Tester’s Corner: Kotori Ed. Vol 2

dcif_ex1With only two weeks left before Kotori Love ExP goes on sale, it’s time for another Tester’s Corner, and this time you get to hear from Nurio!

Kotori Love Ex P

First off, I want to say that having played the Da Capo demo beforehand, I wasn’t too fond of the characters. This includes Kotori. I don’t really know the reason why, but I couldn’t very much bond with them. The only character who seemed interesting enough is the one I caught the least glimpses of: Miharu. The other characters with at least some merit were Moe and Sakura.

That said, I will talk about this game as reasonable and honest as possible, without trying to reveal too many spoilers. Oh, and I joke around a lot and approach many things in a light-hearted, whimsical way, so be mindful of that. =)

When I started up the game, I was immediately greeted by beautiful art of Kotori in a Naked Apron, or almost naked anyway, which might set the tone for this game. Don’t mistake this game for a Nukige, though, since it’s far from that! It’s got plenty of story. It’s even got six stories, so take your pick!

Kotori Love Ex P is divided into three parts: Kotori Love, Kotori Extasy and Kotori Plus. Fun fact: It took me quite a while to realize that Kotori Love Ex P stood for Kotori Love Extasy Plus. All three parts follow Jun’ichi, the protagonist, and focus on Kotori, as you might’ve guessed. Kotori Love follows Jun’ichi during his school time, Kotori Extasy is an alternate story of that time and Kotori Plus is when Jun’ichi has found a job.

Seeing all this content, all I could do was gulp, buckle up and charge into it full steam ahead! Or, rather, I went through it at a snail’s pace, since I checked everything for typos…

Kotori Love – Da Capo: Plus Communication

Kotori Love holds Da Capo: Plus Communication and 3 other Kotori fan discs. I started out by saying I didn’t very much like the characters in Da Capo 1, but the added characters in DCPC are all kinds of awesome. After all, what’s not to like about a shrine maiden fiancée with mystical powers, a girl running around in a pink bear suit, a sleep-deprived manga girl with glasses, or a small girl who uses ventriloquism to talk? Seriously, where I thought the old characters were a bit without personality, the new characters shine so much personality, it makes your eyes hurt!

image1DCPC, despite originally being a game of many characters, clearly focuses on Kotori. All options are marked with a cute little Kotori icon that shows you need to choose that option to get to Kotori’s route. It’s almost as if Kotori’s saying “Pick me! Pick me!”

Having played through Kotori’s route now, I can say that Kotori has really redeemed herself a lot as a character and I even started to like her!

Kotori Love – Da Capo: White Season

Now liking the Kotori character, I actually wanted to continue. I wanted to find out more about Jun’ichi’s relationship with her. Little did I know they went as far as get a 5-year-old daughter when they were still in school. Wait, wha…? Apparently some lost girl appeared on Jun’ichi’s doorstep and now he and Kotori take care of the girl until they find their parents. Don’t you just hate it when that happens? It happens on every Monday to me.

This was a short but still pretty touching story. I often hate how little children are portrayed in visual novels (*thinks of Da Capo 2* *shudders*). They’re usually very annoying, but luckily this little girl wasn’t anything like that.

Kotori Love – Da Capo: After Seasons

Other new characters I liked were Kotori’s friends, Tomo-chan and Mikkun. (Especially Mikkun – Ungh, that light blue hair!) In DCAS, Tomo-chan has a crush on someone but doesn’t have the guts to confess. So Kotori got the brilliant idea to have her boyfriend go on a test date with Tomo-chan, to encourage this shy girl. Simply brilliant! No risk for cheating whatsoever!

What can I say about this? I liked it. I don’t have a funny remark left. *awkward pause* What!? Don’t think you can pull more out of me! Never!

Kotori Love – Circus Disc: Christmas Days

If you were in a relationship for two years, would you suddenly neglect your girlfriend! Would you!? You insensitive jerk! Ahem, it’s exactly what Jun’ichi did, which suffice to say, made Kotori worry about the relationship. So Kotori went out of her way to think of ways to help spice up the relationship again – very special ways. Nudge, nudge, wink wink.

Maybe I liked this one a lot because I actually got to see something of Kotori’s friends. (Yes, that kind of something.)

Kotori's idea of celebrating Christmas

Kotori’s idea of celebrating Christmas

Kotori Extasy – Da Capo: Innocent Finale

I’ve heard that this is very much like the DCIF you’re used to except with some added scenes. I’m not used to any DCIF, so it was all good for me. Out of all of the parts of Kotori Love Ex P, this one has the most and best story, though maybe that has to do with the fact that it started out as an all-ages game. Pussy fans rejoice, though! They added a sex scene (at appropriate times, of course)! Yay!

What’s interesting is that with DCPC added to this game, the new characters in DCIF seem much more familiar than before. I don’t think I should comment too much on this story, and instead let it speak for itself. Now if only it could actually talk.

It all starts with this and then it branches away from DCPC

It all starts with this and then it branches away from DCPC

Kotori Plus

Kotori Plus is the original extra content of Kotori Love Ex P (hence Kotori Plus). I’d say that they should’ve called this part Kotori Extasy. Seriously, this one is one big chunk of ecstasy turned into visual novel! There are like 18 days, and 12 H scenes! Or more! (I lost count.) And they’re all of very high quality to boot! You know what this means, guys. Get the lotion ready. Lock and load!

A new challenger is approaching! Watch out for her Choco-Banana shuriken attack!

A new challenger is approaching! Watch out for her Choco-Banana shuriken attack!

(Also, this is about the only non-erotic image I could find.)

In Kotori Plus, Jun’ichi is happily married to Kotori. But of course, some younger girl just HAD to step into Jun’ichi’s life and tempt him to do some adultery. We should just slap her silly to teach her a lesson! … Okay, maybe first take her from behind and THEN slap her silly! Seriously, could you resist?

I don’t need to tell you that this one is the best for H fans. Are you ready to be drained from all your juices?

Closing words

The first thing I noticed when looking back on Kotori Love Ex P is how the art has evolved. Just look at the images. It has turned from something good to something great. What I also liked a lot is how there was quite some continuity. Oftentimes you see references to other parts in the game, like in Kotori Plus, how Jun’ichi talks about that little girl from DCWS. In my opinion, that adds a lot to the game. It just makes all the individual parts fit together like one big, warm, snug puzzle.

It probably goes without saying, but this is THE game to get for Kotori fans. That said, even if you weren’t all too fond of Kotori, like I was, then I still recommend this game to you. I normally would’ve “meh’d” this game, but having actually tried it, I was pleasantly surprised.

I’ve done my best to be as nitpick-y as possible and trying to find all the typos and the like, and that has taken some considerable time. But it was all worth it and I enjoyed my time with Kotori Love Ex P. It was a very unique experience that I was very glad to have. After all this work, I hope that you will be able to enjoy a typo-free product! ^_^

Aww, simply adorable! I’ve always liked Miharu.

Aww, simply adorable! I’ve always liked Miharu.

Which brings me to my last point: Miharu fan disc – Circus, MangaGamer, please?

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38 Comments

  1. more da capo, more of the same.

  2. I honestly would like a Miharu fandisk, HOWEVER…

    *DC SPOILERS*

    It would make me feel bad for THAT Miharu of her route in the game, seriously, it was very damn sad.

    *END SPOILERS*

    Anyway, it was a nice read. Looking forward to this.

    • Actually there is apparently a Miharu afterstory in the Winter Season fandisc and it seems to involve both Miharus .

      http://circus.nandemo.gr.jp/sakuhin/dcas/story/winter_story_miharu.html

    • *SPOILERS… I think?*

      I have no idea what this is about two Miharus, but dammit, now I seriously want to know more about this very peculiar girl!
      I just… Sorta wanna hold out until DCPC might get released… >.>

      *END SPOILERS*

      • Is that a hint that DCPC might be on the horizon?? 😉

        • Nope, sorry. I have no knowledge of any secret projects. And even if I did, I wouldn’t dare break an NDA and hint about it.

          These were just my honest feelings. I didn’t like the DC1 demo all that much, but I loved the DCPC part in KLExP. That’s why I would buy DCPC but not DC1.

          • Well, I was just being a bit facetious and didn’t honestly believe you knew anything (or, as you say, do know something but risk breaking an NDA).

      • So there’s a chance of DCPC getting released, hm? I would certainly be in for that.

        • There have been a few rumors about MG discussung license for the first Plus Communication, but so far they’ve been just that, rumors. My guess is this will be Circus’ way of testing the waters to see just how much we like a retelling of a game most of us have already bought and played. Should this retelling do well enough we can prbably look forward to at least the first PC somewhere down the road.
          You know something about what I just typed seems familiar… Oh yeah, it kinda reminds me if every time someone asks about Shin Koi- (stops at the multiple glares)…er, yeah touchy subject. Never mind, lol

  3. I hope this raises enough support for getting Plus Communication so we can get the whole After Seasons fandisk

  4. i wish this was P.C but my love for kotari makes this alright I STILL WANT P.C THOUGH COME ON NOW GIVE US WHAT WE WANT!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol

  5. Well, that certainly answers why Nurio was answering all the questions about this on the forum. From fan to employee, good for you (git 😉 ).

    Seriously though, I hope you’ve been able to pick through the spelling mistakes that tend to crop up, especially the many that were in the opening of DCIF.

    On a more personal note though, more Kotori…? not sure I’m really after that. I might still pick this up as I’ve rather enjoyed most of the Da Capo titles so far, but I would much rather have gone for DCPC or a complete version of the fandisks rather than just limiting this to the Kotori parts. As is, in the event of MG ever releasing the full versions of the other fan disks this would seem to almost be a waste of my money…

    • Well, since the DCIF part was already translated and checked and all, there was no need for additional beta-testing, so I didn’t have a hand in all original DCIF content (including the intro and such). As I understood, though, the text in DCIF is good as it is and any typos that might’ve slipped past beta-testing weren’t at all diminishing the experience.
      I did pick through all of the extra content in the DCIF part of KL Ex P, though… So I hope that is typo-free! XD

      I have to admit, when I heard about this title, my first thought was also “More Kotori?”, but when I actually started up the game I could immediately see that I would enjoy this game. Though it indeed centers around Kotori, I have to say it’s still varied enough that it won’t get repetitive or annoying. You can clearly see Kotori evolve from when you first meet her up until you’re married to her.

      • Which is nice and all, but I’m just concerned that by translating KL Ex P, which in and of itself is no bad thing, as this is only the Kotori parts of other games mashed together with a little extra content at the end, that it might have been better to translate either DCPC or, if the money wasn’t forthcoming, to translate the full content of one of the fandiscs. As is, I’m currently “on the fence” on this one as I would much rather be interacting with new characters rather than repeating, albeit in a slightly different way, the same character again (third time lucky?).

        Trying to look on the positives however, this does at least show continued interest from Circus in the Mangagamer project as this game will be released almost exactly 1 year after it’s Japanese release, so Western gamers take heart!

        • I hear ya. I’ll be honest and say that I’d rather have had DCPC than KLExP. Though I’ve come to like Kotori, I’m still much more interested in those other new characters.
          But you have to consider that DCPC is a risk for MangaGamer, as there might be plenty of people who have played DC1 and don’t want to pay again for “the same game”.

          • Of course, which is why I intimated that “if the money wasn’t forthcoming” and have made the point on the forum that DCPC would be a risk as, like you say, “there might be plenty of people who have played DC1 and don’t want to pay again for “the same game”.” I do, however, think that it might have been better to translate a full version of one of the fandiscs rather than another Kotori game, however this is, of course, only my opinion.

            After saying all of that though, now watch me buy this. It’s happened before and will no doubt happen again (4 versions of Kira Kira, including the iPhone, and counting so more fool me maybe?).

  6. Looking forward to this. ^_^ I used to be a Nemu fan, but I’ve evolved and I am now a Yume fan. As a result of this Kotori is now outranking Nemu in my mental Da Capo list. And after playing DCIF I found it lacking a certain something. This certain something is, of course, the ero. =/ Therefore, I welcome this wholeheartedly! (always wanted to use that word)

  7. I never would have expected Miharu to be a cradle robber like that :O

  8. More Miharu? Yes please!

    I’ve pretty much had my fill of Kotori, but if this does well maybe we’ll see more down the line. As has been said, I’d love to see DCPC.

  9. I’m with the miharu fandisc thing, she sure is cute.

  10. I’ll be agitated waiting for across next 2 weeks XD

  11. and 12 H scenes!
    H scenes in true is called ero-scenes u.u

    • I think we’ve discussed this already and I really wonder if I should repeat myself here… But what the heck, I’ll just go ahead.

      Both are correct. The one term is just more an English term while the other term is just more a Japanese term.
      Kind of like calling Rice Balls “Onigiri”. Either is fine.

    • You’ll also notice in some eroge ‘H’ is written within the text which is short for short for ‘ecchi’ and will mean whichever meaning depending on context. Pretty interesting considering in english we refer to ‘H’ as ‘Hentai’, and for the ignorant ‘porn’; although even that isn’t wrong technically.

  12. Uhm just wanted to ask will there be any plans for translation of the da capo game with what is her name , Aisia was it or only in anime?

    • I can’t say I know of any Aisia. But yeah, if you want to know what MG has up their sleeve, then you can look at the “What’s down the pipeline” post a few posts below.

    • I might be wrong on this, so if anyone knows better please correct me, but I think Aishia although she appeared in Da Capo Second Season in the anime appeared in D.C.II.P.S/P.C. and, as yet, I don’t believe there are any plans to translate that (especially considering how soon D.C.II. was released, but hey you never know!).

    • Aisha only has routes in D.C. II fandisks. D.C. II P.C., D.C. II Fall in Love, and D.C.D.X.

  13. thanks for the info on aisha.

  14. is very! tanks!
    Which is nice and all, but I’m just concerned that by translating KL Ex P,
    ¬¬

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