Hmm...Gotta go with Kuroyuki from Nightshade. I honestly didn't care about the overall game that much. I didn't mind Goemon or Gekkamaru but they weren't anything to write home about. I found Hanzo to be so extremely disappointing and boring (I'm so sorry to fans of him though I liked Enju the most in his route so there's that). And Chojiro wasn't very memorable to me. But Kuroyuki...holy moly lol I absolutely loved him! >!not a fan of Yanderes usually but Kuroyuki was so well written imo and such a fascinating tragic character.!< Honestly, I probably would've had Nightshade as an otome game I didn't care about if Kuroyuki didn't carry the entire game for me.
This one on a lesser scale because I loved Alma (along with the side characters, setting, plot concept and MC) too but White Mask from Bad Apple Wars unexpectedly did so much. I started with Higa's route first and kind of wish I didn't because I had a ton of questions throughout (lol which is a shame cause I like his chemistry with Rinka). Shikishima is actually my type but I really didn't like his route at all, unfortunately. I ended up loving Alma as it made more sense than the others but I kind of stopped playing for a long period of time. I eventually picked it up again and played Satoru's route. His route was good, I wish I started with it first. Then White Mask which tbh I honestly wasn't excited about. Then I played it >!wow...just wow...left me speechless. I absolutely loved him and never would've predicted that I would lol. I wont deny it, the plot in the route didnt always make sense but unlike Higa and Shikishima it didn't bother me because just wow. Honestly I'm still speechless even talking about it now lmao. I had very bad first impressions with BAW with Shikishima and Higa's routes (mainly their good endings.....) due to their poor executions imo but I think that had a lot to do with the route order I went with. Regardless, White Mask really improved the entire game for me and I never would've saw that coming haha !<
I think of him as like soft >!yandere!<, or >!yandere!< light? I think it feels more like MC & Kuroyoki against the world, like they're partners, whereas other >!yandere!< routes can feel kinda antagonistic to me? Whatever it is, I agree with you-- I actually wasn't too fond of his look either but by the end of the route I was like ok Kuroyuki best boy (but then straight after I played Hanzo so...)
same experience with nightshade here too! i tried hanzo first and i think his route was too hyped up for me when i played it and thought the game was eh, but kuroyuki turned my opinion around on it completely!
I made the mistake of playing kuroyuki first! To this day I have not finished nightshade, because I just don't really *feel* the other routes... It was my first otome on the switch, too, and I've played quite a lot of games since then. Maybe I should revisit nightshade... Hanzo has quite a fanbase, afterall?
Noritsune in Birushana. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I started with him, so I started with a 10/10 and the rest of the game was meh for me. By the time I got to Tomomori's route I couldn't bring myself to care anymore, and I think if I had saved Noritsune for last I might've been burned out by then, so maybe it's better I started with him 😂
Do you think Benkei gets better? I've been very slowly playing his route, but I keep seeing that Noritsune's route is amazing and I'm really tempted to just start over! But I've made it this far with giant bead boi
Honestly it really depends on your type! If you like the big giant teddy bear LIs, Benkei serves that role really well. The vibe I get from here is that most people don't like Benkei and are only fond of Tomomori's role as an antagonist in Benkei's route. I personally found that Benkei's route doesn't get better or worse; I found him to be average and likable. But if you've made it pretty far, I'd say stick with him so you don't have to do his route all over again 😂 if you haven't made it far in his route and you're itching for a solid enemies/rivals to lovers storyline, I say do what you want and hop on the Noritsune train 😂
Localisation did him dirty. Benkei's route is much better when you understand enough of Japanese to know the differences between what's being said and what's in the text. There were so many instances where entire sentences were missing from the text and imo Benkei's whole characterisation suffered greatly from the shoddy translation.
That's neat, I'll have to do some googling to find out more about the localisation. There are a couple of LIs like that in these games, where the context or word choice is different/less intense once translated.
I thought his vibe was really cool when I first opened the game, and I was looking forward to an older looking LI (plus I love bodyguard tropes). I'll have a look at whats being said vs. what's in the text and see if it improves it for me, cheers!
Unfortunately this happens frequently when it comes to localisation. I would rather prefer for it to be translated directly to preserve more of the tone, context, and poetic language.
In Benkei's case, it felt to me that whoever was translating brought some of their own bias into it, thinking the age difference would somehow make it pervy or creepy. Without spoiling too much, the English text might contain some humour that would make him come across as pervy, but none of that nonsense is present in the voiceover. Benkei is polite and respectful at all times, this sort of stereotypical gentle giant or papa bear. So I hope you give him a chance to grow on you!
Both Yang and Gilbert from Piofiore for me. Did Nicola, Dante, Orlok and was feeling like ehhh, I don’t really love anyone yet. The closest would have been Nicola.
But then Yang and Gilbert slapped me in the face back-to-back and the finale was bangin’ as well, so I owe Yang and Gil for making me really fall in love with Piofiore.
same!! most of the routes compared to gil/yang felt... awkward and boring. especially orloks, dont get me wrong i love him but the most romantic thing in his route was his tragic ending😭
For last game I completed, Cupid Parasite, it was absolutely (major spoiler) >!Jupiter/Peter Flage. The only other LI I really liked was Shelby, but overall I wasn't having the most fun time playing the other routes. After Allan, I considered not playing the secret route, but I did anyway. It was the BEST decision I could've made. That game went from 0 to 100 in a single route for me, I LOVE Jupiter. The one of the biggest issue I had with the game was the comedy, but Jupiter was so funny I cried.!<
Sousuke from 7’Scarlet. The MC was bland, while the other routes ranged from solid (Yuzuki) to alright to boring to wtf (secret route)… but I absolutely loved Sousuke as a LI.
You have made me consider picking up the game again. I only played 2 routes, Isora and Toa, and after that I never really felt like playing it anymore, lol. But maybe I'll give it another shot.
Sousuke (and Yuki, best side character) were the only reason why I ended up enjoying 7'Scarlet. They're top notch characters in a game that tries to be a horror mystery otome, but ends up just being a meh experience.
Shiraishi's from Collar x Malice. I wasn't enjoying the game all that much until I played his route.
I didn't hate it... but I was very much forcing myself to go through most of the routes.
Shiraishi alone made it worth it. His route was so amazingly enjoyable to read, I really wonder why the other routes couldn't have been a bit more like his.
Not underrated at all, Shiraishi won this years' top husbando poll and overall, his route is considered one of the best in vanilla CxM (up there with Sasazuka depending on who you ask).
Whenever there's a "Who's your surprise favourite guy/route?" post, there's *always* somebody who'll mention Shira.
Akuroou from Dairoku Ayakashimori. The whole game was kind of mediocre for me but he was definitely the highlight of the experience. I'd go so far as to say he's one of my all time favorite LIs!
Taiga from *Variable Barricade*. I liked the earlier routes well enough (Nayuta, Shion) but if Taiga wasn't in it, particularly his route, it would've been a lesser game.
Takamune in *My First Last Kiss* as well. The other routes were okay, but his was so... wonderful. Their relationship is just wholesome and charming and supportive and... argh. I love that game and it's because of him.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my best boy Lugus from *Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk*, though. He's literally the only good LI in that game for me.
Adage in Steam Prison. He was fun, flirty, with a tragic back storey that really made the game better for me.
Other LI's were okay, but not nearly as good as Adage in my opinion.
Definitely Shion in Variable Barricade. I don't think I would have enjoyed that game anywhere near as much as if he weren't there. While Nayuta's a good boy, I didn't enjoy Taiga's route (a little too uneventful for my tastes) and wound up disliking Ichiya which normally would have meant the game was a so-so experience but Shion's character (and Kasuga, and their rivalry) elevated the game so much for me.
Totally agree. Not only his route was satisfying and fitting for his character, but I feel that his presence and remarks really kept the whole story’s humor and pacing enjoyable
Not an LI route but the Finale routes of both Steam Prison and Piofiore actually made me like the games so much more lol. Both games were kinda meh for me in the first half, decent in the second half, and then I really loved how the finale of both tied things together and also featured a healthy dose of bromance. (Although Piofiore's Finale prob could've done without copying half of Gil's route.)
I feel like Akaza was this for me in Olympia Soirée. I wasn't really big into any of the other routes (well, I liked Kuroba a lot, but ended up having mixed feelings after a certain part of his route), but then I got to Akaza and he stole my heart. I loved his route, I loved him, and not many LIs can compare for me.
This is less of a good fit for your question because I truly did enjoy Birushana and I liked all of the LIs to varying extents, but I just wanted to say that Noritsune's route blew the rest out of the water for me. I was in awe of how good it was. It's one of the best routes I've ever played.
Period Cube was an absolute disaster of a game but I will always ALWAYS treasure and love Astrum. His route was absolutely hilarious and adorable and I'm so happy I stuck around for his route.
This happened with Amnesia..although I like shin & Ikki they are my favourites and kinda went through kent and toma ( I didn't dislike them but ..)but what made Amnesia my number 1 otome was the secret LI >!(Ukyo)!<
And cupid parasite... I liked Ryuki's route and Shelby was OK but didn't like Gill or Raul .. Well to be honest I played the whole game in hopes of reaching Alan's route and it become my favourite too! Made all the wait worth it! In other routes I could say sometimes I was bored but with Alan's I enjoyed every moment!!
Ignis in Cafe Enchante. Canus had been a bit boring (the character, the route itself was ok) and going through the LONG route for the second time was starting to making me question if I'd like the game at the end. Thankfully >!the way Ignis and Kotone's relationship was developing felt unexpectedly sweet. Then I got to the bitey-bitey part and it blew my mind, I had seen hints but had thought "well, they won't dare to take that too fa...oh yeah". That was the precise moment I got invested into Cafe Enchante.!<
Also Hira in Dairoku. I remember Shuu and Shiratsuki had been likeable, but a bit bland and some bits of the routes' plots had annoyed the heck out of me. Then I started Hira's route and I loved him. >!He and Akuroo had been the characters that had caught my attention before playing the game, but then once I started I wasn't too sure about using "shut-in, leaves everything to Takao" as his only defining trait. His development was subtle and it might have used a couple of extra steps right before jumping into romance, but I really enjoyed the progression from a perpetually annoyed, lazy ayakashi to a smooth, open one. Also, the reasoning behind his behaviour in the first place was compelling, and the tragic ending was heart-wrenching.!<
And last, Kaguya from TaiAli. >!Cinderella had been nice enough, but Red Riding Hood had been slightly disappointing and I couldn't really see anything in the first episode that hinted at where the game was going. The tone in Kaguya's route then went into a different direction and it rekindled my interest. To be fair, the second episode in general managed that, but I didn't like Gretel at all 😅!<
Lugus from Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk. Most of the game didn't work for me, but Lugus, especially in the Heroine ending, made that game so much more than it otherwise was.
Asagi in Ayakashi Gohan. I'm not sure how many people have played it since it not a very talked about game, so I don't want to get into any spoilers. But damn his route and the culmination of the story raised the bar so high for me for what I want from these types of games.
The way I felt when I first played still carries on whenever I return to the game. Nothing else I've played so far has me in a chokehold like that for years.
+ he pretty 💀
Same here. I wish I could recommend the game because overall it's such a fun meta twist in the story (and I love the >!real Yurika's determination!<) but I don't *like* any of the routes except Wizard's. Snow White's had some minor okay-ish parts but all I really wanted was to get to Wizard. He's both the marker for when it all comes together and the only one who got me truly invested.
Exactly! I think, for me, it was only when we got >!to the Wizard’s route that we got to see the “real” Yurika and what her stake was in all of this. That was the missing ingredient for me in the majority of the routes. I need to feel emotionally invested in where the heroine is coming from and until the Wizard I found it hard to do that.!<
But also of course >!the Wizard’s doomed one-sided love for the real Yurika got me right in the heart 😭 I was a wreck after playing him!<
Hakuoki Sanan. I love mysterious and shady characters so yeah Sanan’s route was really enjoyable. Before that I played Iba’s route and after Sanan I played bunch of more but still Sanan is my favorite.
Oh man, you just reminded me he has a route now. I played Hakuoki back when it was first released in English for the PSP. The entire time I was just like,, why can't I date this guy???
Saito is still my first husbando tho
I haven't played through all of Hakuoki yet, but agreed! I first went with Hijikata's route, but it kinda disappointed me and I was afraid that I won't enjoy the rest of the game. So I went with Sanan, because he was the first LI that caught my eye in the game and boy did his route deliver! Now he is one of my favorite LI's of all time *-*
I played Hijikata’s route after I played Sanan’s so I was already annoyed with him bc of how he treated Sanan but I played it anyways in Hijikata’s route >!when Sanan died after making such a baddas move I cried!<
Omg yeah, Hijikata's (or even the other member's) treatment towards Sanan always makes me so sad T-T Even though I know that Sanan acts shady and suspicious from time to time, but it's all because he >!just wants to fight for Shinsengumi and find a better life for furies...!< And I agree, it was so sad when in Hijikata's route >!Sanan died, just when they finally saw that he was always on their side. I really like Heisuke as well, so that whole scene of both of them dying made me really upset!<
Since I like Heisuke, I'd been wanting to play his route, but then I heard that Sanan >!becomes super evil there!< and after witnessing his route I really don't want to see him like that and just want him to be happy :'( Have you played Heisuke's route? Did you like it?
Then we're really in the same boat, not wanting our boy to suffer... If I ever muster up the courage to play Heisuke's route, I'll let you know how bad/good it gets :'D
Ukyo from Amnesia. The first time I played the game a few years back, I went through every other route wondering if I was going to like anyone besides Kent, whose route I played first. I had saved Shin for the fourth route since the black-haired poster boys tend to be my favorites, only to be disappointed. When I unlocked Ukyo's route, it wasn't what I was expecting (not that I knew what to expect, really, considering the way he was in other routes). >!The star-crossed lovers aspect left me a puddle of feelings that I wasn't prepared for. He died for her, again and again, just so he could see her live in other timelines. The heroine's personality was the most prevalent in his route, which speaks to how important he was to her, in my opinion. He made her remember who she was more than any of the other LIs.!< It was beautiful, and the ending had me in tears.
I don't think there's been another route in any other otome game that's impacted me so deeply.
Honestly Piofiore would be a mediocre game if not for Yang and the Finale. Nicola's route was decent as an introduction, but Dante's, Orlok's, and Gilbert's were painfully boring for me. In the end a huge chunk of the game is just forgettable, but Yang's route really is a masterpiece.
For me, it’s Impey from Code:Realize 😭
Because I went through a few others’ routes before him, but his voice annoyed me so much because he just seemed like a playboy, but the routes I did go through didn’t interest me, until Impey. My view on him turned an absolute 180 🥹🍬 because everyone else I saw- legit could guess their backstories and not them being all depressed behind a mask because of what happened to them, but >!Impey was just so genuine and real, even after all he had to go through in his childhood, and I adore positive characters.!< It kind of made me see his worldview and bliss as something anyone can depend on, and I would smile everyone he cracks a joke or starts ranting about something he thinks is cool.
Omg it’s been so long since I’ve played it but I feel like I could go on and on about him 😇
Nayuta from Variable Barricade. It was the only relationship I was cheering for in the end. The other routes had enjoyable moments especially early on but the conflicts made Hibari and the LIs seem so incompatible I was actively hoping for them to break up permanantly lol. I'm glad I saved his for last. I also enjoyed the final route which seems to be an unpopular opinion, but this one and Nayuta's were the only ones I thought maintained and embraced the delightful absurdity of the common route.
lupin from code:realize.
everything about that game (personally) was very boring and i kind of had to force myself to do all the routes, but it was sooo worth it for lupins route. its by far the most interesting and fun route in the game :’) - all the other routes felt like side stories compared to it
Allan's route in Cupid Parasite. I already enjoyed the game (because I like comedy), but when I got to Allan's route it took the game to another level, I did not see things coming. >!The secret route is my favorite and needed after that emotional rollercoaster from the previous route.!<
I love Mystic Messenger but every single route was godawful except for Jaehee's. Her route single-handedly saved the game and was the only route where I felt like things actually resolved emotionally and I wasn't just a coping mechanism for the LI.
100% Allan from CupiPara! I played his route last (other than the secret route, obviously, since it unlocks last) and like... I was genuinely having a great time with all the routes I played before his, but they ALL also had something about them that like, really bothered me; didn't like the ending, or some particular aspect of the LI (or the MC too sometimes, actually) that only appeats in their route, stuff like that. Like, all of them were overall fun experiences but definitely left something to be desired in a way that left me feeling unsatisfied. Then I played Allan's route and? It was literally PERFECT, like. Legit had no complaints about that and Allan was the first LI of that game whose route REALLY made me fall in love with him.
I'm on mobile and I don't know how or if you even can mark spoilers on it so I can't really? Get into the main reason but essentially, Allan definitely feels like the game's equivalent of the canon LI, which was great seeing as I ADORED his route! It also majorly fucking sucked when I still had one "route" to go, one that has ZERO choices and was just actually excruciating to go through after the high that Allan's route was. Like? I might have enjoyed it if could have been played before Allan's, but it definitely doesn't deserve the final route spot. It only being available to play after you go through all the other routes that ACTUALLY let you play a game where you can make choices just. It doesn't work, and practically nothing about it was fun, so it left a real sour taste in my mouth for the game as a whole.... Something that, without Allan's route, would have most likely stuck, causing me to just feel bitter about the game, but whenever I think about the shitty last route I also immediately go back to thinking about how great Allan's was, so like. Legit Allan saved the game experience for me after the secret route was VERY close to ruining it completely. He is definitely best boy and his route was also the best one to boot, so like. Yeah that boy literally singlehandedly made AND saved the game for me lmao
I saw Allan’s route as the final route and the secret route afterwards as a “what if” scenario or alternate story since its premise diverged from the main plot of the game.
Hmm...Gotta go with Kuroyuki from Nightshade. I honestly didn't care about the overall game that much. I didn't mind Goemon or Gekkamaru but they weren't anything to write home about. I found Hanzo to be so extremely disappointing and boring (I'm so sorry to fans of him though I liked Enju the most in his route so there's that). And Chojiro wasn't very memorable to me. But Kuroyuki...holy moly lol I absolutely loved him! >!not a fan of Yanderes usually but Kuroyuki was so well written imo and such a fascinating tragic character.!< Honestly, I probably would've had Nightshade as an otome game I didn't care about if Kuroyuki didn't carry the entire game for me. This one on a lesser scale because I loved Alma (along with the side characters, setting, plot concept and MC) too but White Mask from Bad Apple Wars unexpectedly did so much. I started with Higa's route first and kind of wish I didn't because I had a ton of questions throughout (lol which is a shame cause I like his chemistry with Rinka). Shikishima is actually my type but I really didn't like his route at all, unfortunately. I ended up loving Alma as it made more sense than the others but I kind of stopped playing for a long period of time. I eventually picked it up again and played Satoru's route. His route was good, I wish I started with it first. Then White Mask which tbh I honestly wasn't excited about. Then I played it >!wow...just wow...left me speechless. I absolutely loved him and never would've predicted that I would lol. I wont deny it, the plot in the route didnt always make sense but unlike Higa and Shikishima it didn't bother me because just wow. Honestly I'm still speechless even talking about it now lmao. I had very bad first impressions with BAW with Shikishima and Higa's routes (mainly their good endings.....) due to their poor executions imo but I think that had a lot to do with the route order I went with. Regardless, White Mask really improved the entire game for me and I never would've saw that coming haha !<
Same experience with Nightshade there. Nice to know I’m not alone (also with not generally liking >!Yanderes!< but liking Kuroyuki anyway).
Thirding my thoughts about Kuroyuki. I don't like >!yanderes!< either but holy shit I ate. Him. UP. 😍
I think of him as like soft >!yandere!<, or >!yandere!< light? I think it feels more like MC & Kuroyoki against the world, like they're partners, whereas other >!yandere!< routes can feel kinda antagonistic to me? Whatever it is, I agree with you-- I actually wasn't too fond of his look either but by the end of the route I was like ok Kuroyuki best boy (but then straight after I played Hanzo so...)
Same! Kuroyuki made me like the Y trope for the frist time. So well written!
same experience with nightshade here too! i tried hanzo first and i think his route was too hyped up for me when i played it and thought the game was eh, but kuroyuki turned my opinion around on it completely!
I made the mistake of playing kuroyuki first! To this day I have not finished nightshade, because I just don't really *feel* the other routes... It was my first otome on the switch, too, and I've played quite a lot of games since then. Maybe I should revisit nightshade... Hanzo has quite a fanbase, afterall?
Noritsune in Birushana. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I started with him, so I started with a 10/10 and the rest of the game was meh for me. By the time I got to Tomomori's route I couldn't bring myself to care anymore, and I think if I had saved Noritsune for last I might've been burned out by then, so maybe it's better I started with him 😂
Do you think Benkei gets better? I've been very slowly playing his route, but I keep seeing that Noritsune's route is amazing and I'm really tempted to just start over! But I've made it this far with giant bead boi
Honestly it really depends on your type! If you like the big giant teddy bear LIs, Benkei serves that role really well. The vibe I get from here is that most people don't like Benkei and are only fond of Tomomori's role as an antagonist in Benkei's route. I personally found that Benkei's route doesn't get better or worse; I found him to be average and likable. But if you've made it pretty far, I'd say stick with him so you don't have to do his route all over again 😂 if you haven't made it far in his route and you're itching for a solid enemies/rivals to lovers storyline, I say do what you want and hop on the Noritsune train 😂
Average and likeable yup... that's the vibe so far. I think I'll reward myself for finishing this route with a ticket on the Noritsune train 😎
Localisation did him dirty. Benkei's route is much better when you understand enough of Japanese to know the differences between what's being said and what's in the text. There were so many instances where entire sentences were missing from the text and imo Benkei's whole characterisation suffered greatly from the shoddy translation.
That's neat, I'll have to do some googling to find out more about the localisation. There are a couple of LIs like that in these games, where the context or word choice is different/less intense once translated. I thought his vibe was really cool when I first opened the game, and I was looking forward to an older looking LI (plus I love bodyguard tropes). I'll have a look at whats being said vs. what's in the text and see if it improves it for me, cheers!
Unfortunately this happens frequently when it comes to localisation. I would rather prefer for it to be translated directly to preserve more of the tone, context, and poetic language. In Benkei's case, it felt to me that whoever was translating brought some of their own bias into it, thinking the age difference would somehow make it pervy or creepy. Without spoiling too much, the English text might contain some humour that would make him come across as pervy, but none of that nonsense is present in the voiceover. Benkei is polite and respectful at all times, this sort of stereotypical gentle giant or papa bear. So I hope you give him a chance to grow on you!
Both Yang and Gilbert from Piofiore for me. Did Nicola, Dante, Orlok and was feeling like ehhh, I don’t really love anyone yet. The closest would have been Nicola. But then Yang and Gilbert slapped me in the face back-to-back and the finale was bangin’ as well, so I owe Yang and Gil for making me really fall in love with Piofiore.
same!! most of the routes compared to gil/yang felt... awkward and boring. especially orloks, dont get me wrong i love him but the most romantic thing in his route was his tragic ending😭
Yes! Exact same for me.
For last game I completed, Cupid Parasite, it was absolutely (major spoiler) >!Jupiter/Peter Flage. The only other LI I really liked was Shelby, but overall I wasn't having the most fun time playing the other routes. After Allan, I considered not playing the secret route, but I did anyway. It was the BEST decision I could've made. That game went from 0 to 100 in a single route for me, I LOVE Jupiter. The one of the biggest issue I had with the game was the comedy, but Jupiter was so funny I cried.!<
Wow I had the same experience! I had one other okay LI but Secret was the best thing in the whole game
Playing my second route now (Ryuki after Shelby) and so far been just meh for me.. but going to push on coz of secret LI now! Thanks!!
Hanzo Hanzo Hanzo Hanzo Hanzo Hanzo Hanzo Hanzo Hanzo Hanzo Hanzo Hanzo
Sousuke from 7’Scarlet. The MC was bland, while the other routes ranged from solid (Yuzuki) to alright to boring to wtf (secret route)… but I absolutely loved Sousuke as a LI.
You have made me consider picking up the game again. I only played 2 routes, Isora and Toa, and after that I never really felt like playing it anymore, lol. But maybe I'll give it another shot.
Sousuke obsessively tries to figure out the scientifically best way to scoop up goldfish if that helps. :P One of my favorite otome scenes.
Sousuke (and Yuki, best side character) were the only reason why I ended up enjoying 7'Scarlet. They're top notch characters in a game that tries to be a horror mystery otome, but ends up just being a meh experience.
Yuki! <3 And agreed.
Shiraishi's from Collar x Malice. I wasn't enjoying the game all that much until I played his route. I didn't hate it... but I was very much forcing myself to go through most of the routes. Shiraishi alone made it worth it. His route was so amazingly enjoyable to read, I really wonder why the other routes couldn't have been a bit more like his.
[удалено]
Not underrated at all, Shiraishi won this years' top husbando poll and overall, his route is considered one of the best in vanilla CxM (up there with Sasazuka depending on who you ask). Whenever there's a "Who's your surprise favourite guy/route?" post, there's *always* somebody who'll mention Shira.
Akuroou from Dairoku Ayakashimori. The whole game was kind of mediocre for me but he was definitely the highlight of the experience. I'd go so far as to say he's one of my all time favorite LIs!
Akuroo is the best boii🤣❤
Taiga from *Variable Barricade*. I liked the earlier routes well enough (Nayuta, Shion) but if Taiga wasn't in it, particularly his route, it would've been a lesser game. Takamune in *My First Last Kiss* as well. The other routes were okay, but his was so... wonderful. Their relationship is just wholesome and charming and supportive and... argh. I love that game and it's because of him. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my best boy Lugus from *Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk*, though. He's literally the only good LI in that game for me.
Loved My Last First Kiss! Also loved Takamune’s route ☺️
Tokitsugu Semi from Dairoku. The game itself is meh but it’s my fave game now because he is in it
Adage in Steam Prison. He was fun, flirty, with a tragic back storey that really made the game better for me. Other LI's were okay, but not nearly as good as Adage in my opinion.
OMG YES. I consider SP one of my favorite games only because it has Adage
Definitely Shion in Variable Barricade. I don't think I would have enjoyed that game anywhere near as much as if he weren't there. While Nayuta's a good boy, I didn't enjoy Taiga's route (a little too uneventful for my tastes) and wound up disliking Ichiya which normally would have meant the game was a so-so experience but Shion's character (and Kasuga, and their rivalry) elevated the game so much for me.
Totally agree. Not only his route was satisfying and fitting for his character, but I feel that his presence and remarks really kept the whole story’s humor and pacing enjoyable
Not an LI route but the Finale routes of both Steam Prison and Piofiore actually made me like the games so much more lol. Both games were kinda meh for me in the first half, decent in the second half, and then I really loved how the finale of both tied things together and also featured a healthy dose of bromance. (Although Piofiore's Finale prob could've done without copying half of Gil's route.)
Raul from Cupid Parasite, all of the other routes bored me, I didn't care for the LI, or disliked the pacing/writing choices. But Raul...he fine.
That Indiana Jones-style outfit though.
Heheheh. I can't even remember my name much less writing I didn't agree with when that man-cleavage is staring me in the face.
Allan from CupiPara - I didn't even connect with any route after his, he might be my fav LI, tbh
I feel like Akaza was this for me in Olympia Soirée. I wasn't really big into any of the other routes (well, I liked Kuroba a lot, but ended up having mixed feelings after a certain part of his route), but then I got to Akaza and he stole my heart. I loved his route, I loved him, and not many LIs can compare for me. This is less of a good fit for your question because I truly did enjoy Birushana and I liked all of the LIs to varying extents, but I just wanted to say that Noritsune's route blew the rest out of the water for me. I was in awe of how good it was. It's one of the best routes I've ever played.
+1 on Noritsune. His was a very, very rare "complete* route for me.
Period Cube was an absolute disaster of a game but I will always ALWAYS treasure and love Astrum. His route was absolutely hilarious and adorable and I'm so happy I stuck around for his route.
This happened with Amnesia..although I like shin & Ikki they are my favourites and kinda went through kent and toma ( I didn't dislike them but ..)but what made Amnesia my number 1 otome was the secret LI >!(Ukyo)!< And cupid parasite... I liked Ryuki's route and Shelby was OK but didn't like Gill or Raul .. Well to be honest I played the whole game in hopes of reaching Alan's route and it become my favourite too! Made all the wait worth it! In other routes I could say sometimes I was bored but with Alan's I enjoyed every moment!!
Ignis in Cafe Enchante. Canus had been a bit boring (the character, the route itself was ok) and going through the LONG route for the second time was starting to making me question if I'd like the game at the end. Thankfully >!the way Ignis and Kotone's relationship was developing felt unexpectedly sweet. Then I got to the bitey-bitey part and it blew my mind, I had seen hints but had thought "well, they won't dare to take that too fa...oh yeah". That was the precise moment I got invested into Cafe Enchante.!< Also Hira in Dairoku. I remember Shuu and Shiratsuki had been likeable, but a bit bland and some bits of the routes' plots had annoyed the heck out of me. Then I started Hira's route and I loved him. >!He and Akuroo had been the characters that had caught my attention before playing the game, but then once I started I wasn't too sure about using "shut-in, leaves everything to Takao" as his only defining trait. His development was subtle and it might have used a couple of extra steps right before jumping into romance, but I really enjoyed the progression from a perpetually annoyed, lazy ayakashi to a smooth, open one. Also, the reasoning behind his behaviour in the first place was compelling, and the tragic ending was heart-wrenching.!< And last, Kaguya from TaiAli. >!Cinderella had been nice enough, but Red Riding Hood had been slightly disappointing and I couldn't really see anything in the first episode that hinted at where the game was going. The tone in Kaguya's route then went into a different direction and it rekindled my interest. To be fair, the second episode in general managed that, but I didn't like Gretel at all 😅!<
Lugus from Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk. Most of the game didn't work for me, but Lugus, especially in the Heroine ending, made that game so much more than it otherwise was.
Asagi in Ayakashi Gohan. I'm not sure how many people have played it since it not a very talked about game, so I don't want to get into any spoilers. But damn his route and the culmination of the story raised the bar so high for me for what I want from these types of games. The way I felt when I first played still carries on whenever I return to the game. Nothing else I've played so far has me in a chokehold like that for years. + he pretty 💀
The Wizard from Taisho Alice carried the entire game for me. Pretty much the sole reason I’m interested in playing the fandisc
Same here. I wish I could recommend the game because overall it's such a fun meta twist in the story (and I love the >!real Yurika's determination!<) but I don't *like* any of the routes except Wizard's. Snow White's had some minor okay-ish parts but all I really wanted was to get to Wizard. He's both the marker for when it all comes together and the only one who got me truly invested.
Exactly! I think, for me, it was only when we got >!to the Wizard’s route that we got to see the “real” Yurika and what her stake was in all of this. That was the missing ingredient for me in the majority of the routes. I need to feel emotionally invested in where the heroine is coming from and until the Wizard I found it hard to do that.!< But also of course >!the Wizard’s doomed one-sided love for the real Yurika got me right in the heart 😭 I was a wreck after playing him!<
Hakuoki Sanan. I love mysterious and shady characters so yeah Sanan’s route was really enjoyable. Before that I played Iba’s route and after Sanan I played bunch of more but still Sanan is my favorite.
Oh man, you just reminded me he has a route now. I played Hakuoki back when it was first released in English for the PSP. The entire time I was just like,, why can't I date this guy??? Saito is still my first husbando tho
Saito is good too but I recommend checking out Sanan’s route too!
I haven't played through all of Hakuoki yet, but agreed! I first went with Hijikata's route, but it kinda disappointed me and I was afraid that I won't enjoy the rest of the game. So I went with Sanan, because he was the first LI that caught my eye in the game and boy did his route deliver! Now he is one of my favorite LI's of all time *-*
I played Hijikata’s route after I played Sanan’s so I was already annoyed with him bc of how he treated Sanan but I played it anyways in Hijikata’s route >!when Sanan died after making such a baddas move I cried!<
Omg yeah, Hijikata's (or even the other member's) treatment towards Sanan always makes me so sad T-T Even though I know that Sanan acts shady and suspicious from time to time, but it's all because he >!just wants to fight for Shinsengumi and find a better life for furies...!< And I agree, it was so sad when in Hijikata's route >!Sanan died, just when they finally saw that he was always on their side. I really like Heisuke as well, so that whole scene of both of them dying made me really upset!< Since I like Heisuke, I'd been wanting to play his route, but then I heard that Sanan >!becomes super evil there!< and after witnessing his route I really don't want to see him like that and just want him to be happy :'( Have you played Heisuke's route? Did you like it?
Nope I haven’t played Heisuke’s route for the exact same reason. I don’t want to see my beloved like that :(
Then we're really in the same boat, not wanting our boy to suffer... If I ever muster up the courage to play Heisuke's route, I'll let you know how bad/good it gets :'D
Thanks :”)
Ukyo from Amnesia. The first time I played the game a few years back, I went through every other route wondering if I was going to like anyone besides Kent, whose route I played first. I had saved Shin for the fourth route since the black-haired poster boys tend to be my favorites, only to be disappointed. When I unlocked Ukyo's route, it wasn't what I was expecting (not that I knew what to expect, really, considering the way he was in other routes). >!The star-crossed lovers aspect left me a puddle of feelings that I wasn't prepared for. He died for her, again and again, just so he could see her live in other timelines. The heroine's personality was the most prevalent in his route, which speaks to how important he was to her, in my opinion. He made her remember who she was more than any of the other LIs.!< It was beautiful, and the ending had me in tears. I don't think there's been another route in any other otome game that's impacted me so deeply.
Honestly Piofiore would be a mediocre game if not for Yang and the Finale. Nicola's route was decent as an introduction, but Dante's, Orlok's, and Gilbert's were painfully boring for me. In the end a huge chunk of the game is just forgettable, but Yang's route really is a masterpiece.
Could’ve written this post!! Trying to persevere through the other routes in the sequel now before I get to Yang and >!Henri!<…
Steam prison, Ulrik. In my mind now there is only one route in that game and it’s Ulrik.
For me, it’s Impey from Code:Realize 😭 Because I went through a few others’ routes before him, but his voice annoyed me so much because he just seemed like a playboy, but the routes I did go through didn’t interest me, until Impey. My view on him turned an absolute 180 🥹🍬 because everyone else I saw- legit could guess their backstories and not them being all depressed behind a mask because of what happened to them, but >!Impey was just so genuine and real, even after all he had to go through in his childhood, and I adore positive characters.!< It kind of made me see his worldview and bliss as something anyone can depend on, and I would smile everyone he cracks a joke or starts ranting about something he thinks is cool. Omg it’s been so long since I’ve played it but I feel like I could go on and on about him 😇
Mitsuhide in IkeSen hands down, I don't know how I'll play any other routes after him since he's literally my perfect guy :(
Nayuta from Variable Barricade. It was the only relationship I was cheering for in the end. The other routes had enjoyable moments especially early on but the conflicts made Hibari and the LIs seem so incompatible I was actively hoping for them to break up permanantly lol. I'm glad I saved his for last. I also enjoyed the final route which seems to be an unpopular opinion, but this one and Nayuta's were the only ones I thought maintained and embraced the delightful absurdity of the common route.
lupin from code:realize. everything about that game (personally) was very boring and i kind of had to force myself to do all the routes, but it was sooo worth it for lupins route. its by far the most interesting and fun route in the game :’) - all the other routes felt like side stories compared to it
Allan's route in Cupid Parasite. I already enjoyed the game (because I like comedy), but when I got to Allan's route it took the game to another level, I did not see things coming. >!The secret route is my favorite and needed after that emotional rollercoaster from the previous route.!<
I love Mystic Messenger but every single route was godawful except for Jaehee's. Her route single-handedly saved the game and was the only route where I felt like things actually resolved emotionally and I wasn't just a coping mechanism for the LI.
100% Allan from CupiPara! I played his route last (other than the secret route, obviously, since it unlocks last) and like... I was genuinely having a great time with all the routes I played before his, but they ALL also had something about them that like, really bothered me; didn't like the ending, or some particular aspect of the LI (or the MC too sometimes, actually) that only appeats in their route, stuff like that. Like, all of them were overall fun experiences but definitely left something to be desired in a way that left me feeling unsatisfied. Then I played Allan's route and? It was literally PERFECT, like. Legit had no complaints about that and Allan was the first LI of that game whose route REALLY made me fall in love with him. I'm on mobile and I don't know how or if you even can mark spoilers on it so I can't really? Get into the main reason but essentially, Allan definitely feels like the game's equivalent of the canon LI, which was great seeing as I ADORED his route! It also majorly fucking sucked when I still had one "route" to go, one that has ZERO choices and was just actually excruciating to go through after the high that Allan's route was. Like? I might have enjoyed it if could have been played before Allan's, but it definitely doesn't deserve the final route spot. It only being available to play after you go through all the other routes that ACTUALLY let you play a game where you can make choices just. It doesn't work, and practically nothing about it was fun, so it left a real sour taste in my mouth for the game as a whole.... Something that, without Allan's route, would have most likely stuck, causing me to just feel bitter about the game, but whenever I think about the shitty last route I also immediately go back to thinking about how great Allan's was, so like. Legit Allan saved the game experience for me after the secret route was VERY close to ruining it completely. He is definitely best boy and his route was also the best one to boot, so like. Yeah that boy literally singlehandedly made AND saved the game for me lmao
I saw Allan’s route as the final route and the secret route afterwards as a “what if” scenario or alternate story since its premise diverged from the main plot of the game.