Hadaka Shitsuji (Naked Butlers) is a dark comedy boys love game developed by Mado Labo and localized by MangaGamer. Follow Tomoaki Maeda, a down on his luck man who is given the chance oversee an illustrious estate filled with hot butlers all willing to do his bidding. With so much power at his disposal, Tomoaki’s latent sadistic side awakens and he sees his new charges as a means to fulfill his most salacious fantasies….
Game Details
- Comedy | Boys Love | Butlers
- Available on Steam
- Price: $34.99
- 30 – 50 hours of gameplay
- Similar Games: No Thank You!!! | Room No. 9
Hadaka Shitsuji Official Synopsis
Maeda is working a crappy part-time job as a waiter at a local restaurant. It’s not the best gig, but he makes enough to pay his bills and he gets to work with his childhood friend, Sayaka. One day, a drunk customer comes into the shop and starts harassing Sayaka, and Maeda being the good guy that he is, steps in to defend her honor, laying the guy out. Rather than calling the police, his boss fires him on the spot—out of work and strapped for cash, Maeda’s luck turns around when he finds a strange flyer:
“30,000 yen a day.
A simple job that anyone can do! You can just sit around all day if you want.
Interested parties, please come to the following address.”Maeda is skeptical, but with no other options he heads over to the address listed on the flyer and he is surprised to find a sprawling estate, with a host of dazzling butlers. The staff informs him that their boss is out of town, but the butlers have been instructed to continue carrying out their duties. So, they’re searching for a temporary “master” to give them orders while the owner of the estate is indisposed. With nothing to lose, Maeda takes them up on their offer, but with a whole harem of hot butlers at his disposal, his latent sadistic side begins to awaken…
Characters
Tomoaki Maeda – The Protagonist
Our protagonist, and an extremely average college student. Somehow he has found himself in the position of “master” as a part time job.
“…I mean, you might call me ‘master’, but I’m just a stand-in after all, right? I just kinda figure you don’t like someone like me bossing you around.”
I spent most of the game secretly loving and hating Tomoaki. He’s just a normal dude trying to figure out who he is and what he wants out of life, which is relatable, but, some of the things he does are downright horrible. The game tries to play it like Tomoaki is this unwitting victim who gets swept up in the power and control of being the master of the estate, but then towards the end of the game the writers hint that Tomoaki was always a sadist and it was just a matter of time before he gave into his true nature.
Every time I almost had a crumb of sympathy for Tomoaki he would turn around and do something absolutely horrible. So when he gets his comeuppance in some of the “bad” endings I was actively cheering–there was one end in particular where one of the butlers kills him and that was the most satisfying moment in the entire game. This is a protagonist you just can’t help but root against.
Kyouichi Sakuma
The perfect butler. He graduated from a butler training school in England. He will obey any order without question, and would lay down his life for his master. On the other hand, he’s not very flexible, and is earnest almost to a fault. His poor sense of humor is a sore spot for him.
“Good morning, Master. How may I be of service?”
Sakuma is the perfect butler, whose sole mission in life is to provide the best service to his master. His devotion to his master is second to none, and he takes pride in everything that he does. Which is the perfect setup for turning him into the perfect submissive… in every sense of the word.
Touya Ichinose
Currently filling the role of gardener, as he thought the flowerbeds looked lonely, and just started tending to them one day. He isn’t very good at speaking to people, and so prefers the company of plants. He’s quiet and a bit of a space-case. It’s hard to tell exactly what he’s thinking.
“…It’s not really tough… Ichinose likes doing this…”
I had no idea how I felt about Ichinose, since he always seems to be in his own little world, tending to his flowers. 😢 He must be protected at all costs! Ichinose is such a pure and innocent soul and it honestly broke my heart having to break his spirit. He just wants to be with his flowers… let him be happy!
Ryouji Komine
He ended up at the estate while traveling around the country searching for delicious foods. He’s talkative and cheerful, and has a heavy accent. He’s a bit overly-friendly for a butler, but he never compromises when it comes to his cooking.
“What’s that supposed to mean?! I’m actin’ like a butler 24/7! Look! Look here! I’m wearin’ a suit and a bowtie and everythin’…!”
Komine, or as I took to calling him, Kitchen Wench is the free spirited chef of the manor. He is overly friendly with Tomoaki and has a pretty open crush on him. He talks with a Kansai-ben and is quick to laugh and joke around. He gets the worst abuse of any of the butlers in this game–it’s almost as if the writers are punishing him for being happy.
Aki Toudou
He found himself at the estate after running away from his martial artist family. The meaning of his first name comes from his father’s wish for him to become the strongest man in all of Asia, but he’s always been embarrassed about it because of how cutesy it sounds.
He has a strength to match his muscular stature, and is in charge of all the heavy lifting at the estate. He’s frequently scolded for his poor grasp of decorum.
“Yessir! I’ll serve you to the best of my abilities, sir!”
Toudou is the embodiment of a gentle giant. Despite his intimidating appearance, he’s really a sweetheart. He’s always willing to lend a helping hand and he’s pretty protective of Arisato, treating him like a kid brother. It almost feels like Tomoaki is threatened by how manly he is, so he spends most of his time emasculating him in every imaginable way.
Kazuma Arisato
He grew up in an orphanage, since his parents abandoned him at a young age. He may be a butler, but he’s pretty much useless. He’s supposed to be in charge of menial chores and cleaning, but as he’s a total klutz, his enthusiasm is all for naught. He might seem anxious and high-strung, but he’s really a good, lovable kid at heart.
“Welcome back, Master~! I’ll take care of your baaags!”
Barely legal cutie. I love that the writers make sure to let us know that he is absolutely 18 years old and perfectly A-OK to f**k. This route was hard to get through, every horrible thing you could imagine happening to a shota character happens to Arisato. If there is a route to skip in the game, this is the one to skip.
Toyoharu Mizoguchi
Normally he serves as an assistant and accountant for the estate’s owner. He has a stubborn and strict side to his personality, even though his gentle smile never leaves his face. He’s fond of baseball, sumo, and fishing. His master is on vacation, so he’s left most of his usual work to Sakuma so that he can relax.
”Did I not say that I would support you, Young Master? Whatever it may be, I will assist you with all my power, so that you might find enjoyment.”
He acts like he’s a sweet old man, but really Mizoguchi is always there in the shadows pulling all the strings, he is the real mastermind behind everything that happens in this game and for that I can never forgive him. But, I will admit he looks damn good without a shirt.
Overall Thoughts
Surprisingly Subversive Storytelling
Where do I start?! This game is described as being a “visual novel for people who love butlers by people who love butlers” and after playing Hadaka Shitsuji, I think it’s more accurate to call it a game for people who like bullying butlers. Because this game is filled to the brim with every depraved, horrifying, and at time, confusing thing you can think of–that not only pushes boundaries, but also offers an interesting spin on the master/servant dynamics we see in games.
Typically in a game like this you’d expect the master and servant to eventually overcome the circumstances of their roles/status and gradually move towards a more wholesome relationship as equals. That is not the case in Hadaka Shitsuji, where the goal isn’t to bond with the butlers, rather to wield complete control over each and every living person within the manor. In fact the best ends involve the utter debasement of your chosen butler, whether that is turning them into a human toilet or forcing them to strut around in sexy lingerie (which trust me is the most tame option). While the worst outcomes involve Tomoaki and his butlers skipping off into the sunset, happy and in love. It’s a bit of a refreshing twist, that definitely sets Hadaka Shitsuji apart from some of the other games I have played in the past. Mind you, this not an endorsement, rather giving credit where credit is due.
Unlock your inner Sadist
That said, this is not a game that I comfortably recommend to anyone, even the most diehard BL fans because Hadaka Shitsuji touches on topics and situations that seem at times to exist purely for the sake of shocking and horrifying and not so much advancing the plot. Unless, the plot is seeing how given the right circumstances, even the most “normal” of people can slowly be pushed into a life of sadism. Which if that’s the case, A++ work to the writers, because mission accomplished. As the story progresses we see Tomoaki give in to his sadistic tendencies, and become more and more desensitized to the horrors he inflicts on those around him (even deriving pleasure for the emotional and physical pain he causes). He is a manipulative little shit who is rewarded for his actions at every turn and by the end of it all I just felt so dirty for facilitating his descent.
Read the Content Warnings
I did not read the warnings before purchasing this game and that was my mistake. I like to think that I have a strong disposition, that I can get through just about anything unfazed, but this game pushed me to my limit–moreso than Togainu no Chi or even Room No. 9. Things like cannibalism and beastiality are things I never in all my years of gaming expected to experience in a game and yet, there they were on full display in Hadaka Shitsuji. And even the usual cringey BL stuff, like non-con and DP were taken to a point that made them very uncomfortable to sit through because there was no promise of a traditional happily ever after in the end, just more abuse. There was one scene in particular where Arisato is given to two burly African men for their enjoyment that upset me so much (both for the downright racist portrayal of brown skinned men insatiable sexual beasts and the horror of seeing a tiny, shota pounded by two massive members) that I had to walk away and read a crap ton of shojo manga just to recover from it. And don’t get me started on the scene with the dog, because I don’t have words for how fucked up that whole scene was, it’s so descriptive and there’s a CG too–like someone drew that scene.
The art is nice and there were plenty of CGs, both of the NSFW and SFW variety. Hadaka Shitsuji does let you censor the naughty bits if you want (or leave it off if you so choose)–I mostly played uncensored, but there were a few scenes that I absolutely welcomed the relief of the pixel mosaic.
Butlers to appeal to all your fantasies
So as not to end this review on a negative point, I really did like the characters. Each of the characters has their own unique personalities that while at times can kind of campy were fun and I genuinely enjoyed getting to know each of the butlers. Sakuma is definitely the more stereotypical “butler” type, steadfast and gracious. Then there’s Komine, the Kansai-ben speaking chef who harbors a not so secret crush on Tomoaki. Or, Ichinose, the quite gardener who almost seems too pure for this world. Arisato the cute, shota who wants nothing more than to serve his master. Toudou, the big bara butler who’s bulging muscles are always a delight for the eyes. And last but not least is Mizugochi, the senior butler who guides the younger butlers and Tomoaki into their intended roles. Each butler has their own reasons for living in the manor and I enjoyed delving more into their backgrounds as the story progressed. And, even if you can’t stomach some of the more uncomfortable outcomes, I do recommend getting the game’s True End as it explains a lot about what’s really going on inside this house of horrors.
The Verdict – Is Hadaka Shitsuji – Naked Butlers Worth Playing?
The entirety of Hadaka Shitsuji takes place over the course of just thirty days, but it feels like an eternity as you are subjected to each an every depraved act that goes on behind the gilded walls the manor setting that is both a refuge and a prison. Like I said, this not a game that I feel comfortable recommending, however if you’re brave enough to drop $35.00 on this depraved game, do me a favor and read the warnings first.
Looking for more boys love games?
Wow! Glad to see one more soul joining the “traumatized by hadaka” club lmao.
I relate with you over the “I thought stuff doesn’t faze me but holy shit” moment so much, I remember bombarding the discord server I was active at with so much yelling and laughing/crying over every other scene. (Will never recover from the dog….)
My favorite was Komine, and his end where Tomoaki was like “lol love? You’re just my toy” was the saddest scene in the whole game for me 😭
I have joined the ranks of so many poor souls… this game took it out of me, I thought I was ready, but nothing prepared me for this horror.
Any scene where Tomoaki dies bloody is instantly my favorite.
I felt so bad for Komine, he just wanted to be happy and free and he got pulled in by Tomoaki’s evil web.
this game is too much for me, i could only play it for a while before i quit, i’m fine with BDSM but the things the main character does to the butlers i find horrible, it was sold to me as being so over the top it was funny but to me it’s not, anyone who likes this game, stay away from me.