Masquerade Kiss: Kazuomi Shido Review [SPOILERS]
Hi friends!! I wanted to take a sec to throw in my 2¢ on one Kazuomi Shido. This review is gonna cover the characters and the plot - not the Love Choice system (I know opinions on that are mixed). Long story short? If you like trashy spy stories, do yourself a favor and give this route a shot!
Masquerade Kiss has one of THE BEST premises I’ve ever encountered in a Voltage game. MC’s a super gorgeous secret agent who works for a shadowy organization, and she’s been tasked with unmasking the secrets of one of the most powerful men in the world. In this case her target is Kazuomi Shido, a mega-rich billionaire known as the “Resort King,” who’s famous for throwing epic parties, gambling, and being one hell of a womanizer. The CIA is also convinced he’s trafficking drugs.
When MC and Kazuomi first meet (she crashes his masquerade party), sparks fly. Kazuomi’s determined to get to know the gorgeous and mysterious MC, and she’s simultaneously disgusted yet intrigued by his obnoxious rich boy nature. In the end, MC ends up agreeing to work as the guy’s secretary for a month (long story) in order to get closer to him, and the pair makes a high-stakes bet: if MC falls in love with Kazuomi, he’ll own her - and her secrets. And if she resists his allure, she’ll own his.
As a secret agent on a mission MC has an obvious built-in advantage, but of course, our love interest does a fantastic job of appealing to MC! I’ve heard people refer to Kazuomi as “Walmart Eisuke,” but that couldn’t be further from the truth. This might admittedly be my anti-Eisuke bias speaking, haha. Where Eisuke’s cold and demanding, Kazuomi is happy and persuasive. While Eisuke is known for his arrogance, Kazuomi is a guy who loves his cheap beer, and isn’t afraid to wade through a crowd of plebians despite his status (I mean he’s not that down to earth - the guy does buy RUBIES as party favors at some point - but hey, it’s his money, lmao).
Kazuomi does push the boundaries with MC quite a lot while she’s his secretary, dragging her to visit his unfinished resort in Thailand/constantly trying to get her to wear something sexy/sneaking in a kiss, but crucially, he is super respectful when it counts! When MC gets accidentally drunk, he pulls precisely ZERO funny moves, opting to take care of her all night instead. And crucially, he compensates MC generously for her time as his secretary!! You have NO idea just how important that is to me. ^_^ Kazuomi consistently respects all the boundaries that I personally find important, and that really makes the rest of his sexy rule-breaking antics thoroughly enjoyable (and hot).
It’s not just Kazuomi who’s awesome. MC is truly a match for this guy: she’s witty, hard-to-get, outspoken, and focused on her mission. Kazuomi is constantly surrounded by yes men who don’t share his passion for resorts and only see the monetary value in things, so it’s easy to see why MC is such a breath of fresh air for him. I loved MC’s cold/mysterious hot boss and fabulous hair stylist/makeup artist as well - definitely looking forward to enjoying these recurring characters in future stories!
In terms of plot, things were cheesy and pretty predictable, but honestly, I loved it. MC reminds me of the MC from Kiss of Revenge, with her myopic fixation on finishing the mission, but honestly, I don’t blame her, given how much pressure from her agency she’s under. The drug plot line really takes the forefront of the later chapters, which I much prefer over an internal angsty plot line.
Overall, the thing I enjoyed most about this story was its trashy romance novel feel (don’t come in here expecting high literature, lmao). This story felt much more like a love story between two well defined personalities than a self-insert otome, and I loved it!! Kazuomi’s route was fun, sexy, low on angst, and truly enjoyable to read. Even if you’re iffy about the new Love Choice format, I highly recommend you give the story a shot anyways! There are no wait times until 2/17 anyways and the Heart Choices honestly don’t add that much, so there’s no reason not to give at least the free parts of this sexy story a chance! ^_^
“I’ll pay you at least what you would make in a month as a day trader.” Finally, an MC who gets paid!! 😍
“If everything about our time together was a lie, then you have my most profound respect.” 💔
“…I felt like it might not be so bad to lose for once.”
Personality: 9/10. This guy is a flirtatious, slightly intimidating playboy with a heart of gold. Slightly cheesy, but still super sexy. Knows what lines not to cross. Definitely one of my Voltage faves!
Appearance: 9/10. Super attractive. The only hotter character in this game is MC’s mysterious, mega-hot boss :)
MC: 10/10. I loved MC! She’s the perfect balance of badass/snarky/witty, yet relatable. Also, she is GORGEOUS!! She and Kazuomi interact as equals and I am so here for it.
Plot/Payoff: 10/10 Really organic (yet trashy) romance with an action-packed and equally trashy drug plot! I loved it.
Personal enjoyment: 10/10. This story is one of my favorite Voltage offerings to date! What an absolutely fun, sexy read. ^_^
germansingergirl
gummygunk
pixelskylines
prguitarman
kianamaiart
2087
yousharknotpass
theartofmadeline
