Reviews

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  kervinchong

  Sep 8, 2022

  Those opposed to woke culture and anti-feminist may likely find this episode not to their liking. But the episode is among the stronger of the series with the themes of identity which was espoused in the second episode Anthology and continues on to build on with the theme of change in this one. Emma, a female mathemathician who is working on her theory seeks to break into the exclusively male field of maths, only to be presented with all the obstacles the time period throws at her. A decision to hide her identity and blend into the the inner circle of old vaunted professors and stand on equal soon leads to her discovering her identity and role in this world. It's a beautifully done story blending in with the theme and setting, truly marvellous an execution with humor to boot. Whatever it is, the developer has really put their heart and soul into this and the episodes increases in strength as it goes on, yet still stick to its roots on what makes it great. Truly it brings about a world not so long gone but quite alien to us at present, when opportunities and one's standing in society depends on your birth and biological make up.
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  DIDO

  Sep 21, 2022

  Probably my favorite episode or at least one the best ones due to the intricate plot
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  1ekeer

  Apr 1, 2017

  i..i think i learned something...
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  niwatori

  May 6, 2017

  I love this videogame so much! It's so simple, but so amazing and rich in story. Highly Recommend.
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  HONEY

  Jun 22, 2017

  mathematical pun simulater
• 

  awomanontheinternet

  Jul 21, 2017

  Although the subjects in The Lion’s Song: Derivation were interesting and important ones, I was ultimately distracted and touched by a demonstration of respect and a diversity of experiences that I, even if I have to repeat myself, was truly unexpected, but that I welcomed with very open arms. In Derivation, we follow the Story of Emma, a mathematician, who, although when the story begins experiences a tragedy of her own, right away sets to enter a famous and respected club of fellow mathematician and like-minded thinkers. Due to being a woman, Emma is laughed at, her role and place as a woman are reminded to her and her capacity to think critically are doubted, if not denied altogether. Of course, following in the footsteps of interesting characters that The Lion’s Song’s studio Mi’pu’mi Games has given us thus far, Emma does not stop there. She decides to dress as a man and finish the equation the men have so far been unable to complete, to prove herself not only as a Mathematician but a Mathematician who also happens to be a woman. But Emma’s struggle and inner turmoil do not solely revolve around her many attempts to enter the club, or to prove herself to who she sees as who should be her peers. She also struggles with her personal loss, her grief, and confusing feelings she experiences in regards to who she is, feelings triggered by her disguising herself as a man day after day, going by the name of Emil, a name that, depending on the game you play, she feels fits her just as well as Emma or maybe even more. The identity of Emma as Non-binary isn’t simply hinted at, it is a core subject of the story, it is something always on the main of the main character and appears in many of the conversations that Emma has with people, something she either cannot hide or doesn’t feel like she has to hide. For the sake of truly respecting the character and ultimately non-binary folks in general, I will refer to Emma with They/Them for the rest of this review considering that, in my playthrough at least, Emma is as much Emma as they are Emil, neither male or female, or perhaps both, maybe simply sitting in the middle, or entirely out off the box. I have asked the followers of A Woman on the internet, specifically non-binary/genderfluid/agender folks, how they would define or describe those “identities” (I put this in quotes since a lot of people don’t see it only as an identity but simply who they are). The general responses revolve around comfort and simply not sitting in either box marked “woman” or “man” but also not necessarily in the middle, some connect to femininity more on one day and the next day will feel some other way, some reject the notion of man or woman and simply exist as the human being that they are, however, the general person might want to define them. In many instances though, such as the one that I saw while playing The Lion’s Song: Derivation, was that some people might connect more to one thing more than the other, such as Emma eventually ending the game as Emil, remaining dressed in a suit, and even though they have expressed comfort as either, Emma chooses to experience life as Emil, as this was the most comfortable way for them to be, the most genuine Emma/Emil. They are many things that I could say about Derivation. I could talk about the casual sexism that Emma experiences when not going about as Emil, but to be quite frank that is not the story that Derivation has left me to be haunted with. That is not what I keep thinking about, what truly made me feel, what I’ve learned. There are already stories of women who experience casual racism and the struggles of cis white women in the 20th century, these are not stories entirely new. But Emma’s realization of their own identity as Emil, whether triggered by their loss or by having to dress “as a man” to have their intelligence recognized ultimately I am not sure this matters, Emma is Emil and Emil is Emma and maybe Emil is the truest self, maybe there are no selves truer than the other. What The Lion’s song had given us in this story is something I personally never experienced through another game, not in such a forward way. So when I finished the game and an achievement popped up called “non-binary” with the description being: “Prove that there are many possible states and everything is in flux” I smiled, and right here and there, studio Mi’pu’mi Games reminded me why I love video games. 10/10: in this third episode of The Lion’s Song, we thought we were given a story of 20th-century sexism and the beauty and art and mathematics, but instead, we experienced a beautiful story of a non-binary person finding themselves and ultimately, finding peace.
• 

  KoalaScorpion

  Aug 20, 2017

  Such a great story, loved it!
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  talgaby

  Mar 11, 2019

  [h1]Short version: 92%[/h1] This episodic visual novel series already set its own bar as high as possible, yet it continues to awe us with new heights; this time using the world of mathematicians and a cross-dressing, conflicted young woman at its centrepiece. [h1]Long version:[/h1] The third episode of The Lion Song, ‘Derivation’ moves away from day-dreaming artists to show us the struggles of a cross-dressing, wise-cracking, aspiring young mathematician, who tries to prove her worth and her complex theories to a world of science that slowly shakes off its old-fashioned views. Thanks to the genius writing style, this sudden tone change is barely noticeable, mostly because Emma/Emil is a similarly complex and interesting character as Wilma and Franz were, including her own internal conflict. The main motif is the concept of change. Change sits at the core of her theory, change is what created her Emil persona and her insecurities regarding to whether he is her true self or not; and change is what affects the dawn of the twentieth century as it slowly breaks down the dogmatic walls of mathematicians and society in general. As usual, I cannot praise the writing quality enough. Balancing a dual parallel structure like this is a giant task, yet this episode handles it impeccably, while also presenting a plot and protagonist that will strike a chord in anyone, from artistic souls to pragmatists. The solemn nature of the personal drama is as engaging as Emma/Emil’s attempts to find the final ingredients for her thesis.
• 

  RipWitch

  Jun 8, 2019

  [b] I’ll show them [/b] In Silence, we followed Wilma as she composed a new violin piece for possibly the most important concert in her career. Then in Anthology, we meet the up-and-coming painter Franz and got to see how he built his paintings by seeing the layers of his subjects. So who is next before we get to the finale? Well in Episode 3 - Derivation, we move away from music and painting to get into mathematics. We play as Emma Recniczek, a mathematician working on a theory about change. Finding herself stuck, she seeks out a group of mathematicians called The Radius in hopes that they will help. However, no one takes her seriously. Finding it hilarious that a woman is calling herself a mathematician, Zahler (The Radius’ leader) mocks and shoos her away without letting Emma prove herself. Without letting Emma show him what she’s been working on. On top of this, Emma’s father recently passed away and she is given his personal effects per his request. After working at the library and trying to get some progress on her theory, a wrong turn to the market sparks an idea. Using her father’s clothes, Emma becomes Emil. If Emma, a woman, can’t get into The Radius and be taken seriously, then perhaps disguising herself as a man would. As Emma’s story continues, you’ll get to see their journey towards solving her change theory, how joining The Radius turns out, and the struggle with determining their identity as Emma changes into Emil and vice versa. It’s also good to note that Emma/Emil’s thought process with solving math problems is also shown. Appearing right beside or right in front of them, you’ll use your mouse to find the solution. Derivation continues the trend of having the episodes connected in some way. Of course, you’ll run into Franz when he asks Emil to model for him and you can run into Klimt in the market. Wilma makes a quick appearance as well as Grete. Nikol, the little girl Emma talks to, was also briefly mentioned in Silence and depending on your choices regarding Leos, you’ll also get a small section with him here. While The Lion’s Song Episode 3 - Derivation deals with someone in the mathematics field, the story of Emma/Emil is still compelling. It also made me want to punch Zahler throughout the whole thing. After playing through most of the episodes, I still recommend picking up The Lion’s Song Season Pass. [url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/RipWitch/recommended/437160] Episode 1: Silence review [/url] [url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/RipWitch/recommended/459140] Episode 2: Anthology review [/url] [url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/RipWitch/recommended/477030] Episode 4: Closure review [/url]
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  prime-q8

  Aug 5, 2019

  very nice
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  Rara

  Jul 13, 2021

  personally one of my fav episode from this game!!