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  1. Otome Kitten @[email protected] ·

    Neon Clash: Echoes of the Lost Review (Nintendo Switch)

    Release Date: December 25, 2025 (North America)
    Developers:  Voltage Inc.
    Publishers:  Voltage Inc.
    Platforms: Nintendo Switch
    ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

    STORY

    Kumyo: The land of neon lights and fleeting pleasures.

    A land where if you don’t step on others to get to the top, you’ll only sink to the bottom. Effort means nothing. Charity? Forget about it.

    Kroa is an underground courier at the bottom of the barrel. In order to survive life in Kumyo, the youth have turned to the mafia life to fight for power. The mafia is a violent criminal organization shunned by the public. However, there was one family both respected by fellow mafioso, and adored by the general public.

    Their name was the Liu family.
    11 years ago, the Liu family was exterminated.

    But once the sole surviving member, Gante Lowd, crosses paths with the rightful heir, Liu Kroa, the wheel of fate begins to turn once more.

    ART AND MUSIC

    Director:Ichika ShiinaArtist:Takao (Overall character design), Kuroyoki(Chibi)BG Artist:Studio COCOLOScenario:Ririka YoshimuraOST:Shihoko Hirata (OP & ED theme, lyrics)BGM/Soundtrack:Shunsuke Tsuchiya (BGM, OP Composer)Concept, Producer:Satoshi Nohara

    I love Neon Clash’s overall visual aesthetic. The artwork is beyond beautiful and I am completely enamored with the game’s art style. The CGs especially, are insanely pretty! All the while being very emotional and very impactful! On top of that, the LIs have multiple sprite variations, and their outfits are really stunning. We have none other than the Japanese illustrator, Takao to thank for all of Neon Clash’s gorgeous glory, which appears to be their first full otome game project. I sincerely hope they’ll have more otome projects in the future because their art style to me, is crazy gorgeous!

    As for the game’s staff, the writing team is led by Ririka Yoshimura, who is widely known for also being the lead scenario writer for Cupid Parasite and Despera Drops. The game’s overall director is Ichika Shina, an in-house director for Voltage Inc.

    Neon Clash: Echoes of the Lost also has one of the most banger OPs this year. The OP theme, Shangri-La, was by far one of my favorite otome OST of 2025. I also really enjoyed how vibrant the BGMs are in this game; I think they mesh pretty well with the neon Chinese aesthetic of this title, which I’m really loving btw. The game’s BGMs are by Shunsuke Tsuchiya of Procyon Studio, who also composed for Even if Tempest, Black Wolves Saga, KgK, and a few other otome game OSTs in the past.

    Voice Acting

    Yuichiro Umehara as “Gante Lowd” – Alfred (Mistonia’s Hope), Paschalia (Radiant Tale), Serge (Genso Manege), 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)

    Shunichi Toki as “Sun Maslo” –  Hibiki (9RIP), Dahut (Virche Evermore), Leo (Piofiore), Yakumo (Dairoku), Hibie (Winters Wish), Matsui Go (Touken Ranbu), Mousse Atlas (IkeRev), Yuki Rurikawa (A3!)

    Jun Fukuyama as “Sodyk Mun” – Ascot (Mistonia’s Hope), Karatachi (Illusion of Itehari), Mizuchi (Hana Awase), Tomomori (Birushana), Vyn Richter (Tears of Themis), Mozu (BUSTFELLOWS), Goro Fujita (Meiji Tokyo Renka), Liberta (Arcana Famiglia), Rin (Togainu no Chi), Aido (Vampire Knight), Tokiwa Etsuya (Dairoku), Goke Kanimitsu (Touken Ranbu)

    Ryota Suzuki as “Zhang Hiyok” – Lucas (Mistonia’s Hope), Ash (Despera Drops), Koyo (9RIP), Ginnosuke (Him, the Smile and bloom), Yona (Tengoku Struggle), Kiito Minorikawa (Jack Jeanne), Trey Clover (TWST), Ink (Gunka Haita Neko), Caster (FGO), Mizuro Tamaki (Tokyo Ghoul)

    Takeo Otsuka as “Mazho Meqrin” – Jinshi (The Apothecary Diaries), Elbert Greetia (IkeVil), Sunday (HSR), Luke (Chaos Zero Nightmare), Miyabi (UN:Logical), Katsu (Shinjuku Rashoumon), Yuen Hu (Shinjuku Soumei), Kanata (Angelique Lumenarise), Remnan (Gnosia), Joshua Rosfield (FF16)

    Yusuke Kobayashi as “Shelby Zhiho” – Flynn (The Red Bell’s Lament), Tomonari (Winters Wish), Hira (Dairoku), Byleth (FE Engage, 3H), Shinano Toushiro (Touken Ranbu), Suwon (Yona of the Dawn), Yuli Norbert (MidCin), Manai Tomoki (Sweet Clown), Xavier (Love and Deepspace), Ugetso (Utakata no Uchronia), Kiyoshi Kurotani (Persona 5), Senku Ishigami (Dr. Stone)

    Hana Shimano as “Shelby Zhia” – Himari Kino (Whisper Me a Love Song), Mako Kawai (Food for the Soul)

    Kazuyuki Okitsu as “Yuan Gonglu” – Ankou (Virche Evermore), Yoji Kobase (Sympathy Kiss),  Atsushi Daikoku (B-PROJECT), Tsukuyomi (Olympia Soiree), Epilogi (Café Enchanté), Hachisuka Kotetsu (Touken Ranbu), Dante (Jack Jeanne), Ray (EPHEMERAL), Kuya (NU Carnival),  Kyrie (Ozmafia!!), Keith Knight (Iris School of Wizardry)

    Shinnosuke Tachibana as “Shao Feng” – Himeutsugi (Hana Awase), Seiya (9RIP),  Koizumi Yakumo (Meiji Tokyo Renka), Camu (Despera Drops), Xiaolei (Battlefield Waltz), Henri (Piofiore), White Mask (Bad Apple Wars), Kousei (Ayakashi Koi Gikyoku), William Rex (IkeVil), Koryu Kagemitsu (Touken Ranbu), Rafayel (Love and Deepspace)

    Eiji Takeuchi as “R” – Riley Randolph (Mistonia’s Hope), Hitoya Amaguni (Hypnosis Mic), Sumio (Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master), Rafa (Borderlands 4), Hide (Nioh 2), Nobutaka Osanai (Tokyo Revengers), Takefumi Kawada (The Devil is a Part-timer)

    Kazuhiro Yoshimura as “Xiadun Jue” – Shioji (Illusion of Itehari), Oleander (The Red Bell’s Lament), Alest (Radiant Tale), Minegeshi (Collar x Malice), Ten (Cafe Enchante), Maki (Side Kicks!), Souji Kamishiro (Suika Niritsu), Pepe (Bustafellows)

    Haruki Ishiya as “Yunzi Yulong” – Toichi Nagayama (Jack Jeanne), Jiro (Hypnosis Mic), Roger Ward (Metaphor: ReFantazio), Toru (Slow Damage), Louis (FE Engage), Sebek Zigvolt (TWST), Makoto Shizuo (Prince of Stride), Haku (Gunka o Haita Neko), Mikado (On Air!)

    Taishi Murata as “Kyochu Yona” – Kaina (Olympia Soire), Idaeus Glodell (Metaphor: ReFantazio), Tokugawa Iemitsu (Ken ga Kimi), Takeshi Efuku (Prince of Stride), Seth Hyde (IkePri),

    CAST AND CHARACTERS

    With Neon Clash being AmuLit’s third otome console game installment, it has become clearer to me that the studio really does have its own distinct narrative formula. If you’ve played their previous two titles, Even if Tempest and The Red Bell’s Lament, you’ll notice a similar structure shared with Neon Clash, where in the story progresses in a largely linear fashion, and the romance endings only unlock after the main story has been cleared.

    That said, this title does not have any branching individual routes in the way conventional console otome games do. Instead, the romance endings only become available after you’ve completed the TRUE Ending of the game. Each chapter has the heroine spending time with a specific love interest:

    • Chapter 2: Lowd
    • Chapter 3: Maslo
    • Chapter 4: Mun
    • Chapter 5: Hiyok
    • Chapter 6: is the final chapter that wraps up the story and leads into the endings.

    In a way, this format kinda plays out similarly to how Chinese mobile otome games structure their stories (think Tears of Themis, LaDs, MLQC, etc.), where there’s one overarching main story and each chapter is dedicated to a particular love interest.

    As for how the story benefits from this type of formula, it certainly depends on the kind of narrative the writers present in the main game. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of how it played out in The Red Bell’s Lament, but I did enjoy the same formula in Even if Tempest. With Neon Clash, I think this approach works well here too, especially given how impressively fast-paced and eventful the main story is. I’ll save more of my detailed thoughts for my “overall impressions” section below, so please keep reading!😁

    Walkthroughs:

    Note: The CGs shown below are promotional images for the game, Neon Clash: Echoes of the Lost. All spoiler-related content in this review will be hidden behind a spoiler drop-down, that you can choose to view at your own discretion.

    ⬇️ Click to view Content Warnings Violence, gun violence, public shooting, murder, mass murder, death, blood, decapitation, discrimination against other nationalities, class system, marginalization, poverty, sexual assault, manipulation, gaslighting, drug abuse, drug addiction, kidnapping, abduction, alcohol abuse.

    GANTE LOWD

    A mafioso through and through who was adopted and raised by the original Liu family. He works as a priest in a church in Taozhe, with hopes to one day rebuild the Liu family.

    I love Lowd! And Umehara seems to have nailed this character down to a T. What a perfect match! Lowd also became one of my fav LIs in the game, and one I’ll probably think of fondly from now on.🥺 He was such a great character and love interest. The man stayed steadfast and loyal until the very end. It actually hurts how unwavering his devotion to the heroine is.😭 Through all the hardships, he remained by her side, for better or worse. I really don’t have any qualms or complaints about this LI.

    After finishing all the romance endings in this title, I also think Lowd had the best romantic relationship with Kroa. Personally, I found their chemistry as a couple the most convincing and satisfying. I’m still brainrotting over his romance ending as we speak! I needed more chapters!

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    OH MAAAHH LOWWWD!🥵🥵🥵 I am down bad for this man.

    I think out of everyone’s romance endings, Lowd’s felt the most natural and intimate. And perhaps this is because of how closely he and Kroa bonded during Chapter Two. It was also the only chapter where the heroine openly admits that she’s in love with someone before entrusting her feelings to her gun, Dilu. While she does something similar with the other LIs, she usually refers to those emotions as “budding feelings.” With Lowd, however, she literally jumped in front of a bullet for this man.

    With Dilu nullifying at the end, it makes sense that the most impactful “romantic” feelings she carries are tied to Lowd. After all, he was the very first man she ever developed genuine feelings for. And let’s be real, among everyone Lowd was the one who remained steadfastly by her side the entire time. He never strayed, never did anything to hurt her (whether intentionally or accidentally), never manipulated her, and never forced her feelings. He was also never intrusive, and consistently respected her both as a woman and as the head of the Liu family.

    Also, the love endings were all so random, dumb, and silly…but I absolutely ate all the fluff up. After everything they’ve been through, they deserve to just lay back and be dumb and silly for once. 😭

    On a different note, I was reading Umechan’s commentary about Lowd, and was kinda shocked that he’s also a Romance of the 3Kingdoms nerd and was even basing Lowd’s character on Guan Yu from the series. He mustve felt giddy having to voice a character inspired by his own fav character from the show.lol So that was a nice little fun fact. I also felt like he did such an amazing job as Lowd, and I really couldn’t imagine anyone more suitable for the role.

    SUN MASLO

    Maslo is the boss of a small-time mafia from the countryside. He’s a friendly guy, and the last sort of person you’d expect to be leading a criminal organization. Aside from being part of the mob, he’s active as a popular DJ and song-writer.

    Oh my beautiful pink boy! I am also down bad for Maslo… him, his character design and his designated BGM. (laughs) 🤣 Sometimes I intentionally leave the game idle just to listen to his dj vice track, lmao. But on a more serious note, Maslo was a really interesting character, no? And I can’t help but feel like the game could have done so much more with him if he had a proper individual route. In fact, this applies to all of the LIs. There was just so much untapped potential for us to explore more of them in greater depth, if their routes were longer.

    Maslo and Kroa’s interactions in chapter three, I have also really enjoyed,🥹and his romance ending had one of the most beautiful CGs in the game. Although, I have to say, it’s his sad ending that completely cemented him as my new oshi.👀

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    I just feel like the writers probably had Maslo’s route skeletally structured around him being the designated yandere of the story. However, because of the game’s linear storyline, they scrapped this off and held back! My poor boy! 😭 I really think he didn’t get to shine as much as he deserved because of “plot”. As much as I’m enjoying the game overall, this is kind of the downside of games having linear plotlines; the character depth usually gets shoehorned.

    Regardless, I still absolutely love Maslo. I was a bit miffed that his romance ending felt like an exposition dump of his backstory, but that beautiful kiss CG under the sakura tree compensated for it, so I guess its’ all good.(cackles) 😂 I also wanted to get a spicy CG of him and Kroa, making out backstage of his club and I can’t help but feel like we were really robbed of that visually!😭😭😭 His happy end was the only one that did not get a “bed ending” lmao although his sad ending compensated for that!😂 PLS I NEED A FANDISK! I BEG!

    SODYK MUN

    • the cleavage is doing crimes
    • manipulation never looked this good

    The boss of a huge mafia, Mun is considered the only one capable of competing with Biying. The public knows him as the young president of a big company, thanks to his many media appearances. Mun’s natural charisma tends to win him a lot of admirers.

    Oh, Sodyk Mun… the man that you are… This is yet another straight-up “I can fix him” FukuJun character fresh outa the oven! Damn, what a smooooth guy. I was grinning the whole time playing Mun’s chapter (Chapter 4) in the game. The dude was just seductive, entrancing, smooth like butter. Though, I have to admit, playing his chapter also made me really nervous. It’s one of those instances where everything feels so right, but you can’t shake the feeling that something is… just off. Ha!🤣🤣🤣

    I think Mun’s chapter was probably my favorite in the story. I can’t even allow myself to put the game down, his persuasive nature was literally working its way like cancer. The way his character was written, and how Fukuyama played this out was chef kiss, I have no words! I think Mun is going to be a fan favorite because, man oh man, how could anyone resist being completely swayed by this guy?

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    The instant Mun suggested segregation with his class system BS, alarm bells started ringing in my head from all directions. My dude, NO!😭 How could anyone think segregation was a good idea? Even if he was preaching that it was the “best way” to maintain order in Kumyo, NO, NO, NO!!

    Mun’s chapter I have to say was probably the one I had enjoyed the most because you can clearly see how deceptive and exceedingly manipulative he is, and I loved how vulnerable Kroa was here as well. She knew the man was making her dance around his palm, but she bit into the trap anyway. Her realization later that something was seriously wrong and that she needed to break free before Mun completely devours her whole and successfully makes her his pawn was such a good story climax.

    I also loved the part where she starts noticing herself becoming like Mun while interacting with the Liu capos, and it takes Rin confronting her to snap her back to reality and see Mun’s true colors. That scene was absolutely peak!

    If you think about it, Mun was the most dangerous and formidable enemy of the Liu family. The dude was a master manipulator! He manipulated everyone around him: his capos, the entire Sodyk family, the government officials in Kumyo, the police, and law enforcement. They all really believed he was the righteous man he made himself out to be. He even manipulated R, sending him to an early grave, and Zhiho, who ended up betraying the heroine and throwing a wrench into their infiltration plan.

    On a side note, I can’t help but think that Mun and Kroa’s dynamic leans into the “lovers to enemies” trope where they start off as close, almost like lovers, and then fate throws them at each other’s throats. I’m really loving this trope in otome games lately! I usually only see it in reverse harem manga/manhwas so having this here was a nice touch.

    ZHANG HIYOK

    • resident himbo genki🥺
    • golden retriever energy

    A gangster from Taozhe. Hiyok is determined to protect the same Taozhe he was born and raised in, but in reality, his gang was only capable of recklessly, but unsuccessfully lashing back against the Zhuo family. When he downs a particularly strong alcohol, he becomes a whole different person, capable of taking down multiple men at once.

    This game is now making a hako-oshi, because I also love Hiyok. The first time you’ll meet him, you can immediately sense just how precious and likable he is.🥺 Hiyok is another trusted and sworn comrade of our heroine, Kroa. Like Lowd, he is incredibly loyal and one of the Liu family’s strongest fighters. I’m a tad wistful though that his chapter only half-focused on him, especially since his final volumes were already converging with the main plot and heading toward the finale. I guess I just needed more fluff with this himbo.😭 On a different note, I wasn’t expecting his bad ending to turn out the way it did…but I kind of liked it. 😳👉👈

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    He also keeps a diary! What a precious boy!😭
    Kroa’s worries about Hiyok losing his feelings for her felt a bit anticlimactic, because in the end, he never really lost it. It was also pretty easy for her to win him back given Hiyok has always been fond of her. He even had a crush on her the first time they met.

    Still and all, I absolutely loved how she worked to get him to like her again in Hiyok’s “happy ending.” It was nice to see her making the first move in everything, and seeing Hiyok turn into this blushing, genki mess was adorable. I love their dynamic as well! So much!😭 Again, I feel robbed of fluff with this man because the romance was too short; just as the cute, fluffy stuff was starting, the chapter was already over. 😭

    LIU KROA (Main Heroine)

    • cunning mafia princess
    • best girl!

    I love Kroa. She’s now one of my favorite otoge heroines! This woman has serious balls of steel. I was a little wary of her at first, since she came across as somewhat idealistic in the common route, and I had my doubts whether she could truly pull off being the Liu family boss. But as the story progressed, I realized, wow this girl can actually walk the talk.

    She’s certainly physically strong, highly skilled with a gun, and more than capable of holding her own during a shoot-out. But its actually her unwavering determination and her intrepid sense of taking risks that got me on her side of the camp. As a mafia boss, she will be pitted in situations where she has to make bold and risky decisions, not just for herself but for everyone in the Liu family. My anxiety was through the roof every time she was served yet another obstacle right after overcoming the last one. The girl seriously could not catch a break!😭 I was nervous for her all the freakin’ time, but her resilience was mighty impressive and very infectious. I could truly feel that she earned every ounce of respect her capos give her.

    Kroa is also a very flawed heroine, and that’s one of the things I love most about her. She knows what she is capable of and uses her strengths wisely, but she’s also aware of her limits and what she can’t do on her own. She makes plenty of mistakes throughout the game, and sometimes her risky decisions put both herself and her comrades in danger. She beats herself up over those failures, but what’s remarkable is how she learns from them, rubs the dirt off her face, gets back on her feet, and pounces back harder and stronger every time.🤧 My girl!! 😭😭😭I loved how she was written to be very capable without ever feeling grossly overblown, if that makes sense? She’s not the kind of heroine who’s all mouth and no bite, she doesn’t talk a big game or rely on empty bravado. I really couldn’t stop rooting for her, just like her capos who believed in her as their boss.🥹 BEST GIRL!!

    SYSTEM AND LOCALIZATION

    Before I get into the details of the game’s system, I just want to say in passing that the love catch for this title is so pretty! 😍 The butterfly animations were perhaps one of my fav design elements, aesthetically speaking, in this title.

    As for the system itself, I think this is where most of my complaints lie. First of all, the font was rather tiny and not very visible, the kerning was also kind of awful and there was no way to adjust this. I play docked on my TV, so over time this became a non-issue for me. Next, and perhaps the thing that bothered me the most, is that the system overwrites its parameters after every ending you achieve (whether its the true end or sad end). What I mean is that after achieving, say, the“true ending”, the next time you restart the game from the very beginning, all your save files from the previous run become defunct, and are replaced by the new current progress in your present gameplay.

    I think this is probably because of the game’s linear storyline, but as a completionist, it was kind of frustrating to unlock all the endings without having to restart from the very beginning of each chapter, or at worst, from the prologue. It became a nightmare to skip through scenes just to unlock different bad endings while trying different combinations of choices in the process. At the very least, the True End was easy to achieve all thanks to the love catch system.

    PROS:

    • Heroine name customizable
    • SHOP – The boss’s grade points you collect can be spent here
    • “Secret Information” in the EXTRA section –this is where all the short stories that you’ve bought from the shop are located.
    • Terminology – the game’s glossary.
    • Chapter Intermission
    • Underground Newspaper – will show up after finishing a chapter.
    • MAPS – shows which family rules over each territory.
    • CHAPTER Select
    • Love Catch System
    • Skip READ and AUTO function
    • Quick Save/Quick Load
    • CG Library
    • Movie Library

    CONS:

    • No heroine side sprite image
    • Unvoiced Heroine
    • SKIP Read’s fastest setting is slow.
    • Lingering voice lines, even if you’ve skipped the character’s lines
    • No Skip to Next Choice function
    • No Flowchart
    • No Sound Library
    • Typos
    • Parameters reset after every ending achieved.

    Localization

    The translations also seem pretty good. Since the theme involves the mafia and a lot of morally gray characters, there are naturally lots of coarse language thrown around which I think fits the game’s theme overall. Unfortunately, there are quite a few typos throughout the game. Not that they ruined gameplay, They didn’t bother me, but they’re definitely present, nonetheless.

    TRAILER

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPA6yvkZMbg

    OVERALL THOUGHTS

    I think my overall gameplay lasted about 40 hours total. This includes trying to unlock all the endings in the game and playing all the CCTV short stories in the “EXTRA” section. I was also playing blind, my switch docked, and was on auto mode most of the time. Technically, with a walkthrough and without auto-mode, you could finish the game in less than 40 hours.

    AmuLit’s Linear Storytelling is back!

    To start with, yes, Neon Clash unfortunately has a linear structure, similar to Even if Tempest and RBL. There are no separate branching routes for the guys. Instead, it plays out as one main story, with each chapter highlighting a specific LI.

    Personally, I feel like the way these segments advanced wasn’t jarring or disjointed like in RBL, its predecessor. Each chapter introducing an LI flows smoothly within the story, and the MC’s bonding with her love interests doesn’t come off as forced (at least to me). The story kind of just naturally melds together without trying to shove anything in, if that makes sense. With that said, in my opinion, the linear structure actually worked pretty well here because of the game’s setting and how fast-paced all of the events unfolded.

    As for how the heroine spends time from one LI to another, her relationships in the main story remain fairly ambiguous. There’s definitely some romantic pining going on, but they mostly come from the LIs’ side (kind of like how they do it in reverse harem animes). The heroine does emotionally acknowledge her budding feelings for an LI in every chapter, but the game somehow found a cheat code to progress the story without locking the romance into one specific guy. Shockingly enough, it made sense to me and worked well in favor of the overall narrative.😳

    ⬇️ Read spoilers if you’re curious about what I mean.

    Around the end of Chapter 2 (Lowd’s segment), Maslo approaches Kroa and teaches her how to use her psychometry in reverse. Instead of reading emotions from objects, Kroa learns to store her own emotions into her gun, Dilu. This way, she can transfer all her strong feelings of love, romance, grief, regrets, sorrow to Dilu, and fully step into her role as a mafia boss and endure the territorial power struggles against her rivals without anything weighing her down.

    I know it sounds goofy to dump your feelings into a gun lol. But I thought it was actually a pretty crafty way to move the story forward without making Kroa’s interactions with the LIs feel weird or awkward. She also makes it a point in the game to make sure that before her “budding feelings” develop further, she gets rid of them and entrusts them all to Dilu.

    Being the head of the Liu family comes with a lot of consequences, so before any lingering emotions weigh her down, she chooses to do away with them. This is especially crucial given the many mistakes she makes throughout the story. In Chapter 2, she jumps out of formation to protect Lowd, which leads to the death of one of her capos, Zhia. Another instance where entrusting her feelings to Dilu becomes vitally relevant is during Mun’s chapter. As her most formidable foe, facing him head-on requires her to completely forget her personal feelings for him.

    So yeah, in a way, this cheat sheet actually works really well in the narrative. I was very satisfied with how it was handled.

    Romance of the 3 Kingdoms But Make it Mafia

    For CN media aficionados, if it isn’t obvious, Neon Clash: Echoes of the Lost is actually heavily inspired by the famous Luo Guanzhong novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. I was reading the director’s commentary on the game, and they mentioned that Satoshi Nohara, the producer, the staff themselves, and even the seiyuus were big fans of the series. Ngl, I think it’s kinda brilliant how they were able to interlace the power struggle theme from RoTK into a modern-day mafia story. I was also a fan of the series, (well, mostly the 2010 tv series and the old TRPG lol)😅 and I think the devs really drew a lot of inspiration from the original source and incorporated it beautifully into this game.

    Even the game’s worldview, where you can see Kumyo’s map and how it shows which bases belong to which family as well as which family captured which bases after every chapter ending, draws heavily from RoTK, and I thought this was really clever!

    I also loved how they adapted the Triad/Chinese mafia-gang style in the story, where the mafia is less formal, less rigid, and more chaotic compared to the American-Italian style mafiosos. I grew up watching HK cinema, and if you’re like me and loved gangster movies like Young and Dangerous, you will absolutely enjoy the intense, hard-hitting action-packed style that Neon Clash delivers. So yeah, this game was right up my alley, so to speak.

    I feel like the producer’s vision was perfectly realized by the director, the scenario writer, and the rest of the staff. From reading the team’s commentaries, it’s clear that everyone was highly coordinated, and you can really see that synergy reflected throughout the game!

    An Action-Packed Storyline with Multi-Faceted Characters

    Plotwise, the tension in this game was insane. Our main characters go through relentless hardships, one after another. I was totally shook how vivid and strong their motivations felt (as if I was there with them lol). I spent the whole time gritting my teeth, wondering what would happen next? How are they going to make their next move? The story itself really felt like an intense battle of divide and conquer all the way up to the very end.

    Whenever Kroa and the gang survived and achieved their goals (even for just a brief moment), I couldn’t help but smile and cheer with them. And whenever they suffered a loss, I cried right along with them too. It’s kind of amusing how invested I got in the story, now that I think about it!😅

    This title is also pretty fast-paced. While the action-packed scenes in the story take place months apart chronologically, the game’s structure delivers them back-to-back, which kept the story momentum high, sometimes leaving you gasping for air.🤣(laughs)

    I think I also liked the fact that, despite the storm of tragedy and chaos unfolding, the game still gives you enough breathing room to process things before throwing you into another spiral. What’s especially nice is that every conflict is born from a character’s own choices and missteps, so the chaos didn’t feel like some sort of arbitrary monkey wrench thrown into the plot for shock value. Most of the tragedies happen within reason and fit naturally into the narrative, so I was pretty satisfied with this aspect of the story. Also, keep in mind that since the story revolves around a modern-day mafia theme, the game can get pretty graphic and violent. So if these things make you queasy, please check the content warnings above.

    The side characters were also a lot of fun. I had my favorite picks like R, Rin, the Shelby twins, Yulong, Shao Feng, Yona, and a whole lot of others. Gonglu was a piece of sh*t, but I have to admit, I was kind of infatuated with him at some point. (cackles).🙈

    Just look at that sassy, scheming grin of his!😭

    It’s also really hard not to like any of the LIs, as they’re all so distinctively well-written. This game turned me into a filthy box-pusher (hako-oshi) all over again, because I genuinely mean it when I say I’m down bad for every single love interest. I was so sure my top pick was Lowd after finishing all the romance endings, but as I’m writing this review, I keep brainrotting over Maslo. His story in the game was kind of shafted, which is a pity, but there’s just something about him that I’m really drawn to (maybe its his sexy neck frayglyph tattoo, who knows). 😏🤭So I guess, if I had to choose at gunpoint, I’d be rallying behind my beautiful DJ pink-kun!

    You already have my heart, bb!😌

    As for the romance, the confession scenes in the Happy Ends were all pretty silly, dumb, and hilarious, but I somehow inhaled every single one of them because I was STARVED for romance the entire time. After all the hurdles, and hardships these characters went through, they absolutely deserved to let loose and just be silly and dumb for once.

    Having said that, if anything, what this title could’ve really benefited from, was more romance scenarios. I’m not saying there’s none because I think the romance in the individual “Happy Ends” was really good food (delicious, even). After all, the scenario is by the writer of Cupid Parasite, so you can definitely pick up their signature flair for spicing things up. However, the length of the epilogues just felt far too short to showcase an utterly satisfying fluff. I wanted more. More fluff and more spice! 😭 Maybe a fandisk could scratch this itch… please, Voltage, I beg!

    Do I recommend this game? YES.
    I…..really….. loooooved this game.😭 I realized I was also the target audience for this title. The ending was so satisfying to me, that I can overlook a few exposition issues because of it. It’s not often that I finish a title and sigh, “Man, that was great,” but that’s exactly how I felt after finishing Neon Clash: Echoes of the Lost. I don’t claim this title is flawless or perfect, but everything about it, from the beautiful cyberpunk Chinese aesthetics, the intense power struggle plotline, the modern-day mafia action-packed scenarios, to the exhilarating main characters that I’ve grown to love and care for, keeps calling me back every time. I’m honestly really shocked at how much this title has wormed its way into my top favorites.

    How I wish I could forget this game so I could re-experience all the positive restlessness and edge-of-your-seat milliseconds I spent on it all over again. 😭 It was hell and back, peak! I was thoroughly entertained until the very last roll of credits, so yeah, this is an easy recommendation from me.

    This title is currently on a 10% release month discount, so I don’t know what else to tell you. I’ve already bought sets of merch for this title, and I’m pretty sure this won’t be the last time I spend on it. If you care about peak storytelling and peak characters, absolutely play Neon Clash, by all means necessary.

    #AmuLit #NeonClash #NeonClashEchoesOfTheLost #NeonClashEchoesOfTheLostReview #NeonClashReview #nintendoSwitch #OtomeGameReview #VoltageInc

    #amulit #neonclash #neonclashechoesofthelost #neonclashechoesofthelostreview #neonclashreview #nintendoswitch
  2. Otome Kitten @[email protected] ·

    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…🤷🏻‍♀️

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    This 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.🥲

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    Normally, 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!😢

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    I 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.😭

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    Protect 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!🥹

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    There 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!

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    On 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

    #gensomanege #gensomanegereview #mages #nintendoswitch #otomegamereview #pqube
  3. Otome Kitten @[email protected] ·

    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…🤷🏻‍♀️

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    This 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.🥲

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    Normally, 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!😢

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    I 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.😭

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    Protect 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!🥹

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    There 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!

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    On 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

    #gensomanege #gensomanegereview #mages #nintendoswitch #otomegamereview #pqube
  4. Otome Kitten @[email protected] ·

    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…🤷🏻‍♀️

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    This 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.🥲

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    Normally, 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!😢

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    I 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.😭

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    Protect 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!🥹

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    There 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!

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    On 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

    #gensomanege #gensomanegereview #mages #nintendoswitch #otomegamereview #pqube
  5. Otome Kitten @[email protected] ·

    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…🤷🏻‍♀️

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    This 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.🥲

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    Normally, 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!😢

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    I 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.😭

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    Protect 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!🥹

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    There 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!

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    On 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

    #pqube #otomegamereview #nintendoswitch #mages #gensomanegereview #gensomanege
  6. Otome Kitten @[email protected] ·

    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…🤷🏻‍♀️

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    This 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.🥲

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    Normally, 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!😢

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    I 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.😭

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    Protect 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!🥹

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    There 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!

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    On 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

    #gensomanege #gensomanegereview #mages #nintendoswitch #otomegamereview #pqube
  7. Otome Kitten @[email protected] ·

    Phantom of the Twilight Review (PC)

    Release Date: December 16, 2024 (North America)
    Developers:  Lumiere Entertainment Inc.
    Publishers: Smilegate
    Platforms:  PC (Steam)
    Age Rating: 15+ (GRAC)

    STORY

    Step into 19th-century London during a dazzling technological revolution.

    As Lady Lucy of the Lindere family, you discover a gruesome murder in your estate. The body found in a pool of blood belongs to Mary, a maid who had grown close to you over the years. Shocked by her sudden death, Lucy, accompanied by her loyal butler, Charlie, sets out to find the culprit. Joining them is Detective Aaron, dedicated to solving the case, and Professor Harvey, who is inadvertently drawn into the mystery. Together, they edge closer to uncovering the identity of the murderer, unaware of the merciless truth that lies ahead.

    ART AND MUSIC

    Production: ~Estellaras~, Lumiere Entertainment Inc.Artists: Hyewon Jo (Character Design), Yurim Hwang (Illustrator)Scenario Writer: Yuri KimBGM: ~Lion Studio~, Wooyoung Song, Changheo Kim, Eunchae Yang

    Voice Acting

    Kim Myung-jun as “Charlie” – Kiro (MLQC), June (The Ssum), Jiyeon (Dandelion), Choo Sang Woo (Semantic Error), Hyunwoo Seo (I Need a Bride), Albedo (Genshin Impact), Kane (League of Legends), Ky Kiske (Guilty Gear Strive), Yudan (The Strange Tales of Banwoldang)

    Sungheon Suk as “Aaron Bailey” – Teo (The Ssum), Harold (Arknights), Ludwig (Grand Saga), Dhurke Sahdmadhi
    (Ace Attorney), Alexander Haig (COD: Black Ops)

    Eui-taek Jung as “Harvey Ross” – Henri (The Ssum), Tighnari (Genshin Impact), Deneh (The Dawn Of A Flower), Windflit (Arknights), Shaohao (X2 Eclipse), Xion Crowld (Bride of the Twilight), Jack (Sonic Prime)

    Ryu Seung-gon as “Felix Cole” – Sylus (Love and Deepspace), Charlie (Light and Night), William (LoveUnholyc), Lee Gyu-hyuk (Burried Stars), Thoma (Genshin Impact), KING (Tower Fantasy), Hyun Tae Joon (Mystic Code), Sirus (Arcana Twilight), Hwal (Does God Work Overtime?)

    MAIN CHARACTERS AND ROUTES

    There are only three romanceable characters and routes in the game: Aaron, Charlie, and Harvey. Unfortunately for Felix Cole’s fans, he only appears as a side character here and doesn’t have a dedicated romance route. In the game’s DLC however, which is not available in English (the Korean version is available on Indie STOVE), there’s a special short story dedicated to Felix, that delves deeper into his character.

    There are no locked routes in this game, and I think it’s fine to start with any of the three romanceable characters. During my gameplay, I played in this order: Aaron → Charlie → Harvey.

    AARON BAILEY

    • tsun
    • ….👀

    Aaron Bailey is a responsible detective who is always highly dedicated to his career, solving every case he puts his heart into. Many of the townspeople see him as a guardian protecting the city’s peace. He is tirelessly committed to his work. However, when faced with unsolvable cases, he struggles to confront his own limitations and sometimes begins to doubt himself.

    I normally go into games blind (without watching trailers, if I can help it), so when I first heard Aaron in the game, I thought, Hmm, he sounds really familiar? It wasn’t until I finished his route and saw his name in the credits, and I was flabbergasted to find out it was The Ssum’s Teo! Welp, I loooove Seunghon Suk (pls, he’s so precious; I even have his autograph, lol).😭

    That aside, I really like Aaron’s personality in the game. I thought he was a bit of a tsundere toward the heroine. I was also quite enamored by how hardworking he is as a detective, and I had to clutch my chest for a moment there, when he talked about his backstory. His overall route though…...was alright. To be honest, it felt a little too short for me (all the routes in the game are like this, sadly). I also feel like Aaron could’ve used more time to bond with the heroine, cause I did kinda feel that his romance with Lucy was somewhat abrupt. In contrast, I did *enjoy* his *cough* good ending… *cough* AND VERY MUCH SO… 🔥👀

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    I know I said the romance here was kind of abrupt, and while I still think so, I’m a little 👀 ho ho ho with Aaron’s BED ending — which turned out to be his… GOOD ENDING! LOL Oh my….. godbless???? 🤭 I thought it was cute that he avoided Lucy all the way to the end, but once he got consent…. BAM! To the bed we go! Hahaha I love it! I love Aaron, I think he’s sexy af!🥵

    CHARLIE

    • your loyal butt ler 🍑
    • vampire daddy 1

    Charlie is the calm, dignified butler of the Lindere family. Bound by a blood contract to serve the Lindere, he is loyal to the core. Charlie is also very composed in public and always responds in a logical manner when interacting with the townspeople and others. However, he also has a very intimidating side. He is deeply devoted to serving the heroine, Lucy.

    Perhaps the game’s poster boy, and the most popular LI in this title! I mean, a hot vampire butler who’s at your beck and call is always a win in otome games, no?🤭 I think out of the three LIs, Charlie’s romance was the most believable as well. And that’s because there’s already an established camaraderie between him and the heroine. This plays a big part in the significant build-up of their relationship. So, romance-wise, I think Charlie’s route was my favorite.

    Charlie was such a sweet talker too, and has a rather possessive side!👀 His voice is amazing, hot… smooth like butter! There’s something about the way he delivers his monologues that feels so soothing to me. Kudos to the popular Kim Myungjun for doing god’s work!

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    Just like Aaron’s route, the ending was a bit repetitive here, sadly. They find out who the culprit is, and everything goes back to normal, so it was a little disappointing that Charlie’s route ended this way. I was expecting it to delve deeper into his history with the Linderes, but I was very surprised that they left a huge chunk of details in the dark. There seemed to be so many unanswered questions about how the contract began, the specifics of their blood pact, and how it shaped the Linderes over time. A rather missed opportunity to add more depth to Charlie’s character, if you ask me!

    In the game’s premise, as well as in their promotional materials, it was stated that Charlie is the progenitor of vampires and the one who made a blood contract with the Linderes. The Linderes were once just farmers, but after making a pact with Charlie, they became knights and was given the title of “Count”. In exchange, the daughters of the Lindere family would need to provide Charlie with fresh blood, and in return, Charlie serves them. I’m sad that this lore wasn’t explored much. I would love to know more about Charlie’s origins!

    HARVEY ROSS

    • vampire daddy 2
    • soft

    Harvey is the elite professor at King’s College, specializing in criminal psychology. He’s highly intellectual and very perceptive that even Charlie acknowledges his sharp insights into everything. Not many people know, but Harvey is also a vampire who has abstained from blood for a long time, choosing to remain detached from society.

    I think out of the three routes, it was Harvey’s that focused the most on the mystery-solving aspects (I expected it’d be Aaron’s route since he’s the in the police force, but nope!). I also really liked Harvey and Lucy’s dynamic. Though, similar to Aaron’s route, I feel like they needed more time together to bond and naturally develop their relationship. This route also cruised along the angst line, though I’d say the happy/good ending resolves Harvey’s *foreboding* issue too quickly. There’s plenty of pleasant banter and bickering among the three LIs here, which I enjoyed as well.

    ⬇️ Spoilers

    Perhaps it’s just me, but despite how rushed the romance is in this route, I still really liked it for some reason. Maybe part of it was because of Harvey’s kind-hearted nature; it’s hard to dislike him, really. The man is soft af! The fact that they sort of have a sensei-student relationship with the MC makes it even hotter to me. LOL.

    My only gripe was that Harvey’s illness or his being a weak vampire wasn’t fully expounded. It feels like the game just expects you to know that he’s abstaining from drinking blood, so he’s at a point where he’s *withering away* (for lack of a better term), but I feel like this could have been explored better and might have added more context to how unstable his special ability is at reading emotional imprints. Just my two cents.🤷🏻‍♀️

    LUCY LINDERE (Main Heroine)

    Lucy is the heir to the Lindere estate, she has some influence in Old London due to her family’s status. Because of this, most of the townspeople know and respect her.

    I feel like Lucy is your typical textbook heroine; calm, upright, diligent… you know the type! I like her for what she is in the story. I also appreciate that she’s the one who initiates and urges the vampires to drink her blood. There are a lot of scenes where a vampire LI would tell her: “No, I can’t drink your blood, or else…” and she’d be like, Drink, or bust!🔫😂😂😂 which I thought was kind of hilarious!😂 I guess my only tiny gripe about her is that there were some instances in the story where she showed very little agency especially in dire situations. Because of this, I sometimes feel the narrative is a bit too convenient for her, if that makes any sense. It’s as if the plot resolves things too easily in her favor.

    SYSTEM AND LOCALIZATION

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    The game’s UI was very clean and simple. I was surprised that you could backtrack & rewind to certain scenes, which made making choices and collecting all the endings much more convenient for completionists like myself. There were also helpful features in the main menu that let you track and rewatch the endings you’ve already unlocked.

    There are however a couple of bugs I’ve encountered during my gameplay, which was quite unfortunate!

    PROS:

    • Heroine’s Name Customization
    • Rewind Feature
    • Quick Save/Quick Load
    • Album
    • Music
    • Episode/End List
    • OP/ED Movies playable in the MAIN MENU

    CONS:

    • No controller support – this was a big issue for me since I love playing my VNs on the TV with my consoles docked.
    • The SKIP read function didn’t work properly (I’m not sure if this issue also occurs on PC since I was playing on my ally, so it might be a feature bug specific to handheld mode). Some of the already-read dialogues are sometimes unskippable.
    • Limited CGs. There are only 3 CGs in the common route for each LI and 2 in their individual routes.
    • No love-catch system.
    • Main Menu Bugs – One of the bugs I encountered was that all the CGs and endings I had unlocked during my gameplay were wiped out when I abruptly restarted the game.🥲

    Localization

    The localization was quite good. Apart from the heroine’s last name changing from Lindells to Lindere in their promo materials, I didn’t notice any in-game major typos or glaring errors, which makes me feel the game was carefully vetted during QA. The dialogues were translated smoothly, without feeling jarring in any scenes. Overall, I liked it.

    TRAILER

    https://youtu.be/jWP6Wb_KMXY

    OVERALL THOUGHTS

    Phantom of the Twilight has a rather short gameplay. It took me about 12-13 hours to get all the endings and unlock all the CGs (which weren’t that many btw). The game’s common route starts from Chapter 1 and stretches to Chapter 6, while Chapter 7 is where the individual LI routes branch out. Also, the game features two official endings for each of the three main LIs. Ending 1 is the “good/happy end,” while Ending 2 is the “bad end”. The rest are bad ends (or game-overs) that offers no CGs.

    No Felix Route

    After playing the entire game, I now understand some of the minor but rather prominent complaints from the KR otome community back when the game first launched. Which is, well… you’ve probably guessed it by now… Why cast Ryu if you’re not giving his character a route? 😂 Like, seriously, whyyy?😭

    Despite Felix appearing in promo materials and even on the cover art, he was shafted a route, which was kind of disappointing. For such an interesting character to not be attainable romantically is downright criminal, isn’t it?😩 The developers did release a DLC that delves more into Felix’s character, but he still, as of now, does not have a respective romance route of his own. I’m also sad that the DLC isn’t available in the English version of the game. I hope they are able to translate the DLC soon, and add it as an addon purchase. I’m sure a lot of people would actually be delighted by that.

    Another nitpick I have is that I initially thought the branching routes would have their own contained story, but it turns out the overall plot progressed in a rather linear direction. So in the end, it’s kind of the same conclusion as far as the overarching story goes, no matter which LI route you take.

    Another thing is that, even though the premise of the game makes it sound like it will be rich with mystery, crime, and case-solving; the crime-solving aspect wasn’t utilized much, in the sense that there weren’t enough investigation elements added into the narrative to make it more engaging for the players. I think it was only in Harvey’s route that we got a *proper* investigation and analysis of the murder cases.

    Hot, Sexy Vampires with an Amazing Voice Cast!

    I griped a lot about the overarching story of this title, or lack thereof, but there’s no denying that the voice cast in this game was S tier! And probably one of the biggest reasons I was initially drawn to this title. 😁🤭 All three LIs were also quite good! Each had their own distinct personality and charms, which I’m sure a lot of people would love. I’m a sucker for the devoted-vampire-butler who’s willing to do anything for you trope, so my fav LI was Charlie. I do wish they’d expanded more on his backstory though, especially his origins! Also, if Felix had a romance route, he’d probably be on my top pick as well, but alas!🥲

    Did he just say….CAGE???😳

    Speaking of romance, the game seems to lack the amount of sugar content that could have elevated the relationship between the heroine and her partner (likely due to its focus on solving the crime at hand). Sometimes, the romance felt a little lacking to me, and I think this was due to the routes being rather short. Maybe a few extra chapters or scenarios where the heroine spends more endearing time with her love interest would have raised the sugar content to a more satisfying level. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the romance scenarios here though, because I DID, and very much so! Look, I’m just a simple lady, I see hot, sexy vampires, I devour and conquer!🥵😮‍💨

    Do I recommend this game? YES.
    I’ll admit that I found the shorter routes here a bit lacking in depth (as someone who usually enjoys longer routes in otome games). However, that didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed Phantom of the Twilight, overall. Coming out from a gaming burnout, I also needed something light and engaging that I could play in short spurts without being weighed down by a complex plot. In that sense, this was an easy read and perfectly suited what I was looking for.

    I definitely recommend this game to anyone looking for a short, enjoyable otome title that’s easy to pick up without needing to fully commit to the story. It’s one of those games you can casually return to and still enjoy without feeling overwhelmed, if you know what I mean. The art is exceptionally beautiful and the love interests are all very likable. Most importantly, the voice acting is outstanding! Story-wise, I would’ve rated this lower, but everything else more than makes up for it—and tbh, for its impressive production quality, you can’t beat the affordable price for what you’re getting!

    #Estellaras #IndieStove #LumiereEntertainmentInc_ #OtomeGameReview #PC #PhantomOfTheTwilight #PhantomOfTheTwilightReview #Smilegate #Steam

    #estellaras #indiestove #lumiereentertainmentinc_ #otomegamereview #pc #phantomofthetwilight