Image via PQube
Visual novels and Otomes have a pretty standard formula. A hero or heroine is put in a situation where she is surrounded by possible love interests and then swept up in an adventure. Him, the Smile & Bloom puts a twist on this standard, presenting players with four completely different stories surrounding people whose lives overlap.
Him, the Smile & Bloom is pure fluff. This is the Otome for someone looking to enjoy sweet romance with low stakes and high levels of cute. While it is possible to completely blow it, you’d almost have to try to truly get a bad ending in this game.
Despite the laid-back, romantic-novel approach to this Otome, there were a few bumps while playing, and a few things to keep in mind when picking it up.
Key Details
- Developer: Mintlip/EDIA
- Publisher: PQube
- Platforms: PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch
- Price: $29.99+
- Review Copy Provided: Yes
Four Heroines With Solid Personalities
The first thing I worried about when picking up Him, the Smile & Bloom, was the fact that four different female protagonists would be involved in the storyline.
In many Otomes, the main character acts as something of a self-insert. She is usually a selection of mild tropes that could leave her generically insecure, confident, naïve, innocent, or tough. Her growth in the story isn’t really the focus, so she can stay one-note, allowing the romance to take full control of the plot.
However, in Him, the Smile & Bloom, this generic Otome main character formula could spell disaster.
Thankfully, I was impressed to find that each of the women featured in the four stories has a fairly developed and distinct personality. I wouldn’t call any of them groundbreaking, and their character growth is minimal at best, but they definitely are recognizable as different people, and that is critical for this story to work.
An Otome That Reads Like A Whole Romance Series
Him, the Smile & Bloom isn’t a story that players read through repeatedly to get each of the love interests’ angles. Instead, it is like a romance series with four books crammed into one game. The story centers around a flower shop and its collection of employees. From this converging point, players get to see fragments of each character’s journey while exploring the four main narratives.
What I love about this type of storytelling is that the reader gets to spend time in a setting, learning about every character, caring about their progression, and revisiting locations that become comfortable.
This game is like a warm hug filled with summer rain and flower petals. It’s like reading four overlapping romance novels on the back porch during a hot July evening. It’s comforting and simple, and there aren’t any uncomfortable surprises to upset the experience.
It really is like reading a novel with voice acting.
Very Low Reader Involvement
With all the above said, it is important to note that when it comes to choices, Him, the Smile & Bloom is not the Otome for those who like a lot of control. Each storyline has around a dozen opportunities to interact with the plot via dialogue choice. Roughly one chance per chapter.
These choices will direct the story toward one of three endings, “bad”, “Good”, and “Perfect”. The bad ending is usually a breakup, and the best ending might end with a smooch or two.
However, the low number of engagement opportunities does make this more of a book and less of a game. It also feels at times like the player’s involvement in the story doesn’t have much impact, especially as the right choices are fairly obvious.
For me, I like a bit more of a jump into the story, but I did find myself genuinely enjoying these stories as much as I would any indulgent romance novel.
Final Score – 8/10
Him, the Smile & Bloom is an adorable, low-risk Otome that lets players romp through the soft and sweet parts of a romance with very little risk of upset. It is perfect for romance readers, low-impact visual novel lovers, and anyone looking for something sweet and heartwarming.
I personally got the same joy out of playing the stories as I do watching a cute romance anime, and I will happily replay these again on a vacation or during the quiet parts of an evening in the future.
It might not be the best fit for someone wanting more spice, action, or involvement, but it is a fluffy treat with beautiful art and more than worth investing in.
**Bonus Action was provided with a Nitendo Switch copy of Him, the Flower & Bloom for the purpose of this review**
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