"Even if the world killed you, I would not forget you."
Lamento - beyond the void is a Boys Love Game made by Nitro+CHiRAL and is their second main entry. It is noteworthy for featuring catpeople as characters.
The game takes place in a fictional world inhabited by a people called Ribika who look like humans but have cat ears and tails. Ribika has fallen into dark times - a mysterious void has made some places impossible to reach and most animals disappeared, causing major food shortages. There is an unknown and strange illness that has begun to plague the Ribika people; it has killed off a large percentage of the female Ribika population.
The hero, Konoe (who you guide through the game), lives alone in the starving village of Karou, where the villagers have turned to a lottery system of cannibalism. The victims are called "sacrifices" and are chosen by draw.
Konoe begins to have terrifying dreams of snakes, and one night wakes up with strange marks appear on his body and his beige ears and tail turned to black — the signs of a curse. To make things worse, Konoe is informed that he will be the next "sacrifice" victim. Konoe flees Karou and heads to the city of Ransen to try to find a way to rid himself of the curse...
This game provides examples of:
- And Show It to You: Verg shows his "heart" or more accurately, his essence, to the main cast to prove that he and the other devils are weakened and want to work together with them to bring down Leaks.
- Art Evolution: The main artist for Lamento was also the artist for Togainu no Chi, and it's clear how much her art has improved since then.
- Asshole Victim: In the devils' backstories, there are some who count since they're directly or indirectly responsible for why said characters crossed the Despair Event Horizon/
Moral Event Horizon and became devils:- When Razel turned into a devil and burned down his village, maybe not all the villagers deserved that fate (since they didn't know any better), but the village chief and his daughter certainly did.
- Froud's human father, Erwin, definitely counts.
- Verg's adoptive father is also a contender.
- Baritone of Strength: Bardo, Verg and Razel all have notably deep voices and are very fierce in battle, since Bardo was a former swordsman, while the latter two are devils.
- Battle Couple: Though this could be applied to the other couples, Rai and Konoe fit this bill the most because in the good ending Konoe becomes a bounty hunter with Rai.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: The reason Asato is reluctant to kill Konoe after his village elder orders him to.
- Big Eater: Asato, who ate everything on the plate, including the decorative flowers.
- Blood Lust: Froud and Rai. Though Rai resents this part of him, and Bardo covets it.
- Body Horror: The Sickness, a strange disease that plagues the Ribika and makes body parts disappear. Unlike most examples of this trope, body parts will disappear without any traces of pain; they disappear as if said body parts weren't even there from the beginning.
- Boys' Love
- Burn the Witch!: One of the reasons for Leaks' Face–Heel Turn. The same can be said for Razel.
- Cast Full of Pretty Boys: There are two female characters, one who only appears in one character's route. Justified as the plague is killing the female Ribkia off.
- Cats Are Mean: Though most of the non-cat cast actually say that cats are liars, that doesn't mean that they don't like cats.
- Cat Boys: Obviously.
- Caught in the Rain: It was raining during Konoe's first appearance.
- Cherry Blossoms: In all of the good endings.
- Color-Coded Characters: This is the case with the four devils: green for Froud, yellow for Verg, blue for Kaltz, and red for Razel.
- Creepy Child: Occasionally Rai, but only whenever he was gripped by his bloodlust.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Poor Rai... poor Konoe... poor Asato... Not to mention Shui and Leaks.
- Dead All Along: The Poet/Shui.
- Depraved Homosexual: Froud, The Devil of Joy.
- Distressed Dude: Konoe frequently ends up kidnapped or just outmatched, and one of his suitors swoops in to save the day.
- Dramatic Unmask: Leaks does this in the final battle, revealing to both Konoe and the player that he and Konoe look almost exactly the same.
- In Rai's route, Froud does this to reveal that he's the demon that Rai destroyed the eyes of.
- Dude Looks Like a Lady: Firi. You would have assumed that he was a chick until you see how flat he is and hear his voice.
- The End of the World as We Know It: By the start of the story, the world has already been plagued by the Void, and an outbreak of the Sickness has been occurring everywhere, along with the appearance of devils.
- Elemental Powers: Kaltz with the power of ice, Froud with the power of wind, Verg with the power of lightning, and Razel with the power of fire.
- Enemy Mine: The devils decide to temporarily team up with Konoe's group to take down Leaks. Of course, they fully intend to devour Konoe once the deed is done. Though by the end of the game, regardless of the route taken, they give up on eating him once they learn that he and Leaks are of the same essence, and leave without any further ado.
- Eroge: It's a BL visual novel; it's bound to have some of those scenes.
- Erotic Asphyxiation: In Razel's ending.
- Everything's Cuter with Kittens: Of course, since all the characters are catpeople. Tokino is particularly cute.
- Exact Words: Invoked in Verg's bad ending. While Verg agreed to find a way to free Bardo of the curse, he never said he had to do it while Bardo was still alive.
- Explicit Content: Especially the bad endings... but with the non-Devil endings, you could remove the sex scenes and have the storyline essentially unchanged.
- Expy: Though often very different in terms of personality and story, many characters have a certain resemblance to the characters from Nitro+CHiRAL's previous game: Togainu no Chi. Konoe and Akira, Rai and Shiki, Firi and Rin, Kil/Ul and Keisuke after the latter took Line, Rai's rival bounty hunters and Gunji/Kiriwar... Even the Shaman has a similar air to Arbitro, mask included. It also helps that both visual novels are drawn by the same artist.
- Eye Scream: Happens to Keiju early in the game. The Sickness causes his left eye and ear to vanish.
- Froud's eyes are sewn shut because they were removed by Rai.
- Rai lost his right eye sometime before the events of the game, in a battle with a demon he was hunting.
- Feuding Families: The Kira and Meigi clans.
- Fictional Holiday: Antou, the winter festival celebrated in Ransen. As Bardo stated, there's a festival held for every season.
- The Final Temptation: Depending on who you're going for, Leaks offers this to them.
- Flowers of Romance: Asato picks a bouquet for Konoe because they're pretty, just like Konoe.
- Forced to Watch: In Froud's bad ending, Rai is pinned down on the ground and can do nothing but watch Konoe being raped by Froud, who then forces Konoe to look right back at Rai.
- Four-Temperament Ensemble: The main characters and the devils both apply.
- Sanguine: Bardo (though he's actually a Stepford Smiler) and Froud.
- Choleric: Rai and Verg.
- Melancholic: Asato and Kaltz. Like Father, Like Son, indeed.
- Phlegmatic: Konoe and Razel.
- Garden of Evil: The Void, where any environment consumed by it becomes completely fatal towards the cats.
- Genre Mashup: This official remix album from Comiket 74
, which has remixes of the Soundtrack in tropical flair (latin jazz/rock/electro/etc). - Good Samaritan: Rai saved Konoe from a bunch of bandits and beat up and nearly killed some thugs in the streets for stealing.
- Golden Ending: Surprisingly averted; once you're done with all three available routes, that's the end of it.
- Grand Theft Me: Leaks temporarily steals Konoe's body during the game, and permanently in Bardo's bad ending.
- Gratuitous Latin: The lyrics for some of the vocal tracks are Latin.
- Guide Dang It!: Unless you have a guide, it will be hard to figure out which option nets you points for a certain character’s route. And if you haven't done your research, you might not realize that by the time the common route ends, you either immediately go with Asato’s route, or you choose between Rai and Bardo. There’s no way to get all three at once.
- Hellish Pupils: Just like a real cat's, when a Ribika is threatened or turns aggressive, their pupils narrow into slits.
- Hero-Worshipper: Asato, who keeps on complimenting Konoe and defending him every step of the way.
- Human Sacrifice: The village of Karou has a law that regulates this to preserve foods for the whole village.
- Humans Are Bastards: Besides the Ribika, the devils (with the exception of Kaltz) seem to think of the Two Canes this way. This is because they were once humans, and had suffered unjustly at their hands.
- I Am Who?: In the final battle against the baddie, Leaks, he reveals his face and tells Konoe that Konoe's a part of him all along. Though the only part of Leaks that Konoe has is his good emotions in which he sealed in Konoe.
- "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: In Asato's route after Asato transforms into a beast of darkness, though it's less of a fight and more Konoe getting mauled while trying to bring Asato to his senses.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy:
- Rai makes Konoe promise to kills him if he goes to a blood frenzy because he doesn't want to hurt him. This subject is so important to Rai that he spends some time avoiding Konoe and asking if Konoe is completely sure that he wants him around.
- Also, Kagari, whose motive for killing Asato is her motherly love towards him.
- Asato falls in love with Konoe whether you take his route or not. Therefore in Bardo and Rai’s routes, he is saddened that his feelings are not returned, but he tells Konoe that he won’t go against his wishes, since he values Konoe’s happiness over his own.
- Ice Queen: Rai. Some characters describe him as being cold, although he's actually a Tsundere.
- Ironic Echo: In Konoe and Rai's second encounter, Rai continuously taunts Konoe by saying "Brash cats die young," a few times. Then when Rai's temper gets tested upon meeting Bardo, Bardo throws the same phrase back at him. Adding to that...
- Irony: In Rai's route, Bardo warns Konoe to stay away from Rai, but says no other reason besides the fact that he's dangerous. Then in Bardo's route, Rai gives almost the same warning to Konoe and when asked why, says the same thing as well.
- It's Not You, It's Me: Asato's reasoning for keeping his distance from Konoe in his route. It doesn't fly.
- Katanas Are Better: All the heroes fight with swords.
- Lighter and Softer: Two non-canon drama CDs were released some time after the game, and they are this in spades:
- Love Love Lamento Gakuen features the characters in a high school setting.
- Convenience Store Lamento features the main cast as employees in said convenience store, the devils as customers, along with guest appearances of characters from Togainu no Chi.
- Little Bit Beastly: All of the characters.
- Luke, I Am Your Father: In Asato's route, Kaltz revealed himself as Asato's father, who became a demon due to his grieve over Kaya's (Asato's mother) death.
- Magic Music: Sanga cats are capable of creating these, either from their voice, instruments, or other less well-known means to enhance a Touga's physical capabilities.
- May–December Romance: Bardo's route.
- Multiple Endings: Four "bad" endings, three "devil" endings and three "good" endings.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Asato nearly forces himself on Konoe during his route before he comes to his senses. He's absolutely horrified by what he almost did.
- My Greatest Failure: Bardo still regrets being unable to save Rai's parents.
- My Instincts Are Showing: Though it's only natural that they behave like cats, some of their natural instincts are just looked down upon or so rare that it's deemed inappropriate and embarrassing.
- My Sensors Indicate You Want to Tap That: When Leaks possesses Konoe's body he can sense Konoe's deep desires, which prompts Leaks to give (depending on who's route you're taking) a parting gift. Though that could be read as a more non-sexual desire.
- Non-Standard Game Over: Only one, but near the end of the common route, the four devils approach Konoe and test him, and you have to choose between two aspects of the emotion they each symbolize. Razel, the Devil of Wrath comes last, and you have to choose between "Hearth" and "Hellfire". Choose the latter, and it leads to a bad ending and the game ends.
- The Nose Knows: Konoe figures out where Rai went after smelling the perfume on him.
- Not Too Dead to Save the Day: The Poet/Shui saves and supports Konoe, but wasn't able to speak to Konoe unless Konoe's dying. Apparently one must be dying in order hear what a ghost says.
- Oblivious to Love: If you take Rai 's route, Rai thinks Konoe doesn't like him and Konoe thinks that Rai doesn't love him, even though it's very obvious that they've showed that they care for each other. Though Rai has the good excuse of never experiencing affection before.
- Only One Name: Not a single character has a second first name, let alone a family name.
- Parental Substitute:
- Asato views Kagari as one for him after his mother passed away. She feels the same.
- Bardo acted as a sort of surrogate father to Rai, at least until Rai's parents were killed.
- Parent ex Machina: Shui and Kaltz, who come their child's aid whenever they're in trouble.
- Pair the Spares: Many fans like to imagine that Rai and Asato eventually got together in Bardo's route.
- Persona Non Grata: Asato is forbidden from Kira ever again since he chose to save Konoe's life. The ban is so drastic that he also isn't even allowed to live, and has assassins from Kira sent after him.
- Power of Love: Konoe's strong feelings for his suitors are ultimately what saves them and the world.
- The Promise: Konoe makes a promise to Rai that if he becomes crazy from his bloodlust again and is unable to come back, that Konoe will kill him.
- Psycho Serum: Rai's bad ending, where Froud transfers his powers over to Rai, making Rai succeed him as the Devil of Joy.
- Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Leaks, because of the prophecy many cats were afraid of Leaks and once they knew his location they burnt down his house. This angers Leaks because he thought that Shui betrayed him and he sought to bring ruin to the world.
- A Shared Suffering: Asato and Konoe. Both never knew their fathers, lost their mothers at a young age and was disliked by their villages.
- Situational Sexuality: There are not many females, but the catpeople have mating seasons, so...
- Snakes Are Sinister: During the common route, Konoe receives four recurring nightmares about four snakes of different colors, who symbolize and represent the devils he would encounter later on.
- Snow Means Love: After Konoe finds his village in ruins he starts breaking down and crying in which depending on who's route your taking, said person will comfort Konoe.
- Supreme Chef: Bardo, who cooks every meal at his inn.
- Super-Senses: Firi reveals to Konoe that he has this. Konoe can see the memories of people by touching objects.
- Survivor Guilt: Bardo. He wasn't able to save his friend or Rai's parents.
- The Talk: Rai and Bardo do this to Konoe, though you could probably say the same about Asato.
- Tag Team Suicide: In Rai's good ending Konoe fulfills the promise he made with Rai and he decides to try and end his life along with Rai while he's at it. However, this is subverted because of Parent ex Machina.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Rai and Asato.
- There Is No Kill Like Overkill: As a result of his bloodlust, Rai tends to tear things to pieces even when he doesn't need to.
- To Be Lawful or Good: Asato saved Konoe from his village, however he was then sent by the same village to kill Konoe which he reluctantly tries to do. Although Konoe manages to convince Asato not to kill him.
- Too Many Belts: Rai has 4 belts on his waist and 3 of them on his cape. Verg has 3 on each leg and one on his waist. Kaltz has them all over his outfit, one on each of his arms or legs, 5 on his cape, and 3 around his waist.
- Turn the Other Cheek: Konoe was worried about a guy who had tried to attack him when he sees that he was afflicted with the Sickness.
- Undying Loyalty: Asato to Konoe.
- Vague Age: No one in the cast has a confirmed age. By appearances, Konoe can be presumed to be in his early 20s as well as Asato, Rai is in his early or mid-twenties, and Bardo is at least in his forties.
- Villains Never Lie: When the devils reappeared in front of Konoe and states their predicament and their intentions, their response at Konoe's doubt runs along the lines of this trope, since as Froud explains, they are always loyal to their desires therefore lying would be pointless.
- Visual Novel: And a rather beefy one at that. The translation's notes state that Rai's route is around forty five to fifty hours long, including the common route and without skipping text.
- Walk on Water: Happens in Rai's route though the water's actually solid... at least the surface.
- We Used to Be Friends: Leaks and Shui.
- "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: In all the good endings, and Razel's ending.
- Witch Doctor: It wouldn't be a medieval-ish fantasy without a witchdoctor!
- World Half Empty: Or probably getting there due to the Sickness, the Void, and low female population.
- Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Kagari, who couldn't bring herself to kill a monstrous Asato when he was an infant.
- Yaoi Genre: Well, duh.
- You Can't Go Home Again:
- After escaping from being a sacrifice, Konoe really has no choice although the plot wills him to return later on.
- Same goes for Asato after he refuses to kill Konoe. Unfortunately for him, Kira doesn't just exile him, but also wants him dead.
