Yay or Nay?: Wanted: Romance Renegades (Otome Game)

As promised, a new otome review! I’ve been playing Voltage’s newest “coin” release, save for Court of Darkness for a while now, and I have some mixed feelings on it. Supposedly, this game was one that didn’t do so well with Japanese audiences and is only now just getting English localization. It’s been out for a couple of months now, and as of now, I’ve played two routes: Mikiya and Yunosuke’s routes. 

As a side note: I believe Mikiya’s route is the true one, but I’m not sure (since it was the first released). But, if this is incorrect, someone please tell me! 

So let’s get into the review! This is my thoughts on Wanted: Romance Renegades!

The Story

You are a banker at a Yotsuba Bank and have landed a big account— the Masaki account, which is quite a feat for your position and company. After attending a rather splendid party to celebrate your success, it is discovered that someone has been embezzling money from the Masaki account. That person? You! When you try to prove your innocence, it seems nobody believes you—except for one person (the route you end up choosing). Together, you and the character of your choice are on the run, trying to find the true culprit and prove your innocence. 

So, the story seems simple, and even interesting enough. I didn’t so much have a problem with the execution of the story, so much as the plots of individual routes (especially Mikiya’s, whom I will get to in a moment). It’s an interesting enough story with an interesting premise—if not a little simplistic in nature. 

My Thoughts 

My thoughts are best put in this way— one route I find extremely problematic, and the other not so much. This being, I like Yunosuke’s route, but hate Mikiya’s. This comes down to two things: 1) The MC, and 2) Story and Plot Development. Both of which are done fairly well in one route, and terribly in the other. 

So, let’s start with Mikiya. Mikiya is your manager at the bank. Also (spoilers), a double agent working for Yunosuke. During his route, most of the story is working on you, the MC, trying to understand your situation. And boy, is it irritating to read. This MC is a straight-up idiot. Straight up. She keeps not listening to Mikiya when he tells her to stay hidden, or more importantly, to not reach out to her family—lest she gets them involved. Which she does and then it causes a lot of other issues. If not that stupidity, this girl keeps “running” away, thinking Mikiya is the real culprit (more on that later) or thinking she’s a burden to him and trying to survive on her own. Which she can’t. If not all these things, she thinks that she’s a burden to everyone else—can’t trust anyone, and would be better off dead. This is recycled at least at ten different points during the route and offers no character development or any sort of epiphany from beginning to end. It’s irritating to read because, unlike with other MCs like this that voltage releases— at least they have some form of development, even if it’s not self-reliance or independence. It’s something. But nothing of the sort happens here. 

Bringing us to the second point: Mikiya’s story and plot: I thought at some point both Mikiya and MC would get to a point halfway through the story where they would learn to trust each other and then some romance building could progress. Only this isn’t the case. Don’t get me wrong, they do get to that point, but like, about 5 episodes from the end. Up until that point its a back of forth of “can I really trust you?”, “let me run away”, and “don’t worry about me, I don’t need you”. This is basically what the story is, and it’s problematic because they don’t really fall in love with each other: it just kinda happens. Literally, at some point, they decide because they’re the only two people they can rely on and trust, they’re in love. That’s not love, if not Stockholm syndrome (ish), and point of circumstance. I literally had to reread the last few chapters and go “huh? How are you in love with him by this point?” The plot and pacing are just wrong here. I’m disappointed particularly about this because the story itself isn’t bad— it just isn’t told right! 

Now, in comparison, Yunosuke’s is a story told correctly. Yunosuke is the head of the Masaki Trading Corp. the account you (as MC) have landed. The story is set up between being on the run, but with a focus on growing the relationship between the MC and Yunosuke. We find out some interesting things about both of their pasts, and unlike Mikiya’s: YOU SEE WHY THEY FALL IN LOVE! At the same time, that gives some buildup for why the MC might want to leave him (she doesn’t want to cause him trouble or pain). Most of all, this story gives a concrete reason for why he helps out the MC, which Mikiya’s didn’t really do. I don’t want to provide too many spoilers, as I think this is the route you should get if this game interests you, as it has a decent story and good backbone in terms of plot. 

In addition to that, Yunosuke as a character is explored and paced well. Slowly, you get a look into his life and past, how he was raised, and why he also believes you’re innocent. More than that, the story (as I’ve harped on) takes the time to develop and grow organic chemistry between you two. It’s a story and character that engrosses you, rather it keeps you out of the story with glaring inconsistencies and irregularities. EXCEPT, with the ending of his route, which takes such a curveball, and is so unexplained, it left me with a lot of questions and then made me wonder if it was a good idea. And that was the happy ending. 

So having read the endings of both, I would recommend Yunosuke's route, but even his remains a little problematic due to his route's end, which I won't spoil, but I will say, is so not okay in my book. 

My Rating 

So I would give Yunosuke’s route a buy if this story and setting is something you want to explore. Again though, I wouldn't totally recommend it even there.  The story, in general, isn’t really my cup of tea, but I enjoyed Yunosuke’s route enough. That is, until the ending. 

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3 Stars) 

~Meghan