I loved the lighthearted otome game Radiant Tale, so I was thrilled when they announced localization of its fandisc, Radiant Tale -Fanfare!-.
(As a reminder, a fandisc is similar to a sequel, but focuses more on the aftermath of the romances like a game-length epilogue, often with some other new content as well.)
Radiant Tale -Fanfare!- is split into three main parts: after stories, interludes, and “if” routes.
After stories are usually the main draw of a fandisc. These are the extended epilogues that follow the end of an individual character’s route from the main game. Unfortunately, I found Fanfare’s after stories to be… lacking.
It started out well enough; I picked my favorite love interest, the intimidating-yet-actually-sweet warrior Ion, and was treated to some cute romantic scenes. Then I reached the end of the first chapter, much sooner than I’d expected to.
Now, fandisc after stories are always going to be shorter than full otome routes, just by their very nature, but these ones feel very short. I completed each after story in an hour or less, which made them feel like they finished disappointingly soon. (I’m a fast reader and usually move to the next line once I’ve finished reading, so I’d expect it to take closer to 2 hours for a story if you let all the voice lines play out.)
Worse, the after stories of my two favorites, Ion and Zafora, both felt more focused on external events and conflicts keeping the couple apart, instead of the romance emphasis I want from a fandisc.
Because of this, I find myself in the bizarre position where Radie, whose route was my least favorite in the main game, ended up having my favorite story in the fandisc. His after story had the perfect emphasis on fluff and romance, along with a lot of funny moments.
That’s one area where I can’t fault Fanfare. Its after stories might be short, but they aren’t lacking in humor. There were a lot of parts throughout the game that made me laugh.
The interludes are great for that, too. These are a collection of scenes, each only a few minutes long, that focuses on short interactions between the characters. For example, there’s an interlude where the younger side characters are attempting to adopt behaviors they believe will make them gentleman. These scenes are funny and cute.
Finally, we have the “if” routes. These are two all-new routes that branch off from the end of the common route with a short new common route that lets you pick choices that lead to a route for either Jinnia or Liyan. These routes are still shorter than the main game’s routes, but fortunately longer than the after stories. Additional choices lead to short endings featuring Colivus and Alest, as well.
Jinnia turned out to be the MVP of this fandisc. The flashy, flamboyant type isn’t usually my preferred character, but his route is so much fun, with a great amount of romance (and more spice than all the after stories combined) and a believable conflict. The character dynamics in his route were excellent as well.
I didn’t enjoy Liyan’s quite as much, but it had some exciting moments near the end that also made it a fun read.
As for the two characters who only got bonus endings, Colivus’s scenes were quite cute, and Alest’s… made me desperate for a full Alest route. He’s such a great character, and I love him. Despite my criticisms here, I’d still buy a second fandisc in a heartbeat if it delivered a full Alest route.
Overall, I did have fun with Radiant Tale -Fanfare!-, it just felt lacking compared to other fandiscs I’ve played. If you loved Radiant Tale, I’d still recommend getting the fandisc eventually… but maybe when it’s on sale.
