Sweet Nothings

PROS

It’s pretty.

The game is drawn in this soft painterly aesthetic that works very well with the genre. There are a few hiccups here and there with the proportions and colouring, but all in all, it’s quite nice to look at. 

It’s fully voiced.

Pretty much everyone aside from the MC is voiced this game. 'Course, some voices were better than others. You can tell certain people had better microphones, while others were simply extras pulled in to do some last minute voicing, but overall, I’d say it adds more than it detracts from the quality of the game. This was a plus for me. 

NEUTRALS

It’s a scheduling game.

The gameplay largely consists of planning what Leia does each week. These choices all work to raise her stats, which are in turn linked to the love interests’ routes. Get a high enough score, and you can unlock special cutscenes that are marked on the calendar with hearts. Low scores on the other hand, can bump you off a route or sometimes even kill you.

I know certain people don’t really enjoy stat-raising. If so, then this is probably not the game for you. I’m not against it myself, but this felt a little bit tedious. The time given for you to raise her points is way too long compared to what you actually need. I found myself pretty much picking things at random by the end. In the future, I hope they implement a “repeat previous schedule” button, like they do in other games, so that it becomes less troublesome. 

The romance aspect is adequate.

There are four love interests in the game: Christ, your best friend; Locke, the student body president; Leo, your teacher; and Jesse, a mysterious vampire. Just looking at those descriptors, you can probably tell which archetypes are in play here. I wouldn’t say anything surprised me, but nothing really disappointed me either. Pretty much adequate, I’d say. 

All routes deal with the same main plot, but the guy you choose affects the angle at which you can deal with it. This means a little bit more gets revealed each time you unlock a new route. +1 for replay value. 

CONS

The translations are awkward.

This is a Chinese game with very awkward English translations. Although the dialogue is often grammatically correct, it’s also very literal. At times, I couldn’t fully comprehend what they were saying, let alone process what it meant for the plot as a whole. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

Blood Code has potential, but doesn’t rise to the occasion. The translations made it hard for me to understand the plot and, more importantly, fall in love with the characters. Given that this is an otome game, that’s pretty serious. I don’t think I can recommend this right now, sorry! 

That said, the devs are pretty active on Steam. I believe they’ve stated that they’re still in the middle of proofreading dialogue, so there is hope for this game yet! 

And of course, if you understand Chinese, the game is also playable in its original language. I’m confident that it’s much more enjoyable like that, so please do try it if you can! 

We catch up with the MC three months after the prologue. She's rejected all of the marriage proposals, and is still looking for a job. It’s while filling out applications at a nearby cafe that she runs into Tamaki. 

Through an odd series of events, they end up at a bar with a bet: if he can drink the MC under the table, she’ll consent to be his fake wife for a month. In exchange, he’ll get her a job at his father’s company. She loses, of course, and so starts their forged wedding life.

SHE KNOWS!!!

Tamaki needs her to be the trophy corporate wife. He’s up against his stepbrother for the succession of the company, and needs to play up the image of being a stable young professional. 

Why does he want the position so much? It’s because he wants to stop his rival from demolishing the neighbourhood’s baseball field. Tamaki also used to play on Kunihiko’s team. And while he’d never admit it, the place, as well as his old friends, still mean a lot to him.

A guy with a smile like that can’t be all bad #otomelogic

The route ends with the fake relationship found out. The succession and the future of the field are up in the air, but Tamaki gets his personal life sorted out. He reconnects with his old friends and owns up to his feelings with MC. It wasn’t a perfect ending tied up with a neat little bow, but it was just as satisfying. 

All in all, this was a pretty fun read. MC and Tamaki have a nice rapport with each other. Though at times, I did get whiplash because of how quickly they turned hot and cold on each other, it was pretty easy to root for them. I love how he’s attracted to the oddball side of her. This means you get to click all of the weird choices and still come up with the Super Happy Ending. MC trolls her way to romance, basically. It was so liberating.

Don't think. Just click.

That said, I don’t know if I’m onboard with some of the stuff Tamaki did in this route.  There’s the usual borderline sexual harassment. But also some manipulation. And then some half-truths. I kept waiting for better reasoning behind the things that he did, but nothing surfaced. It dialled down my enjoyment of this route a little bit, which is sad cause he’s my favourite type of character— the subtle tsundere. 

All in all, I’d give this a 7/10. It had some nice moments and I did like their relationship, but a few troublesome details kept me from enjoying it fully. It did make me want to get Yamato’s route though.

Chapter 1

Look for a hidden camera.

You’ll hurt your wife’s feelings.

Chapter 2

Hmm, I wonder?

(sarcastically) You’re far too kind... 

Chapter 3

I’ll hold on to it for now.

That’s not the issue here. 

Chapter 4

Even as your wife, I won’t do it.

Why do you want to know? 

Chapter 5

Apologize to the shochu.

I’m not a good match for you then! 

Chapter 6

Maybe I’ll wear this at Long Island sometimes.

How did you figure that out? 

Chapter 7

Hide under the blankets.

How about listing it as cooking? 

Chapter 8

Look at Tamaki, but say nothing.

Hit me back. 

Chapter 9

What is happiness, anyway?

I’m just happy to marry the man I love. 

Chapter 10

Do you have a black underwear fetish?

What if I said I wasn’t pretending? 

Chapter 11

Gently tickle him.

I’m jealous of you, too. 

Chapter 12

Don’t make fun of me.

You’re the idiot. 

Chapter 13

You still care about him.

There may or may not have been... 

Chapter 14

We’re not married yet.

I’m such an idiot. 

Chapter 1

You’ve gotten so tall.

I’m not a good subject…

Chapter 2

Look at Riku.

I don’t know…

Chapter 3

Talk about Cielo.

I’m surprised.

Chapter 4

You really respect him, huh.

Thanks to Cielo.

Chapter 5

Want to go look for him?

You have a good memory.

Chapter 6

Can I sit next to you?

Are you okay with that?

Chapter 7

Thanks to you, Riku.

You should talk about it.

Chapter 8

I hope he’ll give it his all.

…you too, Riku.

Chapter 9

Touch his cheek.

…I don’t get it.

Chapter 10

Answer honestly.

Is that okay?

Chapter 11

About Riku.

Fake a smile.

Chapter 12

Don’t apologize.

Wait here.

Riku is a professional photographer. He’s childhood friends with the MC, but they grew apart after after unsuccessfully dating in high school. In this route, MC’s company hires him to be part of their 100th anniversary exhibition. He ends up having to follow and photograph her as she organizes various events. The close proximity forces them to come to terms with their past, and consider that maybe some things are worth giving a second shot. 

So yay, Riku! I was so excited when my phone beeped to let me know that his story was finally available for purchase. Don’t know about you guys, but his shabby chic aesthetic totally does things to me.

I see two puppies

Visual overkill aside though, I was pleasantly surprised by how mature this route is. As a fellow introvert, I found Riku very relatable. He loves the MC, but has trouble getting his feelings across. He’s also pretty scared to put himself out there, so he surrounds himself with people and things that adhere to his way of thinking. I like that he and the MC were complete opposites who brought out the best in each other, and I enjoyed seeing him open up towards the end of the route. There are few things hotter than a guy who’s not afraid to express himself, amiright!? 

That said, part of the plot involved him being in a relationship with his mentor’s girlfriend. It’s super weird. Basically, she cheats with him when she feels lonely and her boyfriend is totally fine with it. The whole thing left an odd taste in my mouth— not because I thought worse of Riku for consenting, but because I felt awkward about how the MC was always butting in and forcing her opinion on it.

Like, girl, you just met these people. Are you seriously going to meddle with their private lives? The disconnect between what my character was doing and what I would do in the same situation took me out of the story at times. 

Aside from that though, MC was pretty reliable in this route. She was motivated and professional at work. There was zero pining over Hiro. She wasn’t even that dense either. She picks up on and accepts Riku’s feelings for her, long before he even confesses. +1 for for self-awareness! 

Chapter 1

Thank you.

What kind of repayment?

Chapter 2

Ryoko is.

Say something back.

Chapter 3

Stare at Ichiya.

Smile happily.

Chapter 4

Just eating with him isn’t so bad…

You might be right.

Chapter 5

Take a good look at him.

Offer him some tea.

Chapter 6

Gently remove Hiroki’s hand.

Ask him gently.

Chapter 7

Aren’t you gonna eat some?

My clothes are all wet.

Chapter 8

Finish talking to Ichiya.

I know that you’re sometimes kind.

Chapter 9

You want a blanket?

That’s an awful thing to say.

Chapter 10

I wanted to talk about the project.

Did you write that?

Chapter 11

Stick up for Ichiya.

Grip his hand back.

Chapter 12

I won’t lose to you, Ichiya.

Get revenge.

Ichiya is the hotshot CEO of an up-and-coming interior design firm, and also your childhood nemesis. He terrorized you and your friends growing up. MC, in particular, has bad memories of being bullied by him. But when his company and yours team up to produce a concept cafe, you’re forced to put aside your differences and work alongside each other. In the process, she comes to realize that he might not be so bad.

Nope, not bad at all

My first impressions of Ichiya weren’t very favourable. I bought his route thinking he’d be a big ole softy underneath all that snark, but nope! He’s genuinely a jerk. The early chapters had him being condescending, obnoxious and maybe just a little bit inappropriate.

Must... resist... urge to bash his face in

I almost dropped this out of sheer frustration, but as I plodded along, the story did a pretty good job of making him likeable. It was easy to empathize with him as they revealed more of his backstory. While I wouldn’t say he was redeemed by any of his actions, it was more than enough for me to give him the benefit of the doubt. 

Part of the credit should also go to the MC. I really liked how she handled him in this route. She was upset at all the right times, and she never hesitated to put him in his place when it was needed. I was also a fan of how proactive she was in this route, in both her relationship with Ichiya and her work. You go girl!

I did find the romance a bit lacking though. Ichiya is very interesting. I enjoyed his character development a lot, but he never inspired the kind of heart palpitations that Takamune did. That said, I’m pretty curious to see how their relationship will progress past the honeymoon stage. They’re such an odd couple! And the part where he admits that the MC is his first love is pretty cute. I’ll probably check out some more of his stories in the future. 

Chapter 1

Ask Taka to come too.

It’s still a little painful.

Chapter 2

It’s no trouble.

Thanks for worrying about me.

Chapter 3

Say they were both cool out there.

Wait until he notices.

Chapter 4

How is the new team?

It was just a misunderstanding.

Chapter 5

It’d be nice to walk home with you.

You really are a pro.

Chapter 6

Should I not have come?

Just keep being yourself.

Chapter 7

Calmly inform him.

It wasn’t all my doing.

Chapter 8

Things are going great.

I’d like to go there.

Chapter 9

A rollercoaster.

Could we go out again sometime?

Chapter 10

Give him some encouragement.

Sit and watch.

Chapter 11

Walk him to the lobby.

Talk to Taka.

Chapter 12

Wave.

Keep quiet.

Takamune is the professional soccer player who just moved back into your apartment complex. He’s more Ayato’s friend than yours. Without a buffer, your relationship with each other is somewhat awkward. This was never a problem though, not until a persistent paparazzo forces Takamune to downplay his friendship with the MC. The ensuing awkwardness makes her want to get closer to him, and well, you know what comes next. 

No complaints here bud!

I wasn’t expecting to like his route as much as I did. Takamune is such a gem. He’s a sweet guy who gives his all in everything he does, but since he doesn’t express himself very well, it gives way to a lot of misunderstandings. I really enjoyed how he gradually opened up to the MC. Their way their feelings developed felt very organic. I totally understood how they fell for each other.

Totally understood.

I also really liked the dynamic between him and Ayato. They’re the oddball best friend pair. They beat each other up, then go right back to acting normal. And as much as I hate love triangles, I feel like the one in this route was handled pretty well. The conflict didn’t drag on, and I felt very satisfied with its resolution. 

#SQUADGOALS

First things first, bless Voltage. Bless them a thousand times over for releasing a game focused on friends to lovers romances (my ultimate weakness!). This reads like the second, slightly more mature coming of Dreamy Days in West Tokyo. If you’ve played that game, then you pretty much know what to expect.

It’s very slice-of-life; full of character development and fluff. Everyone in the game has known you for a while. It makes for a lot of idle chatter and cute childhood flashbacks. Your friend group is a bit more mature this time around though, so the banter is somewhat lacking. This series isn’t quite as funny as DDIWT was. But since most of the characters in MFLK seem more developed and therefore more interesting, I suppose it all balances out.

As for the MC, I’d say she's a little bit better than your typical Voltage heroine? She’s still naive, dense, totally inexperienced with relationships and a tiny bit incompetent at work (changes from route to route), but she’s not a doormat. She actually stands up to the jerks in the game pretty well, and she doesn’t put herself down excessively either. I liked playing her for the most part.

Bottomline: this series is golden. If you enjoy easy breezy romances with gorgeous art, this is the game for you. For a more in-depth review, feel free to click on the character reviews below. Happy romancing!

Ayato Hidaka

Ichiya Misono {Review + Walkthrough}

Makoto Morimachi

Kitami Takamune {Review + Walkthrough}