Death Match Love Comedy!

Death Match Love Comedy! isn't just a game, it's an essay in teenage hormones. Developed by KEMCO and published by PQube, Death Match Love Comedy! (henceforth referred to as DMLC) is a visual novel that keeps you chuckling and intrigued with the bizarity of its plot. I expect nothing less from the caricaturization of Japanese high schoolers. Is it fun? Sure, but is it good? Meh. If visual novels and weeb-ish content is your jam, then you should definitely check DMLC out. Otherwise, if you don't get a kick out of teen drama and boob jokes then this is not the game for you. You can, however, read the rest of this review to get the rundown.

Will you manage to remove the curse befroe you go BOOM?

Death Match Love Comedy! is a study in opposites. It doesn’t bring in much cash. It’s easy to play. Its look is sometimes very simple. Still, its emotional goal is bigger than anyone thought it would be. A silly idea hides a deep thought about love in all its forms—romantic, friendship, and family—and the pain that changes them all.

Production limitations unfortunately lower the ceiling for DMLC! in a way that makes any recommendation have a blatant caveat, having left me really wishing it had a bit more budget and emphasis placed on its look and sound. Its writing can also be a touch convoluted at times. Not every character is easy to like, and the “main love interests” aren’t as focused on as some others. The mere concept of the story sounds somewhere between parody and a touch cynical, and you’re likely to come away saying “I expected something different” if you go into it blind. However, I think there’s a lot of heart to the story it’s trying to tell. It features an initially wacky backdrop to initiate a story of several deeply troubled and flawed individuals struggling to come to terms with and move on from a wide variety of difficult circumstances, trying to grasp complicated emotions as they relate to those in their lives. The protagonist and several supporting characters have some great developments and character moments, and the story takes some wild and unexpectedly gripping turns. In some ways, DMLC! punched above its weight class, delivering something I enjoyed and liked more and more as it went on. Even if I didn’t entirely love its final conclusion.