B-Project Ryusei*Fantasia Review – A Charming Dive into Idol Management

Introduction to B-Project Ryusei*Fantasia

While developer Mages is known for the Science Adventure releases, they also publish otome games, with PQube bringing B-Project Ryusei*Fantasia to the West. The themes of this colorful, handsome feast give an inside look at the idol management industry, where the player’s primary role is to nurture and support a talented group of young idols. While released without too much fanfare in the West, this visual novel delivers authentic charm through its intricate relationships and the emotional depth of its characters. Here, readers get to explore elements of personal growth, friendship, and the challenges of the entertainment industry. And while I wouldn’t say I’m the target audience for these titles, I was left impressed with the narrative beats this performance delivers.

A Unique Take on Idol Management

B-Project Ryusei*Fantasia puts players in the role of the A&R representative responsible for guiding 14 idols to stardom, Sumisora Tsubasa. Each has a unique personality, background, and challenges that you must navigate to help them succeed. During the opening moments, the story explores the origins of various idol groups, Kitakore, MooNs, THRIVE, and KiLLER KiNG, which contain members that merge to form the group B-Project. Before we get in too deep, I should mention that you don’t actually date these members, instead you mostly manage them through dialog choices and in-game interactions. Still, expect more than enough spicey scenes, but I wouldn’t call this an otome visual novel.

Interactive Elements and Immersion

B-Project Ryusei*Fantasia offers a bit more in the realm of interactivity than other visual novels. During gameplay, players can access a mobile phone interface to receive and respond to messages and calls from the idols. Your responses directly influence the story, unlocking different scenes and CGs.

The game’s visuals are a feast for the eyes, with stunning character designs by Utako Yukihiro.

There’s an emphasis on the player finding a boy or two that resonates most with them, given the organization of character-specific routes into chapters. Still, this mechanic allows you to influence the characters you spend the most time with. I appreciated the attention to immersion in these segments as it goes beyond trying to simply pick the correct dialogue option.

Visuals and Soundtrack

The game’s visuals are a feast for the eyes, with stunning character designs by Utako Yukihiro that bring each idol to life. Each illustration is vibrant, with animated sprites during dialog scenes. There’s a benefit here to playing in auto because you can watch the character animations play out smoothly as if you’re watching an anime. The soundtrack is equally impressive, featuring original songs from B-Project that play during key moments. The vivid art palette put me off at first, but the writing balances the cheesy visuals with some overly emotional and often cheeky writing that plays into the overall presentation.

Character Routes and Development

Each of the idols has some good quality about them. There’s the gentle and intelligent Kazuna or the hot-headed tsundere Goshi. Every member of B-Project adds something special to the narrative. However, I feel like the enjoyment of these characters falls heavily on the player. I really liked Akane’s route because of the tension that builds throughout. I’m always down for a nice twist or lore dump, and I just felt like he really understood me.

Narrative Depth and Themes

While not progressing the narrative, B-Project Ryusei*Fantasia does a decent job of being an idol manager. No, it doesn’t have profound sim systems to fine-tune and customize your idol group, but it does take chances on some of the subject matter explored across each route. The narrative dips into the backstories of the idols, which touches on themes of mental health, personal struggles, and the pressures of the entertainment industry.

This visual novel delivers authentic charm through its intricate relationships and the emotional depth of its characters.

This layer of emotional resonance creates a foundation that extends past the target audience and is ultimately just quality character writing. I should also add that I don’t have any previous experience with the B-Project boys, but I don’t think it’s necessary to enjoy this release. For the most part, it’s a slice-of-life adventure with some really cool dudes, but the number of character routes available may overstay their welcome across multiple playthroughs.

Replayability and Customization

B-Project Ryusei*Fantasia  features two possible endings and a handful of CGs to unlock. Upon replays, you’ll unlock different story paths that lead to additional CG events and story chapters for the characters. Further, the customization options, such as equipping Charms to modify gameplay and upgrading equipment, add a nice personal touch to the game. I did notice a few typos in the English localization, but I felt like the text’s tone grasped the story’s themes and nailed the swift shifts from slice-of-life to highly romantic to silly themes during scenes.

Conclusion: A Heartwarming Experience

B-Project Ryusei*Fantasia is a heartwarming and well-crafted visual novel that fans of idol games and visual novels will undoubtedly enjoy. There’s a charming and idol-filled experience waiting for players across each character route, made better by a few immersive interactive systems and beautiful animated CGs. Even though the hype was contained around this game’s Western release, I hope otome fans can experience this emotionally charged narrative.  And, yeah, not all of the characters land, but there are 14 dudes here for you to get to know; I’m sure you’ll be fine. If you’re looking for a feel-good game with compelling drama and well-developed characters, B-Project Ryusei*Fantasia is the perfect choice.