If pigeons weren't enough, now you can choose between BUNNIES and KITTENS. Well, kind of. Unlike the pigeons in Hatoful Boyfriend, these animals fortunately (?) don't stay animals forever. (I took a bunny with me to the beach; he was not impressed when I put on my $100 dollar bikini, the fruits of MANY nights of labor at the local art gallery. I would've been pretty weirded out if he was.)

Animal jokes aside, Dandelion is a lovely, very professionally done Korean visual novel aimed at a female audience. I think this may be the first Korean visual novel on Steam, and it's gorgeous, with fully voiced Korean dialogue and English text. I believe you can set the text to Korean as well. There are five different possible love interests you can pursue at the start, though at the beginning I swear it plays more like a pet raising simulator than anything else. Steambuns instead of Nintendogs, right?

But no, there's a mystery that slowly begins to unfold--and eventually romance. With people. Human people, I swear. Just ignore the occasional animal ears. Yes, the $30 price tag may seem very steep to a lot of Steam users accustomed to cheaper alternatives, but before brushing it off, try the demo (available on Steam right here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/323760/?snr=1_5_1100__1100). It doesn't take long to see how much work went into it, and how many visual novels on Steam have extensive voice acting? Not enough! I've only noticed a few small translation errors here and there, but they aren't nearly as common, noticeable, or cringe-worthy as a lot of the freemium VNs' rushed translations on iOS and Android. Overall, the translation is very well done.

Hopefully, if Dandelion does well enough on Steam, Cheritz might feel inclined to add Nameless, their latest visual novel set in the same general universe--but with dolls instead of cats and rabbits. Yes, dolls. How can any girl resist?

UPDATE after completing all routes, including Jisoo's absolutely TERRIFYING "bad route" (totally worth it for the extra CGs!):

Yes, I sank 35 hours into Dandelion. Yes, every one of them was worth it. I can't think of another visual novel/dating sim that left me thinking so much after completing it. After completing all 5 routes, make sure to check the bonus content! I was really interested in the mystery behind the story--who left me with these animals and why? The bonus content was the cherry on top of an already delicious sundae--and isn't the cherry sometimes the best part?

First, I have to praise the characterization of Heejung. I know most visual novels/dating sims use "blank slate" protagonists (sometimes without eyes--creepy!), but Heejung is the most relatable, realistic heroine I've encountered in a while. (I may be biased because I, too, wonder where my mysterious new bruises came from and how expensive it would be to install a TV in my bathroom when I take a bubble bath to raise my beauty and femininity stats in real life.) Who doesn't understand the pressures of "making it" and continuously doing things you dread solely to please your parents and loved ones, no matter your culture? Who doesn't fear being left behind?

The love interests are fantastic too, and are much more than their archetypes may make them appear at first glance (pretty bunny, baby bunny, snobby bunny, sweet kitty, glutton/pervert kitty), though of course I had favorites. I started with Jihae, whose route seemed like a good one for beginners (just remember to raise some affection with Jieun too!), and ended with Jieun because I was super stubborn about not pursuing a baby bunny. He's a baby! Heejung is a college senior! ...But his route was one of the sweetest and actually had the best ending. Jiwoo's was great too, especially if you've seen as many Korean dramas as I have and can appreciate how the game pokes fun at kdrama clichés. (Those envelopes of money! Candy Cinderella and chaebol romances!)

There is a LOT of stat-raising, but if you focus first on raising your Stress/Pressure Relief abilities, that helps a lot, and soon you won't even notice your Stress and Pressure stats raising at all. Make frequent use of Quick Save/Quick Reload if you accidentally poke/show love/feed them fruit in the wrong place (sometimes deliberately...!) and get a bad reaction, or if you can't find the bunny/kitten of your dreams anywhere in the entire apartment.

If you're on the fence about getting Dandelion, definitely try the demo first--and then just get it. Unless you really, really hate bunnies and kittens (are you more of a dog and ferret person?), you won't be disappointed.

A lovely, charming otome that seems silly on the outside, but is actually a touching tale about growing up, overcoming fear of abandonment, becoming independent and your own authentic person even if that leaves you alone. This is the first Cheritz game before Nameless. Instead of dolls turning into humans, here we have animals turning into...manimals? Those cat boys and bunny boys are basically fairytale characters with cat and bunny ears, cause why not...The game has that beautiful sadness and melancholy that can be found in Nameless and shares some themes, but without its twisted darkness. It is also not a pure visual novel, but a stat raiser. This is the one thing that’s a turn off for a lot of otome fans.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1812347434

Yes, the stat raising is tedious but I can’t say it’s not well incorporated with the story parts. The mc mysteriously finds the animals – three rabbits and two cats at the start of June and for three months is raising them as pets. At the start of September animals turn into humans and the mc witnesses the transformation of the one she has the most points with. That’s when the route proper starts and now you’re raising stats again, but for a much longer period, till the next June. So that’s basically the whole year of stat raising, every day...ugh. It’s like they really wanted us to feel the tedious daily grind the mc goes through. It sounds intimidating, but you quickly get a hang of it and with the BIG help of quick save/load combo you can end up with everything in abundance. Although after a while you start to feel like an automaton...just like the mc. If they wanted to convey the sense of mundane they succeeded, but it could be done without the game actually becoming that.

The thing I liked about stat raising are little interactions with characters. When you encounter one of the guys while doing activities that’s an opportunity to raise points with him and get a reaction which can range from hilarious and playful to quite romantic. This is the part of gameplay that best jives with story sections, because their reactions are influenced by development in the overall story. This is especially true for dates. So that was very entertaining, so much so that even after maxing out points with them I ended up chasing them around the house just to see as many different interactions as I can catch.

As the route progresses story parts are becoming more and more frequent and the game starts to resemble a pure visual novel. The problem are the long periods with just stat raising especially when the guys are in animal form and a long period in general this story covers. If the game cut on that, the gameplay wouldn’t be such a turn off. Of course I still think the game would be even better as just a visual novel. It certainly has a strong story and characters for that.

At first glance Heejung is a typical otome heroine, meek and boring with no personality. But this isn’t just for the purpose of self insertion. It’s actually in character because Heejung suffers from low self-esteem, apathy and constant fatigue. She’s a university student and is enduring a grueling daily grind, punishing school system, pressure and abuse from her mother. Her mother is one of those overbearing, ambitious parents who put great pressure on their kids all the way from kindergarden. Everything other than number one is a failure. Her mother’s ‘love’ is conditional, she’s under a constant fear and threat of abandonment. Even though she now lives in a different city, she still feels her mother’s presence and follows the path she envisioned. She’s afraid of taking necessary steps to become truly independent. One sentence is quite telling: It’s better to be a student than an unemployed person. All these issues feel very real.

As a result she’s a girl with no hopes and dreams, and no wishes. And as such she attracts the attention of the Wizard, the one who grants them. People come to him when they’re desperate enough to have a true wish, but this is one person that will never seek him. He was intrigued and in time became obsessed and increasingly tired of waiting for her. So he devised a little game and sent her 5 guys to try to induce some emotion in her, preferably a heartbreak...just so he could see her even for a moment.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2128591848

And so the game begins. The guys come from another world (those ears are a dead giveaway) and all have a desperate wish and some issues or trauma to overcome. So there was a lot of healing going around. They all embody some trope, but are also fully fledged round characters. Their hilarious interactions were the highlight (I never knew Korean could be so funny)

Jihae, the big silver rabbit, is a noble knight with out of this world beauty. He calls the little rabbit ‘Young Master’ and appears to be his guardian. He’s a true gentleman, calls you ‘My Lady’. Appears to be very composed. Also, doesn’t seem to have a mirror, totally unaware of his beauty. Expect a lot of romantic tension, averting eyes, accidental hand touching. Often talks about losing control (lose it already!). He’s perfect for the first route.

Jiwoo, the spotty rabbit, is a tsundere and the most entertaining one. Faints when you touch his paws. He’s very rude, calls you stupid and dummy and is generally amusing in how snappy he is. He prides himself on being booksmart and studious. Tries to learn everything about romance by reading trashy romance novels and lectures you how you know nothing. His little recaps of novels and soap TV shows are hilarious.

Jisoo, the black cat, is probably the hottest guy and the most intense. He has that infamous bad end which is pretty easy to get. He’s possessive, goes into jealous rage at the drop of a hat. Jihae is especially a torn in his eye. It can get pretty uncomfortable because it feels more real than a psycho yandere. In the main route he overcomes that jealousy and is maybe the most supportive one. Calls you ‘Foodgiver’ in the beginning. He’s also one of the funniest especially in interaction with other guys. He’s pretty simple and straightforward especially when flirting with you. Definitely breaks the ‘pg-10’ rating.

Jiyeon, the orange cat, has that good kitty/bad kitty dichotomy. A cat that likes to eat oranges. Acts very cutesy, but also quite forced and annoying. Appears to don’t know how to properly speak, mixes words all to be even more cute. His saccharine act seemed quite fishy so he actually got more interesting when he dropped it. He’s a stray cat, very guarded and doesn’t trust anybody, the poor Oliver Twist Likes to use sexual innuendo in a faux innocent way.

Jieun, the little white rabbit, is the shota of the group. Thankfully his route wasn’t very romantic. He’s more like a little brother or a child you take care of because Jihae spoiled him. He’s very guarded at first, always in his thoughts, contemplating, melancholic. He’s an apple addict or appleholic, literally gets drunk on apples. Effortlessly and naturally cute. The only one to actually challenge the Wizard.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2134664410

The Wizard. The one I’ve been waiting for the entire game. I was hoping for a secret/lost route. But there’s only a bonus chapter you unlock after completing all the good endings. It's narrated by him and is in his POV. It’s basically a chronicle of his obsession and is very bittersweet. At the very end there’s a promise of romance, the end of the beginning of sorts. Him being the true route would be so poetic: a guy who grants wishes and a girl who doesn't have them.

Chu~

So, I have finally found time to write a review to this wonderful game. Please, don`t look at the playtime displayed in my Steam account. I bought this game almost immediately after its official release on CheritZ, when it wasn`t available on Steam at all and used a special security server to play, and played it for around 6 months (completing all possible character stories, of course).

I actually love Dandelion. One of the reasons for it is the main character - Heejung. Even though I never was in the same situation is hers, I still can feel her sorrow and pain. She is not some lifeless female protagonist that we can see in many otome games. She has personality and we can see her developing during the game. If you have heart, you WILL want to make her happy, though the road to happiness for this poor girl is a really difficult one.
Now, after I have talked about my main reason to love the game, let`s look in details at what it offers.

1) Characters. There is a lot of different personalities here: timid and dreamy Jieun, tsundere type Jiwoo, dark and "bad-boy type" Jisoo, mysterious and level-headed Jihae, charming Jiyeon (whom I started to hate at some point because....well, you need to play the game to understand what he really is). And of course the Wizard, a crazy person who is obsessed with Heejung in some way (or in all ways). There is also Heejae - Heejung`s friend from the university, but he doesn`t play any major role in the story.

2) Story. This one is quite interesting. As I understood, there are two words – the normal one, where Heejung lives, and the parallel one, where animal-people live. The main two classes mentioned are rabbits and cats: rabbits are royalty and wealthy all in all, and cats suffer from poverty and rabbits` policy. That`s the reason why Jisoo and Jiyeon – the cat-boys - don`t like three other young man (who are rabbits). Developers of the game did quite a good job showing the society of cats and rabbits.

As far as the romantic part of the story is concerned, it is also worth mentioning. All male characters are really different and their attitude towards Heejung is different too. Some of them are pretty shocking, to say the least, for example, Jisoo`s one. He scared me at some point. However, I don`t want to write spoilers here, so I can`t add anything else without opening some part of his route.

It is also really appealing to me that male characters develop along with the protagonist and that all of them are not what they seemed at first sight. Don`t trust your first impression, dear friends, because it will fail you. Every character is unique, so the game has great replayability.

Despite having already completed the game I still decided to start it again in Steam, because it is better than many other otome games, its story is more consistent and it provides something apart from love story. Yes, Heejung has to fall in love with one of them but it doesn`t mean that everything will be in pink colour. There is great social context that will make you think about different things, including how to raise your children (Heejung`s mother is one of the worst possible examples, to say the least).

3) Voices. Something I really liked was that Heejung has her own voice. Yes, she speaks, and I like how she does it. She is emotional and sincere. Male voices are very good too, they suit the characters well and if I have ever to imagine them in real life, I would give them the same ones. Though I should also say that at first I found the language funny, no offense here, people from Korea. It is just so different from Russian, and the way some words are pronounced…that`s fascinating. Nevertheless, I got used to it pretty fast, so there is nothing to complain about.

4) Interface and game mechanics. Both were nice and easy to understand in the non-Steam version of the game, but in Steam it has become even better. I like how the Status of Heejung is shown, I like how simple the stats are that you don`t have to run around the map or house to understand what to do and how to improve the protagonist. Everything is simple and it is good. At the same time I can`t but mention that all this stat raising may become a bit repetitive. By the end of the third route (it was Jisoo`s one, btw) I have already learned by heart what to do and where to go to achieve what I want, so the story is the main feature that makes you want to play, not the process of playing itself.

5) Art and CGs. I love the style all characters are drawn. It`s neither childish nor too realistic. Heejung is not a super model and she never was presented as one, she is just a common young woman who is concerned about her future and current life. It is also worth saying that characters` emotions are well shown with both the art and the voice acting. The CGs are all well-drawn, I can see love of the artists who created them. Some are funny, some are scary, some are mysterious (remember the crazy Wizard?) and some are lovely and romantic. I strongly recommend completing all the routes and opening all CGs, because you will most probably love them.

All in all, Dandelion - Wishes brought to you – is worth its money and your time. I do believe that you will like the characters and the plot and that you will not be disappointed with any of the endings. There is no fairytale here, even though it looks like one. But there are actual problems of the real world that Heejung has to face every day.

I wish you good game and hope my review will help you in any way. ^^

P.S. Don`t forget to complete Bad Endings too, they are more then worth it. As I said before, Jisoo`s one is pretty shocking.

Let me start by saying that I like this game (obviously, seeing as I clocked 60+ hours on this thing). The various story lines are definitely entertaining with more than one little twist and turn that I honestly wasn't expecting and the characters are surprisingly 3-dimensional despite most of them being cat boys and bunny boys. That's right, ladies; after many long years putting up with the cat girl and bunny girl tropes it is now our turn. But wait, there’s more! Not only do we get eye-candy a plenty, but we also get actual personalities with realistic faults and flaws, (yes, even silver bunny and white bunny have their flaws, though theirs aren't quite as pronounced as the other three's). Even the main character has a personality – or quite possibly a severe mental condition that, in most cases, she manages to overcome without the need for expensive therapy and/or medication (come forth and bear witness to the mighty healing powers of cat/bunny boys!).

As for the actual gameplay: It’s pretty much a matter of grinding states to progress the story (mostly by avoiding a bad end). I know some people don’t care much for this aspect, but to be perfectly honest that was one of the main reasons I bought the game (that and Dodger). It does make the game pretty long, I admit, but for me it was kind of cathartic so I don't really see that as much of a downside.

BTW: Frequent and blatant abuse of the quick save/load feature is a legitimate part of the game. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

So I would love to recommend this game. I really would. The story was quirky and interesting, the characters were great, the typos(which are regrettably frequent) are sometimes unintentionally hilarious, the weirdness is prevalent (which I quite enjoy), and the 'true ending' that you get after you complete all the rest was just amazing. I totally fangirled all over this game for quite some time (don't judge me), but after the most recent update I can't recommend it anymore.

You see, Cheritz seems to have graduated with high honors from both the EA and Blizzard schools of DRM douche-baggery. This is a graphic novel. Albeit, it is a pretty good graphic novel, but there is, nevertheless, no possible need for it to require, REQUIRE, a constant internet connection. And yet for some reason you cannot play this game in Offline Mode; some people can't even play it when they ARE online because of all the other little addendums and bugs that have come with it. Oh you can do the grinding in Offline Mode, but the moment a cutscene comes up you're pretty much screwed. I honestly can't understand what logical reason Cheritz could have for this. I always thought that Steam WAS the DRM, but now even that's not good enough for you guys? Really?

I'm sick of it. I really am. This DRM bullcrap is getting into absolutely everything, isn’t it? Even effing graphic novels. Graphic novels, people! But hey, if you don't have a problem with all that and have a flawless internet connection (obviously you do not have the same ISP as I do, lucky) then go for it! It's an enjoyable graphic novel game. I just wish the company would rethink this entire thing and go back to how it was BEFORE the constant connection was necessary. If it ever does I'll change my recommendation and I'd buy their other game, Nameless, in a heartbeat. But, so far, that doesn’t seem likely to happen. Oh well. Guess I’ll just get over it and move on.

Well, first off, I have to say this is an absolutely beautiful game. If you’re looking for a subpar dating sim, you will have to look elsewhere, because Dandelion is very well put-together and a blast to play. The graphics are very nice and the characters are interesting and adorable in different ways. The stories for the different boys are very cool to learn about over time and the mysterious voice from somewhere is, uh, very mysterious. Very I-don’t-explain-anything-but-I-imply-that-there-is-a-huge-background-here-wink-wink-to-those-who-have-played-the-game-enough. So yeah, very mysterious to me. One of the only issues that I had with it was the typos that popped up sometimes, but overall the translation was well done. They did a very good job of maintaining the sweet, giving nature of Heejung while also revealing her struggles and discontent. She can almost seem too placid, but it is understandable, given her past, and as the game moves forward, she does show signs of a backbone as she comes in to her own (thanks, furry adorableness?), which I whole-heartedly approve of.

It takes some time to recognize the voices and names (very creative, Heejung…lots of J’s @_@) but once you do, it becomes very easy to know who is speaking during scenes that don’t show faces. The different colors help and the personalities are so unique from one another that it becomes clear pretty quickly. The stat system is very intensive if you want to buff them all out, but the options are cute and for some of the boys, it’s important to max out your stats as quickly as possible. Just think of it as primping and sketching your way to the top. I actually do enjoy the grind, because the little illustrations are cute and it’s nice to become beautiful just by taking a bath. Unfortunately there have been no side effects in real life.

The most important thing that you should keep in mind when playing this game is FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS FURRY AND CUTE DO NOT TRY TO GAIN HEARTS FROM ALL OF THEM. You may think, ‘Oh that’d be nice to be friends with all of them! I’ll just hang out with everyone and become a more well-rounded person!’ That is the quickest path to a bad ending, except in a few special cases, which I'm sure you'll figure out after a couple of hours of playing.

Yes.

I was there.

Let me lay out the scene for you:
There I was on a different guy’s route, when I thought I would go out on the weekend and have a nice, friendly lunch with Jiwoo, you know? Just two buds hanging out and becoming even better friends. Maybe he’d even stop calling me stupid one day! During lunch, he says something about me feeding him, and being the desperate-for-points-and-new-interactions player I am, I chose the ‘Open wiiiide” option, thinking it was a little weird, but hey, I don’t judge friendships. Then he goes and says something about not dating any other boys. And if I were really Heejung, I would have stopped in my tracks and wondered, ‘You think we’re dating?!?!’ But of course, I am not her, and the game just continued on, unmindful to the fact that it had just rocked my world. When I started the game, I thought that Heejung was very oblivious when it came to boys, which was cute but almost a little much. Now, I know the horrid truth. I am JUST as oblivious and stupid about boys as a main protagonist of a DATING simulator. TT_TT

Let’s just say there is one bad ending in particular which is more than a little traumatizing and I couldn’t stop thinking about it last night. On the bright side, they did an excellent job of unobtrusively sliding you into an abusive and very dangerous relationship, with you torn between thinking there is something very wrong, and thinking that it will turn out okay once he calms down.

He didn’t calm down.

I am still a bit emotionally scarred and I have been hesitant to play his good route (I just need some recovery time…). I recommend you get all the good endings before you try to get the bad endings for completeness—that way you’ll still be able to sleep at night without thinking someone’s going to be hovering over your bed. Following you to the bathroom…not letting you talk to people…scarring the actual player for real…or maybe that’s just me. But, what the heck, do whatever you like! (It’s your funeral)

On a completely random side note, I like to pretend that the silver-haired man in the city panoramic scene that pops up once in a while is actually the main protagonist from Persona 4 (just to spice up the scenery for me). Unfortunately, no matter how many times I click on him, he does not become a dateable furball of cuteness. But I can just imagine him as a large darker gray-haired rabbit, majestically lording over everyone in King’s Game. X3 He’d fit right in with Jieun and Jihae!

Dandelion - Wishes bought to you - is a good game but not the best one from Cheritz. I found the heavy emphisis on stat building to take away from the main story, the story was good and well written. If you can get past the stat building I do recommend this game.

Didn't get to screw the bunny (Jiwoo) and instead got a trainwreck of emotions 10/10 would cry hard again.

Dandelion - Wishes brought to you - is a deep, and well thought out Otome game (visual novel and dating sim) for girls. I spent 31 whopping hours on this baby and unlocked all CGs, memories, stamps, endings, etc (which should indicate how much I enjoyed the game itself). I at least got one hour of entertainment per dollar I spent on this item, especially since I got the two pack (both Dandelion and Nameless) directly from their site. I'll lay out in bulletin form the PROs and CONs.

• Beautiful CGs (special scenes pertaining to which route you choose)
  
• Voice acted (though not in English)
  
• Intriguing characters
  
• An entertaining story that is deeper than it first appears
  
• 5 Main routes which have their own unique scenes
  
  
  
  CONs:
• Typos, misspellings, some grammatical mistakes (But one can easily figure out what they meant, some of this is probably due to the translation process).
  
• Some CG body proportions are a bit wonky, but it's not extremely obvious
  
• As this is a dating sim, there is a lot of clicking... raising stats, going through the same motions every "day" of the game. Some people might find this a tad tedious. (It's not ultra hard core though, like some others and generally the stats you need are decently easy to obtain once you figure out which areas give you which stats).
  
  
  Ending comments: You will not regret money spent on this item, as long as you are a fan of the genre. It's one of my favorites, along with Amnesia and Nameless.

Ruined my life 10/10

UPDATE: After a software update, the game will not let you continue if you are not online. That is a ridiculous restriction due to DRM. Being online does not enhance gameplay at all. Although this game is a wonderful game, I cannot recommend it as it stands. I paid for this game so shouldln't I be able to decide when I can play it and not because it can arbitrarily connect to the servers? Steam itself puts DRM in place so this additional layer by Cheritz doesn't not seem to be needed. Since I travel a lot internet is not always available. The game will repeatedly say it is not connected to the internet so it cannot continue. This is pervasive enought that I have to change my previous yes recommendation to a no recommendation. In addition, I no longer intend to buy their next title because of this issue. No use wasting good money on a game that will not function in offline mode. I think Cheritz should beware of alienating their customers just to put their DRM in place. This kind of thing is becoming more prevalent especially with the big companies such as EA and Ubisoft who are getting reviews based on their cr*ppy DRM software rather than the quality of the game and that is just sad.


Previous review when I actually recommended the game.
The art is beautiful and bright and the story line for each character is different and very interesting. Because of how much I enjoyed this game, This game is a bit heavy on the stat leveling, which may or may not be your thing. I personally had no objection to it but I did take a peek at the walkthrough available in the community forum to get some initial help. I think the game itself could have a small explanation section for people who are new to this genre and stat leveling in general. But gameplay can be figured out without it. I thought the conversations with the characters during activities were very entertaining. The main character well presented, interesting and voiced.