Waller
Waller \wa(l)-ler\ as a boy's name is of Old English and Old German origin, and the meaning of Waller is "wall maker; powerful one".
I played the Hiiro no Kakera 3 fandisk before doing this. Everything has been going downhill since the first game. Sigh.
You are hereby forewarned that there are spoilers abound.
ひめひび -New Princess Days!!- 続！二学期 ぽーたぶる (Hime Hibi -New Princess Days!!- Zoku! Ni Gakki Portable, Hime Hibi -New Princess Days!!- Continued! Second Semester Portable) is a girls-oriented romantic adventure game released for the PSP in 2010. It was originally released for the PS2 in 2009.
The protagonist is Kamikawa Nanami, a second year at Ten'hou High School. She is very sweet and perhaps a touch naive. She lives with her older brother, Akira, a teacher who also works undercover as a school inspector. Her brother's next job is at Ten'jouji Gakuen, and she goes with him and transfers to the same school. However, no one tells them Ten'jouji was a formerly boys school just recently turned co-ed and the sole female student (Aizaki Koi from the first Hime Hibi) has gone abroad to France with her cousins (Ten'jouji Masaya and Hayami Naohito). For the next month until her brother's next job at a new school, how will she take to being the only female student in this once former boys school?
Gameplay consists of a visual novel crossed with a map feature and mini-games.
It took me a couple tries to get used to these mini-games, but the learning curve isn't steep at all. In the first game, you're suppose to "cheer" the students by using the directional stick and the O button, all the while avoiding Uegusa, the misogynistic dickbag head teacher. In the second, you press the corresponding buttons and chain them together to motivate the students. If you're like me though, you're going to get tired of the mini-games really quick. Luckily, if you've gone through at least one route, you can turn on the "Mini-games Skip" feature in the Princess Mobile. (Of course, yours truly put it to good use.)
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Kamishiro Albert (CV: Suzuki Chihiro) is a second year student in Ten'jouji and also a member of the security department with Natsuyagi Hikaru. The two of them are tasked with being her bodyguards. He is very kind and a little naive to others' intentions, but incredibly capable in his capacity as her bodyfriend. Nanami notes that it's odd that he wears long sleeves and gloves in the middle of summer; Al says that he likes it, but she suspects otherwise.
However, their class fears him and ostracizes him, because of rumors of his fearsome temper and strength. Nanami witnesses it when they are in town buying supplies for the school festival. Though Al tries to resolve it peacefully, delinquents continue to hit him with no restraint. He reaches a breaking point and mentally and emotionally shuts down, fighting back with an almost singular purpose. He eventually snaps out of this stupor himself and they quickly escape from the scene, but the damage is done. Rumors of the incident spread through the school, and everyone avoids Al, too scared of his "Monster" persona.
Al reveals to her that when he lived in America, his little brother was often picked on. Al took on the bullies, who switched their sights to him. In his desire to protect his brother, he stared to develop a "Monster" persona, an unemotionless state that is solely focused on fighting the huge number of bullies. As revenge, the bullies started a fire as a prank, but it ended up burning Al's home. He rushed in to save his little brother and received burns scars on his arms in the process. To leave behind the horrible memories, their family moved back to Japan to start anew. His little brother blamed himself for Al's scars, so to ease his brother's mind, Al enrolled in Ten'jouji to remove himself from his sight. But at Ten'jouji, some students started to pick fights with him for his blond hair and blue eyes, sparking the return of his "Monster" persona. The security department soon recognized him, saw his potential, and recruited him, providing him with a sense of safety and comradery for the first time. But he had yet to shake off the "Monster" persona and fears that he won't be able to control himself.
Kohinata Fuuta suggested to stage a boxing match to show the school that Al could control himself and the "Monster" persona is gone. Though it seems like touch-and-go for a while, Al is able to control himself and beat Fuuta in the exhibiton match, showing to everyone that he is no longer the "Monster." He and Nanami confess their confesses and kiss.
Epilogue: Nanami stays at Ten'jouji, and she and Al become a couple, breaking the hearts of every student there.
Al is supposed to be the prince in the game (blond hair, blue eyes? Come on), and thus, you would expect to be the best route, but... it's just not very good.
Kohinata Fuuta (CV: Terashima Takuma) is a second year at Ten'hou High, Nanami's former school. He is one of those "pure" types, whose feelings can easily be read on their face, such as his romantic feelings for Nanami, but puts all his heart into whatever he is doing. He is also very hot-headed, which is why he originally applied for Ten'hou, known for its boxing club, but he didn't realize that the very same club shut down five years ago. Not exactly the brightest bulb in the box.
Despite being over two hours by bullet train, Fuuta surprises her by a phone call that he will be arriving at Sakurazuka. She meets him in town with Al as her bodyguard and spends the day with him. At the end of the day, when Nanami and Al have to take a hour-long bus ride back to school, Fuuta follows them on, saying that he still had more to say to her. And after arriving at Ten'jouji, he insists on staying the night and even getes her to show him around the school the next day. For the next week, he calls her everyday and returns to Ten'jouji next weekend, saying that he wants to help her class in their preparation for the school festival, when it is obvious that he is willing to use any excuse to be with her.
With some much time spent at Ten'jouji, he becomes friends with Al and suggests a boxing match during the school festival to prove to the school that Al is no longer a "Monster" and can control himself. Yet he also feels inferior to Al with his academic prowess, good looks, and formible strength, who he feels would be a much more match for Nanami. During the Ten'jouji school festival, he confesses his feelings. Under the assumption that she likes Al, he doesn't give her time to deny and leaves her confused in her feelings. It's not until Al talks to her that she realizes her feelings for Fuuta. Al is able to keep the "Monster" at bay, and Fuuta wins the exhibition match. She confesses her feelings to Fuuta, much to his surprise and they kiss.
Epilogue: Nanami transfers back to Ten'hou, and they kiss and do baka-ppuru (stupid lovey-dovey couple) things.
I genuinely hate Fuuta. He's a hot-headed, stubborn character with no realization that his actions are selfish and intruding on other people's circumstances. He simply hops on a train and calls Nanami when he arrives? Anyone would feel forced to play an accomdating host. Worse yet, he follows her back to Ten'jouji (STALKER!) and insists on staying the night. COME ON. I know he's mostly well-meaning, but he doesn't realize how many people has to bend just to accomdating his selfish requests. Lack of realization makes me so angry.
Koizumi Ken (CV: Nakamura Yuuichi) is a second year in Ten'jouji and a major proponent of co-education. He is the class clown, but incredibly perceptive and uses his clowning to be a moodmaker. He is also a hard worker -- that is, only concerning things he's interested in.
Afterschool on Nanami's first day of school at Ten'jouji, she is approached by Ken to participate in the Princess Activities. Although the school has technically transitioned into a co-ed school, with the only other female student abroad, the student body is less enthusiastic about co-education and the teachers who are against it are raising the issue again. Ken wants her to participate in the Princess Activities to motivate the students. He also gets her into the student council with his authority as the substitute vice president, allowing her to spend more time with the students. They spend a lot of time together in class, through the Princess Activities, and during student council. Ken obviously develops feelings for her and wants to monopolize her, but doesn't act on it, unlike Fuuta.
When Ken starts to act weird, seemingly depressed and not his usual ecstatic self, Nanami tries to talk to him, but he avoids her in the classroom and in the dorm. She and Al end up following him to find out what's wrong, and they overhear their homeroom teacher, Kashiwagi Rinto, telling Ken to go in for an examination and proceed with the procedure as quickly as possible. They are stunned by this their conclusion that Ken might be ill and hardly know what to do.
Nanami spends the first day of festival working the class cafe, she spends the afternoon of the second day with Ken, going around to the elementary, junior high, and university divisions. But when he shows some discomfort, she insists on taking him to the infirmary. She confesses that she knows about his illness and just as she's about to fetch Rinto, he tells her it was just his wisdom teeth. He has been to the dentist to have them pulled out, and the pain and the drugs has been dulling his enthusiasm. She's a little mad that he worried her so much, but ultimately glad that he is healthly. The Princess Fanclub throws her a firework surprise, and Ken later takes her to the lakeside illuminated by fairy lights that he put up. He confesses his feelings, which she reciprocates.
Epilogue: Though Nanami follows her brother to a new school, she keeps in touch with Ken. He surprises her with a visit, and they kiss.
I started the game with the expectation that I would hate Ken's route, but I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. (That honor goes to Fuuta.) I was pleasantly surprised by how I was thrown off by the direction of his story. For a class clown character, I half expected his story to be Ken trying to be another person to win Nanami's love. But, NO! Sick boy! PSYCHE! It's actually fake sick boy. I have no love for Ken, but I enjoyed the unpredictability of his route.
Tachibana Ibuki (CV: Yasumura Makoto) is a new transfer student to Ten'jouji, who clearly tells people that he prefers to be called "Ibuki" instead of his family name. Although he enters the second year, he's actually twenty years old. He took the last few years to work in various jobs around the town before deciding to go back to school. Because of his age, the class feels put off, but they get past it after witnessing his willingness to work hard.
But Ibuki also has lots of secrets. He often steps out to answer his cellphone privately and goes out at night on his motorcycle to unknown place. On a trip to buy supplies, she learns that Ibuki was raised in the same orphanage as Natsuyagi Hikaru and that he still visits often to help out. Back at school, when she's carrying supplies to the classroom, she trips and takes Ibuki down with her. Somehow, this triggers him and he whimpers, "Don't hit me. It hurts." She calms him down, and he later confesses to her that his parents used to hit him, starve him, lock him in a room, and prevent him from going to school. He eventually ran away and found himself at the orphanage, where he finds his real family that loves and cares for him.
After more increasingly mysterious night trips out that concide with the equally mysterious calls to his cellphone, he invites her to go out with him on his motorcycle. He takes her to the beach, where he explains that this beach was the last place his family went to before they began to abuse him. He reminisces that they were a happy family once and his parents tried to hide their fighting from him. Still, he has a loving family at the orphanage, and he's content. Ibuki also loves Nanami, and knowing that she will transfer away soon, he wants to run away with her. She asks for time to consider his request, and they return to the Ten'jouji, where Kiriyama Taira, the substitute chairman of the school, is waiting and severely scolds them for their impropriety. When Ibuki breaks his promise to take her around the school festival and is nowhere to be found, Nanami asks Taira to tell her the truth.
It turns out that Ibuki's mysterious phone calls are from Naomura Yousuke, the ousted vice-chairman of the school board, who tried to use violence to prevent the co-ed transition and wrestle control of the school away from Ten'jouji Zen, the school chairman. Though Naomura is no longer at the school, he is still an influential man, willing to manipulate people to further his means. The orphanage Ibuki comes from is in dire financial straits, and Naomura leverages it to use Ibuki as his agent. His plan is to have Ibuki seduce Nanami and cause a scandal such that will convince the school board to go back to being a boys school and allow for his return to the school. Taira reassures her that Ibuki was an unwilling agent and his feelings for her are genuine.
Taira drives her out to the docks where the school security department and the police are arresting Naomura and his cohorts for their various crimes not limited to the ones concerning Ten'jouji Gakuen. Nanami searches for Ibuki, who has betrayed Naomura to Taira, and finds him on the beach where he told her his family history. Knowing that she now knows the truth, he starts telling her that he used her and he never had any feelings for her. She cuts through his lies, meant as punishment to himself as he feels guilty for involving her at all, and tells him she loves him, too.
Epilogue: The orphanage's land deed is returned, resolving its financial troubles. Although Nanami transfers away with her brother, Ibuki receives a scholarship to continue his education at Ten'jouji. They both graduate and later gets married, looking forward to their honeymoon at France with Taira as their guide.
(Sorry for the text wall!) Now we get to the really interesting routes. Here we get some intrigue and story that rouses the power player and manipulator in me. You expect romantic troubles in a visual novel, but I want more than that. I want a story that isn't solely and dependent on the girl getting the guy. Besides the story, Ibuki is quite a character. Charismatic, capable, and caring. I would be happy to snag a guy like him. <3
Kiriyama Taira (CV: Ookawa Tooru) is the substitute chairman, the dorm head, and her social studies teacher, who is an excellent a teacher as Kashiwagi Rinto. He recently returned from France as a college professor to take his post at Ten'jouji. He is never less than courteous and kind to her and constantly offers her his support.
They spend a decent amount of time together doing chores around the dorm, and he tutors both her and Ibuki at night. Taira soon asks Nanami to sit for a portrait, which she nervously but gladly agrees to. She asks to see his work in progress, but he denies her request, saying that he doesn't want to show his work until it's finished.
During a weekend, when the class is preparing for the school festival, Nanami and Hikaru take a quick break in the hallways, where Uegusa, the head teacher, catches them and unleashes a misogynistic diatribe that is so wholy unfounded that I was ready to jump in the game itself and give him a beatdown of epic proportions. Taira steps in immediately and severely scolds Uegusa for his unteacherly behavior. Uegusa attempts to question Taira's right to scold him, and the latter reminds him that he is currently the chairman, to which the former counters he is simply the substitue chairman and it will just be like five years ago.
During one of her modeling sessions, Taira indulges her by talking about his experiences in France and ends up explaining why he accepted the post of substitute chairman. Five years ago, at a school board meeting discussing the future of Ten'jouji Gakuen, Taira suggested transitioning to a co-ed school. No one but the then-retired Ten'jouji Zen supported this proposal. This put a rift between Zen and the then-chairman, Zen's son and Masaya and Naohito's father, who opposed it. Feeling guilty for the bad blood between father and son, he accepted an invitation to teach in France. A few years later, the then-chairman passed away and Zen came out of retirement to be chairman. Just recently, Zen called Taira to return to Japan and help him ferret out the rest of the opposition who want to undermine his co-ed transition.
She is very busy working the class cafe during the school festival, but she still makes time to go to see Taira's portrait of her. It was so beautiful that Nanami is moved to tears. He is glad that she likes his work and sadly comments that he won't be to paint her anymore. Ken drags her away to a celebration with their class before she can ask him why. The next morning, Rinto knocks on her door with a letter from Taira, declaring his feelings for her, but as her teacher, it is unacceptable and that he will leave the school to prevent a conflict of interests. Ibuki takes her to the airport on his motorcycle, and she nearly gives up searching for Taira in the crowds. But Taira has not boarded the plane yet, as he finds himself unable to stop thinking of her. They reunite, confirm their feelings for each other, and kiss.
Epilogue: Seeing how much Nanami enjoys Ten'jouji Gakuen, Akira allows her to continue studying there. With Zen's return as the chairman, Taira is appointed vice-chairman and now teaches in the college division. Since Tenjouji is an elevator school and Nanami's grades are above par, having Taira tutor her is more or less a ruse for the couple to spend time together. During a break, they discuss their relationship, and Taira mentions that he will have to win her brother's approval before he can propose.
Although his route isn't my favorite (but definitely top three), I absolutely love Kiriyama Taira. He's an older man and her teacher (my kinks!), combined with the wonderful fact that he is voiced by Ookawa Tooru. My only qualm with his route is that he doesn't have an even sweeter epilogue like Ibuki.
Ryuuya (CV: Kusao Takeshi) is the semi-secret sixth character you can go after in Hime Hibi 2. On Takuyo's website, he is listed so far down the character list that you would think he's a secondary character.In the game itself, you don't even see a glimpse of him unless you're specifically going for him, Ibuki, or Taira. And in the latter two's routes, you actually only get a single glimpse of Ryuuya like a Chekhov's gun.
Nanami first meets him in town when she's passing out flyers to advertise the Ten'jouji school festival. Ryuuya seems bitter and petulant, ready to snap at anyone who crosses him the wrong way. He is especially nihilistic and believes the worst in people. Despite his behavior, Nanami never lets him bring her down, going as far as to scare away the delinquents who beat him up. She meets him in several more times, at first accidentally and later deliberately, but he is still a mystery to her. She only knows that his name is Ryuuya, he seems to wander around town aimlessly, he thinks having faith in her family is stupid, and that he tells her he is a liar.
Takashiro Yamato seems to know and worry about him, and Ibuki clearly warns her to stay away from him. Nanami's kind nature can't stay away and goes to town again in search of him. Ryuuya's cynicism breaks down for once and tells her that she really is pure and without any motives, compared to him who is an admitted liar. Days later, she receives a frantic phone call from Ryuuya telling her to send the security department to her classroom. She, along with the security department, arrives to find that all the class prep for the school festival has been destroyed. Even though he has knowledge of this incident, she wholeheartedly believes that Ryuuya had no hand in this crime. She goes to town before anyone could stop her and finds him in the park.
Finally, Ryuuya reveals to her that he is Naomura Ryuuya, son of Naomura Yousuke, the masterminds behind the violence against Aizaki Koi. His father had always been planning to take control of Ten'jouji Gakuen, the school being a pool of talented students from powerful families with connections. Seizing control of the school would make him a power player, giving him connections to these families with political and financial power. But their plan failed and they were caught. Ryuuya was expelled and his father, along with several members of the school board, ousted. Although the former was caught at the scene, there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute him. Using his connections as a major corporate group member, Naomura Yousuke pressured the police to suppress the remaining evidence to avoid any unsavory news being linked to his name. With his goal out of reach and his son useless to him, Naomura Yousuke kicked Ryuuya out of their house and gave him money so he wouldn't bother him. To Ryuuya, his father was everything to him. But now that he was kicked out of his school and home and ignored by his father, his life lost all meaning. He just aimlessly wandered through town until he met her. Her kindness brought light and meaning back into his life. When his father learned about Nanami, he contacted Ryuuya to help him set her up in a scandal that will covince the school to go back to being a boys school and return him to a position of power. With this knowledge that his father is also behind the vandalism in her classroom, Ryuuya called her to warn her with the hopes of protecting her, but it was in vain. Nothing he does is good enough, and he tells her that he won't meet her again and takes off.
The class repairs the damage, and their cafe is very successful at the festival. When Nanami is at the bus stop, waiting for the bus that will take her into town to go to Akira's next school job, she cries because she won't be able to see Ryuuya again. But a familar voice calls out, "What are you crying?"
Epilogue: Nanami sees Ryuuya in a Ten'jouji uniform, and he tells her that he is returning to school. He gave all the incriminating evidence of his father's criminal actions to Ten'jouji Zen, who allowed him to return. Naomura Yousuke is now taken into custody by the police, and Ryuuya intends to work hard at becoming a better man, all thanks to her. He returns the handkerchef she lent to him and calls her his first love. He kisses her good-bye, as she is transferring away and they won't ever be able to see each other again. But on the bus, she finds a note inside her handkerchef with his phone number and email address.
(In Ryuuya's bad end, he turns yandere and kidnaps her. Her disappearence creates a scandal in the scandal, fulfilling his father's wishes and being recognized by him again. His love for Nanami is real, though terribly corrupted, and he wants to be the only person in her world.)
Ryuuya is not my favorite character, but he has, hands down, the best route in the game. It's because he has the meatiest story. Where was this story in the other routes? Anyway, the pining-for-the-other got tired real quick, and I wanted a sweeter ending. However, since Ryuuya got a yandere route, I'm totally willing to overlook most flaws. (As you can tell, I've got a yandere kink.)
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Akira, Yamato, and Hikaru are also characters you can go after, but it's not a romantic route or even a full route.
Kamikawa Akira (CV: Kondou Takayuki) is Nanami's older brother. His job as an undercover school inspector takes him to many schools, and he takes her with him, because their parents have passed away and she is the only family he has left. Changing schools so frequently is difficult for her, but she doesn't mind since she gets to stay with him. For all his strict teacher personality, he is a loving and doting brother, who is overprotective and often overreacts to the male students around him. His route is mainly just sweet sibling love -- boring, but nice.
Takashiro Yamato (CV: Nojima Kenji) is a returning character from Hime Hibi 1. He's a second year at Ten'jouji and the student body president. He is against the transition to co-ed, not because he's a misogynist douchebag, but because he doesn't think that it wouldn't be a good fit for the school. He takes tradition and manners very seriously, and though he does say some sharp words to Nanami, he apologizes and never says things out of spite. She works alongside with him preparing for the school festival, and he learns to appreciate her hard work and dedication. His route is a branch off of Ryuuya's, and we learn that despite Ryuuya's crimes, Yamato still worries about him as a friend. Nanami attempts to patch their relationship, but Ryuuya rejects their overtures. Yamato is grateful for her help and offers her his friendship.
Natsuyagi Hikaru (CV: Suganuma Hisayoshi) is another returning character from Hime Hibi 1. He is the second of Nanami's bodyguards, a second year and a member of the security department, despite being fourteen years old. He is extremely smart and talented, which is why he is able to skip grades. His route is a branch off Ken, and it mostly consists of Nanami becoming close friends with him.
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I started Hime Hime 2 with very little expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much better it is than its predecessor. Certainly, I have qualms, but overall, it's on par.
The protagonist, Kamikawa Nanami, is a very sweet girl, who loves her brother and cares a lot for her friends. And... that's pretty much it. Compared to other female protagonists, she's tolerably boring. She doesn't have that spunk and personality that Aizaki Koi had, which made me difficult for me to connect to her. However, I do understand that Nanami had to reasonably different enough from Koi. But still a minus in my book.
As for the characters, usually, the order of the characters listed on the game's character page is also the order of how good the characters' routes are from best to worst (with some exception, such as secret characters). In this case, though, Al, Fuuta, and Ken have, at best, mediocre routes. Ibuki and Taira have much better routes that allowed me to empathise with their characters. Ryuuya is that exception, being a secret character, and by the virture, must somehow have a backstory that is special. However, my favorite character is....
Kashiwagi Rinto! He's a returning character from Hime Hibi 1, Koi and Nanami's homeroom teacher. My biggest disappointment in this game is that you can't go after him! He's always playful and teasing, and I just can't say no to guys like him! Also, he's voiced by Ishida Akira, and UNF.
The story itself, though, is delightful. I played the six main routes in order, which hinted at the story until I finished Ibuki and Taira and finally revealed itself by the end of Ryuuya's route. It is a fresh breath of air compared to Hime Hibi 1, where all the characters had the same story end and simply playing one route meant you knew the whole story. With Hime Hibi 2, I looked forward to playing the next route to reveal and learn what role that character has in the story.
I'm neutral on the art and gameplay. The art isn't swoon-worthy and rather plain, but it doesn't hinder my enjoyment of the story. The gameplay, being a visual novel crossed with a map and mini-games, is not conducive to an immersive game, but it is nice when you're not marathoning the game (like I do with Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3 and La Corda d'Oro) and just playing for an hour or two before bedtime.
Hime Hibi 2 is a far better game than its predecessor. I have learned that it's best not to have high hopes for fandisks and sequels, because, more often than not, it's just a rehash of the more popular aspects shoddily made. For instance, Ankoku no Kusabi -Hiiro no Kakera 3- and its fandisk: the characters are just perfect, but the story and the art leave so much to be desired. Hime Hibi 2 kept the setting and some characters, but took its weakest point and created a far deeper story with bits and pieces interspersed (albiet, unevenly) in different routes.
I don't think that Hime Hibi 2 is so good that you should play its predecessor, but if you have played its predecessor, you absolutely have to play this, because it's so much more improved. However, if you do find the urge to play this without going through Hime Hibi 1, I want to note that it's not necessary to have played the first to understand the story in the second, but it makes it so much easier and fun.
I played the Hiiro no Kakera 3 fandisk before doing this. Everything has been going downhill since the first game. Sigh.
You are hereby forewarned that there are spoilers abound.
ひめひび -New Princess Days!!- 続！二学期 ぽーたぶる (Hime Hibi -New Princess Days!!- Zoku! Ni Gakki Portable, Hime Hibi -New Princess Days!!- Continued! Second Semester Portable) is a girls-oriented romantic adventure game released for the PSP in 2010. It was originally released for the PS2 in 2009.
The protagonist is Kamikawa Nanami, a second year at Ten'hou High School. She is very sweet and perhaps a touch naive. She lives with her older brother, Akira, a teacher who also works undercover as a school inspector. Her brother's next job is at Ten'jouji Gakuen, and she goes with him and transfers to the same school. However, no one tells them Ten'jouji was a formerly boys school just recently turned co-ed and the sole female student (Aizaki Koi from the first Hime Hibi) has gone abroad to France with her cousins (Ten'jouji Masaya and Hayami Naohito). For the next month until her brother's next job at a new school, how will she take to being the only female student in this once former boys school?
Gameplay consists of a visual novel crossed with a map feature and mini-games.
It took me a couple tries to get used to these mini-games, but the learning curve isn't steep at all. In the first game, you're suppose to "cheer" the students by using the directional stick and the O button, all the while avoiding Uegusa, the misogynistic dickbag head teacher. In the second, you press the corresponding buttons and chain them together to motivate the students. If you're like me though, you're going to get tired of the mini-games really quick. Luckily, if you've gone through at least one route, you can turn on the "Mini-games Skip" feature in the Princess Mobile. (Of course, yours truly put it to good use.)
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Kamishiro Albert (CV: Suzuki Chihiro) is a second year student in Ten'jouji and also a member of the security department with Natsuyagi Hikaru. The two of them are tasked with being her bodyguards. He is very kind and a little naive to others' intentions, but incredibly capable in his capacity as her bodyfriend. Nanami notes that it's odd that he wears long sleeves and gloves in the middle of summer; Al says that he likes it, but she suspects otherwise.
However, their class fears him and ostracizes him, because of rumors of his fearsome temper and strength. Nanami witnesses it when they are in town buying supplies for the school festival. Though Al tries to resolve it peacefully, delinquents continue to hit him with no restraint. He reaches a breaking point and mentally and emotionally shuts down, fighting back with an almost singular purpose. He eventually snaps out of this stupor himself and they quickly escape from the scene, but the damage is done. Rumors of the incident spread through the school, and everyone avoids Al, too scared of his "Monster" persona.
Al reveals to her that when he lived in America, his little brother was often picked on. Al took on the bullies, who switched their sights to him. In his desire to protect his brother, he stared to develop a "Monster" persona, an unemotionless state that is solely focused on fighting the huge number of bullies. As revenge, the bullies started a fire as a prank, but it ended up burning Al's home. He rushed in to save his little brother and received burns scars on his arms in the process. To leave behind the horrible memories, their family moved back to Japan to start anew. His little brother blamed himself for Al's scars, so to ease his brother's mind, Al enrolled in Ten'jouji to remove himself from his sight. But at Ten'jouji, some students started to pick fights with him for his blond hair and blue eyes, sparking the return of his "Monster" persona. The security department soon recognized him, saw his potential, and recruited him, providing him with a sense of safety and comradery for the first time. But he had yet to shake off the "Monster" persona and fears that he won't be able to control himself.
Kohinata Fuuta suggested to stage a boxing match to show the school that Al could control himself and the "Monster" persona is gone. Though it seems like touch-and-go for a while, Al is able to control himself and beat Fuuta in the exhibiton match, showing to everyone that he is no longer the "Monster." He and Nanami confess their confesses and kiss.
Epilogue: Nanami stays at Ten'jouji, and she and Al become a couple, breaking the hearts of every student there.
Al is supposed to be the prince in the game (blond hair, blue eyes? Come on), and thus, you would expect to be the best route, but... it's just not very good.
Kohinata Fuuta (CV: Terashima Takuma) is a second year at Ten'hou High, Nanami's former school. He is one of those "pure" types, whose feelings can easily be read on their face, such as his romantic feelings for Nanami, but puts all his heart into whatever he is doing. He is also very hot-headed, which is why he originally applied for Ten'hou, known for its boxing club, but he didn't realize that the very same club shut down five years ago. Not exactly the brightest bulb in the box.
Despite being over two hours by bullet train, Fuuta surprises her by a phone call that he will be arriving at Sakurazuka. She meets him in town with Al as her bodyguard and spends the day with him. At the end of the day, when Nanami and Al have to take a hour-long bus ride back to school, Fuuta follows them on, saying that he still had more to say to her. And after arriving at Ten'jouji, he insists on staying the night and even getes her to show him around the school the next day. For the next week, he calls her everyday and returns to Ten'jouji next weekend, saying that he wants to help her class in their preparation for the school festival, when it is obvious that he is willing to use any excuse to be with her.
With some much time spent at Ten'jouji, he becomes friends with Al and suggests a boxing match during the school festival to prove to the school that Al is no longer a "Monster" and can control himself. Yet he also feels inferior to Al with his academic prowess, good looks, and formible strength, who he feels would be a much more match for Nanami. During the Ten'jouji school festival, he confesses his feelings. Under the assumption that she likes Al, he doesn't give her time to deny and leaves her confused in her feelings. It's not until Al talks to her that she realizes her feelings for Fuuta. Al is able to keep the "Monster" at bay, and Fuuta wins the exhibition match. She confesses her feelings to Fuuta, much to his surprise and they kiss.
Epilogue: Nanami transfers back to Ten'hou, and they kiss and do baka-ppuru (stupid lovey-dovey couple) things.
I genuinely hate Fuuta. He's a hot-headed, stubborn character with no realization that his actions are selfish and intruding on other people's circumstances. He simply hops on a train and calls Nanami when he arrives? Anyone would feel forced to play an accomdating host. Worse yet, he follows her back to Ten'jouji (STALKER!) and insists on staying the night. COME ON. I know he's mostly well-meaning, but he doesn't realize how many people has to bend just to accomdating his selfish requests. Lack of realization makes me so angry.
Koizumi Ken (CV: Nakamura Yuuichi) is a second year in Ten'jouji and a major proponent of co-education. He is the class clown, but incredibly perceptive and uses his clowning to be a moodmaker. He is also a hard worker -- that is, only concerning things he's interested in.
Afterschool on Nanami's first day of school at Ten'jouji, she is approached by Ken to participate in the Princess Activities. Although the school has technically transitioned into a co-ed school, with the only other female student abroad, the student body is less enthusiastic about co-education and the teachers who are against it are raising the issue again. Ken wants her to participate in the Princess Activities to motivate the students. He also gets her into the student council with his authority as the substitute vice president, allowing her to spend more time with the students. They spend a lot of time together in class, through the Princess Activities, and during student council. Ken obviously develops feelings for her and wants to monopolize her, but doesn't act on it, unlike Fuuta.
When Ken starts to act weird, seemingly depressed and not his usual ecstatic self, Nanami tries to talk to him, but he avoids her in the classroom and in the dorm. She and Al end up following him to find out what's wrong, and they overhear their homeroom teacher, Kashiwagi Rinto, telling Ken to go in for an examination and proceed with the procedure as quickly as possible. They are stunned by this their conclusion that Ken might be ill and hardly know what to do.
Nanami spends the first day of festival working the class cafe, she spends the afternoon of the second day with Ken, going around to the elementary, junior high, and university divisions. But when he shows some discomfort, she insists on taking him to the infirmary. She confesses that she knows about his illness and just as she's about to fetch Rinto, he tells her it was just his wisdom teeth. He has been to the dentist to have them pulled out, and the pain and the drugs has been dulling his enthusiasm. She's a little mad that he worried her so much, but ultimately glad that he is healthly. The Princess Fanclub throws her a firework surprise, and Ken later takes her to the lakeside illuminated by fairy lights that he put up. He confesses his feelings, which she reciprocates.
Epilogue: Though Nanami follows her brother to a new school, she keeps in touch with Ken. He surprises her with a visit, and they kiss.
I started the game with the expectation that I would hate Ken's route, but I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. (That honor goes to Fuuta.) I was pleasantly surprised by how I was thrown off by the direction of his story. For a class clown character, I half expected his story to be Ken trying to be another person to win Nanami's love. But, NO! Sick boy! PSYCHE! It's actually fake sick boy. I have no love for Ken, but I enjoyed the unpredictability of his route.
Tachibana Ibuki (CV: Yasumura Makoto) is a new transfer student to Ten'jouji, who clearly tells people that he prefers to be called "Ibuki" instead of his family name. Although he enters the second year, he's actually twenty years old. He took the last few years to work in various jobs around the town before deciding to go back to school. Because of his age, the class feels put off, but they get past it after witnessing his willingness to work hard.
But Ibuki also has lots of secrets. He often steps out to answer his cellphone privately and goes out at night on his motorcycle to unknown place. On a trip to buy supplies, she learns that Ibuki was raised in the same orphanage as Natsuyagi Hikaru and that he still visits often to help out. Back at school, when she's carrying supplies to the classroom, she trips and takes Ibuki down with her. Somehow, this triggers him and he whimpers, "Don't hit me. It hurts." She calms him down, and he later confesses to her that his parents used to hit him, starve him, lock him in a room, and prevent him from going to school. He eventually ran away and found himself at the orphanage, where he finds his real family that loves and cares for him.
After more increasingly mysterious night trips out that concide with the equally mysterious calls to his cellphone, he invites her to go out with him on his motorcycle. He takes her to the beach, where he explains that this beach was the last place his family went to before they began to abuse him. He reminisces that they were a happy family once and his parents tried to hide their fighting from him. Still, he has a loving family at the orphanage, and he's content. Ibuki also loves Nanami, and knowing that she will transfer away soon, he wants to run away with her. She asks for time to consider his request, and they return to the Ten'jouji, where Kiriyama Taira, the substitute chairman of the school, is waiting and severely scolds them for their impropriety. When Ibuki breaks his promise to take her around the school festival and is nowhere to be found, Nanami asks Taira to tell her the truth.
It turns out that Ibuki's mysterious phone calls are from Naomura Yousuke, the ousted vice-chairman of the school board, who tried to use violence to prevent the co-ed transition and wrestle control of the school away from Ten'jouji Zen, the school chairman. Though Naomura is no longer at the school, he is still an influential man, willing to manipulate people to further his means. The orphanage Ibuki comes from is in dire financial straits, and Naomura leverages it to use Ibuki as his agent. His plan is to have Ibuki seduce Nanami and cause a scandal such that will convince the school board to go back to being a boys school and allow for his return to the school. Taira reassures her that Ibuki was an unwilling agent and his feelings for her are genuine.
Taira drives her out to the docks where the school security department and the police are arresting Naomura and his cohorts for their various crimes not limited to the ones concerning Ten'jouji Gakuen. Nanami searches for Ibuki, who has betrayed Naomura to Taira, and finds him on the beach where he told her his family history. Knowing that she now knows the truth, he starts telling her that he used her and he never had any feelings for her. She cuts through his lies, meant as punishment to himself as he feels guilty for involving her at all, and tells him she loves him, too.
Epilogue: The orphanage's land deed is returned, resolving its financial troubles. Although Nanami transfers away with her brother, Ibuki receives a scholarship to continue his education at Ten'jouji. They both graduate and later gets married, looking forward to their honeymoon at France with Taira as their guide.
(Sorry for the text wall!) Now we get to the really interesting routes. Here we get some intrigue and story that rouses the power player and manipulator in me. You expect romantic troubles in a visual novel, but I want more than that. I want a story that isn't solely and dependent on the girl getting the guy. Besides the story, Ibuki is quite a character. Charismatic, capable, and caring. I would be happy to snag a guy like him. <3
Kiriyama Taira (CV: Ookawa Tooru) is the substitute chairman, the dorm head, and her social studies teacher, who is an excellent a teacher as Kashiwagi Rinto. He recently returned from France as a college professor to take his post at Ten'jouji. He is never less than courteous and kind to her and constantly offers her his support.
They spend a decent amount of time together doing chores around the dorm, and he tutors both her and Ibuki at night. Taira soon asks Nanami to sit for a portrait, which she nervously but gladly agrees to. She asks to see his work in progress, but he denies her request, saying that he doesn't want to show his work until it's finished.
During a weekend, when the class is preparing for the school festival, Nanami and Hikaru take a quick break in the hallways, where Uegusa, the head teacher, catches them and unleashes a misogynistic diatribe that is so wholy unfounded that I was ready to jump in the game itself and give him a beatdown of epic proportions. Taira steps in immediately and severely scolds Uegusa for his unteacherly behavior. Uegusa attempts to question Taira's right to scold him, and the latter reminds him that he is currently the chairman, to which the former counters he is simply the substitue chairman and it will just be like five years ago.
During one of her modeling sessions, Taira indulges her by talking about his experiences in France and ends up explaining why he accepted the post of substitute chairman. Five years ago, at a school board meeting discussing the future of Ten'jouji Gakuen, Taira suggested transitioning to a co-ed school. No one but the then-retired Ten'jouji Zen supported this proposal. This put a rift between Zen and the then-chairman, Zen's son and Masaya and Naohito's father, who opposed it. Feeling guilty for the bad blood between father and son, he accepted an invitation to teach in France. A few years later, the then-chairman passed away and Zen came out of retirement to be chairman. Just recently, Zen called Taira to return to Japan and help him ferret out the rest of the opposition who want to undermine his co-ed transition.
She is very busy working the class cafe during the school festival, but she still makes time to go to see Taira's portrait of her. It was so beautiful that Nanami is moved to tears. He is glad that she likes his work and sadly comments that he won't be to paint her anymore. Ken drags her away to a celebration with their class before she can ask him why. The next morning, Rinto knocks on her door with a letter from Taira, declaring his feelings for her, but as her teacher, it is unacceptable and that he will leave the school to prevent a conflict of interests. Ibuki takes her to the airport on his motorcycle, and she nearly gives up searching for Taira in the crowds. But Taira has not boarded the plane yet, as he finds himself unable to stop thinking of her. They reunite, confirm their feelings for each other, and kiss.
Epilogue: Seeing how much Nanami enjoys Ten'jouji Gakuen, Akira allows her to continue studying there. With Zen's return as the chairman, Taira is appointed vice-chairman and now teaches in the college division. Since Tenjouji is an elevator school and Nanami's grades are above par, having Taira tutor her is more or less a ruse for the couple to spend time together. During a break, they discuss their relationship, and Taira mentions that he will have to win her brother's approval before he can propose.
Although his route isn't my favorite (but definitely top three), I absolutely love Kiriyama Taira. He's an older man and her teacher (my kinks!), combined with the wonderful fact that he is voiced by Ookawa Tooru. My only qualm with his route is that he doesn't have an even sweeter epilogue like Ibuki.
Ryuuya (CV: Kusao Takeshi) is the semi-secret sixth character you can go after in Hime Hibi 2. On Takuyo's website, he is listed so far down the character list that you would think he's a secondary character.In the game itself, you don't even see a glimpse of him unless you're specifically going for him, Ibuki, or Taira. And in the latter two's routes, you actually only get a single glimpse of Ryuuya like a Chekhov's gun.
Nanami first meets him in town when she's passing out flyers to advertise the Ten'jouji school festival. Ryuuya seems bitter and petulant, ready to snap at anyone who crosses him the wrong way. He is especially nihilistic and believes the worst in people. Despite his behavior, Nanami never lets him bring her down, going as far as to scare away the delinquents who beat him up. She meets him in several more times, at first accidentally and later deliberately, but he is still a mystery to her. She only knows that his name is Ryuuya, he seems to wander around town aimlessly, he thinks having faith in her family is stupid, and that he tells her he is a liar.
Takashiro Yamato seems to know and worry about him, and Ibuki clearly warns her to stay away from him. Nanami's kind nature can't stay away and goes to town again in search of him. Ryuuya's cynicism breaks down for once and tells her that she really is pure and without any motives, compared to him who is an admitted liar. Days later, she receives a frantic phone call from Ryuuya telling her to send the security department to her classroom. She, along with the security department, arrives to find that all the class prep for the school festival has been destroyed. Even though he has knowledge of this incident, she wholeheartedly believes that Ryuuya had no hand in this crime. She goes to town before anyone could stop her and finds him in the park.
Finally, Ryuuya reveals to her that he is Naomura Ryuuya, son of Naomura Yousuke, the masterminds behind the violence against Aizaki Koi. His father had always been planning to take control of Ten'jouji Gakuen, the school being a pool of talented students from powerful families with connections. Seizing control of the school would make him a power player, giving him connections to these families with political and financial power. But their plan failed and they were caught. Ryuuya was expelled and his father, along with several members of the school board, ousted. Although the former was caught at the scene, there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute him. Using his connections as a major corporate group member, Naomura Yousuke pressured the police to suppress the remaining evidence to avoid any unsavory news being linked to his name. With his goal out of reach and his son useless to him, Naomura Yousuke kicked Ryuuya out of their house and gave him money so he wouldn't bother him. To Ryuuya, his father was everything to him. But now that he was kicked out of his school and home and ignored by his father, his life lost all meaning. He just aimlessly wandered through town until he met her. Her kindness brought light and meaning back into his life. When his father learned about Nanami, he contacted Ryuuya to help him set her up in a scandal that will covince the school to go back to being a boys school and return him to a position of power. With this knowledge that his father is also behind the vandalism in her classroom, Ryuuya called her to warn her with the hopes of protecting her, but it was in vain. Nothing he does is good enough, and he tells her that he won't meet her again and takes off.
The class repairs the damage, and their cafe is very successful at the festival. When Nanami is at the bus stop, waiting for the bus that will take her into town to go to Akira's next school job, she cries because she won't be able to see Ryuuya again. But a familar voice calls out, "What are you crying?"
Epilogue: Nanami sees Ryuuya in a Ten'jouji uniform, and he tells her that he is returning to school. He gave all the incriminating evidence of his father's criminal actions to Ten'jouji Zen, who allowed him to return. Naomura Yousuke is now taken into custody by the police, and Ryuuya intends to work hard at becoming a better man, all thanks to her. He returns the handkerchef she lent to him and calls her his first love. He kisses her good-bye, as she is transferring away and they won't ever be able to see each other again. But on the bus, she finds a note inside her handkerchef with his phone number and email address.
(In Ryuuya's bad end, he turns yandere and kidnaps her. Her disappearence creates a scandal in the scandal, fulfilling his father's wishes and being recognized by him again. His love for Nanami is real, though terribly corrupted, and he wants to be the only person in her world.)
Ryuuya is not my favorite character, but he has, hands down, the best route in the game. It's because he has the meatiest story. Where was this story in the other routes? Anyway, the pining-for-the-other got tired real quick, and I wanted a sweeter ending. However, since Ryuuya got a yandere route, I'm totally willing to overlook most flaws. (As you can tell, I've got a yandere kink.)
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Akira, Yamato, and Hikaru are also characters you can go after, but it's not a romantic route or even a full route.
Kamikawa Akira (CV: Kondou Takayuki) is Nanami's older brother. His job as an undercover school inspector takes him to many schools, and he takes her with him, because their parents have passed away and she is the only family he has left. Changing schools so frequently is difficult for her, but she doesn't mind since she gets to stay with him. For all his strict teacher personality, he is a loving and doting brother, who is overprotective and often overreacts to the male students around him. His route is mainly just sweet sibling love -- boring, but nice.
Takashiro Yamato (CV: Nojima Kenji) is a returning character from Hime Hibi 1. He's a second year at Ten'jouji and the student body president. He is against the transition to co-ed, not because he's a misogynist douchebag, but because he doesn't think that it wouldn't be a good fit for the school. He takes tradition and manners very seriously, and though he does say some sharp words to Nanami, he apologizes and never says things out of spite. She works alongside with him preparing for the school festival, and he learns to appreciate her hard work and dedication. His route is a branch off of Ryuuya's, and we learn that despite Ryuuya's crimes, Yamato still worries about him as a friend. Nanami attempts to patch their relationship, but Ryuuya rejects their overtures. Yamato is grateful for her help and offers her his friendship.
Natsuyagi Hikaru (CV: Suganuma Hisayoshi) is another returning character from Hime Hibi 1. He is the second of Nanami's bodyguards, a second year and a member of the security department, despite being fourteen years old. He is extremely smart and talented, which is why he is able to skip grades. His route is a branch off Ken, and it mostly consists of Nanami becoming close friends with him.
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I started Hime Hime 2 with very little expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much better it is than its predecessor. Certainly, I have qualms, but overall, it's on par.
The protagonist, Kamikawa Nanami, is a very sweet girl, who loves her brother and cares a lot for her friends. And... that's pretty much it. Compared to other female protagonists, she's tolerably boring. She doesn't have that spunk and personality that Aizaki Koi had, which made me difficult for me to connect to her. However, I do understand that Nanami had to reasonably different enough from Koi. But still a minus in my book.
As for the characters, usually, the order of the characters listed on the game's character page is also the order of how good the characters' routes are from best to worst (with some exception, such as secret characters). In this case, though, Al, Fuuta, and Ken have, at best, mediocre routes. Ibuki and Taira have much better routes that allowed me to empathise with their characters. Ryuuya is that exception, being a secret character, and by the virture, must somehow have a backstory that is special. However, my favorite character is....
Kashiwagi Rinto! He's a returning character from Hime Hibi 1, Koi and Nanami's homeroom teacher. My biggest disappointment in this game is that you can't go after him! He's always playful and teasing, and I just can't say no to guys like him! Also, he's voiced by Ishida Akira, and UNF.
The story itself, though, is delightful. I played the six main routes in order, which hinted at the story until I finished Ibuki and Taira and finally revealed itself by the end of Ryuuya's route. It is a fresh breath of air compared to Hime Hibi 1, where all the characters had the same story end and simply playing one route meant you knew the whole story. With Hime Hibi 2, I looked forward to playing the next route to reveal and learn what role that character has in the story.
I'm neutral on the art and gameplay. The art isn't swoon-worthy and rather plain, but it doesn't hinder my enjoyment of the story. The gameplay, being a visual novel crossed with a map and mini-games, is not conducive to an immersive game, but it is nice when you're not marathoning the game (like I do with Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3 and La Corda d'Oro) and just playing for an hour or two before bedtime.
Hime Hibi 2 is a far better game than its predecessor. I have learned that it's best not to have high hopes for fandisks and sequels, because, more often than not, it's just a rehash of the more popular aspects shoddily made. For instance, Ankoku no Kusabi -Hiiro no Kakera 3- and its fandisk: the characters are just perfect, but the story and the art leave so much to be desired. Hime Hibi 2 kept the setting and some characters, but took its weakest point and created a far deeper story with bits and pieces interspersed (albiet, unevenly) in different routes.
I don't think that Hime Hibi 2 is so good that you should play its predecessor, but if you have played its predecessor, you absolutely have to play this, because it's so much more improved. However, if you do find the urge to play this without going through Hime Hibi 1, I want to note that it's not necessary to have played the first to understand the story in the second, but it makes it so much easier and fun.