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I liked this a lot, even though it wasn't quite what I was expecting.
Content notes: Self destructive tendencies
I've already seen all of Yamato's short scenes etc, but I'm rewatching some to get myself in the right headspace.
Me: Recently I haven't felt much like playing any of the otome games I've started, has my enthusiasm for the genre waned?
Yamato: *is mildly tsundere*
Me: SWOON
It's very bittersweet seeing these scenes agin with more context. No wonder none of them like the sound of rain :( (Though Hikage says he doesn't mind the sound, just that it never seems to end. What with having listened to it for like...100 years...)
I'm rereading my summaries and trying to remember when I realised I'd been so distracted by Kagiha's yandere flags that I'd totally missed Hikage being an immortal serial killer. (EDIT: I noticed once he started cackling about murder. Good job, self)
Oooh, in the photo of baby!Kazuya in Chapter 3 he has a bandaid on his face where Hikage's moles are.
Hahaha I was so proud of myself for guessing that Kagiha was the Master. I hope you all find me being so bad at predicting plot-points amusing rather than annoying >.>
I forgot what an asshole Hikage is off his path. I mean he's an asshole on his path, too, but not quite so aggressively awful. Oh god, but rereading my summary of his path, Beniyuri says "when you say 'it will be ok', I believe you." JUST LIKE HIS SISTER DID. BEFORE SHE DIED.
Monshiroooo. It's so sad seeing him now, he needs a hug so bad ;_;
Ok! Reread done!
The path split occurs just after Beniyuri discovers Yamato in the greenhouse: while before she wondered what Monshiro's connection is to Yamato, this time she doesn't pry. So Monshiro doesn't become their nakama :(
Beniyuri brings Yamato various things to fill the time, including a soccer ball. He is endearingly happy to play with it and show off his skills.
Beniyuri: This brings back memories!
Yamato, who remembers his childhood as her jock friend: ...how so?
Beniyuri: It reminds me of playing with my dog!
Yamato: Hey >:(
Beniyuri: It's just that somehow you seem very familiar.
Yamato: ...hmm.
She is VERY BAD at soccer, and at first he's a bit of a dick about it, but then he shows her how to kick and they pass the ball back and forth cheerfully. He talks about how much more important her company is to him than any object she could bring and ahhh my heart.
She enjoys feeling so needed: since she didn't connect with Monshiro this time, she's the only company Yamato has.
I'm really tense that someone is going to notice her visiting him so often.
Karasuba notices her making way too many sandwiches and stares at her for a moment... before telling her she'll get fat. Screw you, Karasuba.
The screen did this cute tip-toe motion while Beniyuri was sneaking out. But alas! She's caught by Hikage!! For a moment she considers telling the truth, after all he is Yamato's brother ( *glares at Hikage* )...but instead is all "I lost something outside, I'm so clumsy haha".
Is he convinced?? Either way, he forbids her to go out alone when it's so dangerous.
We see Yamato, waiting.
Yamato: Beniyuri? Oh, it was a butterfly. ...what am I, a dog waiting for it's master to come home? >:( ...I miss her :(
Me: Awww
???: You expect to be forgiven for your crimes?
Me: AHHHHH
It's a deep, male voice. I think it's Yamato's self doubt, like with Beniyuri.
Days pass with Hikage making sure Beniyuri never gets out alone. Yamato is getting a bit unhinged without her, and shouts at the rain to shut up. And then he smiles at someone off-screen and says "Beniyuri! How long were you going to make me wait? I need to hear your voice..."
Elsewhere in the mansion, watched over by Kagiha, Beniyuri stops, feeling like she heard someone call her name. She feels like Yamato is calling to her, out of loneliness. Despite doubts about breaking her promise, she tells Hikage about Yamato. He seems surprised, but not as happy as she was expecting. And of course, he insists on going with her /o\
Is Yamato with some imaginary Beniyuri?? What's going onnnnn.
I wanted to know how much was left without spoilers so looked up the full flowchart. The Yamato path is made up of 4 parts and an ending, and I'm in the middle of Part 3.
Also there seem to be endings for like...Karasuba AND Aki, Yamato AND Takuya etc. Interesting.
(Also I only just realised that Otomate used the name Kazuya twice, here and in Demon's Bond. They're both dark haired serious minded sweeties who go white haired due to magic!)
So! I started again on a new day, looking forward to seeing a happy romantic ending and not sure I'd have the strength for continuing on the other, presumably sad Yamato ending.
Hikage: So this is the secret door, huh? I never knew this was here.
Me: D:
Beniyuri persuades Hikage to wait at the door, and I can't blame her for any of this, it's not like leaving Yamato alone indefinitely was a good solution either. But I am so TENSE.
She wanders the garden looking for Yamato in vain. And while it seems unchanged, something feels off... With horror, she realises there's not a single white butterfly to be seen.
She runs down the stairs, shouting "Hikage! Yamato's gone!"
But Hikage is gone as well???
She runs through the manor, desperately searching. At last she finds some butterflies, hanging around a door. But the wings of these butterflies are entirely black D:
It's Hikage's study. Yamato is there, but his eyes have gone blank and his voice is strange.
Yamato: Aren't you bored of visiting me every day? :)
Beniyuri: Uh. Are you...ok?
Yamato: It's the rain. It never stops. It knows that I...I killed my brother.
Beniyuri: Hikage??
Yamato: No? Kazuya...It was all my fault.
Beniyuri: Kazuya...oh. Oh it was all my fault.
He reaches out, desperate for connection. She is drawn into his arms.
Yamato: I'll defile you. Ai...
Beniyuri: I don't care, as long as I'm with you, Takuya.
She feels his claws pierce her back, and blood drips down along with his tears. It hurts. But all that matters is that they're together, made one.
She doesn't know what will happen to them, how deep they'll fall. They wanted forgiveness, but what they have is this shared guilt, a connection as their bodies dissolve away.
THE END
That. Was not the happy romantic ending I was expecting?? But it was AMAZING.
Like earlier I was thinking about how her enjoying that he had noone but her was a little unhealthy but just shrugged it off as "It's ok because it's romantic" Romance Logic. But it was actually in that "yes it's unhealthy but also it's romantic" space I enjoy a lot more when it's done right.
I mean I still want to see them kiss and have a happy ending etc. But I love how we first see how the things that draw them together could also destroy them, in a way that is very sad but also makes me ship them more.
Also, I didn't try to capture it in my summary, but his claws piercing her skin felt like a sex metaphor. Because Otomate.
OK. TIME FOR THE OTHER (HAPPY??) ENDING.
Ahhhhh and this time we DO try to connect with Monshiro! So it won't just be Beniyuri and Yamato in an intense codependent guilt spiral. And also, hopefully, Monshiro gets hugs! Win win.
Huh, a new choice! This is a Karasuba path choice afaict so I'll avoid it for now, but it's interesting seeing these things come up.
*follows walkthrough and ends up at the same Best Ending I saw before*
Is that it?? Surely that's not it. THIS GAME IS SO CONFUSING. I'm using a different walkthrough than before and it's done things in a different order. Ok I'm going to post this, and then get some other endings, and post the Takuya ending (Which I think is the good one???) when and if I actually encounter it.
The distinction between Yamato (his self in the world between life and death created by grief) and Takuya (his actual self) is interesting! BUT I WANT TO ACTUALLY SEE THEM BOTH, GAME.
EDIT:
FOUR MONTHS LATER I figured out how to get the good ending!!
I liked this a lot, even though it wasn't quite what I was expecting.
Content notes: Self destructive tendencies
I've already seen all of Yamato's short scenes etc, but I'm rewatching some to get myself in the right headspace.
Me: Recently I haven't felt much like playing any of the otome games I've started, has my enthusiasm for the genre waned?
Yamato: *is mildly tsundere*
Me: SWOON
It's very bittersweet seeing these scenes agin with more context. No wonder none of them like the sound of rain :( (Though Hikage says he doesn't mind the sound, just that it never seems to end. What with having listened to it for like...100 years...)
I'm rereading my summaries and trying to remember when I realised I'd been so distracted by Kagiha's yandere flags that I'd totally missed Hikage being an immortal serial killer. (EDIT: I noticed once he started cackling about murder. Good job, self)
Oooh, in the photo of baby!Kazuya in Chapter 3 he has a bandaid on his face where Hikage's moles are.
Hahaha I was so proud of myself for guessing that Kagiha was the Master. I hope you all find me being so bad at predicting plot-points amusing rather than annoying >.>
I forgot what an asshole Hikage is off his path. I mean he's an asshole on his path, too, but not quite so aggressively awful. Oh god, but rereading my summary of his path, Beniyuri says "when you say 'it will be ok', I believe you." JUST LIKE HIS SISTER DID. BEFORE SHE DIED.
Monshiroooo. It's so sad seeing him now, he needs a hug so bad ;_;
Ok! Reread done!
The path split occurs just after Beniyuri discovers Yamato in the greenhouse: while before she wondered what Monshiro's connection is to Yamato, this time she doesn't pry. So Monshiro doesn't become their nakama :(
Beniyuri brings Yamato various things to fill the time, including a soccer ball. He is endearingly happy to play with it and show off his skills.
Beniyuri: This brings back memories!
Yamato, who remembers his childhood as her jock friend: ...how so?
Beniyuri: It reminds me of playing with my dog!
Yamato: Hey >:(
Beniyuri: It's just that somehow you seem very familiar.
Yamato: ...hmm.
She is VERY BAD at soccer, and at first he's a bit of a dick about it, but then he shows her how to kick and they pass the ball back and forth cheerfully. He talks about how much more important her company is to him than any object she could bring and ahhh my heart.
She enjoys feeling so needed: since she didn't connect with Monshiro this time, she's the only company Yamato has.
I'm really tense that someone is going to notice her visiting him so often.
Karasuba notices her making way too many sandwiches and stares at her for a moment... before telling her she'll get fat. Screw you, Karasuba.
The screen did this cute tip-toe motion while Beniyuri was sneaking out. But alas! She's caught by Hikage!! For a moment she considers telling the truth, after all he is Yamato's brother ( *glares at Hikage* )...but instead is all "I lost something outside, I'm so clumsy haha".
Is he convinced?? Either way, he forbids her to go out alone when it's so dangerous.
We see Yamato, waiting.
Yamato: Beniyuri? Oh, it was a butterfly. ...what am I, a dog waiting for it's master to come home? >:( ...I miss her :(
Me: Awww
???: You expect to be forgiven for your crimes?
Me: AHHHHH
It's a deep, male voice. I think it's Yamato's self doubt, like with Beniyuri.
Days pass with Hikage making sure Beniyuri never gets out alone. Yamato is getting a bit unhinged without her, and shouts at the rain to shut up. And then he smiles at someone off-screen and says "Beniyuri! How long were you going to make me wait? I need to hear your voice..."
Elsewhere in the mansion, watched over by Kagiha, Beniyuri stops, feeling like she heard someone call her name. She feels like Yamato is calling to her, out of loneliness. Despite doubts about breaking her promise, she tells Hikage about Yamato. He seems surprised, but not as happy as she was expecting. And of course, he insists on going with her /o\
Is Yamato with some imaginary Beniyuri?? What's going onnnnn.
I wanted to know how much was left without spoilers so looked up the full flowchart. The Yamato path is made up of 4 parts and an ending, and I'm in the middle of Part 3.
Also there seem to be endings for like...Karasuba AND Aki, Yamato AND Takuya etc. Interesting.
(Also I only just realised that Otomate used the name Kazuya twice, here and in Demon's Bond. They're both dark haired serious minded sweeties who go white haired due to magic!)
So! I started again on a new day, looking forward to seeing a happy romantic ending and not sure I'd have the strength for continuing on the other, presumably sad Yamato ending.
Hikage: So this is the secret door, huh? I never knew this was here.
Me: D:
Beniyuri persuades Hikage to wait at the door, and I can't blame her for any of this, it's not like leaving Yamato alone indefinitely was a good solution either. But I am so TENSE.
She wanders the garden looking for Yamato in vain. And while it seems unchanged, something feels off... With horror, she realises there's not a single white butterfly to be seen.
She runs down the stairs, shouting "Hikage! Yamato's gone!"
But Hikage is gone as well???
She runs through the manor, desperately searching. At last she finds some butterflies, hanging around a door. But the wings of these butterflies are entirely black D:
It's Hikage's study. Yamato is there, but his eyes have gone blank and his voice is strange.
Yamato: Aren't you bored of visiting me every day? :)
Beniyuri: Uh. Are you...ok?
Yamato: It's the rain. It never stops. It knows that I...I killed my brother.
Beniyuri: Hikage??
Yamato: No? Kazuya...It was all my fault.
Beniyuri: Kazuya...oh. Oh it was all my fault.
He reaches out, desperate for connection. She is drawn into his arms.
Yamato: I'll defile you. Ai...
Beniyuri: I don't care, as long as I'm with you, Takuya.
She feels his claws pierce her back, and blood drips down along with his tears. It hurts. But all that matters is that they're together, made one.
She doesn't know what will happen to them, how deep they'll fall. They wanted forgiveness, but what they have is this shared guilt, a connection as their bodies dissolve away.
THE END
That. Was not the happy romantic ending I was expecting?? But it was AMAZING.
Like earlier I was thinking about how her enjoying that he had noone but her was a little unhealthy but just shrugged it off as "It's ok because it's romantic" Romance Logic. But it was actually in that "yes it's unhealthy but also it's romantic" space I enjoy a lot more when it's done right.
I mean I still want to see them kiss and have a happy ending etc. But I love how we first see how the things that draw them together could also destroy them, in a way that is very sad but also makes me ship them more.
Also, I didn't try to capture it in my summary, but his claws piercing her skin felt like a sex metaphor. Because Otomate.
OK. TIME FOR THE OTHER (HAPPY??) ENDING.
Ahhhhh and this time we DO try to connect with Monshiro! So it won't just be Beniyuri and Yamato in an intense codependent guilt spiral. And also, hopefully, Monshiro gets hugs! Win win.
Huh, a new choice! This is a Karasuba path choice afaict so I'll avoid it for now, but it's interesting seeing these things come up.
*follows walkthrough and ends up at the same Best Ending I saw before*
Is that it?? Surely that's not it. THIS GAME IS SO CONFUSING. I'm using a different walkthrough than before and it's done things in a different order. Ok I'm going to post this, and then get some other endings, and post the Takuya ending (Which I think is the good one???) when and if I actually encounter it.
The distinction between Yamato (his self in the world between life and death created by grief) and Takuya (his actual self) is interesting! BUT I WANT TO ACTUALLY SEE THEM BOTH, GAME.
EDIT:
FOUR MONTHS LATER I figured out how to get the good ending!!
no subject
Date: 2021-06-22 07:01 am (UTC)Good catch! :O
I hope you all find me being so bad at predicting plot-points amusing rather than annoying.>
You were very close! And I'm still impressed by predicting Natsuki's death. :P
I forgot what an asshole Hikage is off his path. I mean he's an asshole on his path, too, but not quite so aggressively awful. Oh god, but rereading my summary of his path, Beniyuri says "when you say 'it will be ok', I believe you." JUST LIKE HIS SISTER DID. BEFORE SHE DIED.
Omg, you're right about the belief. And this time, he's just completely lying!
He is SUCH an asshole off his path. And well, on his path, but at least he gets knocked off his jerk pedestal every now and then. This Yamato Ending actually made me mad, with how controlling he is of Beniyuri (I mean, I realize that's...his entire purpose there, but seeing it was still unpleasant). And it really hurt watching him actually lead Beniyuri and Yamato to the bad ending; it felt more real than the Best End to me. :(
I am playing a game of mentally ranking Worst Boys in my head (judging not by any actual scale of morality but by how much they annoy me), and he stole the spot back from Kagiha. :(
It's a deep, male voice. I think it's Yamato's self doubt, like with Beniyuri.
The path split for Kagiha's route is listening to the rain, so I've been wondering about that. Is this the Magic Rain of Self-Doubt and Suffering? Is Hikage just messing with people?
Like earlier I was thinking about how her enjoying that he had noone but her was a little unhealthy but just shrugged it off as "It's ok because it's romantic" Romance Logic. But it was actually in that "yes it's unhealthy but also it's romantic" space I enjoy a lot more when it's done right.
I think I missed the line about how she was happy that he needed her, and also, playing the episode in which they eat with Monshiro made the isolation feel like less of a big deal....also the soccer ball and accompanying CG were so cute, they fooled me into believing everything was okay.
I still wonder how much of it was Hikage doing his mind-manipulating shenanigans, though.
Or even if, and this is awful, Yamato at the end was even real. (I feel like he was, given a lot of the things he said, but...bit convenient that he's hanging out in Hikage's study right as she goes to look for him. At the very least, it feels like Hikage arranged things. I'm also not sure what to make of the claim that he didn't know about the door, since he knows about it very well later.)
no subject
Date: 2021-06-24 01:02 pm (UTC)Or even if, and this is awful, Yamato at the end was even real. (I feel like he was, given a lot of the things he said, but...bit convenient that he's hanging out in Hikage's study right as she goes to look for him. At the very least, it feels like Hikage arranged things. I'm also not sure what to make of the claim that he didn't know about the door, since he knows about it very well later.)
D: D: D:
I choose to believe he's real or it's just TOO SAD.
Hikage really is worst boy though, which takes some doing.
no subject
Date: 2021-06-24 04:47 pm (UTC)Sorry! I do also believe he's real, especially with how it parallels the Takuya ending.
Hikage really is worst boy! Every time I get to Karasuba's line about how everyone in their group is terrible, but how Karasuba himself is the worst, I'm just like...this is very sad and I can see that this is all tied to your self-loathing, but Karasuba, you're third worst boy at best. I'm sorry, you need to work harder to keep up in this game!
Maybe his route will promote him to second worst boy, but I doubt it.
With Hikage, I keep thinking about his route and listening to his character song and even feeling sad that he didn't get closure in the other routes, so I guess he got me. *sigh*
no subject
Date: 2021-06-27 04:35 am (UTC)I liked Karasuba more after playing his route, consent issues and all, he definitely has his flaws but he's really not in the same class. Sorry, Karasuba, at least you're the worst of the boys who aren't dead!
no subject
Date: 2021-06-27 04:40 pm (UTC)But I'm looking forward to it! He's so interesting and different, and I have a feeling Aki is more likeable than Karasuba (and it's making me reevaluate some of the Real World stuff, and I like my reading enough that I actually ship this).
no subject
Date: 2021-07-05 06:49 am (UTC)I don't remember what you're talking about but am pretty sure I'm happier not reminding myself /o\