Yay or Nay? Enchanted in the Moonlight (Otome Game)

An INTERLUDE BY ME BEFORE YOU READ

Now, before you freak out and go “holy god you’re actually posting again”. Yes. Yes, I am. I know I promised a post about Japan about like, four months ago, and you have every reason to ask “where the hell were you guys?” 

Truth is, grad school turned out to be A LOT of commitment and work. As well as the fact that being a Teaching Assistant does take up the spare time you do have. No regrets, I love it, I just really didn’t think that it would be four months of non-stop reading, writing papers, and marking. But it was. I mean yeah I should’ve expected that— but it surpassed my expectations and I was consistently overwhelmed for a very long while.

But now, I can happily say I’ll start posting again! Maybe not as regularly as I’d like (I apologize already), and likely there won’t be a set schedule of posts from here on in, but it probably won’t be another four-month period. Hopefully. Ideally. I have no plans to stop this blog, so please just be patient. 

My life was a mess for a little bit. But back on track! Japan was fantastic for the record (hopefully some of you saw it on our blog’s Instagram page @scrutinizingmasochists). If you didn’t, check it out! It was a BLAST!

Also, I picked up so much otome merch in Japan it wasn’t even funny. And I have so many books for my birthday last Sunday. So needless to say I have a lot to get through this Christmas. 

BRIEF INTERLUDE OVER

The Story…Well, the Prologue

But otome merch in Japan was what got me onto this game. Enchanted in the Moonlight is one of the older, more experienced Voltage games on the Love 365 app. I…want to say it was because I bought this flip book in Japan for the tenth anniversary with all their games on it, and I was like “oh this game looks fantastic.” That, and the prologue. The prologue got me SO INTO THIS SHIT. 

Basically, you wake up on a Blood Moon, and because of that, this indicates that you’re the “special human” that appears once every one thousand years, and as a result, five demons show up at your door, after saving you from “ayakashi” (I think I spelled that wrong). So, because of your “power” (I use the term lightly because I’m still not exactly sure what it is that you do as the MC other than be a powerhouse for the ayakashi), you need to make a “pact” with a demon of your choice, who will mark and protect you, and eventually, have a baby with you (which I might add, you don’t want to do). 

Yikes…so that’s a lot to consume, and I totally get it if my description sounds totally weird (and/or) off-putting. But, when you play through it, it’s pretty damn enticing, or at least it was for me. It gave me “Hiiro no Kakera” flashbacks, but like, in a better way. So my first pick for this game was Yukinojo, the “Yukibito”, or ice-demon. 

It was pointed out to me that he’s often mistaken for a woman. Mehhh? I can see it, but at the same time, not. I thought he was the nicest, and he seemed like the more “teasing” type, which is my favourite character for these kinds of games. Also, for some reason, I keep thinking he reminds me of Yue from Cardcaptors. I don’t know why— they literally have no connection. 

Anyway. I’ll tell you who I didn’t like. Miyabi. Now before you grab your torches and pitchforks, as he’s the fan favourite (from what I gathered), I didn’t like him because he sucked or his route was bad, per se. Just not my type. Surprisingly, I actually thought he would be my favourite as well. But nope. I digress…

Yukinojo’s route is interesting in the fact that, well, he’s hot and cold. He’s nice one minute, and then icy (Hah, the pun), the next. But there’s a reason!!!! 

I won’t spoil, but I have the affinity for picking the routes with the guys who are haunted by their pasts. I hate that I have such an affinity, but I do. Which ultimately, soured the story for me, since nothing “romantic” was really resolved or affirmed in any way until the very last episode. Actually, for a while, I thought I skipped something and got the bad ending because the “romantic” part was the MC and Yukinojo walking into the sunset promising to start something new, but it almost sounded like he was friend zoning her. 

That, and the romance…wasn’t romance? I don’t think that anything directed itself towards a real “romance” in any of the routes I did. Except for Samon’s, which had more depth. I don’t know how to explain it better than this: newer Voltage games at least have more romantic tropes to them— so that you know its romance and you get a feel for it throughout the latter half of a given route. Yukinojo’s seemed like it was going to go there but never did. And then when it did, it was the end. Like the actual end. And I’m not talking about smut or sexy times— just generally “romance”, like kissing or affectionate gestures. I get that in Yukinojo’s there is a justification for that as a plot point, but even when it is resolved, there’s nothing. Which for me playing, was anti-climactic. This is not just unique to Yukinojo’s, although he was more noticeable. A lot of the given routes do this, and it doesn’t seem balanced to me. In terms of just story and development, I’d actually hedge that this game does a good job of that. The stories are interesting and have their own unique plots that let you explore the Ayakashi world, and the individual character’s backstories. Each has their own specific “villain”, and in that regard, it was nice to see this wasn’t a “copypasta” story, with one general storyline, but different romances at the end (like Princess Arthur). However, what you get for that, you seem to sacrifice in terms of “romancing” the character. I could be wrong, but this was my observation. 

That and the MC…

So, I’m torn with her. I like that on some routes she actually has a mind, and her own agency in that when these demons show up and are like “you will form a pact with us and have this child”, she’s like “are you nuts?” and generally, acts like a decent, normal, smart, human being.

I said generally. 

The reason for that is because, in some of the routes, she’s just wayyyyyy to pragmatic or accepting of the situation. Like wayyyyy too much. Like she obviously has to make the pact but goes into it way too easily (as if she’s trying to decide what she wants to buy at a grocery store, easily). Like hmm okay, I guess this is happening so I pick….

Which, yeah, part of the story. Suspense and disbelief and all that. But in other cases its just like…wow. Wow, lady, there is no way you can be okay with this. Which also affects the little romance plot there is because it is not a progression of events that leads her to fall in love, but in some cases just, “oh I think I love him”. Again, not for all the routes, but some. Samon’s route is fantastic for rectifying all these problems, and Chikage’s as well, guided by the plot. 

So, while I have no glaring problems with the MC, there are some that, if you’ve played this, you already know, but if you haven’t and you do, you’ll kinda question why she makes the decisions or thinks the way she does. For me though, it was more the question of “how are you so pragmatic and accepting of this?” most of the time. 

Hikobei, the Kappa, while I’m at it is ultimately a pointless character, but he’s hilarious and he makes my life. Quite often. Go Hikobei. I appreciate his existence, and the world needs more characters like him. 

My Rating 

Not a long review, because I wanted to cover the general ground without spoiling the specifics of this game. I liked it, but it has its flaws, don’t get me wrong. Not utterly great, but not utterly horrible, and a great “in-betweener” if you want something lighthearted, short, and fantasy-like for a little bit. 

My Rating? ⭐⭐⭐1/2

3.5 Stars! Definitely, buy a route, but make sure to read the character profiles so you pick one you like. Pick the wrong route for you, and you’ll likely be bored, or just won’t like it. 

-Meghan