Code:Realize Staff Blog

Otomate runs official blogs for most of their releases, primarily for promotional purposes but occasionally they put in some fun facts. In truth I created this post for one specific discovery from Code:Realize, but incomplete coverage would make me feel guilty so let’s read through and paraphrase ’em all. Spoiler-free!

Dev Talks

Most of these links are merely for source citations (i.e. you don’t need to really click on them). The ones with images worth looking at are noted.

• Code: Realize germinated from the artist miko’s desire to (1) do a game with a steampunk aesthetic, and (2) work with this specific director (Joe Ninomae), should schedule permit.
  • The reason for (2) was because while she was on Beastmaster & Prince and he was on Natsuzora no Monologue, she casually asked, “How’s it going?” and he slung that classic line: “Just leave it all to me,” complete with a half turn of his head, and (“in my rose-tinted memories”) a twinkle. And he did pull it off with writer Nishimura Yuu (who also came to work on Code:Realize).
• The Ornithopter design was a two-person effort by background artist M.I and UI designer Take.
• There was a planned non-romantic support character to Lupin’s Gang, a little boy who donned a gas mask. The director’s concept sketch of it is 2/3 of the way down. If he had stayed in the game as planned, the director thinks he’d definitely be a bishonen beneath that mask (only revealed in post-game Extras), with pale skin and hair and red eyes.
• Delacroix II was originally one of the love interests, but devs re-evaluated the line-up and demoted him in favor of the above gas-mask boy, Impey. You can see how well Delly took that (2/3 down the page). But they left a lot of his backstory in, which explains why he scored 10th Best Sub-Character for the Otome Game Awards.
• The artists kept a casual doodle folder throughout the process (labeled ぽいちょ), a habit that started during Beastmaster & Prince. A few excerpts were displayed halfway down the page.
  • One of the supporting artists (S) went, “Hey, Finis’s hat looks like an eboshi!” Finis cried otherwise. (An eboshi is the traditional tall Japanese hat.)
  • Finis is unhappy that Aleister pointed it out, followed by Cardia saying he has meat buns glued to his head. “Ah, just like Saint-Germain said, he ate them,” comments an impressed Cardia.
  • Napping Victor by chibi artist Yumako
• Ideally, the CG process should include the accompanying text, the CG list (which lists the file name, the text file it should be associated with, time of day, weather, background, character clothing, and a brief description of said scene along with other notes), and the director to consult. Due to hectic schedules, not all 3 may be available.
  • How to Make a CG: Composition –> Draft –> Lineart –> Color –> Brush-Up (–> “Do the facial expressions match the voices’ inflections?” There may not always be time for this step, either.)
  • Apparently miko asked that a certain CG draft be in the third Code: Realize artbook, as an example of character doodles and director instructions she’d scribble in the margin.

Character Feelings

• Impey’s specialty dishes are those that need to be baked in an oven, like pies. But what can he do even better? GIRLS [Van Helsing loads rifles]
• Saint-Germain’s mansion has about 40 “normal” rooms. He insists (to Victor’s horror) that there are definitely no doors that curse you, throw you into hell, or harbor unidentified monsters. None at all what so ever.
• Said mansion has amassed about 100 antiques. Saint-Germain jokes (?) that it includes pieces brought from across oceans, mountains, time, and even rewards for slaying an evil dragon or two.

Staff Feelings

• mao loved singing the OP and ED, particularly because lyricist Isotani (Romaji?) and arranger myu were her dream collaborators. Getting a hug from myu after recording the ED is one of her happiest memories.
• Chibi artist and colorist Yumako rushed out on release day to buy Code: Realize. “It’ll be my first time playing the game like everyone else!”
• C:R had a Namja Town event that featured merch of a toothy Impey and miko really wanted the sample normally delivered to Otomate. She screamed when someone (an Itou-san) beat her to it.

Art

A gallery of links for blog-exclusive images. Direct-linking to images isn’t polite so links go to the blog posts.

• Otomate-affiliated artists and staff celebrate the JP release day (2014/11/27)
• Cardia wallpapers (1920 x 1080) at bottom
• Lupin wallpapers (1920 x 1080), chibi icons of the love interests at bottom
• Van Helsing wallpaper (1920 x 1080), chibi Cardia icon at bottom
• Victor wallpapers (1920 x 1080), Halloween with Trigger Kiss, and Delly-Sholmes-Sissy
• Impey wallpapers (1920 x 1080) at bottom
• Saint-Germain wallpapers (1920 x 1080) at bottom
  • The Vita limited edition included a drama CD of a stand-off devised by Lupin, where whoever can’t deduct the puzzle at hand has to remove an item of clothing. Lupin hoped to best Sholmes but instead, “we don’t say who but someone else took off a lot.” See the middle of the page to see who.
• Hiatus week for reasons (people are crying for their glasses)
• Happy 2015, Year of the Sheep
• miko often gives lectures on how otome game art is made. She emphasizes consistency of character expressions, using Impey and Van Helsing as examples (mid-page for images) for what may not be appropriate.
• Celebrating C:R placing high in numerous categories in Otome Game Awards 2014 in Dengeki Girl’s Style magazine. Director Joe Ninomae burst in blood, tears, and happiness that C:R got Best Scenario.
• April Fools 2015 parodied C:R growing potatoes because danshaku-imo (literally “the Baron’s potato”) is a popular Japanese potato that Baron Ryoukichi Kawada developed in Hokkaido, by tweaking imported Irish Cobbler potatos. “If there’s a Baron’s potato there can surely be the Count’s potato for Saint-Germain.” miko doodled designs 2/3 of the way down.
• The cast is jealous of poster boy for the third Code:Realize artbook (mid-page).
• Twitter follower celebration images and more
• Chibi icons from the 6000 follower celebration image at bottom
• The final blog entry has a short story and illustration of the Gang finding a gigantic dog plush for Cardia, struggling to work it into the mansion without destroying any of Saint-Germain’s antiques. Impey gets smooshed by the plushie to save a vase but Cardia is pleased at this gigantic plushie and they take a commemorative photo (2/3 of the way down).