Release Date:October 15, 2024 (North America)
Developers:Otomate
Publishers:Idea Factory International
Platforms:Nintendo Switch
ESRB Rating: T
SYNOPSIS
They say this town has always been known to have many people be spirited away…
They also say that confused people or those struggling are more likely to get spirited away. You think you’ll be okay…?
In the beginning of autumn, during her second year of high school, that’s what Misa Isshiki was told by her best friend, causing her heart to skip a beat.
“I’ll be fine. I don’t really believe in any of that stuff anyway.”
That’s right… She doesn’t believe in that kind of thing… It’s just… her life had been filled with so much stress, all related to what her future would hold…
That’s when an eerie voice reached out to her…
“Why don’t we take a look and see what you should do with your life! I’m the one who will lead you into the darkness…”
And that’s when all the strange things around Misa began to happen…
ART AND MUSIC
Illustrator/Artist: | Yuuya |
Director: | Amon |
Scenario Writers for “School Ghost Stories” | Minami Kita, Yukiminabe, Izumi Nagano, Nerika Hazuki, Amon |
Scenario Writers for “Urban Legends” | Nao Kojima, Amon |
Scenario Writers for “Other Realm” | Hadashi Unomori, Salala, Amon |
Scenario Writers for “Spirit Realm” | Minami Kita, Riku Umino, Chiyori Fujikawa, Amon |
OST: | Pluto (OP & ED), Williams % Range (OP & ED) |
OST Composition, Lyrics: | O-ma, syayou, Tsuzuki |
BGM: | Tsuzuki |
9RIP was all about ambiance and atmosphere, and I feel like its production team really did an amazing job creating a very enchanting, slightly eerie setting within the game’s four distinct arcs. Yuuya, popular artist and illustrator known for her hit works in the otome genre like Cupid Parasite, Cafe Enchante, Hanakare, Jakou no Lyla (to name a few), was in charge of the game’s overall art. All of the character sprites were super, and the CGs were absolutely gorgeous! Honestly, you just can’t say NO to a Yuuya-illustrated game! The OST (bgms included) were also pretty solid! I loved how each four arcs have separate Ending themes! I think this is by far one of my favorite otome game soundtracks among the titles I’ve played this year!
UNBOXING 9 R.I.P. LIMITED EDITION
If you love novelty items along with your games, I definitely recommend getting 9 RIP’s limited edition! It comes with cool in-game items like Yukimaro’s fan and the magatama, which is an item you encounter in one of the routes. Check out my unboxing video above to see more of the merchies that come with this lovely LE!
Voice Acting
Toshiki Masuda as “Kureha” – Kashuu Kiyomitsu(Touken Ranbu),Mikado (B-PROJECT), Kaguya(Taisho x Alice),Mergo(Period Cube),Ieyasu(IkeSen),Momose Hiroto(Dynamic Chord),Snow(Shiro to Kuro no Alice),Rei(Ensemble Stars)
Shunichi Toki as “Hibiki” – Dahut (Virche Evermore), Leo Cavagnis (Piofiore), Yakumo (Dairoku), Hibie (Winters Wish), Matsui Go (Touken Ranbu), Mousse Atlas (IkeRev), Yuki Rurikawa (A3!)
Tetsuya Kakihara as “Sena” – Keith Claes(Hamefura),Victor Frankenstein(Code Realize), Momotaro Onzai (B-PROJECT), Shin(Amnesia),Kiro(MLQC),Isora(7’Scarlet), Carmen(BUSTAFELLOWS),Clyde King(Iris School of Wizardry),Ish(Even if Tempest), Uguisumaru(Touken Ranbu)
Ryota Suzuki as “Koyo” – Ginnosuke (Hanakare), Yona(Tengoku Struggle),Kiito Minorikawa(Jack Jeanne), Trey Clover(TWST),Ink(Gunka Haita Neko),Caster(FGO),Ash Meyer(Desperadrops),Mizuro Tamaki(Tokyo Ghoul)
Shinnosuke Tachibana as “Seiya” – Henri (Piofiore), White Mask(Bad Apple Wars),Kousei(Ayakashi Koi Gikyoku), Rollan Crydelle(Jakou no Lyla), William Rex (IkeVil), Koryuu Kagemitsu(Touken Ranbu), Rafayel (Love and Deepspace)
Nobuhiko Okamoto as “Minami” – Radie (Radiant Tale), Hansel(Code Realize),Manabu Souda(Collar x Malice),Taiga(Variable Barricade),Hizamaru(Touken Ranbu), Yang(Piofiore),Hiroya(Period Cube),Peter Flage(Cupid Parasite),Haiji(Charade Maniacs),Iris(Iris School of Wizardry),Bakugo(MHA)
KENN as “Yukimaro” – Shelby Snail (Cupid Parasite), Nori Tainaka(Sympathy Kiss),Limbo (Bustafellows), Futo Asahina(Brothers Conflict), Minakawa Asahi(Gakuen Club),Totomaru Minowa(Kenka Banchou Otome), Kei(Ken ga Kimi)
Yohei Azakami as Koharu” – Ion (Radiant Tale), Rinne Amagi(Ensemble Stars!),Sakyou(Tokyo Onmyouji),Kagesumi(Ayakashi Gohan), Ryo Tominaga(Digimon Survive),Kou Haoren(Money Parasite),Shizukagata Naginata(Touken Ranbu), Tsuwabuki(Utakata Uchronia)
Kohei Amasaki as “Toka” – Saburo(Hypnosis Mic), Mathis(Virche Evermore), Sylvie Scott (Cupid Parasite),Emilio(Piofiore),Aira Shiratori(Ensemble Stars!!), Tweedle Dum(Spade no Kuni no Alice)Kanata(Tales of Crestoria)
MAIN CHARACTERS AND ROUTES
9 R.I.P has four common routes: “School Ghost Stories” (Kureha, Hibiki), “Urban Legends” (Sena, Koyo), “Other Realm” (Seiya, Minami), and “Spirit World” (Yukimaro, Koharu). There’s also a locked route within the Spirit World arc, which becomes available only after completing Minami, Yukimaro and Koharu’s routes.
There are no route orders imposed by the developers, and with the game having so many routes available, I think it’s fine to switch up your play order for the School Ghost Stories, Urban Legends, and Other Realm arcs. You’d want to leave the Spirit World for last though if you’re trying to avoid spoilery details on your first playthrough. However, if you’re someone who prefers uncovering the story with minimal spoilers first, especially regarding the heroine’s predicament (the causes of her getting spirited away), my soft recommended play order would be: Kureha → Hibiki → Sena → Koyo → Seiya → Minami → Yukimaro → Koharu → Final Route.
Walkthroughs:
- Kureha
- Hibiki
- Sena
- Koyo
- Seiya
- Minami
- Yukimaro
- Koharu
- Finale/???
KUREHA
- silent himbo
- not a ‘horror’ enthusiast
Kureha, also known as “Kara Kara” the murderous spirit lurking in Narimigahama High, dragging his katana through the school corridors, creating an eerie metallic sound as it scrapes along the floor …or at least that’s how his rumor goes. Though he has a terrifying reputation, he is actually a gentle ghost. He’s straightforward with his feelings, kind, and very humble. Ironically, despite the rumors of him being a *bloodthirsty killer*, he’s quite the scaredy-cat and is not a fan of horror stories.
Disclaimer: Long-time Masuda fangirl here,🙋♀️ but I will try my best to be as unbiased as possible in this review. 😅. I played Kureha’s route first (for obvious reasons lol), and I’m actually glad I did. I feel like his route sets the tone for 9 RIP with its “spooky/spoopy” vibes. There are a few jump scares, which to me as a horror enthusiast, isn’t really anything to be quite honest. But if you’re not good with even a teensy bit of jumpscares, just be forewarned. Speaking of spooky, Kureha’s route is about as *spooky* as the game gets, so it’s best to temper your expectations if you’re hoping for a truly horror-like experience.
Tbh, I found Kureha to be such an adorable LI. He was kind, gentle, and very upfront with his feelings for the heroine. He was genuinely supportive of Misa, and I loved seeing his POVs, which shows how happy he was just being around her.🥺 Unfortunately, much likeKureha’s katana, this route seemed to drag its feet to the floor. It took quite a while for his story to actually unfold or get to its nitty gritty parts. While I didn’t mind this (because hey, more Masuda screen time for me lol), I can see how others might find it boring. His endings were also among the bittersweet ones in the game (though most of the endings for 9RIP tend to fall into that category).
Anyway, this wasn’t heavily showcased in his route but I do think Kureha is one silent himbo to boot! He gets quite airheaded sometimes and it’s so cute! 🥰
⬇️ Spoilers
Well, as much as I enjoyed Kureha as a character, I definitely feel that this route’s “plot” could’ve taken a better direction (esp at the end part). Perhaps I’m also a little peeved that my favorite character ended up getting the short end of the stick in the game? (lol who knows) I placed his “Godly Ending” first in my walkthrough, because I felt that that ending was *happier* than the “Heavenly Ending” – though this can be interpreted differently depending on a player’s preference. I do recommend playing both his “Happy Endings” so you can decide for yourself which one suits you better. On a side note, I really hope that in the sequel, characters like Kureha—who had bittersweet endings in the first game get better and more satisfying routes in the next. Because damn, I actually think all the characters in 9RIP were good and I feel bad that some of them won’t get as much love as the more popular LIs, all because their routes sucked!😔
HIBIKI
- cinnamon roll but not really… 😨
- Sena fanboy, S-CROWN stan
Hibiki is rumored to be the spirit haunting the second-floor mirror in the school corridor. According to the rumor, you must not touch the mirror, or the ghost within will drag you into another world. Hibiki is an aloof ghost, often hesitant to interact with other spirits. However, he has a soft spot for the heroine and is eager to help her in anyway he can. Beneath his shy exterior though, lies a darker side…
I was really excited to play Hibiki’s route, knowing he’s one of the characters who received the most popularity votes in Japan, and his merch’s after-market prices are ridiculously expensive! But…maybe I was just expecting too much because I found this route to be just “alright” in my book. I did love Hibiki as a character, though; he was so sweet and was the true definition of a cinamon roll when he’s not in his [redacted] mode. His story was also really heartbreaking, and I appreciated how his character grew and learned throughout the route, despite all his struggles. However, I found the end part of his story a little anticlimactic. Both of his endings fell on the bittersweet side, which I think was still pretty good, I just wished they could’ve been “happier”.
This was definitely one of those “I can fix him” routes, and fans of this trope will no doubt enjoy Hibiki and his story!
⬇️ Spoilers
I’m pretty sure Hibiki’s deranged bipolar side is what earned him those popularity votes (cackles).😂 We all love the crazies don’t we? Personality-wise, I thought he reminded me a little bit of Kanato in Dialovers, when Kanato is having a good day! (cackling iykyk) Unfortunately, I was a bit underwhelmed by how his ending unfolded. It was sort of anticlimactic in a sense that his brooding seemed to resolve way too quickly. After finally confronting his murderer in hell, the buildup of his emotional turmoil is dissolved almost instantly. Are you telling me that Hibiki’s inner darkness and deep-seated issues, which he carried for decades, just disappeared like that? It felt too easy of a resolution, at least to me anyway. Still a good angsty route though!
SCHOOL GHOST STORIES THOUGHTS:To me, this arc probably had the weakest plotlines in the game. I loved Kureha to bits, but I’m sad that his route didn’t measure up to the better ones in this game. While Hibiki was a great character per se (perhaps even polarizing in a good way), the endings in his route were mostly misses for me as far as how they all culminated. I hope these two characters will be given happier stories in the sequel because I genuinely loved them both as love interests! HORROR DISCLAIMER: FYI, the School Ghost Stories route is about as “horror” as the game gets. While it’s not particularly horror-scary, there are definitely some spooky elements to enjoy here!
SENA
- Sena’s route in a nutshell ⬇️⬇️⬇️
- spoilers, don’t click!!
Sena, the handsome, charismatic and talented member of the hit idol group S-CROWN. Or at least…he was. Even as a ghost, he still seems enthusiastic about being an idol, always sparkling with excitement whenever he talks about his career and his fans. However, every time he meets up with Misa, the heroine, there’s always a strange, and unshakable sense of unease between them…
Another hot blonde idol voiced by Kakki? heck yeah! Sena was lovely! He was a pretty good LI from the jump. Nice guy, a gentleman, very passionate and very affectionate toward the heroine. His route started really good too, his story build-up was very much engaging that I was actually glued to my screen during its first few segments… that is, until the last two chapters hit and everything kind of just went ??? 🤔. Unfortunately, this was another case where the LI was so wonderful but was kind of bogged down by a route that fell apart at the end.
On a positive note, Sena’s personality won me over, so even though his route turned out to be underwhelming to me, his character (not to mention, Kakki) still made this run enjoyable, so I wouldn’t exactly say it was too-too of a letdown.
⬇️ Spoilers
Sena’s route had one of the most unsatisfying endings in the game and I was very sad about this. His story at the end just felt entirely rushed, almost as if the writers ran out of ideas and was crunching time to get to a conclusion. I was hoping for a deeply angsty backstory reveal that explored Sena’s illness—how he became sick, the struggles he faced while dealing with it, etc. Instead, what we got was a very surface-level narration about him being sick and dying. The reveal lacked emotional weight that could’ve been a heart-wrenching scenario. A really missed opportunity! Contrary to my gripes above though, I TRULY loved the first few chapters of Sena’s route. When he mused about how he could’ve asked the heroine her name, (when she in fact gave him her name just moments ago) I honestly thought that was a localization error and was even screenshotting the entire scene and was ready to send it to IFI lmaooo! 😂😂😂 Little did I know that that scene was part of his route, so I was kind of bamboozled! Haha jokes on me! Wasn’t expecting the 50 first dates narrative! I loved it! Also, my goodness! The all-powerful magatama was really amplified in this route; I couldn’t take it seriously. Every time the “all-powerful magatama” trope is used as a plot device, I always end up squinting my eyes. I blame Ayakoi for this—I have been tainted! 😭
KOYO
- Koyo best boyo
- that one guy on twitch
Koyo is rumored to be the Narimigahama version of the urban legend “Merry Mary,” except that instead of the usual “Mary” who calls you and tells you she’s behind you, his version of “Merry Mary” involves a call from your loved ones who have passed away. Koyo is also an occult fanatic; he has a somewhat aloof persona at first and (literally) hides his emotions behind his scarf. Though in truth, he is genuinely kind at heart. Koyo is Sena’s best friend and also a good friend to Kureha; they both love going to the movies in their free time.
Kicking my feet!😩😩😩 Koyo really held up his reputation as “best boy”, who swiped the most votes in 9RIP’s popularity poll in Japan. It’s no wonder his after-market merch costs an arm and a leg & for a good reason! Everything about this LI is just totemo kakkoi from the very start of his route to the end! He is 100% boyfriend material, no questions asked. He is THE one! He is everything! (cackles) 🤣
The green in his outfit and the highlights in his hair represent his route, which is green-lit all the way! The romance was super solid too. I just adored his moments with the heroine, and his POVs were so good that I turn to mush from all the sweetness every single time! 🥺Also, Ryota Suzuki was made for this character. If you love him as Yona in Tengoku Struggle, I am a thousand times sure you will love him as Koyo! ~~~Best boyooo fr!
⬇️ Spoilers
They weren’t kidding about the hype in Koyo’s route! I could not have wished for a better route! He was just the perfect guy for Misa! Very considerate, kind and caring. He was there for her always, and all the time, to be her rock, to listen to her vent… He even asked if it was okay to give advice instead of just bluntly offering advises to her (what a gentleman, fr!). No wonder he was stalked by a deranged sasaeng!😭 Istg, I hate the evil fangirl trope as much as the other person, and I initially thought that this trope was going to ruin his route but IT DIDN’T! If anything, it added real substance to the story. Parasocial relationships are not healthy, folks! I really felt bad about how unfortunate and tragic Koyo’s backstory was. Having been killed in that fashion and out of nowhere was entirely traumatizing! I could not for the life of me forgive Reika like fr F that b*tch! On a positive note, the romance in this route was all too good! Their first kiss had me screaming and squawking weird sounding gibberish noises lol😂 His “Godly End” was also the most satisfying end this game showcased. I have zero complaints! P.S. ‘Koyo best boyo’ was a meme that someone came up with during one of IFI’s hilarious 9RIP streams, and I thought it was the most fitting tag that fits perfectly Koyo, who ended up as this game’s best boyo indeed. lol😂
URBAN LEGENDS THOUGHTS: If you’re playing School Ghost Stories and Urban Legends back-to-back, you’ll notice a stark difference in terms of story pacing. Urban Legends had a much better flow because there was a clear sense of time, with frequent mentions of night and day, as well as how many days had passed during the common route. In contrast, School Ghost Stories felt stagnant, as the heroine was spirited away and placed in a realm without any sense of time. There were no mentions of night and day or how long they spent trapped in that dimension throughout the narrative. Needless to say, Urban Legend was wonderfully constructed in terms of how the stories unfolded. While Sena’s route crumbled a bit for me at the end, it had one hell of a great start, so I can’t completely rule it out! Koyo’s route, on the other hand, was perfect from start to finish! HORROR DISCLAIMER: Urban Legends route didn’t have any “horror” elements. Just pure supernatural stuff!
SEIYA
- “oya-oya” route
- hopeless romantic dork 😭
- clingy af
Seiya is the Grand Warder of the Hell Organization (H.O.), a place for determining the punishments for souls who have committed grave sins in life. He is a true workaholic, he rarely takes a day off and possesses extensive knowledge about the afterlife, along with strong opinions on what he thinks is good and evil. Despite his somewhat serious role, Seiya is very affectionate toward the heroine, and he does his best to support her. He also has a quirky side, and his hopeless romantic streak makes him an absolute oddball.
What a quirky husbando! Seiya’s is your delusional pervert gentleman! He has no qualms about declaring his love for the heroine upfront, right to her face while bashfully blushing himself like the hopeless romantic dork that he is. It’s hilarious!🤣 Seiya is hilarious! He is also genuinely very kind to the heroine, respects her wishes and very much spoils her rotten. His character was kind of clingy as well but I found it to be tastefully sweet. 🥺
I did feel that this route took some time to get to the bottom of things plot-wise, but I didn’t mind it at all because I enjoyed the banter between Seiya and Misa, especially with Seiya’s exaggerated fantasies and delusions.😁 I think this route was one of the romantically-inclined routes in the game as well. No surprise there! Seiya’s one of the characters, along with Koyo, who warranted a standee in the B’SLOG [with sweets] series. Meaning, he’s one of the popular LIs in Japan, and I have no doubt he’ll become a fan fav in the West too!
⬇️ Spoilers
I also really enjoyed Seiya’s backstory and how he could relate to Misa’s predicament with her mom. He quickly understood how Misa’s mom felt about her husband’s death (the heroine’s late father) and recognized that she wasn’t ready to let him go yet, just as he struggled to let go of his own father’s death when he was still alive. Because of this shared experience, Seiya was able to offer Misa profound advice about her relationship with her mom. His route offered some valuable food for thought, and I really appreciated that.
MINAMI
- emo visuals 🤭
- 100% gremlin energy
Minami is an incubus who, for some reason, is after the heroine’s soul. As a demon that feeds by haunting humans in their dreams and giving them nightmares, there are various theories on how to fend them off. The general consensus is that one must have a strong heart and willpower to resist their sinister persuasiveness.
This route was such a huge surprise, not just because of Minami’s unpredictability (which was already a big plus; totally caught me off guard), but also due to the heroine’s gradual shift in personality. What’s really unique here is how, in this route, you have to almost max out the “insanity gauge” in your stats, which made perfect sense in the story because you witness Misa acting quite unlike her usual self. It was a breath of fresh (dirty) air! Totally didn’t see that coming! I was on edge most of the time, and I loved how the entire route played out.
Just like Seiya and Koyo’s, this route was also one of the *romantically-inclined* stories in the game (if not, probably the best?). I feel like Minami was also the most favored LI by the devs (the proof is in the pudding when he got a full CG on one of his random bad ends), and as a Kureha-stan I felt really salty about this!😤 (cackles in bitterness)
⬇️ Spoilers
Honestly, I hate how much I LOVED and enjoyed Minami’s route. (my tsundere personality coming out lol) For one, I am not a huge fan of his seiyuu… BUT I do love how Minami actually showcased all of Noburin’s crazy ranges here! I appreciated this route even more because of that. Minami was also such a very fun, interesting, lovable character. He was a big fat liar but also was very honest to a fault and this contradiction made him an interesting anomaly that I enjoyed so much. This was also probably the best route in terms of spice, as Minami was the only one who actually gets to do the deed with the heroine – though it’s all for plot points, and of course, handled in the loving grace of fade-to-black-kun. It’s also funny how most of the LIs intend to fully help Misa decide on her future path and here you have Minami, who basically was all: “Screw your future, bitch” his entire route. 😂😂😂(cackling)
OTHER REALM THOUGHTS:The ‘Other Realm’ common route was quite fun because it was essentially Minami vs. Seiya. Both felt like arch-nemeses, and I really enjoyed choosing sides with the characters that aligned with my sense of beliefs (I was firmly in Seiya’s camp all throughout). Though, it was also really interesting to explore Minami’s perspective. Both routes had good balance in terms of romance and plot, without falling short in either aspect. Both routes showcased lovely kiss CGs too! Overall, I’m pretty happy with this arc! HORROR DISCLAIMER: No “horror” in these routes either just good angst and fluffy-fluff-fluff!
YUKIMARO
- loud, genki, himbo
- otaku
Yukimaro is a guardian spirit in training who is vibrant, cheerful, and lively. However, he can also be a bit too loud and selfish at times. His main purpose and goal as a spirit guardian is to make the heroine happy.
Yukimaro is the resident genki himbo in this game. Though he is more on the bratty and whiny side, which can make him a polarizing character. Part of the lore in 9RIP describes guardian spirits as “pure” and “child-like,” so it makes sense for his character to embody those traits. To be honest, I was initially quite smitten with him. As a saniwa at heart😂 (cackling), I am absolutely weak whenever the LI calls the heroine “aruji-sama.” If you play TKRB, you know exactly what I mean! hnng…
Unfortunately, this route was by far the most underwhelming in the game in terms of plot—or lack thereof . It didn’t help that Yukimaro acted like a spoiled, bratty kid, which was an instant turn-off for me. The over-the-top screaming and childlike whining really took me out of the experience. The romance also kind of just happened abruptly. Though I didn’t mind it too much because I enjoyed his cute date moments with the heroine. However, other than that, there really isn’t much happening in this route, which made all his endings feel unfulfilling, if that makes sense. I was practically nodding off to sleep! On the brighter side, one of his endings featured the most beautiful CG in the game!
⬇️ Spoilers
Despite his whines and ugly cries, one thing I liked about Yukimaro is his perceptiveness and ability to read the room. This pretty much shows he isn’t a total airhead (even though he acts like one lol). He stood out as a great NPC in both Toka and Koharu’s routes as well. It’s really unfortunate, that his own route just felt kinda meh.In the game, Koharu also described Yukimaro as a “spoiled, self-centered, kid stuck in an adult’s body”, and I completely agree. I just can’t get behind Yukimaro’s loud, whiny personality. The screaming annoyed me so much that I had to turn his voice volume all the way down in the menu settings. KENN, I’m so sorry! (I promise I still love your radio shows!)
KOHARU
- cooking husbando
- tsundere
Koharu is the spirit tied to the spirit board. It is said that the spirit board can answer any questions by moving a coin across a sheet of paper marked with letters. However, you must never lift your finger from the coin during the ritual, or the spirit of the board will haunt you. Though Koharu can be harsh with his words at times, underneath his rough exterior lies a genuinely kind spirit. In the Spirit World arc, the heroine summoned him but accidentally lifted her finger from the coin, failing the ritual and causing Koharu to haunt her in return.
Oh no, I found… the tsun tsun! 🥺 He was so gruff and all huffy n’ puffy at the beginning, threatening Misa that he would haunt and curse her as punishment. He even called her a “dog” and told her to be prepared to do his bidding. But in turn, he was actually the one helping Misa out, secretly cooking for her and frantically rushing to her aid whenever he sensed her distress. What a big softie! I love him!
When the tsunderes are tsundering, I know I’m in for a fantastic time—and that I did! Koharu easily became one of my favs in this game. Although most of his endings fell on the bittersweet side, I would honestly replay this route again! It healed my soul after Yukimaro’s 😂(laughs). I was upset that he ranked really low in 9RIP’s popularity poll in Japan. Are you kidding me?
⬇️ Spoilers
I also found it too adorable how Koharu easily grows attached to the people he’s bound to curse. I liked how this route provided closure between him and Hibiki, especially since Hibiki was one of those he was meant to “curse” for failing the spirit board ritual. The backstory about his right eye being injured due to helping Hibiki in the past showed how genuinely concerned he was for him, as well as how kind he truly is!🥰 Koharu was also really cool when he talked to Misa’s sister about how he would take her home after their stroll. At one point the heroine even said she couldn’t help but swoon seeing this side of him and I was swooning right along with her! He was so amazing (not to mention really hot) in his human form! I believe Misa and Koharu had great chemistry in this game. I had a lot of fun witnessing their banter, and it was so sweet of him to teach Misa how to bake pastries, fueling her love for sweets. I also loved that he was the LI who suggested to the heroine that she might wanna consider becoming a pastry chef. Such a sweet bean! Seriously! Their kiss CG by the beachfront had me schhweaaming and kicking my feet!
FINAL ROUTE / ???
⬇️ Spoilers
TOKA
**This route unlocks only after finishing the Happy Endings of Minami, Yukimaro and Koharu** First of, having Kohei Amasaki casted for this role already had me going “hmmmm”… If you’re in the joseimuke loop, you’d absolutely know how talented this seiyuu is! (iykyk) I was legit waiting for him to switch up his range, lol sure enough I was right on the money! omg 😍 This route was surprisingly pretty good! I’m not usually one to favor finale or truth routes, but Toka’s route really hit the right spot for me. I was completely enamored by Toka’s selfless love for the heroine. In Yukimaro’s route, he mentioned being content with his one-sided love for Misa, but he would readily and willingly drop everything, including giving up being a god if she ever chooses him over the other love interests. 😭😭😭 And I constantly think about this scene a lot! Even after finishing the game! Ha! It was so touching how his love for the heroine borders on selfless love more than romantic love. It’s a trait that I personally value myself and actively seek out in the romance fiction I consume.🥹 My only gripe here is that this route was too short! And we didnt get Toka’s adult Tengu sprite which was so ethereal and beautiful LIKE MY GOD, CAN I HAVE MORE OF THAT PLEASE???? **** I did hear we’ll get a full route for him in the upcoming sequel! So I’m pretty ecstatic about it!
SPIRIT WORLD THOUGHTS: Although I’d say the most interesting arc was the “Other Realm”, I think I enjoyed the Spirit World’s common story the best because of how laid-back it is. The routes here lean more on the slice-of-life aspects more than anything. And I was really surprised by how chill and relaxed everything felt. This arc also served as a nice breather after the emotional ups and downs of the earlier routes. I really enjoyed the hilarious bickering among the three LIs here, all the while supporting Misa in deciding the right path for her future.I’m actually quite glad I played these routes last because they not only wrapped up the game on a satisfying note but also brought a sense of comfort and relief with its cozy-like tone. Like a gentle warm embrace after a long storm.🥰 HORROR DISCLAIMER: NONE, WHATSOEVER. These routes are all pure slice of life goodness!
MISA ISSHIKI (Main Heroine)
- sweet tooth
- parfait enjoyer
Misa is a second-year student at Narimigahama High School. She is kind-hearted and tends to be overly considerate especially to her loved ones. Since childhood, she has been plagued by misfortune, leading those around her to believe she is terribly unlucky. She has a sweet tooth and is skilled in many areas at school, except for Physical Education or anything related to sports. Misa’s current dilemma is that she doesn’t want to go to the university her mom hopes she’ll attend, but she hasn’t found the courage to tell her this yet.
I liked Misa as the heroine; she is bold and has a bit of feisty energy to her, and she remained as resilient as ever throughout all the routes. Her personality and quirks stayed consistent, sans Minami’s route, where her character gradually changes for plot reasons. I think one trait Misa had that was very relatable was that she finds it hard to say NO, especially when it comes to her loved ones’ wishes. This doesn’t really make her weak-willed; rather, she’s afraid of hurting those she cares about by denying them the favors they ask of her. I’m sure many of us can relate to this while growing up. Many times we often set aside our own desires to appease and be considerate to the ones we love. Her journey in the game is about learning that it’s okay to make decisions for herself and that saying NO to others is part of that.
SYSTEM AND LOCALIZATION
The “door to another dimension” design in the home screen was such a nice touch! I thought the overall UI vibed well with the title screen’s BGM too. It had quite an eerie feel to it. The game also played with a few cool purple palettes, both in the interface and in the CGs, which added to 9RIP‘s overall aesthetic.
The game includes the usual Otomate-interface functionalities, such as the Skip All/Read, Quick Save/Load, Rewind Feature, and Auto-mode, etc. These are features that anyone familiar with the otome genre should be quite familiar with.
PROS:
- Heroine’s Name Customization: The heroine’s name can be changed. Great for those who prefer to self-insert.
- Love Catch System
- Cognitive Choices & Insanity Choices: These choices are distinguished by colors. Cognitive choices are in green, affection choices in purple, and insanity choices in blue.
- Memory – the games “extra section” where you can look up and view your collected CGs, videos, glossary entries, and voice messages.
- Voice – you can read and listen as the characters share fun facts about them as well as special messages. These entries unlock as you progress through each route.
- Skip to Next Choice and Return to Previous Choice Function
- Return to Beginning and Skip to End Function
- Chapter Select Feature
- Status Screen: allows you to check both your affection points with the LI you’re pursuing and the heroine’s insanity gauge.
- MAPS
CONS:
- No side-image of the heroine in the dialogue boxes.
- Heroine is not voiced.
- No fonts selection.
Localization
- This is a pretty solid localization from IFI. I enjoyed how the humor of the game was translated. It landed pretty well! Especially Seiya’s eccentric hilarious lines.😆 I was having a blast!
- There were only a few text errors in the game. I did notice some odd line breaks in certain routes, but they were mostly minor and rather unnoticeable, especially if you read pretty fast.
TRAILER
OVERALL THOUGHTS
9 R.I.P. was a pretty lengthy title! I clocked around 60-70 hours on my switch completing the entire game. I play mostly in auto-mode with my Switch docked. If you’re the type to speed-read VNs, you can probably finish the game in under 60 hours.
Each route in the game has two main Happy Endings: the “Godly End” and the “Heavenly End”. Sometimes one may offer the “happier” conclusion while the other tends to be a bit more bittersweet, and vice versa. It’s definitely recommended to play and unlock both of these endings to get the main characters’ full route experience!
I think if you’re seeking out a true “Horror Otome Game”, you’re going to get disappointed with this title. Though I’d argue that the School Ghost Stories’ common route did have some spooky elements up its sleeve. There were some cool jumpscares and a few ghost and ghouls enough to give you some of that eerie, creepy atmosphere (if that’s what you’re looking for). If I had to describe 9RIP though, I’d say it leans more toward supernatural than actual “horror”.
What’s fascinating about this title is that each common route is very distinct from one another. The routes in School Ghost Stories are the spooky/spoopy ones, while Urban Legends focuses more on supernatural elements and feels much faster-paced. Seiya and Minami’s routes in the Other Realm arc center around the “underworld” setting and offer a good blend of angst and romance. Meanwhile, Yukimaro and Koharu’s routes in the Spirit World arc are much lighter with their slice-of-life themes. **I love how the game transitions from creepy vibes to sad angst to straight-up chill moments. Experiencing these range of genres within a single title was quite a unique feat, and its something I really appreciated about 9RIP.
When you think about it, the premise of 9RIP is actually quite simple. Misa’s struggles reflect common experiences many of us go through at her age. Despite its simplicity, I believe there’s real depth to her journey of personal growth, especially as she learns to understand and manage the relationships in her life. Many times (across all routes) we also see Misa discuss her predicament with her LI, and I found it nice how each character responds differently to her dilemma, offering sound advice based on their own life (and afterlife) experiences. This may get overlooked in the narrative due to the game’s supernatural theme, but 9RIP actually has a very human touch to it.
Another thing to appreciate is that the game introduces meaningful insights into the value of family. Misa’s connections with her mom, sister, and best friend, Sayaka, were not undermined in the story. These side characters weren’t just story fodder either; imo, they all played significant roles that actively contributed to Misa’s development and growth as a person (the Spirit World routes definitely highlighted these aspects more).
The Zing of Bittersweet Happy Endings
I enjoyed all the love interests in 9RIP! All nine of them were honest-to-god super good! Though with a game featuring a robust number of LIs, there’s always that underlying concern that some characters will get the short end of the stick and will not receive as much depth and quality narrative as others. If I had any gripes about this game, this would be it. I found that some LIs were really shafted with nonsensical conclusions in their endings. Yukimaro’s route, for example, was somewhat of a letdown for me, and Sena’s last chapters really made me go pikachuface.jpg. Kureha, who’s my favorite character in the game, also got shortchanged in his route. I really hope that in the sequel, all characters will have equally satisfying happy endings for everyone to enjoy!
I think part of the game’s charm is to showcase bittersweet endings as well, but ngl, some of them were a little too bitter for my palate. (laughs)🤣 Though I suppose this is more of a preference than anything. I mean, let’s be real here, this is basically an otome game where a human romances ghost and spirits. One way or another, this setup is bound to end ambiguously bittersweet! To me the only endings that felt truly “satisfying and happy” were Koyo’s and Minami’s (& also the final route). Koyo being a true champ with his “Godly” End.
ROUTE RANKING:
Koyo > ??? > Minami > Koharu > Seiya > Kureha > Hibiki > Sena > Yukimaro
LI RANKING:
Kureha (biased) = Koyo > Koharu > ??? > Seiya = Minami = Sena > Hibiki > Yukimaro
As for the romance, while I do think the game is plenty romantic. I believe the sugar-content overall in 9RIP was mildly decent. Some routes definitely offered more romantic scenes than others though! The Other Realm routes especially, were favored in this department. In addition to that, this game doesn’t offer any real “spicy” content either. There’s really only one love interest who gets to have the “bed scene” with the heroine, and it was more for plot purposes than anything. On a brighter note, all the guys have exceptionally stunning kiss CGs to gawk at!
Do I recommend this game? YES.
This title wasn’t perfect by any means, but overall, I think it was wonderfully crafted. I did quite like this game a lot, to be honest. I even tried to make it last as long as possible because I didn’t want it to end. But alas, deadlines wait for no one!😆 (cackles)
9 R.I.P. is a character-driven game, so naturally, the charm lies with the characters. There’s some joy in unraveling and exploring the lore, the backstories, and the unique dynamics of the cast, which I believe is what immediately drew me in. Some plotlines and endings may be a hit or miss for some people (so just a heads-up for those who are extremely picky), though I firmly believe that the characters will more than make up for this. With a very stacked cast of talented VAs, these LIs will undoubtedly get you hooked —and spooked (in a good way)!
If you’re looking for an otome title that offers a mix of quirky characters, heartwarming romance, and intriguing supernatural twists with just the right dash of spookiness, then 9 R.I.P. is your go-to game this Halloween season! Otomate has also recently announced a sequel for the series, so that’s all the more reason to pick up this title right? Else, you’ll be truly missing out! (Just kidding… no, seriously, don’t miss out!) PLEASE PLAY 9 R.I.P.!