Have you wondered what Misa and her ghostly harem have been up to since achieving their happily ever after? If you have, the hotly anticipated follow-up 9 R.I.P. sequel, takes us back to the world of ghosts, spirits, and demons to continue the story we began almost two years ago. Explore 9 brand new story paths that pick up right where the original game left off. In the Heavenly routes Misa and her beau face new challenges that threaten their hard fought love, while the Godly routes offer a sweet finale to savor.
No character breakdowns this time around since this is a sequel, but I did rank the characters over on my YouTube channel! My thoughts are pretty much the same as they were in the first game for all of the characters.
Do the Dead Have More Stories to Tell?
Whether they are a direct continuation or introducing a whole new story, fan discs and sequels have the ability to make or break a series. Some are direct follow-ups that continue the story from where they left off, in an attempt to expand on the world and characters in a meaningful way. While others forego the existing story entirely and offer alternative narratives and cute but largely unnecessary character studies. I’m generally pretty meh on fan discs and sequels, because they often feel like cheap attempts to prey on the wallets of an established fanbase with bland extras and fluff that don’t really add much to the story or characters.
I start them pretty hopeful and excited to revisit a world and characters that I previously loved, only to be disappointed with the direction the writers took with the story. Like, I absolutely love Gill in Piofiore Fated Memories, he’s fun and charming (and a little dumb), so I went into the sequel, Piofiore episodio 1926, expecting to love him even more. But, it was very clear that the writers had no clue what to do with the character after the end of the main story. So, his route in the sequel was a convoluted mess that actually made me like him less as a character. Alternatively, I wasn’t a fan of Orlok’s route in the first game, but I absolutely loved him in the sequel, because once the “plot” restrictions of the first game were out of the way the writers were free to explore and expand on his story in a way that really let his personality shine.
Some stories just don’t need a continuation, while others could benefit from a bit more fleshing out. But, with otome sequels, writers tend to take an all or nothing approach. Everybody gets a continuation whether they deserve one or not and that makes for some pretty unbalanced storytelling.
So, when I saw that 9 R.I.P. would be getting a continuation, lets just say I was a bit on the fence about it. Because for better or worse I felt that the first game did a great job of wrapping up each of the individual character routes. I didn’t have any lingering questions or care to see what love between Misa and her haunted harem looked like after the credits rolled. I mean, half of the cast is dead by the end of the game… what more is there left to tell?
Two Paths, Where will Your Fate Lead You?
I’m not going to lie and say that 9 R.I.P. sequel is the best otome sequel, because it’s not, but it is a pretty enjoyable story overall. It has two distinct story paths that correspond with the finales of original game: Heavenly and Godly.
In the Heavenly route, we pick up right where those endings left off, in the midst of Misa’s complicated romance with her haunted harem. Whether you chose to follow your beau into the afterlife or return to your human life and enter into the mother of all long distance relationships, you now get to face the consequences of your actions. In the first game the writers kind of gloss over the implications of dating a dead guy, it’s a fantasy romance, I get it, but in doing so I felt it completely undermined Misa’s own journey. Taking what was a pretty powerful story of acceptance and self-reflection and throwing it out the window when Misa chooses her dead lover over her future…like what was the point of any of her personal struggles, if she is just gonna choose haunted dick in the end?!
So I really appreciate that in 9 R.I.P. sequel the writers show that not everything wrapped up in a nice neat bow. They introduce new obstacles that have far reaching implications beyond Misa and her relationship with the boys. From the effect the loss of Misa has on her family and friends to navigating a relationship with someone who is already dead to the emotional highs and lows of living your life, each path gives the appropriate weight to Misa and her journey. I will admit that some of the routes do get a bit dark and touch on heavy themes, but I never felt like it was exploitative. In fact, I welcomed the heavier themes because it made the stories that much more impactful.
However, if you want more fluff with your otome games, the Godly route is there to deliver on all the cute doki dokis. These routes offer short romantic seasonal interludes that explore the sweet moments that make up Misa and her lover’s story. Reminisce over Misa and her love’s shared pasts as they move towards a new future together. These are cute, low stakes epilogues, that don’t introduce any conflicts and while there are choices you can make they don’t effect the outcome. So, you can enjoy them at your leisure.
The Romance Doesn’t Stop Just Because Your Heart Does!
9 R.I.P. sequel is an otome game, so I can’t very well get away with not talking about the romance. So, lets do this! One of the shortcomings of the first game is that it had the responsibility of establishing the world and the characters. So in some routes (everything but the Spirit World arc) the writers had to forgo lovey dovey romance in favor of honing in on the central conflict. Since most of the big conflicts were addressed in the first game, that’s not really an issue here. And as an added bonus the characters are already well established in their individual relationships.
Almost every otome game is about falling in love, the game stops when you get your confession. But, with sequels we get to see beyond the happily ever after into what an actual relationship between these characters looks like. Which can be a bit hit or miss, because once you take away the circumstances that brought them together and really see how the characters work as a couple, it has the potential to kill the fantasy a bit. The best (worst) example of this is Bustafellows season 2, that game had me actively rooting for these characters to break up, because once the tension of the plot was gone it was very clear none of these characters were in a place to be in a healthy relationship. Not even Teuta.
So, I was fully prepared to be disappointed with the romance in 9 R.I.P. sequel. But, surprise, surprise, the writers did a great job of giving us a balanced romance story that feels realistic, while also delivering on the doki dokis. And I think that’s because a lot of the major character arcs happened in the first game, so everyone is a much better person in the sequel. It’s like they all went to therapy, so they actually communicate when they have a problem. Crazy how that works. There are quite literally bigger issues in their relationships, like the whole human/ghost barrier, which doesn’t leave much room for silly things like cliche misunderstandings. As a result Misa and her harem really make the most of every moment they have together, because for them tomorrow isn’t necessarily promised.
While I will admit that not every character needed a continuation of their story, the narratives that were explored in this sequel felt like a natural next step for these characters and their relationships. Honestly, I feel like the sequel did a better job of handling the supernatural nature of Misa’s romance with the guys, because it gave us real consequences. Like, how is a love story between a ghost and a human supposed to work? What kind of future can they expect together? How does Misa’s life change because of her connection to the other world? These were the questions I desperately wanted answers to in the first game and the sequel more than delivers but in a way that feels natural for these characters. Is it always pretty? No. In fact, there were quite a few moments that were a bit bittersweet, because there was no perfect solution. So, they have to make the most of the time that they do have, which makes each interaction that much more meaningful.
Is 9 R.I.P. sequel worth playing?
When I played the original game I was dealing with a personal loss, so the themes of life and death hit especially hard. And, I may have been a bit more critical of the game as a result (however, I still stand by what I said about that in my previous review). On top of that other otome sequels/fan discs leave much to be desired when it comes to genuine storytelling. So, going into 9 R.I.P. sequel I was fully prepared to not have the best time, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I genuinely enjoyed revisiting this world and these characters. And I think that is a testament to the staff for really taking the time to consider how to best continue the stories of these characters.
In fact, there were some routes that actually improved on the original game. Kureha is a character I felt was overshadowed by the mystery in his route in the first game, so I wasn’t as invested in him or his relationship with Misa. But, in the sequel I felt like the writers took the time to really focus on him, so he felt more like an active participant in the story as opposed to just eye candy. Conversely, I loved Koyo in the first game, but his Heavenly route felt a bit convoluted, which makes me suspect there wasn’t enough plot for a full route (but, I really liked his Godly route). So, your mileage may vary a bit with the individual routes.
Overall, I really liked 9 R.I.P. sequel, its a fitting continuation of the story we began two years ago and if you’ve been wondering what Misa and her haunted harem have been up to since their happily ever after this game will definitely scratch that itch!
Thank you to Idea Factory Intl for providing a copy of 9 R.I.P. sequel for this review. Receiving a review copy did not affect my opinions expressed in this review.
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