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

Hakuoki Edo Blossoms Review

Release Date:  March 13, 2018 (North America)
Developers: Idea Factory, Design Factory
Publishers: Otomate, Idea Factory International
Platforms:  PS VITA, Steam (PC)
ESRB Rating: M(Mature)

Read the game’s prologue here.

Walkthroughs:

• Toshizo Hijikata
• Souji Okita
• Hajime Saito
• Heisuke Toudou
• Sanosuke Harada
• Shinpachi Nagakura
• Keisuke Sanan
• Susumu Yamazaki
• Hachiro Iba
• Kazue Souma
• Ryouma Sakamoto
• Chikage Kazama

ART AND MUSIC

As previously stated in my Kyoto Winds review, there were three artists involved in Hakuoki’s artwork. Kazuki Yone, Miko, and Shiki Sakigumi. Most of the CGs are the same ones you get in the PS3 version of the game (Demon of the Fleeting Blossoms). The OP and ending themes for Edo Blossom were also done by the same composer and performed by the same artist of the game’s prequel. Listen to Edo Blossoms’ beautiful OP “Kaze no Nakade Saku Hana” on the track below:

CHARACTERS AND ROUTES (Spoiler Free)

I played the routes in the order that was suggested in the game (started with Hijikata and did Kazama last). Because it’s a sequel, there’s no specific route order you need to follow as you are guaranteed to enjoy the stories regardless of which route you start or finish. My suggestion is to play a favorite guy first and finish with another favorite last just so you’ll have that lasting “uwu” impression. (laughs) (*/ω＼)

TOSHIZO HIJIKATA
CV: Shinichirou Miki  –  Nesso Galland (Black Wolves Saga), Mr. Buckethead (Bad Apple Wars), Yuzuki Murakumo (7’scarlet)

Hijikata’s story was the longest in Edo Blossoms (five chapters), it’s also the only route with most endings (seven endings). 

Just like Kyoto Winds, Hijikata’s route was mainly the story of the Shinsengumi itself. It follows through the Shinsengumi’s activities the day they arrived in Edo and ended with their defeat in the Boshin war. One of the highlights of this route was Hijikata’s strong determination to fight for what he truly believes in despite fighting on the losing end. Seeing his strong resolution and willpower, scene after scene was rather awe-inspiring (it honestly made me tear). I also enjoyed how his romantic relationship with Chizuru developed in the long run. Their romance didn’t feel forced nor rushed. If anything, I thought it was very realistic.

Story: 5/5
Romance: 5/5
Kissing CG: YES

 SOUJI OKITA
CV: Shotaro Morikubo – Impey Barbicane (Code Realize), Jocus (Period Cube), Toa (7’scarlet)

Unlike Hijikata’s route, Okita’s story was more detached to the Shinsengumi’s activities as it picked up from where it left off in Kyoto Winds (Chizuru stays with Okita at Dr. Matsumoto’s place in Edo, to help him recover from his illness). I enjoyed how stubborn Okita’s character can be but then goes meek every time Chizuru calls him out. It was nice to see how their relationship dynamics worked out for the best as the story progressed. I also felt real chemistry between him and Chizuru. Okita’s route is probably one of the better ones when it comes to romance in Edo Blossoms. One highlighting factor I wanted to point out from this route was Morikubo’s portrayal of Souji’s character. Again, he’s done this character justice – I have no words! Recalling the scene of Okita’s breakdown shook my emotions to the core! (applause)

Story: 4/5
Romance: 5/5
Kissing CG: YES

SAITO HAJIME 
CV: Kousuke Toriumi – Kagiha (Psychedelica BB), Poyo-Poyo (Period Cube), Hideyoshi (Ikesen), Lawrence (Psychedelica AH), John Watson (Code Realize)

To those who are Saito biased, you will definitely enjoy his route. For the most part, Saito continues his adorable kuudere nature as he juggles overworking himself to experiencing fatigue while keeping a watchful eye on Chizuru’s well being. His route had a couple of surprises that got me all ‘woah‘ (Hint: Ear fetishes lol). My only gripe was that their romance didn’t surface until his last chapters and it is only because of Chizuru’s forwardness that this man was finally able to admit his feelings for her.

Story: 4/5
Romance: 3/5
Kissing CG: YES

HEISUKE TOUDOU
CV: Yoshino Hiroyuki – Sendo Kiyoharu (Vitamin X), Auger von Garibaldi (Black Wolves Saga), Heishi (Norn9)

Heisuke was such a great character in Edo Blossoms.  I liked him as an NPC in almost all the routes in the game. His own story, however, wasn’t too satisfying – if you ask me. Because he’s one of the first Shinsengumi rasetsu (fury), he spends a lot of time wallowing in grief and deep regrets (thinking about his life choices), questioning the “what ifs” and a whole lot of “shoulda, woulda, coulda”. This went on probably for a mere half of his route where Chizuru tries her hardest to lift Mr. Down-in-the-dumps’ spirits up. It was sad and annoying at the same time but I’m glad it didn’t last. There’s still good chemistry between him and Chizuru so, this is one saving grace that didn’t get me all disinterested with his story.

Story: 3/5
Romance: 3/5
Kissing CG: YES

SANOSUKE HARADA
CV: Koji Yusa – Itsuki (Norn9), Mr. Gasmask (Bad Apple Wars), Bernardo (Luckydog1)

Oh boy! Get your fans ready, turn the AC on blast as it’s about to get hot in here! (//ω//)

As I’ve said in my Kyoto Winds review, If you want romance, Harada is definitely one for the taking! I’m sure there was some good plot going on in Harada’s route but I honestly couldn’t remember nor care for his story because I was so distracted with Sano’s teasing! (⁀ᗢ⁀) aha It was funny how Chizuru secretly hides her crush with yo boi’, saying things like “this man is so handsome and caring, I will never be worthy of him and his glory” lmao! Tbh, their relationship was too adorable! Sano’s route is def one of the best routes to look forward to in Edo Blossoms and his ‘good end’ was one of the most satisfying endings in the game. Make no mistake about that.

Story: 4/5
Romance: 5/5
Kissing CG: OH YES!!!

 SHINPACHI NAGAKURA
CV: Tsuboi Tomohiro – Toshi Maeda (Sengoku Basara), Rikimaru (Tenchu 2), Taliesin (Tears to Tiara)

While Shinpachi Nagakura remains one of the most likable characters in the series. Just like Heisuke, his route falls rather short in terms of both story and romance. Mostly, Shinpachi spends a lot of time loathing on the fact that he’s become a fury (Recalling, the incident in Kyoto Winds, where he was forced to drink the water of life due to unavoidable circumstances). With this, Chizuru guiltily blames herself for Shinpachi’s suffering and wants to support him in any way she can. In return, Shinpachi still pushes her away and goes into a complete depressive mode to a point that he becomes a hermit for weeks (ಠ_ಠ) – lol I’m not even kidding! Because of this, he becomes too distant towards Chizuru, that I literally can’t feel any intimate connection between the two of them. It took him four whole chapters to suddenly admit his feelings for Chizuru which for some reason felt rushed (to me anyway). ┐(‘～` )┌

Story: 2/5
Romance: 2/5
Kissing CG: YES

KEISUKE SANAN
CV: Nobuo Tobita – Straizo (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure), Kan Soo-Jin (Akatsuki no Yona), Capt. Gordon (Disgea)

San

Sanan’s character in Edo Blossoms can either become your ally or your enemy causing all the mayhem in the story, depending on whose route you’re playing. I remember Sanan giving me the creeps when I played his route in Kyoto Winds. Luckily, he redeemed himself in this sequel and I’m so glad how his story turned out. His route was one emotional ride. Sanan was such a complex character where at one point you literally can’t stand him and on another, you just can’t help but fall for him (°ロ°) – It’s madness, I tell ya! After playing his route in EB, I now, clearly understand why Sanan’s character has a solid unwavering fan base. *Tips hat*

Story: 4/5
Romance: 4/5
Kissing CG: YES

SUSUMU YAMAZAKI
CV: Takayuki Suzuki – Daedalus Munto (Demonion Series), Oota Hiroo (Koiken Otome)

Warning: Kyoto Winds Spoiler below!
I was so ecstatic to play Yamazaki’s route because unlike the other romanceable characters in Kyoto Winds, Yamazaki was the only one who didn’t make it to Edo. (╥﹏╥) (Hint: He died on the battlefield). Yamazaki (in Kyoto Winds) only survived in two routes: his and Okita’s. That said, Playing Yamazaki’s route was such a treat in Edo Blossoms, because… you know, he’s alive and breathing for a change! (cackles). His route was rather short though. I remember finishing it way too quickly, compared to others. Needless to say, I love Yamazaki’s character to bits. I still hold my ground when I say he’s such a good match for Chizuru and both of them complement each other well. His ‘good ending’ was a little predictable but gosh, it was too perfect that I wouldn’t have it in any other way!

Story: 3/5
Romance: 5/5
Kissing CG: YES

HACHIRO IBA
CV: Mamoru Miyano – Akito (Ayakashi Koi Gikyoku), Light Yagami (Death Note), Tokiya (Utapri), Okabe Rintarou (Steins Gate)

I’ve been reading a lot of mixed reviews regarding Iba’s route in Edo Blossoms. What’s with all the hate with this route anyway? Is it because of his obsessive crush on Chizuru, or is it because of his rapey demon hand? lol As an Iba apologist,(˙꒳​˙) I don’t really find his character, in any way shape, or form, offensive nor creepy, towards Chizuru. The reason for his “odd” behavior was thoroughly explained in his story and was even foreshadowed a few times during his first chapters. Yes, his route may seem a little dark, however, his character depth was strikingly beautiful. I love how Iba struggles with his own demons but at the same time continues to fight for his beliefs echoing Hijikata & the Shinsengumi’s dedication and willpower. He has the nicest bittersweet ending and (i think) it could’ve been better if they’ve extended his epilogue.

Story: 4/5
Romance: 5/5
Kissing CG: YES

 KAZUE SOUMA
CV: Yuki Kaji – Kei Okazaki (Collar x Malice), Finis (Code Realize), Kanato (Diabolik Lovers), Kakeru (Norn9), Hayato Ozaki (Nil Admirari)

I like describing Souma’s route as the amazing race to get to Hijikata (cackles). Because this was literally what went down for the first three chapters of his story (considering, an entire route in EB only consist 4 of chapters total). I felt that Souma’s story got a bit mundane in the middle but then picked up really quick in the fourth chapter. As I’ve griped before in Kyoto Winds, I still couldn’t feel any chemistry between him and Chizuru (ﾉД`). Although I loved that there was some comic relief in the last chapters of his story. – the whole gang playfully teasing the lovers and Iba getting extremely jealous – oh boy! that was one good laugh. His ending was really sweet too (their reuniting scene was so precious). It’s one of my least favorite routes in EB but it wasn’t bad altogether. Also, kudos to Yuki  Kaji for breathing life into this character. His voice acting was indeed one of the highlights in this route.

Story: 4/5
Romance: 3/5
Kissing CG: YES

RYOUMA SAKAMOTO
CV: Daisuke Ono – Hyuuga (Neo Angelique), Hades (Kamigami no Asobi), Subaru Asahina (Brother’s Conflict), Yuuya (Muv-Luv), Azuma Natsuhiko (Norn9)

Sakamoto’s story in Kyoto Winds was interesting enough to get me all hyped-up with his route in EB. Sadly, to my disappointment, the intriguing factor of Ryouma’s character died down as his whole route was wasted chasing after his buddy Nakaoka and his band of evil furies from Tosa. There was nothing new of the sort that’ll get you compelled in his story. I honestly could not wait for it to end.  I wanted to point out, however, that it was his ‘good ending’ that uniquely redeemed his route from dullness. I believe others may still probably enjoy Sakamoto’s route. This one just didn’t stick out to me in the game.

Story: 2/5
Romance: 3/5
Kissing CG: YES

CHIKAGE KAZAMA
CV: Kenjiro Tsuda – Hattori Hanzo (Nightshade), Soshi Amazaki (The Charming Empire), Leonardo Da Vinci (Ikevamp), Nathan Seymour (Tiger & Bunny)

I am literally a Kazama bias, that’s why I picked his route to play last. He is arrogant, selfish, and judgmental towards humans. Ah yes, the perfect husbando! (laughs). Again, just like his role in Kyoto Winds, Kazama can either be your enemy or your ally in the game depending on whose route you’re playing. In Edo Blossoms, he becomes Chizuru’s bodyguard as she journeys following the tracks of the Shinsengumi. He may not be upfront with his feelings towards the heroine, but you can clearly tell that his actions are genuinely all for her well being. It was such a treat seeing Kazama’s changed nature towards Chizuru. Like how he’s always asking her first what she wants, and what she plans to do. I also enjoyed their couple banters with each other like how Chizuru calls him out when he’s had too much sake to drink. (´▽ `) It was cute to witness their relationship blossoming as they spend more time together. Plus, this is the only route where you can see Amagiri giving love advice, and epic wingman talks to the heroine. lol

Story: 4/5
Romance: 5/5
Kissing CG: YES

Will I enjoy Edo Blossoms, even if I haven’t played Kyoto Winds?
Maybe if you’re only in for the romance, then perhaps you might? Though, to be perfectly honest, I don’t see the point of playing the sequel without delving into the main story first. Edo Blossoms is part two and the continuation of Kyoto Winds, so I’d always advise against playing it first if you haven’t touched Kyoto Winds at all. Perhaps if you’ve played the older Hakuoki games then you’ll probably get the gist of the story. Otherwise, you will be missing out on a whole lot of stuff.

TRAILER / OPENING MOVIE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcBWZvUmPIw&t=5s

OVERALL THOUGHTS?

Edo Blossom’s transition from Kyoto Winds was pretty smooth as it immediately picked up the previous game’s premise right off the bat. While Kyoto Winds was responsible for building Hakuoki’s overarching plot, Edo Blossoms ties the rest of the prequel’s cliffhangers into one solid conclusion. I would also like to point out that unlike its prequel, Edo Blossoms does not contain a long repetitive common story. So you can rest easy on this fact, especially if you were bogged down from completing the last game because of this factor.

I may have gushed about it in my Kyoto Winds review, but the writing for this remake was truly outstanding. The writers did a wonderful job conveying Hakuoki’s gripping story while building each characters’ individuality, given their significant relationship with the heroine. It was also pretty rewarding to finally connect, sympathize, and know the characters we’ve learned to love more.

Out of the twelve main casts, the characters that left an impression on me the most were Hijikata, Harada, Iba, and Kazama. Without a doubt, each character has their own personalities that stood out individually from the other. Heck, even the side characters stood out in this sequel too. One of my favs would be Kyo Shiranui (he was awesome in Harada’s route) and of course our beloved chief Isami Kondou, who’s probably brought us the most tears in this sequel.

Do I recommend this game? YES
To me, Edo Blossoms was a great read per se. I would definitely recommend this game to those who’ve played Kyoto Winds and the older Hakuoki games. However, I wanna stress out the fact that this sequel’s angst was a bit overwhelming and while it worked for me (I love torturing myself with tragedy), it may not work for some, esp. if you’re more inclined to enjoy light-hearted fluffy novels.

Overall, I would still give Hakuoki Edo Blossoms an A rating for its compelling story, brilliant characters that shone individually, an artwork to die for, and for being one of the best visual novels that realistically tells the story of the last samurais in Japan: The Shinsengumi. Get yourself a copy of this beautiful game now!

#EdoBlossoms #EdoBlossomsReview #Hakuoki #HakuokiEdoBlossoms #HakuokiEdoBlossomsReview #OtomeGameReview #Review #RouteReview

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

Neon Clash: Echoes of the Lost Review (Nintendo Switch)

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://otomekitten.com/2025/12/26/neon-clash-echoes-of-the-lost-review-nintendo-switch/

Neon Clash: Echoes of the Lost Review (Nintendo Switch)

Release Date: December 25, 2025 (North America)
Developers:  Voltage Inc.
Publishers:  Voltage Inc.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

STORY

Kumyo: The land of neon lights and fleeting pleasures.

A land where if you don’t step on others to get to the top, you’ll only sink to the bottom. Effort means nothing. Charity? Forget about it.

Kroa is an underground courier at the bottom of the barrel. In order to survive life in Kumyo, the youth have turned to the mafia life to fight for power. The mafia is a violent criminal organization shunned by the public. However, there was one family both respected by fellow mafioso, and adored by the general public.

Their name was the Liu family.
11 years ago, the Liu family was exterminated.

But once the sole surviving member, Gante Lowd, crosses paths with the rightful heir, Liu Kroa, the wheel of fate begins to turn once more.

ART AND MUSIC

Director:Ichika ShiinaArtist:Takao (Overall character design), Kuroyoki(Chibi)BG Artist:Studio COCOLOScenario:Ririka YoshimuraOST:Shihoko Hirata (OP & ED theme, lyrics)BGM/Soundtrack:Shunsuke Tsuchiya (BGM, OP Composer)Concept, Producer:Satoshi Nohara

I love Neon Clash’s overall visual aesthetic. The artwork is beyond beautiful and I am completely enamored with the game’s art style. The CGs especially, are insanely pretty! All the while being very emotional and very impactful! On top of that, the LIs have multiple sprite variations, and their outfits are really stunning. We have none other than the Japanese illustrator, Takao to thank for all of Neon Clash’s gorgeous glory, which appears to be their first full otome game project. I sincerely hope they’ll have more otome projects in the future because their art style to me, is crazy gorgeous!

As for the game’s staff, the writing team is led by Ririka Yoshimura, who is widely known for also being the lead scenario writer for Cupid Parasite and Despera Drops. The game’s overall director is Ichika Shina, an in-house director for Voltage Inc.

Neon Clash: Echoes of the Lost also has one of the most banger OPs this year. The OP theme, Shangri-La, was by far one of my favorite otome OST of 2025. I also really enjoyed how vibrant the BGMs are in this game; I think they mesh pretty well with the neon Chinese aesthetic of this title, which I’m really loving btw. The game’s BGMs are by Shunsuke Tsuchiya of Procyon Studio, who also composed for Even if Tempest, Black Wolves Saga, KgK, and a few other otome game OSTs in the past.

Voice Acting

Yuichiro Umehara as “Gante Lowd” – Alfred (Mistonia’s Hope), Paschalia (Radiant Tale), Serge (Genso Manege), Kohei Minato (Sympathy Kiss), Benkei (Birushana), Canus Espada (Café Enchanté), Enishi (Jack Jeanne), Demento (Period Cube), Shingen Takeda (IkeSen), Sage (Nekopara Catboys Paradise), Rain (Shiro to Kuro no Alice), Oochidori (Touken Ranbu)

Shunichi Toki as “Sun Maslo” –  Hibiki (9RIP), Dahut (Virche Evermore), Leo (Piofiore), Yakumo (Dairoku), Hibie (Winters Wish), Matsui Go (Touken Ranbu), Mousse Atlas (IkeRev), Yuki Rurikawa (A3!)

Jun Fukuyama as “Sodyk Mun” – 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)

Ryota Suzuki as “Zhang Hiyok” – Lucas (Mistonia’s Hope), Ash (Despera Drops), Koyo (9RIP), Ginnosuke (Him, the Smile and bloom), Yona (Tengoku Struggle), Kiito Minorikawa (Jack Jeanne), Trey Clover (TWST), Ink (Gunka Haita Neko), Caster (FGO), Mizuro Tamaki (Tokyo Ghoul)

Takeo Otsuka as “Mazho Meqrin” – Jinshi (The Apothecary Diaries), Elbert Greetia (IkeVil), Sunday (HSR), Luke (Chaos Zero Nightmare), Miyabi (UN:Logical), Katsu (Shinjuku Rashoumon), Yuen Hu (Shinjuku Soumei), Kanata (Angelique Lumenarise), Remnan (Gnosia), Joshua Rosfield (FF16)

Yusuke Kobayashi as “Shelby Zhiho” – 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)

Hana Shimano as “Shelby Zhia” – Himari Kino (Whisper Me a Love Song), Mako Kawai (Food for the Soul)

Kazuyuki Okitsu as “Yuan Gonglu” – Ankou (Virche Evermore), Yoji Kobase (Sympathy Kiss),  Atsushi Daikoku (B-PROJECT), Tsukuyomi (Olympia Soiree), Epilogi (Café Enchanté), Hachisuka Kotetsu (Touken Ranbu), Dante (Jack Jeanne), Ray (EPHEMERAL), Kuya (NU Carnival),  Kyrie (Ozmafia!!), Keith Knight (Iris School of Wizardry)

Shinnosuke Tachibana as “Shao Feng” – Himeutsugi (Hana Awase), Seiya (9RIP),  Koizumi Yakumo (Meiji Tokyo Renka), Camu (Despera Drops), Xiaolei (Battlefield Waltz), Henri (Piofiore), White Mask (Bad Apple Wars), Kousei (Ayakashi Koi Gikyoku), William Rex (IkeVil), Koryu Kagemitsu (Touken Ranbu), Rafayel (Love and Deepspace)

Eiji Takeuchi as “R” – Riley Randolph (Mistonia’s Hope), Hitoya Amaguni (Hypnosis Mic), Sumio (Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master), Rafa (Borderlands 4), Hide (Nioh 2), Nobutaka Osanai (Tokyo Revengers), Takefumi Kawada (The Devil is a Part-timer)

Kazuhiro Yoshimura as “Xiadun Jue” – 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)

Haruki Ishiya as “Yunzi Yulong” – Toichi Nagayama (Jack Jeanne), Jiro (Hypnosis Mic), Roger Ward (Metaphor: ReFantazio), Toru (Slow Damage), Louis (FE Engage), Sebek Zigvolt (TWST), Makoto Shizuo (Prince of Stride), Haku (Gunka o Haita Neko), Mikado (On Air!)

Taishi Murata as “Kyochu Yona” – Kaina (Olympia Soire), Idaeus Glodell (Metaphor: ReFantazio), Tokugawa Iemitsu (Ken ga Kimi), Takeshi Efuku (Prince of Stride), Seth Hyde (IkePri),

CAST AND CHARACTERS

With Neon Clash being AmuLit’s third otome console game installment, it has become clearer to me that the studio really does have its own distinct narrative formula. If you’ve played their previous two titles, Even if Tempest and The Red Bell’s Lament, you’ll notice a similar structure shared with Neon Clash, where in the story progresses in a largely linear fashion, and the romance endings only unlock after the main story has been cleared.

That said, this title does not have any branching individual routes in the way conventional console otome games do. Instead, the romance endings only become available after you’ve completed the TRUE Ending of the game. Each chapter has the heroine spending time with a specific love interest:

• Chapter 2: Lowd
• Chapter 3: Maslo
• Chapter 4: Mun
• Chapter 5: Hiyok
• Chapter 6: is the final chapter that wraps up the story and leads into the endings.

In a way, this format kinda plays out similarly to how Chinese mobile otome games structure their stories (think Tears of Themis, LaDs, MLQC, etc.), where there’s one overarching main story and each chapter is dedicated to a particular love interest.

As for how the story benefits from this type of formula, it certainly depends on the kind of narrative the writers present in the main game. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of how it played out in The Red Bell’s Lament, but I did enjoy the same formula in Even if Tempest. With Neon Clash, I think this approach works well here too, especially given how impressively fast-paced and eventful the main story is. I’ll save more of my detailed thoughts for my “overall impressions” section below, so please keep reading!😁

Walkthroughs:

• TRUE End
• SAD End

Note: The CGs shown below are promotional images for the game, Neon Clash: Echoes of the Lost. 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.

⬇️ Click to view Content Warnings Violence, gun violence, public shooting, murder, mass murder, death, blood, decapitation, betrayal, discrimination against other nationalities, class system, marginalization, poverty, sexual assault, manipulation, gaslighting, drug abuse, drug addiction, kidnapping, abduction, alcohol abuse.

GANTE LOWD

• god bless the hot loyal mafioso priest 🙏📿
• Lowd in a nutshell… 🤭🤭🤭

A mafioso through and through who was adopted and raised by the original Liu family. He works as a priest in a church in Taozhe, with hopes to one day rebuild the Liu family.

I love Lowd! And Umehara seems to have nailed this character down to a T. What a perfect match! Lowd also became one of my fav LIs in the game, and one I’ll probably think of fondly from now on.🥺 He was such a great character and love interest. The man stayed steadfast and loyal until the very end. It actually hurts how unwavering his devotion to the heroine is.😭 Through all the hardships, he remained by her side, for better or worse. I really don’t have any qualms or complaints about this LI.

After finishing all the romance endings in this title, I also think Lowd had the best romantic relationship with Kroa. Personally, I found their chemistry as a couple the most convincing and satisfying. I’m still brainrotting over his romance ending as we speak! I needed more chapters!

⬇️ Spoilers

OH MAAAHH LOWWWD!🥵🥵🥵 I am down bad for this man.

I think out of everyone’s romance endings, Lowd’s felt the most natural and intimate. And perhaps this is because of how closely he and Kroa bonded during Chapter Two. It was also the only chapter where the heroine openly admits that she’s in love with someone before entrusting her feelings to her gun, Dilu. While she does something similar with the other LIs, she usually refers to those emotions as “budding feelings.” With Lowd, however, she literally jumped in front of a bullet for this man.

With Dilu nullifying at the end, it makes sense that the most impactful “romantic” feelings she carries are tied to Lowd. After all, he was the very first man she ever developed genuine feelings for. And let’s be real, among everyone Lowd was the one who remained steadfastly by her side the entire time. He never strayed, never did anything to hurt her (whether intentionally or accidentally), never manipulated her, and never forced her feelings. He was also never intrusive, and consistently respected her both as a woman and as the head of the Liu family.

Also, the love endings were all so random, dumb, and silly…but I absolutely ate all the fluff up. After everything they’ve been through, they deserve to just lay back and be dumb and silly for once. 😭

On a different note, I was reading Umechan’s commentary about Lowd, and was kinda shocked that he’s also a Romance of the 3Kingdoms nerd and was even basing Lowd’s character on Guan Yu from the series. He mustve felt giddy having to voice a character inspired by his own fav character from the show.lol So that was a nice little fun fact. I also felt like he did such an amazing job as Lowd, and I really couldn’t imagine anyone more suitable for the role.

SUN MASLO

• not a shota 👀😏🤭
• when that maslo beat drops…

Maslo is the boss of a small-time mafia from the countryside. He’s a friendly guy, and the last sort of person you’d expect to be leading a criminal organization. Aside from being part of the mob, he’s active as a popular DJ and song-writer.

Oh my beautiful pink boy! I am also down bad for Maslo… him, his character design and his designated BGM. (laughs) 🤣 Sometimes I intentionally leave the game idle just to listen to his dj vice track, lmao. But on a more serious note, Maslo was a really interesting character, no? And I can’t help but feel like the game could have done so much more with him if he had a proper individual route. In fact, this applies to all of the LIs. There was just so much untapped potential for us to explore more of them in greater depth, if their routes were longer.

Maslo and Kroa’s interactions in chapter three, I have also really enjoyed,🥹and his romance ending had one of the most beautiful CGs in the game. Although, I have to say, it’s his sad ending that completely cemented him as my new oshi.👀

⬇️ Spoilers

I just feel like the writers probably had Maslo’s route skeletally structured around him being the designated yandere of the story. However, because of the game’s linear storyline, they scrapped this off and held back! My poor boy! 😭 I really think he didn’t get to shine as much as he deserved because of “plot”. As much as I’m enjoying the game overall, this is kind of the downside of games having linear plotlines; the character depth usually gets shoehorned.

Regardless, I still absolutely love Maslo. I was a bit miffed that his romance ending felt like an exposition dump of his backstory, but that beautiful kiss CG under the sakura tree compensated for it, so I guess its’ all good.(cackles) 😂 I also wanted to get a spicy CG of him and Kroa, making out backstage of his club and I can’t help but feel like we were really robbed of that visually!😭😭😭 His happy end was the only one that did not get a “bed ending” lmao although his sad ending compensated for that!😂 PLS I NEED A FANDISK! I BEG!

SODYK MUN

• the cleavage is doing crimes
• manipulation never looked this good

The boss of a huge mafia, Mun is considered the only one capable of competing with Biying. The public knows him as the young president of a big company, thanks to his many media appearances. Mun’s natural charisma tends to win him a lot of admirers.

Oh, Sodyk Mun… the man that you are… This is yet another straight-up “I can fix him” FukuJun character fresh outa the oven! Damn, what a smooooth guy. I was grinning the whole time playing Mun’s chapter (Chapter 4) in the game. The dude was just seductive, entrancing, smooth like butter. Though, I have to admit, playing his chapter also made me really nervous. It’s one of those instances where everything feels so right, but you can’t shake the feeling that something is… just off. Ha!🤣🤣🤣

I think Mun’s chapter was probably my favorite in the story. I can’t even allow myself to put the game down, his persuasive nature was literally working its way like cancer. The way his character was written, and how Fukuyama played this out was chef kiss, I have no words! I think Mun is going to be a fan favorite because he is most definitely a positively yet scarily, polarizing character, and also because…man oh man, how could anyone resist being completely swayed by this guy?

⬇️ Spoilers

The instant Mun suggested segregation with his class system BS, alarm bells started ringing in my head from all directions. My dude, NO!😭 How could anyone think segregation was a good idea? Even if he was preaching that it was the “best way” to maintain order in Kumyo, NO, NO, NO!!

Mun’s chapter I have to say was probably the one I had enjoyed the most because you can clearly see how deceptive and exceedingly manipulative he is, and I loved how vulnerable Kroa was here as well. She knew the man was making her dance around his palm, but she bit into the trap anyway. Her realization later that something was seriously wrong and that she needed to break free before Mun completely devours her whole and successfully makes her his pawn was such a good story climax.

I also loved the part where she starts noticing herself becoming like Mun while interacting with the Liu capos, and it takes Rin confronting her to snap her back to reality and see Mun’s true colors. That scene was absolutely peak!

If you think about it, Mun was the most dangerous and formidable enemy of the Liu family. The dude was a master manipulator! He manipulated everyone around him: his capos, the entire Sodyk family, the government officials in Kumyo, the police, and law enforcement. They all really believed he was the righteous man he made himself out to be. He even manipulated R, sending him to an early grave, and Zhiho, who ended up betraying the heroine and throwing a wrench into their infiltration plan.

On a side note, I can’t help but think that Mun and Kroa’s dynamic leans into the “lovers to enemies” trope where they start off as close, almost like lovers, and then fate throws them at each other’s throats. I’m really loving this trope in otome games lately! I usually only see it in reverse harem manga/manhwas so having this here was a nice touch.

ZHANG HIYOK

• resident himbo genki🥺
• golden retriever energy

A gangster from Taozhe. Hiyok is determined to protect the same Taozhe he was born and raised in, but in reality, his gang was only capable of recklessly, but unsuccessfully lashing back against the Zhuo family. When he downs a particularly strong alcohol, he becomes a whole different person, capable of taking down multiple men at once.

This game is now making a hako-oshi, because I also love Hiyok. The first time you’ll meet him, you can immediately sense just how precious and likable he is.🥺 Hiyok is another trusted and sworn comrade of our heroine, Kroa. Like Lowd, he is incredibly loyal and one of the Liu family’s strongest fighters. I’m a tad wistful though that his chapter only half-focused on him, especially since his final volumes were already converging with the main plot and heading toward the finale. I guess I just needed more fluff with this himbo.😭 On a different note, I wasn’t expecting his bad ending to turn out the way it did…but I kind of liked it. 😳👉👈

⬇️ Spoilers

He also keeps a diary! What a precious boy!😭
Kroa’s worries about Hiyok losing his feelings for her felt a bit anticlimactic, because in the end, he never really lost it. It was also pretty easy for her to win him back given Hiyok has always been fond of her. He even had a crush on her the first time they met.

Still and all, I absolutely loved how she worked to get him to like her again in Hiyok’s “happy ending.” It was nice to see her making the first move in everything, and seeing Hiyok turn into this blushing, genki mess was adorable. I love their dynamic as well! So much!😭 Again, I feel robbed of fluff with this man because the romance was too short; just as the cute, fluffy stuff was starting, the chapter was already over. 😭

LIU KROA (Main Heroine)

• cunning mafia princess
• best girl!

I love Kroa. She’s now one of my favorite otoge heroines! This woman has serious balls of steel. I was a little wary of her at first, since she came across as somewhat idealistic in the common route, and I had my doubts whether she could truly pull off being the Liu family boss. But as the story progressed, I realized, wow this girl can actually walk the talk.

She’s certainly physically strong, highly skilled with a gun, and more than capable of holding her own during a shoot-out. But its actually her unwavering determination and her intrepid sense of taking risks that got me on her side of the camp. As a mafia boss, she will be pitted in situations where she has to make bold and risky decisions, not just for herself but for everyone in the Liu family. My anxiety was through the roof every time she was served yet another obstacle right after overcoming the last one. The girl seriously could not catch a break!😭 I was nervous for her all the freakin’ time, but her resilience was mighty impressive and very infectious. I could truly feel that she earned every ounce of respect her capos give her.

Kroa is also a very flawed heroine, and that’s one of the things I love most about her. She knows what she is capable of and uses her strengths wisely, but she’s also aware of her limits and what she can’t do on her own. She makes plenty of mistakes throughout the game, and sometimes her risky decisions put both herself and her comrades in danger. She beats herself up over those failures, but what’s remarkable is how she learns from them, wipes the dirt off her face, gets back on her feet, and pounces back harder and stronger every time.🤧 My girl!! 😭😭😭I loved how she was written to be very capable without ever feeling grossly overblown, if that makes sense? She’s not the kind of heroine who’s all mouth and no bite, she doesn’t talk a big game or rely on empty bravado. I really couldn’t stop rooting for her, just like her capos who believed in her as their boss.🥹 BEST GIRL!!

SYSTEM AND LOCALIZATION

Before I get into the details of the game’s system, I just want to say in passing that the love catch for this title is so pretty! 😍 The butterfly animations were perhaps one of my fav design elements, aesthetically speaking, in this title.

As for the system itself, I think this is where most of my complaints lie. First of all, the font was rather tiny and not very visible, the kerning was also kind of awful and there was no way to adjust this. I play docked on my TV, so over time this became a non-issue for me. Next, and perhaps the thing that bothered me the most, is that the system overwrites its parameters after every ending you achieve (whether its the true end or sad end). What I mean is that after achieving, say, the“true ending”, the next time you restart the game from the very beginning, all your save files from the previous run become defunct, and are replaced by the new current progress in your present gameplay.

I think this is probably because of the game’s linear storyline, but as a completionist, it was kind of frustrating to unlock all the endings without having to restart from the very beginning of each chapter, or at worst, from the prologue. It became a nightmare to skip through scenes just to unlock different bad endings while trying different combinations of choices in the process. At the very least, the True End was easy to achieve all thanks to the love catch system.

PROS:

• Heroine name customizable
• SHOP – The boss’s grade points you collect can be spent here
• “Secret Information” in the EXTRA section –this is where all the short stories that you’ve bought from the shop are located.
• Terminology – the game’s glossary.
• Chapter Intermission
• Underground Newspaper – will show up after finishing a chapter.
• MAPS – shows which family rules over each territory.
• CHAPTER Select
• Love Catch System
• Skip READ and AUTO function
• Quick Save/Quick Load
• CG Library
• Movie Library

CONS:

• No heroine side sprite image
• Unvoiced Heroine
• SKIP Read’s fastest setting is slow.
• Lingering voice lines, even if you’ve skipped the character’s lines
• No Skip to Next Choice function
• No Flowchart
• No Sound Library
• Typos
• Parameters reset after every ending achieved.

Localization

The translations also seem pretty good. Since the theme involves the mafia and a lot of morally gray characters, there are naturally lots of coarse language thrown around which I think fits the game’s theme overall. Unfortunately, there are quite a few typos throughout the game. Not that they ruined gameplay, They didn’t bother me, but they’re definitely present, nonetheless.

TRAILER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPA6yvkZMbg

OVERALL THOUGHTS

I think my overall gameplay lasted about 40 hours total. This includes trying to unlock all the endings in the game and playing all the CCTV short stories in the “EXTRA” section. I was also playing blind, my switch docked, and was on auto mode most of the time. Technically, with a walkthrough and without auto-mode, you could finish the game in less than 40 hours.

AmuLit’s Linear Storytelling is back!

To start with, yes, Neon Clash unfortunately has a linear structure, similar to Even if Tempest and RBL. There are no separate branching routes for the guys. Instead, it plays out as one main story, with each chapter highlighting a specific LI.

Personally, I feel like the way these segments advanced wasn’t jarring or disjointed like in RBL, its predecessor. Each chapter introducing an LI flows smoothly within the story, and the MC’s bonding with her love interests doesn’t come off as forced (at least to me). The story kind of just naturally melds together without trying to shove anything in, if that makes sense. With that said, in my opinion, the linear structure actually worked pretty well here because of the game’s setting and how fast-paced all of the events unfolded.

As for how the heroine spends time from one LI to another, her relationships in the main story remain fairly ambiguous. There’s definitely some romantic pining going on, but they mostly come from the LIs’ side (kind of like how they do it in reverse harem animes). The heroine does emotionally acknowledge her budding feelings for an LI in every chapter, but the game somehow found a cheat code to progress the story without locking the romance into one specific guy. Shockingly enough, it made sense to me and worked well in favor of the overall narrative.😳

⬇️ Read spoilers if you’re curious about what I mean.

Around the end of Chapter 2 (Lowd’s segment), Maslo approaches Kroa and teaches her how to use her psychometry in reverse. Instead of reading emotions from objects, Kroa learns to store her own emotions into her gun, Dilu. This way, she can transfer all her strong feelings of love, romance, grief, regrets, sorrow to Dilu, and fully step into her role as a mafia boss and endure the territorial power struggles against her rivals without anything weighing her down.

I know it sounds goofy to dump your feelings into a gun lol. But I thought it was actually a pretty crafty way to move the story forward without making Kroa’s interactions with the LIs feel weird or awkward. She also makes it a point in the game to make sure that before her “budding feelings” develop further, she gets rid of them and entrusts them all to Dilu.

Being the head of the Liu family comes with a lot of consequences, so before any lingering emotions weigh her down, she chooses to do away with them. This is especially crucial given the many mistakes she makes throughout the story. In Chapter 2, she jumps out of formation to protect Lowd, which leads to the death of one of her capos, Zhia. Another instance where entrusting her feelings to Dilu becomes vitally relevant is during Mun’s chapter. As her most formidable foe, facing him head-on requires her to completely forget her personal feelings for him.

So yeah, in a way, this cheat sheet actually works really well in the narrative. I was very satisfied with how it was handled.

Romance of the 3 Kingdoms But Make it Mafia

For CN media aficionados, if it isn’t obvious, Neon Clash: Echoes of the Lost is actually heavily inspired by the famous Luo Guanzhong novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. I was reading the director’s commentary on the game, and they mentioned that Satoshi Nohara, the producer, the staff themselves, and even the seiyuus were big fans of the series. Ngl, I think it’s kinda brilliant how they were able to interlace the power struggle theme from RoTK into a modern-day mafia story. I was also a fan of the series, (well, mostly the 2010 tv series and the old TRPG lol)😅 and I think the devs really drew a lot of inspiration from the original source and incorporated it beautifully into this game.

Even the game’s worldview, where you can see Kumyo’s map and how it shows which bases belong to which family as well as which family captured which bases after every chapter ending, draws heavily from RoTK, and I thought this was really clever!

I also loved how they adapted the Triad/Chinese mafia-gang style in the story, where the mafia is less formal, less rigid, and more chaotic compared to the American-Italian style mafiosos. I grew up watching HK cinema, and if you’re like me and loved gangster movies like Young and Dangerous, you will absolutely enjoy the intense, hard-hitting action-packed style that Neon Clash delivers. So yeah, this game was right up my alley, so to speak.

I feel like the producer’s vision was perfectly realized by the director, the scenario writer, and the rest of the staff. From reading the team’s commentaries, it’s clear that everyone was highly coordinated, and you can really see that synergy reflected throughout the game!

An Action-Packed Storyline with Multi-Faceted Characters

Plotwise, the tension in this game was insane. Our main characters go through relentless hardships, one after another. I was totally shook how vivid and strong their motivations felt (as if I was there with them lol). I spent the whole time gritting my teeth, wondering what would happen next? How are they going to make their next move? The story itself really felt like an intense battle of divide and conquer all the way up to the very end.

Whenever Kroa and the gang survived and achieved their goals (even for just a brief moment), I couldn’t help but smile and cheer with them. And whenever they suffered a loss, I cried right along with them too. It’s kind of amusing how invested I got in the story, now that I think about it!😅

This title is also pretty fast-paced. While the action-packed scenes in the story take place months apart chronologically, the game’s structure delivers them back-to-back, which kept the story momentum high, sometimes leaving you gasping for air.🤣(laughs)

I think I also liked the fact that, despite the storm of tragedy and chaos unfolding, the game still gives you enough breathing room to process things before throwing you into another spiral. What’s especially nice is that every conflict is born from a character’s own choices and missteps, so the chaos didn’t feel like some sort of arbitrary monkey wrench thrown into the plot for shock value. Most of the tragedies happen within reason and fit naturally into the narrative, so I was pretty satisfied with this aspect of the story. Also, keep in mind that since the story revolves around a modern-day mafia theme, the game can get pretty graphic and violent. So if these things make you queasy, please check the content warnings above.

The side characters were also a lot of fun. I had my favorite picks like R, Rin, the Shelby twins, Yulong, Shao Feng, Yona, and a whole lot of others. Gonglu was a piece of sh*t, but I have to admit, I was kind of infatuated with him at some point. (cackles).🙈

Just look at that sassy, scheming grin of his!😭

It’s also really hard not to like any of the LIs, as they’re all so distinctively well-written. This game turned me into a filthy box-pusher (hako-oshi) all over again, because I genuinely mean it when I say I’m down bad for every single love interest. I was so sure my top pick was Lowd after finishing all the romance endings, but as I’m writing this review, I keep brainrotting over Maslo. His story in the game was kind of shafted, which is a pity, but there’s just something about him that I’m really drawn to (maybe its his sexy neck frayglyph tattoo, who knows). 😏🤭So I guess, if I had to choose at gunpoint, I’d be rallying behind my beautiful DJ pink-kun!

You already have my heart, bb!😌

As for the romance, the confession scenes in the Happy Ends were all pretty silly, dumb, and hilarious, but I somehow inhaled every single one of them because I was STARVED for romance the entire time. After all the hurdles, and hardships these characters went through, they absolutely deserved to let loose and just be silly and dumb for once.

Having said that, if anything, what this title could’ve really benefited from, was more romance scenarios. I’m not saying there’s none because I think the romance in the individual “Happy Ends” was really good food (delicious, even). After all, the scenario is by the writer of Cupid Parasite, so you can definitely pick up their signature flair for spicing things up. However, the length of the epilogues just felt far too short to showcase an utterly satisfying fluff. I wanted more. More fluff and more spice! 😭 Maybe a fandisk could scratch this itch… please, Voltage, I beg!

Do I recommend this game? YES.
I…..really….. loooooved this game.😭 I realized I was also the target audience for this title. The ending was so satisfying to me, that I can overlook a few exposition issues because of it. It’s not often that I finish a title and sigh, “Man, that was great,” but that’s exactly how I felt after finishing Neon Clash: Echoes of the Lost. I don’t claim this title is flawless or perfect, but everything about it, from the beautiful cyberpunk Chinese aesthetics, the intense power struggle plotline, the modern-day mafia action-packed scenarios, to the exhilarating main characters that I’ve grown to love and care for, keeps calling me back every time. I’m honestly really shocked at how much this title has wormed its way into my top favorites.

How I wish I could forget this game so I could re-experience all the positive restlessness and edge-of-your-seat milliseconds I spent on it all over again. 😭 It was hell and back, peak! I was thoroughly entertained until the very last roll of credits, so yeah, this is an easy recommendation from me.

This title is currently on a 10% release month discount, so I don’t know what else to tell you. I’ve already bought sets of merch for this title, and I’m pretty sure this won’t be the last time I spend on it. If you care about peak storytelling and peak characters, absolutely play Neon Clash, by all means necessary.

#AmuLit #NeonClash #NeonClashEchoesOfTheLost #NeonClashEchoesOfTheLostReview #NeonClashReview #nintendoSwitch #OtomeGameReview #VoltageInc

Club Suicide – Complete Edition Review (PC)

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://otomekitten.com/2025/11/21/club-suicide-complete-edition-review-pc/

Club Suicide – Complete Edition Review (PC)

Release Date: October 31, 2025 (North America)
Developers:  MORPATH, Celtia, Create Circle
Publishers: Celtia, Garumani DLSite
Platforms:  PC (DLSite)

STORY / PREMISE

Spring has just begun, and graduation is just seven days away.
A group of students long to die now more than ever.

It’s been a long time since you last went to school. The pressure of having to build and maintain relationships was just too much for you. But now you’re back.
While you’re walking through the stairwell, you notice an unusual club flyer.
The name of the club is Club Suicide.

It catches you completely off-guard how serious the other five members are about dealing with their lingering regrets before taking their own lives in the next seven days.
Fear quickly consumes you as you finally realize that you don’t want to die.

However, after already stating to the other members that you want to die as well, you have no choice but to stick with your lie until the seven days are up…

And so begins a strange and horrifying seven days in which you follow and learn more about these boys on their journeys to clear up any lingering regrets they may have before they finally commit suicide.

STAFF (ART, MUSIC, SCENARIO)

Director: Leiji UesugiScenario: Leiji Uesugi (Main), Ame Isobe (Asst. Writer)Artist:  Leiji UesugiOST: Leiji Uesugi, Yuuki Suzuran (artist for Tsuzuri’s ED theme)

Voice Acting

Sakato Togai as “Eba Zaizen” – Ryosuke Katayama (Corpse Party), Kurenai (East Tower), Reiza (Queen of Darkness), Gardis (The Second Reproduction), Riom (Eternal Wish), Issei Sagara (Izanai), Kasumi Serizawa (Idol Step), Rai Hiratsuka (Irohanihoheto), Kaname (Bouquet for you in the dark)

Nao Shigure as “Shiki Kururugi” – Masato Kanzaki (Last Desire), Izuchi Nasuga (1bitHeart), Alcelait Damian (La Vie en Fleur)

Shuya Asou as “Masaya Usui” – Kazuma (Kazuma & Kugayama’s Mysterious Abandoned School Adventure), Kashina Asuma (Narisokonai no Yosuga), Kazuya Kadokura (Sayonara Junsei, Mata Kite Seishun)

Alvin Kinoshita as “Mitsuki Kugajima” – Sumire (Boku-tachi wa Haru ni Wakareru), Supporting Cast (Bouquet for you in the dark)

Yuno Ozono as “Meiyo Mabuchi” – Kaoru Takanashi (Takaga Koi no Kuse ni)

Yuuki Suzuran as “Tsuzuri Azayomi” – Yuuki Suzuran (Vtuber), Guest Vocal (Roiwoof 1st Album), Serenite (Monomagia Cantabile), Yuu Amaner (1/8 no Sentaku)

CHARACTERS AND ROUTES

Club Suicide has a total of six routes. The only locked route is Tsuzuri’s, and his story unlocks after completing one playthrough of the game.

After the common route, you’ll be asked to choose which character to spend time with, giving you the options of Eba, Shiki, Masaya, Mitsuki, and Meiyo. Assuming you’ve already finished one playthrough, selecting the exit icon will take you into Tsuzuri’s route.

The order I played the game in was Eba → Shiki → Masaya → Mitsuki → Meiyo → Tsuzuri. And I enjoyed the game in this order, so if you want a soft recommended order from me, this would be it. The game is designed to be played blind, and it doesn’t really matter who you start with since each route is fairly self-contained.

The only route I strongly recommend saving for last is Tsuzuri’s. His route contains two different paths: one is his own story, and the other involves all of the previous guys. Hence, I definitely suggest leaving his route for your final playthrough if you plan to complete or binge the game.

Walkthroughs:

• Eba Zaizen
• Shiki Kururugi
• Masaya Usui
• Mitsuki Kugajima
• Meiyo Mabuchi
• Tsuzuri Azayomi

CONTENT WARNINGS

The game contains many trigger and content warnings, with a full disclaimer displayed as soon as you boot up the title. I strongly recommend taking these warnings seriously, as the game can certainly tackle heavy topics such as death, suicide, and identity. Below, I’ve included the content warnings screenshot provided by the developers at the start of the game screen.

⬇️ Click to view Content Warnings Violence, blood, suicide, death, sexual assault, depression, mental illness, bullying, mentions of emotional abuse, emotional distress related to personal identity.

Note: The CGs shown below are promotional images for the game, Club Suicide Complete Edition (the ones you can see on the game’s official DLSite page). 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.

EBA ZAIZEN

• Aopero-chan’s # 1 fanboy
• a good boy

Eba, the gloomy high school freshman, and a member of the manga club. He’s a kind person who loves his family, but he often loses sight of himself because he’s overly self-conscious. He loves the popular mascot character, Aopero-chan. His reason for wanting to die: he has no hope for the future.

⬇️ Spoilers

In Eba’s route, the reason he wants to commit suicide is because he feels he has no hope in the future. He harbors a very intense inferiority complex where he constantly puts himself down, belittle himself believing he has no worth. He envies others to the point where he’s convinced that everyone around him is inherently better, basically feeding his self-loathing further.

When the heroine, Ringo gets curious about Eba’s situation she offers to help him accomplish whatever he needs to do before his last day, so she follows him home and is surprised to discover that he lives a comfortable, well-off life. His family is warm, loving, and is rather remarkably *ideal*. Eba has also repeatedly expressed how much he loves his parents, which is why he’s been working so hard to earn money because he wants to treat them to a theater show and buy the best seats possible.
From a spectator’s view, Eba’s life appears to be what many would consider “perfect.” He comes from a wealthy, caring household, and is surrounded by love and support. So why is he dead-set on offing himself? This is basically the question that his route explores to answer.

I found the journey of this route interesting cause even after Ringo repeatedly shows him how astounding of an artist he is, (basically all his art pieces or plushies were immediately sold out after he lists them on mercari lol, plus he got a flood of commission requests after), even when Ringo sincerely praises his skill, talent, and efficiency when it comes to his works, and has confided with him during the last seven days they were together, he still cannot reconcile any of it with his self-image. That’s when it struck me that perhaps his inferiority complex wasn’t mere insecurity anymore, but has rather festered into something deeply rooted and corrosive. By the time he admits to Ringo how long he’s been drowning in these *dark thoughts*, it became clear to me that he’s prob far gone in a way that simple reassurance can’t fix.😞 (It was honestly a good raw confession too, Eba’s monologue) I think Eba has trapped himself into an overwhelming despair; like he genuinely believed the world would be far better without him and my thought process immediately went: “Oh no, he’s not going to be saved in time, isn’t he?”

The (Bad) Ending “A Proper Goodbye”, actually suited his narrative better in my opinion. Because his monologue prior really gave me the impression that there was no saving him. Nonetheless, I did ended up also liking his Happy Ending, where he gives life another chance with Ringo by his side helping him slowly pull away from the darkness he’s been living in. Maybe that really is what he needed: a special someone who sees him, supports him, and reminds him he’s worthy of being loved. Someone whose presence makes him feel valued, cherished, and no longer invisible in his own life.
So did love save Eba by the end of his route? Honestly… I think it did. It didn’t magically “fix” him, but for better or worse it gave him a reason to stay alive. And to me, I think it was his first step to healing.

Lastly, I also can’t help but think that the routes might have been intentionally structured so that each character’s core motivation, personality, or the circumstances surrounding their final days reflects one of the seven deadly sins. Eba to me, was greed, basically from just how his route started off that he wants to earn lots of money. I first thought about placing him under envy, but I believe that sin aligns more naturally with Meiyo instead? (I will explain why in his section).

SHIKI KURURUGI

• playboy with layers
• actually a big dork

Shiki is a high-school senior and the former captain of the basketball team. He’s friendly, sociable, and carries himself with the carefree charm of a cheerful playboy. His uninhibited personality makes him seem like the last person who’d struggle to reach his goal of finding a “real girlfriend” before he dies. His reason for wanting to die: he got tired of living.

Shiki’s route is probably the most “otome” this title gets in terms of how conventional otome games are usually structured. With that said, this became one of my favorite routes in the game.🤣 (I am basic af, so of course I want my in-your-face romance fix lol). At the same time, this route does a great job exploring Shiki’s personal issues, which I feel align perfectly with the romance exemplified between him and the heroine.

⬇️ Spoilers

In Shiki’s route, the heroine Ringo agrees to be Shiki’s “real girlfried” so she spends her time with him during his last days doing couple-like things like going on cafe dates or hanging out at his place after school. During these moments together, Ringo discovers that Shiki is a literal fuckboy. He engages in no-strings-attached casual sex w/ multiple partners. The thing is, he doesnt really actively seek these encounters, but rather, he accepts the invitations of women who beseech his company. He doesn’t do this in pursuit of pleasure, but rather a way to numb himself and escape the pain of his deep-seated issues and trauma. So what is Shiki’s trauma? What drove him to act so callously carefree when it comes to sex?

First of all, I just have to say that Shiki’s route is written within a culture where casual sex is considered taboo. The heroine’s repulsed reaction to learning about Shiki’s fuckboi lifestyle reflects an environment in which having casual sexual partners is uncommon and socially frowned upon. Whereas in other cultures, these things are merely something that would earn you just an eyebrow raise. That said, I’m pretty sure, Shiki being hypersexual and having multiple past partners would already cost him several points in the otome community lol! 🤣

As for Shiki’s trauma, his story follows a very common trope in dark fiction where witnessing a family member (or loved one) commit suicide right before your eyes becomes the trigger for a collapse in a person’s worldview, and this *shock* basically drives a character towards being nihilistic. In fact, we see this theme recurrently in anime, visual novels and other ent. media. To name another otome title, Black Wolves Saga has the exact same scenario in one (ot two) of the characters’ backstory. So this is how I immediately understood Shiki’s arc and where his existential and moral nihilism is rooted. What I can also infer from this route is that Shiki seems to have unconsciously absorbed the belief that if no one pulls him out of his current despair, he will eventually end up like his mother. In other words, he may have internalized the idea that when life loses its meaning (for his mom, losing Shiki’s dad was her trigger), the only conclusion is to follow the same path she did. Was the mention of the rings (with the name of his mother and his), and him actually keeping it meant to symbolize this? Was that a hint that Shiki was unintentionally mirroring his mother’s fate?

I actually really liked Shiki’s Happy Ending (epilogue), esp. the part where he breaks down and displays his needyness and desperation. His panic when Ringo collapses with a fever shows his unmasked self as an emotionally fragile boy who has never fully recovered from losing the people who loved him for who he truly was. His fear of losing Ringo also shows that he is still in the process of healing, and realistically so, as moving on from trauma of this magnitude is never an easy feat.

Lastly, Shiki’s circumstances embody lust. I think the plot point of him using sex to numb and temporarily escape his internal struggles was a way to circle back to the seven deadly sins theme, (me thinks). Idk, I hadnt really thought about it too deeply… (how the sex part connects to his past trauma with his mom’s death), other than seeing it as his way of coping and dulling his pain.

MASAYA USUI

• c i n n a m o n r o l l
• actually captain planet

Masaya is a third-year student who possesses an innocent personality and a strong sense of justice. He views the world differently from a typical teenager. He also values love and peace, and his fondness for delicious food is so pronounced to the point of being considered a glutton. His reason for wanting to die: he cannot become a hero.

⬇️ Spoilers

Masaya’s route was actually one of the hardest for me to get through. Not because the route was bad (it isn’t). But because it hit uncomfortably close to home during moments when the story starts unpacking Masaya’s issues.

In this route, Ringo decides to help Masaya with a couple of charity works during his final days. It’s during this time that she not only discovers his unusually big appetite for delicious food but also realizes just how differently he sees the world compared to her. For example, she immediately comments on his pink hair and asks whether it makes him uncomfortable to stand out or look like a delinquent. From Ringo’s perspective, dyeing one’s hair w/ such bright colors invites negative attention. Masaya, on the other hand, explains that he dyes his hair pink simply because he likes the color (mentions that it’s the “color of heroes.”).🥺 This contrast in worldviews clearly shows how the two teenagers interpret a simple act, such as dyeing one’s hair, in completely different ways. Ringo’s pessimism immediately veers toward how others might judge someone, while Masaya’s view is rooted in purity and innocence. I really liked the parts where the heroine tries to understand Masaya’s train of thought while they spend time together.

Masaya’s reason for wanting to commit suicide is because he feels he cannot become a true hero. This may seem like an odd answer to an ordinary person or a bystander, but to be honest, I actually understood Masaya’s plight here. I think him, REPEATEDLY emphasizing on donating every organ in his body after he dies and making sure that “ALL his parts” are put to good use foreshadows his Messiah complex (or at least I think thats what the author intends to hint at).

Maybe this is a bit TMI, but I actually understood Masaya’s Saviour complex. Perhaps it’s because I’ve gone through something similar growing up, and it can take decades to break free from this mindset. This way of thinking isnt about helping others to feel good about yourself (its never that). But rather, the unconscious belief that if you don’t help people, no one else will. This kind of mindset basically makes you feel that it is YOUR responsibility to help. Thus, instilling a strong and almost unbearable sense of obligation to do certain selfless things when in reality it is NEVER your duty to begin with.

I actually want to throw up playing Masaya’s route ngl. I had to take a break from the game for a day or two because of how uncomfortable it made me feel.😅 It’s funny because I always pride myself on being able to separate real life from fiction, but oof reading about your personal triggers so vividly definitely is… something. I love this route because of that, though. I think it really does a decent job of dissecting Masaya’s complexities as a person. It feels kind of raw, and I can’t help but be curious if the author had a similar experience growing up as well, given how authentically they handled this topic.

The part where Shiki explains to Ringo that she doesn’t have to fully understand or see eye to eye with what Masaya is going through was really nicely put. Everyone is different, and not everyone thinks the same way. People can be sensitive to things that others aren’t, and vice versa. Just because you are able to handle something doesn’t mean others can, and just because you can approach certain issues in a healthy mindset doesn’t mean everyone is able to do the same.💔 This was a really nice food for thought.

Lastly, I think Masaya represents gluttony in the Seven Deadly Sins, which is evident from his surface personality of having an incredibly large appetite. In his route, he explains that he loves eating (to a point of overeating) because he wants to take in things that make him happy, and for him, that is food. This also ties back to his father, an excellent cook, who once told him when he was young, “You can’t save the world on an empty stomach.” Being pure-hearted that he is, Masaya may have internalized this advice, which may explain why he overeats and enjoys it so much because in his mind, it gives him the ammo he needed to help more people later.

MITSUKI KUGAJIMA

• tsundere-got-no-chill
• actually a yumejoshi

Mitsuki is a short-tempered second-year student who hasn’t joined any other clubs. He can be very aggressive, but he is also extremely honest and unable to hide his feelings. He has a strong ego and tends to snap at anyone he doesn’t like. His reason for wanting to die: he hates conforming to societal norms the way adults do.

⬇️ Spoilers

Who knew Mitsuki is a Hakkencoser! 😩 lmao Ringo is so much better than me because I would’ve fainted immediately if I get to meet my fav coser in the flesh!😂

When you think about it, Mitsuki is actually the only character in the game who is confirmed to have been born and diagnosed with an actual mental disability. He has HSP-HSS, thereby making him severely ardent in seeking new thrills but also a highly sensitive person. This explains a lot of his behavior and attitude in the game. The dude is always hot-headed, always cursing, dropping f bombs in every direction, yet he is also extremely passionate about his hobbies. Like when he latches onto something new that interests him he gets fired up and always goes all out. He’s also highly sensitive and stubborn about his beliefs, which is why, despite having many followers and fans as a popular cosplayer, he also ends up with a lot of haters.

I think Mitsuki out of all the characters, was the easiest to unpack because of how he wears his heart on his sleeve. His reason for wanting to commit suicide is that he hates the idea of conforming to societal norms the way adults do. As someone who always sticks to his guns and fights for what he thinks is right, he can’t stand the idea of accepting society’s status quo; that the rich get to live in luxury while the poor are left to rot in the dirt, that people born into prejudice have to suffer, and that those with power get to rule. So before he ends up eventually becoming an adult who is forced to accept the world’s unfairness, Mitsuki would rather off himself than accept the unfair system everyone else seems resigned to. Of course, before doing that, he wants to take revenge or “beat someone to a pulp” before he actually goes to meet his maker.

In his route, Ringo discovers that Mitsuki is actually Parry, the cosplayer she idolizes, and eventually ends up spending time with Mitsuki’s family as a stand-in babysitter for his younger brothers. There, she gets to see Mitsuki’s family’s living conditions: seven siblings living in a small apartment. She also learns about Mitsuki’s background, that his mother is a prostitute, and that each of his siblings has a different father. Despite this, Mitsuki doesn’t harbor any resentment toward his family. In fact, he is a loving brother and a caring son who understands why his mother has to work so hard for them. He is neither ashamed of their poverty nor of his mother’s profession. I love this about Mitsuki, honestly. He is such a precious boy.🥺

While I love the “what goes around comes around” karma concept in this route, my main beef with it is that the author takes a very unrealistic approach to ACTUAL bullies. They crafted this convenient karma story where Mitsuki’s bully miraculously remembers they are being a terrible person previously. When the bully faced karma, they suddenly recalled all the shit they did to Mitsuki, and like ???? I just could not buy it. Because actual bullies in reality DO NOT DO THAT. In reality, bullies or those who pick on others to nurse their ego or make themselves feel good are much more likely to play the victim when they face karma and would go into their “woe is me” spiel. They will not remember their wrongdoings nor will they genuinely reflect on their actions in the past, and that is just the hard truth.

For a game that seems to lean heavily on realistic themes, this part really felt off to me. Perhaps the author has never experienced, observed, or truly understood how reprehensible bullies can be. People are actually rotten to the core, y’know! That’s just how the world is. But whatever, lol, I didn’t wanna dwell on this too much in this route.😅

Also, I actually think this route is romantic. Despite Mitsuki calling Ringo his BFF, I firmly believe he already has feelings for her. It’s just that, since both of them are virgins with zero experience in romance, Mistuki prob just didnt know how to label their relationship. Idk, thats just my take on it though! heh
Lastly, Mitsuki’s Seven Deadly Sin is wrath, based on his surface personality of being short-tempered and hot-headed.

MEIYO MABUCHI

• yuri trash megane
• actually the yuri😋

Meiyo is the megane second-year who is also the student council vice president. He is sharp and a quick thinker, and at times, he can come across as a perfectionist due to his somewhat objective point of view. Meiyo is also a diehard yuri fan who yearns to discover the perfect yuri story before he dies. His reason for wanting to die is that he believes his death will make his loved ones happy.

⬇️ Spoilers

I think out of everyone, it was Meiyo that I had the hardest time figuring out what his deal was at first. He expresses himself far too vaguely. I didn’t really understand what he meant about “being tainted” or why he envied the heroine for being pure.

In Meiyo’s route, Ringo agrees to help him find the perfect yuri story before he actually dies. This confused me initially, because what is he even planning to do once he finds it? What was even his purpose? It wasn’t until the last chapters of his route that I finally realized he was dealing with a severe case of identity confusion. Was he closeted? Maybe. Was he experiencing gender dysphoria? I don’t think so.

I think Meiyo’s identity confusion stems from his contempt for his emotionally abusive father. Because his father is a man, and Meiyo is also a man who inherits his father’s blood, his name, and even certain physical traits, he begins to absorb the fear that he is inevitably becoming the very person he loathes. Thus creating this distorted belief that he is destined to become the same kind of monster as his dad. His anxiety isn’t about sexuality or gender dysphoria, but about moral contamination (at least thats how I interpreted it).

This anxiety is what shaped his self-loathing, and I think its where his fixation on purity was born. He idealizes the purity of yuri relationships because they represent everything he believes he can never be. And over time, this assumption has festered to the point where he convinces himself that committing suicide might become his father’s “awakening.” He thinks that if his father sees his own son die in front of him, it might shock him into changing, that maybe it would finally stop him from berating and emotionally abusing the women in their family.
To be honest, this was a craaaaazy idea of a resolution, but as you can see, it shows just how dark Meiyo’s train of thought (and desperation) has become. Its such a twisted form of self-sacrifice, born from years of emotional damage, where Meiyo sees his life as a tool to provoke guilt, regret, or an awakening in the very person responsible for all his suffering.🤯

Meiyo’s relationship with his dad is also trauma-bonding at its finest btw and I wish the author could’ve went further with this topic. I feel like the ‘emotional abuse’ here barely scratches the surface of how actual emotional abuse often starts subtly, building up until it becomes part of your normal. In this route, his dad being the emotional abuser wasn’t really emphasized beyond that one scene where Meiyo confesses to Ringo about how his dad berates his mom and sister. Maybe some of this was lost in translation, but overall, I feel like the writing for this topic played it a bit safe. It mostly focused on the *result* which is Meiyo’s identity struggle. While the process itself was largely cut short.

Anyway, I looooooved the ending “The Light at the End of the Tunnel” (Ending 20), where he finally lets go of his inhibitions and embraces his new identity. He dresses however he wants, (wears a female school uniform, grew his hair), and freely does whatever he prefers. Honestly, I think this was my favorite ending in the entire game. Seeing him give his life another chance and be reborn into the identity he truly wants felt like a weight being lifted off his shoulder, and even as a player, & as spectator to all this, it is soooo satisfying to watch him embrace his new self.

As for my beef with this route… it kind of rubbed me the wrong way when Ringo said during one of her internal monologues that “having lots of tattoos is a person’s way of unconsciously self-harming.” Like, that is just not true. I’m not sure if it was intentionally meant to be an unserious side quip, but even Meiyo later confirms in a nonchalant way that “maybe he’s indeed self-harming by having lots of tattoos” LOL. As someone who also has a lot of tattoos, no, you’re not self-harming by getting lots of ink, lmao. It’s funny because Meiyo’s route seems to center on the theme of self-expression, so for them to say something contradictory is a bit ironic. Then again, maybe it was intentional.🤷‍♀️

Lastly, Meiyo’s deadly sin is either pride or envy. Pride due to the fact that he cannot fathom the thought of inheriting the flaws of his father as well as the obsessive need to distinguish himself from his dad. And Envy due to how he repeatedly tells the herione he envies her purity (at one point, he even says he hates her for it).

TSUZURI AZAYOMI

• sometimes a monster, sometimes ed sheeran
• actually not ed sheeran

Tsuzuri is a mysterious boy with an unusual appearance. His morbid slenderness, strange speech patterns, and constantly changing facial expressions make it impossible for anyone to understand who he is or where he comes from. He wishes to commit suicide as a human being, yet he frequently refers to himself as a “monster.”

⬇️ Spoilers

Whew! Finally! Last route! I’m not going to lie, by the time I reached Tsuzuri’s actual route I was already mentally checked out of the game. To me, the game ended when I unlocked the ending where everyone survived! So I’ll talk about that first.

The ending “Phantom of the Club” (Ending 22) was such a satisfying culmination of the game because, well… obviously, none of the fellas died or committed suicide. But what I enjoyed the most, though, was how Tsuzuri brought up the idea that the club members weren’t really seeking death; they were seeking to be saved. Tsuzuri then decided to “leave a mark” on one member (Mitsuki) by challenging his ideals as a way to liberate him from his burden. This set off a domino effect, gradually freeing the others as well. It was such a cathartic experience because, when you’re in a single guy’s route and Ringo gets to save him, there’s always that lingering thought that the others saw through their deaths after graduation. So having a path where everyone survives feels very much satisfying to me. (Albeit the execution might be kind of rushed but who cares really).

What’s also noteworthy here is that it wasn’t the heroine who saved them. It was the club members themselves, coming together to pull each other out of despair. Each of them had gone through their own darkness alone in their individual routes, so it was especially gratifying to see them band together to help out one another. Their shared wish to die was what brought them together in the first place, and in the end, it was their collective effort that managed to save everyone in the club.😭

I especially loved how Tsuzuri worded it that the real purpose of Club Suicide wasn’t to die together, but to save one another from their current state of misery. That was it! That was the best finale for me, the game should’ve ended there! PERIODT!!

But alas, I have to talk about Tsuzuri.😂 lol
Tbh, Tsuzuri’s route was also really interesting. He was easily the oddest character of the bunch. Fluffy, angelic hair and the split tongue barely scratch the surface of how eccentric he is, its really in the way his expressions and tone change randomly and how he just bursts into song all the freakin time.😂 He was such a fun character, and his VA really did the legwork as if his rent was due! I just wish I hadn’t been so mentally exhausted while playing his route, because his struggles were also very emotionally labored.

Anyway, Tsuzuri’s route gives you two options to choose from. You can either believe that he’s a demon or a manifestation created by Club Suicide that eventually came to life, basically a Tsukumogami (his name, I noticed, is kind of an amalgamation of the the word too). Or you can believe he’s actually human, someone who wished so deeply to be a monster that he became one in his own mind. I played both endings, and I personally side with the latter interpretation. To me, Tsuzuri is a deeply scarred human who was dealt the devil’s own luck in life. Unlike the other boys, he never truly had a choice, since his illness made death an unavoidable outcome. One way or another, he was destined to die. His final goal before that inevitable end was simply to try and live like a proper human being, and he was finally able to experience that through Ringo.

It’s also why I think his “Life After Death” ending (Ending 24) is the most fitting for his character, because I see him as someone who actually wishes to live. His resentment toward the other members in Club Suicide, calling them ‘fakers’, felt to me like his spiteful way of pointing out the difference between them. They had the choice to keep living, yet they were willing to throw their lives away. Meanwhile, he had NO CHOICE at all. Even though he desperately wanted to live, he was fundamentally destined to die.

Lastly, I’m not sure where to place Tsuzuri in my 7 Deadly Sins theory for this game lol. I’ll come back to this eventually. If I haven’t edited this after the review is posted, that probably means I forgot! Oops.

RINGO SHINDO (Main Heroine)

• former hikikomori
• chronically online, socially awkward

Ringo, a former shut-in who was basically chronically online, finally decides to do something with her life and happens to come across the Club Suicide flyer at her school. Having surface-level suicidal thoughts of her own, curiosity gets the better of her, and she goes to check it out. But after seeing how the members were so determined to end themselves after graduation day, she chickens out and decides she doesn’t wanna die anymore.

I honestly wonder if the heroine’s name is a pun on the movie RING 0. Some CGs even make her look like Sadako. Quite amusing, tbh! 😆 I’m not sure if the apple she’s holding in the trailer is meant to reference Eve and the original sin, but her name, 林檎, literally means “apple” in Japanese. It’s also curious that there’s official art released by the developer showing Tsuzuri holding an apple as well. Could this be an allegory of Ringo and Tsuzuri as Eve and Adam, the bearers of original sin?

Ringo is perhaps one of the most cynical characters in the game. She’s fickle, as shown by how quickly she backs out of the club’s mission and completely changes her mind about wanting to KHS. Which, understandably, is a very human reaction when you think about it. Compared to the guys she meets in Club Suicide, her issues feel relatively superficial. Funnily enough, I kind of see this as your typical teenage edgelord move, where she bit off more than she could chew!😂

Ringo, I believe, serves as the lens for humanity in the game. Through her POVs, we get to observe and pry into each character’s struggles, and through her eyes, we also witness how the characters either succumb to their despair or find the strength to overcome them. In every route, she takes on one of two stances: either supporting the character’s wish for death, or she will have a say on it. I don’t think she was written to be some sort of savior for the LIs, though. She has, however, in one way or another, shaped the LIs’ final days on earth, or what they believe to be their final days. Their decisions whether to leave the living world or to stay remain entirely their own.

As for Ringo’s personality, it kind of varies depending on the route. I found her to be more compassionate in Eba, Masaya, and Meiyo’s routes than in the others, and she seems more comfortable with herself in Mitsuki’s route. She’s a little rigid in Shiki’s and more cautious in Tsuzuri’s. Technically, she’s a very nuanced character, no matter which route you’re in. The girl has a lot of angst in her head! But I mean, at her age, who isn’t angsty, right? I can say that I can somewhat relate to Ringo in some ways, and at the same time… i don’t. (laughs) The “i don’t” part, is merely from how she can sometimes come across as self-righteous in her inner monologues. Her stance on certain things can also get a bit preachy. But even though I don’t necessarily agree with all of her thoughts and philosophies, I can still appreciate the way she brings up different perspectives on certain topics that are brought up in the game.

Also, I love how Ringo uses so many metaphors to describe each guy during her internal speeches. She calls Eba the black rabbit, Shiki the shapeshifting fox (though I also like “tree-trunk” lol), Masaya the pink fairy, Mitsuki the white demon, Tsuzuri the white snake, and I think she refers to Meiyo as “the sin.”(cackles) 😂😂😂

SYSTEM AND LOCALIZATION

The UI for the game is actually quite plain. There’s just the title page and a section for loading and saving your game. There aren’t any extras or gallery sections like you see in other otome titles, which may be a stylistic choice by the developers.

PROS:

• Heroine’s Name Customization
• SKIP Read Function
• Game Logs
• SAVE/LOAD Function

CONS:

• The game is not fully voiced
• No Rewind Feature
• No Chapter Select
• No Voice Replay Option
• No Dictionary
• No Love Catch System
• No Quick Save/Quick Load
• No CG Gallery
• No Music Gallery (but you can buy the soundtrack of the game via DLSite)
• No Skip to the Next Choice Function
• No Trophies
• No Ending Lists
• There is no way to skip the end credits
• Game bugs
• The audio is sometimes blown out (you need to restart the game to circumvent this)
• Typos and translation issues

Localization

Unfortunately, the localization isn’t very clean. There were lots of typos and spacing issues in every single route. Sometimes the characters’ names get mixed up. Like, at one point, I was certain Ringo called Eba, “Shiki” out of the blue in Eba’s route. There’s also this repeated phrase of “You said you wanna” which seems to be placed whenever a dialogue is blank, uses ellipses, or when a character expresses a gasp: “…!’” **This was so prevalent that it can either break your immersion, or you’d just learn to get used to it, since it was all over the game.

TRAILER

https://youtu.be/4DLlJ0S9lP4

OVERALL THOUGHTS

I think completing this title, as far as unlocking all of its endings, including the alt. ends/epilogues for every character, took me roughly 50 to 60 hours. The game has a total of 25 endings. Each character route includes four main endings and one epilogue. Tsuzuri does not have an epilogue of his own, but he does have an extra ending, which is Ending 00.

Death and Salvation

Club Suicide plunges you into the opposing forces of death and salvation, two themes that sit at opposite ends of the spectrum, and I love how the story weaves this contrast faithfully through each character’s journey. The structure of each route is actually pretty straightforward when you think about it. The game starts by showing each member’s personal reasons for wanting to die, and during their final days, there’s a lot of waffling between their conflicting feelings, motivations, and desires to commit suicide. Much of the tension revolves around one question: will they find the solution they are looking for in death, or will they seek and achieve salvation instead? And I think the game allows it, where the player (through Ringo) can influence how each character finds their answers.

Understanding The Mess That is Being Human

It’s funny, because I actually played this title the same way I would play any other otome game. But I realized I ended up reviewing the routes more like a character analysis instead of my usual gushing, and fangirling. Before I knew it, I was already writing up a storm with my interpretations of each guy’s brooding issues.😂 I guess this is what I ended up enjoying the most about this title. I am in love with how the characters are written and the way the game dissects human complexities slowly before your eyes in the simplest way possible, easy to understand, yet still packs a punch with its profound message. I was able to truly see each character for who they are, and even though I don’t exactly agree with their ideals or life choices, I found myself empathizing with them dearly.

I loved all the routes for different reasons, but the one that stuck with me the most was Meiyo. Surprisingly, he became the dark horse for me in this game. I also loved Masaya’s story, but gosh! His route was the one I related to the most, so it was kind of a struggle to get through it without feeling severely uncomfortable.😭 Romance-wise, I think I enjoyed Shiki’s route the most, as it tipped closest to the conventional romances in otome games.

🖤 LI Ranking: Meiyo > Mitsuki > Shiki > Eba = Masaya >>> Tsuzuri

📝 Route Ranking: Meiyo > Shiki > Eba > Masaya > Mitsuki > Tsuzuri

The game was also kind of mentally taxing for me, so by the time I reached my last route, which is Tsuzuri, I was already mentally checked out, so unfortunately, his route didn’t leave me with the same lasting impression I felt from the other characters (it’s also why he’s last on my ranking). I did find his route to have one of the clearest GxB romance stories (second to Shiki’s), but since I was already *done* with the game, I didn’t feel much for it beyond simply enjoying it for what it is. His VA was my favorite out of all the cast though! (those ED themes were bangers!)

Romance and Personal Nitpicks

But alas, Club Suicide is not without its flaws, and I do have my share of nitpicks for it. For one, the writing can swing from being a breath of fresh air to being waaay too preachy for my taste. Yes, yes, I am very aware that there’s a whole audience that loves this kind of narrative. (Unfortunately, I’m just not one of them).😭 There are too many philosophical takes by the author inserted into every route (mostly in Ringo’s inner monologues, and to some extent Tsuzuri’s). Some I admit are honestly good food for thought, some I can relate to, some challenge my views, and then there are the ones that slip into soapbox moralizing, and those end up rubbing me the wrong way.😅 This is, of course, just my personal bias talking, and even so, while these annoyed me at times, they’re hardly game-breaking, imo.

Mitsuki judging my narrative tastes…

The game can also end on an open-ended note. Not that big of deal really, but I do wish I’d gotten some clear answers on who put up that damn flyer!😂

Also, PLEASE DO pay attention to the game’s disclaimer beforehand. This title can get mentally exhausting with its initial themes of bleakness and despair. Personally, I fall into the category the disclaimer refers to (lol, I’m a tiredass adult who plays games to escape the stresses of life), so there’s only so much *doom and gloom* I can take.😂 That said, I don’t think it’s a good idea to binge this game, as it can certainly burn you out for those reasons. Definitely take breaks when you need to.

And as for the romance… the fact that the game is tagged “anti-romance” by the devs and “anti-otome” by the publishers feels, to me, more like a marketing angle than anything else. To me, the tags simply connotes that the game doesn’t strictly follow the conventional HEA (Happily Ever After) formula in otome endings (e.g. MC & LI officially end up a couple or married to each other). There are no grand gestures of love nor elaborate confessions either, and some relationships remain platonic or friendship-based rather than the clear gf x bf status with physical intimacy.

Only one LI actually really becomes *official* with the heroine, and only one ends up having some type of *skinship* with her. If I were to judge it by the usual terms in romance media, I’d categorize the game more as HFN (Happy For Now). ***In the endings I’ve unlocked that I consider “Happy” (epilogues included), both the MC and LI reach a positive, hopeful outcome, and they’re in a good emotional place together. That said, some routes clearly leave room for interpretation, as if they were intentionally written for players to decide how the relationship might develop in the long run. Whether you choose to put a label on it or not is entirely up to you.

So is the Game Romantic?

While romance is subjective, if we’re going by games like Olympia Soiree or Cupid Parasite as the standard for what counts as “romantic,” in otome games, then no, this game is far from that kind of romance. So, just a heads up to set your expectations accordingly if you’re coming into this game expecting full-blown romance routes.

Btw, just a quick PSA, for those asking whether the game romanticizes death or suicide: no, it absolutely does not. While the premise certainly starts with the characters contemplating ending one’s life, the core of the game actually explores seeking salvation and rediscovering a reason to live. To me, the game is about learning how to reclaim your life, not giving up on it.

Do I recommend this game? YES…but only to those who are currently in a good headspace. Also, please, for the love of everything, be mindful of the TW/CW for this title.
Club Suicide, to me, is a very cathartic game. I love its vivid writing and the way it sunders the fragility of the human mind. The game kind of patently exposes the darker facets of life, the parts people struggle with quietly every day, but it also stands as a beautiful reminder that humans are complex creatures with the free will and capacity to grow and make choices for the better. It’s a title that I think, by fair means or foul, you’ll find moving and, to some extent… uncomfortably relatable, if that makes sense. I think if you can appreciate raw characters written with a lot of heart, you will surely enjoy this game. And even though it might not provide the explicit romance fix that we usually seek in otome games, the guys, their struggles, growth, and entire journey will stay with you long after the game ends.

Also, the game is super cheap btw! 9 bux for this quality is such a steal! Plus, all sales received by MORPATH within one year of release will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society, so definitely buy this game if you can…that would make Masaya-kun happy!🥹

#clubSuicide #clubSuicideReview #dlsite #garumani #morpath #otomeGameReview

Mistonia’s Hope -The Lost Delight- Review (Nintendo Switch)

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://otomekitten.com/2025/11/05/mistonias-hope-the-lost-delight-review-nintendo-switch/