Glass Heart Princess (グラスハートプリンセス)

Title: グラスハートプリンセス）
Company: Otomate
Release Date: December 20, 2012
Platform: PSP
Official Site: www.otomate.jp/ghp/
Walkthrough:  http://bitaten.blog108.fc2.com/blog-category-117.html
Synopsis:

Himeno Kyouko has everything a girl can have — beauty, brain, and resources. Despite that, she has a rare disease called “Glass Heart Syndrome”. If her heartbeat gets really fast, her heart might stop beating and she will die. Also, she only has 4 months to live. There is no cure for her disease yet so the only thing that they can do is to rehabilitate. Her maid, Satsuki, just have a brilliant idea for that — that is, for her to fall in love! 

Beware! Extreme flailing ahead. Proceed with caution. You have been warned. 😛

This game is ASDFASDFASFSDHAKLGJALKJDA hahaha. Prior to playing this game, my motivation for playing games is really low. However, once I started playing, my motivation just keep on going higher and higheeeerrr www. I can say that GHP healed me in a lot of ways. Whenever I open my PSP, it’s just comforting to see the cute interface and listen to its background music.

GHP is like part-stat raising and then part-visual novel. Things to note:

1) HB-limit: You do training with Shinnosuke. These are physical training that will increase you heart beat limit. Of course, the higher the limit, the higher tolerance for dokidoki scenes. |D

2) L-int: I think I missed the meaning of this one but I’m guessing it’s Love intelligence? Since Kyouko is inexperienced to love, Satsuki will give “lessons” about it through manga reading, anime watching, otome gaming, etc lol.

3) Image: Kyouko’s image will depend on the guy you’re going after. For instance, you do flower arranging. It will up your image to Cool. This becomes important in getting each guy’s last CG in which I had a problem in getting Tenma’s and Shinnosuke’s CGs. For Tenma, just choose お菓子作り until you get his CG. As for Shinnosuke, the guide says that you’ll have to do ランニング. But instead of getting his CG, I always get Yukito’s. So I start over and this time choosing the Hard training.

You have four months of dating and when you are in January, you are off to the guy’s route. No more dating at this point. I said part visual novel because on this part of the game will be pure VN (like you read then choose answers at some point).

There are two ways to choose a guy. First (and the most advisable :P), do the cupid thing. That is, move your analog stick when you first meet the guy and a cupid appears on the top of your screen. When you do not shoot the arrow on any of the guys, the game will “force” you to choose between Yukito, Tenma, and Kanata. No Shinnosuke in the choices because he is a special case (read below).

At the start of the story, around the time when Kyouko learned about her condition, I prepared for drama mode. I am on the verge of disappointment when I am expecting that they’ll probably delve more into her condition and be “boo-hoo I’m sick” drama llama. However, the characters including the heroine accepted the situation in an “odd” way. Odd as in they do not mull over it but instead accept it and move on. They try to do what they can do.

Though their idea of rehabilitation is kinda silly, it works for the plot of the story. I love how they don’t rush the love between Kyouko and the guy. They only dated for a short time but you’ll see that the bond between them is gradually building with each date. It feels like they have built a solid foundation for their relationship. So at the end of each route, you won’t feel as if you have just witnessed a 2D whirlwind romance.

Adding to the lols of this game are the parodies that Otomate has put into this. You’ll see characters from other games *coughAmnesiacough* in the background. Or they’ll be mentioned by one of the characters.

This game doesn’t really need a guide since you can experiment on what works best for a certain route. So even if I have a guide (which is not 100% accurate btw ^^;;), I always try the other answers to see the guys reaction. It makes it more enjoyable that way! XD I rarely quick save/load, but here I used it more than I could think off. Alternatively, I just browse through the game’s backlog and load from there.

My only concern about GHP is the length of each route. Why so friggin short? >A< Each guy's story has a potential for a more in-depth background. Tenma and Shinnosuke, for instance. While their relationship with Kyouko is complete, they could have expanded more to their past so that we'll know more about the characters. Therefore, I DEMAND AN FD FOR GLASS HEART PRINCESS! 8D

As for the characters, ZOMG I LOVE ALL OF THEM! Including sub-characters such as Kyouko’s maid, Satsuki (who wouldn’t love her?), and Monji, her father. They are all amusing in their own way that you just couldn’t help but love their quirky personalities. The strongest point of the game is the characters’ hilarious interactions. They make the scenarios and conversations more lively! What made me even love them more is that they are not what they seem to be. Like, Monji intimidates me when I saw the characters on the website but I never could have known that he is funny and interesting, not at all intimidating character. 😀

From here onwards, you shouldn’t just only be wary of flailings but also spoilers. 😛

Himeno Kyouko

– Your exceptional heroine.

It’s not every day you see an ojousama like her doing un-ojousama things despite well, being obviously filthy rich. She isn’t picky about the things that she does even if it’s way too extreme. For instance, the hard training with Shinnosuke she had to undergo. Another thing that’s remarkable about her is the way she accepts her condition. She notes how soap opera-like is her situation and moves on with her life. Though their resolve is quite unusual (despite the advancement in medicine nowadays xP), still I find it nice to see her doing everything she can to rehabilitate like her condition is no big deal. And after knowing that she will faint whenever her heart reaches her HB-limit, I’m kinda preparing myself again for faints ala-Custom Drive. But nope, it only happens when it fits the situation.

Hoshino Kanata

– The mysterious stranger who is actually an android who came from outer space.

I go after him first because I thought it would be boring but boy I am so wrong ww. Everything around him is strange. Yet at the end of each dates you’ll find him amusing because everything he does is…strange |D. He’ll say a hilarious line with a straight face that makes me laugh harder.

It is understandable that the romance in this route really takes its time. Both of them have zero experience with love. Likewise, Kyouko has her hands full of teaching Kanata things that he isn’t familiar with. What made me go ‘aww’ is when he ditches Kyouko at the beach to gather information. Then, her hat (I think?) gets blown by the wind and she keeps on following it without noticing that she is already in the water. She almost drowns but Kanata saves her. His line here is really adfasdfasdgjgjaskdf haha.

But sometimes his weirdness goes extreme, that I’ll go ???. Then the next thing I know, I’m laughing my ass off with his lines. I guess his strangeness is contagious.

Asahina Tenma

– Super All-Rounder Teacher and a Don of the night region.

He got me on the hizama renting early on his route. Like, how cool for a teacher to say that? Usually, teachers try to avoid becoming close to students but not for Tenma. He’s…idk man. He is cheery, carefree, and cool for a teacher/nurse/etc. He is more energetic than his students. XD I like the fact that he isn’t the uber genki character. He is just cheerful. Period. Tenma doesn’t even care if the two of them are going on dates. He’s laid-back like that.

Karasuma Yukito

– He’s so cool…? (What is with the “…”? lol) The phantom thief who is looking for the precious thing (meaning “me” *bricked*).

Yukitoooooo babyyyyyy ADFASDFFKASDFKH kyaaaa<33333. You only need to know 3 things why this Kaitou is my precious baby in this game: 1) He's blue (hahaha yep, love that color to the max ww); 2) He's a Phantom Thief (D.N.Angel flashbacks wwww); 3) Read points 1 & 2 :'D.

Kyouko is sooo awesome in this route. I’ve just discovered the cupid thing in this part of the game (I know I’m slow /o) and I’m super happy that I did! If you do not to that, you’ll just go straight to the first date with him. But when you do, Kyouko will ask him to go out with her next weekend. You go girl! Ahahaha. I am also nervous when Kyouko is psyching herself to ask him as if I’m the one who will be asking him. lmao She isn’t only awesome at the start of the route but also when she learned about his other side. She is very supportive of him while still mindful that his job is dangerous. However, it doesn’t stop her from doing anything just to keep him and his secret safe.

These two have the most realistic and uncomplicated relationship. They start off as friends with Kyouko’s alibi that she was just asked to show him around since he just transferred to their school. XD From then on, they have normal dates where Kyouko experiences the life of an average high schooler.

Yukito says the sweetest things as well. When he learned about her disease (the other two don’t know about it), he says something like ” We are lovers now, so live…for me” kyaaaa >w<. There are a lot more sweet lines as you go along with his route. 

He blushes A LOT too! The other guys don’t blush or very rare but Yukito blushes in almost every single date.! …thought I’d just mention that XDDD

Masaki Shinnosuke

– Butler and Bodyguard
– Loving is half believing

Shinnosuke’s route is sort of trickier than the others. When you do his training dates until December, you’ll most probably get a call from the secret character and then off to his end, not to Shinnosuke. To go to his route, choose a guy (1 of the 3) and date them until ” ” date for Shinnosuke is available.

This adorkable butler has given me so much feelssss. This guy made me forget about my kaitou for a sec with his dorky side. x3 He is a trigger-happy dude that always pulls a gun. Let’s see, he pointed his gun to a cat, to a kid, and to a police officer thinking he’s a bad guy. lmao

When he denies that he knows the Himeno household, I cry so hard along with Kyouko feeling betrayed. Then when he calls her at night, I cry happy tears. Then, I cry again for being cold. Why make me cry so hard for you, you dork, hetare butler! >A<

It is adorable to see his past and how he got acquainted with Himeno. Shota!Shinnosuke and loli!Kyouko are both cute! <3 I think it's lovely to see his old self who is far from the calm and composed butler that we get to know. His banters with Kyouko are fascinating to read. I wish that they could have delved more about his past. Maybe in the FD. XP

Secret Character

-Cutie little thing. :3

I won’t spoil you much with him other than he’s cute…and dangerous later on. He just screams Eriiiiiiik (Mojuutsukai to Oujisama) all over. www Although I love both versions of him, I keep of counting his age gap with Kyouko. And got to admit that I find him a little scary. Hope he won’t be teasing her too much about what happened years ago. 8D;;

Chiga Satsuki

– Kyouko’s otaku maid. 8D

I just have to include her because her character is substantial in the game. A self-confessed ドS, Satsuki has a very straightforward personality. She may appear stoic but she is caring and loyal to her ojousama. She doesn’t hold back in teasing Kyouko about love and whatnot. It is nice having her around to smack some sense to other characters which is, unfortunately, mostly Shinnosuke. XD

I have been playing games with dark-colored backgrounds and/or dark stories. So the refreshing pink color with a touch of white attracted me initially to the game. The background and the characters are very colorful. Their choice of colors is lively which complements the lightness of the story.

The game has a movie gallery part where you can watch the opening video as well as each guy’s ending credits. Depending on whose route you are on, you get to hear them sing their version of Koiiro Miracle. As for the secret character, all of the main characters seiyuu sing in the credit roll. Personally, I love Yukito’s (Tattsun) version with Shinnosuke (KENN) not so much behind. XDD It’s got to be that lower-range of voice that he used plus he maintained Yukito’s coolness www. Shinnosuke’s version is good too but it’s the usual calm and composed Shinnosuke. I prefer listening to the badass Shinnosuke though *kicked*. Hey I’m not being biased with Yukito…yet. XP 

The opening song, Steel Your Heart, is very upbeat and addicting! As much as I don’t skip the ending credits, I have no problem listening to this song over and over again. The lyrics of the song mentions the things that you’ll see in the game, a fitting opening for GHP.

I know the premise of the story may sound absurd. I, for one, raised my eyebrow when I first heard of it. But give it a try and for sure Glass Heart Princess will prove you wrong.

P.S. I get the guy’s description from the wallpapers found on the official site. Shinnosuke’s last line is well…somewhat off. lol