As part of my series of posts on AXL, today I finished replaying Like a Butler, one of AXL's earlier charage-type VNs.  This VN is of a type that hadn't really been touched until AXL opened it up... the ojousama-ge.  Just to give you a little history, until the release of Haruka ni Aogi, Uruwashi no in 2006, there hadn't been any really good or famous ojousama-ge made.  It was only after 2010 when the sub-genre exploded outward into the ridiculous numbers we've seen since (with Ensemble alone producing fifteen in the last eight years, if you include fandiscs). 

I'll be straight about it... ojousama-ge are the type of charage I'm most likely to like besides fantasy type charage.  I have a definite positive bias toward this type of game, so if I don't like an ojousama-ge, it really is crap, lol.

Anyway, Like a Butler starts with the usual ridiculous premise upon which about 80% of all of this type of VN are based off of... the protagonist transferring to an academy for rich people (usually for some kind of absurd reason).  In this case, his osananajimi Kanade (who is a pure-hearted, dog-like, extremely friendly girl with an absolute trust in the protagonist that is a bit extreme) gets chosen as a scholarship student for an academy for the children of the ultra-rich (think hundreds of millions of dollars).  Kanade begs Kazuki, the protagonist, to serve as her butler at the school, so she won't be alone amidst a bunch of unfamiliar people.  He, being weak to her requests, eventually gives in.

A lot of the earlier parts of the VN are as much about culture shock as anything else (it's mutual, needless to say).  Kanade, being Kanade, manages to burrow her way into the hearts of her fellow students relatively easily, and Kazuki, as her butler, begins to accustom himself as well. 

Some notes about AXL's style with this type of game... unlike more modern ojousama-ge, which tend to avoid snobbish heroines and main characters, AXL doesn't hesitate including the characters' prejudices and cultural blind spots (again, it is mutual), so expect some friction between the characters as a result.  This is especially so for Sarasa and the protagonist, as Sarasa is the epitome of the 'super-rich girl who believes in her own fundamental superiority' and Kazuki has a fundamental dislike for being looked down upon.

One of the best parts about this VN, other than the usual AXL antics, excellent storytelling, and wonderful character development, is the way they did the heroine paths.  Rather than being a straight road to a set ending, each of the heroines (save for Kiriko, the extra heroine) has a three endings... one good, one bad, and one extra good.  The first good ending is an abbreviated version where the protagonist's final situation is something of a result of 'going with the flow' of the relationship.  These endings resemble the standard charage ending, save for the fact that they have 'years later' epilogues.  The second good ending is always the best... in both the path itself and the epilogue, you see the results of the protagonist seeking to better himself and his environment, as well as confronting the obstacles in his way to form a better and more permanent relationship with the heroines.  To be blunt, I cried with joy at Sarasa's and Mizuho's second good endings, and with good reason.  The trials and tribulations, as well as the wonderfully designed epilogues made it feel like the protagonist had actually grown far beyond his beginnings in each case... and the heroines were generally much happier.

Overall, for those who like this type of charage, this is a must-play.  The only downside from some people's point of view is that the visuals are typical AXL, meaning that they've looked pretty much the same for the past ten years, lol.  (go to hell, art bigots)