Bittersweet Blossoms

I consider this ebi-hime's best work to date. Absolutely amazing. Blackberry Honey was already really good, but this is a step-up in everything - period-specific language & characterization, themes, complex character development, good romance, just amazing. One of the best VNs I've ever read, certainly in the romance category. Don't sleep on it. No cons whatsoever, just get it.

Very sweet little story. I loved Dot; she was a lot of fun. It was nice getting further understanding of Constance and what happened to her after the ending of Blackberry Honey. ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

Recommending this VN is NOT impossible for me. This VN surprised me. I was scathingly critical of the VN this is a sequel to, Blackberry Honey, notably declaring a fiery hatred for its art for what I considered horrifically male-gazey designs rife with boob pockets on clothes and ridiculous poses to perfectly frame ass and tits simultaneously. I went so far as to say that Blackberry Honey, quote, "...was not made for sapphics, this was made for cishet men who want to fetishize and consume lesbians." A few years on, a part of me thinks that criticism was too harsh. Not untrue, per se, but just rather uncharitable and unfair. It was the first ebi-hime VN I'd read and it left such a foul taste in my mouth I have not touched another until now. Having now read Bittersweet Blossoms to completion (something I cannot say for Blackberry Honey, even now) I am very happy I gave this one a chance, and am even more happy it has a demo so that I was inclined to do so. One thing I noted as a major positive in my Blackberry Honey review was the writing, especially how well it captured a sense of time and place, if realistically only a facsimile. This, I am happy to report, has only gotten better with Bittersweet Blossoms. Ebi's writing is a strong point in their (of the two I've read) VN's, and to my delight this time it was paired with art that didn't make me feel gross for consuming it. In fact, I must admit I admire the restraint shown by not including sex in this VN at all, a relief when the characters are 15 and 17 respectively. I do not personally think a sex scene between these two girls, even if they weren't minors, would have served the tone of this VN at all, and would have only dragged it down by several steps. Given the authors notes, that is something ebi fears will cause problems with this VN being successful, or at least failing to reach the highs of Blackberry Honey but I personally see it as a major positive. Fans of Blackberry Honey will possibly be upset that only one character returns and her story could be considered unsatisfying, but seeing as I am not one of them, I'm not really in a position to comment on that. For my part, I adored this outing, it is a very cute lesbian love story that is not dragged down by one of its stars being the cattiest little *** of a 15-year-old known to man, perhaps it's even bolstered by that. I believe it handles its themes of trauma and grief rather deftly, and brought me to tears on at least one occasion. The ending dialogue (before the credits) does read a little bit as a message from the author, but it's handled well enough and I felt it was an appropriately touching moment so I don't in any way hold that against the VN, I liked it. As likewise noted in the authors notes, the art is a little all over the place as it was made by multiple artists, but it isn't distracting and all the art is very good at any rate so it matters little. From what the authors notes say, making this VN sucked and was not likely a labor of love by the end, but I'm very glad it was finished and released and hope ebi takes solace in this just being a really good piece of art. My only real complaint if I had any would be that the VN is on the short side, feeling rather brisk in its pace and a little too quick to get to the point and wrap up, but that's a nitpick if anything and as stated above, I think it speaks to how unpleasant finishing this was, so I'm willing to give ebi a pass if the ending is a bit breakneck. I am happy to recommend this VN, and will likely be perusing ebi's other work as well.