Ranzo

(Have you ever had it blue?)
The Setup
Growing up I never did much with my summers. Other than the requisite family trips I spent most of my summers indoors engaged in watching TV or playing video games. I had no real desire to ever go to summer camp or anything like that. That might have been to my detriment now that I think about it. I could have had a wonderful time and forged some lasting relationships or some shit like that. Of course, if you want to go by horror movie logic I spared myself from being cut down by some ax wielding maniac, or subjected to some R.L. Stine twist. Thinking about it realistically, I probably just spared myself a few pen pals I would never write to, and the usual bug bites and poison ivy misadventures. I'll just pack that in the things that I regret not doing when I was young like playing the guitar, taking theater, and learning ventriloquism. For Osanai Shouko, it is doubtless that her summer camp trip will change her life forever, if she can survive it that is.

(Welcome to Camp Nightmare)
The Story
It's summertime and for second year Osanai or (Osa as she is normally called) that means it is time for the annual summer training camp with the rest of the Seijou Girls’ Academy Kendo Club. The location for the training camp is Shoushinji, a Buddhist Monastery that is famous for the island that is across from it Urashima. According to the lengthy prologue that is delivered to you in the beginning, Urashima was the location of a fabled battle with demons several hundred years ago. Being the dependable kendo club captain she is Osa is more concerned about the itinerary of the trip and how well the rest of the team performs than some old legend. Despite that, something about the monastery seems awfully familiar to her. It feels like has been there before somehow even though she is sure that this is her first time. Something relating to an event that occurred eight years ago, a event that she can barley recall. What does it all mean? The story in Aoishiro has competent mystery that is interesting enough that it held my attention throughout and kept me wanting to play. What Aoishiro can truly take pride in is a smorgasbord of intriguing and diverse characters that you encounter over the course of the story.
The Characters

(Get ready to be familiar with this scene because these girls love to eat. )
This is truly Aoishiro's main selling point and it's something the Visual Novel truly excels in. Most notably one of the best characters happens to be the protagonist herself Osanai Shouko. She is a very dependable and grounded character and even though she is just human she can still hold her own when the proverbial shit hits the fan. It's very rare to find a truly great protagonist in a Visual Novel so I was quite delighted to find that in Osa. The rest of the cast are all extremely well developed as well and really add to the legend, and the story. They are all drawn to the monastery at the same time and at the same place because a storm is approaching, and a secret ritual is about to begin at Urashima. Some of these characters include,
Aizawa Yasumi: She is the manager of the kendo club and a very determined girl even though she doesn't have much stamina and gets weak pretty easily. I was a little bit leery of her initially as she reminded me of a certain dango obsessive character but she turned out to have quite a few surprises up her sleeve.
Kyan Migiwa: She is a strange girl that you meet in the beginning of the game at Shoushinji. She is not apart of the kendo club though she is the same age as Osa. Migiwa is initially very secretive about what she is doing at the temple, and why she insists on keeping watch over the forbidden stepping stones that are the only path to the island. She is very carefree and loves to tease and is consequently one of my favorite characters.
Nami: She is another mystery girl that literally washes up at the beach one night. She does not seem able to speak and her memory is gone as well. What a winning combination. She is strangely well adjusted despite that ludicrous setback. 
Kohaku: The mystery girls keep appearing one after another! She is a small odd woman dressed in a very old outfit with one eye perpetually closed. Hm, I wonder what that could mean?
Secret Character: This very characters existence is a mystery!
Each of the main characters drastically change how the the story plays out and they give a very different insight into the events. Like many visual novels before it you have to play in a certain way to unlock all the heroines and the final grand route. Since they are all pretty great it was not much of a hassle. The grand route by itself is definitely worth unlocking since it is the route where Osa get's to truly shine. On top of that Aioshiro boasts a large cast of side characters which is a quite unusual but not unwelcome addition. They are,
Akita Momoko: An intensely energetic girl that is also a ravenous carnivore.
Sakurai Ayashiro: The Vice President of the kendo club and a very dignified lady from a rich family.
Aoi Hanako: The teacher and advisor to the club, she is a exposition monster and enjoys the odd drink.
And finally, Suzuki Yuukai the chief priest at Shoushinji and another of the exposition monsters. He is a big beer and kendo enthusiast.

(I don't know man moments like these just happen)
My Two Cents
I truly enjoyed my time with Aoishiro even though my first few moments were agonizingly slow thanks to a bug. After I figured out the cause my experience greatly improved. That is not to say that my whole time with it was amazing. I was reminded a lot by Fate/Stay Night while I was playing both in a positive way and a negative way. On the positive side the production quality is through the roof. From the highly detailed visuals to the great voice acting and the wonderful soundtrack. This is coming from someone who almost always plays my own music while I play so you know the music has to be great. On the negative side there are quite a few characters who seem to take a sadistic pleasure in barraging you with copious amounts of info dumps on the lore and legends of the area. There is a supposedly handy in game dictionary but unfortunately that part of Aoishiro was untranslated. The amount of names and events eventually fused together in a impenetrable mush. I was not sure half the time what was traditional folklore and what was the in-game lore. I was able to get a handle on it eventually but it led to some tedium. Speaking of tedium there are numerous times where we are treated to lengthy feasting scenes. They all but grind the story to a halt though they do provide some nice character interaction. Thankfully after the first route is complete it is possible to skip through a lot of these scenes. Those were really my only real gripes with the game. Also like Fate there are also a lot of bad ends that you could unwittingly end up in if you aren't careful. It's more of a Shoujo Ai than a pure yuri game though there are quite a few suggestive moments. Aoishiro turned out to be very spectacular especially in the grand route that you unlock in the game. The strength of the protagonist and the rest of the cast, the visuals, the story and finally the music all come together in a cohesive whole. I really liked it is what I'm trying to say.
 

(Have you ever had it blue?)
The Setup
Growing up I never did much with my summers. Other than the requisite family trips I spent most of my summers indoors engaged in watching TV or playing video games. I had no real desire to ever go to summer camp or anything like that. That might have been to my detriment now that I think about it. I could have had a wonderful time and forged some lasting relationships or some shit like that. Of course, if you want to go by horror movie logic I spared myself from being cut down by some ax wielding maniac, or subjected to some R.L. Stine twist. Thinking about it realistically, I probably just spared myself a few pen pals I would never write to, and the usual bug bites and poison ivy misadventures. I'll just pack that in the things that I regret not doing when I was young like playing the guitar, taking theater, and learning ventriloquism. For Osanai Shouko, it is doubtless that her summer camp trip will change her life forever, if she can survive it that is.

(Welcome to Camp Nightmare)
The Story
It's summertime and for second year Osanai or (Osa as she is normally called) that means it is time for the annual summer training camp with the rest of the Seijou Girls’ Academy Kendo Club. The location for the training camp is Shoushinji, a Buddhist Monastery that is famous for the island that is across from it Urashima. According to the lengthy prologue that is delivered to you in the beginning, Urashima was the location of a fabled battle with demons several hundred years ago. Being the dependable kendo club captain she is Osa is more concerned about the itinerary of the trip and how well the rest of the team performs than some old legend. Despite that, something about the monastery seems awfully familiar to her. It feels like has been there before somehow even though she is sure that this is her first time. Something relating to an event that occurred eight years ago, a event that she can barley recall. What does it all mean? The story in Aoishiro has competent mystery that is interesting enough that it held my attention throughout and kept me wanting to play. What Aoishiro can truly take pride in is a smorgasbord of intriguing and diverse characters that you encounter over the course of the story.
The Characters

(Get ready to be familiar with this scene because these girls love to eat. )
This is truly Aoishiro's main selling point and it's something the Visual Novel truly excels in. Most notably one of the best characters happens to be the protagonist herself Osanai Shouko. She is a very dependable and grounded character and even though she is just human she can still hold her own when the proverbial shit hits the fan. It's very rare to find a truly great protagonist in a Visual Novel so I was quite delighted to find that in Osa. The rest of the cast are all extremely well developed as well and really add to the legend, and the story. They are all drawn to the monastery at the same time and at the same place because a storm is approaching, and a secret ritual is about to begin at Urashima. Some of these characters include,
Aizawa Yasumi: She is the manager of the kendo club and a very determined girl even though she doesn't have much stamina and gets weak pretty easily. I was a little bit leery of her initially as she reminded me of a certain dango obsessive character but she turned out to have quite a few surprises up her sleeve.
Kyan Migiwa: She is a strange girl that you meet in the beginning of the game at Shoushinji. She is not apart of the kendo club though she is the same age as Osa. Migiwa is initially very secretive about what she is doing at the temple, and why she insists on keeping watch over the forbidden stepping stones that are the only path to the island. She is very carefree and loves to tease and is consequently one of my favorite characters.
Nami: She is another mystery girl that literally washes up at the beach one night. She does not seem able to speak and her memory is gone as well. What a winning combination. She is strangely well adjusted despite that ludicrous setback. 
Kohaku: The mystery girls keep appearing one after another! She is a small odd woman dressed in a very old outfit with one eye perpetually closed. Hm, I wonder what that could mean?
Secret Character: This very characters existence is a mystery!
Each of the main characters drastically change how the the story plays out and they give a very different insight into the events. Like many visual novels before it you have to play in a certain way to unlock all the heroines and the final grand route. Since they are all pretty great it was not much of a hassle. The grand route by itself is definitely worth unlocking since it is the route where Osa get's to truly shine. On top of that Aioshiro boasts a large cast of side characters which is a quite unusual but not unwelcome addition. They are,
Akita Momoko: An intensely energetic girl that is also a ravenous carnivore.
Sakurai Ayashiro: The Vice President of the kendo club and a very dignified lady from a rich family.
Aoi Hanako: The teacher and advisor to the club, she is a exposition monster and enjoys the odd drink.
And finally, Suzuki Yuukai the chief priest at Shoushinji and another of the exposition monsters. He is a big beer and kendo enthusiast.

(I don't know man moments like these just happen)
My Two Cents
I truly enjoyed my time with Aoishiro even though my first few moments were agonizingly slow thanks to a bug. After I figured out the cause my experience greatly improved. That is not to say that my whole time with it was amazing. I was reminded a lot by Fate/Stay Night while I was playing both in a positive way and a negative way. On the positive side the production quality is through the roof. From the highly detailed visuals to the great voice acting and the wonderful soundtrack. This is coming from someone who almost always plays my own music while I play so you know the music has to be great. On the negative side there are quite a few characters who seem to take a sadistic pleasure in barraging you with copious amounts of info dumps on the lore and legends of the area. There is a supposedly handy in game dictionary but unfortunately that part of Aoishiro was untranslated. The amount of names and events eventually fused together in a impenetrable mush. I was not sure half the time what was traditional folklore and what was the in-game lore. I was able to get a handle on it eventually but it led to some tedium. Speaking of tedium there are numerous times where we are treated to lengthy feasting scenes. They all but grind the story to a halt though they do provide some nice character interaction. Thankfully after the first route is complete it is possible to skip through a lot of these scenes. Those were really my only real gripes with the game. Also like Fate there are also a lot of bad ends that you could unwittingly end up in if you aren't careful. It's more of a Shoujo Ai than a pure yuri game though there are quite a few suggestive moments. Aoishiro turned out to be very spectacular especially in the grand route that you unlock in the game. The strength of the protagonist and the rest of the cast, the visuals, the story and finally the music all come together in a cohesive whole. I really liked it is what I'm trying to say.
 

(Have you ever had it blue?)
The Setup
Growing up I never did much with my summers. Other than the requisite family trips I spent most of my summers indoors engaged in watching TV or playing video games. I had no real desire to ever go to summer camp or anything like that. That might have been to my detriment now that I think about it. I could have had a wonderful time and forged some lasting relationships or some shit like that. Of course, if you want to go by horror movie logic I spared myself from being cut down by some ax wielding maniac, or subjected to some R.L. Stine twist. Thinking about it realistically, I probably just spared myself a few pen pals I would never write to, and the usual bug bites and poison ivy misadventures. I'll just pack that in the things that I regret not doing when I was young like playing the guitar, taking theater, and learning ventriloquism. For Osanai Shouko, it is doubtless that her summer camp trip will change her life forever, if she can survive it that is.

(Welcome to Camp Nightmare)
The Story
It's summertime and for second year Osanai or (Osa as she is normally called) that means it is time for the annual summer training camp with the rest of the Seijou Girls’ Academy Kendo Club. The location for the training camp is Shoushinji, a Buddhist Monastery that is famous for the island that is across from it Urashima. According to the lengthy prologue that is delivered to you in the beginning, Urashima was the location of a fabled battle with demons several hundred years ago. Being the dependable kendo club captain she is Osa is more concerned about the itinerary of the trip and how well the rest of the team performs than some old legend. Despite that, something about the monastery seems awfully familiar to her. It feels like has been there before somehow even though she is sure that this is her first time. Something relating to an event that occurred eight years ago, a event that she can barley recall. What does it all mean? The story in Aoishiro has competent mystery that is interesting enough that it held my attention throughout and kept me wanting to play. What Aoishiro can truly take pride in is a smorgasbord of intriguing and diverse characters that you encounter over the course of the story.
The Characters

(Get ready to be familiar with this scene because these girls love to eat. )
This is truly Aoishiro's main selling point and it's something the Visual Novel truly excels in. Most notably one of the best characters happens to be the protagonist herself Osanai Shouko. She is a very dependable and grounded character and even though she is just human she can still hold her own when the proverbial shit hits the fan. It's very rare to find a truly great protagonist in a Visual Novel so I was quite delighted to find that in Osa. The rest of the cast are all extremely well developed as well and really add to the legend, and the story. They are all drawn to the monastery at the same time and at the same place because a storm is approaching, and a secret ritual is about to begin at Urashima. Some of these characters include,
Aizawa Yasumi: She is the manager of the kendo club and a very determined girl even though she doesn't have much stamina and gets weak pretty easily. I was a little bit leery of her initially as she reminded me of a certain dango obsessive character but she turned out to have quite a few surprises up her sleeve.
Kyan Migiwa: She is a strange girl that you meet in the beginning of the game at Shoushinji. She is not apart of the kendo club though she is the same age as Osa. Migiwa is initially very secretive about what she is doing at the temple, and why she insists on keeping watch over the forbidden stepping stones that are the only path to the island. She is very carefree and loves to tease and is consequently one of my favorite characters.
Nami: She is another mystery girl that literally washes up at the beach one night. She does not seem able to speak and her memory is gone as well. What a winning combination. She is strangely well adjusted despite that ludicrous setback. 
Kohaku: The mystery girls keep appearing one after another! She is a small odd woman dressed in a very old outfit with one eye perpetually closed. Hm, I wonder what that could mean?
Secret Character: This very characters existence is a mystery!
Each of the main characters drastically change how the the story plays out and they give a very different insight into the events. Like many visual novels before it you have to play in a certain way to unlock all the heroines and the final grand route. Since they are all pretty great it was not much of a hassle. The grand route by itself is definitely worth unlocking since it is the route where Osa get's to truly shine. On top of that Aioshiro boasts a large cast of side characters which is a quite unusual but not unwelcome addition. They are,
Akita Momoko: An intensely energetic girl that is also a ravenous carnivore.
Sakurai Ayashiro: The Vice President of the kendo club and a very dignified lady from a rich family.
Aoi Hanako: The teacher and advisor to the club, she is a exposition monster and enjoys the odd drink.
And finally, Suzuki Yuukai the chief priest at Shoushinji and another of the exposition monsters. He is a big beer and kendo enthusiast.

(I don't know man moments like these just happen)
My Two Cents
I truly enjoyed my time with Aoishiro even though my first few moments were agonizingly slow thanks to a bug. After I figured out the cause my experience greatly improved. That is not to say that my whole time with it was amazing. I was reminded a lot by Fate/Stay Night while I was playing both in a positive way and a negative way. On the positive side the production quality is through the roof. From the highly detailed visuals to the great voice acting and the wonderful soundtrack. This is coming from someone who almost always plays my own music while I play so you know the music has to be great. On the negative side there are quite a few characters who seem to take a sadistic pleasure in barraging you with copious amounts of info dumps on the lore and legends of the area. There is a supposedly handy in game dictionary but unfortunately that part of Aoishiro was untranslated. The amount of names and events eventually fused together in a impenetrable mush. I was not sure half the time what was traditional folklore and what was the in-game lore. I was able to get a handle on it eventually but it led to some tedium. Speaking of tedium there are numerous times where we are treated to lengthy feasting scenes. They all but grind the story to a halt though they do provide some nice character interaction. Thankfully after the first route is complete it is possible to skip through a lot of these scenes. Those were really my only real gripes with the game. Also like Fate there are also a lot of bad ends that you could unwittingly end up in if you aren't careful. It's more of a Shoujo Ai than a pure yuri game though there are quite a few suggestive moments. Aoishiro turned out to be very spectacular especially in the grand route that you unlock in the game. The strength of the protagonist and the rest of the cast, the visuals, the story and finally the music all come together in a cohesive whole. I really liked it is what I'm trying to say.
 

(Have you ever had it blue?)
The Setup
Growing up I never did much with my summers. Other than the requisite family trips I spent most of my summers indoors engaged in watching TV or playing video games. I had no real desire to ever go to summer camp or anything like that. That might have been to my detriment now that I think about it. I could have had a wonderful time and forged some lasting relationships or some shit like that. Of course, if you want to go by horror movie logic I spared myself from being cut down by some ax wielding maniac, or subjected to some R.L. Stine twist. Thinking about it realistically, I probably just spared myself a few pen pals I would never write to, and the usual bug bites and poison ivy misadventures. I'll just pack that in the things that I regret not doing when I was young like playing the guitar, taking theater, and learning ventriloquism. For Osanai Shouko, it is doubtless that her summer camp trip will change her life forever, if she can survive it that is.

(Welcome to Camp Nightmare)
The Story
It's summertime and for second year Osanai or (Osa as she is normally called) that means it is time for the annual summer training camp with the rest of the Seijou Girls’ Academy Kendo Club. The location for the training camp is Shoushinji, a Buddhist Monastery that is famous for the island that is across from it Urashima. According to the lengthy prologue that is delivered to you in the beginning, Urashima was the location of a fabled battle with demons several hundred years ago. Being the dependable kendo club captain she is Osa is more concerned about the itinerary of the trip and how well the rest of the team performs than some old legend. Despite that, something about the monastery seems awfully familiar to her. It feels like has been there before somehow even though she is sure that this is her first time. Something relating to an event that occurred eight years ago, a event that she can barley recall. What does it all mean? The story in Aoishiro has competent mystery that is interesting enough that it held my attention throughout and kept me wanting to play. What Aoishiro can truly take pride in is a smorgasbord of intriguing and diverse characters that you encounter over the course of the story.
The Characters

(Get ready to be familiar with this scene because these girls love to eat. )
This is truly Aoishiro's main selling point and it's something the Visual Novel truly excels in. Most notably one of the best characters happens to be the protagonist herself Osanai Shouko. She is a very dependable and grounded character and even though she is just human she can still hold her own when the proverbial shit hits the fan. It's very rare to find a truly great protagonist in a Visual Novel so I was quite delighted to find that in Osa. The rest of the cast are all extremely well developed as well and really add to the legend, and the story. They are all drawn to the monastery at the same time and at the same place because a storm is approaching, and a secret ritual is about to begin at Urashima. Some of these characters include,
Aizawa Yasumi: She is the manager of the kendo club and a very determined girl even though she doesn't have much stamina and gets weak pretty easily. I was a little bit leery of her initially as she reminded me of a certain dango obsessive character but she turned out to have quite a few surprises up her sleeve.
Kyan Migiwa: She is a strange girl that you meet in the beginning of the game at Shoushinji. She is not apart of the kendo club though she is the same age as Osa. Migiwa is initially very secretive about what she is doing at the temple, and why she insists on keeping watch over the forbidden stepping stones that are the only path to the island. She is very carefree and loves to tease and is consequently one of my favorite characters.
Nami: She is another mystery girl that literally washes up at the beach one night. She does not seem able to speak and her memory is gone as well. What a winning combination. She is strangely well adjusted despite that ludicrous setback. 
Kohaku: The mystery girls keep appearing one after another! She is a small odd woman dressed in a very old outfit with one eye perpetually closed. Hm, I wonder what that could mean?
Secret Character: This very characters existence is a mystery!
Each of the main characters drastically change how the the story plays out and they give a very different insight into the events. Like many visual novels before it you have to play in a certain way to unlock all the heroines and the final grand route. Since they are all pretty great it was not much of a hassle. The grand route by itself is definitely worth unlocking since it is the route where Osa get's to truly shine. On top of that Aioshiro boasts a large cast of side characters which is a quite unusual but not unwelcome addition. They are,
Akita Momoko: An intensely energetic girl that is also a ravenous carnivore.
Sakurai Ayashiro: The Vice President of the kendo club and a very dignified lady from a rich family.
Aoi Hanako: The teacher and advisor to the club, she is a exposition monster and enjoys the odd drink.
And finally, Suzuki Yuukai the chief priest at Shoushinji and another of the exposition monsters. He is a big beer and kendo enthusiast.

(I don't know man moments like these just happen)
My Two Cents
I truly enjoyed my time with Aoishiro even though my first few moments were agonizingly slow thanks to a bug. After I figured out the cause my experience greatly improved. That is not to say that my whole time with it was amazing. I was reminded a lot by Fate/Stay Night while I was playing both in a positive way and a negative way. On the positive side the production quality is through the roof. From the highly detailed visuals to the great voice acting and the wonderful soundtrack. This is coming from someone who almost always plays my own music while I play so you know the music has to be great. On the negative side there are quite a few characters who seem to take a sadistic pleasure in barraging you with copious amounts of info dumps on the lore and legends of the area. There is a supposedly handy in game dictionary but unfortunately that part of Aoishiro was untranslated. The amount of names and events eventually fused together in a impenetrable mush. I was not sure half the time what was traditional folklore and what was the in-game lore. I was able to get a handle on it eventually but it led to some tedium. Speaking of tedium there are numerous times where we are treated to lengthy feasting scenes. They all but grind the story to a halt though they do provide some nice character interaction. Thankfully after the first route is complete it is possible to skip through a lot of these scenes. Those were really my only real gripes with the game. Also like Fate there are also a lot of bad ends that you could unwittingly end up in if you aren't careful. It's more of a Shoujo Ai than a pure yuri game though there are quite a few suggestive moments. Aoishiro turned out to be very spectacular especially in the grand route that you unlock in the game. The strength of the protagonist and the rest of the cast, the visuals, the story and finally the music all come together in a cohesive whole. I really liked it is what I'm trying to say.
 

(Have you ever had it blue?)
The Setup
Growing up I never did much with my summers. Other than the requisite family trips I spent most of my summers indoors engaged in watching TV or playing video games. I had no real desire to ever go to summer camp or anything like that. That might have been to my detriment now that I think about it. I could have had a wonderful time and forged some lasting relationships or some shit like that. Of course, if you want to go by horror movie logic I spared myself from being cut down by some ax wielding maniac, or subjected to some R.L. Stine twist. Thinking about it realistically, I probably just spared myself a few pen pals I would never write to, and the usual bug bites and poison ivy misadventures. I'll just pack that in the things that I regret not doing when I was young like playing the guitar, taking theater, and learning ventriloquism. For Osanai Shouko, it is doubtless that her summer camp trip will change her life forever, if she can survive it that is.

(Welcome to Camp Nightmare)
The Story
It's summertime and for second year Osanai or (Osa as she is normally called) that means it is time for the annual summer training camp with the rest of the Seijou Girls’ Academy Kendo Club. The location for the training camp is Shoushinji, a Buddhist Monastery that is famous for the island that is across from it Urashima. According to the lengthy prologue that is delivered to you in the beginning, Urashima was the location of a fabled battle with demons several hundred years ago. Being the dependable kendo club captain she is Osa is more concerned about the itinerary of the trip and how well the rest of the team performs than some old legend. Despite that, something about the monastery seems awfully familiar to her. It feels like has been there before somehow even though she is sure that this is her first time. Something relating to an event that occurred eight years ago, a event that she can barley recall. What does it all mean? The story in Aoishiro has competent mystery that is interesting enough that it held my attention throughout and kept me wanting to play. What Aoishiro can truly take pride in is a smorgasbord of intriguing and diverse characters that you encounter over the course of the story.
The Characters

(Get ready to be familiar with this scene because these girls love to eat. )
This is truly Aoishiro's main selling point and it's something the Visual Novel truly excels in. Most notably one of the best characters happens to be the protagonist herself Osanai Shouko. She is a very dependable and grounded character and even though she is just human she can still hold her own when the proverbial shit hits the fan. It's very rare to find a truly great protagonist in a Visual Novel so I was quite delighted to find that in Osa. The rest of the cast are all extremely well developed as well and really add to the legend, and the story. They are all drawn to the monastery at the same time and at the same place because a storm is approaching, and a secret ritual is about to begin at Urashima. Some of these characters include,
Aizawa Yasumi: She is the manager of the kendo club and a very determined girl even though she doesn't have much stamina and gets weak pretty easily. I was a little bit leery of her initially as she reminded me of a certain dango obsessive character but she turned out to have quite a few surprises up her sleeve.
Kyan Migiwa: She is a strange girl that you meet in the beginning of the game at Shoushinji. She is not apart of the kendo club though she is the same age as Osa. Migiwa is initially very secretive about what she is doing at the temple, and why she insists on keeping watch over the forbidden stepping stones that are the only path to the island. She is very carefree and loves to tease and is consequently one of my favorite characters.
Nami: She is another mystery girl that literally washes up at the beach one night. She does not seem able to speak and her memory is gone as well. What a winning combination. She is strangely well adjusted despite that ludicrous setback. 
Kohaku: The mystery girls keep appearing one after another! She is a small odd woman dressed in a very old outfit with one eye perpetually closed. Hm, I wonder what that could mean?
Secret Character: This very characters existence is a mystery!
Each of the main characters drastically change how the the story plays out and they give a very different insight into the events. Like many visual novels before it you have to play in a certain way to unlock all the heroines and the final grand route. Since they are all pretty great it was not much of a hassle. The grand route by itself is definitely worth unlocking since it is the route where Osa get's to truly shine. On top of that Aioshiro boasts a large cast of side characters which is a quite unusual but not unwelcome addition. They are,
Akita Momoko: An intensely energetic girl that is also a ravenous carnivore.
Sakurai Ayashiro: The Vice President of the kendo club and a very dignified lady from a rich family.
Aoi Hanako: The teacher and advisor to the club, she is a exposition monster and enjoys the odd drink.
And finally, Suzuki Yuukai the chief priest at Shoushinji and another of the exposition monsters. He is a big beer and kendo enthusiast.

(I don't know man moments like these just happen)
My Two Cents
I truly enjoyed my time with Aoishiro even though my first few moments were agonizingly slow thanks to a bug. After I figured out the cause my experience greatly improved. That is not to say that my whole time with it was amazing. I was reminded a lot by Fate/Stay Night while I was playing both in a positive way and a negative way. On the positive side the production quality is through the roof. From the highly detailed visuals to the great voice acting and the wonderful soundtrack. This is coming from someone who almost always plays my own music while I play so you know the music has to be great. On the negative side there are quite a few characters who seem to take a sadistic pleasure in barraging you with copious amounts of info dumps on the lore and legends of the area. There is a supposedly handy in game dictionary but unfortunately that part of Aoishiro was untranslated. The amount of names and events eventually fused together in a impenetrable mush. I was not sure half the time what was traditional folklore and what was the in-game lore. I was able to get a handle on it eventually but it led to some tedium. Speaking of tedium there are numerous times where we are treated to lengthy feasting scenes. They all but grind the story to a halt though they do provide some nice character interaction. Thankfully after the first route is complete it is possible to skip through a lot of these scenes. Those were really my only real gripes with the game. Also like Fate there are also a lot of bad ends that you could unwittingly end up in if you aren't careful. It's more of a Shoujo Ai than a pure yuri game though there are quite a few suggestive moments. Aoishiro turned out to be very spectacular especially in the grand route that you unlock in the game. The strength of the protagonist and the rest of the cast, the visuals, the story and finally the music all come together in a cohesive whole. I really liked it is what I'm trying to say.
 

(Have you ever had it blue?)
The Setup
Growing up I never did much with my summers. Other than the requisite family trips I spent most of my summers indoors engaged in watching TV or playing video games. I had no real desire to ever go to summer camp or anything like that. That might have been to my detriment now that I think about it. I could have had a wonderful time and forged some lasting relationships or some shit like that. Of course, if you want to go by horror movie logic I spared myself from being cut down by some ax wielding maniac, or subjected to some R.L. Stine twist. Thinking about it realistically, I probably just spared myself a few pen pals I would never write to, and the usual bug bites and poison ivy misadventures. I'll just pack that in the things that I regret not doing when I was young like playing the guitar, taking theater, and learning ventriloquism. For Osanai Shouko, it is doubtless that her summer camp trip will change her life forever, if she can survive it that is.

(Welcome to Camp Nightmare)
The Story
It's summertime and for second year Osanai or (Osa as she is normally called) that means it is time for the annual summer training camp with the rest of the Seijou Girls’ Academy Kendo Club. The location for the training camp is Shoushinji, a Buddhist Monastery that is famous for the island that is across from it Urashima. According to the lengthy prologue that is delivered to you in the beginning, Urashima was the location of a fabled battle with demons several hundred years ago. Being the dependable kendo club captain she is Osa is more concerned about the itinerary of the trip and how well the rest of the team performs than some old legend. Despite that, something about the monastery seems awfully familiar to her. It feels like has been there before somehow even though she is sure that this is her first time. Something relating to an event that occurred eight years ago, a event that she can barley recall. What does it all mean? The story in Aoishiro has competent mystery that is interesting enough that it held my attention throughout and kept me wanting to play. What Aoishiro can truly take pride in is a smorgasbord of intriguing and diverse characters that you encounter over the course of the story.
The Characters

(Get ready to be familiar with this scene because these girls love to eat. )
This is truly Aoishiro's main selling point and it's something the Visual Novel truly excels in. Most notably one of the best characters happens to be the protagonist herself Osanai Shouko. She is a very dependable and grounded character and even though she is just human she can still hold her own when the proverbial shit hits the fan. It's very rare to find a truly great protagonist in a Visual Novel so I was quite delighted to find that in Osa. The rest of the cast are all extremely well developed as well and really add to the legend, and the story. They are all drawn to the monastery at the same time and at the same place because a storm is approaching, and a secret ritual is about to begin at Urashima. Some of these characters include,
Aizawa Yasumi: She is the manager of the kendo club and a very determined girl even though she doesn't have much stamina and gets weak pretty easily. I was a little bit leery of her initially as she reminded me of a certain dango obsessive character but she turned out to have quite a few surprises up her sleeve.
Kyan Migiwa: She is a strange girl that you meet in the beginning of the game at Shoushinji. She is not apart of the kendo club though she is the same age as Osa. Migiwa is initially very secretive about what she is doing at the temple, and why she insists on keeping watch over the forbidden stepping stones that are the only path to the island. She is very carefree and loves to tease and is consequently one of my favorite characters.
Nami: She is another mystery girl that literally washes up at the beach one night. She does not seem able to speak and her memory is gone as well. What a winning combination. She is strangely well adjusted despite that ludicrous setback. 
Kohaku: The mystery girls keep appearing one after another! She is a small odd woman dressed in a very old outfit with one eye perpetually closed. Hm, I wonder what that could mean?
Secret Character: This very characters existence is a mystery!
Each of the main characters drastically change how the the story plays out and they give a very different insight into the events. Like many visual novels before it you have to play in a certain way to unlock all the heroines and the final grand route. Since they are all pretty great it was not much of a hassle. The grand route by itself is definitely worth unlocking since it is the route where Osa get's to truly shine. On top of that Aioshiro boasts a large cast of side characters which is a quite unusual but not unwelcome addition. They are,
Akita Momoko: An intensely energetic girl that is also a ravenous carnivore.
Sakurai Ayashiro: The Vice President of the kendo club and a very dignified lady from a rich family.
Aoi Hanako: The teacher and advisor to the club, she is a exposition monster and enjoys the odd drink.
And finally, Suzuki Yuukai the chief priest at Shoushinji and another of the exposition monsters. He is a big beer and kendo enthusiast.

(I don't know man moments like these just happen)
My Two Cents
I truly enjoyed my time with Aoishiro even though my first few moments were agonizingly slow thanks to a bug. After I figured out the cause my experience greatly improved. That is not to say that my whole time with it was amazing. I was reminded a lot by Fate/Stay Night while I was playing both in a positive way and a negative way. On the positive side the production quality is through the roof. From the highly detailed visuals to the great voice acting and the wonderful soundtrack. This is coming from someone who almost always plays my own music while I play so you know the music has to be great. On the negative side there are quite a few characters who seem to take a sadistic pleasure in barraging you with copious amounts of info dumps on the lore and legends of the area. There is a supposedly handy in game dictionary but unfortunately that part of Aoishiro was untranslated. The amount of names and events eventually fused together in a impenetrable mush. I was not sure half the time what was traditional folklore and what was the in-game lore. I was able to get a handle on it eventually but it led to some tedium. Speaking of tedium there are numerous times where we are treated to lengthy feasting scenes. They all but grind the story to a halt though they do provide some nice character interaction. Thankfully after the first route is complete it is possible to skip through a lot of these scenes. Those were really my only real gripes with the game. Also like Fate there are also a lot of bad ends that you could unwittingly end up in if you aren't careful. It's more of a Shoujo Ai than a pure yuri game though there are quite a few suggestive moments. Aoishiro turned out to be very spectacular especially in the grand route that you unlock in the game. The strength of the protagonist and the rest of the cast, the visuals, the story and finally the music all come together in a cohesive whole. I really liked it is what I'm trying to say.
 

(Have you ever had it blue?)
The Setup
Growing up I never did much with my summers. Other than the requisite family trips I spent most of my summers indoors engaged in watching TV or playing video games. I had no real desire to ever go to summer camp or anything like that. That might have been to my detriment now that I think about it. I could have had a wonderful time and forged some lasting relationships or some shit like that. Of course, if you want to go by horror movie logic I spared myself from being cut down by some ax wielding maniac, or subjected to some R.L. Stine twist. Thinking about it realistically, I probably just spared myself a few pen pals I would never write to, and the usual bug bites and poison ivy misadventures. I'll just pack that in the things that I regret not doing when I was young like playing the guitar, taking theater, and learning ventriloquism. For Osanai Shouko, it is doubtless that her summer camp trip will change her life forever, if she can survive it that is.

(Welcome to Camp Nightmare)
The Story
It's summertime and for second year Osanai or (Osa as she is normally called) that means it is time for the annual summer training camp with the rest of the Seijou Girls’ Academy Kendo Club. The location for the training camp is Shoushinji, a Buddhist Monastery that is famous for the island that is across from it Urashima. According to the lengthy prologue that is delivered to you in the beginning, Urashima was the location of a fabled battle with demons several hundred years ago. Being the dependable kendo club captain she is Osa is more concerned about the itinerary of the trip and how well the rest of the team performs than some old legend. Despite that, something about the monastery seems awfully familiar to her. It feels like has been there before somehow even though she is sure that this is her first time. Something relating to an event that occurred eight years ago, a event that she can barley recall. What does it all mean? The story in Aoishiro has competent mystery that is interesting enough that it held my attention throughout and kept me wanting to play. What Aoishiro can truly take pride in is a smorgasbord of intriguing and diverse characters that you encounter over the course of the story.
The Characters

(Get ready to be familiar with this scene because these girls love to eat. )
This is truly Aoishiro's main selling point and it's something the Visual Novel truly excels in. Most notably one of the best characters happens to be the protagonist herself Osanai Shouko. She is a very dependable and grounded character and even though she is just human she can still hold her own when the proverbial shit hits the fan. It's very rare to find a truly great protagonist in a Visual Novel so I was quite delighted to find that in Osa. The rest of the cast are all extremely well developed as well and really add to the legend, and the story. They are all drawn to the monastery at the same time and at the same place because a storm is approaching, and a secret ritual is about to begin at Urashima. Some of these characters include,
Aizawa Yasumi: She is the manager of the kendo club and a very determined girl even though she doesn't have much stamina and gets weak pretty easily. I was a little bit leery of her initially as she reminded me of a certain dango obsessive character but she turned out to have quite a few surprises up her sleeve.
Kyan Migiwa: She is a strange girl that you meet in the beginning of the game at Shoushinji. She is not apart of the kendo club though she is the same age as Osa. Migiwa is initially very secretive about what she is doing at the temple, and why she insists on keeping watch over the forbidden stepping stones that are the only path to the island. She is very carefree and loves to tease and is consequently one of my favorite characters.
Nami: She is another mystery girl that literally washes up at the beach one night. She does not seem able to speak and her memory is gone as well. What a winning combination. She is strangely well adjusted despite that ludicrous setback. 
Kohaku: The mystery girls keep appearing one after another! She is a small odd woman dressed in a very old outfit with one eye perpetually closed. Hm, I wonder what that could mean?
Secret Character: This very characters existence is a mystery!
Each of the main characters drastically change how the the story plays out and they give a very different insight into the events. Like many visual novels before it you have to play in a certain way to unlock all the heroines and the final grand route. Since they are all pretty great it was not much of a hassle. The grand route by itself is definitely worth unlocking since it is the route where Osa get's to truly shine. On top of that Aioshiro boasts a large cast of side characters which is a quite unusual but not unwelcome addition. They are,
Akita Momoko: An intensely energetic girl that is also a ravenous carnivore.
Sakurai Ayashiro: The Vice President of the kendo club and a very dignified lady from a rich family.
Aoi Hanako: The teacher and advisor to the club, she is a exposition monster and enjoys the odd drink.
And finally, Suzuki Yuukai the chief priest at Shoushinji and another of the exposition monsters. He is a big beer and kendo enthusiast.

(I don't know man moments like these just happen)
My Two Cents
I truly enjoyed my time with Aoishiro even though my first few moments were agonizingly slow thanks to a bug. After I figured out the cause my experience greatly improved. That is not to say that my whole time with it was amazing. I was reminded a lot by Fate/Stay Night while I was playing both in a positive way and a negative way. On the positive side the production quality is through the roof. From the highly detailed visuals to the great voice acting and the wonderful soundtrack. This is coming from someone who almost always plays my own music while I play so you know the music has to be great. On the negative side there are quite a few characters who seem to take a sadistic pleasure in barraging you with copious amounts of info dumps on the lore and legends of the area. There is a supposedly handy in game dictionary but unfortunately that part of Aoishiro was untranslated. The amount of names and events eventually fused together in a impenetrable mush. I was not sure half the time what was traditional folklore and what was the in-game lore. I was able to get a handle on it eventually but it led to some tedium. Speaking of tedium there are numerous times where we are treated to lengthy feasting scenes. They all but grind the story to a halt though they do provide some nice character interaction. Thankfully after the first route is complete it is possible to skip through a lot of these scenes. Those were really my only real gripes with the game. Also like Fate there are also a lot of bad ends that you could unwittingly end up in if you aren't careful. It's more of a Shoujo Ai than a pure yuri game though there are quite a few suggestive moments. Aoishiro turned out to be very spectacular especially in the grand route that you unlock in the game. The strength of the protagonist and the rest of the cast, the visuals, the story and finally the music all come together in a cohesive whole. I really liked it is what I'm trying to say.
 

Here is something that I just decided to randomly work on. It might end up being a Visual Novel who knows. Oh here is my working synopsis.
After years of living a unremarkable high school life, eighteen year old Alice has finally started on her College journey. It's a fresh start in a new city. A chance encounter with a bully from her youth has awakened something within her. Now, determined to make the most of her college days and to crush her newfound rival, Alice has decided to form a rock band that can win the battle of the bands competition. All she has to do now is actually get a band together that can win, but that shouldn't be that hard, right?
Anyway let me know what you think.
 
 
Chapter One, a Fresh Start and a Old Enemy
"Goodbye, Mom! Goodbye, Dad! Oh and how could I forget, goodbye Beth! I love you all!" I shout that to my family as they give me a departing wave before getting into their car and driving away from my life forever. Well, maybe not forever but it does kind of feel that way. At least, that's how my mother and sister felt. I could scarcely pull away from their death grip on me. My father, he is made of sterner stuff but I know that he was probably feeling the same thing on the inside. I was sad too of course, but it wasn't nearly enough to combat the fierce joy I felt.
I'm finally at college! I'm finally on my own! I want to scream that so everyone will hear. That might not make for a good first impression, so I control my joy and simply let it radiate through me. I look around the crowded parking lot filled with newly minted college students accompanied by their grieving but proud parents. Of course, I think to myself as I walk back inside my new dorms, it won't be like I'll be completely on my own. I'll have my very own roommate after all. I wonder what she'll be like and look like? I only briefly emailed her several days ago. She seemed nice enough but who knows, she might be that roommate from hell I've heard so many horror stories about. Now that I think about it I could end up becoming the thing I fear.
I shake off the chill that I just gave me and head toward my room. Like that's going to happen, I'm going to be the best roommate that she could hope to have. I grit my teeth and clench my fist in what I hope is a look of supreme determination. I open the door wide and cross the threshold before throwing myself into my bed and gazing up at the room I'll be living in for the rest of the year. It's not much to be honest though I did manage to bring a lot of my precious things with me. Especially my old electric guitar that my grandmother bought for me at the end of eighth grade.
I glance over at the bare part of the room with the single destitute bed and lonely desk and chair. I'm surprised that she hasn't already moved in yet. Oh well, I guess there is always tomorrow. It's still a little disappointing. "Oh well." I murmur again to myself. I pull myself out of my bed and get to work putting up the rest of my posters and other nick knacks followed by my favorite mirror. After that is completed I spend several minutes gazing back at the young woman who is staring intently at me through the glass. She has long thick messy black hair, bright green eyes and thick eyebrows that always give her a threatening look, even if it's not always her intention. She's pretty enough I suppose if you are into that kind of thing. She'd probably only piss me off if I had to live with her. I sing softly to myself, Spent some time feelin' inferior, standing in front of my mirror. Combed my hair in a thousand ways, but I came out looking just the same. I turn myself away from the mirror and head out the door.
I can't spend all day in my little hovel, I've got some exploring to do! There is commotion in the hallways, commotion in the corridors, commotion all around me. I have to duck and weave in order to save myself from being hit by the constantly apologetic families who are in the middle of moving. I give a small smile of understanding to them knowing that I was in their own shoes myself not an hour ago. The dorm I live in is nice enough even if it is fairly old. It's got a pretty nice common room with a big flat screen tv and a ping pong and pool table which is already in use. The only bad thing about it is a bit of a walk to the campus. That's fine for me as it will give me a good opportunity to get some exercise.
I nod and say hello to a couple of the friendly faces that I come across as I walk out of the dorms and head toward the campus. I love this campus already, of course I had to given that I fought so hard to get into it. It wasn't easy due to the fact that I was a pretty shit student all the way through high school. What were the nicer words that the teachers used, oh it was, "Does not apply herself." Still by hook or by crook I managed to somehow get into it and now here I am. "Now here I am," I whisper to myself. "The future is right ahead of me and there is no one here alive that will be able to stop me from seizing it!" I walk languidly down the path ahead of me thanking the powers that be that this hot August day is not intolerable. I take out my music player, put it in shuffle and put the earbuds where they belong. Today seems to be my day as a song that I adore starts to play.
This is really a beautiful campus, I think to myself as I saunter along taking in the open space surrounded by concrete buildings with a few small gardens clustered around. It's eerily quiet as there are only a few people that evidently had the same motivation as I. It's hard to imagine that tomorrow this relatively empty area is going to pulsating with life. The only problem with it being so large is that I'll be a sweaty mess once I get to class, especially if I must rush. I adjust my gait to the music that is coursing throughout me. Boy, I hope I look as cool as I feel right now. I smile smugly to myself as my favorite song comes to a close. The next song of course has to be a complete mood killer, a tearful dirge to a lost love. Just my luck. This song just has to play enforcing the sad truth that in all my eighteen years of age I have not yet found someone who could pierce me to my core like that. I hurriedly push those annoying thoughts out of my brain. Still plenty of time to fall in love, still plenty of time to fall in love, I chant to myself. I skip through my playlist trying to find a better song as I take a sharp corner, right into destiny. I collide with someone coming from the opposite direction. My head slams into theirs and I fall back on the hard stone floor. "OW! MY ACHING HEAD! OW! MY FUCKING ASS," I shout as I reel from the impact. I hear a grown from the other person and I snap into apology mode.
"I'm so sorry I ran into you, I hope you aren't hurt."
"I'll survive somehow but thanks," comes the reply.
I finally bring myself to look at the person I just collided with and I notice that she is a girl about my age. She has short, spiky white hair with black streaks. She is dressed in a very punk way with a skull t shirt and a tattered skirt. She looks back at me with gray eyes that are a bit dazed. She's pretty cute but she looks awfully familiar. I pick myself up off the floor and remembering what passes for manners I offer my hand to her. She wordlessly takes it and I pull her up.
"I'm sorry again for that reinforced cliches are the worst."
Yeah, I guess that counts as one doesn't it?
We are standing face to face now and the more I look at her the more familiar she becomes. All the while I'm staring at her something is building in me. I can almost hear the sounds of a hundred pulsating drums. I know this woman's face, but from where? Then suddenly it's like a steel door to my memories has suddenly snapped open. Meanwhile, the woman is looking quizzically at me while trying to break my death grip on her hand. I quickly release her hand and instead point an accusing finger at the woman. A name that I never thought I had the chance to say bursts from my lips. VVVERONICA FRENCH!! She looks quite taken aback at this sudden happening and slowly asks, eyes narrowed.
"How do you know my name?"
I match her glare with one of my own putting my heavy brows to good use.
"How could I ever forget your name when it is stitched to the lining of my Soul!"
She looks at me like I'm some kind of mental patient which at this case might not actually be so far from the truth if I'm being honest.
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"You don't remember me at all do you? You don't remember this face? Does the name Alice Blackwood mean anything to you?"
"No, I don't believe I've ever met you at anytime in my life. I think someone as strange as you would be a hard person to forget."
"Hard doesn't mean impossible. You went to Sarajevo Middle School did you not?"
"Yes. Yes I did but how did you...?"
"How did I know? Because we went to the same exact middle school of course!"
My heart is pounding fast and the drums are pulsating awaiting the grand climax that is approaching. I again point my finger accusingly and savagely shout.
"I COULD NEVER FORGET YOUR NAME OR FACE BECAUSE YOU WERE THE ONE WHO MADE MY MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS A LIVING HELL!"
"You bullied and teased me constantly how could I not remember? That sort of thing is hard to forget."
I grin triumphantly I had no idea that such a day would actually happen. How much time did I spend wanting to confront this shadow of my past? I thought I had lost my chance to face her when she suddenly moved away in the middle of 8th grade. I stare hard at her. She seems quite taken aback by my outburst. She lets a few moments pass before responding. I wait patiently with my arms crossed.
"Um...Alice was it? I'm, I'm really sorry that I did that to you. I knew that I was a real asshole in middle school but I had no idea I had hurt you that badly. Can you ever forgive me?"
She's actually apologizing to me I think, this isn't quite what I had imagined. This isn't exactly how I thought this would go down. I had thought, hoped that she would be unapologetic to the very end. Of course in my dreams we would also immediately start a long and drawn out fight. The question is should I forgive her? It's true she did hurt me deeply but I managed to get over it eventually. Still, I have to do this for my inner child. I clench my fist, give her my most vicious glare and passionately declare.
"No. No, I can never forgive you. I will never forgive you! From this day forward you are my enemy!"
I feel like such a badass right now, I think as I abruptly turn my back and coldly leave her without looking back. I feel like skipping but I find someway to keep my terrible joy in check.
Veronica watches Alice leave, still in something of a bewildered state. She had never thought that she would be confronted by such a ugly part of her past. She had wanted college to be a fresh start for her and now this had happened. College starts tomorrow and already there is someone here that hates me. Still, she wouldn't let that get too her, couldn't let that get to her. She would just have to apologize to her again, apologize until she finally relented. Shame that things had to happen that way she was actually kind of cute, in a really weird way. Veronica finally decides to head back to her own dorm. The sun is starting to set and she still has a lot to plan for the next day. She looks back in the direction that woman had departed from. "Alice Blackwood huh?"
 

Here is something that I just decided to randomly work on. It might end up being a Visual Novel who knows. Oh here is my working synopsis.
After years of living a unremarkable high school life, eighteen year old Alice has finally started on her College journey. It's a fresh start in a new city. A chance encounter with a bully from her youth has awakened something within her. Now, determined to make the most of her college days and to crush her newfound rival, Alice has decided to form a rock band that can win the battle of the bands competition. All she has to do now is actually get a band together that can win, but that shouldn't be that hard, right?
Anyway let me know what you think.
 
 
Chapter One, a Fresh Start and a Old Enemy
"Goodbye, Mom! Goodbye, Dad! Oh and how could I forget, goodbye Beth! I love you all!" I shout that to my family as they give me a departing wave before getting into their car and driving away from my life forever. Well, maybe not forever but it does kind of feel that way. At least, that's how my mother and sister felt. I could scarcely pull away from their death grip on me. My father, he is made of sterner stuff but I know that he was probably feeling the same thing on the inside. I was sad too of course, but it wasn't nearly enough to combat the fierce joy I felt.
I'm finally at college! I'm finally on my own! I want to scream that so everyone will hear. That might not make for a good first impression, so I control my joy and simply let it radiate through me. I look around the crowded parking lot filled with newly minted college students accompanied by their grieving but proud parents. Of course, I think to myself as I walk back inside my new dorms, it won't be like I'll be completely on my own. I'll have my very own roommate after all. I wonder what she'll be like and look like? I only briefly emailed her several days ago. She seemed nice enough but who knows, she might be that roommate from hell I've heard so many horror stories about. Now that I think about it I could end up becoming the thing I fear.
I shake off the chill that I just gave me and head toward my room. Like that's going to happen, I'm going to be the best roommate that she could hope to have. I grit my teeth and clench my fist in what I hope is a look of supreme determination. I open the door wide and cross the threshold before throwing myself into my bed and gazing up at the room I'll be living in for the rest of the year. It's not much to be honest though I did manage to bring a lot of my precious things with me. Especially my old electric guitar that my grandmother bought for me at the end of eighth grade.
I glance over at the bare part of the room with the single destitute bed and lonely desk and chair. I'm surprised that she hasn't already moved in yet. Oh well, I guess there is always tomorrow. It's still a little disappointing. "Oh well." I murmur again to myself. I pull myself out of my bed and get to work putting up the rest of my posters and other nick knacks followed by my favorite mirror. After that is completed I spend several minutes gazing back at the young woman who is staring intently at me through the glass. She has long thick messy black hair, bright green eyes and thick eyebrows that always give her a threatening look, even if it's not always her intention. She's pretty enough I suppose if you are into that kind of thing. She'd probably only piss me off if I had to live with her. I sing softly to myself, Spent some time feelin' inferior, standing in front of my mirror. Combed my hair in a thousand ways, but I came out looking just the same. I turn myself away from the mirror and head out the door.
I can't spend all day in my little hovel, I've got some exploring to do! There is commotion in the hallways, commotion in the corridors, commotion all around me. I have to duck and weave in order to save myself from being hit by the constantly apologetic families who are in the middle of moving. I give a small smile of understanding to them knowing that I was in their own shoes myself not an hour ago. The dorm I live in is nice enough even if it is fairly old. It's got a pretty nice common room with a big flat screen tv and a ping pong and pool table which is already in use. The only bad thing about it is a bit of a walk to the campus. That's fine for me as it will give me a good opportunity to get some exercise.
I nod and say hello to a couple of the friendly faces that I come across as I walk out of the dorms and head toward the campus. I love this campus already, of course I had to given that I fought so hard to get into it. It wasn't easy due to the fact that I was a pretty shit student all the way through high school. What were the nicer words that the teachers used, oh it was, "Does not apply herself." Still by hook or by crook I managed to somehow get into it and now here I am. "Now here I am," I whisper to myself. "The future is right ahead of me and there is no one here alive that will be able to stop me from seizing it!" I walk languidly down the path ahead of me thanking the powers that be that this hot August day is not intolerable. I take out my music player, put it in shuffle and put the earbuds where they belong. Today seems to be my day as a song that I adore starts to play.
This is really a beautiful campus, I think to myself as I saunter along taking in the open space surrounded by concrete buildings with a few small gardens clustered around. It's eerily quiet as there are only a few people that evidently had the same motivation as I. It's hard to imagine that tomorrow this relatively empty area is going to pulsating with life. The only problem with it being so large is that I'll be a sweaty mess once I get to class, especially if I must rush. I adjust my gait to the music that is coursing throughout me. Boy, I hope I look as cool as I feel right now. I smile smugly to myself as my favorite song comes to a close. The next song of course has to be a complete mood killer, a tearful dirge to a lost love. Just my luck. This song just has to play enforcing the sad truth that in all my eighteen years of age I have not yet found someone who could pierce me to my core like that. I hurriedly push those annoying thoughts out of my brain. Still plenty of time to fall in love, still plenty of time to fall in love, I chant to myself. I skip through my playlist trying to find a better song as I take a sharp corner, right into destiny. I collide with someone coming from the opposite direction. My head slams into theirs and I fall back on the hard stone floor. "OW! MY ACHING HEAD! OW! MY FUCKING ASS," I shout as I reel from the impact. I hear a grown from the other person and I snap into apology mode.
"I'm so sorry I ran into you, I hope you aren't hurt."
"I'll survive somehow but thanks," comes the reply.
I finally bring myself to look at the person I just collided with and I notice that she is a girl about my age. She has short, spiky white hair with black streaks. She is dressed in a very punk way with a skull t shirt and a tattered skirt. She looks back at me with gray eyes that are a bit dazed. She's pretty cute but she looks awfully familiar. I pick myself up off the floor and remembering what passes for manners I offer my hand to her. She wordlessly takes it and I pull her up.
"I'm sorry again for that reinforced cliches are the worst."
Yeah, I guess that counts as one doesn't it?
We are standing face to face now and the more I look at her the more familiar she becomes. All the while I'm staring at her something is building in me. I can almost hear the sounds of a hundred pulsating drums. I know this woman's face, but from where? Then suddenly it's like a steel door to my memories has suddenly snapped open. Meanwhile, the woman is looking quizzically at me while trying to break my death grip on her hand. I quickly release her hand and instead point an accusing finger at the woman. A name that I never thought I had the chance to say bursts from my lips. VVVERONICA FRENCH!! She looks quite taken aback at this sudden happening and slowly asks, eyes narrowed.
"How do you know my name?"
I match her glare with one of my own putting my heavy brows to good use.
"How could I ever forget your name when it is stitched to the lining of my Soul!"
She looks at me like I'm some kind of mental patient which at this case might not actually be so far from the truth if I'm being honest.
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"You don't remember me at all do you? You don't remember this face? Does the name Alice Blackwood mean anything to you?"
"No, I don't believe I've ever met you at anytime in my life. I think someone as strange as you would be a hard person to forget."
"Hard doesn't mean impossible. You went to Sarajevo Middle School did you not?"
"Yes. Yes I did but how did you...?"
"How did I know? Because we went to the same exact middle school of course!"
My heart is pounding fast and the drums are pulsating awaiting the grand climax that is approaching. I again point my finger accusingly and savagely shout.
"I COULD NEVER FORGET YOUR NAME OR FACE BECAUSE YOU WERE THE ONE WHO MADE MY MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS A LIVING HELL!"
"You bullied and teased me constantly how could I not remember? That sort of thing is hard to forget."
I grin triumphantly I had no idea that such a day would actually happen. How much time did I spend wanting to confront this shadow of my past? I thought I had lost my chance to face her when she suddenly moved away in the middle of 8th grade. I stare hard at her. She seems quite taken aback by my outburst. She lets a few moments pass before responding. I wait patiently with my arms crossed.
"Um...Alice was it? I'm, I'm really sorry that I did that to you. I knew that I was a real asshole in middle school but I had no idea I had hurt you that badly. Can you ever forgive me?"
She's actually apologizing to me I think, this isn't quite what I had imagined. This isn't exactly how I thought this would go down. I had thought, hoped that she would be unapologetic to the very end. Of course in my dreams we would also immediately start a long and drawn out fight. The question is should I forgive her? It's true she did hurt me deeply but I managed to get over it eventually. Still, I have to do this for my inner child. I clench my fist, give her my most vicious glare and passionately declare.
"No. No, I can never forgive you. I will never forgive you! From this day forward you are my enemy!"
I feel like such a badass right now, I think as I abruptly turn my back and coldly leave her without looking back. I feel like skipping but I find someway to keep my terrible joy in check.
Veronica watches Alice leave, still in something of a bewildered state. She had never thought that she would be confronted by such a ugly part of her past. She had wanted college to be a fresh start for her and now this had happened. College starts tomorrow and already there is someone here that hates me. Still, she wouldn't let that get too her, couldn't let that get to her. She would just have to apologize to her again, apologize until she finally relented. Shame that things had to happen that way she was actually kind of cute, in a really weird way. Veronica finally decides to head back to her own dorm. The sun is starting to set and she still has a lot to plan for the next day. She looks back in the direction that woman had departed from. "Alice Blackwood huh?"
 

Sometimes, I want to pick a game with a setting that I'm not used to read about. It's good to try something different once in a while, right? Medieval, fantasy, steampunk and robot-infested future settings quickly catch my attention, but I need an extra push to try something more mundane, more post-apocalyptic or something like this game. Mafia stories. I understand about mafias as much as know about cars (as in: nothing, seriously I tell them apart by color), but the art was so pleasant to look at, so why not? Of course, the BL part was the other push. Good thing what awaited me was a cool and very badass game.
 

Why Ugajin (glasses guy) is there with the heroes with locked routes? He must feel so important...
 
The story follows our protagonist JJ (center in the above pic), a famous hitman that always do his job right. One day, he's given an assassination mission by the mafia that pretty much controls the region, King Caesar. Said mafia will probably start a war with the opposing mafia, Dragon's Head, soon, making the choice to involve himself with them a bit dangerous, but the job pays too well to be ignored. Too bad the wrong people were killed, the target escaped, JJ was blamed for all of it even if he did nothing wrong and and now the guys from the biggest mafia around are pissed off. To make things even worse, the wrong people that were killed happened to be the parents of one of our heroes, Azusa, and after he saw JJ in the crime scene he started to follow him around to find a chance to kill him.
Wow, lots of things already happened and this is like 15 minutes into the game. The rest of the game also jumps to one action scene to the other with not very long parts of slow building up in between (some exceptions in certain routes), to keep you always entertained. The scenes are packed with regular gun fights with no absurd tricks or superpowers involved and the author makes the scenes longer giving us a lot of gun trivia. Since I only know about guns through Resident Evil games, I was a bit lost when sometimes the attacks were identified by ammunition and not by character mid fight, but I got the hang of it with time. In fact, the guns are so important that you'll notice that each hero weapon of choice kinda matches their personality.
On the other hand, like a lot of action movies, it's not uncommon for you to be asking yourself "but what about the plot?". Calling it a charage is a lot of stretch, but each route in Omerta have it's own plot and half of the time it doesn't revolve around what happened in the prologue that I described. The intro sequence serves more to introduce the characters and to show you where JJ stands in this whole mess. And before you can pick your choices, he's pretty much avoiding both mafias and living with Azusa in his shadow.
 

Better not to pick another snarky choice...
 
Not having an overaching plot can be a bit disappointing for some people, but that's not a bad thing in the least! Having a very good amount of heroes (seven in total) with different alignment, the game gives you the opportunity of explore their life in this harsh world and take a look at both sides of the conflict. Your allies in one route are your enemies in another. I felt their portrayal were a bit too much black and white (one mafia is clearly portrayed as the good guys and the other as the bad ones), but some shades of gray in their morality are in fact present.
As for the routes themselves, the game splits into three routes and only then it splits into the heroes. If you decide to ally yourself with King Caesar, you have tsundere boy Kiryu and seductive boss Luca. If you decide to go to Dragon's Head instead, you have manipulative Ugajin and the boss everyone fear Liu. And at last, if you decide to stay neutral, you have the blabbermouth Tachibana, the guy that knows well how the city works Toudou and our bratty cat-ears-haired Azusa. At first, Luca, Liu and Azusa's route are locked, but they only need a single playthrough to unlock. Order is also not enforced, so you can really read in the order you prefer. The only recommendation I give is to read the subordinates of each mafia before the bosses. And if you think that the prologue's arc is the closest thing to call a true route, let Azusa's route for last. Either way, there's one epilogue that takes things from most routes that is the Grand Ending (as the game itself calls it) of Omerta.
 

The game didn't gave me a threesome route with these guys, and I'm still pissed
 
The characters themselves are interesting even when some of them aren't exactly likable. This game is tagged with "Villainous Hero" in VNDB, after all. But if there's one character that steals the show, it's the protagonist. JJ is one badass guy in the action scenes, and he stays true to his "killing with no hesitation" nature for the vast majority of the novel. Even so, he's also caring and even a bit naive in the "slice-of-life" parts. Seriously, who would thought that a hitman could be this cute? Well, it makes some sense seeing that he's a dork who lived on the run most of the time. Not many opportunities for normal human interaction.
The romance is done in an very uneven way. Of the seven routes, two follows the "MC was swept away by the hero's affection" pattern, one have more of a "close friends that also have sex with each other" vibe (that I liked a lot), one is the villain route so there's more pity than love there (also nicely done), one have that true canon hero vibe since the very beginning of the route so we could see the love already there somewhat and in the last two the romantic development was so fast that I almost thought that I skipped something by mistake. It's good to have some variation, but in at least two of those I felt the romance very unconvincing. Not that I was expecting epic and fluffy romance in a mafia story anyway. Althought I must say that I was very sad to not have a route with a particular side character...
The H-scenes are very good. Like VERY GOOD. The art in it was so good, the voice acting was also very well done, there's some nice variation of positions (the CGs never felt recycled, just changing one of the guys) and the MC is bottom in some routes and top on others. H-scenes alone, of all the BL games I played, this one takes the prize for me. Of course, since most of the heroes (and the MC himself) are no saints, there's rape and dubious consent in spades in there and I felt quite bad about liking some of those CGs aaaaah, some of them used for threat and domination and not for "love" at least. While this is understandable in the setting, 80% of the time this is done to Azusa, that is the weakest guy, so it felt more like picking on the weak. Not cool. 
If you're planning to skip them without seeing even a glimpse of the CG though, unfortunately they're very randomly located in the game. Not that is hard to see one coming... most of the time. There's a PSP port that got rid of all the H-scenes, but, while it was more than welcome with some rape scenes and some replacements were even more gay than the original, if that was even possible, I kinda missed some of the best H-scenes (I have both version: read the PC one and skimmed through the PSP one).
 

Stop hurting my precious cat boy please...
 
The soundtrack is nothing special. The tracks were cool, but nothing really memorable. Voice acting was quite good, at least for the main characters and the side characters that had more screen time. I could listen to Luca's voice all day, Kiryu's tsun voice is just adorable and Ugajin have the same voice actor as Emiya Shirou from F/SN (and they sound exactly the same) so the H-scene was... funny to listen to say the least. Almost everyone that don't have a sprite have a cheesy or generic voice, but well, they are generic anyway.
Despite all the problems, Omerta was a fun read and very badass. It's hard to make the MC the most likable character, but here they did a good job. Of course, maybe their portrayal of the mafia world is completely wrong, I wouldn't know any better, but eh, just enjoy this piece of entertainment. Because entertainment you can definitely find here. I hope to come back to review the fandisc, but I have to read it first... I can't wait to meet these boys again!

The horror! The horror!

“Misery is manifold. The wretchedness of earth is multiform. Overreaching the wide horizon as the rainbow, its hues are as various as the hues of that arch, --as distinct too, yet as intimately blended."
Edgar Allan Poe
 
             
So why exactly, did I decide to do this? I guess I just wanted to spit in the eye of God by dancing with one of it's abominations. I wanted pain and sought my fill. To walk as far as my bleeding limbs would take me. To sound the death knell of this perverse experiment we call the human race. Or maybe I thought it would be funny. For whatever reason I decided to play Creature Romances that horrible looking Visual Novel that Sekai Project decided to publish. You know, the one with the grasshopper lady. So anyway without further ado here are some of my thoughts while I play through this abomination. Don't you worry alcohol is involved.

(Is this restitution for the brutality I showed to the grasshoppers? Will it stop the midnight screaming?)
 
Of course this fucking thing is voiced, why wouldn't it be? Right off the bat it combines two things I really hate, grasshoppers and childhood friends. Thank you for that, no really! Jesus fucking Christ. What I'm really missing out on is seeing this monsters mandibles open and close while she garbles out some nonsense. I'm really missing out on the full Monty here! What a fucking lie I bet Kokoro is none of those things! I like this skull faced guy though, I feel like he could be a bridge in this horrifying world between worlds. Why couldn't I date him instead? Like ever since Papyrus I just have had the urge to date skeletons. He's a genius as well, why couldn't you have just made a vn about me dating cute skull boys instead? I would have jumped their bones for real!

Tokyo U, huh wasn't that a major plot point in Love Hina? Like the entire reason for it or whatever. It's been years since I've read it. I don't know how much I would enjoy it now. Anyway back to this fucking abomination. Please give up on me! Let me fail! Who in their right mind would let a grasshopper cook for them? Do you think like Flick from that movie Bugs Life, would have asked Hopper to cook dinner for him? Ask Hopper to make a nice creme brulee? No he would not. For one thing Hopper was a huge asshole and another thing grasshoppers can't cook they can only destroy! The fuck is Nikujaga? Christ! This thing has red eyes now how horrible. Now she is fucking killing my kitchen, of course I forgive her cuz I'm hungry for that thorax? Of course my sister is a bat. WHY WOULDN'T MY FUCKING SISTER BE A BAT! (The night moves on)

(Yeah I know I'm the fucking worst)
WHAT THE FUCK? NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME VIDEOGAME??? JUST FUCK OFF GOD DAMNIT!!! Oh so never mind that was just what I was apparently imagining. God I hate this already. FUCKING WHY AGAIN!!!

Yeah I'm low, the lowest of the low. You know I thought about that for the longest time and you are right..you are absolutely right. I am low, I am scum. I accept it no really! It is what I deserve! Scrape my decayed corpse over thousand of sharp knives, fill by belly with acid and pour God the voice quality is pretty awful, which I guess can be a good and bad thing if you look at it the right way. Honestly I really wish it wasn't a grasshopper why couldn't have been a preying mantis instead? I mean sure while copulating it would have bitten my head off but think of the experience! Okay so I still think it is a bit weird that my sister is supposed to be a bat with four eyes but really she is the most normal part of this nightmarish scenario. Still I must push on like the biblical Job or the overworked and unappreciated MoJo JoJo. Wait how does a bat jump so high that she hits her head, especially when she is hanging upside down?
What is this teacher supposed to be if not simply mountains of unholy flesh.

Now that I think of it this is a whole lot like Saya No Ulta right? We are seeing some monstrous grasshopper thing when really it is some generic anime cute girl. It would be like if in the Metamorphosis instead of being disgusted by the vile creature their son and brother had become they merely accepted him as being part of the family. What kind of lesson is that to learn? Wow how fucking meta the main guy is looking at a cicada figurine and trying to determine if it's supposed to be cute or not. Why don't you fuck off and castrate yourself right now you mollusc sucking bilge rat! So sad such a emotional scene the protagonist is starting to think that maybe he shouldn't be taught by a abomination after all. Why would he not wish to be pulled further into the abyss? He has already spent enough time staring at it. What is the world coming to? WHY CAN'T I DATE YOU MASATO WHO IS A DIFFERENT MASATO THEN THE ONE YOU ARE THINKING OF! Of course, WHY CAN'T I DATE THAT MASATO TOO?

So now comes to the final choice, the only choice! DEATH FIRST!!! DEATH AGAIN!!!! You scream like death is insanity but really it's the opposite. Living is the worst. Like walking upon endless broken glass or dancing on sharks teeth the answer is the same. Chaos and madness must follow if only to cushion the blow. Can a parasite dream? Can it reach out and attempt to touch the mortal coil? Writhing maggots whisper sweet nothings on the path to damnation. Are we doomed to only degeneration and entropy? Is there no hope left for humanity in this ugly world that we helped build, piece by piece with bloody brick and bone? Is semen and blood all I've got? Does it really open up the path to the new gold that I have sought? Lost in the prism of a castrated nature, banned forever from vainglorious pursuits? Cruel, twisted, sad,dismal, death, how I wish that I had that choice! When can the drowning man let go of the rope? Live in the corpses of a thousand sinners! Claw into the entrails of the manifested flesh! The death knell is at 12 and the hour is at hand! What must be ripped, must be shorn. Mystery, misery, embrace the suffering that binds you. Only blood will stop the bleeding, and only gashes will close the wound. So must the choice be made. CHAOS REIGNS!
Death, death, death, death,death, death, death, death, death, death,death, death, death, death, death, death, death, death, death,death, death, death, death, death, death,death, death, death, death, death.
Chasm of Torment
Filth, black filth, flowing like ichor from the bile of the succulent puss.
Now I leave you like a wailing banshee splitting open the doors of infinity.
Don't bother closing your eyes for you are already dead.

 

The horror! The horror!

“Misery is manifold. The wretchedness of earth is multiform. Overreaching the wide horizon as the rainbow, its hues are as various as the hues of that arch, --as distinct too, yet as intimately blended."
Edgar Allan Poe
 
             
So why exactly, did I decide to do this? I guess I just wanted to spit in the eye of God by dancing with one of it's abominations. I wanted pain and sought my fill. To walk as far as my bleeding limbs would take me. To sound the death knell of this perverse experiment we call the human race. Or maybe I thought it would be funny. For whatever reason I decided to play Creature Romances that horrible looking Visual Novel that Sekai Project decided to publish. You know, the one with the grasshopper lady. So anyway without further ado here are some of my thoughts while I play through this abomination. Don't you worry alcohol is involved.

(Is this restitution for the brutality I showed to the grasshoppers? Will it stop the midnight screaming?)
 
Of course this fucking thing is voiced, why wouldn't it be? Right off the bat it combines two things I really hate, grasshoppers and childhood friends. Thank you for that, no really! Jesus fucking Christ. What I'm really missing out on is seeing this monsters mandibles open and close while she garbles out some nonsense. I'm really missing out on the full Monty here! What a fucking lie I bet Kokoro is none of those things! I like this skull faced guy though, I feel like he could be a bridge in this horrifying world between worlds. Why couldn't I date him instead? Like ever since Papyrus I just have had the urge to date skeletons. He's a genius as well, why couldn't you have just made a vn about me dating cute skull boys instead? I would have jumped their bones for real!

Tokyo U, huh wasn't that a major plot point in Love Hina? Like the entire reason for it or whatever. It's been years since I've read it. I don't know how much I would enjoy it now. Anyway back to this fucking abomination. Please give up on me! Let me fail! Who in their right mind would let a grasshopper cook for them? Do you think like Flick from that movie Bugs Life, would have asked Hopper to cook dinner for him? Ask Hopper to make a nice creme brulee? No he would not. For one thing Hopper was a huge asshole and another thing grasshoppers can't cook they can only destroy! The fuck is Nikujaga? Christ! This thing has red eyes now how horrible. Now she is fucking killing my kitchen, of course I forgive her cuz I'm hungry for that thorax? Of course my sister is a bat. WHY WOULDN'T MY FUCKING SISTER BE A BAT! (The night moves on)

(Yeah I know I'm the fucking worst)
WHAT THE FUCK? NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME VIDEOGAME??? JUST FUCK OFF GOD DAMNIT!!! Oh so never mind that was just what I was apparently imagining. God I hate this already. FUCKING WHY AGAIN!!!

Yeah I'm low, the lowest of the low. You know I thought about that for the longest time and you are right..you are absolutely right. I am low, I am scum. I accept it no really! It is what I deserve! Scrape my decayed corpse over thousand of sharp knives, fill by belly with acid and pour God the voice quality is pretty awful, which I guess can be a good and bad thing if you look at it the right way. Honestly I really wish it wasn't a grasshopper why couldn't have been a preying mantis instead? I mean sure while copulating it would have bitten my head off but think of the experience! Okay so I still think it is a bit weird that my sister is supposed to be a bat with four eyes but really she is the most normal part of this nightmarish scenario. Still I must push on like the biblical Job or the overworked and unappreciated MoJo JoJo. Wait how does a bat jump so high that she hits her head, especially when she is hanging upside down?
What is this teacher supposed to be if not simply mountains of unholy flesh.

Now that I think of it this is a whole lot like Saya No Ulta right? We are seeing some monstrous grasshopper thing when really it is some generic anime cute girl. It would be like if in the Metamorphosis instead of being disgusted by the vile creature their son and brother had become they merely accepted him as being part of the family. What kind of lesson is that to learn? Wow how fucking meta the main guy is looking at a cicada figurine and trying to determine if it's supposed to be cute or not. Why don't you fuck off and castrate yourself right now you mollusc sucking bilge rat! So sad such a emotional scene the protagonist is starting to think that maybe he shouldn't be taught by a abomination after all. Why would he not wish to be pulled further into the abyss? He has already spent enough time staring at it. What is the world coming to? WHY CAN'T I DATE YOU MASATO WHO IS A DIFFERENT MASATO THEN THE ONE YOU ARE THINKING OF! Of course, WHY CAN'T I DATE THAT MASATO TOO?

So now comes to the final choice, the only choice! DEATH FIRST!!! DEATH AGAIN!!!! You scream like death is insanity but really it's the opposite. Living is the worst. Like walking upon endless broken glass or dancing on sharks teeth the answer is the same. Chaos and madness must follow if only to cushion the blow. Can a parasite dream? Can it reach out and attempt to touch the mortal coil? Writhing maggots whisper sweet nothings on the path to damnation. Are we doomed to only degeneration and entropy? Is there no hope left for humanity in this ugly world that we helped build, piece by piece with bloody brick and bone? Is semen and blood all I've got? Does it really open up the path to the new gold that I have sought? Lost in the prism of a castrated nature, banned forever from vainglorious pursuits? Cruel, twisted, sad,dismal, death, how I wish that I had that choice! When can the drowning man let go of the rope? Live in the corpses of a thousand sinners! Claw into the entrails of the manifested flesh! The death knell is at 12 and the hour is at hand! What must be ripped, must be shorn. Mystery, misery, embrace the suffering that binds you. Only blood will stop the bleeding, and only gashes will close the wound. So must the choice be made. CHAOS REIGNS!
Death, death, death, death,death, death, death, death, death, death,death, death, death, death, death, death, death, death, death,death, death, death, death, death, death,death, death, death, death, death.
Chasm of Torment
Filth, black filth, flowing like ichor from the bile of the succulent puss.
Now I leave you like a wailing banshee splitting open the doors of infinity.
Don't bother closing your eyes for you are already dead.

 

I know no one cares about the Oscars anymore (or ever) but now came the time to prove how The Shape of the Water is the best otomemu ever.
 

 
# FAQ
Q) What da hell is an otomemu?
A) It's a short for 乙女ムーヴィ (otomemuvi). It's like a ge, but not really. (This bullshit is copyrighted by Maggie not really)
Q) Why the FAQ is at the start of the post?
A) You wouldn't be able to handle the suspense of not knowing what a otomemu is.
Q) This is unfunny.
A) And that's not a question. The Q stand for question, smartass, ask something and leave your stupid comments in your pocket!
 

 
Okay, back in the ge. Oh, I mean the mu. So, the Oscars made me realize how much of a otomege The Shape of Water can be. Don't believe? Just follow me!
 

 
It have a silent female MC that was just doing her mundane job when suddenly she found love in the least expected place; It stars a mysterious aloof guy and only route option and everybody loves the sexy and mysterious trope, right? We have a totally random sex scene shove in for the same reasons as a lot eroge, whatever they are. It's with side character, so you don't need to fear that any kind of NTR is coming; It have the token glasses guy that all otomege seems to have but this time he didn't had a route because that's what all animes do, cut routes (in this particular case, I didn't wanted a route with him anyway); It have a incredibly short gay subplot for the yays because BL is also for girls; It's a pure love story as the meaning of otome would suggest; If you watch it with subs, the experience will be kinda like a OELVN with non anime art emulating School Days style so it can totally be considered a ge along with being a mu.  
So, with this post I hope to clean the slate of the otomemus because Twilight is such a bakamu and 50 Shades a kusomu,  it's refreshing to see a kamige once in a while. Murica also proved that The Shape of the Water was the best VN of 2017 and now I can finally say that Guillermo del Toro is a better VN writer than SCA-Ji. Deal with that, weebs. Cheers!
 

( In a galaxy far, far away. )
The Setup
It all started with a flash game. It's hard to believe that my love affair with Visual Novels and my dalliances with manga and anime all sprang from the same source but it's true. Of course, I had watched anime before on both Fox Kids when I was real little, and on Toonami when I was older. The thing of it was I never really tried to seek it out on my own. If a show that I was watching stopped being aired then I stopped watching it. That all changed when I played the Galaxy Angel Sim Date when I was still a freshman in high school. It was on Newgrounds, which was at the time the most popular site for dumb flash games and videos. Of course, being the pervy high schooler that I was, I wanted what was in the adults only category. That's where I found Galaxy Angel Sim Date. Now I don't know exactly why but for some reason I really came to love that game, and I was very interested in finding what it was based on. That led me eventually to the anime, the manga, and much later to the visual novel. The internet can be a weird and amazing place.
The Story

(Tact Mayers, the man himself)
The Transvaal Galaxy has been gripped in terror! Exiled Prince Eonia and a huge fleet of unknown vessels have undertaken a massive Coup d'état against the Emperor of Transvaal, and the White Moon! Hope is not lost however, the famed Angel Wing has managed to escape with the last of the royal family aboard the Elsior. Now the fate of the entire galaxy is up to...you, apparently. You are Tact Mayers, a greenhorn layabout who usually leaves all the important work to your adjutant, Lester Coolduras. Unfortunately for your dreams of sloth you are chosen for a daring rescue mission. It's not all bad though as you are also given command of the strongest strike force in the galaxy, powered by only cute girls. Life, it takes and it gives. Basically, the plot is that you must attempt to outrun Eonia's forces for as long as possible. At first, the Angel Wing might not trust their new fresh off the boat commander but who knows, it's a long voyage, anything can happen, even dare I say it, love. Galaxy Angel is without a doubt a pure space opera. It wears it on it's sleeve and dances with it in the dark. It might not be the most intricate of plots but it is still filled with a lot of powerful moments. But just who are the mystery girls?
The Characters

(Forte and Mint to the left, Vanilla and Ranpha to the right, and Milfeulle in the middle)
Characters are important to any story and in my humble opinion these are some of the best, even if they might not be the most well developed. More than that I've grown up with these characters so I know them backwards and forwards. Each Angel pilots their very own Emblem Frames, which are one of a kind ships powered by the fabled (and convenient) Lost Technology. Here is a breakdown of the characters and what they pilot.
Mifuelle Sakuraba: She pilots the Lucky Star and is the epitome of a air headed girl. She loves to cook and is gifted with a unholy amount of reality breaking luck. Milfeulle also happens to be the "main" girl of the VN.
Ranpha Franboise: Ranpha pilots the Kung Fu Fighter and is basically your typical energetic, and tsundere girl. She works out a lot and loves fortune telling.
Forte Stollen: Forte pilots the Happy Trigger and is in many ways the older sister of the group. She is obsessed with ancient firearms and is an avid collector.
Vanilla H: She pilots the Harvester and is the youngest and most quiet of the troupe. Vanilla is able to control nanomachines incredibly well and is an excellent healer.
Mint Blancmanche: Mint is the pilot of the Trick Master and the source of all good things in this world. Mint is a telepath and because of this does not trust anyone easily. She is obsessed with cute and sweet things.
The story is centered around them with each chapter centered around a specific member of the team. This gives you a chance to get to know each of them while getting closer at the same time. At a certain point the story it is possible to choose a character and their specific route opens up. There are also quite a few noteworthy side characters like Lester Coolduras who engages you with a galaxy spanning bromance. By some weird design the combat effectiveness of the Emblem Frames are determined by the mental states of each pilot. Your job as the commander is to basically make nice with them or else their performance will suffer. This leads me to one of the more unique aspects of Galaxy Angel, the gameplay.
The Gameplay


(Combat Inaction)
The gameplay is pretty basic but it works. After every mission you briefing you give the Angels their orders and they engage in ship to ship combat. Each Emblem Frames have their own special advantages and weakness. For example the Kung Fu Fighter is the fastest but has the weakest shields while the Happy Trigger is the slowest but with the most firepower. Each ship also has a special ability that can be used effectively once a certain bar is filled up. When it does you can give the Frame a command and they will use it against the enemy. (The only one that does not is the Harvester, Vanillas special attack heals all the of the Frames.) Like I said before the gameplay is very bare bones though they often throw some new elements in play like stronger enemy types or more complicated objectives. There is one last ship that I have yet to bring up which is the Elsior, which is another piece of lost technology and the flagship that everyone resides in. It has extremely weak firepower though it mostly makes up with that by having the power to completely heal each Angel Frame. It's poor combat effectiveness and slow speed is easily the most annoying parts in the game. With it's awful firepower it is always advisable to keep it way out of enemy range. While that may be easy enough at first there are several missions when you must escort it through enemy lines which can be incredibly frustrating. The graphics also reflect the fact that this Visual Novel was released in 2002 so don't go expecting that much in that way. Still, the battles can be very thrilling at times and I think it would be quite a loss if the gameplay was not present. The later games really improved the mechanics quite a bit while keeping to the core concept. The second aspect of the game is moving around the Elsior and talking with the crew. This improves the relationship and combat effectiveness. It's pretty basic stuff and it is real easy to see just how each angel thinks of you.

(Oh yeah did I mention that this is all determined by a telepathic space whale?)
Final Thoughts
What can I say Galaxy Angel is still one of my favorite Visual Novels and I have a great deal of affection for it. It might not have the most compelling of stories, but it does something extremely well and that is make you feel invested with the characters. It can be pretty powerful stuff when they start to actually like and trust you. This is the first part of a great trilogy and it serves as a wonderful jumping off point. The only problem with the game is that since it was released in 2002 it is quite difficult to get working on modern computers. Despite that setback I would really recommend checking out. You might come to love it too.

Octave Review

To Be Someone (Didn't We Have a Nice Time)
(For a change of pace I have decided to review a manga this time around. Hopefully, the Fuwa Gods will not strike me down for this transgression. If they end up doing so be sure to honor me like the hero I have always been. You know I deserve it.)
The Setup
Who doesn't dream of greatness, of achieving fame, wealth, and adoration? The dream of being someone, to be admired and known for what you have achieved. Countless lives have been spent in pursuit of that aim, with a precious few actually reaching that mantle. Yukino Miyashita, had a quick taste of that fame that so many hunger for when she joined the idol group She'sN. Unfortunately for her, that moment in the spotlight turned out to be exactly that, and both the group and her dreams proved to be short lived. She left the hustle and bustle of Tokyo back to her quiet hometown, back to a high school that did not understand and assumed too much. Yukino, unable to endure the rumors and slander was forced to drop out. Now at eighteen years of age she decides to return to Tokyo to be a talent manager. All she wants is to regain some of her lost pride and find a boyfriend. Her life takes a turn though when she becomes involved with the beautiful Iwai Setsuko.
The Story
With yuri themed media it seems that a lot of it simply revolves around cute girls being cute. Usually, it is set in a all girls high school with nary a male face to be seen. The girls are free to pursue romance and love for the sake of love without a care to spare. Most of the time they are free from the unfortunate hardships that often accompany the simple act of romantically pursing the same sex. This isn't a bad thing in fact it is one reason I like the genre as much as I do. Sometimes though it gets kind of repetitive and I find myself wanting something a little more realistic, something with more bite to it. Octave, written by Akiyama Haru proves to be the very thing that I was looking for.
This is not a cutesy lovey, dovey tale. There is a lot of weighty themes present in Octave; depression, loneliness, judgment, jealousy, it's all present here.
The romance in Octave feels organic, and believable without any trite cliche's or nonsense. There is a aching tenderness to it that is quite wonderful. The sex, which is prevalent throughout the manga is very passionate yet restrained. It's not used in a exploitative way and it displays the need the two feel for each other. There is a lot of drama in this story and some of the time it can come across as being overtly melodramatic but for the most part it feels grounded. It gives the characters the ability to grow from out of a many of these unfortunate experiences.  Which brings me to the characters.

(Setsuko up top, Yukino Bottom)
The Characters
Both Yukino and Setsuko make a great pair and when they are together they complement each other well. Setsuko is probably my favorite character in Octave, she has a very calm and cool headed demeanor and I was instantly charmed by her. Like Yukino she has had a moment in the limelight, which she has been able to turn into a career as a freelance composer. Setsuko is a alluring, dependable, and loyal woman. Despite that, she is not without her faults. At first Setsuko just sees Yukino as a lonely girl that is looking for affection.  This causes some problems down the line for their relationship. Setsuko occasionally says the wrong thing, or makes a lapse of judgment, but for the most part she is a very stable character. Yukino on the other hand, is quite the opposite. She constantly blurts out the wrong thing or makes bad judgment calls. For the most part, it feels natural for her character but it can feel excessive at times. She is a very lonely, very morose character. I wouldn't say she is broken but she was definitely knocked down by her experiences. Her story is all about her trying to pick herself up again. She cries a lot, and there were a few times that her angsty whining really annoyed me, so much so that I just wanted to shake her. Thankfully, she does show a remarkable amount of growth throughout the story. I found myself feeling sympathetic to her plight. I often second guess myself or others and I'm fantastic at assuming the worst, and taking things the wrong way. I'm also overly concerned with what people might say about me when I'm not around. Yukino's depression felt real and I could relate. Still it's a real toss up if you'd like her character or not, and that's another reason I enjoyed her. She is a challenging character. She is not some sweet moeblob that was birthed out of sea foam. It is important to also note that Yukino is only eighteen, and this is her first romantic relationship. It is easy to make dumb decisions and have crippling self doubt at that age. Setsuko, meanwhile, has the advantage of being several years older than Yukino and of having more life experience because of it. There are also a surprisingly large cast of side characters, both male and female, that make up the story as well. Some of them are more well developed than others and for the most part they are able to offer their perspectives, which frequently crash against Yukino's often misguided perceptions.

(Love That Lovage, Baby)
Final Thoughts
I loved this manga, it felt new and fresh to me. There are a few times that the romance in the manga and visual novels that I have read and played felt overtly idealistic, and simplistic. In those eternal love seems self assured and the relationship trials that they must go through are virtually nonexistent. I didn't feel that way with Octave. One small criticism I have for it however, is that the art was not as detailed as I was accustomed to. It did it's job but I was not blown away by it. Overall, it was a wonderful experience and I hope that this has a picked up for a English release at some point in time because I think it deserves to be read by a large audience. There is a growing amount of yuri themed manga that has had it's time time in the sun and so to does Octave. It is a great story of a lonely pair growing together, through each other.

Octave Review

To Be Someone (Didn't We Have a Nice Time)
(For a change of pace I have decided to review a manga this time around. Hopefully, the Fuwa Gods will not strike me down for this transgression. If they end up doing so be sure to honor me like the hero I have always been. You know I deserve it.)
The Setup
Who doesn't dream of greatness, of achieving fame, wealth, and adoration? The dream of being someone, to be admired and known for what you have achieved. Countless lives have been spent in pursuit of that aim, with a precious few actually reaching that mantle. Yukino Miyashita, had a quick taste of that fame that so many hunger for when she joined the idol group She'sN. Unfortunately for her, that moment in the spotlight turned out to be exactly that, and both the group and her dreams proved to be short lived. She left the hustle and bustle of Tokyo back to her quiet hometown, back to a high school that did not understand and assumed too much. Yukino, unable to endure the rumors and slander was forced to drop out. Now at eighteen years of age she decides to return to Tokyo to be a talent manager. All she wants is to regain some of her lost pride and find a boyfriend. Her life takes a turn though when she becomes involved with the beautiful Iwai Setsuko.
The Story
With yuri themed media it seems that a lot of it simply revolves around cute girls being cute. Usually, it is set in a all girls high school with nary a male face to be seen. The girls are free to pursue romance and love for the sake of love without a care to spare. Most of the time they are free from the unfortunate hardships that often accompany the simple act of romantically pursing the same sex. This isn't a bad thing in fact it is one reason I like the genre as much as I do. Sometimes though it gets kind of repetitive and I find myself wanting something a little more realistic, something with more bite to it. Octave, written by Akiyama Haru proves to be the very thing that I was looking for.
This is not a cutesy lovey, dovey tale. There is a lot of weighty themes present in Octave; depression, loneliness, judgment, jealousy, it's all present here.
The romance in Octave feels organic, and believable without any trite cliche's or nonsense. There is a aching tenderness to it that is quite wonderful. The sex, which is prevalent throughout the manga is very passionate yet restrained. It's not used in a exploitative way and it displays the need the two feel for each other. There is a lot of drama in this story and some of the time it can come across as being overtly melodramatic but for the most part it feels grounded. It gives the characters the ability to grow from out of a many of these unfortunate experiences.  Which brings me to the characters.

(Setsuko up top, Yukino Bottom)
The Characters
Both Yukino and Setsuko make a great pair and when they are together they complement each other well. Setsuko is probably my favorite character in Octave, she has a very calm and cool headed demeanor and I was instantly charmed by her. Like Yukino she has had a moment in the limelight, which she has been able to turn into a career as a freelance composer. Setsuko is a alluring, dependable, and loyal woman. Despite that, she is not without her faults. At first Setsuko just sees Yukino as a lonely girl that is looking for affection.  This causes some problems down the line for their relationship. Setsuko occasionally says the wrong thing, or makes a lapse of judgment, but for the most part she is a very stable character. Yukino on the other hand, is quite the opposite. She constantly blurts out the wrong thing or makes bad judgment calls. For the most part, it feels natural for her character but it can feel excessive at times. She is a very lonely, very morose character. I wouldn't say she is broken but she was definitely knocked down by her experiences. Her story is all about her trying to pick herself up again. She cries a lot, and there were a few times that her angsty whining really annoyed me, so much so that I just wanted to shake her. Thankfully, she does show a remarkable amount of growth throughout the story. I found myself feeling sympathetic to her plight. I often second guess myself or others and I'm fantastic at assuming the worst, and taking things the wrong way. I'm also overly concerned with what people might say about me when I'm not around. Yukino's depression felt real and I could relate. Still it's a real toss up if you'd like her character or not, and that's another reason I enjoyed her. She is a challenging character. She is not some sweet moeblob that was birthed out of sea foam. It is important to also note that Yukino is only eighteen, and this is her first romantic relationship. It is easy to make dumb decisions and have crippling self doubt at that age. Setsuko, meanwhile, has the advantage of being several years older than Yukino and of having more life experience because of it. There are also a surprisingly large cast of side characters, both male and female, that make up the story as well. Some of them are more well developed than others and for the most part they are able to offer their perspectives, which frequently crash against Yukino's often misguided perceptions.

(Love That Lovage, Baby)
Final Thoughts
I loved this manga, it felt new and fresh to me. There are a few times that the romance in the manga and visual novels that I have read and played felt overtly idealistic, and simplistic. In those eternal love seems self assured and the relationship trials that they must go through are virtually nonexistent. I didn't feel that way with Octave. One small criticism I have for it however, is that the art was not as detailed as I was accustomed to. It did it's job but I was not blown away by it. Overall, it was a wonderful experience and I hope that this has a picked up for a English release at some point in time because I think it deserves to be read by a large audience. There is a growing amount of yuri themed manga that has had it's time time in the sun and so to does Octave. It is a great story of a lonely pair growing together, through each other.

Or: These game characters should learn to stop worrying and love the dong
 
Disclaimer: The following opinion is genuine. But I like to express myself in creative ways after so many mostly serious posts, so shit ensues. A review will be up next week, please keep supporting this blog.
 
After so many dicks, I looked back to my complete VNs folder and tried to do one of the most dumb things a fan can do: compare not completely alike games. Bl games comes in all kinds of packages, with different plot genres and structures, but as long as they are under the same umbrella definition of BL, I noticed they all share the same types of mistakes. Misses that I found in BL anime and manga too. Of course, when I say all I don't mean AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL of them, but I'm trying to raise awareness of the problems that I usually spot in the majority of the popular releases. I already saw every one of those pitfalls being avoided in mangas, so there's hope in this world. 
Since Fuwa surely love some top X, I'll organize it in some top 5 countdown fashion. Do notice that I'll not tackle what I see in doujinshis here, because seriously, who wants to fix the fantasy world of short doujins? Hell, if everything they did there had 100% realism, instead of 17/20 pages of porn we would get 17/20 pages of (trying to) pay bills.
But enough sadness, let's get this over with!

5) Girls
Okay okay, maybe lots of people don't want tits in their BL works, but unless we're on a prison/gang/old army/all-boys school/world where mpreg is a thing (90% of the games are out already...), we need some of them! Of the works I read, if I happen to see some girl, one of the following happens:
She's some character's mom. Then she dies/is murdered and the guy angsts; She's some character's sister. Then she dies/is murdered and the guy goes into a roaring rampage of revenge (in both cases, she dies within the first five minutes of the novel); She's the main villain. She eventually dies; Plot twist, she's actually male! Because of this maaaaybe she can survive.
She totally confused me for a second...
I would love to see some day a BL story where the MC have some female best friend and they talk about boys together aaah~
 
4) Porn that doesn't sound like your average BxG h-scene
Seriously, if some games didn't keep reminding me that both participants have dicks, I would think that I was reading some R18 otomege. Even some CGs seems like the guy on top is totally hitting the wrong place, artists, please get basic anatomy right thank you. I wouldn't copy a whole scene of this type here because effort, but it's as full of "yameteeeee, yaaaaaaa, Ryou-kun (random name) dameeee" as you're expecting.
And what's the deal of only the guy on the receiving end feeling it? Draw some expressions on the other guy too! It almost looks like that while the uke is having the time of his life, the seme suddenly realized that he'll probably die before Kentaro Miura finishes Berserk. Probably he and all of us, actually.
 

Not BL, but I'll never forget Akihito pulling a Sad Affleck in the middle of the porn years before Sad Aflleck was a thing! 
(Image edited by ESRB)
 
3) Characters that actually identify themselves as gay/bisexual
Okay, we get that social stigma exists and all that... But BL VNs are usually more "edgy" than Yuri ones... Sometimes society collapsed already, what are you waiting for, you dummy??? "Oh, I'm totally not gay, it's just because it's you!" Yeah sure, Jun-kun (random name) only liked Kou-kun (random name), not a single woman (they exists? See point 5 above) or guy before. Or after. You're really not gay, Jun-kun, you're Kousexual apparently.
The scenario is even worse for bisexual characters. Remember any? Exactly.
 

Just kidding, I remember him! In fact... Everyone is bi in this pic. This is one bitastic game!
 
2) Condoms
Eeeer, just because none of you guys can become pregnant (if mpreg isn't a thing in their world, that is) doesn't mean it's all okay... But maybe if they DID try to use one, the following could happen, so guess in the end it's all the same...
 

FINISH HIM!
(ESRB attacked again, thank you for your understanding)
 
1) Lube
Dude, seriously, ouch. Just... ouch.

( In a galaxy far, far away. )
The Setup
It all started with a flash game. It's hard to believe that my love affair with Visual Novels and my dalliances with manga and anime all sprang from the same source but it's true. Of course, I had watched anime before on both Fox Kids when I was real little, and on Toonami when I was older. The thing of it was I never really tried to seek it out on my own. If a show that I was watching stopped being aired then I stopped watching it. That all changed when I played the Galaxy Angel Sim Date when I was still a freshman in high school. It was on Newgrounds, which was at the time the most popular site for dumb flash games and videos. Of course, being the pervy high schooler that I was, I wanted what was in the adults only category. That's where I found Galaxy Angel Sim Date. Now I don't know exactly why but for some reason I really came to love that game, and I was very interested in finding what it was based on. That led me eventually to the anime, the manga, and much later to the visual novel. The internet can be a weird and amazing place.
The Story

(Tact Mayers, the man himself)
The Transvaal Galaxy has been gripped in terror! Exiled Prince Eonia and a huge fleet of unknown vessels have undertaken a massive Coup d'état against the Emperor of Transvaal, and the White Moon! Hope is not lost however, the famed Angel Wing has managed to escape with the last of the royal family aboard the Elsior. Now the fate of the entire galaxy is up to...you, apparently. You are Tact Mayers, a greenhorn layabout who usually leaves all the important work to your adjutant, Lester Coolduras. Unfortunately for your dreams of sloth you are chosen for a daring rescue mission. It's not all bad though as you are also given command of the strongest strike force in the galaxy, powered by only cute girls. Life, it takes and it gives. Basically, the plot is that you must attempt to outrun Eonia's forces for as long as possible. At first, the Angel Wing might not trust their new fresh off the boat commander but who knows, it's a long voyage, anything can happen, even dare I say it, love. Galaxy Angel is without a doubt a pure space opera. It wears it on it's sleeve and dances with it in the dark. It might not be the most intricate of plots but it is still filled with a lot of powerful moments. But just who are the mystery girls?
The Characters

(Forte and Mint to the left, Vanilla and Ranpha to the right, and Milfeulle in the middle)
Characters are important to any story and in my humble opinion these are some of the best, even if they might not be the most well developed. More than that I've grown up with these characters so I know them backwards and forwards. Each Angel pilots their very own Emblem Frames, which are one of a kind ships powered by the fabled (and convenient) Lost Technology. Here is a breakdown of the characters and what they pilot.
Mifuelle Sakuraba: She pilots the Lucky Star and is the epitome of a air headed girl. She loves to cook and is gifted with a unholy amount of reality breaking luck. Milfeulle also happens to be the "main" girl of the VN.
Ranpha Franboise: Ranpha pilots the Kung Fu Fighter and is basically your typical energetic, and tsundere girl. She works out a lot and loves fortune telling.
Forte Stollen: Forte pilots the Happy Trigger and is in many ways the older sister of the group. She is obsessed with ancient firearms and is an avid collector.
Vanilla H: She pilots the Harvester and is the youngest and most quiet of the troupe. Vanilla is able to control nanomachines incredibly well and is an excellent healer.
Mint Blancmanche: Mint is the pilot of the Trick Master and the source of all good things in this world. Mint is a telepath and because of this does not trust anyone easily. She is obsessed with cute and sweet things.
The story is centered around them with each chapter centered around a specific member of the team. This gives you a chance to get to know each of them while getting closer at the same time. At a certain point the story it is possible to choose a character and their specific route opens up. There are also quite a few noteworthy side characters like Lester Coolduras who engages you with a galaxy spanning bromance. By some weird design the combat effectiveness of the Emblem Frames are determined by the mental states of each pilot. Your job as the commander is to basically make nice with them or else their performance will suffer. This leads me to one of the more unique aspects of Galaxy Angel, the gameplay.
The Gameplay


(Combat Inaction)
The gameplay is pretty basic but it works. After every mission you briefing you give the Angels their orders and they engage in ship to ship combat. Each Emblem Frames have their own special advantages and weakness. For example the Kung Fu Fighter is the fastest but has the weakest shields while the Happy Trigger is the slowest but with the most firepower. Each ship also has a special ability that can be used effectively once a certain bar is filled up. When it does you can give the Frame a command and they will use it against the enemy. (The only one that does not is the Harvester, Vanillas special attack heals all the of the Frames.) Like I said before the gameplay is very bare bones though they often throw some new elements in play like stronger enemy types or more complicated objectives. There is one last ship that I have yet to bring up which is the Elsior, which is another piece of lost technology and the flagship that everyone resides in. It has extremely weak firepower though it mostly makes up with that by having the power to completely heal each Angel Frame. It's poor combat effectiveness and slow speed is easily the most annoying parts in the game. With it's awful firepower it is always advisable to keep it way out of enemy range. While that may be easy enough at first there are several missions when you must escort it through enemy lines which can be incredibly frustrating. The graphics also reflect the fact that this Visual Novel was released in 2002 so don't go expecting that much in that way. Still, the battles can be very thrilling at times and I think it would be quite a loss if the gameplay was not present. The later games really improved the mechanics quite a bit while keeping to the core concept. The second aspect of the game is moving around the Elsior and talking with the crew. This improves the relationship and combat effectiveness. It's pretty basic stuff and it is real easy to see just how each angel thinks of you.

(Oh yeah did I mention that this is all determined by a telepathic space whale?)
Final Thoughts
What can I say Galaxy Angel is still one of my favorite Visual Novels and I have a great deal of affection for it. It might not have the most compelling of stories, but it does something extremely well and that is make you feel invested with the characters. It can be pretty powerful stuff when they start to actually like and trust you. This is the first part of a great trilogy and it serves as a wonderful jumping off point. The only problem with the game is that since it was released in 2002 it is quite difficult to get working on modern computers. Despite that setback I would really recommend checking out. You might come to love it too.

( In a galaxy far, far away. )
The Setup
It all started with a flash game. It's hard to believe that my love affair with Visual Novels and my dalliances with manga and anime all sprang from the same source but it's true. Of course, I had watched anime before on both Fox Kids when I was real little, and on Toonami when I was older. The thing of it was I never really tried to seek it out on my own. If a show that I was watching stopped being aired then I stopped watching it. That all changed when I played the Galaxy Angel Sim Date when I was still a freshman in high school. It was on Newgrounds, which was at the time the most popular site for dumb flash games and videos. Of course, being the pervy high schooler that I was, I wanted what was in the adults only category. That's where I found Galaxy Angel Sim Date. Now I don't know exactly why but for some reason I really came to love that game, and I was very interested in finding what it was based on. That led me eventually to the anime, the manga, and much later to the visual novel. The internet can be a weird and amazing place.
The Story

(Tact Mayers, the man himself)
The Transvaal Galaxy has been gripped in terror! Exiled Prince Eonia and a huge fleet of unknown vessels have undertaken a massive Coup d'état against the Emperor of Transvaal, and the White Moon! Hope is not lost however, the famed Angel Wing has managed to escape with the last of the royal family aboard the Elsior. Now the fate of the entire galaxy is up to...you, apparently. You are Tact Mayers, a greenhorn layabout who usually leaves all the important work to your adjutant, Lester Coolduras. Unfortunately for your dreams of sloth you are chosen for a daring rescue mission. It's not all bad though as you are also given command of the strongest strike force in the galaxy, powered by only cute girls. Life, it takes and it gives. Basically, the plot is that you must attempt to outrun Eonia's forces for as long as possible. At first, the Angel Wing might not trust their new fresh off the boat commander but who knows, it's a long voyage, anything can happen, even dare I say it, love. Galaxy Angel is without a doubt a pure space opera. It wears it on it's sleeve and dances with it in the dark. It might not be the most intricate of plots but it is still filled with a lot of powerful moments. But just who are the mystery girls?
The Characters

(Forte and Mint to the left, Vanilla and Ranpha to the right, and Milfeulle in the middle)
Characters are important to any story and in my humble opinion these are some of the best, even if they might not be the most well developed. More than that I've grown up with these characters so I know them backwards and forwards. Each Angel pilots their very own Emblem Frames, which are one of a kind ships powered by the fabled (and convenient) Lost Technology. Here is a breakdown of the characters and what they pilot.
Mifuelle Sakuraba: She pilots the Lucky Star and is the epitome of a air headed girl. She loves to cook and is gifted with a unholy amount of reality breaking luck. Milfeulle also happens to be the "main" girl of the VN.
Ranpha Franboise: Ranpha pilots the Kung Fu Fighter and is basically your typical energetic, and tsundere girl. She works out a lot and loves fortune telling.
Forte Stollen: Forte pilots the Happy Trigger and is in many ways the older sister of the group. She is obsessed with ancient firearms and is an avid collector.
Vanilla H: She pilots the Harvester and is the youngest and most quiet of the troupe. Vanilla is able to control nanomachines incredibly well and is an excellent healer.
Mint Blancmanche: Mint is the pilot of the Trick Master and the source of all good things in this world. Mint is a telepath and because of this does not trust anyone easily. She is obsessed with cute and sweet things.
The story is centered around them with each chapter centered around a specific member of the team. This gives you a chance to get to know each of them while getting closer at the same time. At a certain point the story it is possible to choose a character and their specific route opens up. There are also quite a few noteworthy side characters like Lester Coolduras who engages you with a galaxy spanning bromance. By some weird design the combat effectiveness of the Emblem Frames are determined by the mental states of each pilot. Your job as the commander is to basically make nice with them or else their performance will suffer. This leads me to one of the more unique aspects of Galaxy Angel, the gameplay.
The Gameplay


(Combat Inaction)
The gameplay is pretty basic but it works. After every mission you briefing you give the Angels their orders and they engage in ship to ship combat. Each Emblem Frames have their own special advantages and weakness. For example the Kung Fu Fighter is the fastest but has the weakest shields while the Happy Trigger is the slowest but with the most firepower. Each ship also has a special ability that can be used effectively once a certain bar is filled up. When it does you can give the Frame a command and they will use it against the enemy. (The only one that does not is the Harvester, Vanillas special attack heals all the of the Frames.) Like I said before the gameplay is very bare bones though they often throw some new elements in play like stronger enemy types or more complicated objectives. There is one last ship that I have yet to bring up which is the Elsior, which is another piece of lost technology and the flagship that everyone resides in. It has extremely weak firepower though it mostly makes up with that by having the power to completely heal each Angel Frame. It's poor combat effectiveness and slow speed is easily the most annoying parts in the game. With it's awful firepower it is always advisable to keep it way out of enemy range. While that may be easy enough at first there are several missions when you must escort it through enemy lines which can be incredibly frustrating. The graphics also reflect the fact that this Visual Novel was released in 2002 so don't go expecting that much in that way. Still, the battles can be very thrilling at times and I think it would be quite a loss if the gameplay was not present. The later games really improved the mechanics quite a bit while keeping to the core concept. The second aspect of the game is moving around the Elsior and talking with the crew. This improves the relationship and combat effectiveness. It's pretty basic stuff and it is real easy to see just how each angel thinks of you.

(Oh yeah did I mention that this is all determined by a telepathic space whale?)
Final Thoughts
What can I say Galaxy Angel is still one of my favorite Visual Novels and I have a great deal of affection for it. It might not have the most compelling of stories, but it does something extremely well and that is make you feel invested with the characters. It can be pretty powerful stuff when they start to actually like and trust you. This is the first part of a great trilogy and it serves as a wonderful jumping off point. The only problem with the game is that since it was released in 2002 it is quite difficult to get working on modern computers. Despite that setback I would really recommend checking out. You might come to love it too.

( In a galaxy far, far away. )
The Setup
It all started with a flash game. It's hard to believe that my love affair with Visual Novels and my dalliances with manga and anime all sprang from the same source but it's true. Of course, I had watched anime before on both Fox Kids when I was real little, and on Toonami when I was older. The thing of it was I never really tried to seek it out on my own. If a show that I was watching stopped being aired then I stopped watching it. That all changed when I played the Galaxy Angel Sim Date when I was still a freshman in high school. It was on Newgrounds, which was at the time the most popular site for dumb flash games and videos. Of course, being the pervy high schooler that I was, I wanted what was in the adults only category. That's where I found Galaxy Angel Sim Date. Now I don't know exactly why but for some reason I really came to love that game, and I was very interested in finding what it was based on. That led me eventually to the anime, the manga, and much later to the visual novel. The internet can be a weird and amazing place.
The Story

(Tact Mayers, the man himself)
The Transvaal Galaxy has been gripped in terror! Exiled Prince Eonia and a huge fleet of unknown vessels have undertaken a massive Coup d'état against the Emperor of Transvaal, and the White Moon! Hope is not lost however, the famed Angel Wing has managed to escape with the last of the royal family aboard the Elsior. Now the fate of the entire galaxy is up to...you, apparently. You are Tact Mayers, a greenhorn layabout who usually leaves all the important work to your adjutant, Lester Coolduras. Unfortunately for your dreams of sloth you are chosen for a daring rescue mission. It's not all bad though as you are also given command of the strongest strike force in the galaxy, powered by only cute girls. Life, it takes and it gives. Basically, the plot is that you must attempt to outrun Eonia's forces for as long as possible. At first, the Angel Wing might not trust their new fresh off the boat commander but who knows, it's a long voyage, anything can happen, even dare I say it, love. Galaxy Angel is without a doubt a pure space opera. It wears it on it's sleeve and dances with it in the dark. It might not be the most intricate of plots but it is still filled with a lot of powerful moments. But just who are the mystery girls?
The Characters

(Forte and Mint to the left, Vanilla and Ranpha to the right, and Milfeulle in the middle)
Characters are important to any story and in my humble opinion these are some of the best, even if they might not be the most well developed. More than that I've grown up with these characters so I know them backwards and forwards. Each Angel pilots their very own Emblem Frames, which are one of a kind ships powered by the fabled (and convenient) Lost Technology. Here is a breakdown of the characters and what they pilot.
Mifuelle Sakuraba: She pilots the Lucky Star and is the epitome of a air headed girl. She loves to cook and is gifted with a unholy amount of reality breaking luck. Milfeulle also happens to be the "main" girl of the VN.
Ranpha Franboise: Ranpha pilots the Kung Fu Fighter and is basically your typical energetic, and tsundere girl. She works out a lot and loves fortune telling.
Forte Stollen: Forte pilots the Happy Trigger and is in many ways the older sister of the group. She is obsessed with ancient firearms and is an avid collector.
Vanilla H: She pilots the Harvester and is the youngest and most quiet of the troupe. Vanilla is able to control nanomachines incredibly well and is an excellent healer.
Mint Blancmanche: Mint is the pilot of the Trick Master and the source of all good things in this world. Mint is a telepath and because of this does not trust anyone easily. She is obsessed with cute and sweet things.
The story is centered around them with each chapter centered around a specific member of the team. This gives you a chance to get to know each of them while getting closer at the same time. At a certain point the story it is possible to choose a character and their specific route opens up. There are also quite a few noteworthy side characters like Lester Coolduras who engages you with a galaxy spanning bromance. By some weird design the combat effectiveness of the Emblem Frames are determined by the mental states of each pilot. Your job as the commander is to basically make nice with them or else their performance will suffer. This leads me to one of the more unique aspects of Galaxy Angel, the gameplay.
The Gameplay


(Combat Inaction)
The gameplay is pretty basic but it works. After every mission you briefing you give the Angels their orders and they engage in ship to ship combat. Each Emblem Frames have their own special advantages and weakness. For example the Kung Fu Fighter is the fastest but has the weakest shields while the Happy Trigger is the slowest but with the most firepower. Each ship also has a special ability that can be used effectively once a certain bar is filled up. When it does you can give the Frame a command and they will use it against the enemy. (The only one that does not is the Harvester, Vanillas special attack heals all the of the Frames.) Like I said before the gameplay is very bare bones though they often throw some new elements in play like stronger enemy types or more complicated objectives. There is one last ship that I have yet to bring up which is the Elsior, which is another piece of lost technology and the flagship that everyone resides in. It has extremely weak firepower though it mostly makes up with that by having the power to completely heal each Angel Frame. It's poor combat effectiveness and slow speed is easily the most annoying parts in the game. With it's awful firepower it is always advisable to keep it way out of enemy range. While that may be easy enough at first there are several missions when you must escort it through enemy lines which can be incredibly frustrating. The graphics also reflect the fact that this Visual Novel was released in 2002 so don't go expecting that much in that way. Still, the battles can be very thrilling at times and I think it would be quite a loss if the gameplay was not present. The later games really improved the mechanics quite a bit while keeping to the core concept. The second aspect of the game is moving around the Elsior and talking with the crew. This improves the relationship and combat effectiveness. It's pretty basic stuff and it is real easy to see just how each angel thinks of you.

(Oh yeah did I mention that this is all determined by a telepathic space whale?)
Final Thoughts
What can I say Galaxy Angel is still one of my favorite Visual Novels and I have a great deal of affection for it. It might not have the most compelling of stories, but it does something extremely well and that is make you feel invested with the characters. It can be pretty powerful stuff when they start to actually like and trust you. This is the first part of a great trilogy and it serves as a wonderful jumping off point. The only problem with the game is that since it was released in 2002 it is quite difficult to get working on modern computers. Despite that setback I would really recommend checking out. You might come to love it too.

(Love Autopsy)
The Setup
Way back when I was in High School I thought I knew what I was going to be. I was destined to become a Lawyer and have my own firm. Now, almost ten years later I look at the wreckage my life has become and say; "Boy, what was I thinking?" Asuka Osachi has similar lofty goals for what she wants to do; she wants to be a Nurse. The former Jellyfish Club President found a book that she once loved as a child and written on the back is a declaration from the past. "I want to be a Nurse!" While most people would pass it off as a passing fancy, a sort of memento from the dreams of childhood. A time when things were hopeful, sweet, pure, instead of cold, bleak, and grey. Not our Auska! She takes it as a rallying cry from the past, a call to arms! Even though she has no idea why she wrote that down so long ago she is determined to become one. Which is weird isn't it? I mean my brother wanted to be a hobo when he was a kid! Can you imagine that? My brother, decides on pursing a life of vagrancy and hardship because that was his childhood dream. What I'm trying to say is that children are stupid and the purity of their dreams don't always make for advisable career options. Auska, who is a complete moron still manages to get over her first hurtle and is accepted into the prestigious Teito Nursing Academy. At her side is her ride-or-die, self titled sweet sister Nao Osachi who is determined to follow after her older sister and her stupid goal. There at the Nursing School our heroes will encounter many strange characters and face many trials. Auska just might obtain her childhood dream but she might find something else, something she was not expecting, something called, love.
The Characters

(From right to left Nao, Auska, Sakuya, Itsuki)
So like I said before you are playing Auska who is a huge airhead and general goofball. At first I wasn't sure quite what to think of her. I thought she was going to be so ditsy and air-headed that she would launch into the sky. Thankfully, she was not nearly that bad and she really grew on me as the story progressed. I also like that she was at least slightly self aware and capable of some form of rational thought. That's a big plus in my book. She ended up surprising me and made for a great protagonist.
Next up is your little sister Nao and if I had to have a favorite character I think it would be her. She is almost attached to the Auska's hip and has followed her all the way to a nursing school. Now that's dedication! She is the epitome of the adorable sister that you never knew you wanted, but what I really liked most about her were the glimpses of a different side of Nao. Such as when she would tell a ghost story, or when her delinquent past is uncovered. Those different parts really made for a great character. Just, try and stay on her good side. Okay?
Coming in third is Sakuya who is voiced by the lovely Tamura Yukari is also a easy favorite of mine. I adored Tamura's voice in Galaxy Angel so it was a pleasant surprise to hear her here. At first Sakuya comes across as having a haughty princess like personality but as the story progresses she starts to show a much gentler side. She does still retain her biting personality though, thankfully. I liked  watching the bond between the two characters grow. Sakuya is also really good at giving hugs.
Arriving in fourth is Itsuki and frankly she took a while for me to start liking her. I can't exactly put a finger on why but maybe it had to do with how secretive and horrendously vague she can be at times. Maybe it's just because she wears glasses. In any case, eventually her manipulative personality won me over and by the end of her route I just wanted to eat her up.
Last but certainly not least is Kaede your teacher. She is your nursing instructor and the person you want to become. She is poised, confident, and reportedly turned down the prestigious Nightingale Award. She has a unexpectedly really adorable side to her and her route is pure cuteness.

(How dare you make me feel things!)
The Story
One of the things I liked most about the story was the setting. Teito Nursing Academy was such a departure from the typical setting that I'm used to. There was evident care in making sure that this didn't become just a school life simulator. Nursing School is hard and incredibly focused and I like how real they made that aspect feel. Auska learns first hand just how hard it is when she struggles just to learn how to specially make a bed. It seemed very real to me. Of course when the characters routes take off the nursing school aspect understandably takes a backseat but it was nice to have while it was there. I also really loved how the yuri was handled in this Visual Novel. Specifically, I like how they did not treat the fact that two girls could love each other as anything strange or weird. Which was nice because a lot of times it's something that the story draws a lot of attention towards. Here, it's treated as a natural thing which I really appreciated. Each route is very different and well crafted and takes the story in many varied and often unpredictable directions.
My Two Cents
Overall, I loved it. I enjoyed the story, tone, characters, atmosphere, the whole kit and kaboodle. Nurse Love Addiction truly surprised me and in the best way possible. If I were to give it a score I would give it a high 8 because I had a excellent time with it all the way through. I would recommend this to anyone regardless if you are a yuri fan or not. it's just a good story and I'm sure you will enjoy it. Oh and one last thing..

(Love Autopsy)
The Setup
Way back when I was in High School I thought I knew what I was going to be. I was destined to become a Lawyer and have my own firm. Now, almost ten years later I look at the wreckage my life has become and say; "Boy, what was I thinking?" Asuka Osachi has similar lofty goals for what she wants to do; she wants to be a Nurse. The former Jellyfish Club President found a book that she once loved as a child and written on the back is a declaration from the past. "I want to be a Nurse!" While most people would pass it off as a passing fancy, a sort of memento from the dreams of childhood. A time when things were hopeful, sweet, pure, instead of cold, bleak, and grey. Not our Auska! She takes it as a rallying cry from the past, a call to arms! Even though she has no idea why she wrote that down so long ago she is determined to become one. Which is weird isn't it? I mean my brother wanted to be a hobo when he was a kid! Can you imagine that? My brother, decides on pursing a life of vagrancy and hardship because that was his childhood dream. What I'm trying to say is that children are stupid and the purity of their dreams don't always make for advisable career options. Auska, who is a complete moron still manages to get over her first hurtle and is accepted into the prestigious Teito Nursing Academy. At her side is her ride-or-die, self titled sweet sister Nao Osachi who is determined to follow after her older sister and her stupid goal. There at the Nursing School our heroes will encounter many strange characters and face many trials. Auska just might obtain her childhood dream but she might find something else, something she was not expecting, something called, love.
The Characters

(From right to left Nao, Auska, Sakuya, Itsuki)
So like I said before you are playing Auska who is a huge airhead and general goofball. At first I wasn't sure quite what to think of her. I thought she was going to be so ditsy and air-headed that she would launch into the sky. Thankfully, she was not nearly that bad and she really grew on me as the story progressed. I also like that she was at least slightly self aware and capable of some form of rational thought. That's a big plus in my book. She ended up surprising me and made for a great protagonist.
Next up is your little sister Nao and if I had to have a favorite character I think it would be her. She is almost attached to the Auska's hip and has followed her all the way to a nursing school. Now that's dedication! She is the epitome of the adorable sister that you never knew you wanted, but what I really liked most about her were the glimpses of a different side of Nao. Such as when she would tell a ghost story, or when her delinquent past is uncovered. Those different parts really made for a great character. Just, try and stay on her good side. Okay?
Coming in third is Sakuya who is voiced by the lovely Tamura Yukari is also a easy favorite of mine. I adored Tamura's voice in Galaxy Angel so it was a pleasant surprise to hear her here. At first Sakuya comes across as having a haughty princess like personality but as the story progresses she starts to show a much gentler side. She does still retain her biting personality though, thankfully. I liked  watching the bond between the two characters grow. Sakuya is also really good at giving hugs.
Arriving in fourth is Itsuki and frankly she took a while for me to start liking her. I can't exactly put a finger on why but maybe it had to do with how secretive and horrendously vague she can be at times. Maybe it's just because she wears glasses. In any case, eventually her manipulative personality won me over and by the end of her route I just wanted to eat her up.
Last but certainly not least is Kaede your teacher. She is your nursing instructor and the person you want to become. She is poised, confident, and reportedly turned down the prestigious Nightingale Award. She has a unexpectedly really adorable side to her and her route is pure cuteness.

(How dare you make me feel things!)
The Story
One of the things I liked most about the story was the setting. Teito Nursing Academy was such a departure from the typical setting that I'm used to. There was evident care in making sure that this didn't become just a school life simulator. Nursing School is hard and incredibly focused and I like how real they made that aspect feel. Auska learns first hand just how hard it is when she struggles just to learn how to specially make a bed. It seemed very real to me. Of course when the characters routes take off the nursing school aspect understandably takes a backseat but it was nice to have while it was there. I also really loved how the yuri was handled in this Visual Novel. Specifically, I like how they did not treat the fact that two girls could love each other as anything strange or weird. Which was nice because a lot of times it's something that the story draws a lot of attention towards. Here, it's treated as a natural thing which I really appreciated. Each route is very different and well crafted and takes the story in many varied and often unpredictable directions.
My Two Cents
Overall, I loved it. I enjoyed the story, tone, characters, atmosphere, the whole kit and kaboodle. Nurse Love Addiction truly surprised me and in the best way possible. If I were to give it a score I would give it a high 8 because I had a excellent time with it all the way through. I would recommend this to anyone regardless if you are a yuri fan or not. it's just a good story and I'm sure you will enjoy it. Oh and one last thing..

(Love Autopsy)
The Setup
Way back when I was in High School I thought I knew what I was going to be. I was destined to become a Lawyer and have my own firm. Now, almost ten years later I look at the wreckage my life has become and say; "Boy, what was I thinking?" Asuka Osachi has similar lofty goals for what she wants to do; she wants to be a Nurse. The former Jellyfish Club President found a book that she once loved as a child and written on the back is a declaration from the past. "I want to be a Nurse!" While most people would pass it off as a passing fancy, a sort of memento from the dreams of childhood. A time when things were hopeful, sweet, pure, instead of cold, bleak, and grey. Not our Auska! She takes it as a rallying cry from the past, a call to arms! Even though she has no idea why she wrote that down so long ago she is determined to become one. Which is weird isn't it? I mean my brother wanted to be a hobo when he was a kid! Can you imagine that? My brother, decides on pursing a life of vagrancy and hardship because that was his childhood dream. What I'm trying to say is that children are stupid and the purity of their dreams don't always make for advisable career options. Auska, who is a complete moron still manages to get over her first hurtle and is accepted into the prestigious Teito Nursing Academy. At her side is her ride-or-die, self titled sweet sister Nao Osachi who is determined to follow after her older sister and her stupid goal. There at the Nursing School our heroes will encounter many strange characters and face many trials. Auska just might obtain her childhood dream but she might find something else, something she was not expecting, something called, love.
The Characters

(From right to left Nao, Auska, Sakuya, Itsuki)
So like I said before you are playing Auska who is a huge airhead and general goofball. At first I wasn't sure quite what to think of her. I thought she was going to be so ditsy and air-headed that she would launch into the sky. Thankfully, she was not nearly that bad and she really grew on me as the story progressed. I also like that she was at least slightly self aware and capable of some form of rational thought. That's a big plus in my book. She ended up surprising me and made for a great protagonist.
Next up is your little sister Nao and if I had to have a favorite character I think it would be her. She is almost attached to the Auska's hip and has followed her all the way to a nursing school. Now that's dedication! She is the epitome of the adorable sister that you never knew you wanted, but what I really liked most about her were the glimpses of a different side of Nao. Such as when she would tell a ghost story, or when her delinquent past is uncovered. Those different parts really made for a great character. Just, try and stay on her good side. Okay?
Coming in third is Sakuya who is voiced by the lovely Tamura Yukari is also a easy favorite of mine. I adored Tamura's voice in Galaxy Angel so it was a pleasant surprise to hear her here. At first Sakuya comes across as having a haughty princess like personality but as the story progresses she starts to show a much gentler side. She does still retain her biting personality though, thankfully. I liked  watching the bond between the two characters grow. Sakuya is also really good at giving hugs.
Arriving in fourth is Itsuki and frankly she took a while for me to start liking her. I can't exactly put a finger on why but maybe it had to do with how secretive and horrendously vague she can be at times. Maybe it's just because she wears glasses. In any case, eventually her manipulative personality won me over and by the end of her route I just wanted to eat her up.
Last but certainly not least is Kaede your teacher. She is your nursing instructor and the person you want to become. She is poised, confident, and reportedly turned down the prestigious Nightingale Award. She has a unexpectedly really adorable side to her and her route is pure cuteness.

(How dare you make me feel things!)
The Story
One of the things I liked most about the story was the setting. Teito Nursing Academy was such a departure from the typical setting that I'm used to. There was evident care in making sure that this didn't become just a school life simulator. Nursing School is hard and incredibly focused and I like how real they made that aspect feel. Auska learns first hand just how hard it is when she struggles just to learn how to specially make a bed. It seemed very real to me. Of course when the characters routes take off the nursing school aspect understandably takes a backseat but it was nice to have while it was there. I also really loved how the yuri was handled in this Visual Novel. Specifically, I like how they did not treat the fact that two girls could love each other as anything strange or weird. Which was nice because a lot of times it's something that the story draws a lot of attention towards. Here, it's treated as a natural thing which I really appreciated. Each route is very different and well crafted and takes the story in many varied and often unpredictable directions.
My Two Cents
Overall, I loved it. I enjoyed the story, tone, characters, atmosphere, the whole kit and kaboodle. Nurse Love Addiction truly surprised me and in the best way possible. If I were to give it a score I would give it a high 8 because I had a excellent time with it all the way through. I would recommend this to anyone regardless if you are a yuri fan or not. it's just a good story and I'm sure you will enjoy it. Oh and one last thing..

(Love Autopsy)
The Setup
Way back when I was in High School I thought I knew what I was going to be. I was destined to become a Lawyer and have my own firm. Now, almost ten years later I look at the wreckage my life has become and say; "Boy, what was I thinking?" Asuka Osachi has similar lofty goals for what she wants to do; she wants to be a Nurse. The former Jellyfish Club President found a book that she once loved as a child and written on the back is a declaration from the past. "I want to be a Nurse!" While most people would pass it off as a passing fancy, a sort of memento from the dreams of childhood. A time when things were hopeful, sweet, pure, instead of cold, bleak, and grey. Not our Auska! She takes it as a rallying cry from the past, a call to arms! Even though she has no idea why she wrote that down so long ago she is determined to become one. Which is weird isn't it? I mean my brother wanted to be a hobo when he was a kid! Can you imagine that? My brother, decides on pursing a life of vagrancy and hardship because that was his childhood dream. What I'm trying to say is that children are stupid and the purity of their dreams don't always make for advisable career options. Auska, who is a complete moron still manages to get over her first hurtle and is accepted into the prestigious Teito Nursing Academy. At her side is her ride-or-die, self titled sweet sister Nao Osachi who is determined to follow after her older sister and her stupid goal. There at the Nursing School our heroes will encounter many strange characters and face many trials. Auska just might obtain her childhood dream but she might find something else, something she was not expecting, something called, love.
The Characters

(From right to left Nao, Auska, Sakuya, Itsuki)
So like I said before you are playing Auska who is a huge airhead and general goofball. At first I wasn't sure quite what to think of her. I thought she was going to be so ditsy and air-headed that she would launch into the sky. Thankfully, she was not nearly that bad and she really grew on me as the story progressed. I also like that she was at least slightly self aware and capable of some form of rational thought. That's a big plus in my book. She ended up surprising me and made for a great protagonist.
Next up is your little sister Nao and if I had to have a favorite character I think it would be her. She is almost attached to the Auska's hip and has followed her all the way to a nursing school. Now that's dedication! She is the epitome of the adorable sister that you never knew you wanted, but what I really liked most about her were the glimpses of a different side of Nao. Such as when she would tell a ghost story, or when her delinquent past is uncovered. Those different parts really made for a great character. Just, try and stay on her good side. Okay?
Coming in third is Sakuya who is voiced by the lovely Tamura Yukari is also a easy favorite of mine. I adored Tamura's voice in Galaxy Angel so it was a pleasant surprise to hear her here. At first Sakuya comes across as having a haughty princess like personality but as the story progresses she starts to show a much gentler side. She does still retain her biting personality though, thankfully. I liked  watching the bond between the two characters grow. Sakuya is also really good at giving hugs.
Arriving in fourth is Itsuki and frankly she took a while for me to start liking her. I can't exactly put a finger on why but maybe it had to do with how secretive and horrendously vague she can be at times. Maybe it's just because she wears glasses. In any case, eventually her manipulative personality won me over and by the end of her route I just wanted to eat her up.
Last but certainly not least is Kaede your teacher. She is your nursing instructor and the person you want to become. She is poised, confident, and reportedly turned down the prestigious Nightingale Award. She has a unexpectedly really adorable side to her and her route is pure cuteness.

(How dare you make me feel things!)
The Story
One of the things I liked most about the story was the setting. Teito Nursing Academy was such a departure from the typical setting that I'm used to. There was evident care in making sure that this didn't become just a school life simulator. Nursing School is hard and incredibly focused and I like how real they made that aspect feel. Auska learns first hand just how hard it is when she struggles just to learn how to specially make a bed. It seemed very real to me. Of course when the characters routes take off the nursing school aspect understandably takes a backseat but it was nice to have while it was there. I also really loved how the yuri was handled in this Visual Novel. Specifically, I like how they did not treat the fact that two girls could love each other as anything strange or weird. Which was nice because a lot of times it's something that the story draws a lot of attention towards. Here, it's treated as a natural thing which I really appreciated. Each route is very different and well crafted and takes the story in many varied and often unpredictable directions.
My Two Cents
Overall, I loved it. I enjoyed the story, tone, characters, atmosphere, the whole kit and kaboodle. Nurse Love Addiction truly surprised me and in the best way possible. If I were to give it a score I would give it a high 8 because I had a excellent time with it all the way through. I would recommend this to anyone regardless if you are a yuri fan or not. it's just a good story and I'm sure you will enjoy it. Oh and one last thing..

Villains have always fascinated me for as long as I can remember. Maybe it was the way they operated, the way they moved. Their goals always so divergent from the heroes or so eerily similar that it made you question who you were really rooting for. Almost every story has em' or inserts something to take their place, such as society, nature etc. A villain right can give you someone to really root against, or for if you are so inclined. They can drive the story along like no other and pull the hero into the most strenuous and exacting endeavors. A villain done wrong however, can have all the impact of a wet fart in a scorching plain. What makes a good villain? I think a good villain is made up of five things appearance, presence, voice, power, and goal. I think these are essential for a villain to work in a story. Without these traits you might as well just drag up from the earth your cliche mustache twirling villain and prop him up for all to see. So without further ado here are my favorite villains and why. This isn't a comprehensive list and the order is nonessential.
1. Slade

Slade was a incredible villain and he is essential to why I still count Teen Titans as one of my favorite shows. He had everything I wanted in a villain. What I most loved about him was voice, power, and presence. First off was his voice, Ron Perlman did a amazing job with the voice of Slade. He lent Slade a voice of menace and absolute confidence that broke time and time again upon the Titans backs. His power to was impressive. He could go toe to toe with any of the Titans and beat them and it took all of their power to stop them. His presence was also incredible he dominated every single scene that he was in without question.
2. The Joker

Joker is the perfect villain and I think he shines the brightest in the animated series. He is a perfect counter to Batman in every way and is the absolute opposite of everything that he wants to protect. I like the animated Joker the best simply because of Mark Hamil. I truly believe that voicing him is the best thing that he has ever done.
3. Vernon Schillinger (OZ)

Schillinger easily represents everything I detest in a person. He's an out and out Nazi, and as cold and callous as they come. Yet it was his detestable nature that made him such a good villain. In a show that's known for it's brutality he was easily the most vicious. What really made me like him was the brief glimpses of something resembling humanity that he would show. To this day it is hard to look at JK Simmons and not see Schillinger, no matter how many goofy Dads he plays.
4.Frank (Once Upon a Time in the West)

In the movie this is how Frank is first introduced it's such a brilliant and brutal scene that really impacted me
This early act of callous cruelty gives him a malignant presence in every scene he is in. He's completely willing to do anything and everything to get what he wants. Henry Fonda gives him a air of quiet detachment and a sense of invincibility.
5. Perfect Cell

I love Perfect Cell because he is such a amazing antagonist. He has the abilities and weaknesses of all the greatest warriors. He is confident and arrogant without overdoing it. So many villains like him are just over the top that it just becomes laughable. It was great to see him evolve from his imperfect state to his perfect one. I also like that his goal was simply to find a worthy opponent to test his power on.
6. Mr. Dark (Something Wicked This Way Comes)

Mr. Dark is another good villain that is so understated and yet so powerful. He operates a carnival that promises people their deepest wishes and feeds on them. Jonathan Pryce does an amazing job of giving him such a threatening edge with just a few words.
7. Cluny the Scourge

Now Redwall had a lot of great villains but Cluny is always going to be my favorite of them all. He is such a perfect adversary he is ruthless but also clever, brutal yet cunning. His mere presence inspired instant fear and his drive inspired hundreds.
8. Kirei Kotomine

Kotomine was a perfect villain in Fate/Stay night and a great foil for Shirou. What really made him a great villain in my eyes was seeing his corruption in Fate/Zero. I also like that he sought the grail for the shear curiosity of what it would spawn.
9. Maou

Maou is a great antagonist because he is constantly two steps ahead of everyone. He has plans within plans and he sets himself up as the adversary of Haru just for the shear joy of it.
10. Jack Of Blades (Fable)

Jack Of Blades is one of my favorite villains simply because of his appearance and voice. That alone makes him such a menacing villain. I also loved the mystery behind his mask and background. Who was he before he found the mask? That question goes unanswered witch makes the allure of him all the more powerful.
Well that's all the villains I can think of at the moment I will probably add to it later. What are your favorite villains? Let me know!