“A person’s heart is very soft, like a handful of sand.” ー Review of ‘Slow Damage’ [R-18]

Welcome back to “spring blossom reverie”; this time I’ve got a full VN review! I have spent just a bit over a month on playing Slow Damage, the highly anticipated BLVN released by Nitro+CHiRAL on February 25th, 2021. Due to life circumstances, I was only able to start playing it a couple months after the release and purchasing it, but the excitement is still so real. I’m so glad I got to finally play it and indulge in the lovely fanart Twitter has been providing!

Because this is a full length review, I will be dividing the review into various parts (with a handy dandy navigation bar thanks to page anchors!) In addition, the format will deviate slightly from my demo reviews. Plot synopsis will be heavily condensed here just for the sake of introducing the background without going too deep into the details, out of respect for those who still want to play themselves. The spoilers portion of the review is also intended to be read best for those who have already completed the game, making a plot summary redundant. If you haven’t played the full game yourself but still want to read the spoilers portions, be my guest. While a demo review goes into my speculations and what I look forward to in the full game, full game reviews will discuss elements that I enjoyed throughout my playthrough, such as writing, structure, music, etc.

Also, a quick shout out to my dear friend RochiSama for putting up with my constant screaming while I was playing the VN! Discussing the VN with them during my playthrough made it a great experience, especially when I was forming various plot theories as I kept going. Do check out their stuff if you want to see some translated content, such as theme song lyrics and short stories.

Notes:
1. I am not a formal translator, just an avid player of visual novels. My interpretations should not be taken as “official”. Footnotes will be added for things I have taken the liberty of interpreting myself or wish to clarify.
2. As stated above, there will be references to spoilers later in the article. I have tried my best to not spoil the entire game experience, but I do feel that my review is best read if one has already finished the game. Feel free to skip past the spoilers portion if you do not want to be spoiled. I also would prefer if any comments that discuss spoilers state so beforehand.
3. All images from this article are from the full Japanese game of ‘Slow Damage ver1.10’.

Table of Contents

• No Spoilers
  • Synopsis and Background
  • My Thoughts
  • Content Warnings
• Spoilers
  • Rei’s Route
  • Taku’s Route
  • Madarame’s Route
  • Fujieda’s Route
  • Final Thoughts
• Closing Notes

Synopsis and Background

Video content warnings: NSFW, Flashing, Smoking, Blood, Needles, Self Harm, Suicidal actions

Slow Damage takes place in the fictional special administrative region of Shinkoumi¹, year 20XX, focusing on our apathetic and lackadaisical protagonist, Towa (CV: Hiiragi Santa). Since its conception and hey-day as a booming casino and entertainment resort, Shinkoumi has been predominantly ruled by the Takasato group, but has gradually increased in crime, corruption, and OSHA violations. During the day, Towa works at the private clinic of his long-time acquaintance, Taku (CV: Munakata Jin) as a receptionist, where he also lives for free on the third floor. His friend, Rei (CV: Tanaka Ichirou) helps out at the clinic part-time during his² spare time outside of his shifts at the local bar, the Roost.

Despite working at a neighborhood clinic, Towa lives his days without caring about his well-being, habitually smoking cigarettes and washing down sleeping pills with bottles of alcohol; aside from regularly hooking up with strangers, his only hobby is painting the moment people’s desires are fulfilled as the artist ‘euphoria’. Throughout the course of the story, Towa also encounters his other potential love interests: Madarame (CV: Ichinose Subaru), a mysterious and unreadable man whom Towa was once involved with, and the cold and serious lawyer Fujieda (CV: Miyabi Shou), who was hired by the Takasato as their legal advisor.

9 years since their last game, DRAMAtical Murder, Nitro+CHiRAL returns with a darker atmosphere for Slow Damage. As with all the mainstream N+C games, Fuchii Kabura was in charge of the scenario writing, while this time the primary artist was the legendary Yamada Uiro, who has been assisting in N+C works since sweet pool and whose art has been featured in several N+C promotional art before (such as Valentine’s Day and White Day artworks.) Slow Damage is Yamada Uiro’s first time as character designer and lead artist in a N+C game, which has been very exciting to look forward to.

The first video teaser for Slow Damage was uploaded in 2017 (warning for flashing) with just the game title and preliminary sketches of the main cast, but the hype train was still in full steam since they first mentioned they were making a new game. The excitement was still quite high even when the next PV was released 3 years later in 2020 (warning for some flashing, self harm imagery) to announce the release date (originally December of 2020, but changed in September to the final release of February 2021.)

¹I chose to romanize 新神海 as “Shinkoumi” just like the furigana from the official content rather than as the alternative choice of “Shinkomi”.
²I will be using he/him pronouns for Rei for various reasons, some of which may be spoilers and will be touched upon in the spoilers portion of the article. This is my own personal interpretation of how to address Rei and may be a point of disagreement.

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My Thoughts

Just from following some of the promotional content before the release of Slow Damage, I had absolutely no idea what to expect from the game. On a personal front, I was swamped with work earlier in the year and had no time to play the demo myself. Immediately, Towa’s character design appealed to me immediately as he was protagonist with such a distinct image, so full of scars like a patchwork doll. However, none of the love interests particularly stood out to me as candidates for being my favorite, so I ended up purchasing the digital copy instead of trying to pick a limited edition tokuten. After I started playing, though, I was absolutely blown away. It was so hard to save and pause for the night many times and on the days and nights I was too busy to play, my mind was daydreaming about what I had already read up until that point. In hindsight, I sort of regret not getting a physical copy and all those tokuten goodies…

So what made the game so captivating? Short answer: everything. Long answer…

In regards to the writing, the overall plot took a little bit to get heated because of the pacing. Initially there was not a very obvious “end goal” to the story, as opposed to something more clear cut, like DRAMAtical Murder, in which the protagonist goes to a certain destination with his route LI. However, the various routes did end up coming together neatly in the end and I would argue that none of the routes were unimportant even if there is a “True Route” (in my opinion, it is really easy for a game with a True Route to fall into the trap of rendering other routes null and pointless); each route had its role in the story-telling process, giving small clues to the reader that hint to the end game without fully divulging what the end has in store. As someone who overthinks just about everything, this was the perfect fuel for my brain to conjure up all sorts of wild theories. In addition, this particular structure adds to the replay value, making the reader want to go back and reread the previous routes to read them in a different light with the knowledge of the True Route’s scenario.

While the overarching plot took some time to develop, I was easily occupied with the interactions with the characters, including the side characters, who are all very charming (a rare occurrence!) The personalities of Shinkoumi are all varying levels of chaotic and wackiness, making their encounters with Towa amusing and hilarious. Considering our capricious protagonist, I was very curious how the routes and pairings would develop, especially when the majority of the LI lineup have known Towa before. Luckily none of the routes fell into the stereotypical “childhood friend” category that I tend to have the most complaints about. Surprisingly, I did feel that each of Towa’s romantic pursuits were written very well, to the point that I’m looking forward to how each good end will expand in future drama CDs and a hopeful FD. All of the main LI pairings with Towa have their romantic points and I’ve been able to enjoy each of them.

The choice system in the game is very different from anything I’ve ever done before: rather than the usual prompted choices at key moments in a story, Slow Damage‘s story progression hinges on the “Psychology” and “Exploration”³ functions. Although the initial tutorials felt a little confusing, I got the hang of things after playing around with the functions. While the “Exploration” was intended for the player to gather “Inspiration” (certain key phrases from other characters) to use in the “Psychology” parts, it also felt like a very clever way to expose the reader to the worldbuilding and the different interactions Towa has with the colorful personalities of Shinkoumi (quite literally.)

Some may find all the “Exploration” portions to feel tedious after a while, but at least for me it was always a delight that I could talk to different side characters, glean information on them I would not be able to attain otherwise in the main plot, and read details about the different locations Towa could visit on his walks. It is a bit of a shame that these parts are only partially voiced, but there are a couple lines that live rent-free in my head so it’s not all bad.

The “Psychology” parts (or as I’ll jokingly call them sometimes, “Social Anxiety Simulator” because of how much time I spend purely on overthinking them) also became really fun ways to test how well the reader knows the target character and how to accomplish the goal, whether it is to gain certain information from them or convince them of some action. Although I followed Half-Adder’s route guide at first, I later chose to only use it to ensure I got all the “Inspiration” quotes I could in each “Exploration” part and whenever I was stuck on “Psychology”. It’s a fun story-telling mechanism that ties in a lot of the story’s overall themes. Like with the “Exploration” function, some players may find it more exhausting especially those who only want to complete the necessary endings, but the option to keep playing around with “Psychology” in various ways pleases me greatly.

The game’s visual design is also downright gorgeous, it’s just… *chef’s kiss*. The title screen (see beginning of section) recreates Towa’s studio, with the menu sections as various objects in the room. The incorporation of colors and sketches throughout the actual gameplay, such as the “Sketchbook” and “Palette” menus, is a nice touch that calls back Towa’s artistic side and his point of view. The use of scars as another visual element, especially in “Psychology”, is another nice nod to our dear protagonist’s design. During gameplay, I also thought the use of a television screen with sticky note tabs as the menu functions for the right-click menu pop-up was ingenious and a nice element from Towa’s studio set-up.

On the topic of visual elements, the art for the game is downright gorgeous. As mentioned briefly earlier, I have been looking forward to seeing Yamada Uiro as lead artist for a N+C, and I was very satisfied with the outcome, it kept me fed for days. Aside from the gorgeous character CGs, the CGs of objects, the artwork in the universe, even the backgrounds are so crisp and beautiful. N+C if you’re out there listening to this foreigner’s rambles I want it to be known that my wallet is ready to buy Towa’s artworks in real life as home décor, I’m not even kidding.

Music in the game is also heavenly; although there are a couple tracks I wouldn’t listen to on repeat when I’m in need of working BGM, there is no BGM track that I actively dislike. The title screen BGM is so hauntingly gorgeous, as are the “Psychology” BGM tracks. The way the tracks loop in the game is so fascinating, I could keep my game window open forever (and I have) to listen to them like that because the Spotify album listing (potential spoilers for track titles in link) can’t do that. The ED songs are also stellar, I’ve listened to all of them over and over again many times and I don’t think I can stop anytime soon. Again, N+C if you’re out there listening can you make actual music boxes of the BGM aside from the OP “il” I would actually get one.

Personally my route play order was Rei → Taku → Madarame → Fujieda, which gave me the best exposure to the game’s building plot style, in my opinion. Of course, I am in no position to tell people what to do, but that is definitely my recommendation for route order in best experiencing this game. My other recommendation for a great experience is to have fun and play around with the “Psychology” and “Exploration” parts! There are lots of save file slots and a handy “Quick Save/Load” function to use, which helped me a lot when I wanted to replay certain parts.

Overall, Slow Damage was an incredible experience as a BLVN and I would highly recommend it as a very solid visual novel in general. I cried, I laughed, and I’m still pondering over it. It is by far my most favorite Nitro+CHiRAL visual novel ever, sorry Lamento! That being said, the game does have a dark atmosphere and deals with some heavy topics; it may not be for everyone. Content warnings listed below, hidden for potential spoilers and listed in no particular order.

Content warnings (click to expand):

Lots of blood, minor on-screen flashing effects, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, physical assault, sexual assault, self harm, suicide, character death, discussion of gender dysphoria, discussion of domestic abuse, discussion of child sexual abuse, discussion of human trafficking

³“Psychology” and “Exploration” parts are written as “心理” and “探索”, respectively, in the Japanese text.

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The follow sections will go into a deeper discussion that will involve spoilers of the entire game. If you wish to skip the spoilers, click here to go back to the top, or click here to head straight to the bottom of the post.

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Spoilers Zone

If you’ve made it this far and are still reading, thanks! Also just want to drop a quick reminder that everything in this post beyond here will have spoilers. Please turn back if you do not want to be spoiled, this is the last sign.

Alright now if you’re actually still reading, thank you and sorry in advance for all the brainworms I’m going to be dumping straight onto here because I’ve been holding in so many feelings about this game, this one post isn’t going to cut it. Get ready for a couple more analysis posts in the coming weeks/months because I doubt I will be shutting up about Slow Damage for a couple more years. The following sections will be heavily focused on my thoughts on each route; although each section will largely be on the respective LI, I will also discuss some of my thoughts on other characters during that route. The final section will be any remaining thoughts I have that aren’t particularly attached to any route.

I ended up writing a lot so the actual text will be hidden in expandable boxes. This is to spare your scroll bar from getting incredibly tiny, and it just so happens to be great at hiding spoilers.

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Rei’s Route

Click to expand (contains spoilers):

When I started the game, I already had it in mind to play Rei’s route first, and in the grand scheme of story progression I’m really glad I did. Rei’s route was probably the least involved in Towa’s backstory, but it was a great primer to the set-up of the game by getting me used to the “Psychology” and “Explorations” parts, setting the tone for the story, introducing the involvement of the Takasato, and still giving some small hints to the other routes and Towa’s backstory. I was definitely surprised that Rei’s route had barely brought up Towa’s backstory, considering how Rei has known Towa since middle school, but the fact that they didn’t actually know each other very well back then was a fine reason.

Since Rei’s route was my first route, it seems only natural to briefly go over my initial thoughts on Chapter 1: Fraise in this section. That whole chapter was just… so aesthetic. I am a huge lover of plants and flower language, and combining them with morbid curiosity and blood just makes for an enticing atmosphere. I was following the Slow Damage manga for a bit before I started the game so I already knew Ikuina had been sending flowers to get Towa’s attention, but it was still a pleasure to experience it in the game itself, especially hearing Rei’s reaction to how Towa turned down Ikuina so bluntly. Ikuina is so adorable, he makes it to a spot in my top 3 side characters! And that CG of the rose petals on the bed… gorgeous. Just so tantalizing with the blood mixed in with the red rose petals. Chapter 1 really did a great job of demonstrating how Towa goes about finding a suitable model for ‘euphoria’, pushing Ikuina to his limits of suppressing his desire until he could not stand it anymore.

Going into Chapter 2: Brother, I felt that I had gotten the hang of the game’s style and system. Although the chapter didn’t have the same sense of dark beauty Fraise did, it was still fairly fun to read how Kirihara’s story was slowly revealed. I had guessed fairly early on that Mizuno had more behind that cute unassuming face, but my curiosity was fueled by wanting to understand the connecting of him to the chapter title and the attacks. Watching Mizuno’s aura flare up with a bright red in certain “Psychology” prompts piqued my interest so much, I really wanted to peek behind his meek mask so badly. Even if Kirihara’s story ended up my least favorite out of the three major side character stories (that sounded like an oxymoron), it was still a fun read to see playing out and how it would eventually have a small parallel to Rei. Side note, his brother complex and braces are adorable charm points… (just gonna keep calling every side character adorable I guess.)

And finally getting to Chapter 3: Contradiction… I was very concerned about Rei having seen him get beat up by Kirihara like that! But I also liked seeing him with bruises and being an overall badass out in the death matches, I’m sorry Rei! Rei and his crew just overall kicking ass was such a pleasure to watch, they had the coolest outfits too. 10/10 would let them beat me up and then go have some steak. I also would want to see them beat up Rei’s dad. It was mentioned several times that they would be down for that. Please. Rei just let them beat up your good-for-nothing father, you’re too kind.

However, I can definitely empathize with his conflicting feelings of filial respect and letting his father get his just desserts, which made me pity him a lot more. It was heartbreaking to have to see him sacrifice so much of his own life, literally put his life on the line, just to save his father, who was also his primary source of trauma. I was so glad that there was no scene in this route where Rei is willing to completely reconcile with his father again, especially after all his father had put him through during his adolescence and adulthood. My personal background made me understand Rei’s willingness to help out his shitty father and give some kind of forgiveness to him in his heart, as painful as it is to live with someone like that in your life. I am also just so proud of Rei for being able to be so independent in his adult life, working several jobs to sustain himself and have a comfortable life away from his father (at least up until he found out about the debt.)

I did have some mixed feelings initially about Rei’s personal story; my first reaction was a bit of “I have no idea what to expect from a discussion on gender here.” Mulling over it a bit after I had finished the route, I personally think that it was written a little awkwardly and that these awkward feelings around it seem to stem from Rei’s self-homophobia due to his father’s words. He tried to be someone he really wasn’t because an authoritative figure in his life said something that shitty. Overall, his story reads like a realization that he can just be a gay man and it doesn’t mean that he’s “just like a woman” (his father’s words.) His father definitely deserves a massive punch for that.

I do think that his GE haircut was a bit overboard, but that’s also because I really like long hair on men… I find it really funny how Yamada Uiro still likes to draw Rei with long hair even in post-route artworks, though (see: White Day 2021 art.) I support long haired Rei art! The link of violence with masculinity also doesn’t sit super well with me, but in the end I’m just glad Rei realized who he truly is and I support him and his happiness. I do have a bit of selfish wishful thinking, in which I had hoped that Rei’s idea expression of his masculinity can also encompass the parts of himself he seemed to genuinely like before the turning point of his route, like enjoying fashionable styles and eating lots of sweets.

Rei’s mad end was incredibly delicious though, with all the body modifications. The split tongues kissing, the face tattoo, the carved scars like feathers, the corset piercings getting ripped out… this end really had everything. What an indulgent ending, I don’t think I could have ever dreamed that Rei would get this mad end but it’s also perfect for him, with his body modification hobby. “HEAD CASE TATTOO” is a total bop too, definitely my more favorite GOATBED ED theme between his two ED songs.

Rei’s story of his father’s debt also was a good reminder to me that no matter how I enjoy all the Takasato characters, they can ruin peoples livelihoods and may not have remorse for it because of their position. His father’s involvement in the human trafficking business was a chilling reminder of the dark side of the Takasato, which seemed like a small part of Rei’s route that would serve to foreshadow later parts of Slow Damage. Because of Rei’s route, I began to not readily trust Sakaki; as much of a father figure as he may be to Towa, he still had his own goals and no sympathy for those hurt by their debts to the Takasato (he’s still a great character though.) I did really enjoy the use of “Psychology” to play poker with Sakaki, even if there isn’t an expanded bad end depicted in the game if Towa does lose to him. It was a great way to use a game mechanic for something aside from its original intended use and it really showed how Towa did end up growing to care more about Rei.

Although Rei ranks the lowest to me among the LIs in Slow Damage, I still had a fun time with his route, and I liked where he and Towa had left off on by the end of the GE. I’m looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops in any future content!

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Taku’s Route

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Wow, Towa I wish I could wake up with this view too. Let’s all take a moment to bask in how Taku’s introduction CG has his tits popping like that. Boob physics don’t work like that with scrubs but I will allow it for the ossan titties, thank you Yamada Uiro for the food. Anyways oh boy do I have a lot of feelings about Taku. But before that, let’s talk about Asakura!

Chapter 2: Doctor sure was a ride. Upon hearing the organ rendition of the chorale from Bach’s cantata BMV 147, also more commonly known as Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, and reading the words in the introduction, I immediately thought about the religious theme (which actually didn’t come up for a while so I had forgotten about it by the time they brought up the church.) Throughout the chapter, I was really amused by Towa’s interactions with Asakura because of how hostile and cold the latter was towards him, yet Towa would still try to get close to Asakura out of curiosity. It was such a contrast to Towa’s interactions with Ikuina and Mizuno, which I had seen earlier, because he was less interested in them at first until he caught a sense of their burning desires. As I was approaching the end of the chapter, awaiting for the moment of ‘euphoria’, I was dying in anticipation of what Towa was going to do, considering how the entire chapter and all the people in it were framing Asakura as a child predator and Towa is most definitely not a child. I think I had to pause for a moment at the revelation that Asakura was obsessed with angel wings because of how it shattered all of those presumptions (yet still made sense somehow.) The attached wings were really beautiful in a haunting way, with the barebones steel rods tinged with blood and a light dusting of white feathers. This was also the first time I got to see Towa’s shoulder blade scars, which are sometimes said to look like an angel’s wings were removed. What an eerily gorgeous ‘euphoria’ scene, especially on an operating table at night. (Thanks for spraying down the wings with ethanol too for sterility, Asakura, can’t have Towa getting tetanus here.)

Asakura’s shit-talking of Taku was equal parts ironically funny, pot calling the kettle black, and intriguing; going into Chapter 3: Nostalgia, I was already anticipating some light to be shed on Taku’s past and possibly Towa’s too, because of how Taku was in Towa’s life for a very long time. I… really did not expect all that delicious pain. I’m so happy he’s a miserable ossan that dug himself into this hellhole. (If it’s not clear by now, I really really like Taku.)

The beginning of the route felt incredibly slow, which was both frustrating and fun to watch; similar to my time playing Rei’s route, I was constantly wondering how Taku’s relationship could develop with Towa, having known each other for the majority of Towa’s life. Taku’s hyperawareness of Towa, such as the slight hand touches, were really endearing, he’s basically like a 40+ year old virgin… cute! At the same time I kept wanting to shake Taku for how he failed to make any moves on Towa, even if I call his first “Psychology” scene a date. Speaking of which, I like how that “Psychology” felt really low stakes, it was a nice breather from all the other “Psychology” parts I had done up until then because of how it was just a relaxed conversation between the two parties.

Luckily with the help of the resident TakuTowa oshi, Toono, Taku finally laid his hands on Towa. I am also a sucker for the aphrodisiac trope so their first H-scene was an absolute blast for me, but oh boy Taku, you’re repressing so bad (and I sure as hell ate all that up and really enjoyed it.) It’s so funny how Toono’s actions really pushed the two together. Despite being the villain of the route, Toono was hilarious; I still crack up whenever I remember how he made Towa his lover (and Towa didn’t even really care anyway, gotta love a protagonist who doesn’t give a shit) yet the most he ever had Towa do was pour his drinks for him. The fact that everyone around them kept saying “Wow I didn’t know Toono-san had that kind of interest” made the whole situation even funnier. He really is a slimy straight old man (derogatory) (affectionate) that I will never stop bullying, he’s so prime for teasing. I do have to thank Toono for putting Towa in a crossdressing situation, though, Towa was gorgeous wearing that dress.

It was so hard for me to pause the game after the aphrodisiac H-scene because the route just kept going? Taku’s route really just felt like an amusement park ride that chugs along for the first half and then suddenly launches you in all directions in the latter half, coming to a dizzying end that tapers off. I did love how Taku and Towa’s relationship was so different from how Rei and Towa’s was. Although Rei had his own secret he kept from Towa, most of it was not directly related to Towa, but rather was Rei’s personal problems. On the other hand, Taku’s secrets were actually on a criminal level and even entangled Towa. Taku and Towa figuring out their relationship now that Towa is an adult felt like a beautiful messy and dramatic clash of feelings. TakuTowa is a lot of Taku thinking he’s doing what’s best for Towa and Towa pushing back because it’s not what he wants or enjoys, and I love that.

I had some fun with the later “Psychology” portions, as frustrating as they were because of Taku’s indecisiveness, because of how Towa was very firm in how Taku’s actions unintentionally hurt him. It’s the communication I really needed to see between them. It’s also really fun to see an ossan be berated by a man 20 years younger than him, beg for forgiveness, and get punched. (He really deserved that.) His downfall from his own mistakes is really just… wow I love it. The way he constantly beats himself up internally but can’t seem to admit it or find a way out, instead choosing to run away from his feelings, is what hits home really easily. Even in the current time during the game, he still blames himself for his mother’s death and ironically does work that falls in line with that. It also just feels so realistic how the way he breaks free from this mindset is accepting that he really cannot save everyone but there are people now that he holds dear and he should listen to them.

Taku’s mad end also hit so many darker tropes I enjoy a lot… just the whole thing about the drugged confinement lining up with his tendency to run away from his problems, but this time also dragging Towa along with that behavior. The deep kiss sharing the pill, Taku’s scratched up back, it was so sexy. Yamada Uiro really does draw the best blissful Towa faces. The bug hallucinations as blobs of colors were also strangely aesthetic, as was the final CG of the ethereal and non-existent wings. Taku could finally have Towa all to himself, in a cocoon of safety and ignorant bliss. What a sinful ending I love it so much. “inside out” is such a good song too, always love a good rock song with a nice bassline. It’s also my favorite of the two Taku ED songs, but THE ANDS are really good!

On the other hand, his GE was really sweet and surprisingly, I found myself enjoying it a lot. The H-scene after the psychology part was so soft despite their situation, with how Taku kissed each of Towa’s scars and sounded so possessive about it. (“I sewed up this scar, and this one too” this is peak romance what the hell.) It was probably the first time I actually came close to tearing up because of how tender their moments were, with Taku finally opening up a bit about Towa’s childhood and showing him a photo of him as a kid, Towa obsessively drawing Taku with the memories he held dearly about him since long ago, and their slightly awkward but also heartful reunion under the cherry blossoms. I suppose absence does make the heart grow fonder, and I eagerly await to see how their relationship develops from now on. Seeing how Towa changed in this ending also gave me lots of feelings; not only did his hair grow longer (I support Towa with long hair) he also dyed it back to all black, as if he were returning to his younger self, the one that Taku knew very well.

My only minor complaint that’s just more of a running joke now is that I had wish Taku had at least shot at Toono, I think Toono really does deserve to be shot considering how he made Taku’s life a living hell for the past like 20 years, and Toono shot at him and Lisa, too. As badass as the line “You and I are both the worst kinds of scum. But I won’t be falling to the same level of hell are you are”⁴ is, Taku could have definitely followed it up with an incapacitating shot. Still a great scene though but I was let down that Taku didn’t actually shoot at Toono considering how he has that gun CG in the OP.

I have to admit that Taku’s route was highly enjoyable to me because I am biased towards him, but I do think a good portion of my love for TakuTowa stems from additional sad Taku feelings I accumulated over the last two routes. In the grand scheme of things, Taku’s good end is not a perfect ending for Towa because of how much left there is that is unknown and left unsaid, which can make it fun. There were so many hints throughout his route that I kept thinking about, like Towa’s nightmares and the brief mention of Maya, and the mystery around them would not have been possible without this route.

⁴The line in Japanese was “俺もお前も、最低のクズだ。 だが、俺はお前と同じところまで……堕ちるつもりはない。”

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Madarame’s Route

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Damn, Towa how come you get two ossan routes? And they’ve both got some godly old man boobs and asses too. The above CG just gets me every time, I swear. Madarame how dare you look so good even with a mullet.

Playing Madarame’s route third definitely seems like the intended play order, no matter what order you play Rei or Taku’s routes at first. Unlocking his route after finishing Taku’s (you do not need Rei’s route to unlock this route) had me wondering if his route would delve more into Towa’s past, and I wasn’t let down but it was still intentionally unsatisfying in that regard. They did a great job with just giving enough hints that Taku was hiding far more than he let on in his own route with the fact that Madarame cares about Towa quite a bit, but isn’t the kind of person to dwell on the past. Ojisan fight: the route.

I definitely did not expect Ikuina to just… die? Dude really just had way too much fun, but least he had a blast? Towa’s words really do have a massive influence over his subjects during “Psychology”, and if it wasn’t clear before it certainly is now. Slow Damage already had a dark atmosphere because of, well, loan sharks implanting tracking chips in their debtors or using facial recognition software for the same purpose and illegal drug manufacturing by extortion and blackmail, as seen in the previous routes, but the death of a major side character that Towa had a hand in made it far more real and chilling. Taku and Rei’s apprehension to the topic of ‘euphoria’ also aided in this, with how they were clearly troubled at the fact that Towa was involved in someone’s death. I really like how Chapter 2: Immutable heavily deviated from the first two in terms of structure; there was no need for another side character chapter to connect Towa with the LI.

Madarame’s complete lack of presence was actually really amusing to me since he was only mentioned briefly by Igarashi in a previous route and Fujieda showed up before Madarame even did? And this is Madarame’s route? Truly a ghost. I laughed way too hard at his first direct meeting with Towa in the game because he was just beating Towa up while covering himself with a huge coat. The next time we actually meet Madarame for real is after he kidnaps Taku and dumps his body outside the clinic. Poor Taku but also, 10/10 reunion. Have to hand it to Madarame for making quite the dramatic entrance into the plotline.

Towa’s constant sense of some unknown feeling itching away inside of him was pretty well-timed with my own feelings of wanting to know more about his past, and the impatient tone of the writing gave a sense of Towa slowly breaking out of his numb and comfortable bubble of ignorance. One of the greatest points of this route was the very last “Exploration” part we ever get to do in this route because of how Towa actively blocks the player’s attempts to move in any direction that isn’t towards Madarame’s hideout. If the player even tries to select any location that heads south rather than north, the text impatiently complains about how that’s not where Towa is supposed to go and removes the option. When the player tries to select “Conversation”⁵, rather than talking about the current location’s details, the text anxiously pushes the player to keep going instead of dawdling in the spot. I was absolutely fascinated by how this one mechanic in the game was modified to fit into the narrative of the route so seamlessly: even if it didn’t really do anything important aside from getting Towa from the Murase Clinic to Madarame’s route, it was a great detail that enhanced the storytelling.

The reveal of the Takasato trio (my nickname for Kotarou, Mayu, and Eiji) as Madarame’s accomplices since, well, forever ago, actually came as a surprise to me, but it puts every interaction with them in a really funny light in retrospect, particularly after Madarame beat up Towa in the alley. “Did you see a ghost?” my ass, you three. You all totally knew who it was. They’re such fun characters I’m glad they ended up having a bigger role than just hanging around Towa occasionally and having fun conversations (Kotarou asking Towa if he’s ever crossdressed and admitting he’d be down to see that is saved in my save files forever.) Seeing Kotarou, Mayu, and Towa dressed up in suits was such a delight too, especially with Towa’s slicked hair.

One thing that did make my heart break a little was how this was also going to be the last time Taku would ever see Towa in this route, and Towa had his scars covered up by makeup. Taku would also never find out how Madarame was not the one responsible for Towa’s missing eye, but it was Toono instead, in this route either. There are so many comparisons I can make between Madarame and Taku’s routes, such as who Towa ends up relying on, the reveal of truths, how they both were very important people to Towa’s past… I love these ossans. Even when you use Taku’s “Inspiration” on Madarame in one of the “Psychology” parts, Madarame goes “Is this also Murase’s influence?”⁶ made me scream a bit. Ossan fight!

I know I keep saying how I have a lot of fun with the “Psychology” parts but I think Madarame’s route really demonstrated how “Inspiration” are not needed to get the good endings through “Psychology” because using the “Inspiration” on Madarame would actually lead to the mad end, really hammering in the fact that Madarame wants Towa to be back to who he truly is. That last “Psychology” with him was so short but still provided a lot of insight onto Madarame as a person: there is no need to understand him any deeper, there is nothing he desires for ‘euphoria’. Madarame also never explicitly says to Towa what exactly he wanted to see from him aside from how he wants Towa to go back to being himself, which I felt was unintentionally shown through even the “Psychology” portion: the player has to figure out what exactly Madarame wants to see from Towa.

Madarame’s mad end was fairly fun in its own way, but in the grand scheme of things I don’t think it lives in my head as much as the other LIs’ mad ends do. There is a sense of hopelessness yet desperation from Towa’s desire to die that was really enjoyable to read though. MadaTowa’s H-scene with no sense of “romance” felt more primal and raw than ever before. Although Madarame became the head of the Takasato after successfully executing his plans, did he feel accomplished? In the end it really was not what he wanted. The hollow feeling he gave off really made me feel like I actually failed. Even if this mad end was not my favorite mad end, I still enjoyed the bloodplay and melancholy of it all.

Surprisingly Madarame’s routes is one of the few time where I significantly enjoy the good end far more than the bad end? The H-scene that resulted right after the “Psychology” pass was also so tender, Madarame’s words were so romantic they even made me blush while playing. How dare he just keep saying things like “You’re mine”, “I don’t need anything else, just you” (paraphrasing here) and keep going, that’s so unfair. Madarame really ended up getting the most romantic recollections and CGs and I did not see that coming at all. Something also has to be said about how Madarame does not utter the cursed words at all, when even Rei and Taku constantly said them. Madarame also shot Toono! Which Taku failed to do in his own route! Towa with his gyaru blond hair again is so good, just like his Takasato teenage era look. There’s just something really raw about them making out at an underground fight club that I love? Also ARKTA’s music slaps so hard, I’ve listened to “Keep me alive” over and over again; how can I ever pass up a metal song like this that has lyrics screaming out “I don’t give a damn about the world I hate, I just give a fuck how you’re with me now”?

This route definitely felt significantly shorter than the previous two routes, partly because of its lack of a major side character chapter or a Chapter 3, but also because of Madarame and Towa’s lack of needing to talk or have a deeper understanding of each other. Madarame also has significantly less personal problems than either Rei or Taku, which was actually a little refreshing that I didn’t have to see Towa be his future boyfriend’s unlicensed therapist yet again. True to the title of Immutable, Madarame is a simple man who knows exactly what he wants and honestly I’m happy for him. I wish I had my life sorted out like he has his. His aura color was also such a huge contrast in comparison to the first two routes’ with such a deep dark indigo blue color rather than the bright and warm sunny colors of Rei and Taku. I also really liked seeing how Towa’s fighting style mirrored Madarame’s style exactly, highlighting his influence during Towa’s Takasato teenage era. This route was just so refreshing in so many aspects, but still had that itching feeling of “something is still missing” to keep me going.

⁵“Conversation” is written as “会話” in the Japanese text.
⁶The voice line in Japanese was “これも村瀬の影響かな？” and does not show up in the written text.

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Fujieda’s Route

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It is really baffling just how I knew nothing about Fujieda even going into his route. This man barely shows up anywhere, the most I had ever seen of him was in Taku’s route and he was so brisk and cold I could not decipher him. He’s even more mysterious than even Madarame before I played the latter’s route and that man didn’t even physically show up at all before. On that note, nothing really could have prepared me for just how crazy this last route was but in the end it really is a masterpiece of a final route, perfect for such a stellar BLVN.

Starting the route off with the Ball-Jointed Doll section on the main screen, to the hidden corner with the Packing Box and seeing the shadow of Towa sitting down, slumped, made me feel like I was going to open up a Pandora’s box that would hurt Towa and open up his scars of the past, whatever they were. The introduction of Chapter 0: Desire reminded me of Chapter 2: Doctor from Taku’s route again because of the use of Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring as the BGM, which all made sense after the completion of the game. I was initially really surprised that this introduction ended up having very little relation to the vampire character, considering how all the other chapter introductions were tied to the focused character of the respective chapter and was voiced after completion of said chapter. I had been wondering the whole game up until now what had happened to our favorite Mr. Tutorial Vampire, because I did read a bit of the manga beforehand. Poor dude isn’t even named though, and his only purpose to further Towa’s plot was to just get killed off. RIP, he will be missed.

The jump from Chapter 0 to The Last Chapter: Equal made me gasp because it really felt… so final. I didn’t want this game to end but all good things have to come to an end. The Last Chapter‘s introduction was just another stake in my heart, with how melancholic the speaker, obviously Fujieda, sounded and how tender the BGM sounded. I only discovered afterwards that the BGM was the 7th movement, Träumerei, of Schumann’s Op. 15, Kinderszenen; roughly translated as “Dreaming” and “Scenes from Childhood”, respectively. Fujieda, oh Fujieda, how I did not know your route would hurt me so much. And that alternate OP video… all those minute changes like the different CGs used, various scenes changing, and the pocket watch… They all came back to hurt me once I knew.

It was really fascinating how yet again, the death of a character due to ‘euphoria’ would change the course of Towa’s life so much, but this time it changed everything because of the timing. Prior to this I really had no idea that Ikuina, Asakura, or even Kirihara had much bigger roles than they were initially presented as. In retrospect their association with Towa’s scars were really subtle hints and my mind is still blown by just how all these little threads came together in the end. Even the small scene about “Towa’s younger sister” back in Rei’s route would come back in this way somehow. Truly all the details in Slow Damage had a meaning. It’s a little unfortunate that the three major side characters ended up being sent off into the void, although I have to ironically laugh every time I remember how Nozomu was killed off screen via getting hit by a truck and he never physically showed up in front of Towa this route. Poor Kirihara. Even Ikuina and Asakura got to meet Towa again. I also die a little bit inside whenever I remember how Towa behaved in Ikuina’s apartment this time? He didn’t even clean the sheets before leaving! This route was already wild from the start.

Taku really was quite the character in this route, and considering how he’s tried so hard to protect Towa in his own way I can definitely understand his actions. Can’t say I agree with them, and he really does deserve getting punched by Towa several times, but again he definitely is a character that has good intentions and executes his actions in some of the worst ways possible, shooting himself in the foot all the time. And well, I guess hurting Towa in the process too. Rei really was such an MVP in this route though, he really could not keep a secret from Towa even if Taku threatened him about it. Thank you Rei you did well. Madarame was also quite the catalyst in this route, forcing more of the truth to be revealed as he knew of the location of the real euphoria club, but also not interfering because Towa was already changing.

I really liked how Fujieda’s relationship with Towa had a very rocky and loveless start: these two are initially such unlikely characters to start a romance, it’s very in-character for both of them to have a more transactional and cold relationship in the first place. They both have their own goals and just happen to have the missing pieces for each other to ultimately solve the mystery of their pasts. Fujieda’s stalwart presence was really necessary for Towa and the player to discover the truth: without him being there to steadily push against Taku’s unwillingness to speak the truth or to risk his own safety to investigate, Towa would have still been left in the dark. The progression of Fujieda’s perfect pure white outer shell crack to reveal the red hatred he has and open up to Towa felt so natural, especially when Towa began to realize that maybe they aren’t so different after all. The scars, the numbed expressions, the burning red underneath, equal. Even the scene transition going from pure white text, to a tinge of red, to full on red, such small details that reflect the game so well. Fujieda letting his hair be loose was a great transformation though. All along, under all gorilla glue gelled hair and those boring glasses, he was actually hot! Who knew he was packing all those muscles underneath that crisp suit! This man is like Superman or something.

The game’s depiction of Towa’s trauma is just so powerful though, from his constant attempts at coping through numbing himself with sleeping pills, alcohol, and rough sex, to the on-screen effects triggered from the cursed words being uttered, to even his amnesia of his childhood to the point of him forgetting his birth name. Slow Damage is very upfront and raw about the dark side of Shinkoumi and the Takasato, as well as how Towa’s childhood (or lack thereof) affects him even now. How Maya had influenced not just Towa, but even Fujieda, and countless others. Madarame’s route may have had a dark atmosphere because of Ikuina’s death, but it doesn’t even come close to the absolute misery of Fujieda’s route, having to watch Towa go down the unknown path into his murky past and Fujieda opening the box of pain that would await him. Even Rei had to deal with his father’s debt yet again in this route and on top of Taku still being Toono’s puppet, being forced to confront his sins of covering up Towa’s past like this.

I initially had some misgivings about that first FujiTowa H-scene at the park, which probably doesn’t even really count as an H-scene? My first reaction was a mixture of shock and disappointment: how could Fujieda try to hurt Towa like that? Thinking about it afterwards (and remembering that Towa didn’t really care), it was like an extension of the cycle of abuse. Although misguided, Fujieda truly was angry and he had no idea that Towa was also a victim of Maya, despite Towa being her son. Fujieda wanted some tangible way of getting his revenge for Mei, and having suppressed his feelings for the sake of his quest for the truth, he reached for the first thing he could think of, believing that Towa was just as culpable as Maya was. When they later visited the ruins of euphoria and he realized that Towa was just as hurt as he was, he seemed to truly regret his actions. Fujieda, like many of the characters in Slow Damage, is just as hurt, broken, and imperfect. They truly are very human, and it’s one of the things that makes this game so good.

Along the lines of being such miserable and human characters, Towa’s change from visiting euphoria was so raw and deep. His realization that someone died for the sake of his life just shifted his entire perspective. And that someone was very dear to another person. I really don’t blame him for feeling absolutely horrible at that thought, especially in front of someone like Fujieda who has lived his own life completely differently. The writing really nailed down that depressive spiral thought process I almost wanted to start crying because of just how real it felt. Just the line of “I’m alive, because someone sacrificed themselves for me” to “I really wasted their sacrifice and I wasn’t even grateful for it” to “I didn’t deserve that, that other person deserves to live far more than I do”, to just wanting to end it all. I really want to give Towa a massive hug. Fujieda too.

Fujieda’s presence in that scene, talking Towa down from his attempt at suicide, it was so gentle and soft I also wanted to cry at that because it was such an important moment for both of them. Fujieda, the one person who understood this feeling the most, was there for Towa when he needed him, and the two were able to reconcile and start to help each other heal. Towa had a new anchor to hold onto to keep living, and seeing his development gave me lots of feelings. Their H-scene here was just so tender, so good, so sweet. Even the pillow talk afterwards was great, from Towa teasing Fujieda, who awkwardly asked Towa if he was a good partner (though a little sad because of Fujieda’s past as a host), to them starting their new relationship together. As tense as Fujieda may be sometimes, he really knows the perfect words in the most important situations. Fujieda and Towa facing each other while in the bathroom almost parallels the scenes of Towa facing the mirror, because of how similar they are, but on a more positive and sweeter tone.

The reveal of Sakaki and Eiji as the ultimate puppet masters of the game plot really felt like one of the final missing puzzle pieces of the game that made me appreciate their characters a lot. Funnily enough I had constructed “Sakaki mastermind” and “Eiji mastermind” theories separately at the beginning of Fujieda’s route but could not explain their motivations, so I didn’t think it would be possible, but it really happened! Sakaki’s utter devotion to Maya shifted my perspective on the introduction of Chapter 0: Desire combined with the scene of him paying respects to Maya at the church on the anniversary of her death. His voice actor, Shimauma Danshaku, did such an incredible job portraying his near insane piety I was so blown away. Truly in touch with the use of Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring in the introduction.

I already loved how chaotic Eiji was but the reveal of his eyes under those shades really made my affection for him grow tenfold. I also love how he actually had no other motivation than just simply “I love how Shinkoumi is wild and chaos reigns free. I don’t want the chaotic Shinkoumi to ever end, and Maya perfectly encapsulated its chaos.” It lines up so well with the Eiji we had already seen, the Eiji who just tinkers with bombs in the middle of the Roost, gets bombs in his mail and sends them back with increased explosive power, and oversees all the information in Shinkoumi. There didn’t need to be a deeper reason for his actions and I loved that. Even the later reveal of his role in the police enshrouds him in even more mystery: just who is the real Eiji? It just fits Shinkoumi so well.

Maya, oh Maya. I love her character so much and she isn’t even alive in the entire game. It takes such great writing to craft a character who’s already been long dead yet they affect so much of the plot and is such a complicated villain. This is my love letter to Sakuragi Yuma and to Slow Damage. I love how she ended up having such a huge role in the story, being the ultimate villain that drives so much of the plot and was the primary force behind why Towa is who he is, yet she herself has depth, rather than just completely villainizing the major female character. It also adds just so much more tragedy to her relationship with Towa as his mother. She did cause Towa so much pain, putting him, her own blood and flesh child, in those circumstances. But what hurts even more is that she did try to be a mother, even if she ultimately ended up being a horrible mother. She did try to love Haruto, but her actions ultimately hurt him. She is, just like all the other characters of Shinkoumi and even real people, a flawed person. It’s the painful part of growing up with parents who did try to be good parents and did end up hurting you, and Slow Damage really captured that so well.

Maya tried to be a mother, Maya tried to love her son. “This is what mothers do, so I will do this,” she thinks to herself as she buys the painting and art supplies for Haruto. Being a parent is hard, and especially so for someone like her who has this perspective on human psychology. She could most likely be described as a psychopath given her manipulative tendencies and charming behavior. Just in general, she was just not equipped to provide Haruto the love for a fulfilling and perfect childhood. I truly believe that the story of Sakuragi Yuma and her influence can be very relatable to anyone who grew up with parents who unintentionally hurt them because of the overarching ideas: the fact that you were hurt by their actions and coming to the understanding that they were just not equipped to be a better parent. It does not mean you have to forgive them. It does not excuse what they ever did to you. But it gives hope that you are not your parent, blood ties do not have to define you, and you do have the power to overcome the pain, move on, and live your own life or cope in your own way. You can find happiness. In the words of Fujieda, Towa is ‘euphoria’. It does not mean he is Maya.

Towa is dyed in her red color, hell, even the whole game of Slow Damage, both the plot and the actual game itself is dyed in her color. The introduction of the game with her words about people’s hearts being soft, like sand. Towa being triggered by the words “daijoubu” (“大丈夫”) because of how she uttered that before putting him through something no child ever should experience and the on-screen flicker of the stairs he pushed her down. The “Psychology” mechanic which ultimately is because of Maya and how the BGM used in all the “Psychology” parts with the female vocals. The OP song, “il”, with the female vocals of YUKO-KAT from Anna Evans golden folks. All the ED songs that have male vocals except for “Shinjurou” (the Fujieda mad end theme), in which Towa becomes Maya. Even the main menu music, “Akumu”, has female vocals, but changes to the version without vocals, “Kouhuku”, upon completing Fujieda’s route, because Towa has freed himself from her influence. The change in not just his behavior but also his view of the world, so much that he’s able to see the world like how everyone else does, without the hyper-saturated colors, without the auras, and the painting that was so important to him. And it is a beautiful world.

I do not believe the part about Towa and Fujieda finding Maya’s diary, the song, “lullaby”, or the Extra part expanding on Yuma and Haruto’s trip to the art gallery are meant to make the reader forgive Maya or even necessarily sympathize with her. They are presented to shed light on just how complicated a person she is and really add to the theme of how familial ties influence a person. It is really up to the reader how they want to feel about her, and for me, personally, I can understand her.

Fujieda’s mad end means so much to me, even if it doesn’t have the exact same bloody darkness as the other LIs’ mad ends. The way Towa has lost his sense of himself and becomes just like Maya to the point that even he goes between using “ore” (“俺”) and “watashi” (“私”), his voice becoming softer and having an air about him that resembles a woman, intoxicating Fujieda just like Maya charming everyone around her. I had already thought Hiiragi Santa was a fantastic pick as a voice actor for Towa, but his performance in this ending was just top tier. The way he seamlessly goes between Maya Towa and regular Towa in the repeated lines of “I’m so glad” (“来てくれて、嬉しい。嬉しいよ。嬉しい。”) blew my mind. I can definitely see why Fuchii Kabura needed Hiiragi Santa to be Towa because of this ending, there really is nobody else who could have portrayed him so flawlessly. And that last part, where Towa goes “save me” (“…、たすけて”), the vagueness as to which Towa said that is just, *chef’s kiss*, especially with the giggle at the very end. Was it Maya Towa intentionally saying that so Fujieda could stay with him forever, or truly the real Towa giving out a cry for help? The lyrics of “Shinjurou” mirroring exactly what happened in this end, with the shifting pronouns and once again the female vocals just makes this ending incredible.

The path to the good ending is just as amazing. The fact that Towa doesn’t take Maya’s watch because he is not Maya, instead throwing it down the stairs and paralleling the time he pushed her down, as a complete rejection of her presence in his life, Sakaki following the pocket watch in his devotion to her… and following in her footsteps to death too. Towa was able to set a boundary between him and Maya, it was an active choice, and it feels so freeing. He is ‘euphoria’. Even if Sakaki may said it was fate that he took up the pen name ‘euphoria’, he can choose what it means.

The final scenes of the game were when I actually shed real tears, at the first notes of “lullaby”; seeing Towa with these complicated feelings towards Maya but also gaining at least some sort of closure on what kind of person she was. I was so glad Fujieda could be there for Towa to lean on with him, and he could also gain some closure in regards to Mei’s fate. I really hope that in future Slow Damage content we can see more ways of Towa supporting Fujieda as well, in line with the “equal” theme. Even the fact that Maya’s final words in the diary were “I’m lonely” (“寂しい”) made me sob really hard. In the end she is also just as broken as everyone else.

The change in Fujieda’s living situation even really highlighted how everything around him and Towa has shifted in a positive way. He went from living in that monochrome luxury apartment, too large for a single man, with the black colored curtains closed like his heart protected by the infallible white shield he built up around himself, to the cozy and bright apartment he shares with Towa, the translucent white curtains opened for the sunlight to stream in. Even when Fujieda opened the windows in Towa’s studio in the middle of the route, it felt like they were both slowly beginning to open their hearts, reflected in their surroundings. Truly a “Sunny place”. Even when the completion of the game completely changes the main menu that mirrors Towa’s studio, from the dark and dreary room with the haunting shadows, to the bright open and sunny studio, reflecting not only the change in Towa’s actual room but also the view of his world. The change is even seen in the difference when the player opens the game, from the black canvas that he saw in the old-fashioned candy shop peeling away to what the painting actually looked like: white light with a soft rainbow spectrum of colors. These two are slowly healing from their past of pain.

The next time I was sobbing was definitely when Fujieda took Towa to the beach and revealed that even he has never done this before, but it was so special to him because Towa was there in the moment with him. Fujieda’s words in that scene hit me so hard, with how he said that they both had their childhoods robbed from them, they could never experience a happy childhood. But they can definitely heal and make their happy memories now and in the future, together. It really reminded me again of how “Dreaming” of Schumann’s “Scenes of Childhood” was used as the introduction for The Last Chapter. Towa’s happy smile made me shed bittersweet tears because Fujieda’s words hit so close to home, but Towa has found a path to happiness and he truly feels alive. And instead of the smile he has that was from Maya’s influence, this smile is a true smile of his own. Every time I listen to “after all” by THE ANDS I feel like I just may start crying again, with how it’s the final song of the game, it has male vocals, and the memories of that credits roll: the only good end credits roll where the background is white rather than black, and the red smoke just kills me inside. Even the lyrics of “nowhere, now here” and the double usage of “Towa” for “トワに鳴る心臓” is genius.

My third time sobbing real tears was when Towa realized what the black painting really was and its significance in his life, realizing why people were saying it looked like his style. It really is a beautiful painting. And the fact that the granny of the candy shop was even acquainted with Maya beforehand… everything just connects. This game truly is incredible. Thanks for making me cry three times in a row.

The last “Exploration” part of the game made me feel so sentimental because it felt like a final farewell to all the characters in the story, even if it didn’t provide additional plot. These side characters and their presence in Towa’s life have meaning, and they all care about Towa. Even someone like Arimura had something nice to say to him. Rei and Taku’s interaction with Towa were especially meaningful, because they both had an optional scene based on a previous “Exploration” portion and they both found some kind of closure with their own problems. Taku particularly got to mend his relationship with Towa because of his lies, coming clean to him.

I’m really glad that this route was also not just about Fujieda, but more about Towa himself and also their relationship, being “equal”. It even involved the other LIs, with Madarame proceeding with his own goals anyway (I had no doubt of this to be honest, you go Madarame), and Rei and Taku’s personal problems being addressed. They were all important to the story, and it made this route still so enjoyable with several loose ends being tied up. I also like how in these good ends, Towa’s relationship with the LI is not completely defined as strictly boyfriends: it’s something undefinable but also something happy for him. It’s very in-character for him, and they don’t necessarily need words like “I love you”. The relationships are deeper than that.

In the end I’m actually very satisfied with how Fujieda’s route went. This story was ultimately primarily about Towa, but I still enjoyed seeing how not just Towa changed but so did everything and everyone. There was also a lot of room left in the end for future possibilities. It really does feel like Slow Damage had the best writing out of all the N+C games so far, and I have very little complaints about it.

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Final Thoughts

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I know I really just dumped out a lot of thoughts not just on Fujieda but about the entire game in the previous section, so if you did read through that entire section, I give you all my thanks for sticking with me this whole time! This section will be addressing just some additional points I didn’t get to go over, primarily about additional game elements and side characters I want to gush about.

First off, I want to mention again just how this game was so well crafted that I enjoyed every single LI and their respective routes. I did end up being more biased towards TakuTowa and FujiTowa as pairings, but that is expected as I am only human and I have my preferences. But it doesn’t discount any of the routes and their importance to the story, and I can still enjoy every flavor. I also enjoyed all of the endings the game offered, although I do wish they made the “Towa becomes the head of the Takasato because he lost in poker to Sakaki” AU a real thing… thank goodness that art of that does exist in Yamada Uiro’s section of the liner notes. Either way! I loved every ending! It’s going to be way too hard for me to even rank them so I don’t think I want to bother trying…

The funny endings were really entertaining, even if I don’t think Kotarou or Mayu make it to my list of top side characters I enjoy. I had way too much fun reading Mayu’s funny end, but also spotting all the Nitro+ Easter eggs in his room, such as the Totono figures, the Saya figure, and even the Mink and Clear nendoroid boxes. Towa’s reaction was also hilarious to read throughout the scene, it truly was a funny end.

Speaking of side characters, I would have to say my top three side characters (in no particular order) would be Ikuina, Eiji, and Igarashi. I haven’t really talked about Igarashi but how could I ever hate him? He is just so doglike and wholesome (disregarding the fact he’s literally in the yakuza.) He’s adorable I want to pinch his cheeks. Ikuina is also somehow so cute and his scenes were just… wow. And Eiji! He’s so chaotic he’s such a fun character! I know at this point I’m just repeating things I’ve already said but they’re! All! Fun!

The little Easter eggs of previous N+C games were also really fun to look for, like the Togainu no Chi OST playing in the family restaurant, the Youji poster, the DMMd music playing at the club Kirihara had taken Towa and Rei to… even somehow fitting in Lamento music at Krishna? These were all such fun Easter eggs to find and a cute dedication to their past games.

Throughout the course of time I spent writing up this post, I actually had to keep adding on more and more details because of the amount of times I spent rethinking about all the details of the game, hence why it ended up being so long. From the music, the colors, the art, the symbols, it was all so perfect and all came together in the end. Hell, even the piano background music back in the introductions like Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring and Träumerei all had deeper meanings. The color of red and just what it means, connecting Maya, Towa, and Fujieda all together. The pocket watch connecting Towa and Maya together, ‘euphoria’. Even the notebook used for the save and load slots or an indication of the Chapters, it could be seen as either the notebook Fujieda used when investigating what happened to Mei or even Maya’s diary that Sakaki preserved. The television screen that was constantly on for white noise because of how Towa is bothered by silence, until the game is finished and the television screen shown from the main menu is turned off. The female vocals in all the songs related to Maya, or even the leitmotif of Maya in the songs “Maya”, “Ketsui”, “Shinjitsu”, and “Aruhi”. And the fact that after completing the game, if you look at the “codex towa” part of the menu for the record of Towa’s sketchbook notes, the only person in the 4th tab is Maya… it feels like a deliberate choice to place her there, especially with the implied meaning of “death” from the number 4.

There’s always something new that I notice from this game, it really is Nitro+CHiRAL’s best work as of yet. I won’t say it’s perfect but it’s truly an incredible story. It really felt like the staff had put so much love and effort into crafting Slow Damage, I’m so thankful that they did end up completing the game the way they wanted to despite setbacks especially during 2020 due to the pandemic. I am also a little sad that unlike all the other N+C games, Slow Damage didn’t feature Itou Kanako or Watanabe Kazuhiro at all. I can somewhat understand the lack of female vocals in the ED songs for the thematic reasons I went over previously, it’s just a little sad that they weren’t a part of Slow Damage this time around. I look forward to when The CHiRAL Night will feature Slow Damage themes…

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Closing Notes

I’m really glad I was able to play Slow Damage, and I hope I can keep supporting N+C. I’ve already purchased the Official Works artbook, preordered my Towa nendoroid, and I cannot wait for upcoming drama CDs and hopefully a FD. This game is going to hold a special place in my heart for a very long time. And dear reader, if you skipped through my spoilers and haven’t yet played the game I really do hope you will also get a chance to experience it. If you happen to have read through the entire “Spoilers Zone” section and made it here, thank you very much for putting up with all my words. Whether or not you agree with my perspective, I do hope you enjoyed reading my personal review. I will be writing some more posts about Slow Damage in the near future, so please look forward to them! Until next time~