Completion: 100% (All CGs, all side stories read, all endings, all glossary entries)
Time to complete: 55 hours
Order Routes were played:
Riku → Tokisada → Kuroba → Yosuga → Himuka → Akaza
[Himuka’s unlocks after the first four are completed, and Akaza's after you finish Himuka’s, essentially making it the true route.]
Enjoyment of Routes (most to least):
Akaza → Riku/Himuka → Kuroba → Yosuga → Tokisada
(Honestly this was really hard to rank, because I adored Yosuga, but his route was a little problematic and wonky in some spots; Akaza’s and Himuka’s were great because all of the lore came full circle, but I also really liked everyone.)
Some trigger warnings to note: attempted/actual SA of the MC and other characters (not from the LIs), mentions of suicide, the whole game revolving around a form of colorism (not sure that that’s really a t.w., but...)
This is probably the most mature “normal” otome game/VN I’ve played. (I’m saying normal because actual mature/hentai/whatever ones exist.) They’re usually quite tame, with a kiss CG/description being the most you get. However, considering the premise of this game, things got a little ~spicier~ between the MC and the LIs in each route. There aren’t any super explicit CGs in the game, but you do see depictions of them in bed together and in various states of undress without seeing anything graphic. It was honestly refreshing, as I’m a grown woman and it’s nice to see more realistic physical relationships between adults in these sorts of games.
Okay, the premise. I decided to include an overview here because the game description did not at ALL prepare me for what this game was. Without spoiling things:
Olympia is the last of her people, the “White” of Tennyo Island. Tennyo Island is surrounded by whirlpools and is inhabited only by the Women of the White. These women are loyal worshippers of the sun goddess Amaterasu. Close by is a much larger island, Tenguu Island, where Olympia has lived since the rest of the White died when she was five. The inhabitants of Tenguu Island all live in sectors according to their color traits (as in hair, eyes, etc.). YEP, YOU READ THAT RIGHT. The highest tier (below White, though) is that of the primary colors: Blue, Yellow, and Red. The second tier has people whose color traits come from combinations of the primary classes: vermillion, orange, jade, green, cyan, aqua, violet, purple, and fuschia. After that there are people of the Pied Class, who are born to the Primary and Secondary classes, but don’t exhibit those color traits. Primary and Secondary class members can marry each other. Pied cannot marry above their class. Everyone with rare, too many, etc. color traits must live in the underground city Yomi, are looked down upon, treated like trash, and most can never come up to the surface. They’re called the Versi. Even below them are the Black. Mmmhmm. Criminals are also sent to Yomi forever if they aren’t executed.
The role of the White is to ensure that the sun continues to shine, and the members of the White are allowed to marry whomever they wish. Before, the women of the White would “somehow” (spoiler-ish) get a man to come to the island safely and have a baby with him, though men could not stay and live on the island. The baby would always be a girl of the White. So begins our story, with Olympia turning 18 (marriageable age), and being told she has a year to find a husband to continue the White lineage since she’s the only one left.
Despite this sounding absolutely atrocious, most of it is handled quite well. I’m sure my perspective as a white woman (not to be confused with a Woman of the White) isn’t the best, but the majority of the game is Olympia learning more deeply about Tenguu Island (as she mostly stayed closed up in the manor of her guardian her whole life) and being appalled by both the color system and the way the “lower” tiers are treated. Most of the LIs (Red, Blue, Green, Purple, Black, mystery) and major supporting characters are also trying desperately to bring change to the island, and the White/Black inclusion is more focused on the fact that the women of the White literally kept the sun from going out. It doesn’t feel super white savior-y, but as I said, I’m not in the best position to judge that. I think the game manages to do a pretty great job of showing prejudice, how people are affected by it, how people respond to it differently, and how people rise against it. That is the overall message of the game, but it is still a romance with some drama and magic and gods and crazy shit. There’s also a disease called haku that they haven’t been able to create a vaccine or very effective cure for that is a constant fear for everyone.
Some other interesting things of note: Tenguu island is completely cut off from the rest of the world by giant whirlpools, but random items from the Outside world wash up there. Therefore, the technology is kind of all over the place. There’s electricity and horse-drawn carriages all over the island, and in the museum, you can see electric fans, guns, televisions, etc. I can’t really get into this without completely giving away the lore that’s revealed in Himuka and Akaza’s routes. There’s a lot of different food available on the island, so I did find myself wondering about animals/livestock. Smaller border islands used for farming were mentioned but not animals specifically, though I’m assuming they were kept there.
I found the lore of the game to be fascinating. I also really enjoyed how each route delved into a different aspect of the island and its history, or a different color class. For example, Kuroba is a doctor, so his route had a lot to do with haku and searching for a cure. He’s also of the Black class which is considered the very bottom, so it really goes into his struggles growing up in Yomi, being recognized for his academic achievement and being able to attend school and become a doctor. All of the LIs have distinct personalities, goals, motivations, and backgrounds, and I really appreciated the effort put into their individual routes.
The common route has no choices, which was a new method. Basically, you read through the common route, which gives both you and Olympia a feel of the LIs and the island in general, then pick whichever of the first four available LIs. Their route then contains choices which will net you one good and two bad endings each. After finishing one, you can just pick the last chapter of the common route, skip through it, and select the next LI. This was much nicer than having to skip through the whole common route like in most other VNs.
Also, there were THIRTY side stories. Each of the LIs had an extra story, and introduction/interview thing, and a letter about how things are going post-story. Then, many of the supporting characters also had a letter.
The art is RIDICULOUSLY pretty, and the music is lovely. This is one of my favorite tracks from the game:
I think if a game is going to address a system of prejudice like this, it did an alright job of it. Nothing was just magically solved in the end, with everyone being happy and no longer shitting on the "lower" classes, but the start of real change was noticeable. I felt that was a more realistic way of ending each route, but it also leaves room for a sequel/fandisc to show us how each route progressed from there. There were also plenty of shitty characters to hate for their beliefs, and really great characters to cheer for.
I feel kind of weird rating this so highly because some might say the premise is problematic, but I didn't find the game to be really preachy or white-biased. Some might feel differently. I just think the game did many things well, from the setup of the routes, to the world-building, the characters, the music and art, and so on.
