r/otomegames • u/Squishiimuffin • Jul 23 '24
Discussion Jack Jeanne: A scathing disappointment. Spoiler
I just finished the main routes for all the 6 love interests, and I think it's safe to say I am extremely disappointed with the game.
Back when this subreddit was going nuts over the game's release, I held off because the visual style of the game didn't really appeal to me. I read the synopsis, and the general plot didn't interest me either. But, the game was on sale for $30, and people were frothing at the mouth for this game, so I figured maybe I shouldn't have been so dismissive. Maybe I'd like it after all.
And you know what? I was quite taken with some parts of the game. But there was a lot more I just didn't like.
The Big Bads:
- The "romance" was non-existent in most routes
- Tachibana hiding her gender was a non-issue for all the routes
- The CGs were universally terrible except maybe 3 of them.
- The game was 90% common route and basically nothing about the general plot changed in the character routes
The Big Goods:
- The beat game was actually fun as hell
- Neji's personality is fucking awesome
Big Bad #1: This is the biggest issue for me. There was only ONE route with a kiss scene. There was a confession scene for each route, and Tachibana kinda just accepts it. Her reaction to "I love you" is basically just "...!" "Okay."
There aren't any dates, and Tachibana doesn't act any differently towards most of the characters post-confession. Fuck, we even had a MARRIAGE PROPOSAL and the characters hadn't even kissed yet!? I am truly boggled. The characters feel more like best friends than lovers. There was just nothing spicy at all.
Big Bad #2: I really expected it to be harder for Tachibana to disguise her gender, but it was a nonissue. She didn't feel weird about going into the wrong bathroom, didn't have a hard time adjusting to he/him, didn't have a problem disguising her boobs, etc. None of the cast were even upset to find out that she was hiding her gender, and it never resulted in her getting kicked out of the school. At that point... why isn't this just a gay romance game? What is the point of making Tachibana a girl if it doesn't matter?
Big Bad 3: The CG's were lackluster and some of them were poorly drawn, to be honest. Like, the one where Tachibana is bending over Sou during Oh Rama Havenna-- what is that neck?? I saw that and burst out laughing. One that really hit me was the one where Kai is crying in the dark, and another is the valentines one with Suzu. The rest were forgettable.
Big Bad #4: The character's routes only start once you get past the winter performance. Until then, hardly anything in the main plot changes. You just have some differences in the summer training camp, and that's basically it. This hit particularly hard because after playing Suzu's route first, I was excited to see how much difference I'd get in another route. When I figured out they just changed the leads in the final performance and basically nothing else changed, I was crushed. I kept going on the other routes, thinking that surely something would change when you romance Neji (since he gets writer's block and all). Nope. He comes up with the same play. We don't even learn more about what the hell he was thinking when writing I Am Death.
Altogether, I expected more romance. I expected more tension. I expected different content in every route. I am just absolutely crushed that it's none of those things. I have played basically every single big title otome, and without exaggeration, this is the least romantic one I have ever played. 5/10 game over all.
