As an office romance enthusiast, Sympathy Kiss proved to be a fun journey right up my alley. Here are my thoughts on this game!
Disclaimer: The route overview section contains minor, out-of-context spoilers. The route overviews of the secret LIs are hidden – click only if you want to read them. This review is based on my experience playing the Japanese version.
Contents
Basic information
✿ Director: Aoki Hiroe [other work – Lover Pretend, VitaminX Destination]
✿ Character design: Fuji Rito [other work – Lover Pretend, Library Cross]
✿ Platform: Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite
✿ Genre: Slice-of-Life, Drama, Romance
✿ Rating: CERO D (17 years and above), ESRB Mature
✿ Release date: 17 Nov 2022 (JP), 27 Feb 2024 (ENG)
✿ Japanese: シンパシー・キス
Visit the official website here (ENG).
Synopsis and setting
Step into the shoes of Akari Amasawa, the newest designer at Estario.
Upon receiving your first annual performance review, you are tasked with breathing new life into the company’s flagship app: Estarci, which is under threat of closure within the next six months.
While you don’t dislike your job, you’re not deeply passionate about it either. With up to 6 romanceable characters, perhaps passion lies elsewhere in the workplace.
From the director (Hiroe Aoki) and artist (Fujirito) of Lover Pretend comes an immersive office drama set in Japan. Can you rise to the challenge and save Estarci? Will you find office romance along the way?
Trigger warning (click to reveal)
Implied sexual activities, sexual assault, stalking, physical and verbal violence, dubious consent, involuntary drugging, and toxic parenting.
Main characters
Amasawa Akari
✤ Voice actor: Not voiced.
✤ Our supposed self-insert, eyeless heroine; but she has so much personality!
✤ 23 years old.
Saotome Mitsuki
✤ Voice actor: Kajiwara Gakuto.
✤ Same voice actor as Mitsuki (Jack Jeanne), Akira (Café Enchanté), and Kamuro (Tengoku Struggle).
✤ 24 years old. Eccentric hit maker x personal space invader.
Minato Kouhei
✤ Voice actor: Umehara Yuuichirou.
✤ Same voice actor as Same voice actor as Benkei (Birushana), Paschalia (Radiant Tale), Jasper (Majestic Majolical), Ginnojou (Ayakashi Romance Reborn), and more!
✤ 25 years old. Older recruit x cynic.
Kobase Youji
✤ Voice actor: Okitsu Kazuyuki.
✤ Same voice actor as Ankou (Virche), Tsukuyomi (OlymSoi), Masaomi (BroCon), Kyrie (OZMAFIA!!), Korei (Jakou no Lyla), Leon (Reine des Fleurs), and Rindo (Cendrillon PalikA).
✤ 31 years old. Fierce boss x clumsy tsundere.
Yoshioka Rokuro
✤ Voice actor: Yamashita Seiichirou.
✤ Same voice actor as Same voice actor as Hugo (Virche), Yoichi (Winter’s Wish), Jeremiah (Money Parasite), and Ruwo (Matsurika no Kei).
✤ 28 years old. Future CEO x prince charming.
Tainaka Nori
✤ Voice actor: KENN.
✤ Same voice actor as Limbo (Bustafellows), Nori (SympathyKiss), Fuuto (Brothers Conflict), Kei (Ken ga Kimi), Kintarou (Yunohana Spring!), Orpheus (Reine des Fleurs), and many others!
✤ 22 years old. Moocher x sweetheart.
Usui Shuuya
✤ Voice actor: Uchida Yuuya.
✤ Same voice actor as Akihiko (Kin’iro no Corda), Akira (KamiAso), and Akishino no Furutsugu (Shirahana no Ori).
✤ 45 years old. Bar owner x handsome older man.
Side characters
I’m listing only recurring side characters; most routes will feature additional ones.
YOFY
✤ Voice actor: Saitou Souma.
✤ Programmer at Estario.
Tsukihiko
✤ Voice actor: Toriumi Kousuke.
✤ Just another corporate slave at Tempesty.
Oe Nanami
✤ Voice actor: Kazama Mayuko.
✤ Akari’s office bff (I love her!).
Imura Akio
✤ Voice actor: Egoshi Akinori.
✤ Estario’s CEO.
Esaka Toshinobu
✤ Voice actor: Lounsbery Arthur.
✤ A senior employee at Estario.
Route overview
Mitsuki
✤ Insensitive x drama queen
✤ Work genius
Mitsuki takes his job very seriously, and initially, he was all about that one-man show. Since they had to join forces, Akari worked incredibly hard to get Mitsuki to acknowledge her. Personality-wise, he’s incredibly friendly, has zero filter, and can be a little flirty. He’s the noisy AND nosy guy at the office who would drag everyone to post-work hangouts. Mitsuki does have a “toxic” side—and he can be a little (or hella) dramatic at times!
ROUTE IMPRESSION
Mitsuki’s immature traits, especially at the beginning, did make my head tilt a little. However, his straightforwardness and warm personality made me melt, and I ended up liking him a lot! In addition, his interactions with other characters in other routes were simply *chef’s kiss* A+. He can be so comical, and that office would not be the same without him.
The plot in Mitsuki’s route was enjoyable; some parts were predictable, but there were also moments I didn’t see coming. Their first date was fairly ordinary, yet it left such a big impression on me! Plus, I’m a sucker for dudes who ride motorbikes. 😩 In terms of steaminess, Mitsuki’s route was on the lower end of the scale, but still enough to give me butterflies! That one scene in the office felt a little forced, I must admit… but I am sick in the head and found it kinda hot too. 😫 I thought he had decent character development, and the drama in his route was resolved with a satisfying finish.
Mitsuki’s route rating: 7/10
Kouhei
✤ Crueldere
✤ A freak in bed 💦
Kouhei has been working at Estario for half a year, and his role in the rebuilding of Esterci is centred around customer service. He’s never the friendly one in the office; in fact, he’d rather avoid socialising and get his work done instead (mood, tbh). He is quite set in his way of working, so when Akari challenged his routine, it made him incredibly upset.
ROUTE IMPRESSION
I honestly had a horrible first impression of him; he was so uptight, and I sympathise with Akari in finding him difficult to work with. He also says things in the meanest way possible…and even as a kuudere lover, he was just way too mean for my fragile heart! But I have the integrity of a lettuce, and once I understood his situation, I forgave him. 
I enjoyed the overarching story of his route! The plot, in particular, struck me as unpredictable, and the reveal had me quite shocked. His character development was also solid.
Once their relationship became better, his route was such a treat! He can also be really playful (the ghost story was my favourite). The way he flirts always makes my toes curl—it’s always so heart-melting and sensual! In terms of steamy scenes, Kouhei’s has got to top all the LIs. IT WAS INSANE. God, it’s always the quiet ones. Some of the CGs in his route had NO BUSINESS being so sexy. Top class bed freak, horny kuudere goodness, I loved it.
Kouhei’s route rating: 8.5/10
Youji
✤ (Not so) demonic boss
✤ Closet pervert x sweetest lover!
Youji is promoted to be some kind of fierce or demonic boss, but he’s actually such a gentleman! He’s reliable, reasonable, generous, and protective of his squad, oh my freaking goodness, he’s literally f*cking perfect (in my eyes). I think Youji is also a bit of a closet pervert; his dilemma in trying to suppress his desires and be a good boss was so fun to watch. He can be surprisingly sloppy too; without spoiling too much, let’s just say he slipped up and caused an uproar in the office. 😂
ROUTE IMPRESSION
I didn’t think Youji would be my oshi – but here we are. His personality just stole my heart; and the fact that he is voiced by Okitsu does not help! His route was filled with delicious romance clichés (my favourite kinds)—it was absolute perfection. As a boss, he also gives clear instructions—so clear AND literal, I just shook my head in disappointment when Akari straight up ignored them. But if she did a perfect job, then I guess there won’t be no drama. 😂 And of course, there is the drama beyond the office, which I also enjoyed!
Speaking of drama, the ‘villain’ in his route had me really agitated. Probably the second worst in terms of their ability to rile me up (emotionally)—HOWEVER. The way Youji handled everything just made me love him even more! This man is a literal saint. I like to think I’m a nice person, but I don’t think I could ever do what he did. I was really satisfied with the way his story concluded. His route had heaps of saucy moments too, though milder than Kouhei’s (he just set the bar too high, LOL).
Youji’s route rating: 9/10
Nori
✤ Homeless himbo
✤ A roller coaster
Nori is known as a ‘himo otoko’ (ひも男), a term often used to describe a man who relies on a woman, typically financially, without contributing much to the relationship or household. While he is exactly that, he does pull his weight by being a good cook and looking after the house. His love language is 100% physical touch; man is a literal dog in human form. One thing led to another, and Akari finds herself letting Nori stay with her. There it all begins… the emotional roller coaster this route put me through!
ROUTE IMPRESSION
Conceptually, Nori’s route was the most interesting to me. Perhaps it was because I haven’t really encountered any fictional media using the ‘himo otoko’ concept. It was both cool and bizarre! Not gonna lie, his route made me somewhat anxious—especially because I can feel how manipulative he is. Then again, it wasn’t like Akari wasn’t aware of it…. homegirl knew, yet she let him in anyway. 😂 I did find Nori’s puppy eyes and KENN’s voice acting super heart-melting; it was annoyingly cute. 😤 And holy sh*t their fights were SO dramatic!
Nori’s is past is kind of relatable in a way that, it’s true if you start to hear people say sh*t about you over and over again, you really do start to believe it. So, as dramatic as it was, I kinda feel for him.
My only disappointment about his route is the lack of steamy scenes. There were a few, but I just didn’t find them saucy enough. (I think Kouhei changed me y’all…) But I still rate it highly because the story was really addicting and kept me wanting more. I think some people may not enjoy the manipulative aspect of this route, so please just bear that in mind!
Nori’s route rating: 9/10
Rokurou
✤ Ouji
✤ Straight outta K-drama 🎬
Rokurou is a princely character—he’s eloquent, well-mannered, and a nurturing leader and work partner. He’s also rich as hell! Among the main characters, he’s the most straightforward with his feelings; he knows what he wants and is not afraid to chase it. I enjoyed how he genuinely tries to prioritise Akari no matter the situation! I’m also pretty confident his main love languages are gift-giving and words of affirmation.
ROUTE IMPRESSION
The writer(s) really milked the ojisama x princess archetype in Rokurou’s route, and honestly, the endless coincidence of their similar interests was ridiculous, LOL. His route was straight out of a K-Drama—the way it toyed with my emotion was insane! A warning: the villain in this route is a MONSTER. I’ve never felt so much anger in my life. 🤣 Also, his entire family needs therapy; the literal bullsh*t they said to Akari had my blood boiling. But I loved the way all the characters come together in this route! Mitsuki was my MVP.
The biggest drawback for me is that Rokurou’s route wasn’t steamy enough, with only some juicy moments at the end. That said, it’s a route that will guarantee players emotional torment from some of the most insane, over-the-top drama, with some truly heinous characters in it; but that’s exactly why I loved it!
Rokurou’s route rating: 8.5/10
Shuuya
✤ Dilf bartender
✤ Age-gap x guarded
Shuuya runs and bartends at his own shop. He is caring, mature, and soft-spoken. With a cool sake collection and skills in performing magic tricks, he presents an intriguing mix. Shuuya is very guarded against Akari because of their significant age gap (49 years vs. 20 years!), doing anything and everything to keep himself from getting too deeply involved with her.
ROUTE IMPRESSION
Akari is super forward in this route, and I love a brave b*tch. The braveness is also next level, like; getting “excited” from a subtle shoulder touch, which led her to jump on him??? 😂 Pop off, sis. I also remember her saying something like, ‘Guys are simple; if given a signal, they’ll go for it, but women do that too!’—to which I say, AMEN. This is the route where I was most convinced she really shouldn’t have been presented as a self-insert heroine; her personality is so damn strong.
Overall, Shuuya’s route was fairly cosy. It was a little frustrating at times that he tries so hard to reject Akari because he feels he is too old for her (typical dilf behaviour, like why don’t you just let me romance you, man?). What I loved most about this route is how they both chose their own paths but never let go of each other. The Perfect end was very realistic; something a lot of couples go through, while the Love end was so mero mero, and it was such a lovely ending to the story. I liked it!
Shuuya’s route rating: 8/10
Secret Route A
Reveal route impression
YOFY
✤ Genius programmer
✤ Gap moe
The secret character, which is not so secret anymore since the official X account has already revealed his identity literally days after the game release, is my adorable baby YOFY! He works closely with Akari’s team in the revival of Estarci and is highly respected throughout the company for his coding skills. He appears mysterious and stoic, but he can be unexpectedly stubborn. Beware, don’t be fooled by his cute looks…
ROUTE IMPRESSION
Honestly, YOFY really caught me off guard. I usually skip reviews before diving into games, so I had no idea what to expect. But the tweets from Japanese fans proclaiming their love for YOFY and his ‘cuteness’ had me intrigued! Don’t get me wrong, he is cute. But goodness gracious, his antics was genuinely shocking 😂 my jaw was on the ground! His route was my favourite in the game. Most of the trigger warnings I’ve mentioned for this game stem from here, so brace your heart and soul for what’s to come.
YOFY’s route rating: 9.5/10
Secret Route B
Reveal route impression
Tsukihiko
✤ Single dad
✤ Gentle x pushover (?)
Tsukihiko is a humble and reserved, ordinary single dad. After the loss of his wife, he now lives with his son, Hinata, whom he cares for deeply. Tsukihiko is very gentle, and can be a bit of a “pushover.” However, when the situation demands, he is quick to step up! Initially, he was hesitant about being seen close with Akari due to his status being a single dad, but he came to embrace her presence.
ROUTE IMPRESSION
The single dad character trope is truly unique! Hinata is adorable— absolutely must protecc! I found the dynamic amusing, as he is the bridge to Akari’s and Tsukihiko’s relationship and, ironically, the “obstacle” as well. 😂 Tsukihiko’s past was a cool revelation, though it felt a bit random; I had to re-read the text twice just to be sure. 😂 The route delves into themes such as self-depreciation and confidence issues, which made it emotionally resonant for me.
While I enjoyed Tsukihiko’s route, I wish there was more to explore. The hesitance from both sides made the romance progression a bit slow. Additionally, the route lacked steaminess, though that last line in his Perfect end gave me chills (plus saying that with Toriumi’s voice is just… 😩💦). Nonetheless, the multitude of heartwarming moments makes it well worth the journey to meet him!
Tsukihiko’s route rating: 7/10
Akari
✤ Realistic and relatable
✤ Can we get her some eyes, please?
Firstly, I gotta express my appreciation for my girl Akari. Realist, hardworking, a bit naive but not dumb – I genuinely think she’s awesome. Sure, she’s not flawless, but that’s what adds to her authenticity. Her work-related anxiety also hits close to home. I often catch myself nodding along with her decisions and thought processes (though taking Nori in? Yeah nah, not in real life at least 😂). Also, the fact that her stomach growls in almost every route must be some kind of inside joke, I swear.
Now, let’s dive into the eyeless matter. Otomate-san, not your finest call. Crafting self-insert protagonists is tough, and not everyone might vibe with Akari’s bold and out-there personality. It’s a bit frustrating – I’m actually a fan of her personality, but the eyeless detail makes her a tad forgettable (and I know it’s a dealbreaker for some). Ugh, I hate it here!
Route order
A few things to note – Usui’s route is unlocked only after you clear one route. The secret characters’ routes are available in your first run!
In my opinion, route order doesn’t matter much in this game because the plot are all so different, and there is no hidden truth, mastermind or some sort. HOWEVER – I would save Secret Route A for last!
If you want to clear the routes by places, then start with Estario characters first (Mitsuki, Kouhei and Youji), and then venture to Tempesty (Rokurou, Secret Route B). You can always mix them around if you get bored. Thereafter you can go for Nori and Usui, followed by Secret Route A.
TLDR this is my optional recommended play order:
[Mitsuki ➸ Kouhei ➸ Youji] ➸ [Rokurou ➸ Secret Route B] ➸ Nori ➸ Usui ➸ Secret Route A
But seriously, just play in any order you want (except for Secret Route A, leave him last for a surprise).
Below are my final rankings for the routes and characters!
Vira’s route ranking:
- Secret Route A
- Youji
- Nori
- Rokurou
- Kouhei
- Shuuya
- Mitsuki
- Secret Route B
Vira’s LI ranking:
- Youji
- Secret Route A
- Nori
- Kouhei
- Rokurou
- Shuuya
- Mitsuki
- Secret Route B
Game experience
Notable features
✤ Protagonist name change
Leave Akari’s name on default if you want to hear the LIs say her name!
✤ Love catch system
The decisions you make throughout the game will either increase Love or Work meter. If you balance the two, you’ll arrive at the Perfect end. If you tip the scale at either ends, then you get the Love and Work ends, respectively. This function can be turned off in the settings.
If you’ve played Cupid Parasite -Sweet & Spicy Darling-, it’s very similar to the Sweet and Spicy meter in the afterdrama routes!
✤ Heroine inner monologue
In Sympathy Kiss, the heroine doesn’t speak per se—only her inner monologues are provided. This may need a bit of getting used to, but I got adjusted pretty quickly.
✤ Emoji selection
Other than the standard text choice, you will also encounter emoji selections. Unlike the text choice, the emojis do not actually have any effect on affection. Although, which emoji you pick will determine the content of the upcoming dialogue (and on occasions, the content of dialogues in future chapters as well, but only very slightly so don’t stress).
✤ Post-chapter short stories
These short stories are told from the love interests’ POV, and can be read immediately after finishing the chapter or at a later time (you will be prompted to choose). I personally chose to read them right after as most of the short stories are the exact same event, if not the aftermath; only they are told from the love interests’ POV. They are also super short.
✤ Ending types
There are three types of endings: Perfect, Work and Love ends. There are no bad ends in this game.
Art and graphics
I really like Fuji Rito’s art. It’s very clean and shoujo-esque. The only thing I found strange is the lighting on the love interests’ hair and shoulders on the sprites. It’s as if the light source is only coming from their top right-ish, and it’s also quite bright. I actually prefer the hair colouring & lighting style in Lover Pretend (also done by the same artist).
The game also features dynamic main menu background. When you start up the game, the cityscape background colour will change depending on the time of the day.
Music
The OP and ED songs – “BYE MY LIFE/FOUND MY LOVE” and “Sympathy Kiss” respectively, are both sung by GENIC PALLET. They also sung Radiant Tale’s OP and ED songs! There’s also another track which plays after the conclusion of a major drama (“Aikotoba”); which really screams K-drama/J-drama. 😆
The BGMs are also really good. My favourite track is “Catnap” – it just sounds so cute and I always feel really happy when it’s on!
Summary
✤ Ordinary, yet elevated
Sympathy Kiss is not a groundbreaking game by any means – the overarching concept and plot is fairly ordinary. Yet, within that realm of normalcy, they somehow managed to make it fun and rather unpredictable! Everything just hit me all the right ways – from the entertaining office shenanigans to the captivating love interests.
The routes are the shorter side, but given the amount of drama, dragging it out would probably have made it a less enjoyable experience, so I was happy with the length. There are occasional misunderstandings, but generally they are resolved fairly quickly so it wasn’t enough to irritate me.
I’ve been asked if I prefer Sympathy Kiss over Lover Pretend (done by the same team)—I’d pick Sympathy Kiss any day. Lover Pretend, to me, felt somewhat lacking in excitement. The characters were forgettable, the music was mid, and I didn’t like the UI. However, I think it simply boils down to personal taste and preferences—I just prefer more drama, I guess!
✤ All kinds of romantic cliché, saucy moments
If you enjoy your games filled with romantic clichés, you’ll likely have a blast with Sympathy Kiss. There are plenty of saucy moments, though it’s not as steamy as I initially expected, especially when compared to some sizzling otome titles on the Switch like Yoshiwara Higanbana, Jakou no Lyla, Cupid Parasite -Sweet & Spicy Darling-, etc. That said, Kouhei’s route was spectacularly sexy!
✤ The faceless heroine…
It’s quite peculiar that they assigned such a strong personality to an eyeless, supposedly self-insert heroine. This choice might limit her relatability, especially for those with less assertive personalities. But hey, I’ve got a soft spot for Akari, and it’s not her fault she’s eyeless. 😤
If you’re hesitating because of the eyeless saga, maybe check out some promo CGs on IFI’s website and see if you can roll with it. Most CGs don’t actually show her face, but there are a few that do, and it can be a bit jarring. Thankfully, her eyelesness didn’t bother me much, though I must admit, it does contribute to her being more forgettable.
✤ Things to consider
I really enjoyed Sympathy Kiss, but of course we all experience things differently! Here are some key points to consider.
- It is perfect for those looking for mature stories set in the modern setting (corporate slavery capitalism goodness).
- The game has no bad ends.
- Although it’s marketed for self-insert players, I think you’ll still have fun playing even if you don’t self-insert so long you can overlook the eyeless heroine.
- There are routes featuring non-con and toxic behaviours (check trigger warnings), so beware.
- Drama is a key feature of this game, and some can be insanely over the top!
If you’ve read the entire review, you probably picked up that I don’t consider this game perfect. I’ve done my best to lay out both its strengths and flaws (from my perspective).
HOWEVER. Despite its imperfections, I just love it so much; it’s hard to explain. I literally smashed it out in a few days! Maybe I was craving a modern setting otome when I played it, or perhaps it’s the enjoyable love interests, or even the drama. Either way, I just couldn’t put it down. I genuinely cared about all the love interests and honest to god, would happily replay all their routes if my backlog wasn’t so massive.
To be frank, the reason I’m giving this explanation is that I’m one of only two on vndb who’s given it a 9 (objectively speaking it should really be an 8), but f*ck it, I like what I like. 😂 I’ll end my review here; keen to hear what you think!
+
- Mature, modern workplace setting
- Fun and realistic office shenanigans
- Lovely art and graphics
- Great variety of tropes
- Personable love interests
- Great soundtracks and BGMs
- Entertaining drama
–
- Eyeless heroine
- Some drama can be a tad over the top
- Some routes are not steamy enough
- Strange lighting on sprites
Yay Sympathy Kiss Review!!! It’s so detailed and helpful even your comments make me laugh 😂🌸 Makes me want to play the game already!!! I plan to save Youji and YOFY for the last (I’m glad there’s no route order LOL) 🌸 Thank you for this amazing review!
Omg thank you so much I’m glad you found it helpful… I really wasn’t confident about this one!! 🥹🥹 I hope you’ll like the game~! 💕