Trigger Warning for Toma's Route

[Starphira]

I'm honestly happy I played all the other routes before Diamond, because if I would had started with Diamond, I probably would had quit the game. Luckily the other world's aren't as twisted as his???

I just hope young girls don't read his route and think that being drugged and locked in a cage is okay... It's abuse. It's never okay.

I get Toma may have a mental disorder... but that means she should had seeked professional help instead of being all like "It's okay! I still love you!"

I know woman that have been in abusive relations, and they seem to not know how to leave them... so I get this is pretty much true to real life outside of the game... but it doesn't really make it okay to put it into a game, you know? Real life is already messed up. Some woman stay completely submissive to their abusers because that's all they are used to.. and maybe that's the case here... but she didn't know he was like this before... it was suddenly thrown at her by SURPRISE. She thought he was always protective, and kind. Suddenly he's drugging her and locking her in a cage? RED FLAG!!!

I get he was trying to protect her from the Pschotic fan club... but there are other means of protection. NOT DRUG AND CAGE HER LIKE A DAMN ANIMAL. He could had told her the TRUTH for one... instead of keeping it from her. Like hey, you're being hunted by a psychotic fan club... that's why I want you to stay with me until I can get enough evidence to go to the police with... Of course if you lock a girl in your home with no reason, she's going to try to escape to look for reason???

Ugh, this route just had me so angry. Hence why I'm here pouring out trigger warnings. If you can't handle reading a story like this, don't even touch it. Play the other 3 worlds, get all their achievements, because even those BAD endings don't even come close to being as bad as Toma's GOOD ending.

Seriously messed up.

[Dixia rising from the Flames]

i kinda agree with this.I wasnt triggered by it,its a game but it should have a warning for younger,impressioneble people.

[spiritedrinoa]

Originally posted by Spicy Taco:

even those BAD endings don't even come close to being as bad as Toma's GOOD ending.

Ah, THIS.

I don't know if you've played Joker World (Ukyo) yet, after having played Diamond world (since it doesn't unlock until you play all four), but there has been a lot of discussion about people wondering why people dislike Toma's route more than Ukyo's. I think you capture a lot of the whys up above. Toma's behavior is so textbook domestic abuse, whereas Ukyo's....he's psychopathic in the various worlds, but acknowledges that he's a danger to the heroine. Also, at the end of the good ending, there is resolution to his issues, where that's not the case with Toma.

The worst part of Toma's story for me is that he acknowledges his overprotectiveness, but gaslights the heroine, telling her that she's in the cage because she won't stay in the room, etc, when at no point does he even just say "hey, all this stuff is happening, so I think it would be safest for you to stay here." He doesn't even make her privy to half of the danger that she's in, and since he's aware she has amnesia, he knows that she's unaware of it. And, at the end of the good plot, there's no real resolution do this, aside from laughing off the overprotectivevess.

[Jãeha]

I watched the anime before the English version of the game was even released so I played Toma's route first to get through it and have the icky feeling be calmed by the rest of the routes (including Ukyo's) since I knew it was coming. and trust me, Toma's triggering in all routes - much more so than Ukyo. Ukyo isn't as icky as Toma. Probably because Ukyo's my favourite but... And even if Ukyo seems iffy he has his reasons that are REAAAAALLLLYYY understandable. I'm pretty sure anyone who dies torturous/painful deaths multiple times will end up going insane too
And the thing that bothers me about Toma is how he's basically psychopathic in all other routes, it's just not as obvious unless you get a bad end in someones route that involves him. So even if you don't choose him he won't leave you the fck alone

[spiritedrinoa]

Originally posted by Yuna:

I watched the anime before the English version of the game was even released so I played Toma's route first to get through it and have the icky feeling be calmed by the rest of the routes (including Ukyo's) since I knew it was coming.

I'm a few episodes into the anime, and was hoping that maybe Toma's route was a bit more muted in the anime. Based on your comment, I'm going to guess this isn't the case?

[vhenan]

It's almost like people who enjoy his route can distinguish between fantasy and reality!
I understand you wanting to look out for ~dem young gurlz~ and I also understand why you wouldn't like it. But please, also understand this point has been made TO DEATH on steam.
"It's never okay"...... except in fiction? Yes, it's never morally "okay", I will agree. But damn, let people enjoy what they enjoy in fiction. It might be messed up, you might not agree with it, but understand that some people do enjoy it. Probably because his route IS a twist in the story and that makes him interesting. I'm pretty sure Toma was even voted as best boi in Japan.

I get you need to vent, but these kinds of posts are a dime a dozen here. I think people who read through the discussions will get that this is not supposed to happen in reality, and tbh I'd hope they have the common sense to know that in the first place. But I would warn against shaming people for enjoying what they enjoy in fiction. It literally hurts no one.

[✚ Mariel ✚]

I hate it when I get drugged and locked in a cage. It's such a pain and wastes my entire day that I could've been doing something productive, I can't believe there are people who think it's ok when it happens to them. I hope this route doesn't make young girls complacent.

There's always at least one characters who does this in every otome game, personally I think it's for the same reason that 50 shades of grey exists lol

[QwanGetMad]

(Forgot how to spoiler but I gotta vent.)
Toma's route really pissed me off. First he says he's your boyfriend, then he says he can't find you attractive, then he says 'oh you're not wearing sexy nightclothes? bummer' then tells you that he couldn't find you attractive. The MC tells him she likes him multiple times and he says she should stop telling him that because he can't see her that way.
He then kidnaps, isolates, drugs and cages her.
Then he tries to r*pe her to force her to like him, and when he finally believes she likes him he's like 'oh hehe, ok, cancel the r*pe, silly me. You know how I ammmm~' and the happy music plays.
Like what the ever living f*ck?
I like the messed up routes if they're done well, in a way that puts you in the headspace of a person with Stockholm Syndrome (a condition I find very interesting) but this one was done so badly and the ending basically justified his behaviours. It's never even addressed he was about to r*pe her! God it was constant mindgames and abuse from the 'I'm your big bwother hehe so wholesome' assh*le. I knew I wouldn't like his route from the other play-throughs but I didn't realise they'd make him this bad!

[QwanGetMad]

Originally posted by ✚ Mariel ✚:

I hate it when I get drugged and locked in a cage. It's such a pain and wastes my entire day that I could've been doing something productive, I can't believe there are people who think it's ok when it happens to them. I hope this route doesn't make young girls complacent.

There's always at least one characters who does this in every otome game, personally I think it's for the same reason that 50 shades of grey exists lol

I mean these routes can be done well in a way that doesn't justify their behaviours but shows how a character gets emotionally warped into being dependant on them. A good example would be Togainu no Chi ~Lost Blood~. It's probably not for everyone but I felt the character development of the MC made sense and was a horrifying but intriguing development.
But in this game it's just like 'oh well I liked him before for a reason I guess? I dunno, he might be nice somewhere. Welp I'm stuck here anyway, might as well commit to him now I guess'.