It has been a while since I last reviewed a Visual Novel, so when Charade Maniacs dropped in our inbox, I was all over it. Not because I like the Otome setting but because I like to play Visual Novels (VNs) in general. This VN has a who-done-it aspect, which was a nice change of pace and set in the distant future – another plus. What’s Otome? I’ll explain in a bit.
Charade Maniacs
In the near future…
Summer break was around the corner.
Hiyori Sena, a sophomore in high school, was living a peaceful life.
One day, as she was walking home with her childhood friend, a masked figure appeared before them.
The two were abducted and taken to a strange world with two moons.
When they awoke, they met nine others in the same predicament.
In their confusion, the mysterious figure began to speak.
“Welcome to Arcadia!”
“In this world, if you perform for us, your wildest dreams can come true!”
To find their way home, the group was forced to work together and act in an assortment of scenes from a drama.
They were also made aware that a traitor walked among them…
What could be the motive of this traitor?
And why are they all being forced to act?
Unable to fully trust anyone, whose hand will she take in the end?
Insert dramatic anime soundtrack! Yes, VNs at their best (or worst). As I said before, Charade Maniacs is set in the distant future with great AI and tech upgrades to make life easier. This particular VN falls in the Otomo category, a story-based video game targeted towards women. Generally, one of the goals, besides the main idea/goal, is to develop a romantic relationship between the female main player character and one of the usually male secondary lead characters. Charade Maniacs features nine secondary lead characters, each with a different route. Let’s run down the characters quickly and dive into the actual VN afterward.
Nine different suitors
A voice actor fully voices each character, and I must say, they didn’t go for the cheapest route with these actors. One of my fellow reviewers compiled a list of other projects they had done, so I’ll thank them kindly and do a quick rundown.
Kenichi Suzumura as “Tomose Banjo” – Masato (Utapri), Sogo Okita (Gintama), Zack (FF7R), Tsubaki (Brothers Conflict), Choun (Juzaengi), The Merchant (The House in Fata Morgana), Shou (P4), Shizuru Migiwa (NilAd), Lind Rozy (Hamefura), Garay Alvaro (WoF), Shin Asuka (Gundam Seed Destiny)
Soma Saito as “Kyoya Akase” – Mineo (CollarxMalice), Tsurumaru/Namazuo (Touken Ranbu), Shungen (Birushana), Levi (Psychedelica AH), Yves (Virche Evermore), Yumeno Gentaro (Hypnosis Mic), Kikunosuke (Tengoku Struggle), Ohtaro (Winter’s Wish), Takuma (Kitty Love)
Megumi Ogata as “Mizuki Iochi” – Kurama (YuYu Hakusho), Yugi (Yugioh), Sailor Uranus (Sailor Moon), Nagito (Danganropa), Ken Amada (Persona Series), Yukito (Card Captor Sakura), Ayato (Angel Beats), Phantom (Princess Nightmare), Princess Emeraude (Magic Knight Rayearth)
Tomokazu Seki as “Ryoichi Futami” – Hashida Itaru (Steins;Gate), Ibuki (Hakuoki), Gilgamesh (FATE/Extella), Kanji Tatsumi (P4), Melissa (KamiAso), Nenji Ogata (13 Sentinels), Rob Lucci (One Piece), Sanemi Shinazugawa (Demon Slayer), Shinya Kogami (Psycho-Pass)
Maeno Tomoaki as “Keito Ebana” – Lupin (Code Realize), Riku (Lover Pretend), Yamanbagiri (Touken Ranbu), Red (TaiAli), Camus (Utapri), Radius (Period Cube), Keisuke Sanjo (CollarxMalice), Son Hak (Yona of the Dawn)
Daisuke Namikawa as “Mamoru Chigasaki” – Takeru Sasazuka (CollarxMalice), Hugh (Psychedelica AH), Oodenta (Touken Ranbu), Kinji (Winter’s Wish), Vishnal (Rune Factory 4), Yuichi Lomura (Hiiro no Kakera), Yu (Persona 4), Kagero (Scarlet Nexus)
Yoshitsugu Mastuoka as “Souta Gyobu” – Akaza (Olympia Soiree), Alice (Taisho x Alice), Monshiro (Pyschedelica BB), Rin Okazaki (Spiral Memoria), Takuro Miyashiro (Chaos;Child), Kirihiko (NilAd), Nicol Ascart (Hamefura)
Makoto Furukawa as “Mei Dazai” – Yoritomo (Birushana), Lugus (Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk), Allan Melville (Cupid Parasite), Crius Castlerock (even if Tempest), Kazuma (Lover Pretend), Adage (Steam Prison), Ookurikara (Touken Ranbu)
Nobuhiko Okamoto as “Takumi Haiji” – Hansel (Code Realize), Manabu Souda (Collar x Malice), Hizamaru (Touken Ranbu), Yang (Piofiore), Hiroya (Period Cube), Peter Flage (Cupid Parasite), Iris (Iris School of Wizardry), Bakugo (MHA)
I rarely spot names I know in these lists, mostly because I read a lot of manga instead of watching anime. However, some games are on the list, and I did play those. You might wonder why I even bother to list them. For some fans, it’s a big deal to play/watch/read everything said actor does. Comparable to being a fan of a band or something, Japanese voice actors often have huge followings as well.
Gameplay
Visual Novels work with routes, which can be unlocked by making certain choices. This way, you can get up to nine different outcomes (with true and bad endings excluded from the equation). It’s mostly like reading a book, but with beautiful drawing art and voice acting for the parts you’re reading. These games are often used to train those who want to hone their Japanese – and I can see why.
I spent most of my time playing this game on auto mode, whether with my Switch docked or handheld on the couch. I prefer to read quicker than the standard option for autoplay, so I increased the speed, but for those who enjoy a slower pace, it’s also an option. Each character route takes around 3 hours to complete, and it’s important to note that seven of the nine love interests only have one specific ending. After your initial playthrough, the common route can be skipped, with only a few new branches to unlock here and there in each subsequent playthrough. All routes combined would take approximately 50 hours to complete.
One of the standout features of Charade Maniacs is that each route offers hints about the larger storyline, keeping you guessing the identity of the “traitor” and each character’s motivations. You’ll question whether these charming men are genuinely on your side, who’s truthful, who’s lying, and who you can trust the most. It’s Danganronpa but with likable men (or boys). The main difference is that it’s not about killing others; it’s a futuristic version of 1984’s world. I loved the premise itself was very good and well-presented at the outset. It hyped me up for the game’s mystery aspect, fueling my excitement of wanting to delve deeper and uncover more hidden secrets of the world of Arcadia.
Arcadia
In my experience playing Charade Maniacs multiple times, I found that the game did not quite deliver its promise of suspense and thrill. Although the game was enjoyable, and some routes provided gripping tension and mystery, most of the plot points ultimately led nowhere, making the overall situation seem trivial. Despite warnings of a “dead end,” the sense of urgency was lacking in most routes. Many interesting parts hinted at something, but they were never explored further. On a more positive note, I appreciated the character-driven nature of the game. Over time, I grew to like and enjoy all the characters – even the weirdos. However, as a whole, the romance aspect of the game felt a bit lukewarm. While some routes effectively built up the relationship between the love interest and the heroine, others confused me. I had expected more from the narrative, but unfortunately, it fell flat and lacked impact.
Conclusion
In my opinion, Charade Maniacs was a decent otome game that took me on a sort-of-thrilling adventure. It captured the essence of a good mystery visual novel by keeping me on my toes throughout the game. The whole who did it aspect is well woven through the plot; even though it had flaws and the heroine was imperfect, I still enjoyed playing it. The fantastic voice acting and the exceptional cast made my experience even better. This might be a good pick for those who are into sci-fi and otome games.
