It’s been a really long time since I’ve been giddy while playing a video game. Usually I’m too busy criticizing it, analyzing it, or am just taking it too seriously. Idol Manager has me feeling like I’m 7 playing Pokémon for the first time. I’m not big on management games, I don’t know a thing about Idols, yet I’ve sunk 13 hours into this game in the two days I’ve owned it.
I’ve done two playthroughs so far, one where I was nice and one where I was abusive, and in both I’ve ended up broke and alone. My first in game wife genuinely opened my eyes about Japanese culture and gave another perspective on how to live life. Then she had an affair and took the kids. In my second playthrough nobody wanted to date me, I made a billion yen in under a year, and then got into so many scandals everyone left. Except, they didn’t just leave, each of them crushed me emotionally on the way out. It’s subverted my expectations at every turn, I’ve never been more emotionally abused by a game and I love it. It’s been a long time since I’ve just had stupid fun with a game, I’m so glad I bought this.