Bullet Butlers

Bullet Butlers: An Introduction

Bullet Butlers has one of the more interesting fantasy settings that I've seen in a VN. Think film noir combined with elves, lizardmen, orcs, and magic and you won't be far off. The guy you see above is Rick Arrowsmith, the protagonist of the story and butler to one of the potential heirs of the draconic Mystic One (spiritual - not necessarily physical - descendants of the heroes who defeated the Undead King who serve as symbols of God's favor).

Now, Bullet Butlers was made by Propeller, the same company that made Ayakashibito and my long-lasting favorite VN - Evolimit. If there is one thing that some people might have noticed about Ayakashibito, it is that, to an extent, the heroines were less than satisfactory (from a moe-addict's point of view) and yet they still liked it... now why was that? It is a simple fact that the story in each heroine's path far surpasses the attraction of the heroine herself, that's why. lol

This is actually a quality that is present in all four of Propeller's really good action VNs (Ayakashibito, Bullet Butlers, Evolimit, and Tokyo Babel) but is especially evident in this one. The main reason? Two out of the three heroines are abysmally unattractive, lol. That said, their paths on the other hand, show the flair that made me fall in love with this company and still gets my hopes up even now, despite two major kusoge flops in a row.

This VN has a ridiculous amount of gratuitous violence in it, which is a reflection of the violence of the world they are living in. It is a world where death-worshiping cultists fight policemen in the streets, and where it is a matter of course for a security detail to drag half its number out in body bags... or in urns full of ashes scraped off the road. It is a world where men use magic to summon bullets into their guns and some guns can launch lightning or fire instead of simple solid slugs. Betrayal, murder, and general mayhem punctuate just about every major turn in the story... and to top it off, the protagonist's gun is eating his soul.

This VN stands out as being significantly different both from Ayakashibito and the others that followed in atmosphere... but at heart, it is still Propeller at its best.

Selma Fortenmeyer

For various reasons, it isn't possible to tell the story of Bullet Butlers without telling the story of Selma Fortenmeyer, Rick's master. Selma is the true/central heroine of Bullet Butlers and the focus of most of the conflict in the VN, in the sense that she sparks most of the disasters and victories by her very existence and her position.

Her growth as a character is easily the most powerful and obvious in the story, and it really is an incredible degree of growth. To get a picture of it, you should know that at the beginning, she is the picture of the ennui and apathy-infected noble daughter. She knows nothing is expected of her, but she isn't allowed to flee from her position in life. Moreover, she is at a point in her life where she doesn't value her existence at all, save in that Rick and Valerie care so much for her.

However, as the story progresses and events force her to the forefront, she grows into her role with speed and alacrity, gradually overcoming the despair that has infected her and rising to the occasion. Playing this VN for a second time, I was struck even more by this progression - and this is just in the common route - from a worthless younger daughter to a strong-willed hero.

For those who played Ayakashibito, Selma is a significantly different barrel of fish... in reality, Rick's role is closer to Suzu's in their relationship, and it really does show. At the same time, both characters are a lot more mature than those two (Rick is twenty-four and an experienced gunslinger and butler, after all). As a result, there is a depth to their character dynamic that has a different quality than that of Soushichi and Suzu.

While Selma, of course, shows herself at her best in her own route, she does nonetheless grow into her role in the others, as well. She is easily the best heroine in this VN, but it is a mark of Propeller's own peculiar proclivities that none of the routes can be considered to be 'neglected' in relation to one another. Even though Selma's route is the 'true' one, the other two routes both have their own impact and power.

Final

Having finished this VN for the second time, there were a number of things I took notice of in a different way from the first time through... but perhaps the biggest one is simply that I was surprised at how many of the most important details I remembered. I had to laugh when I realized I'd subconsciously solved the riddle of the path themes in my first read through, and they came back almost immediately after I entered them.

First, with Valeria's path, it is straight-and-narrow love and the mixture of hope and despair it creates. Like all the paths in the good Propeller games, it is a highly emotional story, and the stories of both the antagonist and the heroine are described in intimate detail, giving life to the characters to a degree that is very pleasing for someone who wants both emotional and intellectual value from his VNs.

Second is Yuki's path... this one is, above all, redemption and faith. The theme is perhaps not as simple as it might sound. For one thing, the focus of faith theme is a man who hates the god he worshiped and desires to be hated by him... and is instead the obvious focus of that god's love. You don't get much more ironic than that. The redemption theme... can only really be touched upon by spoiling everything, so I'll leave it at that.

Third is Selma's path... and this is perhaps the least obvious of the themes. It is basically 'the nature of a hero' and 'desires hidden even from oneself'. The former is brought out through the recognition of what it means to be a Mystic One (the 'inherited heroes' of the setting), and the twisted lifestyle it forces on those who inherit the title and power. The latter... is again one you can't touch upon without spoiling things horribly, so I'll leave it at that.

So... what is my overall conclusion? I really, really want to replay Chrono Belt, right now, lol.