My Darling Dark Elf

[h1]UNDERWHELMING[/h1] My Darling Dark Elf is yet another yuri Visual Novel by ebi-hime. This time, it's a kinetic story (meaning there are no choices), following the lives of a young elven girl named Nienke and her childhood friend, Merel. I'm usually a big fan of ebi-hime's work. While their stories aren't necessarily deep or long, the pure cuteness and wholesomeness they offer is unmatched. They are usually the perfect games for unwinding at the end of the day. Unfortunately, My Darling Dark Elf feels like one of their weaker titles. The story isn't very engaging - in fact, it's not even as cute as their usual standard - and the artwork feels somewhat inferior to their other projects. Maybe this is just a one-off misstep and their next game will be a return to form, but I didn't particularly enjoy My Darling Dark Elf and [b]can't recommend it[/b]. It's by no means an awful game, but it ultimately leaves you feeling underwhelmed. [b]World[/b] It is set in a real-world setting (around the 1960s) but with fantasy elements - specifically elves, though other fantasy races are hinted at at one point. The story takes place in a quaint village bordering Belgium, but that is pretty mu…

Very moe like " My Dear Prince ". Simple cottagecore story always relaxes me and I want to headpat endlessly Nienke.

petite tsundere x golden retriever dark elf couple that sometimes dresses as maids and sometimes dresses in wedding gowns. nienke doesn't remember her past very well, but regains her memories as the VN progresses. i appreciate that she realizes her feelings for merel before she fully recalls her most important memories, because the alternative would feel a bit contrived. the romance is sweet and nienke's reactions to merel's bold behavior is funny. however, i felt like the worldbuilding was a bit lacking. i liked hearing about mors paravail, and how the elves are in caves or underground or something like that, but the description of why the war between the humans and the elves came about was a bit lacking. i guess the explanation amounted to "the war happened because the elves and humans were different races" but there wasn't much depth to it. it didn't ring true to me the way that economic or religious reasons might. i would've liked to hear about a corrupt and eccentric elf king, if only for a little bit. then again, the reason does have a bit of basis in history, so i guess it's the framing of fantasy racism being natural that rubs me the wrong way. it's not that important thou…

I really enjoyed this VN! Nienke as a protagonist really spoke to me. I related to her being an introvert and a reader, to her struggles with waking up early, and her complex feelings on living with her parents as an adult. The plot itself isn't overly complex, as you might expect for a slice-of-life VN, but Nienke's character and her relationships with the side characters really brought a lot of depth to the story. There's lots to explore in her interpersonal relationships: her budding friendship/romance with Merel, of course (who has a rough-and-tumble personality type that I just adore), her relationship with her parents (who are soooo cute I'd read a whole VN about just them LOL), her somewhat estranged relationship with her best friend Cornelia, and her tough-love mentor, Mrs van Dijk. It was really fun to see how Nienke navigated each of these relationships and grew within them; she's somewhat of a prickly person, but ultimately, she wants to do right by all of the people that she cares about, and I think that's showcased really well from scene to scene, with side characters each getting a turn in the spotlight with her. The art is also super cute! I really loved each illust…