Posted by4 years ago
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Once you finish all the other routes, there is a hidden character to play too. Writing: The concept and the story are well executed. And like Dandelion, Nameless has a larger plot concept that caries through all the routes. I love all the interactions between characters too. The ensemble writing is really a strong point for this game.
Dandelion - a discussion
Good evening newly re-vamped r/otomegames!
I want to talk about one of the most highly recommended otome games on this subreddit: Dandelion -wishes brought to you. If you plan on playing this game, or are on the fence, I'll say this: I've often seen this game tagged with words like 'heartbreaking' 'dark' and 'bittersweet'. Please, please, please don't let it dissuade you, because it almost stopped me from getting this game. I would replace these words with 'emotional' and 'thoughtful'. I feel like Dandelion has been misjudged by a lot of people. In what way is this game heartbreaking or dark? Or even bittersweet? I honestly am welcoming discussion on this, because I feel like all of the 'good' endings are decidedly happy. They might not be the super fluff endings that some people are used to, but they ALL have a common theme - hope.
Before I get to the spoiler zone, I'd like to lay out my favorite parts of the game for those that might be on the fence for paying for a game like this:
The voice acting- it's in Korean. I don't know Korean, but there's something about having a voice with the characters that give them more depth than if I had to make the voices up in my head. Hearing Jihae's deep voice and Jiwoo's pretentious whining really helped the story immersion. Even though I couldn't understand what they were saying, hearing the tone and inflection was enough for me. I also find it nice that I can hear the sounds of their voice, but still read at my own pace. But that's just me.
The stories are brilliantly written. The characters will surprise you in different ways. Heejung, the heroine can be face-palm levels of oblivious or awkward, but the storylines all tug at different heartstrings. It's worth noting that each story is pretty long, so that can be either a positive or a negative, depending on your preference. I appreciate the length because it makes the character developments more believable (except for one, but I'll get to that later). The pacing is pretty good for most of the game, though on some routes, the final month is spent kind of just waiting for the game to end so you can get to your sweet, sweet ending.
The art is beautiful. A few of the CGs have some awkward anatomy issues, but in general, they are gorgeous and worth viewing over and over again if you want to remember parts of the story. It's also worth noting that various cut-scene like scenarios are saved in your 'memories' so you can re-watch them whenever you like, which I really appreciate.
The game design is pretty interesting. It's a stat-management type game instead of 'you'd better pick the right response' type deal that a lot of otome games are based on. Different guys have different stats that they prefer, but if you pay attention, it's not difficult to manage at all.
Alright, from here on out, there are spoilers ahead. I just want to discuss some details of the various characters/routes, and would love to hear other opinions.
![Characters Dandelion Cheritz Characters Dandelion Cheritz](http://i1.wp.com/otome-jikan.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/main1.jpg?fit=622%2C353)
Jiyeon- Seriously. This route was TOO MUCH of an emotional rollercoaster that had pacing issues. I feel like his transition from sickeningly cute kid to violent con artist was a bit too quick. I feel like that could have been a longer transition, but have him disappear for a shorter amount of time? I don't know, but I do appreciate the direction this story took. It's a journey you wouldn't expect from this character, but it was just a little disappointing how abrupt his transitions were.
Jiwoo- Beautiful character development. Unlike Jiyeon I felt the pacing of both Heejung and Jiwoo were very appropriate and realistic. This ending was so hopeful and optimistic, I loved it. Even though the final scene isn't of Heejung and Jiwoo together like Jiyeon, Jihae, and Jiyeon, I feel like that reunion is the most romantic.
Jieun- I honestly didn't think I'd like this route at all. This kind of character generally doesn't interest me, but oh boy did the second half of this route really pick up. The way Jieun was able to claim his own independence while also inspiring Heejung to do the same was really a nice way to handle such a tame 'romance'. Bringing Heejung to his world as opposed to Jieun being wished back to the human world was a nice twist. Jieun's confidence when he faced the wizard legitimately made me feel proud of him, which is amazing considering I didn't care about the character at all when I first started his story. Added bonus: only reunion where everyone has their memories still.
I haven't played through Jihae or Jisoo because I feel like those will be my favorites and I try to play my favorite characters first and last. I am really bad about spoilers, so I have watched both of their endings, but this game has such well written story lines, that just watching the ending doesn't take anything away from playing through the story. However, I've been so surprised by each story, I'm not sure how I'll feel when it's all over. I thought I'd love Jiyeon's route but I really didn't, I thought I wouldn't care for Jiwoo's route but I loved it, and I thought I'd hate Jieun's route but enjoyed it.
As a side note, I have watched the 'bonus' ending, and I still feel like that is just one more happy ending to add to the five other happy endings in this game.
tl;dr- this game is awesome. If you like to be hit right in the feels. But not necessarily the bad feels. Lots of happy feels, don't worry. Definitely worth the purchase.
![Characters Dandelion Cheritz Characters Dandelion Cheritz](/uploads/1/2/4/7/124744178/575530978.jpg)
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