iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Start with "Blue Reflection 1" (obviously) then watch the "Ray" anime and finish up with "Second Light." Categorically ignore "Sun." It adds nothing aside from worthless LORE and a male player-insert OC. Have a good, girl-filled day. #BlueReflection

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Overall, "Quartet" was a decent package. In spite of its false advertising, you are still getting two fully realized videogames (plus a couple of rushed supplements) for an acceptable price. So, as a conclusive note, here's the recommended viewing order for the whole series. #BlueReflection

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Naturally, this being a series rated E for Everyone, the exploration of said feelings in a physical sense never manifests beyond hand-holding or the occasional hug, but it works fine as an introduction to Girls' Love. If you had to start from somewhere, you could do much worse than #BlueReflection.

Hinako and Ao on a date, holding hands, in-game, not in a cutscene.

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

That is the appeal of #BlueReflection as a whole, its palpitating core, its emotional centre: there is literally nothing more important in the entire world than the feelings of insecure young women finding strength and acceptance amongst each other. And Yuri is included in there!

While there is a lot of implied homoeroticism (very much open to interpretation), the series has also provided multiple openly queer characters. Rena and Yuki are the romantic subplot in "Second Light."

Ao, the world's greatest himejoshi: 'I may not have been in a relationship, but you can count on me. I'll just think of what I'd write in a fanfic about you two!'

Choice:

- Rena should give you a lap pillow

- You should hold hands

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

World ending stakes and the fantastical settings are backdrops for an intimate exploration of Girlhood, wherein one's own feelings influence the universe. Girls caring for girls, girls longing for girls, girls being totally gay for girls, the whole spectrum of girls' affection. #BlueReflection

Ao, effortlessly making a girl blush by saying 'You smell amazing.'

Kiraka, also blushing: 'I do have some experience writing some... fan fiction.'

Ao, her hand clutched by a cute girl: '(Hold on, if we both feel what I'm feeling right now... then what does that mean?!)'

Ao, after a whole game spent building a metaphorical harem of cute girls: 'I don't know if I've ever felt so loved.'

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

It's the big "Avengers Assemble!" moment for the whole series, the final hurrah, the culmination of everything it sets out to be... and it's this grounded narrative about teenage girls on the cusp of adulthood grappling with Identity and Life's expectations. What it always was. #BlueReflection

Two girls (Ao and Yuki) having a Shinji Mikami moment.

Yuki: 'A different ceiling from normal... Different air from normal...'

Yuki: 'Don't you know how important food is in this harsh world devoid of pleasures?'

Shiho (excitedly): 'I'll start practicing my spaghetti technique right away!'

Hinako (first game's protagonist) and Ao (current game's protagonist) state in awe at the HAMBURGER vending machine.

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

#BlueReflection ends on a solid chapter. It did finally manage to build itself atop the thematic and emotional foundations of the original, as I hoped it would do. My experience was only soured by having to replay it from the start in order to see the True Ending - which was not worth it.

"Blue Reflection: Second Light" main menu screen.

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Moments like these really make me wish this game was fun to play. #HGaming

Chris in a nurse cosplay standing next to a well-endowed cow monster girl: '(I never thought I'd be killed by breasts...)'

Chris next to a Mimic girl covered in liquid chocolate.

Chris: '(I wonder how she'd taste if I licked her...)'

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

It's the Existential Horror of the wolf girl orgy that alters your species. #HGaming

The red button choice meme template but I replaced the sweaty guy with Chris (wolf girl edition).
The buttons read 'Stay a wolf girl' and 'Masturbate', respectively.

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The price for being a puppygirl is eternal abstinence. How cruelly ironic! #HGaming

Anna: 'It's a very weak curse, so you should go back if you masturbate.'

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The wolf girl orgy was so amazing it caused her to sporadically change species. This is still not irrumatio. D+ #HGaming

Chris is puppy now.

'Wait, whaaaaaaaat?! What is this?!!!'

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Have you been practicing your IRRUMATIO? There will be a test. #HGaming

Bunny: 'Oh, my, Chris... are you practicing your irrumatio?'

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

"Demon Master Chris" is a Dungeon Crawler RPG crossbred with Monster (Girl) collecting, akin to "Galzoo Island" but 100% Yuri. I couldn't be bothered to write about it due to how unexpectedly mediocre it was. I do, however, have some spicy screenshots up for sharing, if you're interested. #HGaming

Main menu screen for "Demon Master Chris."

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Episode 6: Murder is Magic www.tumblr.com/madhogthymas... #Umineko #VN #Essay #WhenTheyCry

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Cat Girl. That's it. These are the highlights. I shall play "Second Light" afterwards. #BlueReflection

Cat girl playfully punching you in her LEVEL UP screen.

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

#BlueReflection now comes equipped with state-of-the-art, cutting edge, hand holding technology!

The same girls (but magical) still holding hands.

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Regardless of future woes, here's a couple of highlights from an otherwise truly dull time. We have the first on-screen kiss lesbian couple in the series, thus far. They are cute but I wish their relationship had room to breathe and proper pathos. #BlueReflection

Blonde Romanian girl just stole a kiss from her partner, Blushing Brunette.

Alesia: 'I love you, Shiho. Now and forever.'

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I played them in this order because that was the suggested order but now I fear that doing so might have compromised my enjoyment of "Second Light." I hope against hope that "Sun" did not just spoil every major twist in that game. #BlueReflection

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

It becomes apparent that the only reason for these spin-offs to be here is to provide a narrative bridge between the events of the first game and the (real) sequel. On that note, "Quartet" is deeply invested in mapping out the franchise's overarching continuity. #BlueReflection

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

It's a four hours long, poorly paced visual novel (as in, endless cutscenes) that occasionally leaves room for a singular bit of gameplay. Everything else has been removed. It's a blatant hack job, the kind where you can see the scars left by the sloppy incisions. #BlueReflection

Glasses girl looking down in abject terror.

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The first is a summary for the eponymous anime from 2021 in the boring format of a clip-show episode. The writing equivalent of reading a wiki article about it. The second is a stripped down version of what was once a mobile game... and by 'stripped', I mean it is almost nothing. #BlueReflection

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Next up, I played a couple of hacked up, over-glorified *DVD extras* that were sold to me as full videogames, "Blue Reflection Ray" and "Blue Reflection Sun." As you might have guessed by my out-of-the-gate causticity, I do not have much to say about them. #BlueReflection

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

So, I'm editing the latest installment of our music tournament and I'm suddenly struck with Inspiration! Thank you, Devar. It now lives in my brain as well. #BeConfidentlyWrong #GameMusic

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Today is the only time you can repost this. #September21

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I've been cracking up for more than 30 years.

Box cover for "Sam & Max Hit the Road" (1993)

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I don't remember a mad scientist woman in bikini from "Jaws."

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

On a final note, it's remarkable how #MugenSouls waited until the (hard) post-game scenario to bust out the REAL fan-service. I'll give it points for showing restraint and then immediately deduct them for being a one-trick pony fetish. I leave this as I entered it: unimpressed.

Green-haired semi-naked girl covered in shampoo. IT'S SHAMPOO!

Blonde girl covered in shampoo. Position: uncompromising.

Lilac-haired demon girl also covered in shampoo.

Red-haired boob lady covered in shampoo. She laments the sheer quantity of soap.

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I still had to work on my *Moe Kills* and speedrun through New Game+ to gain access to the True Ending as well as surviving that final battleship boss encounter. All of it in order to unlock the final party member. Was she worth the effort? Ask the missing jury... #MugenSouls

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

There is no doubt in my mind that my opinion on this game would have been a lot harsher (as opposed to utterly tepid) had I not had access to all the DLC. I was given the resources to make the grinding as painless as possible - with the exception of charm levels. #MugenSouls

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

'Running away is like blue-balling yourself.' - Chou-Chou (Masochist Alter) #MugenSouls

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I don't hate it. I don't love it. I don't understand why a part of me still wants to see the True Ending. The numbers going up do make my brain vibrate, whether I like it or not, and IF/CH continues to baffle me. The jury isn't just out, it has fled the country. #MugenSouls

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Now, I think its Item World works better than the original. It's a series of stripped down battles for the purpose of grinding and you do retain all your progress if you lose. I legitimately wish the real one were as streamlined as this. Otherwise, #MugenSouls feels comparatively hollow.

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#MugenSouls borrows its, well, *Soul* from NIS but never makes it its own save for a core gameplay loop that's more annoying than fun. It's not outright terrible but it's weirdly unambitious with its setting, themes, characters and so forth. Even the overt fetishes feel underserved!

Chou-Chou's Masochist alter: 'Mmmm... Ooooh, that's right! I'm just a perverted girl who likes verbal abuse. Please scold me!'

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I do believe that aptly summarizes my time with this game as well as reaffirming my overall opinion of Idea Factory/Compile Heart. They are a company that habitually puts all its eggs in the basket of gameplay innovation, never stopping to see whether said eggs are tasty or edible. #MugenSouls

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

You couldn't have failed your assignment in a more boring manner. Sure, you can fully edit them, put them in swanky dresswear, but there is no Character attached to these classes. No distinct quirks or flavour, merely the same base humanoid body types. As such, I don't care for units in #MugenSouls.

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

In short, there's an enduring personality and charisma to these units that manages to shine regardless of how flat the series eventually gets. Now, #MugenSouls, IF/CH's version of "Disgaea", also has generic class units... and they are just a bunch of customizable default assets. #MugenSouls

My attempt to recreate the Nekomata unit from memory in "Mugen Souls."

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

In fact, it's no exaggeration to claim the Nekomata was the sole reason why I kept coming back to this franchise. Why I even bothered to buy D7 after the previous title had the AUDACITY to omit her from the roster! I based most of my OC's off "Disgaea" classes! Do you see what I mean!? #MugenSouls

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

No, to me the true selling point of the series were the *generic* class units. Whenever I lay my eyes on the Thief girl, my heart melts. I find the Gothic Lolita Mage girl and her bespectacled boy counterpart adorable. You will never comprehend my ENDLESS love for the Nekomata! #MugenSouls

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I shall go on a tangent. Do you know what is my favourite aspect in any "Disgaea" game? It's not the huge numbers that must go up (although, they still make my brain vibrate) and it's certainly not the main characters or related stories. Frankly, NIS has recycled them ad nauseam. #MugenSouls

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

So, in short, 70% of the gameplay is metaphorical sex work for otaku rabbits. All of its many, interesting mechanics and features felt superfluous. I also never needed to fully engage with them in the segments that were just meant for old-school level grinds. I am astounded. #MugenSouls

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

The answer: #MugenSouls has battleship fights. To power up your ship, you need to grow your number of peons (transformed monsters) and if you don't bother with it, your vessel may find itself severely underpowered for those battles. The peons you collect by winning regular fights is too low.

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

You will spend most battles standing awkwardly, taking as many turns as it is required to fill up the pink bar (not the blue one) HOPING that the topics you choose are correct, while your party tanks the enemy attacks. You may ask: why in the world would I do something this tedious? #MugenSouls

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Chou-Chou has seven different alters, each corresponding to a trope. There's a Tsundere, a Gothic Lolita that thinks you're trash, a Yamato Nadeshiko type, Poison from "Final Fight", etcetera. You must switch between them in order to convince enemies to join, a la "Shin Megami Tensei." #MugenSouls

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Instead, I'm going to say what YOU shall be doing for most of this game. There is a mechanic that allows the main heroine to seduce(?) monster enemies into becoming her peons by appealing to their preferred Moe fetishes. It's That Kind of Game, in case it wasn't clear. #MugenSouls

CG of a Gothic Lolita looking down at an older man with an expression of absolute apathy.

'Gross. A little toady begging a girl like her to kill him. Just croak, toad.'

Lilac-haired demon girl is in awe at blue-haired demon girl in maid outfit.

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Madhog thy Master @madhogthymaster.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

This is where I would explain what it entails but I am, unfortunately, drawing a blank. The reason is because the sheer futility of its many, many, many systems built atop features built atop other systems has hit me like an avalanche. So much so that I can't be bothered with it. #MugenSouls

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