This week, I originally planned to write about some older games, but I saw that HOOKSOFT released a Galgame themed around college.
I think this is an attempt that should have been made long ago. There really aren't many Japanese games on the market that focus on college student romance. The only full-price title I can recall is last year's release from Purple Software, リップリップルズ (Lip lipples).
Thinking about it, aren't high school students unable to buy the games you produce? Shouldn't you cater to the college student demographic?
So this time, riding on a bit of hype, I want to talk about how Purple Software might be the most disappointing work for me in 2024.
This review may contain some spoilers regarding the plot and character design. If you mind, please skip to the system section, where there is a brief summary at the end.
Plot#
I initially planned to play this title after seeing the outrageous ending introduction image:
When I reached the ending, I forgot about this image, and it really made me think hard.
In simple terms, the plot is about the male protagonist who is suddenly kissed while sleeping at his desk, leading him to investigate and deduce who the real "culprit" is.
At least, that's how the plot starts. In stark contrast to the harem kingdom I introduced last time, this work almost skips the common part, focusing instead on two choice options for reasoning and confrontation, dedicating a significant amount of time and space to the personal routes. I think this is a bold and successful attempt for those who want to enjoy romance properly.
However, from another perspective, there is almost no prior daily interaction with the female protagonist. The direct exploration and cultivation of feelings between the male and female leads are largely absent, which I believe would make many players feel a significant discomfort. Suddenly being in a relationship with someone you haven't really talked to feels hard to accept. Of course, this is somewhat explained in the hidden routes, but it still detracts from the immersion.
That said, this isn't the most important reason for the lack of immersion; the biggest criticism of this game is still that
the game is too short...
For a full-price title, the normal playtime is less than nine hours, which is among the shortest I've experienced. A large part of this may be due to the absence of a common route. Indeed, such a plot setup makes it difficult to expand much in the common route. Although this is somewhat explained in the hidden routes, binding a romantic relationship when players only have a preliminary simple impression of the female protagonist is a hard-to-accept plot setup for those who want to enjoy romance.
In this short story, the humor of romantic comedy seen in "After School Cinderella" is also not well utilized. In contrast, Lip lipples not only lacks interaction between the female protagonists but also has very little interaction between the female lead and other supporting characters, ultimately relying on repetitive jokes and crude humor to fill the plot.
A weight-loss plot that you repeatedly use in two lines. If you didn't know, you might think this is the "My Girlfriend Wants to Lose Weight" by Fried Rice Teacher.
Returning to the plot's references, the setting of this work does have some standout elements, such as college, the seven deadly sins, and the Trinity. However, these settings with great potential for development were not well utilized. The personal routes are just a back-and-forth of ambiguous interactions and H scenes, which feels a bit too monotonous.
In summary: The short length fails to meet the expectations set by the plot and the story it wants to tell. If more space were dedicated to more interactions or enriching the characters, the effect could be completely different.
Character Design#
The character design in this work is quite novel, fitting the relaxed college environment where various quirky individuals coexist in one school. The character designs are trendy, incorporating many contemporary elements, and the overall image is quite cute. Even some traits I usually don't like in other games resonate with me in this work.
If I were to rank them by personal preference: ルナ >= ヒバナ > キリ = ナナ > マツリ
ルナ#
The big-eater soft girl is just my type, but aside from her gluttony trait, her character design lacks impact.
The plot ends with eating and making love.
Fujisaki Usa's voice is really fitting, giving a very gentle feeling.
Well, that's about it.
ヒバナ#
As someone who has really dated a landmine type, landmines are an eternal trigger for me.
However, Hibana really breaks many stereotypes of landmine characters, aside from her strong controlling nature.
The plot also includes some discussions and self-deprecation regarding her landmine identity, surprisingly portraying her as a good housewife type.
Her effort to become a "good woman" makes it hard not to love her.
Alright, I've decided to rank Hibana first. It would be great if there were more developments.
キリ#
Overall, the plot is quite boring.
It's just a theme of exploring romance to collect materials for drawing comics, which is somewhat interesting.
But this doesn't mean the character of Kiris is bad; on the contrary, this sense of distance and naturalness, akin to a girlfriend, even surpasses Nana from the hidden routes.
Overall, it ends up in a good place, feeling more like a normal romantic relationship.
ナナ#
Nana is essentially a combination of the other four characters, inheriting their strengths while also some weaknesses.
Compared to the other four, there is even less space for character development; she's just an ordinary, slightly lecherous childhood friend.
But at least in the end, during the dialogue with the other four personalities, although somewhat unclear, it still reflects some charm of her character.
マツリ#
With such a sexually active female protagonist, playing through her route often feels like playing a NTR game.
Even without H scenes, the plot is constantly immersed in sex. It's a bit hard to accept.
At least the character design is quite sexy.
System#
The biggest highlight of this work might be the inclusion of a bit of reasoning and investigation system, but it's a pity it wasn't explored further.
Voice collection and background music display, which are standard features in modern galgames, are also present, and I have no particular complaints.
Art#
The art system in this work is quite eye-catching, very trendy, and has a modern feel.
The UI design is also very bold and fits the theme. The OP's PV design is interesting, but the ED is somewhat mediocre and uninteresting.
It's a pity that some background materials are generic.
However, the CG in this work is quite good, with the character's body lines having a very fluid feel, and the overall atmosphere conveys a unique laziness associated with college, which is at a decent level compared to last year.
Audio#
The OP features a song sung by Hashimoto Miyuki, reminiscent of a YOASOBI track. Initially, I found it hard to accept, but after listening to it a few more times, it does have some highlights.
I quite like the true ED song, which adds a unique relaxed feeling to the current JPOP trend, providing a sense of release after the true ending.
The sound effects are hard not to criticize; they are almost entirely free materials, with some parts even feeling like a bad variety show, clashing too much with the modern feel of this work.
The BGM is also not deep enough; this work almost failed to leave a memorable impression with its BGM, giving off a vibe reminiscent of 2010s Japanese doujin games, combined with the sound effects, making me feel like I was playing 100% Orange Juice.
Practicality#
The R18 scenes in this work are also a major selling point. As mentioned before, the visual quality of the HCG is quite good, especially Hibana's concave nipples, which I really like.
However, the repetition is high; aside from the basic H scenes, there aren't many intense scenes, and the intervals might not be reasonable. There are even instances of four different H scenes appearing consecutively, which is somewhat lacking for players who enjoy more intense scenes (like me).
For example, aside from at home and in love hotels, there are almost no other sex scenes. A character like Matsuri, who is sexually active, surprisingly has no outdoor sex scenes aside from the beginning. Many characters also end up pregnant, and it would have been nice to add an H scene during the after story. With the setting of the seven deadly sins, I initially hoped for more diverse designs in the H scenes, but it ultimately lacked creativity and cinematic tension, resulting in a rather bland experience. It's truly a pity.
However, the writing for the H scenes is commendable; if you enjoy a more straightforward and fulfilling sex experience, you might appreciate this refined H content.
Subjective#
Hibana might be my favorite landmine character in recent times. For someone who has been hurt by landmines before, she provided a slight healing experience, which adds some points.
I was also looking forward to the possibility of the band girl being a romanceable character. A strong and unique female character like that is quite attractive, but unfortunately...
Conclusion#
What a pity!
This might be my biggest takeaway after finishing this work. It has its unique aspects, and you can see that a lot of effort was put into many areas, but overall, the work has more inconsistencies. Due to the length and possibly budget constraints, the quality of this work has significantly declined, especially in terms of plot and sound effects.
However, at least this work doesn't have anything that feels off-putting. The ending is, in a sense, a harem-style happy ending. Some repetitive jokes may seem a bit dull, but there are still many highlights. If possible, more development in the unique aspects of the setting would make the characters' prior feelings and bonds stronger, rather than feeling like pasted-on traits.
Overall, this is a slightly different work among the Purple Software titles I've played. If I were to recommend something, I might still suggest works like Tianjin Sin or Lucky Nightmare. If you have some interest in this work after playing it, I would still recommend "After School Cinderella."
That's all.