the flip side did exactly what it set out to do and the newgens are mad

I'm writing this because I came across a silly blog claiming the game’s plot is terrible because we don’t see a win for Jecka, that Nicole was "mischaracterized", and the game was poorly made.

Just no, bro 😭😭

Nicole was perfectly characterized, and the people who relate to her don’t like it because it makes them look like bad people (even though Nicole was never a good person to begin with).

I see Nicole almost like a female version of Patrick Bateman. People who say "she’s literally me" clearly lack media literacy. She’s a terrible person, and relating to her just because she’s a "girlboss" (whatever that even means) is not a good character trait!

These games have always been about making fun of the people who play them—that’s literally the point. The first game was aimed at weeaboo nerds who read visual novels and freak out over pronunciation. But unexpectedly, the game blew up, attracting a new audience, mostly teenage girls who related to characters like Nicole and Jecka.

So, what did the next game do? It shifted its focus from nerds to this new audience. This wasn’t because the creator "hates his new audience" or "wanted it to only appeal to 4chan gooners," as some comments have suggested. It’s because that’s the goal of the series. If you take it personally and think it’s bad because of this, then you’re exactly who the creator is making fun of—you are the punchline!

As for Jecka not getting any happy endings, I honestly think that’s a content issue, specifically a lack of it. If the game had more effort put into it, they probably would have focused more on her "good" endings. And by that, I mean actually creating some! Jecka deserves to see at least something good come out of her crappy life.

Anyway…

"I swear fandoms understand characters better than the creators."

HELP? IS THIS SERIOUS? HE LITERALLY CREATED THE CHARACTERS. Pretty sure he understands them well enough! You’re just upset because the characters you love aren’t good people :)

That said, the original post did raise some valid criticisms:

• The price
• The length
• The feet (???)

At the time of writing, this game costs the same as the first one. I think that’s a straight-up scam. It’s shorter and has less content, wtf bro!

And the feet? WHAT? HELLO??

I did notice a drop in quality when it comes to the gameplay, voice acting, and overall feel of the game. It’s clear this was rushed after the sudden success of the first one.

I’ve brought up these points in multiple arguments with newer Co09 fans, and the responses I get just reinforce my overall point. Some examples include:

• "Nicole isn’t a bad person! She’s just traumatized!" — Doesn’t excuse her behavior.
• "Maybe if everyone wasn’t such a weirdo, Nicole wouldn’t be so mean!" — You are the problem.
• "You just don’t like Nicole because she’s a girlboss." — No, I don’t like her because she’s a jerk.
• "You’re a man, so you can’t comment on this game." — Help, what? (This is an actual TikTok comment I got.)

The list goes on, but it all boils down to the same things.

I’m done complaining for now, but I want to leave you with this: there’s a reason older fans are enjoying the game. They understand the message the games are trying to convey. If you feel like the game was targeting you, it was, and that's not a bad thing! Games are allowed to make commentary on their own audience. It's up to you to take on the nose, or cry like a bitch.