Today on the blog, we have a tester’s corner from Kitty-tama!
Hello everyone, Kitty-tama here with yet another tester corner. The Most Forbidden Love in the World is unlike any eroge I’ve ever played, both in terms of the main content, and how it’s executed. It was a refreshing experience and I had an amazing time working on such a plot-heavy game for a change of pace. Before I get more in-depth with my thoughts, it’s worth mentioning that despite the title of the game, the storyline handles the content in a very mature, thought-provoking fashion, and never once did it feel off-putting or creepy, in more blunt terms. The game is one of the more memorable ones I’ve tested, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
What really stuck with me throughout testing The Most Forbidden Love in the World was how the story didn’t focus on students like your typical eroge does. Instead, the focus is on Osamu, a man in his late-twenties who has lost his job, falling to the bottom of society before eventually finding his way in life again, and the unlikely bonds that come with it. This is very much a story about redemption, kindness, family, and love of all kinds at its heart. It never feels too cheesy in its execution, though; instead, it’s heartwarming and even emotional at times.
The Most Forbidden Love in the World is a more adult story than most eroge in that a lot of the heroines are in their twenties like Osamu, so a lot of the conflicts within the routes go beyond just simple “oh, I can’t tell him how much I love him!” storylines. Not to say that sort of theme isn’t present in the game. It’s all in how it’s executed, and there is more meat to the story than just that being the main source of drama. Some of the twists had me surprised! Of course, it’s not just the story and its execution that makes The Most Forbidden Love in the World stand out. I’d actually argue moreso than that, the characters are what really bring it to life and make it so memorable.
One of the best aspects of this game is absolutely the characters. Each one feels quite real and well-rounded, so I ended up getting quite attached to them! I got slightly more attached to some more than others; Mitoko is my most favorite heroine from this game, and for good reason! I found her hardworking nature, along with her tendency to be quick to anger to be quite relatable, and her story ended up resonating with me more than I ever expected it to. That’s not to say the other heroines are lacking, though. Kaya is a carefree flirt who takes any opportunity to take Osamu out for drinks or to tease him, but she’s also got a heart of gold despite how she might initially come across as aloof.
Himeo was a heroine I didn’t expect to grow on me at all as I usually don’t care for tsundere heroines, but she was so charming and cute during her route that she quickly became my second favorite heroine. Admittedly, at first she annoyed me. But I found her story to be much more interesting than I’d initially anticipated, and in hindsight made her early game interactions with Osamu more on the endearing side than the annoying side. Perhaps the most interesting heroine in terms of dynamics with the protagonist is Asami, Osamu’s ex-wife.
Her route came to a slight crawl but I’d say, save for Mitoko’s route, it had some of the most biting drama. She wasn’t my favorite, but the way she was simultaneously cool and collected but cared for everyone deep down led me to see why others would like her. It helps that the drama in her route really made me feel for her and her relationship with Osamu. I won’t spoil anything here, though. The side characters were just as entertaining, though I feel like they weren’t as well-rounded as the main cast was.
Given this is an older eroge, the H-scenes didn’t live up to my usually higher expectations when it comes to those scenes. Mainly, Osamu’s sadism felt out of character enough for me to be put off, especially during Kaya’s route. I guess it comes down to personal preference though—I vastly prefer my romance eroge to have non-sadistic protagonists and the heroines making love in a more vanilla fashion, or at least not as roughly as Osamu tends to do the heroines during the scenes. Additionally, the writing wasn’t as descriptive as I would have liked.
Granted, I’m more used to the more graphic writing style of Asou Ei (euphoria, Kuroinu), so perhaps it isn’t a fair expectation to have. But when the heroine who is super flirty and gives off borderline “I’ll take charge” vibes turns out to be a major masochist… I can’t say I was too into that, unfortunately. I was grateful that Osamu was at least a bit gentler with Mitoko in her scenes. Despite my complaints on this front, the H-scenes did at least serve an emotional and dramatic purpose within the heroine routes, so they weren’t entirely a waste! I like how they added to the romance between Osamu and the respective heroine within her story.
On the whole, I had an absolute blast working on The Most Forbidden Love in the World. I can see why it’s such a beloved visual novel. Did it blow my mind by any means? Honestly, not really. But the way this love story was told in particular was touching, sweet, and quite well-paced, in my opinion. Well, despite the slow crawl towards the end of Asami’s route, anyway. I was thrilled when I was given the opportunity to work on it, and I hope everyone enjoys this game just as much as I enjoyed testing it! If you like touching stories with well-rounded characters that are more than just cutesy moeblobs, I’d highly recommend checking out The Most Forbidden Love in the World. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience, that much is certain. Until next time!
I can’t see myself getting over Mitoko any time soon. Every other route really builds and keeps on building up to a massive amount of impact whenever things burst for her. Despite the game ending in a very positive note I’m left with heartache whenever I remember certain scenes like the bathhouse conversation in Kaya’s route or Mitoko’s actual confession in Asami/Mitoko route where she tries to tiptoe but cannot reach.
Truly amazing and I’m still stuck thinking about what to do to get over this.