If you’ve ever read my Toraware no Palm Refrain review, you probably know how much I love this series already; I absolutely needed to play the first game too!

The concept is basically the same: you end up confined on a secluded island and you can’t leave until the guy gets his memory back; you can try to get closer to him, sending him messages, gifts and meeting him from time to time. You can wander around the island, meeting different people and trying to find clues about the guy’s past. There’s also a cute mini game, when you gain points touching his body in his favorite parts while he sleeps; I know, it sounds weird and it actually is, but it’s all fanservice so don’t be surprised!

I was forgetting the creepiest part: you can stalk him every day, watching him through the security camera in his room. Of course, don’t tell him about it!

There are 2 playable guys: Aoi and Haruto.

I started with Aoi first, the blond guy always wins my heart.

On a rainy night, I see an handsome man, walking around with a lost expression on his face; he doesn’t realize that a car is coming, but I manage to save him, pushing him away before it’s too late.

When I wake up, a man called Imabe tells me that the mysterious man is probably involved in a drug traffic, and since I was at the accident scene, I’m now suspected too.

He suffers from amnesia, or so it seems, but to prove my innocence, I need him to remember about his past and his girlfriend who disappeared. And what’s the best idea, to help him figure it out? Pretending to be his girlfriend, apparently.

Aoi’s route starts with a lie, which is obviously the worse possible way to start a relationship.

I had an hard time faking it, I admit it: of course, becoming the lover of such an ikemen is a dream coming true, the heroine is lucky; but at the same time, I had a strong sense of guilt, since he seemed to trust me completely and he was sincerily sad that he couldn’t remember me at all.

When he got his memory back, I felt relieved, but I was also wondering how he could forgive me.

Of course, I wasn’t making fun of him the whole time, I just did as I was suggested from Imabe, to clear myself from suspictions; but I also played with his feelings, which is awful.

At some point, I didn’t even know what the truth was anymore. Was he faking his nice attitude too? What is Aoi’s real personality? Is he just a playboy?

This route gave me conflicted emotions, I enjoyed the ride, but it was wild; I felt my heart breaking at some point. I guess I was too involved in our relationship, his mesmerizing eyes pierced my heart and soul! Anyway, Aoi knows how to flirt with a girl.

If you’re weak to playboy types like me, this guy is for you, you’ll get hooked.

Haruto’s personality is completely the opposite: he’s diffident and shy, he barely talks; on the first meeting, he wears a hoodie that almost covers his face, avoiding eye contact and without any will to interact. It took a while to get his trust, he started opening up a bit at least in messages, so we gradually got a bit closer and started becoming friends.

The plot in his route was deeper, it involved his family and trauma from the past; it was interesting to discover the truth bit by bit, collecting all the pieces of the puzzle.

I liked him, but I admit he’s not my type: he’s always sleepy, he talks with a low tone… not my cup of tea; but his route was good, I can’t deny it, overall it was entertaining.

Did I enjoy Toraware no Palm?

Yes, a lot! I love this series so much, I really hope one day there will be another sequel.

Having to insert my name in the game made everything more “real”, since the heroine doesn’t even exist, she’s not present in any CG. This is very different from other otome, where cute or sexy couple CGs are the higlights of a route. Maybe the only problem, is that it gets repetitive sometimes, when you have to go around to various places just to collect stuff or ideas for conversations with the guy.

The best part of this game for me is that there are so many choices to make (and I highly recommend you to play blind, without using a walkthrough), that I had the feeling of creating the story as I was really part of it, instead of just sitting there and watching what happens; it created a special bond.

There’s no need to talk about the amazing art, I guess.

So yes, I recommend you to try this game (or Refrain if you want, it’s amazing too)!

This is the last game I review this year, I’m sure I won’t be able to complete something else before the month ends; see you in a few days with my 2021 otome game awards!