Him, the Smile ＆ bloom

HanaKare or Him, the Smile and Bloom(?!) is an otome distribued on PC by PQube, so if you have followed a few PQube games...you know what to expect lol. Genso Manege, Celestia, Busafellows... Sometimes some hard hitting moments, other times just goofy ♥♥♥♥ and varying quality in storytelling. Though, they don't shy away from mature topics, which is what I like most about them. HanaKare is an atypical romance game in that it centres around 4 different couples who start the game not in a relationship and through the game, either end up broken up or in one together. The whole point is seeing the development of their like to love and what the future holds for them. The protagonists all work with or at the Fill Flower florist chain and meet through that. Why a florist needs 4+ employees on the clock when they have zero customers for 90% of the day is beyond me, but suspend your disbelief. The game consists of a short intro and then you select the MMC from the menu and continue through around 15 chapters of story to either the Glow (good), Bloom (normal) or Wither (bad) endings. There's no real route order, just pick a fella and go for it. I was really interested in playing this game b…

100% recommend this if you're lookiing for light refreshment in otome game! I really love this game and since it have light story, it can be relate to us especially if you're in your 20ish age (cried in between the story because it relate a lot in my life lol) There's some MC that really same with me in character term and I love how their ML convey their love not in rush, especially with Tenya & Wataru ah I really love them And how they connect the story with flower, it makes the story more different with the others otome. The VA also really done an amazing job imo >< Oh oh also I can say the universe in this game also great too since we have different MC but we can see them in the other perspective MC so it doesn't look like we're doing harem

It's a short novel, but I enjoyed reading it a lot! I completed every route (good end only) + all specials (including Halloween DLC). Each route overall is about 5+ hours-ish, and each special is 20 minutes long (including the DLC). I was reading this during breaks from heavier, more angst filled titles, and it was refreshing to read stories where everyone is happy and doing well :D "Slice of life" and "fluff" would be best descriptors of this novel.

This is a fun and pleasant game for when you want something lighter.

This is a good investment of time in the sense that it's given me a lot of comfort and a lot of strength throughout my day. When it says it's a mature otome game, I don't think it's lying, although sometimes I do wonder on how mature it really is. But even despite that matter, I can understand why it is marketed as such and if you enjoy slice of life with no real "drama" (for the most part, really) and adult relationships - this game will be a hit. In a sense I think it's just really cute and I'll definitely revisit it later, for whenever I want to seek out comfort again!

I thoroughly enjoyed the game. The characters are all ones I root for through the entire thing. Wataru's route is done in a way I don't care much for, but that's about my only complaint. The guys are sweet, the girls are relatable, subtitles for the English version needs some revision, and the storylines are really good. The other three routes hold a certain charm and have a mature romantic feel, but Tenya is best boy and my favorite route by far. None of the others measure up to those standards.