Wasted Days & Sleepless Nights: A Mizuchi Review

By Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC (Steam)

It's Valentine's Day, and I have just the game for you all! Mizuchi is a yuri themed visual novel that originally released back in 2020 on Steam. It was brought to fruition via a successful Kickstarter, and developer Aikasa Collective recently completed another Kickstarter for a new game. Funding details aside, Mizuchi is now making the move to consoles. It's currently available on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. We're going to be taking a look at it on the Switch, and seeing if it was worth the long wait. We have a lot to cover in this one, so let's get right to the review!

Mizuchi places you into the role of Linh, a character who you can rename to whatever you wish at the start of the game. She is one of five daughters, and lives a tough life in a small village that worships snakes. One day, while stealing food, she stumbles on a wounded snake who she promptly feeds out of obligation. Linh figures that the snake is near death, but little does she know that this action will change the course of her life. Upon returning home she finds that her childhood friend, named Anh, is back from war. He uses this time of leave to ask for her hand in marriage, and her family's standing in the village means that she has no reason to not accept. It seems like this story is going to have a quick happy ending after all. Unfortunately nothing is ever so simple, as she ends up being betrayed by Anh. Through a course of events that I won't reveal for the sake of spoilers, she ends up being thrown into a snake pit for a crime she didn't commit. Fortunately for her, this pit currently houses the snake she earlier befriended. Not only did the snake survive its wounds, but it turns out that the snake is a shapeshifting creature named Ai. Ai saves Linh by taking her to her remote mountain home that is surrounded by mists. Linh now has no home to return to, and she is to serve as something of a partner to Ai. This is all told to Linh in a matter-of-fact way, but Ai is not exactly acting out of malice. The pair then go about a peaceful, if awkward, co-existence. Not too long after this, a monk named Jinhai arrives to fight Ai. This confusing turn of events gets even stranger when it's revealed that Jinhai will now be living with them too. Despite being a monk, Jinhai is also female, and has a history with Ai that is wrapped in mystery. From there on, the plot focuses on the relationships between the trio of women that live in Ai's house. Linh isn't exactly a prisoner, but she's not quite free either. She's going to have to make a choice. Will she stay with Ai? Or will she run away with Jinhai when the opportunity presents itself?

Like I said at the top of the review, Mizuchi is a yuri themed visual novel, so you can probably guess where the plot goes next. This isn't an 18+ game though, so don't expect things to get too intense. There are also some platonic routes to go through if you so desire, and there's plenty of game that doesn't involve romance at all. Ai is a snake though, so don't expect her to wear clothes. I only really bring that up as I think it's one of the biggest reasons why the game is rated M. There are some scenes that may have also caused the game to get that rating, but I wanted to point out early on that this isn't going to be a full-on eroge. Going back to plot, Mizuchi has a lot going for it beyond romance that makes it a unique experience. Some might already be aware of this, but the story is actually a loose adaptation of the Chinese folk tale, the Legend of White Snake. It only borrows some elements, but it's what drew me to the game in the first place. There was an animated movie that came out the year before this game was originally released, and I'm surprised it wasn't on my radar until now. White Snake aside, the game doesn't actually take place in any single place. Not only does it borrow cultural traditions of several Asian countries, but it's more accurate to say that the game takes place in a pure fantasy setting. These two factors alone make it a game worth playing even if you may not care for the yuri themes. The focus of the story is on the relationships between the three main characters though, so don't expect to fully get away from that if you're only here for the setting. Then again the Legend of White Snake itself is a tale of romance, so I guess it's to be expected.

Though romance does develop between the three characters, it takes quite a long time for it to blossom. You're in for a long haul if you want take on Mizuchi's story, so you might as well get comfortable. There is a lot of will they/won't they type of scenes throughout, but the biggest factor that draws out the romance is the overall pacing. I've played several visual novels that take the "slice-of-life" approach to storytelling, but Mizuchi really takes the cake. This is a game that isn't afraid to take its time, and you better be ready to deal with that. If you're hoping for the characters to start falling for each other right away, you're going to be disappointed to see that much of the game seems to revolve around anything but love. Romance is always present of course, but so are scenes that involve seemingly random conversations about history, cultures, and even society itself. Most present of all is the topic of food. Just about every meal the characters have is presented in full detail, and much of the game revolves around cooking. This did get old after a while, but the pacing was a quirk that I came to enjoy by the end. There's a light, friendly vibe to everything that puts the focus on the characters. You'd think that learning about Jinhai's cooking skills, or Ai's preference for meat, will be unimportant to the core story, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Each interaction lets the player learn more about the characters’ lives in a way that feels completely natural, and it makes the choices between them feel all the heavier. There really is no "right" path to follow here. Jinhai, Ai, and Linh are all flawed characters to a degree, but they're also endearing and charming in their own way. I guess since we spent this bit talking about pacing, let's talk a bit more about characterization.

Considering that Mizuchi is essentially a tale that only truly features three characters, one would hope that they're all written in a way that keeps one invested. While it's true that some may still find something to dislike here simply due to personal preference, I have to say that the game pulls off the job well. Not only will you grow to like them, but you may even wish for their happiness by the end. Since the story goes for the slice-of-life approach, there is no rushing towards a conclusion here. Relationships develop, grow, and change in a way that feels very natural. Tension and drama are always present, but there's an undercurrent of tranquility that runs counter to that. Slow and steady not only wins the race, but it can also win hearts too. This approach to storytelling means that you'll come to learn all there is to know about our trio of characters. Some big interactions are locked away behind character-specific routes, but there's enough for the reader to get a very good perspective on them even if you're just going through it without a focus on picking one pairing over the other. It's not just the relationships that involve Linh either, as the bond between Ai and Jinhai is just as important to the narrative. It also helps that all of the characters are quite endearing. Ai's odd character quirks and flippant remarks could have easily made her unlikable, but that's not the case here at all. The same can be said for Jinhai's calm and stoic nature. It's hard to write characters with these sorts of personalities in a way where they don't become a walking character trope, but the line is treaded very carefully here. The small cast is anything but a detriment, and Mizuchi pulls off a story that rivals that of bigger titles that have giant casts of characters by comparison.

Even though Mizuchi is a visual novel, there still is something resembling gameplay when it comes to the choices you make in-game. That may sound like an odd way to phrase it, but this is the type of visual novel that tracks your choices to determine the ending that you're going to get. I may be reading a bit too much into it, but you really do have to take an exact set of actions if you wish to get onto a specific route. There are five endings in total, with some of them being romantic, and others being platonic. It's not always easy to figure out when your actions will lead you towards one versus the other, but focusing on the character you like is probably the safest way to go. Having said that, I found that it was somewhat difficult to figure things out without consulting a guide. I do think that several of the in-game choices only affect dialogue, but there are some that feel like they aren't important, but can lock you out of a route if you're not careful. This can be pretty annoying if you've already saved beyond a certain point. Considering the game is quite long, it isn't exactly easy to start again if you've messed up. You can make use of the dialogue skip feature, but skipping hours of scenes still means minutes and minutes of sitting there until you get back to the choice you messed up on. I guess this might only be an issue for completionists, but I actually got an ending I wasn't hoping for my first time through the game in spite of making what I thought were the "correct" choices. It didn't sour my experience on the game overall, but it did annoy me a bit that I spent hours to get a conclusion that ran counter to what I thought I was working towards.

If there's one aspect of the game where Mizuchi completely shines, it has to be its artwork. This is a beautiful game, and it's in no way limited by its small cast or very localized setting. If anything, the smaller scope allows the game to fully explore what is present in the game. There are tons of CGs of all the characters, some of them being very impressive, as well as several outfit variations. This isn't a full-on 18+ title, but there are some romantic scenes that are stunning as well. That aside, I was constantly surprised by the ways that the game would break out of its seemingly small scope to give a scene that felt new and unique. This usually came by way of exploring areas not mentioned in the game before, but come in the form of giving us a different view of a character. This is most relevant when it comes to Ai herself, as she has several forms she can take on, each being a work of art in and of itself. I actually think that Ai's design is perfect, and I loved seeing her on screen in whatever form she was in. There's also a level of detail that goes all the way to the background images. Similar to the plot's setting, there are several different Asian aesthetics that seamlessly come together. I guess my only real gripe would be the lack of much animation in some of the scenes, but that's not really a big issue at all. While you won't get anything resembling a fully animated scene, there are plenty of moments that imply action and movement by way of a cleverly-used CG, or by simple camera motions. Though I have nothing else to say on this topic, I will advise players to check out the CGs in the unlockable gallery. They really do all deserve a second look.

My praise for Mizuchi's soundtrack might not be as glowing as my praise for the visuals, but the game does an amazing job on that front too. I've talked about the video game music genre I dub "visual novel music" many times over the years, and the music here falls squarely into that category. For those who are new, visual novel music is the term I use for soundtracks that are good, but are full of music that seems to exist to be solely in the background. Certain tracks may have catchy melodies, but they don't seem to ever get stuck in your head the way other video game music might. These types of soundtracks have music that always complements the scene that they're in, but they very rarely overtake said scene and become the focus. It really isn't a negative term though, it just describes music that rarely warrants big discussion. That said, I will admit that there's a bit of a difference in Mizuchi's soundtrack that I feel is worth pointing out. Due to the subdued pace of the game, the soundtrack almost feels like an extension of the slice-of-life vibes. The music lulls you into complacency, and makes it so that you'll feel the dramatic twists and turns all the better. This is a soundtrack I wouldn't mind having on in the background while doing my writing, and features a similar eclectic mix of Asian inspirations as the game's setting.

While it makes sense that the soundtrack would be a bit more prominent in a game like this, it really has to be since there is no voice acting at all. I was more than a little let down to learn that there wouldn't be voices bringing Ai, Jinhai, and Linh to life. One can make the argument that having no voice acting makes it easier to put one's own spin on things, but I've played other indie visual novels that have voice acting in them. I do realize that this is a smaller release, but I can't help but wish that some of the Kickstarter money was spent voicing the main cast at the very least. Admittedly this would be a lot of work due to the length of the game, but the opposite is true as well. Having to read walls of text in relative silence can be a bit of a strain at times. I did just go on about how great the soundtrack was a bit ago, but it can only do so much heavy lifting. The lack of voice acting is something you will get used to after a while, but its absence does detract from the overall presentation quite a bit.

Those expecting a short visual novel experience will probably be surprised to learn that getting through Mizuchi will take anywhere from 8-10 hours or so your first time through. This has a lot to do with reading speed, but it's still a bit longer than I was expecting. One can't forget about the multiple endings though, so your time can actually double if you want to see them all. There's a lot of content to enjoy here, and I do think the story is worth seeing through to its end, but I have a big issue when it comes to this console release's pricing. Mizuchi's 2020 release on Steam was priced at $14.99, and I think very reasonable. There is a lot of content, and the artwork is amazing, but the small scope of the game, and the lack of voice acting, do bring it down a couple notches. If that were the price across the board, things would be perfectly fine, but that's unfortunately not the case. I know that there is always talk of the "Switch Tax" when things make their way to Nintendo's hybrid console, but that doesn't excuse this five year old game being re-released at $24.99. You can't even use the Switch Tax defense anyway since it's also that price on PlayStation 4 and 5. I'd feel the same way regarding price even if I didn't know about its history, but it feels sort of insulting knowing about the post-Steam price hike. I don't want to end this review on a negative, but this was probably the only part of the game I couldn't get behind.

Despite my strong reservations on console pricing, I still have to give Mizuchi a full recommendation. It's a beautiful game with a beautiful story, and it deserves to be enjoyed in any way you can get your hands on it. It's a must-buy for visual novel fans, yuri fans, or anyone just looking for a good game to play. Part of me wants to recommend the Steam release over the console one since you can get the game and the soundtrack for less than $24.99, but perhaps I'm just being too hard on the game for pricing. If you get it on consoles, you still won't be disappointed. Not only was Mizuchi a great game on its own, but it made me interest in looking up other takes on the Legend of the White Snake. I'm also really looking forward to Red Rebellion, the upcoming game from Aikasa Collective. Maybe I'll be back to review that one later in the year? I guess we'll have to wait and see! See you in the next one!

Check Out Mizuchi on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/mizuchi-switch/

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Story: A+
Gameplay: N/A
Graphics: A+
Music/Sound: A-
Value: B

Overall: A

Pros:
+ A great visual novel that adapts elements of the Legend of White Snake.
+ Also features cultural elements from other parts of Asia in a unique fantasy setting.
+ The main trio are all well-written, and you'll grow to care about the bonds that form between them.
+ The art and character designs are all amazing. Ai in particular has several different designs that are practically perfect.
+ This slice-of-life visual novel is also accompanied by a great soundtrack.
+ Five different endings, some romantic and some platonic, mean that you'll have a lot of content to look forward to.

Cons:
- The game's slow pace can put off some. (How many times do we have to hear about what they're eating for breakfast?!)
- Some of the cultural elements, like untranslated lines, can seem to come out of nowhere.
- The lack of voice acting hits pretty hard here. It can be a bit much to go through a game as long as this one without a single spoken word.
- Considering the Steam release is priced at $14.99, asking $24.99 for the console release just feels wrong.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

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Eating this many egg dishes in the US would bankrupt them today.

#Mizuchi