I should start off by saying that this route, despite it’s flaws, is one of my favorite Voltage routes. I was waiting for Momoi the moment he came out, and that I was prevented from outright devouring his route made me want to throw cake in someone’s face. I also have to say that whoever writes these routes secretly loves sweets because all the games end up with an affinity for sweets and baked goods. Some of the GREE routes of games have even MORE sweets! This, Be my Princess. . .what’s with the sweets? I didn’t notice until I played several routes in a row but. . my goodness, the sweets. I feel overweight. . .someone buy me cake. . . In any case, Momoi Shuichiro everyone, THE BIGGEST TSUNDERE THAT THIS GAME HAS TO OFFER.
Normally tsunderes have issues quite convincing me they’re really in love. Keith was the best example up until this point because he’s like “wait…wait……..come back I love you stupid commoner omg” but this game had me starting with “How the hell is he going to fall in love with me, he is so mean!” He is constantly calling you old and picking on you when he hits on you and you fall for it. It’s like a game of cat and mouse and the cat has a serious love of playing with it’s food.
Most of the issues in the story stem from your desire to enter a contest with l’Arme which features a cake meant for young lovers. You spend much of the early route trying to make a good cake but failing since you haven’t been in love in ten years. Of course Momoi decides that you can’t ruin the shops reputation and pretends to date you in order to get you to feel emotions. THEN HE TEASES YOU ABOUT FALLING FOR HIM! IF YOU WANT GENUINE EMOTIONS THEN YOU’LL OBVIOUSLY MAKE ME LOVE YOU! You tsundere bastard!
The fun thing about this route is it brings back Sakurako, who I despise and want to see shamed. Momoi and I feel the same way about her as she forces her way on a double date with Momoi. Funny, he kind of likes the endearing dorkiness of the MC (who I named Kinoue). He runs off with the MC in the middle of the double date and then later explains. . . he can’t date fellow pastry chefs. His heart was broken by a girl whose dream was to become a pastry chef, and he outdid her and she made a show of leaving him.
I have to say that the way they make the romance is really fun. But I get so sick of the Mc’s attitude about her own age! Maybe in Japan it’s different, but to care so much about being 34 is really funny. Add on that most girls reading this are probably my age or younger (I am 22 years old) and it becomes an unrelated issue. I found it much more fun to watch the pastry stuff, but of course then the inevitable problems happen…as soon as you perfect the cake and end your ‘dating’ it turns out Sakurako took an old design you let her borrow for help and used it to enter the contest. Of course this means you have to make a new one, but Momo offers to help! hooray! Romantic boyfriend cake adventure!
And he’s such a nice guy. His affection for you is the most adorable thing ever. What you eventually come up with is a star themed cake. Now excuse me as I commence in the dorky artist related criticism. This is the cake they come up with:
Here is my big complaint with this cake, the premise of it was for them to make a cake that made the two pieces feel like they were needed an inseperable. So they made a mango cream as the focus. I think the big issue here is it was meant to be a symbol of love and beat the other cake which was ALSO a symbol of Momo and the MC’s love, but if they wanted to do it then it needed to blow it out of the water. Like, the syrup on the bottom would probably make it soggy by the time judging was over and make it look unappealing. Furthermore it was supposed to be about a star! the second cake needed to have a star shape, not a square! They should have made the bottom layer a small spongecake similar to petite fours with a mango jelly in between the thing layers. Then have a chocolate fondant layer with the same star garnishes they had in the syrup. Make it the size of a petite four and the petite sponge cake won’t be too heavy even if it’s too large! Then they could use, get this, a complimentary pineapple cream on the star smaller cake so combined you have a soft pineapple mango flavor combo that makes you think of the yellow and orange of stars and BURNING LOVE and people will remember the bottom chocolate fondant BRINGS THEM TOGETHER AND YOUNG LOVE IS SUCH A SUBTLE HOT AND DELIGHTFUL THING IT’S DESTINED TO HAPPEN TO EVERYONE ACROSS THE STARS BECAUSE STARS anyway the way they made the cake was kind of bland. But they win. Their idea wins the appreciation of the person who inspired both of them to become pastry chefs and they share a romantic kiss as Momoi reaffirms through all of this that he loves her!
But aside from the pastry buffs, the odd moments of age insecurity. . . Momoi pretty clearly falls in love with you. I was so happy thinking about them as they got together I didn’t even notice the flaws with the game. I’ll definitely play the route over. He’s a sarcastic, mean, over talented, angsty, but genuine and GHIBLI loving guy. This route. . . all of you play it! It was so good I bought the sequel. I was feeling pretty bad about my weight so it made me feel bad, but as the story went on I just laughed my ass off. You fantasize about making Momoi your love slave. It’s pretty much the funniest thing ever.
Even better? All the NPCs this time around feel much more in place. Miho isn’t overbearing and is instead fun. Your family is cute. Guys aren’t being shoved onto you for dramatic effect, sans the one double date which was literally shoved on BOTH of you. Momoi is moved by your humble ability to admit when someone is better, then he is soooo into you. Also he’s hot. Really hot. WAY HOTTER THAN AKI.
I just.. . .perf. . . .perfection. . .play him. . . play his epilogue…I will review his sequel when I have money cause DAMN this guy. THIS GUY. I LOVE THIS GUY! I HAVE SO MANY ISSUES!!!! he’s perf HAVE SOME OF MY FAVORITE MOMENTS
Oki
Well, 34 might be a big deal because child bearing. It’s harder if you never gave birth before your thirties and in your forties it’s damn near impossible. Not everyone wants kids, of course, but it can make your desirability as a potential mate go down. Age = slowly dwindling options. Sad but true. 🙁
And now this post has made me hungry.
Not true! My boyfriends mother had two kids very easily in her thirties. Fourties is another story.
Good..goooood.
It’s easier if you’ve already given birth in your twenties to give birth to more kids in your thirties. There are individual factors/experiences/anomalies too, of course, but that’s the trend: a slow decline UNTIL DEATH.
Nooooo. Not a single sweet thing in the house! Curses!
She had her first kid at 32, none before that. Generally, it’s all dependent on factors. But a healthy woman with no history of failed pregnancies? Normally it’s not too hard.
Come to my house, I’ll make you cake..lol
play yoh’s route! he is the cutest thing ever. like omg. <3