LogFAQs > #961911997

Anyway, it's top 4 time! It's Jusis' turn for me right now. He's cool and collected, but just the right amount of insecure that it doesn't come off the wrong way. For their scene they talk about how they can plan to convince Crow to return. Jusis being the first and only person to talk logistics with Rean is another reason I like him. He goes onto wonder on how he can do the same to convince Rufus, and Rean's like, uhhh, I didn't really think that was on the table. Same, buddy. That's why Jusis is better than you or me, he's just built different. Not much more to this one though. House of al-bro-ea is the achievement this time...definitely the same writer.

Coming up on our top 3, for #3 I'm going with Fie. I probably like her a little more than Sara overall but similar to Alfin, I'm a little worried where they're going to go with this. I picture them as more of a Lloyd/Tio father/daughter type vibe.

With Fie, for the first time in what is now the 10th conversation, Rean says that he doesn't actually think that Crow is going to come back to us, because Crow is so certain of his convictions. But then two sentences later says we'll get Crow back no matter what happens, so that's kind of a cruel fakeout. I was hoping we could get some insight into some self-doubt in Rean Schwarzer's mind, but he's too anime for that. I guess we can always just tie Crow up and drag him around with us against his will. He can be our Stockholm friend. We'll make you have fun, dammit!

Anyway, they go on to talk about Zephyr and all that, and she's like, you are all my family now, Alisa and Laura are sisters and Machias and Jusis are brothers, but you Rean...you're different. Oh god. Well it doesn't get too weird but they do hug and say they care about each other. They keep it ambiguous at least. Gotta play the loli pedo and the normal people crowds at the same time, I guess. What can you do...

Her achievement is 'Jaeger Mister' which is definitely the winner of the bunch. Next up will be Sara, which I'm sure one way or another will be interesting. We'll have to see how they want to play it. Sara talks about being unsure of her future after the war ends, in terms of continuing being a teacher, or going back to being a bracer, or something else. She definitely strikes me as much more of a bracer than a teacher, but I suppose that's the point. Wasn't she hired as a 'teacher' by Olivier to basically turn these kids into bracers-in-training? That's how I remember it.

Rean starts us off on the right foot with, I want to think of each other as peers. As more than just a teacher and student. Let's go Mack daddy. Sara is too shocked to respond. Rean follows up with, when I head out into the world as a real man, I want to be there for you as your equal. Yo Rean's got game, I'm actually kinda feeling it rn. Sara hits us with the, "Oh my, you're just full of surprises tonight" while blushing. Nice.

Sara says she goes more for a classy gentleman than a student, but Rean's like nah, Students grow up, boys become men. One day I'll be a dashing gent who can turn even your head. YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Sara goes ! on us and is like, all right then...close your eyes. Rean's surprised that his charm worked and Sara says, in the sultriest voice that Falcom let them get away with, 'Good students listen to their teachers.' Nice. She leans in and gives him a kiss and says think of that as an appetizer. In a couple of years, if you still want the main course, come and find me. I'll make it worth the chase.

Okay Misato, I see you. Ahhhh shit I'm an adult and I don't even know how I'd respond to that now. I don't have enough game for Sara lmao. "Don't worry...I'll be hungry." That's the best I got and I had to think about it. I'm not suave. Poor Rean is on the spot. But Sara knows Rean isn't ready either and follows up with "No rush..." to which Rean is finally able to clear the lump in his throat and respond with a "Thanks." We get our achievement which is, 'Worth the Wait'. Oh that's good.

Lmao, that was all good. I think they handled that one about as well as they could have....unlike the Fie and Alfin scenes. Maybe it's just a cultural bias towards the age gap of a younger man vs a younger woman. I don't know. Rean's 17 right, he's basically an adult, it's cool with me. The Alfin scene was actively bad though, the Fie one was a bit ambiguous. Before I had planned on doing them all I had decided I was going to do Sara and Alisa, so I'm glad that choice seems like the correct one. The one I wasn't expecting at all was Millium, that one hit me good. Anyway it's main course time for Rean, let's see what Alisa wants to do tonight.

Alisa comes in swinging; Rean asks what she was doing and she says that Ferris was giving her advice, blushing while saying it. Ahhhh youth. They go upstairs and Alisa asks if Rean remembers their first day here. Oh man they're gonna talk about this awkward tit grabbing scene they brought up 15 times last game. I was hoping we'd finally be over that. Alisa says that she kept thinking about that over and over again and eventually she couldn't get Rean out of her head. She likes a man that takes what he wants, huh? Oh no she says it was him risking himself to protect her when the floor fell out even though they'd just met...that's more romantic and not at all rapey so I am glad they clarified. But Rean follows up with, 'All the time you say you were thinking about me, I was probably thinking about you, too.' Oh, that's suave. I'll have to remember that one. If I ever use it though no girl can ever find out where I got it from.

He says that through all the long talks they've had about what they want to do with their lives, he was always thinking that no matter where their paths took them, he was hoping they'd combine. Oh man, Rean might have more game than Lloyd, actually. Whoever writes these scenes has a future in romance novels if Falcom goes under. "And even if our paths do end up parting and we go our separate ways, my feelings for you will never change." I will study these scenes, I stg Rean knows just what to say. He's just that dude.

They exchange the only I love you's that have felt properly believable with emotional buildup, and also have the only kiss not counting Sara's appetizer. It's clear who the designers thought you should be with, not that there was really any doubt there. I do wish they could just skip all this harem crap and just write stuff like this into the game proper. Like this is good stuff, Lloyd/Elie was good stuff but they really feel the need to give players choice so they can present us with that half assed Emma scene? Like, what's the point?

I guess that would've meant missing that Sara scene which was pretty great but they can still work those in and have canon romances I'm sure. I don't expect them to the way that jrpgs are going, these days...everyone wants to copy Persona 5. I don't blame them because that game is amazing, but at the same time not every game has to be Persona, you know? Personally I'm in the camp that prefers a strong narrative over everything else so things that get into the way of that like half baked relationship mechanics do get in the way. Illusion of freedom or too much choice or something, I don't know. But it's always different strokes I suppose, and these games are very successful (relatively) so I doubt they'll be switching up the formula much at this point.

Anyway, that scene comes to a close, and they definitely did save the best for last so that was nice. Alisa > Sara > Millium > Machias >> Jusis > Towa >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Emma > Laura > Gaius > Fie > Elliot >>>>>> Alfin. Pretty clear divide in quality IMO.