Sweet Dreams

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It was a lot simpler than I thought but I guess that makes sense considering the other guys had fairly simple scenarios going on too.

-It is so funny to me that Blade is specifically a white shark. Not a mermaid or some mythological creature, a white shark. Oli's a kitty cat, Ed a bunny, Blade an actual literal shark but Oh no Kuya can't be a baby silly fox in some woods or a zoo or some shit no, he has to be a scary yokai deity who gets offered sacrifices, I see how it is lmao.

-So yeah Blade's a shark with magical bites that allow Eiden to breath underwater and Eiden is a marine biology researcher I think? I thought that was cute at first but then it didn't get mentioned again, he asked some questions but like, the type that makes you wonder if he does know anything at all. What did you go to college for, young man?

-I liked the format of the first part with just Blade talking by himself, it had a sort of otome vibe, I thought for a second that the whole short story would be like that but it's just the first part. He was swimming on his way to meet Darling and singing and hurrying to get there.

-The way they met is that I think the research boat Eiden was on ran into some trouble, capsized or something, and Blade saved Eiden from going down with the ship.

-Oh also, this Blade sleeps. It's not relevant I just noted it when he said it.

-So now Blade visits Darling often by the coast.

-The whole second part is basically Blade and Eiden going on their underwater date adventures to Blade's favorite spot at the seabed. They point at the different schools of fish swimming by and comment on the habits of different animals including the whales' singing as they are looking to mate. Blade then explains multiple animals different ways to court.

-This whole scene is so cute I wish I could recall it in detail, Blade's flirting and showing Eiden the way sharks court their crush which is not what wikipedia told me at all 💖 I love the way Blade talks in this scene, it felt different than usual, a lot more direct maybe? I liked the vibe they had going there for a second. Anyway they start fucking.

-I have a bit of beef with this scene. Blade tells Eiden he loves him, translation says "like" but he said "aishiteru no" and I don't know jp but I've been a weeb for long enough to know that's more serious. Either way, it's a very direct love confession. Eiden is very focused on the fact that the sea current feels good in his ass. Not even Blade's mermaid/white shark dick, the sea current. The more I let that scene simmer in my mind throughout the day the longer the rant I wanted to say got but I'm so tired at this point I'm just gonna accept it. Even in an au with just the two of them that they will never revisit or develop further it doesn't feel like Eiden likes Blade back. C'est la vie. I'm used to it from his usual event ssrs. He mentions at some point at the beginning that Blade is/looks cute and he likes Blade's tail so that's something I guess. Blade is happy and that's all that matters.

-Oh yeah, he also says Blade's tail is smooth to the touch and I burst out laughing in the middle of the night. Smooth sharks are the best.

-There's like 20 seconds of Eiden sleeping sounds before Blade finally speaks again to tell him to have sweet dreams. (Because both parts of the story are like a video with a timer I was actually panicking a bit seeing it reach the end without Blade speaking until the very last second lol).

All in all it was all very cute and very sweet and I gushed a lot, I really liked it. Blade's super endearing as always and that whole scene with him courting Eiden I need to read it again and again. And I've probably said it enough but he looks gorgeous and the visual itself is mesmerizing. There's a certain difference to Blade's personality in this short story from usual but I can't quite put it into words. Maybe he seemed more direct?

I also unlocked some of the theater collection and there's this exchange where Blade gives Eiden some stones and shells and Eiden's like "are you sure you want to give them to me?" and Blade's like "Are you seriously asking that?" And it really made me laugh, that's so unlike him to say lmao. He would usually say like "of course!" but this time he felt a bit more hmm sassy? lol I'm not gonna mention the other ones to let other people farm them but this one is an example of the slight personality change Blade has here.

Oh yeah we can't see his dick all that well so it's a little ambiguous what it looks like, he has no balls and what little we see of the shaft looks a bit pinker than usual so that's that. Who knows, maybe it is like a dolphin's lol. No no double dick lol sorry.

And then there is Nitro Chiral which focuses on BL games and is always surrounded by negative views over its depiction of toxic relationships (mostly in romantic context), disturbing scenarios and as some usually say “mishandling” of the said topics.

But the thing is… There is no mishandling of said topics. It’s mostly a perceived wrong idea/expectation of the stories.

The whole point of these stories made by Nitro+ -as Urobuchi said himself- is “Poison”. It’s to excite you AND to make you uncomfortable. It’s all about this weird feeling it forces you to feel while seeing the ugliest and most horrifying parts of mankind. (and that’s what makes it so beautiful)

That’s why to be able to truly understand and appreciate the stories of Nitro Chiral’s games (as well as Nitro+ games)  people should stop looking at them as “romantic stories”.

Yes they are marketed as BL games, yes the L stands for Love but that’s just a label to say it’s about same sex relationships, and these games are not dating simulators.

Yes there are multiple choices of characters in all different flavors of romantic tropes for the main character to end up with, but the stories are not about the main character finding his ultimate love and settling down.

The love interests are vessels for the story to help the player to understand more about the main character or the main plot of the story in different ways/perspectives or adding nuance to the plot. They’re not the main purpose of the plot.

Togainu no Chi is about Akira finally stopping to just pass through life with indifference and to finally Live his life.

Lamento is about Konoe being able to live a normal and peaceful life.

Sweet Pool is about Youji coming to terms with the horrors of all of the unwanted changes in his life.

Dramatical Murder is about Aoba accepting his unruly wild part of himself he keeps suppressing.

and Slow Damage is about understanding who is Towa, what is Towa and why is Towa.

Even the messy erotica is one of the main parts of the “Poison” not just as romantic interaction (like a “hey look at these idiots in love now lets watch them fuck yay!” way). Every erotic scene is telling something about the characters, and their relationship at that moment whether it’s toxic or wholesome.

Yes of course you can feel uncomfortable while watching Madarame straight up abusing Towa while acting like he wants what’s best for him and says he loves him, THAT’S THE POINT. And of course some can feel excited about that because there is a taboo and dangerous tension in that and again THAT’S THE DAMNED POINT.

And guess what? It was never intended to be romantic. It’s only romantic if you choose to look at it that way. The whole point of that storyline is for you -the player- to see Towa in that situation and understand how he's living in that situation and what will become of him and what decisions he will make. And it’s you who decides whether it’s exciting (aka get high on the Poison) or uncomfortable (aka die in pain on the poison).

It honestly baffles me how people call Madarame’s route as glorifying and romanticizing abuse. If you read that and felt it was romantic it’s because you saw it that way and if you felt it was absolute horror and toxic and can’t understand it to be romantic it’s because you saw it that way. And there’s nothing wrong with both of this feelings because THAT’S THE POINT.

And it can be said about all the other games like how I feel utterly baffled by seeing Keisuke and Akira’s pairing as one the most popular pairing of the game while I feel nothing but hatred and disgust about Keisuke’s route and he himself (lol).

But again THAT’S THE WHOLE POINT for you -the player- to consume that Poison and either die in ecstasy or die in bitter pain and disgust or even both.

It’s your perception of the story that gives it meaning for you and it’s because that’s how ART works. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the author is morally wrong or flawed in writing the story.

would you maybe just maybe maybe draw a little blade in a little flower garden.. flowers for darling… maybe he is walking his dog garu too but there are flowers..

BIG garden. littul blade