Only You - The Decadent Juliets

''This page is about the original 1996 release of Only You. If you're looking for the remake, click here''

About
Only You - The Decadent Juliets is an Adventure/RPG hybrid game by Alicesoft. The game was given a limited release as a mail order offer exclusive to members of the Alicesoft user club.

Gameplay consists of moving around a map performing tasks such as spending time with other characters, shopping and training to learn new techniques. All actions use up a set amount of time, and once all of the players' time has run out the game ends. In order to obtain more time, the player is required to search for and defeat one of several enemies that are hidden throughout the game's various locations.

One of the game's central themes is attaining "pure love". There are a total of seven heroines that the protagonist is capable of pursuing, though he is only capable of becoming romantically involved with one of them per playthrough. Every heroine has both a good and bad ending, with their good endings requiring the protagonist to not only protect them, but act honestly and faithfully towards them throughout the story. While only one heroine may be pursued per playthrough, it is possible for all of the heroines to obtain a good ending within said playthrough should the player work hard and carefully enough.

In addition to "pure love", the other central theme of the game is stated to be "manhood". A large amount of emphasis is placed on the protagonist's personal growth from a person fueled solely by anger to a heroic soul who fights to protect his loved ones. Two other male characters, Tiger Joe and Ragou Karasuma, play prominent roles in the story as representations of "manhood" and "vengeance", respectively, and the protagonist's relationship with each of them impacts the story as heavily as his relationship with the chosen heroine does.

The game proved to be a surprise hit, quickly selling out of its limited print and creating a demand for a wider release. As several of the character designs and aesthetics borrowed heavily from pre-existing properties, however, Alicesoft chose to instead fully remake the game with entirely different character designs and a considerably altered story in order to avoid potential legal issues. This remake is known as Only You - Re Cross -.

Story
Yuuji Magami is the captain of the Martial Arts Club at Phoenix Academy. Five years ago, his older brother Yuuichi Magami won the world fighting championship, only to mysteriously disappear immediately afterwards. In hopes of one day reuniting with his brother, Yuuji trains everyday to become strong enough to qualify for the championship, supported by his friends and adoring younger sister Megumi Magami all along the way.

Yuuji's daily life is interrupted when a mysterious martial artist named Ragou Karasuma appears at the Martial Arts Club dojo and challenges him to a battle. Utilizing an obscene level of martial arts skill, Karasuma easily overpowers Yuuji and causes a strange cross-shaped mark to appear on his forehead. After the cross mark appears, Karasuma immediately leaves, forcing a humiliated Yuuji to return home in confusion.

Upon returning home, Yuuji finds his house destroyed and his parents murdered by a strange assassin. The assassin informs him that he has been targeted by an assassination group composed of the world's most powerful warriors due to the mark that has appeared on his forehead, which he claims holds the secret to destroying the planet. Barely able to fight off the assassin, Yuuji is pushed even further into the depths of despair when he finds the corpse of his younger sister Megumi among the wreckage.

In his darkest hour, Yuuji's feelings of grief and sadness transform into feelings of anger and vengeance, causing him to turn his back on his friends in pursuit of the power necessary to have his revenge. At this very moment, a mysterious masked man known as Tiger Joe appears before Yuuji and, after effortlessly beating him into submission with unbelievable martial arts skill, instructs him to not allow his soul to be consumed by anger. Tiger Joe then tells Yuuji that the true secret to obtaining the strength necessary to overcome any obstacle is by harnessing his desire to protect his loved ones, and orders him to find someone in his life worth protecting.

After receiving Tiger Joe's advice, seven very special women soon begin to appear before Yuuji. In order to obtain the strength to fight off the strongest warriors in the world, Yuuji must come to recognize one of them as his one and only true love. The path of love is not an easy one, however, and Yuuji will only face even greater hardships as he steadily learns what it truly means to protect the ones you care for.

Trivia

 * Tiger Joe has made many appearances in Alicesoft's media such as Widenyo, and Alicesoft's 4koma mini manga series.