TAISHO x ALICE episode 1

I don't think we could ever escape misogyny from any otome game, cause it basically still operates under the patriarchy lens. In all honesty, I like cinderella's route so far, I completed red's route he was so ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ boring and such a creep oh my. Called MC an indecent slut. I don;t think we'll ever escaoe the patriarchy even in fiction, that's why I'm gonna date a pigeon instead. MC being objectified,, remembrance of gender based sexual violence against women, misogynistic comment from all the men.. yeah... alright.

good game, good price, got what I expected. this game has been input for me learning japanese actually. cheers.

Taisho x Alice Episode 1, developed by Primula and published by Pencil, is the opening chapter of a visually captivating and narratively clever otome series that combines fairy tale charm with psychological intrigue. It places the player in a surreal world where familiar stories are inverted, and traditional archetypes are playfully subverted. At first glance, it appears to be a whimsical romance inspired by classic tales, but beneath its pastel palette and gentle humor lies a surprisingly complex emotional journey that hints at something much darker. This episode introduces the setting, its central mystery, and the first two romance routes, each of which blends comedy, affection, and introspection in ways that distinguish it from more conventional romantic visual novels.
The story begins with the heroine awakening in a pitch-black void, stripped of memories and surrounded by nothingness until she encounters a boy named Alice, who, like her, remembers only his name. Together they step through a mirror into the “Looking-Glass World,” a distorted reflection of fairy tales where the traditional roles of hero and heroine have been reversed. Instead of rescuing princes, the protagonist takes on the role of savior, helping male versions of beloved storybook characters rediscover their purpose and overcome their inner turmoil. Episode 1 focuses on two such figures: Cinderella, a refined but insecure young man who struggles with class identity and self-worth, and Red Riding Hood, a brash, impulsive delinquent with a hidden tenderness beneath his rough demeanor. Each route tells a complete story, exploring different emotional tones while also weaving subtle clues about the overarching mystery that spans the entire series.
One of the most distinctive qualities of Taisho x Alice is its heroine. Unlike many otome protagonists who are passive or reactive, she is lively, outspoken, and empathetic. Her determination to guide and protect the male leads gives the game a refreshing sense of agency. Her dialogue is often witty and teasing, turning conversations into lively exchanges that make each relationship feel organic. The writing is sharp and often comedic, full of self-awareness and playful jabs at fairy tale conventions. Yet the humor never feels forced; instead, it provides balance against the melancholy that seeps into the narrative as the characters’ emotional scars are revealed. This mix of lighthearted charm and deeper subtext makes the experience both endearing and meaningful.
The art direction is one of the game’s strongest aspects. The visual presentation is lush and dreamlike, with vivid colors, intricate character designs, and detailed backgrounds that immerse the player in the storybook setting. Each scene feels carefully composed to evoke the surreal yet nostalgic tone of a reimagined fairy tale world. The character sprites are expressive, and the CG illustrations punctuate key emotional moments beautifully. The Japanese voice acting enhances the performances significantly, giving each character nuance and personality. The combination of elegant art and heartfelt performances creates a cinematic quality that elevates the experience beyond a standard romance visual novel.
In terms of gameplay, the structure is familiar to anyone experienced with visual novels. The player reads through text, makes decisions during key moments, and influences which ending they receive. Each route offers multiple outcomes—good, normal, and bad—based on the player’s dialogue choices and how well they connect with the chosen love interest. The branching paths encourage multiple playthroughs to see all the content, though the narrative flow remains linear enough to maintain coherence. The game’s pacing is steady, but some players may find that the romantic developments occur rather quickly compared to the emotional buildup. However, this pacing choice also contributes to the game’s fairy tale quality, where romance often unfolds in heightened, dramatic moments rather than slow realism.
Episode 1’s greatest strength is its ability to balance self-contained romance stories with hints of a larger enigma. The Looking-Glass World is not simply a whimsical setting; it’s a metaphorical space reflecting each character’s emotional struggles. The player gradually realizes that there are deeper forces at work—elements of memory, identity, and self-perception that linger beneath the surface of each encounter. This underlying mystery gives the story weight and cohesion, setting the stage for later episodes that expand on these psychological and narrative themes. Even though Episode 1 focuses on two routes, it plants enough questions to keep the player intrigued long after the credits roll.
The localization deserves special mention for its wit and clarity. Earlier releases of the game suffered from translation issues, but this Steam version delivers smooth, polished dialogue that captures both the humor and emotion of the original Japanese writing. The conversations feel natural, and the cultural nuances are preserved without feeling awkward or overly literal. Combined with an intuitive interface and clean menu design, the technical presentation enhances the accessibility and enjoyment of the game.
While Taisho x Alice Episode 1 offers a delightful experience, it does come with some limitations. The short length may leave players wanting more, and because the game is divided into episodic releases, it ends on a note that hints at unresolved mysteries rather than concluding the overarching plot. Players seeking a fully self-contained story may find the ending abrupt. However, as the opening chapter of a larger narrative, it succeeds in establishing its tone, introducing compelling characters, and leaving the audience eager for continuation.
Ultimately, Taisho x Alice Episode 1 is a charming blend of whimsy and emotional depth, wrapped in a stunning visual package. It reimagines familiar fairy tales with warmth and creativity, offering romance that feels both humorous and heartfelt. The proactive heroine, beautifully drawn world, and layered storytelling distinguish it from more formulaic entries in the otome genre. Beneath its light exterior lies a thoughtful reflection on identity and perception, setting it apart as a narrative that grows richer with each route. For fans of romantic visual novels who appreciate strong writing and artistic flair, it stands as a captivating beginning to a uniquely imaginative series.
Rating: 8/10

Taisho x Alice Episode I is a fantasy otome visual novel inspired by classic fairy tales. It features a choice driven structure with multiple bad endings and one happy ending for each love interest. The game is developed by Primula and published by Pencil. It supports Steam achievements and is playable on the Steam Deck. One of the most interesting aspects of the game is its cast. The male love interests are based on well known fairy tale characters, and they are gender swapped. Episode I focuses on Cinderella and Red Riding Hood. Episode II focuses on Gretel and Kaguya. Episode III focuses on Snow White and the Wizard. The epilogue centers on Alice.
The story begins with a prologue where you play as a female protagonist who awakens in a world of darkness with no memories. You cannot even remember your own name. Soon, you meet a short blond haired boy with blue eyes and a sharp tongue. He also has amnesia. Despite his rude attitude, your protagonist responds with confidence and matches his remarks. Since neither of you remembers your names, you decide to choose new ones. You take the name Arisu, while he takes the name Alice. As you walk together, you arrive at a giant mirror that looks like a crystal. When you reach out and touch it, the mirror emits a bright light. After the light fades, it no longer reflects your image. Instead, it shows two figures, Cinderella and Red Riding Hood. When you touch the mirror again, its surface ripples like water and allows you to enter another world.
At the start of Episode I, you choose between two routes, Cinderella or Red Riding Hood, and each route offers a different story and perspective.
Cinderella Route
Cinderella has bluish gray hair and blue eyes, with a mole under his left eye. He is voiced by Daisuke Hirakawa. He comes from a very wealthy family, as his father has built a great fortune. This allows him to live a luxurious life and host banquets every weekend. At first, he appears glamorous, selfish, lazy, and arrogant. However, he also manages a café together with his younger siblings, Gretel and Snow White. In this route, you play as Yurika Alice, who is introduced as his potential fiancée. You want to get to know him better, so with the help of a servant, you visit his café. Unexpectedly, Cinderella hires you to work there and even lets you stay in his home, mistakenly believing that you are poor.
At first in my opinion, Cinderella possesses the worst personality and comes off as annoying. However, as the story progresses, he becomes more likable and shows a gentleman side also reveals his hidden depth, which makes his route more engaging than it initially seems.
During this route, you also meet Alice again as your neighbor. The interactions between the two versions of Alice are entertaining and make me grin. Other love interests also appear as supporting characters.
Red Riding Hood Route
In this route, you play as Yurika Arisu, a student who receives a threatening letter. After reporting it to the police, a serious blond officer with red eyes arrives at your home. He wears his signature red hood and introduces himself as Akazukin, voiced by Tomoaki Maeno. After investigating your situation, he concludes that you may be in danger. Since you live alone in a large house and your family is busy, he decides that constant protection is necessary. He begins to stay with you and monitor your safety at all times. This leads to a seven day period of close interaction between you and Akazukin. During this time, you gradually learn more about his personality and his past.
The game features high quality character designs, expressive sprites, and beautifully illustrated CG scenes for each character. The facial expressions and coloring are detailed, which helps bring the characters to life. All characters except the female protagonist are fully voiced by professional voice actors, giving each character a distinct personality and enhancing both emotional scenes and lighthearted moments. You can also see characters in different outfits, which adds variety and visual appeal.
Overall, Taisho x Alice Episode I is a fairy tale inspired otome visual novel with a choice driven story and multiple endings. You play as an amnesiac heroine who enters a mysterious world through a magical mirror and chooses between different character routes. Episode I focuses on two main routes, Cinderella and Red Riding Hood, each offering unique storytelling, character development, and emotional depth. With strong voice acting, detailed visuals, and engaging character interactions, it provides a romantic and character driven experience. The English translation is great and easy to read.
8/10
圣火昭昭，圣火耀耀，凡我大橘，喵喵喵喵~
欢迎加入 『大橘为众』
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honestly a bit slow at the start but once you really get into it you REALLY get into it !! i lovee lovelove love all the fun twists they did for their little stories, it feels so subtle but at the same time its like its being screamed right into your face. the dialogue along with voice acting is amazing, they casted the characters so well and whoever did the translating needs a damn raise cause of how hilarious it was most of the time.

you definitely need to get into this with a bit more of uhhh open-mindedness though, won't elaborate any further but i fear that if you're just #toowoke you won't enjoy this game very much. theres a few times where it can feel kinda misogynistic so just a small warning. i got into this game incredibly blind, only knowing that these men all need some sort of professional mental help and that theyre based off of fairy tales and went yes !!!!!1 please !!!!!

spoiler for the routes!!
cinderella route definitely felt more put together, i loved the dynamics all the characters had amongst each other and their story together just overall felt so romantic and so angsty it was just pure deliciousness. cried a few times while doing cinderellas route icl. red riding hoods route was also fun tbh !! idk what the other people here are on about, i get the whole nosebleeding thing can get tiring fast but i thought it was kinda funny lol. loved cinderellas route so much, but i also loveee red, i almost can't pick a favorite. i love mc so much too like yesss girl you CAN fix him !!! and she DID !!!

so excited to get into the rest of the series blind !! i wanna know what kinda twists they did for the other lis. definitely get this game if ur into FICTIONAL men who definitely need therapy !!

Хорошая новелла, песня с заставки ван лав. Поражает, что гг оказывается умной, хотя изначально я была другого мнения. Прошла всю трилогию, правда пришлось качать с рус переводом, ибо русификатор на версию стим не скачивался, к сожалению. На один раз вообще супер, но порой я поражалась от того, насколько гг мила со всеми, чересчур уж, правда. Порой выбешивало и хотелось от её лица дать всем дикие поджопники)

I enjoyed this game overall, but I didn't really enjoy Red Riding Hood's story. I found the heroine and Red both to be really cringy. I can get past a lot of that since cringe kinda comes with the territory with otome, but compared to Cinderella's route, Red's route just wasn't fun to me. However, I enjoyed Cinderella's route enough that I would gladly play more from this series.
Pros:
-Art
-Music
-Voice Actors
-No bugs (that I ran across)
-Great save features (auto save, quick save, tons of save slots)
-Skip feature works perfectly so you can get all routes if you're a completionist
-UI tells you what options you've selected before, so if you mess up, it's easy to pick a different option.
-The stories are both pretty lighthearted
-Price (I got this game on sale for $5.00 and it's easily worth that if not more). Having played both routes, I enjoyed Cinderella's route enough that I will definitely play more of these.
-Fun/cute side characters in Cinderella's route
Cons:
-The localization/translation is good overall, but they strangely left some phrases in Japanese still with the English translation in parenthesis next to it. I don't hate the idea, but it feels really out of place.
-Heroine is almost unbearable in Red's story.
-Most of Red's story is not appealing to me personally but I would say this is more of a story/writing preference than it being "bad"

"Because you must achieve that happy ending at all costs."
I got into this game blind, so I have little knowledge on what happens in episode 2 onward (will surely be playing it soon), but episode 1 impressed me even as a standalone!
To be honest, I wasn't so sure about it the first few hours (started with Red's route) because of the... interesting dialogue and humor, but they quickly became endearing to me. I will say that Taisho x Alice has been unique so far. A lot of the cast start off as unlikeable, but by the end of both routes I've grown attached to both the LIs and the other characters. I think it's a game that requires patience and an appreciation for the weird and the bizarre.
Red's route is a bit of a slow start, but bear with it; the last few hours were what got me hooked. Cinderella's had a better build up and more interactions between the cast, and they bounce off each other so well. I think the strongest point of the game so far is the character dynamics. Cinderella and his brothers were very enjoyable to me, and (best boy) Alice kind of just owns the spotlight whenever he's onscreen.
Yurika, the MC, is also quite interesting to me. She's assertive, crafty, extremely determined to achieve her goals and not always relatable, but I believe that's part of what makes her intriguing. I look forward to seeing what comes next for her in the next episode.
Even though ep 1 has been described to be "slow" and "generic" (I do think the pacing can be improved in both routes), I found that it has more nuance and depth than I expected. Not to mention the voice acting was phenomenal! All in all, I enjoyed episode 1 and I can tell this story as a whole will end up as one of my favorites by the epilogue!