Today I played Office Lovers ~Forbidden Romance~ by D3Publishers, I do want to say that I had bought the original version of this game for mobile awhile back in 2014-2015. I read along with friends, and I remember loving this game and the unique characters. I’m pretty happy that D3Publishers has also started transitioning their games to the Switch platform as well, however, the content is a little more censored there.
If you’re like me and prefer to have the sexy times with your selected man, I would suggest buying the mobile or PC version of the game. The differences with the game content depend on what platform you choose, so if you opt for the mobile device version, the characters move and the sex scenes are pretty hot.
If you go with the PC version, the characters are static and don’t have the 2DLive movements that the mobile has adapted, but the romantic scenes are kept intact.
Prologue
You work for a well known cosmetic line company that caters to women, while you had originally applied to work in the development team; you were sent to the sales department instead. In the beginning, you casually meet Mahiro as you print certain documents at the copy machine, and kinda get some weird vibes off him. When I say weird, he kinda says a few things that sound pretty stalkerish (hint hint).
As he makes it fairly clear he’s been watching you since you both entered the company at the same time (thanks Mahiro-babe… we now know you are possibly a type of Yandere). You actually chase Mahiro off after exchanging a few words with him and eventually bump into Kaido, the PR manager of the company. While trying to clean up the papers you happened to have dropped during the collision you just had, Kaido makes a snide remark about your looks which causes you to think of him as an asshole.
So that doesn’t go over well with me or the heroine (but, I digress, I knew he was like that already), after your run-in with Kaido you meet with your previous boss, Saijo. This sweet cinnamon bun of fluff is adorable and has a secretive side to him, he actually hints that he likes you but you brush him off LMAO (friendzoned).
During this meeting with Saijo you happen to run into Hyoga, who is the head of the development department you originally wanted to get into. Taking this as a chance to possibly get your foot in the door into the development team, you make a pitch to Hygoa during his lunch break and hand him information that could further help his team. Usually, this would be rude in any case, but Hyoga was fairly nice about it and even read the data given to him.
Eventually, after lunch break is over, you’re walking back to the office with Saijo when the company president makes his gallant appearance and talks with you both. Mr. Otori makes no hesitation at flirting with you and openly tossing out some VERY suggestive lines towards you, thankfully the heroine doesn’t bite and brushes off his advances as well that he was just teasing her.
As the day proceeds you’re called into the president’s office where you see Saijo, Mahiro, Kaido, Hyoga, and your friend from college Ken all in the audience. It is then revealed that you will be part of a new development team for this year’s Christmas season and that you’ll be partnering up with one of these men to help create a beautiful and memorable cosmetic line. Thus, the story of office romance begins!
The Office Lovers
- Mahiro Kunizu- When you first meet Mahiro again, it’s probably not the best re-introduction as he seems to be presented as a playboy to you. He also happens to look over some personal documents you created and you get pretty miffed about it. Mahiro and you joined the company at the same time, and while he remembers you, you don’t remember him (WHOOPS!). He’s a bit childish, competitive, and can be overly passionate about goals and people–However, since joining the new project with you, he’s made one thing clear. He wants you. Badly.
- Ryo Kaido- Known as the gentlemanly PR manager of the company, Kaido doesn’t give you that impression of a gallant prince after your run-in with him. He’s cold and cruel with his words, and he has a horrific way of teasing you… You wonder just what exactly have you done to the man to elicit such behavior from him in the first place. Finding out he is a sadist is one thing, but knowing that he treats you differently from everyone else is another subject of its own. When you find out you’ll be paired with him the gloves are off, and you challenge him as he also challenges you.
- Sadayoshi Saijo- Cinnamon fluff of a manager who is compassionate and caring towards you, he’s always giving you advice and extending a comforting hand whenever you’ve hit rock bottom or gotten stuck on an idea. Saijo comes off as the best boss out of the lot, and perhaps a great love interest as well? But there’s more to this man than meets the eye when you start to realize how his possessive/obsessive his affections for you can be… Beware, he is a yandere type, but he doesn’t kill people… for now…
- Akihito Hyoga- Here we have our Ossan, mature and usually the level-headed one out of the entire team. He usually keeps to himself and doesn’t try to bother with anyone too much given his status at the company, yet when he pairs up with you for the team project… things get a little more heated than anticipated.
- Haruyuki Otori- Alright ya’ll, he is the president of the company and a walking flirt bomb. Otori doesn’t hide the fact he is interested in you or that he wants you to only date him and no one else when he sets up the group in the first place. You find it strange that this man even wants to get close to you or even have a romantic relationship considering he can have anyone he wants, so … why does he want to get closer to you?
Partnering Up with a Sadist
Ryo Kaido portrays himself as a diligent man and hardworking man, calm, kind, and amicable it’s hard to believe that your co-worker is a sadist considering what you’ve heard about him. He’s crass and has an immediate attitude problem towards you whenever you speak with him, so just what exactly have we done to piss him off? Just being ourself of course, LOL.
As someone who prides himself for working at a cosmetic company, he makes it clear that he doesn’t like the MC’s attitude towards where she works. Although the MC works hard, can gather information, and has excellent skills in putting together spreadsheets of intel. Working for a cosmetic company and not putting on any makeup or using skincare of some sort to better present herself. While I can understand certain aspects of why he spoke the way he did to her, the MC and I can wholesome agree that Ryo was out of line for asking when was the last time we slept with someone.
FYI, I do like Sadoderes if they are written fairly well and know the difference between pushing their partner to a good limit versus abuse. However, Ryo was very hard to come through to in the beginning, considering his cold/sadist nature that came out was pretty much sexual harassment. It did not help that when you chose an answer that allowed the MC to verbally fire something back at him, it came out more like she was mumbling or she held her tongue.
What more is that his way of introducing her to the fact that he liked her was so confusing, that even me as the reader, I got befuddled with his actions and pretty much wanted to slap him upside. However, after the initial first couple of chapters, and both of you confess to one another about liking one another. Ryo shows the proper example of anS/M kind of relationship, with a few aggressive hints in there.
This kind of relationship is easily written and portrayed wrong in games, and I can’t digest many S-Do routes that glorify a vicious sadist of any nature. However, Ryo’s saving grace is his honesty towards the heroine after their love is confirmed for one another. So be prepared… because when he falls in love… He makes it clear to everyone through certain gestures that you’re his slav-lover. LOL.
FALLING IN LOVE WITH RYO
Falling in love with this character was pretty rough in the beginning, and I won’t say it was the greatest in the beginning parts of the gameplay. You can either keep the peace or go all out and pick all the options to fight the man, but you’ll be deflated with the MC’s lack of integrity to push back against his ministrations. It isn’t until later that the MC grows into her own a bit with Ryo, which makes the relationship feel a little more organic versus the whole ‘I’ll do whatever you say’ or ‘I’ll always let him get what he wants’ type of deal.
While he does tease you, the MC learns to tease him back and boy… does that get him riled up and switch his sadist back on. Which, I find it appropriate because sometimes it is fun to make your ‘master’ mad on purpose for a little bit of fun and excitement LMAO. However, Ryo makes it fairly clear that his love isn’t a normal lovey-dovey affair, as presented below he marks you in a different way.
Possessive. I swear when I read that simple word from Ken’s lips, I froze for a moment and felt my cheeks flush because since this is a fantasy I’m playing out with the MC. This definitely got under my skin and made me blush, call me a psycho but I have a thing for possessive males written correctly.
I know he doesn’t mean to literally carve the words into my skin, but I figured as much he meant he wants to mark my skin with his teeth and lips. Which I am totally okay with, as long as I can be allowed to tease him back and be a brat to him as well. Overall, his love is a possessive kind and he may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I do recommend that if you do take on his route to be patient and keep your wits about you until a few chapters in.
GRAY’S CORNER
To be honest, I liked Ryo’s route but I didn’t love it. The hot and cold beginning, the sexual harassment, it rubbed me the wrong way, and even after the confession part, took a bit of adjusting to his new attitude. I can’t say the route was entirely bad, but it wasn’t as good either. I felt there could have been more potential for the plotline since it felt like the storyline was pretty much nonexistent after awhile. Office romance otome games are hard to keep going especially when the trope isn’t given enough sustenance to keep a reader engaged. However, for a game I got on sale for about 7.99 awhile back on steam, I’d say it’s still worth the playtime.
ROUTE RATING:
3/5 Stars ☆☆☆
CG GALLERY
Gray's Cozy Nook 
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