An Analysis of Love, Money, and Rock & Roll

[LoneArgonian]

*SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE GAME*

As a fan of Soviet Games' previous VN, "Everlasting Summer", I can't help but compare the two. Everlasting Summer strikes me as a modern story of finding direction in life with elements of fantasy(or sci-fi depending on your take), whereas Love, Money, and Rock & Roll is the story of a young man caught in crossfire of international espionage.

What makes Soviet Games stand apart from other developers is that they are less concerned about making a traditional VN(with cute girls and routes where you fall in love) and more of a story about getting in over your head at the most unlikeliest of times.

Nikolai, in a very serious sense, is at the wrong place at the wrong time. His parents moved to Japan from the USSR towards the end of The Cold War and are heavily implied to be covert spies. His childhood friend is the daughter of a member of the Japanese Intelligence, his ex-girlfriend is the daughter of a CIA agent, and the other two love interests are related to the most powerful CEO in the country(who his parents worked for). And to make matters worse, an agent of the USSR is wondering what Nikolai has been up to as well.

A key difference between ES and LMR&R is that the protagonist of the former, Semyon, is more-or-less a blank slate for the player to project onto while Nikolai is a defined character. He's ambitious, deterministic, clever, but also emotional, insecure, and lazy. He's serious about righting wrongs but will also skip school to drink all day. In a word, human.

At the start of the story, Nikolai is still grieving the death of his parents and the fact his girlfriend abruptly left him. Only for her to return along with the reality that his parents were a lot more important than he thought. While all of this information is crashing down on him, four girls play an important roll during this time.

Catherine:
Nikolai's ex-girlfriend who comes off as a distant ex is more than meets the eye. Despite her cold exterior and sarcasm, she still retains feelings for Nikolai. The reason why she went back to America so suddenly is because she was pregnant with a baby... that she lost. She came back to Japan(a country she doesn't care as stated often) is for the faint hope that she and Nikolai can mend what they once had. Their love is that of forgiveness and to start anew somewhere else.

Himitsu:
Nikolai's childhood friend who has looked after him since he moved to Japan. From her introduction, it's clear that she loves Nikolai like a wife loves her husband. However, her love is also very envious as it so happens that learned of Catherine's pregnancy and told her mother and Nikolai when the two started dating again. She even lashes out at Kagome when she finds the two hiding from the Kobayashi Corporation at the village. To top it all off, she admits to spying on Nikolai assuming her father will use the information for the right reasons. Her love has many flaws but in her heart she sincerely wants Nikolai to be happy and even runs away to the USSR with him. She serves as a connection to his past, more importantly... home.

Ellie:
The granddaughter of the CEO of the Kobayashi Corporation is a carefree spirit and the popular girl at Nikolai's school. She possesses dreams of becoming a rockstar despite grandfather's distaste for it. Out of all the girls, Ellie is the most sincere. Even after Nikolai has a hand in her kidnapping, she's still willing to help him. Despite her dedication to living like a traditional rockstar(e.g. getting addicted to narcotics), she's still a kind person who likes to have fun. She offers an escape out of the complications and dangers of Nikolai's life.

Kagome:
The illegitimate granddaughter of Jun Kobayashi is a cold and devious girl. Her hatred towards the Kobayashi Corporation is akin to that of an unwanted child and despises it with a burning passion. She is the direct contrast to Ellie, in terms of personality and finances. She has put up with being looked down upon by her peers for her lot in life and her father's kidnapping was the last straw. Even going as far as kidnapping Ellie and roping Nikolai into it. In Ellie's route, she admits to driving a wedge between Nikolai and Ellie as payback. Her story is that of the unwanted child and her animosity seemingly dissipates when gets to work at corporation she hates. Despite her cutthroat actions, one could see the logic in her motives. After trying to find her father and exact justice on the people who took him, Nikolai(who she might've developed feelings for at this point) chooses to join Ellie's band adding to the list of things the Kobayashis have taken from her. Ironically, Kagome is the only girl who has as much determination as Nikolai(who also kidnapped Irina in one route) and is only other female lead interested in the motives of the Kobayashi corporation.

The other notable characters either help Nikolai, are opposed to him or both. Kyosuke is a good friend through-and-through, Michael pesters Nikolai about his status with Catherine but is willing to blackmail Ellie where she's being kept, Irina the USSR agent shifts between being playful with Nikolai and threatening his safety as a tactic to mess with his head, Himitsu and Catherine's parents are constantly at odds with their jobs and the safety of their daughters.

If there's one I like about Soviet Games, it's how accurately they portray relationships. Normal relationships aren't about two people dating until they're ready to marry, it's about compromise and the heartache and wondering if this person is right for you. They've improved their art style and their soundtrack is as memorable as the last one. However, I wish their was a hidden route like in the previous game or a one where we get all the girls. If there's something I'd kill to see, it's Catherine criticizing Kagome's drumming skills.

Final Thoughts:
Nikolai is a man at a crossroads in his life. Himitsu and Catherine both connect him with his past and their endings take him out of Japan while Ellie and Kagome keep him there. Nikolai is caught in a web of political intrigue in a world that's getting more connected with each passing day. Out of all the possible countries his parents moved to, they moved to one between the communist USSR and the capitalist USA and is stuck there in his house in a country with a different culture. Himitsu is half-Russian and connects to his homeland while upholding the customs of his new home, Catherine and Nikolai share the burden of being strangers in a strange land, Ellie was born and raised in Japan but sees the strict rules as guidelines much to Nikolai's admiration, and Kagome was raised in a country whose views on the less fortunate have made her the subject of bullying but has enough drive to get into one of the countries most prestigious schools. All of the girls appeal to Nikolai in some form and offer a way out and like in Everlasting Summer, a sense of direction. Which makes sense because Nikolai is legally a man and will have to decide his future for himself, wherever that may take him.

Love, Money, and Rock & Roll is a story about a new man coming to terms with his past, future, and that the world is progressively getting smaller and that it's dangers lurk close to his home... wherever that home may be.

Thanks for reading! If you have any thoughts of Love, Money, and Rock & Roll or anything you would like to add, feel free to share.

[DeathJohnson]

I had some thoughts when I read through it recently. I covered most of them in a Reddit post.

[valera-wrx]

What I liked about the game, is it's sincerity, author writes a lot of things, which are usually smoothed out or covered up or simply ignored as those things show weak sides of human nature, weak sides which dont cause sympathy.
As you said, Nikolai is not a character reader wants to self insert in, but in the same time you cant deny that some of his delusions are what majority experience in youth, but never talks about as they go against common sense and established standards.

[Tina]

TLDR

[PistolPackingPanda]

OP, I appreciate the synopsis, and I also found useful the Reddit page DeathJohnson linked to.