Irresistible Mistakes · Reviews

Irresistible Mistakes

The Walk of… Shame?

Now, this is a welcome change! You know how most otome games err terribly on the side of chastity? Well, not this one. This one starts with a supremely drunk and perfectly ill-advised one night stand. I love the premise. Obviously, the MC is beyond embarrassed by her own behavior, and since the other party must be someone from work, she is also mortified because she will a) see this person again and b) totally not remember who it was. Which is hilarious, since she comes across all the possible candidates, and, not knowing who she slept with, doesn’t know what to do with herself around them.

Now, again, we have the sticky issue of consent, or, more to the point, its absence in this story. Reader, I am aware, as mentioned here. At this stage, I guess, if you’re into otome games at all, you will have resigned yourself to the circumstance that consent just isn’t a thing that’s gonna happen here. As did I. Apparently, the MC did have a good time, though, so, er, okay.

It’s also funny that she worries quite a bit about what the men in question might think of her. You know, those men who did the exact same thing she did? Nice double standard you’ve got there, Voltage/Japan/world.

Continue reading “Irresistible Mistakes”

Reviews · Star-Crossed Myth

Christmas Special: Star-Crossed Myth

In order to preserve some holiday spirit, all we need is a handsome man to take us back to that magical time. How about my favorite boys, the gods from the stars? I mean, honestly, you didn’t think I would somehow not give you a review of my beloved Zodiac boys’s Christmas stories? Because there are several. The first reviewed set, Twelve Loves, covers your second or first Christmas with your god, depending on whether you pick one from the first series (Leon, Scorpio, Teorus, Dui, Huedhaut, Ichthys) or the second one (Karno, Zyglavis, Aigonorus, Krioff, Tauxolouve, Partheno). They are three chapters each. The second set, 12 Temptations for short, are tiny and often sweet one-chapter stories, set in what I assume is the year thereafter.

So, on this last day of Christmas, here are your gods.

Continue reading “Christmas Special: Star-Crossed Myth”

Era of Samurai · Reviews

Christmas Special: Era of Samurai

Did you have a cheerful holiday season? I do hope so. Happy New Year! The December holidays are my favorite season: everything is full of lights and the song. And isn’t December sort of the cheat weekend of the year? Christmas cookies, mulled wine, gingerbread… Everything is glorious. 

Now, the Twelve Days of Christmas will be over on Sunday, but maybe you want to hold on to some of that holiday cheer to keep you warm through the chill of winter, which has only just begun. Fortunately, your favorite Ikemen have you covered! To start, some of the light holiday fluff I promised in my impressively long-winded introduction to my beloved samurai.  

PS: Do yourself a favor and click on the youtube-links. You won’t be disappointed. 

***

Christmas was obviously not a thing in 19th century Japan. It was brought in with the foreign barbarians, whose incursion threatens the very basis of Japanese society. And yet, as you read how the news vendor’s paper describes this most important festival of the Europeans, you cannot help but imagine what it would be like to have a little celebration in the garrison. When you broach the subject, all but Hijikata are immediately amenable to the idea. Maybe you will even be able to spend some alone-time with your beloved? Deck the halls!

Continue reading “Christmas Special: Era of Samurai”

Era of Samurai · Reviews

Era of Samurai: Code of Love

For Honor

This is where it all started. Before I discovered the gods from the stars, my first love in this newly discovered world of otome games were the brave men of the Shinsengumi, a group of samurai in 19th century Kyoto. It’s a funny thing how I got there. Apparently, my browser had realized that I had started to learn Japanese, and in a well-targeted ad, it showed me the title picture of this particular set of stories. I have to say, I do love it when the algorithm gets stuff right. And here we are, one year and countless stories later, and yet I’ve never written about the Shinsengumi.

The truth is, I needed a break. After reading a few of the stories, I was desperate for something more frivolous, more light-hearted. The stories of the Shinsengumi are good. They are very good. But because of their very nature, they have a capacity for tragedy unmatched by titles set in the modern world, for example. Death is possible every time the men set foot outside the compound; and when they come back alive, there’s still no guarantee that they will be healthy in body and mind. If, like me, you get emotionally invested in characters, that really takes a toll.

But it’s been a year, and I thought I’d pay a visit to my favorite samurai (I know, they are technically ronin, themselves). Maybe with some light-hearted holiday fluff? But first, obviously, I owe you an introduction.

Continue reading “Era of Samurai: Code of Love”

Reviews · Star-Crossed Myth

Star-Crossed Myth: Tauxolouve

Nothing Lasts Forever

I have made my way through most of the zodiac now, with only four gods left whose stories I haven’t read. Since it is December, I thought it fitting to choose Tauxolouve, called “Lou” by his friends (“Louie” by his mother), as the next one. From his interactions with everyone else, I must deduce that he falls in the “Smooth Operator”, womanizer category. These are not necessarily my favorites, but they do tend to turn out quite a lot tamer than what we were led to believe. Also, so far, almost every god has had some sort of dark-ish secret, so I’m looking forward to finding out what that might be.

Continue reading “Star-Crossed Myth: Tauxolouve”