Hump Day Husbandos: Micah Yujin (ERROR143)

I had good intentions to cover all things Otome Jam 2022, but those plans unfortunately fell through for various reasons. But if there is one thing that I wanted to make absolutely sure that I covered, no matter how fashionably late I might be, it is the most impressive, memorable title ERROR143.

After the widespread success and adoration of Blooming Panic from last year’s Otome Jam on itch.io, it was no surprise to see another game delivered in the same “chatroom” format. Prepare for plenty of surprises in this tiny gem of an otome-cum-BL game.

The game’s most obvious selling point, teased in its own promotional material, is the unusual dynamic between the player character and their love interest — they’re rivals-turned-lovers. But that’s not all to it. So here I am, taking a closer look at ERROR143, a game I believe to be a modern-day classic — and perhaps the strongest contributor to its everlasting appeal: Micah Yujin.

Who is Micah?

Micah Yujin is the main love interest for ERROR143, though interestingly it’s the player character who is the main hurdle here. Whatever name and pronoun you choose for your player character, your attitude, responses and inner mumblings are unmistakably tsundere. Comparatively, Micah is a massive tease and an unruly wild child, who is actually the main antagonist of the game as well as its love interest.

Micah was the final opponent of the player character in an online hacking tournament, and in an attempt to get back at him, our hero(ine) hacks his home computer. The result is an undeniable, electric connection, much as the protagonist would like to deny it — and one that has Micah immediately interested in the player character for their hacking skills. Meanwhile, said player character makes their best effort to conceal how much they’re losing their mind over the perfection that is Micah throughout every step of the relationship’s progression. It’s a feast for both the eyes and the soul, I can assure you.

Why we love Micah

Where to begin? We’re not kidding when we say that Micah has it all: a stunning voice, the under-the-breath nicknames of endearment, and the slow burn of the player character becoming head over heels for him. The eventual admission of love between the pair of them is beyond delightful.

Micah will make you feel butterflies in your stomach for how gloriously cheesy and sweet his dialogue is — and the game’s scenarios characterise him as being loveable and relatable.

It’s all topped off by two possible good endings for the player, with the best one rewarding players for engaging with the early hacking minigame. In total, the game’s pretty short — it barely clocks in at about an hour, even when going for all the endings (one bad, one good, one “best”) — but it’s all beyond wholesome no matter how little there is of it. I feel my heart go warm just from thinking about revisiting the game.

Why you will love Micah

It’s cheesy to say, but Micah is quite simply perfection. He manages to be both dorky yet incredibly smooth. He can be emotionally vulnerable, but knows when to provide an appropriately timed joke to allow the player and player character to feel comfortable around him. The banter between Micah and the player character is especially delightful thanks to its witty script, and many scenes are forever ingrained in my mind for how much it got a smile, laugh or squeal out of me.

Their relationship builds organically, their interactions are wholesome, even when the player character wants to be cutthroat with him, and the game, plus Micah, is cosy, aesthetically pleasing, and comes with a pet cat too.

Micah is one of the sweetest fictional characters to have ever been created, so far as I’m concerned, and just calling him a cinnamon bun doesn’t do him justice. Everything about ERROR143 is wholesome and inspiring. Even if you don’t play it for the romance, Micah’s way of living is bound to rub off on you in some way for his sheer optimism, compassion and patience. And those are good traits to develop in yourself!

You can play ERROR143 now for free via either Steam or Itch.io, and there’s even more Micah to come in the future once you are caught up thanks to its creator Jenny starting up a Kickstarter!

^{Disclosure: Some links in this article may be affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on them. This is at no additional cost to you and helps support Rice Digital!}