I have a problem….a problem known as otome games. A very…very bad problem.
Come with me, everyone, into the world of Love Revo, where you are 100kg and trying to become thinner in order to feel better about yourself (and possibly win over some guys with your determination)
Disclaimer:
THIS GAME IS HARD AS FUCK. I do not exaggerate. I cried so many tears of frustration trying it, it made me furious on many occasions. Do not look for this game or try to play it if you can’t handle that. Guides are available and pay attention to them if you use them. Otherwise this is a painful experience, it was for me. Now I can get through the whole game without effort, but the first playthrough (especially for these two) is a pain in my freaking rear! Tread Lightly!
Welcome to the beginning of Oki Reviews Otome Games because they eat her life! This review will begin a series on the Otome game Otometeki Koi Kakumei Love Revo!! also known as Girlish Love Revolution. For the most part I believe this game is one of the best Otome games – and I will do a whole series to explain why in regards to every aspect of the characters and plot elements. The game is not available in English but has an unofficial patch by https://sites.google.com/site/loverevoguide/report this group, and I recommend it whole heartedly. As a slight disclaimer, links to roms will not be given on this post or anywhere else on Angry Anime Bitches. On that note I will introduce a few aspects of this game for all of you.
The game starts by introducing the main character (who has an unchangeable name – Hitomi ) who once used to be one of the most beautiful girls around. As a child she won contests for her beauty and was lovely and adorable. What ends up happening is that she is sent tons of candies by her fans, and her parents and brother encourage her to eat by telling her she’s cute when she eats. This results in her becoming 100kg. One day her life changes when all the popular boys of her school move into the apartment complex her family owns, and they all react to her poorly. As it turns out Hitomi realizes from this that she was just doing whatever she wanted and her appearance suffered due to this. Here is where a controversial part of the game comes in- does Hitomi want to eat better and become healthy for herself or because she wants the boys to like her? When it comes down to it the game is a lot different depending on how you interpret that fact. I view it as a mixture of both. Hitomi is a teenage girl and wants to be admired, but makes the decision because she wants to feel good about herself and not feel like people are judging her based on her appearance. That is the basis of the entire plot. You spend the game working out, honing certain aspects of yourself, and possibly romancing someone. In my final review I’ll take a look at the ending where you end up solo and explain some of my perspective of Hitomi’s personality.
This review is a double coverage because Masaki and Kaede are actually two of my least favorite characters in the game. There is actually one lower, Kennosuke, but he has an entirely different reason for being so low in my list. So this post will be talking about two of the tropes I dislike most in games like this. In fact, I find Girlish Love Revo in every other instance takes cliche aspects and gives them interesting and much more endearing traits. These two however live up to their cliches like nobodies business. Masaki is the nice guy with a dark side, and Kaede is the mysterious transfer student. Let me tell you why they both kind of are not fun, and why you could essentially just read a shoujo with similar plots to experience their paths.
Masaki is the second most popular guy in school. By God all the girls want him, and you just win him over probably because he’s afraid of being evicted. A key element to gaining affection is dates….which is entirely randomized. Just Q-Save over and over until he has gone insane and the guy who can have any girl decides to date you. It would be better if they didn’t call it a date in the case of the top 5 boys or you know….your teacher. Or your brother. Just say hanging out! Anyway, so you ask him out enough and your affection rises….thus certain events activate with you getting to be with him and learning more about him.
Masaki loves his dog. He’s always nice to everyone and he is very optimistic….seemingly….truthfully, he has a dark past. He believed in friendship and love, until his friend left him in the hands of a robber. Out of nowhere his dog saved him and ever since he has never trusted humans. If you’re looking for anything in this story beyond that, there isn’t anything. Even if you unlock the keywords (I never got the last one because I didn’t like his route) and see his ultimate ending, he still doesn’t trust anyone but you. He’s just working on it. I like that it realistically shows hurt and pain….but Masaki goes from believing to completely changed for a lifetime in one instance. And if he were honest without provocation it would be alright, but Masaki is not that. If you choose to make the simple mistake of chasing after him once his friend leaves, he’ll hide who he is until the end of the school year and tell it to you, leaving you in a state of shock. Yup….Masaki doesn’t even trust you until you risk your life for him.
But you know what saved Masaki for me despite this? The fact that I believe it. Okay, he’s cliche and it’s all been done before. But I believe when he loves you that he really loves you. Yeah, he sure as hell does. And he’ll probably never let go of you either, without losing faith in everyone forever. Because of that I can’t hate his route. He definitely makes your romance seem like it happened because you took the right actions and were a certain kind of person. One of the reasons I like this game is that, basically. I like feeling like things would really come into play the way they did. So good job Love Revo. I believe in your cliche romance – and I don’t regret the one play through.
Now Kaede Tokita is bad for a different reason. Mysterious Transfer Student is very old and he lives into it very well, but he never ceases to be badass in the scenes about his mysterious other self. You see, Tokita is a bodyguard. He was hired by the girl you hate most, who happens to be rich, to protect her while her family announces a new product on the market. He is ditzy and doesn’t think about anything, and essentially clicks into a different person when the topic of protecting his client comes in.
And…brace yourselves…
Hitomi chaaanges him
Yup….Hitomi’s point in this is to change him from a cold killer to someone with a heart. To restore his heart essentially. Even his boss, who cares about him, wants you to do that. And that’s what happens, you make him question things and he THINKS ABOUT WHO HE WANTS TO BECOME and angsts and essentially changes to someone more sympathetic.
What saves this? Well for starters, he is an emotionless ditz who falls in love with you. It’s solidly done…..now let me ask………would you envision that to be eventful?Well you shouldn’t. If someone has no emotions and slowly starts to develop them then of course there’s the awe he loves me moments, but he has no emotions. He is slowly gaining them. So it’s yet again, believable. I think the games strongest characteristic is that it really is like ‘Ok we’ll do what’s been done before in a way that is believable’ just so happens…the believable is kind of boring. What really makes it stand out in the end is that he doesn’t give up being a bodyguard, just decides to do it in a way that will really protect his clients and keep things more humane. That ending alone actually made me go, you know, I believe this. And not just that, I’m happy it worked out for you.
Second…..I hate to say this, I really do….but Yurika is a straight up BITCH. We’re all supposed to hate her. She insults you because of your weight constantly and is everything about society I loathe. Yurika is in love with Kaede and her form of love is so messed up. She wants him to buy her things and spoil her, even though that’s obviously not who he is. She expects something of him there really isn’t. I felt bad for her at times but honestly if you play the game and see the signs it seems like Kaede will reject her even without you there. They never become a couple or anything, but this allows me to see her humilation. It really is just desserts to see Yurika realize, though maybe not as much as she needed to, that beauty and money don’t get to everything. You have to be a good person too. Hitomi was always a good person, she just lacked self control and never knew how to keep herself in check. So thumbs up to this route for giving her a punch in the face!
Oh, by the way. Kaede’s route gives you all three keywords anyway but in case you don’t want to have to write them all down or you missed one accidentally I’ll give them to you now. My review of Sensei, Onii-chan, Ren, Kennosuke, Souta, and Ayato will all contain keywords. I do not have Masaki’s, unfortunately. 😛
Kaede Tokita Keywords: Italy switch control
And here is the final reason why I like this route….the keyword scene. Ffffff.
Now for an issue they both share……..
I have to say the biggest issue I have with these two is…..you know, I can understand everyone else having set limits for weight. Ren is an asshole and you need to prove to him your self worth and determination will always prevail. Kennosuke is rude and needs to see the error of his ways, but even his story allows some weight on you. Sensei obviously just wants the diet he knows you need and believe in to prevail. He honestly seems to want it for you, not for him. He’s even the one making your diet plans. And Ayato is SPOILER and doesn’t want to get close to anyone. It takes you changing your life around in a year to show him things can change. And your brother? He is your freaking brother, when you lose the weight he is forced to look at you in the incestual tones the game was going for. Souta is the third most popular guy in school and he only wants you to be 75 kg.
These two have no excuse. Masaki should be grateful you saved his life no matter your weight. Ok so he’s an asshole underneath, but he requires perfection. 45 KG. Most of the story is based on him learning to trust you, not wanting to screw you sideways. So why are his standards so crazy high? And Kaede…he has no emotions for christ sakes! He should fall for you if you GAIN THE WEIGHT. And you know, okay. I can allow for them to say, look, we have standards to be attracted to people. But they both require crazy ass stats, Kaede’s being 49kg, WTH? It makes no sense. That is my biggest complaint. If they wanted you to have to work harder for them they should have made it so you had to get thinner for Souta. Souta’s a sporty guy who is all about being athletic and all he wants is for you to know how to play them! So there’s no way I can justify these two. The rest of the paths I can actually say handle the aspect of weight extremely well.
So there you have it….when you play this game, I think personally these are the most boring and require more work than the others. They will get the same score, a 7/10. But….on the bright side, I’m sure Kaede will share his amazing shampoo with you.
Oki