YMMV / Dear Mariko

• Alternative Character Interpretation:
  • Is the real Mariko a Yandere just like the protagonist, or has she simply been pushed off the deep end after being repeatedly stalked and harassed by Shinku? Word of God strongly implies the latter.
  • In Crimson it's never made quite clear whether Liddy's ghost actually haunts Shinku, or is just a manifestation of her own insane desire to avenge the death of her best friend.
• Anti-Climax Boss: The intruder, a.k.a. Mariko, will kill the protagonist once she's found. In the True End, the protagonist stabs her upon being discovered.
• Awesome Music: The main theme of the game. Despite its somber tone, it's quite beautiful.
• I Am Not Shazam: In an interesting variation, this is actually The Reveal of the game. Mariko is the Hero Antagonist; you are actually playing as Shinku, the stalker.
• Nightmare Fuel: Don't be fooled by the screencap of the game. There's a dark undertone to this game.
  • Just the very idea that your significant other is being stalked by someone who's obsessed with them. How would you feel if you had no way of helping them, even if extreme measures have been taken and they still didn't work?
  • Just what did the protagonist do to make Darien say that she's insane and a monster? Has she killed other people for him?
  • If you pay attention to the things the protagonist says about Darien, she seems to know an awful lot about him and his preferences. For example, she claims to know exactly when he bought a plant and why, and knows that he dislikes certain art/flowers in his apartment. Just what level of stalking and continuous, exhaustive observation did she apply to this poor guy's life to know all these things? Alternatively, maybe she only thinks she knows all this about him and is just deluding herself - both possibilities are highly disturbing in their own way.

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