There are just some otome love interests that I enjoy as secondary characters. And, for me, Scarecrow is one of these love interests. He’s not a bad character, he really is sweet and endearing, but we just didn’t click in his route.
And that’s okay.
Character and plot analysis and light spoilers after the cut! Per the game developer’s request, I will keep this article focused on my thoughts of this route.
I didn’t dislike Scarecrow’s route. The production value of the game and my love of Teuta and all the main characters totally holds over into Scarecrow’s route! Please read the first half of Shu’s article if you are interested in my thoughts about these elements of the game!
Scarecrow (VA: Yusuke Shirai – he did a tremendous job!) is a young man, who has seemingly packed in a few different lifetimes in his short life. A childhood genius, Scarecrow made some really careless and reckless bad decisions during his teenage years that have continued to haunt his life. And his route centers around his emotional journey as he comes to terms, and eventually peace, about his past and future.
Overall, I thought this part of the route was really well-written. This boy has trauma. And I thought his fears and his reactions to his fears and the world around him were on point, as he navigated coming to terms with his past.
Scarecrow views himself as cowardly and this view of himself plays a big part of his route. Now, I’m not going to lie, there were moments when Scarecrow’s cowardly nature got on my nerves. However, never once did I think that his reactions didn’t make sense, given his character.
Scarecrow is also impulsive and emotional, which leads him to make irrational and poorly reasoned decisions. So, I felt like the entire route, time after time, Limbo and Company were having to constantly clean up the messes that Scarecrow made. From the very beginning of Scarecrow’s route, the reader gets the feeling that Scarecrow has no clue to what he is doing and is flying by the seat of his pants. And, for me, this dynamic got old after a while.
I mean, THANK HEAVENS for Teuta, Limbo, Shu, Helvetica, and Mozu! All combined, these characters were the real MVPs of the route. Scarecrow is essentially taken care of by the others, which is a shame, and, unfortunately, for Scarecrow meant that he never got to shine.
I also felt that Scarecrow’s character journey squeezed out the natural progression of his romantic relationship with Teuta. So much focus was placed on Scarecrow’s emotional and mental health (which isn’t a bad thing…this boy needs some healing therapy with Professor Sauli!) that he just wasn’t in a place to develop a healthy relationship with Teuta.
I did have a mixed reaction to Teuta in this route. At one point, I completely disagreed with her assessment of a situation that had implications for her safety. I know she was having an emotional, not logical, reaction to the situation (which is understandable), but her refusal to see that something could be a danger to her was eye-roll inducing. Thank heavens Shu was there to try to talk some sense into her.
I also felt that some of her interactions with Scarecrow were a bit mean-spirited on her end. I get that Scarecrow is fun to tease, but, at times, I felt Teuta was too mean given Scarecrow’s kind, innocent, and trusting manner. This boy is just doing his best, and doesn’t need Teuta layering on the insecurities. I, personally, don’t find teasing people where they are the most vulnerable, romantic behavior. Just be kind and considerate.
I did thoroughly enjoy Scarecrow’s Side B chapter! The relationship between Scarecrow and Teuta reminded me of high-school young love, which makes sense given the focus of Scarecrow’s Side A story! They both get flustered when communicating with each other, yet their underlying enjoyment of simply being together is evident! As a couple, they are figuring out who they are as adults in their early 20s together, which is an endearing dynamic!
Also, the Christmas party was perfect!
-Final Thoughts-
Scarecrow was an average hero for me. At times, I did find him annoying, but that’s just because he’s not my preferred type of hero, not because he wasn’t well-written. Scarecrow is a good man who has made some mistakes in his life. But the fact that he wants to confront those mistakes and move towards a healthier future is commendable!
As I mentioned earlier, I had a mixed reaction to Teuta in this route. Her compassion towards Scarecrow was wonderful to read and, once again, she never gives up on those she cares about. However, I didn’t like how she would tease Scarecrow and I thought there were moments where she was completely irrational about her safety. So, in general, not my favorite version of Teuta. But, overall, I did still enjoy her as a character!
This route was average for me. I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate it. I thought the focus on Scarecrow’s coming to terms with his past was well-written. And the pacing, while not perfect, was pretty good. The Christmas party scene was fantastic! I absolutely adored it! And I also liked Scarecrow’s Side B chapter.
Honestly, my least favorite part of the route was Scarecrow himself. I just didn’t enjoy him as a hero. He’s not my type.
And that’s okay.
Otomes as Novels 