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skysenshi (08.31.2005)
Tricky! Tricky!
There aren’t many maid themed bishoujo games I enjoy. For one thing, I live in a country where people cannot exist without maids and nannies. They take care of our homes, our children, do our dishes and laundry, and generally wake up very early in the morning to see to it that our meals are ready before we go down to eat. For another thing, they’ve become integral members of our household. So the idea of making them satisfy sexual cravings, above all the other things they have to do, seemed just kind of…cruel. Little My Maid, however, is another one of Will’s small packages of delight that sort of breaks many maid stereotypes.
Story and Characters
Your story begins by the beach, where you ponder about your failed university exams and your failed relationship with Yukari. As you, Ouji Kamogawa, agonize about things you cannot control, you stumble upon a damsel-in-distress. Your life then spirals into a world where luxury and mystery surrounds you. You are serviced by four beautiful maids, whose personalities, while being cliché, aren’t too difficult to tell apart. On top of that, the mansion’s lovely mistress, Hime, is all-obliging.
While one may think that this is just another maid game, it’s interesting to note that this is actually based on the Japanese folk tale: The Legend of Urashima Taro. The myth is recounted in the accompanying booklet. But for purposes of clarity, Urashima Taro was a young fisherman who rescued a sea turtle and was rewarded by being brought into an underground sea kingdom. He enjoyed the kingdom’s hospitality for three years before he had to return to Japan. Upon his departure, the Sea Empress gave him a wooden box with a warning to never open it if he ever wanted to return to the sea. Unfortunately, he discovered that he hadn’t really stayed undersea for three years—more like, three hundred years. He forgot all about the Empress’ warning and opened the box, which caused him to age and die instantly.
If you’ve read the game booklet, you wouldn’t be surprised by the game twists. Even then, it’s still nice to discover that there’s something more to the maids than just being obedient little nutcases.
Gameplay
The first thing that I love about this game is that I can multi-task. Meaning, I can answer my colleagues in Yahoo! Messenger while playing. The game continues while I reply on the window beside it. Options available are forward, backward, and fast forward. Now for the tricky part: you have four things to consider. These are the P-S Point, which is your personal stamina level, and the gauges that deal with Love, Trust, and Stamina. The way you toggle these gauges clues you in as to how you’re performing with the girls. At first I found myself disconcerted because whenever I tried to play the chivalrous gentleman, I lose the girls’ trust. I don’t want to play the asshole, but sometimes, you’re forced to. You can’t be too much of a jerk either, or all you’ll get are bad endings or dead ends. The good thing about this game is that once you get an idea as to what makes one girl respond, you may be able to lead yourself to the right path. That still doesn’t make the game any easier, but at least it makes the game more interesting than your regular run-of-the-mill shoujo games out there.
Audiovisuals
The art and animation are so cute. I mean, after being exposed to the overly distorted bodily proportions of the women in Slave Pageant, it’s nice to see something that’s closer to normal. I especially liked Mari’s sweet, angelic face. The voices are nicely done, each with their distinct gentle sound that fit each character perfectly. Even Aya, despite her strict countenance, has that sweet but firm voice that suits her pretty well. The background tracks are beautiful, poignant and haunting. They have this lightness in them that makes you feel somewhat ethereal while you’re going through the game.
Hentai Aspects
The only thing that isn't detailed in here is Ouji's penis. You hardly see it anywhere. There are lesbian and incestuous insinuations but nothing that's actually shown, except maybe in the harem route. Peeing and bondage scenes are standard occurrences. The drawings, however, aren't anything near disgusting so they're bearable. You don't even see blood in the deflowering events.
Other Features
The usual CG gallery and background music sections are included. My copy of Little My Maid came with limited edition soft vinyl character key chains and plastic laminated playing cards.
In hindsight, I suppose it is heartbreaking for Ouji to go through all that rejection and being ensconced in a magical mansion might just be the key to his salvation. If I were in his ex-gf Yukari’s place, I would have done the same thing—break his heart for fear of my own future. A visionary always thinks of relationships as partnerships, where you carry each other’s weight, including the responsibilities that go with it. Yukari, though, was a bit more unsympathetic than the regular female. She could have at least tried to help him recover instead of dumping him for another man. And without notice to boot!
Thank goodness for the beautiful creatures of Mistress Hime’s mansion. A little love and healing may just be the key to a miraculous future ahead. It just amazes me that I get to feel this good from none other than a very short bishoujo game. I think this is just the game for those who are feeling depressed or confused about their life’s general direction. Just sit back, relax, and let the imagination flow. (Just don't get too carried away and think that just because you feel like slacking off, a gang of luscious babes would come to rescue you. Heh.) |
