I cried years ago for a forbidden teaching love story. As if summoning the very screams from my soul Voltage released a brand new game: Our Private Homeroom. Being the delicious pervert I am, I feel as if God has given me the ultimate gift. No kinkshaming, friends. You play as an 18 year old and the game starts off the bat in a good way! No creepy adult who wants you to live with him because he’s a pervert, you’re currently a homeless student and your teacher lets you live with him while you work on finding an apartment. He even got your mother’s permission for this!
There are some other things that a hesitant reader should know:
The main character is the one visibly interested and falling in love with the teacher.
The main character is 18 years old.
The main character has her mother’s permission to be in the teacher’s home and he only allows her to stay for a prolonged period because another student is stalking her.
The teacher spends no time whatsoever ‘grooming’ her or other problematic behavior one might think of when an age difference romance occurs.
Most of what brings the main character closer to Ryota is him teaching her math so she can become a doctor.
The teacher doesn’t even kiss her by the end of the main story because Voltage Otome games are meant to make me suffer. But that’s beside the point: I wanted a sweet and endearing age difference teacher romance and here we go. Voltage has done their research it seems because I don’t think anyone would enjoy this story if it didn’t have the romance starting from the younger person’s side of things.
So here are some fun things: I love angst, and of course the angst between these characters brings me a cathartic cycle of joy. Ryota is only trying to protect you but if anyone knew the truth, they would be horrified. I also love the juxtaposition of the two routes: Currently, we have the main route and it’s ending as well as Ryota’s POV. In the main route, we see the reader character’s perspective. God, that can get painful.
The intricacy of this is simple: Voltage is upping its translation game and trying to change how they portray teenage girls. What was once a timid meek kind of protagonist is now a cheeky and outgoing girl who curses, a lot. I think Voltage tried very hard to make a more relatable teenage girl for us to play. Did it succeed? It’s definitely a mixed bag. I can’t imagine a teenage girl ever cursing around her teacher, especially one who has her mother’s phone number and lives with her. On top of that she has very intelligent aspirations and is very endearing but seems determined to be ‘cool’. I was half expecting her to shout some memes “Damn Ryota-sensei, @ me next time tho??” was something I half expected. Please don’t ever do this, Voltage.
I think the step is a good one in the right direction but perhaps a bit too strong. I don’t know is using the word ‘shmuck’ was a good choice on their part, and the desire to be more modern was more like a “B- for effort but needs improvement” situation. I definitely felt it was a bit more natural to read through Ryota’s POV and see how challenging and mature attitude. But hey, I’m 26, what do I know about what the kids want? I was laughing and finding Ryota’s route relatable the entire time: I will clean my room when I die. (Also, my significant other is messier than I am. . .) Ryota just wants to be with someone who will let him be who he actually is. I love him and I will keep spending money on his face. I am hoping they will have the main character grow and become a doctor in many future stories.
But please Voltage…stop having dialogue like the above..I just. . .you’re better than this.
And everyone make sure to check out the current free story in Love 365 – Subaru from My Sweet Bodyguard is free to read until March 29th. I’ll be back when Ryota’s new content comes out because I am in love with him. :’)
Oki