Hello, it's Chattercap!

Originally I wasn't going to participate in Otome Jam, but seeing everyone else's projects made me really excited about the prospect! Since I'm still working on my big fantasy title, Actala, I decided to keep this one short and sweet, with a small number of characters and backgrounds and a pretty short script (though it ended up being WAY more work than I intended)! I couldn't have ever imagined that it would be received so well! I'm really happy that people enjoyed this story (ESPECIALLY considering the "true" ending)! 

Please note that this devlog is full of SPOILERS. I will be going into depth about my thought process behind the story and some details about development. If you haven't played Karamu yet, and you're interested, please play through it before reading this devlog!

SPOILER SECTION START

Getting Started on the Project

Initially, my concept for the game was very simple: a mysterious meeting with a handsome, charming stranger at a rainy bus stop, where the stranger has something to hide...something a bit dangerous.

But as I was plotting, I thought: "But wouldn't it be interesting if you were the one with something to hide?"

And as I pondered, I couldn't decide what route I wanted to go down. Until eventually I realized - why don't I just do both? A mysterious meeting in a rainy forest, where you both have secrets that you want to keep...

As I brainstormed and committed to the horror elements, I decided that I wanted to write a yandere! I do have a soft spot for that archetype, and I've never written one before. However, I do think yanderes need time to be properly developed, as they need a reason for their unyielding devotion in order to be really compelling. That's the main reason why I gave Raku and Nelli a pre-established relationship, with a break-up prior to the beginning of the game. 

As I was concepting the love interest, first I asked, "What kind of person would the yandere be?" Maybe a person with a lot of self-hatred, who never felt genuinely loved. When Raku meets Nelli, she's a ray of sunshine, and for the first time she makes him feel normal. He's desperate not to let her go because she's the tether preventing him from being a simple man-eating monster. 

Next, I asked, "What kind of person would be suitable for a yandere?" My answer: a person who's no good girl herself! Nelli isn't an evil person, but she's no innocent lamb, either. And although Raku idolizes her, she's also closed-off and untrusting, preferring the company of animals over other humans. She only opens up when Raku forcefully peels off her shell. She's fiercefully, violently protective of the people that she holds dear. She's not too different from Raku, in a lot of ways. 

The LORE

If there's anyone who doesn't know/didn't catch on, Raku is a Jorōgumo (絡新婦), a type of Japanese yōkai (spirit). In folklore, they're spider creatures that disguise themselves as beautiful women to catch and eat their human prey. I thought that a "spider" that captures its prey in a web would be a perfect candidate for a yandere! (Though, of course, Raku is the male version and not "beautiful" by any stretch of the imagination!) 

The title of the game, Karamu, is a Japanese word - 絡む - that uses the first kanji from Jorōgumo (絡). It means "to twine/to get tangled/to get entangled/to be involved in" (i.e. to be entangled in a spider's web). I think that the meaning summarized this story perfectly (a girl getting entangled with a clingy ex), in addition to being a cute nod to Raku's roots.

By the way, Raku's full name - Rakuo Kumode - is just one big spider joke. Rakuo (絡男) combines 絡 (the same kanji as Jorōgumo/Karamu) and 男, literally meaning "man." Kumode (蜘手) incorporates kumo (蜘), meaning "spider," and te (手), meaning "hand." All combined, his name literally means "entangling man" -  "spider hand!"

By the way...Raku might have shown up more in the story than you might have first realized. Here's a hint: Jorōgumo can turn into actual spiders! (I am many things, but subtle I am not!) 

As a final aside, Tricone University, the uni that Nelli and Raku attend, is also a spider reference! Specifically, it is a reference to Trichonephila clavata, the spider species most closely associated with the Jorōgumo.

Happily Ever After?

There are four endings, but somehow all of them ended up a little similar. Raku's obsession was a little too powerful to allow for another result! I briefly considered an ending where Raku's jealousy overcomes him and he kills Nelli (as that is a common result when it comes to yanderes), but I realized if that happened, then I could never root for him as a legitimate love interest, even in the "better" endings. It also wouldn't have fit Raku's character; Nelli is Raku's sunshine, and he would never hurt her. 

Going back to the ending...is it a happy ending? Or a bad one? I'll leave that up to the player's interpretation! To be honest, I'm not sure myself. Raku and Nelli's relationship is certainly not an entirely healthy one. Both are naturally closed off and secretive, and Raku is at least somewhat manipulative (though he doesn't know that he is). By the end they are almost entirely codependent. But I also can't say that their relationship is bad, either. They do genuinely care for and understand each other, and their bond has helped both of them heal from past traumas and grow as people. Raku isn't a "good" person...but Nelli isn't, either. Maybe that makes them perfect for each other.

Future Plans?

Overall, I was happy with how this game turned out! I accomplished my goals, I improved my skills, and I had a lot of fun participating in the jam with everyone! But now that I look back at the script, I realize how much was left unsaid. There is a lot of background that I didn't manage to fit into this little story (Raku's family, Raku and Nelli's relationship prior to entering university, etc etc...) And I also realized that there was a lot more that I wanted to do with these characters, since I mostly structured this story around the "plot." Nelli and Raku both have issues that they need to work through before I'm satisfied with their "happy ending." So you might see another story...or two about this toxic couple in the future! ;) 

Thank you for reading, and thanks for a great jam :) If you like my work, check out my other projects! (Though the styles/genres are very different!)

Until next time,

Chattercap