Wishes in Pen: Crysanthemums in August - First Impressions
OKAY, so in the list of things I love most in this world, historical Japan and beautiful art are definitely included on there. So when I first saw the backgrounds for Wishes in Pen: Chrysanthemums (WiP) in August, I was drooooling. Currently, they have a demo out that is free to play while the full game is scheduled to come out in 2019. Here are some of my first impressions! (Screenshots are taken from their Kickstarter page.)
Right off the bat, we open into a gorgeous title screen with very nice music playing. I really like the fact that we can choose which MC to play as, just adds a new level of depth to it. And if you want, you can always turn MC sprite off. Overall, the music gives me Harvest Moon vibes; it’s light and fits the tone of the game well. And the Live2D is very nice touch.
Here are some of the backgrounds:
The story is a typical time-slip story. MC wishes she could live a different life, and her wish is granted when she wakes up, having transported several hundred years into the past. She meets several (handsome!) men who are utterly confused by her existence. It takes her a little bit, but she entertains the idea of time travel rather quickly and starts her attempts to figure out just what the heck happened and why she’s here. She pretends to be a “seer” with her knowledge of history, gaining the trust of the emperor, who promises to marry her off (!) to a man if her “visions” come true. But which man?
Some awesome points: There seems to be a mystery surrounding how MC travelled through time; I definitely want to see how that plays out. I love that MC has a close friend and a good rapport with her. I really love it when female friendships are also explored throughout otomes.
There are also some humorous tidbits in the game like the shoutout to “Historuoki” (lol) and how she thinks the historical characters are LARPing at first haha. MC is a pretty interesting character of her own, showing surprising adaptability after the initial shock. Definitely not a blank slate. And she has EYES! Bless.
And on the topic of the eligible men… *insert eye wiggle here* There’s definitely a diverse cast here with many different types. I think I’m most interested in Haru and his adorable blushy face. But Koji seems like a challenge to win over and I can never resist a challenge haha… There are five bachelors in total, so there’s something there for everyone.
Here are two of them:
A few nitpicky things that aren’t a huge deal, but I think could improve the game slightly: the font doesn’t really match the overall feel of WiP. Maybe I just don’t like this font. But it feels too “default” for such a pretty game. As well, having the opacity bar/auto/other buttons there all the time was a little distracting (especially when it cuts off Toranosuke’s name) but it’s not as bad as in Men of Yoshiwara-esque games. Sometimes the Live2D is somewhat stilted or unnatural; particularly I found in Toranosuke’s case.
On a whole, this promises to be a very fun game! Though the concept isn’t suuuper original, it seems to be done in an interesting way. You can grab a copy of WiP (including some rewards for different tiers) for yourself when it comes out by going to their Kickstarter page.
Hi everyone, we're happy to announce that we will be at Cosfest to promote our upcoming Otome Kickstarter, Wishes In Pen: Chrysanthemums in August!
At our booth will also be 小鱼Yukiko, Chibi Tako 小章魚, BoiledCurry. カレーン, REA KAMI レア神 (Did we mention she will be one of the possible choices of main characters in our game?) as well as 沐子-Munoko !
Come to Cosfest on the 7 & 8th of July to find us! See you!
P.S We'll be releasing the cosplayer schedule for our booth soon as well as where you can find us!
Wishes in Pen: Chrysanthemums in August Kickstarter
Wishes in Pen: Chrysanthemums in August Kickstarter
~~~
On that fateful night, little did you know that a simple wish and a careless “yes” would turn
your entire world upside down.
The reality you once knew has been replaced with one you’ve only seen in games and movies...
The only difference? You’re the character and life is the player.
As time slowly ticks down to the pivotal choice you’ll have to make, will you be able to survive
the in-betweens? And can you say goodbye to the ones who matter most?
From Lunaniere, a brand new subsidiary of Afterthought Studios, comes a 40-hour long epic of
a girl from modern Tokyo who has slipped back in time and right into the end of an era,
bearing witness to the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the war that followed in its wake.
With lives, her survival, and her heart at stake, will this 21st-century city girl ever find a way
back?
Experience romance and intrigue in the time of the legendary Boshin War through Lunaniere’s
immersive writing, artwork, and soundtrack!
- 40 hours of gameplay
- Animated Backgrounds, Sprites
- Original OST
- Drastically different endings
- Immersive writing
- Three MC designs to pick from
The Kickstarter campaign for Wishes in Pen: Chrysanthemums in August will run till 7 September 2018. Early bird tiers for physical copies are still available, as well as a genuine 1890 American made Elgin Pocket Watch as used by the American Navy at the time!
~~~
First and foremost, we would like to say a huge thank you to those that liked our MC designs! It truly warms our heart to see you guys loving them so much. <3 We’d also like to thank those that came to our booth at Doujima! Your support means the world to us!
Secondly, now that our MCs are out, we shall be posting cute little notes about each character! Do keep a look out for those!
Once again, thank you so much for the love and support! <3
“Meeting you seemed nothing more than just a passing phase to me.
But as the colors slowly drain from the leaves under our feet and rain turns into snow,
I find myself drawn to you.
So then why, as we get closer…
As we fall in love…
Do your eyes tell such a sad tale?”
Lunaniere’s team excitedly presents…
WISHES IN PEN:
CHRYSANTHEMUMS IN AUGUST
A subsidiary of Afterthought Studios, we at Lunaniere are extremely excited to share our very first otome project with you! We’ve been working hard since the middle of last year on this (and are still grinding everyday~!) as we want nothing more than to be able to provide you with a game that is both enjoyable and heartwarming.
As most of us are otome players ourselves, we’re striving hard to make a game that hopefully has a positive impact on its audience, as well as one that can bring comfort and love to players. It would truly mean the world to us if the mere thought of a character or route could bring a smile to your face, or cheer you up for even a moment.
We hope to be able to create something that will stay with you, with characters that’ll live in your hearts forever!
Check out our blog for more information and updates, and feel free to send in any questions! (We’ll be posting a close-up sneak peek of our main guys real soon, so keep an eye out for that! c; )
Thank you for reading this, and we truly hope you’ll support us and our first otome game: Wishes in Pen: Chrysanthemums in August.
