Recent reviews by Мизантроп

It's a neutral review. I really wanted to love it, I was even mentally prepared to endure an incomprehensible translation but nope, it's just impossible to enjoy playing it in such a nightmarish state:(

Praises:
+rare but so desired example of femdom explicit (no dlc or patch necessary) kinetic visual novel.
+pretty CGs neatly organized in a gallery.
+special thanks for those cat ears <3 I dislike MC's sprite but the boys are really cute ♥

Complaints:
--my main complaint is about the quality of localization T_T It's disastrous :( Everyone says AI is capable to translate so well nowadays, that machine translation has made such a huge progress and then I read THIS :( Quite often I had to reread the sentences several times to try and grasp at least the general idea but usually I failed :(( but when I did, the images my brain had to envision were literally mind-blowing :( For example, there was smth like “She disappeared, no one could find her but soon she reappeared but as a corpse” O_O what a cute way to describe a poor woman's death... And I don't understand why it is this way!? Don't the developers care about their stories?! The price is high for such a short game, so why couldn't they use some of that profit to edit the game properly? Plus, not everything is about money, just ask fans, search for beta-testers... I'm not a native speaker but even I could edit it to make it at least readable. I'm sure it IS possible to find a way out but releasing a product in such a state is a shame. A slutty MC and all that rotten world are not that shameful as selling the game in this terrible state :(
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3385969205
--In general I am disappointed with the plot:( It's too different from my expectations. Like, for example, I wanted to watch a domineering, overwhelming, imperious woman but instead she turned out to be so pitiful, powerless and pathetic :( Perhaps in those circumstances she did well but still all her hoity-toity talk was too miserable. Maybe it was due to an appalling translation but I didn't believe her in the slightest that such a wreck of a girl, not even a woman, can really have any control over men:( And the very ending was a total letdown:( that actually proved that I can't justify her despicable, cruel behavior by unfortunate circumstances, it's truly her corrupted, filthy nature. I feel sorry for the boys, their pure devotion and admiration seemed misplaced, welp, she was their first and only woman, poor guys just can't compare:( sigh absolutely everyone is too pitiful:( players included for having to suffer through that imitation of a translation T_T
--short, pricey with too small text imho

So, the story could become a rare, real entertainment but it turned out to be a total disappointment:( I even contemplated a bit if it's better just to miss the chance to experience such unique content. I believe devs shouldn't be encouraged to release their projects in such a state when there're lots of possibilities to significantly improve it.

The Mermaid of Zennor is a short, dark, atmospheric novel that I utterly enjoyed! <3 From the first second I launched the game I was drawn to those moving waves, it was so meditative! Usually I complain about anything moving in my visual novels because it makes me slightly dizzy T_T and this time it was totally the same but it was such a pleasant feeling when I just wanted to relax, let go and just drown in that water! It's so impressive because I'm kinda afraid of water and still can't swim. So it all set the mood incredibly well!

MC is written so skillfully I couldn't keep silent and even had to share about it with some online friends, lol otherwise I felt like exploding if I didn't let those emotions go :) Even before reading the game description on the store page I knew she was autistic. I had similar students, I was always curious how they think, some of them clammed up but the one who actually talked sometimes presented the same ordinary ideas at such a new angle that I was awestruck! I lloved talking to one boy, though quite often he was very difficult in many aspects and I still remember how exhausted his mum sometimes looked. So while reading I could understand mc's parents and even sympathize with them, though it was obvious the poor girl suffered so much more. It's our responsibility as adults to be mature in any circumstances and provide all the support and encouragement kids need.
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3385427434
Reading about mc's thoughts, quite often I didn't share her ideas and very often she was confused and misunderstanding lots of things but at the same time despite being VERY different she felt so close and somehow relatable I'm astonished. I believe it's magic of a well-written text. It was such an amazing experience to dive into that special way of thinking and perception and actually FEEL all that.

There are two endings and they are both stunning! One is totally heartbreaking (I was afraid it was coming to that T_T) and another is heartwarming, full of hope I needed so much! <3 Sadly, the bad ending felt more realistic T_T plus on par with that mermaid story which also had kinda 'open' ambiguous ending, though the most logical outcome seems obvious but as it's not said directly in both cases it still gives some shred of hope.

As usual I left the 'happy' ending for dessert and it wasn't like in some fairy-tale where all the evil villains were punished and everyone was overjoyed but at least some first steps in the right direction were so healing it made me teary-eyed.

Undoubtedly it's easily recommended: gorgeous visuals, immersive music, wonderful writing, low price, powerful contrast endings for any taste. Thanks a lot for this masterpiece ♥

It's a neutral review. Honestly, I mainly disliked this story :( For me it was too dirty and disgusting but I realize it's more of my misplaced expectations and personal preferences, not necessarily the game's fault. Sorry, it's still a thumb-down from me but I'll try to write it in a neutral way.
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3376678358
Praises:
+nice porn visual novel with lots of different content.
+Lots of detailed ;) pretty CGs.
+There're lots of various chars and for the first time ever I even thought how her plump girlfriend looked so sexy in so many CGs. Before I could never understand how overweight ppl can be sexually attractive, sorry but that's the truth I'm not proud of. Olive is awesome, though! I'm grateful for that shift in perception.
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3367367117
+it's well-written, lots of new informal vocabulary. Thanks <3

Complaints:
--My main complaint is a very misleading title. I read about sugar baby and expected to see THAT kind of adult content but instead O_O I wasn't ready for all that filth.
--This game made me feel like such a prude, I guess it's a first for me :) I've read so many porn visual novels, sometimes with rather sadistic, disturbing, gory content but I've never felt that sick :( I seriously had to fight off my sickness so many times :( To finish some intimate scenes I had to stop, make some breaks, sometimes up to four times, and then return to it :( And I totally didn't like that experience, sometimes it was more like a torture, though it was a nice revelation about some of my preferences and boundaries:)
--MC was so relatable first. Getting that offer (obvious from the title) felt like a really great opportunity, esp for the sake of her kids. But that's where my main issue lies :(((((( One thing is to have a lover without real feelings and any hope (though I wouldn't be so sure in his case, he really cared about her a lot to try and change his attitude towards kids) to have a real family BUT immediately while pondering about that offer she suddenly decides to become a prostitute . It was so out of the blue O_o. It was not shown how she was searching for other clients and she was even close to giving up entirely that idea but the pleasant image of the protagonist was totally ruined. And that was only the beginning :( Then she started acting like a real 'slut and whоre' and that's how she keeps calling herself all the time sleeping around with everyone she knows: her friends, their spouse, friends' friends... And I'd say, fine, enjoy yourself, it's not the first time I'm reading such stories BUT it was definitely the first time for me to read about MC with two little kids. And I realized it's a huge no for me. I don't want to see caring mums as total sluts. And you know what it's even not like I'm shaming or judging, it just stopped being some guilty pleasure and definitely an imaginary situation. She felt TOO REAL, her kids were TOO CUTE. But to see how she was all 'stinky' from the orgy & thinking about them was unbearably disgusting. If such real women exist, ok, fine, we live only once but I definitely don't wanna know about it, keep it personal.
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3383258465
--Again it's my false expectations but I was hoping to get lots of sugar daddy content but instead it's mainly GxG intimate scenes. I felt disappointed :((
--Choices don't really matter, usually they're of that type where you just need to take them all, just in your desired order. Honestly, I'm not really very grumpy about it, I guess this illusion of a choice is still better than kinetic novels but...
--Some typos, not that many to be distracting but still it's not perfectly edited.
--No gallery. For such a huge СG collection it's a real loss :(

So, for me MC,"filthy, primal creature of pure lust", was mainly disgusting & despicable with lots of disturbing scenes. I realized I need something either entirely obscene or real family drama, with real issues involved. The mixture here felt too jarring :( But I can admit maybe it's just me and this game will be a satisfying experience for others, the majority of positive reviews only prove that. So don't mind me making your decision to give it a try or not.

My Confounding Cat is Criminally Cute! is one of those novels where I don't even know what to say. For me everything was perfect, I utterly enjoyed it! \o/ Thank you! <3

=^_^= Art is gorgeous & gentle! The setting is a magical world with MC being a wizard brewing potions for sale and the visual part of the game created a really amazing atmosphere! Perfect♡
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3367317801
=^_^= BL story without any serious obstacles or traumas was very relaxing and engaging to read. Very sweet, wholesome, perfect♡

=^_^= MC. I scanned the only negative review, recollected the latest ebi-hime's novel with an unbearably annoying & even rude in my opinion protagonist, so I was a little afraid to approach this aloof guy but luckily he turned out to be a real peach :D It was said directly in the story he was lacking people's skills a lot! But it was never against women specifically, lol. I'm still astonished he's accused of misogyny in some reviews O_o Some characters were galling and they happened to be women, why do ppl want to emphasize that and not their foul character as humans is beyond me. But welp, if that's what they felt... I'm just happy all my initial fears were in vain. \o/
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3380977889
=^_^= In every ebi-hime's game I complained about few pages for save slots, despite her novels being mainly kinetic I still love to save often, at the beginning of new chapters & their parts and finally \o/ I have even a couple of pages with empty save slots :) I hope it'll stay this way in all the coming novels as well, pretty please!(^人^)

I easily recommend this game if you like short, sweet, solid BL stories! Nothing explicit here btw but with a number of adorable kisses, so I don't even feel like it was insufficient. After so many devastatingly depressing ebi-hime's novels it feels so rewarding to read such novels :D It's awesome that there's some balance in repertoire between dark & sweet, inspiring stories. <3

Blood Domination was one of those games I couldn't stop playing! It was such an engrossing, unique experience <3 For the first time ever I played different routes with totally new couples, and I lloved that idea! Everyone found their perfect match and overcame their own difficulties in their own way. Perhaps it's silly but I always feel some kind of guilt when I start a new route, but knowing some damaged background of other love interests, I can't fully relax as others are still burdened with their unsolved issues. But here it's just perfect! Why aren't there more similar games I can't understand now :)
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3332437927
Praises:
+I'm excited about routes system with different couples but still connected in one school setting.
+loooots of thrilling content: two seasons, six pages of extracurricular activities, extra classes. I lloved to dive into those small separate stories.
+art is pretty, all characters are really appealing, CGs are gorgeous, though I'd prefer a bigger gallery, CGs look too small there occupying just central small part of the screen :(
+there's nothing visually explicit here but the description of those intimate scenes is smth superb! And there's lots of such content! It was so passionate!
+The world of vampires, plus with subs/doms roles is the ideal setting for a captivating, relaxing read for me personally <3
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3341859209
+Takamine and Chihaya's routes were my absolute favorites, I enjoyed that couple immensely! I llove such obsessive, destined types. I'm grateful for their story! <3
+steam guide but only for the first season, there's a guide on the net but rather old with a bit differently translated choices but still useful!
+achievements (profile features limited though for now)
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3356019944
Complaints:
--the weirdest censorship ever O_o with naked guys really looking like Ken :) Now I think I'd better see some mosaics, lol :)
--several times the game froze in the same places while skipping through the routes :(
--I'd like more notifications for extra content. I even gave up on trying to read extra classes as they appear because I couldn't possibly remember later which parts I'd read but then again when I was reading them in order after obtaining all of them I was looking at the row of chapters at a loss (often sleep deprived) which one I've just read, fourth or maybe fifth, lol :) Some change of color or smth would be very convenient.
--there're two endings: neutral and sweet and it's the first novel ever I couldn't reach even one part of the sweet route at least in one route myself:( It kinda hurts to think I don't feel the chars and the ideal choices they'd make, it spoils the immersion a bit:(
--I didn't like the save system: you can't save at the choices to see them later in the save slots, you can scroll back at least and save before them but it's not very convenient anyway as you can't understand what choice you need to load later. Plus it was annoying that saves are open at the very first page all the time, to click to the necessary page was a burden, so I gave up and started rewriting the saves:( so what's even the point of many pages:((
--I don't share the sentiment about 'non-consensual sex acts between people ' first of all they are not people, lol, they have their own world and their own rules and secondly there was nothing they both didn't want together. BUT Yuugiri's background story was too disturbing and painful even for me:( Poor guy, it seriously hurt to read and imagine all that:( Though I guess his sweet ending feels especially satisfying after it.
--some extra stories I've read before were still unskippable for whatever reason. It was annoying to click through them, I didn't find forced skipping, my bad maybe.
--some typos.

I realize BL vampire story about domination may be not a popular choice for a fascinating read:) So, it's hard really to recommend anything. But I utterly enjoyed it! Thank you! <33

I enjoyed this game a lot, unsurprisingly:) Though I didn't expect MC to piss me off so much ⋋_⋌ It really hurt to choose options obviously leading to bad outcomes. Poor werewolf didn't deserve to be treated that way, it's astonishing that that's how the roles were distributed :D Looking at cute little protagonist and a big scary wolf quite the opposite kind of interaction is initially envisioned. And that's the reason after all that verbal abuse and cruelty that 'bad bad gruesome' ending which the author even gave the chance to omit by the players not to be greatly disturbed O_o for me personally felt awesome! Even the most patient ppl can snap after a long period of maltreatment. The endings where MC realized how wrong he was were especially healing but I've suffered a lot with the wolf. It's funny how self-association may work in the novels :) Though the story was sometimes shown through wolf's eyes and there were even choices to choose by him not MC. So, as the title of the game has two names in it, one can argue who is the very main character here :)

Anyway, all endings were emotional, I llove how diverse that experience was for a rather short novel. Some plot twists were startling, art is gorgeous, the story is well-written, I can't possibly demand more from the visual novels :)
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3346518532
Praises:
+Art is incredibly gorgeous!
+Captivating, immersive story with many (for this length) different endings for all tastes.
+Well-written \o/ I hope one day I'll read ebi-hime's novels without saving looots of screenshots with new vocabulary. No other novel ever was that educational and useful for practising a foreign language. I'm grateful! <3
+free adult patch, at the beginning of the game players can choose to omit rape scenes.

Complaints:
--Mooooore save slots pleeaaase T_T I want to save all the choices, plus all the new chapters to enjoy their names, six pages is not nearly enough :(
--To have that blurry censorship on such beautiful art felt almost sacrilegious :(
--some typos.

For me it was a real pleasure. I feel like replaying it some time again but I can understand that for some players it may be a bit extreme. I've typed it and thought about 'Sweet Pool' again. The author mentioned this game in her notes. I guess after some novels you reach a point of no return, and find some twisted pleasure in weirdest, unacceptable in reality things, honestly astonished what some ppl can find disturbing. Though a couple disgusting things from other ebi-hime's novels emerged in my memory where I was kinda accused in the comments of being too sensitive, lol. I guess it's always personal what kind of ♥♥♥♥ you actually find comfortable yourself with :) This novel was almost perfect, even unbearable Rain was vital for the story development, both bad and happy endings wouldn't be so powerful & unforgettable without him.

I was about to stop here when I recollected the author's notes stating how it was obvious the story was about defining monster/man personalities. I didn't even dwell on it too much, lol. From the beginning judging by their actions it was crystal clear that Rain with his foul mouth treating his savior like filth because of stupid stereotypes was a real monster there ⋋_⋌ The only possibly monstrous part about the werewolf seemed to be his khm male organ but alas I have to trust the text description here due to mosaic censorship (｀□′)╯┴┴

I llove this novel! <3 I didn't expect I'd enjoy it so much. For the first time ever after having finished it I immediately started replaying my fav route. Just wow!♥
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3350434129
Praises:
+I realized I want more otome novels with adult, mature characters. Perhaps it seems more relatable now when I'm no longer a teen myself but a story without silly drama, unreasonable actions & irresponsible decisions seems so solid and enjoyable to read.
+MC is a real treasure! It's another first for me. Typically I'm annoyed by stupid female protagonists but here for the first time ever I felt inspired to be more like her, she was someone I utterly enjoyed associating myself with. Usually I deeply regret giving the chars my name but definitely not here.
+Finally in Voltage otome I see MC with a face :) And it was a nice balance, she wasn't too stunning but definitely far from plain.
+four long enough routes with truly lots of content. All the love interests felt very unique.
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3314708754
Kazuomi captured my heart! His route I reread twice! He's just perfect for otome, so passionate, exciting, extraordinary (●♡∀♡)
Boss. I wish I started with his route. I did enjoy it but recollecting his actions in previous routes it was a bit uncomfortable, I couldn't relax and trust him truly.
Yuzuro was too cold and distant for a pleasant otome story:) But he surprisingly reminded me a lot: devoting all of my time to work and hobbies it's a question if I even want to squeeze some real relationship there. So he felt relatable and therefore fun but it's not what I usually expect from a romance novel.
Kei turned out to be a real hassle:( His past was too disturbing & painful, I usually like playing as the only possible savior but surprisingly not here, it was too much of a burden :( I can't say I didn't like his route but it was so far from what I've expected :(
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3315288856
+no explicit content, sadly :(( but despite that all the intimate scenes were hot and passionate enough, not like they ended abruptly before even starting like in some novels.
+fitting, awesome music <3
+great art, the gallery is full of gorgeous CGs
+no bad endings, just neutral, happy and super happy, eden endings.
+surprising, pleasant connections with other Voltage otome. To see my lovely chars again felt nice.
+a steam guide available.

Complaints:
--price. I still can't get used to the fact that regional prices don't work anymore :( I do believe this novel deserves this money but it's still expensive for me :(
--I wish the game were more polished :(( Too many typos, some weird numbers in brackets, my mc's name repeated for whatever reason several times in a sentence, some Japanese words first and only then English translation at the beginning of some chapters. And by the way the very name of the game is in Japanese, I tried to find 'Masquerade Kiss' to add to my favs in the group but it didn't work:( That's why it's also complicated to search for CGs in my steam collection :(( I wish it were fixed. If it were one game, ok, some unknown Japanese symbols at the very end of the list of my games :) BUT now I have several Voltage otome so I can never figure out which novel exactly that is :(
--too many flashbacks to my taste:( My memory is not that bad, why constant reminders of what has happened before :((
--some flashbacks were painfully annoying T_T as with absolutely every sentence the whole screen flickered anew :(( It was unbearable :(
--I still can't get used to these settings :(( For me they are totally inconvenient.

Anyway I definitely recommend this game, despite any complaints it was a real pleasure! <3

It was an exciting experience. First of all, I was impressed HOW this novel was created. Some things were a tad frustrating like disappeared saves after you finish one play-through, or the first author's notes I could easily miss but luckily I decided to check the guide though I usually don't do it afraid of possible spoilers. But mainly all those unusual, totally unexpected things like the game closed on its own after the last sentence were amazing. It's not like it was totally novel (some VNs with the same separate features come to mind) but altogether it left an unforgettable impression.
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3336313176
As for the story per se, nothing surprising here—same high quality, well-written, immersive, slightly dark :) In all three short routes I was contemplating a lot struck by the chars' twisted logic. I'm always astonished how weird & absolutely unexpected sb's way of thinking may be. Especially terrifying it becomes when it leads to dreadful consequences but there IS a reason (no matter how warped it is) behind all those bizarre actions. Observing such wayward chars I start thinking if my own perception is actually right and reasonable objectively.

Praises:
+free
+achievements
+short but intricate
+fitting music
+great art, seems a bit simple but perfect for the story
+unusual second-person narration
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3331962116
Complaints:
--small game screen or how to call it with very big text box occupying half the space
--some things are uncontrollable :( like disappearing saves or the first author's notes.
--typos

I easily recommend this game. It's short, free, with several available languages, so why not give it a try.

T_T I can't play the game, it's just a black screen when I launch it. pleease, fix it! It's been 2 months since I emailed about this issue to the publisher, steam gives only this contact info. But nothing... If sb knows the way to contact the devs, please write in the comments!

the game is amazing, it' s worth its price tag, it's depressing that I couldn't finish even one route and...
I started the discussion, no reaction either. It's terrible when devs don't respond at all. :( What to do even in this situation, I'm at a loss:(

And the thing is I'm not the only one who experienced the same issue, so the problem is with the game. FIX it PLEASE!!!

I tried to use my notebook, not PC, same failure :(
I deleted it, reinstalled, verified, tried to google the solutions, I dunno what else to do.
HELP!!!!

It's been such a long journey for me :) I've been reading this novel for years! While reading it slowly I moved to a new city, changed three computers, my saves were partially lost, so at some point I had to start reading all over again O_o But it was always an enjoyable experience.
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1851639598
I like reading long stories, it feels so much more immersive, all the characters become very close. I was astonished to learn Umineko (both parts but still) is actually longer than our epic 'War & Peace' O_O Impressive! And I never was bored even if they showed the same main story in different chapters presenting it from different angles. Reading this novel caused such intense emotions in me, I often had waves of goosebumps. It's truly outstanding!

Music is a vital component of the novel, it creates a fitting atmosphere so skillfully, that's amazing!
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3017389835
It's a thought-provoking story where you can test your moral principles and convictions. There were so many deep, complicated ideas I could contemplate and argue a lot but I actually don't feel like going into any details in this review. I'd just like to express my admiration and gratitude for being with me for so many years :) Now it's time to start the answers arc, I'm looking forward to another unforgettable, emotional ride!