#i miss it... damn it cheritz... | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

marshmallowprotection · 6 months

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What do you think about June from The Ssum? Are you interested in that game or maybe decided not to play?

Let's slap out the first statement that needs to be said about the Ssum. I do not support the use of AI. I am disappointed in Cheritz. Someone suggested, and I agree, that they should've utilized the programs that many webtoon artists use to make backgrounds on time crunches if that was a concern; Or, they could've continued to do what they've been doing over the years by using stock images in the game that are royalty free. They did it in Mystic Messenger and the Sssum at the start. There is no ethical or morally correct reason to use AI.

I want that shit to die out like NFTs steadily are because I hate seeing artists, actors, writers, voice actors, etc robbed by these AIs. It leaves a damn sour taste in my mouth to think about the people being hurt by AI right now, and I can't believe Cheritz would ever think it would be okay to do that. I'm very disappointed in them as a company that prides itself on the happiness of others but they stooped to using AI in their game. That's not okay nor will it ever be okay. I pray they stop and listen to their fanbase about this shit.

But, as far as my interest in the Ssum goes outside of that fact?

Ever since it first came out, I simply did not enjoy the gameplay. It didn't take me long to realize that the Sssum wasn't a game for me, personally.

I felt overwhelmed by the amount of options placed in front of me, and while it is a learning curve to pick up a new game, the more that stood in front of me to do, the less I felt I understood and the more I wanted to pull my hair out. The interface was super busy, there was a lot to do! However, I attempted to give it a try for a few days with Teo because sometimes you have to try something to see if you can learn how to do everything and then enjoy it after better understanding the setup of the game. So, I tried to look past the amount of things to do and focus on the story.

Teo didn’t do anything for me interest wise. He didn't have anything interesting about him that worked for me romantically. So, it was hard for me to become invested when I was put in a situation where I didn't have a choice but to romance one character and he didn’t fit my type. That’s not a knock to Teo as a character, either, he just isn’t my type and therefore I had a hard time feeling drawn him to talk to him.

I don't think Harry is my type, either, so had I tried again when his route came out, I would've inevitably quit again. This is not a knock to the characters. This is personal preference thing! Just because they are not interesting to me doesn't mean that they're not interesting characters, it just means I don't feel interested in them enough to care about their stories.

If I'm going to be spending all my time focusing on having a major relationship with these characters, I need to be invested in them. I need a hook and something that excites me about them from the beginning. There was no draw for me and I felt no need to continue playing when there was no interest for me to keep doing so. I didn't feel an incentive to learn more about them because they weren’t my type.

Microtransactions are a real problem these days. The Ssum has a lot of them in its game package. Listen, it is important that companies get money to be able to continue to create their games and do more, and I understand that for some games, microtransactions are always going to be there and there's nothing we can do about that. I miss when you could pay for videos games with a one-time purchase. But, unfortunately, those days are gone and I don't know if they will ever come back.

People deserve to be paid for their time and energy they put into a game, regardless of what they did for that game, and this is one of the ways that people get paid. Microtransactions help pay for the things that keep these mobile games alive. The servers will always cost them a hefty penny, writers, programmers, artists, etc need to get their money as well.

However, when you are playing a game that offers itself to you as something that you can play for free, then your enjoyment of that game should not be limited by the fact that you don't want to pay. A lot of major story elements are locked behind a paywall, and that takes away a lot of the enjoyment a player can have in this game. I do think it's complicated to figure out where to place the paid options in a game, but having them lock away key parts of the story that let you enjoy yourself just leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

Maybe I was spoiled by just how free Mystic Messenger is. My enjoyment of a chat room is not locked behind my ability to pay for a better answer. I can say anything I want to say in the chat room and I can find out what happens in every replay. I don't have to spend money on batteries to be able to pick a better answer to learn more about the character.

Now, about June as a character.

I do not appreciate his connection to Jumin Han. Because, to me, he is the family man and if he had a sibling, half-related or not, he would be there for them no matter what. If he knew about them, he would be there, and he would do everything within his power to make sure that they had a connection that nobody could break apart. Out of all the characters to make a family connection to, I don't know why the hell they thought it was a good idea to give Jumin Han one when he would've never gone a day without mentioning that he had a brother.

The only way I can reasonably think about this connection is if he was not informed that he had a brother at all until recently. Now, I'm not playing that game, but I do not think that's the way they're angling it. I think it was established that they already know about each other in this universe and they aren't close. That's not how Jumin Han would handle his life.

You mean to tell me that the character who wants nothing more than to have a family is not close to his half sibling? You want to tell me... that he's had a half-sibling this entire time, one that he knows about, and he's not close to him at all? That's not in character for him. All he has ever wanted was a family.

But, he didn't get that in his life.

He was an only child who was neglected by his parents, left to fend for himself emotionally all the time. He spent his childhood alone in every sense of the word when he wasn't with Jihyun Kim, and when he wasn't alone, he was either being sexually harassed by his father's partners or being threatened by people who wanted to hold him for ransom if he was caught by himself for just a moment away from his home. Before that, when he was left with his mother, she would lock him away in the basement and demand he stay there until he learned how to be "normal".

God, I think about that sometimes, and I think about the fact that he diminishes his trauma because he feels as though his trauma needs to be diminished because he grew up privileged. He understands his privilege as a child of a wealthy man but he discounts his own trauma in doing so. Anyone can suffer, regardless of status, and it's hard to see him knock himself down.

The only thing this man has ever wanted was to experience what it felt like to grow up with a normal family. That's why he cherishes the idea of family so much. That's why he is filled with so much love for the RFA and his MC, friends. Because they become the family he's always wanted. They become what he always deserved. So, to think about him having a sibling that he's always known about and he has nothing to do with feels wrong.

He is the kind of person who pushes for families to talk to each other and be there for one another, so why isn't he there for his brother? The only way you could play that off would be to say that he had no idea he had a little brother until recently.

I think they could take that somewhere if it was written that way, because it would devastate his worldview. He would be beside himself to think that he had a connection out there that he was never allowed to get close to. To think that he was never allowed to get close to his brother because his mother hated him so much. I don't like his mother in any sense of the word. I could see her doing that to him.

She is a materialistic and greedy woman who only cares about her wants and needs, and it's already hard enough for me to imagine her having another child because she does not seem like the kind of person who wants to have children. She seems like the kind of person who would only have a child to ensure her comfort in life. She does not seem like a person who would view a child as their own person, instead seeing them as a money ticket. I don't know anything about June and the way his life has shaped up with Carolyn as a mother. I don't know how that dynamic works with them, but I sure know how horrible of a parent she is to Jumin.

It can't be much better for June.

I can't rationalize anything about the connection between him and Jumin.

At the end of the day, I want Mystic Messenger and the Ssum to exist as their own games. It is one thing to have Easter eggs in your game that tie back to the things that that company has done before. Like, I think we all love a little callback! Nameless and Dandelion had some references all over Mystic Messenger and there was nothing wrong with that. Those were fun little homages and call back to things that you might have played before.

But, when you tie your new game so inherently to the last game, it cannot stand by itself. People don't play because they want to learn more about the new and exciting characters that are in your new game, they are playing because they want more content about the characters from the other game. I know many people feel the same way about that because I have seen a lot of conversations about what it means to tie these characters together.

It does a major disservice to characters like Teo, Harry, and June.

It was one thing when they did little tie-ins like Jaehee picking up Teo’s phone for a day or Zen being a host at a television show! I had nothing wrong with those instances because it was nice to see them. But, now that they are so inherently tied together and it changes so much canon we thought we knew from the start, I don’t know how to feel. I don't like it. June's story changes Jumin's story and now, when you're playing Mystic Messenger, you're going to have to live with the fact that Jumin has a brother who is never mentioned.

You know, had they established the fact that he had a half brother he knew nothing about in that bad ending dlc, maybe this wouldn't have been such an issue, because then, there would have been something to play with narratively that made sense, but I don't know, I'm losing my mind over here. I have nothing but critiques all day for this shit.

#discourse #this is really all i have to say about it

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nymosity · 2 years

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Day 24 "Part-times vs. Dating"

A little rant under the cut, in case of spoilers.

(edited for bedtime chat/call)

So here's the deal: I was super excited for this day, the title sounds so intriguing. I expected it to be either dramatic or tooth-rotting sweet. And surprisingly, it was neither. It was kinda lame. The chats were also short, like really short. No call during breakfast AND during lunch. Did I mess up my answers that bad?

Or, is this the point maybe? Did Cheritz want me to feel neglected? Great, now I also feel terrible for being mad at Teo for not interacting much today. My guy is working his ass off in order to pay his hospital bills and here I am being sulky and whiny. T-T

I'm so irritated right now. The bedtime chat/call better make up for it. Otherwise I'm going to bed salty later.

At least I was blessed with a cute casual Teo selfie. I don't know what it is but this outfit is appealing to me. Like a lot.

Will update after bedtime chat.

edit:

I have no idea how the title correlates to what happened today. Spoiler: nothing really happened.

That bedtime chat was a joke. While he told me that he missed me, and asked how my day was, that chat again was super short. Like, what the hell? Then he told me the bus home was cramped, he forgot to water his damn plants, leaves for 8 minutes, comes back to tell me he flooded his place while watering them and then goes offline. Dude!???

I was waiting for the incoming call while typing my conclusion for today. And I'm fuming even more now. The call was so half-hearted and leaves a really bad taste in my mouth. Where did I go wrong? I want my lovey-dovey Teo back. :( The call felt really weird, idk how to describe it.

I know I'm way too emotional and invested in this game... but can't I feel loved by a 2d man at least? If I want to feel like an unwanted burden I'm gonna date real men. T-T

Let me know your thoughts on day 24 once you finished it. I would love to know if my replies were simply bad today or if this really was a terrible day.

#the ssum #idk maybe its just hormones but ugh....#day 24 talks #why does it make me so sad and upset?

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ashorterurl · 3 years

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I just finished Saeran's after ending nobody touch me

#I'm WEEPING #damn it cheritz I see exactly what you did there #my heart #I'll miss this game #mystic messenger #mysme #mystic messenger another story #mystic messenger Ray #saeran choi

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alotsgonnachange · 3 years

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Mystic Messenger Saeran’s AE Thoughts (.......And Prayers..) #Spoilerz

Hello, I just finished Saeran’s after ending and I have a lot of things to say and I am going to write it down while I'm still all keyed up about it.

First of all… Please DO NOT ask me how much money I spent to finish this as fast as I did…. I’m grown but my bank account is certainly going to have a good ole fashioned CHUCKLE at this….. It’s been a long quarantine I deserve a lil happiness as a treat methinks!

I have been playing this absolutely insane game since I think 2016? When I first started playing the deep routes had JUST come out I think? And I was just finishing up high school and am now a college grad...lmao

I’ve played all routes at least once except Jaehee but i’ve seen walkthroughs of her route (I’ve heard it makes you hate Jumin and he’s my favorite so um. hehe). V’s and Saeran’s routes I found to be so emotionally intense and just….a lot and I've been waiting a long ass god damn time for this after ending okay…. I would theorize and make up an ending in my head but i’m no writer so it was hard to figure out lol. I’m a Jumin stan mostly but I love everybody and yeah I should probably play that jumin dlc too but I need like a DAY to recover from Saeran’s AE. Enough about me HERE are my thoughts on it overall

Major Saeran AE Spoilers under da cut!

Can we please discuss V showing up to the C+R conference room with basically chloroform and made everybody Pass Out like??? I was alone in my room at like midnight just SCREAMING at my phone???? And the creepy ass CG ???? It’s like that gif of sarah paulson from ahs being like “I put arsenic in the wine….and the pasta”

Anyway I screamed at V a lot during this process!!

Loved RFA being sweet and kind to saeran (before V fucking drugged them…)

This is such common V behavior “I have to do it all myself...there’s no other way..” GIRL SHUT UPPP You do this every route....

SO many CG’s and I enjoy them a lot

Saeran’s sprite looks a little TOO crisp compared to everyone else but maybe its a glitch??? V next to him is in 480p while saeran is like 1080p

Hearing both Saeran and Saeyoung missing the other brother the whole time??? PAIN. All my homies know is PAIN

BOSS and his V for Vendetta ass guy fawkes mask??? I literally yelled “this game is TERRIBLE!!” several times at my phone

Their dad is so>??????? When he was sitting on the couch with saeyoung in that one CG while simultaneously telling him to kill himself?????????? Maybe chairman han is actually the best dad in this game somehow

When V and Rika were like we’re back together teehee teehee okay pack it up bonnie and clyde ..

When chairman han calls u and says hes jealous of u and saeran…..HUH????? I’m calling HR

When they go to the apartment and see boss and vanderwood and poor saeyoung is sitting there seeing his brother for the first time in years i wanted to D word sooooo bad like PAIN...PAIN….

Can we HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT JUMIN HAN BEING THE BEST CHARACTER IN THE GAME AND HE LOST EVERYTHING IN THIS AE……. he just took the blame and moved on jumin what the hell….. I love him so much r we serious? He watched his 2 closest friends betray him in the worst way and found out abt how Rika abused Saeyoung and Saeran???? I felt just AWFUL. Terrible ...Terrible….

Rika’s change in demeanor from Saeran's actual route is certainly a Choice. I find her much more bearable this time around and unfortunately i think I was too nice to her and ended up with a bad end LMFAO

I was happy to see Saeran stand up for himself and become stronger and confident. You go king!

The CG of Yoosung laying in Zen’s lap is everything to me…

HOWEVER YUP I sure did get a bad ending and I was so mad fdsafdskfdhsf ! (I would be happy to clarify how I got the good one the second time.) MAKE SURE To SAVE EARLY in days 2 and 3 bc the branches on day 4 is where the bad end will show up. For me it was the first day 4 chat and then a story mode titled “SAVIOR”.... If you see that RUN FOR THE HILLS!!

I was so mad! But I had saved in day 2 and replayed and MANAGED to get good end

I’m obsessed with everyone calling V and Rika “that psychotic couple” like…..its true its true…

No those two are so toxic… V’s route was torture watching them go on and on about the sun like yo can yall just call each other babe like normal people.

I respect straight people but not V and RIka that shit was just wrong… Straight marriage was a mistake

Oh lord i also FULLY Forgot Rika killed the twins’ mother…. Yeah that scene was um Certainly a lot but it needed to happen eventually

Like it’s good they know but damn that storyline is just so bleak

I think it was satisfying TO A DEGREE….To see Rika understand where she was wrong, why she was wrong, fess up and even APOLOGIZE! I was very surprised.

Saeran and Saeyoung are Certainly twins with the amount that those two self sacrifice in every route MY GOD…..

The scene with Jumin talking to his father and the other scene of him praying oh my god I cannot tell you how happy I was to see him begin to understand and address his own feelings in a route that was not his own. My main problem with Jumin’s route has always been the trapping MC in his penthouse aspect.. This way Jumin understands love and emotions without being overly possessive !!! YAY also loved seeing him be on good terms with his dad who was surprisingly profound

That last Story mode was Really a Lot…. and Strange things occurred which I will get into in just a minute

Jumin becoming a politician is so funny but ngl … i see it.

Yoosung going to france to study pastries ok king I see u! (it made more sense to me than the vet thing anyway)

Lastly Zen FURRY ERA

MY BEEF With the AE

I was happy with how they handled it for the most part. I think Cheritz heard our feedback about V’s after ending and was like okay….let’s try something different

HOWEVER

Saeran…. Sweet kind saeran… IS SO AFFECTIONATE HAHA….

He must have said I love you like 300 times…..very mushy gushy flowery language...and maybe that’s just his personality but for me it was like eating cake with buttercream cake. It means well, but god damn is it sugary and going to cause a stomach ache later.

He was just… SO MUCH! SO forward and ON all the time in his affections. I honestly felt kind of smothered and by day 3 and 4 I was sooooo over all the compliments… King you’ve come a very long way, but ur still putting MC on a pedestal and probably need to see a therapist.

Nextly….Rika and V….. Naw that knock out gas really ...that hurt lol. Coming from “I would do anything to protect RFA” V? Idk like…. EYE felt betrayed reading that. It was just hurtful. I can’t even imagine how the members would have felt as they were passing out. It was just so cruel. I suppose I understand why but like?? Just TERRIBLE

Them being in cahoots with the agency and the prime minister..HUH??? Also too much

V just felt so irresponsible like I do understand that he ended up in a weird web of secrets that’s hard to untangle but he’s so fucking stubborn he’s SO stubborn it makes me insane. Like sir… It seems like in other routes he wanted to try to protect Rika and the RFA.. But in this AE it seems more to me that he was like yeah i’m protecting Rika and That’s It… so fucking hurtful to me. Both of y’all apologize ESPECIALLY to the twins and Jumin..

The forgiveness thing…… Okay so I think some people will not like that Saeran decided to “forgive” the people who hurt him (Rika, V, Saejoong, his mother). I would point out that I actually think this was approached somewhat well. He says at one point that he doesn’t think they’re good or bad, just people. I think he sounded mature and like this was the way for him personally to accomplish his healing process. Would I have loved for Saeran to flip V and Rika off and kick Saejoong off a cliff? Yea I really would. But like…. If that’s what HE needs to do to heal then who am I to judge?

HOWEVER…. Everything Eye just said goes out the window when the scenes at the end with Saejoong come up… I was PERPLEXED. Like why did he HUG his deranged father who just kicked the shit out of him??? Also all the chat options that MC has with him r like blah blah you’re like this because no one loves you were so corny to me LMFAOOOO?

AND WHEN HE WAS IN THE ROOM LATER WITH SAERAN… i’m sorry but if that were me I would have called a nurse to deck his ass. Cool he turned himself in YOU SUCK SOOOO BAD AND I NEVER WANT YOU TO COME NEAR SAEYOUNG AND SAERAN AGAIN THANKS.

*scratches ass* I wish I got to see saeyoung and saeran finally sit down and have that first conversation after a long time and hug CG but the ending was fine I GUESS….. I dont care about ROMANCE I want those boys to be happy brothers together

Anyway that was really emotionally exhausting but I fr think I got it out of my system after literal years… And I can rest in peace knowing the choi twins are happy. THATS ALL I WANTED TO KNOW!!!!

#Saeran Choi #Saeran AE #Saeran after ending #Saeran AE spoilers #Mystic messenger #Mysme #Saeran after ending spoilers #mystic messenger spoilers

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mystic-jihyvn · 7 years

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I just got a notification that Cheritz posted information on an update and I had several heart attacks. It's just for bug fixes

#Cheritz you can't do this to me #I thought v's route was live for android users #I miss my galaxy s6 more and more #I want my damn android back #I can't wait four days for this shitty ass iphone to get the update #I'm going to cry lol #mystic messenger #mysme #cheritz

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fandomplethora · 4 years

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mystic messenger webtoon

(repost since my last post disappeared OTL)

LONG POST

warning: unorganized, rambling thoughts lol. (i’m all over the place right now, guys)

you guys. i have never been more excited and more *terrified* in my life.

let’s break it down.

it is officially announced that mystic messenger, as a webtoon, will be returning to us on april 11th. the prologue has already been released today.

LINK BUT HAHA IT’S ALL IN KOREAN T_T

from what i have been able to read *very briefly* is that there is no plan for an english (or any other language) translation just yet. it will be released on bookcube, a pay to read site.

(someone on reddit mentioned a hope that it may come to tappytoon or tapas? but there is no confirmation of any other site besides bookcube.)

that being said - we have *wonderful* people in this fandom already ready with some english translations! at the very least :’)

B O O M

creds, yo

let’s go into my (personal) negative outlooks first! (maybe i shouldn’t use an exclamation point when talking somewhat negatively...)

1. (not super negative) b u t - our mc is different. :,( i’m just attached to the idea of mc w/ bangs and long brown hair - the gold eyes. while other mc’s have made their way into art and ect...the mc from the game is the most popular one. i don’t understand the need for the change...besides to perhaps build upon this new version of the story with a brand new character. because mc *like this*, in this format, is a new character. she will, hopefully, have her own personality and traits and maybe backstory? even a minor one. b u t that could also, in the eyes of some people, be a negative...and, to others, a positive. we, as players, have been the mc this entire time so while good ending mc is looked at as, mainly, canon - which brings some fundamental characteristics to her character such as being empathetic, kind and...holy shit, incredibly *flexible* (like, apartment bomb? “nbd.” brand new group of people? “dope, let’s be friends.” cult? “well, what are we gonna do about it then.” mc, are you okay? mc: “are y o u g u y s okay tho?”) mc has not had her own story. does this mean she will now? now we may get new traits on top of those, a unique personality to who t h i s character is.

SIDE NOTE: *SLAMS HANDS ON TABLE* ya’ll, holy shit...is MC getting a name? she has to get a name now. AAAAA, okay this may go another direction and i may just have another character in this damn story i’d willingly throw myself in front of a car for. dAMN IT.

2. okay, it somewhat makes sense that saeyoung would NOT be there in the introduction of the four to this mc shown in the webtoon prologue. same with jihyun. of course, with saeran. but my fear is...i want equal relationship development with every character. unless they are approaching this in a “reset” type of way...(which i’m not sure if they will tbh).

from, my guess, the already meeting of them (all at the same time) shows us that we may just be on one big route with almosteverything included? which i am down for. but...then do it like that, right? bring saeyoung and jihyun into the picture, as well, more consistently. bring vanderwood in too due to his major role in saeyoung’s route, the secret endings and the entirety of another story. (y’know? what could be considered the “main plotline” that affects everyone in mm.) he IS a part of it. also, more moments with saeran. perhaps we will get (new) more mint eye scenes? a type of back and forth?

i’m really not trying to dictate how this story should go. i really am interested in this new take and what it may come with. but i just want...everyone there, y’know? i want those relationships equally delved into - how we all got to know them as we completed all routes and other dlc’s on the game.

3. i’m just...kind of scared of being disappointed. or *too much* changing. or...characters being made out in a way they are not? if that makes sense. i’m not trying to set it up for that...to play some “i’ve been here over three years and i know more than you” type of role, haha. they can bring in all of the angst from the game...but maybe change a few things to handle it better? deeper? make sure characters are more universally okay? add some things in too if you want! i also understand if not everything makes it in.

but they have a chance of really reigniting the fandom and also growing it. mm is a wonderful story that does capture your heart. and cheritz has done a lot of good, more good than bad in my eyes (personally!)...but also...sometimes have messed up too. i just want them to do the game, the characters and themselves justice.

P O S I T I V I T Y T I M E

1. okay, guys. c’mon. this mc is super cute UwU (not that that is what it’s all about lol) but i’m hoping we get to know her as a new character with unique traits. i’m excited to see her added into the story and for her interactions. we should all root for her! because we have allll been her shoes already, guys. <3 (also, as someone else pointed out, peep that bisexual bob, ya’ll.) let’s do this!

2. THE ART STYLE IS A M A Z I N G. they ALL look so good to me. i saw them and immediately went “there they are”. :’) kind of got emotional, ngl.

3. i do believe in one positive change that is going to happen! we are meeting them *right away* at least from what i can tell from this panel -

i think this makes sense in order to see the story in this form (and i even said this so long ago in another post when musing about changes if they ever made mm into a tv show). meeting them right away makes sense. and i am glad they are doing it this way! that made me excited to see. (and now you guys know what i mean about every character, hopefully, getting the part they deserve in this webtoon that i mentioned earlier.)

4. so, i may be getting ahead of myself and i am NOT trying to continually ask for more and more. but the fact that this game became a webtoon...means it could become a show one day. perhaps this is a way to test the waters? feel it out and see where things go. either way though, a webtoon happening (all on it’s own) is beyond exciting.

5. there will be new additions to this fandom! just the other day (and, as i’m sure, many of us feel too) i just miss this game and fandom so much. i’m not ready for it to just be over, i think. mystic messenger meant, it means, so much to me - so much to others. it is a wonderful story, a different approach to this genre while including important themes and filled with i n c r e d i b l e characters. things are not perfect but maybe...this can be the boost we all need again. and i am excited to welcome people into this fandom!

let’s all be kind to each other.

final thoughts;

i’m probably going to hunting down a translation all over the place on april 11th (and every release following, haha). i hope we do see this story translated in numerous languages - to include our, truly, worldwide fandom. i will be reading this and i am excited for this new part and chapter of this fandom and story! to see it this way and read it as such. i’m glad to see a boost to this fandom and to find my love for mystic messenger again...and hopefully others will too!

overall - THANK YOU, CHERITZ. and while i am incredibly nervous - i am going to remain (mostly) positive and excited! and only *slightly* skeptical.

i’d love to hear anyone else’s thoughts and discuss more about this.

and i can’t wait to see you all (and welcome even more) into the messenger again. <3

until then!

oh, and also...

...same, mc. same.

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stardromo · 4 years

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when is Cheritz going to make/release Ray’s after ending I NEED answers and I miss him SO DAMN MUCH 😫🙏🏾

#cheritz i’m starving #i miss him so much #V’s after ending broke me so i wanna hurt even more for Saeran #mystic messenger #saeran choi #i miss this game

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guacameowle · 5 years

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V’s After End - Notes / Opinion

Below the cut will be my reactions, opinions, & spoilers for V’s After Ending episodes & endings. There’s a sprinkling of ~thirst~ & a lot of confusion/screaming throughout. I am afraid I haven’t gone back to proofread the episode reactions, so they’re likely a little messy & misspelled.

Episode reactions are at the top, separated by episode & endings. Long-winded opinion/discussion about the route itself is at the bottom.

Journey below at your own risk! xx

Episode 1

80 hourglasses for EPISODE ONE? Oh this man is EXPENSIIIIVE. How many episodes is this going to be? 8 TOTAL?! Goodness.

JUDGE OR FORGIVE?! Who am I judging & forgiving? Jihyun? Rika? Cauuuuuse... uhhhh.... that might change my answers a bit (a lot)

So this means there is going to be multiple endings, yeah?!

Probably hasn’t even kissed you yet & is already packing up, leaving, & asking you to wait for him. I WAIT FOR NO MAN (Jk I waited for this man for over a year. Fuck.)

Oh shiiiit. He’s leaving me his house?! Ok, I’ll wait. Have fun storming the castle! *waves*

Excuse me but does the news screen on Jumin’s tv in his room show a picture of Rika & a caption underneath that says “More Catfood”???

The bottom of the news reel also says “Does Jumin Han is Gay?” Please, release us. Let it die.

JUUUMIIIIN. DO NOT BLAME YOURSELF. Let us comfort each other in these trying times. *waggles eyebrows*

JAEHEE COMING THROUGH WITH SOME GODDAMN SENSE & LOGIC. MY GIRL!

SOMEONE GET THIS MAN HIS WINE! Ohhh, nevermind he’s been drinking too much. Let’s have some water now, Juju.

This man is mourning & distraught. I am so sad for him. & now they’re making him dependent on alcohol to relieve his stress? Uh, I don’t like where this is going.

If anything happens to Jumin in this ending I swear...

WE HAVE CHATS TOO?! Damn what a complex update!

Wait, Zen WANTS to see MC & Jihyun being lovey dovey? Zen’s an imposter. He’s been replaced. That’s the real secret of this After End.

Oh wait, he said he was lying. Whew.

It is weird giving replies in chats & not seeing little colorful hearts flying everywhere…

Zen coming in HOT with the “Do you think you can forgive Rika?” question. Woooow.

You bet your ass I asked if anyone has heard anything from Ray. I’m going to cry.

NEW SEVEN CG! SO CUTE! VANDERWOOD IN THE RAFT! SO CUUUUUTE!

“He’s an adorable shy man.” Instantly chose this option. Vanderwood is cuuuute. Yes, Seven, please tell Vandy that I called him adorable & shy. Then tell me his reply. Then give him my number.

Yoosung’s got a package. I’M SURE HE DOES. ::eyes emoji::

OH SHIT, JUMIN DROPPING THE DNA BOMB. Wait, riddle me why the fuck Jumin had access to Seven’s DNA in the first place...

Poor Seven, I thought he had already sort of knew/assumed the hacker was his twin. But I guess he didn’t really know until now?

Looks like I’m on the “FORGIVE” path. Unlocked a Jumin’s VA free chat. Alriiiight.

Episode 2

Ray? Omg my eyes teared up. IS HE ALIVE?! WHAT KINDA SHORT TEASE OF A VOICE IS THAT?! OMFGGGGG. D:

Episode 2 & I’m already fucking crying. Great. Awesome. Lovely.

Honestly, I’m glad they’re having this discussion about V keeping all this information to himself about Saeran’s existence & use within Magenta because that’s always had me side-eyeing V HARD. I’m still of the opinion that he should have told at least Seven & Jumin about everything sooner. I get that he wanted to save Rika, but he was responsible for Saeran. I’m still heated.

SAEYOUNG HAS GONE ROGUE!

Mailman route when?! Kidding. His voice is nice though.

“Burn the letter” JESUS, MC. CALM IT DOWN.

RIKA WENT MISSING. OMFGGGG. THIS AFTER END! I JUST WANTED TO KISS JIHYUN. WHAT THE FRICK FRACK IS GOING ON?!

“We found remnants of DNA that matched with those of Luciel scattered about in the remains of Magenta. Since the explosion was of no ordinary size….” My heart hurts. My head hurts. My soul hurts.

This super sad music is just making me feel worse. I hate this. I’m crying again. I’m getting emotional whiplash.

Ray deserved better. Full stop.

Rika & Saeyoung left alone & Ray’s theme starts playing. How fucking dare this game fuck with me. I’m literally lying on the floor in a ball, playing this game & crying. What the hell.

For a second I saw Saeyoung making that fist in the CG & thought he was about to punch Rika.

Wow can y’all believe Jihyun basically Noped the Fuck Out of his own After End?

Hey Siri, turn off Rika’s voice.

Seven is dropping a lot of truth. ::quietly sips my tea::

God, Saeyoung’s prayer to Saeran is heartbreaking. Props to this VA though, damn he’s good.

Still on the “FORGIVE” path. I’m going to have fun going back & taking the judgement path.

Episode 3

Jumin “THERE WILL BE NO MORE SECRETS” Han fucking coming through! My boy! God, I love him so much.

First sun reference we’ve had. I thought there would be more by now.

Jihyun is out there falling in love with an MC in his head that he’s hardly spoken with since he left. That… can’t be healthy, my dude.

Jumin showing up in the goddamn woods in his suit is hot.

Jumin Han is so so good, y’all. This conversation between him & Saeyoung is absolutely amazing. He’s doing his best to comfort & protect at the same time. He asked about Saeran. He’s encouraging Saeyoung to live, helping him understand he’ll come out of this pain & find new reasons to live. He’s struggling too, but he’s doing so much to reach out & help Saeyoung.

The line about creating a new family, one without blood ties, broke me.

Uhhhh…. who was that? “We found him but that woman is with him.” Saeyoung & Rika?

THE STRESS GAVE ZEN A PIMPLE. Can relate.

Hell yeah I flirted with Zen. He is still prettier than starlight.

“Why don’t you come over? :)” MC. GIRL. …. I like the way you think.

Yoosung: “WELL I’M NOT GANDHI.” I fucking lost my shit.

“Should I drive V’s car?” Uhhhhh YES.

“But you’re gonna have to drive thru the night for hours. I’m kind of worried.” Bitch, I’m from Texas. I got this. 8 hours is a SHORT TRIP.

The disrespect. They aren’t going to let me drive. I don’t need a man to drive me.

DID VANDERWOOD JUST? OMG DID HE? DID HE JUST SHOOT SAEYOUNG?! BITCH, I LOVED YOU????? & YOU DID THIS????

Omg my heart. Why do they play with my emotions like this. Whew. WHEWWW.

VANDERWOOD CG!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Saeyoung is getting a lot of love tonight from his two new dads- Jumin & Vanderwood. Soft love & tough love. Shouting love at you with a gun in your face is new though.

YES! LET’S LOOK FOR A BODY! I STILL HAVE A SHRED OF HOPE RAY IS ALIVE. C’MON CHERITZ, PLEASE.

“Would you mind giving me some spotlight now?” Please let this be foreshadowing. I would eat UP a Vanderwood route.

Is another agency trying to kidnap Saeyoung? I am confusion? His dad?

Still on the “FORGIVE” path. Yoosung’s VA has a cute voice. I liiiiike.

Episode 4

My Yoosung is so sad. This boy has a lot of hate built up in him. First for V, now for Rika &&& V. Goodness.

She? Who the hell is Rika talking about? She who?!

Seems like everyone is concerned that MC will pity or listen to Rika too much. Hmm. Hmm hmmm…

Jumin is getting shit DONE.

2 years flashback. ????

Mika?! Who the fuck? Is this the “she” Rika was talking about earlier?

What he hell kinda narrative? Who is this woman? Supposedly some other girl from the orphanage Rika was a part of. She’s introduced & being used as the device that implanted this idea into Rika’s brain that she had “a devil” inside of her? She’s the reason Rika broke it off with V? Why? This feel like it cheapens everything. & why the hell is she calling Rika “Mina”? Is that Rika’s real name & I just forgot?!

IS RIKA LYING? WHY DID SHE WAIT THIS LONG TO TELL SAEYOUNG ABOUT THIS “STURDY ROOM”? COULD SAERAN REALLY BE ALIVE? Or is she trying to trick Saeyoung into leaving the cabin?!

Ok so the twins’ father has to be in on this somehow. He’s probably the one trying to get Saeyoung, I get that much. Omg... what if the reason they didn’t find proof of Saeran being dead is because his dad snatched up the remains?! Or kidnapped him alive? Or or or

Still on the “FORGIVE” path. This is hard. I want to be mean. 😈

Episode 5

I don’t know why I go into this game thinking I will just get to kiss the pretty boy. Or any boy.

Ok so more hints dropped their dad is probably involved.

“I am waiting for a letter.” GIRL, FUCK V’S LETTER. HE IS NOT HERE. SHIT IS GOING DOWN. LIVE IN THE MOMENT. IF HE WANTS TO BE OFF SMELLING FLOWERS, LET HIM. I AM TIRED.

I hope hope hope they find Saeran. Please please PLEASE.

I FORGOT. IF RAY IS ALIVE HE IS GOING THROUGH DETOX ALONE BURIED UNDER RUBBLE & ASH. I AM LIVID! WHAAAAT! SAVE. HIM.

Zen’s “WOOOOW” made me laugh.

These new CGs are a delight. I like seeing the mix of characters in them, too. Zen’s hand is huge. ::eyes emoji::

Maaan, Yoosung really flipped emotional spectrums so fast about Rika. The boy is certainly driven by his emotions.

These philosophical type chats always blow me away. This game really does get you thinking about social constructs. Fun & educating. Huh.

Getting these dirty boys to wash their hands before eating.

SAERAN MADE IT OUT?!

THAT IS SAERAN’S COUGH. OMG. HE IS ALIVE?!?! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 SAERAN!!!!

Still on “FORGIVE” path.

Episode 6

Jumin, this is a very roundabout way to tell Saeyoung you care about him & just want to look after him. You long-winded, man. I adore you.

SAEYOUNG HAS MORE VALUE THAN JUST WHAT HIS HACKING ABILITIES CAN BRING TO THE TABLE! LEAN ON YOUR FRIENDS/FAMILY, SAEYOUNG. THEY CARE FOR YOU!

10 years?! I don’t know if that is a blessing or a curse. Lol. That’s a lengthy commitment for Saeyoung though.

“Why must we give up one thing once we get something else?” Yeah, Cheritz. Why must we give up one boy once we save the other boy?!?! Hmmmm???? Lmaoooo

Saeyoung in a suit & tie!!!!!!! Niiiiiiice.

How in the hell are they gonna wrap up this story?! It’s gonna be a cliffhanger isn’t it?! Omg...

Did these idiots just straight up leave Zen, Yoosung, & MC in a random cabin in the woods FOR DAYS & go back to civilization on their own? How long does it take to return Rika back to proper authorizes?! Goodness.

WHAT?!

WHAAAAT THE FUCK?!?!

V TOOK SAERAN?! WHEN? HOW? WHAT?

MY JAW JUST POPPED IT DROPPED SO HARD. WHAT THE SHIIIIIT?!?!

Uhhhh lmao uhm why are they dressed like Jedi? Jihyun is giving Obi Wan vibes right now. I’m cackling, when I shouldn’t be. This is supposed to be a serious moment, goddamnit.

I know Jihyun probably thinks he’s doing right by taking care of Saeran but AGAIN WITH THIS DOING IT ON HIS OWN BUSINESS?! Saeyoung is devastated his brother & all the while Jihyun had actually swooped him away for some self-medicated detox tour? Just more & more secrets. I’m tired.

“Let’s wait until detox is done & you don’t wanna murder your brother. So I booked a flight for next week.” A WEEK? HA! YEAH RIGHT! BEST CANCEL THAT.

Oh, he just keeps booking & cancelling flights. Lmao. Ok. I am less judgmental now.

If Saeyoung & Saeran don’t get a reunion.... I will die inside.

Unlocked the “FORGIVE” ending.

Shit that costs 80hg too? I have nearly depleted what I had saved up!

BUT HOLY SHIT Y’ALL. SAERAN IS ALIVE! 💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

“FORGIVE” Ending

This song is hauntingly beautiful.

Who is this speaking?

Is Rika high right now wtf?!

God is a woman.

I am so over all this sun talk. Let. It. Go.

Weren’t security guards left with them at the cabin?! Did Rika just WALK out?!

Of course she’s going to run away & get away with everything. Mhmm ok.

NOW THEY ARE COMING FOR JUMIN’S COMPANY?! I THOUGHT THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE GOOD END WTF. I’LL FIGHT. DON’T COME FOR C&R. I’LL THROW DOWN. JUMIN BETTER NOT LOSE EVERYTHING.

So Rika is gone & for no reason Zen & Yoosung & MC are going to stay in the cabin alone? (& not have a threesome?!?!?!)

Jumin is literally putting his own company on the line to protect Saeyoung. This man is amazing. “We’ll rebuild.” My nipples are hard. Jumin has fully aroused me. I would have taken him right on a conference table.

Welcome to Rika’s Ted Talk

Well.... I am pleased she stepped up & laid the truth all out there. Took us years to get here, lads, but we did it!

Twin cribs. Hmmm.

2 YEARS LATER?! SO THIS CONNECTS TO THE GOOD END OF JIHYUN’S ROUTE?!

2 years, huh... I would have shacked up with Jumin looooong before now. That man is a whole snack. Selfless, sweet, handsome, has a cat. I’m thirsty.

Jumin’s become an alcoholic?! Great. /s I guess this is meant to show just how drastic things are? That Jumin, our token rational & logical man, is resorting to a dangerous lifestyle as a means of coping? I’m heartbroken.

“Have I kept you waiting for too long.” Yes.

His gift better be bringing Saeran on stage because if he unveils a white puzzle I will lose my fucking mind. It is nearly 4am. I haven’t slept. I just want a smooch.

Omg I think it’s happening.

It’s gonna happen.

OMGGGGG

Please let there be a CG of this

IT HAPPENED!!!!! THEY REUNITED!!!! OMG!!!!!

LONGEST HELL YEAH BOOOOY OF MY LIFE

Pink suit pink suit pink suit PINK SUIT!!!! 💗

Ohhhh... Saeran has burns all over his face & his hand. Is his whole left side burned? My poor boy.

5 years later?!? (Mmmm think about mid30s Jumin Han though 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻)

*gasp* A BABY!

Holy shit, not a baby. A full child.

Awwww Saeyoung & Saeran live together!!

YEEESSSS. GET THIS LITTLE GIRL INTO STEM!!!!

“When is Uncle Jumin gonna marry.” I marry him every few weeks, little girl. 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻 when I reread his endings.

“Daddy thinks he will never get married.” I am now sad. I want to marry Jumin.

Jaehee got a promotion. Good for her. It’s what she deserves.

Aw Lucy is cute. Surprised they didn’t give her Jihyun’s hair color.

Their house has a lot of windows. 👀👀👀 Floor to ceiling windows. 👀👀👀 Good for fucking against. 👀👀👀👀

THIS CHILD IS ALREADY LEARNING TO KEEP SECRETS. NOOOOO. BREAK THIS CHAIN!

“Daddy is good with secrets, too.” TRUST ME, LITTLE GIRL. WE KNOW. WE KNOOOW. Y’all the noise I made when I read this line. Scoff wheezing?! Full exasperation.

“But you tell everything to Mommy!” About fucking time, honestly. How long did it take for him to break his secrets habit?

Ohhhhh she’s adopted! That’s why she doesn’t have his hair color. Curious why they didn’t go with the biological child path? I certainly don’t mind adoption. It definitely feels like a sort of tribute to Rika.

Girl already has a crush on Zen. Ha! Giiiirl, same. Jihyun’s reaction was funny.

I wanna ride Zen’s motorcycle & his diiiiiiiii

7 years later & Yoosung is still addicted to LOLOL. Keep it up, Yoosung. Live your best gaming life.

Now she’s plotting murder against her own dad. Goodness. & Yoosung just TOLD her this entire dark plot of the game. Lmaooooo

What happened to Vanderwood? Did he accept working at C&R? How is he? Is he eating? Did he take a vacation away from Saeyoung? I need to know.

Jihyun’s speech to his wife is sweet. Now kiss!

Omg I can’t believe I didn’t get to smooch him at all. What.

What.

100 HOURGLASSES TO RESET?!?! HIGHWAY ROBBERY! I need to save up all over again for when (if) they drop a Saeran After End

“JUDGE” Ending

No, going back to the place you hate most isn’t a sufficient form of punishment for the crimes you’ve committed. You can’t just punish yourself & call it justice. Thank u, next.

Why the fuck is Rika called Serena now?! How many names does she have?!

Is Rika really free & just doing her own apology tour?! No trial or hospital involved? I’m????

Yoosung’s dialogue makes it seem like he still wants Rika around. Flip flop.

I do enjoy that Yoosung is a very emotional character, even if sometimes in the stories I don’t agree with him. He’s always very open & honest with how he feels, even if taken to extremes.

Jaehee’s discussion with Rika was very rational. As expected.

Damn Zen gave her the boot double quick.

Jumin: “You are a minus given a breathing body.” Ohhhhhhh my god. 😮😮😮 & he told her he wants her sent to a lab to have data collected from her. Jumin is ANGRY.

So this discussion with Saeran is meant to be in her own head, yeah?

Ok her discussion with Saeyoung felt real -ish again but then her discussion with Jihyun sounded bizarre & far-fetched again. So has she just been inside her own head this entire time?

What the fuck... is going on.

Wow, let’s toss in some sexual assault via clergymen to spice things up. Alright. /s What the hell is this?

This ending is fucking bonkers

Omg Zen’s robotic reply made me lose my shit. First time I’ve laughed because of this ending.

Poor Vanderwood. He sounded excited to have a line.

Sooo... the ending has just been a mock of how a Rika route would have gone if she had one?

Wait this was all just MC’s dream?! Rika’s dream?

& now Rika is in a coma?!? What? What???!! I’m... tired.

You know what, at least Saeyoung & Saeran are back together. Silver lining. The only silver lining to this madness.

Yoosung got a whole new look again. I’ll admit, for a hot second I thought he had become a cult leader & I was worried.

Sooo... the RFA became some sort of support group for Rika’s victims?????

Jumin doesn’t want to be a part of the meetings because he doesn’t particularly subscribe to their efficiency. Zen just doesn’t want to be involved because he doesn’t want the reminder. Jihyun basically just didn’t show up. So is this to mean the RFA has fallen apart entirely? Rename the group, change your ideals, be more open with each other, & formulate new ways to create charity events/fundraisers. Find a new purpose together! PULL. YOURSELVES. TOGETHER.

Ugh. Ugggghhhhhhh.

So, I’ve sat on this for a little under 24 hours. I let it sink in, in hopes that I could make better sense of it. But honestly, I don’t feel like I have. I feel perhaps this after end should have been listed in a separate section like the secret endings. These episodes certainly read more like a secret ending.

Rather than call this “V’s After End” I think it would make more sense to have called this “V’s Route After End” (or even “Rika’s After End”). This ending felt more like a means of giving closure to the route itself, rather than an acknowledgement of Jihyun’s relationship with MC. We were shown Saeran was alive, we were given Saeyoung & Saeran reunited with one another finally, we got answers as to what happened with Rika & how she ended up in Alaska, we found out why Jihyun was really away for two years, we had Saeyoung & Saeran stepping out from the hunting shadow of their father. Questions were answered, resolutions of sorts were given.

When I think of “after end” I’ll admit, I assumed we would be given a short snippet of story revolving primarily around Jihyun & MC post-good end, like we had for the other characters; not this dramatic saga between the end of the route & before Jihyun returns two years later.

Jihyun’s route revolved around him understanding his relationship with Rika & then distancing himself from that & trying to find himself. His route felt like it had more Jihyun x Rika content than it did Jihyun x MC content. This After End there was hardly any Jihyun x MC content as he was gone essentially the entire time. He really Noped Out of his own After End; I’m still a bit shocked I paid so many hourglasses for V content.... only to not be given V content. I admit, I feel foolish & cheated, somehow. I went in hoping for more content about a character I was interested in, only to be given this dramatic story revolving around a character I don’t particularly care for.

I’m disappointed that there is a Forgive or Judge aspect to this ending.

In the Forgive path/end, the blame of Rika’s crimes & actions is pinned on Rika’s mental illness, choice individuals swaying her into taking particular actions ( “embrace your devil” ), and various circumstances she’s had to endure & live through. By introducing this new character (Mika?), are we meant to blame her instead of Rika? Is she a scapegoat since the idea was originally hers & not Rika’s, even though Rika was the one that enacted everything? On top of this, Yoosung is shown to be reading a psychology book & also comes to the conclusion that what Rika has done isn’t really her fault, but the fault of her circumstances. All of this feels like we were being ushered into forgiving Rika and feeling guilty if we don’t. Provided you do choose to forgive Rika, she finds her own inner happiness, becomes “her own sun”, and goes off to live her life in Alaska; no consequences aside from distance (physical & emotionally) from her once friends/family & developing a negative public appeal. This forgive path directly ties in with Jihyun’s good end, implying it’s the better (intended?) ending. That doesn’t sit well with me. MC shouldn’t have to forgive their captor & tormentor in order to achieve their own “good” end.

In the Judge path/end, the other characters often show hesitancy when MC expresses she will never be able to forgive Rika. There are philosophical chats about what is actually good vs bad, what is just, & who is to decide these sort of standards. We are led to question if holding on to a grudge hurts ourselves or the other party more. And in the end, when we choose to judge Rika, the RFA falls apart; everyone is miserable. Again, the reader is left feeling as if their judgement was too harsh, too cruel, or uncalled for as the consequences of it have seeped out & negatively touched other people. Rika falls into a coma – doesn’t go off to live her life in Alaska, doesn’t find her own inner peace – & this is all because she was blamed or shunned for her actions, as opposed to being forgiven. Why does everyone’s happiness depend on MC forgiving her captor? It all left a sour taste in my mouth.

I understand the discussion of what is truly good vs bad or what is meant to be just & unjust can go fairly deep, but I feel that discussion applies only to circumstances that are in a grey area. What Rika did (attempted murder, abuse, emotional & physical manipulation, drugging/brainwashing) is clear cut wrong. There is no question that these are bad decisions. It should not be up for debate whether these sorts of actions are “good or bad.” While I do not deny that Rika’s past (whatever it fully may be as I have not read her backstory DLC) has attributed to her behaviors, it does not excuse them. I believe that mental illness does not excuse someone’s actions.

These are two very extreme endings - either Rika gets off free from her actions or she becomes comatose & succumbs to a darkness. Why have these drastic differences when you can merge the two; have Rika go through treatment to help her, serve a punishment that is fitting of her crimes, help her grow & understand, then have forgiveness come later? There were several options within gameplay along the lines of “I hope one day I can forgive her” & “I hope she finds her peace.” I see nothing wrong with not having MC forgive Rika but still wish for progress to be made.

Everyone was happier in the end where you forgave Rika, though. And isn’t that what everyone wanted in the end?

Overall, I didn’t mind Yoosung & Zen portraying the voices that provide the philosophical discussions in the routes and this After End. In fact, I enjoyed the chats with them as I tend to find philosophical discussions thought provoking, even if I do not always agree with what these characters were expressing. While MM is marketed as a visual novel romance, it has never shied away from delving into deeper topics & oftentimes tries to provide a lesson. Perhaps this time, the lesson they hoped to get across, didn’t hit the mark with me.

Yoosung’s emotions were very extreme in this After End. I have come to expect Yoosung being very up front, unapologetic, & pushy with his feelings. In a game where so many characters are often keeping secrets, it’s almost refreshing to have a character that is so viscerally open. Personally, I found it interesting that Yoosung’s feeling towards Rika had flipped so drastically. It was almost as if he was now trying to overcompensate for his previous idolization of her.

I’m still of the opinion that the world does not deserve Jumin Han. Through his own pain & suffering, through dealing with the disappearance of his dearest friend, through having to come to terms with the fact that a woman he once considered a close friend turned out to be someone so villainous, he has stepped up & even at one point risked his own company, reputation, & livelihood to protect someone he now considered family. He used his time & resources to help as much as he could. He sat & genuinely listened to Saeyoung & calmly gave input despite Saeyoung verbally lashing out at him. I’ll admit I hated that Jumin seemingly became an alcoholic, or at least heavily dependent on wine, during the stretch of time these After Ends covered. He was suffering, but because he needed to keep his shit together, he used liquor as his means of turning off his brain so he wouldn’t think too heavily about what was happening, otherwise he’d spiral. You can bet your ass that every time there was an option to choose “How is Jumin doing?” I took it, because this man needs someone to look out for him while he’s busy looking after everyone else. I love him. He remains my favorite.

I am thrilled Saeran is alive. I am ecstatic Saeyoung & Saeran got the reunion I had been hoping for (& in both endings!). The doctor part of me really wishes his treatment & recovery occurred in a hospital, instead of some nature tour with Jihyun while wearing Jedi robes, but beggars can’t be choosers in fiction, I suppose. I am glad Saeran is safe, recovering, had the time to heal his relationship with Jihyun, & is living with Saeyoung now. It’s what I wanted for him.

On one hand, I can see why Jihyun kept Saeran being alive a secret (Saeran wasn’t ready to see Saeyoung yet, he was detoxing, he needed more recovery time, he needed the peace away from everything, if Saeyoung knew he would have gone after them immediately rather than wait for some time to pass) but on the other hand, I had had enough of the secrets. I am glad though that the story allowed for Saeyoung to have some hope that Saeran was alive. If the narrative had left no suggestion of hope & Saeyoung had fallen into a depression of sorts, then I feel when Saeran was finally revealed he [Saeyoung] may have not handled it as well. But Saeyoung was given a chance to hope, to grow, to finally relax/settle where he was, & was allowed time himself to recover from everything that happened, which I think helped in how he received Saeran’s reappearance.

Definitive proof that Vanderwood has grown to care about Saeyoung as a person?! Sign me the fuck up. That was amazing. I greatly enjoy Vanderwood.

With Saeyoung, I did enjoy seeing his range of emotion & reactions to this entire ordeal. He was desvasted, broken, distraught, angry. My heart went out to him & I felt his pain. His monologues were great. His reactions felt real. It was a bit jarring to see how readily he was contemplating suicide & how quickly he cast that aside as soon as some other bit of info to cling to came along. I understand, though, that this story took place in a short amount of time & the creators were trying to portray his progression in the time they had. I am tickled that he was offered a 10 year contract with C&R & that he readily accepted. I have enjoyed seeing him begin to accept that he can plant roots somewhere, open up to those around him, & not fear that he’ll one day have to leave.

I was originally miffed that Jihyun went off for two years on his own, seemingly to get over Rika, making MC wait around, before he could commit himself to MC. Knowing now that those two years were actually spent helping to rehabilitate Saeran in seclusion, I am assuaged. A bit.

I am, however, left feeling as though maybe MC isn’t meant to be with Jihyun. I’ve certainly felt as if there is more push to have Jihyun x Rika remain together as Cheritz still doesn’t give, what I would consider, adequate bonding & development between Jihyun x MC (not that 11 days of story in any of the routes could be described as adequate bonding time, lolol). Majority of Jihyun’s scenes (in his route) are about him reminiscing about his past with Rika, rather than discussions that may cultivation a budding relationship with MC. I like Jihyun, but it feels likes it’s been made intentionally hard to romance him. Maybe it was naive of me to hope we would get cute scenes of Jihyun & MC getting to know one another more, or be shown ways Jihyun made it up to MC for being gone for so long, or even a mini date story, or actually seeing the proposal happen, or even a kiss? But I did hope for all of that, so I can’t pretend I’m not sad we didn’t getting to see it. The romance between Jihyun & MC feels brushed aside, like an afterthought, & I was hoping that this After End would finally put it at the forefront of the story told.

While I don’t like how the situation with Rika was handled in either route, & while this After End was not at all what I was expecting (I just wanted to kiss Jihyun, omg), it wasn’t a total loss for me since the twins are reunited & happy, which I think may have been my biggest wish. The voice acting as phenomenal & I can tell how much time & effort Cheritz put into creating this mammoth, complex & thought-provoking story. I’ll be honest & admit that I am upset I spent so many hourglasses for content that seemed packaged as Jihyun content but turned out to be more about Rika, but nothing can be done about that now.

If I had to pick an ending I preferred, it would definitely be the Forgive End, as there is more happiness for everyone I care about when it concludes. It was nice seeing Jihyun & MC have their little family, even if it was a very brief interaction. Their adoption of a little girl feels like a nod to Rika, of sorts. Perhaps that isn’t what Cheritz intended, & maybe there is no hidden meaning to why they adopted at all, but I am happy to see Jihyun & MC having brought a child into their home to create a family with.

The CGs are beautiful. Is there even a way to unlock the title page Jihyun proposal CG? I didn’t get it in my play-through at all.

I didn’t hate this After End, but I definitely didn’t love it either. I guess it kind of falls in a strange floaty grey middle area for me, somewhat flat. Hopefully many of y’all enjoyed it! I look forward to seeing what they may give us for Saeran’s After End. I have a feeling that may be a wild story too.

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thatyanderecritic · 5 years

Text

Mystic Messenger

Title: Mystic Messenger

Media: Game. Maker: Cheritz

Yandere(s): Jumin Han, Yoosung Kim, Ray (Real name: Saeran Choi)

Yandere Scale (In order as shown above): 1/5, 3/5, 4/5

Criticism written by: Kai

Editor: Julie

The Review:

Hey there everyone! Kai here and I’m coming back with another yandere review. This time around, I’ll be reviewing the incredibly popular otome game, Mystic Messenger. It’s one of my favorite otome games out there and I’m highly opinionated about this game. Cheritz is known to include at least one yandere in their games; Mystic Messenger being no exception to that rule. For Mystic Messenger, they have a whopping three yanderes and I thankfully played all their routes on my free time for fun. Now let’s check out their yanderes, hm?

(I’m just going to assume that everyone knows the story but if you don’t, you can read the summary here)

Jumin Han:

I’ll be upfront for everyone here: Jumin is my least favorite route out of all the guys in the game. I found it to be boring, too overhyped by the fans, and Jumin’s personality to be rather lame. That being said, take some of my opinions with a grain of salt.

Now then, is Jumin a yandere? Eeeeeeh, I guess?

I describe Jumin as “baby’s first yandere”. He’s very lowkey about it and anything to suggest he is a yandere is so vague that it just went over my head. I found myself having to scrutinize everything he does and say with a goddamn microscope. Spoiler alert: if your readers have to try really hard to look for evidence that he’s a yandere, then he’s not a very good yandere. Instead, I found the other characters having to tell me that Jumin, is in fact, a yandere. Every single chatroom that have the other characters talk about Jumin in his route all go: “Oh!!! You better watch out!!! Jumin is super possessive and obsessive about you MC!!!” or “Oh man!!! Jumin gives me the creep vibes!!! There’s something unsettling about him!!!”

I mean… I guess? Spoiler alert 2: If you have to have your side characters tell the MC that the male lead is a yandere (instead of just showing it), then he isn’t a good yandere. Like jesus Cheritz, what happened to you? You used to be pretty good in including yanderes in your games… Jumin is just… pathetic. It’s felt like they put up a bunch of neon signs around Jumin then forget to write him as a yandere. The only “yandere part” about Jumin was how he locked up the MC in his penthouse. But to be fair, the MC’s life was in danger and she willingly stays there. In fact, the whole “Locked up” part seemed rather half assed. Besides that, there wasn’t anything else about Jumin that makes him a yandere… well, besides the other characters telling me he is. Can you believe that Cheritz had the gall to compare Jumin to Jisoo from Dandelion (their other otome game)? That’s like comparing apples and oranges… just because they’re both fruits doesn’t make them the same thing.

Jumin’s route is so not worth to play if you’re hoping to “woo a yandere”. It’s honestly a waste of time and you’re better off googling Jumin’s bad end 2 CG if you want that yandere aesthetic. If you want to see some better yanderes, just check out the other two… Let’s talk about Yoosung.

Yoosung Kim:

It might come as a surprise by Yoosung was a far better and stronger yandere than Jumin. While the game was focusing so hard on portraying Jumin as a yandere, they never realize that they struck gold with Yoosung. Funny enough, I think the reason why Jumin was such a bad yandere was because cheritz concentrated on him so much that they fucked up and since they didn’t focus on Yoosung, that’s why he came out as a better yandere. But the only problem with Yoosung is that…

… He isn’t a yandere for you.

Yes, that’s right. Yoosung is a yandere but he is not a yandere for you. He is obsessed with his older cousin, Rika. Throughout his route, he won’t shut up about her. It’s “Rika this” and “Rika that”. Yoosung really tested my patients on how long I’ll stick to his route. Eventually though, Yoosung starts to the MC as his replacement for Rika. He sees Rika in the MC and start comparing the two… even thinking that they’re the same person. At some points, Yoosung really wants to turn MC into Rika. Yoosung likes you… but not THE you but the Rika version. Of course, for his good end he learns to differentiate between you two and learn how to love the MC as she is but it doesn’t change the fact that Yoosung was a yandere at certain points.

In the end, Yoosung is a yandere for his cousin. The only thing about him is A) he tries to end up with someone else by turning her into his cousin and B) he ends up loving someone else (the MC). Regardless on how you look at it, Yoosung broke our loyalty rule. I say go ahead and play his route if you want a yandere story and don’t mind being a cuck for 75% of his route. Yoosung got some pretty good yandere moments and bad endings.

Ray:

Oh my god. Ray was the best yandere I’ve seen throughout Cheritz’s games. He was damn near close to being the perfect yandere (well… my taste. But also he clicked off the ideal yandere check marks). Right off the bat, we see his clinginess to the MC, his mental instability, fear of losing the MC, and his jealousy to the other characters. He was such a sweetheart and to top it off he risked his life in saving the MC. Ray was *muah* the perfect recipe for an ideal yandere (my type). But unfortunately… Cheritz just had to ruin it.

Towards the middle Ray had a personality switch. Fearing that he wasn’t strong enough to protect the MC, Ray sort of… “killed” himself and created his alternative personality: edgy Saeran. I was absolutely heartbroken with Ray leaving for good and leaving behind that asshole. Immediately the new personality treated the MC sadistically. He starved her, spoke down to her, and was all round a piece of shit. BRING BACK MY BABY BOI CHERITZ, YOU FUCKING MONSTERS. COWARDS.

This was my last straw. I deleted Mystic Messengers right at that point and never opened it since. Ray was such a good yandere and they had to ruin it. Ray’s route is only good up to the point till his personality switch. After that it went down hill and he doesn’t even have any yandere bad endings. Fuck that.

Final thoughts:

Yoosung is the only route to play for completion if you want a yandere story. Ray was ideal but Cheritz ruined it and don’t even bother with Jumin’s route.

I have a love/hate relationship with Mystic Messenger. It was an interesting story and the concept was good in theory, but in the end the Cons out way the Pros. For one: the game is almost unplayable if you have a social life. The chatroom, phone calls, texts, and emails were a neat concept for interactive storytelling. But the issue lays in the fact you have to wait for these things to pop up. I don’t know about y’all but I have family, friends, a job, and school. Ain’t nobody got time to wait for that 2 PM phone call or that 1 AM chatroom. That’s fucking ridiculous. And don’t you tell me I can miss a couple of chatroom or phone calls. For one, it’s not like I’m missing one chatroom but multiple. I can have a pretty busy day and never have a chance to pick up my phone. Some of those chatrooms are pretty important if you want to get a good ending. There’s also the fact that I’m a completionist… I want to see ALL the content in the game. Not pick and choose what I have time for. And don’t bring up that it’s free or the hourglasses. I rather pay the game for the full price than do a microtransactions… and grinding for hourglasses is a bitch and you know it. I recalled I calculated how much it cause to complete all routes (The main cast. Not including V or Ray or the phone calls) by paying for all the missing chatroom or paying for the day… it was over $300 folks. $300 in microtransaction. Cheritz is fucking crazy. Thank god I fucking hacked this game.

There’s way more complaints about this game (like the emails. I’m tired of having three different walkthroughs up just to get through this god damn game) but I’m just talking about the main function for those interested in playing after read this review. Gameplay is really fucked and unfriendly for those with personal lives. Be ready to waste 7 days of your life to finish this game. All I’m say, Cheritz (even though I know they’re not reading), you guys should have two modes for Mystic Messenger: one where it’s like a standard otome game where the chatroom come one right after the other and you don’t get a penalty for missing chatrooms (the game actually pauses on where you stopped) for a flat rate price of what the entire game is worth… and then the free option where you play the game in the usual default state. That’s all I’m asking and it makes logical sense.

Anyways. That’s my gripe about the game and the yanderes. Play at your own discretion.

Overall Score: 7/10

(Side note: Honestly, I love the Mystic Messenger fandom but at the same time I wonder if we played the same game sometimes. The worst part is how some people won’t criticize Cheritz and their game. Like damn… some of y’all are more forgiving than Jesus Christ himself.)

#male yandere #yandere #review #opinion #mystic messenger #jumin han #yoosung kim #ray mysme #otome game

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reluctantrfamember · 5 years

Note

Cheritz not realising after endings for more than a year and fandom forgives them for this shit? Why? Also they probably lost a lot of money since most of the fandom lost interest in mystic messenger and deleted the app. I just hope they are not delaying after endings because they are making rika route. But maybe then fandom would start be more critical of cheritz.

i love this

a year or so ago i would’ve immediately gotten shit for pointing out canonical things zen does but now? in 2019, the year of our lord? i get super fucking valid cheritz criticism instead

anyway honestly given how cheritz seems to have given up all means of communication with the fandom it would not at all shock me if some higher ups decided “hm, i see. we still have one character we can use to shill out a route for, no? excellent. let us commence beating this dead horse till it stops spitting out money, our reputation / narrative cohesiveness be damned!” and dropped a rika route for the sake of short term profits bc lets be real most folks hate her guts this would be a business disaster long term.

it really is perplexing though. for a long time i really respected cheritz for appearing to listen to their fans and giving us fairly substantial updates to the story – like between the main games release and another story we had two dlcs and additional after endings. but between the end of saerans route and whatever the hell theyre planning next??? we’ve gotten a bunch of dumbass chat events that you can neither interact with or save. sure we’re given hrgls rewards n shit but to what end? i’ve exhausted all of the game’s real content and have no interest in replaying another story until the fucking conclusions are posted. because that’s the thing. while v’s ended more or less conclusively, we don’t see any fucking romance between him & the mc, so that whole aspect of their relationship is just missing from the story till the after endings come out. meanhile saeran’s got a lot of great moments that really build up his dynamic with the mc but the fucking story is not DONE, it was left on a CLIFFHANGER, and despite it being over a year since AS came out we have noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo idea when those after endings are gonna drop. it’s fucking stupid and frankly unfair to the people who BOUGHT another story – because let’s be real, AS is a shit ton more expensive, and that would be fine if it was, y’know, a fucking FINISHED PRODUCT.

aaaanyhoo thank u for allowing me to go off anon. i’m sick of cheritz’s shit and it rlly is too bad bc there’s a lot to love about mystic messenger but currently i feel nothing but boredom and contempt :^)

#ask #anon #mystic messenger #mysmes #cheritz #fuck it imma tag i dont give a shit lmao

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curiousdelights · 5 years

Text

Bystander

Pairing: Yoosung Kim x Reader/MC

Plot: Yoosung passes by timeline after timeline until he gets to you. Hints of his feelings come through the phone calls.

A/N: Reset theory-ish. I know that theory isn’t something everyone’s fond of but I couldn’t help but write this after going through Yoosung’s phone calls in all the routes. I know the calls may not always mean something underneath but I interpreted them as such for this fic. Enjoy! P.S. The call dialogues are (mostly) Cheritz’! I just altered some for the sake of narrative lol.

AO3

It felt like limbo.

In the back of Yoosung’s mind, layered memories shuffled themselves with each passing time frame. He knew what was happening in glimpses and he knew it for a while now, but he also knew you were his destination. The goal was to get to you, to reach you through any means possible. He had a fifth of a chance but it was better than none.

He dialed your number.

i. voice

He noticed you were fascinated with Jaehee and he couldn’t blame you. She was a strong woman yet caring all the same. The organization would have truly been a mess if she wasn’t there to hold things together for everyone’s sake. Were you attracted by her purity? Maybe so. He had that, too, though, didn’t he?

He hadn’t called you for some days now. Of course the chatroom was still lively as ever since you came around but he hadn’t talked to only you yet.

He dialed your number.

“It’s Yoosung!” He cheered on his end. “It’s been a while, right?”

You agreed and you sounded like you were in good spirits. It made him happy yet nervous at the same time.

“I just missed hearing your voice...” When you didn’t answer immediately, he had to do a double-take, just to make sure. “Ahaha. No other feelings, though! Don’t take it the wrong way!”

But he hoped for you to take it in the intended way, at least for a moment. He couldn’t interfere here now.

“You and Jaehee seemed close these days so I’m glad. Jaehee did always feel like a loner so it’s nice that she’s becoming more open and casual now because of you.”

He was honest with his words about you and about Jaehee. He accepted this truth as he bid you goodbye over the phone. It wasn’t his time.

ii. freesia

Compared to Zen, he knew he wasn’t at the other’s level in terms of looks (but he knew he was good-looking in his own way) so if you were taken in at first by how handsome the actor was, it was easy to understand.

But you got to Zen deep, deeper than anybody had ever done so or even attempted to. He knew that you had that power over them: opening up and shining light over the hidden emotions beneath all the masks of playfulness, mock-narcissism, strictness, and formalities. You had that power now but the power was not for him.

He happened to take a chance in calling you while taking a break from cleaning his apartment. He found an excuse and used it.

He dialed your number.

“Can you recommend me some air fresheners?” For a moment he wondered if you still would be interested in such a topic. It was mundane, yes, but the tone you carried on the line calmed him as it seemed you showed even the slightest attention. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt then to say a little more.

Would you remember these little details about me?

“I like floral scents. I like something fresh and aromatic, like me!”

You laughed at his additions, finding them adorable. “Freesia’s light and good, too. You’ll smell a slight floral scent.”

His shoulders dropped and for a few seconds he paused. Freesia… Shaking his head, he gathered himself together and laughed with you on the phone. “I’ve heard of that one but I think it suits you better. Gentle and delicate…”

“Really? You think so?”

“Yes— but that doesn’t mean I have feelings for you or anything like that!” Did he really let the words slip just like that? He should have been careful. It wasn’t his time, either. “Don’t take it the wrong way. I don’t mess with people who are taken. Anyways, thanks for the recommendation!”

“You sound silly, Yoosung, but you’re welcome!”

“I’ll go back to my cleaning now. Oh right!” Accept it. “You and Zen… look really great together.”

iii. alternative

If there was one thing he could share with Jumin in the current situation, it was loss. Though not of the same gravity, he did understand that the C&R heir’s attachment to Elizabeth 3rd was deep enough to compare his own with Rika. It was odd to think of it that way but it was the easiest manner he could think of to sympathize.

And still in memories, he knew it wasn’t only Rika he had lost. Even his own heart could beat twice as fast if he thought of you just once. There was longing that he could not and would not escape from.

He dialed your number.

The ringing kept on going until the line died. He grew nervous. You tended to be free for the most part but maybe Jumin was keeping you company at the moment. After all, everyone knew how you were staying over at his place, more or less of your own decision. He wondered how you were doing and if you were alright.

He jumped when the phone rang, vibrating against his palms. Too many thoughts and too little alertness. He should really do better with his focus.

His heart skipped beats when he saw you calling. He answered immediately.

“You called back.” Was his voice a little too excited? Maybe it was and maybe it didn’t really matter at the moment. He wanted to say what was on his mind. “I had something I wanted to discuss with you.”

“What is it?”

“It’s about Jumin. I think he changed a lot since he lost Elizabeth 3rd. I… was like that, too, so I understand how he feels. If you lose something important, you become nervous that you’ll lose everything else, too.”

And everyone.

“You would know, Yoosung. I’m sorry.”

Your voice sounded concerned. He was grateful.

“It’s okay. It’s just scary how much Jumin reminds me of my past, so I’m really worried. Now all his emotions are geared towards you so I think you should be careful. Do you get what I mean?”

“Do you really think Jumin just sees me as Elizabeth’s alternative?”

No! No, no, no. You’re never an alternative.

He gulped. He couldn’t say more. “I don’t think that’s it. He’s feeling new emotions but they’re way too much. I think his intentions are good and he wants to be with you because he likes you.”

“That’s sweet of you to say. Thank you.”

“No problem. I have to go now. I only wanted to tell you to be careful, nothing else!”

Nothing else.

iv. game

He remembers the flow of the memories now, shaky though they could be at times, but the feelings never wavered despite it all. Thus he also remembers the shock when finding out about the bomb’s presence in the apartment, as if all the timeline’s memories place themselves together for every scene’s reveal. At this point, he could be angry and he could be frustrated, but they all pose nothing against the fear and concern that’s overwhelming him at the moment.

I know Seven’s there and I know he’ll handle it but…

But what about him? What could he do?

Through gritted teeth and with a tight grip on his phone, he dialed your number.

“I was shocked as soon as I read the messages. Are you okay?”

He heard a sharp intake of breath. You were holding on strong. You always were, he remembered that about you somehow.

“I’m okay.” You answered. “I’m alright, Yoosung.”

“Of course! I know it might be hard to understand geniuses but I’m sure anybody would know that you can’t install a bomb in someone’s apartment.”

“I think the same.”

“You understand, right? Everything is gone once it goes off! Agh...”

“I’m fine. Seven’s with me, too.”

“It just doesn’t change the fact that there’s a bomb beside you. Aren’t you mad at him that he left you there all alone before we all knew?”

“Yoosung…”

“You might think I’m such a game addict if I say this but I wish this world were a game today. If this were a game, I would…” Damn it. “I wouldn’t mind the bomb and just teleport to where you are to protect you… I wouldn’t have stayed still. I can’t even stay still right now, I’m shaking to do anything to help.“

“Yoosung, calm down.” You told him. “Nothing bad’s going to happen.”

He sighed deeply. “Okay, okay, I—“

Could timings have been any worse? Through all that rush of emotion, Yoosung momentarily forgot his mother had been visiting and she was calling for him now.

“My mom’s here. Jumin called her and now I have to go.”

“It’s okay. I’ll be fine here.”

“I feel so pathetic for not being able to do anything in such a dangerous situation.” He felt a headache coming in. He needed sleep soon, too. Right now his feelings for you weren’t the priority, only your safety. He knew it would circle his mind until someone finds a solution for it. “I can’t do anything today but I trust Seven will take good care of you. He won’t let anything happen to you, I know it.”

He’s there for you.

“Please stay safe.”

It still felt like limbo. He was a bystander in all the timelines but why was it hard to remember when you were his?

They say mornings bring in new beginnings. Was today fateful?

He dialed your number. You didn’t answer.

v. present

Maybe he was getting ahead of himself. He remembered a feeling of a racing heart being familiar again as the day went on. During the evening when everyone had quieted down, he remembered a flicker of hope.

He dialed your number.

“You picked up right away! We must have thought the same thing!” There was excitement. He suddenly heard himself laugh almost due to relief. “This is funny to say and maybe a little embarrassing but… I thought you were talking to someone else.”

“No, I was waiting for your call.”

“… Really?” He covered his face with his free hand. His cheeks felt warm. “My heart just jumped a bit. I think I’m a bit weird if I say that I feel possessive, that I want to talk to only you privately.”

You had to laugh, too. “I sign in because I enjoy talking with you.”

“But what if you start liking someone else? What if I’m not the reason you sign in anymore? I keep wanting confirmation because I don’t want to lose the happiness now.”

“Then don’t doubt it all. Worrying about the past and the future will only make us more anxious.” You told him. “Let’s live in the present. Now is what matters, right?”

Now.

He realized that it was his time and the smile on his face grew wider. “Yes. I should appreciate this. I’m happy… because you’re in my present.”

Thank you for reading. ♥

#yoosung kim #yoosung x mc #yoosung x reader #mystic messenger #mysme #this was actually supposed to have been for yoosungweek #but guess who never got around to write it #yep it's me #idk i was reviewing yoosung's route and then suddenly thought about his phone calls in the other routes #i'm sure everyone noticed how seven's calls were in each route #so i thought maybe yoosung could be interpreted as such too #maybe lol anyway #i tried!!!!#hope this was okay;;#my writings #mystic messenger fanfiction #mysme fanfiction #mystic messenger fics #mysme fics

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insomnia-and-chips · 5 years

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I just want to say this about Mystic Messenger, while I’m here at the end of day 9 on Ray Route

(and I hope SPOILERS this -> SPOILERS <- goes SPOILERS without SPOILERS saying)

This is an absolute masterpiece.

21:31 completely destroyed me. It was so beautiful, I played through that VN twice, and both times, I cried just as hard.

Being a late fan has its spoilers“perks”. I felt like I knew everything that would happen, but I was wrong so many times, to my joy and my sadness. I knew about Saeran’s “dark” transformation, yet I expected, in a slightly twisted way, to enjoy it. Unfortunately… I wasn’t ready for the onslaught of sheer malice. When I saw the real situation, I thought I’d have to placate my abuser in order to survive. Maybe something clicked, since I hated talking to him, but every day I still longed to see him. In the midst of it, though, the dialogue options lit a small hope that I could save him. Somehow MC spoke jarring truth and warm empathy at the same time. It even seemed, because Saeran’s struggles mirrored my own, that Cheritz spoke the same encouragement to me as well.

Today, on Day 9, I’d received a call from Rika and learned that Saeran had gone missing. He’d been missing for a couple hours by the time I made it home and impatiently pulled up a blanket on the couch.

For a few minutes I argued with Rika, before she left abruptly. Seeing that Saeran Story Mode button I thought Yusss. Give me life. I was so glad Saeran showed up but man… I was not ready for this.

While I’m expecting “knock knock toy, it’s me ya boi” he showed up in my room?? While I’m sleeping in bed?? To just… talk with me??? That’s… adorable as fuck??? His sprite vanished, and the CG appeared. He looked straight at me with piercing eyes, but wasn’t lashing at me. He was looking right at me… in my bedroom in Mint Eye, curled under my blanket, in my 1-bedroom apartment. Standing right next to me.

Then he confirmed my hope!! Saeran was beginning to understand himself. He was changing.

It was so hard to tap the screen after each line. I didn’t want him to stop. Each time he spoke I was getting closer to the end of this moment.

Tap.

Then Saeran starts speaking in terms relative to himself about Ray. The game gives me options like “I’m only waiting for Ray” and for some reason I resent them. Why should I choose to abandon this broken boy in front of me? What about you? Saeran?

Saeran: Even now...it's so difficult to accept myself the way I am. I'm ruined beyond hope. Saeran: But...maybe it is possible for Ray.

Can’t I save you both?? I’ve been trying to save you this whole time. I’ve been trying to save you since the prologue in CS… with Seven in the Secret Ends… in spite of fate in V’s route.

Saeran: You miss Ray, don't you? Saeran: He was named Ray...in hopes that there will be no meaning to his name. Saeran: But you look a little sad every time I say that name.

I’m sobbing. Real tears. I hope the neighbors don’t hear anything…

Saeran: ...And it looks like you need Ray more than me.

It sounds like you’re saying goodbye…

Option: You're right. I need Ray.

No, I won’t leave you behind! I’m going to encourage Saeran with all I have until I can’t any more.

MC: Whoever you are...I hope you stay strong. Saeran: I wonder what your definition of strong is. Saeran: Please tell Ray about it.

Damn it!! Don’t leave!

Tap.

By some miracle, it’s another dialog choice.

Me (slams option): Saeran, wait! Saeran: I didn't want to tell you...that I'm sorry.... Saeran: But I'm sorry. I'm sorry for hurting you. Saeran: I hope...both you and Ray...will be happy.

Tap.

- This conversation will be archived in the RFA records. I hereby agree to treat this conversation as confidential. -

- sign -

I’m sobbing... I’m replaying this VN immediately… now I’m throwing open the freezer and hacking into the (mint) ice cream… this is only day 9 damn it!! how will I survive day 10?!

#mystic messenger #insomnia content #ray route #ray route spoilers #saeran #saeran choi #uhhhh not fic lol #real fic?#nonFic #also it kinda symbolized coming to the end of mm for me...#it's my last route yknow?#anyway im proud and sad

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what-a-nerdlet · 6 years

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okay real talk tho ya’ll know i stan Cheritz pretty damn hard. they’ve done just…a LOT for us fans and as a Korean person myself, it’s been making me really happy to see a Korean company get so much attention for such an awesome and groundbreaking game. but honestly…seeing a r*ka tweet win for their contest has me real concerned and if they really were to release a r*ka route like some rumors say, i just…honestly don’t think i could support them in the same way that i have been. like idk what that would mean, exactly. deleting the game? it wouldn’t make a difference. but i know they’re aware of what fans say and how we feel. and after all the r*ka discourse that so intelligently and painstakingly breaks down why her mental illness is no excuse for actions that she chose (of her own volition) to take, and why her actions are in fact abuse, plain and simple, i don’t know how i’d feel about a company who donates to abuse survivors deciding to go ahead and do it- send a message that conflicts with their actions- anyway (not to mention jaehee barely got any romance content and no additional cg content in ray’s route…and if this was really just about a w/w relationship and representation like some people say, then i feel like it’d make more sense to go there?? since jaehee/mc is, you know, actually healthy and not leaning on the “gay-coded villain” stereotype, but ya know…i digress) like, don’t get me wrong. cheritz, we had a nice run. and i still love and appreciate you. i want to support you, especially after the way a lot of other companies usually respond to their fans. it’s just…i’m just…nervous about what ya’ll are thinking, is all i’m sayin…and i’m still trying to think through how i’d react if this were even to happen and my worst nightmares came true edit: lmaooo because some of ya’ll took this post as me throwing a bitchfit and “leaving” the fandom: LIKE??? WHO’S??? LEAVIN??? SRY BUT THIS LOSER BITCH IS HERE TO STAY. my actual POINT that somehow so many of you missed, was that giving abusers a platform to justify their actionsss even in a fictional world is dangerousss. because surprise! fiction impacts our reality!! and yes, i would HOPE that cheritz, as much as i love them, wouldn’t do that but honestly, they’re not infallible to mistakes, nobody is so jfc people. some of ya’ll needa take your own advice and chill.

#anti rika #mysme #cheritz #mystic messenger

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sage-nebula · 6 years

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Why do you think that Saeran didn't have DID in the Original Story?

I apologize in advance if this isn’t exactly coherent; it’s late, and so my thoughts might be a bit all over the place.

I don’t think Saeran had DID in Original Story because there are absolutely no signs of it.

I’ve played the Original Story—and in specific, Saeyoung’s Route, into which I include the Secret Endings since they’re a continuation of his route—enough times that I have a good number of the chats memorized, and so that I don’t even have to read the guest e-mails before knowing what the correct answer choices are. I’ve gone through them non-linearly (as in, going into the history / Secret Endings out of order to look over things withotu actually playing through them) even more times. Saeyoung is my favorite character, but it’s because he’s my favorite character that I’ve spent a lot of time paying attention to and studying those that are important to him. Namely, this means both Saeran and Vanderwood.

As a result of this, I’m really familiar with who Saeran is in the Original Story, and I say with confidence that we never saw signs of DID in the Original Story. Due to the fact that we never saw signs of it, and also due to the fact that DID makes romancing him possible (more on that in a second), I feel confident in saying that Saeran was not originally conceptualized to have DID, but rather, this is something that Cheritz “retconned” (if you truly consider Another Story to be in the same universe as Original Story, rather than an AU, which I personally don’t but ymmv) onto him in order to make romancing him possible.

What I mean by that is … think back to the Saeran that we see in Original Story. Think about everything he does: How threatening he is, how he actually assaults and tortures in Bad Endings, how his grasp on emotional regulation is so poor that the slighest thing can make him grow violent in the Secret Endings (which is a defense mechanism, absolutely, but it still speaks to poor emotional regulation). How possible do you really think striking up a romantic relationship with someone in that state is, both from the standpoint of actually being able to build a healthy romantic relationship with them, and from the standpoint of wanting to? Yes, there are of course people who ate up things like the Bad Ending in the Christmas DLC where he takes MC away to dress her up like a doll, or those who liked the idea of Saeran whisking MC away in the prologue Bad Ending to make her his assistant, but for the most part Cheritz probably realized that the average player wouldn’t want to romance Saeran with the way he behaved in Original Story (and also, if they knew their own character, wouldn’t be able to romance him even if they did want to). The trauma-ridden young man that we see simply wasn’t attractive or available, from a personality standpoint, in the same way the other characters are. Which, again, isn’t to say that he didn’t have his fans, because he very clearly did, but they were far fewer in number before Another Story released.

So with that said, if Cheritz wanted to create a route for Saeran (and after seeing that there was at least some fan demand for it, they did, because they wanted that sweet dolla dolla), they knew they had to solve the problem of Saeran’s lack of attractiveness / lack of availability. There is simply no conceivable way to write him as a romance option in Original Story. It cannot be done. But in an alternate universe, they have a little more wiggle room, because they can change and alter things as they pleased. Since they were already going to do this for V (though I maintain this wasn’t necessary, and that V could have easily been a Deep Story option), they decided to do the same for Saeran. However, I think they recognized that this was still a risk. Thus, while they “retconned” DID onto him and created the much more attractive and available “Ray,” they didn’t release his route immediately. Instead, they tested the waters by seeing how fans would react to him in V’s Route. I do think that Saeran’s Route was still planned from the get-go (hence those magenta hearts), but Cheritz, being an indie company, likely didn’t want to spend the money until they were sure fans would buy it (which is a smart move). Hence, they tested the waters with “Ray,” and when they saw that the fanbase was foaming at the mouth over “Ray” to the point of virtually ignoring V despite the fact that it was his route, they gave Saeran’s Route the greenlight and moved forward with it.

So with that said, let’s look back at Original Story. As I said, there is nothing in Original Story to point toward the idea that he has DID. I mean, think about it: If there was an insinuation that he had DID in Original Story, don’t you think people would have brought it up? That people would have mentioned it? It’s one thing for people to look back on Original Story now and try to twist things to see his DID through the lens of “well, he had it in Another Story, so let’s try to find it in Original Story,” but it’s another thing altogether to take a fandom that had played this game fairly obsessively for over a year and have them completely miss any hints of multiple personalities residing within one of the more important characters to the central story before the idea is suddenly shoved to the forefront in an AU. The idea that “well, we just didn’t have enough focus on Saeran before!” is nonsense, because Secret Ending 02 is pretty much entirely from his point of view, and DID is never mentioned nor brought up. He never mentions having other personalities. The closest we get to any of this in the Secret Endings are the moments where he’s conflicted over whether Saeyoung abandoned him or not, and he’s “arguing” with himself, but fam, I argue with myself all the damn time, and I don’t have DID. Unlike in Another Story, where Saeran explicitly mentions one of his personalities “telling” him things, that’s not the case with the internal struggles he has over Saeyoung in the Secret Endings. Instead, it’s literally Saeran warring with himself over what he actually believes and what he wants to believe, both of which bleed together because he’s in a mental state where he doesn’t even know what he wants anymore. But the point I’m trying to make here is that his internal struggles are not a conclusive sign of DID. They’re not. If they were, far more people would have been talking about Saeran’s DID prior to the release of Another Story, and I never saw a single person mention it. Not even once.

Speaking of people not talking about it, there’s also the Free Talk that his voice actor had following Secret Ending 02 (which, again, was dedicated to Saeran and was largely from his point of view). Saeran’s voice actor does mention a mental illness when talking about how he voiced Saeran, but DID is not the mental illness mentioned. Instead:

As a brief side note before I continue: When I mentioned above that Saeran as we see him in the Original Story is not romanceable, I DID NOT AT ALL MEAN TO IMPLY that people with BPD are not romanceable. So please, please, do not think I was trying to say that. There are so many people with BPD who are in loving, healthy relationships, even if they have their hard days. One of my dearest friends has BPD, and she’s one of the sweetest people I have ever met, and is definitely deserving of love. So please, please don’t think that I was trying to say, “Well, he has BPD, so he’s not attractive or available,” because that isn’t at all what I meant. I was referring strictly to his behavior and his actions (which, yes, are a result of his trauma, but as he recovers he’ll get better, and much later on down the line, he might be in a place where he can healthily pursue a romance with someone).

That side note out of the way …

As you can see above, Saeran’s voice actor specifically says that he thinks Saeran has borderline personality disorder in Original Story. If Saeran was meant to have DID in Original Story, surely that is information that Cheritz would have conveyed to his voice actor. I mean, why wouldn’t they? It would inform how he acted, particularly when you consider those moments I mentioned above where Saeran wars with himself. If those instances were supposed to be demonstrations of two personalities battling it out, then that would be something that Saeran’s voice actor would mention in the free talk. He would mention Saeran having multiple personalities. But he doesn’t; not only does he mention BPD, as shown above, but he also consistently refers to Saeran as having one (1) personality:

He mentions Saeran developing a personality (i.e. developing a certain way as an individual) in Original Story, rather than Saeran creating multiple personalities as a result of his trauma. And you know, it makes sense; as I’ve written before, Saeran demonstrates symptoms of C-PTSD in Original Story, and the thing about C-PTSD is that it can often be confused with BPD because the two share a lot in common, to the point where C-PTSD is often classified as a personality disorder because of the way it shapes the way a person grows and learns to view and interact with the world (something I know from personal experience). In fact, as a bit of personal anecdotal evidence, I actually sought out my therapist because she specialized in BPD, and after reading a lot about BPD online, I thought I had it. When I went to see her, though, and she examined me, she concluded that I do not have BPD, but that I instead have C-PTSD, and was getting the two confused (which, again, is understandable because the two have a lot of symptoms in common). So it makes sense that Saeran’s voice actor would specifically refer to his trauma leading him to grow into the person that he has in Original Story, because that absolutely happens in real life, all the time. And while it’s true that trauma can also result in dissociation that results in DID (in fact, if the research I did provided me with correct information, most—if not all—cases of DID stem from trauma), I don’t believe that Saeran’s voice actor was trying to say that Saeran developed DID from his trauma. Rather, he was referring to the way that Saeran’s trauma shaped his personality as he grew, which is absolutely a descriptor of C-PTSD (again, coming from someone who has it as a result of childhood / adolescent trauma).

Lastly, as I mentioned (and talk about in the post I linked), what Saeran does demonstrate signs and symptoms of in Original Story is C-PTSD, not DID. (I know that his voice actor says BPD, but again, they share a lot in common, and C-PTSD isn’t very widely known, I don’t think.) And he actually displays these symptoms in such a real way that I found myself aching with empathy for him in the Secret Endings. As I’ve mentioned before, the way my C-PTSD has developed is far closer to Saeyoung’s, so I find Saeyoung to be a more relatable character; however, Saeran’s C-PTSD was still achingly real, particularly once we actually get to enter his point of view and we see that he’s actually terrified and vulnerable beneath the defensive aggression he throws up to push others away. We see flashbacks to his childhood, and his musings on his childhood, where he tells us (or thinks about in such a way that it feels like he’s telling us) how he was actually always pessimistic in childhood, and believed that there wasn’t really any hope of escaping their mother’s home, but that Saeyoung’s optimism gave him a few shreds of that hope anyway. We see how he thinks about how he has always loved staring at the sky, and how he just wishes that he could stare at clouds forever. We see him express fear over Saeyoung abandoning him, even as he at the same time wants Saeyoung to leave. We see him awkward, unsure, and vulnerable around the RFA, even as they accept him. We see him still visibly hurting from his trauma, because recovery is not an easy or painless process, but we also see that he is still the same Saeran he always was, ever since childhood, just very, very wounded, but not beyond healing.

What I’m trying to get at here is that I agree with his voice actor. Saeran was a fully realized character in Original Story, and was an extremely believable trauma survivor. Extremely. He’s one of the best written trauma survivors that I’ve seen in recent media. And to see Cheritz strip that away, retcon DID onto him so that he could be more appealing to their audience (because again, while Saeran had his fans before, that was nothing compared to the screeching over “Ray” that began as soon as Another Story released), and then say that he was magically all healed up in less than eleven days is … extremely disappointing to me. No offense to those who like it, but I’m not at all a fan, especially since it seems pretty obvious to me that it was done in order to make him more palatable to players, rather than because it was something that would actually benefit his character to include. (And honestly, Cheritz trying to wink-wink-nudge-nudge the audience by having Saeyoung mention how cliché it is in a chat isn’t cute. You don’t get to escape criticism for bad writing by acknowledging and laughing at the fact that it’s bad writing. It doesn’t work like that.)

So tl;dr, that is why I’m confident that DID was never part of Saeran’s character in Original Story. There were no signs of it, his voice actor clearly had no clue that it was supposed to be a thing (because as I said, if he did, he would have talked about that instead of BPD), and Saeran instead does show practically every single sign and symptom of C-PTSD. Another Story Saeran has DID, but Original Story Saeran doesn’t, and while everyone is entitled to have their own opinions on which portrayal of Saeran they prefer (and I won’t tell anyone otherwise, nor do I want to fight about it), I know which one I’m a fan of, and it’s not the one that Cheritz introduced in September of 2017.

#fishshapedbread123 #//#///#////#/////#mystic messenger #unknown #choi saeran #meta

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