Meiji Tokyo Renka, or Meikoi, has finally arrived on Nintendo Switch and Steam! In this post, I’ll share my experience playing this beloved franchise that holds a special place in my heart.
Disclaimer: The route overview section contains minor, out-of-context spoilers – reader discretion is advised. To skip to the spoiler-free summary, click here.
Contents
Basic information
✿ Dev/pub: HuneX x Broccoli x MAGES x dramatic create
✿ Platform: Nintendo Switch, Steam
✿ Language: English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
✿ Audio: Japanese
✿ Scenario writer: Uozumi Yukiko (Shiro to Kuro no Alice)
✿ Character design: Karu (PsychicEmotion6)
✿ Genre: Comedy, Romance, Historical, Fantasy, Mystery
✿ Rating: CERO C (15+) / ESRB E (Everyone) / PEGI 7
✿ Japanese: 明治東亰恋伽 Full Moon
Visit the official website here (EN).
Buy Meiji Tokyo Renka Full Moon:
Synopsis and setting
From dramatic create:
“
The main character, Mei Ayatsuki, an ordinary high-school girl, is transported back in time to the Meiji era by the self-proclaimed magician Charlie, whom she meets on the night of a red full moon.
It was a slightly mysterious Meiji period “Tokyo” where the existence of Mononoke was recognized.
With Charlie’s guidance, she arrived at the Rokumeikan.
The protagonist sneaks into the party and is met by historical figures such as Mori Ougai, Hishida Syunso, Kawakami Otojiro, Izumi Kyoka, Fujita Goro, Koizumi Yakumo, and Iwasaki Tosuke.
Through her interaction with them, the protagonist realizes that she is a “Tamayori” and has a highly prized ability in the Meiji period that allows her to see Mononoke.
Having ability changes her relationship with them….
In this unfamiliar time, love affairs grow as she comes into contact with good-looking men during her daily life.
Will the protagonist be able to return to her original time or…?
Does love transcend time and space: …… How does it end?
General trigger warning (click to reveal)
Violence, sexual and verbal assault, kidnapping, drowning, death, misogyny/old-fashioned mindset, and mild language.
Main characters
Ayatsuki Mei
✤ Voice actor: Not voiced.
✤ An ordinary high schooler who gets transported into the past.
✤ A tamayori.
Mori Ougai
✤ Voice actor: Namikawa Daisuke
✤ Takeru (CxM), Kinji (Winter’s Wish), Silva (Hamefura), Klone (Cendrillon palikA), Mamoru (Charade Maniacs), Louis (Reine des Fleurs), and many more!
✤ Profile: DOB 17 Feb / 176cm / 65kg / Novelist, military doctor, or bureaucrat
Hishida Syunso
✤ Voice actor: KENN
✤ Same voice actor as Shelby (Cupid Parasite), Limbo (Bustafellows), Nori (SympathyKiss), Fuuto (Brothers Conflict), and many others!
✤ Profile: DOB 21 Sep / 170cm / 58kg / Apprentice Japanese artist
Kawakami Otojiro
✤ Voice actor: Toriumi Kousuke
✤ Same voice actor as Hajime (Hakuouki), Shuu (DiaLovers), Shiki (Period Cube), Natra (Cendrillon palikA), Kusumi (Katakoi Contrast), Watson (Code Realize FD), and many more!
✤ Profile: DOB 8 Feb / 177cm / 67kg / Actor, chairperson
Izumi Kyoka
✤ Voice actor: Okamoto Nobuhiko
✤ Same voice actor Peter (Cupid Parasite), Radie (Radiant Tale), Yang (Piofiore), Taiga (Variable Barricade), Takumi (Charade Maniacs), and many more!
✤ Profile: 4 Nov / 171cm / 61kg / Student
Koizumi Yakumo
✤ Voice actor: Tachibana Shinnosuke
✤ Same voice actor as Henri (Piofiore), Himeutsugi (Hana Awase), William (Ikemen Villains), Rolan (Jakou no Lyla), and many more!
✤ Profile: DOB 27 Jun / 185cm / 75kg / Lecturer at Tokyo Imperial University
Fujita Goro
✤ Voice actor: Fukuyama Jun
✤ Same voice actor as Mozu (Bustafellows), Mizuchi (Hana Awase), Kouga (Ayakashi Romance Reborn), Vyn (ToT), and many more!
✤ Profile: DOB 18 Feb / 183cm / 71kg / Policeman
Iwakasi Tosuke
✤ Voice actor: Hosoya Yoshimasa
✤ Same voice actor as Shu (Bustafellows), Loki (KamiAso), Rintarou (Kenka Banchou Otome), and many more!
✤ Profile: DOB 25 Jun / 178cm / 71kg / Businessman, investor, researcher
Charlie
✤ Voice actor: Morikawa Tomoyuki
✤ Same voice actor as Eiichirou (Lover Pretend), Carla (DiaLovers), Thoth (KamiAso), Kyohei (Tokyo Yamanote Boys), and many more!
✤ Profile: DOB ? / 182cm / 71kg / Magician
Route impressions
⚠️ DISCLAIMER: This section contains minor spoilers. You have been warned!
Ougai
✤ Novelist
✤ Nudist
Ougai swoops in to rescue Mei when Fujita starts questioning her at the Rokumeikan after she’s transported to the Meiji era. After their little saga, he invites Mei to stay with him at the Ougai mansion, kickstarting her one-month adventure by his side!
ROUTE IMPRESSION
I thought I knew Ougai from the anime, but wow, he turned out to be even weirder than I remembered (LOL). He’s methodical and oddly hard to read, and his quirky habits are just hilarious. His frequent lack of self-awareness makes him so funny! 😭 Plus, he’s super forward with Mei—seriously, I don’t recall him being such a womaniser in the anime! 😂 (Though it’s been a while since I’ve watched the show). I really enjoyed his interactions with Mei; some parts with the 3D voice even felt a bit saucy!
Unfortunately, I feel like the character development in his route was a bit lacking. There wasn’t much going on for him, and his backstory didn’t feel as deep as I’d hoped. Maybe it’s also because it’s the least spoiler-heavy route (imo), so it came across as a bit superficial. Either way, I’d suggest starting with him if you care about route order and story progression!
Ougai’s route rating: 6.5/10
Syunso
✤ Artist
✤ Nanpa (unconsciously, LOL)
Syunso goes to an art school and lives at the Ougai mansion as a freeloader. When Ougai brings Mei home, Syunso remains indifferent and aloof—until Mei discovers something precious of his that went missing. That’s when the two start to bond and things get interesting.
ROUTE IMPRESSION
Syunso is my baby, my soul, my everything! He’s curt and brutally honest, but he’s got such a caring heart. Despite being brusque with his words, he’s actually a real softie, and he’s also quite blushy. 🥺 His switch in personality when he goes into the “artist mode” always crack me up. Like, CHILD, WHO ARE YOU???? 😭 The way he goes completely amnesiac about the whole thing makes it even funnier!
Just like Ougai, Syunso’s route isn’t super plot-heavy, but he still gets some great character development! The romance progression is satisfying, and the payoff is genuinely lovely. I ended up really enjoying his route—it’s easy to see why he’s such a popular character!
Syunso’s route rating: 8.5/10
Otojiro
✤ Geisha
✤ Ossan vibes
Otojiro is an aspiring actor who’s also working as a Geisha to fund his own theatre. Feeling sorry for Mei, he takes her in and gets her to work at the Geisha house while she tries to recover her lost memory and figure out how to get back home.
ROUTE IMPRESSION
I found Otojiro to be such an interesting character! He’s protective, caring, and a bit naggy. While he’s promoted as a big brother figure, he totally gives off an ossan vibe, and weirdly enough, I kinda dig it! 😂 He’s mature and incredibly passionate about chasing his dream—so much so that he’s willing to work as a Geisha, and it’s also cool that he has good reasons for it!
The whole Geisha angle sets him up for some fantastic comedy, and his route is an absolute riot!!! His ‘beard attack’ never fails to crack me up. They reused this SO MANY TIMES in other routes, and I still laugh EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Help, I just love cheap humour. 😂 His sudden switch from feminine to ultra-gangster speech and mannerisms is absolutely f**king hilarious. Plus, Toriumi-san’s effeminate voice is just too cute!
Otojiro’s route also reveals some intriguing ways mononoke interact with humans, making it all the more interesting. For me, it’s the perfect concoction—a hilarious character, a comedic route, and a solid plot. I had so much fun with it; easily one of my favourites in the game!
Otojiro’s route rating: 9/10
Kyoka
✤ Tsundere x germophobe
✤ Tamayori
Kyoka is a talented playwright apprentice. He’s so good that Otojiro often drops by just to “borrow” his scripts, lol. After Mei starts working as a drink pourer at the Geisha house, she ends up crossing paths with Kyoka more often. Despite his harsh attitude, he frequently hires Mei to accompany him.
ROUTE IMPRESSION
Kyoka’s route didn’t really hit the mark for me. It’s a very personal thing—I just don’t vibe with tsundere characters who lean more toward ‘tsun’ than ‘dere.’ His words are a bit too harsh, and he always seems so angry! 😂 When he switches to dere mode, it’s meant to make you swoon, but it just didn’t work for me. He reminds me a bit of Jigi from The Crimson Flower that Divides, but Jigi had Naala, a strong-headed and fearless protagonist, which created a nice tit-for-tat dynamic that made me enjoy his character more. With Mei being more on the lenient side, Kyoka’s strong personality felt a bit overbearing in their dynamic. Admittedly, I usually prefer softer tsunderes, so I came into this route with a slight bias, knowing he likely wouldn’t be a favourite.
On a positive note, there were several aspects of his route that I genuinely enjoyed. As a tamayori, Kyoka’s route dives deeper into the mononoke lore. Some scenes were also incredibly emotional and memorable! Thankfully, these elements helped salvage my disconnect with his personality.
Kyoka’s route rating: 6/10
Yakumo
✤ Japanophile
✤ Eccentric
Yakumo is a Japan enthusiast born in Greece and raised in Ireland. Bro’s seriously more passionate about Japan than most Japanese about Japan. 😂 He allows Mei to stay at the Imperial Hotel while he continues his job as a lecturer. One day, they find themselves delving into mysteries related to mononoke.
ROUTE IMPRESSION
I knew right from the moment I met Yakumo that he would be right up my alley—and he definitely delivered! He’s easily the quirkiest characters in Meikoi. When Mei thought he was trying to recruit her into a cult, I absolutely WHEEZED. Honestly, I would’ve thought the same—HE IS SO DODGY!!! 😂 He’s a yapper, a trespasser, and his taste in what makes a great dating spot is… interesting, to say the least. 😭 I love how he clings to Fujita, even when Fujita aggressively pushes him away and threatens violence. Their dynamic is tragically hilarious, and their interactions never fail to entertain. They’re easily my favourite duo in Meikoi. On a side note, if you’re a fan of Yakumo, you might also like Camu from DesperaDrops—another Japanophile, a bit of a weirdo, and ALSO voiced by Tacchin!
Yakumo’s also incredibly sweet, caring, and occasionally needy. When he switches into this ultra-sensual lover mode, I was clenching all over. I feel it also fits his character’s Western influences and upbringing. His appearance change was such a shock; I need Yakumo with his glasses off and hair down AT ALL TIMES! Plus, the lore behind his heterochromia completely caught me off guard. 🥹
The blend of investigative mystery and heartwarming moments in his route was fantastic! I did play Fujita’s route before Yakumo’s, and I felt a bit spoiled. If I could switch their play order around, I definitely would.
Yakumo’s route rating: 8.5/10
Fujita
✤ Merciless
✤ Domestic
Fujita becomes suspicious of Mei at the Rokumeikan. He threatens to throw her in jail until Yakumo steps in, advocating for her to stay at the Imperial Hotel as his guest. Many unexpected encounters lead to some unfamiliar feelings developing between them…
ROUTE IMPRESSION
I didn’t think I’d enjoy Fujita’s character, but he made me adore him so much! Being a high-ranking police, he’s feared by many. But he’s actually super domestic and motherly! In the free talk, FukuJun mentioned that his charm point is the gap moe, which is absolutely spot on. When you catch him blushing, take that screenshot girl ‘cause bro doesn’t do it often, haha! His straight-laced, overly serious personality also contrasts nicely with Yakumo’s chaos, making their scenarios INSANELY hilarious. 😭
Fujita’s relationship with Mei is the ultimate slow burn. It took both of them quite a while to acknowledge their feelings, which made the romance all the more satisfying for me. I just love that yearning and pining kind of development! I also enjoyed delving into his past and discovering why he holds such strong opinions about mononoke, though the lore conclusion somewhat felt slightly incomplete for me. His route feels like it builds on Yakumo’s, but with a stronger focus on his personal story. If I could redo my playthrough, I’d definitely play his route after Yakumo’s.
Fujita’s route rating: 8/10
Tosuke
✤ Researcher x inventor
✤ Stacked 💰💰💰
Running away from the Rokumeikan, Mei bumps into a handsome young man. In a twist of fate, he offers to cover her transport fee—but she asks for a humble 10,000 yen, completely forgetting she’s in the Meiji era! Determined to return the money, she becomes curious about this mysterious wealthy guy…
ROUTE IMPRESSION
Tosuke is visually the most charming character for me, and as a new addition to the franchise, I was super curious about him! I’m a sucker for rich, capable characters, and he definitely fits that bill. He’s skilled, passionate, and has a mysterious charm that really drew me in.
Tosuke’s route started off very strong, especially with the hilarious 10,000 yen saga—it was easily my favourite use of the generational gap trope in the game! However, as the route progressed, his dynamic with Mei felt a bit underwhelming. Their personalities and interests are just too different; it’s like listening to someone go on and on about their passion when you don’t quite get it. 😂 It’s probably fine in real life, but in a game setting, I just want to be entertained, and I wasn’t really feeling it. 🤧
That said, their romantic moments still gave me plenty of dokis! I also love that he’s such an open-minded character, which is a bit unusual for the era, but it allows for more interesting developments. His story took an unexpected angsty twist toward the end, which I definitely didn’t see coming! 😖
Tosuke’s route rating: 7/10
Charlie
✤ Magician
✤ Masochist
Mei encounters Charlie, a mysterious magician at a night festival. He picks her to be part of his act, which leads to her “disappearing” back to the Meiji era. His route is the grand finale that unravels all the secrets behind Mei’s time-slip!
ROUTE IMPRESSION
Charlie is absolutely adorable and funny, with a masochistic side that really surprised me! While he relishes being “tortured” by Mei, I find it hilarious that it’s Mei who often ends up getting tortured instead because of his antics. 😂 In other routes, he primarily serves as a navigator, so I was over the moon to finally get to his route. His mysterious and secretive nature made me super eager to uncover who he really is!
Charlie is absolutely pivotal to the entire plot, and his route addresses many of the questions that have been piling up throughout the other storylines. While I did have a few lingering questions that felt a bit unresolved, they were pretty minor. His story carries a slight heart-wrenching vibe that reminds me of Ankou from Virche Evermore. That said, it’s not nearly as tragic, nor is it quite the same—it just gives off similar feels!
Charlie’s chaotic yet sweet personality, paired with the forbidden love trope, made for a memorable finale for me. I also enjoyed his Modern ending more than the Meiji one because it’s happy, but still has that little bit of angst!
Charlie’s route rating: 8.5/10
Mei
✤ Beef enthusiast
✤ Best daughter
Route order
The premise of the game revolves around Mei time-traveling to the Meiji era, where she stays for 30 days. The events are structured around the passage of days, which I really appreciate because it gives a clear sense of progress throughout the story.
The common route branching leads to three possible pairs: Ougai x Syunso, Otojiro x Kyoka, and Yakumo x Fujita, before you can go into their individual routes. Tosuke and Charlie have their own independent branches.
Charlie’s route is locked and only becomes available after completing all Meiji Period endings for the other characters.
I think the game is designed so players can tackle the unlocked routes in any order. However, I did find that some routes were more spoiler-heavy than others. If you’re looking for a recommendation, here’s the order I’d personally suggest:
Ougai ➸ Syunso ➸ Otojiro ➸ Kyoka ➸ Yakumo ➸ Fujita ➸ Tosuke ➸ Charlie (locked).
✤ Ending types and bonus content notes
There are two types of endings: Meiji and Modern endings. Both are technically happy, but the Meiji ending is the canon one. There’s also a Solo Return ending, which is the game’s “bad” ending. By the end of every character’s route, Charlie will ask if you want to stay or return to modern era. If you pick the choice where you say you want to return, it will always trigger the bad ending, regardless of the level of affection with the love interest.
For bonus content, when reading the comic/yonkoma, I suggest starting with Ougai and ending with Charlie, as they feature the prologue and epilogue, respectively. Additionally, the bonus scenario unlocks after completing each route, but you must read all the bonus scenarios to access Charlie’s (the last choice).
Here are my final rankings and favourites. This was SO HARD TO DO—especially the character ranking ’cause I love most of them nearly equally. They’re all so lovable!
Vira’s route ranking:
- Otojiro
- Charlie
- Yakumo
- Syunso
- Fujita
- Tosuke
- Ougai
- Kyoka
Vira’s character ranking:
- Yakumo
- Otojiro
- Syunso
- Charlie
- Fujita
- Tosuke
- Ougai
- Kyoka
Vira’s favourite ending(s):
- MEIJI: Yakumo, Syunso and Otojiro
- MODERN: Charlie
- SOLO: Tosuke (the epilogue absolutely k*lled me)
Game features & experience
Notable features
✤ Basic function
The basic gaming functions are what I’ve come to expect from dramatic create / HuneX games—auto mode speed variation, skip to next choice or unread text, jump to previous choice, etc. All the essentials for a smooth experience! There’s no love catch system, and the protagonist’s name isn’t called out, which is a bit of a shame.
✤ Animations
I appreciate the eye and mouth animations, as well as sprite animation in the more “dynamic” scenes. For example, the character sways when they are dancing, or the background gets tilted when Mei is upside down. Together, these features added more life to my gameplay. Beware if you’re sensitive to motion or flashing lights though!
✤ 3D voice
Sparkly effects indicating 3D voice feature activation
The 3D voice feature is a lovely addition—sparkly effects signal when the voice actors will speak directly into your ear, creating a delightful ASMR-like experience. As a huge fan of this type of seiyuu content, I found it absolutely heavenly! While headphones are recommended for the full effect, I used high-quality speakers and still found it quite immersive. The sound effects, especially during the kissing scenes and other ASMR-like moments, were *chef’s kiss* so good!
That said, I did feel a bit traumatised at first by the sparkly sound effect, thanks to my playthrough of Celestia: Chain of Fate (it’s overused to the point of exhaustion in that game, and ended up giving me an ick). 😂 Fortunately, I got used to it in Meikoi, where it started to cue me in for romantic moments, and I ended up appreciating it more.
✤ Bonus content
Cartoon/anecdotes
There’s a generous amount of bonus content! Each love interest has an after story set post-Meiji era. There are also love triangle stories featuring Ougai x Syunso, Otojiro x Kyoka, and Yakumo x Fujita, while Tosuke and Charlie get their own extra after stories.
Additionally, there’s a free talk segment where the voice actors discuss the game (unfortunately not translated), cartoon/anecdotes section which includes yonkoma and novel (though they’re more like “diary entries”), and a bonus scenario about their marriage life. It’s a very complete experience, and the content is lengthy!
Art and graphics
Clean UI with vintage vibe plus a good amount of CGs!
It took me a while to adjust to the game’s art style since I was used to the anime’s look, but I eventually came to enjoy it. The character designs are distinct, and the UI and colouring has a vintage vibe, fitting perfectly with the theme of the game. The sprites and pose variations were quite varied and well-fitting, and the backgrounds were clean and well-done.
The game has a lot of CGs, which is always appreciated (and should be the norm!!!! 🥺). However, I didn’t really like some of Tosuke’s full-body CG shots as the colourings felt dull or blurry.
I was also disappointed that Mei’s face isn’t visible in the text box—what a waste of a cute protagonist, yet again. 😖
Music
Music feature
The music was one of my favourite aspects of the game—they are insanely catchy and memorable! The music’s also got a vintage feel that perfectly complements the game’s setting. It also sparked nostalgia as some of them were also featured in the anime. My favourites are Charlie’s theme songs, as well as Otojiro’s, Ougai’s, Syunso’s and Yakumo’s. Even after finishing the game, I often find myself humming along to some of the tunes. I’m actually writing this review while listening to the soundtrack on loop on my Switch—that’s how much I love it!
The opening song wasn’t particularly memorable, and ending songs for both Meiji and Modern eras were so-so for me. But I absolutely adore the three bonus songs unlocked under the ‘Music appreciation’ section. They also come with rather nice music videos. KENN was the singer for all these songs, his voice is so lovely!
Length
It took me nearly 50 hours to play through the game, so it’s definitely got a good amount of content. The common route is rapid, so if you’re not a fan of long common routes, you’ll surely appreciate this. Each route took me 5-7 hours to complete in auto-mode (set at the second fastest option), listening to all the voice acting (except for Kyoka’s route). There’s plenty of bonus content, adding another good few hours hours depending on your reading speed!
Translation
Oh dear, where do I begin. Firstly. let me share the feedback that I sent to the developers. Please click below if you want to read the full thing.
Feedback sent to HuneX / dramatic create - 6 Oct 2024
Hi,
I’m currently playing Meiji Tokyo Renka Full Moon and have some feedback regarding the English translation. A major issue I’ve noticed involves mistranslations, especially when it comes to which character is being referred to. For example, there are instances where the translation should refer to the love interest, but it’s translated as if it’s talking about the protagonist, and vice versa. This could easily confuse players who don’t have any knowledge of Japanese. I understand Japanese and can make sense of what’s happening based on the voiced text but this should not happen at all. Unfortunately it is so prevalent throughout the game (I am on my 7th route).
There are also some odd translations, such as when simple responses like “はい？” are translated as “Really?” when the protagonist is just responding to the love interest, leading to awkward interactions. For instance, the love interest says “Mei,” and instead of replying with a simple “Yes?” the protagonist responds with “Really?”—which disrupts the flow of the conversation.
I’ve also noticed some name-related typos, like “Otoyakko” in the text but “Otoyaku” above the text box, and mistakes such as “Shiroyuki” instead of “Shirayuki” and “Kyoko” instead of “Kyoka.”
Another issue I’ve noticed is with the choices. Some of them feel really awkward, as if a single sentence was broken down into three parts and copy-pasted into the choice boxes, rather than being adapted into natural, concise options (like the Japanese version). This makes the choices look and feel strange, disrupting the flow of the decision-making moments in the game.
There are other minor issues but these errors are most concerning and also prevalent throughout the game.
I absolutely adore the game and its characters, and it would be amazing to see these problems addressed. I’m an active blogger in the otome community, and I’d be happy to provide examples or further details if needed. Please feel free to reach out to me at info@otomeology.com. I’d love to share my excitement for the game, but I worry that the translation quality in its current state won’t meet the expectations of the English-speaking community.
Thank you for your hard work, and I look forward to hearing from you or seeing something being done about this.
Warm regards
Vira
If you’ve read my reviews before, you probably know that I tend to be lenient when it comes to translation issues. In other words, the bar is low, yet I still can’t find myself defending this one. 😂 The translation work is disappointing. As I mentioned in my feedback, pronouns are frequently mistranslated, character names have typos, and there are strange translations of the simplest words that leads to odd exchanges. Another issue I didn’t touch on is the inconsistent sentence spacing, which sometimes disrupted the flow of reading.
I hate to speculate, but I can’t shake the feeling that it was machine-translated, given the nature and frequency of the errors. Ironically, where the translation doesn’t suffer from the issues I mentioned, it’s actually quite smooth and well done. If they’d just put in better quality checks, I might not have even noticed the potential use of machine translation. 😂 Not to say it’s the right thing to do, but again, the bar is low. I’m not hard to please.
Fortunately for me, I understand Japanese, so I could still follow along and enjoy the game. But for those relying on the English translation, some parts might be a bit confusing. You can probably read between the lines and figure out the intended meaning, but that’s far from ideal—especially as a paying customer. I really hope they consider releasing a patch to address these issues!
As always, I believe in giving constructive feedback rather than being hateful or aggressive, and I encourage everyone to do the same. If you’ve played the game and have feedback for the developers, you can share it with them here. I truly hope they improve future translations to match or even outperform the translation quality of other games they’ve released, like Steam Prison or even Hana Awase.
Summary
✤ Dear to my heart, yet…
Meikoi has always been a franchise of great interest to me. I was first introduced to it through the anime, which I absolutely love, though I felt unsatisfied with how things ended. Playing the game has finally allowed me to experience the canon endings and explore different outcomes for each love interest, which I’m absolutely thrilled about.
For English-language players, I do have reservations about recommending the game due to the translation quality. While most of the text is still readable, if you’re sensitive to translation mistakes, you might want to hold off until they release a patch—if they ever do, that is.
✤ …but is it good?
Beyond the translation issues, I LOVE the game! For me, its main strength lies in the characters. They’re super quirky, and their interactions are brilliant and wholly entertaining. While they’re all quirky, each of them feels distinct, which keeps the experience in every route fresh. Personally, I enjoyed all the characters except for Kyoka, but that’s because he’s not my type. Either way, if you love a game filled with weirdos (and I say this without exaggeration), you’ll likely enjoy this!
✤ Peak comedy with solid features
The humour in Meikoi is PEAK. There are so many memorable, comedic moments that I still can’t get over, and nothing ever felt forced or cringey. It’s the kind of slapstick comedy that just worked for me!
The game’s also got a generous amount of CGs, plus so much bonus content that it’s almost overwhelming (in a good way). The 3D voice feature, essentially ASMRs, added an extra layer to the high-tension romantic scenes, with heavenly kissing sounds and all. It’s seiyuu heaven. The game mechanics are solid, and the background music is insanely catchy, which elevated my overall experience.
I also like that the events are structured around the passage of days, as it gives a clear sense of progress throughout the routes.
✤ Romance heavy with light plot
In my opinion, the game leans more romance heavy. There’s a stronger focus on the daily and romantic interactions between Mei and the love interests, as well as on the antics between the characters themselves.
That’s not to say the game lacks plot. There’s an overarching plot that underpins the entire story, and each route kept me intrigued and questioning what’s really going on. The game’s also got a nice mix of slice-of-life, supernatural elements, and a dash of mystery. I enjoyed piecing together clues leading up to the final (i.e., Charlie’s) route. Nearly every question is answered there, though I still have a few lingering minor ones.
When it comes to angst, the game is probably on the lighter side. However, there are definitely some reveals that are quite emotional and heart-wrenching.
However, I did find many of the ‘Modern’ endings a bit off. For several characters, there wasn’t enough development for that ending to happen in a way that makes sense—except for maybe Tosuke and Charlie. For others, I didn’t understand their mindset at all, so everything came across as baffling to me. It’s hard to explain in a way that’s spoiler-free, but it’ll make sense if you’ve play the game!
✤ Generational gap
I also love the generational gap trope! The story revolves around Mei adjusting to a life completely different from the modern era, which led to plenty of hilarious, and at times, troublesome situations. 😂
However, one factor to consider might be the old-fashioned mindset of many characters. Keep in mind that they’re from the Meiji era, so their views on topics like a woman’s worth being tied to virginity, the urgency of marriage, or restrictions on how women should dress, might feel outdated or uncomfortable. Personally, I don’t really care about these sorts of issues when it comes to fictional content.
✤ Things to consider
If you’re reading this to help decide whether Meikoi is the right game for you, here are a few things to consider:
- Do you enjoy the time travel trope with elements of fantasy?
- Do you enjoy slice-of-life stories with a lot slapstick humour and minimal angst?
- Do you enjoy romance heavy games that is still supported by an overarching plot?
- Do you prefer games with very short common routes?
- Are you okay with having eight romanceable love interests?
- Are you comfortable with old-fashioned mindsets, particularly in regard to women?
If you’ve said yes to the questions above, you might enjoy Meikoi. If you play otome games in English, then perhaps consider the translation issues as well.
Please remember that this review reflects my experience, and my experience alone. Consider your own standards, preferences, and tolerances to make your own informed decision! Personally, I’m glad I picked it up. It’s been a few days since I finished the game, and I still can’t stop thinking about it. Looks like I’ll be brainrotting over Meikoi for a little while!
+
- PEAK comedy!!!!!
- Quirky love interests based on historical figures
- Lots of fun tropes
- Mix of slice-of-life, supernatural elements and occasional mystery
- Plenty of (good) romance
- 3D voice and heaps of bonus content
- Solid gaming functions and mechanics
–
- Plot in some routes could be stronger
- Plagued with translation issues (current during my playthrough)
- ‘Modern’ ending lacks setup for most characters
- Minor plot holes / lingering questions
