Tag: Pub Encounter

I personally loved it, but it’s not for everyone.

Work has been killing me lately, but even so, I’ve found a bit of time for some anime and otome games. Unfortunately, I find that the older I get, the more I roll my eyes in annoyance and frustration at younger romances – to the point where I can’t even enjoy games that I would have enjoyed if I’d played them a few years ago, like “Nameless” (which wasn’t a bad game by any means, but…ugh, high school). And then I saw some posts on my dash earlier about how newer Voltage games are getting more shallow, while the deeper, more mature games that are about older characters – like “Kiss of Revenge” and “In Your Arms Tonight” – are getting left by the wayside.

And that reminded me that I never posted my thoughts on this little gem: “Pub Encounter” (also known as “Dandy Shot”) by D3 Publisher, who has released several other “Forbidden Romance” pay-per-story otome games for mobile that might be worth looking into.

This game is probably for you if you like older men (and I mean like way older; even the gray-haired dude is dateable) with tragic pasts, with lots of angst and smut (seriously, there’s a lot of sex – though it’s not much worse than some of Voltage’s recent games).

This game is definitely NOT for you if you’re looking for cute romantic fluff with hot young guys, if any of the above turns you off (obviously), or if you hate faceless main characters who cry a lot (did I mention there’s a lot of angst?) and come off as a bit clingy in certain routes.

Overall, I think this is just one of those games that you either love or hate.

I personally loved it. The chapters were nice and long, each story was a well-written emotional rollercoaster, the whole cast had great chemistry with each other, and I liked getting to know these characters a little at a time and figuring out the details of their tragic pasts alongside the MC. They felt a lot more nuanced than just “oh, he’s so-and-so character type,” which I appreciated.

But I’ve also seen a lot of hate for it. Specifically, I saw a lot of hate for Mamoru (even though he’s honestly the most attractive and has one of the better relationships with the MC) because his first chapter comes off a lot more creepy (even on the verge of being kinda rape-y) than what was intended.

Other than that… honestly, they’re all pretty crappy boyfriends who try to push you away once they realize you’re getting “too close” (or at least, that’s how it went in the three routes I’ve played so far; I can’t speak for Soichiro or Ryunosuke). So if you don’t like that kind of angst and drama, then you’ll probably hate this game. But if you like characters you just want to hug and cuddle while crying, “Nuuuu, my poor baby!” then you’ll probably like it.

shrug It’s definitely not for everyone, but I figured a lot of people probably hadn’t heard of it, so I thought I’d bring it to light. I’d really like to see more otome games that are made with adults in mind…but then again, that just makes me feel old. ;o;

Feel free to comment or discuss the game with me. I would love to hear your opinions!

Originally posted January 13, 2015 on Tumblr.