I am a big fan of steamy games, so I was pretty excited to try The Crimson Flower that Divides: Lunar Coupling! Also known by its Japanese name, Koezaru wa Akai Hana, or its nickname Benibana, the game was originally an R-18 PC game. It was ported to PS Vita in 2016 (unlocalised).
In this article, I will be reviewing the localised version of Benibana for Nintendo Switch. This Switch port is identical to the PS Vita version, but with added bonus stories. The game will also be released on Steam later this year.
Disclaimer: the route overview section contains minor spoilers. This review also contains frank discussion of mature topics, primarily of sexual nature.
Contents
Basic information
Dev/pub: Operetta Due x dramatic create x HuneX
Director: Matsutake Ume (main) [other work – Tsumikui 〜Sen no Noroi, Sen no Inori〜, Sachi no Tenbin, Sanzen Sekai Yuugi, Diary]
Scenario writer: Matsutake Ume
Illustrator: Tsukino Omame [other work – Queen of Darkness, The Second Reproduction, Diary, NOISE -voice of snow-]
Console(s): Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite, Steam
Genre: Romance, Drama, Politics, Dystopian
CERO Rating: D (17 years and above)
Release date: February 23, 2023 (Switch) / date TBC, 2023 (Steam)
Japanese: 越えざるは紅い花 ～対の月～
Visit the official website here.
Synopsis and setting
The game is set on a continent whereby an incurable disease called “The Rot” is rampant. This disease, which only affects women, has led to a massive decline in the number of population across the continent. Naala, who lives in the southern country of Rus, had her mother taken from her at a very young age. She was then cared for by Auri, the next king of Rus and her childhood friend – under the promise that she will be his bride in due time.
One night, the kingdom of Rus is attacked by the Nasla army, the same group of people who abducted Naala’s mother. Naala and other women of Rus are kidnapped and taken to Nasla. What will happen to Naala and these women?
If you are sensitive about topics related to prejudice, misogyny, and similar themes, please exercise caution before deciding to play. In this game, women are heavily objectified and are viewed by most men as mere tools for birth-giving. There are also a lot of unjust rules against women, but I will refrain from elaborating further due to spoilers!
✤ Trigger warning.
This game contains sensitive and mature content, including implied sexual activities, sexual assault, implied nudity, non-con, misogyny, infidelity, incest (cousin), kidnapping, murder and dismemberment.
Main characters
Naala
✤ Voice actor: Tateishi Megumi.
✤ A feisty young woman.
✤ 18 years old. Had her mother taken from her at a very young age. Promised to marry Auri, the next king of Rus.
Suren
✤ Voice actor: Miyashita Eiji.
✤ Same voice actor as Fujiyama Arashi (Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side).
✤ 26 years old. Nasla’s military commander. Seemingly a rough and forceful person, but there’s more than meets the eye…
Nohl
✤ Voice actor: Suzuki Chihiro.
✤ Same voice actor as Noel Valmore (Wand of Fortune), Kamio Akira (Tennis no Ouji-sama), and Herlock Holmes (London Detective Mysteria).
✤ 28 years old. Touya’s political advisor. Has zero interest in romance and marriage, sus as heck.
Touya
✤ Voice actor: Tachibana Shinnosuke.
✤ Same voice actor as Rolan Crydelle (Jakou no Lyla), Henri (Piofiore), Seiya (9 R.I.P), William Rex (Ikemen Villains), Solo Mon (Wand of Fortune), Tsuruga Akito (KLAP!!), and many more!
✤ 25 years old. Poster boy. King of Nasla who commanded the kidnapping of Rus women. But he’s actually kind…?
Naran
✤ Voice actor: Sugiyama Noriaki.
✤ Same voice actor as Tyril (even if TEMPEST), Shukuri Akito (Norn9), Kashika (Cendrillon palikA), Boris Airay (Kuni no Alice series), Harrison Gray (Ikemen Villains), Katsuragi Naomasa (Yunohana Spring!), and Thor (KamiAso).
✤ 18 years old. A member of Nasla’s army and Suren’s “younger brother”. A bright and cheery person.
Cef
✤ Voice actor: Oda Toshimitsu.
✤ 35 years old. The son of one of Nasla’s ministers. Finds political matters a hassle and lives a carefree life.
Esta
✤ Voice actor: Makino Hideki.
✤ 20 years old. Nohl’s secretary, but appears to have another job on the side. Unfamiliar with normal human emotions.
Jigi
✤ Voice actor: Kakihara Tetsuya.
✤ Same voice actor as Fran (Code: Realize), Witch of Ruin (even if TEMPEST), Shin (Amnesia), Sena (9 R.I.P), Oumi Ryou (KLAP!!), Kaji Ichiha (Zettai Kaikyuu Gakuen), and many more!
✤ 18 years old. Esta’s subordinate. Unafraid to speak his mind, and bickers a lot with Naala!
Ruzi
✤ Voice actor: Nakazawa Masatomo.
✤ Same voice actor as Iseya Souichirou (Yoshiwara Higanbana), Kazehaya Tatsumi (Ensemble Stars!), Jack Millers (London Detective Mysteria), and Clear (DRAMAtical Murder).
✤ 25 years old. A doctor who works in Nasla kingdom’s castle. A pacifist and relaxed person, but often shows a vulnerable side.
Uru
✤ Voice actor: Yukinoaya Shiro.
✤ One of Touya’s chamber maids. Has a cute and petite appearance, often gets mistaken as a girl. Polite and dedicated.
Route overview – main routes
Suren
“I’m going to make love to you until…you beg for my forgiveness.”
✤ Consent? Who is she?
✤ Sex king
Suren is Nasla’s Military Commander and a good friend of Touya – though they often clash. He comes across as demeaning and straight up misogynistic, but is well respected and feared by all members of the army. He is highly principled and goal-oriented, and can be selfish and possessive.
Despite his terrible attitude, Suren has a lot of surprisingly adorable sides! He is very close to Naran, whom he sees as his little brother and only family. He’s always had his eyes on Naala ever since they met, and did all he could to make her his.
ROUTE IMPRESSION
I did not have the best impression of Suren, so I was surprised at how much I enjoyed his route. The writing was done in a way that will ensure we hate him in the beginning, and then melt after experiencing his true charms! He says and does questionable things at times, but he genuinely cares for Naala. Although circumstances brought them together, Suren was well aware that Naala hated him. He actually put a lot effort in trying to soften her heart in secrecy, which really moved my heart (and Naala’s)! To me, the transition from enemies to friends to lovers was well done and felt natural.
Suren’s route was steamy and sex-filled. Man was horny af!!! This was the route with the most non-con sex though, so please exercise caution. Their hatsu ecchi in particular was distasteful, and that’s coming from someone who tolerates and sometimes even enjoy non-con (in fiction!!!). Suren is also incredibly traditional when it comes to his views on women and relationships in general. This never really changed throughout his route, which some may argue to be a lack of character growth – but I think it was a realistic take. Because of this, Naala had to mostly stay home due to the power imbalance as well as Suren’s concerns regarding her safety. I imagine this will frustrate some players, though personally it didn’t bother me.
Suren’s route rating: 8.5/10
Nohl
“If you neglect me this much, I’ll become mischiveous.”
✤ King of kinks 
✤ Bullies Naala out of love
Nohl was Nasla kingdom’s political advisor and one of the very few people that Touya “trusts”. He is soft-spoken, hard to read and manipulative. His priority is to ensure Nasla’s prosperity, and he would use any methods to achieve this objective. Nohl had a traumatic past related to betrayal, thus he always strives to uphold his promises.
Nohl pretty much toyed around with Naala and used her for political gains. When he realised he had developed affections for Naala, he had a hard time accepting it. In his route, Nohl made a bet with Naala. If she can fulfill a mission that he imposed, he will ensure Rus women can return to their homeland.
ROUTE IMPRESSION
Naala and Nohl’s relationship was akin to oil and water – bestie, they did not mix. Unlike Suren, who was actually fond of Naala, Nohl wasn’t particularly interested in her. Their relationship began with Nohl blackmailing Naala, and she had no choice but to obey. Nohl’s route was also very political. He allowed Naala to move around town as she pleases so long she gets things done. This allowed her to really shine as a feisty MC! Nohl is also strangely possessive (or rather, competitive?) – that hickey battle with Suren gave me a hearty laugh. 
Overall, I really enjoyed Nohl’s route because of the unpredictability of his character and the political plot.
Nohl’s route was STEAMY. For me, it was the steamiest route in Benibana. The sexual tension between Naala and Nohl was through the roof! At the beginning, a lot of it involved Naala being nude, and they engaged in what I consider to be a “subdued” BSDM activities. I actually found it very sensual because I enjoy maledom stuff. His route also gave me paperweight trauma…iykyk. He didn’t actually have sex with Naala until their feelings were mutual, which was honestly cute and kind of surprising too!
Nohl’s route rating: 9/10
Touya
“I will love you with everything I have. Even in death, I will not give you to another man.”
✤ “I fell in love with my kidnapper” route
✤ Full of layers and twists
In an attempt to improve Nasla’s declining birth rate, Touya led the Nasla army to kidnap Rus women. As terrible as this sounds, Touya actually did not feel great about the whole thing. He saved Naala from being assaulted by the Nasla army during the invasion. After being taken to Nasla, Naala was obedient, but remained cautious of Touya and the Nasla army and even plotted to escape. Naala begins to feel conflicted after realising that Touya isn’t actually a terrible person, and his goals and aspirations align with hers.
Touya is also scientifically competent. He is directly involved in researching The Rot.
ROUTE IMPRESSION
Touya freaking stole my heart. He is actually a kind and just ruler, and treats everyone with dignity. In a country where misogyny and objectification of women is common, he was a breath of fresh air. My favourite scene has got to be their “sex opera”. It was genuinely one of the best things I have ever experienced in my life, no exaggeration. I also enjoyed this route a lot because Touya sees Naala as an equal, and they worked together towards a common goal.
I really don’t have anything bad to say about his route since it was a personal favourite. I thought the plot was interesting, and has tropes which I love, though they are very typical of poster boy otome routes. For such a horny game, Touya actually showed great restraint from basically shacking Naala for a LONG while. But the sexual tension between these two was f*cking unreal. When they finally got together, Touya was literally losing sleep to get dat p*ssy. 
If you also play bad ends, just be aware that Touya’s are pretty intense!
Touya’s route rating: 10/10
Route overview – branch routes
Naran
“I wish..this space, where we’re mistaken as husband and wife, could continue forever…”
✤ Cinnamon roll
✤ The infidelity (?) route
Naran is a member of the Nasla army. He really looks up to Suren and sees him as his big brother. He is bright and cheery, but often gets easily swayed by his emotions.
Naran’s route branches off from Suren’s. Suren asked Naran to accompany Naala when he’s not around, and that’s how the two came to know each other. Their relationship started off fairly innocent, but gradually Naran started having a crush on Naala, and likewise Naala on Naran. A lot of Naran’s route was about managing those conflicting feelings, although the dynamic changed a lot in his true route.
ROUTE IMPRESSION
I think love triangle is fun. But Naran’s route, particularly in the beginning, was slightly triggering for me because of elements of infidelity, which at one point also involved sex. This was of course completely personal as I’ve got past trauma, but I thought I’d mention it for those who might be sensitive to it as well. The route also constantly emphasised that Naala and Naran were doing something forbidden, so it just made me more uncomfortable. However, I’m a big fan of Non-tan…so even if this part of the route was slightly difficult to go through, the power of voice acting kept me going. 
Fortunately, this all changed drastically in Naran’s true route. Due to various events, he becomes a lot more reserved about Naala and their story turns into a slow burn romance. When it got to that part, I did enjoy the route a lot more because their love felt more genuine and not out of wrongfully placed passion. It was so slow burn though that at some point, my horny ass started thinking – “where’s the sex?!” LMAO. I also loved that one Epilogue involving the horny vegetable super kinky and hilarious!
Naran’s route rating: 7/10
Cef
“Because you’re a lot younger than me, I get worried that someday you’ll tire of havin’ an old man pouncin’ on you.”
✤ The age gap / DILF route
✤ Big [horny] uncle energy
Cef is the son of Nasla’s Minister from the opposing party. Unlike his father, he finds political stuff a hassle, and chooses to live an aimless life. He is a very friendly person.
Cef’s route branches off from Nohl’s. He met Naala while she was trying to accomplish a political mission for Nohl as a part of their bet. Long story short, they got together and he felt the need to get his sh*t together for her sake. He can be indecisive and has some confidence issues – overcoming these traits is a key part of his route. This is also the age gap route, with 17 years between them!
ROUTE IMPRESSION
I still laugh every time I think about the slander this man received on Twitter (my moots are genuinely the funniest people). Look. I get it. His sprite is abysmal but he actually looks really good in the CGs – and dare I say, rather handsome. He is also such a teddybear, and the way he treated Naala was really sweet and respectful. Aside from the horny lines, he would also go into this really ‘weird’ mode on Naala. Have you ever seen a baby and thought “how cute, I want to eat dem cheeks”? Yeah, same vibe he just wants to squeeze her! He certainly wasn’t the most attractive LI, but this goofy man made me laugh a lot.
Since his route branches off from Nohl’s, the plot was also very political – in fact even more so than Nohl’s. Seeing his growth from a useless bum () into a proper politician was a cool moment. The route also had the found family trope. Considering everything that Naala had to go through to get there, I was just so happy for her! One thing I wish Cef would do less was reminding me about their age gap. Why do all older LIs do this?! I recall DILFs like Rindo (Cafe Enchanté) and Shuuya (Sympathy Kiss) doing something similar. This was also when I realised Naala is 18 years old – I thought she was older!
Cef’s route rating: 7/10
Esta
“I dedicate my life and my death to you.”
✤ Unproblematic
✤ Too precious for the world
Esta is Nohl’s right hand by day, and an assassin by night. He has a curt attitude and blank expression 99% of the time. Nohl would occasionally ask Esta to guard Naala, and that’s how the two came to interact.
Because of his past, he became clueless about normal human emotions. He also seems to bear a lot of guilt and sadness. He really appreciates Naala because she allowed him to “feel like human again”. He is extremely reserved and finds it difficult to express himself, so Naala would often get frustrated thinking he doesn’t care about her.
ROUTE IMPRESSION
Esta’s route was beautiful! He is naive, caring – and just a no bullshit, unproblematic LI. His tragic past was compelling and explained a lot about him. Whenever he “recognised” a new emotion, I always felt like a proud mum watching a son grow up it was very moving! Weirdly enough, I much prefer his route which branches off from Nohl’s – the plot was dark and the ending was so bittersweet. His true route was also enjoyable, but it wasn’t dramatic or spicy enough for me. 
The dynamic between Naala and Esta was probably the most heartwarming in Benibana. She taught him what it means to love, to be happy, to feel sad, and to be angry, and that she was there to shoulder his burden with him. He taught her that it’s okay to be protected, and it’s okay not to be strong all the time. His true route also had a lot of funny moments because of Nohl. The amount of times this man tried to cockblock their lovey dovey moments…what a pest! I also found it hilarious that Esta never uses the door in their house – he would go into their room through the window without fail. Every. Single. Day. LMAO. These men are so comical, I swear to god.
Esta’s route rating: 8/10
Jigi
“Having you call me an idiot is the pit of despair. Maybe I should have died.”
✤ Sharp-tongued tsun..not so dere?
✤ Short and sweet
Jigi is one of Esta’s most trusted subordinates. He really looks up to Esta and pretty much pays no respect to anyone but Esta. I would say he’s a tsundere, but has more of the tsun traits than the dere traits. Although he barely knows anything about Naala, he just assumes that Naala was a sheltered and weak woman, and would say the rudest things to her. Their relationship begins with a lot of bickering, and they still bicker a lot even after they realise their mutual feelings!
Fun fact, Jigi didn’t exist in the original R-18 version of the game. I believe he was first introduced as a LI in the PS Vita port of Benibana.
ROUTE IMPRESSION
It’s been a while since I played an otome with Kakki in it – so that in itself was a big plus. But Jigi also has this big, cocky personality that made me so intrigued about him. What can I say…I just love sharp-tongued LIs that will make fun of me and call me all kinds of sh*t. Naala was no pushover – she would bite back at Jigi, which made Jigi even more inclined to tease her. It was the dynamic of two tsunderes in love. None wants to give in! There are plenty of amazing tsundere LIs out there, but for some reason Jigi reminds me of Fuuto (Brothers Conflict) and YOFY (Sympathy Kiss).
Overall this was a short, but sweet route. Jigi was a fun LI, and his dynamic with Naala was cute to watch. I wish the route was a bit longer because I feel like I barely know anything about this man!
Jigi’s route rating: 8/10
Uru
“Wherever Her Majesty goes, I will…always strive to be by your side.”
✤ Platonic route
✤ Played it for the *one* CG
Uru is one of Touya’s chambermaids. He often gets mistaken as a girl because of his petite stature and his baby-faced appearance. In Touya’s route, he was assigned to look after Naala and assist her with household activities. Uru is hard working and dedicated – he would always go above and beyond for Naala. He has an older brother who also works at the castle.
ROUTE IMPRESSION
Uru’s route was platonic, and the plot pretty much rides off of Touya’s. Definitely don’t treat this as a proper route – if anything, it’s more of a side story! I wouldn’t say it’s a waste of time since it was pretty quick to do, though I feel like I wouldn’t be missing much if I didn’t do it if I’m honest. With these short routes, I find it hard to be impressed unless they are super unique or contain tropes that I love. I am also not a big fan of shota characters, which had probably contributed to me feeling meh about it. Overall, it was an okay side story about admiration and dedication.
Uru’s route rating: 6/10
Ruzi
“For as long as you’re alive, I will be endlessly interested in you. I will continue to explore you, and only you.”
✤ A broody LI
✤ Problematic tropes?
Ruzi is a doctor who works at the castle. He is involved in researching The Rot together with Touya. He has a relaxed attitude, is very friendly and popular among both men and women in Nasla. He first met Naala when he was assisting one of her best friends who fell ill, and in his route, they meet again when Naala was taking a walk around the castle.
Ruzi was a victim of a traumatic incident in the past, which turned him into a major pacifist. He often gets lost in his own thoughts, and often shows Naala his vulnerable side. His route branches off from Touya’s. Unlike other branching routes, the plot in Ruzi’s route directly rides off of Touya’s, with only variations in the romance plot and some additional events.
ROUTE IMPRESSION
I quickly felt Ruzi’s route taking a darker turn after he revealed his past. It was actually quite shocking! I love that Ruzi was unafraid to be vulnerable with Naala…or maybe I just love crying men.
Ruzi and Naala both expressed guilt for betraying Touya, so I was once again bothered by the elements of infidelity. Perhaps this wouldn’t be a problem if the branching was done much earlier – at least enough for them not to feel guilty for being in love. But this would mean that Ruzi and Naala won’t be in a state of torture, which is simply not enough drama for this game. The route also has another problematic trope, which I now realise was foreshadowed quite early in the game. I didn’t mind it, but it’s a trope that many people find unpleasant.
My favourite part about Ruzi’s route was seeing more of Naala’s best friends and their lovers, Bal and Else. This is also the only route where Naala actually had proper friends! It was fun seeing her being carefree and interacting with other characters in casual settings. In their get-togethers, the group would discuss both serious matters, particularly related to the treatment of women in the kingdom, but also unserious and silly matters. My favourite was when the boys asked Naala what it’s like to sleep with the King of Nasla. Naala just said something on the whim related to “horse riding” and their reaction was priceless. Poor Ruzi was of course jealous as hell!
Ruzi’s route rating: 7/10
Route order
The game has three main routes (Touya, Nohl and Suren), and six branching routes. For the main routes, there are common events which you will encounter with the three main LIs, and that essentially marks the beginning of that LI’s route. Most of the branching routes are playable from the start, except for Naran and Esta’s true route (and consequently, Jigi, which branches off of Esta’s true route).
Personally, I don’t think the route order matters that much, but playing one of the main routes and then immediately playing the branching route(s) might be the most sensible approach since the plot is directly related. Touya and the branching routes, particularly Ruzi, did go deeper into The Rot – so I would try to play them towards the end.
Here is my personal recommended play order:
Suren ➸ Naran ➸ Nohl ➸ Cef ➸ Esta ➸ Jigi ➸ Touya ➸ Uru ➸ Ruzi
If you are looking for a walkthrough, you can find it here.
There are two types of endings in this game – Best End and Bad End. For some LIs, one of their bad ends have 1 CG in them. To unlock the bonus story (Epilogue) in the main menu, you will need to unlock all the endings.
Below are my personal rankings, taking into account both route and character enjoyment. I will exclude Uru since he wasn’t really an LI.
Vira’s personal ranking:
- Touya
- Nohl
- Suren
- Jigi
- Esta
- Naran
- Ruzi
- Cef
Naala
“Maybe you’re not asking out of some warped sense of civility. Maybe you’re just afraid you can’t beat me.”
✤ BEST GIRL
✤ Strong hearted and a fighter
First of all, let me clarify that you will never find me shit-talk about any otome game protagonists in this blog. They are all awesome in their own (flawed) ways, and I love both soft and fierce MCs. Naala holds a special my heart. She is feisty, brave, and also a natural leader. She is willing to do anything to protect those she loves, which of course is related to the trauma of losing her mother. I think she’s incredibly well-written and her character remained consistent throughout all the routes. Although Naala is sexually inexperienced, she is unafraid to express her sexuality. I’m just a happy mum when otome MCs can comfortably admit they are horny! 
Because of the nature of the story, Naala has to live a life that is typical of any women in Nasla. She often has to stay inside for long periods of time, and in some routes, she can only go out under supervision. Naala is also a politically important figure in the game. Men in the game also don’t know how to keep their junk in their pants – so there is the safety issue as well. Understanding these aspects is important because I would hate to see her being reduced as a “subdued” or “weak” MC simply for doing all she can to survive. I wholeheartedly reject any slander for this woman!
Game features & experience
Notable features
✤ Character voice
God bless, we have yet another otome game with a voiced protagonist! Personally, I’m a huge fan. There is also an option to turn this off if you like…but I loved Naala’s voice and I even liked hearing her moans. Tateishi-san’s voice acting is amazing!
Make sure to leave Naala’s name on default if you want to hear the LIs say her name. There is also a function where you can save any lines from any characters to the Voice Collection section.
✤ Love catch system
There is a love catch option which will tell you whose affections you have raised from choosing certain options, though the game does not have a love meter window. Note that you may increase the affection of more than one LI from choosing a single option.
✤ Skip-to-next function
The game has a skip-to-next function which will take you to the next option or new chapter, whichever comes first.
Personally, I didn’t make use of this function as much as I thought I would. The game had a lot of choices, so I found that using the skip-to-next function ended up being more tedious than just using the standard skip-read function. The game’s skip-read function was also really quick and efficient, which I appreciated.
✤ Bonus content
This game is rich in bonus content. There is an Epilogue which are readable after finishing the Best End (all except Jigi and Uru), and another Epilogue (all except Uru) which are readable after unlocking all the ends, including Bad Ends. There are also audio dramas (Ruzi and Esta), Special Story (Suren), and short novels (all except Uru).
✤ Scrollable CG
The size of the CG is actually larger than the standard Switch screen size – so you can scroll up and down (even in-game) and find extra details from the CG.
Art and graphics
The art in this game is not the best out there, but definitely not terrible either. This game first came out in 2012 – and the illustrator’s art style has really evolved since!
I think the CGs are incredibly beautiful, though I found the facial structure drawing a little off in a few of them, particularly around the nose area. The sprites are slightly disproportional – their bodies are comparably too small relative to the heads. But this was a mere observation and personally didn’t really bother me. The colour palette used is more on the neutral to cooler side, which I found nice and calming. The UI is adequate, and I liked the flower animation in the main screen!
Music & audio
The OP song “Koezaru wa Akai Hana” and the ED song “Elen no Na” were sung by Suzuha Yumi. Both songs sounded great, though I didn’t feel particularly attached to them. The BGMs were really nice, and they fit the dystopian setting so well! My favourite tracks were “Pleasant Time” and “Far-Away Days”.
In my experience, the audio quality in the game was slightly poor. This was especially noticeable for Naala – it’s almost like the voice actor spoke too close to the microphone, and the audio ended up sounding distorted. I first noticed this in the demo version, and the issue persisted in the full version. Thankfully, this problem did seem to go away after the common route!
Localisation (rant)
Let’s talk about the localisation. Simply put, it was sloppy. To be fair, the translations were mostly true to the Japanese content – but I felt they could have picked better wordings for some of the sentences. The amount of typos also had a huge negative impact on my gaming experience. I don’t mind a few typos here and there, but it was so rampant that it became hard to ignore. I am cautiously optimistic that dramatic create will eventually release a patch to fix this, but for otome gamers who love to play new releases early, it’s a huge bummer. I think this game has an interesting story and a unique setting, yet it is tainted by the localisation quality. It’s a shame, honestly!
One thing I must salute dramatic create for is doing a simultaneous, multi-language release for this game. There seems to be some newly found recognition from Japanese publishers that the market in the West is large enough and worth catering for. This could mean we will get more dual or multi-language releases from select publishers in the future. Of course, publishers need to make sure that the game is localised to an acceptable standard as well. For some players, this might be more important than getting a bad localisation – but we can have this conversation some other time.
Summary
The Crimson Flower that Divides: Lunar Coupling is a mature otome game set in a fascinating dystopian setting with angsty political drama. Despite being an “all-age” version to the original R-18 release, I actually found the game sufficiently saucy. I usually play my games on TV in my living room, but quickly realised this wasn’t the game I’d be able to put on loudspeakers. I was really happy with the amount of bonus content as well.
I think I’ve made it clear that the localisation still needs a lot of work. Some of the translations and choice of wordings were awkward (though still readable), and the typos were jarring.
The routes were also on the shorter side, though I didn’t feel the stories were underdeveloped (except for Jigi). The discussion related to The Rot and its background was too superficial imo – I wish they had gone into it much deeper. The sprites weren’t the best due to minor proportionality issues, but the CGs were beautiful.
I did enjoy the three main routes more than the branch routes – but that’s not to say the branch routes weren’t good. I think I was just captivated by the main character energy coming from the big three (Touya, Nohl and Suren), so their routes left a bigger impression.
The game deals with a lot of heavy and triggering topics, so just make sure you know what you are getting into! Some of the bad ends were also incredibly depressing and/or shocking. In some routes, the LI would ‘snap’ and display a hidden, disturbing personality.
Overall, despite the localisation issues, I really did enjoy this game a lot. If people ask whether I would recommend this game, my answer is yes, absolutely! BUT. If you can hold off until dramatic create fix those annoying typos (if ever…), then you’ll probably have a more enjoyable time.
+
- Horny “all-age” adaptation
- Fascinating dystopian setting and political drama
- Voiced protagonist with great personality
- Lots of routes with unique stories
- Rich in bonus content
- Beautiful CGs
–
- Poor localisation quality (need a patch pronto…)
- Some awkward choice of wordings
- Disproportional sprites
- Audio issues in the common route
