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BL Game Review: No, Thank You!!!

I started No, Thank You!!! over Memorial Day weekend, and let me tell you – this game is highly addictive. There has never been a visual novel that has captured my attention to the degree this game has done. I didn’t want to do anything but play it.

Game: No, Thank You!!!

Developer: Parade, localized and released by Mangagamer

The group on a night out at the pier.

The group on a night out at the pier.

Summary from Mangagamer: This summer vacation begins with a car accident… Our protagonist protects a man from an out of control car, but gets hit and loses his memory in the process. The man he saved happens to be the owner of a jazz bar, sótano. Out of sympathy for his hapless savior, the man decides to set him up with a job and a place to live.

From the outside, sótano looks like a cozy little jazz bar, but behind the scenes they solve problems that the police and legitimate detective agencies won’t touch. The staff there give our protagonist the name “Haru”. He gradually makes his way deeper into the organization, and the hearts and lives of the staff, while working as an apprentice bartender. But just who is Haru really…?

Platform: Windows PC (although you can play the game if you have a Mac, you’ll just need Parallels or Boot Camp to do so). You can buy the digital version or a hardcopy version from Mangagamer (NSFW).

Characters: There are four guys to choose from (Hiroyuki Akiyama, Ryu Kurosawa, Maki, Kouichi Inui). Like usual, you get distinct personalities. They all work at the same place. There are some supporting characters with interesting backstories of their own. No character feels out of place, and provide unique stories that help the story’s pacing.

Story: There’s not a moment, that I can recall, where I wanted to skip past a part because it was boring. I really enjoyed playing as Haru and exploring his relationships with the other characters (and their various missions), while also uncovering the entire story through all of the routes.

Haru and Maki

Haru and Maki

Haru is a great protagonist who says crazy things (including very lewd things I won’t repeat here) and has odd habits, such as using butt grabbing as a stress reliever. Despite the horniness of our main character, the story is well-executed and believable. He’s got his own mysterious back story, and that’s a major part of the plot — something you’ll figure out as you complete the game. I think the individual stories from the supporting characters (through needing to solve a mystery) helped keep the story from becoming monotonous, despite that it’s a visual novel. The repetitiveness of clicking a button could be ignored because of how engrossing the story is. I started my route with Maki, instead of going with Ryu who is the obvious option for me considering he’s a stereotypical megane. However, Maki’s personality as a silent, strong type caught my interest more. I learned there the preferred route to go through (his is second), so I played in the proper order to solve the mystery surrounding Haru’s character.

Unfortunately, due to an update, the game got corrupted. Although I could salvage things, I wasn’t able to keep my saves. I had just started on the first route with Akiyama (which would be my second run through of the game), so the second time was laborious. But, I wasn’t deterred too much and kept on because the game is super fun.

Music/voices: I don’t have much to say here. The music and voices matched the game in a way that made both unobtrusive.

Gameplay: No, Thank You!!! has an interesting feature that requires you to press or not press a button. Your decision to press the button helps determine the ending you get. I didn’t realize the importance of that button until I was well into the first route. Thankfully, thankfully I made correct decisions because I really didn’t want to get a bad ending the first time around. >_<.

Art: The artwork is professional. The CGs are well done, as well. This is important to me as I will turn down a game if I don’t like the artwork.

Haru is the only one amused by the cat he found.

Haru is the only one amused by the cat he found.

Replay value: This game is like revisiting your favorite book after you haven’t read it in months. Although I haven’t gotten to that point yet, I can tell I will definitely play this again. The game is long, I would say the routes took me several days with a minimum of one or two hours. Over Memorial Day, I spent many hours on the game — five in one day on the day I bought it. I haven’t completed the game to 100 percent (all routes and endings), but these options give extra game play.

Audience: Adult fans of BL will appreciate this game. Steer clear, however, if you are under-aged, squicked by yaoi, or don’t like explicit scenes.

Heart of Manga Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Adrienne
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