Ensemble Stars is the name of a series of mobile games with anime and manga adaptations. It’s a gacha game where you collect cards of a variety of idol boys who you can interact with and learn about. But it’s a game that also has a lot of stories. From the main game storyline that was picked up in the anime, to the regularly updated event stories, there’s so much you can explore with these characters.
If you follow me on Twitter, you’ll have seen me talking about this series recently. It’s a game I’ve played on and off for a few years, but recently I decided to look more into the story. And honestly? I don’t regret it. For a game where the point is tapping along to songs or levelling up anime boys, the character development is incredibly well done.
The title for this post is referencing one of the characters. A guy called Eichi. I hate him with a passion, but the fact is, he is an incredibly interesting character. He’s someone with ideas of a revolution who wants to rule, he’s sickly and winds up in hospital when he works too much, and yeah, there are times where he seems to think he’s infallible. He made mistakes that he regrets, but he also didn’t expect others to rebel against the way he had run things.
Continue reading “The Protagonist, the Emperor and the Villain – Storytelling in Ensemble Stars”
