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94 results for “hawt_pepper”
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The new skunk on fox is hawt? #JustGuessing #iLikeToWatch
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It’s just about 1pm here in TX and fairly hot already, should be lovely in couple more hours unless the slight chance of rain rolls in. For those not in F world but instead in C world, 104F is 40C as reference. The “feels like” is the kicker. Also note still took the dog for a walk around the block, she LOVES the heat!
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Nothing makes me question my heterosexuality more than the Olympics. Gymnasts and swimmers... damn.
Bisexual folks must just be lying in a puddle in front of their TVs.
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The temperature is up to 100° in #Milwaukee, according to my dashboard
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I have a full day today!
After this post I will:Run on the dreadmill- its pouring rain outside- good ol' BC.
Make breaky
Start getting ready for a job interview- part of the Calgary move prep. I'm getting a tour of the location I will start at here, no offer has been made, weird, I know.
Its also #Hawt date day, hitting the #MTB stores & getting sushi.
Need to pick up the rest of groceries I couldn't get yesterday. Ugh!
Busy, busy,busy! -
Roscoe P. Coltrane's Hawt FurSuits
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I can think of no better tribute to this BANGER'S status as a 'worldie-level banger' than to link to a hawt scorchio version of it ... et voila Give it the full Spinal Tap 'goes to 11' treatment ... #WAFR #DamnStraight #NotThatStrait youtu.be/tPbJ7YJVVLw?...
RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:m2mncfv6267n6y53gy6rvjng/post/3mj3yvqnjg22s
Fragma - Toca´s Miracle (2008 ... -
Lockdown diaries, June 2020
🌱 If you’re following my website via RSS or subscription, please note that this is just a “seedling” or a post where it is a work in progress.
Jun 1, 2020
“For decades, Minneapolis has embraced its image as a progressive bastion. This week ripped that away, and left something behind much grimmer.” – @AdamMinterJun 1, 2020
At this stage we just need zombies and aliens https://t.co/3OBqKpD0EcJun 2, 2020
“Have you ever thought about how short life is?We only get 85 years if we’re lucky. Yet we spend the majority of our time acting like someone we’re not.”
Jun 2, 2020
You have to make a choice. Do you want to be number one, or do you want to be happy? You may become a victim of your success, but you can never become a victim of your happiness.- The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hanh https://t.co/G6ZsokXPhG
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Jun 2, 2020
Mum’s usual unit of measurement: “A little bit of this, a lot of that.” https://t.co/KlvsOjsdwU
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I’m one of those annoyingly morning people. My bro needs 3 alarms to wake up. I just need a mental reminder the night before and poof, I’m awake at that time. A superpower I inherited from my dad. I 💕starting work at 7am when the sun’s just peeking out. No coffee needed.Jun 5, 2020
In Asia, where the elderly are respected and even revered, this would have been incomprehensible and these actions the lowest of the low. Our cops are not perfect, we have brutality here too. But I can’t help but think our abang police would approach this much differently. https://t.co/HL8NgmKcrbJun 6, 2020
I’ve been trying to finish the food I bought to get through the MCO/lockdown since May.
I am still trying.Jun 6, 2020
Ye Hua, you are still the one. #cdrama #tenmilesofpeachblossoms https://t.co/tSOvtLzBwe
GIFJun 6, 2020
Yes I am a super morning person. That also means I am a super non-night person. I am practically brain dead after 9pm and look half drunk if I had to stay up after 10pm.Jun 8, 2020
Dear @AskScribd I can’t pause my membership. The option is no longer available for me. Why? Can u only pause your membership at certain times? Once a year? What? https://t.co/X7hYrOcg7TJun 8, 2020
I use coconut oil or ghee most of the time. Sometimes, I use animal fat – such as the fat from chicken skin & bacon grease. https://t.co/v5SCWFITn4Jun 8, 2020
Yesterday, filled my Axia’s 🚘 tank. Have not topped up since March thanks to the lockdown.I paid RM35 (US$9) for a full tank. 😶 https://t.co/HrmnnBwY8F
GIFJun 8, 2020
You know the saying, “if you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything?” https://t.co/V1nkjW9bJeJun 8, 2020
Here’s an investment that many personal finance bloggers hardly talk about:
A vegetable garden. https://t.co/SW8enFROhOJun 8, 2020
When you’re #debtfree you have less stress & can take bigger risks. Here’s how to start your journey: https://t.co/YgXBiIwz1UJun 9, 2020
The dilemma of house owners in Malaysia in this age. I feel for them. And to think I used to fret over my RM120k house loan!! https://t.co/hTTf8S6RqeJun 9, 2020
Saying goodbye to journalism was so hard. I’m still grieving for that loss of identity as I move on without this career, which had defined me for almost two decades: https://t.co/ek4VjJTyohJun 9, 2020
📺 If you are a newbie to investing, do watch this great Explained episode on how the stock market works. Get educated before you invest! Via @netflix https://t.co/q1YX2eiQzjJun 9, 2020
Sam Neil cuddling with a duck is LIFE https://t.co/toNv7r4ghkJun 10, 2020
Financial burnout is real. I was so dogged & determined in pursuing early retirement that I made a lot of sacrifices. Sometimes to the detriment of my health. https://t.co/QqMleet8Y5Jun 10, 2020
Why do we name our pets after food? 🤔Jun 11, 2020
To date, this remains one of my most popular posts on the blog. I suppose not many people willingly give up a PR to make the journey back home to Malaysia. https://t.co/HqP3HAAddOJun 12, 2020
Because of my dogged pursuit of FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) I lost the courage to live life the way I want. Don’t be me. https://t.co/QqMleet8Y5Jun 12, 2020
Spending time in the garden has improved my well-being massively. In fact, I consider my vege patch a great investment for my mental health. I go there at least twice a week and I am rewarded with fat spinach 😄 https://t.co/T2AIKZMFxl
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Tell me about it. I went into nursing terrified. Wrote my first ebook terrified. Left journalism scared shitless. Getting used to failing on repeat is something I am learning to embrace. https://t.co/NNeNPtwYBMJun 13, 2020
If you find yourself feeling sad because you pulled the plug on an old career in exchange for a new one, don’t be surprised. It’s a natural part of the process.
https://t.co/ek4VjKb9MRJun 13, 2020
I completely redesigned my website today. And only slept an hour. Guys, don’t be me 🤣 Here’s my new web home 👇 https://t.co/FtCx5Lb1aIJun 13, 2020
Found out that there have been no briefings about the #COVID19 situation in the US for weeks. 😶 In Malaysia, we have DAILY briefings. Our poor Health DG @DGHisham has been working non-stop since the crisis began. So grateful. Thank you, sir!Jun 14, 2020
The nasi lemak makcik is back at the lrt station after months of MCO. Thank goodness!Jun 14, 2020
Just to torture myself I feel like taking up a wordpress developer course. Because, wtf notJun 14, 2020
I decided to take a nap at 2pm yesterday and woke up at 6am today. Wow that’s some nap!Jun 14, 2020
Ah so Singapore has come up with a list of non-essential workers. My my, salty! https://t.co/iB1DjiGLt0Jun 15, 2020
I’m just gonna post dog+cat photos today. https://t.co/B5ukEAUoPjJun 15, 2020
TNB is trending – apparently many are experiencing a huge spike in their electricity bills gulp Here’s a possible explanation by @twt_kerja https://t.co/Jcu681mYriJun 15, 2020
Malaysia is no.10 in producing solid waste. 😮 https://t.co/n7h1c5uKSnJun 15, 2020
“… our society will soon realise that academic qualifications will become increasingly irrelevant. The future of work globally will not be one with a clear blue- and white-collar job divide.”Jun 15, 2020
Did you lose income/job because of #COVID19?Jun 15, 2020
The children are back in the condo playground. Social distancing? Nawwww who needs them https://t.co/zrhfueI4nz
GIFJun 15, 2020
Stock market these days👇 https://t.co/fnj7jw62Tp
GIFJun 15, 2020
Man, I didn’t know poodle pigs existed! https://t.co/5hdcUkTKWSJun 15, 2020
EPIC 🤣 https://t.co/D2Qx3cnaqDJun 15, 2020
Living #debtfree is amazing. You’re less stressed & you can weather crisis better. Here’s how you can do it: https://t.co/YgXBiIwz1UJun 16, 2020
Anxious, stressed or depressed due to the massive changes caused by #COVID19? Please do yourself a favour and take this free online course by @Yale. You don’t just learn theory – you learn to implement in your life through “rewiring” projects. https://t.co/wW45Yqec6xJun 16, 2020
Rick Warren: God has a timetable for everything.
Me: Can I have a peek at the timetable? Just a quick one? 😇Jun 16, 2020
I finally listed all the books I’ve written on one page. It feels really good to see that I’ve produced these. Now … to market them!
https://t.co/4YMqfO3JVPJun 16, 2020
When you walk around the mall wondering why the world is in a blur and wondering if your eyesight has worsened… Only to realise you’ve been walking around with your reading glasses. https://t.co/yDp5QL35aI
GIFJun 16, 2020
“Tomorrow isn’t promised. Live in the moment. You think you have time, but you don’t.” We all need to remember this. Via @DebtAscent https://t.co/chdtMtGDIe https://t.co/chdtMtGDIeJun 16, 2020
5 things I learned from Korean dramas:- Men brood in showers
- Kisses happen in slow motion
- Stare and freeze when someone kisses you
- People die at zebra crossings a lot
- Chaebols are always cold MOFO. But hawt. Always hawt.
Right, @kfangurl ?? https://t.co/RKsHoZXapb
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Jun 18, 2020
Just had a wonderful chat with @FinancialGory today at 11am. He has done more in his life than I did at his age! With a good financial foundation, you can really pursue your dreams. Thanks for your time @azraeimuhamad 😃Jun 18, 2020
Woohoo I think I got it! Making boba pearls – it’s white cos I didn’t bother getting dark brown sugar. https://t.co/Ez0hKKVpdaJun 18, 2020
Wow never thought I would be able to make boba pearls from scratch. It’s not terribly hard but it’s tedious https://t.co/2Mn5RYpQqBJun 18, 2020
I ❤️ their friendship. Much prayers for James who must feel the loss keenly. https://t.co/HrlCSkQbeqJun 19, 2020
RM2 can’t even buy you a packet of nasi lemak these days. https://t.co/Qrg9W70uHvJun 20, 2020
My bro just bought RM200 worth of durian. It’s not like, berlambak lambak k? It’s four tiny boxes. Maybe I should consider becoming a durian seller?🤔Jun 20, 2020
So apparently, when you finally get an SSL certificate you’d be rewarded with a precipitous drop in traffic. Lovely. Here’s what I should’v done after getting a https address: https://t.co/Tu8GhLQHW9Jun 20, 2020
I have Denmark bike envy 😑 oh Malaysia, wil we ever have this? https://t.co/gUZv28rfVmJun 20, 2020
When a company or department is run by folks in fear, the results are less than optimal. Goals end up being sabotaged by self preservation and insecurity. https://t.co/YP8MWFiB7DJun 20, 2020
I so agree with this. When I worked with the newspaper, my editors were brutal with my copy. But I sure learned a lot about writing great articles. https://t.co/1EjScbTNfVJun 21, 2020
This week’s boba pearls. It costs only RM1 but lots of labour involved. Phew. https://t.co/FgohfeXlTO
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I still can’t get over how obvious & plentiful the product placements in #TheEternalKingMonarch was. https://t.co/B5t897e4KgJun 22, 2020
The boba pearls I made are blue because I boiled some butterfly pea flowers (Bunga telang) in the mix. A nice, safe form of colouring 😊 https://t.co/latOMZq5oT
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It’s so sad that such a well-known brand has such a toxic workplace. Why does this keep happening and is there a way to prevent it? https://t.co/qYrhhHLzg0Jun 22, 2020
Just post it! https://t.co/vH6zr7Ni0dJun 22, 2020
20 yo Robinhood trader commits suicide after seeing -$US730k balance 😩 https://t.co/nfI97zHFXeJun 22, 2020
A few days ago, a 20yo investor committed suicide after he discovered a -$750k balance. He thought he was nearly a mil in debt 😟 His cousin Bill Brewster talks about this incident in his own words 👇 https://t.co/8V5Gt787WRJun 22, 2020
Yup, I was thinking this was a UX problem https://t.co/DUAsRkdKNbJun 23, 2020
Guys, don’t invest unless you know what you’re investing in, what risks are related to the investment vehicles and how it works.Jun 23, 2020
I only buy new things when the old one completely disintegrates, falls apart and collapses into a pitiful wreck. I guess it’s time for a new case. https://t.co/mGtBlx5IJb
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The coronavirus also doesn’t care if you think it no longer exists. https://t.co/5qAjEb6g2SJun 23, 2020
A Melbournian got upset when I asked for Vienna coffee in Melbourne. “We take our coffee seriously, so of course we won’t have coffee of the Viennese variety here!”
But I just want whipped cream on my coffee, is that too much to ask? https://t.co/a5zcTANTPK
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This is @RobinhoodApp’s response to Alex Kearns’ suicide. I think education is really, really important right now. And safeguards. Lots of it. https://t.co/02Gi1BkOYdJun 23, 2020
Is this a case of bad UX? Or irresponsible UX? https://t.co/VqGk5oCWlWJun 23, 2020
I had to lol at my apartment management’s exhortation that kids need to maintain 1m distance from each other at the play area. I can most assuredly tell you they are happily ignoring that rule.And that their parents couldn’t care less.
Jun 24, 2020
Even pros struggle with personal finance https://t.co/iKPKnuBKA4Jun 24, 2020
I am actually the same, but only in Malaysia. In Australia I bought my second hand Toyota for $6k. Damn I miss that car. https://t.co/WNlkulEZyqJun 24, 2020
Oh good then. I am tots a generalist when it comes to writing https://t.co/3LvsUv6MXsJun 24, 2020
This is totally me. https://t.co/ywdOuvatxzJun 26, 2020
I feel this. I once was asked to talk to a group of B40 folks about personal finance and I knew it would be insulting of me to tell them to “save better”. The PF community in Malaysia needs to do better to serve folks who are struggling financially, B40, M40 or whatever group https://t.co/Wr9VArQTfPJun 26, 2020
Are you stressed by debts? I know how it’s like. Years ago, I had owed RM20k+ (credit card debts & car loan). Here’s how I managed the stress as I paid off my debts. Much thanks to AIA Malaysia for letting me to share my experience with Malaysians! Read: 👇https://t.co/ho6a20hQesJun 26, 2020
As I grew up, my frugalistas maximus parents lectured me about saving $, buying property & not being an idiot with credit cards. You think I’d be set for life. But noooo, I rebelled by being the opposite. By 25, I racked up enough credit card debt to make them weep 1/3Jun 26, 2020
Advice from mum and dad! haha https://t.co/k6FPJTZhg8Jun 26, 2020
If you have debts in your life, it can get really stressful. You constantly wonder if you have enough money. Here an article I wrote for AIA on the ways to manage the stress when you’re trying to pay down your debt. Read: 👉 https://t.co/wPRe7Cs33K https://t.co/K4J3BRBbfk
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If these are Malaysians, we are huge savers! https://t.co/hsfEg2qHcaJun 27, 2020
Last week, I read about the tragic story of an investor who killed himself because he thought he lost nearly -US$750k. Robinhood investor Alex Kearns’ tragic story highlights our need for financial education and a healthy relationship to money.Jun 29, 2020
This is still important to say: Suicide isn’t the answer to your money or debt problems. If you are struggling right now, please seek help. https://t.co/cXTfWZswkhJun 29, 2020
I’m in a co-working space now and it’s uncomfortably packed. Oof.Jun 29, 2020
You know what’s more annoying? There’s a person with a full-blown cold in the coworking space. There were no screenings for temperature, or check-ins. Nopes. This is not good.Jun 29, 2020
“No matter how bad the economy gets, you will pull through financially and come out on the other side OK” – @JessGarbarino https://t.co/NgVdTwzVU9Jun 29, 2020
I want my own booty pillow https://t.co/NYsoqihLHK - The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hanh https://t.co/G6ZsokXPhG
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Wèlt geer neet nao de pieringe. Et friet, drink beer, slik hieringe.
De bèste raod veur uuch:
Hawt de lever neet te druug!!
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Genso Manège Review (Nintendo Switch)
Release Date: January 31, 2025 (North America)
Developers: MAGES / LOVE&ART
Publishers: PQube
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam)
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)SYNOPSIS
Set in a wondrously evocative re-imagining of France, the story follows the protagonist, Emma, orphaned at a young age, as she fights to uncover her forgotten memories.
A witch who lost her powers when young and now living a quiet life, Emma is led by the memento her father left her and finds herself swept away with the arrival of a travelling amusement park in town.
ART AND MUSIC
Scenario Director: Ayano Ishikawa, Ayano SuehiroArtist/Illustrators: MeijScenario Writers: Uta Amemiya, Muri Sasaki, Touko Fujitani, Nami Tayama, Ayano SuehiroOST: Naoki Chiba (OP Composition), Rico Sasaki (OP vocals), BigBoom (ED composition), H!Superb (ED vocals)I was every bit as surprised to hear a jpop boy group in my otome games. If you’re into these niche spaces, I’m sure you’ve NEVER heard of H!Superb before (lol). And its because they are fairly nugu 누구 (and I dont mean this in a dismissive kind of way, they are just internationally unheard of), but they have a very dedicated fanbase in Japan, so I was pretty happy to find out they did the game’s ED theme. It was my fav track of Genso Manege’s entire OST.
Meij, the illustrator for Genso Manege is a freelance artist, that’ve worked on a few joseimuke games in the past, including character designs for the unit Lancelot in I★CHU. They’ve also done several Nijisanji illustrations, one I can particularly remember was Uki Violeta’s birthday illustrations, which was just *chef kiss*.
Voice Acting
Wataru Hatano as “Hugo” – Wizard (TaiAli), Gekkamaru (Nightshade), Adonis Otogari (Ensemble Stars), Lindo (Dance with Devils), Noah (Cafe Enchante), Kawamura Kyoshirou (Winter’s Wish), Keith Howell (IkePri)
Yuichiro Umehara as “Serge” – Paschalia (Radiant Tale), Kohei Minato (Sympathy Kiss), Benkei (Birushana), Canus Espada (Café Enchanté), Enishi (Jack Jeanne), Demento (Period Cube), Shingen Takeda (IkeSen), Sage (Nekopara Catboys Paradise), Rain (Shiro to Kuro no Alice), Oochidori (Touken Ranbu)
Hiro Shimono as “Crier” – Senri (Norn9), Nayuta (Variable Barricade), Sho Kurusu (Utapri), Kuroyuki (Nightshade), Zena (Akatsuki no Yona), Alear (FE Engage), Kiel (RF4), Hakusan (Touken Ranbu), Ray Blackwell (IkeRev), Kokichi Oma (Danganropa), Ryunosuke (The Great Ace Attorney)
Yuto Suzuki as “Lyon” – Shion (CollarxMalice), Noah Reed (Orfleurs), Sosuke (Spiral Memoria), Nine (Shiro to Kuro no Alice), Enforcer (Despera Drops)
Shirai Yusuke as “Luciole” – Scarecrow (BUSTAFELLOWS), Eltcreed Valentine (Steam Prison), Watson (London Detective Mysteria), Amemura Ramuda (Hypnosis Mic), Garu (NU:Carnival), Ars (Period Cube), Usui Masumi (A3!), Miki Hiraizumi (Fashioning Little Miss Lonesome), Tsuzumi (Ken ga Kimi), John (Mistonia no Kibou)
Abe Atsushi as “Arnaud” – Chinami (Harukanaru 5), Sorata Suzuhara (Norn9), Kohaku (Harukanaru 6), Suishinshi Masahide (Touken Ranbu), Kishinami Hakuno (FATE/EXTELLA), Musashi Miyamoto (Harukanaru 7), Camael (Tokyo Babel), Hinata Minoru (Digimon Survice)
CHARACTERS AND ROUTES
There are six obtainable romance routes in Genso Manège. The only locked route is Arnaud’s, which becomes available only after completing Hugo’s “Amour End”(Good End). The rest of the guy’s are playable from the start.
The developers have suggested a recommended play order: Hugo → Serge = Crier → Lyon = Luciole → Arnaud. I played in this order, and while I thought the story flowed well this way, I personally think that Crier and Hugo’s routes are interchangeable as starting points since both routes feel more lighthearted compared to the others. Crier’s route, in particular, was a bit vanilla, and while Hugo’s route contained a few plot spoilers, its overall tone falls on the lighthearted side in comparison to others.
Then again, I feel that the first five routes can be played in any order, as long as Arnaud’s is saved for last since his route felt like a culmination of the story that tied up loose ends.
Walkthroughs:
⬇️ Click to view Content Warnings Kidnapping, death, women abuse, human experimentation, angry mobs, violence, gun violence, age gap.HUGO
Hugo is the Director of La Foire du Rêve and was the one who invited the heroine to be part of the Rêve and work there from the start. He possesses a gentle demeanor, and always speaks in a calm manner. He holds a certain authority within the Rêve that everyone respects. Most of the employees/staff, feel indebted to his kindness. At times, he shows his playful side to the heroine.
I actually wondered why Hugo’s route was the devs’ pick to start with. His route had a lot of revelations that related to the game’s overall plot, so I thought it would be best to play it before the finale (Arnaud’s). But, after playing his route, I realized that his story sort of sets you up where you are slowly introduced to the game’s setting, albeit only revealing a few plot points to help you better understand the overarching story. I think playing his route first will also help you understand the circumstances of the other LIs’ routes that you’ll play next, so in my experience, this really helped me grasp everyone else’s situation in the Rêve .
Romance-wise, I’m not exactly sure if I enjoyed Hugo and Emma’s chemistry, to be honest! Their relationship felt more like a guardianship rather than what it would be with lovers, at least to me anyway. Other than that, I wasn’t too thrilled with Hugo’s story either and I was not a fan of Emma here…🤷🏻♀️
⬇️ SpoilersThis route also dragged A LOT! Like, the part where they kept talking about light bulbs… I get that they were trying to connect this to awakening Emma’s powers or make some kind of analogy, but damn, I wasn’t too enthused to sit through all that light bulb talk, my dudes!🤣 (cackles) I thought it was also kind of funny how the story focused so much on the lights in the Reve and their project to fully brighten up the entire amusement park, and that they had to do it in Paris… ??? Like, what a weird choice to move the plot forward.🤔😅 The whole starlights-in-Paris plotline seemed to come out of nowhere???
Emma was also very passive here. Babygurl really was just standing there while the plot tells us, she’s doing something when it’s really a whole lot of nothing… I’m being sarcastic here, please dont take this literally! Hugo was pretty hot in his engineer-outfit sprite though! That low ponytail! Mmhmm 🥵
Serge
- kuudere, megane
- soft
- Caleb at home… (im sorry!)😭
La Foire du Rêve‘s head of finances. Serge, is in charge of all the accounting aspects, and auditing related to the Rêve’s supplies and inventory. He is indebted to Hugo, who once came to his aid in his previous occupation, and has been diligently working for him ever since. Serge is very loyal and respects Hugo as the Reve’s Director. He has a cold, intimidating demeanor and he speaks bluntly, but he is just as harsh on himself as he is on others.
Get you a man who looks at you, the way Serge looks at Hugo! jk!
Serge, is your typical kuudere megane love interest. Blunt, stoic, completely clueless about love, cold, & always direct to the point…He’s very straight-laced on the surface but also a softie at heart. Definitely the perfect stereotypical character to cast Umehara, right?🤭For the most part, I enjoyed his relationship with Emma. I love their banter and how he adored Emma’s cooking. I thought the fluff here was done pretty well. Sad to say, I’m still not a fan of the heroine in this route.🥲
⬇️ SpoilersNormally, it pains me to say something negative about heroines, they’re like my children, I swear! But Emma here was kind of a ditz? Why on earth would you offer to help Serge with accounting when you don’t have a single iota of what accounting even is? At one point, I couldn’t help but resonate with Serge’s annoyance with her (lol). I know it’s her good intention to want to be useful, but sometimes she just doesn’t think logically. Why are they writing heroines like this?🥴 I’m fairly sure 17 years old is old enough to actually have some common sense or critical thinking. My rambling aside, she does get better in other routes!
I was also pretty surprised that Serge’s route took a major turn on to the heavier topics, like the imprisonment and torture of women that were suspected to be witches. It also hints on the Hamelin incident, amongst other things. It’s funny how it’s such a contrast to Hugo’s route where they just flamboyantly talked about light bulbs and then bam, you have Serge’s route and see him being tortured in jail! The whiplash!🤣
Also, this route made it seem that french people aren’t fond of spicy food. Is that true???😭 On a closing note, I honestly couldn’t care less about the age gap here, but I’ve listed it in the content warnings above since I know there are people who aren’t fond of it in their fiction.
CRIER
- tsun
- dere 🥹
Crier is a performer at La Foire du Rêve. He’s skilled at juggling and doing various tricks that the audience, especially the youth, loves. He complains a lot about the heroine at first, but in truth, he’s very attentive and caring towards Emma. When he’s not performing, he’s busy running errands and getting supplies from town for the Reve.
I think tsun Hiro Shimono characters are essentially an otome gamer’s guilty pleasure, don’t you think? That said, I loved this route! Crier is such a cutie-patootie, but what really made him stand out to me was his personality and how caring he is, not only to the heroine, but also to everyone else. He was very likable in other routes too, which gained him plus points from me! Despite his initial harsh tone, the boy has a heart of gold! I also loved his dynamic with Emma, and yes, unlike in the two previous routes, Emma here was great! Hallelujah! She had a lot of agency and wasn’t afraid to bite back, which made her chemistry with Crier very fun, not to mention, believable!
On another note, I found this route to be the most lighthearted compared to the others. Based on the themes alone, I’d consider it fairly vanilla, which isn’t bad; quite the opposite, in fact! Though it wasn’t perfect, it had a clear direction on where it was going. The bad ending, however, was kind of depressing. Oof, I wish I had skipped it, but alas!😢
⬇️ SpoilersI would’ve complained about how odd it was that they were just forced to be *fake lovers* out of nowhere (to appease Clara and the rest of the folks in the Reve), but I didn’t mind this plot device, really! Sure, there could’ve been other ways to tighten their relationship and show their *lovey-dovey* moments, but I thought this one worked fine, so I can’t fault the writing for using what ticked. Emma finally had some agency here! It was also so refreshing to see her get jealous of how Crier was being nice to Clara (not knowing they were twins) and wished that Crier would’ve treated her the same. Girlie is finally boy-crushing, it’s cute!🥹
LYON
- what an angel!🥺
- so pure! must be protected at all times!🥺🤲
Lyon is La Foire du Rêve’s bunny mascot. The children who visit the amusement park love him. He’s very calm, sometimes quiet, and absolutely purehearted. He never takes off his costume, so no one really knows what he looks like in person.
Aw. I actually love this route too.🥺 I liked that there was a strong build-up to the mysteries surrounding the Reve’s magic here, and the way Emma and Lyon uncovered things bit by bit was enjoyable to witness. On top of that, Lyon is absolutely a darling cinnamon roll. His cute bunny mascot embodies his adorable persona to a T. I couldn’t really fault him for anything in his story! He’s an angel!🥺This route made my heart sink because of how wholesome it was. Though, I’d say out of all the guys, Lyon had the most difficult circumstances in the Reve. The angst here was pretty up there. Made me profusely sob.😭
⬇️ SpoilersProtect Lyon at all cost!😤
On the side, Emma was great here as well! She took a lot of initiative for herself. She was even selfish at times and made silly, reckless decisions, especially when she insisted on reviving the dead despite being warned so many times not to. Though given the circumstances, her actions to me felt reasonable, out of pure desperation so I don’t hold this against her.
I think my only issue was that the reincarnation ending wasn’t very clear. It was pretty vague actually! I wish they had clarified where this *new* Lyon came from. The story blatantly ignored the fact that only a year had passed since Emma freed all the souls in the Reve, including Lyon’s. Does that mean this reincarnated Lyon already existed while the soul/phantom Lyon was still trapped in the Reve? So many plot holes are being overlooked here! Oh well… 🤷🏻♀️
LUCIOLE
- the hikikomori mechanic
- secretly a cinamon roll, but…
A man of few words and even fewer appearances, Luciole is the mechanic of La Foire du Rêve. He only comes out at night to perform maintenance around the amusement park and keeps to himself in his tent during the day. He seems to despise the idea of magic and is strongly against the heroine using her powers.
There’s a reason Luciole is so adamant and unwilling to accept the use of magic. In this route, you’ll get to find out why. At the heart of it, I really liked Luciole as a character. His route started off strong, especially during his back-and-forth exchanges with the heroine. Their little tete-a-tete through letter exchanges was cute!🥹 His entire route however, felt pretty weak, in my opinion. They pretty much did a great job building up tension and intrigue with his story, but the turning point and resolution, especially at the end, felt rather too convenient, almost frustratingly so!
**On the positive side, the best part of this route was hearing Shiraimu shift from being a tsun to a total cinnamon roll!🥹
⬇️ SpoilersThere were so many missed opportunities in this route, it hurts! The chance to make him the resident yandere character was wasted. He had the perfect setup for it! Wouldn’t it have been great for Luciole to go twisted because he didn’t want to see MC get hurt anymore? Plus, the trauma he has with his mom fits the typical yandere backstory, so I was surprised they didn’t explore that. I would’ve loved to see it. Instead, we get a yandere ending in his BAD END, and even that one felt half-baked! So disappointing!😭
The angry mob trope honestly feels very tired to me. Because we see it in almost EVERY SINGLE OTOME GAME, and it’s usually just there to create a conflict that puts the heroine in danger, only to be conveniently resolved almost immediately. This route was no exception, but the way it was handled here felt especially sloppy! The resolution they came up with just doesn’t make sense logically. Like no way an angry mob would just calm down because you told them to calm down LOL angry mobs aren’t that easily pacified by mere words, because y’know… they’re angry and their judgements are clouded in the heat of the moment. The whole ordeal of Luciole’s monologue in front of them felt so dumb (I’m sorry!)😭 And the crowd going: “Oh, we messed up and believed a drunk, hur dur…so we started throwing stones at this young lady because drunk man said she bad!” Like wow, really? is this twitter???😂😂😂
I really liked Luciole as a love interest, honest to god! (Dude, just wanna eat some good food and be with his woman) But this route…. it made me lose braincells fr…🥴
ARNAUD
- not the oniichan route
- Arnaud with frenchman hat < Arnaud
Arnaud works as a journalist and is Emma’s childhood friend. After an accident seven years ago, Emma became an orphan and was taken in by Arnaud’s family, so she has been living with him and his mother, Alice, ever since. Arnaud tends to fuss around Emma and dotes on her on account of her amnesia.
This route is meant to be played last, as a lot of plot events from the previous LIs were also revisited here, and I thought that if I had played Arnaud’s route earlier (immediately after Hugo’s), the story likely wouldn’t have made as much sense to me, so I’m glad I stuck with the suggested route order.
I think Arnaud may be my fav LI in this game, and that’s because he’s such a polarizing character… (or maybe I’m just being biased because of Abe Atsushi? lol) He was quite possessive of the heroine, and I didn’t mind his overprotectiveness at all; I actually enjoy that trope! Heh. 🤭 I can understand why some might find it uncomfortable though, given their familial relationship and the fact that they were raised under the same roof. But for me, it didn’t come off as creepy in the slightest. Plus, he has the most gorgeous CGs in the game!
⬇️ SpoilersOn the romance side of things, I really liked how Arnaud confessed to Emma early on in his route. Like, wow, the boy is fast! And the plot twist with him secretly reporting to his father about Emma was maybe a little too predictable; like clearly you could see that coming from a mile away. Regardless, I still enjoyed how his story progressed!
I also liked that they revisited the Hamelin incident here and expanded on it a bit from Serge’s route. However, I felt this route had a lot of things going on that didn’t really favor Arnaud and the heroine, nor their relationship. Is it just me, or did it seem like everything got convoluted toward the end? There were a lot of unnecessary scenes that could’ve just been scraped off. This route seemed to put more emphasis on being the ‘truth’ route rather than its focus on romance.🤷🏻♀️
On a side note, Arnaud’s military sprite was hawt! Seriously, everyone seems to look good without their hats. Hugo looked hot with his low ponytail, and without that ugly tophat, and Arnaud looked incredibly fine without his frenchman hat. THROW AWAY THOSE HATS MAN!
EMMA (Main Heroine)
- macaron girlie
- sometimes good, sometimes 🧍♀️
Emma is alright, I guess? There were routes where I considered her decently written, like in Crier’s and Lyon’s routes. I thought these were the stories where she had the most agency and displayed a bit of critical thinking. However, a lot of the time, she remained very passive that it got on my nerves.😭 There were situations where she’d dawdle the heck out when something is urgently needed of her. She is aware of this though so I’d credit her that self awareness. And in her defense, she’s only 17 and was raised very sheltered. But still… sometimes, she just… really isn’t… logically thinking through her decisions. The scenarios where she fell short seemed to outweigh the good (at least in my opinion). There were scenes in the game that would literally go like this:
Emma: (After everyone repeatedly told her not to use magic in public) 🧍♀️
Also Emma: *Proceeds to use magic in public*Emma: “This town doesnt like newcomers, I must not act suspicious”
Also Emma: *Proceeds to act suspicious*😭😭😭
There were a lot of inconsistencies in how she was written across all routes. And while I’ve facepalmed several times during her 🧍♀️🧍♀️🧍♀️ moments, I don’t think she was terrible overall, to be honest. Like I said, she’s alright!🙂Not a fav, & she could’ve been better.
I have to say, though, her love for macarons made me crave for them too, that I had to get out of the house in the dead cold winter afternoon and drive up to a local pâtisserie to get some french macarons myself!😭
SYSTEM AND LOCALIZATION
The UI for Genso Manège was a standout to me. The animated clip that plays before the menu screen was absolutely beautiful, and to top it off, the pastel-colored manège/carousel on the opening screen ticked all my aesthetic boxes! Ha!
PROS:
- Heroine’s Name Customization: The heroine’s name can be changed. Great for those who prefer to self-insert.
- Heroine Side Image Sprite ON/OFF
- Love Catch System
- Quick Save/Quick Load
- Clear List – to track what endings you’ve unlocked so far.
- Sound Library
- Character Profiles (with voices)
- Seiyuu Commentaries
- CG Library
- Manual Instructions
- Status Screen: allows you to check the LI affection points you’ve accumulated during gameplay.
- Backlog and Rewind function
- MINI GAME – can be skipped and does not affect your endings, if you choose to do so.
- Font Style Selection
CONS:
- No Chapter Select – You can however, replay scenes in the CG gallery.
- No SKIP to Next choice function.
- SLOW Skip Reads
- Black screen bugs
I experienced a couple of black-screen bugs in the game where if a scene transitions to the next chapter or slide and you accidentally press any button during the transition, the screen completely blacks out while the game continues running. The only way to circumvent this was to completely close the game and restart, which really sucks if you forgot to save beforehand.
About the Mini Game
Eveil System – is a mini-game that lets you collect stars that appear in random locations on your screen. If you’re playing in handheld mode, you can simply tap or glide your fingers on the screen to collect them. If you’re playing in TV mode, you can use the L and R joysticks to collect the stars. After completing the tutorial (on your first playthrough), you should be able to skip this mini-game whenever it comes up. There are no consequences for skipping it during the story, and it won’t affect your endings.Localization
The localization was well done, and the translations flowed smoothly in the game. Granted, I blitzed through this pretty fast, so I didn’t really notice any typos or text errors during my gameplay. There also weren’t any text box issues, so overall, it was pretty solid!
TRAILER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMvcr8Y8Gzk
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This was a decent-length title, not too short but not overly long either. It took me around 40 hours to complete everything (playing docked on TV). Chapters 1-3 make up the game’s common route, and Chapter 4 is where the LI’s route branches off. There are also only two endings for each love interest: the “Amour End” (good end) and the “Rêve End” (bad end).
Not as Fluffy as You Think
My initial impression after finishing my first route (Hugo) was that the game kind of deceives you into thinking it’s all going to be a fluffy ride throughout due to its bright pastel, sparkly-colored theme. But in contrast, the game actually carries a whole lot of angst. It’s not on the level of Cafe Enchante deception, though, so you can rest easy on that!😂
This title was a mixed bag for me, some routes were decently paced, while some faltered and dragged the narrative too much with trivial things. Given how often the titular manège (magical carousel) was mentioned in the common route, and the fact that it’s even plastered in the game’s title, I expected it to play a significant role throughout the story. But, it turned out to be crucial only in Hugo’s route and was barely relevant elsewhere. It would’ve been more satisfying if all the routes had some connection to the manège, allowing it to be the central element that tied the story together. That would’ve been a nice full-circle to its overarching story, no? Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. The entire *magical manège* theme felt underutilized, which I found disappointing.
TBF, I’ve already mentally prepared and toned down my expectations knowing that the writing team for this game included a few writers from past games I wasn’t the biggest fan of (e.g., ChariMani and ParaPara). As a result, when certain aspects didn’t quite hit the mark for me, the impact wasn’t as bad as it might’ve been if I hadn’t set those expectations. If you know what I mean!
On a different note, I have to say, unlocking the reverse harem ending was a good reason to finish all the routes in this game! 😆
Speaking of routes (and love interests), I think, Arnaud ended up as my favorite LI just because his character was a bit polarizing at first. I’m also a big box-pusher (hako-oshi), so I thought all the guys were great in my opinion. None of them really annoyed me, and that’s a good thing! As for their individual routes, the one I enjoyed the most from start to finish was Lyon’s.🥺 Albeit, his story had one of the most angsty themes in the game (I still ate it up, haha).😆
LI RANKING:
Arnaud > Lyon = Crier > Serge > Luciole > Hugo
ROUTE RANKING:
Lyon > Crier > Serge > Arnaud > Hugo > Luciole
Arnaud is literally me irl😭😭😭As for the romance, this game showcased a lot of sweet scenarios between the heroine, and her LI. It’s also worth noting that this otome game is rated CERO B in Japan, so I think it’s designed to appeal to all audiences, especially the younger crowd. There are no spicy, mature scenes here, so if you’re after that, you are going to be disappointed.
**As for the ratio of kiss CGs, well… I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed in that regard as well.🥲 All gripes aside, I do think Lyon’s very wholesome story was a breath of fresh air,🥺💛🐇💛so if you’re a fan of the wholesome cinamon roll type, I really recommend not skipping his route!🥹
Do I recommend this game? YES.
In all honesty, I never thought I’d see the day where Genso Manège would get localized. I remember it being one of the few non-Otomate titles announced in Japan, back when the otome genre was slowly transitioning to the Switch console in 2020. This title also garnered a couple of votes in the localization survey, I did five years ago.🥹 So getting to play it in English now feels rather surreal.Genso Manège feels light on the surface, but it’s actually a title that isn’t afraid to reveal its hidden gray undertones. While I wouldn’t go so far as to call it “dark,” the story can definitely get pretty heavy. This is also a game that I think would be great for beginners in the otome genre who aren’t afraid to explore heavier themes in fiction.
For the seasoned players who love angst, I definitely think you’ll enjoy this too, though I’d suggest tempering your expectations, as it isn’t on the grandiose level of Hakuoki. But, it has the right touch and balance of romance & adventure, not to mention, likable love interests, to keep you sufficiently entertained! Do pick it up when you get the chance!🫶
#GensoManège #GensoManègeReview #GensoManege #Mages #nintendoSwitch #OtomeGameReview #Pqube
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Listening to #BernardHermann reminded me that I have had a lifelong, inexplicable, fascination and love of the #Mankiewicz film The Ghost and Mrs Muir with Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison, which Hermann scored. And the subsequent TV sitcom with Hope Lange and Edward Mulhare (who was hawt). I cannot explain this.
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Listening to #BernardHermann reminded me that I have had a lifelong, inexplicable, fascination and love of the #Mankiewicz film The Ghost and Mrs Muir with Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison, which Hermann scored. And the subsequent TV sitcom with Hope Lange and Edward Mulhare (who was hawt). I cannot explain this.
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Listening to #BernardHermann reminded me that I have had a lifelong, inexplicable, fascination and love of the #Mankiewicz film The Ghost and Mrs Muir with Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison, which Hermann scored. And the subsequent TV sitcom with Hope Lange and Edward Mulhare (who was hawt). I cannot explain this.
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Listening to #BernardHermann reminded me that I have had a lifelong, inexplicable, fascination and love of the #Mankiewicz film The Ghost and Mrs Muir with Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison, which Hermann scored. And the subsequent TV sitcom with Hope Lange and Edward Mulhare (who was hawt). I cannot explain this.
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When you want to write a profound, analytical analysis of a #cdrama but can only manage OMG Liu Xueyi is so hawt giggles lol
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Genso Manège Review (Nintendo Switch)
Release Date: January 31, 2025 (North America)
Developers: MAGES / LOVE&ART
Publishers: PQube
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam)
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)SYNOPSIS
Set in a wondrously evocative re-imagining of France, the story follows the protagonist, Emma, orphaned at a young age, as she fights to uncover her forgotten memories.
A witch who lost her powers when young and now living a quiet life, Emma is led by the memento her father left her and finds herself swept away with the arrival of a travelling amusement park in town.
ART AND MUSIC
Scenario Director: Ayano Ishikawa, Ayano SuehiroArtist/Illustrators: MeijScenario Writers: Uta Amemiya, Muri Sasaki, Touko Fujitani, Nami Tayama, Ayano SuehiroOST: Naoki Chiba (OP Composition), Rico Sasaki (OP vocals), BigBoom (ED composition), H!Superb (ED vocals)I was every bit as surprised to hear a jpop boy group in my otome games. If you’re into these niche spaces, I’m sure you’ve NEVER heard of H!Superb before (lol). And its because they are fairly nugu 누구 (and I dont mean this in a dismissive kind of way, they are just internationally unheard of), but they have a very dedicated fanbase in Japan, so I was pretty happy to find out they did the game’s ED theme. It was my fav track of Genso Manege’s entire OST.
Meij, the illustrator for Genso Manege is a freelance artist, that’ve worked on a few joseimuke games in the past, including character designs for the unit Lancelot in I★CHU. They’ve also done several Nijisanji illustrations, one I can particularly remember was Uki Violeta’s birthday illustrations, which was just *chef kiss*.
Voice Acting
Wataru Hatano as “Hugo” – Wizard (TaiAli), Gekkamaru (Nightshade), Adonis Otogari (Ensemble Stars), Lindo (Dance with Devils), Noah (Cafe Enchante), Kawamura Kyoshirou (Winter’s Wish), Keith Howell (IkePri)
Yuichiro Umehara as “Serge” – Paschalia (Radiant Tale), Kohei Minato (Sympathy Kiss), Benkei (Birushana), Canus Espada (Café Enchanté), Enishi (Jack Jeanne), Demento (Period Cube), Shingen Takeda (IkeSen), Sage (Nekopara Catboys Paradise), Rain (Shiro to Kuro no Alice), Oochidori (Touken Ranbu)
Hiro Shimono as “Crier” – Senri (Norn9), Nayuta (Variable Barricade), Sho Kurusu (Utapri), Kuroyuki (Nightshade), Zena (Akatsuki no Yona), Alear (FE Engage), Kiel (RF4), Hakusan (Touken Ranbu), Ray Blackwell (IkeRev), Kokichi Oma (Danganropa), Ryunosuke (The Great Ace Attorney)
Yuto Suzuki as “Lyon” – Shion (CollarxMalice), Noah Reed (Orfleurs), Sosuke (Spiral Memoria), Nine (Shiro to Kuro no Alice), Enforcer (Despera Drops)
Shirai Yusuke as “Luciole” – Scarecrow (BUSTAFELLOWS), Eltcreed Valentine (Steam Prison), Watson (London Detective Mysteria), Amemura Ramuda (Hypnosis Mic), Garu (NU:Carnival), Ars (Period Cube), Usui Masumi (A3!), Miki Hiraizumi (Fashioning Little Miss Lonesome), Tsuzumi (Ken ga Kimi), John (Mistonia no Kibou)
Abe Atsushi as “Arnaud” – Chinami (Harukanaru 5), Sorata Suzuhara (Norn9), Kohaku (Harukanaru 6), Suishinshi Masahide (Touken Ranbu), Kishinami Hakuno (FATE/EXTELLA), Musashi Miyamoto (Harukanaru 7), Camael (Tokyo Babel), Hinata Minoru (Digimon Survice)
CHARACTERS AND ROUTES
There are six obtainable romance routes in Genso Manège. The only locked route is Arnaud’s, which becomes available only after completing Hugo’s “Amour End”(Good End). The rest of the guy’s are playable from the start.
The developers have suggested a recommended play order: Hugo → Serge = Crier → Lyon = Luciole → Arnaud. I played in this order, and while I thought the story flowed well this way, I personally think that Crier and Hugo’s routes are interchangeable as starting points since both routes feel more lighthearted compared to the others. Crier’s route, in particular, was a bit vanilla, and while Hugo’s route contained a few plot spoilers, its overall tone falls on the lighthearted side in comparison to others.
Then again, I feel that the first five routes can be played in any order, as long as Arnaud’s is saved for last since his route felt like a culmination of the story that tied up loose ends.
Walkthroughs:
⬇️ Click to view Content Warnings Kidnapping, death, women abuse, human experimentation, angry mobs, violence, gun violence, age gap.HUGO
Hugo is the Director of La Foire du Rêve and was the one who invited the heroine to be part of the Rêve and work there from the start. He possesses a gentle demeanor, and always speaks in a calm manner. He holds a certain authority within the Rêve that everyone respects. Most of the employees/staff, feel indebted to his kindness. At times, he shows his playful side to the heroine.
I actually wondered why Hugo’s route was the devs’ pick to start with. His route had a lot of revelations that related to the game’s overall plot, so I thought it would be best to play it before the finale (Arnaud’s). But, after playing his route, I realized that his story sort of sets you up where you are slowly introduced to the game’s setting, albeit only revealing a few plot points to help you better understand the overarching story. I think playing his route first will also help you understand the circumstances of the other LIs’ routes that you’ll play next, so in my experience, this really helped me grasp everyone else’s situation in the Rêve .
Romance-wise, I’m not exactly sure if I enjoyed Hugo and Emma’s chemistry, to be honest! Their relationship felt more like a guardianship rather than what it would be with lovers, at least to me anyway. Other than that, I wasn’t too thrilled with Hugo’s story either and I was not a fan of Emma here…🤷🏻♀️
⬇️ SpoilersThis route also dragged A LOT! Like, the part where they kept talking about light bulbs… I get that they were trying to connect this to awakening Emma’s powers or make some kind of analogy, but damn, I wasn’t too enthused to sit through all that light bulb talk, my dudes!🤣 (cackles) I thought it was also kind of funny how the story focused so much on the lights in the Reve and their project to fully brighten up the entire amusement park, and that they had to do it in Paris… ??? Like, what a weird choice to move the plot forward.🤔😅 The whole starlights-in-Paris plotline seemed to come out of nowhere???
Emma was also very passive here. Babygurl really was just standing there while the plot tells us, she’s doing something when it’s really a whole lot of nothing… I’m being sarcastic here, please dont take this literally! Hugo was pretty hot in his engineer-outfit sprite though! That low ponytail! Mmhmm 🥵
Serge
- kuudere, megane
- soft
- Caleb at home… (im sorry!)😭
La Foire du Rêve‘s head of finances. Serge, is in charge of all the accounting aspects, and auditing related to the Rêve’s supplies and inventory. He is indebted to Hugo, who once came to his aid in his previous occupation, and has been diligently working for him ever since. Serge is very loyal and respects Hugo as the Reve’s Director. He has a cold, intimidating demeanor and he speaks bluntly, but he is just as harsh on himself as he is on others.
Get you a man who looks at you, the way Serge looks at Hugo! jk!
Serge, is your typical kuudere megane love interest. Blunt, stoic, completely clueless about love, cold, & always direct to the point…He’s very straight-laced on the surface but also a softie at heart. Definitely the perfect stereotypical character to cast Umehara, right?🤭For the most part, I enjoyed his relationship with Emma. I love their banter and how he adored Emma’s cooking. I thought the fluff here was done pretty well. Sad to say, I’m still not a fan of the heroine in this route.🥲
⬇️ SpoilersNormally, it pains me to say something negative about heroines, they’re like my children, I swear! But Emma here was kind of a ditz? Why on earth would you offer to help Serge with accounting when you don’t have a single iota of what accounting even is? At one point, I couldn’t help but resonate with Serge’s annoyance with her (lol). I know it’s her good intention to want to be useful, but sometimes she just doesn’t think logically. Why are they writing heroines like this?🥴 I’m fairly sure 17 years old is old enough to actually have some common sense or critical thinking. My rambling aside, she does get better in other routes!
I was also pretty surprised that Serge’s route took a major turn on to the heavier topics, like the imprisonment and torture of women that were suspected to be witches. It also hints on the Hamelin incident, amongst other things. It’s funny how it’s such a contrast to Hugo’s route where they just flamboyantly talked about light bulbs and then bam, you have Serge’s route and see him being tortured in jail! The whiplash!🤣
Also, this route made it seem that french people aren’t fond of spicy food. Is that true???😭 On a closing note, I honestly couldn’t care less about the age gap here, but I’ve listed it in the content warnings above since I know there are people who aren’t fond of it in their fiction.
CRIER
- tsun
- dere 🥹
Crier is a performer at La Foire du Rêve. He’s skilled at juggling and doing various tricks that the audience, especially the youth, loves. He complains a lot about the heroine at first, but in truth, he’s very attentive and caring towards Emma. When he’s not performing, he’s busy running errands and getting supplies from town for the Reve.
I think tsun Hiro Shimono characters are essentially an otome gamer’s guilty pleasure, don’t you think? That said, I loved this route! Crier is such a cutie-patootie, but what really made him stand out to me was his personality and how caring he is, not only to the heroine, but also to everyone else. He was very likable in other routes too, which gained him plus points from me! Despite his initial harsh tone, the boy has a heart of gold! I also loved his dynamic with Emma, and yes, unlike in the two previous routes, Emma here was great! Hallelujah! She had a lot of agency and wasn’t afraid to bite back, which made her chemistry with Crier very fun, not to mention, believable!
On another note, I found this route to be the most lighthearted compared to the others. Based on the themes alone, I’d consider it fairly vanilla, which isn’t bad; quite the opposite, in fact! Though it wasn’t perfect, it had a clear direction on where it was going. The bad ending, however, was kind of depressing. Oof, I wish I had skipped it, but alas!😢
⬇️ SpoilersI would’ve complained about how odd it was that they were just forced to be *fake lovers* out of nowhere (to appease Clara and the rest of the folks in the Reve), but I didn’t mind this plot device, really! Sure, there could’ve been other ways to tighten their relationship and show their *lovey-dovey* moments, but I thought this one worked fine, so I can’t fault the writing for using what ticked. Emma finally had some agency here! It was also so refreshing to see her get jealous of how Crier was being nice to Clara (not knowing they were twins) and wished that Crier would’ve treated her the same. Girlie is finally boy-crushing, it’s cute!🥹
LYON
- what an angel!🥺
- so pure! must be protected at all times!🥺🤲
Lyon is La Foire du Rêve’s bunny mascot. The children who visit the amusement park love him. He’s very calm, sometimes quiet, and absolutely purehearted. He never takes off his costume, so no one really knows what he looks like in person.
Aw. I actually love this route too.🥺 I liked that there was a strong build-up to the mysteries surrounding the Reve’s magic here, and the way Emma and Lyon uncovered things bit by bit was enjoyable to witness. On top of that, Lyon is absolutely a darling cinnamon roll. His cute bunny mascot embodies his adorable persona to a T. I couldn’t really fault him for anything in his story! He’s an angel!🥺This route made my heart sink because of how wholesome it was. Though, I’d say out of all the guys, Lyon had the most difficult circumstances in the Reve. The angst here was pretty up there. Made me profusely sob.😭
⬇️ SpoilersProtect Lyon at all cost!😤
On the side, Emma was great here as well! She took a lot of initiative for herself. She was even selfish at times and made silly, reckless decisions, especially when she insisted on reviving the dead despite being warned so many times not to. Though given the circumstances, her actions to me felt reasonable, out of pure desperation so I don’t hold this against her.
I think my only issue was that the reincarnation ending wasn’t very clear. It was pretty vague actually! I wish they had clarified where this *new* Lyon came from. The story blatantly ignored the fact that only a year had passed since Emma freed all the souls in the Reve, including Lyon’s. Does that mean this reincarnated Lyon already existed while the soul/phantom Lyon was still trapped in the Reve? So many plot holes are being overlooked here! Oh well… 🤷🏻♀️
LUCIOLE
- the hikikomori mechanic
- secretly a cinamon roll, but…
A man of few words and even fewer appearances, Luciole is the mechanic of La Foire du Rêve. He only comes out at night to perform maintenance around the amusement park and keeps to himself in his tent during the day. He seems to despise the idea of magic and is strongly against the heroine using her powers.
There’s a reason Luciole is so adamant and unwilling to accept the use of magic. In this route, you’ll get to find out why. At the heart of it, I really liked Luciole as a character. His route started off strong, especially during his back-and-forth exchanges with the heroine. Their little tete-a-tete through letter exchanges was cute!🥹 His entire route however, felt pretty weak, in my opinion. They pretty much did a great job building up tension and intrigue with his story, but the turning point and resolution, especially at the end, felt rather too convenient, almost frustratingly so!
**On the positive side, the best part of this route was hearing Shiraimu shift from being a tsun to a total cinnamon roll!🥹
⬇️ SpoilersThere were so many missed opportunities in this route, it hurts! The chance to make him the resident yandere character was wasted. He had the perfect setup for it! Wouldn’t it have been great for Luciole to go twisted because he didn’t want to see MC get hurt anymore? Plus, the trauma he has with his mom fits the typical yandere backstory, so I was surprised they didn’t explore that. I would’ve loved to see it. Instead, we get a yandere ending in his BAD END, and even that one felt half-baked! So disappointing!😭
The angry mob trope honestly feels very tired to me. Because we see it in almost EVERY SINGLE OTOME GAME, and it’s usually just there to create a conflict that puts the heroine in danger, only to be conveniently resolved almost immediately. This route was no exception, but the way it was handled here felt especially sloppy! The resolution they came up with just doesn’t make sense logically. Like no way an angry mob would just calm down because you told them to calm down LOL angry mobs aren’t that easily pacified by mere words, because y’know… they’re angry and their judgements are clouded in the heat of the moment. The whole ordeal of Luciole’s monologue in front of them felt so dumb (I’m sorry!)😭 And the crowd going: “Oh, we messed up and believed a drunk, hur dur…so we started throwing stones at this young lady because drunk man said she bad!” Like wow, really? is this twitter???😂😂😂
I really liked Luciole as a love interest, honest to god! (Dude, just wanna eat some good food and be with his woman) But this route…. it made me lose braincells fr…🥴
ARNAUD
- not the oniichan route
- Arnaud with frenchman hat < Arnaud
Arnaud works as a journalist and is Emma’s childhood friend. After an accident seven years ago, Emma became an orphan and was taken in by Arnaud’s family, so she has been living with him and his mother, Alice, ever since. Arnaud tends to fuss around Emma and dotes on her on account of her amnesia.
This route is meant to be played last, as a lot of plot events from the previous LIs were also revisited here, and I thought that if I had played Arnaud’s route earlier (immediately after Hugo’s), the story likely wouldn’t have made as much sense to me, so I’m glad I stuck with the suggested route order.
I think Arnaud may be my fav LI in this game, and that’s because he’s such a polarizing character… (or maybe I’m just being biased because of Abe Atsushi? lol) He was quite possessive of the heroine, and I didn’t mind his overprotectiveness at all; I actually enjoy that trope! Heh. 🤭 I can understand why some might find it uncomfortable though, given their familial relationship and the fact that they were raised under the same roof. But for me, it didn’t come off as creepy in the slightest. Plus, he has the most gorgeous CGs in the game!
⬇️ SpoilersOn the romance side of things, I really liked how Arnaud confessed to Emma early on in his route. Like, wow, the boy is fast! And the plot twist with him secretly reporting to his father about Emma was maybe a little too predictable; like clearly you could see that coming from a mile away. Regardless, I still enjoyed how his story progressed!
I also liked that they revisited the Hamelin incident here and expanded on it a bit from Serge’s route. However, I felt this route had a lot of things going on that didn’t really favor Arnaud and the heroine, nor their relationship. Is it just me, or did it seem like everything got convoluted toward the end? There were a lot of unnecessary scenes that could’ve just been scraped off. This route seemed to put more emphasis on being the ‘truth’ route rather than its focus on romance.🤷🏻♀️
On a side note, Arnaud’s military sprite was hawt! Seriously, everyone seems to look good without their hats. Hugo looked hot with his low ponytail, and without that ugly tophat, and Arnaud looked incredibly fine without his frenchman hat. THROW AWAY THOSE HATS MAN!
EMMA (Main Heroine)
- macaron girlie
- sometimes good, sometimes 🧍♀️
Emma is alright, I guess? There were routes where I considered her decently written, like in Crier’s and Lyon’s routes. I thought these were the stories where she had the most agency and displayed a bit of critical thinking. However, a lot of the time, she remained very passive that it got on my nerves.😭 There were situations where she’d dawdle the heck out when something is urgently needed of her. She is aware of this though so I’d credit her that self awareness. And in her defense, she’s only 17 and was raised very sheltered. But still… sometimes, she just… really isn’t… logically thinking through her decisions. The scenarios where she fell short seemed to outweigh the good (at least in my opinion). There were scenes in the game that would literally go like this:
Emma: (After everyone repeatedly told her not to use magic in public) 🧍♀️
Also Emma: *Proceeds to use magic in public*Emma: “This town doesnt like newcomers, I must not act suspicious”
Also Emma: *Proceeds to act suspicious*😭😭😭
There were a lot of inconsistencies in how she was written across all routes. And while I’ve facepalmed several times during her 🧍♀️🧍♀️🧍♀️ moments, I don’t think she was terrible overall, to be honest. Like I said, she’s alright!🙂Not a fav, & she could’ve been better.
I have to say, though, her love for macarons made me crave for them too, that I had to get out of the house in the dead cold winter afternoon and drive up to a local pâtisserie to get some french macarons myself!😭
SYSTEM AND LOCALIZATION
The UI for Genso Manège was a standout to me. The animated clip that plays before the menu screen was absolutely beautiful, and to top it off, the pastel-colored manège/carousel on the opening screen ticked all my aesthetic boxes! Ha!
PROS:
- Heroine’s Name Customization: The heroine’s name can be changed. Great for those who prefer to self-insert.
- Heroine Side Image Sprite ON/OFF
- Love Catch System
- Quick Save/Quick Load
- Clear List – to track what endings you’ve unlocked so far.
- Sound Library
- Character Profiles (with voices)
- Seiyuu Commentaries
- CG Library
- Manual Instructions
- Status Screen: allows you to check the LI affection points you’ve accumulated during gameplay.
- Backlog and Rewind function
- MINI GAME – can be skipped and does not affect your endings, if you choose to do so.
- Font Style Selection
CONS:
- No Chapter Select – You can however, replay scenes in the CG gallery.
- No SKIP to Next choice function.
- SLOW Skip Reads
- Black screen bugs
I experienced a couple of black-screen bugs in the game where if a scene transitions to the next chapter or slide and you accidentally press any button during the transition, the screen completely blacks out while the game continues running. The only way to circumvent this was to completely close the game and restart, which really sucks if you forgot to save beforehand.
About the Mini Game
Eveil System – is a mini-game that lets you collect stars that appear in random locations on your screen. If you’re playing in handheld mode, you can simply tap or glide your fingers on the screen to collect them. If you’re playing in TV mode, you can use the L and R joysticks to collect the stars. After completing the tutorial (on your first playthrough), you should be able to skip this mini-game whenever it comes up. There are no consequences for skipping it during the story, and it won’t affect your endings.Localization
The localization was well done, and the translations flowed smoothly in the game. Granted, I blitzed through this pretty fast, so I didn’t really notice any typos or text errors during my gameplay. There also weren’t any text box issues, so overall, it was pretty solid!
TRAILER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMvcr8Y8Gzk
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This was a decent-length title, not too short but not overly long either. It took me around 40 hours to complete everything (playing docked on TV). Chapters 1-3 make up the game’s common route, and Chapter 4 is where the LI’s route branches off. There are also only two endings for each love interest: the “Amour End” (good end) and the “Rêve End” (bad end).
Not as Fluffy as You Think
My initial impression after finishing my first route (Hugo) was that the game kind of deceives you into thinking it’s all going to be a fluffy ride throughout due to its bright pastel, sparkly-colored theme. But in contrast, the game actually carries a whole lot of angst. It’s not on the level of Cafe Enchante deception, though, so you can rest easy on that!😂
This title was a mixed bag for me, some routes were decently paced, while some faltered and dragged the narrative too much with trivial things. Given how often the titular manège (magical carousel) was mentioned in the common route, and the fact that it’s even plastered in the game’s title, I expected it to play a significant role throughout the story. But, it turned out to be crucial only in Hugo’s route and was barely relevant elsewhere. It would’ve been more satisfying if all the routes had some connection to the manège, allowing it to be the central element that tied the story together. That would’ve been a nice full-circle to its overarching story, no? Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. The entire *magical manège* theme felt underutilized, which I found disappointing.
TBF, I’ve already mentally prepared and toned down my expectations knowing that the writing team for this game included a few writers from past games I wasn’t the biggest fan of (e.g., ChariMani and ParaPara). As a result, when certain aspects didn’t quite hit the mark for me, the impact wasn’t as bad as it might’ve been if I hadn’t set those expectations. If you know what I mean!
On a different note, I have to say, unlocking the reverse harem ending was a good reason to finish all the routes in this game! 😆
Speaking of routes (and love interests), I think, Arnaud ended up as my favorite LI just because his character was a bit polarizing at first. I’m also a big box-pusher (hako-oshi), so I thought all the guys were great in my opinion. None of them really annoyed me, and that’s a good thing! As for their individual routes, the one I enjoyed the most from start to finish was Lyon’s.🥺 Albeit, his story had one of the most angsty themes in the game (I still ate it up, haha).😆
LI RANKING:
Arnaud > Lyon = Crier > Serge > Luciole > Hugo
ROUTE RANKING:
Lyon > Crier > Serge > Arnaud > Hugo > Luciole
Arnaud is literally me irl😭😭😭As for the romance, this game showcased a lot of sweet scenarios between the heroine, and her LI. It’s also worth noting that this otome game is rated CERO B in Japan, so I think it’s designed to appeal to all audiences, especially the younger crowd. There are no spicy, mature scenes here, so if you’re after that, you are going to be disappointed.
**As for the ratio of kiss CGs, well… I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed in that regard as well.🥲 All gripes aside, I do think Lyon’s very wholesome story was a breath of fresh air,🥺💛🐇💛so if you’re a fan of the wholesome cinamon roll type, I really recommend not skipping his route!🥹
Do I recommend this game? YES.
In all honesty, I never thought I’d see the day where Genso Manège would get localized. I remember it being one of the few non-Otomate titles announced in Japan, back when the otome genre was slowly transitioning to the Switch console in 2020. This title also garnered a couple of votes in the localization survey, I did five years ago.🥹 So getting to play it in English now feels rather surreal.Genso Manège feels light on the surface, but it’s actually a title that isn’t afraid to reveal its hidden gray undertones. While I wouldn’t go so far as to call it “dark,” the story can definitely get pretty heavy. This is also a game that I think would be great for beginners in the otome genre who aren’t afraid to explore heavier themes in fiction.
For the seasoned players who love angst, I definitely think you’ll enjoy this too, though I’d suggest tempering your expectations, as it isn’t on the grandiose level of Hakuoki. But, it has the right touch and balance of romance & adventure, not to mention, likable love interests, to keep you sufficiently entertained! Do pick it up when you get the chance!🫶
#GensoManège #GensoManègeReview #GensoManege #Mages #nintendoSwitch #OtomeGameReview #Pqube
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Genso Manège Review (Nintendo Switch)
Release Date: January 31, 2025 (North America)
Developers: MAGES / LOVE&ART
Publishers: PQube
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam)
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)SYNOPSIS
Set in a wondrously evocative re-imagining of France, the story follows the protagonist, Emma, orphaned at a young age, as she fights to uncover her forgotten memories.
A witch who lost her powers when young and now living a quiet life, Emma is led by the memento her father left her and finds herself swept away with the arrival of a travelling amusement park in town.
ART AND MUSIC
Scenario Director: Ayano Ishikawa, Ayano SuehiroArtist/Illustrators: MeijScenario Writers: Uta Amemiya, Muri Sasaki, Touko Fujitani, Nami Tayama, Ayano SuehiroOST: Naoki Chiba (OP Composition), Rico Sasaki (OP vocals), BigBoom (ED composition), H!Superb (ED vocals)I was every bit as surprised to hear a jpop boy group in my otome games. If you’re into these niche spaces, I’m sure you’ve NEVER heard of H!Superb before (lol). And its because they are fairly nugu 누구 (and I dont mean this in a dismissive kind of way, they are just internationally unheard of), but they have a very dedicated fanbase in Japan, so I was pretty happy to find out they did the game’s ED theme. It was my fav track of Genso Manege’s entire OST.
Meij, the illustrator for Genso Manege is a freelance artist, that’ve worked on a few joseimuke games in the past, including character designs for the unit Lancelot in I★CHU. They’ve also done several Nijisanji illustrations, one I can particularly remember was Uki Violeta’s birthday illustrations, which was just *chef kiss*.
Voice Acting
Wataru Hatano as “Hugo” – Wizard (TaiAli), Gekkamaru (Nightshade), Adonis Otogari (Ensemble Stars), Lindo (Dance with Devils), Noah (Cafe Enchante), Kawamura Kyoshirou (Winter’s Wish), Keith Howell (IkePri)
Yuichiro Umehara as “Serge” – Paschalia (Radiant Tale), Kohei Minato (Sympathy Kiss), Benkei (Birushana), Canus Espada (Café Enchanté), Enishi (Jack Jeanne), Demento (Period Cube), Shingen Takeda (IkeSen), Sage (Nekopara Catboys Paradise), Rain (Shiro to Kuro no Alice), Oochidori (Touken Ranbu)
Hiro Shimono as “Crier” – Senri (Norn9), Nayuta (Variable Barricade), Sho Kurusu (Utapri), Kuroyuki (Nightshade), Zena (Akatsuki no Yona), Alear (FE Engage), Kiel (RF4), Hakusan (Touken Ranbu), Ray Blackwell (IkeRev), Kokichi Oma (Danganropa), Ryunosuke (The Great Ace Attorney)
Yuto Suzuki as “Lyon” – Shion (CollarxMalice), Noah Reed (Orfleurs), Sosuke (Spiral Memoria), Nine (Shiro to Kuro no Alice), Enforcer (Despera Drops)
Shirai Yusuke as “Luciole” – Scarecrow (BUSTAFELLOWS), Eltcreed Valentine (Steam Prison), Watson (London Detective Mysteria), Amemura Ramuda (Hypnosis Mic), Garu (NU:Carnival), Ars (Period Cube), Usui Masumi (A3!), Miki Hiraizumi (Fashioning Little Miss Lonesome), Tsuzumi (Ken ga Kimi), John (Mistonia no Kibou)
Abe Atsushi as “Arnaud” – Chinami (Harukanaru 5), Sorata Suzuhara (Norn9), Kohaku (Harukanaru 6), Suishinshi Masahide (Touken Ranbu), Kishinami Hakuno (FATE/EXTELLA), Musashi Miyamoto (Harukanaru 7), Camael (Tokyo Babel), Hinata Minoru (Digimon Survice)
CHARACTERS AND ROUTES
There are six obtainable romance routes in Genso Manège. The only locked route is Arnaud’s, which becomes available only after completing Hugo’s “Amour End”(Good End). The rest of the guy’s are playable from the start.
The developers have suggested a recommended play order: Hugo → Serge = Crier → Lyon = Luciole → Arnaud. I played in this order, and while I thought the story flowed well this way, I personally think that Crier and Hugo’s routes are interchangeable as starting points since both routes feel more lighthearted compared to the others. Crier’s route, in particular, was a bit vanilla, and while Hugo’s route contained a few plot spoilers, its overall tone falls on the lighthearted side in comparison to others.
Then again, I feel that the first five routes can be played in any order, as long as Arnaud’s is saved for last since his route felt like a culmination of the story that tied up loose ends.
Walkthroughs:
⬇️ Click to view Content Warnings Kidnapping, death, women abuse, human experimentation, angry mobs, violence, gun violence, age gap.HUGO
Hugo is the Director of La Foire du Rêve and was the one who invited the heroine to be part of the Rêve and work there from the start. He possesses a gentle demeanor, and always speaks in a calm manner. He holds a certain authority within the Rêve that everyone respects. Most of the employees/staff, feel indebted to his kindness. At times, he shows his playful side to the heroine.
I actually wondered why Hugo’s route was the devs’ pick to start with. His route had a lot of revelations that related to the game’s overall plot, so I thought it would be best to play it before the finale (Arnaud’s). But, after playing his route, I realized that his story sort of sets you up where you are slowly introduced to the game’s setting, albeit only revealing a few plot points to help you better understand the overarching story. I think playing his route first will also help you understand the circumstances of the other LIs’ routes that you’ll play next, so in my experience, this really helped me grasp everyone else’s situation in the Rêve .
Romance-wise, I’m not exactly sure if I enjoyed Hugo and Emma’s chemistry, to be honest! Their relationship felt more like a guardianship rather than what it would be with lovers, at least to me anyway. Other than that, I wasn’t too thrilled with Hugo’s story either and I was not a fan of Emma here…🤷🏻♀️
⬇️ SpoilersThis route also dragged A LOT! Like, the part where they kept talking about light bulbs… I get that they were trying to connect this to awakening Emma’s powers or make some kind of analogy, but damn, I wasn’t too enthused to sit through all that light bulb talk, my dudes!🤣 (cackles) I thought it was also kind of funny how the story focused so much on the lights in the Reve and their project to fully brighten up the entire amusement park, and that they had to do it in Paris… ??? Like, what a weird choice to move the plot forward.🤔😅 The whole starlights-in-Paris plotline seemed to come out of nowhere???
Emma was also very passive here. Babygurl really was just standing there while the plot tells us, she’s doing something when it’s really a whole lot of nothing… I’m being sarcastic here, please dont take this literally! Hugo was pretty hot in his engineer-outfit sprite though! That low ponytail! Mmhmm 🥵
Serge
- kuudere, megane
- soft
- Caleb at home… (im sorry!)😭
La Foire du Rêve‘s head of finances. Serge, is in charge of all the accounting aspects, and auditing related to the Rêve’s supplies and inventory. He is indebted to Hugo, who once came to his aid in his previous occupation, and has been diligently working for him ever since. Serge is very loyal and respects Hugo as the Reve’s Director. He has a cold, intimidating demeanor and he speaks bluntly, but he is just as harsh on himself as he is on others.
Get you a man who looks at you, the way Serge looks at Hugo! jk!
Serge, is your typical kuudere megane love interest. Blunt, stoic, completely clueless about love, cold, & always direct to the point…He’s very straight-laced on the surface but also a softie at heart. Definitely the perfect stereotypical character to cast Umehara, right?🤭For the most part, I enjoyed his relationship with Emma. I love their banter and how he adored Emma’s cooking. I thought the fluff here was done pretty well. Sad to say, I’m still not a fan of the heroine in this route.🥲
⬇️ SpoilersNormally, it pains me to say something negative about heroines, they’re like my children, I swear! But Emma here was kind of a ditz? Why on earth would you offer to help Serge with accounting when you don’t have a single iota of what accounting even is? At one point, I couldn’t help but resonate with Serge’s annoyance with her (lol). I know it’s her good intention to want to be useful, but sometimes she just doesn’t think logically. Why are they writing heroines like this?🥴 I’m fairly sure 17 years old is old enough to actually have some common sense or critical thinking. My rambling aside, she does get better in other routes!
I was also pretty surprised that Serge’s route took a major turn on to the heavier topics, like the imprisonment and torture of women that were suspected to be witches. It also hints on the Hamelin incident, amongst other things. It’s funny how it’s such a contrast to Hugo’s route where they just flamboyantly talked about light bulbs and then bam, you have Serge’s route and see him being tortured in jail! The whiplash!🤣
Also, this route made it seem that french people aren’t fond of spicy food. Is that true???😭 On a closing note, I honestly couldn’t care less about the age gap here, but I’ve listed it in the content warnings above since I know there are people who aren’t fond of it in their fiction.
CRIER
- tsun
- dere 🥹
Crier is a performer at La Foire du Rêve. He’s skilled at juggling and doing various tricks that the audience, especially the youth, loves. He complains a lot about the heroine at first, but in truth, he’s very attentive and caring towards Emma. When he’s not performing, he’s busy running errands and getting supplies from town for the Reve.
I think tsun Hiro Shimono characters are essentially an otome gamer’s guilty pleasure, don’t you think? That said, I loved this route! Crier is such a cutie-patootie, but what really made him stand out to me was his personality and how caring he is, not only to the heroine, but also to everyone else. He was very likable in other routes too, which gained him plus points from me! Despite his initial harsh tone, the boy has a heart of gold! I also loved his dynamic with Emma, and yes, unlike in the two previous routes, Emma here was great! Hallelujah! She had a lot of agency and wasn’t afraid to bite back, which made her chemistry with Crier very fun, not to mention, believable!
On another note, I found this route to be the most lighthearted compared to the others. Based on the themes alone, I’d consider it fairly vanilla, which isn’t bad; quite the opposite, in fact! Though it wasn’t perfect, it had a clear direction on where it was going. The bad ending, however, was kind of depressing. Oof, I wish I had skipped it, but alas!😢
⬇️ SpoilersI would’ve complained about how odd it was that they were just forced to be *fake lovers* out of nowhere (to appease Clara and the rest of the folks in the Reve), but I didn’t mind this plot device, really! Sure, there could’ve been other ways to tighten their relationship and show their *lovey-dovey* moments, but I thought this one worked fine, so I can’t fault the writing for using what ticked. Emma finally had some agency here! It was also so refreshing to see her get jealous of how Crier was being nice to Clara (not knowing they were twins) and wished that Crier would’ve treated her the same. Girlie is finally boy-crushing, it’s cute!🥹
LYON
- what an angel!🥺
- so pure! must be protected at all times!🥺🤲
Lyon is La Foire du Rêve’s bunny mascot. The children who visit the amusement park love him. He’s very calm, sometimes quiet, and absolutely purehearted. He never takes off his costume, so no one really knows what he looks like in person.
Aw. I actually love this route too.🥺 I liked that there was a strong build-up to the mysteries surrounding the Reve’s magic here, and the way Emma and Lyon uncovered things bit by bit was enjoyable to witness. On top of that, Lyon is absolutely a darling cinnamon roll. His cute bunny mascot embodies his adorable persona to a T. I couldn’t really fault him for anything in his story! He’s an angel!🥺This route made my heart sink because of how wholesome it was. Though, I’d say out of all the guys, Lyon had the most difficult circumstances in the Reve. The angst here was pretty up there. Made me profusely sob.😭
⬇️ SpoilersProtect Lyon at all cost!😤
On the side, Emma was great here as well! She took a lot of initiative for herself. She was even selfish at times and made silly, reckless decisions, especially when she insisted on reviving the dead despite being warned so many times not to. Though given the circumstances, her actions to me felt reasonable, out of pure desperation so I don’t hold this against her.
I think my only issue was that the reincarnation ending wasn’t very clear. It was pretty vague actually! I wish they had clarified where this *new* Lyon came from. The story blatantly ignored the fact that only a year had passed since Emma freed all the souls in the Reve, including Lyon’s. Does that mean this reincarnated Lyon already existed while the soul/phantom Lyon was still trapped in the Reve? So many plot holes are being overlooked here! Oh well… 🤷🏻♀️
LUCIOLE
- the hikikomori mechanic
- secretly a cinamon roll, but…
A man of few words and even fewer appearances, Luciole is the mechanic of La Foire du Rêve. He only comes out at night to perform maintenance around the amusement park and keeps to himself in his tent during the day. He seems to despise the idea of magic and is strongly against the heroine using her powers.
There’s a reason Luciole is so adamant and unwilling to accept the use of magic. In this route, you’ll get to find out why. At the heart of it, I really liked Luciole as a character. His route started off strong, especially during his back-and-forth exchanges with the heroine. Their little tete-a-tete through letter exchanges was cute!🥹 His entire route however, felt pretty weak, in my opinion. They pretty much did a great job building up tension and intrigue with his story, but the turning point and resolution, especially at the end, felt rather too convenient, almost frustratingly so!
**On the positive side, the best part of this route was hearing Shiraimu shift from being a tsun to a total cinnamon roll!🥹
⬇️ SpoilersThere were so many missed opportunities in this route, it hurts! The chance to make him the resident yandere character was wasted. He had the perfect setup for it! Wouldn’t it have been great for Luciole to go twisted because he didn’t want to see MC get hurt anymore? Plus, the trauma he has with his mom fits the typical yandere backstory, so I was surprised they didn’t explore that. I would’ve loved to see it. Instead, we get a yandere ending in his BAD END, and even that one felt half-baked! So disappointing!😭
The angry mob trope honestly feels very tired to me. Because we see it in almost EVERY SINGLE OTOME GAME, and it’s usually just there to create a conflict that puts the heroine in danger, only to be conveniently resolved almost immediately. This route was no exception, but the way it was handled here felt especially sloppy! The resolution they came up with just doesn’t make sense logically. Like no way an angry mob would just calm down because you told them to calm down LOL angry mobs aren’t that easily pacified by mere words, because y’know… they’re angry and their judgements are clouded in the heat of the moment. The whole ordeal of Luciole’s monologue in front of them felt so dumb (I’m sorry!)😭 And the crowd going: “Oh, we messed up and believed a drunk, hur dur…so we started throwing stones at this young lady because drunk man said she bad!” Like wow, really? is this twitter???😂😂😂
I really liked Luciole as a love interest, honest to god! (Dude, just wanna eat some good food and be with his woman) But this route…. it made me lose braincells fr…🥴
ARNAUD
- not the oniichan route
- Arnaud with frenchman hat < Arnaud
Arnaud works as a journalist and is Emma’s childhood friend. After an accident seven years ago, Emma became an orphan and was taken in by Arnaud’s family, so she has been living with him and his mother, Alice, ever since. Arnaud tends to fuss around Emma and dotes on her on account of her amnesia.
This route is meant to be played last, as a lot of plot events from the previous LIs were also revisited here, and I thought that if I had played Arnaud’s route earlier (immediately after Hugo’s), the story likely wouldn’t have made as much sense to me, so I’m glad I stuck with the suggested route order.
I think Arnaud may be my fav LI in this game, and that’s because he’s such a polarizing character… (or maybe I’m just being biased because of Abe Atsushi? lol) He was quite possessive of the heroine, and I didn’t mind his overprotectiveness at all; I actually enjoy that trope! Heh. 🤭 I can understand why some might find it uncomfortable though, given their familial relationship and the fact that they were raised under the same roof. But for me, it didn’t come off as creepy in the slightest. Plus, he has the most gorgeous CGs in the game!
⬇️ SpoilersOn the romance side of things, I really liked how Arnaud confessed to Emma early on in his route. Like, wow, the boy is fast! And the plot twist with him secretly reporting to his father about Emma was maybe a little too predictable; like clearly you could see that coming from a mile away. Regardless, I still enjoyed how his story progressed!
I also liked that they revisited the Hamelin incident here and expanded on it a bit from Serge’s route. However, I felt this route had a lot of things going on that didn’t really favor Arnaud and the heroine, nor their relationship. Is it just me, or did it seem like everything got convoluted toward the end? There were a lot of unnecessary scenes that could’ve just been scraped off. This route seemed to put more emphasis on being the ‘truth’ route rather than its focus on romance.🤷🏻♀️
On a side note, Arnaud’s military sprite was hawt! Seriously, everyone seems to look good without their hats. Hugo looked hot with his low ponytail, and without that ugly tophat, and Arnaud looked incredibly fine without his frenchman hat. THROW AWAY THOSE HATS MAN!
EMMA (Main Heroine)
- macaron girlie
- sometimes good, sometimes 🧍♀️
Emma is alright, I guess? There were routes where I considered her decently written, like in Crier’s and Lyon’s routes. I thought these were the stories where she had the most agency and displayed a bit of critical thinking. However, a lot of the time, she remained very passive that it got on my nerves.😭 There were situations where she’d dawdle the heck out when something is urgently needed of her. She is aware of this though so I’d credit her that self awareness. And in her defense, she’s only 17 and was raised very sheltered. But still… sometimes, she just… really isn’t… logically thinking through her decisions. The scenarios where she fell short seemed to outweigh the good (at least in my opinion). There were scenes in the game that would literally go like this:
Emma: (After everyone repeatedly told her not to use magic in public) 🧍♀️
Also Emma: *Proceeds to use magic in public*Emma: “This town doesnt like newcomers, I must not act suspicious”
Also Emma: *Proceeds to act suspicious*😭😭😭
There were a lot of inconsistencies in how she was written across all routes. And while I’ve facepalmed several times during her 🧍♀️🧍♀️🧍♀️ moments, I don’t think she was terrible overall, to be honest. Like I said, she’s alright!🙂Not a fav, & she could’ve been better.
I have to say, though, her love for macarons made me crave for them too, that I had to get out of the house in the dead cold winter afternoon and drive up to a local pâtisserie to get some french macarons myself!😭
SYSTEM AND LOCALIZATION
The UI for Genso Manège was a standout to me. The animated clip that plays before the menu screen was absolutely beautiful, and to top it off, the pastel-colored manège/carousel on the opening screen ticked all my aesthetic boxes! Ha!
PROS:
- Heroine’s Name Customization: The heroine’s name can be changed. Great for those who prefer to self-insert.
- Heroine Side Image Sprite ON/OFF
- Love Catch System
- Quick Save/Quick Load
- Clear List – to track what endings you’ve unlocked so far.
- Sound Library
- Character Profiles (with voices)
- Seiyuu Commentaries
- CG Library
- Manual Instructions
- Status Screen: allows you to check the LI affection points you’ve accumulated during gameplay.
- Backlog and Rewind function
- MINI GAME – can be skipped and does not affect your endings, if you choose to do so.
- Font Style Selection
CONS:
- No Chapter Select – You can however, replay scenes in the CG gallery.
- No SKIP to Next choice function.
- SLOW Skip Reads
- Black screen bugs
I experienced a couple of black-screen bugs in the game where if a scene transitions to the next chapter or slide and you accidentally press any button during the transition, the screen completely blacks out while the game continues running. The only way to circumvent this was to completely close the game and restart, which really sucks if you forgot to save beforehand.
About the Mini Game
Eveil System – is a mini-game that lets you collect stars that appear in random locations on your screen. If you’re playing in handheld mode, you can simply tap or glide your fingers on the screen to collect them. If you’re playing in TV mode, you can use the L and R joysticks to collect the stars. After completing the tutorial (on your first playthrough), you should be able to skip this mini-game whenever it comes up. There are no consequences for skipping it during the story, and it won’t affect your endings.Localization
The localization was well done, and the translations flowed smoothly in the game. Granted, I blitzed through this pretty fast, so I didn’t really notice any typos or text errors during my gameplay. There also weren’t any text box issues, so overall, it was pretty solid!
TRAILER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMvcr8Y8Gzk
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This was a decent-length title, not too short but not overly long either. It took me around 40 hours to complete everything (playing docked on TV). Chapters 1-3 make up the game’s common route, and Chapter 4 is where the LI’s route branches off. There are also only two endings for each love interest: the “Amour End” (good end) and the “Rêve End” (bad end).
Not as Fluffy as You Think
My initial impression after finishing my first route (Hugo) was that the game kind of deceives you into thinking it’s all going to be a fluffy ride throughout due to its bright pastel, sparkly-colored theme. But in contrast, the game actually carries a whole lot of angst. It’s not on the level of Cafe Enchante deception, though, so you can rest easy on that!😂
This title was a mixed bag for me, some routes were decently paced, while some faltered and dragged the narrative too much with trivial things. Given how often the titular manège (magical carousel) was mentioned in the common route, and the fact that it’s even plastered in the game’s title, I expected it to play a significant role throughout the story. But, it turned out to be crucial only in Hugo’s route and was barely relevant elsewhere. It would’ve been more satisfying if all the routes had some connection to the manège, allowing it to be the central element that tied the story together. That would’ve been a nice full-circle to its overarching story, no? Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. The entire *magical manège* theme felt underutilized, which I found disappointing.
TBF, I’ve already mentally prepared and toned down my expectations knowing that the writing team for this game included a few writers from past games I wasn’t the biggest fan of (e.g., ChariMani and ParaPara). As a result, when certain aspects didn’t quite hit the mark for me, the impact wasn’t as bad as it might’ve been if I hadn’t set those expectations. If you know what I mean!
On a different note, I have to say, unlocking the reverse harem ending was a good reason to finish all the routes in this game! 😆
Speaking of routes (and love interests), I think, Arnaud ended up as my favorite LI just because his character was a bit polarizing at first. I’m also a big box-pusher (hako-oshi), so I thought all the guys were great in my opinion. None of them really annoyed me, and that’s a good thing! As for their individual routes, the one I enjoyed the most from start to finish was Lyon’s.🥺 Albeit, his story had one of the most angsty themes in the game (I still ate it up, haha).😆
LI RANKING:
Arnaud > Lyon = Crier > Serge > Luciole > Hugo
ROUTE RANKING:
Lyon > Crier > Serge > Arnaud > Hugo > Luciole
Arnaud is literally me irl😭😭😭As for the romance, this game showcased a lot of sweet scenarios between the heroine, and her LI. It’s also worth noting that this otome game is rated CERO B in Japan, so I think it’s designed to appeal to all audiences, especially the younger crowd. There are no spicy, mature scenes here, so if you’re after that, you are going to be disappointed.
**As for the ratio of kiss CGs, well… I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed in that regard as well.🥲 All gripes aside, I do think Lyon’s very wholesome story was a breath of fresh air,🥺💛🐇💛so if you’re a fan of the wholesome cinamon roll type, I really recommend not skipping his route!🥹
Do I recommend this game? YES.
In all honesty, I never thought I’d see the day where Genso Manège would get localized. I remember it being one of the few non-Otomate titles announced in Japan, back when the otome genre was slowly transitioning to the Switch console in 2020. This title also garnered a couple of votes in the localization survey, I did five years ago.🥹 So getting to play it in English now feels rather surreal.Genso Manège feels light on the surface, but it’s actually a title that isn’t afraid to reveal its hidden gray undertones. While I wouldn’t go so far as to call it “dark,” the story can definitely get pretty heavy. This is also a game that I think would be great for beginners in the otome genre who aren’t afraid to explore heavier themes in fiction.
For the seasoned players who love angst, I definitely think you’ll enjoy this too, though I’d suggest tempering your expectations, as it isn’t on the grandiose level of Hakuoki. But, it has the right touch and balance of romance & adventure, not to mention, likable love interests, to keep you sufficiently entertained! Do pick it up when you get the chance!🫶
#GensoManège #GensoManègeReview #GensoManege #Mages #nintendoSwitch #OtomeGameReview #Pqube
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Genso Manège Review (Nintendo Switch)
Release Date: January 31, 2025 (North America)
Developers: MAGES / LOVE&ART
Publishers: PQube
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam)
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)SYNOPSIS
Set in a wondrously evocative re-imagining of France, the story follows the protagonist, Emma, orphaned at a young age, as she fights to uncover her forgotten memories.
A witch who lost her powers when young and now living a quiet life, Emma is led by the memento her father left her and finds herself swept away with the arrival of a travelling amusement park in town.
ART AND MUSIC
Scenario Director: Ayano Ishikawa, Ayano SuehiroArtist/Illustrators: MeijScenario Writers: Uta Amemiya, Muri Sasaki, Touko Fujitani, Nami Tayama, Ayano SuehiroOST: Naoki Chiba (OP Composition), Rico Sasaki (OP vocals), BigBoom (ED composition), H!Superb (ED vocals)I was every bit as surprised to hear a jpop boy group in my otome games. If you’re into these niche spaces, I’m sure you’ve NEVER heard of H!Superb before (lol). And its because they are fairly nugu 누구 (and I dont mean this in a dismissive kind of way, they are just internationally unheard of), but they have a very dedicated fanbase in Japan, so I was pretty happy to find out they did the game’s ED theme. It was my fav track of Genso Manege’s entire OST.
Meij, the illustrator for Genso Manege is a freelance artist, that’ve worked on a few joseimuke games in the past, including character designs for the unit Lancelot in I★CHU. They’ve also done several Nijisanji illustrations, one I can particularly remember was Uki Violeta’s birthday illustrations, which was just *chef kiss*.
Voice Acting
Wataru Hatano as “Hugo” – Wizard (TaiAli), Gekkamaru (Nightshade), Adonis Otogari (Ensemble Stars), Lindo (Dance with Devils), Noah (Cafe Enchante), Kawamura Kyoshirou (Winter’s Wish), Keith Howell (IkePri)
Yuichiro Umehara as “Serge” – Paschalia (Radiant Tale), Kohei Minato (Sympathy Kiss), Benkei (Birushana), Canus Espada (Café Enchanté), Enishi (Jack Jeanne), Demento (Period Cube), Shingen Takeda (IkeSen), Sage (Nekopara Catboys Paradise), Rain (Shiro to Kuro no Alice), Oochidori (Touken Ranbu)
Hiro Shimono as “Crier” – Senri (Norn9), Nayuta (Variable Barricade), Sho Kurusu (Utapri), Kuroyuki (Nightshade), Zena (Akatsuki no Yona), Alear (FE Engage), Kiel (RF4), Hakusan (Touken Ranbu), Ray Blackwell (IkeRev), Kokichi Oma (Danganropa), Ryunosuke (The Great Ace Attorney)
Yuto Suzuki as “Lyon” – Shion (CollarxMalice), Noah Reed (Orfleurs), Sosuke (Spiral Memoria), Nine (Shiro to Kuro no Alice), Enforcer (Despera Drops)
Shirai Yusuke as “Luciole” – Scarecrow (BUSTAFELLOWS), Eltcreed Valentine (Steam Prison), Watson (London Detective Mysteria), Amemura Ramuda (Hypnosis Mic), Garu (NU:Carnival), Ars (Period Cube), Usui Masumi (A3!), Miki Hiraizumi (Fashioning Little Miss Lonesome), Tsuzumi (Ken ga Kimi), John (Mistonia no Kibou)
Abe Atsushi as “Arnaud” – Chinami (Harukanaru 5), Sorata Suzuhara (Norn9), Kohaku (Harukanaru 6), Suishinshi Masahide (Touken Ranbu), Kishinami Hakuno (FATE/EXTELLA), Musashi Miyamoto (Harukanaru 7), Camael (Tokyo Babel), Hinata Minoru (Digimon Survice)
CHARACTERS AND ROUTES
There are six obtainable romance routes in Genso Manège. The only locked route is Arnaud’s, which becomes available only after completing Hugo’s “Amour End”(Good End). The rest of the guy’s are playable from the start.
The developers have suggested a recommended play order: Hugo → Serge = Crier → Lyon = Luciole → Arnaud. I played in this order, and while I thought the story flowed well this way, I personally think that Crier and Hugo’s routes are interchangeable as starting points since both routes feel more lighthearted compared to the others. Crier’s route, in particular, was a bit vanilla, and while Hugo’s route contained a few plot spoilers, its overall tone falls on the lighthearted side in comparison to others.
Then again, I feel that the first five routes can be played in any order, as long as Arnaud’s is saved for last since his route felt like a culmination of the story that tied up loose ends.
Walkthroughs:
⬇️ Click to view Content Warnings Kidnapping, death, women abuse, human experimentation, angry mobs, violence, gun violence, age gap.HUGO
Hugo is the Director of La Foire du Rêve and was the one who invited the heroine to be part of the Rêve and work there from the start. He possesses a gentle demeanor, and always speaks in a calm manner. He holds a certain authority within the Rêve that everyone respects. Most of the employees/staff, feel indebted to his kindness. At times, he shows his playful side to the heroine.
I actually wondered why Hugo’s route was the devs’ pick to start with. His route had a lot of revelations that related to the game’s overall plot, so I thought it would be best to play it before the finale (Arnaud’s). But, after playing his route, I realized that his story sort of sets you up where you are slowly introduced to the game’s setting, albeit only revealing a few plot points to help you better understand the overarching story. I think playing his route first will also help you understand the circumstances of the other LIs’ routes that you’ll play next, so in my experience, this really helped me grasp everyone else’s situation in the Rêve .
Romance-wise, I’m not exactly sure if I enjoyed Hugo and Emma’s chemistry, to be honest! Their relationship felt more like a guardianship rather than what it would be with lovers, at least to me anyway. Other than that, I wasn’t too thrilled with Hugo’s story either and I was not a fan of Emma here…🤷🏻♀️
⬇️ SpoilersThis route also dragged A LOT! Like, the part where they kept talking about light bulbs… I get that they were trying to connect this to awakening Emma’s powers or make some kind of analogy, but damn, I wasn’t too enthused to sit through all that light bulb talk, my dudes!🤣 (cackles) I thought it was also kind of funny how the story focused so much on the lights in the Reve and their project to fully brighten up the entire amusement park, and that they had to do it in Paris… ??? Like, what a weird choice to move the plot forward.🤔😅 The whole starlights-in-Paris plotline seemed to come out of nowhere???
Emma was also very passive here. Babygurl really was just standing there while the plot tells us, she’s doing something when it’s really a whole lot of nothing… I’m being sarcastic here, please dont take this literally! Hugo was pretty hot in his engineer-outfit sprite though! That low ponytail! Mmhmm 🥵
Serge
- kuudere, megane
- soft
- Caleb at home… (im sorry!)😭
La Foire du Rêve‘s head of finances. Serge, is in charge of all the accounting aspects, and auditing related to the Rêve’s supplies and inventory. He is indebted to Hugo, who once came to his aid in his previous occupation, and has been diligently working for him ever since. Serge is very loyal and respects Hugo as the Reve’s Director. He has a cold, intimidating demeanor and he speaks bluntly, but he is just as harsh on himself as he is on others.
Get you a man who looks at you, the way Serge looks at Hugo! jk!
Serge, is your typical kuudere megane love interest. Blunt, stoic, completely clueless about love, cold, & always direct to the point…He’s very straight-laced on the surface but also a softie at heart. Definitely the perfect stereotypical character to cast Umehara, right?🤭For the most part, I enjoyed his relationship with Emma. I love their banter and how he adored Emma’s cooking. I thought the fluff here was done pretty well. Sad to say, I’m still not a fan of the heroine in this route.🥲
⬇️ SpoilersNormally, it pains me to say something negative about heroines, they’re like my children, I swear! But Emma here was kind of a ditz? Why on earth would you offer to help Serge with accounting when you don’t have a single iota of what accounting even is? At one point, I couldn’t help but resonate with Serge’s annoyance with her (lol). I know it’s her good intention to want to be useful, but sometimes she just doesn’t think logically. Why are they writing heroines like this?🥴 I’m fairly sure 17 years old is old enough to actually have some common sense or critical thinking. My rambling aside, she does get better in other routes!
I was also pretty surprised that Serge’s route took a major turn on to the heavier topics, like the imprisonment and torture of women that were suspected to be witches. It also hints on the Hamelin incident, amongst other things. It’s funny how it’s such a contrast to Hugo’s route where they just flamboyantly talked about light bulbs and then bam, you have Serge’s route and see him being tortured in jail! The whiplash!🤣
Also, this route made it seem that french people aren’t fond of spicy food. Is that true???😭 On a closing note, I honestly couldn’t care less about the age gap here, but I’ve listed it in the content warnings above since I know there are people who aren’t fond of it in their fiction.
CRIER
- tsun
- dere 🥹
Crier is a performer at La Foire du Rêve. He’s skilled at juggling and doing various tricks that the audience, especially the youth, loves. He complains a lot about the heroine at first, but in truth, he’s very attentive and caring towards Emma. When he’s not performing, he’s busy running errands and getting supplies from town for the Reve.
I think tsun Hiro Shimono characters are essentially an otome gamer’s guilty pleasure, don’t you think? That said, I loved this route! Crier is such a cutie-patootie, but what really made him stand out to me was his personality and how caring he is, not only to the heroine, but also to everyone else. He was very likable in other routes too, which gained him plus points from me! Despite his initial harsh tone, the boy has a heart of gold! I also loved his dynamic with Emma, and yes, unlike in the two previous routes, Emma here was great! Hallelujah! She had a lot of agency and wasn’t afraid to bite back, which made her chemistry with Crier very fun, not to mention, believable!
On another note, I found this route to be the most lighthearted compared to the others. Based on the themes alone, I’d consider it fairly vanilla, which isn’t bad; quite the opposite, in fact! Though it wasn’t perfect, it had a clear direction on where it was going. The bad ending, however, was kind of depressing. Oof, I wish I had skipped it, but alas!😢
⬇️ SpoilersI would’ve complained about how odd it was that they were just forced to be *fake lovers* out of nowhere (to appease Clara and the rest of the folks in the Reve), but I didn’t mind this plot device, really! Sure, there could’ve been other ways to tighten their relationship and show their *lovey-dovey* moments, but I thought this one worked fine, so I can’t fault the writing for using what ticked. Emma finally had some agency here! It was also so refreshing to see her get jealous of how Crier was being nice to Clara (not knowing they were twins) and wished that Crier would’ve treated her the same. Girlie is finally boy-crushing, it’s cute!🥹
LYON
- what an angel!🥺
- so pure! must be protected at all times!🥺🤲
Lyon is La Foire du Rêve’s bunny mascot. The children who visit the amusement park love him. He’s very calm, sometimes quiet, and absolutely purehearted. He never takes off his costume, so no one really knows what he looks like in person.
Aw. I actually love this route too.🥺 I liked that there was a strong build-up to the mysteries surrounding the Reve’s magic here, and the way Emma and Lyon uncovered things bit by bit was enjoyable to witness. On top of that, Lyon is absolutely a darling cinnamon roll. His cute bunny mascot embodies his adorable persona to a T. I couldn’t really fault him for anything in his story! He’s an angel!🥺This route made my heart sink because of how wholesome it was. Though, I’d say out of all the guys, Lyon had the most difficult circumstances in the Reve. The angst here was pretty up there. Made me profusely sob.😭
⬇️ SpoilersProtect Lyon at all cost!😤
On the side, Emma was great here as well! She took a lot of initiative for herself. She was even selfish at times and made silly, reckless decisions, especially when she insisted on reviving the dead despite being warned so many times not to. Though given the circumstances, her actions to me felt reasonable, out of pure desperation so I don’t hold this against her.
I think my only issue was that the reincarnation ending wasn’t very clear. It was pretty vague actually! I wish they had clarified where this *new* Lyon came from. The story blatantly ignored the fact that only a year had passed since Emma freed all the souls in the Reve, including Lyon’s. Does that mean this reincarnated Lyon already existed while the soul/phantom Lyon was still trapped in the Reve? So many plot holes are being overlooked here! Oh well… 🤷🏻♀️
LUCIOLE
- the hikikomori mechanic
- secretly a cinamon roll, but…
A man of few words and even fewer appearances, Luciole is the mechanic of La Foire du Rêve. He only comes out at night to perform maintenance around the amusement park and keeps to himself in his tent during the day. He seems to despise the idea of magic and is strongly against the heroine using her powers.
There’s a reason Luciole is so adamant and unwilling to accept the use of magic. In this route, you’ll get to find out why. At the heart of it, I really liked Luciole as a character. His route started off strong, especially during his back-and-forth exchanges with the heroine. Their little tete-a-tete through letter exchanges was cute!🥹 His entire route however, felt pretty weak, in my opinion. They pretty much did a great job building up tension and intrigue with his story, but the turning point and resolution, especially at the end, felt rather too convenient, almost frustratingly so!
**On the positive side, the best part of this route was hearing Shiraimu shift from being a tsun to a total cinnamon roll!🥹
⬇️ SpoilersThere were so many missed opportunities in this route, it hurts! The chance to make him the resident yandere character was wasted. He had the perfect setup for it! Wouldn’t it have been great for Luciole to go twisted because he didn’t want to see MC get hurt anymore? Plus, the trauma he has with his mom fits the typical yandere backstory, so I was surprised they didn’t explore that. I would’ve loved to see it. Instead, we get a yandere ending in his BAD END, and even that one felt half-baked! So disappointing!😭
The angry mob trope honestly feels very tired to me. Because we see it in almost EVERY SINGLE OTOME GAME, and it’s usually just there to create a conflict that puts the heroine in danger, only to be conveniently resolved almost immediately. This route was no exception, but the way it was handled here felt especially sloppy! The resolution they came up with just doesn’t make sense logically. Like no way an angry mob would just calm down because you told them to calm down LOL angry mobs aren’t that easily pacified by mere words, because y’know… they’re angry and their judgements are clouded in the heat of the moment. The whole ordeal of Luciole’s monologue in front of them felt so dumb (I’m sorry!)😭 And the crowd going: “Oh, we messed up and believed a drunk, hur dur…so we started throwing stones at this young lady because drunk man said she bad!” Like wow, really? is this twitter???😂😂😂
I really liked Luciole as a love interest, honest to god! (Dude, just wanna eat some good food and be with his woman) But this route…. it made me lose braincells fr…🥴
ARNAUD
- not the oniichan route
- Arnaud with frenchman hat < Arnaud
Arnaud works as a journalist and is Emma’s childhood friend. After an accident seven years ago, Emma became an orphan and was taken in by Arnaud’s family, so she has been living with him and his mother, Alice, ever since. Arnaud tends to fuss around Emma and dotes on her on account of her amnesia.
This route is meant to be played last, as a lot of plot events from the previous LIs were also revisited here, and I thought that if I had played Arnaud’s route earlier (immediately after Hugo’s), the story likely wouldn’t have made as much sense to me, so I’m glad I stuck with the suggested route order.
I think Arnaud may be my fav LI in this game, and that’s because he’s such a polarizing character… (or maybe I’m just being biased because of Abe Atsushi? lol) He was quite possessive of the heroine, and I didn’t mind his overprotectiveness at all; I actually enjoy that trope! Heh. 🤭 I can understand why some might find it uncomfortable though, given their familial relationship and the fact that they were raised under the same roof. But for me, it didn’t come off as creepy in the slightest. Plus, he has the most gorgeous CGs in the game!
⬇️ SpoilersOn the romance side of things, I really liked how Arnaud confessed to Emma early on in his route. Like, wow, the boy is fast! And the plot twist with him secretly reporting to his father about Emma was maybe a little too predictable; like clearly you could see that coming from a mile away. Regardless, I still enjoyed how his story progressed!
I also liked that they revisited the Hamelin incident here and expanded on it a bit from Serge’s route. However, I felt this route had a lot of things going on that didn’t really favor Arnaud and the heroine, nor their relationship. Is it just me, or did it seem like everything got convoluted toward the end? There were a lot of unnecessary scenes that could’ve just been scraped off. This route seemed to put more emphasis on being the ‘truth’ route rather than its focus on romance.🤷🏻♀️
On a side note, Arnaud’s military sprite was hawt! Seriously, everyone seems to look good without their hats. Hugo looked hot with his low ponytail, and without that ugly tophat, and Arnaud looked incredibly fine without his frenchman hat. THROW AWAY THOSE HATS MAN!
EMMA (Main Heroine)
- macaron girlie
- sometimes good, sometimes 🧍♀️
Emma is alright, I guess? There were routes where I considered her decently written, like in Crier’s and Lyon’s routes. I thought these were the stories where she had the most agency and displayed a bit of critical thinking. However, a lot of the time, she remained very passive that it got on my nerves.😭 There were situations where she’d dawdle the heck out when something is urgently needed of her. She is aware of this though so I’d credit her that self awareness. And in her defense, she’s only 17 and was raised very sheltered. But still… sometimes, she just… really isn’t… logically thinking through her decisions. The scenarios where she fell short seemed to outweigh the good (at least in my opinion). There were scenes in the game that would literally go like this:
Emma: (After everyone repeatedly told her not to use magic in public) 🧍♀️
Also Emma: *Proceeds to use magic in public*Emma: “This town doesnt like newcomers, I must not act suspicious”
Also Emma: *Proceeds to act suspicious*😭😭😭
There were a lot of inconsistencies in how she was written across all routes. And while I’ve facepalmed several times during her 🧍♀️🧍♀️🧍♀️ moments, I don’t think she was terrible overall, to be honest. Like I said, she’s alright!🙂Not a fav, & she could’ve been better.
I have to say, though, her love for macarons made me crave for them too, that I had to get out of the house in the dead cold winter afternoon and drive up to a local pâtisserie to get some french macarons myself!😭
SYSTEM AND LOCALIZATION
The UI for Genso Manège was a standout to me. The animated clip that plays before the menu screen was absolutely beautiful, and to top it off, the pastel-colored manège/carousel on the opening screen ticked all my aesthetic boxes! Ha!
PROS:
- Heroine’s Name Customization: The heroine’s name can be changed. Great for those who prefer to self-insert.
- Heroine Side Image Sprite ON/OFF
- Love Catch System
- Quick Save/Quick Load
- Clear List – to track what endings you’ve unlocked so far.
- Sound Library
- Character Profiles (with voices)
- Seiyuu Commentaries
- CG Library
- Manual Instructions
- Status Screen: allows you to check the LI affection points you’ve accumulated during gameplay.
- Backlog and Rewind function
- MINI GAME – can be skipped and does not affect your endings, if you choose to do so.
- Font Style Selection
CONS:
- No Chapter Select – You can however, replay scenes in the CG gallery.
- No SKIP to Next choice function.
- SLOW Skip Reads
- Black screen bugs
I experienced a couple of black-screen bugs in the game where if a scene transitions to the next chapter or slide and you accidentally press any button during the transition, the screen completely blacks out while the game continues running. The only way to circumvent this was to completely close the game and restart, which really sucks if you forgot to save beforehand.
About the Mini Game
Eveil System – is a mini-game that lets you collect stars that appear in random locations on your screen. If you’re playing in handheld mode, you can simply tap or glide your fingers on the screen to collect them. If you’re playing in TV mode, you can use the L and R joysticks to collect the stars. After completing the tutorial (on your first playthrough), you should be able to skip this mini-game whenever it comes up. There are no consequences for skipping it during the story, and it won’t affect your endings.Localization
The localization was well done, and the translations flowed smoothly in the game. Granted, I blitzed through this pretty fast, so I didn’t really notice any typos or text errors during my gameplay. There also weren’t any text box issues, so overall, it was pretty solid!
TRAILER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMvcr8Y8Gzk
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This was a decent-length title, not too short but not overly long either. It took me around 40 hours to complete everything (playing docked on TV). Chapters 1-3 make up the game’s common route, and Chapter 4 is where the LI’s route branches off. There are also only two endings for each love interest: the “Amour End” (good end) and the “Rêve End” (bad end).
Not as Fluffy as You Think
My initial impression after finishing my first route (Hugo) was that the game kind of deceives you into thinking it’s all going to be a fluffy ride throughout due to its bright pastel, sparkly-colored theme. But in contrast, the game actually carries a whole lot of angst. It’s not on the level of Cafe Enchante deception, though, so you can rest easy on that!😂
This title was a mixed bag for me, some routes were decently paced, while some faltered and dragged the narrative too much with trivial things. Given how often the titular manège (magical carousel) was mentioned in the common route, and the fact that it’s even plastered in the game’s title, I expected it to play a significant role throughout the story. But, it turned out to be crucial only in Hugo’s route and was barely relevant elsewhere. It would’ve been more satisfying if all the routes had some connection to the manège, allowing it to be the central element that tied the story together. That would’ve been a nice full-circle to its overarching story, no? Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. The entire *magical manège* theme felt underutilized, which I found disappointing.
TBF, I’ve already mentally prepared and toned down my expectations knowing that the writing team for this game included a few writers from past games I wasn’t the biggest fan of (e.g., ChariMani and ParaPara). As a result, when certain aspects didn’t quite hit the mark for me, the impact wasn’t as bad as it might’ve been if I hadn’t set those expectations. If you know what I mean!
On a different note, I have to say, unlocking the reverse harem ending was a good reason to finish all the routes in this game! 😆
Speaking of routes (and love interests), I think, Arnaud ended up as my favorite LI just because his character was a bit polarizing at first. I’m also a big box-pusher (hako-oshi), so I thought all the guys were great in my opinion. None of them really annoyed me, and that’s a good thing! As for their individual routes, the one I enjoyed the most from start to finish was Lyon’s.🥺 Albeit, his story had one of the most angsty themes in the game (I still ate it up, haha).😆
LI RANKING:
Arnaud > Lyon = Crier > Serge > Luciole > Hugo
ROUTE RANKING:
Lyon > Crier > Serge > Arnaud > Hugo > Luciole
Arnaud is literally me irl😭😭😭As for the romance, this game showcased a lot of sweet scenarios between the heroine, and her LI. It’s also worth noting that this otome game is rated CERO B in Japan, so I think it’s designed to appeal to all audiences, especially the younger crowd. There are no spicy, mature scenes here, so if you’re after that, you are going to be disappointed.
**As for the ratio of kiss CGs, well… I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed in that regard as well.🥲 All gripes aside, I do think Lyon’s very wholesome story was a breath of fresh air,🥺💛🐇💛so if you’re a fan of the wholesome cinamon roll type, I really recommend not skipping his route!🥹
Do I recommend this game? YES.
In all honesty, I never thought I’d see the day where Genso Manège would get localized. I remember it being one of the few non-Otomate titles announced in Japan, back when the otome genre was slowly transitioning to the Switch console in 2020. This title also garnered a couple of votes in the localization survey, I did five years ago.🥹 So getting to play it in English now feels rather surreal.Genso Manège feels light on the surface, but it’s actually a title that isn’t afraid to reveal its hidden gray undertones. While I wouldn’t go so far as to call it “dark,” the story can definitely get pretty heavy. This is also a game that I think would be great for beginners in the otome genre who aren’t afraid to explore heavier themes in fiction.
For the seasoned players who love angst, I definitely think you’ll enjoy this too, though I’d suggest tempering your expectations, as it isn’t on the grandiose level of Hakuoki. But, it has the right touch and balance of romance & adventure, not to mention, likable love interests, to keep you sufficiently entertained! Do pick it up when you get the chance!🫶
#GensoManège #GensoManègeReview #GensoManege #Mages #nintendoSwitch #OtomeGameReview #Pqube
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Genso Manège Review (Nintendo Switch)
Release Date: January 31, 2025 (North America)
Developers: MAGES / LOVE&ART
Publishers: PQube
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam)
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)SYNOPSIS
Set in a wondrously evocative re-imagining of France, the story follows the protagonist, Emma, orphaned at a young age, as she fights to uncover her forgotten memories.
A witch who lost her powers when young and now living a quiet life, Emma is led by the memento her father left her and finds herself swept away with the arrival of a travelling amusement park in town.
ART AND MUSIC
Scenario Director: Ayano Ishikawa, Ayano SuehiroArtist/Illustrators: MeijScenario Writers: Uta Amemiya, Muri Sasaki, Touko Fujitani, Nami Tayama, Ayano SuehiroOST: Naoki Chiba (OP Composition), Rico Sasaki (OP vocals), BigBoom (ED composition), H!Superb (ED vocals)I was every bit as surprised to hear a jpop boy group in my otome games. If you’re into these niche spaces, I’m sure you’ve NEVER heard of H!Superb before (lol). And its because they are fairly nugu 누구 (and I dont mean this in a dismissive kind of way, they are just internationally unheard of), but they have a very dedicated fanbase in Japan, so I was pretty happy to find out they did the game’s ED theme. It was my fav track of Genso Manege’s entire OST.
Meij, the illustrator for Genso Manege is a freelance artist, that’ve worked on a few joseimuke games in the past, including character designs for the unit Lancelot in I★CHU. They’ve also done several Nijisanji illustrations, one I can particularly remember was Uki Violeta’s birthday illustrations, which was just *chef kiss*.
Voice Acting
Wataru Hatano as “Hugo” – Wizard (TaiAli), Gekkamaru (Nightshade), Adonis Otogari (Ensemble Stars), Lindo (Dance with Devils), Noah (Cafe Enchante), Kawamura Kyoshirou (Winter’s Wish), Keith Howell (IkePri)
Yuichiro Umehara as “Serge” – Paschalia (Radiant Tale), Kohei Minato (Sympathy Kiss), Benkei (Birushana), Canus Espada (Café Enchanté), Enishi (Jack Jeanne), Demento (Period Cube), Shingen Takeda (IkeSen), Sage (Nekopara Catboys Paradise), Rain (Shiro to Kuro no Alice), Oochidori (Touken Ranbu)
Hiro Shimono as “Crier” – Senri (Norn9), Nayuta (Variable Barricade), Sho Kurusu (Utapri), Kuroyuki (Nightshade), Zena (Akatsuki no Yona), Alear (FE Engage), Kiel (RF4), Hakusan (Touken Ranbu), Ray Blackwell (IkeRev), Kokichi Oma (Danganropa), Ryunosuke (The Great Ace Attorney)
Yuto Suzuki as “Lyon” – Shion (CollarxMalice), Noah Reed (Orfleurs), Sosuke (Spiral Memoria), Nine (Shiro to Kuro no Alice), Enforcer (Despera Drops)
Shirai Yusuke as “Luciole” – Scarecrow (BUSTAFELLOWS), Eltcreed Valentine (Steam Prison), Watson (London Detective Mysteria), Amemura Ramuda (Hypnosis Mic), Garu (NU:Carnival), Ars (Period Cube), Usui Masumi (A3!), Miki Hiraizumi (Fashioning Little Miss Lonesome), Tsuzumi (Ken ga Kimi), John (Mistonia no Kibou)
Abe Atsushi as “Arnaud” – Chinami (Harukanaru 5), Sorata Suzuhara (Norn9), Kohaku (Harukanaru 6), Suishinshi Masahide (Touken Ranbu), Kishinami Hakuno (FATE/EXTELLA), Musashi Miyamoto (Harukanaru 7), Camael (Tokyo Babel), Hinata Minoru (Digimon Survice)
CHARACTERS AND ROUTES
There are six obtainable romance routes in Genso Manège. The only locked route is Arnaud’s, which becomes available only after completing Hugo’s “Amour End”(Good End). The rest of the guy’s are playable from the start.
The developers have suggested a recommended play order: Hugo → Serge = Crier → Lyon = Luciole → Arnaud. I played in this order, and while I thought the story flowed well this way, I personally think that Crier and Hugo’s routes are interchangeable as starting points since both routes feel more lighthearted compared to the others. Crier’s route, in particular, was a bit vanilla, and while Hugo’s route contained a few plot spoilers, its overall tone falls on the lighthearted side in comparison to others.
Then again, I feel that the first five routes can be played in any order, as long as Arnaud’s is saved for last since his route felt like a culmination of the story that tied up loose ends.
Walkthroughs:
⬇️ Click to view Content Warnings Kidnapping, death, women abuse, human experimentation, angry mobs, violence, gun violence, age gap.HUGO
Hugo is the Director of La Foire du Rêve and was the one who invited the heroine to be part of the Rêve and work there from the start. He possesses a gentle demeanor, and always speaks in a calm manner. He holds a certain authority within the Rêve that everyone respects. Most of the employees/staff, feel indebted to his kindness. At times, he shows his playful side to the heroine.
I actually wondered why Hugo’s route was the devs’ pick to start with. His route had a lot of revelations that related to the game’s overall plot, so I thought it would be best to play it before the finale (Arnaud’s). But, after playing his route, I realized that his story sort of sets you up where you are slowly introduced to the game’s setting, albeit only revealing a few plot points to help you better understand the overarching story. I think playing his route first will also help you understand the circumstances of the other LIs’ routes that you’ll play next, so in my experience, this really helped me grasp everyone else’s situation in the Rêve .
Romance-wise, I’m not exactly sure if I enjoyed Hugo and Emma’s chemistry, to be honest! Their relationship felt more like a guardianship rather than what it would be with lovers, at least to me anyway. Other than that, I wasn’t too thrilled with Hugo’s story either and I was not a fan of Emma here…🤷🏻♀️
⬇️ SpoilersThis route also dragged A LOT! Like, the part where they kept talking about light bulbs… I get that they were trying to connect this to awakening Emma’s powers or make some kind of analogy, but damn, I wasn’t too enthused to sit through all that light bulb talk, my dudes!🤣 (cackles) I thought it was also kind of funny how the story focused so much on the lights in the Reve and their project to fully brighten up the entire amusement park, and that they had to do it in Paris… ??? Like, what a weird choice to move the plot forward.🤔😅 The whole starlights-in-Paris plotline seemed to come out of nowhere???
Emma was also very passive here. Babygurl really was just standing there while the plot tells us, she’s doing something when it’s really a whole lot of nothing… I’m being sarcastic here, please dont take this literally! Hugo was pretty hot in his engineer-outfit sprite though! That low ponytail! Mmhmm 🥵
Serge
- kuudere, megane
- soft
- Caleb at home… (im sorry!)😭
La Foire du Rêve‘s head of finances. Serge, is in charge of all the accounting aspects, and auditing related to the Rêve’s supplies and inventory. He is indebted to Hugo, who once came to his aid in his previous occupation, and has been diligently working for him ever since. Serge is very loyal and respects Hugo as the Reve’s Director. He has a cold, intimidating demeanor and he speaks bluntly, but he is just as harsh on himself as he is on others.
Get you a man who looks at you, the way Serge looks at Hugo! jk!
Serge, is your typical kuudere megane love interest. Blunt, stoic, completely clueless about love, cold, & always direct to the point…He’s very straight-laced on the surface but also a softie at heart. Definitely the perfect stereotypical character to cast Umehara, right?🤭For the most part, I enjoyed his relationship with Emma. I love their banter and how he adored Emma’s cooking. I thought the fluff here was done pretty well. Sad to say, I’m still not a fan of the heroine in this route.🥲
⬇️ SpoilersNormally, it pains me to say something negative about heroines, they’re like my children, I swear! But Emma here was kind of a ditz? Why on earth would you offer to help Serge with accounting when you don’t have a single iota of what accounting even is? At one point, I couldn’t help but resonate with Serge’s annoyance with her (lol). I know it’s her good intention to want to be useful, but sometimes she just doesn’t think logically. Why are they writing heroines like this?🥴 I’m fairly sure 17 years old is old enough to actually have some common sense or critical thinking. My rambling aside, she does get better in other routes!
I was also pretty surprised that Serge’s route took a major turn on to the heavier topics, like the imprisonment and torture of women that were suspected to be witches. It also hints on the Hamelin incident, amongst other things. It’s funny how it’s such a contrast to Hugo’s route where they just flamboyantly talked about light bulbs and then bam, you have Serge’s route and see him being tortured in jail! The whiplash!🤣
Also, this route made it seem that french people aren’t fond of spicy food. Is that true???😭 On a closing note, I honestly couldn’t care less about the age gap here, but I’ve listed it in the content warnings above since I know there are people who aren’t fond of it in their fiction.
CRIER
- tsun
- dere 🥹
Crier is a performer at La Foire du Rêve. He’s skilled at juggling and doing various tricks that the audience, especially the youth, loves. He complains a lot about the heroine at first, but in truth, he’s very attentive and caring towards Emma. When he’s not performing, he’s busy running errands and getting supplies from town for the Reve.
I think tsun Hiro Shimono characters are essentially an otome gamer’s guilty pleasure, don’t you think? That said, I loved this route! Crier is such a cutie-patootie, but what really made him stand out to me was his personality and how caring he is, not only to the heroine, but also to everyone else. He was very likable in other routes too, which gained him plus points from me! Despite his initial harsh tone, the boy has a heart of gold! I also loved his dynamic with Emma, and yes, unlike in the two previous routes, Emma here was great! Hallelujah! She had a lot of agency and wasn’t afraid to bite back, which made her chemistry with Crier very fun, not to mention, believable!
On another note, I found this route to be the most lighthearted compared to the others. Based on the themes alone, I’d consider it fairly vanilla, which isn’t bad; quite the opposite, in fact! Though it wasn’t perfect, it had a clear direction on where it was going. The bad ending, however, was kind of depressing. Oof, I wish I had skipped it, but alas!😢
⬇️ SpoilersI would’ve complained about how odd it was that they were just forced to be *fake lovers* out of nowhere (to appease Clara and the rest of the folks in the Reve), but I didn’t mind this plot device, really! Sure, there could’ve been other ways to tighten their relationship and show their *lovey-dovey* moments, but I thought this one worked fine, so I can’t fault the writing for using what ticked. Emma finally had some agency here! It was also so refreshing to see her get jealous of how Crier was being nice to Clara (not knowing they were twins) and wished that Crier would’ve treated her the same. Girlie is finally boy-crushing, it’s cute!🥹
LYON
- what an angel!🥺
- so pure! must be protected at all times!🥺🤲
Lyon is La Foire du Rêve’s bunny mascot. The children who visit the amusement park love him. He’s very calm, sometimes quiet, and absolutely purehearted. He never takes off his costume, so no one really knows what he looks like in person.
Aw. I actually love this route too.🥺 I liked that there was a strong build-up to the mysteries surrounding the Reve’s magic here, and the way Emma and Lyon uncovered things bit by bit was enjoyable to witness. On top of that, Lyon is absolutely a darling cinnamon roll. His cute bunny mascot embodies his adorable persona to a T. I couldn’t really fault him for anything in his story! He’s an angel!🥺This route made my heart sink because of how wholesome it was. Though, I’d say out of all the guys, Lyon had the most difficult circumstances in the Reve. The angst here was pretty up there. Made me profusely sob.😭
⬇️ SpoilersProtect Lyon at all cost!😤
On the side, Emma was great here as well! She took a lot of initiative for herself. She was even selfish at times and made silly, reckless decisions, especially when she insisted on reviving the dead despite being warned so many times not to. Though given the circumstances, her actions to me felt reasonable, out of pure desperation so I don’t hold this against her.
I think my only issue was that the reincarnation ending wasn’t very clear. It was pretty vague actually! I wish they had clarified where this *new* Lyon came from. The story blatantly ignored the fact that only a year had passed since Emma freed all the souls in the Reve, including Lyon’s. Does that mean this reincarnated Lyon already existed while the soul/phantom Lyon was still trapped in the Reve? So many plot holes are being overlooked here! Oh well… 🤷🏻♀️
LUCIOLE
- the hikikomori mechanic
- secretly a cinamon roll, but…
A man of few words and even fewer appearances, Luciole is the mechanic of La Foire du Rêve. He only comes out at night to perform maintenance around the amusement park and keeps to himself in his tent during the day. He seems to despise the idea of magic and is strongly against the heroine using her powers.
There’s a reason Luciole is so adamant and unwilling to accept the use of magic. In this route, you’ll get to find out why. At the heart of it, I really liked Luciole as a character. His route started off strong, especially during his back-and-forth exchanges with the heroine. Their little tete-a-tete through letter exchanges was cute!🥹 His entire route however, felt pretty weak, in my opinion. They pretty much did a great job building up tension and intrigue with his story, but the turning point and resolution, especially at the end, felt rather too convenient, almost frustratingly so!
**On the positive side, the best part of this route was hearing Shiraimu shift from being a tsun to a total cinnamon roll!🥹
⬇️ SpoilersThere were so many missed opportunities in this route, it hurts! The chance to make him the resident yandere character was wasted. He had the perfect setup for it! Wouldn’t it have been great for Luciole to go twisted because he didn’t want to see MC get hurt anymore? Plus, the trauma he has with his mom fits the typical yandere backstory, so I was surprised they didn’t explore that. I would’ve loved to see it. Instead, we get a yandere ending in his BAD END, and even that one felt half-baked! So disappointing!😭
The angry mob trope honestly feels very tired to me. Because we see it in almost EVERY SINGLE OTOME GAME, and it’s usually just there to create a conflict that puts the heroine in danger, only to be conveniently resolved almost immediately. This route was no exception, but the way it was handled here felt especially sloppy! The resolution they came up with just doesn’t make sense logically. Like no way an angry mob would just calm down because you told them to calm down LOL angry mobs aren’t that easily pacified by mere words, because y’know… they’re angry and their judgements are clouded in the heat of the moment. The whole ordeal of Luciole’s monologue in front of them felt so dumb (I’m sorry!)😭 And the crowd going: “Oh, we messed up and believed a drunk, hur dur…so we started throwing stones at this young lady because drunk man said she bad!” Like wow, really? is this twitter???😂😂😂
I really liked Luciole as a love interest, honest to god! (Dude, just wanna eat some good food and be with his woman) But this route…. it made me lose braincells fr…🥴
ARNAUD
- not the oniichan route
- Arnaud with frenchman hat < Arnaud
Arnaud works as a journalist and is Emma’s childhood friend. After an accident seven years ago, Emma became an orphan and was taken in by Arnaud’s family, so she has been living with him and his mother, Alice, ever since. Arnaud tends to fuss around Emma and dotes on her on account of her amnesia.
This route is meant to be played last, as a lot of plot events from the previous LIs were also revisited here, and I thought that if I had played Arnaud’s route earlier (immediately after Hugo’s), the story likely wouldn’t have made as much sense to me, so I’m glad I stuck with the suggested route order.
I think Arnaud may be my fav LI in this game, and that’s because he’s such a polarizing character… (or maybe I’m just being biased because of Abe Atsushi? lol) He was quite possessive of the heroine, and I didn’t mind his overprotectiveness at all; I actually enjoy that trope! Heh. 🤭 I can understand why some might find it uncomfortable though, given their familial relationship and the fact that they were raised under the same roof. But for me, it didn’t come off as creepy in the slightest. Plus, he has the most gorgeous CGs in the game!
⬇️ SpoilersOn the romance side of things, I really liked how Arnaud confessed to Emma early on in his route. Like, wow, the boy is fast! And the plot twist with him secretly reporting to his father about Emma was maybe a little too predictable; like clearly you could see that coming from a mile away. Regardless, I still enjoyed how his story progressed!
I also liked that they revisited the Hamelin incident here and expanded on it a bit from Serge’s route. However, I felt this route had a lot of things going on that didn’t really favor Arnaud and the heroine, nor their relationship. Is it just me, or did it seem like everything got convoluted toward the end? There were a lot of unnecessary scenes that could’ve just been scraped off. This route seemed to put more emphasis on being the ‘truth’ route rather than its focus on romance.🤷🏻♀️
On a side note, Arnaud’s military sprite was hawt! Seriously, everyone seems to look good without their hats. Hugo looked hot with his low ponytail, and without that ugly tophat, and Arnaud looked incredibly fine without his frenchman hat. THROW AWAY THOSE HATS MAN!
EMMA (Main Heroine)
- macaron girlie
- sometimes good, sometimes 🧍♀️
Emma is alright, I guess? There were routes where I considered her decently written, like in Crier’s and Lyon’s routes. I thought these were the stories where she had the most agency and displayed a bit of critical thinking. However, a lot of the time, she remained very passive that it got on my nerves.😭 There were situations where she’d dawdle the heck out when something is urgently needed of her. She is aware of this though so I’d credit her that self awareness. And in her defense, she’s only 17 and was raised very sheltered. But still… sometimes, she just… really isn’t… logically thinking through her decisions. The scenarios where she fell short seemed to outweigh the good (at least in my opinion). There were scenes in the game that would literally go like this:
Emma: (After everyone repeatedly told her not to use magic in public) 🧍♀️
Also Emma: *Proceeds to use magic in public*Emma: “This town doesnt like newcomers, I must not act suspicious”
Also Emma: *Proceeds to act suspicious*😭😭😭
There were a lot of inconsistencies in how she was written across all routes. And while I’ve facepalmed several times during her 🧍♀️🧍♀️🧍♀️ moments, I don’t think she was terrible overall, to be honest. Like I said, she’s alright!🙂Not a fav, & she could’ve been better.
I have to say, though, her love for macarons made me crave for them too, that I had to get out of the house in the dead cold winter afternoon and drive up to a local pâtisserie to get some french macarons myself!😭
SYSTEM AND LOCALIZATION
The UI for Genso Manège was a standout to me. The animated clip that plays before the menu screen was absolutely beautiful, and to top it off, the pastel-colored manège/carousel on the opening screen ticked all my aesthetic boxes! Ha!
PROS:
- Heroine’s Name Customization: The heroine’s name can be changed. Great for those who prefer to self-insert.
- Heroine Side Image Sprite ON/OFF
- Love Catch System
- Quick Save/Quick Load
- Clear List – to track what endings you’ve unlocked so far.
- Sound Library
- Character Profiles (with voices)
- Seiyuu Commentaries
- CG Library
- Manual Instructions
- Status Screen: allows you to check the LI affection points you’ve accumulated during gameplay.
- Backlog and Rewind function
- MINI GAME – can be skipped and does not affect your endings, if you choose to do so.
- Font Style Selection
CONS:
- No Chapter Select – You can however, replay scenes in the CG gallery.
- No SKIP to Next choice function.
- SLOW Skip Reads
- Black screen bugs
I experienced a couple of black-screen bugs in the game where if a scene transitions to the next chapter or slide and you accidentally press any button during the transition, the screen completely blacks out while the game continues running. The only way to circumvent this was to completely close the game and restart, which really sucks if you forgot to save beforehand.
About the Mini Game
Eveil System – is a mini-game that lets you collect stars that appear in random locations on your screen. If you’re playing in handheld mode, you can simply tap or glide your fingers on the screen to collect them. If you’re playing in TV mode, you can use the L and R joysticks to collect the stars. After completing the tutorial (on your first playthrough), you should be able to skip this mini-game whenever it comes up. There are no consequences for skipping it during the story, and it won’t affect your endings.Localization
The localization was well done, and the translations flowed smoothly in the game. Granted, I blitzed through this pretty fast, so I didn’t really notice any typos or text errors during my gameplay. There also weren’t any text box issues, so overall, it was pretty solid!
TRAILER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMvcr8Y8Gzk
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This was a decent-length title, not too short but not overly long either. It took me around 40 hours to complete everything (playing docked on TV). Chapters 1-3 make up the game’s common route, and Chapter 4 is where the LI’s route branches off. There are also only two endings for each love interest: the “Amour End” (good end) and the “Rêve End” (bad end).
Not as Fluffy as You Think
My initial impression after finishing my first route (Hugo) was that the game kind of deceives you into thinking it’s all going to be a fluffy ride throughout due to its bright pastel, sparkly-colored theme. But in contrast, the game actually carries a whole lot of angst. It’s not on the level of Cafe Enchante deception, though, so you can rest easy on that!😂
This title was a mixed bag for me, some routes were decently paced, while some faltered and dragged the narrative too much with trivial things. Given how often the titular manège (magical carousel) was mentioned in the common route, and the fact that it’s even plastered in the game’s title, I expected it to play a significant role throughout the story. But, it turned out to be crucial only in Hugo’s route and was barely relevant elsewhere. It would’ve been more satisfying if all the routes had some connection to the manège, allowing it to be the central element that tied the story together. That would’ve been a nice full-circle to its overarching story, no? Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. The entire *magical manège* theme felt underutilized, which I found disappointing.
TBF, I’ve already mentally prepared and toned down my expectations knowing that the writing team for this game included a few writers from past games I wasn’t the biggest fan of (e.g., ChariMani and ParaPara). As a result, when certain aspects didn’t quite hit the mark for me, the impact wasn’t as bad as it might’ve been if I hadn’t set those expectations. If you know what I mean!
On a different note, I have to say, unlocking the reverse harem ending was a good reason to finish all the routes in this game! 😆
Speaking of routes (and love interests), I think, Arnaud ended up as my favorite LI just because his character was a bit polarizing at first. I’m also a big box-pusher (hako-oshi), so I thought all the guys were great in my opinion. None of them really annoyed me, and that’s a good thing! As for their individual routes, the one I enjoyed the most from start to finish was Lyon’s.🥺 Albeit, his story had one of the most angsty themes in the game (I still ate it up, haha).😆
LI RANKING:
Arnaud > Lyon = Crier > Serge > Luciole > Hugo
ROUTE RANKING:
Lyon > Crier > Serge > Arnaud > Hugo > Luciole
Arnaud is literally me irl😭😭😭As for the romance, this game showcased a lot of sweet scenarios between the heroine, and her LI. It’s also worth noting that this otome game is rated CERO B in Japan, so I think it’s designed to appeal to all audiences, especially the younger crowd. There are no spicy, mature scenes here, so if you’re after that, you are going to be disappointed.
**As for the ratio of kiss CGs, well… I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed in that regard as well.🥲 All gripes aside, I do think Lyon’s very wholesome story was a breath of fresh air,🥺💛🐇💛so if you’re a fan of the wholesome cinamon roll type, I really recommend not skipping his route!🥹
Do I recommend this game? YES.
In all honesty, I never thought I’d see the day where Genso Manège would get localized. I remember it being one of the few non-Otomate titles announced in Japan, back when the otome genre was slowly transitioning to the Switch console in 2020. This title also garnered a couple of votes in the localization survey, I did five years ago.🥹 So getting to play it in English now feels rather surreal.Genso Manège feels light on the surface, but it’s actually a title that isn’t afraid to reveal its hidden gray undertones. While I wouldn’t go so far as to call it “dark,” the story can definitely get pretty heavy. This is also a game that I think would be great for beginners in the otome genre who aren’t afraid to explore heavier themes in fiction.
For the seasoned players who love angst, I definitely think you’ll enjoy this too, though I’d suggest tempering your expectations, as it isn’t on the grandiose level of Hakuoki. But, it has the right touch and balance of romance & adventure, not to mention, likable love interests, to keep you sufficiently entertained! Do pick it up when you get the chance!🫶
#GensoManège #GensoManègeReview #GensoManege #Mages #nintendoSwitch #OtomeGameReview #Pqube
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My new reactive, though I think it's going to have a very short life as I practice and improve my human bodies!
I'm REALLY enjoying this new reactive, and I definitely enjoy the sexy vibe. 100% gonna be doing more art in this style, Starsong gonna be hawt, lol!
#starsongdusk #art #mastoart #digitalart #unicorn #anthro #pony #reactive #pngtuber #twitch #twitchtrot
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Story of Kunning Palace review
Started watching: Nov 20, 2023
Final update Dec 5, 2023There was a lot of buzz about the show so I decided to see what the fuss was all about. However, I eventually grew annoyed with the increasing overcomplexity of the plot. One needs to be in the mood for such things and I suspect I wasn’t. So, I bailed around episode 12 and escaped to Wonderland of Love.
I returned after I completed Wonderland, feeling completely satisfied by the good watch. I have to admit that I felt a lot of dread returning to Story of Kunning Palace. In fact, a lot of people advice me to drop it already because I don’t seem to like it. However, I am driven by the mystery that is Xie Wei.
And like Back from the Brink, the other drama I abandoned and later resumed, I found myself drawn back in. But what’s my final verdict? Stay tuned.
You can also listen to my podcast review of Story of Kunning Palace.
Note: If you have not watched the show yet, be sure to avoid the spoilerific Watch Log. Head on to the spoiler-free final review instead.
- The story
- Characters
- Watchlog (beware of spoilers)
- What I like about the show
- What I didn’t like
- Thoughts about the ending
- Final review
- Final Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
The story
Xuening was an empress in her former life, but she did many, many bad things to get there. It all ended badly with rebels invading the palace.
When she finds herself “reborn” into her 18-year-old self, she decides to lead “a good life” and do right by the people she had harmed in her past life.
Characters
The Xue family – A scheming, bloodthirsty lot whose sole purpose in life, apparently, is to bring disaster on everyone as they scrabble for power. Unfortunately, the empress dowager is from this family. Duke Xue is the main villain of the story. If there’s proof for “bad genes”, this is it.
The Yan family – An honourable military family and blood enemies of the Xues. A long time ago, they were connected by marriage, but not anymore. They are still grieving the loss of Xue Dingfeng, a young boy who died during a rebellion 20 years ago, andwas the son of the current Marquis Yan’s late sister and the Duke of Xue.
Xie Wei – a court official with mysterious motivations and plans
Jiang Xuening – an empress in her first life, she’s now an 18-year-old determined to avoid palace life
Zhang Zhe – honourable court official for the justice department.
Yan Lin – Xuening’s best friend and long-time admirer and scion of the Yan family.
Watchlog (beware of spoilers)
Read this part only after you’ve watched or while watching the Show. You’ve been warned!
Episode 1-6
So, I watched Only for Love first, and I have to say that Bai Lu is so much better here, it’s crazy. Bai Lu is very believable as an empress. The way she speaks, looks, and carries herself as an empress was very impressive.
Zhang Ling He is not bad. Here he is playing another cold, shady character. I would say that this is his best role to date, though I cannot say that he’s amazing like some fans say. I’m sorry, my friends, but he’s nowhere even near Hu Ge level. He has potential, but just slightly above average for now. For now, I feel that he has trouble emoting intense scenes and can overact during those scenes.
And they didn’t edit out that actor who had that scandal and caused Kunning Palace to be on hold? Good for him.
Wait what, there’s a modern scene in the middle of it all? Eh. What’s going on?? That was so weirdly jarring!
Joy of Life had the same thing and it threw me off completely because it makes it hard for me to buy the story.
Incidentally, we see a moth flying around the sleeping writer. Fun fact, in Chinese mythology moths are said to be the manifestation of the spirits of the dead. If we see a moth in the house after someone passes away, we are not to kill it because it is said to be the spirit of the person who just passed away, and they were visiting.
So, my theory is that the actual spirit of the empress, sparked by the writer (or maybe she influenced the writer) returns to the past. Without the writer as a catalyst, she couldn’t do that.
Liking it a lot so far. I find the cinematography interesting especially at the start, even if I found the premise (or how she reborns) hard to buy.
PS: Xuening is such a b***h. Even she admits that she was one. “I used to be so arrogant and difficult,” she says at one point.
My experience with the first six episodes of this drama can be summed up with this gif:
Episode 7
Initially, I thought Zhang Ling He did quite well with his dubbing. While he is not bad at playing a morally grey character, now I really think he needs to be dubbed because he sounds like he’s reciting a dictionary and has as much emotion doing it. I die a little each time I listen to him talk.
Bai Lu is slightly better but I hate to say it, but she’s also not good at emotional delivery.
Episode 8
I am at episode 8 of Story of Kunning Palace and I am starting to lose interest.
At first, it was novel to not know what the heck is going on and just experience this world of political intrigue but now I am annoyed. Probably because I am watching it at the end of the day when my brain cells at no longer powered up, but I can’t follow the story at all.
Unpopular opinion: The drama has a poor narrative structure.
I will continue to watch it as I do want to know what the hell is happening but this is tinged with a dash of resentment and annoyance 😂
I think people who like this drama likes the novelty of being in the dark and just being thrown around by the various plot twists. But I have no patience for this at the end of a tiring work day 😑
Episode 9
Am I the only one who feels that the sudden interest Xie Wei has for Ning’er very odd, especially since she found out about that jade scepter thing and his involvement in it?
Also, finally glad there’s an explanation of why Xie Wei was so cold to her despite their meeting four years ago. Can’t help but think it could be made clearer from the start.
Why is Yan suddenly cold and standoffish from Ning’er? Is it because he wants to protect her from his family’s shaky standing?
Episode 10
I realised what kind of drama Story of Kunning Palace is – a puzzle story! The kind of story where viewers try to solve the mystery as the story plays out.
I really do not like the empress dowager. So, Ning’er had to deal with her as a mother-in-law in her first life, I assume? Not fun!
Yes, I have more questions than opinions right now. I’m still at the “what the heck is goin’ on” stage.
I’m also not feeling the supposed vibe/attraction between Ning’er and Xie Wei yet. And I wish they could move away from the school setting lol.
Hmm … I think part of the reason why I do not seem to like this drama as much as I don’t really like palace intrigue, and I especially do not like cattiness between women which is why I avoid palace harem dramas. Well, not at this time of my life when I just want to be happy after work.
Episode 11
Why do I feel that the young child Marquis (who was tragically killed) is actually Xie Wei? Is that why he’s helping the Yan family? Because they’re literally his family?
I really shuddered at the story of the 300 souls who died in the rebellion. Honestly, I get really upset at the thought of kids being harmed in any way, and when I saw the poor boy’s mother crawling toward that fire pit, my heart about gave out.
Children harmed in shows can make me avoid it like a plague. I didn’t watch Game of Thrones because I accidentally watched a video on Youtube of a certain character being burnt at stake. That scene traumatised me.
Still, I have a feeling some of them are still alive and are somehow connected to Xie Wei – judging from his reaction.
Episode 12
At this point, I’m watching only because I want to know what the heck is going on with Xie Wei. I’m over the mean girls nonsense at the School for Spoiled Noblewomen, I’m tired of the palace politics, I’m tired of the scheming Xue family and I just want some meaty reveals to land, damn it. I’ve been told it gets better, and more reveals will be coming my way.
But to be very honest, I feel no emotion at all to most of the characters. Maybe a smidgen of curiosity about Xie Wei. But it’s like watching pieces moving in a game of Go, every character a featureless piece on the board.
To quote a person on mydramalist, where I sometimes hang out: “I’m emotionlessly watching right now.”
Episode 13-20
These episodes were a blur for me as all I can think of is: “Xie Wei be plotting.”
Episode 17
Perked up in this episode because blood was shed.
Goes to show I need mayhem and murder to stay interested.
Episode 21
Xie Wei probably thinking, “OMG why am I always rescuing Ning’er, damnit.”
Episode 22
Waitaminute so Ning’er’s cover story is that she and Zhang Zhe are siblings in love and are eloping? Uhm, yeah, I guess that’s a good cover story, I guess! (Zhang Zhe seems equally horrified by the cover story. Poor lad, his tender sensibilities have been terribly violated.)
I should re-listen to this bit because I think something is lost in translation here.
Meanwhile, me on the side of the rebels, wishing Duke Xue, his son and his army could be buried under the landslide.
Episode 23
Yes, Xie Wei, that’s the way to a woman’s heart: By threatening to kill her. * slow claps *
Episode 24
Ah,poor Zhang Zhe, you have second male lead syndrome so hard.
And the romance between the girl and that businessman is so sweet.
Episode 25
The fake Xue Dingfei plot is so delicious. To think that Duke Xue was actually wanted to kill his own son like he’s an inconvenient thing OMG 💀
Episode 27
I understand Xuening’s mum, truly. She loves her but just doesn’t know how to express it beyond yelling at her to improve.
Zhang Zhe to Xie Wei: “You’re very suspicious.”
Me: No shit, Sherlock!Episode 28
Aww come on, Emperor. So you’re okay with one night of sex with that hellion in exchange for many nights of misery with the Xue family? Talk about priorities. And it’s kinda eeew because they’re close relations.
Also, the number of times women were slapped in this drama was … 💀
Episode 29
I cannot wait to see the Xue family’s bad end because I am 100% sure it’ll be terrible and I’ll be so happy.
Episode 30
LOL that eff up when Xie Wei’s men saw him giving Xuening a tender kiss. Yeah, boys, you guys better stay low for a few days.
Xuening is clearly afraid of Xie Wei due to her past life experiences with him. Can you fall for the person terrified you in your past life? I suppose that’s the deliciousness of this romance. (It’s not my thing, but I can see how it’s a thing for many people.)
Also. Is there some kind of cdrama law where it says that you cannot wipe off blood trails from your lips? It drives me bonkers when they don’t wipe it off. Is it like some kinda badge of honour??
Episode 32
OK I feel a smidgen of chemistry between Ning’er and Xie Wei. I suppose there’s hope for my icy heart after all 😂
Gosh my heart bleeds for Dingfei’s mum. No wonder she never recovered and no wonder he is so angry with the Xues. 😭
OK those CGI wild cats was rough 😆
So, yeah the kiss. Errr yeah I don’t know what to think about it. 😅 Not my thing I guess, forced kisses.
I guess he’s trying to scare her into leaving him. I think?
Yea I really do not understand why people are saying, oooh this is hot. Uhm noooo. Not for me, darlings.
Episode 33
Oooh the reunion between uncle and nephew. This was what I was waiting for. I don’t care about the romance between Xie Wei and Ning’er (sorry guys), but this? Yes this is what I was waiting for. 🥰
The princess is so brave. Now that’s a heroine I love.
Uh. Do people actually find this hot? 😅 (Shudders)
Episode 34
Okay, apparently I spoke too soon. My heart is indeed icy and utterly irredeemable, at least in the ways of Xie Wei + Ning’er fans (I kid, I kid, please unseathe your claws).
Xie Wei demanding to know why Ning er is afraid him while roughly pulling her around and hand-grabbing her by the neck? I don’t know dude, take a wiiiild guess??
Then he forces her to stab him and says, “Now, can you not be afraid of me?”
Girl, run. And oh yeah, if a dude makes you stab him and declares that’s enough to help you get over your fear over him. Tis not romantic, my girlfriends.
Okay, really, I am legit confused why anyone would think these two are couple goals 🤪🥴 Are we even watching the same show? 😶
I guess red flag guys are not my thing. At all 😬
Episode 36
Half of me is hate watching Show. The other half is loving it.
People are complicated beings.
LOLOLOL.
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Fans of Xie Wei and Ning’er – squee they did it! It’s so hawt!
Me:
Episode 40
So I just finished Story of Kunning Palace. And my feelings can be summed up here:
While I super liked how the Xue family got dispatched (I play those scenes on repeat, cackling to myself), a big part of me is glad that it was all over and I can now slam the door behind me.
What I like about the show
- The revenge plot was the one that kept me watching the show. It was engrossing and mysterious. I did not care for the romance between Xie Wei and Ning’er at all and wish they’d left it out.
- The plot really picked up after episode 13 or so, especially after they leave the palace study group. If you find yourself frustrated, try stick around for that long and re-evaluate. I had to take a break and then return.
- Interesting side characters that do not feel useless.
- Scary effective villains that you will absolutely loathe and wish dead.
- The fight choreography, while making some of them look like supermen, is chef’s kiss at times.
- A satisfying ending where everyone gets their just desserts. No quickie five second flashes here!
What I didn’t like
- I think the narrative structure isn’t great. More could be done to establish what Ning’er was like before her “rebirth” so that the viewers are invested in her efforts to change her past. The use of flashbacks can be very difficult to keep track of.
- Zhang Ling He’s voice acting leaves a lot to be desired. I like his voice, but he sounds far too flat and emotionless. Bai Lu’s voice acting isn’t good either. I felt that they should’ve been better dubbed.
- Although I understand why the modern-day snippets were included (to pacify China’s censorship), they were so jarring I choose not acknowledge their existence.
- You know what I regret? Not wearing sunglasses while watching it cos the director’s love for intense lense flares and for shining the damn light strainght into the viewer’s eyes was giving me migraines. And that was not an exaggeration. I was getting actual headaches!
- The drama’s final arc felt really rushed. The final confrontation with the bad guys didn’t look realistic at all. Zhang Zhe was just standing around looking confused. Why was he even there, really?
- The long internal monologues that Xuening has – am not a fan. Again, it shows that the narrative structure needs work if you have to rely on info dump devices like these.
- Some character arcs were left hanging – the romance between the crown prince and Ning’er’s sister for one. That’s it??
- The limited OST. Hearing the same songs again and again and…
- Xie Wei and Ning’er’s romance does not elicit warm, fuzzy feelings in me. It borders on toxic. (Look at the final review below for why I feel this way.)
- I’m sorry but Zhang Ling He may have potential, but he’s not amazing here. Slightly above average perhaps, but he overacted a few scenes. I kept fantasizing having other actors play Xie Wei. Liu Xie Yi or Cheng Yi perhaps. Oh what it could’ve been.
Thoughts about the ending
Click to read spoilersI am utterly, completely shocked that this ended happily and mushily. But I feel that a show like this should end tragically or in an open-ended way to be tonally consistent. And I’m saying this as a softie for happy endings! I’m evil, I know.
I would’ve probably liked it if I liked or rooted for the couple, but lordie this couple’s romance is so problematic the happy scenes just didn’t land.
Final review
I think there are perfectly understandable reasons why I was turned off by this show. Besides its technical and storytelling flaws, I disliked many of the tropes in this drama:
- Scheming palace ladies
- Reverse harem
And most of all, this: A physically and verbally aggressive male lead.
I’ll come out and say this: Xie Wei and Ning’er’s relationship is very unhealthy. It taps into the girlhood fantasy of “reforming your man”. Spoiler alert: You can’t reform men like that, girlfriends. Trust me. Leave that to a shrink.
I understand how some people may look at it as an “opposites attract” thing, or that “he had such a hard life and is traumatised”, but to me, they are not good enough excuses to justify this behaviour.
So, I found it hard to overlook Xie Wei’s aggressive expressions of “love”. I’ve never been a fan of this thing that seemed so popular in Kdramas and CDramas: the hand grabbing, the physical yanking, the forced kisses, yelling or rough handling.
Call me old fashioned, but I prefer my leading men to be respectful of their ladies and treat them as equals worthy of respect. No treating them like immature kids that need schooling. No disrespecting their decisions. No physical aggresion. If this is a big thing for you like it is for me, you will have a hard time embracing Story of Kunning Palace’s central romance. And since it makes a large part of the story, a big part of it would be unpalatable for you.
I don’t care if someone calls me “overly sensitive” for this, but we should never, ever glorify abuse between couples of any kind and call it romantic. This trope needs to die.
Okay, but are other aspects of the drama watchable at least?
So, let’s say you ignore the romantic aspects of this drama and focus on the puzzle that is Xie Wei and what happened 20 years ago. If you’re in the mood to solve a mystery without being spoonfed, this is the drama for you. If you want to park your brain one side and just experience something or be swept away by the story, this may not be for you.
In one forum I was at, someone said they actually created a chart to keep track of the plot threads in the story. If that’s your jam, great, but if you are annoyed that you have to do all the work, this is definitely not for you.
Another puzzle drama that I can think of that did a better job with flashbacks was Westworld, season 1. Viewers are not fed the story, we do not know what happened, we are plonked in the middle of the story. The forums went mad with theories. It turns out that the story was actually told out of order, and the flashbacks were actually a story told out of order.
This drama does get better after we leave the petty court politics of the noble ladies’ study club around episode 15 or so, and when the revenge plot finally starts getting going and our characters literally move out of the confines of the palace into the world.
So, yes, I have a complex love-hate relationship with this drama. And if you’re confused about where I stand, I don’t blame you.
Should I have dropped this drama? Well, I thought the revenge plot was worth sticking around for, but it did get wobbly towards the end.
As a revenge drama, it is good enough. As a romance, it is problematic. Veeery problematic. 😬 I will rate the revenge plot an 8. But the romance line would be an abysmal 5 for me.
So, while I consider this drama slightly above average in a busy Cdrama season, its popularity was iverblown. Why it has become so popular with international fans will be filed under the folder “mysteries of the universe that I will never understand.”
And despite how it managed to hold my attention, how intriguing the plot twists were and the emotional gravitas of the whole revenge … I cannot overlook its many technical flaws – the bad directing decisions, the choppy narrative, the bloated first half and the rush towards the end …
This was a difficult drama to rate.
Here’s my verdict:
Final Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
#25Stars #CDrama #cdramaReview #CDramas #China #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama #TV
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What people really want in a webcomic are Bourdieu references. Follow for hawt hawt jokes about hyperreality, alienation, and schema too.
#bourdieu #sociology #capital #socialcapital #culturalcapital #syndicatehelios #shafterdark -
Ok, this is the kind of thing that makes me want to get back to trolling tiktok. I need to go lean on a doorframe somewhere.
https://twitter.com/tnwhiskeywoman/status/1636719403097104385
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Ok, this is the kind of thing that makes me want to get back to trolling tiktok. I need to go lean on a doorframe somewhere.
https://twitter.com/tnwhiskeywoman/status/1636719403097104385
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i was hoping for an earlier march release, but i'm not going to say no to netflix releasing the season ON MY LITERAL BIRTHDAY! best birthday present EVER! 🥳
PS: DAMN, that poster is HAWT! 🔥
PS2: i hope the final ep is by itself because it's longer. 👀
#YoungRoyals #YoungRoyals3 #YoungRoyalsS3 #YoungRoyalsSeason3 #Wilmon
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i was hoping for an earlier march release, but i'm not going to say no to netflix releasing the season ON MY LITERAL BIRTHDAY! best birthday present EVER! 🥳
PS: DAMN, that poster is HAWT! 🔥
PS2: i hope the final ep is by itself because it's longer. 👀
#YoungRoyals #YoungRoyals3 #YoungRoyalsS3 #YoungRoyalsSeason3 #Wilmon
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Story of Kunning Palace review
Started watching: Nov 20, 2023
Final update Dec 5, 2023There was a lot of buzz about the show so I decided to see what the fuss was all about. However, I eventually grew annoyed with the increasing overcomplexity of the plot. One needs to be in the mood for such things and I suspect I wasn’t. So, I bailed around episode 12 and escaped to Wonderland of Love.
I returned after I completed Wonderland, feeling completely satisfied by the good watch. I have to admit that I felt a lot of dread returning to Story of Kunning Palace. In fact, a lot of people advice me to drop it already because I don’t seem to like it. However, I am driven by the mystery that is Xie Wei.
And like Back from the Brink, the other drama I abandoned and later resumed, I found myself drawn back in. But what’s my final verdict? Stay tuned.
You can also listen to my podcast review of Story of Kunning Palace.
Note: If you have not watched the show yet, be sure to avoid the spoilerific Watch Log. Head on to the spoiler-free final review instead.
- The story
- Characters
- Watchlog (beware of spoilers)
- What I like about the show
- What I didn’t like
- Thoughts about the ending
- Final review
- Final Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
The story
Xuening was an empress in her former life, but she did many, many bad things to get there. It all ended badly with rebels invading the palace.
When she finds herself “reborn” into her 18-year-old self, she decides to lead “a good life” and do right by the people she had harmed in her past life.
Characters
The Xue family – A scheming, bloodthirsty lot whose sole purpose in life, apparently, is to bring disaster on everyone as they scrabble for power. Unfortunately, the empress dowager is from this family. Duke Xue is the main villain of the story. If there’s proof for “bad genes”, this is it.
The Yan family – An honourable military family and blood enemies of the Xues. A long time ago, they were connected by marriage, but not anymore. They are still grieving the loss of Xue Dingfeng, a young boy who died during a rebellion 20 years ago, andwas the son of the current Marquis Yan’s late sister and the Duke of Xue.
Xie Wei – a court official with mysterious motivations and plans
Jiang Xuening – an empress in her first life, she’s now an 18-year-old determined to avoid palace life
Zhang Zhe – honourable court official for the justice department.
Yan Lin – Xuening’s best friend and long-time admirer and scion of the Yan family.
Watchlog (beware of spoilers)
Read this part only after you’ve watched or while watching the Show. You’ve been warned!
Episode 1-6
So, I watched Only for Love first, and I have to say that Bai Lu is so much better here, it’s crazy. Bai Lu is very believable as an empress. The way she speaks, looks, and carries herself as an empress was very impressive.
Zhang Ling He is not bad. Here he is playing another cold, shady character. I would say that this is his best role to date, though I cannot say that he’s amazing like some fans say. I’m sorry, my friends, but he’s nowhere even near Hu Ge level. He has potential, but just slightly above average for now. For now, I feel that he has trouble emoting intense scenes and can overact during those scenes.
And they didn’t edit out that actor who had that scandal and caused Kunning Palace to be on hold? Good for him.
Wait what, there’s a modern scene in the middle of it all? Eh. What’s going on?? That was so weirdly jarring!
Joy of Life had the same thing and it threw me off completely because it makes it hard for me to buy the story.
Incidentally, we see a moth flying around the sleeping writer. Fun fact, in Chinese mythology moths are said to be the manifestation of the spirits of the dead. If we see a moth in the house after someone passes away, we are not to kill it because it is said to be the spirit of the person who just passed away, and they were visiting.
So, my theory is that the actual spirit of the empress, sparked by the writer (or maybe she influenced the writer) returns to the past. Without the writer as a catalyst, she couldn’t do that.
Liking it a lot so far. I find the cinematography interesting especially at the start, even if I found the premise (or how she reborns) hard to buy.
PS: Xuening is such a b***h. Even she admits that she was one. “I used to be so arrogant and difficult,” she says at one point.
My experience with the first six episodes of this drama can be summed up with this gif:
Episode 7
Initially, I thought Zhang Ling He did quite well with his dubbing. While he is not bad at playing a morally grey character, now I really think he needs to be dubbed because he sounds like he’s reciting a dictionary and has as much emotion doing it. I die a little each time I listen to him talk.
Bai Lu is slightly better but I hate to say it, but she’s also not good at emotional delivery.
Episode 8
I am at episode 8 of Story of Kunning Palace and I am starting to lose interest.
At first, it was novel to not know what the heck is going on and just experience this world of political intrigue but now I am annoyed. Probably because I am watching it at the end of the day when my brain cells at no longer powered up, but I can’t follow the story at all.
Unpopular opinion: The drama has a poor narrative structure.
I will continue to watch it as I do want to know what the hell is happening but this is tinged with a dash of resentment and annoyance 😂
I think people who like this drama likes the novelty of being in the dark and just being thrown around by the various plot twists. But I have no patience for this at the end of a tiring work day 😑
Episode 9
Am I the only one who feels that the sudden interest Xie Wei has for Ning’er very odd, especially since she found out about that jade scepter thing and his involvement in it?
Also, finally glad there’s an explanation of why Xie Wei was so cold to her despite their meeting four years ago. Can’t help but think it could be made clearer from the start.
Why is Yan suddenly cold and standoffish from Ning’er? Is it because he wants to protect her from his family’s shaky standing?
Episode 10
I realised what kind of drama Story of Kunning Palace is – a puzzle story! The kind of story where viewers try to solve the mystery as the story plays out.
I really do not like the empress dowager. So, Ning’er had to deal with her as a mother-in-law in her first life, I assume? Not fun!
Yes, I have more questions than opinions right now. I’m still at the “what the heck is goin’ on” stage.
I’m also not feeling the supposed vibe/attraction between Ning’er and Xie Wei yet. And I wish they could move away from the school setting lol.
Hmm … I think part of the reason why I do not seem to like this drama as much as I don’t really like palace intrigue, and I especially do not like cattiness between women which is why I avoid palace harem dramas. Well, not at this time of my life when I just want to be happy after work.
Episode 11
Why do I feel that the young child Marquis (who was tragically killed) is actually Xie Wei? Is that why he’s helping the Yan family? Because they’re literally his family?
I really shuddered at the story of the 300 souls who died in the rebellion. Honestly, I get really upset at the thought of kids being harmed in any way, and when I saw the poor boy’s mother crawling toward that fire pit, my heart about gave out.
Children harmed in shows can make me avoid it like a plague. I didn’t watch Game of Thrones because I accidentally watched a video on Youtube of a certain character being burnt at stake. That scene traumatised me.
Still, I have a feeling some of them are still alive and are somehow connected to Xie Wei – judging from his reaction.
Episode 12
At this point, I’m watching only because I want to know what the heck is going on with Xie Wei. I’m over the mean girls nonsense at the School for Spoiled Noblewomen, I’m tired of the palace politics, I’m tired of the scheming Xue family and I just want some meaty reveals to land, damn it. I’ve been told it gets better, and more reveals will be coming my way.
But to be very honest, I feel no emotion at all to most of the characters. Maybe a smidgen of curiosity about Xie Wei. But it’s like watching pieces moving in a game of Go, every character a featureless piece on the board.
To quote a person on mydramalist, where I sometimes hang out: “I’m emotionlessly watching right now.”
Episode 13-20
These episodes were a blur for me as all I can think of is: “Xie Wei be plotting.”
Episode 17
Perked up in this episode because blood was shed.
Goes to show I need mayhem and murder to stay interested.
Episode 21
Xie Wei probably thinking, “OMG why am I always rescuing Ning’er, damnit.”
Episode 22
Waitaminute so Ning’er’s cover story is that she and Zhang Zhe are siblings in love and are eloping? Uhm, yeah, I guess that’s a good cover story, I guess! (Zhang Zhe seems equally horrified by the cover story. Poor lad, his tender sensibilities have been terribly violated.)
I should re-listen to this bit because I think something is lost in translation here.
Meanwhile, me on the side of the rebels, wishing Duke Xue, his son and his army could be buried under the landslide.
Episode 23
Yes, Xie Wei, that’s the way to a woman’s heart: By threatening to kill her. * slow claps *
Episode 24
Ah,poor Zhang Zhe, you have second male lead syndrome so hard.
And the romance between the girl and that businessman is so sweet.
Episode 25
The fake Xue Dingfei plot is so delicious. To think that Duke Xue was actually wanted to kill his own son like he’s an inconvenient thing OMG 💀
Episode 27
I understand Xuening’s mum, truly. She loves her but just doesn’t know how to express it beyond yelling at her to improve.
Zhang Zhe to Xie Wei: “You’re very suspicious.”
Me: No shit, Sherlock!Episode 28
Aww come on, Emperor. So you’re okay with one night of sex with that hellion in exchange for many nights of misery with the Xue family? Talk about priorities. And it’s kinda eeew because they’re close relations.
Also, the number of times women were slapped in this drama was … 💀
Episode 29
I cannot wait to see the Xue family’s bad end because I am 100% sure it’ll be terrible and I’ll be so happy.
Episode 30
LOL that eff up when Xie Wei’s men saw him giving Xuening a tender kiss. Yeah, boys, you guys better stay low for a few days.
Xuening is clearly afraid of Xie Wei due to her past life experiences with him. Can you fall for the person terrified you in your past life? I suppose that’s the deliciousness of this romance. (It’s not my thing, but I can see how it’s a thing for many people.)
Also. Is there some kind of cdrama law where it says that you cannot wipe off blood trails from your lips? It drives me bonkers when they don’t wipe it off. Is it like some kinda badge of honour??
Episode 32
OK I feel a smidgen of chemistry between Ning’er and Xie Wei. I suppose there’s hope for my icy heart after all 😂
Gosh my heart bleeds for Dingfei’s mum. No wonder she never recovered and no wonder he is so angry with the Xues. 😭
OK those CGI wild cats was rough 😆
So, yeah the kiss. Errr yeah I don’t know what to think about it. 😅 Not my thing I guess, forced kisses.
I guess he’s trying to scare her into leaving him. I think?
Yea I really do not understand why people are saying, oooh this is hot. Uhm noooo. Not for me, darlings.
Episode 33
Oooh the reunion between uncle and nephew. This was what I was waiting for. I don’t care about the romance between Xie Wei and Ning’er (sorry guys), but this? Yes this is what I was waiting for. 🥰
The princess is so brave. Now that’s a heroine I love.
Uh. Do people actually find this hot? 😅 (Shudders)
Episode 34
Okay, apparently I spoke too soon. My heart is indeed icy and utterly irredeemable, at least in the ways of Xie Wei + Ning’er fans (I kid, I kid, please unseathe your claws).
Xie Wei demanding to know why Ning er is afraid him while roughly pulling her around and hand-grabbing her by the neck? I don’t know dude, take a wiiiild guess??
Then he forces her to stab him and says, “Now, can you not be afraid of me?”
Girl, run. And oh yeah, if a dude makes you stab him and declares that’s enough to help you get over your fear over him. Tis not romantic, my girlfriends.
Okay, really, I am legit confused why anyone would think these two are couple goals 🤪🥴 Are we even watching the same show? 😶
I guess red flag guys are not my thing. At all 😬
Episode 36
Half of me is hate watching Show. The other half is loving it.
People are complicated beings.
LOLOLOL.
—
Fans of Xie Wei and Ning’er – squee they did it! It’s so hawt!
Me:
Episode 40
So I just finished Story of Kunning Palace. And my feelings can be summed up here:
While I super liked how the Xue family got dispatched (I play those scenes on repeat, cackling to myself), a big part of me is glad that it was all over and I can now slam the door behind me.
What I like about the show
- The revenge plot was the one that kept me watching the show. It was engrossing and mysterious. I did not care for the romance between Xie Wei and Ning’er at all and wish they’d left it out.
- The plot really picked up after episode 13 or so, especially after they leave the palace study group. If you find yourself frustrated, try stick around for that long and re-evaluate. I had to take a break and then return.
- Interesting side characters that do not feel useless.
- Scary effective villains that you will absolutely loathe and wish dead.
- The fight choreography, while making some of them look like supermen, is chef’s kiss at times.
- A satisfying ending where everyone gets their just desserts. No quickie five second flashes here!
What I didn’t like
- I think the narrative structure isn’t great. More could be done to establish what Ning’er was like before her “rebirth” so that the viewers are invested in her efforts to change her past. The use of flashbacks can be very difficult to keep track of.
- Zhang Ling He’s voice acting leaves a lot to be desired. I like his voice, but he sounds far too flat and emotionless. Bai Lu’s voice acting isn’t good either. I felt that they should’ve been better dubbed.
- Although I understand why the modern-day snippets were included (to pacify China’s censorship), they were so jarring I choose not acknowledge their existence.
- You know what I regret? Not wearing sunglasses while watching it cos the director’s love for intense lense flares and for shining the damn light strainght into the viewer’s eyes was giving me migraines. And that was not an exaggeration. I was getting actual headaches!
- The drama’s final arc felt really rushed. The final confrontation with the bad guys didn’t look realistic at all. Zhang Zhe was just standing around looking confused. Why was he even there, really?
- The long internal monologues that Xuening has – am not a fan. Again, it shows that the narrative structure needs work if you have to rely on info dump devices like these.
- Some character arcs were left hanging – the romance between the crown prince and Ning’er’s sister for one. That’s it??
- The limited OST. Hearing the same songs again and again and…
- Xie Wei and Ning’er’s romance does not elicit warm, fuzzy feelings in me. It borders on toxic. (Look at the final review below for why I feel this way.)
- I’m sorry but Zhang Ling He may have potential, but he’s not amazing here. Slightly above average perhaps, but he overacted a few scenes. I kept fantasizing having other actors play Xie Wei. Liu Xie Yi or Cheng Yi perhaps. Oh what it could’ve been.
Thoughts about the ending
Click to read spoilersI am utterly, completely shocked that this ended happily and mushily. But I feel that a show like this should end tragically or in an open-ended way to be tonally consistent. And I’m saying this as a softie for happy endings! I’m evil, I know.
I would’ve probably liked it if I liked or rooted for the couple, but lordie this couple’s romance is so problematic the happy scenes just didn’t land.
Final review
I think there are perfectly understandable reasons why I was turned off by this show. Besides its technical and storytelling flaws, I disliked many of the tropes in this drama:
- Scheming palace ladies
- Reverse harem
And most of all, this: A physically and verbally aggressive male lead.
I’ll come out and say this: Xie Wei and Ning’er’s relationship is very unhealthy. It taps into the girlhood fantasy of “reforming your man”. Spoiler alert: You can’t reform men like that, girlfriends. Trust me. Leave that to a shrink.
I understand how some people may look at it as an “opposites attract” thing, or that “he had such a hard life and is traumatised”, but to me, they are not good enough excuses to justify this behaviour.
So, I found it hard to overlook Xie Wei’s aggressive expressions of “love”. I’ve never been a fan of this thing that seemed so popular in Kdramas and CDramas: the hand grabbing, the physical yanking, the forced kisses, yelling or rough handling.
Call me old fashioned, but I prefer my leading men to be respectful of their ladies and treat them as equals worthy of respect. No treating them like immature kids that need schooling. No disrespecting their decisions. No physical aggresion. If this is a big thing for you like it is for me, you will have a hard time embracing Story of Kunning Palace’s central romance. And since it makes a large part of the story, a big part of it would be unpalatable for you.
I don’t care if someone calls me “overly sensitive” for this, but we should never, ever glorify abuse between couples of any kind and call it romantic. This trope needs to die.
Okay, but are other aspects of the drama watchable at least?
So, let’s say you ignore the romantic aspects of this drama and focus on the puzzle that is Xie Wei and what happened 20 years ago. If you’re in the mood to solve a mystery without being spoonfed, this is the drama for you. If you want to park your brain one side and just experience something or be swept away by the story, this may not be for you.
In one forum I was at, someone said they actually created a chart to keep track of the plot threads in the story. If that’s your jam, great, but if you are annoyed that you have to do all the work, this is definitely not for you.
Another puzzle drama that I can think of that did a better job with flashbacks was Westworld, season 1. Viewers are not fed the story, we do not know what happened, we are plonked in the middle of the story. The forums went mad with theories. It turns out that the story was actually told out of order, and the flashbacks were actually a story told out of order.
This drama does get better after we leave the petty court politics of the noble ladies’ study club around episode 15 or so, and when the revenge plot finally starts getting going and our characters literally move out of the confines of the palace into the world.
So, yes, I have a complex love-hate relationship with this drama. And if you’re confused about where I stand, I don’t blame you.
Should I have dropped this drama? Well, I thought the revenge plot was worth sticking around for, but it did get wobbly towards the end.
As a revenge drama, it is good enough. As a romance, it is problematic. Veeery problematic. 😬 I will rate the revenge plot an 8. But the romance line would be an abysmal 5 for me.
So, while I consider this drama slightly above average in a busy Cdrama season, its popularity was iverblown. Why it has become so popular with international fans will be filed under the folder “mysteries of the universe that I will never understand.”
And despite how it managed to hold my attention, how intriguing the plot twists were and the emotional gravitas of the whole revenge … I cannot overlook its many technical flaws – the bad directing decisions, the choppy narrative, the bloated first half and the rush towards the end …
This was a difficult drama to rate.
Here’s my verdict:
Final Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
#25Stars #CDrama #cdramaReview #CDramas #China #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama #TV
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Story of Kunning Palace review
Started watching: Nov 20, 2023
Final update Dec 5, 2023There was a lot of buzz about the show so I decided to see what the fuss was all about. However, I eventually grew annoyed with the increasing overcomplexity of the plot. One needs to be in the mood for such things and I suspect I wasn’t. So, I bailed around episode 12 and escaped to Wonderland of Love.
I returned after I completed Wonderland, feeling completely satisfied by the good watch. I have to admit that I felt a lot of dread returning to Story of Kunning Palace. In fact, a lot of people advice me to drop it already because I don’t seem to like it. However, I am driven by the mystery that is Xie Wei.
And like Back from the Brink, the other drama I abandoned and later resumed, I found myself drawn back in. But what’s my final verdict? Stay tuned.
You can also listen to my podcast review of Story of Kunning Palace.
Note: If you have not watched the show yet, be sure to avoid the spoilerific Watch Log. Head on to the spoiler-free final review instead.
- The story
- Characters
- Watchlog (beware of spoilers)
- What I like about the show
- What I didn’t like
- Thoughts about the ending
- Final review
- Final Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
The story
Xuening was an empress in her former life, but she did many, many bad things to get there. It all ended badly with rebels invading the palace.
When she finds herself “reborn” into her 18-year-old self, she decides to lead “a good life” and do right by the people she had harmed in her past life.
Characters
The Xue family – A scheming, bloodthirsty lot whose sole purpose in life, apparently, is to bring disaster on everyone as they scrabble for power. Unfortunately, the empress dowager is from this family. Duke Xue is the main villain of the story. If there’s proof for “bad genes”, this is it.
The Yan family – An honourable military family and blood enemies of the Xues. A long time ago, they were connected by marriage, but not anymore. They are still grieving the loss of Xue Dingfeng, a young boy who died during a rebellion 20 years ago, andwas the son of the current Marquis Yan’s late sister and the Duke of Xue.
Xie Wei – a court official with mysterious motivations and plans
Jiang Xuening – an empress in her first life, she’s now an 18-year-old determined to avoid palace life
Zhang Zhe – honourable court official for the justice department.
Yan Lin – Xuening’s best friend and long-time admirer and scion of the Yan family.
Watchlog (beware of spoilers)
Read this part only after you’ve watched or while watching the Show. You’ve been warned!
Episode 1-6
So, I watched Only for Love first, and I have to say that Bai Lu is so much better here, it’s crazy. Bai Lu is very believable as an empress. The way she speaks, looks, and carries herself as an empress was very impressive.
Zhang Ling He is not bad. Here he is playing another cold, shady character. I would say that this is his best role to date, though I cannot say that he’s amazing like some fans say. I’m sorry, my friends, but he’s nowhere even near Hu Ge level. He has potential, but just slightly above average for now. For now, I feel that he has trouble emoting intense scenes and can overact during those scenes.
And they didn’t edit out that actor who had that scandal and caused Kunning Palace to be on hold? Good for him.
Wait what, there’s a modern scene in the middle of it all? Eh. What’s going on?? That was so weirdly jarring!
Joy of Life had the same thing and it threw me off completely because it makes it hard for me to buy the story.
Incidentally, we see a moth flying around the sleeping writer. Fun fact, in Chinese mythology moths are said to be the manifestation of the spirits of the dead. If we see a moth in the house after someone passes away, we are not to kill it because it is said to be the spirit of the person who just passed away, and they were visiting.
So, my theory is that the actual spirit of the empress, sparked by the writer (or maybe she influenced the writer) returns to the past. Without the writer as a catalyst, she couldn’t do that.
Liking it a lot so far. I find the cinematography interesting especially at the start, even if I found the premise (or how she reborns) hard to buy.
PS: Xuening is such a b***h. Even she admits that she was one. “I used to be so arrogant and difficult,” she says at one point.
My experience with the first six episodes of this drama can be summed up with this gif:
Episode 7
Initially, I thought Zhang Ling He did quite well with his dubbing. While he is not bad at playing a morally grey character, now I really think he needs to be dubbed because he sounds like he’s reciting a dictionary and has as much emotion doing it. I die a little each time I listen to him talk.
Bai Lu is slightly better but I hate to say it, but she’s also not good at emotional delivery.
Episode 8
I am at episode 8 of Story of Kunning Palace and I am starting to lose interest.
At first, it was novel to not know what the heck is going on and just experience this world of political intrigue but now I am annoyed. Probably because I am watching it at the end of the day when my brain cells at no longer powered up, but I can’t follow the story at all.
Unpopular opinion: The drama has a poor narrative structure.
I will continue to watch it as I do want to know what the hell is happening but this is tinged with a dash of resentment and annoyance 😂
I think people who like this drama likes the novelty of being in the dark and just being thrown around by the various plot twists. But I have no patience for this at the end of a tiring work day 😑
Episode 9
Am I the only one who feels that the sudden interest Xie Wei has for Ning’er very odd, especially since she found out about that jade scepter thing and his involvement in it?
Also, finally glad there’s an explanation of why Xie Wei was so cold to her despite their meeting four years ago. Can’t help but think it could be made clearer from the start.
Why is Yan suddenly cold and standoffish from Ning’er? Is it because he wants to protect her from his family’s shaky standing?
Episode 10
I realised what kind of drama Story of Kunning Palace is – a puzzle story! The kind of story where viewers try to solve the mystery as the story plays out.
I really do not like the empress dowager. So, Ning’er had to deal with her as a mother-in-law in her first life, I assume? Not fun!
Yes, I have more questions than opinions right now. I’m still at the “what the heck is goin’ on” stage.
I’m also not feeling the supposed vibe/attraction between Ning’er and Xie Wei yet. And I wish they could move away from the school setting lol.
Hmm … I think part of the reason why I do not seem to like this drama as much as I don’t really like palace intrigue, and I especially do not like cattiness between women which is why I avoid palace harem dramas. Well, not at this time of my life when I just want to be happy after work.
Episode 11
Why do I feel that the young child Marquis (who was tragically killed) is actually Xie Wei? Is that why he’s helping the Yan family? Because they’re literally his family?
I really shuddered at the story of the 300 souls who died in the rebellion. Honestly, I get really upset at the thought of kids being harmed in any way, and when I saw the poor boy’s mother crawling toward that fire pit, my heart about gave out.
Children harmed in shows can make me avoid it like a plague. I didn’t watch Game of Thrones because I accidentally watched a video on Youtube of a certain character being burnt at stake. That scene traumatised me.
Still, I have a feeling some of them are still alive and are somehow connected to Xie Wei – judging from his reaction.
Episode 12
At this point, I’m watching only because I want to know what the heck is going on with Xie Wei. I’m over the mean girls nonsense at the School for Spoiled Noblewomen, I’m tired of the palace politics, I’m tired of the scheming Xue family and I just want some meaty reveals to land, damn it. I’ve been told it gets better, and more reveals will be coming my way.
But to be very honest, I feel no emotion at all to most of the characters. Maybe a smidgen of curiosity about Xie Wei. But it’s like watching pieces moving in a game of Go, every character a featureless piece on the board.
To quote a person on mydramalist, where I sometimes hang out: “I’m emotionlessly watching right now.”
Episode 13-20
These episodes were a blur for me as all I can think of is: “Xie Wei be plotting.”
Episode 17
Perked up in this episode because blood was shed.
Goes to show I need mayhem and murder to stay interested.
Episode 21
Xie Wei probably thinking, “OMG why am I always rescuing Ning’er, damnit.”
Episode 22
Waitaminute so Ning’er’s cover story is that she and Zhang Zhe are siblings in love and are eloping? Uhm, yeah, I guess that’s a good cover story, I guess! (Zhang Zhe seems equally horrified by the cover story. Poor lad, his tender sensibilities have been terribly violated.)
I should re-listen to this bit because I think something is lost in translation here.
Meanwhile, me on the side of the rebels, wishing Duke Xue, his son and his army could be buried under the landslide.
Episode 23
Yes, Xie Wei, that’s the way to a woman’s heart: By threatening to kill her. * slow claps *
Episode 24
Ah,poor Zhang Zhe, you have second male lead syndrome so hard.
And the romance between the girl and that businessman is so sweet.
Episode 25
The fake Xue Dingfei plot is so delicious. To think that Duke Xue was actually wanted to kill his own son like he’s an inconvenient thing OMG 💀
Episode 27
I understand Xuening’s mum, truly. She loves her but just doesn’t know how to express it beyond yelling at her to improve.
Zhang Zhe to Xie Wei: “You’re very suspicious.”
Me: No shit, Sherlock!Episode 28
Aww come on, Emperor. So you’re okay with one night of sex with that hellion in exchange for many nights of misery with the Xue family? Talk about priorities. And it’s kinda eeew because they’re close relations.
Also, the number of times women were slapped in this drama was … 💀
Episode 29
I cannot wait to see the Xue family’s bad end because I am 100% sure it’ll be terrible and I’ll be so happy.
Episode 30
LOL that eff up when Xie Wei’s men saw him giving Xuening a tender kiss. Yeah, boys, you guys better stay low for a few days.
Xuening is clearly afraid of Xie Wei due to her past life experiences with him. Can you fall for the person terrified you in your past life? I suppose that’s the deliciousness of this romance. (It’s not my thing, but I can see how it’s a thing for many people.)
Also. Is there some kind of cdrama law where it says that you cannot wipe off blood trails from your lips? It drives me bonkers when they don’t wipe it off. Is it like some kinda badge of honour??
Episode 32
OK I feel a smidgen of chemistry between Ning’er and Xie Wei. I suppose there’s hope for my icy heart after all 😂
Gosh my heart bleeds for Dingfei’s mum. No wonder she never recovered and no wonder he is so angry with the Xues. 😭
OK those CGI wild cats was rough 😆
So, yeah the kiss. Errr yeah I don’t know what to think about it. 😅 Not my thing I guess, forced kisses.
I guess he’s trying to scare her into leaving him. I think?
Yea I really do not understand why people are saying, oooh this is hot. Uhm noooo. Not for me, darlings.
Episode 33
Oooh the reunion between uncle and nephew. This was what I was waiting for. I don’t care about the romance between Xie Wei and Ning’er (sorry guys), but this? Yes this is what I was waiting for. 🥰
The princess is so brave. Now that’s a heroine I love.
Uh. Do people actually find this hot? 😅 (Shudders)
Episode 34
Okay, apparently I spoke too soon. My heart is indeed icy and utterly irredeemable, at least in the ways of Xie Wei + Ning’er fans (I kid, I kid, please unseathe your claws).
Xie Wei demanding to know why Ning er is afraid him while roughly pulling her around and hand-grabbing her by the neck? I don’t know dude, take a wiiiild guess??
Then he forces her to stab him and says, “Now, can you not be afraid of me?”
Girl, run. And oh yeah, if a dude makes you stab him and declares that’s enough to help you get over your fear over him. Tis not romantic, my girlfriends.
Okay, really, I am legit confused why anyone would think these two are couple goals 🤪🥴 Are we even watching the same show? 😶
I guess red flag guys are not my thing. At all 😬
Episode 36
Half of me is hate watching Show. The other half is loving it.
People are complicated beings.
LOLOLOL.
—
Fans of Xie Wei and Ning’er – squee they did it! It’s so hawt!
Me:
Episode 40
So I just finished Story of Kunning Palace. And my feelings can be summed up here:
While I super liked how the Xue family got dispatched (I play those scenes on repeat, cackling to myself), a big part of me is glad that it was all over and I can now slam the door behind me.
What I like about the show
- The revenge plot was the one that kept me watching the show. It was engrossing and mysterious. I did not care for the romance between Xie Wei and Ning’er at all and wish they’d left it out.
- The plot really picked up after episode 13 or so, especially after they leave the palace study group. If you find yourself frustrated, try stick around for that long and re-evaluate. I had to take a break and then return.
- Interesting side characters that do not feel useless.
- Scary effective villains that you will absolutely loathe and wish dead.
- The fight choreography, while making some of them look like supermen, is chef’s kiss at times.
- A satisfying ending where everyone gets their just desserts. No quickie five second flashes here!
What I didn’t like
- I think the narrative structure isn’t great. More could be done to establish what Ning’er was like before her “rebirth” so that the viewers are invested in her efforts to change her past. The use of flashbacks can be very difficult to keep track of.
- Zhang Ling He’s voice acting leaves a lot to be desired. I like his voice, but he sounds far too flat and emotionless. Bai Lu’s voice acting isn’t good either. I felt that they should’ve been better dubbed.
- Although I understand why the modern-day snippets were included (to pacify China’s censorship), they were so jarring I choose not acknowledge their existence.
- You know what I regret? Not wearing sunglasses while watching it cos the director’s love for intense lense flares and for shining the damn light strainght into the viewer’s eyes was giving me migraines. And that was not an exaggeration. I was getting actual headaches!
- The drama’s final arc felt really rushed. The final confrontation with the bad guys didn’t look realistic at all. Zhang Zhe was just standing around looking confused. Why was he even there, really?
- The long internal monologues that Xuening has – am not a fan. Again, it shows that the narrative structure needs work if you have to rely on info dump devices like these.
- Some character arcs were left hanging – the romance between the crown prince and Ning’er’s sister for one. That’s it??
- The limited OST. Hearing the same songs again and again and…
- Xie Wei and Ning’er’s romance does not elicit warm, fuzzy feelings in me. It borders on toxic. (Look at the final review below for why I feel this way.)
- I’m sorry but Zhang Ling He may have potential, but he’s not amazing here. Slightly above average perhaps, but he overacted a few scenes. I kept fantasizing having other actors play Xie Wei. Liu Xie Yi or Cheng Yi perhaps. Oh what it could’ve been.
Thoughts about the ending
Click to read spoilersI am utterly, completely shocked that this ended happily and mushily. But I feel that a show like this should end tragically or in an open-ended way to be tonally consistent. And I’m saying this as a softie for happy endings! I’m evil, I know.
I would’ve probably liked it if I liked or rooted for the couple, but lordie this couple’s romance is so problematic the happy scenes just didn’t land.
Final review
I think there are perfectly understandable reasons why I was turned off by this show. Besides its technical and storytelling flaws, I disliked many of the tropes in this drama:
- Scheming palace ladies
- Reverse harem
And most of all, this: A physically and verbally aggressive male lead.
I’ll come out and say this: Xie Wei and Ning’er’s relationship is very unhealthy. It taps into the girlhood fantasy of “reforming your man”. Spoiler alert: You can’t reform men like that, girlfriends. Trust me. Leave that to a shrink.
I understand how some people may look at it as an “opposites attract” thing, or that “he had such a hard life and is traumatised”, but to me, they are not good enough excuses to justify this behaviour.
So, I found it hard to overlook Xie Wei’s aggressive expressions of “love”. I’ve never been a fan of this thing that seemed so popular in Kdramas and CDramas: the hand grabbing, the physical yanking, the forced kisses, yelling or rough handling.
Call me old fashioned, but I prefer my leading men to be respectful of their ladies and treat them as equals worthy of respect. No treating them like immature kids that need schooling. No disrespecting their decisions. No physical aggresion. If this is a big thing for you like it is for me, you will have a hard time embracing Story of Kunning Palace’s central romance. And since it makes a large part of the story, a big part of it would be unpalatable for you.
I don’t care if someone calls me “overly sensitive” for this, but we should never, ever glorify abuse between couples of any kind and call it romantic. This trope needs to die.
Okay, but are other aspects of the drama watchable at least?
So, let’s say you ignore the romantic aspects of this drama and focus on the puzzle that is Xie Wei and what happened 20 years ago. If you’re in the mood to solve a mystery without being spoonfed, this is the drama for you. If you want to park your brain one side and just experience something or be swept away by the story, this may not be for you.
In one forum I was at, someone said they actually created a chart to keep track of the plot threads in the story. If that’s your jam, great, but if you are annoyed that you have to do all the work, this is definitely not for you.
Another puzzle drama that I can think of that did a better job with flashbacks was Westworld, season 1. Viewers are not fed the story, we do not know what happened, we are plonked in the middle of the story. The forums went mad with theories. It turns out that the story was actually told out of order, and the flashbacks were actually a story told out of order.
This drama does get better after we leave the petty court politics of the noble ladies’ study club around episode 15 or so, and when the revenge plot finally starts getting going and our characters literally move out of the confines of the palace into the world.
So, yes, I have a complex love-hate relationship with this drama. And if you’re confused about where I stand, I don’t blame you.
Should I have dropped this drama? Well, I thought the revenge plot was worth sticking around for, but it did get wobbly towards the end.
As a revenge drama, it is good enough. As a romance, it is problematic. Veeery problematic. 😬 I will rate the revenge plot an 8. But the romance line would be an abysmal 5 for me.
So, while I consider this drama slightly above average in a busy Cdrama season, its popularity was iverblown. Why it has become so popular with international fans will be filed under the folder “mysteries of the universe that I will never understand.”
And despite how it managed to hold my attention, how intriguing the plot twists were and the emotional gravitas of the whole revenge … I cannot overlook its many technical flaws – the bad directing decisions, the choppy narrative, the bloated first half and the rush towards the end …
This was a difficult drama to rate.
Here’s my verdict:
Final Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
#25Stars #CDrama #cdramaReview #CDramas #China #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama #TV
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Story of Kunning Palace review
Started watching: Nov 20, 2023
Final update Dec 5, 2023There was a lot of buzz about the show so I decided to see what the fuss was all about. However, I eventually grew annoyed with the increasing overcomplexity of the plot. One needs to be in the mood for such things and I suspect I wasn’t. So, I bailed around episode 12 and escaped to Wonderland of Love.
I returned after I completed Wonderland, feeling completely satisfied by the good watch. I have to admit that I felt a lot of dread returning to Story of Kunning Palace. In fact, a lot of people advice me to drop it already because I don’t seem to like it. However, I am driven by the mystery that is Xie Wei.
And like Back from the Brink, the other drama I abandoned and later resumed, I found myself drawn back in. But what’s my final verdict? Stay tuned.
You can also listen to my podcast review of Story of Kunning Palace.
Note: If you have not watched the show yet, be sure to avoid the spoilerific Watch Log. Head on to the spoiler-free final review instead.
- The story
- Characters
- Watchlog (beware of spoilers)
- What I like about the show
- What I didn’t like
- Thoughts about the ending
- Final review
- Final Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
The story
Xuening was an empress in her former life, but she did many, many bad things to get there. It all ended badly with rebels invading the palace.
When she finds herself “reborn” into her 18-year-old self, she decides to lead “a good life” and do right by the people she had harmed in her past life.
Characters
The Xue family – A scheming, bloodthirsty lot whose sole purpose in life, apparently, is to bring disaster on everyone as they scrabble for power. Unfortunately, the empress dowager is from this family. Duke Xue is the main villain of the story. If there’s proof for “bad genes”, this is it.
The Yan family – An honourable military family and blood enemies of the Xues. A long time ago, they were connected by marriage, but not anymore. They are still grieving the loss of Xue Dingfeng, a young boy who died during a rebellion 20 years ago, andwas the son of the current Marquis Yan’s late sister and the Duke of Xue.
Xie Wei – a court official with mysterious motivations and plans
Jiang Xuening – an empress in her first life, she’s now an 18-year-old determined to avoid palace life
Zhang Zhe – honourable court official for the justice department.
Yan Lin – Xuening’s best friend and long-time admirer and scion of the Yan family.
Watchlog (beware of spoilers)
Read this part only after you’ve watched or while watching the Show. You’ve been warned!
Episode 1-6
So, I watched Only for Love first, and I have to say that Bai Lu is so much better here, it’s crazy. Bai Lu is very believable as an empress. The way she speaks, looks, and carries herself as an empress was very impressive.
Zhang Ling He is not bad. Here he is playing another cold, shady character. I would say that this is his best role to date, though I cannot say that he’s amazing like some fans say. I’m sorry, my friends, but he’s nowhere even near Hu Ge level. He has potential, but just slightly above average for now. For now, I feel that he has trouble emoting intense scenes and can overact during those scenes.
And they didn’t edit out that actor who had that scandal and caused Kunning Palace to be on hold? Good for him.
Wait what, there’s a modern scene in the middle of it all? Eh. What’s going on?? That was so weirdly jarring!
Joy of Life had the same thing and it threw me off completely because it makes it hard for me to buy the story.
Incidentally, we see a moth flying around the sleeping writer. Fun fact, in Chinese mythology moths are said to be the manifestation of the spirits of the dead. If we see a moth in the house after someone passes away, we are not to kill it because it is said to be the spirit of the person who just passed away, and they were visiting.
So, my theory is that the actual spirit of the empress, sparked by the writer (or maybe she influenced the writer) returns to the past. Without the writer as a catalyst, she couldn’t do that.
Liking it a lot so far. I find the cinematography interesting especially at the start, even if I found the premise (or how she reborns) hard to buy.
PS: Xuening is such a b***h. Even she admits that she was one. “I used to be so arrogant and difficult,” she says at one point.
My experience with the first six episodes of this drama can be summed up with this gif:
Episode 7
Initially, I thought Zhang Ling He did quite well with his dubbing. While he is not bad at playing a morally grey character, now I really think he needs to be dubbed because he sounds like he’s reciting a dictionary and has as much emotion doing it. I die a little each time I listen to him talk.
Bai Lu is slightly better but I hate to say it, but she’s also not good at emotional delivery.
Episode 8
I am at episode 8 of Story of Kunning Palace and I am starting to lose interest.
At first, it was novel to not know what the heck is going on and just experience this world of political intrigue but now I am annoyed. Probably because I am watching it at the end of the day when my brain cells at no longer powered up, but I can’t follow the story at all.
Unpopular opinion: The drama has a poor narrative structure.
I will continue to watch it as I do want to know what the hell is happening but this is tinged with a dash of resentment and annoyance 😂
I think people who like this drama likes the novelty of being in the dark and just being thrown around by the various plot twists. But I have no patience for this at the end of a tiring work day 😑
Episode 9
Am I the only one who feels that the sudden interest Xie Wei has for Ning’er very odd, especially since she found out about that jade scepter thing and his involvement in it?
Also, finally glad there’s an explanation of why Xie Wei was so cold to her despite their meeting four years ago. Can’t help but think it could be made clearer from the start.
Why is Yan suddenly cold and standoffish from Ning’er? Is it because he wants to protect her from his family’s shaky standing?
Episode 10
I realised what kind of drama Story of Kunning Palace is – a puzzle story! The kind of story where viewers try to solve the mystery as the story plays out.
I really do not like the empress dowager. So, Ning’er had to deal with her as a mother-in-law in her first life, I assume? Not fun!
Yes, I have more questions than opinions right now. I’m still at the “what the heck is goin’ on” stage.
I’m also not feeling the supposed vibe/attraction between Ning’er and Xie Wei yet. And I wish they could move away from the school setting lol.
Hmm … I think part of the reason why I do not seem to like this drama as much as I don’t really like palace intrigue, and I especially do not like cattiness between women which is why I avoid palace harem dramas. Well, not at this time of my life when I just want to be happy after work.
Episode 11
Why do I feel that the young child Marquis (who was tragically killed) is actually Xie Wei? Is that why he’s helping the Yan family? Because they’re literally his family?
I really shuddered at the story of the 300 souls who died in the rebellion. Honestly, I get really upset at the thought of kids being harmed in any way, and when I saw the poor boy’s mother crawling toward that fire pit, my heart about gave out.
Children harmed in shows can make me avoid it like a plague. I didn’t watch Game of Thrones because I accidentally watched a video on Youtube of a certain character being burnt at stake. That scene traumatised me.
Still, I have a feeling some of them are still alive and are somehow connected to Xie Wei – judging from his reaction.
Episode 12
At this point, I’m watching only because I want to know what the heck is going on with Xie Wei. I’m over the mean girls nonsense at the School for Spoiled Noblewomen, I’m tired of the palace politics, I’m tired of the scheming Xue family and I just want some meaty reveals to land, damn it. I’ve been told it gets better, and more reveals will be coming my way.
But to be very honest, I feel no emotion at all to most of the characters. Maybe a smidgen of curiosity about Xie Wei. But it’s like watching pieces moving in a game of Go, every character a featureless piece on the board.
To quote a person on mydramalist, where I sometimes hang out: “I’m emotionlessly watching right now.”
Episode 13-20
These episodes were a blur for me as all I can think of is: “Xie Wei be plotting.”
Episode 17
Perked up in this episode because blood was shed.
Goes to show I need mayhem and murder to stay interested.
Episode 21
Xie Wei probably thinking, “OMG why am I always rescuing Ning’er, damnit.”
Episode 22
Waitaminute so Ning’er’s cover story is that she and Zhang Zhe are siblings in love and are eloping? Uhm, yeah, I guess that’s a good cover story, I guess! (Zhang Zhe seems equally horrified by the cover story. Poor lad, his tender sensibilities have been terribly violated.)
I should re-listen to this bit because I think something is lost in translation here.
Meanwhile, me on the side of the rebels, wishing Duke Xue, his son and his army could be buried under the landslide.
Episode 23
Yes, Xie Wei, that’s the way to a woman’s heart: By threatening to kill her. * slow claps *
Episode 24
Ah,poor Zhang Zhe, you have second male lead syndrome so hard.
And the romance between the girl and that businessman is so sweet.
Episode 25
The fake Xue Dingfei plot is so delicious. To think that Duke Xue was actually wanted to kill his own son like he’s an inconvenient thing OMG 💀
Episode 27
I understand Xuening’s mum, truly. She loves her but just doesn’t know how to express it beyond yelling at her to improve.
Zhang Zhe to Xie Wei: “You’re very suspicious.”
Me: No shit, Sherlock!Episode 28
Aww come on, Emperor. So you’re okay with one night of sex with that hellion in exchange for many nights of misery with the Xue family? Talk about priorities. And it’s kinda eeew because they’re close relations.
Also, the number of times women were slapped in this drama was … 💀
Episode 29
I cannot wait to see the Xue family’s bad end because I am 100% sure it’ll be terrible and I’ll be so happy.
Episode 30
LOL that eff up when Xie Wei’s men saw him giving Xuening a tender kiss. Yeah, boys, you guys better stay low for a few days.
Xuening is clearly afraid of Xie Wei due to her past life experiences with him. Can you fall for the person terrified you in your past life? I suppose that’s the deliciousness of this romance. (It’s not my thing, but I can see how it’s a thing for many people.)
Also. Is there some kind of cdrama law where it says that you cannot wipe off blood trails from your lips? It drives me bonkers when they don’t wipe it off. Is it like some kinda badge of honour??
Episode 32
OK I feel a smidgen of chemistry between Ning’er and Xie Wei. I suppose there’s hope for my icy heart after all 😂
Gosh my heart bleeds for Dingfei’s mum. No wonder she never recovered and no wonder he is so angry with the Xues. 😭
OK those CGI wild cats was rough 😆
So, yeah the kiss. Errr yeah I don’t know what to think about it. 😅 Not my thing I guess, forced kisses.
I guess he’s trying to scare her into leaving him. I think?
Yea I really do not understand why people are saying, oooh this is hot. Uhm noooo. Not for me, darlings.
Episode 33
Oooh the reunion between uncle and nephew. This was what I was waiting for. I don’t care about the romance between Xie Wei and Ning’er (sorry guys), but this? Yes this is what I was waiting for. 🥰
The princess is so brave. Now that’s a heroine I love.
Uh. Do people actually find this hot? 😅 (Shudders)
Episode 34
Okay, apparently I spoke too soon. My heart is indeed icy and utterly irredeemable, at least in the ways of Xie Wei + Ning’er fans (I kid, I kid, please unseathe your claws).
Xie Wei demanding to know why Ning er is afraid him while roughly pulling her around and hand-grabbing her by the neck? I don’t know dude, take a wiiiild guess??
Then he forces her to stab him and says, “Now, can you not be afraid of me?”
Girl, run. And oh yeah, if a dude makes you stab him and declares that’s enough to help you get over your fear over him. Tis not romantic, my girlfriends.
Okay, really, I am legit confused why anyone would think these two are couple goals 🤪🥴 Are we even watching the same show? 😶
I guess red flag guys are not my thing. At all 😬
Episode 36
Half of me is hate watching Show. The other half is loving it.
People are complicated beings.
LOLOLOL.
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Fans of Xie Wei and Ning’er – squee they did it! It’s so hawt!
Me:
Episode 40
So I just finished Story of Kunning Palace. And my feelings can be summed up here:
While I super liked how the Xue family got dispatched (I play those scenes on repeat, cackling to myself), a big part of me is glad that it was all over and I can now slam the door behind me.
What I like about the show
- The revenge plot was the one that kept me watching the show. It was engrossing and mysterious. I did not care for the romance between Xie Wei and Ning’er at all and wish they’d left it out.
- The plot really picked up after episode 13 or so, especially after they leave the palace study group. If you find yourself frustrated, try stick around for that long and re-evaluate. I had to take a break and then return.
- Interesting side characters that do not feel useless.
- Scary effective villains that you will absolutely loathe and wish dead.
- The fight choreography, while making some of them look like supermen, is chef’s kiss at times.
- A satisfying ending where everyone gets their just desserts. No quickie five second flashes here!
What I didn’t like
- I think the narrative structure isn’t great. More could be done to establish what Ning’er was like before her “rebirth” so that the viewers are invested in her efforts to change her past. The use of flashbacks can be very difficult to keep track of.
- Zhang Ling He’s voice acting leaves a lot to be desired. I like his voice, but he sounds far too flat and emotionless. Bai Lu’s voice acting isn’t good either. I felt that they should’ve been better dubbed.
- Although I understand why the modern-day snippets were included (to pacify China’s censorship), they were so jarring I choose not acknowledge their existence.
- You know what I regret? Not wearing sunglasses while watching it cos the director’s love for intense lense flares and for shining the damn light strainght into the viewer’s eyes was giving me migraines. And that was not an exaggeration. I was getting actual headaches!
- The drama’s final arc felt really rushed. The final confrontation with the bad guys didn’t look realistic at all. Zhang Zhe was just standing around looking confused. Why was he even there, really?
- The long internal monologues that Xuening has – am not a fan. Again, it shows that the narrative structure needs work if you have to rely on info dump devices like these.
- Some character arcs were left hanging – the romance between the crown prince and Ning’er’s sister for one. That’s it??
- The limited OST. Hearing the same songs again and again and…
- Xie Wei and Ning’er’s romance does not elicit warm, fuzzy feelings in me. It borders on toxic. (Look at the final review below for why I feel this way.)
- I’m sorry but Zhang Ling He may have potential, but he’s not amazing here. Slightly above average perhaps, but he overacted a few scenes. I kept fantasizing having other actors play Xie Wei. Liu Xie Yi or Cheng Yi perhaps. Oh what it could’ve been.
Thoughts about the ending
Click to read spoilersI am utterly, completely shocked that this ended happily and mushily. But I feel that a show like this should end tragically or in an open-ended way to be tonally consistent. And I’m saying this as a softie for happy endings! I’m evil, I know.
I would’ve probably liked it if I liked or rooted for the couple, but lordie this couple’s romance is so problematic the happy scenes just didn’t land.
Final review
I think there are perfectly understandable reasons why I was turned off by this show. Besides its technical and storytelling flaws, I disliked many of the tropes in this drama:
- Scheming palace ladies
- Reverse harem
And most of all, this: A physically and verbally aggressive male lead.
I’ll come out and say this: Xie Wei and Ning’er’s relationship is very unhealthy. It taps into the girlhood fantasy of “reforming your man”. Spoiler alert: You can’t reform men like that, girlfriends. Trust me. Leave that to a shrink.
I understand how some people may look at it as an “opposites attract” thing, or that “he had such a hard life and is traumatised”, but to me, they are not good enough excuses to justify this behaviour.
So, I found it hard to overlook Xie Wei’s aggressive expressions of “love”. I’ve never been a fan of this thing that seemed so popular in Kdramas and CDramas: the hand grabbing, the physical yanking, the forced kisses, yelling or rough handling.
Call me old fashioned, but I prefer my leading men to be respectful of their ladies and treat them as equals worthy of respect. No treating them like immature kids that need schooling. No disrespecting their decisions. No physical aggresion. If this is a big thing for you like it is for me, you will have a hard time embracing Story of Kunning Palace’s central romance. And since it makes a large part of the story, a big part of it would be unpalatable for you.
I don’t care if someone calls me “overly sensitive” for this, but we should never, ever glorify abuse between couples of any kind and call it romantic. This trope needs to die.
Okay, but are other aspects of the drama watchable at least?
So, let’s say you ignore the romantic aspects of this drama and focus on the puzzle that is Xie Wei and what happened 20 years ago. If you’re in the mood to solve a mystery without being spoonfed, this is the drama for you. If you want to park your brain one side and just experience something or be swept away by the story, this may not be for you.
In one forum I was at, someone said they actually created a chart to keep track of the plot threads in the story. If that’s your jam, great, but if you are annoyed that you have to do all the work, this is definitely not for you.
Another puzzle drama that I can think of that did a better job with flashbacks was Westworld, season 1. Viewers are not fed the story, we do not know what happened, we are plonked in the middle of the story. The forums went mad with theories. It turns out that the story was actually told out of order, and the flashbacks were actually a story told out of order.
This drama does get better after we leave the petty court politics of the noble ladies’ study club around episode 15 or so, and when the revenge plot finally starts getting going and our characters literally move out of the confines of the palace into the world.
So, yes, I have a complex love-hate relationship with this drama. And if you’re confused about where I stand, I don’t blame you.
Should I have dropped this drama? Well, I thought the revenge plot was worth sticking around for, but it did get wobbly towards the end.
As a revenge drama, it is good enough. As a romance, it is problematic. Veeery problematic. 😬 I will rate the revenge plot an 8. But the romance line would be an abysmal 5 for me.
So, while I consider this drama slightly above average in a busy Cdrama season, its popularity was iverblown. Why it has become so popular with international fans will be filed under the folder “mysteries of the universe that I will never understand.”
And despite how it managed to hold my attention, how intriguing the plot twists were and the emotional gravitas of the whole revenge … I cannot overlook its many technical flaws – the bad directing decisions, the choppy narrative, the bloated first half and the rush towards the end …
This was a difficult drama to rate.
Here’s my verdict:
Final Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
#25Stars #CDrama #cdramaReview #CDramas #China #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama #TV
