Clock Zero ~Shuuen no Ichibyou~ portable (CLOCK ZERO ~終焉の一秒～ portable)

Title: CLOCK ZERO ~終焉の一秒～ portable
Company: Otomate
Release Date: October 13, 2011
Platform: PSP
Official Site: http://www.otomate.jp/clock_zero_psp/
Walkthrough: http://momokan.chu.jp/momokan/frame-clockzero.html or http://blog.livedoor.jp/love_otome/archives/6222263.html
Synopsis:
Kurou Nadeshiko goes to a private school for rich kids. One day, her class adviser, Kaga Akira, tells her that she needs to go to supplementary classes after school along with other “problem” students. At the same time, there is a transfer student in their school called Kaidou Takato.

 

Meanwhile, she is having a recurrent dream of a world in ruins. All of a sudden, the people she meets in her dreams start appearing in real life…

Clock Zero has become my favorite game (alongside GHP perhaps)! Such an intriguing tale of a young girl and her dreams of a broken world. Couple that with strange occurrences in her world and her encounter to adorable weirdos www. The start of the story will suck you in immediately.

The prologue is long and I admit I was complaining about wanting to jump straight to the climax of the story. However, the length is needed to establish parts of it and Nadeshiko’s relationship with other characters. It will, later on, be apparent why CZ members have become an important part of our heroine’s childhood days.

Speaking of CZ, their meetings were enjoyable due to the interactions of each member. Yet, the taxing part is during quizzes. Kaga-sensei will ask questions and of course, you have to give the right answers. The first time you play the game, you are required to type the answers. You can answer blankly and then you’ll be given a choice if you want to take hints from Rain (why don’ you offer that sooner?). There are only 2 choices to choose from. Be sure to quick save so that if you answered incorrectly, you can load it and choose the other one. On the second playthrough onwards, the system will give choices (8 choices, I think) and you’ll have to choose among those.

There are 3 ways to answer the questions: (1) Listen/read attentively during the activities. They’ll most likely mention the possible answer there. This will help you in choosing or typing the correct answer right away; (2) Choose randomly (or none at all if you’re typing) so if you end up choosing the wrong answer, Kaga will let you decide whether you want to ask for Rain’s hint or give up. If you choose the former, Rain will give you a hint (a.k.a choices). One of which is the right answer. What I usually do is to choose the first choice for the first question, and the 2nd choice for the 2nd question. Still, I remember one activity that has them in reversed (1st question = 2nd choice, vice versa) so make sure to QS and QL; lastly, (3) The last choice is for the lazy ass like me. Momokan included an answer to all the question in the guide (link provided above). Too bad, I didn’t discover this one sooner. (▰︶︹︺▰)

Once you’ve finished a route, there are some bonuses which will be unlocked. In the Gallery part, other than the CGs, there’s an extra scene where the guy (in his kid and adult self) answers some questions. Questions such as profile,  likes and dislikes,  type, a message for her (Nadeshiko) and others. I imagine this as the ‘bonus track’ in drama CDs xD. The side characters also have this Q&A so be sure to check it out!

Another extra is the reward section where you’ll get an extra sexy CG of the characters. ASDLFKJLKJDFLAJOID /insert massive nosebleeding here.

Then, there is the bonus track. This part has 2 sections: short novel and another epilogue. The short novel is a series of novels for each routes, continuing from the Return endings. I don’t go through this one other than -after Takato- novel :3c. For another epilogue, it is further divided into two: normal world and distorted world. You pretty much have a continuation of the good ends in the game. You can choose between the continuation of Stay end or Return end.

Characters

There isn’t a single character that I don’t like in this game…okay I lied, I hate Yoshimune lol. Seriously, I definitely loved all the guys even the side-characters such as Rain, Nakaba, Kaeru-kun and Kaede. I loved all of their banters especially when they started つっこみ-ing each other.

Kurou Nadeshiko

Heroine

Nadeshiko is a kickass character in a non-physical way. She may be an ojou-sama but she never acts as a spoiled brat. Oftentimes, she surprises me of her level-headedness which is on a different scale than most kids her age (although this is not exclusive to her but applies to most CZ members as well).

After Nadeshiko gets transferred to the destroyed world, I adore her even more. I applaud her when instead of wailing and feeling sorry for herself, she analyzes the situation she is in instead. She tries to be rational and rein her emotions when needed.

While I feel like the guys see her as an angel, she can throw snarky and witty remarks at them in their conversations. This banter makes the convos in this game even more enjoyable. xD

Kanou Riichirou

Nadeshiko’s kuudere childhood friend.

First, I’m not into childhood friend stories. Or so I thought. This route makes me realized how I love dem childhood friends lol. I loved TMGS main guys because of that and their childhood promises. www

Anyway, I’ve started with Rittan since everyone says I should start with him lol. Now that I’ve finished his route, I agree that his route is good for starters. His story doesn’t delve much into the plot and focuses more on their relationship. So no, you won’t know anything about the time stopping and all that shizz here. Which makes sense since Riichirou is pretty much on his own, hence the title the ‘Wanderer’.

In the middle part of the story when Nadeshiko is in the broken world, where everyone and everything is new, it is nice to have a familiar guy with you a.k.a Rittan. The one who shares (almost) the same memories as her. I mean, it is just comforting to see a familiar face among the sea of strangers.

I love how loyal and sweet Rittan is. To have him fulfill his promise after all these years. And he is the cutest when he is not trying to be one! He is normally the cool, calm, and collected. So when he becomes jealous or reacts whenever Nadeshiko teases him about being a crybaby, he is super adorbssss!

Rittan’s reward is hnnngh-worthy image. Couple that with Maeno’s voice… ♡♥(。´▽`。)♥♡

Out of all another epilogue, his Stay epilogue is probably my favorite. There are few things that make me like it. To start off, they avoided the time skip which is a good thing. Next is they are not living on the run from CZ officials. In turn, they are able to experience living normally with their respective families.

Tokita Shuuya

The weirdest of them all~… www

…yet the most adorable of all the CZ members~ /o/

Shuuya is one year younger than Nadeshiko and is a classmate of Madoka. Even at a young age, he is already working as a professional model. With his good looks, he has tons of fans. Though they’d rather have him when he is not speaking because it’s hard to understand what he is saying, not to mention the way he speaks! Gosh Shuuya, how can you look like a modern idol yet speaks like an ancient feudal lord. HOW? WWW

Well, Shuuya wouldn’t be Shuuya without his quirky personality. Even when they transfer to the broken world, he retains those qualities. Possibly even worse (or better? XD). One time, he takes out Nadeshiko, with Tora and his men following them. And then, he purposely run away from them. Only to find out later, that he did that to help Nadeshiko to have an exercise after staying inside her room for a long time. This earns him a punch from Tora. wwwwww

Speaking of Tora, I think he and Shuuya have the best interaction in the game. www Like, my-pace Shuuya complements stubborn Tora. These two can be best of friends. XD

So much for Shuuya’s odd side, his kindness and love is never-changing as well. He is so kind and loving towards his mother that it is touching. You’ll see his features soften, totally different from the regular Shuuya. In his Q&A, he mentions that he only wants to make the important people in his life happy. D’awww baby ; w ;.

Shuuya has a playful side too! This is shown whenever he teases Nadeshiko and flirts with her. XDD I didn’t think that he’ll be the one to kiss her in every chance he gets (not in a perverted way, but more of reassuring and comforting way). Or tells her to give him water through mouth. SERIOUSLY SHUUYA DON’T STOP. 8D

His bad end makes me bawl. Shuuya forgetting who he is, is already heart-breaking. But even after all of that, his kindness remains. He still wishes for Nadeshiko’s happiness, afterall. TT_____TT

For the reward, Shuuya has a deadly combination of cool-looking Shuuya holding a gun and his low voice in the background. VERY DEADLY COMBINATION. *U* I could listen to his voice again and again and again. Normally, I’d rather go with his younger looks = the purple long hair. It is much cooler than with his normal blonde hair (funny how I have chosen another hair color than blonde |D). Maybe because he is too blindingly beautiful with those locks? |D

…If it isn’t obvious I loved Shuuya to bits to the point of threatening Takato’s position as my bias. www

I should stop now or this will turn into a Shuuya essay. lmao

Saionji Toranosuke

The delinquent.

Tora is like the black sheep among the CZ members. He rarely goes to CZ meetings so Nadeshiko has to spend her time to everyone else. Most of their interactions are outside school, usually when Tora is fighting with students from other schools.

I’m having doubts before I start playing Tora’s route if I’ll like it as much as I liked the first 2 routes or not. I’m afraid that this route will disappoint me especially doing this after Shuuya’s route (in which I looooove so much xD). In the end, my hunch isn’t wrong at all.

While I loved Tora as a character (and his bgm!), I have mixed feelings about his route. It’s just…I have a hmm-moment after finishing his route. I don’t know, it’s not bad but it’s not that good either. Maybe because the romance takes a long time because they have their lovey-dovey moments? Or I see it coming, the thing is, how can Tora turn from wild type to a boyfriend material.

His route also mentioned about his mother being a hostage (or something) by the government. I’m like, ‘where did that come from?’. But, perhaps, that only serves as his drive to resist CZ.

Still, I love the fact that he does not turn into a cheesy boyfriend and retains his violent side lol. It would be completely out of the blue if he turns kind just because he’d gotten himself a lover. Though I never expected him to be so clingy! xD Just like what he mentions in one of his CG comments, he is like a big dog, acting all spoiled with Nadeshiko.

Both his Stay and Return ends don’t really wrap up nicely. I thought I won’t ever cry in his route (as much as I did in Rittan’s and Shuuya’s), the Return end gives me a nice CG with Tora stroking Nadeshiko’s hair with bloodstained hands 。・ﾟﾟ･(≧д≦)･ﾟﾟ･｡. I swear, it looks reallllyyyy creepy but it’s more heartbreaking. It is sorrowful in different ways. Not even the another epilogue can erase that image in my head. /sobs

In the end, I can’t really pinpoint what went wrong or what should be done or whatever. xD;;

Hanabusa Madoka

The cute younger brother of Nakaba

Madoka is younger than Nadeshiko by a year and is classmates with Shuuya. More often than not, he follows Nakaba’s every action and idea that one day, even Nadeshiko told him to act selfishly. He also loves to make different accessories.

I neither liked him nor hated Madoka when I started his route. I’m more interested on how did he turn to be like that, like the adult!Madoka. He’s cute, honest, and ever obedient younger brother, so how did he become a sly-looking adult? ww While playing, I often think how he resembles Tora in a sense. Both are like the dangerous-type, though Tora is more on the wild and rough type. On the other hand, Madoka is wild and dangerous. I’m probably not making sense but, they both appear overbearing to me.

Madoka’s route is such a difficult route for me. ^^;; Difficult due to, well, mostly about Takato. I’ve always been wondering how their story with progress with Takato right there. I couldn’t help but feel really really bad for ‘cheating’ with Madoka even if they aren’t really cheating. The fact that I initially see Madoka as someone who will snatch away Nadeshiko right then and there. Oh and I also hate the fact that Takato is being shown as the villain here (that’s actually the point isn’t it ><;;). See my problem? /o

I probably started liking Madoka when he opens his eyes Nadeshiko starts trolling him with his fear of dogs www. Perhaps, that’s the time I get to see that Madoka doesn’t stop being Madoka. He proved me wrong by thinking about the consequences of his actions first and not just take Nadeshiko. He is still the self-less Madoka, I’ve seen in the first half of the game.

Liking Madoka starts a whole new problem for me lol. It’s as if my heart is being pulled in different directions; one towards Takato and another towards the younger Hanabusa wwww. It’s even harder after it is revealed that King already knows of the whereabouts of Hanabusa family but not let Madoka know any of this. I don’t want to hate Takato buuuut….. ;A;

Anyway, about the endings. I don’t know which one to choose or if I should really choose. The stay ending is quite good being happy and all, but living always on the run? :O The return end makes me cry because Madoka’s expression before he sends her off and 2010 Madoka’s look in the hospital scene. That’s when I realized that younger Madoka is indeed cute lol.

And when you mention Madoka, you have to mention…

Hanabusa Nakaba

The older Hanabusa is the mood-maker of CZ with his absurd ideas and cheerful personality. You have no idea how I flailed when he first showed up in Tora’s route. I loved how Nakaba becomes cooler and more mature in 2020. He is a great confidante and referees for the couple. I just wish he’d have his own route. ; 3 ;

Kaidou Takato

The Genius.

OMG. Where do I start? Let’s see, Takato is a transfer student in Shuurin Gakuen who takes an interest to Nadeshiko and Riichirou immediately. With his family background and charming personality, he becomes popular among the students instantly.

Despite his age, he is already involved in research works in their company. Like what would you expect in a child who has an IQ of 280 ww. However, he still envies Nadeshiko and her normal childhood.

The young Takato is very adorable with his straightforward personality. He is a people person in contrast with Nadeshiko and Riichirou. He has an obvious crush with Nadeshiko and his cuteness takes to the nth power when gets embarrassed. 8D

About King, he sure is creepy www. Creepiness aside, both ends make me cry a river. He’ll sacrifice anything to achieve his happiness. But the change of view in the end…resulted in an hour-long crying fit. www

At the start of the game, I’ve been very vocal about him as my hopefully favorite character. And his route did not disappoint. His route is a big tear-jerker. Maybe, among all of the CZ characters from either world, King is the loneliest of them all. There is no happy ending for him. I don’t consider the Stay end happy even though, they are living happily. The two of them still lives on the run. The Return end is, well, kinda happy (nope not only for Takato but for King as well). BUT, it resulted to an even more question such as what happened to CZ building? Was it not destroyed? Why is King still inside it and can still roam around, etc.

My favorite scene is of course when Nadeshiko admitted her feelings for King/Takato. I feel really happy for him because he deserves it. And it’s just sad to see the characters forgetting their memories of him.

Among all of the epilogues, his Stay epilogue is the most hopeful. The flower symbolizes that there is hope, not only for the couple’s lives, but for the entire country and its people as well. It is a truly heartwarming ending.

Rain

Cutie bunny.

The surprises this game pulls tsk tsk. Rain is a compelling character. He is the game’s biggest mystery. I wouldn’t go into detail in this one, don’t worry or you’ll be cursing me forever for giving the biggest spoiler lol. I must tell you though he and Kaeru-kun are dearest to me as they are both more than what they appear to be.

…These guys all carry their own guilt which might be the reason how they turned out to be ‘difficult’ adults. Sure they’ve become difficult adults, but deep down they are still the ones we’ve known during the CZ days. OMG these precious babies o(╥﹏╥)o.

I rarely comment on the voice acting but I really like the voice acting here. it is nice to hear the seiyuu voicing both the child and adult versions of their characters. Their voices fitted nicely to their respective characters. I think I’ve become a fan of Namikawa because of how he voices ~Takato, especially during his vulnerable moments. His voice makes Takato less scary and more on the loving side. I also liked Maeno’s voice who made me ASLDKFJ in Rittan’s route. Then, there’s Ishida… OMG I totally appreciated his voice here xD. I see you in a new light now. www

The music is good though one bgm sort of reminded me of Amnesia, like it’s a deja vu or something XD. Among the bgms, I like Tora’s the most. The other ones are rather relaxing, but his is like there’s going to be some action. My best-loved is the end song for each route. It gives off the finally-happy-ending feel. And it never fails to tear me up each time I hear it.

Wrapping Up!

I. LOVE. THIS. OH. SO. MUCH! I command all of you to play this NOW. Muahahaha

Okay, on a serious note, this game is rich in every part. A solid plot, captivating set of characters, decent art and music, and plenty of added features. What more can you ask for? 😀