Same-sex love stories

(tags same-sex, love, game, PlayStation 2, movie)

Previously I've been waxing about Kashimashi, a guy-turned-girl love triangle love story. I finished reading the novel (pictured below with a Di Gi Charat cloth book cover) by stand-in author Mako Komao (駒尾真子) and actually it wasn't very satisfying. In fact it was not very emotional. 3 out of 5 stars for not botching up the details. Whatever happened to having creative license with your characters?

I'm still working on the PlayStation 2 game, on the "Haneru" scenario. The "Kakeno" scenario was passably interesting. I don't know how to pin this game quality-wise. The stories hold together, but they don't have much plot. The stuff that holds my interest are just the voice actresses. Namiko Tsuki gags are just funny, or is it just me?

Just yesterday, I went to the movie theater (a rare event for me) at Cine Libre to see Brokeback Mountain. It was that or watching films that promised massive violence like History of Violence or Crash. I left the movie theater wondering, if genders were switched, or if it wasn't 1963, etc. I wiped a tear away some scenes, but other I just couldn't get into (ah my eyes, no more fishing!). And I still didn't understand the scene where Ennis got mad at his wife for trying to put 2 and 2 together. What exactly was he mad at? I suppose I have to go rent it, but you'd have to pay me in units of time.

Which brings me back to Kashimashi. Why can I accept this entertainment more readily than Brokeback Mountain? Is it because it's "girl meets girl" instead of "guy meets guy"? The truth of the matter is that Kashimashi is cartoony and lacks realism. Or maybe waiting in the wings there's some hot girl-on-girl action, like I think every hetero-male like um dreams about um... NO! Kashimashi is a wholesome story! Stop with the over-sexualization! Ack sorry.

What the PS2 game or novel doesn't explore is if Hazumu (the guy-turned-girl) could start liking guys. In fact the "Aster" scenario (Hazumu's best guy friend) is just a solidification of the buddy-buddy friendship. What the PS2 game does explore is the harem situation with 4 girls ready to swing that way. Um, sorry, yeah because girls see that Hazumu hasn't really changed on the inside. Yeah. Yup, this product is for sure for guys, no doubt there.

What I do like about the game is that you can also pick the "parents" scenario and elder aunt "Tokuko" scenario, which explores some family settings. Then again it helps that "Tokuko" scenario introduces some cosplay: gothic lolita, maid, and the (out-of-fashion) nurse outfits. Hazumu does sure make a handsome girl, aw shucks kawaii that's just the way she's drawn.