Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani Critic Reviews

Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani doesn’t take each opportunity it gives itself for unique worldbuilding based on rich Japanese folklore, but it’s at its best when presenting feel-good resolutions, which it does on every route. It’s not lore-heavy like Olympia Soirée nor is it a grand spectacle like Code: Realize; rather, it’s a simple but charming palate cleanser of an otome game, and that makes it unique enough to add its own kind of variety to the genre’s lineup.

I didn’t expect to enjoy Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani as much as I did. With so many Switch otome games out now and it being another date supernatural boys game like Cafe Enchante or Hiiro no Kakera, I wondered how it’d set itself apart. But it’s such a genuine visual novel, and one where the relationships gradually grow between the heroine and bachelors. It’s really quite lovely.

Dairoku is a good otome game, though not necessarily a great one. The love interests are interesting and have fascinating characters, but the main storyline doesn’t quite catch up to them in terms of quality. The character graphics are very beautiful, yet the backgrounds are too simple. The music is fitting, not standout. Knowing this, if you love the Japanese ayakashi setting you should still try this game. The individual storylines of the bachelors make it worthwhile.

Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani is a decent otome, but not one that I would recommend to everyone. While I appreciate the English release, the story fails to find its footing in the early moments, which is a shame because the conclusion is exciting. Further, the romance comes off more platonic than genuine on some routes, but I enjoyed the ghostly premise and charming cast.

When you’re going back-to-back-to-back with one genre of game, they can start to run together. I’m glad Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani avoided the urge to lock portions of the game behind completion, and hope this happens more in the future—though hopefully the next romance game I play will have a little more sunlight in it.

Despite some intriguing premises, Dairoku fails on delivering a balanced and captivating experience, feeling more like a missed opportunity.