A Journey Through Rule of Rose | Monsters of the Week 

I had hoped to get around it, but this video got demonetized by RU-vid (not advertiser friendly) right after it was released. *sigh*

Jennifer slapping Wendy to the ground was the most satisfying moment in a video game I’ve ever experienced

It seems that the authorities don't realise that _exploring_ a topic is not the same as _endorsing_ it.

Fun fact: This was the last game I ever worked on while I was at Atlus. I miss it sometimes.

Another aspect of Wendy's reveal to be the secret antagonist all along that I find very important to point out is that the game showed overt bullies and abusers all around - but with Wendy, it showed the very cruel reality that even the most outwardly nice people can be immensely toxic and backstabbing... they just hide and pretend really well.

Studies have shown that smells are one of the best way to trigger memories as the olfactory bulb is connected to the hippocampus in the brain. I don't know if it was the developer's intent but I thought it was interesting that Brown sniffs out clues to help unlock forgotten memories similar to how a scent could trigger a repressed memory.

One little thing I really liked was how in the cutscene of Jennifer standing up to the aristocrats she becomes her younger self, probably because this was her actual play-by-play memory of something that happened and not her later interpretation of the events. I dunno, I just thought it was pretty neat

Quick note regarding the 'c-section abortion' you suggested: Surgical abortions are not typically performed via c-section (if at all). Generally they go via the cervix, and it doesn't really involve much in the way of incisions. However, if she brought a baby to term at such a young age a c-section may have been necessary due to her being physically undeveloped for a regular birth. ... Yeah, that just made it more sad/disgusting.

I'm only halfway through but I had to pause because of the immense respect I have for this video. Most people talking about something like Rule of Rose would just go "children are cruel and here's how fucked up they are" but you actively discuss the role that adults have in shaping and encouraging the cruelty of children. Top notch.

All of the main antagonists (wendy, hoffman, gregory) justified their abuse with ""love"". And yet, the purest of all loves happened between the poor jennifer and brown. That's why she decides to lock him up in her memories. To always have him safe, before the nightmare happened. But this could be tragic, since it kinda implies that jennifer still can't manage to accept what happened. Truly, a story too cruel, too beautiful, to go untold. Thank you for telling it, ragnar. Thank you.

To quote a wise man, “There’s nothing more pure and cruel as a child.” That’s the best way I can summarize this game.

I think one of the heaviest hitting part of rule of rose is when you get to the ending the saddest part is that despite all the horrible things the kids did - theyre all still just kids. This could have just been the start of their story not the ending. Who they are as children isnt who theyll be for their whole lives. They all could have grown into interesting and matures adults with their own deep passions. They showed signs of remorse and as they got older would have probably fully come to grips with what they did to Jennifer and maybe even tried to reconnect with her and apologise. But they never got that chance of redemption because they all died. Wendys last look at Jennifer through the gates as she leaves really hammers home the agony that jennifer will be the only orphan who gets to live her life as an adult while the rest will all remain eternal undeveloped children, all remain wasted potential, within a hated warped memory of the only person who will remember them.

Its implied that Wendy didnt actually intend for Stray Dog (Gregory) to actually kill the orphans, more likely just to scare them. She appears very sad after they are killed and even gives Jennifer the gun to kill Gregory, leading to her own death.

Brown ... my brown, my goodest of boys. T_T

I think one of the most haunting aspects of this game is probably it's biggest antagonist/villain - Dr. Hoffman. Out of anyone, he could be argued the "villain" of the entire story and the sort of "root of all evil" in the children and yet he never gets punished. He just up and leaves with little to no consequence. It's such a brutal yet realistic portrayal of how some events like this end - the bad guy doesn't get his just punishment and the heroes/victims don't find peace and have that happily ever after. They are scarred or worse - dead. And even more so, what makes him genuinely terrifying is that at some point he was mentioned to be a "kind and admirable teacher " by Jennifer which shows that any good and morale person given power always runs the risk of turning to abuse it and becoming a monster like Hoffman if they aren't careful. Or on the flip side, how our perceptions of people can hide their dark intentions because it's quite possible that Hoffman was always this way and Jennifer just never saw it because it was either before the Club started to bully her or because she wasn't a sexual target like Clara or Diana.

There are two video games that have ever made me cry, entirely with their endings. The first is Silent Hill 2, hearing Mary’s letter to James, telling him that he made her happy. The other is Rule of Rose, when Jennifer shuts Brown away in her memories so that he would always live on there. When I tell you that I sobbed after that, I mean I sobbed.

The thigh bandages could also be insinuating self harm, as it’s common for victims to go there, due to it being around the location of abuse or because it’s a less visible area.

I personally think they should re-release this game

That orphanage severely needs a visit by cool cat.

the story about your PE teacher made me sick to my stomach, especially since I've heard so many of those kinds of stories about PE teachers specifically. It's disgusting how common it is for pedophiles to be hired to lead the class that puts kids in a very physically vulnerable position.

The ending of Jennifer running away from it all with brown, into the light, is so heart breaking knowing Brown is dead. It makes me cry everytime I see the scene.

47:17 I just realized that her "Fish-part" is not made of scales but of rope... the details everywhere...

If ever they make a "Female Version" of Lord of the Flies, they should just make a Rule of Rose movie. For real.

I love the that a game confronted a platonic relationship being abusive in this way. I had a very abusive best friend for 4-5 years. This game mirrors so many of her behaviors in a theatrical way (besides the physically violent) that it feels visceral.

"Who ever believes the victim?" Ugh, that sent chills down my spine. It's true, though. These days, we are doing better but for many years, many victims weren't believed until it was too late.

BrOWn *GOOD F R E N*

Bought the game when it first released when I was 13 and it truly had a positive psychologically healing impact on me (and it was super triggering at times as well) I think I gravitated towards it because I had two friends who were super abusive from 1st to 8th grade, 10 years later I found out they were the way they were towards me/ each other because one was being beat daily and the other molested. The game is an excellent depiction of these RL scenarios, however disturbing it may be. Really wish I didn’t sell my copy in college. And am I the only one who LIKED the fighting mechanics because she’s an awkward scared girl? seemed convincing she couldn’t fight for shit, fit the narrative

What I really like about games such as Rule of Rose and Pathologic is how they depict children in horror. They actually act a lot more like believable children in those games which plays well with the world and plot. I'm very sick of these boring, psychic, clichéd children that we keep on getting in modern horror films. They're boring, emotionless and way too adult for children characters. Horror should try using realistic children aspects to its advantage more often.

I actually remember feeling really bad for Amanda when I played the game mostly after reading her journal and especially seeing her little animation in the corner pages of her with wings flying into the sky and then crashing down.

this game cut me deep, because I could relate profoundly to the protagonist, but even more so to the main villain.. it's hauntingly terrifying to recognise the evil shown in that character as something, that can be found in myself.. thankfuly, in my experience, the person that become target of my obsession was able to direct my attention to this unhealthy pattern in my behavior, so I could stop it before any real harm was done.. hopefuly, now that I'm aware of this demon, I can keep it contained, and maybe even overcome it..

As someone who has loved and admired this game for years, I cannot begin to tell you how amazing and satisfying this video was to watch! It always made me a bit sad that apart from the complaints about the poor game mechanics (which were admittedly true and valid), Rule of Rose earned a reputation as an exploitative and edgy game, when it was, in fact, a game with a rich and interesting plot that dealt with themes of abuse in one of the most respectful and nuanced ways I've ever seen, so it is wonderful to see someone bring attention to it's qualities in such a detailed way. Also, this video brought new perspectives on this game that despite my admiration for it, I had never considered before, such as the political aspect of it, and I thank you for that! The symbolism seems even a bit on the nose when you point it out, so much so that I felt stupid for not realizing it before. Though there's another thing about this game that really moves me and that wasn't discussed much in here, and that is the theme of remembering (and the significance that simple act holds). On the final chapter of the game, Jennifer comments that the orphanage massacre ended up being completely ignored in favor of the more 'glamorous' tragedy of the airplane crash, once she was found. That leaves Jennifer as not only the sole survival of the orphanage, but also as the only person to even acknowledge that these children, with all their desires and their flaws, ever existed in the first place, as they were completely forgotten by the rest of the world. And that extends to even Brown himself, Jennifer's dearest friend who was just a stray puppy who had no one else to remember him but her. I find the ending very poignant as it is essentially about Jennifer realizing all of that, and choosing both to never forget the precious and pure memories she had in there (putting an end to her need to honor 'the promise she forgot' , something that had been tormenting her throughout the whole game), and choosing to look at even the children who made her life miserable with merciful eyes, as she can realize that they were victims too. Anyway, I really just wanted to thank you for your insightful and well researched work! I look forward to future analysis coming from this channel :)

35:13 its insane how this could be applied to real life as well. How we, the people, the lower and middle class, are manipulated to hate each other, while those in power, are safe and sound

"Realistic" Horror is, other than jump-scares, the only type of horror that freaks me the hell out.

I've never seen an antagonist so relatable as Wendy, I've lost my parents and live with my granparents but I never talk to them as I'm not a social person. I have asthma and scoliosis, so I never get to go out and meet or play with people and I used to be alone for years and the loneliness was getting to me, I was ready to take my own life because there nothing was going to happen, I was going to be stuck alone where everything is going to be the same, but I met someone so I gave myself a chance and tried to talk to her, later on I became more and more attached to her to the point where I would panic if she wasn't texting or been gone even just for a minute.. as you'd expect things started to go down hill. but thankfully, unlike Wendy, I would not go as far as ruining her life, just because she hates me now.

Rule of Rose was bordering on a traumatic experience for me. The themes and even some specific scenes were incredibly reminiscent of my own experiences growing up and when I played through the game, I was sent on a trip through my own memories. It forced me to reflect on the person I have become since. In that sense, the game was a formative experience to me. I genuinely wish gaming would delve into such real, relatable and incredibly cruel topics more often - the potential within it is so unbelievably great an can serve as a means to help people evolve in a very real sense. Fantastic video, I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts and analysis on this fascinating piece of storytelling. Thank you.

Scariest part of this game: The depiction of the "artificial friction or the lower classes to distract them from focusing on the Powers that created the inequality" is all that has been happening in the last 10 years, and even more relevant now.

Even though Wendy's actions at the end are very "out there," I feel like it's pretty in align with the rest of the violence in the game. I feel horrible for Gregory and I think the game does a very good job of painting all the antagonists as humans even though at first glance you can write them off as crazy villains. There's a logical reason for all their actions, and the level of sympathy the game makes us feel for all the antagonists, because everyone was a victim in some way or the other, made it an amazing story. And shockingly, all the subjects were handled very thoughtfully without scummy exploitation for the "shock factor" which I feel like a lot of games do not do well in horror genre especially...

We never got this in the UK yet surprisingly got Haunting Ground around the same time which covers entirely different concepts of vouyeurism, envy and sexual abuse but both seemed to come out at a strange period where the threat and fear was not based on death or some form of body horror. Which looking back were two monstrously rare standouts in horror games. We can watch Issac Clarke get turned into flesh soup without batting an eye as violence is so normalised but concepts like abuse and betrayal remain such strong agents of disturbing reaction and i have to wonder if part of that is the rarity of them. They are the type of games i don't think would or could get made in todays climate and i don't think we will see something like them again. Often psychological horror is taken as 'be the armchair guy reading into what this imagery means or represents' but these were two cases where they specifically make you feel something more than a jumpscare or simple shock and revulsion. You feel for the characters in a way beyond 'i cant let the player character die' and thats very, very rare.

as someone whos had a wendy in their life, this game was very meaningful and important to me. i agree entirely with your ending point. i want to work with children and teach them healthy patterns to deal with their peers and even their own emotions so that things like this dont happen as often. this game is incredible and youve done good by it. thanks for doing this.

god, your gym teacher story just immediately reminded me of the same thing at my highschool. He always seemed so... creepy. And sure enough, seeing an instagram post from old highschool friends years after I graduated sort of confirmed what we all thought, he was... having relationships with students. A disgusting abuse of power.

I remember when Cryaotic played this game. He was *so* pissed off at it.

Societal dysfunction, emotional abuse, authoritarian misconduct, and the decay of morality in the interest of survival. This game is horror at its most real, because there are more monstrous humans than fantastical ones. We played this as a group back at home because it stirred plenty of discussions and debates on just how justifiable each person's actions truly were. Thank you for putting a voice to our gaming.

Having been in an abusive romantic relationship, I really appreciate this analysis of the game and your deeply respectful and understanding discussion of abuse (a topic not often brought up in discussions of games, or games in general). Such a powerful video. Thank you!

That slap Wendy got was so satisfying for me but this game overall broke me in a bittersweet way. It's so well done in story and background and u did such a excellent job explaining everything there is to know about the plot, characters, and it's symbolism.

I know this will sound stupid but I learned a lot of English words with this game when I played with my grandmother, is funny how even with the language barrier we knew what was going on and I got chills just from remembering our theories and discovering key points to the plot, solving puzzles....Thank you so much for this video, this game was so important to me that when you played the "A Love Suicide" song it gave me so good memories, I can't wait to tell her new things I learned from this video.

It's so sad that game development is so expansive nowadays. We will never get games that deal with such heavy subjects and taboos outside REALLY small independent games

I have to question the description of Gregory as a poor pea farmer, as well as the assumed narrative that he found Jennifer after the airship crash. While Gregory's house is in a terrible condition, it's a large and luxurious place filled with books, and late Joshua's room is full of expensive toys that only the wealthy could buy in such quantities at the time. He even owns a refridgerator, a novel luxury item at the time in private homes. All this suggests that Gregory had been a wealthy and successful person before his son met with his unspecified demise. Also, exactly when Gregory came to find Jennifer is unclear, but the setpieces suggest that he found her when she was on her way to the orphanage, not right after her accident. Even in the 1930's an unknown child presumed dead coming out of nowhere would have raised questions and investigation, while a simple delay of a week or two from when she was supposed to show up could be chalked up to simple communication error.

I'll always remember the music of this game. Not only that, but I feel like this game was way ahead of its time. It tells a great, eerie story that has been so wonderfully crafted that people are still uncovering new details about it today. Can you imagine what could've been if the studio had still been alive today to continue creating games like this? This game will always have a soft spot in my heart.

I was in a position like Wendy once. It was horrifying to be now aware of the emotional manipulation I did to my friend and justifying it as "love" or "true friendship". All I did was hurt myself and the people I love. Like what you said, "possessiveness in relationships eventually, always, damages everyone involved." Thank you Ragnar for making this analysis for this amazing game!

After viewing this analyais and listening to the game's theme song "A Love Suicide", I notice how the song itself can be the ballad of an abuser. The lyrics flutter between pleas of attention/demands for appeasement, threats of harm to listener and songstress and gaslighting that the songstress is "a victim" of the listener's "charm".

This game was absolutely terrifying, and it is so rare to have such a compelling, profound, and meaningful narrative attached to a horror title of this caliber. Thanks for letting me revisit this experience in its whole.

Really great video. Only big thing I think you missed was that Gregory was really kidnapping children and was the real life inspiration for the "Stray dog (kidnaps +) eats children" boogeyman, which he literally physically became. He would talk about finding peas, how peas would be kicking & screaming, then chopping up peas, then burying peas never to be found. Then his journal entries correspond with police reports about missing children. It can be surmised that Jennifer would have been another one of these peas, and he was probably kidnapping children (at first) as replacements for his son Joshua. No clue why he later became cannibal eating the peas. Also the children's clothing on the ground in the courtyard are most certainly the dead bodies of children (the ones heard screaming before Wendy opens the door with Gregory on a leash), but Jennifer had blocked that gruesome memory from her mind and can only visual it as empty clothing on the ground. Bear Prince being placed on the throne by Wendy is obviously her projection of where she wants Jennifer to ultimately be, and attempting to bully her into submission. The socialist thing was a bit much, and kind of a stretch (the black shadows are blue, so it's like the blue in the French Revolution flag, it's totally a marxist thing even though Marx wouldn't be born until 30 years later)

Ragnar... you seriously out did yourself this time. I'm not kidding, this may be your best video yet. I actually cried during curtain moments. This was amazing. Seriously glad I found your channel.

As someone who subscribed and participated in the Rule of Rose Mysteries forums/website by PokerNemesis since 2006 where we've analyzed, shared insights and dug through game files and data until the site's end at around 2015. What we all accepted as passionate ramblings from a bunch of nerds that'll never come to light back in those days.... well, now this is a dream come true for us! Thank you very much for this video essay!! It was our wish for more people to see the depth and majesty of Rule of Rose and I'm glad that it had finally happened! I'm sure wherever we members are, we will always remember the love we have for this game! P.S. I like the Political Aspect you discussed very much. Damn government conspiring against video games!!

Aa terrible as it was to hear your story about that disgusting gym teacher, I am glad you shared it. So many people see sexual misconduct and even pedopillia and choose to look the other way. I had a similar experience in middle school where a 50 year old male teacher would let the attractive girls (aging 11 to 13) in his class sit on his desk. He would give them sodas and let them grade other kids papers. Since my mom warned me to literally never trust any older man when I was a kid I always steered clear of him. My brother had his class afterwards and since he had a learning disability, he was ostracized and actually picked on by the teacher and the girls. The disgusting teacher was finally fired after some parents found out he had been adding the girls on facebook. BTW this man taught religion in a catholic school. Remember kids, religion can be a great thing, but just because someone is religious doesn't mean they won't sexually harass/assault you or your children. Sorry for the long comment, but to wrap it up I think it's important that people come forward with these stories instead of choosing to turn the other cheek. Although awareness may not do much in the beginning, the more people who discuss the problem, the more likely people will recognize the problem when they see it and therefore more likely take action against it.

After listening to Love Suicide on Rule of Rose's soundtrack, the various themes of abuse and possessiveness seem to be spot-on (the lyrics sound like they describe Wendy's character and what her friendship/"relationship" with Jennifer was really like)...

wow, no wonder that I've never heard of this game. Such a taboo themes would've definitely garnered controversy & ban policy especially at the era when literally video game was scapegoated hard for the unfounded cause of kids & violence by politicians. Thanks for this video. I learned such a comprehensive new things & looking forward to play this game in the future.

Thank you so much for covering this rare gem, I saw Nitro Rad's video few months ago it was amazing but this is more in depth about the abusive relationship and I really enjoyed it through the end. The revolution part was really well edited and you caught me off guard when you showed Jojo HAHA. I didn't noticed the story has came to a full circle and also why she's all alone again. Also, the gym story was disturbing and frustrating at the same time.

We all have a Wendy and Amanda but I hated the "Amanda" more because for me we are both on the same boat which stings physically and emotionally. But after college my "Amanda" became nicer to me which freaked me out at first but eventually got used to it.

I would never understand revolution reference on my own. I would also probably never get hints that mermaid girl had abortion. Amazing video, impressive research! Thank you very much!

Alright first of all, thank you so much for making this. Rule of rose is one of my favorite games, it unites the aesthetic of an era I love very much and an exquisite way of presenting the real horror embodied in human beings and the grey area of being between good and bad. Towards the end, I feel like your spiel was directed right at me, because I had an emotionally abusive friendship much akin to that of Jennifer and Wendy, and it took me years to realize it was abusive and I am so happy it was soon over, what saddens me is that I don’t have a grasp on what a good friendship is and that I feel like sometimes I picked up on my ex abusive friends habits such as jealousy and unhealthy dedication. However I am very happy that at least I realize this and I am slowly but surely finding my autonomy and independence. It feels really nice it feels like actual fresh air!

Rule of Rose has lowkey been one of my favourite stories told in a video game; and with that, this video has to be the best analysis of the story, the characters and the underlying themes the game has to offer. I was glued to the screen without pausing for the entirety of it. Thank you for such an amazing video, it's obvious that it came from a place of both fascination and love for the game.

"Haha what do you mean hard to obtain I have that game?" *looks up the ebay listing* "I'M SORRY WHAT?!"

This game was honestly a master piece, yes the mechanics were a bit off but the story and cutscenes more than covered for that, this game was really ambitious and it’s a shame that it got put off stores for “burying a child alive” even though she was 19, rip.

I have never played the game, and do not intend to, but honestly, this entire video was a wild ride and I still managed to feel for the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this video and adore what I know about this game. You're awesome!

There's something about your voice and script that always have me eager to learn about whatever new topic you put out. I've never heard about this game, but this was still a treat to watch. Now I know about Rule of Rose, Thanks!

It kills me not knowing what ever happened to Hoffman. Out of all the things to gripe about in this game that's what really annoys the hell out of me.

This was so well written and presented. Being someone who suffers from depression and ptsd from my youth due to being bullied and ostracized by my peers, this analysis has served as a cathartic depth-charge. I couldn't help but cry by the end of it all. Thank you for making this video.

Look, it's benn a few years since I started watching you beautiful channel, but this time I have to speak you directly. Rule of rose was the first game I, you know "watched" on youtube instead of playing it. Videogames weren't really quite accepted in my house, so you can imagine what would have happened if I asked my parents to buy the game that the news called "the satanic children's game". I think bullism in school, gym and sometimes even in my home really shaped what I am today. I don't think that even now, as a 24 years old biophysicist student have really finished with dealing with all that. The, you know, insults, the things you liked ripped and destroyed, the acid on the back. I think I'll never finish with those things, even now that I have love on my side. I suppose thank you for the memories, and good work with the channel.

Fun fact: The game's main theme "Love Suicide" is actually about Wendy.

Not to mention this took place during a time when orphan children were basically treated like scum. Mainly because they didn't have a father or a mother. In other words, if they didn't have a 'god-faring' family. They were no better than shit on a shoe. Adults could do anything they wanted to them because who would ever believe a 'bastard godless child' over a 'god-faring' man or adult. My own mother was forced through a situation very much like this. The teachers were cruel. They had the above mentioned mentality that because they 'worshipped god', they could do whatever they wanted with the orphans. It is still hard for her to sleep undisturbed at night. The smallest noise will wake her up in an instant.

This game is the prime example of the application of the quote "Anybody can become angry-that is easy; but to be angry with the right person, and to the right degree, and at the right time, and for the right purpose, and in the right way-that is not within everybody's power and is not easy."

people laugh at me when i say rule of rose is one of my favorite games. i'm so glad to finally see it fully appreciated for how well it does what it does. it's an impressive work of art overshadowed by a lot of misunderstanding. incredibly well researched and well put together video, thank you so much!!

Your writing style is so elegant and professional, and your soothing voices really compliments it. I’ve been trying to find a good video of someone actually looking into Rule of Rose for a while now since it’s such an under-looked masterpiece and voila, here it is! As usual, I’m blown away by your effort and passion for these subjects.

there will never be another era like the PS2. so many games to the point a lot of them are considered niche treasures at this point. this one reminds me of someone very near and dear to me.

So damn tragic. I wish we had more stories like this. Really exploring how destructive systems of abuse can be

It's funny that many years after i finished this game, everytime i hear about Rule of rose still triggers a feeling of sadness and melancholy. Thanks for bringing it back into the spotlight as i am sure a lot of gamers have no idea this gem exists.

Rule of Rose has always been one of my favourite horror games, just its incredible use of symbolism and showing not telling makes it one of the best out there in my opinion.

I love to view the tragedy of the friendship of Wendy and Jennifer. And it's the love of Brown and Jennifer that saved Jennifer from spiraling into her future

Rule of Rose is one of my favorite games at least story wise because I connected to it so much. I didn't go to the extreme levels of abuse Jennifer has but being on the bottom of some group/social shunning and exploitiation is such a familiar thing to me that it really developed aggressive views onto people (like ill immediately assume everyone is out against me even if I dont know them).

This game truly deserves praise for taking the risk of using such heavy subject matter like sexual abuse. I hope they once remaster it with better gameplay. I hope we see more games were creators are willing to take risks and not be afraid of backlash.

This was amazing, thank you so much for the hard work you put in- this game deserves so much analysis and dissection, it's so rich in story and imagery! And thank you for your insight on Clara- I had NEVER considered that her story was she was pregnant! That just makes the mermaid all the more horrifying...

Thank you for covering this game. It touches me emotionally in ways Silent Hill never quite hit. I've had a Wendy in my life, as well as a survivor of sexual and other types of abuse. The fact that this game touches on these themes in such a respectful way helps me cope.

Brilliant... just brilliant! This is, hands down, the best review/analysis of this game that I've ever seen. This game... it's stayed with me for a long time. Because at first, I didn't get the game, just like most of the players. But after many years, I've decided to give it another chance, and it was a huge surprise - the soundtrack, atmosphere, story and it's themes - it was so unique and frightening in it's own way, but fascinating at the same time. I know, that the game is not for everyone, not everyone's going to tolerate the "not so perfect" controls and gameplay, which can be tedious at times. However, those, who value the story and atmosphere more than convenient control scheme and can tolerate mild monotony of the gameplay will discover an experience, that will stay with them, that they won't forget or recapture anywhere else. Truly a one of a kind game and it deserves to have such thorough analysis like this one (btw I've seen other videos on this game, and some of theme were good, but your video is outstanding)! Well, I have nothing else to add. I express my greatest gratitude to you, RagnarRox. Keep up the good work!

"Hate spread easier than compassion(kindness)" this is easily struck to the point, yet some people shows compassion to others than self-compassion. then some people easily plays the "victim" role, and some just simply plays the "ignorant" role. senses of insecure what fuels the senses of power and belonging. there is no hero irl

God damn, this makes me wanna go out and eat some bourgeoisie. I mean burgers. I mean rich people squeezing the windpipes and treading on the hands and faces of the working class. I mean burgers.

Just impressive. I think it's the best essay on a video game I've ever seen, heard or read in my life. It's people like you who help video games mature into the art category. My sincere congratulations and keep working so damn well.

I played Rule of Rose during the past week (with a physical copy nontheless) for the first time. I have to admit, the combat was absolutely atrocious, but it all feels just so... addicting. RoR is so cohesive in it's vision and scope that it becomes impossible to resist, even with the abysmal combat and repetitive missions. I decided to speedrun the game yesterday (cause i wanted to gain the Octopus and Rag Doll costumes that I accidentaly missed), and even with the broken combat i probably felt more invested in the game than when i did my first run, maybe because i had the Knight Rapier equipped; I almost cried when I discovered that you can't carry it to ng+ T_T. I almost thought of doing a third Run to get the Rusty Sword again, but I told myself that it was kind of overkill, and I couldn't go back to use just the master weapons. Still, I am still kind of obsessed with the game, at this point in time at least (maybe i'll snap out of it sooner or after). Playing this game, this semi-unknown, broken, glitchy game was like a religious experience, like walking on a hidden and dangerous mountain road just to find at the top a breathtaking, yet melancholic, view, if that makes sense. I was searching videos with a more "complete" look on the game, and saying that I found it here is just outrageusly reductive. This is a friggin' masterclass of video essays. I am astonished by the quality of this video, and it's even better that i'm not the only one who got fixated on such a low-radar game. What else can I say? Loved every second of it. Everlasting true love, I am yours...

Rule of rose is such a beautiful game that is seriously hindered by gameplay. I couldn’t finish it because of the awful combat system but continued the story through a let’s play. It’s one of my favorite stories in a game, and it’s really so sad that it hardly ever gets a chance to shine because of what it lacks. Love the game and the video!!

A love letter to RagnarRox's approach on every subject. Every time this channel releases the video I know it's going to be something born out of extreme attention to details and care, lulled by a passion for doing something that's being done. In every part I can hear an intention to understand every bit of the subject and tell the audience about it. And the soothing voice, of course.

I always sympathized with Amanda despite her behavior. I was the fat little girl bullied in a daily basis from Elementary to Middle school. So badly I was homeschooled.

After watching both yours and Nitro Rad's videos on this game, it's really cool to see your slightly different interpretations, focuses, and approaches. I think it's the sign of a good story when everyone can come away from it with their own impressions and lessons learned.

Finally, a good Rule of Rose video.

Thank you for your work!

I get why you say it matters, but trying to pull the "no homo" thing while two girls are literally kissing, nuzzling and caressing each other while they write notes about how they can't bear to ever be apart, that they're in love and be together forever, waxing poetic about their intense romantic relationship while one of them happily crossdresses is a little...laughable. It's a scary, abusive relationship but it is extremely obvious that it's romantic in nature. It's not supposed to be implied or hinted at. They literally could not have made it more clear and obvious. I feel that people are slightly reluctant to admit it because they think it's...perverted? in some way, but childhood romance between same-sex individuals is no more wrong or sexual than childhood romance between opposite-sex individuals. There's nothing creepy or wrong or bad about acknowledging it for what it is; an innocent romance between two little girls that becomes twisted and abusive because of the horrible environment they're living in which turns nearly all of them into complete monsters. With that out of the way, I loved this game. It had such unique themes and a very unique and distinct world that was very powerfully executed. It has such a *feel* to it, the world and aesthetic is so clearly depicted and I think that's where it's strongest. The entire game just has that feel like...yeah, that's Rule of Rose. It's unmistakably Rule of Rose. It's completely original and the horror is so wonderfully subtle and disturbing and ugh. I just love it. I also like the idea of telling a truly dramatic story between young girls. They're treated as actual, real people with actual, real drama, and I dunno I found that unique and cool. Media doesn't often give young girls, or even *women*, an entire story that's totally about their relationships and interactions, completely absent of a male love interest. It's a story almost entirely about female interaction and the complicated lives of little girls and that's so rare to see. They're humans. I just so, so wish that the gameplay would have been better executed. This game seems to become an absolute slog because of the repetitive, slow gameplay. I appreciate the mechanic with Brown but man...it's just the same shit over and over again. The game is definitely way stronger in it's stories, environments and characters and the actual gameplay is just like this gaping hole in the whole thing. You have to wonder how everything else is executed so well and the gameplay just went so wrong. I would love to see this remastered or even straight-up remade, retaining the original story, characters, world, and environments but changing the gameplay completely. I could actually see this working pretty well as a first-person Dear Esther style "walking simulator", a style that I really like for games where you slowly and steadily uncover pieces of a mystery. I wonder if light combat could be incorporated into that style, hm. It's a crying shame that such a cool idea for a game is so painful to play, and I hope one day a good studio takes it into their hands and fixes it up. Though I'm pretty sure that will never happen because of all the ridiculous scandal surrounding it. I was shocked when I watched a playthrough of this game after reading all of the scandalous claims first. For some reason, I have a tiny inkling that if Wendy or Jennifer were a boy rather than the main relationship revolving around two girls, the hysteria might not have been so great in scale, hm. Also have to edit to say this game contains THE BEST original song ever created for a game. A Love Suicide is just...10/10. Beautifully, amazingly sung, great lyrics, just an awesome tune that so puts you in that world and in that time period. I initially thought they had used some preexisting song from the 40s when I first heard it. I feel like they really channeled Gloomy Sunday and they nailed it.

I keep coming back to this video every now and again. I can't say why it, and the game by extension, are so comforting to me, but I suppose it has something to do with the framing of the abuse in the story that you mentioned: It's not coming from an exploitative perspective, but from a sometimes painful but thorough exploration. Anyway, thank you for making this video.

Having sat calmly, with only a few jitters here and there, through the course of this video, and by extension game, I came to remember something I'd also buried so many years ago. Anger. It burns through my fingers, washes palpably over me like a tide, what I suffered from people drunk from power that didn't even exist. What growing up in middle and high school was like. Dejection, sheer murderous bloodlust, a need for vindication I one day came within inches of quenching. Your video was powerful, Ragnar. Thank you.

Ok I completed the whole thing. At first I was curious as to why you called it Monsters of the Week. I remember RoR had interesting monsters but I don't remember them much. After watching the video, I understood what "monsters" you were referring to. Also that who section about bullying, the types of it, and how it's carried it among adults (even though we thing it just happens between children), was very informative. This game was certainly far ahead of it's times. Great video! You are a master at audio and I really loved how you fit the music while explaining your points.

This has to be the greatest Psychological horror game along with Silent Hill 2 with no doubt, there's no greatest video dedicated to this amazing game than yours, I'm sure of that, congrats for what you've achieved

this one is one of my most favourite youtube video ever. Watched it now the 5th time fully.