Torn Between (2017)
Torn Between (2017)
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Torn Between is a free to download 2D pixel based story game with custom created character sprites. A Visual Novel type game that features voice-over. A lot of time and effort has been put into creating the game. The idea for a story came in early 2017 and was later put into action on the 15th of June. The game is based on previous ideas but is more satire in story, meaning everything referenced is more or less jokes which are not to be taken seriously. If you can't laugh at yourself, or make fun of yourself how are you going to thrive in this world in which we live? Can I get a amen?
Cast:
Rina Adachi as Gigi, Lemon, Pepper
CaptainBatBrain as Mint
Music:
"Oh, My Dear! Everything is Queer!" sung by Rina Mizura Adachi
Characters:
Name:
Gigi
Also known as:
Jiji
The Personality Girl
The Vintage Girl
Previously known as:
Ginger
Age:
19
Race:
Japanese
Gigi's a stern type of girl who doesn't take no for an answer. She runs her own burlesque theatre with Lemon. She's a singer, dancer and actress all rolled into one. Gigi's never without a dance and a song when it comes to strutting her stuff on the stage. Even though Lemon is her best friend they often clash. Gigi aims to please when she sings to a live audience.
Name:
Lemon
Also known as:
Lemon Li
Previously known as:
Remon
Pandora Lemon
Ming Li
Age:
18
Race:
Chinese
Lemon is an Action Girl in her own right. She fights for equal rights but at the same time can be super annoying. She adores Gigi with her heart and soul. She loves martial arts, sports, cooking, and making her own clothes. Apart from making her own clothes she also likes doing hair and make-up. She often asks Gigi if she can do her make-up but Gigi's prefers to do her own.
Name:
Mint
Also known as:
Minto
Peppermint
Age:
8
Race:
Japanese
Mint is Gigi's 8 year old cousin who is quite intelligent. Most recently he has found that he's more popular in school and has more friends than usual in doing so Gigi and her family have seen less of him, much to Lemon's surprise.
Name:
Pepper
Also known as:
Pepa
Mrs. P
Age:
???
Race:
Japanese
Sometimes known as Mother, Mrs. P or Aunt Pepper. Pepper is a socialite who spends her days popping pills and drinking booze. Her husband is rarely seen as he's always away or on business which leaves her home alone most of the time. Pepper loves her family, and loves running her home. The only problem she has is with Gigi's friend Lemon. Pepper can't stand her presence.
Story:
Gigi and Lemon are busy rehearsing a script in a 5 star bar. Lemon hates the script and suggests that they do something else. While talking about the script the girls begin to gossip and share their personal experience in life. The next day Lemon goes to Gigi's mansion and tells her she was hooked on Lela Lee's web series Little Angry Korean Girl. Lemon goes on to annoy Gigi by flicking beans at her and acting all stupid. Lemon is all for the LGBT and Gigi and Lemon speak out about a few things with Lemon not fully understanding or watching what she says, while outing Seth MacFarlane as a closeted homosexual and a racist for mocking Asians much to Lemon's surprise Gigi decides to scold her and suggests that MacFarlane is in fact Bisexual just like Lemon, both girls then go on to mock his show tune style of singing. Lemon decides she does not like show business one bit and suggests they hold a fashion show. Gigi and Lemon go on to discuss the world around them, and what is really going on in a world where you are indeed a puppet on a string. Meanwhile Gigi's mother enters and being the butt-wipe that she is she decides to butt in on their conversation. Lemon later learns that Mrs. Pepper is homophobic, how will Lemon deal with her words of hate? Can Lemon change how Pepper feels about her? Will Gigi and Lemon's show go to plan? Join Gigi and Lemon in one of their most crazy of adventures to date.
Gallery:
Interview with Rina Adachi:
Rina Adachi is an voice-over artist with vast experience, she can portray multiple characters, which is her speciality.
B.M:
"What was it like recording similar lines you did four years prior? Only this time a little different?"
R.A:
R.A:
"Well being a couple roles that have been ongoing for a while now, these characters have been pretty consistent, methinks! Always fun to go back to reprise characters from prior projects. I feel like I am maturing with them. :D"
B.M:
"What do you think of some of the controversial lines in that the characters state in the script? You know like how Gigi and Lemon point stuff out? Stuff that people would only say behind a closed door? You know people love to gossip about others when they are alone aka behind closed door or behind someone's back. Funny story I was in a shopping centre and one of the women was gossiping to another about a homeless woman who was living in the toilet outside earlier this year. And one woman was like; "That is disgusting, sick!" And they was all going in on her and I was there thinking... shouldn't you all be doing your job instead of gossiping? It's not her fault she's homeless... or maybe it is... who knows? To me it was just like stop gossiping and do your job! The women we're literally getting paid to gossip, talk about bad customer service. So what did you think of some of the lines? I know some were quite how you say... disturbing? Or err... crazy... I just have to keep that adult aura."
R.A:
"Haha, I think most of the scripts have been pretty similar on the level of controversial lines? So far I haven't come across anything that's so over the top commentary that it makes me cringe to record them, so I think we're all good! (And there's bad customer service all over the place but same goes for bad customers so we just have to make due I guess. Frustrating though for sure!)."
B.M:
"Lemon has been toned down a little, meaning less hitting on Gigi and more trying to break out of her shell. What do you think? Do you think she loses her character in doing so? Or do you think the hitting on Gigi storyline was getting old?"
R.A:
"Ehh, this could go either way. I personally think keeping her fresh is the way to go but that's just me! I do like her better now than the original VN version too."
B.M:
"What was it like singing "Oh, My Dear!" for Gigi's animated pixel singing sequence? The song is basically an old song with the lyrics changed, let us say a parody. I would class it as a parody, because all those YouTube stars do it so why can't I? And I really liked the original song that debuted in the 1940s film. The song itself is based on a song from the 1920s."
R.A:
"Would have been much more exciting had I not been sick, haha! It's not the kind of song I'm used to hearing or singing so that's always a plus. Challenges are good things. Not sure I did all that great with it considering the genre seems way more over the top but alas."
B.M:
"How'd you feel filling the role of Mrs. P (Pepper) aka Gigi's mother? and what was it like? How did you create the voice?"
R.A:
"Oh, good ol' Mrs. P. Wasn't exactly sure of the direction she was supposed to go so hopefully it works out in the end. Sounds like you took the first take of her I did that I was originally going to scrap, actually. I kind of threw it in there as a "why not?" I think that type of voice is the one I've gotten cast as most in my VA lifetime so that's amusing to me. A few times I tried to record for her I think I put too much emphasis on her having her little "problems" instead of following too close to the script and then made her sound too close to Gigi… like a stoned version…whoops!"
B.M:
"Any other recent voice-over projects you have been a part of?"
R.A:
"A few things here and there but nothing too big. I believe a VN I'd recorded a few lines for is almost released on steam though :) (Amplitude)"
B.M:
"Any part of the script that you found most disturbing?" (It is all disturbing LOL!)
R.A:
"Not really! I've read a lot of scripts and stories and all that have had way more disturbing things so this amount is cakewalk! Lol!"
B.M:
"I want to thank you again for taking on the role of my original mascot characters Gigi and Lemon, you are amazing to work with. Any comments?"
R.A:
"Thanks for keeping me in mind each time you bring these gals back in projects! Always a pleasure to work with you and appreciate that you actually take the time to complete what you're setting out to do. Kudos!"
Interview with CaptainBatBrain:
Here is quick interview with the voice of Mint. CaptainBatBrain aka Pixxel the Pirate is an adorable American VO, very polite and nice to work with. She is also an artist, she specializes in high pitched vocal, teenage girls, including boy voices and much more.
B.M:
"What do you like about voice-over?"
C.B.B:
"Anime in general. When I was in high school I started noticing what voice was in Anime and I would watch voice actors during cons on YouTube and decided that's what I wanted to do."
B.M:
"Any project that you have been part of that has been your most fave to voice?"
C.B.B:
"I love doing voices and bringing characters to life with my voice. I also love that it can be very silly making a character say something out of a character but also be taken very seriously."
B.M:
"I want to thank you for lending your voice to my project, any comments?"
C.B.B:
"Thank you! I hope we can work together again soon!"
Trivia:
1. Is a girly game, more about gossip and true gal pal friendship.
2. The start of the story starts off in black and white and the story has references from Torn Between a 2013 Flash test Visal Novel.
3. Originally the whole game was supposed to have been a full musical based game, instead there is only one musical sequence.
4. Gigi has a brand new hairstyle to make her look younger, after all she is 19 years of age. And her previous hairstyles, minus the long hairstyle made her look old.
5. Lemon's sexual nature has been toned down a little. She wants to show she is more than a sex maniac that hits on Gigi 24/7. To show that just because someone is a lesbian or bisexual doesn't mean they hit on people none stop.
6. Features original characters.
7. Unlike previous games the text has been checked and is 100%. There are no major errors in the text. There is only a flaw in Lemon's World! Where she introduces the game. She says "I'm" instead of "I". Another flaw is I had very little time to animate, so when Gigi dances it is very cheaply done. Originally she was supposed to shake her hips in that scene not just her head.
8. The animated scenes were made with Flash.
9. Would have originally been released with a RPG GRID battle based game, but the other game idea was scrapped due to errors.
10. This version of the game does not come with information attached, as all the information is listed here on the 2D pixel blog.
11. Religion, sexuality and cults and death is slightly referenced in the story.
12. Rina does the role of Mrs. P and a new actress has filled in for the role of Mint.
13. Everything was created, and all the copyrights are under the creative commons.
14. The game is free to download, it is also non-commerical. Everything used in the game is credited in the credits at the end of the game.
15. The idea was based on a 2013 concept entitled Torn Between but isn't the same story. It is merely a reference, this Torn Between is a complete different story.
16. There was a LGBTQIA game jam, but this has nothing to do with that game jam. The game jam had silly rules, where you couldn't have freedom of opinion or speech, which is not what I stand for. I like to see more than one opinion and I do not like people who sugar coat things. I like to have freedom when it comes to writing fictional stories. And I think this Torn Between is the best I have wrote, the sarcasm is just there and some of the lines came out well. Well based on my personal opinion and my humour, things that I find funny, bitchy and sassy.
