Genso Manège, an otome visual novel game by MAGES. and Love&ART, was released on January 31 in English for the first time and I got to play it on Nintendo Switch for Anime Corner. The otome fangirl in me was thrilled when I heard that another otome game was going to be localized in the West, especially since Genso Manège caught my eye when I was in Japan late last year.
Genso Manège
Genso Manège is a Japanese visual novel otome game created by MAGES. and Love&ART. It was first released in Japan in January 2020 for the Nintendo Switch and later for mobile in October. The English release was handled by PQube.
Genso Manège is a magical fantasy romance, where players play as a young witch named Emma, who lost both her memories and magic and a music box shaped like a merry-go-round that was created by her father. One day, she heard news that a traveling amusement park was coming to town. When she visits, she meets the park director, Hugo, who asks for her help in freeing the staff from their curse. To do that, Emma must train to awaken her magical power as she works alongside the park employees.
A Visual Novel Otome Game With a Mini-Game
First, let’s start with the gameplay mechanics for Genso Manège. There isn’t anything special about the gameplay, as it follows the usual visual novel format that most otome games have. As you go along with the story, there will be times when you have to make a choice. These choices are important as they help raise the affection of the six characters you will be romancing. There are plenty of chances to raise the affection of characters in the first three chapters of the game. The fourth chapter of the game is where the romance starts as it branches off and goes to the route with the character that has the highest affection. Luckily, the game gives you a status screen, so you’ll know how high the affection points are for each character and can guess which route you will be in.
This game also has a mini-game called the Éveil System, making Genso Manège one of the handful of otome games to have a mini-game. It’s a simple mini-game that allows you to awaken Emma’s powers by using the touch screen on the Nintendo Switch. It’s great if you want a bit of a break from the reading, but in all honesty, this mini-game isn’t needed nor is it important in the game especially since you have the option to skip it. It doesn’t affect the story at all.
A Magically Sweet and Sad Romance Story
The most important part is the story and romance! Genso Manège has a good story that is rich with magic and romance. The romance was heart-pounding, just what I look for in an otome game. I especially need to praise the background music, as it was also a nice touch that kept that romantic tension going. It is also sad.
Each character has their own unique storyline while still connecting to the overarching plot of a magic-driven world. You get to learn about each of the characters you romance, why they were in the amusement park in the first place, and fall in love with them. Going through most of the routes was really sad and sometimes can be quite emotionally tasking. I found out the hard way that there are two endings and after going through both endings for one character, I decided that I was going to get the best possible ending out of the two to avoid the heavy feelings.
Since each character has a unique storyline, if you are the type of person who wants to know what really happened, in what we call the “True Story,” you should know that most of the character routes won’t give you that. This is pretty normal in an otome game though since each character is unique. Only certain characters can give you the whole story of what really happened to the protagonist.
There is a catch though: there is one character that you need to work to get to. This secret character is definitely worthwhile and I suggest putting in the effort to secure their route.
The after-stories were my favorite part of the game; they were quite sweet and emotional and it’s worth getting to them. To unlock them, you have to complete the “correct” route but completing the routes also unlocks other extras, that are very worthwhile, regardless of the after-story.
Genso Manège: A Great Game That Otome Fans Should Play
Overall, Genso Manège is a great game that otome fans should try to play. While all six characters have unique personalities that you might like and can choose from, it’s actually the different storylines that each route has that bring the spark to this game. I enjoyed most of the stories, but would say Hugo’s is in my top three. Having it fully voiced (in Japanese) also adds the cherry on top and I have to mention that the translation was without any hiccups. Genso Manège is a game worth playing for otome gamers.
Genso Manège is currently out on Steam and the Nintendo Switch. A demo is also available on the official Steam store page. Physical editions are available in both PEGI and ESRB formats at select retailers. Go to Genso Manège’s official website to find the nearest retailer for more information.
© MAGES./LOVE&ART published by PQube Ltd.
Disclaimer: Anime Corner was given a copy of Genso Manège in exchange for a review.