ROOM NO.9 REVIEW [SPOILER HEAVY]
I randomly had this written out in my notes app, so I'm glad to finally host it somewhere more suitable... if you're someone other than me that's reading this (somehow!) and you have NOT played this visual novel, then please do so before reading my thoughts!! It's very good, I promise :D
Before my thoughts over the game in its entirety, I decided to review each ending individually-- especially since, really, there is no 'True Ending.' You really have to just pick your favorite!
REVIEW:
ENDING A: way more piss than there needed to be... but that's what makes it fucked up! i will say, one thing i do enjoy about this ending, is seeing how Daichi's mental state and penchant for sadism deteriorates depending on his actions, and where it ends up leading him once there's no restraint to his sexual depravity. as well as how broken Seiji's mind had become after being demeaned over, and over, and over again. i imagine that the post-enema h-scene where Daichi chooses to further demoralize Seiji by borderline raping him was the final push into completely warping his mind. given how he acts in the bathroom in all of the endings, it seems as though that is when he is at his breaking point, the respective ending deciding whether or not he can return from that nadir. i understand how their ending dynamic can be hot for some, but for me it's ultimately just really depressing! it's sad seeing how their tender friendship deteriorates into pure sexual abuse. also, how is Daichi fine with doing such fucked up things as literally pissing in another man's asshole while also working as an elementary school teacher! what an insane double life to lead! poor Seiji!!
also, i actually really liked their h-scene together after arriving back at Daichi's apartment (visually as well!). it was sweet compared to the later scene(s)... i feel like... in a hypothetical ending... it could've led to something better :(
RATING: ★★★★★★★✩✩✩ (7/10... interesting to analyze, but makes me sad. very fucking weird h-scenes...)
ENDING B: also sad... in a different way. i absolutely love that B/C allow you to see through Seiji's perspective. it makes his intense personality change in ending A make a lot more sense. fuck, man... something about Seiji's desperation as he realizes how drastically he has changed due to the room... ugh!!! it's devastating. the art of him standing the bathroom doorway is weirdly beautiful? i was not expecting it. it's also really interesting to see how Seiji's death affects Daichi at the end. though, it ultimately made me feel empty. it wasn't something I really wanted to sit with. i wish there was more to it, honestly? so i'm not sure if it was as effective as it could have been! but leading up to the epilogue-esque scene i thought the writing was really great and extremely depressing! very heady, just how i like it
RATING: ★★★★★★★✩✩✩ (7/10... like with A, i both really liked the writing and wanted more from it)
ENDING C: the best we have when it comes to them continuing their sexual relationship post game, sadly! i wonder, since there are no endings where they begin a true (as in not abusive/problematic in some way) relationship, does that mean that according to the game there is no way for Seiji and Daichi to start a relationship based upon this experience in a healthy way? are they just far too damaged for that? is the best they can do tentatively pretending as though nothing ever happend??? much to think about! i guess, techinically, this is my second favorite ending behind the best friends one. but, that's a given since all the others are so god damn depressing!! unless you're a FREAK (affectionate) and really like the abuse ending. i wonder if they ever manage to escape the room, and even if they do, are they even capable of anything but feeding into their desires? are they simply broken now, left completely incapable of escaping the vicious sexual cycle of degrading one another over and over and over? can you tell that i love thinking about this game...
RATING: ★★★★★★★★★✩ (9/10... so interesting to think about. i kind of have to give it props in that sense)
ENDING D: honestly not really much of an ending... more so just a punishment for choosing the wrong choices, hehe. this isn't a bad thing, in my opinion-- there's just not much to talk about. in context, i completely understand Seiji making this choice. man, i would do the same to be honest! in the instance of Daichi not reaching out to Seiji to reassure him (what, through shower sex?), Seiji feels so disgusted with himself that he feels as though he has to completely detatch from Daichi. it'd be great to actually read Seiji's thought process, but thinking about it is good enough for meeee!
NO RATING
ENDING E: don't bother going to the cops, i guess... damn!! it's somewhat difficult to understand Seiji's perspective here, initially. but, i suppose it may have to do with Daichi's disregard of his feelingssss? hmm...
NO RATING
ENDING F: OBVIOUSLy the best ending. it's really sweet. their small shows of affection to make sure that the other won't suddenly disappear... ough... the trauma! genuinely, it is a very enjoyable ending, and a great way to finish off the game. i would like to, at some point, replay the game entirely with that ending, to really understand how it works with the linear plot. what am i saying. i like how the bathroom h-scene, despite being a sex scene, is still depressing and emotional. and i think that it's really important that, in this route, the first time that they actually kiss is once they're being intimate purely on their own terms. not during one of those horrible trials. hmmm-- i do wish that Daichi's tasks were more gorey, however. but that's just semantics. i probably have more to say, but i genuinely enjoy this ending so much that it's difficult to fully be critical of it.
RATING: ★★★★★★★★★★ (10/10... PERFECT... so sweet)
final thoughts: very, very depressing game. not in a way that you'll cry, but it'll make you feel a deep despair! i really learned to become attached to and care about the friendship of these two, making all of the doomed outcomes especially effective. the art is fucking amazing, of course!! i really respect Nikaidou Shino, and all of the work she does for CLOCKUP. i like how FINALLY i get to read a visual novel which cares about safe sex and i honestly learned some things for once! as well, i love how the smaller setting and cast allows the story to focus so entirely on the effect of trauma on interpersonal relationships. soooooooo interesting and fun to think about. i can sit and think about room no. 9 foreverrrrrrrrrr....!!
supplementary material recommendation:
i was very curious as to how Seiji and Daichi's relationship might look if they were ever to become romantically involved with each other. personally, i think it'd be very messy and full of angst, which this fic does remarkably well. their dynamic is captured so accurately through this person's writing-- i'd say that it's definitely the best look into how ending F could possibly lead into something romantic.