It’s nothing mind-blowing or super-innovative, but it’s definitely enjoyable, and a fine entry into a genre that is pretty barren.

I think your suggestion for incorporating Gustave’s story would be a good way to do it, though to fit everything in the series would have to be at least 26 episodes, I think. Probably not too likely unless it manages to amass a Fate-class following (here’s hoping!).

I agree regarding the game coming together remarkably well – every time I thought the writer was introducing a new character or concept on the fly merely as a cheap dramatic gimmick he actually went back and made me care about whatever it was, which is no mean trick for a game like this.

I think the final route could’ve relied even a bit more on the others than it did, but narratively it’s definitely more mature in that respect than just about anything else I’ve played.

I love that Bale x Selma wallpaper, I’m using it on my machine right now as I type this. :3

Working on the review, should have it out tonight (maybe) or tomorrow (for sure).

Looking back over it, actually, I’m even more impressed at how well the game comes together as a whole… you really do need to play the [CENSORED] routes first. It’s remarkable that it doesn’t creak under its own weight (unlike Ayakashibito, IMO).

Have you seen the Bale x Dark!Selma wallpaper/short story-riff at the official site? Awesome stuff.

>>Dagger
Engaging in a bit of hypothetical fantasizing, if they do make it into an anime I wonder how they would deal with incorporating information from the secondary character routes into the main story. I don’t think Bullet Butlers would have nearly the trouble with streamlining multiple routes into a single narrative that other visual novels have had, but there would still be challenges.

お疲れ様！

>>Dagger
I’m not sure if I can bear to go back to Ayakashibito after this, though it seems like the next best thing (other than the novels) to sate my appetite for more, given the pace at which Propeller’s games come out. I wonder if they’d consider doing a sequel, or another game set in the same universe.

>>Y
Alive, and trying to stay that way (no thanks to this game for depriving me of precious sleep). >:O

>>L.C
I really didn’t have the free time to do this, to be honest, but it kind of forced me to regardless of whether I had the time or not. I guess it’s my addictive personality to blame… it’s probably a good thing the game did end, else I’d still be with it now instead of typing this. orz

>>Richard “Pocky” Kim
I enjoyed it very, very much – perhaps too much, if that’s possible. It may just be that it filled the gaping void of fantasy literature I’ve been lacking for the past few years, but man – great stuff.

>>Kurushimi
Now that I’ve finished the game I’d still say it would make a good anime adaptation, though I think only a studio like Production I.G could do it justice – in spirit it’s a bit like a fantasy version of Ghost in the Shell, only with more romance (it’s really not like that at all, but it’s an easy comparison). If anything would hinder an anime conversion it would be that the character dialogue is at times a bit too literary, and would need to be trimmed for conversion to a more actively visual medium.

There’s a faint chance the game could see an English release… here’s hoping.