My Forged Wedding

Damn you, Voltage. There I was, after 11:30 at night, about to put my phone down and go to sleep. And then I realised I hadn't yet checked in to Love 365 to get my free daily coins (or the random heart that I can't figure out what to do with). So I sign in and think, heh, I'll check and see if there are any new free routes posted.

Bastards.

I didn't get to sleep until nearly 1.

They had to go and post a free route for one of the ones I've been wanting to read for a long time. Actually, two of my favourite heroines...the one from My Forged Wedding and Our Private Homeroom (the latter being one I was surprised to like). But I'd been waiting on Ren for ages and had almost bought his story a number of times. The biggest thing stopping me was I was afraid he'd turn out like that wet blanket Seiya from When Destiny Comes Knocking. That route had literally made me cancel my Love 365 subscription for a couple months. Burn it with fire. Seriously.

See, I like the silent types so long as they ACTUALLY COMMUNICATE AT SOME POINT.

Okay. I'll stop complaining about Seiya now. Let's talk about Ren.

As in all these routes, you're newly arrived in the big city and your "Uncle" is supposed to help you out in finding a job, etc. All of his friends want help with a favour. You pick Ren to help, maybe because he seems quiet and unthreatening. So, what is this favour? You're supposed to go live with him and pretend to be his fiancé. They really draw out the reveal in this one (I don't really understand the purpose of that, unless it's just to pad the story...realistically (hahaha did I just use that word?) you'd think they'd want to prepare you for your role before you meet the people you have to convince).

Turns out Ren is a prince from a small European country and they want him to come back home. He'd promised he would if he didn't find a fiancé in 10 years. Don't think, honestly, he's ever tried as he's spent all his time researching. He wants to create a new drug and bring industry and prosperity to his people. He's almost at a breakthrough and about to get funding.

I'm going to completely ignore how all of the details about his job really don't make sense. I know too many people in that industry and in research. Anywho...

Daniel, Ren's butler, appears. You have to convince him. Complicating things is that he moves in next door and pops up unexpectedly. Expected hijinks ensue. Things come to a head when the royal family sets up an engagement party in their home country and you both have to attend. By this time, you're both in love but neither have either said it and/or realised it. But the guilt is all-consuming as you continue to lie to people with your heart not in it. In the end, after far too many realllllly long plane trips back and forth, you find each other and confess.

So, okay, the story is both typical and a bit weak in logic and logistics. And towards the end the writing even falls apart a bit and gets really clumsy. BUT I do really like Ren and how he gradually opens up. Love all the reactions from the rest of the guys when he starts acting "in love." He's a sweet, gentle dude and the scene with the kiss on the back of the neck was really nice. The MC is still feisty and loyal. So the lack of sleep was worth it. I may just need a nap later.

---------Below is what I'd previously written up about My Forged Wedding...decided to move it here from the massive Love 365 post so that it would all be in one place...this is definitely one of my more favoured storylines from the app----------

My Forged Wedding

You're looking for a job and you've traveled to whatever big city it is to visit your uncle (who isn't actually your uncle, thank goodness, since he's one of the route options) in hopes of finding work. Instead, you get roped into pretending to be someone's wife...

Things I like in general about this one: the MC is no fainting flower. She drinks sochu and is, at least in the bits I've seen, basically one of the guys in a lot of ways. Even though she gets roped into a weird situation, she's a fairly tough girl.

I started playing this one as the standalone app and it's now been transferred as well. I played Yuta's route in the original. He's a comedian and I have no idea why I picked him as he's honestly the least my type out of all the guys. I don't remember why. He needs you to pretend to be his ball-and-chain for a television show and you have to basically henpeck him on TV. He's pretty funny and sweet and I overall enjoyed his route, but I didn't like how he kind of disappeared towards the end (to create that separation anxiety in the plot, I suppose). And...he's kind of a puppy. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this route to other people, but it wasn't bad.

Then Yamato popped up as a free option once it got moved to Love 365 and I did his route. He's a teacher at an all girl's school and needs you to pretend to be his wife so he doesn't get fired. I enjoyed this one more than Yuta. Yamato's one of those guys that makes fun of you and is very bull-headed, but a softie on the inside. It just takes you a while to get there. My least fav bit is the stuff with the teenage student. The MC wasn't as strong in this route in some ways and caved a bit too much. But it all came together in the end and there's a bit more shmexy to this route than Yuta. Definitely.

This is Takao. He's freaking adorable.
That's not even his kid. He's like a cousin.
When the MC comes in and finds him like this,
she totally joins in the nap. Who wouldn't?

I also used my monthly pass to buy the Takao route. He's a lawyer and needs you to play his fiancé because his ailing grandmother has one last dying wish. Okay, he's my fav so far for this story. He's just so freaking nice. There's not a bad bone in his body. And his family is great too -- especially grandma, who has a ton of tricks up her sleeve. The MC is good in this one too and they both show themselves to be very caring people. Probably one of my fav Voltage routes. Still working my way through Sequel and Wedding Bells as I took some time out to do Sosuke. This is a cleansing route...meaning, even though there's the required minimum angst, you don't ever want to burn anyone with fire. It's nice, romantic, and sexy too.

It's routes like this one that make me not delete the Love 365 app. I'm sure there are people who prefer the "bad boys" and the sarcastically mean tsunderes and yanderes, but I'm not one of those people. I can get treated badly in real life.

I do also want to play through Ren (the Researcher -- no idea why he needs you to be his fake wife) because I actually like the kind of silent types as long as it isn't over done (I'm looking at you, Seiya)). Not sure about the others, a lot of which weren't even mentioned in the prologue, or the uncle character (because that just feels kinda weird).