Thursday, February 21, 2008

Marriage to a Mermaid... but not in Cute







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Even though it is fairly easy to bring Leia to full red heart level before the end of the first year, you will not be able to propose to her until Spring of the second year at the very earliest in the original HM DS. In HM Cute DS, you will be able to trigger the event, bring her to full red heart level and rendezvous with her on the beach on Tuesday nights, but she will not accept the Blue Feather, alas.

In Harvest Moon DS, I had traded my mystrile rod for a Mythic Rod before the second Spring and I was unable to catch the Bottled Message with it, until I thought of a way to make the game believe it WAS the mystrile rod still. I did this by charging the Mythic Rod ONLY to Mystrile level. Doing this, I was able finally to catch the Bottled Message and I immediately took it to Daryl's house to experience Leia's fourth and final heart event.

In Cute, you need not have the bottle in your hands when you enter Daryl's house in order to trigger the event. Simply having it in your rucksack is sufficient. Although I had upgraded all other tools to Mythic Level in Cute, I kept my Fishing Rod at mystile level until 2 Spring in order to be able to catch the bottled Message without any trouble...

It was the very second item I caught in fact. I took it to Daryl's house in my rucksack, intending to give Leia one more Big Fish before I triggered the event, but the event triggered with the Bottle in my rucksack, rather to my surprise.

Leia's Yellow Heart Event is as much an event that features Daryl as it does Leia. It is an event that is characteristic of Harvest Moon's quirky sense of humour and even though I experienced it before in the original HM DS a couple of times, I enjoyed it again in Cute. At the end of the event, Leia will return to the sea, but you will have the option of encouraging her to visit the Valley again or of telling he that it would be too dangerous for her to do so. If you encourage her to visit, she will display a big red heart for you in both the original boy version and in Cute.

Here is the full text of the event in HM Cute:

You do not even have to CARRY the bottle with you in Cute. Simply enter Daryl's house with it in your rucksack to experience the event.

I enter and absolutely race up to Daryl.
Daryl: What are you so worked up about?
Now I pull the bottle from my rucksack and set it on my head.
Daryl: Ahaa... A bottle... Can't get it open, can you? Leave that detail to me! Hehehe! I'm quite excited about this!
The upper screen goes dark.
Daryl: Hm... Wow... This... cork... is... really... strong... Oh no! My invention! My wonderful, patented Super Deluxe Corkscrew is broken! Now I'll have to test out my Hyper Deluxe Super Sonic Corkscrew (patent pending). C-C-CRUNK! CLANG! D'OH! It took me a precious year of R & D to produce that! My wonderful Hyper Deluxe Super Sonic Corkscrew is in pieces! I've never experienced such a tightly fastened cork in all of my days! It's got to be stronger than a diamond! But I own't give up! Time for the ultimate weapon! I'm taking off the kid gloves now and going with my Supra Light Ultra Aggression Corkscrew! SO STAND BACK!!!

Crick crick crick CRRRRUUUUNCH!!!

Daryl: NOOO!!! My wonders of modern science have been utterly destroyed! I've failed... My scientific achievement has been reduced to scrap by a single bottle. ..................
Try to use this to get that cork off as I am exhausted. There's no way you'll get it off, but give it a shot.

POP!

Daryl: !!!!!! It... it came off? Inconceivable! Ah! I've got it! My 3 other corkscrews loosened the cork just enough for you! There's no other possible explanation for Van's cheap tool to do what it did! Yes! That settles it! My explanation fits the phenomenon like a glove!

The upper screen now displays the two of us again, me still with the bottle on my head.

Daryl: (...) At any rate, enough about the blasted cork. What does the message say?
Me: (!)
The upper screen goes dark again.
... Oh my goodness!
We now stand before Leia who is in her bathtub. The bottle still is on my head.
Leia: (?) What is that?
Daryl: Read it and see.
Leia: Ah!
She takes the bottle from me.
Leia: (!) It's from Mom!
Daryl: I knew it.
Leia: She's been worried about me and sent out a message after the typhoon.
Daryl: Your wounds have healed, so you can go back to her. Your true home is under the sea.
Liea: (!) What? But I... I still don't feel like I've repaid you!
Daryl: D'OH! Repay me by going home! It's for the best; you can see your family again.
Daryl turns to face me now.
Daryl: As for me, I can get back to my research again. Freya, take Leia back to the sea.
I nod obligingly.
Both screens darken.
Next, Leia and I stand by the shore on the right side of the beach near the umbrella and beach blankets.
Leia: (...) I wonder if I fully paid back Daryl for all he's done.
I nod encouragingly.
Leia. I see. I sure hope so. This is a nice place, and every one's been so nice to me here. I've actually only met Daryl and you, Freya but still... Is it okay if I come back to visit now and then?

Your choices now:
Come back anytime.
No, you might be captured.

Of course, I will choose: 'Come back anytime.'

Leia displays a big red heart for me.

Leia: Really? I'm so glad, Freya! You've been a true friend. Well, I'll see you later then! So long!
She dives into the sea gracefully and swims away. The event ends with me alone at the beach.

Tuesday, 2 January of your Second Year is the first opportunity to experience this event, as Monday is a Festival Day. Unfortunately, the 'Best Friend' status that exists in the original Japanese version of Cute evidently HAS been eliminated from HM Cute DS in English as, when I attempted to give Leia the Blue Feather, she simply asked me which guy I intended to marry.

Of course, I could have confirmed this officially with Natsume as soon as I heard the rumours that the 'Best Friend' status had been eliminated from the upcoming English edition of the game, but I am a stubborn, independent player who always has to prove everything for herself. So I did everything that was required in order to propose successfully to Leia and then flourished my Blue Feather when I met her by the shore on Tuesday night... I now can state categorically that there is no official 'Best Friend' in lieu of marriage in Cute. (Having proven it myself, however, I then obtained official confirmation from Natsume...)

KalypsoCry mentioned the rumours to this effect in one of her comments. I, however, was determined to be optimistic, as if by doing so, I could MAKE the game behave the way I wished... It is clear now, however, that if you wish to keep house with a Magical Girl, you must marry one in the boy version of Harvest Moon DS or else play the original Japanese version of Cute.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is so frustrating. I was so excited at the chance to do the "best friend" ceremony...was reveling in the alternative lifestyles pseudo-acceptance thing...not a chance? Drat. So much for me buying this game. I've done the HM series before; I'd have bought another one for a same-sex relationship. Shame on the hypersensitive American Moral Majority.

Freyashawk said...

Yes, shame on them but not on Natsume. They made what they felt was the only possible decision in the circumstances. They are not in a position where they can afford to ignore public opinion, however ignorant and stupid those opinions may be. I too was disappointed simply because it expanded the game and I really like all the Magical Girls. I always like to experience courtship and marriage with each of the available partners in any Harvest Moon game. The Heart Events for the Magical Girls have been retained, however, although they lead nowhere.

It is too bad that there are people who believe they have the right to regulate even our fantasies and virtual realities according to their narrow-minded, fear-inspired prejudices.

Harvest Moon is a series founded only upon the very best philosophy of life, one that recognises the virtues of friendship, loyalty, honour, determination and a sense of community. It embraces a belief in magic and the powers of Nature, almost animistic in its spiritual philosophy. The 'Best Friend' option was part of that, a situation where one could choose a Magical Girl instead of a human husband. This is nothing new in the world of folklore and fairytales.

Harvest Moon is suitable for all ages but where children are concerned, the idea of living with a Magical Girl in a way is even more innocent than the traditional marriage and family life offered in marriage to any human partner. I can imagine children at a certain age thinking that marriage and childbirth would be frightening and 'messy' and opting for delivery of a child via the Harvest King, rather like the stork deliveries in nursery tales.

Many adults might prefer it as well!

Although I can sympathise with your frustration, Mauvemalady, I have to urge you not to allow it to turn you away from Cute. It is a fantastic game and, mainly because some Japanese events that were not included in the original English HM DS have been restored to Cute, could be considered the better game of the two. Skye is absolutely wonderful and even if you are not disposed to entrust your future to any man, you can enjoy his dramatic events as they involve many of the townspeople and add spice (and curry?!) to the plot.

Anonymous said...

I was very excited about the best friend option, but of course it was cut out. I will still get this game though. I'm just so disappointed and disgusted with what america finds 'offensive'. All you have to do is turn on a TV, and your flooded with sex/alchahol/violence, and yet it's decided that becoming a roommates with a girl is too controversal to be allowed?

Anonymous said...

Can you still set Leia free after being married in HM Cute? I tried triggering the event but nothing happened. (My charater was married to Skye at the time when I finaly found the bottle.)

Freyashawk said...

Although the Heart Events for the Magical Girls technically are NOT really Heart Events in Cute as you cannot propose to them or 'marry' them, they still operate in the same way as ordinary Heart Events. One of the rules for Heart Events is that they never can be experienced AFTER marriage. You therefore cannot experience Leia's Yellow Heart Event once you are married to Skye (or any one else). She will return to the sea by herself, however...

Anonymous said...

will u still see leia after u got married? im planning on triggering her yellow heart before i marry skye but i heared that if ur already married, she will dissapear.

Freyashawk said...

Trigger her yellow heart event before you marry Skye, and tell Leia she is welcome to visit you whenever she likes. She then will return each week. There are events with Daryl that you can trigger after you marry.