English Otome Games Review (Android)

Amy from Always Remember Me

Recently there's been an influx of English Otome games being released for either Andriod or Apple products. Some are fun while others, not so much. I have complied a review/guide for those who want an overview of the games before making the decision to spend hours and hours on a particular one.

As I complete routes, I'll be writing up walkthroughs for those who want to have all the pictures! I would suggest attempting to understand what the character will and won't like in in terms of choices but we all need a little push at the end at times.

Remember that Ctrl + F is your best friend here ;)

Winter Wolves 

Of all the companies producing English Otome games, Winter Wolves is my favourite. I haven't played all of them, but the three I've played so far are incredibly worth the money! Instead of merely a visual novel, they create simluation games with the major focus on dating. While using the anime style in regards to character designs, I find their men to be more North American than anything, which is REALLY refreshing. There isn't an absolute need to be protected and you determine the protagonist's career and/or scholarly path.

Amy & Aaron

Always Remember Me

Plot: The story revolves around Amarantha (Amy) Fitch, a student attending college for creative arts, who in the beginning of the game, has a boyfriend named Aaron. Unfortunately, they get involved in an accident while on a date. Following the trip to the hospital, she learns that Aaron lost his memories of her! And thus the game begins, where Amy lives her regular life and finds out whether her true soul mate was Aaron or perhaps another man altogether.

Characters Design/Development: 9/10
Extra features: 6/10
'My Page' Interface: --
Love Metre: 10/10
Music: 10/10
Story & Pacing: 8/10
Side Stories: --

Opinion:  I did like the batch of men available in this simulation as they don't necessarily fit stereotypes. The situations with all of them follow the plot yet have the unique factor since they each have vastly different careers. 

The game's time frame was three months, where you can do a variety of things to increase skill sets such as creativity, discipline, romance, or culture. These affect which ending career-wise and if you have one in the same field as your chosen boy, it's said to be a super happy ending. There are 9 available with the 9th being that you end up alone. It isn't a downer though.

In my first play, I received the 9th ending, not realizing I couldn't play past September. The second time around, I chose Eddy but because I didn't increase discipline to the maximum level, I didn't receive the career ending. The affection points go up/down by 5 or 10. 

The art is gorgeous and very soft toned. The dialogue in each scene is believable/realistic and can be quite difficult to make the right choice, depending on the difficultly level chosen in settings. After playing other games, I found that I really like the sound effects & music. 

Overall rating for Always Remember Me...

9/10

Solmare

Solmare has some interesting otome themes but the majority do have to be paid for, unless you have an iPhone, in which case, some were free. The graphics of the games were GORGEOUS, even more so than Winter Wolves since the targeted demographics were teenage girls.

They also had an interactive 'My Page' where you can greet friends for extra currency, partake in gacha/lotto, shop or earn extra money by completing action items. This feature was the most developed in comparison to the other otome companies featured since it doubled as a social platform. All Solmare games have the feel of a visual novel.

In all games though, the downside was the pressure to spend actual money to get ahead faster or have nicer avatar items.

Ninja Love+

Kotaro & MC

Plot: One day, ninjas appear at the temple where you live and inform you that you are the ninja princess, the personification of hope for the waging war at hand! Born in a small village, you aren't quite sure what to do but try to make a difference in the world. With your chosen bodyguard by your side, you feel you can make a difference in the world.

Characters Design/Development: 10/10
Extra features (Gacha/lotto/training/room): 8/10
'My Page' Interface: 9/10
Music: 10/10
Story & Pacing: 8/10
Side Stories: ...

Current route: Mushashi

Opinion: I initially played the GREE version for this and become very frustrated. While the graphics were nice, there wasn't much else to do aside from greet friends while I waited for the energy to restore & items were ridiculously expensive so I stopped playing.

The Solmare version is a fantastic upgrade. There were familiar characters plus some now playable ones. The route I chose was Mushashi's. The plot was shorter but more seemed to get accomplished so I haven't played any side stories yet. The main character's personality had been upgraded so she was a stronger minded individual.

I like my heroines to kick ass in their own way ;) The dialogue was quite funny in some places! Check it out for daily entertainment.

Overall rating for Ninja Love+...

9/10

My Sweet Prince

Alvah & MC

Plot: While on vacation, you suddenly get shoved into a car and not sure where the final destination is. What a surprise it is when you end up at the country's palace! It turns out the bracelet you found randomly on the street determines the next heir to the throne. It's up to you to pick the right son out of the six possible heirs, each with different mothers and unique personalities. But ruling isn't as glamorous people think it is, as you will soon find out.

Characters Design/Development: 10/10
Extra features (Gacha/lotto/training/room): 5/10
'My Page' Interface: 7/10
Music: --
Story & Pacing: 8/10
Side Stories: 3/10
Played Route: Chezem

Current Route: Jun

Opinion: I felt this game was pretty straightforward and it was nice having it layered with the politics of becoming the next ruler. Families and businesses trying to get into the heir's favours were interesting.

I've attempted only one side story and immediately, they asked for an item at checkpoint only obtainable from Gacha, which was non-existent. Not impressed. Aside from that, the game was good and the art & plot made up for some lacking features.

Overall rating for My Sweet Prince...

                                                                  6/10

Destiny Ninja

Hanzo & MC

Plot: One fateful day, you awake and don't remember who you are and how you got to the forest clearing. A mysterious man tries to kill you but spares your life, taking you his lord, Yoshitsune, who agrees to host you. With the assistance of your chosen ninja, your memories return slowly as does your destiny. 

Characters Design/Development: 10/10
Extra features (Gacha/lotto/training/room): 7/10
'My Page' Interface: 7/10
Music: --
Story & Pacing: 8/10
Side Stories: 10/10

Current Route: Hanzo

Opinion: This continued to be my favourite Solmare games. The choice of nearly ten men, all very unique albeit having a few share traits, was the best part of the game. I have replayed many of my favourite routes, such as Sohma, Hanzo, & Mizuki.

I like the unique aspect of befriending the sidekicks of the chosen ninja and the short side-stories. The characters are who really pull me in as they are much more...direct/handsy than Ninja Love+. Some of their introduction lines are a little sadistic but getting past that, the men are much more sweeter!

The stakes aren't too high in this one when it comes to check points and all. You get items frequently as accomplishing ninja missions are simple enough. 

Overall rating of Destiny Ninja...

8/10

Accela

Accela is a relatively new entry into the English Otome industry, its virgin attempt made obvious through the single route they have available in their game. This is a major disadvantage as not every player will be fond of the default choice and will lose interest in the game. They are mobile based, as is obvious from the minimized app interface, which is similar to the Okko interfaces.

Illegal Romance

Plot: You wake up in a telephone booth and can't remember how you got there. Well honestly, you can't remember much of anything. A young man named Noze finds you there and offers his home to you while you recover your memories. After taking a bath, you flick on the television and come across a news flash: a murder has been committed and the murder is still at large. Suddenly, feelings of familiarity overcome you. Could this tragic scene be part of your past? 

Characters Design/Development: 8/10
Extra features (Gacha/lotto/training/room): 2/10
'My Page' Interface: 4/10
Music: --
Story & Pacing: 8/10
Side Stories: 0/10

Current Route: Noze

Opinion: The pacing of the plot is fairly good, which compensates for the choice of only one character's route and crappy interface. The text speed is good and each sub-chapter has a good length, both factors that doesn't make me feel pressured to have to buy anything. There isn't much specialization happening because of the difficulty in getting coins though, which is kind of boring.

Overall Rating of Illegal Romance: 

7/10

GREE

GREE is a mobile social gaming company which provided a few free otome games with the option of purchasing in-game items. They placed restrictions in the game so those who were addicted would want to buy these items to make the story/events go by quicker, much like Solmare. Aside from that downside, everything else about the games they provide was relatively alright. Not spectacular but good to play if you had the patience.

Be My Princess 

All Princes

Plot: You are a young fashion designer, constantly rejected by ever position applied for. Then one day, you receive an opportunity with the most famous fashion designer in a far away kingdom. So you take the opportunity, only to learn this particular company makes clothes for princes!

Thus your story begins to become the best & personal designer of one of six princes.

Characters Design/Development: 6/10
Extra features (Gacha/lotto/training/room): 5/10
'My Page' Interface: 5/10
Music: --
Story & Pacing: 7/10
Side Stories: 4/10

Current Route: Edward

Opinion: Of all the GREE games, this one popped out. It may be due to the main character, who is actually trying to build a career (although it revolves around her love interest) and the CGs are nice enough. There's a mix of politics and emotional baggage for each character, developing them further than the usual archetypes.

It's nice to receive some free items here and there and the annoying part is the way GREE attempts to persuade to take money from you. The side stories are insightful but do contain spoilers for the main character route if you haven't played. It does take quite a bit of time to play through if you don't buy additional currency/items to and they are to be time limited. Other than that, everything is fairly adequate for a free game.

Overall Rating of Be My Princess:

6/10

My Sweet Bodyguard

Mizuki & MC

Plot: You are the ordinary Japanese citizen, raised only by your mother, but all of a sudden, you find out your father is the Prime Minister of Japan! No wonder he wasn't around when you were younger.

He loves you immensely and has received intel that your life will be in potential danger. That being said, he asks you to choose a bodyguard for safety's sake. Thus your life takes a dangerous turn but nothing is impossible for your bodyguard!

Characters Design/Development: 6/10

Extra features (Gacha/lotto/training/room): 6/10

'My Page' Interface: 5/10

Music: --

Story & Pacing: 5/10

Side Stories: 3/10

Current Route: Kaji

Opinion: When I first got my hands on this, I thought it was the best - the cliche of having a bodyguard protect you and who will eventually fall in love with you. Then progressing in the game became a little difficult since the stakes could be incredibly high.

The side stories are alright but they take forever to finish as well and are available for a limited time - GREE's almost forced attempt to spend money to make things go faster. The main character is kind of annoying too. 

This was a decent game but that is all, just decent. 

Overall rating of My Sweet Bodyguard...

5/10

So that's all for today. I've begun playing Okko's games but I'll need to make some headway before I review it on here. I'll eventually begin investing in the paid games but that's far in the future. At the moment, the next games to be added will be Sweet Scandal, Nicole & Contract Marriage.

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Bodaiju Ryuou no Aria (La Corda D'Oro 3) Manga

La Corda D'Oro 3 (Album Art)

As many Corda fans know, the second installment of the series is coming in April, titled as "La Corda D'Oro: Blue Sky". I haven't seen much hype over it as of yet but Kure Yuki has taken on the manga adaption of the reverse harem game.

And it is a wonderful adaption so far!

I haven't had the chance to play the game nor could I find any summaries of the plot so I took a chance with the manga. Now, the art style is not particularly to my liking but I decided to look past all of that.

The plot revolves around Kanade Kohinata, small time country girl who transfers over to Seisho Academy to pursue her musical interests. The thing is, she's not very good nor is her childhood friend. As more and more characters are introduced, we learn that there is much more to Kohinata than being a country girl - she already has a rival/enemy in Shiro Hazumi.

How do they know each other...?

Despite having similar designs as its predecessor, La Corda D'Oro: Primo Passo, the characters are completely different! I love the dynamics so far in comparison to the first, where we meet a brand new character as Hino does.

My favourite so far is Sei Amamiya. He is looking to fall in love so his much more depth and the situations which arise with Kohinata is quite...bold. Especially for two people who have just met ;)

So for the mystery aspect of this manga so far, which allows more depth, I give it two thumbs up. We will see if the anime compares to it but in the mean time, why not enjoy the CDs available for the series?

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When Destiny Takes Over: Athrun x Cagalli (Part II)

Part I | Part III | Part IV

Welcome back, everyone! If anyone needs a reminder of what the first part was about, skim through it over here, please. The above image leads to the link to buy the AsuCaga covered GSD Remastered Part II.

As the title implies, I'll be continuing from where I left off. This second part is more about the development both of them undergo through the major events they encounter on their journey. The sad part is that it becomes increasingly difficult to write about them together, as I did the first time, which can also be seen as how they are drifting apart.

On another note, I wanted to write about Meyrin & Meer in this part but it wouldn`t do them justice as it is long enough already. This part is dedicated to the struggle Athrun and Cagalli are currently facing as individuals instead of as a couple.

Following the kidnapping of Cagalli & Athrun's revelation of Orb being a hostile territory towards him, both begin paving their own path towards a peaceful future.

Since Athrun was enlisted with ZAFT alongside the once main character, Shinn, we see much more happening than on the Archangel side of things. So let's begin there.

We see that Athrun had been granted rights as a member of FAITH by Durandal, meaning he could place himself outside the regular chain of command as he saw fit on the battlefield as well as give orders as he deemed appropriate. The only person he was accountable to was the Chairman.

Let's quickly return to SEED for a moment when we saw Athrun as an individual who believed war will come to a successful end if soldiers followed orders. As seen in SEED, a major flaw of his character was his indecisiveness. Perhaps this was what the Chairman picked up on, considering he knew about Athrun's former defection. So granting him entry into FAITH would almost be an incentive for Athrun to stay in ZAFT, considering he was seen as a hero and had extraordinary piloting skills, two things which work in Durandal's benefit.

While mentoring Lunamaria & Shinn on the right path would also be an incentive, he had also lost communication with the three most important people in his life: Kira, Cagalli & Lacus. Since they are abroad the Archangel, a renegade ship, they are to remain hidden, especially after committing an international crime by kidnapping Cagalli from her wedding and surviving an assassination attempt on Lacus.

It's best to keep hidden.

Until events such as the Battle of Dardanelles happened. It's here that the Archangel made their first official appearance. Cagalli attempted to speak to the Orb fleet, requesting them to cease fire with Kira by her side for protection, should things go wrong. Athrun, naturally, is confused. Why are they doing this?

Things definitely went wrong as Yuna claimed it wasn't the true Cagalli. Unfortunately, they were attacked and chaos ensued, causing her to cry at her lack of power. She finally witnessed the consequence of her mistake - destruction.

Athrun, on the other hand, recognized everyone but is unable to make contact. Sadly, Heine was killed by Stellar and Athrun mistook Kira for killing Heine. He was angry at Kira & Cagalli and it seemed that this was the beginning of his misunderstanding of Cagalli.

Following the battle, Athrun finally received the chance to meet with Kira & Cagalli. He wished to tell them what they did was not right, causing so many sacrifices and that there was another way.

The Archangel team, on the other hand, thought Athrun returned to them and was amused by Cagalli's declaration to go with Kira. Everyone thought he could shed light as to what was occurring in PLANTs.

Unfortunately, the objective each party wanted couldn't be achieved since revelations were abound. Athrun informed Kira & Cagalli he enlisted in ZAFT once again, Kira questioned Durandal's motives and who ordered Lacus' assassination and we also see how tense things truly have become with Athrun & Cagalli as they only criticized one another's decisions instead of being happy to see one another - it was one-sided on Cagalli's part. Perhaps Athrun still held a grudge against her for near marriage to Yuna?

When I look at this image, it's almost as if Cagalli's saying goodbye to Athrun, who has lost his way.

In a way, this scene served to show that there wasn't a 'true' right path as it questioned whether or not the Archangel should've interfered with battle. But that's for another discussion. In another way, we also witness Athrun's mindset on ZAFT & PLANTS - even after Kira told him of the assassination attempt, he stuck to his opinion of Durandal.

And so continued Athrun's path of solitude of which he wasn't aware just yet. At this moment, he believed he was not alone, especially when he found a friend in Heine Westenfluss. In regards of who developed Athrun's character down the line, I would have to say Heine, Shinn & Meer.

Heine demonstrated that one did not need to keep a professional level among the fellow soldier, Shinn constantly pointed out his hesitation to fight when it concerned the Archangel and Meer served as a catalyst for the truth and reminded him of who he could've been for the rest of his life - a puppet.

Then we have Cagalli, whose actions and reactions are affected by Kira, Uzumi and surprisingly, Shinn. For her, Shinn is the embodiment of failure. This was what happened when a nation failed its citizens and when Orb's ideals weren't followed through. Uzumi was her constant reminder of the strength she should've maintained and Kira was her rock.

As the show moved onto the Battle of Crete, it only becomes more chaotic and solidified what Athrun & Cagalli do think of one another at this point.

For me, it was upsetting to watch this battle from Cagalli's perspective. She had been told to return to Orb but Yuna wouldn't have her back. When the Archangel interfered once again, the plan failed yet again. Orb soldiers had resolved to taken down Minerva as it was their orders and the scene between Cagalli and the Captain (?) was quite touching.

Even though they do not want to do this, they must. They are soldiers of the nation and their leader had given orders. Although his words were harsh, he threw her away to keep her from harm. He then sacrificed himself to damage the Minerva immensely.

The relationship between Cagalli and the army was showcased well in this episode. Despite everything, they still consider her the true leader and commander, to the point where a pilot protected her from Shinn's attack near the Takemikazuchi, losing his life in the process.

When she cries this time around, it's on a different level of understanding. She's not just crying for Orb but for those soldiers she knew well. How could she ever make it up to those who lost their lives?

Along with the emotional struggle, we see that Cagalli & Athrun didn't particularly care for one another on the battlefield, more so Cagalli as Athrun did time to time show some concern when she was in slight danger. Athrun was angry that they interfered yet again and that the Minerva was in danger. Cagalli was concentrating on stopping the battle. It wasn't until Kira said to Athrun in an emotional state that Athrun's resolve was hindered:

I know what you're saying. I know what you're saying, but it doesn't matter. Because at this moment, Cagalli is crying her heart out. She's crying because all of this is exactly what she feared. Why won't you understand that? And now you're saying that this battle... that these terrible sacrifices can't be helped!? That all of this is the fault of Orb and Cagalli? If you are saying that, then you are attacking the very thing that Cagalli is trying to save. Then I have no choice, I must defeat you!

The dedication Kira had for Cagalli and her cause was almost unbelievable. Was Athrun thinking it should have been him in Kira's place? Or that him staying in Orb or with the Archangel would have been more effective? I believe it was here that Athrun began seeing things in a bit differently and questioning his motives more.

He had been seeing things solely from the ZAFT perspective and at some point, saw Orb as hostile, an entity that needed to be defeated. He witnessed the deaths incurred on the Minerva and this fueled his motives to fight for ZAFT. I don't think Athrun was wrong in criticizing the Archangel for interfering in both battles but we can only guess what would have happened otherwise.

Following the Battle of Crete, we find some respect lost for Athrun as he was beaten by Freedom. Shinn is becoming much more impatient with him and Rey increasingly came to Shinn's defense. For Shinn,Freedom`s pilot had to die, no matter what.

It was here that we were given proper insight to Athrun`s feelings - he didn`t want the Archangel crew to be destroyed or killed, he just wanted them to stop interfering and causing more casualties. He wasn`t comfortable with Shinn and Rey doing simulations against Freedom and Rey caught on to who his loyalties lay with.

And speaking of loyalties, the crew aboard the Takemikazuchi joined the Archangel in order to support Cagalli. It was very intriguing to watch as both Cagalli and the soldiers cried for those who had lost their lives. My reaction to this was, wow. Not many leaders would cry in front of their soldiers nor vice-versa happen.

Cagalli, though at a slow pace, was becoming more confident of herself and her leadership. Athrun, on the other hand, was still struggling. Soon though, he would find the `right` path for himself.

Many AsuCaga fans say that both of them were deeply in love throughout Destiny. This is something I disagree with. If they were in love with one another, then in the original series, they would`ve been thinking much more about the other. As it was, both were more concentrated with finding themselves - they both felt powerless - and finding peace via their own methods.

One fact I found sweet was that Cagalli did keep her ring on her finger. To her, Athrun was still important and every time he noticed the right, he was surprised. Although they may not be priority or empathetic to one another`s struggle, they do care for one another in an indirect way. But things couldn't be as it were in SEED, where Cagalli spent most of her time with him after Orb's tragic battle.

No, both need to know and love themselves for who they are before they can even think about loving one another.

Will that happen in the next part? Perhaps but look forward to an end of struggle in Part III ;)

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Gacha Time: A Special for My Readers + Nemoroids!

Hey everyone! While I'm definitely not the most popular blog on the internet, it's nice to see that I do have frequent readers :)

That being said, I wanted to offer a 'lotto' so to speak. Since I am in the low-income bracket, I unfortunately cannot afford prizes by myself yet. I added a 'Donate' button on the side so when we get  to $20, I will disable it, buy goodies from a nearby Gacha & Hobbies store and do a giveaway.

Confusing?

Probably, eh? I can only gauge what people want through comments (eg. what anime series a figure should be from) and for those who donate, their chances of winning will be doubled! After all, it's through their generosity that we get prizes. I will put up another post once we get the ball rolling and if anyone has experience in these matters, please let me know!

I want it to be as smooth as possible :)

Meanwhile, I finally realized how popular Nendoroids were! Why did I not know this before...so here are some goodies available via Amazon!

Shingeki no Kyojin Nendoroid (#365): Mikasa

Our lovely Mikasa from Attack on Titan has been incredibly popular to the point of demanding a second edition. If you click on the link, you can see the different poses available. I believe there is 10 in stock at the moment so hurry if you want her! 

Madoka Magica Nendoroid (#285): Ultimate Madoka

I really need to watch Madoka...I keep seeing her figures and think they are quite beautiful. I don't know what her character is like at all...But anyway, the pink and white scheme is lovely! While it's supposed to be her attacking, it looks so damn cute.

Sword Art Online Nendoroid (#283): Asuna

I haven't watched Sword Art Online either but Asuna looks so cute and happy. I didn't notice it before but orange haired characters seem to be my favourites recently (Orihime, Shirley, Preta). So chances are I will like her as well. 

Fate/Stay Night Nendoroid (#077): Saber Lily

I have been seeing a lot of Saber figures around whether it be in her battle gear, casual outfits or swim wear. I suppose even after so long, she is still an incredibly popular character. I do like this particular version of her character albeit not knowing the back story. 

Okay, I'm going to stop here otherwise I am going to keep looking through myfigurecollection.net & Amazon, torturing my soul with things I cannot have DX

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Tales of Asteria (The Story of Stars)

Another Tales of game will able available for smartphones soon! It can be downloaded via the App Store or Google Play and the release date is this coming Spring.

It is called Tales of Asteria and the concept of it is bringing some of the main characters from the Tales of games (listed below) to a new world and thm battling for star pieces. It will most likely feature religion as a theme as, I believe, the other games do.

So backtracking, the first Tales of Game I played was Tales of Symphonia.

I love just about everything in Tales of Symphonia (for GC & Play Station) and still play it to date on the Wii. The characters are likable, the scenes are humorous and very few of the twists are predictable, unless you are a major gamer. For those who haven't played it or it's sequel (Dawn of the New World), Namco is releasing a remastered edition for the PS3. It's available via Amazon for $39.99 + free shipping.

I would highly recommend it and it can be found here!

I haven't played Tales of Xillia, Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Vesperia, or Tales of the Abyss but I've heard good things about them. Each of the above games feature one of the main characters in Tales of Asteria and if you're like me and want to know more about a particular game, especially if it features cameos, then I would recommend playing through them. They can be found at relatively cheap prices, depending on if you don't mind second-hand items.

Now the trick to Tales of Asteria is that while downloading it and the general game-play is free, there will be features within the game that will need to be purchased. Whether it's mandatory or not is yet to be seen but chances are, they will be in a very indirect way.

Ah well.

Check out the PV and I hope you become as enthusiastic as I did :D

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Valentine's Day: What To Get For Your Otaku Partner

Well well, Valentine's is coming near and all the shops have been prepared for this for many weeks. But that doesn't stop people from getting something last minute for their sweetie, does it?

So aside from the usual sweet and memorable items you can get from Hallmark or Carlton Cards, what else is there to get? This seems to be a common question among the population that celebrates the day and this is a list I've compiled for the average anime fan ;)




1. Cellphone Cases

Almost everyone in North America has some time of smartphone or iPod because of the rise of social media's popularity. I visited many stores in malls and this happens to be a hot commodity. So why get your significant other a case from their favourite anime? These are some that I found and you can check out pricing & specs by clicking on the links.


 


2. Jewelry 

There are necklaces of well known logos or character items on sale and the best part it, those charms at the end are almost a best kept secret - those who watch the show will understand the meaning behind it ;)





3. Home Furnishings

These are probably the most practical items but of course, with the Japanese twist. While things like mugs and posters are good for relevance's sake, body pillows are more for pleasure ;)





Now these are just some ideas of what to get someone else but hell, why only get these things via a partner? Why not get them yourself? Valentine's Day is not for everyone and treating yourself to a lovely gift isn't a terrible thing ;)

Let me know if there are other gift ideas I can place on here so to help out our fellow otaku!

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