🦋 Butterfly’s Poison; Blood Chains Review

Rating: 9/10 – For fans of twisted, high-stakes romance and morally grey characters.

💌 Overview

Don’t let the soft visuals fool you—this is not your average fluffy otome. Butterfly’s Poison; Blood Chains is a deeply disturbing, emotionally loaded visual novel that blends psychological thriller, forbidden romance, and twisted human desires into a single branching narrative. Originally an R18 game, this Switch version tones things down just enough to make it palatable for a wider audience, but not so much that it loses its bite.

Set in the Taisho era of 1918, Butterfly’s Poison follows Yuriko Nomiya, the daughter of a noble family rapidly spiraling into ruin. As her father’s shady dealings catch up with him and tragedy strikes, Yuriko finds herself under pressure to either marry into security or fall prey to society’s crueler forces.

But Yuriko is no fragile flower.

What unfolds is a bittersweet, seductive tale of survival, obsession, and control. Five men circle around her—some with love, others with dark intentions—and her fate is shaped by your choices. With multiple endings per route, this game makes every decision count, from quiet defiance to full-blown submission.

🎴 Game Mechanics & Choices

One of the best parts of this game is that choices truly matter. A single misstep could land you in an ending so tragic or disturbing that you’ll sit in silence after the screen fades to black. With multiple branching paths and five love interests—each drastically different—the replay value is intense.

The visual novel structure allows you to save frequently and jump between branches. Some routes don’t unlock until you’ve finished others, so you’re encouraged to play all of them. This isn’t a game where “romance” means safe comfort. Instead, it challenges you to confront obsession, trauma, and power struggles head-on.

🧨 Content Warnings

Before diving in, be aware:

This game contains depictions of sexual violence, abuse, prostitution, misogyny, self-harm, suicide, incest, drug use, gaslighting, and intense psychological manipulation.
You’ve been warned—this one pulls no punches.

💔 Tone & Gameplay

This game goes HARD. Think: slow-burn horror romance meets toxic kink and psychological warfare. The writing doesn’t hold your hand, and the protagonists are all deliciously complex or terrifying.

It’s not a dating sim in the fluffy sense—this is about emotional survival, vulnerability, and dark eroticism.

That said… it’s compelling as hell.

The visual style is hauntingly beautiful. The music? Perfectly moody. And the voice acting brings the characters to life in ways that left me shook.

There are different endings based on your choices, and while some feel truly romantic, others are downright chilling. If you’re a sucker for high-stakes drama and taboo tension, this one’s for you.

Voice Acting

Because of the game’s original R18 rating, all the casts in this title used their pseudonyms and aliases.

Chasuke as “Shiba” – Nobuyuki Sanada (Harukanaru 7), Shuichi Wakui (CHAOS;CHILD), Teshikaga Kirihito (Luckydog1), Demiurge (Overlord series), Senji (Deadman Wonderland)

Sandayu  Cyanosis as “Fujita” – Shogo Fujimoto (Kitty Love), Chikage Karasuma (7’Scarlet), Jin Grandet (IkePri), Hyuga Shinobu (KLAP), Vlad (Princess Nightmare), Razel (Lamento BtV), Munenori Yagyu (Harukanaru 7) Klaus (Beastmaster and Prince)

Kiya Suga as “Hideo” – Nikkari Aoe (Touken Ranbu), Shinobu (Yoshiwara Higanbana), Virus (DRAMAtical murder), Prinny (Disgea), Jill Christophe (MidCin), Satoru Ikari (Tengoku Struggle), Ryuji Takasu (Toradora!)

Tatsuya Hirai as “Mizuhito” – Laito (Diabolik Lovers), Saint Germain (Code Realize), Oomi (Hiiro no Kakera), Zain (Period Cube), Tower Overlord (Psychedelica AH), Cinderella (Taisho x Alice), Lucas (Shuuen no Virche), Kokindenjunotachi (Touken Ranbu)

Ai Nekomi as “Kyoko” – Scarlet (Final Fantasy VIIR), Sailor Neptune (Sailor Moon), Tsunade (Naruto), Chloe Frazer (Uncharted), Zakuro (Ninja Scroll), Cassidy (Pokemon TV series), Hotaru (Samurai Champloo)

Keizo Oshi as “Majima“ – ♡Kogitsunemaru (Touken Ranbu), ♡Tsugunobu (Birushana), Shiba (EPHEMERAL), Subaru (Diabolik Lovers), Miki Saburo (Hakuoki), Kuro Usagi (ALICE=ALICE), Jinnia (Radiant Tale)

💠 Route Breakdown & Personal Ranking

🔥 1. Shiba – Rags to Riches, Sexy & Unpredictable

Shiba is the very definition of danger wrapped in charm. He’s the servant-turned-successful tycoon whose loyalty, ambition, and possessiveness come crashing together in the most unpredictable ways. His romantic arc is sexy, intense, and filled with “I shouldn’t like this, but I do” moments. He’s a true rags-to-riches fantasy, and when the romance hits, it hits hard. Honestly? He’s romantic, sexy, and terrifying all in one—my favorite.

🍓 2. Ozaki – Tsundere Childhood Friend Virgin

A childhood friend with a twist! Ozaki is a proper fiancé on paper but emotionally repressed and sweetly insecure. He’s a full-on tsundere who clearly has deep feelings for Yuriko but struggles with how to express them. His route feels like the safest… until it’s not. There’s an adorable vulnerability here, and the fact that he’s also a virgin makes the romantic progression feel extra tender and raw.

🫀 3. Mizuhito – Brother Complex, Forbidden Love

This route took me by surprise. Mizuhito has that cool, distant vibe that hides a much more tangled emotional interior. Their dynamic dances dangerously close to taboo—Yuriko’s adoptive brother, but not by blood—and it works because of how forbidden it feels. The emotional stakes are super high here, and it becomes one of the most psychologically gripping routes if you can handle the tension.

🐍 4. Majima – Toxic, Cold-Blooded Villain Vibes

Majima is twisted. Let’s just say it. His manipulations, cruelty, and lack of remorse in other routes made me hate him—but in his own, there’s something magnetic about peeling back the layers. He’s absolutely toxic in a deliciously entertaining way. This is one of those “I can fix him (but I really can’t)” types. If you like dark romance that goes into villain territory, Majima delivers.

🌸 5. Amami – Queer-Coded Route With Tension

Amami’s route is unique. As a woman pretending to be a man, there’s instant queer coding and heavy lesbian tension between her and Yuriko. Sadly, this route felt like a missed opportunity to really lean into the spice—it’s there, but restrained. Still, the emotional intimacy and sense of shared trauma between the two make it memorable, even if it doesn’t get as “hot” as it could’ve.

🕯️ 6. Fujita – Emotionally Distant Protector

Fujita never truly felt like a romantic contender. He’s more like a bystander trying not to get dragged into Yuriko’s destruction. His route is heavy on the moral conflict, but light on the emotional payoff. He’s fine, but compared to the others, he just doesn’t ignite anything major. Respectable? Yes. Romantic? Meh.

💮 Main Character: Yuriko Nomiya

☆ Voice Actor: N/A

In Butterfly’s Poison; Blood Chains, Yuriko Nomiya isn’t your average submissive otome heroine—she’s bold, flawed, and emotionally raw in a way that makes her unforgettable. Raised in luxury as the daughter of an aristocrat, Yuriko is suddenly thrust into a crumbling world of danger, betrayal, and societal decay. The story, set in 1918 Tokyo, masterfully captures the tension between class, gender expectations, and survival—and Yuriko is its beating heart.

Though the game is told in third person (unlike many otome games), it doesn’t take long to feel deeply connected to Yuriko. She’s intelligent, stubborn, sometimes selfish, and always brimming with strong opinions—especially toward the men vying for her heart. You won’t find a traditional self-insert here; Yuriko is a fully realized protagonist whose decisions carry weight. And in Butterfly’s Poison; Blood Chains, choices absolutely matter—a single misstep can spiral you into a dark ending that’s hard to crawl out of.

Depending on the route, Yuriko’s personality shines in different shades. She’s feisty and natural with Shiba and Hideo, commanding with Mizuhito and Majima, and defensive with Fujita—often reflecting each man’s energy right back at them. She can be jealous, snappy, or deeply empathetic, all within a few scenes. But what’s most captivating is how authentic she feels to the setting. Yuriko’s inner conflict between societal pressure and personal freedom echoes the suffocating atmosphere of Butterfly’s Poison; Blood Chains, where toxic romance is laced with real danger.

She’s not perfect—and that’s what makes her unforgettable.

💬 Final Thoughts

Butterfly’s Poison; Blood Chains is one of the most intense, morally ambiguous, and emotionally devastating otome games I’ve ever played. It’s not for everyone. But for those who want something darker—something that treats romance as both a weapon and a salvation—it’s a masterpiece.

If you can handle twisted characters, blurred morality, and disturbing content, this game will leave a lasting mark. It’s not the kind of story you’ll forget, and it’s definitely not one where everyone lives happily ever after. That’s what makes it real—and haunting.

Looking for more darker or mature-themed Switch otome? Check out 🌸 Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei or dive into steamy historical drama with Men of Yoshiwara: Kikuya.