My lord, this was so good. For real, I have no words.
I absolutely loved all the routes, but especially Ikki's and Ryuu's.
First of all, I expected Ikki's route to be completely different from what it actually was. Turn's out he's a big softie. Don't even get me started on his sister. For real, she's an angel and super cute. Honestly, his route kinda made me want to cry. I'm too emotional.
Overall, Ikki's route was pure cuteness and wholesomeness.
Unto Ryuu's route.
Like, Ikki's, this route was way different then what I had expected. THE PINK, BUBBLY RYUU IS ACTUALLY SO DEPRESSED, IT KINDA HURTS. What hurt me even more was the fact that I could kinda relate to his constant sadness. I had expected his route to be all bubbly and happy but it took a turn. And Ryuu's character is so much more complicated than I expected.
I just loved his route so much. I enjoyed playing it.
Finally can we just talk about Aya. At first, I wasn't too sure if I liked her or not, but after playing Toshio's route (Can I just say, his route ALSO made me tear up, frl his route was also amazing.), I'd dump any of them for Aya. I love how she stands her ground and doesn't take sh*t from anyone.
To conclude, this game was amazing, the characters are amazing, the plot for each route, the art, ITS JUST AMAZING.
Thank you so much for loving the game and the characters, it really makes me happy ! ❤ I'm planning on making a remake and a Fujiwara 2, I hope you'll like them as much as the current Fujiwara ! (though you'll need to be patient, it might take some time...)(^ w ^)/ Thank you again for the kind words, it made my day and means a lot for me ~
Oh.. my god... This was so so SO GOOD. I have no words. This was amazing.
-
I took a break and now I have words. And man, the music. The writing. The MUSIC. It was all just so beautiful. The song in Ikki's route was breath-taking. I can't remember the last time I just sat back and listened to the music in a game all the way to the end. Also, I think that this was the first otome game to ever almost make me cry. At the end of Ikki's route my eyes started getting blurry ;; My heart was clenching and, and, and AHhHHH!! You know?? It was all just written so well! I loved how Aya wasn't a doormat protagonist, and stood her ground.
There's so much more to talk about and say, but this isn't an essay haha.
All in all, I really loved the writing and music in this game. I loved it so much, and I don't know if you're making more games, but if you do you can bet I'll play them! Thank you for this game and experience! <3
Thank you so much for loving the game and for the kind words ! I'm... also happy it almost made you cry in a good way (> w <) I'm planning to make more projects, so I hope you will enjoy them as much as Fujiwara Bittersweet ~ Thank you again ♥
At first I kind of thought Aya wasn't my type of character MC but in the end I liked her a lot. I loved her personality and the way she gets to know the people who peaked her interest. It was really fun! I tried Toshio's route first and I was legit tearing up a bit at the ending. Love his character! I didn't think much of him, never hated him but for me I just got used to his attitude easily.
I played Ryu's route on the 2nd playthrough and slowly I was interested in him. I didn't know what to expect when he changed but I didn't mind, it was him and he will still be him. As I got more interested on his real self - I found myself loving him or liking him. And his looks didn't bother me since it just made him look more cute and interesting (to my eyes at least), his personality is also what I loved the most.
For Kenjin. Oh god, this boy. Oh no. VERY CUTE - HANDSOME TOO BUT MOSTLY CUTE, loved how he was so easily flustered on illegal hand-holding, kissing/pecking etc. etc.
Makes me want to cuddle him up but also attack him. He's just so innocent that I love it!! Though I never got his sweet ending no matter how many times I played his route. My heart was literally breaking whenever I got his friend ending - including that he called me just a friend. So yeah..
For Yuta, my lovable handsome prince. Okay, I was honestly shock at how his room is really filled with things. xDD
I did feel uncomfortable seeing it but that'd also go for random boys seeing a girl's room filled with Anime Boys in a sexual pose (maybe?) or outfit. I got over it and was comfortable with how his room looks in the end.
When the bookstore scene played, I thought that'd maybe he'd be fun to tease. Though I was also a bit concerned or weirded out on why he doesn't look like he really is blushing..? He looked the same but I didn't think of it much back then - until now.
In the end, I enjoyed every moment I had with him. Glad that I got his sweet ending because I was really liking him a LOT in that route and I had fun a lot - being with him.
Now for Ikki - he's hot and cute, just like the other characters (DAMN ITTT) .
When playing his route, I enjoyed my time together with him though I was also getting some possible romantic vibes off him for some reason. I also loved how when he smiles and starts being a tsundere sometimes - it's really cute! I love his funny / loveable reactions and I did also start like liking him. BAHAHAHA- I also love his little sister.
Ikki's route really got me nervous then laughing a lot. Same goes for Haru's route - on the anxious / nervous part at least. But again, I enjoyed it.
Last but not least, HARU-kun (or chan). I cannot explain how much I was shocked when Haru decided to be a boy. My reaction was the same as MC - it'll take a while to get used to it (except I got used to it quickly).
I found it cute when he introduced himself, when he smiled and also sometimes being a tsundere in some situations. Also loved his reactions when he was flustered - I'd probably start shipping him with Prince Yuta. Because I think I find them to be a good pair-!
But I enjoyed it anyway, very enjoyed it. Loved the moment a lot but I think I enjoyed it the most when he kissed me, hehe. Made me feel nervous and also flushed when he did do that.
Also loved his blushing face along with Yuta and Ikki when Ryu mentioned something on the track n field thing.
Questions:
About Ryu: So.. can Ryu see colors? I'm still a bit confused about his eyes if he can see in many colors or just in grey scales.
About Kenji's route: I tried his route before many times and I kept getting the Friend ending no matter what choice I make. So now I'm wondering on how I'm gonna get the Sweet ending because I really wanna experience it.
Can anybody tell me how I can get that ending? or do players randomly/luckily get the ending?
About Toshio's route: The same also goes for Toshio - I haven't got or experience his Sweet Ending. So I'm also wondering about how I can experience it just like Kenji.
Also just wanna add that I enjoyed the game a lot and my favorite characters are probably the Potential Love Interests.
Bye bye and have a nice day/afternoon/evening everyone!
Thank you for your review and feedback, I'm hapy you liked the game ! ♡
For Kenji and Toshio... It's weird that you can't have their Sweet Ending, I didn't have any problems when testing the game and no one else seems to have experienced this issue with these routes. Though, someone on the Discord's server seems to have something similar to your problem, but with Haru's Sweet Route. Unfortunately, I have no clue about why it's randomly not working... Sorry (u___u)
The let's player Aromie did all the Sweet Routes, so maybe you can watch her videos on the game if you are curious about the ones you missed ? (é o è)
Thank you again for your feedback and kind words, I'm glad you enjoyed the game despite the inconvenience and hope you'll like the future projects as well ~
aaghhhhh! Can't believe it took me this long to finally write a comment on this. Believe me y'all.....THIS IS PARADISE!>-< I just love all routes here and how each character has his own characteristic. Well, the story is beautifully written and the art is just so kawaii UwU. I hope you continue to make such games! And btw, if you plan to start a new project soon (I'm so not up to date with my stuff) I could help you in proofreading and stuff:) have an amazing year ahead!
Thank you for the kind comment, I'm glad you loved the game and the characters as well ! <3 For now I don't think that I need help, but it's really nice of you to offer and I will keep that in mind ! (^ w ^)/
Hello ! Sorry for the late response, it's the first time I'm encountering this error so I can't replicate the error... Thank you for pointing it out though, I'l try to look into it and fix it if possible (^ o^)/
Hello again ~ Sorry, I wasn't able to find or fix the error since you are the first person pointing it out and that I wasn't able to replicate it (u__u) I hope you liked the game either way, even without being able to log or collect the achievements O/
This game is literally so cute and adorable!!!! I was squealing and screaming ( In a good way) the entire time, I played Ikki's route and now I'm pretty sure I have an actual crush on him- Even though he's non-existent :')
Thank you, happy you like it so far ! It seem Ikki is one of the favorite amoung the players ~ I think his route is the most "fluffy", though some other routes will be more sad or triggering, so I hope you'll still love it after a while (> w <) Thank you again for your kind comment !❤️
Hey, I like your game. The combination of your art style and the slice of life genre really brings your VN together. I find it kinda soothing in a way? It's a nice feeling like relaxing in your bed while sipping on hot cocoa (if that makes sense).
And your characters are v cute, escpecially Haru & Ryu, and I think you write character dynamics well. I also like the small tidbits about your side characters and I find myself wishing I could get to know some of them more... coughstudentcouncilvpcough
Aw thank you ! I'm happy you like the game and you had a good experience playing it ~ I wish I could talk more about all the side characters backstories/lives, but I do sometimes on the Discord server, so don't hesitate to join if ever you are curious (^ O^)/ Thank you again for your kind comment, it made my day ! <3
although I have a little problem running it on my MacBook Air, it shows me some kind of error? there's an import error saying there's no module named _renypsteam.
im really sorry if im just making a dumb mistake since im kinda new to this but could anyone possibly help me?
Oh no... I'm sorry it doesn't work for you, you're the first person for whom there is an issue... But I hope you'll be able to still enjoy it somehow ;-; I'll try to see if I can do something about it asap !
Okay, so I'm currently playing your game and I just want to say: I LOVE IT SO MUCH <3
As a writer, I'm in awe to your writing skills. Seriously, it's phenomenal.
I went for Toshio first and it was like all of my favorite combination of tropes in one route :') I was laughing and squealing like crazy the whole way through.
I'm so sad ended so abruptly though, is this truly the end, or will we ever see an epilogue for them? :(
I'm definitely going to look forward to any content by you in the future, you're amazing! <3
Thank you so much for loving the game so far ! <3 I'm really touched that you like the writing, but let's not forget about the amazing proofreaders and editors who helped me fixing mistakes and awkward sentences when they encountered any (^ O^)/
As for an epilogue... unfortunately no, there is no such thing planned in the future. Though ! I'm planning of doing a remake and add more content (such as the characters childhood, a glimpse of their adulthood after the credits, and, potentially, an extra route with one of the side character) and Fujiwara 2 as well, with new characters. Fingers crossed I'll be able to release it someday. You'll have to be patient though, since it will take some time to be done x)
Right now I'm working as the lead director of a new game, called Colors of Fate and which is more mature content than Fujiwara Bittersweet and taking place in a fantasy world.
Thank you again for your kind comment and support, and I hope you will love the future projects as well when they'll be released ~
THANK YOU FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF WORK I WILL TREASURE MY EXPERIENCE PLAYING IT WITH ALL MY HEART-
my favorite route was Haru's he was really well written and i just have a thing for feminine boys- ANYWAY- THE STORY, THE PLOTS, THE EVERTHIINGGG it's so amazinggg
I became so attached to all the characters- Toshio's sweet ending truly is bittersweet :pensive:
The art is so cute and adorable yet simple, i love it sm.
Aya is an adorable protag i love her too.
all in all great game 999999/10 would replay again and in fact i replay it when i'm bored-
(but i'm always so shocked when the end screen comes on since it doesn't fade in- i'm always like: "WAIT HOLD ON THAT'S IT-" lmao)
Thank you for your kind comment, it means a lot for me that you love the game that much ! <3 Also happy to hear that you liked Aya and all the characters ! And relieved that you liked Haru ~ Aaaand, yes... the abrupt ends is something that I plan to fix in the remake, sorry again about that (>__<) Thank you again for your kind comment and feedback, hope you will love the future projects as well ! (^ o^)/
I'd honestly love to say that I didn't expect to get so attached to each character in the game. I love how Aya is in each route, but how she's a solid well-rounded character too who's had her own share of problems growing up. I didn't mind not being able to choose a name for the MC because I found that throughout playing otome games I prefer for them to have a default name to go with.
LL wise I'd say I honestly loved all routes! I was pleasantly surprised by Haru's route, but I found the way it was written to be great. It's honestly hard for me to pick a favorite because I think each LL had their own quirk about them. Toshio was sad and bittersweet in regards to everything that's happened to him, but I'm glad they were able to develop some sort of stability for him. Ikki was just fun and pretty tsun. Kenji was so naive and innocent but it was fun to see how events transpired for him to mature. I loved Yuta's route just because of the pressure of being someone you're not just to be accepted into society and how the MC is just like "I prefer who you were hiding." Totally loved that. For Ryu's route, I honestly liked it and understood why the play order suggested him last. I don't regret it.
Overall, I found the story in each LL to be interesting. I like how in Ryu's route and Yuta's it hints at Haru and how he shouldn't be hiding who he is either. But it gets really fleshed out in Haru's route when he wasn't even sure who he wants to be either. I loved the game. I'm glad it was free! But honestly, I wouldn't have minded paying for it either. The art style was super cute! I liked the colors.
I think my only complaint was how abruptly each ending was. In particular for Ryu after the final bit he says it just cuts to "SWEET END" I probably yelled like "THAT'S IT!?" But I can't say the experience wasn't fun!
I read that you may remake it or may not. You also might have future projects in the future. I can't wait to check out anything else you make!!! Thank you so much for the game!!!
Thank you so much for your time and loving the game ! (^ O^)/
I'm really happy you loved all the routes and Aya, it means a lot for me and it's really touching when people can see how much I love my project too ! (> w <) As for the endings, yes, I myself found them rather abrupt too, but... I didn't know how to end it properly ;-; Though, it's on my ToDo list of things to improve for the remake (crossing fingers I'll be able to do it, I really hope so!), alongside with other little things which need to be fixed or added here and there. And if you want to be kept updated, don't hesitate to join the Discord server. I try my best to talk regularly about Fujiwara and the future projects ~ It's quieter these days because I'm on a break, but we habitually make theories and fangirling about the characters most of the time. Well, mostly me about Toshio, but everyone there is super enthusiastic and nice !
Thank you again for your kind comment and support, it's comments like yours which keep me motivated and smiling all day ! <3
You're very much so welcome! I honestly had been interested in it for the longest time considering the cutesy pastel like art style! I loved it a lot more than anticipated for sure and liked how you handled different topics in each route!
And I will definitely join the discord when I get the chance! Maybe when it's not so late at night! Hopefully you'll get the chance to do so! I did see that you made art your self? That's like a lot of dedication and time that went into it. It honestly shows that you put a lot of love into the game! Thank you so much! I felt bad for pointing out that some endings were abrupt ;-; because I read you did the art and other things so I was like "maybe there just wasn't enough help for them to be able to finish it."
I'm glad you took the time out to reply to me and encourage me to join the discord! I hope you enjoy your break too! It's no trouble at all to drop a comment especially when reading how kind you are to the others who comment and leave wonderful messages your way!
Of course ! I always like seeing comments/feedback and answering them ! It's really fun and motivating (^ O^)/ Also, don't feel forced to join the server, but if ever, I and the other members will welcome you there ~
I hadn't seen much of the promotional material, demos, or anything like that for this particular otome, so I downloaded the game without really any expectations at all. Actually, upon discovery that you couldn't change the protagonist's first name, I almost immediately uninstalled it again right then and there, haha—turns out, I really like to be able to choose the MC's name, which I didn't realize until this instance that this was the case since it's usually an option by default—but I decided to continue and I'm glad I did.
I enjoyed the pacing of each route and that the MC took her time to get to know each person. That each LI had a bit more dimension and you didn't discover what was "unique" about them right away was a breath of fresh air. I especially appreciated that each route wasn't the end-all be-all when it comes to getting to know the characters; most of them were friends or acquaintances with each other, so it makes sense that little tidbits of information about them would be revealed even if they weren't the ones being currently romanced. Sometimes each character feels like their own "island" in otome games; you discover absolutely nothing about them outside of their own route. The fact that this one is different is a great move.
All-in-all, I think that this game was absolutely lovely. The developer clearly put a lot of time and effort into this (free!) game and I'm absolutely so glad that they did. I still think that being able to change the protagonist's name would have been a great addition; I didn't think that her first name being Aya was so integral to the plot that it really needs to be the only choice, and some players (like me, apparently) are really attached to being able to name the characters when we play these kinds of games. At the end of the day though, that sort of decision is up to the developer and doesn't at all detract from what makes this game a pleasant experience. Excellent work! ♡
Thank you so much for your time, feedback and kind comment! <3 I'm glad you decided to play although it wasn't possible to change the MC's name too ! I know it might be really frustrating for a lot of people not being able to choose their own name and I apologize in advance because I planned to have a set name for the next title(s) of the Fujiwara series, BUT I also plan to let people choose how they want to be called in all the future projects which aren't related to this series (^ o^)/ Or rather, almost all the future projects. The one right next on the list also have a set name for the MC and I'm still debating if I should let people choose, because her name actually have something to do with the plot and it wouldn't be accurate anymore if she ends up being called otherwise x)
Thank you again for your time and for appreciating the game despite its flaws, it means a lot for me ! (^ w ^)
Not really a second part, but I do plan to release a remake someday with bonuses and more details O/ Also ! Thank you for the compliment, it makes me really happy that you liked the game ! (> w <)
Sadly, he will not get his own game (u__u) BUT ! I plan to make extras for each characters in the remake, when I'll release it. Something like a tiny sneak peek of how is their life years later when they are adults, after the Sweet Route's credits ~
Here's something I really liked! In every character route there was always a bit more backstory on a different character as well, some people must complain about them 'stealing the show' or 'having too much information even though it isn't their route' but personally I love it! Its like, there's multiple character routes and in every one you get attached to the character you chose. Once your done, you probably get sad, right? But you always get to see and learn more about them as soon as you move onto the next route, while your getting attached to the character in the route you chose at the same time, and it just repeats! Its exciting in my opinion :) (sorry for confusing wording in some sentences haha, hopefully you manage to understand though.)
I also have extremely mixed feelings with Ryu...honestly, I didn't really mind the personality change in fact it just brings out character. But the look change really saddened me, a lot, and I don't really like it, that's just a personal opinion, though~! BUT I fell in love with his personality over looks the farther I got into his route! It really touched me and he didn't even get any less adorable hehe, took a bit to get used to it though!
I'm extremely attached to this game and after I'm done I'm definitely considering playing it a second time just to see all the character development again and get to see the characters I got attached too in action again!
(Oh, and not to mention the art style! I'm obsessed with it!)
The only problem is that I'm super confused about why Ryu burnt down Aya's house in Kenji's route? Its very clear that it was Ryu, they said the suspect had pink hair and Ryu recently then asked where Aya lived. Now I'm just sitting here wondering why Ryu did that and why he'd do such a thing if nothing went on between him and Aya. Although, I do suspect it might've been Ryu's sister! I don't remember her name but I think it ended with 'eko' at the end or something.
Edit: I realized that your making a remake reading some of the comments! Its okay if your gonna save it for then but...will this question eventually be solved? Because I'm dying to hear the answer to it.
Aaaah sorry for the late response and thank you for loving the game (and welcome on the discord again, too !) (> w <) I'm happy you liked the game and... yup, I'll try to answer some questions in the remake (most of them in bonus stories when you complete a route, if possible)~ But for Ryu, in fact, I deliberately left a big question mark about if he did it or not. There is a canon answer, but I also wanted to keep the players in the doubt because they can actually think whatever they want. If it's really annoying not to know though and that I have more complaints about it, I might consider being more clear about this situation in the remake x)
Thank you again for playing and enjoying the game (and the art styme as well)! (^ o^)/
I'm not sure I understand your problem, but the only other route beside the Sweet Route is the Friend Route (> w <) In each characters main route you can gain either points for the sweet route (which appears on screen in the characters color, blue for example for Ikki, red for Toshio, etc) or the friend route (which points appear in Aya's color, yellow). I don't know if it was the answer you were waiting for though, so maybe it didn't help at all xD
P.S : The friend route is less detailed/advanced than the sweet route, so I tend to say to people that they don't miss a lot if they only play the sweet one (é o è)
I just finished the game and I really want to say that...
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS MASTERPIECE!!!
I'm absolutely in love with all the routes and characters! Their characterization?? Marvelous! Their sprites? Gorgeous! I saw the old art of this game and I'm glad you went through with the current art because it's just... really nice? Like they all look fluffy and cute but actually the story plots are quite heavy but but that's just the beauty in it ;;-;; I'm sorry I'm not making any sense but I just absolutely love it all.
Big shoutout to the amazing opening too, I really love the song, wish I could listen it on spotify or download it?? It sounds like legit anime opening to me, which is so rare because most, if not all otome games I played have really bad opening songs. Thak you for that. Made me fell even more in love with the game.
Now on to the characters and routes. From the beginning I was very interested in Haru and was about to play his route first, but I ended up following the recommended playing sequence and I must say that I'm very glad that I did that. I intensely dislike Ikki and Toshio first, especially Toshio. But after playing their routes I was pleasently surprised and ended up falling in love with them both. I was a little bit too excited with Toshi's weird um fetish ahaha oops sorry might just discovered that I might be a S... But yea! Haru's route didn't disappoint me at all I love him a lot but the turning point that made me love the game even more is Ryu's route. He's so precious I wanna hug him and squeeze him so baddddd like oh my god PRECIOUS. His ending had me screaming "NOOO I WANT MORE". The other side characters are well-written, too, I love Ichigo. AND OUR GIRL AYA!! I love how you write them and I love how strong she is and just.. how amazing she is ahhh.
Story-wise there are still some parts that are still a mystery to me... I hope I'll learn about it later or maybe I missed some parts and gotta reply hmm...
In conclusion my three fav are Ryu, Haru, and Toshi with Ryu as number 1 yay! It's not like I dislike the other guys, but they are just.. my fav you know? Gotta have favoritism in this world ahaha. Well I apologize that this comment is surprisingly quite long haha idk wether u have time to read it or not but I'm happy if you read it because I'm so thankful to you for making this game! Have a great day and good luck with your incoming projects and life! :)
Thank you for all the love you're sending to the project ! <3 And don't worry, I LOVE reading wall of text about how people feel after playing ~
I'm glad you liked the opening as well ! It was fun working on it and everyone who helped were amazing ! I actually wrote the english lyrics myself first, made them translated into Japanese by someone (RoseVerte, she's also otome dev so don't hesitate to take a look to her projects !) then worked with the adorable singer and awesome composer to turn it into an actual song ! It really was a cool experience (^ w ^)
I'm happy you loved all the characters too, and yes... to tell you the truth, I also wanted more for baby Toshi and Ryu after being done writing their routes xD In another hand, I kind of... made open endings for every characters on purpose, like that people could imagine whatever they want for their future. Even though they actually have a canon future (that I miiiiiiight show a tiny bit of glimpse in the potential remake, but still not sure about it), I'm always curious about what people might imagine for them. We're discussing it time to time on the discord server and it's a lot of fun ! x)
As for the mysteries of some parts... yup, some things aren't clear at all, but it's because I wanted to save it for when I'd write (and share) the characters' childhood, most probably as bonus in the remake (° v °)
In any case, thank you again so much for this wall of text, feedback and kind comment, because it did genuinely make me happy to read it ! Comments like yours and support really are my motivation so please, don't hesitate when you have a lot to say ! ~
Ah I'm glad if my comment can make you even a tiinyy little bit happy ahaha. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my very long comment with an equally long comment! :3 Yess, there are lots mysteries that I suspect (?) about but I need confirmation for my theories and I'm hoping I can find out about it in remake haha, have a great day miss karamelow! :D
Thank you for loving the game so much even with its defaults ! (^ O^)/
I'm happy you loved all the routes ! I had difficulties writing some of them (Haru and Ryu were the most difficult, in my opinion), but thanks to the proofreaders and editors, it turned out super pleasant to the eyes ! ♡ As for the anatomy problems, you aren't the first person noticing it. I'm sorry and I hope it didn't waste too much the experience ;-; I'm actually currently redrawing all of it for the remake and to get better for the future projects, so finger crossed people would like it x)
And yes ! HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYU ! I'll make a special annoucement later today on a devlog, alongside wishing him happy b-day (^ w ^)
Thank you again for your feedback and your kind comment, it really makes me happy ! ~
Thank you for loving the game ! Ikki is one of the people's favorite and Haru is surprisingly more appreciated than I thought at first, I'm glad (> w <)
This game really draws you in! I have a huge collection of visual novels I have downloaded and Fujiwara Bittersweet is amazing. I liked Toshio's and Ryu's route the most. I'm wondering if Haru was born male but the feminine appearance was a disguise? Sorry I have a habit of skipping over information.
Thank you for playing and enjoying the game ! Hehe I'm glad you liked Toshio and Ryu the most, it makes me happy ! ~ As for Haru, I don't know if you played the whole route, but... more than a disguise, it's more like a way to feel more secure. Also it seems you are confused about Haru's gender even after playing the route although I thought it was rather clear after finishing the route (> w <)
In any case, thank you again for the kind comment !
okay, i NEVER expected to love this as much as i do, to be honest. i haven't played all of the friendship routes yet, but--- i'll do it soon.
I'm going to start with the fact, that... i was a bad player and didn't listen to the proper order of routes. I was too angry at Ikki and Toshio in the prologue, after all.
So, I started with Yuta's route. And I loved every second of this route.
Then I played Haru's route, and I fell in love even more.
What surprised me was the fact, that I actually really liked Ikki's route.
Toshio's ending is a bit... problematic, I guess? It wasn't bad but it didn't really change anything within Toshio, at least for me?
Kenji's and Ryu's routes were the most surprising for me. I thought I was ready for Ryu, because of all that build-up from other routes, but still...
The only thing I can complain about is how suddenly they all end, like, just POOF, Sweet end. However, I know that it's not easy to make a game like that.
Despite that, it was a pretty good game, probably would replay in a few months?
Thank you for playing and loving the game ! <3 Haha yes, the abrupt endings... I'll try to fix it for the remake, for it to be more pleasant because it annoys me as well xD I didn't figure out how to smooth it properly... (> x>) But I'm happy you like it overall and hope you will like the future games as well ~
Thank you for your feedback and kind comment ! (^ o^)/
Thank you for making this game. I thought it was just gonna be a simple cute vn but it ended up being an emotional roller coaster. It's amazing and has become one of my favorites. The story really tugged on your heart strings. I ended up playing it for about 8-9 hours straight.
Thanks to you for playing and loving the game <3 I'm happy you liked it this much and that it ended being one of your favorites ! Thank you again for your kind comment and support, I hope you will like the future projects as well (^ o^)/
Thank you so much for making a blog about Fujiwara Bitterwseet ! You are the first person doing a review about the game (at least which I'm aware of) and I'm really happy you liked it overall ~ I just finished to read your article and I'm taking notes about what confused/annoyed you. I'm planning to do a remake later, with a bit more details and extras screens (the CGs gallery for example + some bonuses) to try improving the story and backstories (^ w ^) Also... nah, my real name is not Carmela x)
Thank you again for your time, precious feedback and kind comment !
I've got to say this is probably one of my favorite games of all time! I loved everyone and played through the game as fast as possible- I really had no self control lol. I loved the artstyle and music- it's super cute!
Thank you so much, I'm glad you liked the game and the characters this much ! It really makes me genuinely happy when I see people saying that it's one of their favorite games (I squeal a bit each time) (> w <)
Thank you again for your kind comment, I hope you will like the future games too ~
Thank you so much ! It was hard and frustrating somehow because sometimes I wasn't able to make the backgrounds the way I wanted, same for the CGs and sprites. And I wanted to throw my computer through the window more than one billion times while writing the story and scripting it, but... I'm really REALLY hapy and relieved people do like the final result ! Let's not forget about the awesome composer, proofreaders and betatesters who are also part of the team to me, because the game would surely have been less pleasant to play without their precious help (^ w ^) <3
Thank you again for your kind comment, it means a lot for me ~
OMYGOSSSHHH I DOWNLOADED THIS GAME 2 DAYS AGO AND I ALREADY FINISHED ALL THE ROUTESSSS AAAAA <<333 I'M SO HAPPY THIS GAME WAS CREATEDDD😭😭😭 💙💙💙💙I AM CURRENTLY REREADING HARU'S ROUTE AGAINNNN AAAAAA😭💙💙 PLEASE MAKE MOREEEE（＞ｙ＜）（＞ｙ＜）💙💙💙💙 THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS GAMEEEE😭😭💙💙💙💙💙
Thank you so much for loving the game ! I'm happy you enjoyed it and you like Haru to the point of rereading the route <3 Thank you again for your kind comment ! (^ w ^)
This game is astounding. Honestly I was surprised at how emotional I got over the characters conflicts, Toshio's route especially had me bawling like toddler. But I also couldn't help but crack up at some of the innuendos sprinkled around, I feel like you've achieved the perfect balance between the humor and the more serious moments. From the bottom of my heart I truly thank you for spending so much time dedicated to this game, it has been such a wonderful experience.
P.S. I would have never expected Toshio to have masochistic tendencies, I found it highly amusing to see him so submissive towards Aya XD.
Thank you so much for your kind words and comment ! It really means a lot for me that you loved it that much <3 I'm glad you liked Toshio ! I wasn't sure if people would appreciate him more after his "twist", but fortunately it seems that most of the players did end up loving him very much x)
I'll keep trying my best for the future games I'm planning to do and hope you will like them as well. Thank you again (^ o^)/
Thank you for playing and loving the game ! <3 I'm happy you like all the characters so far and Haru to the point to play the route twice ! (° O °)
Thank you again for your kind comment, I hope you'll like the future projects as well since I'm planning to do more (don't hesitate to join the discord server if you are curious about what I'm doing beside) ~
I enjoyed this game, however, I really disliked the abrupt open ended endings. I would have liked to see some epilogues for every route as well. There is also some anatomy issues with the art. Music was beautiful.
Sorry you disliked the endings, I hope it didn't waste too much the whole story to you (u___u) As for the anatomy, haha... yes... I'm not the better at anatomy, but I plan to get better ^^"
But thank you for appreciating the game either way (^ w ^)
I usually don't comment but I loved this game so much! Seriously, I had ended up getting super attached to all the guys, so by the time the sweet route was over I was super heartbroken! Thanks so much for all the time you spent on this game, and I'm really excited to play whatever you work on next. P.S. I loved Haru and Toshio sm!
Oh no, sorry you were heartbroken ;-; But also, thank you for your kind comment ! Also, I'm glad you love Haru and Toshio, because I was so sure they would be the ones who might receive the most hate/displeased comments about their routes x)
Wow, amazing! This was one of the best otome games that Ive played this year, and I play alot. The writing was fantastic and the art was very cute. Really great work!
Thank you for loving the game ! It's my first own game, but I plan to do more in the future (^ w ^) I don't know if this information interest anyone, but for now I'm kind of taking a rest by only being the director for the next one. Though, I do plan to work on the art and writing for the one(s) after that again ~ The third project will probably be a "top view rpg-like", so if I'm competent enough, I might also be able to do the code and music myself. I'll try my best ! (è w é)
such a lovely game! played through all of the routes for about 10 hours straight and my heart has never felt so whole :') i've loved everyone but my favorites were definitely yuta and haru! their stories hit close to some of my own personal experiences and i adore the dynamic between each other.
if i'm being honest, this is one of the best otome games i've played in awhile! so much love was put into this and it's such a blessing to be able to indulge in all of it ♡ i hope to see more of your work in the future!!
Thank you for playing and loving the game ! Woah you played 10hrs straight?! Hope you took time to rest... Now I feel concerned, but also super happy ! Thank you ! (> w <) Also, it means a lot for me that you loved the game that much and that I was able to show my own love for it <3 I hope you'll like the future project(s) as well, thank you again for your kind comment ~
I love this game so much!!!! So far I've played every route, i haven't got Ikki's yet but my favorite is definitely Toshio, he's ending is sooo sad, I cried so much at the train scene.
Haru is definitely second, I just love him so much, I was kinda disappointed when i found out he was boy cause i thought i would get to date a girl, but I also kinda really liked the twist.
Thank you for playing and for loving the game so far ! Aww~ Yes, Toshio don't really have a happy ending, but I promise he will actually be happy in the future, with Aya ! ^^ I'm glad Haru ended being your second fav despite the twist. I'm aware people might be disapointed but I'm glad no o,e actually hate this character ! (>__<) Hope you'll love Ikki as well, he seems to be the favorite amongst the players so far (our little tsundere).
Thank you again for your kind comment and feedback ! ❤
AHHHHHH!!!! I JUST FINISHED!!!!! IT WAS AMAZING!!!!
I really like Ikki too, i think he's tied with Haru, Ikki just just too adorable. I think i have a soft spot for boy tsunderes, just males ones tho, they're cute but the girls are really annoying, but there are a few exceptions.
I just love this game sooooooo much, it be hard for me to find something else that can't meet this level. Im so attached to all the characters. Haru, Ikki, Kenji and others. Especially Toshio, I still can't get over the fact he left.
Lastly I would like to thank you for creating this game, I spent the last 3 days playing it, and let me tell you it was honestly the best 3 day of my life. I will be recommending this game to my friends. Thank you again, and I'm looking forward to your next project, hope it will be just as good or even better then this one. <3
I'm still not used to people thanking me for something I made, but it does make me super happy ! Thanks to you for loving the game so much and for all the praise and compliments! (> w <)
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!! MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!
My lord, this was so good. For real, I have no words.
I absolutely loved all the routes, but especially Ikki's and Ryuu's.
First of all, I expected Ikki's route to be completely different from what it actually was. Turn's out he's a big softie. Don't even get me started on his sister. For real, she's an angel and super cute. Honestly, his route kinda made me want to cry.
I'm too emotional.Overall, Ikki's route was pure cuteness and wholesomeness.
Unto Ryuu's route.
Like, Ikki's, this route was way different then what I had expected. THE PINK, BUBBLY RYUU IS ACTUALLY SO DEPRESSED, IT KINDA HURTS. What hurt me even more was the fact that
I could kinda relate to his constant sadness.I had expected his route to be all bubbly and happy but it took a turn. And Ryuu's character is so much more complicated than I expected.I just loved his route so much. I enjoyed playing it.
Finally can we just talk about Aya. At first, I wasn't too sure if I liked her or not, but after playing Toshio's route (Can I just say, his route ALSO made me tear up, frl his route was also amazing.),
I'd dump any of them for Aya.I love how she stands her ground and doesn't take sh*t from anyone.To conclude, this game was amazing, the characters are amazing, the plot for each route, the art, ITS JUST AMAZING.
Thank you so much for loving the game and the characters, it really makes me happy ! ❤
I'm planning on making a remake and a Fujiwara 2, I hope you'll like them as much as the current Fujiwara ! (
though you'll need to be patient, it might take some time...)(^ w ^)/Thank you again for the kind words, it made my day and means a lot for me ~
Oh.. my god... This was so so SO GOOD. I have no words. This was amazing.
-
I took a break and now I have words. And man, the music. The writing. The MUSIC. It was all just so beautiful. The song in Ikki's route was breath-taking. I can't remember the last time I just sat back and listened to the music in a game all the way to the end. Also, I think that this was the first otome game to ever almost make me cry. At the end of Ikki's route my eyes started getting blurry ;; My heart was clenching and, and, and AHhHHH!! You know?? It was all just written so well! I loved how Aya wasn't a doormat protagonist, and stood her ground.
There's so much more to talk about and say, but this isn't an essay haha.
All in all, I really loved the writing and music in this game. I loved it so much, and I don't know if you're making more games, but if you do you can bet I'll play them! Thank you for this game and experience! <3
Thank you so much for loving the game and for the kind words ! I'm... also happy it almost made you cry in a good way (> w <)
I'm planning to make more projects, so I hope you will enjoy them as much as Fujiwara Bittersweet ~
Thank you again ♥
-SPOILER ALERT-
At first I kind of thought Aya wasn't my type of character MC but in the end I liked her a lot. I loved her personality and the way she gets to know the people who peaked her interest. It was really fun! I tried Toshio's route first and I was legit tearing up a bit at the ending. Love his character! I didn't think much of him, never hated him but for me I just got used to his attitude easily.
I played Ryu's route on the 2nd playthrough and slowly I was interested in him. I didn't know what to expect when he changed but I didn't mind, it was him and he will still be him. As I got more interested on his real self - I found myself loving him or liking him. And his looks didn't bother me since it just made him look more cute and interesting (to my eyes at least), his personality is also what I loved the most.
For Kenjin. Oh god, this boy. Oh no. VERY CUTE - HANDSOME TOO BUT MOSTLY CUTE, loved how he was so easily flustered on illegal hand-holding, kissing/pecking etc. etc.
Makes me want to cuddle him up but also attack him. He's just so innocent that I love it!! Though I never got his sweet ending no matter how many times I played his route. My heart was literally breaking whenever I got his friend ending - including that he called me just a friend. So yeah..
For Yuta, my lovable handsome prince. Okay, I was honestly shock at how his room is really filled with things. xDD
I did feel uncomfortable seeing it but that'd also go for random boys seeing a girl's room filled with Anime Boys in a sexual pose (maybe?) or outfit. I got over it and was comfortable with how his room looks in the end.
When the bookstore scene played, I thought that'd maybe he'd be fun to tease. Though I was also a bit concerned or weirded out on why he doesn't look like he really is blushing..? He looked the same but I didn't think of it much back then - until now.
In the end, I enjoyed every moment I had with him. Glad that I got his sweet ending because I was really liking him a LOT in that route and I had fun a lot - being with him.
Now for Ikki - he's hot and cute, just like the other characters (DAMN ITTT) .
When playing his route, I enjoyed my time together with him though I was also getting some possible romantic vibes off him for some reason. I also loved how when he smiles and starts being a tsundere sometimes - it's really cute! I love his funny / loveable reactions and I did also start like liking him. BAHAHAHA- I also love his little sister.
Ikki's route really got me nervous then laughing a lot. Same goes for Haru's route - on the anxious / nervous part at least. But again, I enjoyed it.
Last but not least, HARU-kun (or chan). I cannot explain how much I was shocked when Haru decided to be a boy. My reaction was the same as MC - it'll take a while to get used to it (except I got used to it quickly).
I found it cute when he introduced himself, when he smiled and also sometimes being a tsundere in some situations. Also loved his reactions when he was flustered - I'd probably start shipping him with Prince Yuta. Because I think I find them to be a good pair-!
But I enjoyed it anyway, very enjoyed it. Loved the moment a lot but I think I enjoyed it the most when he kissed me, hehe. Made me feel nervous and also flushed when he did do that.
Also loved his blushing face along with Yuta and Ikki when Ryu mentioned something on the track n field thing.
Questions:
About Ryu: So.. can Ryu see colors? I'm still a bit confused about his eyes if he can see in many colors or just in grey scales.
About Kenji's route: I tried his route before many times and I kept getting the Friend ending no matter what choice I make. So now I'm wondering on how I'm gonna get the Sweet ending because I really wanna experience it.
Can anybody tell me how I can get that ending? or do players randomly/luckily get the ending?
About Toshio's route: The same also goes for Toshio - I haven't got or experience his Sweet Ending. So I'm also wondering about how I can experience it just like Kenji.
Also just wanna add that I enjoyed the game a lot and my favorite characters are probably the Potential Love Interests.
Bye bye and have a nice day/afternoon/evening everyone!
Thank you for your review and feedback, I'm hapy you liked the game ! ♡
For Kenji and Toshio... It's weird that you can't have their Sweet Ending, I didn't have any problems when testing the game and no one else seems to have experienced this issue with these routes.
Though, someone on the Discord's server seems to have something similar to your problem, but with Haru's Sweet Route. Unfortunately, I have no clue about why it's randomly not working... Sorry (u___u)
The let's player Aromie did all the Sweet Routes, so maybe you can watch her videos on the game if you are curious about the ones you missed ? (é o è)
Thank you again for your feedback and kind words, I'm glad you enjoyed the game despite the inconvenience and hope you'll like the future projects as well ~
You are very much welcome! I enjoyed playing it a lot on my free days, hehe.
I'll try to play again and watch Aromie since I might have missed some things here and there but thank you! Thank you very much!! (≧▽≦)
I played this game from steam and I 100 percent recommend it (Toshio's route is so sweet)
Best otome game ever in my opinion
Thank you so much, happy you liked the game !! (^ w^)/♡
I fell in love with this game omg
Happy you loved it ! (^ w ^)♥
aaghhhhh! Can't believe it took me this long to finally write a comment on this. Believe me y'all.....THIS IS PARADISE!>-< I just love all routes here and how each character has his own characteristic. Well, the story is beautifully written and the art is just so kawaii UwU. I hope you continue to make such games! And btw, if you plan to start a new project soon (I'm so not up to date with my stuff) I could help you in proofreading and stuff:) have an amazing year ahead!
Thank you for the kind comment, I'm glad you loved the game and the characters as well ! <3
For now I don't think that I need help, but it's really nice of you to offer and I will keep that in mind ! (^ w ^)/
Hello ! Sorry for the late response, it's the first time I'm encountering this error so I can't replicate the error... Thank you for pointing it out though, I'l try to look into it and fix it if possible (^ o^)/
Hello again ~
Sorry, I wasn't able to find or fix the error since you are the first person pointing it out and that I wasn't able to replicate it (u__u)
I hope you liked the game either way, even without being able to log or collect the achievements O/
This game is literally so cute and adorable!!!! I was squealing and screaming ( In a good way) the entire time, I played Ikki's route and now I'm pretty sure I have an actual crush on him- Even though he's non-existent :')
Thank you, happy you like it so far !
It seem Ikki is one of the favorite amoung the players ~
I think his route is the most "fluffy", though some other routes will be more sad or triggering, so I hope you'll still love it after a while (> w <)
Thank you again for your kind comment !❤️
Hey, I like your game. The combination of your art style and the slice of life genre really brings your VN together. I find it kinda soothing in a way? It's a nice feeling like relaxing in your bed while sipping on hot cocoa (if that makes sense).
And your characters are v cute, escpecially Haru & Ryu, and I think you write character dynamics well. I also like the small tidbits about your side characters and I find myself wishing I could get to know some of them more... cough
studentcouncilvpcough
Aw thank you ! I'm happy you like the game and you had a good experience playing it ~
I wish I could talk more about all the side characters backstories/lives, but I do sometimes on the Discord server, so don't hesitate to join if ever you are curious (^ O^)/
Thank you again for your kind comment, it made my day ! <3
Hi, I love it so much! its so cute <3
although I have a little problem running it on my MacBook Air, it shows me some kind of error? there's an import error saying there's no module named _renypsteam.
im really sorry if im just making a dumb mistake since im kinda new to this but could anyone possibly help me?
Don't worry, don't worry ! Thank you for reporting this issue, it should be alright now (^ O^)/
Please tell me if it still doesn't work ~
Thank you so much !!!<3
the issue is resolved and I can play again!, again thank you so much!
So cute <3
The game doesn't work in linux, but is not necesary to fix it. I use wine and works perfect.
I'll practice my english with this game, thanks for working in this beautiful game
Oh no... I'm sorry it doesn't work for you, you're the first person for whom there is an issue... But I hope you'll be able to still enjoy it somehow ;-;
I'll try to see if I can do something about it asap !
Alright, it should be okay now for the Linux version (^ O^)/
I'll play this game again, it's a very cute game :3
Thanks for fix it
Okay, so I'm currently playing your game and I just want to say: I LOVE IT SO MUCH <3
As a writer, I'm in awe to your writing skills. Seriously, it's phenomenal.
I went for Toshio first and it was like all of my favorite combination of tropes in one route :') I was laughing and squealing like crazy the whole way through.
I'm so sad ended so abruptly though, is this truly the end, or will we ever see an epilogue for them? :(
I'm definitely going to look forward to any content by you in the future, you're amazing! <3
Thank you so much for loving the game so far ! <3
I'm really touched that you like the writing, but let's not forget about the amazing proofreaders and editors who helped me fixing mistakes and awkward sentences when they encountered any (^ O^)/
As for an epilogue... unfortunately no, there is no such thing planned in the future. Though ! I'm planning of doing a remake and add more content (such as the characters childhood, a glimpse of their adulthood after the credits, and, potentially, an extra route with one of the side character) and Fujiwara 2 as well, with new characters. Fingers crossed I'll be able to release it someday. You'll have to be patient though, since it will take some time to be done x)
Right now I'm working as the lead director of a new game, called Colors of Fate and which is more mature content than Fujiwara Bittersweet and taking place in a fantasy world.
Thank you again for your kind comment and support, and I hope you will love the future projects as well when they'll be released ~
omg that's so awesome! I'll definitely keep an eye out for the remake, Fujiwara 2 & Colors of Fate!
Also, of course, everyone who worked with you on this game are all amazing too <3
Thank you so much to you, for your kind comment and support ! It makes me really happy and your words are warming my heart <3
THANK YOU FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF WORK I WILL TREASURE MY EXPERIENCE PLAYING IT WITH ALL MY HEART-
my favorite route was Haru's he was really well written and i just have a thing for feminine boys- ANYWAY- THE STORY, THE PLOTS, THE EVERTHIINGGG it's so amazinggg
I became so attached to all the characters- Toshio's sweet ending truly is bittersweet :pensive:
The art is so cute and adorable yet simple, i love it sm.
Aya is an adorable protag i love her too.
all in all great game 999999/10 would replay again and in fact i replay it when i'm bored-
(but i'm always so shocked when the end screen comes on since it doesn't fade in- i'm always like: "WAIT HOLD ON THAT'S IT-" lmao)
Thank you for your kind comment, it means a lot for me that you love the game that much ! <3
Also happy to hear that you liked Aya and all the characters ! And relieved that you liked Haru ~
Aaaand, yes... the abrupt ends is something that I plan to fix in the remake, sorry again about that (>__<)
Thank you again for your kind comment and feedback, hope you will love the future projects as well ! (^ o^)/
I'd honestly love to say that I didn't expect to get so attached to each character in the game. I love how Aya is in each route, but how she's a solid well-rounded character too who's had her own share of problems growing up. I didn't mind not being able to choose a name for the MC because I found that throughout playing otome games I prefer for them to have a default name to go with.
LL wise I'd say I honestly loved all routes! I was pleasantly surprised by Haru's route, but I found the way it was written to be great. It's honestly hard for me to pick a favorite because I think each LL had their own quirk about them. Toshio was sad and bittersweet in regards to everything that's happened to him, but I'm glad they were able to develop some sort of stability for him. Ikki was just fun and pretty tsun. Kenji was so naive and innocent but it was fun to see how events transpired for him to mature. I loved Yuta's route just because of the pressure of being someone you're not just to be accepted into society and how the MC is just like "I prefer who you were hiding." Totally loved that. For Ryu's route, I honestly liked it and understood why the play order suggested him last. I don't regret it.
Overall, I found the story in each LL to be interesting. I like how in Ryu's route and Yuta's it hints at Haru and how he shouldn't be hiding who he is either. But it gets really fleshed out in Haru's route when he wasn't even sure who he wants to be either. I loved the game. I'm glad it was free! But honestly, I wouldn't have minded paying for it either. The art style was super cute! I liked the colors.
I think my only complaint was how abruptly each ending was. In particular for Ryu after the final bit he says it just cuts to "SWEET END" I probably yelled like "THAT'S IT!?" But I can't say the experience wasn't fun!
I read that you may remake it or may not. You also might have future projects in the future. I can't wait to check out anything else you make!!! Thank you so much for the game!!!
Thank you so much for your time and loving the game ! (^ O^)/
I'm really happy you loved all the routes and Aya, it means a lot for me and it's really touching when people can see how much I love my project too ! (> w <)
As for the endings, yes, I myself found them rather abrupt too, but... I didn't know how to end it properly ;-;
Though, it's on my ToDo list of things to improve for the remake (crossing fingers I'll be able to do it, I really hope so!), alongside with other little things which need to be fixed or added here and there.
And if you want to be kept updated, don't hesitate to join the Discord server. I try my best to talk regularly about Fujiwara and the future projects ~
It's quieter these days because I'm on a break, but we habitually make theories and fangirling about the characters most of the time. Well, mostly me about Toshio, but everyone there is super enthusiastic and nice !
Thank you again for your kind comment and support, it's comments like yours which keep me motivated and smiling all day ! <3
You're very much so welcome! I honestly had been interested in it for the longest time considering the cutesy pastel like art style! I loved it a lot more than anticipated for sure and liked how you handled different topics in each route!
And I will definitely join the discord when I get the chance! Maybe when it's not so late at night! Hopefully you'll get the chance to do so! I did see that you made art your self? That's like a lot of dedication and time that went into it. It honestly shows that you put a lot of love into the game! Thank you so much! I felt bad for pointing out that some endings were abrupt ;-; because I read you did the art and other things so I was like "maybe there just wasn't enough help for them to be able to finish it."
I'm glad you took the time out to reply to me and encourage me to join the discord! I hope you enjoy your break too! It's no trouble at all to drop a comment especially when reading how kind you are to the others who comment and leave wonderful messages your way!
Of course ! I always like seeing comments/feedback and answering them ! It's really fun and motivating (^ O^)/
Also, don't feel forced to join the server, but if ever, I and the other members will welcome you there ~
I was really pleasantly surprised by this game!
I hadn't seen much of the promotional material, demos, or anything like that for this particular otome, so I downloaded the game without really any expectations at all. Actually, upon discovery that you couldn't change the protagonist's first name, I almost immediately uninstalled it again right then and there, haha—turns out, I really like to be able to choose the MC's name, which I didn't realize until this instance that this was the case since it's usually an option by default—but I decided to continue and I'm glad I did.
I enjoyed the pacing of each route and that the MC took her time to get to know each person. That each LI had a bit more dimension and you didn't discover what was "unique" about them right away was a breath of fresh air. I especially appreciated that each route wasn't the end-all be-all when it comes to getting to know the characters; most of them were friends or acquaintances with each other, so it makes sense that little tidbits of information about them would be revealed even if they weren't the ones being currently romanced. Sometimes each character feels like their own "island" in otome games; you discover absolutely nothing about them outside of their own route. The fact that this one is different is a great move.
All-in-all, I think that this game was absolutely lovely. The developer clearly put a lot of time and effort into this (free!) game and I'm absolutely so glad that they did. I still think that being able to change the protagonist's name would have been a great addition; I didn't think that her first name being Aya was so integral to the plot that it really needs to be the only choice, and some players (
like me, apparently) are really attached to being able to name the characters when we play these kinds of games. At the end of the day though, that sort of decision is up to the developer and doesn't at all detract from what makes this game a pleasant experience. Excellent work! ♡Thank you so much for your time, feedback and kind comment! <3
I'm glad you decided to play although it wasn't possible to change the MC's name too ! I know it might be really frustrating for a lot of people not being able to choose their own name and I apologize in advance because I planned to have a set name for the next title(s) of the Fujiwara series, BUT I also plan to let people choose how they want to be called in all the future projects which aren't related to this series (^ o^)/
Or rather, almost all the future projects. The one right next on the list also have a set name for the MC and I'm still debating if I should let people choose, because her name actually have something to do with the plot and it wouldn't be accurate anymore if she ends up being called otherwise x)
Thank you again for your time and for appreciating the game despite its flaws, it means a lot for me ! (^ w ^)
toshio: trash
me: ugh so annoying
also me: („ಡωಡ„)
Same here when I wrote his route xD
In the end he became my favorite baby ;-;
i wish i could see the 2nd part of this beautiful game <3 (//▽//) is it going to be a 2nd part??ヽ(°〇°)ﾉ
Not really a second part, but I do plan to release a remake someday with bonuses and more details O/
Also ! Thank you for the compliment, it makes me really happy that you liked the game ! (> w <)
Is it possible for Toshio to get his game?
You mean... A whole game just for him ? x)
YES! His route was so good and love his character.
And it ended with us asking questions like are we gonna see him again or do we move on, so that's why I asked if he can get his own game
Sadly, he will not get his own game (u__u)
BUT ! I plan to make extras for each characters in the remake, when I'll release it. Something like a tiny sneak peek of how is their life years later when they are adults, after the Sweet Route's credits ~
That's good enough for me! As long as I see they adulthood is good enough for me.
SOME SPOILERS
Here's something I really liked! In every character route there was always a bit more backstory on a different character as well, some people must complain about them 'stealing the show' or 'having too much information even though it isn't their route' but personally I love it! Its like, there's multiple character routes and in every one you get attached to the character you chose. Once your done, you probably get sad, right? But you always get to see and learn more about them as soon as you move onto the next route, while your getting attached to the character in the route you chose at the same time, and it just repeats! Its exciting in my opinion :) (sorry for confusing wording in some sentences haha, hopefully you manage to understand though.)
I also have extremely mixed feelings with Ryu...honestly, I didn't really mind the personality change in fact it just brings out character. But the look change really saddened me, a lot, and I don't really like it, that's just a personal opinion, though~! BUT I fell in love with his personality over looks the farther I got into his route! It really touched me and he didn't even get any less adorable hehe, took a bit to get used to it though!
I'm extremely attached to this game and after I'm done I'm definitely considering playing it a second time just to see all the character development again and get to see the characters I got attached too in action again!
(Oh, and not to mention the art style! I'm obsessed with it!)
The only problem is that I'm super confused about why Ryu burnt down Aya's house in Kenji's route? Its very clear that it was Ryu, they said the suspect had pink hair and Ryu recently then asked where Aya lived. Now I'm just sitting here wondering why Ryu did that and why he'd do such a thing if nothing went on between him and Aya. Although, I do suspect it might've been Ryu's sister! I don't remember her name but I think it ended with 'eko' at the end or something.
Edit: I realized that your making a remake reading some of the comments! Its okay if your gonna save it for then but...will this question eventually be solved? Because I'm dying to hear the answer to it.
Aaaah sorry for the late response and thank you for loving the game (and welcome on the discord again, too !) (> w <)
I'm happy you liked the game and... yup, I'll try to answer some questions in the remake (most of them in bonus stories when you complete a route, if possible)~
But for Ryu, in fact, I deliberately left a big question mark about if he did it or not. There is a canon answer, but I also wanted to keep the players in the doubt because they can actually think whatever they want. If it's really annoying not to know though and that I have more complaints about it, I might consider being more clear about this situation in the remake x)
Thank you again for playing and enjoying the game (and the art styme as well)! (^ o^)/
HELP! HOW ROUTES ARE THERE?! I NEED TO SEE THEM ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!
I CAN'T STOP AT ONLY PLAYING THE SWEET ROUTE, WHAT ARE THE OTHER ONES?! PLEASE HELP MEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm not sure I understand your problem, but the only other route beside the Sweet Route is the Friend Route (> w <)
In each characters main route you can gain either points for the sweet route (which appears on screen in the characters color, blue for example for Ikki, red for Toshio, etc) or the friend route (which points appear in Aya's color, yellow).
I don't know if it was the answer you were waiting for though, so maybe it didn't help at all xD
P.S : The friend route is less detailed/advanced than the sweet route, so I tend to say to people that they don't miss a lot if they only play the sweet one (é o è)
Thanks for answering me even tho I research after I made the comment. Thank anyways that was nice of you
I just finished the game and I really want to say that...
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS MASTERPIECE!!!
I'm absolutely in love with all the routes and characters! Their characterization?? Marvelous! Their sprites? Gorgeous! I saw the old art of this game and I'm glad you went through with the current art because it's just... really nice? Like they all look fluffy and cute but actually the story plots are quite heavy but but that's just the beauty in it ;;-;; I'm sorry I'm not making any sense but I just absolutely love it all.
Big shoutout to the amazing opening too, I really love the song, wish I could listen it on spotify or download it?? It sounds like legit anime opening to me, which is so rare because most, if not all otome games I played have really bad opening songs. Thak you for that. Made me fell even more in love with the game.
Now on to the characters and routes. From the beginning I was very interested in Haru and was about to play his route first, but I ended up following the recommended playing sequence and I must say that I'm very glad that I did that. I intensely dislike Ikki and Toshio first, especially Toshio. But after playing their routes I was pleasently surprised and ended up falling in love with them both. I was a little bit too excited with Toshi's weird um fetish ahaha oops sorry might just discovered that I might be a S... But yea! Haru's route didn't disappoint me at all I love him a lot but the turning point that made me love the game even more is Ryu's route. He's so precious I wanna hug him and squeeze him so baddddd like oh my god PRECIOUS. His ending had me screaming "NOOO I WANT MORE". The other side characters are well-written, too, I love Ichigo. AND OUR GIRL AYA!! I love how you write them and I love how strong she is and just.. how amazing she is ahhh.
Story-wise there are still some parts that are still a mystery to me... I hope I'll learn about it later or maybe I missed some parts and gotta reply hmm...
In conclusion my three fav are Ryu, Haru, and Toshi with Ryu as number 1 yay! It's not like I dislike the other guys, but they are just.. my fav you know? Gotta have favoritism in this world ahaha. Well I apologize that this comment is surprisingly quite long haha idk wether u have time to read it or not but I'm happy if you read it because I'm so thankful to you for making this game! Have a great day and good luck with your incoming projects and life! :)
Thank you for all the love you're sending to the project ! <3
And don't worry, I LOVE reading wall of text about how people feel after playing ~
I'm glad you liked the opening as well ! It was fun working on it and everyone who helped were amazing !
I actually wrote the english lyrics myself first, made them translated into Japanese by someone (RoseVerte, she's also otome dev so don't hesitate to take a look to her projects !) then worked with the adorable singer and awesome composer to turn it into an actual song ! It really was a cool experience (^ w ^)
I'm happy you loved all the characters too, and yes... to tell you the truth, I also wanted more for baby Toshi and Ryu after being done writing their routes xD
In another hand, I kind of... made open endings for every characters on purpose, like that people could imagine whatever they want for their future. Even though they actually have a canon future (that I miiiiiiight show a tiny bit of glimpse in the potential remake, but still not sure about it), I'm always curious about what people might imagine for them. We're discussing it time to time on the discord server and it's a lot of fun ! x)
As for the mysteries of some parts... yup, some things aren't clear at all, but it's because I wanted to save it for when I'd write (and share) the characters' childhood, most probably as bonus in the remake (° v °)
In any case, thank you again so much for this wall of text, feedback and kind comment, because it did genuinely make me happy to read it ! Comments like yours and support really are my motivation so please, don't hesitate when you have a lot to say ! ~
Ah I'm glad if my comment can make you even a tiinyy little bit happy ahaha. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my very long comment with an equally long comment! :3 Yess, there are lots mysteries that I suspect (?) about but I need confirmation for my theories and I'm hoping I can find out about it in remake haha, have a great day miss karamelow! :D
Thank you for loving the game so much even with its defaults ! (^ O^)/
I'm happy you loved all the routes ! I had difficulties writing some of them (Haru and Ryu were the most difficult, in my opinion), but thanks to the proofreaders and editors, it turned out super pleasant to the eyes ! ♡
As for the anatomy problems, you aren't the first person noticing it. I'm sorry and I hope it didn't waste too much the experience ;-;
I'm actually currently redrawing all of it for the remake and to get better for the future projects, so finger crossed people would like it x)
And yes ! HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYU ! I'll make a special annoucement later today on a devlog, alongside wishing him happy b-day (^ w ^)
Thank you again for your feedback and your kind comment, it really makes me happy ! ~
Wonderful game! Now Ikki is my new love ヽ(♡‿♡)ノ
I also really like Haru. Just think that I could have missed such a sweet route if there were no spoilers about Haru being a boy...
Thank you for such a cool game!
Thank you for loving the game !
Ikki is one of the people's favorite and Haru is surprisingly more appreciated than I thought at first, I'm glad (> w <)
Thank you for the kind comment ~
This game really draws you in! I have a huge collection of visual novels I have downloaded and Fujiwara Bittersweet is amazing. I liked Toshio's and Ryu's route the most. I'm wondering if Haru was born male but the feminine appearance was a disguise? Sorry I have a habit of skipping over information.
Thank you for playing and enjoying the game !
Hehe I'm glad you liked Toshio and Ryu the most, it makes me happy ! ~
As for Haru, I don't know if you played the whole route, but... more than a disguise, it's more like a way to feel more secure. Also it seems you are confused about Haru's gender even after playing the route although I thought it was rather clear after finishing the route (> w <)
In any case, thank you again for the kind comment !
Yup it was def my bad habit.
okay, i NEVER expected to love this as much as i do, to be honest.
i haven't played all of the friendship routes yet, but--- i'll do it soon.
I'm going to start with the fact, that... i was a bad player and didn't listen to the proper order of routes. I was too angry at Ikki and Toshio in the prologue, after all.
So, I started with Yuta's route.
And I loved every second of this route.
Then I played Haru's route, and I fell in love even more.
What surprised me was the fact, that I actually really liked Ikki's route.
Toshio's ending is a bit... problematic, I guess? It wasn't bad but it didn't really change anything within Toshio, at least for me?
Kenji's and Ryu's routes were the most surprising for me. I thought I was ready for Ryu, because of all that build-up from other routes, but still...
The only thing I can complain about is how suddenly they all end, like, just POOF, Sweet end. However, I know that it's not easy to make a game like that.
Despite that, it was a pretty good game, probably would replay in a few months?
Thank you for playing and loving the game ! <3
Haha yes, the abrupt endings... I'll try to fix it for the remake, for it to be more pleasant because it annoys me as well xD
I didn't figure out how to smooth it properly... (> x>)
But I'm happy you like it overall and hope you will like the future games as well ~
Thank you for your feedback and kind comment ! (^ o^)/
Thank you for making this game. I thought it was just gonna be a simple cute vn but it ended up being an emotional roller coaster. It's amazing and has become one of my favorites. The story really tugged on your heart strings. I ended up playing it for about 8-9 hours straight.
I wish you luck on any future projects! <3 <3 <3
Thanks to you for playing and loving the game <3
I'm happy you liked it this much and that it ended being one of your favorites !
Thank you again for your kind comment and support, I hope you will like the future projects as well (^ o^)/
I finally finished the whole game today. That was a pleasant experience! Thanks for creating this! I made a blog about it here: https://camishobbies.wordpress.com/2020/09/05/lets-play-vn-fujiwara-bittersweet/
btw, is your real name Carmela? Just super curious. Your name in itch.io sounds so much like Carmela XD
Thank you so much for making a blog about Fujiwara Bitterwseet ! You are the first person doing a review about the game (at least which I'm aware of) and I'm really happy you liked it overall ~
I just finished to read your article and I'm taking notes about what confused/annoyed you. I'm planning to do a remake later, with a bit more details and extras screens (the CGs gallery for example + some bonuses) to try improving the story and backstories (^ w ^)
Also... nah, my real name is not Carmela x)
Thank you again for your time, precious feedback and kind comment !
maaaaan all i could say after playing all the route is just, <3<3<3Ryu<3<3<3<3
its a really fun game, played it for 2 days straight! cant believe that im so in love with Ryu now,,, pleas he's so precious,,
Thank you for loving him this much !
I was afraid people might be disappointed after playing his route, but I'm glad it's not the case ! ~
Thank you again for your kind comment (^ w ^)
I've got to say this is probably one of my favorite games of all time! I loved everyone and played through the game as fast as possible- I really had no self control lol. I loved the artstyle and music- it's super cute!
Thank you so much, I'm glad you liked the game and the characters this much !
It really makes me genuinely happy when I see people saying that it's one of their favorite games (I squeal a bit each time) (> w <)
Thank you again for your kind comment, I hope you will like the future games too ~
IM CRYING
I DONT KNOW WHAT TO SAY BUT I LOVE THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THIS GAME, PLEASE MARRY ME
Thank you so much ! It was hard and frustrating somehow because sometimes I wasn't able to make the backgrounds the way I wanted, same for the CGs and sprites. And I wanted to throw my computer through the window more than one billion times while writing the story and scripting it, but... I'm really REALLY hapy and relieved people do like the final result !
Let's not forget about the awesome composer, proofreaders and betatesters who are also part of the team to me, because the game would surely have been less pleasant to play without their precious help (^ w ^) <3
Thank you again for your kind comment, it means a lot for me ~
You're welcome!! Keep up the good work :D
OMYGOSSSHHH I DOWNLOADED THIS GAME 2 DAYS AGO AND I ALREADY FINISHED ALL THE ROUTESSSS AAAAA <<333 I'M SO HAPPY THIS GAME WAS CREATEDDD😭😭😭 💙💙💙💙I AM CURRENTLY REREADING HARU'S ROUTE AGAINNNN AAAAAA😭💙💙 PLEASE MAKE MOREEEE（＞ｙ＜）（＞ｙ＜）💙💙💙💙 THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS GAMEEEE😭😭💙💙💙💙💙
Thank you so much for loving the game ! I'm happy you enjoyed it and you like Haru to the point of rereading the route <3
Thank you again for your kind comment ! (^ w ^)
This game is astounding. Honestly I was surprised at how emotional I got over the characters conflicts, Toshio's route especially had me bawling like toddler. But I also couldn't help but crack up at some of the innuendos sprinkled around, I feel like you've achieved the perfect balance between the humor and the more serious moments. From the bottom of my heart I truly thank you for spending so much time dedicated to this game, it has been such a wonderful experience.
P.S. I would have never expected Toshio to have masochistic tendencies, I found it highly amusing to see him so submissive towards Aya XD.
P.P.S. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much for your kind words and comment ! It really means a lot for me that you loved it that much <3
I'm glad you liked Toshio ! I wasn't sure if people would appreciate him more after his "twist", but fortunately it seems that most of the players did end up loving him very much x)
I'll keep trying my best for the future games I'm planning to do and hope you will like them as well. Thank you again (^ o^)/
Thank you for playing and loving the game ! <3
I'm happy you like all the characters so far and Haru to the point to play the route twice ! (° O °)
Thank you again for your kind comment, I hope you'll like the future projects as well since I'm planning to do more (don't hesitate to join the discord server if you are curious about what I'm doing beside) ~
I enjoyed this game, however, I really disliked the abrupt open ended endings. I would have liked to see some epilogues for every route as well. There is also some anatomy issues with the art. Music was beautiful.
other than that I loved it.
Sorry you disliked the endings, I hope it didn't waste too much the whole story to you (u___u)
As for the anatomy, haha... yes... I'm not the better at anatomy, but I plan to get better ^^"
But thank you for appreciating the game either way (^ w ^)
I usually don't comment but I loved this game so much! Seriously, I had ended up getting super attached to all the guys, so by the time the sweet route was over I was super heartbroken! Thanks so much for all the time you spent on this game, and I'm really excited to play whatever you work on next. P.S. I loved Haru and Toshio sm!
Oh no, sorry you were heartbroken ;-;
But also, thank you for your kind comment ! Also, I'm glad you love Haru and Toshio, because I was so sure they would be the ones who might receive the most hate/displeased comments about their routes x)
Wow, amazing! This was one of the best otome games that Ive played this year, and I play alot. The writing was fantastic and the art was very cute. Really great work!
Thank you for playing and loving the game!
I'm flattered you appreciated it this much ~
This was so good omg, have you worked on any games before this, I really want to play them!
Thank you for loving the game !
It's my first own game, but I plan to do more in the future (^ w ^)
I don't know if this information interest anyone, but for now I'm kind of taking a rest by only being the director for the next one. Though, I do plan to work on the art and writing for the one(s) after that again ~
The third project will probably be a "top view rpg-like", so if I'm competent enough, I might also be able to do the code and music myself. I'll try my best ! (è w é)
Thank you again ~
Yay! Looking forward to your future work :3
such a lovely game! played through all of the routes for about 10 hours straight and my heart has never felt so whole :') i've loved everyone but my favorites were definitely yuta and haru! their stories hit close to some of my own personal experiences and i adore the dynamic between each other.
if i'm being honest, this is one of the best otome games i've played in awhile! so much love was put into this and it's such a blessing to be able to indulge in all of it ♡ i hope to see more of your work in the future!!
Thank you for playing and loving the game !
Woah you played 10hrs straight?! Hope you took time to rest... Now I feel concerned, but also super happy ! Thank you ! (> w <)
Also, it means a lot for me that you loved the game that much and that I was able to show my own love for it <3
I hope you'll like the future project(s) as well, thank you again for your kind comment ~
I love this game so much!!!! So far I've played every route, i haven't got Ikki's yet but my favorite is definitely Toshio, he's ending is sooo sad, I cried so much at the train scene.
Haru is definitely second, I just love him so much, I was kinda disappointed when i found out he was boy cause i thought i would get to date a girl, but I also kinda really liked the twist.
Thank you for playing and for loving the game so far !
Aww~
Yes, Toshio don't really have a happy ending, but I promise he will actually be happy in the future, with Aya ! ^^
I'm glad Haru ended being your second fav despite the twist. I'm aware people might be disapointed but I'm glad no o,e actually hate this character ! (>__<)
Hope you'll love Ikki as well, he seems to be the favorite amongst the players so far (our little tsundere).
Thank you again for your kind comment and feedback ! ❤
AHHHHHH!!!! I JUST FINISHED!!!!! IT WAS AMAZING!!!!
I really like Ikki too, i think he's tied with Haru, Ikki just just too adorable. I think i have a soft spot for boy tsunderes, just males ones tho, they're cute but the girls are really annoying, but there are a few exceptions.
I just love this game sooooooo much, it be hard for me to find something else that can't meet this level. Im so attached to all the characters. Haru, Ikki, Kenji and others. Especially Toshio, I still can't get over the fact he left.
Lastly I would like to thank you for creating this game, I spent the last 3 days playing it, and let me tell you it was honestly the best 3 day of my life. I will be recommending this game to my friends. Thank you again, and I'm looking forward to your next project, hope it will be just as good or even better then this one. <3
I'm still not used to people thanking me for something I made, but it does make me super happy ! Thanks to you for loving the game so much and for all the praise and compliments! (> w <)