Waifu Wednesday: Anastasia Lynzel (even if TEMPEST)

Ah, Anastasia, how I love thee. How I wish you didn’t have to suffer so.

It has been a while since I wrote up an article all about the heroines of the otome genre. We took into account both the good and the bad, but since May 2021, we have had even more notable names who deserved a place on the list and are worth celebrating.

Many of the candidates will be obvious ones, such as Variable Barricade‘s unusual tsundere leading lady Hibari, or the brave and courageous warrior Shanao from Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei. Today I want to highlight my favourite of the newer bunch for western audiences with the heroine of Voltage Inc’s first ever console-exclusive otome, the curiously punctuated even if TEMPEST. Here’s to Anastasia Lynzel!

Who is Anastasia Lynzel?

Anastasia Lynzel is the player character and heroine of even if TEMPEST. At 18 years old she has suffered a life of being ignored, abused and unloved. Having been forced to live out most of her life in her family’s attic due to her stepmother’s cruelty, things seem to finally turn around after an encounter with the Neuschburn family – the princes of the Kingdom of Hystorica to be exact.

From there, she finally experienced life outside of the confines of her stepmother’s dominion, but subsequently ends up married off to the eldest brother of the family, Conrad. It only goes from bad to worse as Anastasia is eventually utterly and completely betrayed despite doing her part as a dutiful wife. She is deceived and is ultimately dragged into yet another situation that uses her for selfish, personal gain where the ruthless culprit chews her up and spits her out once they are done with using her.

As she is burning on the stake after being accused and sentenced as a witch, she unlocks the ability to rewind time to redo her life. She promises to start living for herself with the intention of paving out her own path by her own means, noting to herself “this time, I will transform into the ideal version of myself.” Anastasia’s dramatic character development is just about to begin.

Why we love Anastasia

It goes without saying that Anastasia suffers heavily from the tragic and traumatising events of even if TEMPEST, with her origin story being an early indicator of what is yet to come. Her drastic character development comes from various sources, with a major one being how she bears the burden of seeing all of her love interests perish in front of her.

This occurs even if you’re on the road to its good ending because of the game’s unusual structure. The game requires the clearing of all four chapters of all four love interests, which in turn will unlock each epilogue to the routes.

Much like any piece of media involving the consequences of time travelling, Anastasia’s mental state is always a cause for concern considering just how much emotional torture she goes through. This involves multiple witch trials that result in various outcomes, all chipping away at her ability to retain any amount of hope. The odds are considerably stacked against her by the formidable, all-knowing foe, the Witch of Ruin.

This is due to the Witch of Ruin’s meddling in these horrifying moments, often resulting in the untimely demise of Anastasia’s comrades, loved ones, or even herself as a sacrifice. The road never gets any easier for her, and when she does stumble along the way, the mark she left on the lives those she touched the most is what gives her the strength to see things through to the end — and perhaps ultimately save herself and those she cherishes.

Even at the point when she seemingly throws the towel in, she chose to do so for the sake of protecting those still alive in a subsequent lifespan, where she lives an isolated and cold existence.

Why you will love Anastasia

In the end, while even if TEMPEST stumbled in terms delivering a truly well-rounded experience — its plot threads were far too quickly resolved, resulting in a lacklustre finale — Anastasia’s growth as the focal character is one of the game’s strongest merits. She is a captivating heroine whose bravery and determination comes across strongly as she continuously grows through her very personal journey.

She had always been a kind and selfless person. Once she has the vigour to face her strongest adversary and finds the confidence to correct everything that is wrong in her world, Anastasia becomes one of the most unforgettable elements to even if TEMPEST. She grows from strength to strength, always has control of her morals and intentions and never allows herself to revert back to who she was once: a passive and soulless maiden who was moulded and tossed around by those around her.

Anastasia’s character development was difficult to watch at times for all the nightmares she had to experience, but it all built her up into becoming my current favourite heroine of this year’s otome releases. She alone makes it worth playing the Nintendo Switch exclusive otome, so get to it!

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