Dead from overwork in our world, Rae Taylor was reborn in her favourite otome game and immediately set about avoiding all the males around her so she could make a play for the story’s villainess, Claire Francois. But this is not Rae’s side of the story…
I don’t dislike these little companion pieces to the main action, honestly, and, while this is not quite on the level of the Sayaka books that spun out of Bloom Into You, it provides a good excuse to go hang out with these two characters again.
Now, let’s get the elephant acknowledged first: I don’t agree with the take that Rae is badgering Claire into submission, but if that is your feeling (and that’s fair enough, your opinion is valid and I get where you’re coming from), be aware that there is nothing here that’s going to change your mind and don’t approach it as such.
We also still gotta do the whole incest thing (sigh) and there’s a lot of Rae being goofy, which is definitely the mask she wears, but could stand to slip just bit more than it does throughout. Rae is a lot more than her comedy routine and the story is better when it can show it, but she’s almost all schtick when seen through Claire’s eyes (although Claire’s more perceptive than you might realize). And there may be some whitewashing of character motives in there too.
Which is what it is, but what it mostly is is Claire bringing her own viewpoint to this story. Although story might also be a misnomer, as this functions as a highlight reel of the series rather than an especially cohesive narrative. Again, companion piece.
But what we do get is very good. In addition to the looks at the best parts of the main story - I will never, ever get tired of the scene with Rae discussing her homosexuality in frank terms - there’s also a lot done with Claire’s minions and her roommate, Catherine, who has hilariously (if the story is to be believed, which it should not) been around this whole time, but invisible.
Being inside Claire’s head is very fun. She was absolutely awful at the start, as the story quickly reminds us, and slowly becomes just that smidgen more human. There’s also a lot more implication that her relationship with Rae is more ‘just how they are’ after a point. The little, tiny slips in Claire’s facade are worth the whole thing - the one time in the book she uses Rae’s name is great.
There’s more to it than that though - Claire may be holier than thou, but she always has the idealized position of nobility as a standard that must be upheld. Which brings her into conflict with those who see their power as a fait accompli that gives them leave to be awful. Her loyalty to her friends, even her murderous ones, is very clearly defined here.
Beyond an excuse to read this story again, and see how Inori has indeed gotten better as a writer (minus the names of things; there were already some doozies but the composer they name in this one? ARRRRGH), it does not diminish its source. No, it offers a new way to see things and that’s no bad thing.
The new subplots are interesting, the old stuff is given a solid new perspective, Claire becomes a bit more than she was as a character. As far as achieving what this sets out to accomplish, it does so incredibly soundly. It doesn’t hurt that the school portions are when this story was at its best too.
4 stars - essential, no. A waste of time? Certainly not. This is definitely for the fans, you should in no way start here, but if you are one of those fans, this story will likely be a good time.