Miliana
Miliana \m(i)-lia-na\ as a girl's name is of Latin origin, and the meaning of Miliana is "eager". Feminine form of Emiliano.
Okay, I totally thought that I would give up writing otome game reviews, but I just finished two games in a series that are so bad I need to write reviews about it. So, here's hoping that it goes better than the last time.
You are hereby forewarned that there are spoilers abound.
水の旋律 (Mizu no Senritsu, The Melody of Water) is a otome game published by KID in 2005 for the PS2, and rereleased for the PSP in 2009. The story is about Shiraishi Hina, who returns to her hometown for high school after her parents decide to work abroad. She is happily reunited with two childhood friends on her first day of school, but is also shoved down the stairs by an unknown assailant before being saved by Kirihara Takuya, a second year. She soon finds herself being stalked and attacked by a strange young man with a sword who threatens to kill her. But all the stranger, she finds herself manifesting a strange healing ability and the power to call rain whenever she feels sad. To solve those this mystery behind the man with the sword and her newfound abilities, she will have to consult one of two secret families who hold the key to revealing the mystery.
Well, that's the spoiler-free introduction at least. Here's the backstory needed to understand the rest of the story.
Approximately fourteen hundred years ago, there was a woman who ate the flesh of a mermaid and in turn gained the power to change the weather as she pleased, a near-impossible healing ability that prevented her from being killed, and an exceptionally long lifespan of eight hundred years, earning her the name of "Yaobikuni." Her first marriage was arranged to a wealthy man, and the son that was conceived brought forth the "Ichiyou" clan. She was unhappy with this marriage and ran away. She soon met another man and married him, this time for love, and conceived another son, who would brought forth the "Kusou" clan. It became apparent that as sons of Yaobikuni, they were blessed with certain powers and abilities no normal human would have. However, there was one major difference between the Ichiyou and the Kusou. While the Ichiyou had the lifespan of normal humans, the Kusou had lifespans up to four hundred years and the strange healing ability that prevented them from being killed by mortal wounds or fatal diseases.
The Ichiyou, jealous of the Kusou for being the son conceived in love and for being blessed a long lifespan and a healing ability, began to war against the Kusou. By that time, Yaobikuni had long tired of living and crafted swords from strands of her hair to kill herself. Those swords were called "Suidansho," and although none of those swords would able to kill her, if they were in the hands of the Ichiyou, those swords could kill the Kusou, who otherwise would not die even if dealt a mortal blow by a normal sword. With these swords, the Ichiyou became able to kill the Kusou, and the war between them escalated.
Although the fighting between them has come to a détente fourteen hundred years later, given the chance, there are still people in both clans who exterminate the other side. Hina, who was born a normal human and turned into Kusou by blood-exchange, shows the power to affect the weather, who is the signature of the mother of both clans, Yaobikuni. In every good ending, Hina is able to use on her powers to prevent the extremist in Ichiyou from exterminating the Kusou.
Most of the gameplay consists of the visiting locations on the map to trigger events with the guy you're aiming to further the storyline and picking the right response to raise his affection for you. Nothing too complicated.
Kirihara Takuya is the second-year who saved Hina on the stairs, but also the second son of the Kusou clan leader. Most importantly, he is the childhood friend whom she forgot and is the one who turned her into a member of the Kusou by blood-exchange. Voiced by Koyasu Takehito.
Kirihara Takahito is a teacher at Hina's high school, also Takuya's older brother and the first son of the Kusou clan leader. He's a bit cold and indifferent, but that's because he's got an angsty backstory with a dead wife. And remember, the Kusou has got a lifespan of four hundred years, so his actual age is already in the early three digits. Voiced by Inoue Kazuhito.
Kagara Shuichi saves Hina in an encounter with the man who bears a Suidansho. He is the second son of the Ichiyou clan leader and, like his father, is trying to bring lasting peace between the two clans. One of two characters who has a rocky relationship with his older brother. Voiced by Morita Masakazu.
Akizuki Kei is Kagara Shuichi's loyal retainer and also a Hunter, a bearer of a Suidansho. The second of two characters who has a rocky relationship with his older brother, because in this case, the Suidansho he bears chose him instead of his brother. Voiced by Toochika Kouichi.
Tezuka Kyousuke is a university student and a part-timer at the nearby bookstore-café. He watched his parents being murdered as a child and is working on a thesis on Yaobikuni to investigate their deaths. In his route, Hina will find out that his father was a member of the Kusou and his mother an Ichiyou. Voiced by Taniyama Kishio.
Shinno Kengo is one of your childhood friends that you are reunited with on the first day of school. He's had a unrequited crush since they were young and pretty acts like a lovesick puppy the entire time. I hate this kind of character and wished that this was a sci-fi show of something, because he would be cannon fodder and immediately killed off. I skip-played his route, so I remember nothing about his route. Voiced by Suzumura Kennichi.
Katase Tetsuo is the mystery man who appears before her and threatens to take her life. He is the Ichiyou clan leader's Hunter and bears a great hatred of the Kusou, because his younger sister died of a disease a couple years back and he is jealous of the healing ability that prevents sickness. Of course, in his route, he gets over it and becomes all ラブラブ.
-----
Mizu no Senritsu can be considered a spiritual predecessor to Otomate's Hiiro no Kakera. The protagonists were seemingly normal high school girls who have transfered to a new school and discover that she is involved in a deep plot between two opposing groups. To protect her from those who would kill her, there are several guys with powers who will lay their lives down to protect her. Unfortunately, while Hiiro no Kakera (first released in 2006) can still measure up to recently released games with its deep storyline and consistently gorgeous art, Mizu no Senritsu does not.
It has an interesting storyline that lasts for about three play-throughs. It would be more interesting if the ending was changed up a bit, but it's the same each and every time. What could have helped is if the character backstories could have been stronger. Only four of seven characters had developed backstories that were interesting. Takuya, Shuichi, and Kei had diddly-squat. Kirihara-sen'sei had a dead wife, Katase had a dead sister, Tezuka had dead parents, and Shinno -- well, you find out why he's a lovesick puppy.
And what is the problem with these guys? Five of those seven guys has powers that can protect her, but they barely ever use those powers. Particularly in the end, when Hina is facing down an Ichiyou extremist bearing a Suidansho that can kill her, they still don't use their powers. Seriously, what the what? How can the ending not have a spectacular boss fight? The guy is supposed to use his powers to fight and defend you, because that's how one proves his love. But no, Hina uses her deus ex machina powers to call lightning to destroy the Suidansho of the extremist trying to kill her. Really, that's what happens in every single ending.
Speaking of characters, I hate Shiraishi Hina. Oh, God, I hate her so much. I won't even get into how much I hate her character sprites, but just how she acts during the game. She starts exhibiting mutant-like abilities, she knows who knows the truth behind everything -- only they don't tell her, and she doesn't hound them for the answers. Instead, she continues to walk around town shopping and going on dates with guys. I know this is an otome game, and the point is to hook up with a guy in the end. But why aren't you looking for hints to your freaky new powers?! Why?!
I'm particularly disappointed in the art. I was first interested by the cover art and the blue color scheme. It's nowhere near Yone Kazuki's level of beautiful art, but it seemed to suit it well enough. Unfortunately, the art is inconsistent.
These are some crap-ass art as seen above, but then there are some gorgeous art as seen below.
I'm okay with bad art; it just means that the artist hasn't fully a style yet. But inconsistent art just makes me angry.
In 2005, given the limited number of otome games, Mizu no Senritsu would definitely be a game to check out. But in 2011, there are far more games with better plots and better art to play.
Okay, I totally thought that I would give up writing otome game reviews, but I just finished two games in a series that are so bad I need to write reviews about it. So, here's hoping that it goes better than the last time.
You are hereby forewarned that there are spoilers abound.
水の旋律 (Mizu no Senritsu, The Melody of Water) is a otome game published by KID in 2005 for the PS2, and rereleased for the PSP in 2009. The story is about Shiraishi Hina, who returns to her hometown for high school after her parents decide to work abroad. She is happily reunited with two childhood friends on her first day of school, but is also shoved down the stairs by an unknown assailant before being saved by Kirihara Takuya, a second year. She soon finds herself being stalked and attacked by a strange young man with a sword who threatens to kill her. But all the stranger, she finds herself manifesting a strange healing ability and the power to call rain whenever she feels sad. To solve those this mystery behind the man with the sword and her newfound abilities, she will have to consult one of two secret families who hold the key to revealing the mystery.
Well, that's the spoiler-free introduction at least. Here's the backstory needed to understand the rest of the story.
Approximately fourteen hundred years ago, there was a woman who ate the flesh of a mermaid and in turn gained the power to change the weather as she pleased, a near-impossible healing ability that prevented her from being killed, and an exceptionally long lifespan of eight hundred years, earning her the name of "Yaobikuni." Her first marriage was arranged to a wealthy man, and the son that was conceived brought forth the "Ichiyou" clan. She was unhappy with this marriage and ran away. She soon met another man and married him, this time for love, and conceived another son, who would brought forth the "Kusou" clan. It became apparent that as sons of Yaobikuni, they were blessed with certain powers and abilities no normal human would have. However, there was one major difference between the Ichiyou and the Kusou. While the Ichiyou had the lifespan of normal humans, the Kusou had lifespans up to four hundred years and the strange healing ability that prevented them from being killed by mortal wounds or fatal diseases.
The Ichiyou, jealous of the Kusou for being the son conceived in love and for being blessed a long lifespan and a healing ability, began to war against the Kusou. By that time, Yaobikuni had long tired of living and crafted swords from strands of her hair to kill herself. Those swords were called "Suidansho," and although none of those swords would able to kill her, if they were in the hands of the Ichiyou, those swords could kill the Kusou, who otherwise would not die even if dealt a mortal blow by a normal sword. With these swords, the Ichiyou became able to kill the Kusou, and the war between them escalated.
Although the fighting between them has come to a détente fourteen hundred years later, given the chance, there are still people in both clans who exterminate the other side. Hina, who was born a normal human and turned into Kusou by blood-exchange, shows the power to affect the weather, who is the signature of the mother of both clans, Yaobikuni. In every good ending, Hina is able to use on her powers to prevent the extremist in Ichiyou from exterminating the Kusou.
Most of the gameplay consists of the visiting locations on the map to trigger events with the guy you're aiming to further the storyline and picking the right response to raise his affection for you. Nothing too complicated.
Kirihara Takuya is the second-year who saved Hina on the stairs, but also the second son of the Kusou clan leader. Most importantly, he is the childhood friend whom she forgot and is the one who turned her into a member of the Kusou by blood-exchange. Voiced by Koyasu Takehito.
Kirihara Takahito is a teacher at Hina's high school, also Takuya's older brother and the first son of the Kusou clan leader. He's a bit cold and indifferent, but that's because he's got an angsty backstory with a dead wife. And remember, the Kusou has got a lifespan of four hundred years, so his actual age is already in the early three digits. Voiced by Inoue Kazuhito.
Kagara Shuichi saves Hina in an encounter with the man who bears a Suidansho. He is the second son of the Ichiyou clan leader and, like his father, is trying to bring lasting peace between the two clans. One of two characters who has a rocky relationship with his older brother. Voiced by Morita Masakazu.
Akizuki Kei is Kagara Shuichi's loyal retainer and also a Hunter, a bearer of a Suidansho. The second of two characters who has a rocky relationship with his older brother, because in this case, the Suidansho he bears chose him instead of his brother. Voiced by Toochika Kouichi.
Tezuka Kyousuke is a university student and a part-timer at the nearby bookstore-café. He watched his parents being murdered as a child and is working on a thesis on Yaobikuni to investigate their deaths. In his route, Hina will find out that his father was a member of the Kusou and his mother an Ichiyou. Voiced by Taniyama Kishio.
Shinno Kengo is one of your childhood friends that you are reunited with on the first day of school. He's had a unrequited crush since they were young and pretty acts like a lovesick puppy the entire time. I hate this kind of character and wished that this was a sci-fi show of something, because he would be cannon fodder and immediately killed off. I skip-played his route, so I remember nothing about his route. Voiced by Suzumura Kennichi.
Katase Tetsuo is the mystery man who appears before her and threatens to take her life. He is the Ichiyou clan leader's Hunter and bears a great hatred of the Kusou, because his younger sister died of a disease a couple years back and he is jealous of the healing ability that prevents sickness. Of course, in his route, he gets over it and becomes all ラブラブ.
-----
Mizu no Senritsu can be considered a spiritual predecessor to Otomate's Hiiro no Kakera. The protagonists were seemingly normal high school girls who have transfered to a new school and discover that she is involved in a deep plot between two opposing groups. To protect her from those who would kill her, there are several guys with powers who will lay their lives down to protect her. Unfortunately, while Hiiro no Kakera (first released in 2006) can still measure up to recently released games with its deep storyline and consistently gorgeous art, Mizu no Senritsu does not.
It has an interesting storyline that lasts for about three play-throughs. It would be more interesting if the ending was changed up a bit, but it's the same each and every time. What could have helped is if the character backstories could have been stronger. Only four of seven characters had developed backstories that were interesting. Takuya, Shuichi, and Kei had diddly-squat. Kirihara-sen'sei had a dead wife, Katase had a dead sister, Tezuka had dead parents, and Shinno -- well, you find out why he's a lovesick puppy.
And what is the problem with these guys? Five of those seven guys has powers that can protect her, but they barely ever use those powers. Particularly in the end, when Hina is facing down an Ichiyou extremist bearing a Suidansho that can kill her, they still don't use their powers. Seriously, what the what? How can the ending not have a spectacular boss fight? The guy is supposed to use his powers to fight and defend you, because that's how one proves his love. But no, Hina uses her deus ex machina powers to call lightning to destroy the Suidansho of the extremist trying to kill her. Really, that's what happens in every single ending.
Speaking of characters, I hate Shiraishi Hina. Oh, God, I hate her so much. I won't even get into how much I hate her character sprites, but just how she acts during the game. She starts exhibiting mutant-like abilities, she knows who knows the truth behind everything -- only they don't tell her, and she doesn't hound them for the answers. Instead, she continues to walk around town shopping and going on dates with guys. I know this is an otome game, and the point is to hook up with a guy in the end. But why aren't you looking for hints to your freaky new powers?! Why?!
I'm particularly disappointed in the art. I was first interested by the cover art and the blue color scheme. It's nowhere near Yone Kazuki's level of beautiful art, but it seemed to suit it well enough. Unfortunately, the art is inconsistent.
These are some crap-ass art as seen above, but then there are some gorgeous art as seen below.
I'm okay with bad art; it just means that the artist hasn't fully a style yet. But inconsistent art just makes me angry.
In 2005, given the limited number of otome games, Mizu no Senritsu would definitely be a game to check out. But in 2011, there are far more games with better plots and better art to play.