cherie

In this house, we love Shanao

Gasp, I still have the otome heart inside me! It's been a while since I finished an otome game so this was really a nice surprise from myself. My laptop broke so I thought it would be nice to finally work through my backlog while waiting for repair, and I ended up running through the game because I was so engrossed in it, I swear this game had me on a chokehold the entire week.

Honestly I really intended this writeup to be some sort of a game review but then halfway through the game, the notes I've been writing are insanely self-indulgent that no way it'll be a 'review' in of itself LOL So I decided to call this a 'playthrough log' and thus I let go of my dream of being sent a review copy from the publishers (as if that would ever happen :P).

Small disclaimer, this post is not without spoilers but I tried my best to phrase stuff as mildly as possible. Unfortunately I won't be able to tag some CGs as a spoiler;; so SPOILERS AHEADDD BEWARE!! Now that's out of the way, I'll head straight into my ramblings.

Art and Characters

My main motivations in playing an otome game are mainly the voice actors and the art so I'd like them to list them here first.

• Shanao/Yoshitsune (default name) Kuro Minamoto - The heroine of the game. Yes, she has two names! The name you'll input at the start will be her 'true' name after undergoing a Genpuku ceremony but I like calling her more as Shanao.
• Noritsune Taira - CV Kengo Kawanishi; other roles as Aventurine (Honkai: Star Rail), Harumi Makino (Lover Pretend), Rosho Tsutsujimori (Hypnosis Mic)
• Benkei Moritsubo - CV Umehara Yuichiro; other roles as Alhaitham (Genshin Impact), Keito Hasumi (Ensemble Stars), Canus Espada (Cafe Enchante)
• Shungen - CV Soma Saito; other roles as Ohtaro (Winter's Wish), Mineo Enomoto (Collar x Malice), Yves (Virche Evermore)
• Yoritomo Minamoto - CV Makoto Furukawa; other roles as Kazuma Kamikubo (Lover Pretend), Gepard Landau (Honkai: Star Rail), Allan Merville (Cupid Parasite)
• Tomomori Taira - CV Fukuyama Jun; other roles as Vyn Richter (Tears of Themis), Mozu (Bustafellows), Yanagi Yousuke (Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side 4th Heart)

Whew, what a stacked cast. I got 5/5 in my seiyuu checklist so it's no brainer that I give this one a try. I wish Shanao had a CV as well, I'd give anything to hear her battlecries! ;_;

Art is by Kouji Haneda and upon searching this is the only game they've illustrated for so far. I love the art style for the sprites so much. I also appreciate that they gave Shanao so much variety in her sprites huehue (*￣▽￣)b This should already be a foreshadowing of how doting I'll be when it comes to Shanao.

Common Route

We start off with an introduction of the main conflict of the game and that is the power struggle between clans Genji and Heike. Genji was utterly defeated by the last battle, with the only remaining legitimate Genji heir shun to exile. Our heroine, Shanao, is an heir of Genji but she's currently hiding and training in Kurama Temple, hoping to reclaim her identity as a rightful heir while pretending to be a man because that's what she has known all her life. Immediately we get the impression that Shanao knows her stuff with the blade and she has a really strong personality.

The common route is pretty short, it consists of 3 chapters-ish before it branches out to each specific route. Shanao can end up with 3 Genji bois and 2 Heike bois so some routes divert from the common route quite early. Each LI were introduced here and kind of laid down the groundwork what their routes would be like... besides Yoritomo lol He's practically almost absent in the common route but it actually made me more curious what he's like. Here we also see that Shanao has some supernatural power when her emotions are heightened drastically that she herself isn't aware of.

Also! The common route has two variations. Depending on the choices early on, there will be a common route where Tomomori is insanely obssessed with Shanao and another where... he doesn't bother her as much LOL I just think it's funny when I think about how other LIs routes are influenced by Tomomori (he's everywhere).

The recommended order by the developers themselves are Noritsune → Benkei → Shungen → Yoritomo → Tomomori, so I followed that. I was even confused cuz I thought Yoritomo would be the 'true' ending and wym Shanao will actually end up with someone as insane as Tomomori but that's another mystery to unravel. Okay, another disclaimer on what I mean by 'true' ending, that's just something I made up LOL Whenever I play otome games I always assume the recommended route will be the 'true' ending because that should be the one where everything will be cleared up. Or sometimes I just assume whoever's the poster boy would be the 'true' ending. I know this kind of mindset is actually way too outdated lmfaoo my age is showing.

Noritsune Taira

• TIL that he's voiced by Aventurine's VA... i'm going to kermit..
• I love how much they respect each other as warriors, and how even despite the distance, they're motivated by each other
• THIS IS LIKE,,, MY DREAM ROUTE??? wym the LI respects the heroine for her skills
• Nightshade kinda found dead in a ditch
• Tomomori to Noritsune: i know what you are

This route literally had me kicking my feet in the air, giggling with that short afterstory. I never wanted to bang my head on the wall during those romantic scenes because kgdfjkgnd everything is just so perfect. I like how this route had one goal and they reach that in the ending, even with all the hindrances between them. This is peak enemies-to-lovers I tell you!! I fear I played the best route of the game right off the bat LOL ngl I kind of feel unmotivated to do the other routes now, but I'm still curious about the other Taira aniue because he was actually chummy with Shanao in this route while acting as their wingman.

I especially loved that the character and romance development flowed so naturally. Shanao has guts here and she wasn't afraid to do what she wants. My favorite part is their final fight at Danmoura and the monologue leading up to their duel was so UGHH good, so emoi; it all came full circle!

I cheered everytime Noritsune emphasizes that he doesn't care whether Shanao is a man or a woman. To him, Shanao is a warrior worthy of his respect and all he hopes is to be her equal. And when he tells Tomomori he doesn't have to worry about protecting her because he knows she can handle herself and instead he trusts her more than anyone to have his back WFTWFWTF i'm exploding

But still, I understood why he's the first route to play because there were plenty of loose ends plot-wise, which also makes sense because Shanao left her Genji identity behind after everything was done and all this time she hopes to only live normally because she's had enough of following her pre-determined fate as an heir to her clan. Yoritomo's cameo barely scratched the surface here so I still couldn't tell what his personality is like, besides him being nonchalant towards Shanao. But still, I enjoyed this route so much I couldn't put it down. Everything is just so perfect I want to wipe my memories and play it all over again and scream in dokidoki.

• Natural character and romance development. It wasn't slowburn per se but they took the time to flesh out Noritsune and Shanao's rivalry blossoming to romance kyaaaa
• They left the fluff in the short story after credits and omfff it was worth the wait.
• Can't help but to root for Shanao here!! I love her so much
• She's away from her vassals which I think actually helped her grow more
• Heike reign falls from power so you get to see a different perspective

• Shungen and Benkei pissed me off here LMOA They kept babying Shanao and saying like it's dangerous blahblah; shut up and let her be with Noritsune!!! See, this is such a stark comparison with Noritsune where he's happy to fight alongside Shanao because he respects her as a warrior like himself... I don't feel like playing their routes anymore zzzz
• You'll play the best route first and you'll lose motivation to play other routes lolol

I have no words that'll describe my feelings more accurately so anyone who's reading will have to find it out themselves! ;A;

Benkei Moritsubo

• is this a pregame to tomomori's route lmfaooa I'M MORE INVESTED IN HIM THAN BENKEI AND ITS ONLY CH2
• shanao is very very insecure in this route and it pains me to see her this way!! noooo bbygirl this isn't you ;__;

What the fuck is this route omg it was so painful to go through... Uhm I actually skimmed through the last few chapters LOLL The only thing that interested me was the lore drop that Shanao is possibly related to Heike.

Okay, before I rant, lemme preface I'm aware I'm not the target audience for this kind of route. It's basically the most cliche vassal-lord trope and it was too sweet for my taste. I was literally cringing at some of the lines, the final battle made no fucking sense and they go all 'the power of love' in front of Tomomori lmaooo

What I hated here the most is how they dumbed down Shanao's personality and character development. Coming from Noritsune's route, it was such a big disappointment for me. Instead, she became highly reliant on Benkei and his himbo-ness, and it annoyed me so much omfff She was completely useless with her vassals because they always stop her from doing anything, everything is 'dangerous' to them it seems LOL

I also didn't like the instant love trope. There was literally no build-up, just a bunch of cute and fluffy scenes tied together from chapters 3-5 then bam, Shanao is already in love with Benkei for some reason??? whuutt

Tomomori and Shigehira definitely carried this route LOL They were just there to cause chaos and that's way more interesting than just... Benkei being overprotective of Shanao lol Tomomori was crazy af for her which just made me look forward more to his route. Both of them made everything absurd and interesting. Without them I would've probably slept through the route loool

When Shanao was captured by Shigehira (of course there should be a damsel in distress part (￣□￣」)). it was finally time to give her some guts because surprise Benkei wasn't there "protect her" bffr

Chapters 3-10... 7 chapters of Benkei spoiling Shanao and treating her as someone who needs to be protected. Ooommggg it was just grating af and nothing was literally happening. By Chapter 11, Benkei finally realizes Shanao isn't someone to be protected like, GIRL you just figured it out? Your route is almost done! Also annoyed me that he lied to Shanao about the current situation in Kyoto under Yoshinaga's rule to "make her happy" because he doesn't want her to fight anymore, bruh. It annoyed me even more that she just let it slip past her lol!

• Actual lore drop! Yay! This is the only reason I played through this route so it's not like I wasted my 5 hours lol
• They left the fluff in the short story after credits and omfff it was worth the wait.
• Tomomori and Shigehira's antics and their unhealthy obssession with Shanao was way more interesting than Benkei's one-dimensional loyalty. We got more development with Tomomori than,, hello? the actual LI of the route?
• Yoritomo had 10 more lines than the previous route

• I fell asleep twice while playing (￣ρ￣).. If it weren't for the autoplay and instant text speed I would've taken another break from playing loool
• Idk I just felt uncomfortable the whole time I wanted it to be over as soon as possible so I turned off my brain by Chapter 10
• This route was riddled with errors, both translation and localization... sigh. Who tf was in charge of Tomomori's lines here?? They were all so bad and... amateur?

I'm a bit skeptic with Shungen's route but? I have faith! lol Just one more route until Yoritomooooo. I'm really curious about him because he seems like an important person in Shanao's life, he's even one of the poster boys! But we rarely see any of him besides playing the kuudere role he's assigned with. Well, at least I know Tomomori is insane lol I can't wait!

Shungen

• i'm taking a shot everytime shungen reminds shanao that she's a woman!! she's weak!! im kms
• this is basically Required Reading for Yoritomo's route because... they need to clarify that Yoritomo's route is definitely NOT what we're all thinking LMAO

Okay, this wasn't as bad as I expected? At least it was bearable than Benkei... More lore was dropped and yeah they definitely have to do this before Yoritomo's route because they need to clarify some things LOL. The romance was also... okay? It just gave me the heebie-jibbies when Shungen himself would creep over how beautiful Shanao is, especially when she dressed and carried herself as a woman that even Shanao herself would be uncomfy lol

It's so funny that the game was self aware that Shungen was being overprotective of Shanao but idk they didn't elaborate on that further. I swear Yoritomo is the only sensible one here lol but! I appreciate that their relationship was more on supporting each other than Shanao being protective when all this time she's stronger than they assumed her to be.

This route takes on a different approach on the timeline of battles so it was refreshing to read through the same battles I've read these past few days but in a different perspective or strategy. I also like that further into the story, they fought alongside each other and they trusted each other's instincts in battle. Shungen proved his skills with and without Shanao and they complemented each other.

I was surprised with the sudden yandere undertone towards the end but it seems like only fanservice so it didn't bother me that much. The last chapter was definitely rushed, it's like the writers want to be done with the route as soon as possible since they already laid out the foundation for the poster boys loool so they made everything too convenienct during the Danmoura battle with a little bit of shock factor sprinkled in. I literally thought I got another bad end right until the credits rolled.

• More lore drop! Yay! I'm getting the impression that Yoritomo's route will be more history-focus while Tomomori's route will be more... batshit crazy with the fantasy elements. I did see the 'foreshadowing' from miles away but the way it was revealed didn't feel too forced and the cast handled the plot twist well.
• Actual Yoritomo involvement?! ∑(O_O;) He was present for half of the route and we finally see what his personality is like. They still made him as mysterious as possible, as if luring you to his route with curiosity...
• In an unbiased point of view, the romance was actually good. You can never go wrong with childhood friends trope. Despite being together their whole life, they still developed throughout the story, influenced by one another. But! I'm biased af so I didn't feel as much doki because he just didn't seem like my type lol
• Shanao is very likeable and reasonable here! I liked her reaction for the 'twist', she handled it quite realistically and she came to accept it well. I wanted to have more angst about the whole identity thing but the writers were rushing because it's only 12 chapters lol

• Shungen couldn't stop reminding Shanao that she's a woman!! she'll be preyed upon by men! He, a man, will protect her instead!!
• Very rushed ending, but meh, we didn't come here in this route to tie loose ends of the plot... yet

This route was... okay? I have a lot of good things to say about it and I didn't have much qualms as well but also, it didn't make me feel anything so I just feel neutral with Shungen. I was just deadpan faced the whole time even while reading through the romantic scenes, compared to me banging my head on the wall (figuratively and lovingly) on Noritsune's route LOL Anyway, we're finally at the main events! Yoritomo, show me the kuudere that you are!

Wait, actually I did feel something while playing through this route. I smiled so wide seeing Shanao in shirabyoshi clothing!! I love her so much! Look at her. Now!!

Yoritomo Minamoto

Holy fuck what a route gfkhgjk I'm probably going to be cancelled for this lmao but I thoroughly enjoyed this route despite the first few chapters. Of course, I'm going to admit that I was hella confused on the "sibling" thing going on. Like I know they really aren't siblings at all (Thanks Shungen route for clarifying that lmfao) but Shanao here was a total brocon, like it didn't really bother me but it just made me second-guess on what should I feel. Each chapter was long to flesh out the plot and they entirely deviated from the 'common' timeline we've seen from the previous chapters from the get-go. We see different battles in different places and Shanao was deeply involved in all of them, she was pretty much the Genji's MVP in every clashes all thanks to her mysterious powers.

Like she said in one of the dialogues, she's entirely self-motivated and I'm glad her actions did not contradict her words. She was willing and not afraid to push herself beyond her limits as a means for victory. Of course, she faltered in some scenes but she always comes out from internal conflicts due to her unwavering loyalty to Yoritomo and Genji as a whole.

The first half of the route was more on building the situation between Heike and Genji, and how Shanao is very doting towards Yoritomo as a younger 'brother'. We even see Yoritomo break his kuudere exterior for a second around her. I was super confused on what to feel because even though I already know for a fact that they aren't related, it still throws me off that even in internal dialogues Shanao calls him 'my brother' LOL But like her, I'm also very self-motivated so I pushed thru her brocon side because I know the Truth. I felt like I kept on being left on the edge because everyone and their mothers are saying they don't look alike at all and Tomomori being insane as usual about her having the same powers as him. By chapter 7 I was screaming to my screeen omfg when will you all reveal it to Shanao!! It did take a long time (by chapter 9 or 10?) but they did it in a more intense way? where the stakes were higher, compared to Shungen's route where it was casually dropped that lol Shanao you're not Genji btw. I just can't help but to see Tomomori as an interesting character because he just makes everything 'fun' whenever he appears in any route.

The romance in this route didn't hold back... as soon as it was explicitly and clearly said that Shanao isn't from Genji. Yoritomo did not hesitate a second longer (because he knew about Shanao's origins earlier than her) and right after the battle with the 'reveal', he broke away from his kuudere facade for her and we finally see that he's a poster boy for a reason :3c It is angsty at first because whew, he didn't exactly live a comfortable life at all compared to his Heike counterparts, but bit by bit Shanao came to learn more about him and he opens up to her. I do think the romance was *chef's kiss* just right, the flow of their relationship felt natural. Ofc we couldn't ignore how Shanao was hella brocon on this route but she also realized it that perhaps she didn't feel like herself because she never knew how to be around proper family since she was raised in Kurama since birth, and that she confused her feelings as something platonic when in facts that's not a Normal amount (as confirmed by Tadanobu) lmfao!

In battle, Yoritomo only saw her as a tool for victory. I love the theme of sacrificing everything in order to take down something as powerful as the tyrannical reign of Heike. It was emphasized repeatedly for a good reason, both Shanao and Yoritomo know this and hhhh I love how their roles reversed towards the end. I love her convinction here despite everything going against her, that's my girl!! It was also surprising at first when Yoritomo first saw her go on a rampage with her power and he actually didn't stop her gasp! Instead, he lets her be, saying it's a means for victory. Of course her vassals were pissed but I think? yeah about time we have an LI that doesn't baby her since Noritsune. Over the course of the rebellion, Yoritomo continues to trust her skill as a general in the army. UGH I wish we had a voice actor for Shanao, I'd give everything to hear her battle cries! Others saw it as him overworking her by giving her more critical roles in the battlefield but I love that this route didn't hold Shanao back on what she's really capable of. It does annoy me when her vassals baby her too much but I've come to accept that maybe the writers intended to make them like that so it'll emphasize Yoritomo's trust in her abilities. He always tells her he expects her to fight by his side, that he's counting on her, that she will protect him as he proclaims.

My favorite part has got to be the final battle in Danmoura and Yoritomo's monologue about Shanao while she fought tooth and nails against Tomomori because the soldiers didn't want to help her due to being a 'monster' omgogmg the man that you are!! I legit felt goosebumps because it was intense, and the voice acting amplified the scene!

• The writers didn't lie to us, they made sure to tread along the thin line of... you know LOL
• We see Shanao in her full element and I could gush about her strong personality and conviction all day long
• Yoritomo and Shanao complemented each other so well! The angst was sooooo good, really got me feeling emotional
• New battles and perspective in the Genji side so it's more engaging and refreshing to read through. This route is action-packed!
• The historical fiction and romance aspect were fairly balanced. I didn't have to sit through multiple scenes of info dumps for exposition

• Like I said multiple times, the first part really left me confused on what to feel lol! But tbh the latter part of the route really made up for it for me
• As usual with kuudere routes, it'll take a while to get to the fluffy parts but I say it's well worth the wait :")

The pain I went through Benkei and Shungen's route wasn't for nothing (crowd cheering). Makonyan did Yoritomo full justice and gkfjdgkjf I can't wait to hear more otome roles from him. Honestly if someone is iffy with Tomomori being a walking red flag and his unhealthy obssession with Shanao, this is a good place to stop I think? I think the only loose plot thread at this point is how tf Shanao got the same powers as Heike. Personally I can't wait to see how the writers will turn around this already structured plot just to avoid incest LOL cuz now we know that Shanao is definitely a Heike girlie. One more route and we're almost done!

Tomomori Taira

Okay wthrkjfwtffwtf I take back what I said, this route is a MUST! It's HHH so perfect. What is it with these Heike boys and their satisfying routes?! I'm. quite speechless after staring at the title screen as the last dialogue ended. Fukujun did an amazing performance as Tomomori! Up until now I was hesitant why would the devs recommend him as the final route to play, and now, now I know! omfg I can confidently say that this is actually the true ending for me. Where do I even start?!

As I went through the common route, I actually loved that the dialogue choices leading up to Tomomori's route made the most sense and something Shanao would most likely say. Out of curiosity I checked the info tab in the menu (I never used this feature because I always use a walkthrough) and it's funny how Shanao's knowledge is maxed, like tf u mean she's been making dumb choices all this time?! I'm jk, I love Shanao more than any other LI in this game but yeah I really felt like the dialogue choices were the most correct? most in-character of Shanao?

In the first part of the route, Shanao vehemently hates Tomomori's guts because y'know, he's a walking red flag but their first battle as Lake Biwa left a lasting impression on her that her mind kept on coming back to it. He reminded her that she'll be tied down to the Genji name, and asked her if that's what she really wants. I really like how Shanao put it, it's one thing that you have a predetermined destiny but it's a different story if you will follow it or carve a new path for yourself. From here on, the route begins to introduce fantasy elements to prepare us of what's to come (but nothing could've prepared myself for the stuff I was about to read in a few hours lmao!) Tomomori follows her in her dreams quite literally and they talk (read: Tomomori saying he wants to see Shanao bloodied in the battlefield so bad and Shanao going can you get out of my dreams?!!?) in that subconscious space. Why? How? They never elaborated LOL. As he said, he likes the chase and the more she resists the more he delights in it.

He was deeply obssessed with her, as far as commanding an entire army to fuck around just to deliver her a coral comb just as he promised her in that share dreamspace. Everything was the same; Tomomori doing Tomomori things, grass is green, water is wet. Until! in a heated battle while Shanao was yet on another rampage with her powers, she ended up 'killing' Tomomori. But sike! he got up fueled by nothing but sheer jealousy when he saw her with Yoritomo. Tomomori escaped with her, both of them wounded. Of course we're already on the last route so the mystery behind Shanao's power didn't drag on for too long. We immediately see more of the power of Heike like consuming one's spirit through touch like we've seen in the other routes. And so, in order for Shanao to better understand her powers so she wouldn't risk anyone in Genji should she go on a rampage again, she reluctantly agrees to travel with Tomomori back to Kyoto to learn more of its origins, and this is honestly the best part!!

I loved their banters so much and Shanao never fails to remind Tomomori that she's not having the greatest time being with her sworn enemy... for now :3c Now that I think about it, their travel to Kyoto all seemed like something I'd read in a fanfic and I say that lovingly; it was so funny and Shanao's retorts against Tomomori made me laugh, I was thriving on their banters fr. Along the way, she discovers his other side that he himself doesn't know and she acknowledges that okay, maybe he is messed up in the head but he's been geniune and sincere to her all this time, including that he actually cares for her and he also wants to know why she has the same powers as him.

I especially love how Tomomori can say the weirest lines affectionately towards Shanao and he somehow always gets away with it. He's truly the only one who can pull that stuff out of all LIs and I think that's why he's my favorite. Because anyone can say 'I want to see you smile' to her but no one but him can say 'I want to see you cry and smile only for me, covered in wounds and scars in the battlefield' and we'll be all like, yeah okay that's definitely something he would say lmao It's also so funny that she is surprised that he actually respects her space and doesn't cross her boundaries to make her feel uncomfortable, despite everything he's said to her prior to this lolol uGH so cute!

As expected, this route revealed everything about Shanao's origins... but also nothing? It definitely went wack once the fantasy elements were more involved in the plot. Fictional history-wise, we never get much of it here; I mean, we already had our fill with the previous four routes. This was more focused on this supernatural power which is understandable because we still don't know much about it until now. I'm honestly still confused with the Heike family tree at this point. Even after finishing the game I still don't know whose mother is who but I don't dare to look much into it, I still had a fun time regardless! It was definitely a rollercoaster ride, everything was unpredictable and idk it was just refreshing to read through it after reading over the same battles etcetc for four times now.

I think... another reason I loved this route so much is how Shanao is mostly away from her vassals so she's more free and she can actually think for herself which contributes so much to her character development. This also gave a lot of space to develop her and Tomomori's relationship which is so, so good. Yet another enemies-to-lovers done right!! kgjfdkg I swear these writers have a degree on this trope. The romance is so precious, it's a perfect balance of yearning and angst. I rate it a i-will-kms-(affectionate) out of 10. Whenever they meet again after being apart I just! jgkfhjkgh I love how they reach out for each other in the most yearning way as possible and I simply combust in feelings. The way they gave 'give me your hand' so much meaning... oh my heart.

• shanao really said 'i can fix him' and boy she did!

• Definitely lots of plotholes while also... tying loose threads? lmao but you know what I couldn't care less, I came here for the romance and I got more than what I expected

You might be thinking, Niki wdf I thought this is your fave route but there's only one pro and con. It's because I already said what I liked and didn't like in the other routes and this route just made everything better so I couldn't say more about it! lol I geniunely had a good time and I couldn't put my Switch down even if it's already 4AM LOLL

Conclusion

Whew! That's all I can think of. I must say, despite how annoyed I was at Benkei and Shungen's routes, the other three all made it up for it. The highs were so high up there while the lows were low for me LOL While I was playing the game, it honestly made me think about what rating I'll give it when everything's done, because it really made me feel everything on the emotional spectrum. But now that I finished it, I can honestly say now that this is a 9/10 for me. And before you get your pitchforks out, I know I've been dissing the game sometimes and I clearly didn't like some of the characters LOL But still, I had so much fun playing through the game and seeing everything my girl Shanao went through. The plot wasn't the cleanest but the romance in each routes still stood out to me, I feel like a Victorian child who just had a taste of spice for the first time. They all had a clear cut goal in the romance department, that's why by the ending, I can't help but to feel satsified because they always get where they wanted to be and they fought hard for it together. I mean, we all play otome games for the romance right?! So I cut the worldbuilding some slack and instead, rated it for what I felt during my playthrough.

What I hated in Benkei and Shungen's route made up for how much I love Shanao as a heroine, I just can't help but to root for her! I loved seeing her story unfold and seeing how she reacted to every twist and turn that comes her way. She literally moved the plot and nothing would've happened without her. She was, in the truest sense of the word, the heroine of the game.

I say it checked all my boxes for what I wanted in an otome game so despite my qualms, I only feel fondness for the game. I love love so much, and I felt a lot of love her. It's just that for some love that was shown here, I wasn't the target audience LOL I highly recommend this game and I feel it's actually underrated but really, I think I wouldn't find this kind of experience in another title.

Bonus section!

Here's a collection of screenshots of Shanao asking wtf is wrong with Tomomori that are unintentionally funny when I put these together. I love both of them so much!!