’ll quit the flirting if MC tells him to stop, and b) he asks for consent before actually getting it on with MC. So there’s that… Anyways, this incident is one of the reasons why, mid-way through Episode 2, I was certain I was going to hate Kyohei with a fiery passion and that this review was going to be an extended rant about celebrities. But it really speaks to Kyohei’s character evolution that I ended up forgiving him for his transgressions, mostly.

Overall, if you’re willing to accept a party size helping of cheese in your romance stories (or, if you have ever had a crush on any of 1D/NSYNC/The Beatles/etc), I think you’ll like Kyohei. His route is definitely not perfect, and it certainly isn’t high literature, but it provides some super satisfying wish fulfillment and is generally a fun, sexy read!

Choice quote:

“Kyohei…I think I’m starting to get the wrong idea…” “You don’t have the wrong idea.” 💕

Personality: 8/10. I really wouldn’t call Kyohei a nice guy in general, and I have beef with how he acted in the beginning, but Kyohei post-turning point in plot is pretty awesome. The guy manages to be nice to MC and super mega sexy at the same time. Also I love how extra he is. It’s perfect for a pop star.

Appearance: 8/10. This guy’s hair is simultaneously the most and least necessary thing ever, lol.

MC: 6/10. I like how self-aware and determined MC is. However, she was too passive for my personal tastes, especially when it came to the asshole men in her life. (Also girl really needs to learn how to digitize/password protect her lyrics…)

Plot/Payoff: 6/10. I generally enjoyed how gloriously cheesy the plot was, especially with regards to MC’s lyric writing and her relationship with Kyohei, but I do think the main villain ended up trying to do way too much. Also, I really wanted to see the creepy screenwriter get his comeuppance in the story, and I would LOVE confirmation that MC’s getting paid for her troubles! 💰💰

Personal enjoyment: 7/10. I started out really disliking this route because MC gets screwed over way too hard in the beginning, but Kyohei himself really makes this story more enjoyable than it has any right to be! ^_^

Masterlist

I was sent this story to review honestly as part of @officialvoltageotome‘s review campaign! All thoughts are 100% mine. 🙂

SLBP Ishida Mitsunari Divine Route Review [SPOILERS]

“You really are…the most insufferable little dullard, aren’t you…”

What better way to celebrate IkeSen Mitsunari’s route release, than by talking about his SLBP counterpart? Honestly, I think it’s kind of hilarious how different the two Mitsun’s are. To date, SLBP Mitsunari has consistently been one of my least favorite characters given his verbal asshole-ness and r/iamverysmart vibe, so I was really curious how the SLBP folks were going to sell him as a romantic character in his MS.

Anyway, the first time MC (disguised as Yahiko, Ieyasu’s poison tester) meets Mitsunari in his story, he’s exactly as rude and abrasive as his ES’s suggest he’d be. Unlike his sister, Saki, who is kind and gentle (and pretty). After MC helps Saki out with a manju emergency (no you didn’t read that wrong), her bro does feel obligated to help MC get away from a murderous Ieyasu (long story, lol), and that is how MC ends up temporarily crashing at Hideyoshi’s castle for a few weeks.

MC spends her days helping out with the cooking, and getting to know Saki and Mitsun’s retainer Sakon better. And then one day, Mitsunari walks in on MC changing as a woman, and they both freak out (“S-stop screaming like you have something to scream about! They’re not even impressive…”). Seriously though – even though nobody else really minds, Mitsun is pissed (“Vile succubus…to put on the guise of masculinity in order to get close to Hideyoshi without suspicion…”). It’s kind of hilarious.

And kind of hypocritical. Because remember Saki? That kind, beautiful, gentle woman who MC’s been befriending!? Saki is Mitsunari in disguise. I can’t even imagine how physically painful it must’ve been for Mitsunari to be polite while masquerading as his sister 😂. Anyways, the reason why M dresses up as a girl is pretty sad (TL;DR he’s the child of a rape and his dying mother has trouble dealing with men). Doesn’t explain why Mitsunari’s such an ass, though. He never does drop the “dullard” nickname for MC as the rest of the route progresses, seems super eager to get rid of her until around Episode 10, and even yanks her violently onto a horse at some point (her poor shoulder sockets!). Blehhh not attractive.

That said, Mitsunari definitely has his moments. Route highlight: this dude ruthlessly cutting down new retainers from Nobunaga after they try to rape MC, and shrugging off the consequences/fallout. Also, towards the end of the route, Mitsunari shows amazing strength in the face of tragedy with MC’s help, and the final war/conflict ends up being pretty satisfying to read. Mitsunari is definitely at his best in war genius/military mode. …Not that he ever really softens up as a character, mind you. Even his final love confession to MC is unique, to say the least (“I’m glad that I met you! I’m TRYING to tell you that I want you to stay with me!! There!! Get something in your head for once, you…you insufferable little manju-girl!!”).

So, did Mitsunari’s route change my impression of him as a character and romantic interest? To be honest, this route only cemented my utter lack of attraction to the guy. Socially stunted rudeness just isn’t sexy. But did I end up liking/respecting him a little more as a character after reading the route? Absolutely. Mitsunari’s willingness to crossdress/murder/etc for those he loves is commendable, and overall, he comes across as an earnest and loyal dude.

Objectively speaking, I thought Mitsunari’s route was nicely done. He turned out to be a surprisingly nuanced character, and the plot was decently interesting. If you’re someone who’s actually reading SLBP for the ~~articles~~ plot and not just the sexy smut, you might end up enjoying this route! (…But prepare to feel not very romanced ^_^)

Choice quotes:
“What are you grinning at? Hideous…”
“Relax. I would never make the mistake of making you think I wanted you. By heaven, earth and Hideyoshi, I swear it.”
“It was blooming…around.” – Mitsunari’s attempt to give MC flowers

Personality: 5/10. I feel for poor Mitsunari after reading his backstory, but that certainly doesn’t make him more dateable! Even if he’s a sympathetic character, he’s still rude af. Bonus points for surprise murderous/protective tendencies.

Appearance: 2/10 he looks like a Q-tip cosplaying as a monk. (Ok but when his sprite doesn’t look like he has a giant stick shoved up his ass he’s a solid 6 or 7)

MC: 9/10. Although the sassy dialogue choices didn’t always lead to the best result, I appreciate Voltage giving us the option to respond to Mitsun’s rudeness in kind (and yes. I always went for the sass option, lol)

Plot/Payoff: 7/10. The romance did feel a little rushed, but the plot itself was solid enough – especially the war stuff. Also, Sakon and Hideyoshi were great side characters!

Personal enjoyment: 7/10. No, still don’t want to date Mitsunari. But nonetheless, I enjoyed reading his ridiculous route! 🙂

Masterlist

Era of Samurai: Code of Love – Soji Okita Route Review [SPOILERS]

Friends!! I HAVE A NEW STORY TO ADD TO MY FAVES. This is my second Shinsengumi-era otome route to date (the first was DtL’s Takasugi, which was kind of a disaster). And it is AMAZING. 🙂

As far as Voltage romance premises go, this one is pretty good. After ronin arbitrarily attack/burn down MC’s apothecary/house, the Shinsengumi, aka the shogunate’s police force/a group of hot guys, decide to house MC in exchange for her medicinal skills. Among these dudes is Okita, who is decidedly…creepy looking, to say the least (see above).

He’s also convinced that the whole thing’s a setup and that MC’s a spy, lol. Which is a bit of a problem for MC given his threatening “kill first, ask questions later” attitude, but a lame run-in MC has with ronin quickly convinces Okita that MC’s innocent (“Your astounding stupidity convinced me. Congratulations”). 😂That said, MC’s still terrified of Okita, and you really can’t blame the girl. Okita has a reputation for being a killing machine and doling out “divine punishments” in Kyoto. He’s rumored to drink the blood of his “prey” in demonic rituals. She encounters him, soaked in blood and super scary looking, one evening and he offers to teach her how to kill.

But as time passes, MC realizes that there’s another side to Okita. His room, rumored to host tons of dead bodies… is merely messy. He’s good with kids (and likes playing with them!). He has two pet goldfish that he can tell apart (also he’s reluctant to eat goldfish shaped candy, lol). And he is a total tease! His sexual innuendoes totally killed me, haha. Here’s an example: at some point in the story, Okita gets close to MC and demands she pay for sword training with her body. Problematic, right? …Except it turns out he simply wants her to clean the Shinsengumi compound via physical labor, lmfao.

On the surface, Okita shares a ton of personality traits with the scary, sexually aggressive bad-boy types in otome games, such as Kyohei from Scandal in the Spotlight, Leon from Star Crossed Myth or Eisuke from Kissed by the Baddest Bidder. But in reality, Okita is in a class of his own. Because he never even comes close to crossing the consent line with MC, his many sex jokes are pretty hilarious, imho. And although he comes across as demanding, it’s also pretty obvious from the get-go that he has the best interests of the Shinsengumi, and later, MC, in mind, and doesn’t just get off on being an asshole. Because these aspects of his personality were so clear, even early on, I felt like it was really easy to comfortably enjoy Okita’s aggressive personality (in contrast, I have some seriously conflicting feelings about Leon…).

In terms of plot, the bulk of Okita’s story revolves around the peace-loving MC and murder machine Okita struggling with reconciling their conflicting ideals, while the Shinsengumi try to uncover a malicious terrorist plan in the area. These two things intertwine with each other beautifully. There are several other excellent subplots, such as Okita teaching MC how to defend herself with a sword and fight for survival (my favorite!!), and Okita and MC struggling with the Shinsengumi’s bad reputation. Overall, the storytelling is very tight; there wasn’t anything I felt was unnecessary or didn’t thoroughly enjoy.

The same goes for Okita’s personality. I loved pretty much everything about his character presentation and evolution. Even the fact that he’s kind of scary looking/not traditional Voltage “pretty” enhances his character. Also, Okita is the only Love365 character I’ve read to date that actively tells MC it’s okay to go slow, both sexually and relationship wise, in the epilogue (“We don’t have to rush”)! Not something you’d expect from a guy who loves teasing MC, is it? 🙂

Overall, I absolutely loved this route. It was really touching, and I think Okita just might be my favorite Love365 character I’ve read to date! If you haven’t read his route yet, I highly recommend you give it a shot when you get the chance!

Choice quotes

To some ronin: “Ooh, that’s some mighty fine-looking equipment you’re packing there, big boy. Tell me, are you trying to compensate for something?”
“This is the first time you’ve slept with a man, isn’t it? Aren’t you glad your first time is with me?” (spoiler alert: it’s platonic)
“I won’t go closing my eyes. I know you’re only using that sword to protect me.” – MC ❤

Personality: 10/10. Okita is incredibly entertaining as an otome character. He’s also an awesome human being. His scary first impression just makes everything else even better. Also I love his snarky teasing and his innuendoes, haha.

(PS between Okita, Soryu, and Kenshin… I have a thing for murderous protective otome guys I guess…?!?! #noregrets)

Appearance: 4.5/10. First impressions: this guy has a super scary face. His CG’s are definitely a much more traditional otome handsome 9/10 though!

MC: 10/10. MC gets a pass on being a bit naively pacifist because she’s a freaking doctor. But I LOVED her growth throughout this route and her increased understanding of Okita. 💕

Plot/Payoff: 10/10. It might be short, but this is probably one of the best-paced Voltage plots I’ve ever read! Every subplot felt meaningful.

Personal enjoyment: 10/10. One of my new favorite routes of all time. Can’t wait to get my hands on his sequels 🙂

Masterlist

In Your Arms Tonight: Genji Higashiyama Review [SPOILERS]

otome-reviews:

“I made a lot of detours to get to where I am today. But it was those detours that showed me how important Genji was to me. I want to treasure the happiness I have now.”

With February comes a new pair of free stories to enjoy in Voltage’s Love365 app! One of these stories was Genji’s Higashiyama’s route in In Your Arms Tonight, an intriguing romance the likes of which I haven’t really seen much of, before.

The story starts out with an MC who’s a married (!) woman. To be more specific:

Très romantique, no? Sigh. MC was set up by her father, so this is essentially the Japanese equivalent of an arranged marriage. Things go down about as well as one might expect: the husband is cold, they haven’t even slept together after 3 months of marriage, and MC realizes walking home one day that the husband has been cheating on her with another woman. Ouch.

So, unsurprisingly, MC dumps his ass and moves back home with her parents (living with parents unless married is common in Japanese culture, I hear). She starts kicking ass at work (where she’s an interior designer), and, in classic otome fashion, quickly finds herself surrounded by hot and available men: her kind coworker, her stern manager, a young bartender with a thing for MILFS, … and Genji, her high school ex-boyfriend turned Japanese soccer star with World Cup aspirations. Genji’s a little different from how she remembered him in high school:

Age and fame has changed him, and now he’s confident, flirtatious, has a ton of young groupies, and is honestly, kind of a brat. But one thing has remained constant: he’s still in love with the MC, and isn’t shy to show it. In fact, the only reason why they reunited (at a high school reunion) was because he’d called to organizer to confirm the MC’s attendance.

Genji’s capricious nature cannot be understated. At some point, he drags the MC last minute to a soccer-related party (thus unknowingly ruining her housing search), has her undergo an entire makeover, and gets pissy when she doesn’t want him to buy her any accessories (jewelry?). He gets incredibly jealous (almost to the point of blows) over her coworker Shohei Aiba, who, to be fair, has the hots for the MC and frequently invites her out to drinks at the local bar. And he’s constantly being approached by young female fans, which seems like a bit of a pain for any girl to deal with in the long run.

But Genji is super freaking supportive to the MC, when it counts, and it’s crazy attractive. Regarding her ex-husband, after a painful run-in at a restaurant: “Any man whose eyes roam to other women that quickly isn’t a man at all.” Regarding MC’s career: “If you don’t grab every chance you get, you’ll never go any higher. And when a shipment MC’s handling for work ends up in the wrong city, Genji borrows his soccer team’s truck and pulls an all-nighter to drive her to the warehouse to pick up the shipment. Swoon.

Genji and MC have their fights. He even pushes her away after getting injured, but the plot line there is resolved maturely and understandably. At the end of the day, it’s clear that Genji is super fond of MC, and that he’s always been. He makes mistakes, she makes mistakes, but despite the fantastical premise, the two of them seem like real human beings who are really in love. It’s incredibly nice to read.

Personality: 8/10. Genji can be quite the egotistical brat, and reacts poorly to jealousy. But he goes out of his way to help the MC out, and never wavers in his affection for her.

Appearance: 9/10. The drawing here is A+, but he’s surrounded by some pretty stiff competition in this story!

MC: 7/10. MC is a really bad communicator, both with her parents as well as with Genji (she didn’t even tell her parents why she divorced, for starters!). But I really like the setup for MC’s story, and she came across as relatable and likable.

Personal enjoyment: 9/10. There was a fair amount of sexism that I think may be cultural, but I enjoyed reading the story, and I love the value that this particular romance can potentially provide to older women/women with relationship struggles of their own. And the side characters are great!

Masterlist

Genji’s route is free on Love365 until 10/23 JST, so I’m re-surfacing this review! 🙂

Now that I have a better sense of how pretty otome boys can get, I’d re-rate his handsomeness as a 7/10, but otherwise, this is still a super fun story that I highly recommend!

IkeRev: Edgar Bright Route Review [SPOILERS]

“Spending time with you has become—addictive.”

Okay. No matter what you might think of Mr. Jack of Hearts, can we all agree that he had one of the best pre-route promotions ever? That surprise IkeSen appearance was hilarious. 🙂

Anyways. This route starts out with a bang, after MC’s things from Earth (aka her ticket back to London) get stolen by a group of shady thieves in Red territory. After a serendipitous encounter with Ed in the forest, he offers to have her stay at Red HQ, while he investigates the crime. The Black Army agrees that this is a good idea, and so MC’s life with the Red Army begins.

The story spends a lot of the time fleshing out every single Red character. Jonah is a clear standout (“I see Alice is here, too. With an impertinent look on her face, as usual”). In what is probably my favorite scene in the first half of the story, Ed and MC spend an entire episode searching for poor Jonah’s sleepy hamster! But this is Ed’s route, so let’s focus on him for a second. He’s a super busy dude, but always seems find time to hang out with MC. We learn that he’s a huge candy and animal lover, and kind of flirty, to boot. MC digs it.

But there’s definitely something shady about Edgar. His soldiers are terrified him. Zero, his protege, doesn’t trust him at all. MC ignores all the ominous warning signs (the game foreshadows like nobody’s business), and even starts up a bit of a romance with the dude! But one day, an anonymous letter leads MC to Edgar’s safe, where she discovers a whole stack of unopened letters from the frantic Black Army. Turns out they never okay’d MC’s stay at Red HQ, after all (Ed forged a letter). This entire time, he’s been trying to lure her over to the dark Red side with kindness.

MC runs away, and from here on out, everything is a glorious, cheesy drama/adventure. Between kidnappings, attempted coups, attempted murders (!!), and plots within plots, for the very first time, I actually felt a sense of danger and risk in the IkeRev world. It shouldn’t take this review to tell you that there’s a happy ending, but regardless, the journey there was pretty great.

To be honest, I thought the romance aspect of this route was a little lackluster. Don’t get me wrong, Edgar’s gentle flirtatiousness was super fun to read, but beyond that, I didn’t really get a good sense of his personality. It certainly doesn’t help that the writers definitely did more telling than showing in terms of revealing Ed’s dark backstory as Jack of Hearts. Also, Jonah pretty much stole the spotlight every time he made an appearance (which was a lot!). ^_^

Criticisms aside, if you like the IkeRev world, I’d still definitely recommend this route! It has a strong non-romantic plot. There’s tons of lore and backstory, and we get to see Almond Amon’s face for the first time (that alone made the entire route worth, lmao). And hey, if you like Edgar more than I do, more power to you! You’ll be able to enjoy this route even more. 🙂

Choice quotes:

“When MC finds out about your plans, do you still think you’ll be able to smile?” – Zero, my new 2nd fave Red Army character

“It’s a perfect night for betrayal. Wouldn’t you agree?” – a character

Personality: 6/10. I think Edgar has a ton of potential (who doesn’t like suspicious characters!? See: IkeSen Mitsuhide, SLBP Hanzo). But due to writing issues or something, he ended up being less compelling than he could’ve been! I know Cybird can do better (and they do, even with him, because his birthday event was amazing).

Appearance: 3/10. The middle part of his hair somehow lies underneath his two bangs awkwardly, and I don’t get it at all. Lmao.

MC: 6.5/10. Poor MC’s kind of too gullible/trusting in this route. I did thoroughly enjoy her reaction post Ed-is-shady reveal though.

Plot/Payoff: 9/10. If you like cheesy drama and adventure as much as I do, you’re going to love this plot. The last third of the story is thrilling.

Personal enjoyment: 7.5/10. I didn’t love the romance trajectory in this route, but the story itself was a good read!

Masterlist

Kissed by the Baddest Bidder: Soryu Oh Route Review [SPOILERS]

otome-reviews:

“Before I left for Hong Kong, I told you you were free. But I take that back now. Stay with me forever.”

I’ve heard quite a bit about KBTBB over the last few months, so imagine my delight when Voltage made Soryu’s route free on their Love365 app (until 11:59 6/30 JST, no less)! So did this guy live up to his hype? Absolutely yes.

…The truth is, this story and I definitely got off on the wrong foot. The premise of KBTBB is pretty stupid, and super problematic for a love story. TL;DR MC works as a maid at a fancy hotel. One day, a series of unfortunate events leads MC to accidentally break a vase that’s sitting in a storage room. She’s subsequently captured and sold off in a black market auction (!!) to a bunch of rich people at the hotel. And who “buys” her, you ask? The main love interests of this story, for a cool $20M. They literally run this freaking auction. And therefore didn’t actually lose out on any money buying MC…but that doesn’t stop them from making MC pick which guy “owns” her from now on! Yikes.

So MC picks Soryu, a scary-looking, grumpy Cantonese mobster whose first act is to shirtlessly threaten MC into compliance (“If you’re good, I won’t do anything bad to you”). His preferred form of communication is taking out his gun–not a euphemism–and waving it in people’s face, lmao. And like IkeSen Kenshin, he’s none too fond of women, and weirdly sexist all at once (“Wipe that stupid look off your face. I’d never point a gun at a little girl”).

The meat of the plot features MC masquerading as Mei Ling, an ally mob boss’ friendly daughter, as bait to draw out Soryu’s enemies. ML’s in town to find a husband, so guess who has the dubious pleasure of attending endless marriage meetings on her behalf? As MC fumbles her way through chaperoned dates with high profile criminals and various kidnappings/murder attempts, she gets to know Soryu better. Turns out the guy has a obsessive fondness for MC’s omelettes (not innuendo. again), and a fairly strong sense of honor for a mafia dude – tl;dr he doesn’t like harming innocents. He’s also hilariously unused to normal civilian things, like vegetables sitting out in the open at grocery stores (so poisonable! he says).

And perhaps most importantly, it becomes clear that despite his gruffness, Soryu cares about MC a lot. He gives her a piggyback ride when she injures her ankle. He relinquishes his bed when MC has to stay over at this apartment due to shenanigans. And he willing to take a literal bullet and beating – and ultimately, face execution – all for MC.

The climax of Soryu’s plot is exactly what one would expect and want from a cheesy mafia-based route, with all the arranged marriages and shifting alliances and threatened murder and whatnot. And it is glorious. Despite – or perhaps, because of – the extremely bumpy start MC and Soryu had to their relationship, the route’s ending definitely felt earned, and had me grinning like an idiot.

At the end of the day, I still think MC’s an idiot for getting involved with a mobster. And I cannot in good consciousness recommend Soryu’s route to just anyone. Dude sets off more red flags than IkeSen Kenshin (whom I also adore…oops), and it feels a bit weird to romanticize this level of crazy. But tbh, that’s also probably why this route never failed to entertain, from beginning to end. It reminded me of the crappy, unrealistic Cantonese gangster B-movies that I used to love watching as a kid. The side characters (especially Mei Ling and Ryosuke!) were fantastic. In short, Soryu’s evolution from scary mobster to only-slightly-less-intimidating mobster-in-love was truly a delight to witness!

Choice quotes
“Do you know the best way to overcome fear? You have to overcome something even more frightening than the thing you fear.”
“You’re still a mafia princess to me, MC! And I promise to serve you forever!” – Ryosuke
“…No. I don’t hate how you smell, MC.”

Personality: 10/10 in terms of otome entertainment value. Perfect combination of cool/stoic, and secretly kind. But would he be good IRL boyfriend material? Oh hell no. Mafia shenanigans aside, it’s probably not a good idea to date a dude who calls you nothing but “woman” for over a month?? 2/10 irl.

Appearance: 10/10. 11/10?? This guy is sex on legs. Total physical perfection.

MC: 7/10. MC was pretty all right. One could argue she was too passive, but what’s a girl to do when she’s thrown into the criminal underworld?

Plot/Payoff: 9/10. After the initial super questionable beginning, this route was a giant (extremely inaccurate) mobster cliche, and I absolutely loved it.

Personal enjoyment: 9/10. A very memorable route!

Just learned that Soryu’s route is free to read again on Love365 until 10/4 JST! If you haven’t gotten the chance to read his story yet, do it!! I gave his route a 9/10 back in the day but with my nostalgia lenses on, it’s a solid 10. 😍

IkeSen: Sanada Yukimura Dramatic Route Review [SPOILERS]

“Happiness to me is — you. Just you.”

Something that most of my all-time favorite characters have in common: they are all extremely high drama. Either that, or drama just happens to them all the time. So keep that in mind when reading through this summary/review… 🙂

Yukimura’s MC finds it a little harder to settle into the Sengoku lifestyle compared to, say, Hideyoshi’s MC. She first runs into Yuki after he rudely buys out the last batch of konpeito from right under her nose (she wanted it for Nobunaga, he wanted it for Shingen, lmao), but all is forgiven after he protects her from some wandering bandits. …That’s really the extent of any real conflict that happens as far as any relationship development goes. For the remainder of MC’s stay in Azuchi, it’s all fluff and cuteness, and Yuki is shockingly sweet, given his slightly grumpy nature. He takes her to a tea shop to apologize for the candy kerfuffle. And gives her a piggyback ride at some point. They babysit a kid named Yahiko together – an SLBP shoutout, perhaps?

So… it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise when the couple officially gets together (by Episode 6!!), sharing a sweet kiss at the local festival. If this route followed typical storytelling patterns, their relationship would face tons of conflict after being formed so early into the plot, right? But… that doesn’t really happen. There’s some potential for conflict after MC and Yuki realize – on the battlefield – that they’re basically enemies, but even that resolves itself super quickly (tl;dr BATTLEFIELD SEX, which is super freaking horrifying considering all the dead bodies rotting away right there, lol).

And what about the military front? Any potential for adventure dies out after Yuki forges a temporary alliance between Nobunaga and Shingen against Kennyo. In Episode EIGHT…! From there on out, there is, sadly, basically none of the unique Sengoku-style war drama that makes IkeSen so great. No kidnapping/murder attempts, no coups, nothing. There are some fun time travel shenanigans in the Dramatic ending (A Traveler’s Guide to Japan’s Hottest Warlords plays a starring role!), but that’s about it!

This route’s only saving grace is, shockingly, Yukimura himself. With such little actual plot going on, Yukimura was given plenty of opportunity to shine as a mature and sincere boyfriend! Unlike his usual portrayal in his ES’s, this version of Yukimura was communicative and heartwarmingly sweet. His desire to return to his hometown was super cute, and I did find myself cheering for his happiness by the end of the story.

But overall, imho Yukimura’s route is definitely the weakest IkeSen offering I’ve read thus far. There were major pacing issues, and there needed to be wayyy more ~~drama~~ plot conflict to drive the first like 80% of the story forward. So TL;DR, I doubt anyone reading Yuki’s route is gonna hate it, per se, but you probably won’t absolutely love it, either!

Personality: 9/10. Yuki has a fantastic A+ IRL boyfriend personality (at least in this route. Don’t get me started on his ES’s).

Appearance: 4.5/10. Poor boy is outclassed by almost everyone in the IkeSen world. …Maybe not Kennyo…

MC: 7/10. I thought MC was a little whiny in the beginning, but she was all right.

Plot/Payoff: 6/10. Although there were major pacing issues throughout most of the route, the (dramatic) ending and Yuki’s sheer cuteness saved the route from utter failure.

Personal enjoyment: 5.5/10. This route was a nice mental break after Kenshin’s insane roller coaster ride! …A little too peaceful, tbh.

Masterlist

IkeRev: Jonah Clemence Route Review [SPOILERS]

When I first encountered Jonah in his prologue, I hated him. He was such a little shit: rude af, unwilling to listen to MC, and the way the artists colored in his cheeks made him look like a little kid, to boot!

…That said, if you’re reading IkeRev and haven’t yet, try giving his route a chance. As MC puts it, “Jonah has a lot of good points – they’re just kind of hard to find!” 🙂

Let’s start from the beginning. Shortly into Jonah’s route, he comes up with a “foolproof” plan to ensure that MC will help advance the glorious Red Army’s cause. He’s so sure that the plan will work, in fact, that he discloses all of it to MC (the enemy): “I will capture your heart. And I will train you to follow me and the Red Army until that is what you yourself desire”. His strategy is to woo MC with a series of mandatory dates, because what’s more romantic than being bossed around by an arrogant jolly rancher?

Interestingly, the Black Army’s also a fan this development, if only because it buys them some time to deal with the inexorable Red Army and its magic. And so, Jonah and MC’s dates begin. At first he tries to ply MC with shopping and finery, but MC’s having none of it, to his utter bafflement (and my delight) (“You turned down all of my amazing presents. What is wrong with you? You’re not reacting the right way”). The two of them do ultimately find common ground… over food. Sweets, to be more specific. These are my kind of people.

Over the course of about five or six dates, Jonah’s wish comes true, and MC does indeed start falling for him. Even though he’s, in her words, “domineering, contrary, and selfish” (but never insulting). Even though he’s particular and kind of vain. Even though, in one super irksome scene, he half-heartedly announces his intention to assault MC (!!). Long story short, he didn’t want to, but thought he had to, to satisfy King Lancelot. I’m not happy about this scene, but Jonah’s only saving grace is that it was highly OOC and he broke character very quickly, I guess. Also, MC was suitably angry over the whole thing. Still, ugh.

In any case, unnecessary fake assault scenes aside, what MC does fall for: Jonah’s adorable and deeply caring personality, hidden poorly behind a paper thin mask of aloofness (he rushes to enemy Black Army quarters the second he hears she might be sick). His strong sense of justice: elitism aside, at least he believes that nobility/Red Army has a duty to protect the innocent. His sad backstory (see: Episode 20). I’m usually very meh over the internal monologues as various MC’s discover their feelings towards the LI, but MC’s self-revelation is pretty amazing:

It was actually some time ago that I first noticed—this feeling that the sweet batter of a cake had been placed in the oven of my heart. As heat was slowly applied, the cake had risen and begun to give off a delicious scent. It had been baked to a perfect golden brown and all that was left to do was take it out of the oven and eat it. But this was the one cake that I could not eat. No matter how delicious it would be, I couldn’t let myself indulge.

The writers don’t spend too much time having MC angst over her newfound secret feelings towards Jonah, thank goodness. Instead, unlike with Ray’s route, plot hits Jonah’s story bright and early, after she and Jonah are attacked en route to a Red-Black meeting by magic cultists! We learn that Lance has been working hand in hand with the evil mastermind behind all this (!!!), and after he Imperio’s MC, everything goes to hell in a handbasket almost instantly. Jonah and MC end up on the run from everyone, Red and Black alike, and this is when the route really starts to shine.

Because past this point, Jonah doesn’t really even bother hiding his own feelings for MC too well (“Even if the whole world turns against you, I will believe you until to bitter end. I promise I will save you”). We get to enjoy almost a third of a route’s worth of some A+ romance mixed in with (relatively low-stakes) adventure/tension, which is great cos I feel like it’s not all that common with Cybird! And when MC jumps the gun and actually confesses her feelings to him first, his reaction is pure gold (“I’ll never forgive you. Once this is all finished, I’ll get you back a million times over!”). I had no idea a kiss could be angry and cute at the same time, hahaha.

At the end of the day, excluding the crappy faux-rapey scene (which I really disliked, can you tell?), this route was super fun. Although Jonah’s fabulous/upbeat/snarky personality isn’t exactly ideal romance fodder for me, it makes for great reading. He and MC have excellent banter. I also enjoyed their interactions with the other characters. Highlight: poor Jonah, the loving big bro, getting rejected by Luka “rebellious” younger bro again and again. ^_^

Plot wise, this route does get really sad at one point, but otherwise, it’s a glorious fluff fest, even with all the drama/adventure. As with Ray’s route, I do feel like the final conflict resolved itself a little too simply (also there’s a plot-hole regarding why magic crystals need to be destroyed), but unlike with Ray’s route, at least MC and Jonah’s happy ending felt earned after all that went on beforehand! The pacing for this route was great, and, weird as this sounds, extremely well suited for the mobile 5-chapters-per-day freemium format. There wasn’t a single episode that was boring. Overall, if you like fun and fluff, you’ll probably enjoy Jonah’s route quite a bit!

Choice quotes

“Common opinion is that one should lay the mille-feuille on its side when eating it, but I disagree. Letting the strawberry or whipped cream touch the plate goes against all aesthetic sense.”
“How could loving someone ever be wrong? Even if it is emotionally taxing.”
“I didn’t know you were hiding that formidable elbow-strike up your sleeve. You’re the toughest woman I know!”

Personality: 9/10. This kid, is2g. He might not have much in terms of raw sex appeal, cute, fabulous, sweets-loving personality is a joy to read. And every time he tries to lie, it’s hilarious.

Appearance: 5.5/10. His face looks really young to me! Too young. The CG’s aren’t bad, though, and I definitely dig the fancy hair.

MC: 9/10. MC is proactive, sassy, and fun. Her dynamic with Jonah is great, and overall, I liked her a lot.

Plot/Payoff: 8/10. To set expectations, Jonah’s story is fairly simple and un-nuanced. But otome isn’t exactly the place to turn to for high literature, anyway. The pacing is great, and his story really suits the daily episodic format.

Personal enjoyment: 9/10. Generally speaking a fun, fluffy, and exciting read!

Masterlist

SLBP: Sanada Yukimura Act Two Divine Destiny Review [SPOILERS]

“Without a doubt…he was the greatest samurai in all Japan.”

I love me a good tragedy. Many a mediocre plotline can be redeemed via main character death (see: a good fraction of the Final Fantasy series). So, knowing Yukimura was pretty screwed after the events of his Act 1 arc, I entered Act 2 with very high expectations. Maybe too high…

I’ll give credit where credit’s due. The scene setting in the beginning few chapters of Yuki’s route is fantastic. Amidst MC and Yuki’s adorable romance, we very quickly learn that the political/military landscape has gone haywire since the end of Act 1. Shingen is dead. Nobunaga is dead. Pretty much all prior alliances and enmities have been thrown into question. And to take advantage of the chaos, Masayuki, aka Yukimura’s father, has made overtures to both the Tokugawa and the Uesugi clans for alliances. Both clans have demands that are far too costly, and to complicate matters even further, MC discovers that she’s pregnant…!

So you could say tensions are high. There’s a lot of discussion of Yukimura acting as a hostage, of MC fleeing to Kyoto to hide, etc., but eventually, the Uesugi come to the Sanada clan without any crazy demands at all. They want to face off against Ieyasu, and are seeking any allies they can get. In the end, the Sanadas decide to hedge their bets: Yuki and his father fight for Kenhsin, and Nobuyuki and MC (alongside Momo, their newborn child!) head over to Ieyasu’s territory. I’m no military expert, but the whole thing struck me as rather strange? MC’s masquerading as Nobuyuki’s wife, but still, Yuki’s at massive risk of being compromised with MC under Tokugawa’s domain. All it’d take to force him to turn would be to threaten to kill MC, right?!

Good thing I’m not the one writing this story, because apart from threatening MC (she horrifies Ieyasu with her idealism) and trying/failing to kill her and Momo in their sleep once, Ieyasu doesn’t actually pull any shenanigans. He doesn’t need to: his side wins, anyways. Yukimura’s forced to flee to a village in the mountainside and give up his spear for provisions (despite def. being strong enough to earn his keep, but let’s ignore the plot holes for now or we’ll be here all day). And although Momo had been barely born when MC and Yuki separated, by the time MC rejoins Yuki for a bittersweet reunion, Momo’s already a crawling, smiling little toddler. In what is probably the single most heartbreaking scene in the entire route, Yuki asks cautiously to hold his own child, after revealing that he’s been practicing with a doll… </3

It feels like MC and Yuki have barely any time to get settled into life as peaceful villagers before war comes knocking on their doorstep again. To my surprise, Ieyasu isn’t the provocateur. In fact, when he visits, he explicitly asks Yuki not to fight, after witnessing how domestic their little family is. Meanwhile, Hideyoshi’s been gathering up men for a last stand against the Tokugawa menace – but they know full well that they have no chance of winning. So… literally the very day after Yuki decides to get married to MC, the friggin’ idiot takes back his spear (from Saizo, who got it…somehow), and leaves to fight against Ieyasu once final, fatal time. And I’m definitely not using idiot in an endearing way here.

Seriously. The guy’s been given a chance to live a peaceful life protecting and enjoying the company of his wife and young child, and what does he decide to do instead? Run off on a suicide mission. And…for what? To avenge Shingen’s death? Hideyoshi was as much Nobunaga’s goon as Ieyasu was. To live and die as a samurai? That’s unbelievably idiotic, given the fact that now his child’s gonna grow up without ever knowing her own dad.

Given the character development that Yukimura was supposed to experience in his first Act (namely dropping the suicidal samurai tendencies), I have no clue what possessed Yukimura to think this was a good idea. The guy says he’s okay with dying because MC’s sworn to love him in the next life, but wtf kind of crap reasoning is that?! And even in the heat of battle, after Yuki’s been repeatedly given the opportunity to flee, he does the very opposite, demanding his own death from Ieyasu. I don’t get it. Like…does Yukimura understand what priorities are?! Is he really, truly, only good at fighting and dying?

Surprisingly, one of my favorite parts of this godforsaken route was Ieyasu. I dislike him as a romantic prospect and still do, but he definitely wasn’t the evil cartoon villain/murderer I was expecting him to be. As a character, he was nuanced, interesting, and experienced evolution – the same, unfortunately, cannot be said for Yuki. Honestly, it’s sad to think about how much potential this route had. Because the pacing and interleaving of tragedy with comedy was fantastic. The side characters were generally great. The writing was pretty solid, and the post-story epilogue was suitably hilarious.

But… I just can’t get past Yukimura’s selfish actions. IMHO, it’s the struggle for survival, the tenacity of human will, that brings beauty to a tragedy. And there was none of that here, what with Yukimura actively chasing after his own death. So by the end, I was just left with a hollow, angry feeling towards this route. 😦

Choice quotes:

“You could have been set upon by a band of evil bandits, set upon taking you to their sex-crazed leader, filled with lust at your beauty!”

“No, I’m not dying here. Because…I did not come here as a samurai. I came here as a father.” *proceeds to die*

“I fondled her! I had her…her…in my hands and I squeezed…!!” 

Personality: 4/10. WTF happened to all of this kid’s character development?! All the cuteness in the world doesn’t make Yukimura’s actions any less selfish.

MC: 10/10. You can’t fault MC for not trying. From facing Ieyasu head on to cleverly using food as a diplomatic device, we really got a good look at how strong and badass MC can be. Fighting isn’t everything.

Plot/Payoff: 5/10. Excellent pacing, interesting characters, interesting side arcs (e.g. baby). Pointless main character arc.

Personal enjoyment: 4/10. Reading this was extra disappointing, after Yukimura’s incredible Act One. 😦

Masterlist

IkeSen: Uesugi Kenshin Route Review [SPOILERS]

“I won’t let you die. I’ll protect you. For all eternity.”

Kenshin is… a polarizing character. There’s a 90% chance you’re gonna either love him or hate him after reading his route. And which bucket do I fall into, you ask? Let’s just say, I have a new top IkeSen bias (sorry Nobunaga!)…

MC meets Kenshin under deceptively “normal” circumstances, after he rescues a restaurant owner and MC from some local bullies the usual way (“Come on! We just…nudged him a little.” “I see. Then I’ll nudge you a little with my sword and we’ll call it even?”). As he and MC get to know each other during his stay in Azuchi, she realizes that his woman-hating, evil reputation may have been overblown: in reality, while he’s indeed war-crazy and has a cold yet intense personality, he’s also noble to a fault.

But everything changes after Kenshin, who’s been under the impression that MC’s “just a village girl,” realizes she’s an Oda princess. He KIDNAPS her (!), as “spoils of this rotten war,” and locks her up in a cell in Kasugayama! But MC’s no ordinary prisoner: Kenshin has the finest furniture delivered to her cell, and among many other shenanigans, ends up visiting her WITH BUNNIES to try to make her happy (“I’ve heard women like animals. A good military tactic involves using your strengths while exploiting your opponent’s weakness”). We eventually learn that he’s been keeping MC locked up because he’s utterly insane terrified of falling in love/wants to keep her protected, Jumin style.

Things come to a head one drunken night, in MC’s cell (“What are you doing, MC? Why aren’t you fighting me? If you don’t fight me now, then I won’t ever let you go. Ever. You’ll be mine. I’ll keep you here forever. Don’t you see?”). MC and Kenshin confess their love to each other, and he takes her out of her cell and into his room for one steamy lovemaking session. And just like that, MC’s free. Kenshin reveals his (super tragic) backstory, MC reveals her time travel, Kenshin and Nobunaga strike up a temporary alliance for the sake of MC, and our happy fledgling couple eagerly basks in their happily ever after.

…Just kidding. It’s Chapter 9 at this point in the story, and things are never as simple as they appear, are they? It’s one step forward, two steps backwards with this guy. MC starts to get an idea of the true depths of his insanity when he has an entire flower garden removed because MC pricked her finger on one of them (“Are you happy, MC? The flowers won’t ever hurt you again”). And before too long, the God of War’s decided the best way to ensure her safety forever is to cancel his alliance with Nobunaga and live up to his name by conquering the entirety of Japan in battle…

I won’t go into detail about how Kenshin’s ending is resolved – TL;DR it’s a total cheese fest in the Romantic ending. Let’s just talk about plot quality for a second. The first 2/3 of Kenshin’s route is utter magic. It is, hands down, the best thing I have read in IkeSen thus far. And yes, this includes the kidnapping, because that is absolutely a level of crazy that I enjoy in my otome games. But the plot quality definitely starts to suffer after the second or third time Kenshin goes nuts (somewhere in between the flower removal and the decision to conquer Japan). It’s just too much, and I definitely don’t buy that Kenshin’s totally “cured” of his insanity, as MC seems to believe, by the end.

But that’s not really a knock on Kenshin himself. IMHO, Kenshin is a top notch otome character, and definitely definitely one of my new faves. His backstory is excellent, and let’s be real: his sexiness levels pre and post ultra-crazy episodes are simply off the charts. Also, all of the side characters in Kenshin’s route were simply amazing: Mitsunari and Shingen shined especially bright. Overall, if you’re willing to put up with some a metric fuckton of fictional insanity, I highly recommend taking Kenshin’s route out for a spin. You might just end up like me and find yourself a new top-tier otome love. ❤

Very long and spoilery list of favorite quotes/scenes:

“It’s almost time for dinner. I thought hunting bandits would help me work up an appetite.”
That time Kenshin walks slow to match MC’s pace ^_^
Sasuke and Yuki’s reaction to seeing Kenshin talk to MC
That time Kenshin RESCUES MC FROM THE BATTLEFIELD and they comfort each other by the fire when Sasuke goes missing
“You saved me tonight, MC. Don’t ever forget that. I’m grateful for you.”
When Shingen flirts his way into making sure Kenshin visits MC’s cell. “You want a surefire way to make sure he visits her cell? Then leave it to me.”
Shingen: “If you were my captive, I’d give you a real room and let you roam the castle while showering you with love from dawn until dusk.”
MC: “…Thank god for cages.”
“I won’t be parted from you. If anything tries to separate us, even if it was time, I’d travel 500 years to get you back.”
Shingen’s imitation of Kenshin: “MC is mine now. If any of you touch her, I’ll kill you.” MC: “Come on! Kenshin wouldn’t—“ K: “that’s exactly right.”
“Tell me you’ll forget me, MC. Say it. Or I’ll continue.” “Continue to do what? Ruin a kimono?”
Poor Mitsun, learning what love is
“I want you with ferocious need, and I will for the rest of my life.” ❤

Personality: 10/10 otome entertainment value, 1/10 irl datability. Don’t let the loon in your poon, my friends.

Appearance: 10/10. Those heterochromatic eyes are just unfair.

MC: 8/10. TBH I ended up skipping over a lot of MC’s supportive monologuing, but she’s generally likable, intelligent, and shockingly sane for someone willing to put up with Kenshin 🙂

Plot/Payoff: 8/10. The first 2/3 of this route was absolute perfection. Things became a little less perfect in the final third.

Personal enjoyment: 9/10. But who cares about the flaws in Kenshin’s route? He’s my current top IkeSen bias, beating out even Nobunaga!

Masterlist