this was a short, fluffy yuri VN that i played at the very start of the month. it's a highschool drama, with a modern prestigious all-girls school as the setting. the main character, a meek, old-fashioned, hopeless romantic did surprise me with her inner monologue, as she truly is very introspective, but at times her naivety and social awkwardness did grind my gears a little. the game has very cute art, (i personally really liked the main character's sprites), full japanese voice over, and double subtitles for people that are learning the language, but i felt like the story overstayed its welcome once the main conflict was resolved. after that it was just kind of boring couple scenes, even if cute. the plot was interesting, it's a story about blackmail and misunderstandings that has a happy ending, but is left inconclusive as it seems like a sequel was/is planned to come out and continue or solve some of the leftover threads. however, the game came out in 2021, and so far i have seen no news of another episode, so i personally wouldn't count on this conclusion ever happening.

my first ebi-hime VN! and i definitely understand why she's so popular. this game is beautifully written, even if not all threads and subplots had a satisfactory conclusion. while i loved the ending, i would have really liked to see some closure on the minor characters as well, particularly Lady Constance and Emilie and her sister. regardless, the read was more than enjoyable, exploring themes such as loss, pride, and even different forms of workplace harassment (through a victorian lens, that is). the art style is beautiful, though i did need to get used to it at first, and the music as well! absolutely recommended as a short, beautiful yuri VN

a very short yaoi VN that i played to break the yuri streak. the production value on this one is evidently low, and it definitely feels like the product of a newbie. however, toxic yaoi and angels is pretty much exactly my thing, so i was going to enjoy this one no matter what. and i really did enjoy the story, but the experience was dampened by some flaws outside of the visual quality. the pacing is not good, i really think the game would have really benefitted from a more spaced-out style of writing, because the story does have a lot of emotional potential that doesn't get to shine because everything is so rushed. the character designs also bother me, because the same face syndrome is glaring, and the designs are just very plain. it also has some minor flaws that make the game look unpolished on top of this, such as silhouette sprites having the kind of gaps that happen when you don't color-fill properly, typos, and even a general lack of proofreading as evidenced by missing words or grammar mistakes. i did like the UI visuals though, and the whole "fate" theme to determine the ending you get was cute. it was also an easy read and easy completion, and i always appreciate games that don't overstay their welcome (looking at you, letters from a rainy day).