magic a ride

Despite claiming to be a stressed out soul every now and then and especially during the past few weeks (leading to the lack of updates here) for this weekend I present you another compilation of impressions regarding a recently purchased and already cleared through Bishoujo Soft. While such sadly does not relate to me having more spare time left at all, I’d say that being able to come up with such a write-up so soon – slightly more than a month past the last one – moreso can be blamed on the gripping Bishoujo Soft title spotlighted this time around. Blind purchases not often end up being total winners in my book (as sadly Circus Eternal Fantasy ultimately proofed to me…it’s not bad at all, yet felt too epical construed for its own good sake or at least back when I tried myself at it) therefore the focus and impression this release left on me turned into the welcome example that sometimes purchases of that kind *can* result into surprising opposite. In fact it’s of an even more rare occassion that here’s capable to claim of having completed my way through it in its entirety and feeling kind of sad that there’s (at the moment at least) not more left to continue (but I guess finally moving on to ef – the latter tale. will comfort myself over this desire ^_^). Hence in “grand tradition” of previous Bishoujo/BL Soft themed thoughts and impressions entries as posted on N-Field thus far, let me get some comments compilled on a (sadly much underestimated) mighty fine title.
Before I start doing so though it’s time for the usual disclaimer, that parts of this write-up comes along with some more or less huge spoilers – so you’ve been warned.

• magic a ride
Brand: Studio Ryokucha
Release: 2008/07/04
Genre: Mahou Shoujo Daikatsuyaku no Action ADV

Art: REI
Scenario: Hisame Kouji
Music: Naitou Yuuji

+ Basic Plot Outline:
Modern day Japan. Kisaragi Haya is considered en vogue among the girls attending the town’s school, yet she doesn’t share or appreciate the crowd of admirers gathering for her at all. In fact whenever one of them plucks up courage to confess his feelings to Haya, she forthright tells him that she’s greatly annoyed. Yes, Haya-chan is about as tsundere a girl can be, but people believe that this topped with the cute looks of her is part of what makes Haya’s charm and fascination. The boring days of Haya’s (school)life though soon shall change drastically, when one day while spending her lunch break at the school’s rooftop, a bizzare little creature falls down from the sky screaming for help and landing right with its beak on her lips! Haya freaked-out by this incident wonders what the heck this creature exactely is – it looks like a weird crossing between a rabbit and a pig and while being of the size of a plushie, the strange being can’t be such either because it speaks (and no trigger to be found ^_^)! In fact the tiny pink fellow talks his head off claiming to be the world’s greatest magician named Rock who got turned from human into this state! Of course while our tsundere heroine firstly is annoyed by this events (and deals out a fair share of blows and kicks to the self-proclaimed magician creature), Haya soon finds herself drawn into a magical adventure that shall change her live forever, because due to this fated encounter with (as it turns out the perverted and petit) Rabiton, she’s about to turn into Mahou Shoujo Lyri…ahem Haya – fighting those evil forces emerging the realm of so-called Niko Niko Space and which are not only after her and Rabiton now, but also causing some major threat and trouble to the peaceful city she lives in.

+ Scenario:
As the (usual lacking…guess I don’t have to repeat nor point out that my summarizing skills are non-existant) above typed-up basic outline of magic a ride hopefully indicates, the scenario featured here is certainly located at he crazy side of things. Trying to describe the plot I fail to come up with anything else but the basic labeling of this project – a bewitched and partwise interactive Magical Girl adventure of the finest kind. Of course a concept of 18+ Mahou Shoujo isn’t necessarily something vastly unique to the Bishoujo Soft industry at all and some quite famed examples instantly come to mind thinking of such, yet frankly speaking I’d credit it on the whole formula that scenario writer Kouji Hisame and the Studio Ryokucha staff crafted which enables magic a ride to set itself apart from its competitors (whether these can be compared though of course is in the eye of the beholder). Much as can be expected from a setting as featured, the main story often doesn’t take itself too serious, yet comes along with a fairly good portion of action (not exclusively through the active gameplay part) as well as Drama (relating both to Haya and her family situation as well as Rabiton) which hardly crosses the border of falling into cliché (naturally though we’ve got several elements that a Magical Girl work requires represented here as well – from the transformation scene *with nipples ^_^* that is much to Rabiton’s delight up to the elementary catchphrase each true Mahou Shoujo heroine has to spell out prior to her transformation…and yes this phrase include both “magical change” and “pure heart” ^_^”) or camp. An element added which in my view supports the atmosphere of the story telling for magic a ride is that the scenario is told and portioned into episodic format – fully equipped with opening, main “chapter/episode” part, preview of what’s “next time on magic a ride” plus starting from chapter/episode 2 onwards the summary (narrated by a different character of the cast) what happened last time. I do believe that chosing on such a way of storytelling though comes along with some slight dangers in that splitting the basic plot up can sometimes lead into the individual parts of it feeling slightly disconnected from an ongoing storyflow. But gladly that ain’t the case with magic a ride as Ryokucha understood how to treat and present the scenario through a manner that it feels never to lose the plot yet simultaneously coming along with an episodic feel (partwise due to handing out main issues of the plot at delicate pacing and portioning) resulting into an enjoyable and engaging adventure I found myself drawn into pretty fast. As engaging and hilarious as the featured scenario is on its own, such wouldn’t work as smooth as its the case here if the Soft wouldn’t bring forth a good set of characters. And here I blame it on this very element contained which leads to me being fully intrigued on magic a ride from an overall perspective. Because it’s due to the cast of leads and the interaction between them, that enables the plot, format presented in and overall speaking Studio Ryokucha’s craft this time around stand above and ranking right next to comparable bigger, popular and hyped Bishoujo Soft release competitors of magic a ride. Honestly speaking while that may also be up to some degree due to the cast being of handy size all in all, the level of enjoyment and love the heroines of this title bring forth is of the truely unexpected side of things and hit me pretty hard early on. Despite generally being not so thrilled about this sort of character  archetype, I couldn’t help but fall in deep adoration over tsundere Haya-chan from the very first time on she had her fated encounter with Rabiton (Haya is pure love and in my eyes such a firmly created character represented as lead heroine made her the big stand-alone highlight of the first few chapters) closely followed by Kanade who’s turned into the major reason why a heroine seperated route system would have been much appreciated though I take it Ryokucha’s staff suspected the impact this girl would leave once entering the stage and so Kanade gladly were given some great spotlight along the story progress as well. Not to speak of the rest among the cast from which pretty much every one left an almost equal strong and positive impression on me in the end as well, whether it’s Arisa..ahem Risa-sama (aka self-proclaimed Dark Hero who’s way too clumsy for her own good yet because of that so damn loveable) or magician student Kotona whom both she and Arisa are responsible for some of the most hilarious moments during magic a ride or lastly Misato-san – Haya’s gentle and charming maid. Seriously there’s no single character among the cast – villains included (and even our the grand scheming bad guy got some personal reasons that lead to his actions…and is right next to Rock the utmost Biseinen REI graphically did draft/design for this project) – who’s striking me unsympathic overall which then again leads to consider the set of characters representing one – if not *the* – strongest part of the mixture that magic a ride inherits which results into this Soft turned out into the big surprise I wasn’t expecting it to be initially. Now let’s come to the ranting side of things or those words of critism I bear towards magic a ride that are not of the utterly positive (sweet-talk) sort though contained at a minimum. While format and editing done on presenting the scenario of magic a ride, the method through which it’s told remains quite straightforward. By that I’m refering to that character or precisely put heroine specific routes went totally missing altogether and hence the mere only method to run into a (bad) end being when a Nico Nico / Action stage isn’t or can’t be finished (which one’s hardly ever dreaded though due to the complexity factor of these parts). The story being told out of the perspective of your alter-ego Rabiton / Rock could be considered as the lead heroine – Haya-chan’s – path with Kanade & Co. crossing in, but the scenario telling as featured for magic a ride comes down to be kinetic in nature.

With there being no option to strike a character path within the main plotting apparently Ryokucha felt like there being no need of options and decisions necessary either, and so the Visual Novel part of magic a ride really is brought across as just that in a literal sense. And while I basically don’t see a problem with that, there *are* some aspects contained where I think the straightforward method of storytelling abuts on the execution going on as perfectly smooth as I’d really love to see or consider magic a ride working out as. One of these aspects relates to the Ero scenaries included (on which I’d like to go into more detail later on), while the other traces me back to the immense enjoyable cast of characters being part of this Soft. To set the record straight the main route magic a ride follows (which focuses on Haya and Rabiton while enabling Kanade, Kotono & Co. to play more or less important parts during the course of it) stands pretty perfect on its own and led to my positive impression on this Ryokucha Soft in the end altogehter, however especially because of characters like Kanade having been handed some fine attention during the scenario as well, I simply can’t get over the feeling that this positive mark magic a ride left on me would have been much more intense if Ryokucha would have included some active involvement through decisions during the Visual Novel (main) part and hence more importantly offered us some heroine specific paths for magic a ride as well. Of course and up to some extend I take it the leftout of such may also be partwise relating to that implementing heroine routes would have lengthened the Soft to quite some more time required to totally complete it (even moreso given that the action parts take up some fine share of time as well), ultimately I’m of the opinion that if such (more Bishoujo Soft standardized) ingredients were included, then this certainly would have been to the benefit of magic a ride.

+ System:
Here’s specifically pre-drawing the comments regarding this element of magic a ride, because the represented system actually is considered one of those gameplay parts through which it (and I’d say that applies to Ryokucha in general as well) sets itself apart from other Bishoujo Soft of its genre. Instead of being emblazed with fancy features (mind you there are some neat little gimmicks added, like each time you start the Soft, the brand name and functions you chose on are narrated by a different character – here my favorite being Arisa’s rendition of “Studio Ryokucha” ^_^), Ryokucha pulls-off or actually goes back to a more traditional formula of gaming system for this project of theirs. Much as done on project prior to Katakoii no Tsuki, they came up with the weird sounding combination of Visual Novel meets interactive gamplay element for magic a ride. The latter handled (and again because of the straightforward style of story telling the Visual Novel portion of the Soft includes seperated from it) through so-called ADV parts. These are normally included always towards the final / concluding half of each chapter and track you into the adventureous Nico Nico Space from which the threat to Haya’s world (Japan) emerges via portals. The setup for these action parts are basically the same with each chapter’s action part consisting of about eleven to twelve different stages with a boss fight located right at the end of each action part. Also the goal for each of the individual stages except boss fights are basically the same in that you start at one point and have to reach the gate (a door) leading to the next Nico Nico Space. As simple of a formula as that may sound and which it actually is, the effort and love for detail that went into the creation of this 3D action part system (2D map graphics with 3D action possibilities more precisely put) through which Mahou Shoujo Haya and her partner Rabiton have to cross through is quite astonishing. Not ment towards the visuals, which are fine on their own (I really like the petit 2D version of our charas and some of the boss fights are quite impressively handled in terms of graphics though) yet nothing to write home about either, but more importantly the ways and methods in order to complete the stages were done quite diversified never leaving the impression it’s jump’n'run of the repeative sort at all. Some of them challenging your reactions while others seem quite plain at first yet require good planning or finding out *how* exactely to reach the goal with the available equipment. Suitable for a Magial Girl our heroine Haya of course got some special skills and weapons of her own as well, like the magical ward Arestant with which Haya can put the creatues the Niko Niko Space is populated with to instant sleep or using magical stones spread along the various stages. It’s also due to this diversified setting of the spaces which lead to the impression magic a ride or better said the ADV part is quite variable when it comes to its degree of difficulty overall as well. As my poor efforts on active gameplay based Soft like Touhou prooved to me, at first I was under the impression that I would be doing quite horrible (due to my slow reactions) on those parts of magic a ride. And while some stages definitely kept me busy for a while, here’s actually having completed them all including the Omake Stage one unlocks once clearing through the Soft. This also applies to the boss battles, some of them being quite easy and simple structured while especially later ones are much tougher to complete – the final boss put me into a real frustrating state for a while. While interactivity on Bishoujo Soft not necessarily being a gameplay element that Studio Ryokucha came up with as first Brand nor being really *that* unique these days, I really found magic a ride handling that part at a very enjoyable and engaging method. In fact I can easily (and prior of having started this write-up I’ve actually done so already) see myself going back from time to time to complete or replay (there’s also time recording and your best 3 clear-through times are listed among the stage record which in fact led several fans to put up their efforts and records online…which btw. is much appreciated given that some Spaces came up with riddles how to reach the door/goal that were beyond my imagination ^_^) several of the stages as well as boss battles (except 811..which I swore myself never *ever* to replay ^_~). Unfortunately also this utmost enjoyable element Ryokucha crafted and included for magic a ride traces me back to feeling that if they would have created chara specific routes as well, the replay value of this Soft overall would have considerably increased then it’s already the case through the ADV part stand-alone. As sort of disclaimer commenting on the ADV part I think it’s also worth noting that a gamepad really is a necessary equipment for them. Back when I downloaded and played the Demo of magic a ride doing so with the keyboard led me give up early on, because some of the (re)actions required for the stages are just not as playable with the keyboard – while you basically *can* do that, it’s definitely far less enjoyable and fluid as via a pad, so that’s one of the items you really should prepair for full enjoyment of magic a ride during these sections. On a concluding part of the system comments, there’s not much else left to note other then the bonus you unlock once completing the Soft. As noted you’ll receive a whole Omake stage as reward (which once completed got a bonus prepaired for one as well…without wanting to spoil much *and not as if that’s something vastly impressive though* this bonus is done through a CG art relating to another popular Ryokucha project hence non-magic a ride themed at all) plus the basic functions one is expecting to receive as bonus – music room with all the BGM and short versions of OP/Insert and ED song, plus Event CG gallery (completed in its entirety while merely crossing once through the Soft) and H-scene replay. Summed up, the System portion of magic a ride adds a lot to the engaging and smooth progress of the told plot and events, which is why I consider them among the winning elements that Ryokucha came up with for this project.

+ Graphics / Visuals:
magic a ride marks the debut for REI to be charge of art (main visuals) on a Bishoujo Soft. That fact alone should have been sufficent enough to make this Soft an instant pre-order once I first heard about it. To be frankly honest though it wasn’t. Despite being a rabid fanboy of REI and following her works religiously, the early sample and promotional art published for magic a ride stroke me as simple, missing the unique coloration and designing that we’re used to by the art goddess REI-sensei. That impression amongst other reasons initially lead me to skip on this release altogether, yet REI took herself magic a ride as major theme for her 2008 summer Comiket Set (coverage of that to follow *really* soon on N-Field btw.) which pushed me back to give this Soft a chance. Now that I cleared through it, I’m seriously grateful to REI for having lured me into this Studio Ryokucha title in the end.

Admitted the character art and here I mainly point this towards the coloration showcased partwise is not of the utterly high standard that REI herself is capable to come forth and produce on her Doujin publications (or the recently started full-color debut Manga Pastel Post), but I like to consider that relating to that she wasn’t among the colorators in charge for magic a ride (actually going through the magic a ride themed Doujinshi among her C74 set provides perfect back-up to that this impression being the real case or “problem” here). While generally speaking also from a visual technical aspect Ryokucha probably isn’t worthy of an award in these terms – even moreso if you consider other Softbrands truely competiting with each other to push the boundries of what there’s posible in visual presentation regards for the media (thinking of Lass, minori & Co.), I’m inclined to doubt that really was up the minds of the staff in charge for magic a ride to begin with. Mind you, the character art  (Tachi-e expressions) transports the emotions quite effectful and especially the leads were given quite some attention and details,  here its seems and this Soft also comes along with some utmost hilarious and lovely SD art (which was handled by Ryokucha’s Miyatsuki Itsuka btw.).

Also while the total amount of them remains spare compared to other Soft, once Event CG is handed out, these showcasing some pretty impressive art skills that make them turn into true rewards alongside the progress – even moreso during the “adult moments”. So basically what I’m trying to say or comment here is that while I do understand magic a ride to look a bit rough at its surface, I wholeheartly recommend this from an artistical perspective to each and every fan of REI out there. Not because it’s her debut as Bishoujo Soft artist, but instead because together with the Ryokucha staff having worked on the visual presentation as well, really put in quite some effort which shines bright on closer inspection (may I fall into Haya-chan fanboy mode once again and call her designs and coloration to be genius work *the hair and eyes are so damn lovely*). Hence why I’d say that one shouldn’t be put off by the sample or promo art for magic a ride because these strangely do not give the overall art represented here half of the justice it deserves in my book.

+ Ero Content:
Can we please call that portion of content or better phrased the incidents that lead to them to be of the utterly crazy yet due to that among the most geniously working Ero events found in 18+ Bishoujo Soft? Actually the ecchi stuff finds its way into magic a ride early on already and that’s not executed through not fitting and just for (Otaku) fanservicey sake implemented scenes, rather than relating to a major element which the setting in fact started out with and is a prevailing part of the plot issues that magic a ride deals with – Rabiton. As the most hilarious perverted and bewitched mascot character to be found among its genre (I *really* want such a Rabiton plushie as REI apparently got btw.) soon finds out that there’s a method through which he is able to change shape from pig/rabit plushie state of Rabiton to his human form of Rock…pantsuuu ^_^ As strange as that might sound, whenever Rabiton is “aroused” enough it goes *puff* and he’s transformed back into Rock. As one can easily imagine due to that method enabling the character from whos point of view the plot is told such a transformation, this leads into “quite a few” erotical encounters along the road. Frankly there’s quite a lot of adult themed moments spread into magic a ride up to that portion that I found this Soft to be the total opposite case as normally in regards of advertising a project with 18+ Event CG (meaning that often Bishoujo Soft projects being advertised by the respective Brand in charge through ecchi or clearly adult labeled screenshots or sample art hinting lots of nasty scenes at one, while the real thing merely is reserved as reward for one by clearing through a heroine route – for magic a ride I’d say Ryokucha actually conducted some underlabeling of such content to be found within the Soft). Yet before this might leave the mark that magic a ride got more Ero for its own good sake included, let me continue that part of the write-up by saying it’s been in fact the first Bishoujo Soft in a pretty *long* while where I did fully enjoy and take the equal time to continue through its Ero scenes as it’s the case with “normal” portions of the plot (no single skipping done). That’s because these scenes are for a change not coming across as too cheesy or non-fitting (which again relates to the method leading to those being weaven into as one of the main plot devices) topped with wonderful background music, great (hot) voice acting and admitted some of the utmost best Event CG art (18+ labeled REI art – not only hardly done by her so far, but astonishing on its own) out of magic a ride. The mere only real gripe I bear towards the Ero content of magic a ride relates more to the previously mentioned scenario telling or better put the lack of scenarios rather then the scenes themself. And here I must note that I view that as double-edged situation. Due to the kinetic nature of story telling, the staff of Ryokucha in charge of magic a ride had to include firstly a higher portion of Ero scenes our hero “runs into” (since they couldn’t give those scenaries as sort of reward for clearing through a character specific route) yet while understandably I fear to repeat myself saying that plot format is a decision of the scenario writer/staff involved at its base and nobody (hopefully) forced Ryokucha to make this Soft a non-multiple character path one. And continuing on the ranting side of this write-up part I must note that as great as the Ero scenes themself are througoutly, it relates to the kinetic story telling and moreover due to the great set of characters magic a ride features, that partwise or let’s say halfmark through the plot I admitted felt rather miserably at times once Rock enhances his erotical spectra with another heroine and hence cheats on his partner (Haya) big times. Of course it supports or evens out the liking of your alter ego’s actions that he doesn’t easily will into making sweet dirty love with the rest of the girls once the relationship between him and Haya starts to become serious (and at least prior and past “such encounters” Rock feels quite miserably for having “had” to betray Haya that way as well), but that merely weakens the aftertaste the method some of the Ero scenes involving the other female heroines of magic a ride leave. The Ero part of this Soft comes down to that while quality-wise there’s nothing to rant about them, as noted they are some mighty fine scenes and especially people appreciating such will be in for a real treat with a good share of them delicately spread into the story progress, it felt due to the plot telling format decided on for that the adult moments alongside magic a ride leave something left to be desired – a character / heroine specific route setup from which this Soft in my book would have benefitted in several aspects from.

+ Music / CV:
Always expect the unexpected, nee? As dropped inbetween the write-up thus far (I think), magic a ride represents my first encounter with a Studio Ryokucha title and therefore I wasn’t truely expecting much from it when it comes to music (even moreso with often bigger Brand titles ending up with lots of re-usage for sometimes even uninspired sounding BGM alongside the gameplay – partwise this was one of the mere few points of critism I bear towards Lass’ 11eyes as example). But early on, or let’s say past the impressive fripSide handled OP theme (which I’ve fallen into addiction long before I got ahold of magic a ride and here’s considering it one of *the* highlights contained on the Sound Unit’s 3rd major Album split tears) I had to note that the music accompanying magic a ride through its plot being of a truely impressive scale. Some pieces of the score in my eyes (or ears ^_^) would even stand firm in competition with genre fames like Shinji Orito’s crafting for Key/Visual Art’s projects. The level of enjoyment the audio element of magic a ride brought to me enflamed hopes or should I say expectation that Ryokucha will give this much the same treatment as with Katakoii no Tsuki recently and put out the Soundtrack for it at last – I know, the music room unlocked once finished actually has all the pieces of BGM contained, but magic a ride once for a change (again I must note much like in terms of Key work scores) is among the few exceptions I’d truely love to get ahold of the Soundtrack on CD as the included music fits the scenes and captures the emotions of them in order that the score not only suits the moment played at, but adds to the enjoyment of them altogether as well. Naitou Yuuji truely pulled-off some impressive skills here. Another portion of this part of the commenting leads me to an aspect which I consider a prevailing one that makes the characters being of such instantly loveable / sympathic degree as it’s the case here – the voice cast. Having completed my way through 11eyes‘ Minase Yuka’s route prior to magic a ride it was much to my delight when I noticed (usually I’m admitted not spending much time into investigating Seiyuu details for a new Soft purchase) lead heroine Kisaragi Haya being voiced by no-one-else but Agumi Oto as well…and you know while the job she’s done on voicing cute Yuka-chan got me loving already, I do consider her the perfect match as voice for tsundere Haya-chan, which adds yet another aspect leading to my adoration over the magic a ride Mahou Shoujo heroine. But it doesn’t remain at merely one particular great character voice as Studio Ryokucha acchieved to assemble an impressive line-up of talented Seiyuu for magic a ride. Whether it’s Gogyou Nazuna as Kanade, Aoyama Yukari as Risa-sama, Matsuda Risa as Kotona or not to miss Umekouji Pinpon who was in charge of Rabiton / Rock’s voicing – the work by this cast truely adds *lot* to the atmosphere and scenary bringing across the emotion at about every chance smooth, which leads me to call magic a ride a true highlight among Bishoujo Soft in these terms strictly.

+ Overall Impression:
Although the release of Studio Ryokucha’s magic a ride was slated within a month it had pretty tough competition with fan favored projects like Key/Visual Art’s Little Busters! Ecstasy, Lump of Sugar’s Tayutama -kiss on my deity- or RAM’s 5-Five- facing their street date in July this year as well, having completed my way through magic a ride I do consider Ryokucha’s effort showcased here certainly don’t have to hide themself from these big titles either.
While usually I wonder how much spare time people must have to accomplish such *j/k*, some reviews stating the total time it requires one to complete magic a ride is set at about ten hours. Here I must note that it took *me* considerably more then this time scheduling as leaving out the Visual Novel parts, especially the ADV part and some of the boss fights contained required multiple tries to clear (though my skills at jump’n'run and general interactive gameplay might play a huge part on that as well). However on the other hand it’s also worth noting that slightly more than a month past its arrival here I acchieved to complete the whole Soft including Omake stage, which is incredible fast for my terms as well. Much as stated during the intro part of today’s write up, that’s though less because of the overall length the story of the Soft features, but more due to magic a ride being a very engaging title that it feels far too short than it actually *is*. Unlike previous Bishoujo Soft (well maybe 11eyes being of compareable similar content in these terms) I found myself spending most of the sadly rare spare time this past month trying to progress further through magic a ride. And what I view as an utmost positive statement which stands for the formula exectued for a Soft, now that I’m finished I feel quite sad of that there’s not more to continue. Thus why yours truly is hoping and at the same time expecting Studio Ryokucha to hear the plea of us magic a ride fans in that the Brand will give this project of theirs the same attention and treatment as they’ve done for Katakoii no Tsuki and at *least* soon announce and present us a Fandisc for it (given that the ending is kind of open enabling continuation I certainly hope that Ryokucha already has something of that kind in the works in fact).
That said, yeah I didn’t went into magic a ride expecting this Soft to turn out as highly enjoyable as it is. In fact while I noticed the advertising surrounding Studio Ryokucha’s by then latest project if you’d asked me several months ago about my view on this, I’d seriously doubted to shed money on such a title altogether. This mainly is founded within me shying away from Soft with interactive gameplay parts included, because (as I led shine through earlier) I’m known to terrible suck at such, hence I felt that whenever the progress of a game depends on your skills and reactions it would mean self-torture if I’d try myself at it. Add in that prior to magic a ride I had no freaking clue about Studio Ryokucha and the mere few reviews and comments I could gather up to that point on things regarding magic a ride turned out quite mixed with a halfway positive and several excoriating ones. But in the end here’s blaming it on her art goodess REI who’s captured my curiousity and interest enough to let me go for magic a ride as sort of blind purchase. As noted above already, in the end I’m glad of having given this title a chance as there’s a wonderful Bishoujo Soft shining underneath the admitted partwise unimpressive disguise (promotion) surrounding magic a ride. While it comes along with some flaws in presentation or more towards execusion, magic a ride is an engaging, thrilling magical Bishoujo adventure as I have not encountered such before – a truely magical ride so to speak.