Otome Daoshi -Fighting for Love- Review (Nintendo Switch)

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://otomekitten.com/2026/03/09/otome-daoshi-fighting-for-love-review-nintendo-switch/

Otome Daoshi -Fighting for Love- Review (Nintendo Switch)

Release Date: March 26, 2026 (North America)
Developers:  Otomate
Publishers: Aksys Games
Platforms:  Nintendo Switch
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

SYNOPSIS

Welcome to Kayu, where every citizen, both man and woman, young and old alike, enjoy martial arts.

Living in that kingdom as a Daoist priestess in training, you made your way to the Tournament of Valor to root for your childhood friend.

A sudden attack during the Tournament of Valor forces you to protect your country and those you care about.

Fight alongside friend and foe alike to save your kingdom!

ART AND MUSIC

Director: Choko TsuyuriScenario: Maro Sasaki, Satomi Nakayama, Ririka Yoshimura Artist: Ayu NekoiBG Artist: Fuki Umezaki, Cre-p Co., LtdBGM: Poweless (studio)OP Theme: Naoto Fuga (Vocals), baker (Arrangement), Karasuyasabou (lyrics)ED Theme: Sanso Nakamura (Vocals, Lyrics, Arrangement)

Verily surprised to see that some of the game’s scenarios adopt a manga-like narrative style (kinda like Arcana Famiglia, though I personally prefer its usage here better). The fight scenes were particularly fitting for this style, so needless to say, I really enjoyed them whenever they came up during my playthrough.

Another thing I absolutely have to talk about was how STUNNING all the illustrations are. I probably spent a few of my play-time gawking at the CGs (laughs), not a single one look bad or awkward to me. The illustrator, Ayu Nekoi is the main artist for Otome Daoshi, and I would absolutely love to see them work on more otome titles in the future!

The character design of Otome Daoshi actually reminded me so much of the character designs in Fushigi Yuugi (ふしぎ遊戯). Whilst the characters’ personalities are, of course, different, the visual similarities are definitely there. If youre a fan of the FS series in its golden era, you absolutely cant miss these resemblances…. I say this as your number one Watase Yuu/Fushigi Yuugi fan.

The soundtrack is also another aspect I particularly enjoyed in the game and thought it fitted the game’s Chinese martial arts aesthetic and setting. In fact, the BGMs reminded me a lot of the Ranma ½ anime soundtrack, which is another trip-down-memory-lane of the classics, and probably made me a tiny bit biased toward this game itself.😆

Voice Acting

Kazuki Ura as “Yuhang“ – Robin Bullet (Cupid Parasite SSD), Kashagiri (Touken Ranbu), Richter Belmont (Castlevania), Yoichi Isagi (Bluelock), Stein Nac (Akuma Shitsuji), Alain (Unicorn Overloard), Rex de Couraciel (CRAZY CHAIN), Baraku (Olympia Soiree Catharsis)

Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as “Shaowu” – Akaza (Olympia Soiree), Tsuyukusa (Illusion of Itehari), Nicol (My Next Life as a Villainess), Alice (Taisho x Alice), Gyobu (Charade Maniacs), Monshiro (Pyschedelica of the BB), Rin Okazaki (Spiral Memoria), Vash (Trigun), Kirito (SAO), Inosuke Hashibira (Demon Slayer), Xiao (Genshin Impact), Kirihiko (NilAd)

Shogo Sakata as “Haoran“ – Aki (Chainsaw Man), Aqunoa (My Beloved Star), Yuu Niina (Break My Case), Hayato Ninose (Distorted Code), Ash (INtLOVErt Game Club), Moze (HSR), Edouard Rouquier (Tales of Luminaria)

Nobunaga Shimazaki as “Longli“ – Riku (Olympia Soiree), Sataly (My Beloved Star), Hino (7’Scarlet), Yuki Soma (Fruits Basket), Kaedehara Kazuha (Genshin), Silver (TWTS), Napoleon (Ikevamp), Yamato (Storm Lover 2nd), Arjuna (Fate/Extella), Xeno (Angelique Lumernarise), Eugeo (Sword Art Online), Seishiro Nagi (Bluelock)

Chiaki Kobayashi as “Uro“ – Yashiro (Illusion of Itehari), Ray Under (Cupid Parasire SSD), Hairi (Olympia Soiree), Deuce Spade (TWST), Ibuki Taki (Ensemble Stars), Mao Ukyo (Break My Case)

Jun Fukuyama as “Shiyu” – Sodyk Mun (Neon Clash), Ascot (Mistonia’s Hope), Karatachi (Illusion of Itehari), Mizuchi (Hana Awase), Tomomori (Birushana), Vyn Richter (Tears of Themis), Mozu (BUSTFELLOWS), Goro Fujita (Meiji Tokyo Renka), Liberta (Arcana Famiglia), Rin (Togainu no Chi), Aido (Vampire Knight), Tokiwa Etsuya (Dairoku), Goke Kanimitsu (Touken Ranbu)

Kazuhiro Yoshimura as “Seisetsu“ – Shioji (Illusion of Itehari), Oleander (The Red Bell’s Lament), Alest (Radiant Tale), Minegeshi (Collar x Malice), Ten (Cafe Enchante), Maki (Side Kicks!), Souji Kamishiro (Suika Niritsu), Pepe (Bustafellows)

Tomokazu Sugita as the Narrator – Kuroba (Olympia Soiree), Ron (Norn9), Gintoki (Gintama), Sauli (Bustafellows), Takuma (Hiiro no Kakera), Oda Nobunaga (IkeSen), Hubert (Reines des fleurs), Shion (KLAP!), Usagi-sensei (Bad Apple Wars), Pace (Arcana Famiglia), Nightmare (Spade no Kuni no Alice), Vincent Lowell (Muv-Luv), Gandamu (Danganropa), Magoroku Kanemoto (Touken Ranbu)

CHARACTERS AND ROUTES

Only Yuhang, Shaowu and Haoran can be played from the start. Longli’s route unlocks after clearing the first three, and the secret route becomes available once you’ve completed Longli’s story. The secret route also branches off from Longli’s route, specifically in his first chapters.

In terms of story flow and keeping spoilers to a minimum (from least to most spoilers), my soft recommended route order would be: Yuhang = Shaowu → Haoran → Longli → Secret Route. The dev’s official soft recommended route order is also the same.

Walkthroughs:

• Yuhang
• Shaowu
• Haoran
• Longli
• Secret Route

Disclaimer: The CGs shown below are promotional images for the game, Otome Daoshi -Fighting For Love-. All spoiler-related content in this review will be hidden behind a spoiler drop-down, that you can choose to view at your own discretion.

YUHANG

• baby tsun
• down bad for Shunlin

Yuhang is the heroine’s childhood friend. He lived in the same district as Shunlin when they were young but moved to another district with his parents shortly afterward. He is easily embarrassed and would usually resort to harsh words to hide it.

Played Yuhang’s route first for the sole reason that his character design was my favorite out of everyone’s. (I mean, his look was clearly inspired by my orange-head himbo husbando Tasuki from FS, no? lol). That aside, I was actually quite taken with the romance here (and thought it was one of its stronger points). Yuhang was so down bad for MC that it was adorable seeing him internally muse over how hard he was crushing on Shunlin. In all honesty, I loved this route for the most part, but it’s a shame the final chapters kind of botched the plot and put Yuhang in a pretty unfavorable position.🥲

⬇️ Spoilers

Idk, I just don’t like it when an LI you’re rooting for suddenly tries to hurt the heroine out of pocket. Sure, he was blackmailed and his family was on the line. I get it. I just admittedly don’t like this plot device being used on such a good character.😭 If he really respected Seisetsu, he would’ve confronted him at the first opportunity. Even though he eventually did, he waited until the last minute. I get that this was done for plot purposes, but come on, it just made him look cowardly and tbh, dulled some of my affinity for poor Yuhang.

On a different note, I thought their relationship buildup was cute and felt more believable compared to some of the other routes, where the romance suddenly jumps to the head-over-heels ily-idc territory.lol 😂

SHAOWU

• muscle Akaza
• kuudere daddy

Shaowu, the lone wolf. He’s quite intimidating at first glance, with his hulking build and deep, stern eyes. He’s a man of few words, but he also has a rather kind side.

First of all…….. that six pack is doing a LOT of things! to me lol Also, why Shaowu and not Xiao??? 😭
Anyway, this route was kind of funny because Shunlin here was immediately head over heels for Shaowu right of the bat! And would follow him without a moment’s hesitation, no questions asked. Like okay girl calm down, ya’ll just met!😭 I mean, I don’t blame her though, the man is fine as heck! Too fine, even… and that six-pack is certainly doing wonders, for sure.😝 It’s wild to see a heroine become so immediately besotted this fast. I was cackling at how hilarious this all was.

As for this route’s story, it felt a bit one-note overall. There were some questionable plot devices, and the writing didn’t really make me care much about how the bigger events unfolded. I will wholeheartedly, and shamelessly admit, that I forgave everything because Shaowu’s kiss CG was on fire! (cackles) 😂 Plus, I was invested enough to see Shaowu & Shunlin through to their happy ending!

⬇️ Spoilers

Their whole plan to brute-force their way into the castle with just the two of them was kind of dumb, esp. when they knew they wouldn’t stand a lick of chance, given in other routes, they’re easily outnumbered by the king’s soldiers even with the strongest fighters on their side (Lihong, Haoran, and the rest of the main cast). Im beyond baffled how this all worked out for them here in the end, but hooray i guess.🤷‍♀️

As much as I love Shunlin and Shaowu, their romance was also incredibly unconvincing. Shunlin really just went up and threw her life on the line for some hot stranger, and I mean, sure why not right? HAHA I couldn’t take it seriously but, atleast I had fun with all her antics about oogling on Shaowu’s abs!😂

Speaking of Shaowu, I feel like he really got the short end of the stick in this game. He doesn’t get any real closure in the other routes regarding the whole dilemma with his half-zombie mom. I honestly feel bad for him because he’s just been carrying that burden alone, and it’s only in his own route that he finally gets a proper resolution to his problems. 😭

HAORAN

• Tamahome at home
• greenflag oniichan

Haoran is the heroine’s big brother figure. Ever since they were young, he and Shunlin would go to and fro from places together. He’s very kind, gentle-mannered, and cares for the heroine like family.

Perhaps I’m in the minority here, but I love Haoran as an LI. (I’m also very biased with his seiyuu so there’s that too lol) Normally, oniichan routes are a pretty hit or miss for me, and a lot of them tend to go completely batshit crazy (cackles). So I was shockingly pleased to see Haoran cruising along the greenest of green in his route. I’ve also really liked how refreshing his dynamic is with Shunlin. Their brother-sister + childhood friend relationship took an interesting approach that deviates from the usual brother-sister trope we commonly get in otome games. I’ll expand on that more in the spoiler section.

As for this route’s plot, while it was predictable at best, albeit no more so than the other routes, I thought it was alright overall. There were quite a few plot conveniences working in its favor, but after finishing my first two routes, I was already expecting the same ordeal here. I’ve gotta say though, Haoran is probably the LI most favored by the artist, because holy cow, all of his CGs are gorgeous! I’ve probably gasped more than once at how cleanly handsome he looks in his close-ups stills!😩

⬇️ Spoilers

I was very surprised to have enjoyed Shunlin and Haoran’s dynamic here (sooo much). It was really refreshing to see them so completely oblivious to their affection for each other that it took Yuhang and Wei pointing out how their relationship felt more *romantic* than familial for them to realize it. I loved how both took the time to re-evaluate their feelings and gradually started seeing each other as a man and a woman rather than just close childhood friends. Idk, but it was really cute and endearing to me!😭

Haoran is also such a green-flag oniichan, in comparison to the usual pool of possessive, yandere-ish, controlling oniisans out in the current market lol, he was such a breath of fresh air (to me). It really was hard not to like him. Plus, his blushy CGs were absolutely doing wonders in this route!

Unfortunately, I really didn’t care much for the plot here. The sudden knowledge dump about a peach tree in the land of the dead being able to bring souls back to life was laughably wild and completely outta nowhere. Where they perhaps loosely referencing 蟠桃會 here? (or the peaches of immortality) lol

Anyway, I fully accepted this “plot twist” because I like Haoran that much, lol.🤣

LONGLI

• 👁👄👁

A handsome gentleman who works at the palace. He’s highly respected by his subordinates and draws plenty of attention from women thanks to his strikingly beautiful looks.

The route that kept me awake….for the most part, that is. It was a good call to lock Longli’s route because of his backstory, which certainly had some *surprising* elements.. That said, I do feel like they played this route a bit too safe. It’s a shame, because I really love Longli and wanted more from his route and his somewhat beguiling romance with Shunlin.

⬇️ Spoilers

You know, as tropey as it is, I just love it when a seemingly nice LI suddenly snaps like a bolt from the blue and shifts into their full yandere mode when you least expect it. I love Longli as an LI because of this. Tbh, he didn’t even need a full backstory to justify his red flag tendencies, I would’ve still enjoyed the sheer whiplash of it all regardless. My only gripe here was that they completely played Longli’s yandere-ness too safe! I would’ve loved it if he’d gone to the extreme of confining Shunlin to his abode. Give me that oomph!

The plot also felt a bit unsure of where it wanted to focus, whether on Longli’s skeletons in the closet or the revenge plot involving Shiyu and his grudge against the king. The route was still enjoyable for what it was. I happily devoured all the romance bits and gorged on Longli’s beautiful CGs, but the overall narrative flow here felt lacking, imo.

SECRET LI

⬇️ Spoilers

URO

• not really so secret
• amnesiac hero

Uro just happens to come up out of nowhere, which surprised me for some reason, even though secret routes that pop-up like this aren’t exactly uncommon in otomes. I mean, we’ve seen Henri do the same thing in Piofiore (and I luv Henri, btw, lol). Ideally, I should’ve been annoyed that there was no forewarning about this new character, but surprisingly, I didn’t mind this at all, and was even shocked at how much I ended up vibing with this route. (laughs)😂

It was hilarious that Shunlin immediately offered to let Uro stay at their house just because she felt bad that he was amnesiac and drifting from inn to inn. (What is it with heroines doing this btw, lol Hinagiku did the same thing for Yashiro and Akari to Nori *cackles*)😂 Then again… Uro is gorgeously handsome, so I can certainly understand where Shunlin is coming from like okayyyy girlie take him in! Lets gooo! 😂

The mystery surrounding who Uro is kept getting thwarted so many times, esp. whenever Shiyu was involved. He’d just show up, drop some vague hints, and then run off again. This happened a few times, and it definitely felt like the story was written that way to drag things out. I was getting impatient. (laughs) On top of that, Shiyu’s motivations felt frustratingly inconsistent. He says he wants to kill Shunlin to get back his stolen powers, yet he doesn’t really follow through here, whereas in other routes, particularly Longli’s, he was far more determined there? His decisions flip-flopped so much that it dulled his likability as a character, to me. Shiyu’s connection to Shunlin, esp. w/ the whole “she stole my powers” shtick, was also explained in a rather slapdash way just when I expected it to be something much more significant. Although, after seeing similar things happen in the secret route of Temirana, (which is another otomate title ive recently played) I was kind of used to these perfunctory plot devices, which is probably why I didn’t mind them as much here.

On paper, Uro’s predicament should’ve tied in nicely with Shiyu’s, given both of them are exiled brothers of false kings. It also should’ve tied more strongly to Kayu’s national motto as “Might makes right,” and how fundamentally flawed that ideology is. I believe that was meant to be the core message of the final route. However, the execution just felt rushed IMO, so in turn, the full-circle didn’t hit as hard as it should have.

Still and all, I think Uro was a great character, as well as a likeable love interest for Shunlin. I loved the backstory of him being friends with her when they were younger, and how him telling his twin brother, Yoki who was kept locked away in the castle, about Shunlin sparked Yoki’s deep obsession with a girl he’s never met. I think if the story had focused more on the intense rivalry between Uro and Yoki and their complicated past, I would’ve enjoyed the route even more. But alas, with so many plot threads to juggle here (and needed addressing), everything ended up feeling a little crammed.

Lastly, yay for kansai Fukujun! I need more of this in his other range please! 🤤

SHUNLIN (Main Heroine)

• genki heroine
• boy-crazy

Shunlin was very cute! Always bright and full of spirit! Very optimistic, very feisty, very stubborn, and can sometimes get a little mouthy, but not in an annoying way. She’s kind of a genki MC, which we usually don’t get a lot. The last one we had, I can think, was Bakarina, except that in comparison, Shunlin is less of an idiot and more just a little ditsy and boy-crazy, as her grandpa Lihong would say.

Speaking of which, Shunlin’s boy-crazy shenanigans were an absolute riot! Girlie just falls head over heels for a total hottie stranger (I mean, don’t we all?) 🤣 and puts her blind faith in them, sometimes even her life on the line, (like in Shaowu’s route), for no believable nor logical reason, whatsoever. But I think, this tomfoolery is part of her charm. She was so hilarious, honestly! And her brazen cheerfulness definitely worked its way into her LI’s heart! (and mine too! I luv her to bits!)🥹

Shunlin is just like us! fr!😭

Shunlin is also a skilled fighter who can more than hold her own in battle. She’s a remarkable daoshi as well (even though she’s still in training), and she carries a very kind-hearted disposition. Her personality doesn’t really change across routes, which I appreciate, (I love that consistency). I really enjoyed her as the protagonist of this game, and I only wish the title had been longer so I could see more of her antics.

SYSTEM AND LOCALIZATION

I absolutely loved the game’s Chinese kungfu aesthetics. The loading screen with Mimi, the game’s panda mascot, was sooo cute! And contrary to what everyone else is saying, I actually LOVED the recaps and previews at the end of each chapter. They reminded me so much of the animes I watched in the 90s. I grew up with those “Jikai Yokokus“,😆 so I really appreciated the devs including it in this game. If anything, it added a lovely nostalgic atmosphere throughout my playthroughs.🥹 Plus, the narration is voiced by Sugita! (all the more reason to enjoy this feature, if you ask me!)

PROS:

• Heroine’s Name Customization
• Next Episode Preview at the end of each chapter (that you can turn ON/OFF)
• Cute chibi Illustrations at the end of each chapter
• Chapter Select
• Affection Status Bar
• SKIP to Previous/Next Choice function
• Skip READ function
• Quick Save/Quick Load
• Manga-Like Scenarios (which you can preview in the Gallery section)
• CG List
• Manga Library
• BGM Library
• Movie Library
• Backlog and Rewind function
• “Classroom” section to get familiar with some in-game terms
  

CONS:

• No mouth movements, no blinking sprites
• Heroine not voiced
• No Heroine side sprite
• No Love Catch System
  

Localization

For a period setting ,the game sometimes uses very modern slang words. However, perhaps because of its comedic tone, this didn’t really pose an issue for me. There were also very few to no typos, so the game clearly went through solid QA, which is great. Overall, the localization felt quite polished from a technical standpoint.

TRAILER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-oF4hgBAfs

OVERALL THOUGHTS

This game was relatively short overall. It took me around 25–30 hours to unlock everything, mostly in auto mode. If you read pretty fast and don’t wait for the lines to play out, I believe you can finish one route in less than three hours. There were only two endings available for each route: the True Love End and the Romantic End. The game does not have any bad endings.

Martial Arts Themed Otome Game

Otome Daoshi is an otome game centered around the theme of Chinese martial arts (aka wushu), so expect a lot of fight scenes, and marial art bouts in every route. What I liked so much here is that some of the combat scenes are illustrated in a manga-like fashion, which does a fantastic job of elevating the title’s action-packed scenarios (I legit inhaled all of them whenever they come up lol). The country of “Kayu,” where the story is set, also follows the motto “Might makes right,” so most of the main characters are predominantly strong and skilled fighters, heroine and side characters included.

Speaking of which, allow me to geek out a little bit here, because as a martial arts movie buff I was exceedingly entertained seeing how each LI seems to have a different wushu style in the game. From their sprites’ fighting stances, it looks like Yuhang practices bajiquan (八極拳) just from his pose alone, although from the description it actually appears that Shaowu is the one who uses more brute-force attacks focused on physical strength. (Shaowu is kind of like a tank, if anything, and his attacks’ focal point are more on physical strength, while Yuhang has more dexterity.)

Haoran’s fighting pose kind of reminds me of 鷹爪派 (the Eagle Claw) from his hand gestures, but also because he utilizes defensive footwork. As we see at the beginning of the common route, he mainly fights by evading his opponent’s attacks and tends to stay on the defensive side.

As for Longli, we don’t really see his technique until you unlock his route, but Shunlin describes his movements as being like water, so I would assume he probably practices Tai Chi (太極拳).

I’m not sure what the secret LI practices, as his movements or fighting style were never really explored in the game, or maybe the game forgot to give him one. lol

Story, Tropes and Characters

Another notable thing is that the game features three childhood friend tropes, yet each dynamic plays out very differently. Without saying who, three of the LIs are the MC’s childhood friends, and much to my surprise, their relationship dynamics with her are quite distinct. Because of that, the trope never felt repetitive or overused (me thinks)... I quite liked it, in fact! The variation was very refreshing to me, and I’m glad the devs explored the many different interpretations of this same trope.

On a much different note, while this title undeniably deals with serious stakes, the comedic air and campy dialogue give it a more lighthearted undertone, imo. At times the comedy landed for me, and other times it didn’t, though I guess that’s likely a matter of humor preference than anything else.

Intermission: Here’s hot character you can’t romance btw!

As for its overarching story, I personally thought it was alright. However, objectively speaking, this is also probably where the game feels a little constrained. All the routes were too short to actually flesh out the main plot at hand, or fully develop the romance between the protagonist and her LI. Most of the conflicts also resolve too conveniently & sometimes too quickly, so before you even get invested in the friction of certain storylines or start theorizing your hunches, that same storyline has already been wrapped up and done. I think longer chapters would’ve definitely benefited the game, if anything.

However, maybe because I had already dialed my expectations down before playing this game, I ended up finding it quite fun and enjoyable, regardless. This title is nowhere near a kusoge, so I was generally baffled why it was criticized to filth when it came out in 2024. Sure, the endings were rather predictable, but they were still fun and I had plenty of laughs. None of the LIs made me want to throw my Switch out the window, and really, that’s mostly the bare minimum I’d ask in an otome game to not rate it negatively. I guess if you’re looking for your next ten-out-of-ten title, this game is probably not it. But if you value kind, likeable characters and an easygoing martial arts-themed romp with exceptionally beautiful art, then this game would be a solid candidate.

Speaking of characters, I thought all the main love interests were great. I didn’t dislike any of them, which already counts as a big plus for me. I think my fav was Longli and the secret route, followed by Haoran (second). Conversely, the routes themselves can be a bit of a mixed bag, but I cared enough about the characters to want to see their happy endings through.

💖LI RANKING: Longli = Secret Route > Haoran > Shaowu = Yuhang

📝ROUTE RANKING: Secret Route > Haoran > Yuhang > Shaowu > Longli

My route ranking is based on how well each route handled the romance for me, rather than its plot.(laughs) In addition, the romance in this game felt rather bare-bones in its development. Our lovely pairs sometimes just fall in love abruptly without much build-up. Personally, I didn’t mind it and even thought Shunlin’s hastiness to fall in love was kind of funny. Plus, all the kiss CGs are visually stunning, so I shamelessly forgave all its pitfalls! Ha!😋

At least the game and MC are aware of it too!😝

Do I recommend this game? YES.
While this title had its fair share of flaws, I am very positive that there should be a character or two (or three!) who will actually interest and endear you. I personally enjoyed the game myself and thought it was a cute, somewhat lighthearted short romp to pick up when you just want to unwind and laze about without having to think too much. If you can temper your expectations a little bit and enjoy the game with a less critical mindset, I’m sure you’ll have a fun time with this one.

Otome Daoshi is also very visually pleasing and easy on the eyes. The manga-like narrative in some scenarios was a nice novelty experience, and if you enjoy romance combined with martial arts, this title right here, is the ticket!

#aksysGames #nintendoSwitch #otomate #OtomeDaoshi #OtomeDaoshiFightingForLove #OtomeDaoshiFightingForLoveReview #OtomeDaoshiReview

Hakuoki SSL ~Sweet School Life~ Review (Nintendo Switch)

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://otomekitten.com/2026/02/12/hakuoki-ssl-sweet-school-life-review-nintendo-switch/

Hakuoki SSL ~Sweet School Life~ Review (Nintendo Switch)

Release Date: February 12, 2026 (North America)
Developers:  Otomate
Publishers:  Eastasiasoft
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
ESRB Rating: T

ABOUT THE GAME

Hakuoki SSL ~Sweet School Life~ puts a modern spin on the Edo period romance of the main series, instead casting heroine Chizuru and the handsome warriors of the Shinsengumi as students and teachers living in modern Japan. School life antics ensue as these beloved characters hold a school festival, stress over midterms, get into watergun fights and more!

Experience a fun slice-of-life story through unlockable event scenes, engaging dialogue and beautifully illustrated character portraits, all localized in English for the first time. Explore unique endings with each character and enjoy mini-games that make this standalone entry extra special!

ART AND MUSIC

Producer:Tsunekiyo FujisawaArtist:Shiki Sakigumi (CGs & overall Illustrations), Kazuki Yone (original character designs) Takuto Sakura (Chibis)BG Artist:Cheimi Mita (quunplant inc.). Akihiro Hiraswa (quunplant inc.), Yoko Nakao (quunplant inc.)OST:Aika Yoshioka (OP & ED Artist), Yoshio Tsuru (Composer)BGM/Soundtrack:Yuki Tsuruta

UNBOXING THE LIMITED EDITION

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YMo-PmZ250

Voice Acting

Shinichirou Miki as “Toshizo Hijikata“ – Yuzuki (7Scarlet), Nesso Galland (Black Wolves Saga), Bucket-Sensei (Bad Apple Wars), Zamasu (Dragon Ball), Lina Jenkins (Tiny x Machinegun), Toshiyuki Sawada (ROBOTIC;NOTES), Tanjuro Kamado (Demon Slayer), Keisuke Yuki (Fushigi Yugi), Daihannya Nagamitsu (Touken Ranbu)

Shotaro Morikubo as“Soji Okita“ –  Toa (7Scarlet), Impey (Code Realize), Reiji (UtaPri), Gilbert Redford (Piofiore), Jocus (Period Cube), Troy (BUSTAFELLOWS), Hikaru Osari (B-PROJECT)

Kosuke Toriumi as “Hajime Saito” – Mikazuki Munechika (Touken Ranbu), Ichiya (Variable Barricade), Vlad (The Red Bell’s Lament), Higa (Sympathy Kiss), Poyo-Poyo (Period Cube), Shuu (Diabolik Lovers), Kagiha (Psychedelica BB), Rei Mikuni (CollarxMalice), Chojiro (Nightshade), Cecil (Uta no Prince sama)

Hiroyuki Yoshino as “Heisuke Todo” – Helvetica (BUSTAFELLOWS), Heishi Otomaru (Norn9), Auger (Black Wolves Saga), Ningen Mukotsu (Touken Ranbu), Franky Franklin (SpyxFamily), Debito (Arcana Famiglia), Mikage Kojiro (TMGS4)

Koji Yusa as “Sanosuke Harada” – Itsuki (NORN9), Mr. Gasmask (Bad Apple Wars), Jolly (Arcana Famiglia), Rado Dracula (Princess Nightmare), Hibari (Side Kicks!), Nier (Nier Replicant), Sakahagi (SMT3), Takehiko Kamiya (sweetpool), Hyuga Ryuya (Utapri), Lancer (Fate/Extella)

Kenjiro Tsuda as“Chikage Kazama” – Kento Nanami (Jujutsu Kaisen),  Kishibe (Chainsaw Man), Yuan (Piofiore), Hanzo (Nightshade), Shugo Monari (Jack Jeanne), Soshi Amazaki (The Charming Empire), Leonardo Da Vinci (Ikevamp) Nihongou (Touken Ranbu), Tatsu (The Way of the Househusband), Seto Kaiba (Yugioh)

Nobuo Tobita as “Keisuke Sannan” – Professor Alba (Trails in the Sky), Gordon (Disgaea), Lumiale (Angelique), 9th Man (Zero Escape The Nonary Games), Tomo (Fushigi Yuugi), Shiki Kijima(Tokyo Ghoul), Konnosuke 1 (Touken Ranbu), Dayoon (Osomatsu-san), Shogen Mamiana (Yashashime), Kamille Bidan (Robot Wars)

Tomohiro Tsuboi as “Shinpachi Nagakura“ -Izumo Kamizuki (Naruto), Taliesin (Tears to Tiara), Omi Shichijo (Gakuen Heaven), Maeda Toshiie(Sengoku Basara), Tenma Funato(Boruto)

Takayuki Suzuki as “Susumu Yamazaki” – Kyou (Hiyoku wa Azami no Kanata-e), Tsukasa Sakuma(Last Bullet), Ernesto (Record of Agarest), Gilles de Rais (Bladestorm), Satoru Kokuryu (Sorcery Jokers)

Hasumi Ito as “Kaoru Nagumo” – Aoi Tohsaka (Fate/Zero), Verlnya (Demonion 2), Kinou (Evenicle), Ondine (Jeanne at the Clock Tower), Julaus (Beat Valkyrie Ixseal)

Seki Tomukazu as “Ryunosuke Ibuki” – Futami (Charade Maniacs), Hashida Itaru (Steins;Gate), Gilgamesh (FATE/Extella), Kanji Tatsumi (P4), Melissa (KamiAso), Nenji Ogata (13 Sentinels), Yzak (Gundam Seed), Chichiri (Fushigi Yuugi), Rob Lucci (One Piece), Sanemi Shinazugawa (Demon Slayer), Shinya Kogami (Psycho-Pass)

Toru Okawa as “Isami Kondo” – Rufus Shinra (FF7R), Nyx (Neo Angelique), Jirou Tomitake (Higurashi when they Cry), Arawn (Tears to Tiara), Shirosaki Rio (DoubleScore), Masau Sera (Yakuza 0), Futsunushi (Hoshi no Oujo), Kaltz (Lamento Beyond the Void), Kiriyama Taira (Himehibi), Keiji Ukita (Root Double), Sojiro Sakaki (Gakuen Heaven)

CHARACTERS AND ROUTES

Hakuoki SSL has six main LI routes (Hijikata, Okita, Saito, Heisuke, Harada, and Kazama) and four mini routes (Sannan, Nagakura, Yamazaki, and Kaoru). Only the six main LIs have full-blown romance routes and more CGs compared to the mini routes, which at best only has two CGs and one chibi CG. Some of the mini routes also tend to be more ambiguous or platonic rather than full-fledged romances, like Kaoru’s route, for example (which to me, is basically a friendship route).

Also, since Hakuoki SSL is a spin-off of the famous Hakuoki series, the routes are mostly stand-alone, fluffy stories featuring Chizuru and the Shinsengumi boys reimagined in a fun high school setting. All the routes can be played from the start, and there’s no *central narrative* tying them together, so you can jump straight and play whichever LI you want to start with.

My personal rule of thumb when it comes to Hakuoki games is to always start with a fav and end with a fav. That said, I obviously started with Hijikata as my first route 😝 and saved Kazama for last. Ha! Too bad my oshi, Iba isn’t here!

Speaking of which, for new players who might be wondering why Iba, Souma, and Sakamoto aren’t in this game, it’s worth noting that Hakuoki SSL was released before Hakuoki Shinkai in Japan. Hakuoki Shinkai (basically, Kyoto Winds + Edo Blossom, aka Chronicles of Wind and Blossom) is the title where the latter three LIs were added, and where Sannan, Nagakura, and Yamazaki were also given full LI routes. So, it makes sense that Hakuoki SSL only includes full routes for the original six love interests from the OG base game.

Walkthroughs:

Note: The CGs shown below are promotional images for the game, Hakuoki SSL ~Sweet School Life~. All spoiler-related content in this review will be hidden behind a spoiler drop-down, that you can choose to view at your own discretion.

TOSHIZO HIJIKATA

• “Hijikata-sensei” 🤤🔥🔥

Hakuo Academy’s Classical Literature teacher and Vice Principal, he oversees most of the school’s operations in place of the principal, Isami Kondo. He is strict and is often regarded by students as the academy’s “Demon Vice Principal.”

I was already in full giddy mode going into this game, and what better way to fuel that than starting with the man of the hour, Hijikata-sensei. My goodness, what an absolute standard of a man. 🤤 Hijikata, ever so handsomely dashing and now the ever-strict teacher at Hakuo Academy?! Not sure whether him teaching classical literature is a playful jab at his fondness for writing awful haikus in the original game, but I gotta admit, this little detail was pretty funny.

Romance with Hijikata is always so satisfying because he is such a refined man, yet distant and elusive. You have to genuinely earn his love! That has always been a core part of his appeal in Hakuoki, and this spin-off absolutely nails that same dynamic (with Chizuru), I just love it so much.

⬇️ Spoilers

The part where Chizuru finds her resolve to hold back her feelings for Hijikata and save them for a time when she can truly stand beside him as his equal was so on point with their original dynamic in Hakuoki. And my god, I am in the clouds!

Chizuru literally works her way to get to where she is so she can stand beside her chosen hubby, and it is so satisfying to see Hijikata finally be forward with his feelings once Chizuru completely wins his heart. Again, (as with any route with Hijikata), this is the kind of romantic payoff that feels completely earned! Im so glad the writers preserved the very crux of their relationship in the OG game. They absolutely nailed it here.

SOJI OKITA

• sly fox
• chaotic energy only

Okita is a second-year student who loves teasing people. He looks up to the principal, Isami Kondo, who has taught him kendo since he was young and whom he basically regards as his brother. He doesn’t seem to enjoy classical literature classes, nor the teacher assigned to them, Hijikata. His latest hobby is taking lots of random photos on his smartphone.

There’s a reason why Souji Okita still tops the charts as one of the most beloved otome game husbando in Japan. It’s his playful, conniving personality, paired with the fact that he can bite back with venom when the situation calls for it. His complex layered nature also bodes really well with his chemistry with Chizuru in the original game. And I can happily report that this relationship dynamic was also preserved in SSL.

Because the base game was filled with so much angst, it’s almost instantly cathartic to see the couple naturally happy, just enjoying life as high school students. 😭 Seeing Okita exuberantly healthy (yes, i know…)😭 teasing Chizuru, and how she slowly falls for him was utterly gold. They are truly deserving of happy days ahead of them!

⬇️ Spoilers

Loved how Okita’s confession scene was so straightforward, no nonsense, completely honest, and straight to the point that he wants a romantic relationship with Chizuru. He wanted to seal the deal right away on Valentine’s Day by telling Chizuru to just admit that she gave him chocolates, so everyone could finally realize they’re dating. That is exactly very Okita-like! My heart is full!😭 Honestly, I just love seeing them both so happy, where neither of them is suffering! 😭

On a side note, its amazing how we get extra special CGs in this route from Okita’s phone! LOL Thank you Okita my dude, for giving us Megane Shinpachi~! 😆

HAJIME SAITO

• adorkable prefect
• blushy yearner

Saito is a prefect at Hakuo Academy. He is a quiet student who deeply respects his advisor, Hijikata. He is meticulous when it comes to discipline, and after school, he is usually found in the science lab, which also serves as the prefects’ club room.

When the fluff is fluffy-ing... Saito’s route is perhaps one of the fluffiest in SSL. And that’s saying a lot, considering all the routes here are already incredibly fluffy at best.

I think the prefect role really suits Saito’s by-the-book personality. He’s very prim and proper and always follows the school rules, just as he faithfully abides by the Samurai Bushido code in Hakuoki. Though beneath that genteel exterior is a huge, adorable dork who yearns for Chizuru’s affection.😭(oh my… *clutches chest*) This man gets easily flustered and turns into a complete blushing mess around Chizuru.🥹 He is just as endearing as ever and somehow even more so here. Saito fans are going to be eating good for sure!

⬇️ Spoilers

My stupid grin never left my face in this route! My goodness! Saito my boy, you are too good!😭

I miss Saito’s dorkiness from the original game, and I think that personality was really reflected here too, w/ him being a prefect and always looking out for Chizuru’s well-being. I also love how completely down bad he is for Chizuru.😭 Like my gosh, he was even trying to avoid bumping into the other boys (Okita and Heisuke) during New Year’s just so he could hog Chizuru all to himself. lol I’ve always pictured Saito as this kind of person in modern times, and I love how the essence of his og traits seeps all the way through in this spin-off. (I mean duhh) His yearning bits for Chizuru were absolutely peak!

I also adored his lovely confession scene on Valentine’s Day. It was so proper and by-the book, and very much like him! Its also cute how he struggled into letting out his feelings first until the last minute when he says Chizuru’s name clumsily (legit kicking my feet 100x).😭😭😭 Needless to say, this route was super!

HEISUKE TODO

• the og genki sunshine boi
• childhood friend

A student at Hakuo Academy who lives next door to the Yukimura family. He loves gaming and doesn’t mind staying up late to indulge in it. He’s also Chizuru’s childhood friend. Outside of gaming, he enjoys kendo and is a member of the school’s kendo club alongside Okita and Saito.

Heisuke is pretty much the epitome of the genki sunshine boy archetype. Before all other genki LIs got their genki badges, there was in fact, …Heisuke! And in this spin-off, he’s just as cheerful, friendly, and affectionate as ever. This man proudly wears his heart on his sleeve, and it’s adorable. Since Chizuru and Heisuke are closer in age, it also makes sense for Heisuke’s role here to be her childhood friend.

⬇️ Spoilers

Friends-to-lovers done right! Just like in the OG game where Chizuru and Heisuke start as good friends before becoming lovers, their relationship here mirrors Heisuke’s original route, minus the whole turning into a rasetsu (fury) and enduring Edo-period angst, of course.

I think its pretty satisfying how they utilized the childhood friend trope here. There were no messy hang-ups, or unnecessary relationship blunders from either side. It was also really pleasant to see Chizuru slowly begin to see Heisuke as a man rather than just her childhood friend.

I loved how Harada gives the heroine solid advice, when he asks her to reflect on whether she likes Heisuke as a friend or something more, and how she would feel if Heisuke found someone else to love. It was beautiful to see Chizuru finally come to the realization that she is, in fact, in love with Heisuke!🥹 Their Christmas scene with the teddy bear and the New Year’s scene on Chizuru’s patio were perhaps my fav parts in this route.

SANOSUKE HARADA

• bad teacher 🤭
• hot 🔥

Harada is a Physical Education teacher at Hakuo Academy. His easy-going personality makes him popular with students, while his level-headedness makes him a trusted and respected member of the faculty.

Oh Sano, the man that you are! I was actually very surprised at how they went about with Harada’s route in SSL. It was shockingly good and felt like a breath of fresh air compared to the previous fluffy routes of the other guys. You see, Harada brings a different kind of fluff. 🤭 Sure enough though, the brainrot was totally real here. Perhaps he’ll be a polarizing character, but this ended up being one of my favorite routes in this spin-off!

⬇️ Spoilers

In a world filled with gross men trying to degrade, disrespect, and belittle women at every chance they get, we need a Sanosuke Harada to come sweep us off our feet!

I absolutely loved how they handled the taboo teacher × student trope in this route. Good god, I did not expect to enjoy it this much! This route was different in a sense that Chizuru is actually exploring things outside her comfort zone, even going so far as to pursue a secret relationship with Sano, fully aware that she’s treading into forbidden territory. Girliepop was literally ALL IN!🥹 (I love it!)

This route also sent me straight to brainrot hell. Sano was just too good.😭 I know a lot of folks flag him for being “traditional,” but that’s just him, that is Harada’s trope. He puts his woman first above all else. That’s just how he is.

And in this spin-off, he’s the same considerate and caring Harada we all loved from the base game. I also wasn’t expecting this route to have some kind of angst, even though it only lasted for a minute lol. The whole scene with Serizawa, as silly and cliche as it was, I absolutely devoured. (cackles) 🤣

CHIKAGE KAZAMA

• delulu is the solulu 😂

Chikage Kazama is a student at Hakuo Academy who is rumored to have already graduated from university. He is always accompanied by Shiranui and Amagiri wherever he goes. As the student council president of Hakuo Academy and the heir to a prestigious tea ceremony school, he comes from an extremely wealthy background. The Kazama family, being one of the academy’s major backers, grants him the freedom to do as he pleases, including wearing his own custom-made uniform.

Kazama is another route that I absolutely had a hoot playing. This route is literally the definition of a staple Chikage Kazama route, and I believe Kazama is one of the biggest charms of Hakuoki SSL. In addition, as brilliant as he is, TsudaKen definitely sold this role hook, line, and sinker!

⬇️ Spoilers

Kazama was actually my first fav Hakuoki LI in Demon of the Fleeting Blossoms (PSP). Back when there were only 6 Hakuoki LIs. So it was pretty refreshing to see him reclaim his oshi throne here in SSL. I mean, this route was so hilarious and unserious, yet at the same time quite endearing in how it showcased Kazama’s duality so well. With his rather composed, dignified side during the tea ceremony, and of course his chaotic side of being hilariously delusional while confidently calling Chizuru his bride.😂

I did appreciate that they explained why he choses her as his bethroded and that he is actually REALLY in love with Chizuru for who she is and not because she hails from a special bloodline (came from preeminent tea ceremonial family). It was also really nice to see Chizuru feeling a lil conflicted about her feelings, esp. after learning that Kazama’s been receiving countless marriage proposals from other prestigious families eager to marry into the Kazama lineage.

Kazama’s Christmas event was hands down my favorite out of everyone’s. The sheer confidence with which he told Chizuru it would snow, and how she was almost completely convinced, only to find out that Amagiri and Shiranui were completely decked out in the sky on a helicopter creating fake snow for the two of them (cackles). It was so out there that I was wheezing so much!🤣

Now that is what you call a CHRISTMAS PRESENT, folks!

KEISUKE SANNAN

• the hot creepy nurse 😏💉

The school nurse at Hakuo Academy who also serves as the faculty’s accountant. He has a gentle demeanor, and both teachers and students rely on him greatly, though there’s an air of mystery about him that leaves people wondering what he might be thinking beneath the surface.

Sannan, with his mysterious air and fondness for making invaluable medicinal concoctions, is now a school nurse who has his eyes on you, and is subtly hitting on you at the same time, even giving you expensive fountain pens?! Well now, I can live with that! 😝

I thought Sannan’s mini route was pretty good! It was a full-on showcase of Sannan’s rather distinctive, unique charm, something only he can pull off. I was a little sad that he only had a few CGs, but ngl, his final CG sort of made up for it, because wow! It was certainly one of the most gorgeous Sannan illustrations I’ve seen!

⬇️ Spoilers

I cackled during the Christmas scene where Chizuru ended up receiving his little red vial during the party’s gift exchange. I was immediately sus that it was going to be some sort of strange medicine for nefarious purposes. (You can never trust Sannan with red vial liquids, neverrr!) 😂LOL But turns out, it was just a nutritional drink made from berry extracts, (which explains why it was red).😂😂😂

Despite the ending being a little ambiguous about their relationship, I honestly fully enjoyed this route still!

SHINPACHI NAGAKURA

• the himboest of all himbos

The math teacher at Hakuo Academy, who always wears a tracksuit, so everyone mistakes him for the P.E. teacher. He loves betting on horse races and enjoys sake, though he’s not very good at managing his finances. He is close with Harada, as they were classmates in college. Despite his rugged appearance, he is a passionate teacher who cares deeply about his students.

Another route that surprised me! Shinpachi’s story was so hilarious, I was hooting and hollering at the crack of midnight!😭

I like how they gave Shinpachi a gap-moe persona, as it reflects the contradictions of his character from the base game. On the outside, he has a rough exterior and is always dressed in his tracksuit, but he’s actually a math teacher, which implies that the man is actually quite smart. This somewhat mirrors his original character in Hakuoki, where (when not fighting) he’s normally all about having fun and drinking his sake, yet he is also the captain of the second division, basically making him one of the strongest swordsmen in the Shinsengumi, second only to Okita.

⬇️ Spoilers

Shinpachi is basically what an irresponsible but good-natured himbo looks like, and it’s funny because this is exactly how I’d picture his modern route to be.😂 His mini-route in SSL still locks him into the “I care about you as my lil sister” trope. Although I appreciate that they didnt really fully emphasized sisterzoning Chizuru here, thank god!

His Valentine’s Day event, was a hoot and a half, it was so hilarious, I was hollering nonstop to the moon and back!😭 You could tell the writers were having a field day with this one. LOL

SUSUMU YAMAZAKI

• blushy yearner # 2
• underrated best boi

A student at Hakuo Academy who is a health committee member under the school nurse, Mr. Sannan. He also fully respects Hijikata, for being a diligent hard worker, which is something he also aspires to be.

Yamazaki is so criminally underrated as a love interest in Hakuoki that it almost upsets me he only gets a mini-route here, instead of a full blown romance route with more CGs. His chemistry with Chizuru is top-tier! They just vibe so well together.🥺 If you’re into fluff and blushy LI sprites, you cannot miss this route! I think the level of fluff in his route (at least his confession scene) was almost on par with Saito’s even. It’s such a shame it was cut short! 😭

⬇️ Spoilers

I thought Yamazaki’s Valentines event was one of the best in the game honestly! He was so pure and precious that he could barely believe Chizuru’s chocolates were meant for him.😭 He truly is the kindest, sweetest man ever, and his chemistry with Chizuru was just so good. I was a little sad that they did not officially label their relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend at the end.

It was also really funny how Yamazaki found a hidden shortcut as their escape route while being chased by the prefects at school. They really tried to pay homage to his shinobi side from the main game, and I thought that nuance was pretty neat.😆

KAORU NAGUMO

• evil gremlin energy
• actually a big tsundere

Chizuru’s twin brother. They were separated at a young age after losing their parents, and each was taken in by a different family. They had no contact with each other until Chizuru enrolled in Hakuo Academy, when they were finally able to meet.

Aww… Kaoru is really just a tsundere big brother who longs to be with family. I kind of view his brother-sister relationship with Chizuru, similar to Finis and Cardia’s in Code: Realize, except that Kaoru is probably more stern and more territorial when it comes to his twin sister. I kind of enjoyed this route because we don’t get to see much of their sibling dynamics in the main game. And considering he was almost the main antagonist in SSL, having a mini-route of his own where he could spend some family time with Chizuru was a very welcome change.

⬇️ Spoilers

Chizuru and Kaoru were always at odds with each other in the main game, so seeing them be so close in this spin-off was pretty enjoyable, to say the least. I esp. loved when Chizuru called him “onichan” during Valentine’s Day and he got completely flustered. Aww.

On a side note, I had to laugh when Okita called him a “yandere with sister complex” lmao 😭 that was such an out of pocket comment!😂

Also if you’re curious, this is not a romance route, btw. It is more of a friendship and family-focused route centered on Chizuru and her brother.

CHIZURU YUKIMURA (Main Heroine)

Chizuru is one of my favorite heroines of all time, and let me tell you how absolutely pleasant it is to see her happy and living a normal life as a high school student, free from any kind of suffering. With supportive girlfriends like Sen and Kosuzu always having her back, and a whole band of doting handsome guys looking out for her. She is living her best life! My girl is so blessed!🥹

In SSL, there are routes where she is more shy and reserved, and routes where she becomes more assertive with her feelings toward her LI. I think she has great chemistry with most of the cast as well, which makes the romance pretty much enjoyable across the board.

Haters are gonna hate, but I will always stand firm when I say that Chizuru is still one of the best otome game protagonists. She is emotionally grounded as a person and shows so much growth throughout her story. Plus, she’s actually pretty funny here too! Hakuoki simply just wouldn’t be the same beloved series without her as the MC! 🫶

SYSTEM AND LOCALIZATION

For a game released about a decade ago, the UI actually holds up pretty well, especially in this Switch port. The game’s scrapbook aesthetic is totally my kind of jam, so I really appreciated it.

Mini Games

I think the mini-games will be hit or miss for a lot of people. When I played Hakuoki SSL back on the PS Vita, I could’ve sworn I loathed the mini-games with every fiber of my being.😅 (laughs) But surprisingly, I did not mind them nearly as much on the Switch. I think most of my frustration back then stemmed from the Vita’s controls, which felt sluggish and wonky, and it made the timing on certain mini-games particularly annoying, especially in Chapter 05.

The good thing is that the mini-games can be skipped after clearing your first route, which is great for players who do not particularly want to waste time completing them every time they start a new route. I’ve also created a guide for the mini-games, so be sure to check it out if you’re ever in a pickle trying to clear them.

PROS:

• Heroine’s Name Customization
• Cross Short Story – short scenarios of the LI’s day-to-day activities.
• Happy Voice – Extra voice recordings of all the main characters
• Daily Story – LI’s POVs during the chapter stories in the game.
• Ryunosuke Shop – where you can buy all the items above through points you’ve accumulated from the mini games. (Be sure to use Ibuki’s coupons whenever they come up in the mail).
• Love Catch and Status Bar
• Skip READ function
• Quick Save/Quick Load
• Mini Games, and Gameplay
• Mini Games can be skipped! (after first run)
• Album (CG Gallery)
• Movie Library
• Backlog and Rewind function
  

CONS:

• Heroine not voiced
• No Heroine side sprite image
• No Chapter Select
• No SKIP to the Next Choice function
• No BGM List
• Some irregular bugs
• No Ending List
• Only two CGs and 1 Chibi CG for the sub-characters
  

Localization

There were only very few typos that I spotted, and they weren’t immersion-breaking or anything, as they were hardly noticeable. The translations also preserved the humor of the game, especially in Kazama’s lines, which were definitely the most hilarious. Love that they retained Kazama’s “my bride” antics with Chizuru!

TRAILER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDJWjO3rfV4&list=RDlDJWjO3rfV4&start_radio=1

OVERALL THOUGHTS

Hakuoki SSL ~Sweet School Life~ is a rather short game. It took me around 20-25 hours to clear all the routes, plus a few extra hours replaying the mini-games in the Treasure Box section to collect some of the test answers (from Mini Game 1). I didn’t play on auto-mode this time either because of the mini-games and the “mail” system, which basically requires you to pause the story to answer some text messages from the menu screen, and collect points.

This title is also fairly linear in structure, with all the routes following the same timeline by seasons. You start with the midterm exams, followed by summer, then the school festival (in autumn), and Christmas + New Year during winter break. After that, the story resumes on Valentine’s Day, which pretty much serves as the game’s final chapter.

Hakuoki SSL is for Hakuoki Fans!

Hakuoki SSL, in its essence, is a game tailor-made for Hakuoki fans. I mean, obviously, this spin-off was born from the franchise’s popularity. So basically, if you’re a fan of Hakuoki, this game is definitely made for you.

Disclaimer: I myself am a massive Hakuoki fan. Hakuoki was perhaps one of the reasons that kickstarted my hobby of blogging about otome games. So with that said, this review may be a bit biased overall, so please keep that in mind.

This spin-off largely comprises of lighthearted stories with our Shinsengumi characters living normal lives as high school students and teachers, navigating the ups and downs of your everyday modern life. In some sense, if you’ve played the original Hakuoki games and endured all the angst, despair, and crises these characters had to overcome, it’s almost instantly cathartic to see them living happily without being thrown into chaos and suffering at every turn. I’d say the story’s easygoing charm is essentially the centerpiece and main draw of Hakuoki SSL.

On that note, the routes here are mainly straightforward fluff, told from the perspective of the protagonist, Chizuru, as she goes through her days of high school life. There isn’t any angsty drama or major plot twists to speak of. At its core, the game embraces a charming slice-of-life romcom tone. This title is also packed with comedy and humor, which I think is one of the main selling points of Hakuoki SSL. More times than not, the chapters gets hilariously unserious, and I honestly lost count of how many times I wheezed or cackled at some of these outrageous scenarios.😂

It gets even crazier during Valentine’s Day (last chapters), and I always brace myself with popcorn to see what the writers will cook up in these scenes. Shinpachi’s Valentine’s event had me dying on the floor.😂

He is such a big himbo…. I can’t!😭

Also, huge kudos to the writers for preserving the relationship dynamics of the original characters. All the cast’s personality traits and nuances remain intact in this game, some even exaggerated for comedic purposes, like Kazama’s delusions of claiming Chizuru as his bride, were dialed up a few notches, and Shinpachi’s outrageous spending habits made his route sooo incredibly tears-in-my-eyes funny. None of the characters, in my opinion, go OOC; all their quirks, and personality tones are retained, and that’s exactly what makes this spin-off so good!

I guess the only minor gripe I had was that the routes were a tad too short. I’d say they’re longer than your typical otomege FD after-story, but the title as a whole is still on the shorter side compared to the average commercial otome game. There’s plenty of extra content however, available in the“Treasure Box” section, which kinda helps make up for the shorter routes. Although I do wish the epilogues were longer, because I need more Hakuoki fluff in my system!

The Heart of Every Hakuoki Title Lies in its Lovable Characters

Apart from our beloved MC, Chizuru, I believe it is a known fact that the heart of every Hakuoki game lies with our Shinsengumi boys. To me, these characters are practically otome royalty. The Hakuoki LIs pretty much set the bar so high that they’ve become the standard for otome love interests even today, and I stand by this statement firmly. mhm!

It goes without saying that I enjoyed this title tremendously because of how fond I am of these characters. All the LIs in this spin-off were so amazing that it’s honestly hard to rank them, as each route was just as enjoyable as the next. Romance-wise, Harada and Saito were my two fav routes, with Harada being just an itty-bitty inch ahead, because I mean… it’s ✨✨Sanosuke Harada,✨✨ we’re talking about here for goodness sake. IYKYK. (cackles) 😝

Heard that! Loud and clear! 👅

Yamazaki’s mini-route also surprised me, and I feel like it’s deserving of a full romance route. The dude is just so underrated, it actually hurts! Kazama’s route, on the other hand, had the most tomfoolery, and needless to say, his antics are guaranteed to tickle everyone’s funny bone.

Can I play this game even if I haven’t played the original Hakuoki games?

Since this is a spin-off set in an alternate universe, the characters are mostly the same, but they take on different roles in this story. So yes, you can play and enjoy this game blind, without having played the original.

Even so, I personally strongly recommend playing the base game first if you want to get ten times the enjoyment out of this title. This spin-off relies heavily on the original cast’s dynamics (and some of these dynamics are spoilers for the base game, mind you), so knowing who these characters are, their quirks, and how they were in the original universe makes playing Hakuoki SSL far more rewarding. Of course, this is just my opinion!

Do I recommend this game? YES.
The green light of this review is obviously clear as day, no?😂 If you’re a Hakuoki fan, loved the previous games, can’t get enough of the characters, and are in dire need of romance and fluffy stories with the Shinsengumi guys, Hakuoki SSL ~Sweet School Life~ is a must-play! I would also readily recommend this title to all otome fans, even if you haven’t touched a single Hakuoki game in your life. Let this title be your open gate straight into Hakuoki heaven… or, hell! (whichever you prefer…ha!)

And to all my fellow Hakuoki enjoyers out there, I cannot recommend this game enough. Reward yourself this Valentine’s Day, pick up this game, and enjoy it to your heart’s content! As February is the month of love, it’s also the month for brainrotting over your favorite Hakuoki LI. Get with the program, sis, and play Hakuoki SSL! 😘

#Eastasiasoft #Hakuoki #HakuokiSSL #HakuokiSSLReview #HakuokiSSLSweetSchoolLife #HakuokiSSLSweetSchoolLifeReview #otomate #OtomeGameReview

Birushana Winds of Fate Releases May 26!

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://otomekitten.com/2026/02/05/birushana-winds-of-fate-releases-may-26/

Birushana Winds of Fate Releases May 26!

Idea Factory International has announced that the otome visual novel fan disc Birushana: Winds of Fate will launch physically and digitally on Nintendo Switch™ in North America and Europe on May 26, 2026.

Birushana: Winds of Fate will include a bonus trading card pack with the physical Standard Edition in North America and Europe.

The trading card pack will be included with the Standard Edition purchased from both the IFI Online Store and participating retailers, while supplies last. Each pack will consist of 9 trading cards, including 1 of each love interest. Additionally, 1 random trading card within the pack will have a special holographic finish.

The physical Standard Edition* ($49.99 | €49.99 | £49.99) includes:

• The game (Birushana: Winds of Fate)
• A trading card pack
• Set of nine cards (one random holographic card + eight standard finish cards)

*Please note that EU and UK prices apply only to the EU and UK IFI Online Stores.

The physical Standard Edition of the game is available for preorder at retailers today. The IFI Online Stores in North America and Europe will also offer the Standard Edition and an exclusive Plus Edition, with preorder details to be announced at a later date. More information about the contents of the Plus Edition will be shared in the future.

WHERE TO PRE ORDER:

IFI STORE (NA) AMAZON (NA)

About Birushana: Winds of Fate

Fifteen years after the Heiji Rebellion, the Heike clan has reached the height of its power, while the Genji clan remains devastated by defeat.

Hidden deep within the mountains of Kurama lives Shanao, the youngest surviving male heir to the Genji name. However, Shanao harbors a deep secret known to very few…

The youngest heir to the Genji name is no man.

KEY FEATURES

• We’re So Back  – Beloved protagonist Shanao is back in this highly anticipated fan disc! Explore nine routes in total, including four Main Routes with all-new love interests, and five returning love interests in the Epilogues.
• What Comes After – Pick up the story where the original Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei ended in five epilogue routes. With love having bloomed on the battlefield, see what life is like for Shanao and her man of choice after the war has ended.
• Turning a New Leaf – Return to the time of war in the all-new Main Routes. Featuring four new love interests, including the Sato brothers, relive moments from the first game from new perspectives and maybe even discover new romance.
• This Action Will Have Consequences – Throughout the new Main Routes, you will have to make tough decisions. These choices will change your affection levels with certain characters and ultimately affect the outcome of your story. Which ending will you receive?

For more information about Birushana: Winds of Fate, check out Idea Factory International’s webpage for it here.

#BirushanaWindsOfFate #BirushanaWindsOfFateReleaseDate #IdeaFactoryInternational #otomate #otomeGameNews

Temirana: The Lucky Princess and the Tragic Knights Review (Nintendo Switch)

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://otomekitten.com/2026/01/14/temirana-the-lucky-princess-and-the-tragic-knights-review-nintendo-switch/

Temirana: The Lucky Princess and the Tragic Knights Review (Nintendo Switch)

Release Date: January 13, 2026 (North America)
Developers:  Otomate, Ichi Column
Publishers:  Idea Factory International
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
ESRB Rating: T

SYNOPSIS

In this world, one’s status and occupation are determined by the month they were born. About 15 years ago in the eastern kingdom of Temirana, the third princess was born: a baby with a birthmark on her forehead.

This child was rumored to be the “Cursed Princess,” and was forced to live in a house far from her family, away from the castle.

But things are about to change.

As her 16th birthday approaches, she attends the dueling tournament known as Helis Duelm. There, she sees five men glowing with a dazzlingly strong light.

Indeed, the “Cursed Princess” possessed a special and lucky power. Whenever her life might be in danger, people and places would shine as if to warn her.

Those acquainted with her power warn that those men may have shone because they were dangerous…but she knows their light is different from any she’s seen before. Trusting her intuition, the princess invites the five men to join her order of knights.

However, some of them have no experience with the sword, and others lack interest in knighthood at all. Can the princess and her small company of five knights overcome the tragedy on the horizon?

ART AND MUSIC

Director: Ayumi TakagiScenario: Uta Amemiya, Akira Natsuno, YuzukiArtist:  Nitaka (Main), Karin Suzushiro (Chibis)OST: Chisato Akita (OP & ED Lyrics, Artist), Mikihiro Hamada (Composer), Masahiro Haryu (Composer)BGM: Triodesign

I wanted to talk a bit about Temirana’s overall illustrator, Nitaka, who has also worked on several VNs and joseimuke games in the past, including the mobile titles Yume100, I★CHU, and of course, Touken Ranbu (widely known for designing the characters Mutsunokami, Kotegiri Gou, and Hizen). I’m actually a huge fan of this artist’s works, particularly the illustrations they’ve created for Touken Ranbu events and related merch, such as this, this, and this, among many others.

They’re also the artist behind the popular Holostars VTuber Josuiji Shinri, who happens to be the only EN VTuber I actively follow (for… normal reasons, read: dilf 😋jk).

That said, while they definitely excel at creating beautiful ikemen stills, their strengths tend to shine more in very composed action-oriented illustrations, especially when bringing out the appeal of the male characters, rather than in more intimate or romantic scenes. In Temirana, I did notice a few romantic CGs that felt a bit awkward (e.g. heroine has her back turned during intimate moments, or “kiss” CGs that aren’t actual kiss CGs, if y’know what I mean). Then again, that could just be me, and I do think their recent game BYAKKO may have overturned this impression of mine, given the very nice intimate CGs shown in its recent promotional illustrations.🤔

Voice Acting

Makoto Furukawa as “Josephy” – Hokuto (Him, the Smile and Bloom), Allan Melville (Cupid Parasite), Crius Castlerock (Even if Tempest), Yoritomo (Birushana), Lugus (Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk), Shaw (MLQC), Adage (Steam Prison), Ookurikara (Touken Ranbu), Kyle Ash (IkeRev), Kazuma Kamikubo (Lover Pretend), Dazai (Charade Maniacs)

Yusuke Kobayashi as “Tobias” – Zhiho (Neon Clash), Flynn (The Red Bell’s Lament), Tomonari (Winters Wish), Hira (Dairoku), Byleth (FE Engage, 3H), Shinano Toushiro (Touken Ranbu), Suwon (Yona of the Dawn), Yuli Norbert (MidCin), Manai Tomoki (Sweet Clown), Xavier (Love and Deepspace), Ugetso (Utakata no Uchronia), Kiyoshi Kurotani (Persona 5), Senku Ishigami (Dr. Stone)

Shuhei Sakaguchi as “Milan” – Biggs (FF7R), Al (Xenoblade Chronicles), Apollo (Dragon Quest), Mest Gryder (Fairy Tail), 777 (TWEWY), Pino Graham (Shaman King), Katsutaka Imae(Hajime no Ipo), Virgil (Emberstoria), Jugo (Naruto)

Sho Karino as “Adel” – Samidare Gou (Touken Ranbu), Ichise Tatsumi (Tengoku Struggle), Elliot (The Villainess Is Adored by the Prince of the Neighbor Kingdom) Kai Arimura (Omega Vampire), Hugo Otori (Hiyoku no Tori), Chifuyu Matsuno (Tokyo Revengers), Rei Okada (Shinjuku Rashoumon)

Kazutomi Yamamoto as“Kiya” – Midare Toushiro (Touken Ranbu), Sora Harukawa (Ensemble Stars!), Dahlia(Genshin Impact), Fuga Takahashi (MUSICUS!), Dog Loewen (Dane with Devils), Kira Mutsuki (Several Shades of S),

Ryohei Kimura as “Eric” – Wataru (Him, the Smile and Bloom), Nicola (Piofiore), Gil Lovecraft (Cupid Parasite),  Kageyuki Shiraishi (Collar x Malice), Kuo (Diabolik Lovers), Arthur (IkeVamp), Kanesada Izuminokami (Touken Ranbu), Izumi Takahira (Yunohana Spring), Jesse (Lights and Night), Soma Takashi (Storm Lover Kai)

UNBOXING PLUS EDITION

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iAC7-WUz5M

MAIN CHARACTERS AND ROUTES

There’s only one locked route in Temirana, which is the Secret Route. All other routes can be played from the start. The Secret Route only becomes available after clearing the TRUE endings of the five LIs: Josephy, Tobias, Milan, Adel, and Kiya.

Each route reveals different pieces of the game’s overarching plot, and I think it might have done the game a favor if some of them had been locked, since certain routes reveal more spoilers than others. My playthrough ended up being a bit all over the place, which led to some whiplash when major reveals came up early because I happened to start with a more spoiler-heavy LI. (laughs)😅 So, if I were to recommend a soft play order from least to most spoilers, it would be: Josephy → Tobias = Milan → Adel → Kiya → Secret Route.

I believe Adel and Kiya’s routes contain the most spoilers in terms of plot points and character reveals that are later explored in the Secret Route. So if you’re not a fan of heavy spoilers early in the game, it’s best to save these two for later playthroughs.

Walkthroughs:

Josephy

Tobias

Milan

Adel

Kiya

Secret Route

Note: The CGs shown below are promotional images for the game, Temirana: The Lucky Princess and the Tragic Knights . All spoiler-related content in this review will be hidden behind a spoiler drop-down, that you can choose to view at your own discretion.

JOSEPHY CORNERHILD ZONDARIG

• yearning 👑
• best boi

The prince of the ruined kingdom of Zondarig. He lives with a troupe of traveling performers known as the Marveil Circus. He’s bursting with pride, with an ego so large that even the princess doesn’t intimidate him. He is naive in some ways and easily provoked, but he possesses a strong will to restore the Zondarig Kingdom.

I love Josephy! Best boy, best route in the game! Also, since I played his route first, Josephy ended up becoming THE standard, and I feel a little awful that I kept comparing the other knights to him in their own respective stories. 😭 It really feels like the writers put their all into this one, as I almost didn’t have any complaints about the story or the pacing here, and the romance between him and Cecilia, the heroine, felt like a natural slow burn, all the while still being very believable. While I still enjoyed the other routes, they sadly just paled in comparison to Josephy’s, at least for me.

I also loved how Josephy’s personality is written as arrogant, tactless, blunt, yet he remains very likable throughout the game, even across other routes. He’s a man of pride, but also a respectable comrade who stayed true to his goals and has never gone back on his word. A born leader whose resolve never wavered. Basically, a true and deserving embodiment of a knight.🥹

⬇️ Spoilers

Josephy can come across as a bit rough and insensitive at first too, but he gets on your good side really quickly. The man is surprisingly soft on the inside, and his yearning for Cecilia is pretty much what won me over. Even though his determination to rebuild Zondarig, his ruined kingdom, runs through his veins every day, I was really satisfied with how he balances offering his sword as Cecilia’s knight while also working toward reclaiming his country and serving his people. The man is for sure multitasking, fr!

I feel bad for always comparing the other knights, in their own routes, to Josephy. Every time an LI makes a misstep, Im always going like: “Hmm…Josephy would never do this,” or “What would Josephy do if he were in their shoes?”😭 LOL. He really became the standard pretty quick! Having said that, I still loved the other LIs, but Josephy is hands down a fav in this game!

TOBIAS HARBECK FREY

• soft genki 🥺
• positive vibes only

The head of a noble family on the decline: the Harbeck family. Since his parents and grandparents have already passed, he is the only master. To top it off, he is so sickly that he collapses even from brief walks, so he is prone to staying indoors. He is passive about romance, living, and everything else, but his admiration for knights is stronger than most.

Toby, the sunshine himbo! He was absolutely hilarious in the common route, that I was sure his story would be comedy central. But nope, game said, nah, have some angst instead (cackles). 😂 Honestly, you could probably say the same thing about the other routes as well. I did end up loving Tobias overall. Same with Josephy, who stayed very true to his sworn oath as the heroine’s knight, Tobias’s resolve was also pretty upstanding. I also really enjoyed the plot point revealed in this route, and how it tied into the game’s overarching story; thus, I think it’s best to pay close attention to some of the small details here.👀

⬇️ Spoilers

I kind of wish he kept up his Burkitt fanboy antics throughout his route and the rest of the game. While there were some moments of this, they were largely overshadowed by the sheer weight of the overall plot, which was a bit unfortunate, as the humor didn’t really stand out that much.

A minor complaint of mine here is the lack of communication between Tobias and Cecilia. She didn’t talk things out with Tobias before making some of her decisions, and in turn, Tobias didn’t tell her about his decision to become the Elder of Lux either. Both of them knew the other would oppose their choice, which explains the secrecy, but was that really the best course of action for either of them? Hmmm.

I was also a little annoyed by the writing inconsistency regarding Tobias getting sick when he returns to his mansion. It’s later implied that this was all psychological; however, the ring’s curse also seems to have played a role. I kind of wondered why this only happened during his route. In Kiya’s route and the secret route, they also returned to his mansion and even uncovered the Lux Elder’s ring, yet Tobias was perfectly fine there???

Lastly Yosuke Kobayashi is the GOAT! I looooved his genki protrayal of Tobias! This range was so refreshing!

MILAN HERRING

• came for the abs, stayed for the… abs 👅
• me when Milan takes off his 👕 to check for injuries

The lone owner of the blacksmith shop “Herring” in the commoners’ district of Barralboa Town. He has been dedicated to blacksmithing since childhood. With the typical temperament of a craftsman, he may destroy his own creations if he dislikes them.

Milan’s route certainly kept me awake, and no, it wasn’t solely because of his abs (though that was some very nice eye candy too, lol).🤭 Jokes aside, I believe I enjoyed this route because, despite the heavy foreshadowing in its early chapters, I still didn’t see the reveals coming. That, and if you’ve actually played Josephy’s or Tobias’s routes beforehand, Milan’s story reframes the linearity of earlier events in a way that made me do a double-take, and I like that. His true ending was also kind of bittersweet, but I was still satisfied with it.

⬇️ Spoilers

Don’t worry, I believe they are very distant relatives…I think?
The little play rehearsal at the start of his chapters was definitely foreshadowing his royal lineage. I realized this later on, when they discovered the Salves crest inside that small pouch of his, the one containing the light crystal heirloom he received from his adoptive father.

That said, holy cow. I did not expect this route to escalate so quickly. It’s kind of insane how we go from them teasing each other at the beach to the king’s death leading to Milan and Cecily’s early wedding and then suddenly becoming king and queen. WILD. But I honestly liked how unpredictable it felt. Milan being brainwashed and fed lies to resent King Karnap, and then channeling that hatred onto Cecilia, his daughter, I was also not expecting that. Though, tbf, they did drop a lot of hints about it in the early chapters (guess I just wasn’t paying that much attention? lol his half nakie CG with the bandages distracted me, so…)😛

Romance-wise, Milan’s confession scene was also one of my favs in this game, second to Josephy’s. The part where he says he doesn’t trust himself anymore hit so hard, and it was such a nice way to show how genuinely remorseful he is for being controlled and hurting the heroine.😭

ADEL NARES

• farmer 🌽🌽🌽
• green thumb LI

The eldest son of a very poor family living in the lower-class district of Samari Village. He is very calm and caring, and looks after his nine younger siblings. Not being able to afford schooling has contributed to his struggles, but he begins to change after meeting the protagonist.

Played Adel’s route relatively early on, and oof… bad idea. 😮‍💨 Whatever you do, don’t make the same mistake I did! Though on a slightly more positive note, they actually had a really good thing going in this route. Just like Milan’s route, Adel also caught me by surprise with the way his events unfolded unexpectedly. Unfortunately, there were way too many plot holes that were easily brushed off here, and the route itself seemed unsure which plot point it wanted to focus on, which I think dampened the romance a bit. Even so, Adel was such a precious LI that I pretty much forgave the route’s shortcomings because of how sweet he is and how stunning a couple of his final CGs are.😂

⬇️ Spoilers

Literally, absolutely NO ONE addressed or questioned the elephant in the room on why Benetti was so scared of Adel’s other personality. And despite the “other” Adel targeting Eric so many times in a fight, no one, not even the heroine, dared asked Eric about it. It was just so odd how they simply brushed off the obvious, and because of that I was left feeling really unsatisfied with this entire route. The Vorntahl reveal later on also felt really anticlimactic, at least to me.

I also really wished they had capitalized on Adel being a smart cookie in his route. He’s always regarded as the brains and the strategist among the knights, yet we never get to see the full extent of this, which was kind of disappointing. Honestly, this route had so much wasted potential. It was such a shame! His switch personality felt a bit too safe (is that because it’s rated CERO B? lol).

They really had a good thing going at the beginning when they revealed the “other” Adel, but it just seems like in the end the story fell apart, tsk tsk. The romance here wasn’t very convincing for me either, because Adel was most of the time taken over by Vorntahl, and even their little date scene was cut too short. I felt so robbed! T^T

Still and all, I do love Adel as an LI. In the end, I couldn’t hate my farmer hubby. 🥹 He was too precious, too sweet (his awkward innocent chuckle gets me everytime) especially in the first chapters before the whole Vorntahl plotline kicked in. So yeah, this route is certainly a mixed bag.

KIYA NELTY

• kiki-boyo 🤣🤣🤣
• a good boyo 🥺

An orphaned boy who lives in the Nelty Foster Home. Due to a certain event when he was young, he developed a memory disorder, and since then, he forgets anything that happens after a day has passed. He wears a wooden tag around his neck and makes sure to write down anything important he shouldn’t forget.

I loved how Kiya has registered names for all the other guys. He calls Josephy ouji (prince), Adel Ade, Milan Mila, Tobias Toby, Alison Ali, and Eric Eri, (cackles).😂 This little added nuance, is too adorable! Kiya’s route, however, was another mixed bag for me. I loved how the beginning gradually tied some of the mysteries together, and how the plot hints from previous routes finally started to make sense. But his true ending, to me, just felt crammed, with so much happening at once. The political drama here also turned into a dull-witted, petty catfight that I just couldn’t take seriously.😭

Kiya was such a precious, pure-hearted bean though, and just like Adel, his preciousness basically carried this whole route for me!🥺

⬇️ Spoilers

The whole sequence with Claudia pointing fingers at Cecilia for killing the king, Cecilia defending herself by pointing the blame back at Claudia, and then Claudia shifting blame to the duke while the crowd just stood there watching this doltish catfight (and believing this entire ordeal) was the dumbest, most lackadaisical writing ever. I cannot!I completely tuned out of the political drama here and was more interested in Kiya’s involvement with Kalmunt and how he became amnesiac. In a way, the story wasn’t so bad if you ignore the annoying Claudia tidbits, lol.

On a side note, Kiya’s Chapter 11 CG was so stunning to me. The way he extracted Dixion from the heroine was so good too. The true ending, however, ended up feeling very convenient for my liking.🤷‍♀️

SECRET ROUTE

⬇️ Spoilers

ERIC MARVEIL

• abs for days
• Eric god fit >>> Eric human fit

This route was incredibly loooooong that it took me two days to finish it! A big reason for that is because Eric’s route has its own prologue and common route that starts entirely from his POV. The perspective only switches to the MC in Chapter 2, and I had honestly wished we got even more of Eric’s viewpoint because it was far more interesting and much less repetitive.

Overall, I did love this route, but I have to admit that it was by far one of the longest route storylines I’ve ever played in a while. So many things happen, and everything feels crammed into every chapter. The storyline also feels split between what happens in Etrudia, which is mostly a repeat of events from the previous routes, and what happens after the fall of Temirana, right after the Calamity hits the kingdom. From there, the setting shifts to the Gods’ realm, where they continue fighting Vorntahl.

Tbh, I’m not sure how I feel about their final battle plan in the Gods’ realm. At some point, I pretty much turned my brain off and just went along with it. There were so many plot holes that got resolved through sheer, egregious convenience. There were also a lot of reveals that felt like they should have been major lore substance, but how they landed just didnt work for me. For example, Eric’s love-at-first-sight with Cecilia turned out to be because Dixion was inside her, which was a bit underwhelming. The explanation for Cecilia’s Light of Good Fortune and why it appeared next to the knights in the common route was also still not very clear to me.

Dixion reacts whenever its sheath is threatened, which is why Cecilia sees the Light of Good Fortune whenever she senses danger. But what does that have to do with the knights? Perhaps it’s because Josephy is the true owner of Intesla, Kiya’s body overflows with mana, Tobias and his heirloom ring, and Milan has the light crystal in his pouch. All of them respond to Dixion’s mana and have some connection to Lux. But then there’s Adel who seemingly has no ties to the gods at all. Why was he chosen by the light? This was never explained in a way that felt coherent, and it really boggled me. Or maybe it was explained and I just completely missed it, lol.😂 Tbf though, given the topsy-turvy spiral of events in this route, it was really hard to keep track of what was going on.

The whole “I want to punch Vorntahl” moment with Cecilia was too corny, istg. 😭

In the end, I was still kind of happy with how this route concluded. The ending felt bittersweet, and while the entire journey was a doozy and much too all over the place, I didn’t dislike it. We also got some really good found family bits with the LIs, like when they were playing with sandcastles at the beach, lol, so at least I had a wonderful time with that.

Lastly, I’ve honestly missed Kimuryo playing an LI in localized otome games. I think the last time we heard him in a recent release was as Wataru in Hanakare, so getting to hear him again in Temirana was super delightful!

CECILIA FARIAS TEMIRANA (Main Heroine)

Cecilia was a great heroine, though my enjoyment of her varied from route to route. She was definitely at her best in Josephy’s and Milan’s routes, but she frustrated me in Adel’s route.

Overall, I do like her a lot, especially in terms of how determined she is in her role as the third princess and as her knights’ liege. She remains very level-headed even during tumultuous events and consistently works hard to serve her people. The fact that she’s only sixteen at the start of the game really highlights how admirable she is in carrying out her duties as a royal. She also grows over the course of the story, and I don’t just mean in terms of character development. Given the length of the game’s timeline, she basically ages by a year or two, so she doesn’t actually remain sixteen by the end of the routes.

She’s quite naive when it comes to romance, which is understandable given how young she is. She’s cute, pouts a lot, and I ended up enjoying her personal musings when she’s thinking about her LIs (especially in Josephy’s route). All in all, girlie has her own charms that really grew on me.

SYSTEM AND LOCALIZATION

While the UI for this title is fairly simple, I wanted to gush about the animated backgrounds here. They were absolutely stunning, and I thought they really added to the game’s medieval atmosphere! I was so pleased with this nice touch!

PROS:

• Mouth movements, blinking sprites
• Heroine’s Name Customization
• Heroine side sprite image (that you can turn ON/OFF)
• Animated backgrounds
• Chapter Select
• Flowchart/In-game progress
• DICTIONARY section
• Text Window Selection – 4 different text window designs to choose from, with adjustable transparency.
• Mini Drama List – (similar to drama CDs), these are short random slice-of-life dialogues featuring the LIs.
• Love Catch and Status Bar
• SKIP to the Next Choice function
• Skip READ function
• Quick Save/Quick Load
• Event List
• Event CG List/Gallery
• BGM List
• Backlog and Rewind function

CONS:

• Heroine not voiced
• No Movie Library

Localization

I could barely spot any typos in this game, and if there were any, they were few and far in between, which was great. I also really liked the localization for this title. Given the common route’s comedy vibes, the humor in the story was well preserved. A few liberties were taken, especially with how some characters speak. Like Benetti, for example, has very animated lines, and I was cackling at how they call the LIs by funny nicknames like Josey-Wosey (Josephy), Toby-Woby (Tobias), Milly-Man (Milan), Eri-Berry (Eric), and Kiki-Boyo (Kiya). I get a kick out of “Milly-Man” and “Kiki-Boyo” every time Benetti goes off on one of their vibrant little monologues.🤣

TRAILER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nahWI_ifCXQ

OVERALL THOUGHTS

Temirana was a pretty lengthy title, that it took me 80 hours to complete everything, mostly on auto-mode while my console was docked. Each route has only three ending variations: the “TRUE” end (good ending), the“Normal” end, and a very short Bad Ending. While the common route and the first five LI routes were of a decent length, it was the secret route, much to my surprise, that really made the game feel much longer. I think it took me roughly 10-12 hours on auto-mode to finish the last route alone?😱

Not Exactly “Romantic Comedy”

I don’t know why, but I went into this game completely blind, expecting a lighthearted romantic comedy plot, something akin to Lindsay Lohan’s Just My Luck movie (cackles).😂 I mean, the title “Lucky Princess and the Tragic Knights” practically screams that kind of vibe, doesn’t it? 🤣🤣🤣 Jokes aside, to my surprise, the *romantic comedy* mostly ends in the common route. Each LI route gets much more serious, and there’s a lot of drama in the overarching story, which sometimes leaves little room for a few humorous moments.

Some routes can get dire as well, and some endings were slightly bittersweet. That said, the game certainly doesn’t coast along on low-stakes events, if y’know what I mean. So if you’re also coming here, expecting a lighthearted fantasy romcom, this title might not fully deliver on that front.

Amazing World Building

What the game really excels at is its world-building, and I mean, wow! The mythos they created for Etrudia is very robust and incredibly detailed. There are also tons of keywords in the dictionary section to get acquainted with, that even after finishing the game, I was still unfamiliar with a couple of glossary terms 😅 (there were 191 entries, I believe).

The game’s setting even has its own worldview and internal rules to follow. For example, a person’s occupation is determined by the month they were born, or the ruler is chosen by lottery (I know, wild, right?), and that gambling is considered a healthy pastime because the citizens of Temirana believe their lives are largely pre-determined by luck. All of this was actually fascinating to me and played a big part in how immersed I became in Temirana’s world-building. Because the game establishes such strong and coherent fantasy setting, it was also very easy for me to suspend my disbelief.

Found Family in Temirana

One of the things I also loved about this title was how strongly the found-family trope is present. Given how likable all the characters are (side characters included), it wont take you that long to get pulled into their heartwarming camaraderie. Watching the knights swear their oath to Princess Cecilia and seeing them bond & spend their days together, from early training all the way to becoming some of the strongest knights in the country, was pretty satisfying to me. Needless to say, the characters were the sole heart of this game, fr!

They’re just so silly! I love them! 😭

I also appreciated the zero-to-hero theme that runs through each of the knights in the common route. Seeing them struggle firsthand, going from being absolutely nothing to their journey of knighthood and eventual competence during their own routes, was quite pleasant, to say the least. Their banter was hilarious as well, and while the story is very plot-focused, I did enjoy how the game still managed to sprinkle in humor throughout.

A lot of the side characters I also ended up being attached to! Benetti was a lot of fun, and hot daddie Alison was amaaaazing!

My man, my man, my maaaaaan!😍

In terms of plot and story-pacing, the quality definitely varies depending on the route. Each LI’s story reveals a piece of the overarching mystery, though some are clearly better executed than others. Personally, I loved Josephy’s route, and I still think it reigns as the best one in the game in terms of narrative. I also noticed a few writing inconsistencies throughout the game, with several plot holes and earlier story points left unexplored or simply forgotten. Even the final route, which was a massive ride, did not fully address all of the lingering gaps or story flaws, which disappointed me a little bit.

As for the LIs…

All of the main love interests sold me, though. All six were pretty great and had some cute chemistry moments with the heroine. Josephy really stood out to me, as his plot and romance worked really well together in his route. His back-and-forth with Cecilia, plus the yearning bits, and his confession scenes🥹 were so satisfying that he easily became best boy, hands down, for me! Milan’s route was another one I enjoyed in the romance department, although admittedly, I thought his plot may have been a bit overblown (especially that wild family 🌳 lol). The secret route was also an LI I liked a lot, though I do wish there had been more romantic moments and date scenes in his route.🥲

💖LI RANKING: Josephy > Secret > Tobias = Milan > Adel > Kiya

📝ROUTE RANKING: Josephy > Milan > Secret > Tobias > Kiya = Adel

Speaking of romance, I’d say this game has a modest slow-burn one. It’s also worth noting that the title is rated CERO B in Japan, so there are no spicy or suggestive themes here. The story is also very plot-focused, so sometimes the romance between the heroine and her LI feels a little pushed to the side. Nonetheless, there are definitely some sweet, sugary moments and date scenes that I totally enjoyed, though expect a humble amount of them only.

SIDE NOTE: I ship these two! I am a full-fledged # Karimgela shipper!🤧

Do I recommend this game? YES.
I think in terms of having a very strong foundation in Arthurian-style lore and a fully realized, unique world, Temirana: The Lucky Princess and the Tragic Knights really nails it as an otome visual novel. The world-building in this title was so rich and detailed that it was honestly what drew me in and kept me engaged at the start of the game. But in the end, it was ultimately the cast that made me stick around and fully invest in the story.

I had a decent run with this title, and while I did have some gripes about plot inconsistencies, they didn’t deter me from fully enjoying all the routes (since all the endings still felt fulfilling overall to my taste). I’d even go so far as to say this game would make an amazing anime series, especially if it followed the secret route’s path. Ha!😆

TsuiTsui / Temirana is definitely a title I’d happily recommend to anyone who’s into medieval fantasy, found-family stories with hot knights, and a richly detailed, fascinating lore that will quickly grab your interest. That said, this game gets a clear thumbs-up from yours truly!👍

#IdeaFactoryInternational #nintendoSwitch #otomate #OtomeGameReview #Temirana #TemiranaReview #TEMIRANATHELUCKYPRINCESSANDTHETRAGICKNIGHTS #TemiranaTheLuckyPrincessAndTheTragicKnightsReview #TsuiTsui

Temirana: The Lucky Princess and the Tragic Knights Otome Review

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://blerdyotome.com/2026/01/06/temirana-the-lucky-princess-and-the-tragic-knights-otome-review/

FYI, otomate is having a sale right now:

https://www.otomate.jp/sale/

#OtomeGame #Otomate