Do you like tall guys with broad shoulders and large hands? Cool guys who always stay calm, even in a crisis? Perceptive, thoughtful love interests who take care of your worries before you’ve even had a chance to worry about them? Well then you’re in luck, because Ikemen Revolution’s Queen of Spades has all this to offer and more.

With his impressive strategic skills, Sirius is not only in charge of the Black Army’s military strategy, but also the everyday logistics back at headquarters. Responsible for managing resources, maintaining morale, and gathering information, it’s not an exaggeration to say that Sirius Oswald is the glue that holds the army together.

Quietly, and with an air of nonchalance, he keeps the cogs turning so everyone else can focus on what they do best; yet even with an entire army relying on him, Sirius still finds time to water the flowers. It’s with this same, cool self-assurance that Sirius takes you under his wing, providing you a safe oasis in the chaos of war until you can return to your own world at the next full moon.

Character

Similar to: Leonardo Da Vinci (Ikémen Vampire), Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Ikémen Sengoku), Artem Wing (Tears of Themis)

I adored Sirius’ character and he’s now a top contender for my all-time favourite love interest in Ikemen Revolution. While I enjoyed Loki’s mischievous cat-boy charm, Fenrir’s boundless enthusiasm, and Lancelot’s intense passion – Sirius combines a subtle, cheeky playfulness with a gentle reliability that soothes your fears and lets you have fun, despite the complicated situation in Cradle.

As a newcomer to a world rife with political tension, it would be easy to feel lost and overwhelmed. But, when Sirius places one large hand on your shoulder, gives you a warm, reassuring smile, and promises to keep you safe, you find yourself instinctively relaxing, trusting his broad shoulders with your heavy burdens.

Considering the events unfolding around MC during her time in Cradle, Sirius’ route is surprisingly calm and happy-go-lucky, which is entirely due to his ability to engineer a safe environment for MC. Sirius discreetly handles problems behind the scenes so MC can focus on deciding what she wants out of her time in Cradle, and how she can help the people around her, rather than wasting energy worrying about a war she has no power to control.

Onii-san / Oji-san

Tropes: I’ve used both onii-san and oji-san because there are a lot of jokes about Sirius’ age and ‘fatherly’ attitude, but he’s not actually that old (a mere 30 years young). While he definitely likes to take care of people (and plants), he doesn’t do this in a domineering way, as in, taking over the situation and making decisions for other people. He’s more of a quietly supportive type, although he is absolutely capable of taking charge if needed, especially in a crisis.

I went into his route fully expecting to have to fight him to listen to me (‘oji-san’ characters often try to solve your problems for you without consulting you on how best to do this, regardless of what you want for yourself). However, this wasn’t necessary, as Sirius is both perceptive, and therefore actually pretty accurate at working out how to help, and also a great listener.

While there are certainly times where he actively avoids answering your questions, or you have to chase him down to force him to admit his feelings, I never felt like Sirius disregarded MC or her wishes. His avoidance was usually due to his own embarrassment, not because he thought he knew better. I still love some of the similar characters I’ve come across, such as Leonardo Da Vinci from Ikemen Vampire, but Sirius may just be my favourite ‘oji-san’ so far.

As for the ‘onii-san’ trope – Sirius fulfils the most important criteria for this archetype: high-quality head pats. Whenever MC is feeling down, she can rely on Sirius to cheer her up, whether it’s by spoiling her, giving her advice, or simply patting her head to let her know she’s not alone.

Story

“Don’t go– Stay here with me. Having you by my side feels as natural as breathing.”

– Sirius Oswald

The non-romantic plot of Sirius’ route is surprisingly calm. The first half focuses more on the daily interactions between the characters, as Sirius successfully protects MC from the tense situation taking place outside the bubble of safety he has crafted for her. However, in the second half, the war between the armies becomes too pervasive to everyday life to keep MC completely removed from the conflict, and the story rapidly gains pace from here.

But, even then, the drama is more focused on emotional conflict and interpersonal problems, rather than any grand scheme or adventure. Sirius’ route sheds a lot of light on the mysteries around how various characters in Cradle are connected to each other, despite the seemingly insurmountable divide between the Red and Black armies. If you’ve played Lancelot or Harr’s routes before, you may already know pieces of this, but Sirius’ route puts those pieces together, exposing the events of the past to the reader once and for all.

In terms of exciting, dramatic plot, Sirius’ route wouldn’t be my top pick, but the carefree days at the Black Army headquarters allow for a lot of comedic and wholesome content that showcases the various social dynamics between the other love interests. Some of the other characters’ stories can be a bit heavy or intense, so Sirius’ route makes a good palate cleanser if your heart is hurting from a more dramatic story.

Story Options: Premium vs. Normal

At several intervals in the story you will be prompted to choose between a normal and premium story option. Premium options are purchased with ‘Magic Crystals’, an in-game currency bought with real money, but the bonus story you receive is longer and gets saved to your collection for re-reading at any time. Normal options are shorter and are not saved to your collection, but they can be purchased with ‘Lin’, an in-game resource acquired through completing minigames and events.

Part 4 Premium Story

A Throbbing Alarm

Sweet: 4/5
Spicy: 0/5
Recommend: No

This story is very cute and features some wholesome one-on-one time with the Queen of Spades, but it takes place before their romance has had time to develop and it’s not particularly eventful in terms of plot. It has a slice-of-life tone with a soothing vibe that’s very typical of the earlier parts of Sirius’ route. It is interesting to see how some of the reveals of Sirius’ character were set up in the early parts of the route, but it’s not my favourite premium story in this route, and I don’t feel the need to go back and read it again.

Part 10 Premium Story

Emergency!

Sweet: 4/5
Spicy: 1/5
Recommend: Yes

‘Emergency!’ feels like an evolution of the previous premium option. It’s still a slice-of-life style scene, but it’s more romantic due to the fact that MC and Sirius have had more time to get closer to each other. Sirius maintains his older-brother/oji-san attitude by spoiling MC, taking care of any problems that come up with an effortless smile that puts her at ease. I enjoyed re-reading this story later as it’s wholesome and sweet with a little more ‘doki doki’ than the previous premium story.

Part 15 Premium Story

A Night Unequalled

Sweet: 5/5
Spicy: 1/5
Recommend: Yes

If you’re a gap moe fan, then ‘A Night Unequalled’ is definitely a premium story you should opt for. Sirius is usually presented as a dependable, reliable guy, but in this scene MC witnesses his more vulnerable side. It’s adorable, funny, and we get to learn more about Sirius’ character. Plus, there’s a seriously cute moment with Luka. While the final premium story, ‘Submit To You’, is my favourite, this one is a close second.

Part 20 Premium Story

A Resigned Kiss

Sweet: 4/5
Spicy: 2/5
Recommend: Yes

Following from a particularly dramatic scene in Sirius’ route, ‘A Resigned Kiss’ is a more light-hearted and sweet moment between Sirius and MC that was much more affectionate than I was expecting. It takes place at a point in the route where the plot is starting to pick up the pace and emotions are getting more intense and confusing. It feels like a small respite in the drama of the story, but it’s also just a cute, standalone scene that’s still enjoyable upon re-reading.

Part 25 Premium Story

Submit To You

Sweet: 5/5
Spicy: 4/5
Recommend: Yes

I know I’ve recommended most of Sirius’ premium story options but I promise this one is my favourite. You can probably see why, from the ratings I gave it, but it’s both heart-warmingly sweet and passionately sexy. As with a lot of the final premium stories in the Ikemen series, this scene takes place at a point in the story where the couple have overcome a major conflict in the plot and the overall route is starting to wind down. It’s cute, it’s spicy, and I enjoyed re-reading it later. If you only pick one premium story option, make it this one!

Endings

Romantic

Sweet: 5/5
Spicy: 3/5

I definitely enjoyed this ending and I would recommend it if you’re not sure which one to choose. The unlockable art (CG) is spicy and the scene itself was pretty passionate, especially considering the overall more innocent tone of Ikemen Revolution when this route was first released. While it doesn’t get as explicit as Ikemen Vampire or Sengoku, Sirius’ Romantic Ending is still steamy, with a particularly great line that’s also featured in the ending preview.

It’s also very sweet, with a cute brotherly moment between Luka and Jonah, and a sprinkle of mischief from King Lancelot. There’s a plot setup in the chapter prior to the ending, which gets resolved here in an adorable way that leaves you with all the warm and fuzzy feelings as you close the final chapter.

Final Thoughts

There’s not much to dislike about this gentle giant; he’s thoughtful, cheeky, and incredibly dependable. With his big hands and broad shoulders, Sirius will take on all your worries, leaving you with only one, highly important job left to do: smile. After falling down the rabbit hole, only to find yourself in the middle of a five centuries-long war, a little calm in the eye of the storm is exactly what you need.

While Sirius’ route may not feature the most exciting adventure or dramatic plot twists, it’s appeal lies in the soothing comfort of day-to-day life at the Black Army headquarters. Sirius loves to be around others, and his affection for his comrades is obvious, so there are plenty of opportunities for banter between the Black Army boys. His route also reveals some of the mysteries behind Sirius’ connections with Lancelot, the King of Hearts, and Harr, the wizard outlaw (including one of the most beautiful bromances I’ve ever seen).

Typically, I’m a fan of juicy melodrama and unapologetic angst, but I actually really enjoyed this soothing, wholesome romance with a simple, down-to-earth guy. If I had to describe it in one sentence, I’d say that Sirius’ route is like a cool breeze on a summer day, with just enough spice to keep it interesting. That’s not to say that it’s boring, or completely free from drama, but, on the whole, the stakes felt a lot lower, as Sirius successfully keeps you safe from the worst of the conflict in Cradle.

If you’ve had a string of dark and twisted romances with traumatized and problematic love interests, I recommend taking a break and watering the flowers with Sirius Oswald; the kind, reliable Queen of Spades.

You’ll like Sirius Oswald if you like: tall guys with big hands and broad shoulders, gentle giants, caretakers, older guys, love interests who like to pinch your cheeks and tease you, and reliable types who seem really cool but are actually a sweetheart.

Ratings

Voice Actor

Suwabe Junichi (諏訪部 順一)

Other works:

Game Info

Game Name:
Ikémen Revolution: Love & Magic in Wonderland
イケメン革命アリスと恋の魔法
Producer: CYBIRD / Ikémen Series
Platform: Mobile
Available to download: here!
Age Rating: 17+ / Mature

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