Sugar * Style

Where do I even begin? Sugar Style was recommended by ChatGPT for me because I don’t know anything about VNs, so after I randomly bought Previously Making Lovers because it was cheap for 15 euros. The reason why I started to play VN games is because Doki Doki Literature Club was my first game on PC. And now, since I started my small journey with this game, I just have to leave a positive review. This game means a lot to me as of this time. The characters, the voice actors, and the story was so nice to read. The way the comedy, romance, and real-life stuff happens in there is very relatable. This game was really something. It felt like I really was in the game as the character because, weirdly enough, the main character was way too relatable. I love how each girl is different. Mao being a caring, childish, tsundere-ish type was nice to see, and her dream made me want to play the game even more. So then I started with Ichika since she was Mao’s best friend, and her path was outright dreamy but still realistic. Then it was Kaname’s turn, and man, the plot twist was funny. I just had to laugh out loud. Last but not least, Hare. She was, I’d say, my favorite because she and I have somew…

Sugar * Style is a SMEE moege with a lot of comedy in it. Personally I find Making * Lovers better and I haven't read Fureraba yet. In short, if you're looking for moege fluff, you'll definitely enjoy Sugar * Style. If you're looking for substance beyond romcom hijinks, don't expect much. One important thing of note is that this game actually has a vocational school setting and not your standard "academy," which actually led me to get this instead of Fureraba. Neat stuff.

Maybe it's just me, but translated terms like CIS and Male Gaze in this game are clearly not Japanese in origin. It's a shame because playing a Japanese VN, most people want authenticity. Those were just the obvious examples so it's even worse to think of what else might have been. In fact why bother translating a game of this genre if you're gonna use terms commonly used negatively for straight men. A side from that, the game does have nice graphics. There is very little in the realm of choice, you pretty much pick a route near the beginning and that's about it. Not really the worst, but your enjoyment will probably bank a lot on how you feel about the protag as despite being nameable he has quite the character acting out and slinging jokes.

Where fandisk I need more Maogao

Sugar Style is a romcom VN without much to offer. It has comedy, but I genuinely laughed more at my own riffing on the dialogue and narration than anything it presents. There are some actually funny scenes, but they're few and far between. It has romance, but it's shallow and paint-by-numbers, and some heroines act like children (e.g., giving the silent treatment) despite (supposedly) being university students. It has (very little) conflict, but in each route, it's mentioned briefly, disappears until the end, and then is resolved in under 10 minutes. The common route conflict of the protagonist assimilating to living in an all-girls dorm is decent, but decent isn't enough to save Sugar Style from its other flaws. I saw someone say to pass on trying the different "jobs" the protagonist can have in the common route because they're just fluff. And to that I say, brother, the whole game is fluff. 4/10

It's a good game!