No such thing as too many Princes - Let's Play Be My Princess

Currently Playing
Prince Wilfred! route begins on page 31

Finished
Prince Joshua! route begins on page 2

Voltage recently released a new, non-GREE version of Be My Princess for iPhone and Android with the original art instead of that kind of creepy cheap-romance-novel-cover "Western" art.



And there was much rejoicing.

And now that all six princes routes have been released, I decided to start this thread. Plus, it fits so well thematically with Solmare's My Sweet Prince, which I am also LPing here. /shameless self-promotion.

And I think it's the only English Voltage game not being covered. It looked lonely.

After this post, I'll put a seperate post for each available Prince. Like a post to vote for that Prince. Feel free to vote for multiple princes or change your mind as the prologue develops. Voting will be open throughout the prologue and a bit after.

The game takes place in a modern-day setting. Each of the Prince's kingdoms can have parallels drawn to Earth countries, and I'll point out which ones I think they represent, if only so you can imagine each Prince with a different hilarious (or sexy, ymmv) accent. Don't take my country choices as canon, though. It really won't be brought up in the actual LP itself.

And now, Once upon a time...



What're you asking me for? I just got here.


Now, there's something you don't see every day.


Oh, he's cute. If you don't want him, can I have him?






Well, that's nice and ominous. He's not secretly yandere or something, is he?



...Oh, great. Now I'm getting twitchy.

Prince of Not-England Not-France (GREE Christmas event revealed that his country has the EiffelCharles Tower). I haven't played his route yet (he and Joshua were added last), but I would say that his personality is, well, the Prince Charming type. Kind, chivalrous, maybe a little flirtatious. Knight-In-Shining-Armor, that kind of thing.

Prince of Not-America. (...What?) Your classic arrogant/aggressive tsundere. Heavy on the tsun at first, but once his switch flips, it flips hard, and mostly stays flipped for the rest of the game, at least as far as the protagonist is concerned.

Prince of Not-France Not-England? Maybe? Not really sure. I guess you could say he's a kuudere, of the actions-speak-louder-than-words variety. Actually, if you've played My Forged Wedding, he's Ren. His route is one of the steamier ones.

Prince of Not-Spain. Or maybe Not-Italy. I don't know, this is confusing, I blame Japan. I just imagine his voice as Antonio Banderas, okay. Roberto is a Nice Guy. The "instantly friend-zones himself" kind of nice guy. He's a sweetie, but at many points I just want to grab him by the shoulders and shake him until his teeth rattle.

...I may have issues.

Prince of Not-Germany. The other route I haven't done yet. I'm pretty sure Joshua is another kuudere, but of the Ice Prince(ss) variety. Maybe a bit of tsun thrown in as well. What I do know, is that Voltage's advertisement in their other games urging you to try this one features a snippet of one of Joshua's CGs with him holding the protag while tears stream down his face, so color me intrigued. (And then, of course, Joshua's route wasn't even available at first.)

Prince of Not-Japan. Another tsundere, but the sulky kind rather than the aggressive kind. As a bonus, he comes with free adorable kid brother. Also features a new twist on the love-triangle that these games like to throw at you so much. But I don't want to give too much away...

Philip Kingdom is Not-France? I always thought of it to be Not-Germany, because you know... Tall, blonde, blue eyes.

Go for Joshua. He's the first guy I got on Be my Princess for Gree and HNNNNG. He makes my kokoro go dokidoki.

The Royal Palace of Phillip Kingdom is called Chateau something-something, and they're all caught up on manners being super important.

Edit: Plus, look at Joshua's castle behind him. It's Neuschwanstein.

The Be My Princess ad featuring Joshua kept coming up when I was trying to play through a route of another Voltage game and breaking my heart, so I'm very very curious about his route.

Edit: This one.



:c

Can we date the butlers instead?

But in all seriousness, Roberto and Glenn look good. :D

Time skips back and forth a bit over the course of the prologue. We're now earlier in the same day that the pretty man asked Protag-chan on a date.

Right now, she's gushing over how glamorous and wonderful Charles Kingdom is when she notices something. An old man is doubled over in the street.


I went with the same name I use in My Sweet Prince. (I read somewhere it means "night rain" and I thought it was pretty.)

She runs over to help him.


I posit that he collapsed from the weight of his own hair.

Amaya wonders if he's from around here. I wonder if he's Gandalf.

But then I realize his hat isn't pointy enough.

Amaya gently rubs his back as she asks him if he wants to go sit on a bench in the nearby park. The old guy says it's all right someone should show up for him soon. Then he notices her necklace.



Amaya: "What, this? It's one of my personal treasures, from my mother. ...Um, is there something...?"

Old man: "No, no, it's nothing. Please excuse me. I can get distracted from time to time."

Just then, a limo pulls up and a man hurries up to the old man.


NO, WE CAN'T DATE HIM.

*sob*



Amaya tells the new guy that the old man seemed to be feeling unwell. This troubles him, and he puts a hand on the old man's shoulder.

(And I am so sorry to keep saying "old man" and "new guy", but the game won't tell me their names.)

The old man reassures his...servant? that he's feeling better thanks to the "young lady" and straightens up. Amaya bows and turns to leave when the old man calls out to her to please wait a moment.



Old man: "What is your name, young lady?"

Amaya: "My name?"



As he says this, he hands Amaya a piece of paper which he had received from the younger man.

Old man: "If you ever need any help, please allow me to return the favor. All you need to do is contact me at this number."

So the paper has a telephone number on it. Smooth, grandpa.

He asks for Amaya's name again.


Sailor Moon is a great source for names. Incidentally, "Ami" and "Mizuno" are both names that TMGS1 characters can say. Miss Mizuno and Himuro-sensei are very happy together.

ROMANCE ALL THE PRINCES!

Eeeeh, I don't think you can go by that. The castle behind Glenn clearly isn't Japanese architecture for example.

Apparently there is some butler route spinoff content that's not available in English? Go figure.

Well, the front screen there says there a sequel. Maybe it's that?

There's a prince of Not-America? Were he not a Voltage tsundere I'd go for him, because NOT-AMERICA, FUCK YEAH

Ooh, we could compromise and say Wilford's from Not-Belgium.

The only ones I'm really certain of are Not-America and Not-Spain. One of them has to be Not-Japan, though, and Glenn's family name is spelled "Kashiragi" in-route. (Among other, plot reasons for him to be Not-Japan, since the protagonist is obviously meant to be Japanese.)

Actually, now that I look at their names and clothes more closely, I'm more inclined to say that Charles Kingdom is Not-France and Phillip Kingdom is Not-England. "Levaincois" sounds very faux French, and those ruffles... not to mention a butler named Louis.

Let's bring about world peace by creating a harem of princes!!!!

YES! THIS ONE! They've been running that ad since the new version came out, but he and Edward weren't even available!

I've been playing the Gree version and Wilfred is VERY ACCEPTABLE.

They're still not available on Android and it's just killing me. Joshuaaaaaa. Come to my bosom! D:

Is this guy really younger than Protag-chan?

Protagonist-chan is a university student, so either they're both 18 or he's younger than she is. Based on Yu's text there, it seems that it's the latter.

I was trying to go by names, too, but that doesn't work either. While Lieben is a German word ("to love"), Joshua isn't a common name. Wilfred on the other hand is a very German first name.
And Casiraghi always makes me think of Monaco, because Princess Caroline of Monaco was married to someone who's last name was Casiraghi.

Yesss. I'm extremely amused by all of these LPs.

... With all these Not-Englands and Not-Frances and Not-Spains I will probably be comparing these dudes to Princess Debut and daydreaming about how their countries would interact during WWII.
Yaaaaay~

For the Gree version, it state that protag-chan is 19, so he's only younger than her by a year.

Based on what I know so far, Glenn is from Not-Japan (he gives you Japanese furniture if you spin the gacha machine and everything really resembles Japan-esque in his route, from the food to architecture), while Edward is probably from Not-France, Roberto from... somewhere, though not Not-Spain,

and William is from Not-England.

Maybe Roberto is from Not-Portugal?

Or Not-Italy. I've mostly been going by what the castles are called. Wilfred's is a Chateau, Joshua's is a Manor, Roberto's is a Villa, Keith's is a Manse (for some reason, idk), Glenn's is a Palace and Edward's is a Castle.

Edit - Okay, Edward can't be French. He can't handle his wine at all.

I love it when not-countries are involved in a game. c:

By the way, has anyone actually done an LP of Be My Princess with the terribad art? I think it looks amazing in the trainwreck kind of way.

I mean, just look at Prince not-America!

*Swoon*

"Master Wilfred does not appreciate his things being touched by others. Keep an appropriate distance."



am i perverted or wat

So a little later, Amaya is walking down the street staring at the paper the old man gave her.



She shoves it in her pocket, and then suddenly it starts raining. Pouring, even. She runs for the nearest shop awning.





Just as she whispers that, she hears a voice behind her.

??: "Beautiful flowers for a beautiful young lady."

Seriously? Who says lines like that?


This guy, that's who. He's also more prepared for the weather than Amaya and holds an umbrella out to her.

She just looks at him, thinking she's seen him somewhere before.

NO, RILLY?



She finally realizes that he looks like Charles's Prince Edward, but there's no way he'd be here of all places.

Amaya: "That's okay... I'm fine under this awning. I think you're the only one getting wet..."


Personal space! PERSONAL SPACE!

??: "You know, if you listen hard enough, it almost seems like you can hear whispers from beautiful flowers like these. Hearing that, I came to this shop, and here, this beautiful flower..."

How do you spout lines like that with a straight face?

And then he reaches out and brushes his hand against her cheek.



While Amaya is standing there swooning, she notices a line of fancy cars driving down the street behind him. One of them splashes up mud, and Amaya, fearing for the guy's sparkly clothes, dashes forward to intercept the splash.



He asks her if she's all right and she lies and says she is.

The car that splashed her stops and a man gets out. Good, now Amaya can give the driver a piece of her mind for ruining her clothes!


...Stop staring at me with those puppy eyes.

...

...

I forgive you.

Mr. Puppy Eyes seems to recognize the guy with the umbrella and asks him if he's going to the party. Just then a loud, angry man gets out of the waiting car. Amaya thinks she's seen him somewhere before as well.

Puppy Eyes: "Forgive me, sir. This young lady here was struck with mud due to my reckless driving and..."


He's a happy person.

Also rude. He stares at Amaya, then finally seems to notice the other man.


But at least we know Mr. Puppy's name now!

Mr. Manners spins around and goes back into his car without even apologizing, leaving Luke to do it for him. Which he does. He also tells Amaya to replace her damaged clothes and send "them" the bill. He hands her a card.


Such a people person.

Luke: "A-at once, sir!"

They get in the car and leave, and Amaya hears someone snickering behind her.


So he's always like that? Was he not hugged enough as a child? Or does he start each day with a big heaping bowl of disappointment?

Anyway, the NICE one hands Amaya a handkerchief to try to get at least some of the mud off.



Amaya: "No, it's not... It wasn't your fault. Please don't worry about it."

Puppy eyes are apparently Amaya's weakness as well. It's like we're sisters!

And then things got wierd(er).





He drops to one knee and takes her hand.

Not gonna lie, Edward's route is the other one aside from Joshua's that I'm intensely curious about, because he's impenetrably and bafflingly nice in the prologue... and then when he shows up in Roberto's route he's unexpectedly kind of a sneaky bastard and I'd really like to know what goes on in his head. XD

Okay, the following bits in bold are in-game text. It's kind of important, and I didn't want six identical screenshots.



That was the only thought in my head as I stood before the castle of Nobel Michel.

Nobel Michel is a person. He's kind of like the pope, except the position is hereditary.

It was the largest castle in the world, best know for being a site where only members of the royal families of the six greatest kingdoms could be married.

It was the holy land for any girl in the world who had ever dreamed of being a princess.

But what was I doing in this place that any woman would dream to come to?

The truth was that I had been brought thanks to that man's sudden invitation...


Backing up a little bit. Amaya is frozen in shock at his sudden invitation.

??: "To ruin a woman's clothing is as serious a sin as to pluck a beautiful rose from its branch."

Oh, aren't you precious


Oh, hush. You're ruining the moment.

Amaya: "O-okay...?"

Then he kisses her hand.





??: "Won't you do me the honor of going with me to tonight's party?"

Oh, so that's what he meant.

The man asks someone off-screen named Louis to take care of the necessary preparations. Amaya makes a last-ditch effort to protest.

Amaya: "But I can't possibly go to a party! I just came to Charles as an exchange student. I didn't bring anything dressy to wear or..."

Another gentle smile from the man.



He claps his hands and an army of servants appears, and before you can say "knife"...



??: "Oh, and have these clothes cleaned and have replacements prepared as well."



He loaned her a dress and told her he'd meet her inside and she still doesn't know his name.

Dense protagonist is dense.

She's about to go into the ballroom and she's almost knocked over by someone coming out at the same time.

??: "...Excuse me."


Bachelor #3, come on down!

Amaya apologizes and he steps closer.



She notices that he's dressed like the man from earlier. And, more importantly, he's actually really good looking!

Amaya: "...It is a pleasure, sir. My name is Amaya Tsukino."

??: "...A pleasure. Is this perhaps your first time here?"

*nods*

Amaya wonders to herself how he could tell.


And then she's reduced to monosyllabic thoughts. And I quote: (Wow...).

Someone speaks up behind her.

??: "...Well, isn't this a surprise; finding you actually talking with a woman."



??: "...Won't you introduce me?"



Blondie goes back into the ballroom without saying anything else.



Amaya realizes she's blocking the door and steps aside, apologizing.

Then he takes her hand.



??: "You needn't worry about anything like that, my dear."



She decides that it's a little embarrassing to walk in alone.

Amaya: "...I would be honored, sir. Thank you."

I need to go to bed. There's only two more updates to the prologue; I'll get them up later tonight.

I. What. They just. But.

... Voltage, congratulations, you've outdone yourself in confusing wtf prologues.

I had a good laugh, though, so all's fine.

And sleep well, keth!

This game does a lot of skipping ahead in the storyline and then flashing back to how we got there for, as far as I can tell, no good reason at all (although it makes for an amusing did-we-or-didn't-we fake-out in Keith's route). It's also the only Voltage game I can think of that occasionally abandons the protagonist altogether to show you what other characters are up to, which is kind of neat.