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The Aloof Delinquent Who Stole My Heart: Bad Boys Do It Better!-Rei Todo

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So, I couldn’t have been more surprised by how much I loved this route! The prologue for this game did a piss poor job of conveying how great of a game this was, and I want to amend my harsh criticism of it!

Rei Todo, is wonderful perfect adorably cute the cool aloof guy from the prologue. His cool demeanor and sharp tongue keep others at a distance. Not that anyone could even get the chance in the first place, as he spends most of the school year skipping class up on the roof. In the past he was burned by someone he cared about, so he’s very reluctant to open up… But, when he does, he becomes a playful, yet straightforward guy.

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own any of the images used in this review, ALL images, screenshots, and characters belong to Voltage Inc. Please if you are interested in the game, download the game for free in the App Store or from Google Play and purchase the stories when they are available in your area.**

Available: Google Play | App Store | Amazon App Store

His bark is worse than his bite

After the power goes out in the dormitory, the MC feels someone grab her hand, when the power returns she sees that the perpetrator is none other than Rei. Confused, she confronts him about it, but he vehemently denies being anywhere near her and storms off. I, like the MC, wrote him off as a weirdo before vowing to stay as far away from the bastard as humanly possible. But as luck would have it, she is immediately made to share a textbook with him during Literature class the next day. Initially she is reluctant to be near the guy, but she tries to make the best of the situation by initiating some small talk with him. Depending on how you respond to the Bet on Love segment, he will either insult you or talk about literature.

Despite being a slacker, Rei is surprisingly knowledgeable, especially when it comes to literature. In his spare time he reads the works of Shakespeare and Faust, and he has a tendency to quote famous literary works. Even though he’s a serial skipper, he still manages to stay among the top ranking students in his class. His favorite place to slack off is on the school’s roof, where he can be found napping, because of this the other students give the area a wide berth. Despite his prickly personality, he seems to be close to his fellow housemates, particularly Keiichirou and Akira.
Both guys (though most often Kei) offer the MC insight into his personality and offer her support when rumors begin to spread about Rei throughout the school. Prior to the story, Rei was expelled from his old school due to an unknown incident, which lead to him having to repeat a year. Rumor has it that he impregnated a female student and was forced to drop out, but he remains rather tight lipped on the matter. The real reason behind it, is even more bittersweet than I could have ever imagined and I want to commend the writers for dealing with the situation tastefully.

In the past, Rei was burned by someone he cared for and because the nature of their relationship came out, he was forced to leave school. The incident also lead to him developing lethargy and being unable to sleep well. In a way his cold personality can be attributed to it as well, as he hardly ever opens up to anyone. At first it seems that his I don’t care attitude looks seems to be a part of some tough guy act, but really, he’s just given up on trusting others. When the MC pushes her way into his life, he’s initially confused, he eventually grows used to her and accepts her as an inevitability. As they spend time together he warms to her considerably, sharing his love of literature with her and even napping in her lap. He goes about wooing her like any high school student would, in a clumsy but endearing way. When his guard is down his, cold words turn into light teasing, which was absolutely adorable. He is also a bit of a jealous guy, often pulling the MC away from the other guys when they get too close to her. I love that he becomes a better person because of the MC. Not only does he learn to open his heart to another person, but he also learns to let go of his past for the good of his future. I really feel that he developed very naturally over the course of the route.

When Rei falls in love he becomes a bit possessive and commanding, but in a good way. It was really cute to see him assert his claim over the MC to the other guys. But, he’s still rather awkward about his feelings, so expect a lot of blushing in the future!

A sheep among wolves

This MC is both a lover and a fighter, she definitely has a little bite to her, which comes in handy when you’re the only girl in a school for delinquents! This girl gave me life! Most of her thoughts and dialogue choices were pretty spot on with my own reactions. She doesn’t let herself get pushed around very easily, standing up to the Rei (and the others) when they do or say anything she is uncomfortable with. When Rei brushes her off, she stands her ground and pushes back twice as hard. When Rei refused to open the door for her, she set up a makeshift mailbox outside his door, where she would leave food and assignments for him. In the end her determination and persistence is what really won both me and Rei over.

She’s also pretty down to earth about everything, sure she freaks out about being the lone female in a den of horny wolves, but she always tackles obstacles reasonably. When a rival from Rei’s past shows up, the MC handles herself with a level of grace and poise well beyond her years. She doesn’t whine or complain, when things get tough. But, I was especially impressed with how well she deals with the rumor mill, when rumors spread about Rei’s ‘illicit’ behavior, she sticks by him and trusts that he is not what everyone says he is. Then when one of her housemates starts crushing on her, she turns him down in a very mature way.

I thought everybody did that…

However, she does suffer from excessive sweating… I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry about that, it was both cute and extremely silly. Another thing that bugged me, was at how convenient the plot is… How in the hell, did she enroll in an all-boys school without realizing it? I mean come on, no one decided to tell her that she would be the only girl! Then there is the casual way her mom brushes off the situation when she finds out too! I find that extremely hard to believe! The only silver lining is that the MC is aware of her situation, and takes care to protect herself against unwanted attention (though a a sticky situation does occur anyway).

Do I Recommend His Route?

After playing through the prologue, I was seriously beginning to regret purchasing Rei’s route. He is such a dick towards the MC, that I was having flashbacks to Keith from Be My Princess. But, I’m not one to drop a game that I’ve payed good money for without at least giving it the old college try…and pretty soon I was squealing like a silly schoolgirl at every little thing Rei said and did. I take back all of my complaints from my Mini Review, I judged this game prematurely and I apologize. I am very impressed with the overall writing of the characters in this game, Voltage has clearly outdone themselves here!  From the music to the CGs, this game truly amazed me!

I don’t know who that guy from the prologue was, but that is NOT Rei, the guy presented in this route was very well written! Sure Rei is cold, if not downright mean in the beginning, but when he opens up… *swoon* it makes all of his earlier bitterness worth it. From his fear of the dark to his habit of laying on the MC’s lap, everything about him was just too cute for words. I wanted to hug this temperamental kitty and tell him everything was going to be alright! In fact, Rei reminded me a bit of Ren from My Forged Wedding and Kota from Scandal in the Spotlight. Both characters are tough nuts to crack, but when you do, they’re putty in your hands!

Usually, Voltage likes to give us a love triangle or two, and when I saw that the MC would be living with five teenage boys, I sort of expected one to develop. But, what I was not prepared for was a love quadrangle, damn Voltage ya’ll took go big or go home a little too seriously! Not only does a woman from Rei’s past pop up halfway through the story, but Ryoji Ryukai falls hard for the MC as well. Like I didn’t get enough Second Lead Syndrome from my K-dramas, they had to go on and cram it into my otoge as well. At least the whole situation was handled well, and I was satisfied by how little drama came about as a result of the whole thing. Aside from Ryoji and Rei’s rooftop brawl, both rivals took rejection well and for that I am extremely grateful! I am also impressed with the depiction of the teacher/student relationship aspect of the story, it was very well written and in no way felt forced within the overall context of the plot. Now if we could get a teacher route in one of these games, I’d be over the moon (Saejima is too yummy looking to be healthy).

*On a side note: There are a few cameos from some of the Dreamy Days in West Tokyo boys, which made me giggle and a mention of Kota and Revance from Scandal in the Spotlight.

There are two endings for this route, the Teenage Dream Ending and the After Class Romance Ending. Both are wonderful, in the Teenage Dream End, Ms. Tanaka clears everything up for Rei. Afterwards, Saejima comes to clear up the aftermath of the fight. After a getting chewed out by Saejima, Rei and Ryoji rejoin the group…hilarity ensues. The day ends with a sweet rooftop date, where he clears up the hotel rumor again and he and the MC share a kiss in the orange glow of the sunset. In the After Class Romance End, the MC breaks up Rei and Ryuji’s fight, announcing to everyone that she trusts Rei. Still not satisfied Ryuji demands that Rei explain himself, but Rei ignores him, instead grabbing the MC and leaving the rooftop behind. They head to the park to play hookie, spending a quiet moment alone together. The next day at school Ms. Tanaka clears up the hotel situation, afterwards the MC and Rei share a romantic moment on the school’s roof. To be honest I prefer the  After School Romance Ending, on a count of the Kiss CG…*remembers CG* damn…

I learned and important lesson from this route, never judge a game by its prologue! I was impressed by this game and I can’t wait to see what the other routes have in store! This route reminded me that when done right, high school romances can give you butterflies! I highly recommend this route, go and let this apathetic jerk worm his way into your heart! 

Thank you for reading and Supporting Blerdy Otome! If you like what you see be sure to drop a like or a comment to let me know your thoughts about Rei’s Main Story!!