Red List Girls.-Andean Flamingo-

A series of harsh wars have considerably reduced the population on Earth. Consequently, the fight for survival has intensified and with that, animals became even more endangered as before. To fight the cruelty of those who would hunt down the few remaining animals as food source, as rare collectible pets, or simply out of barbarism, an environmental association has been established: “Animal Growth Assistance Protection Endangered Species” – or simply put “AGAPE”. In AGAPE’s laboratories, seven Red List Girls were created – seven anthropomorphic beings originated from crossing animal and human genes and designed to be powerful bio-weapons gifted with superior physical capabilities. Red List Girls. -Andean Flamingo- is the first installment of the series and tells the story of the youngest of these seven creatures, a newborn girl derived from an Andean flamingo.

The game is a kinetic visual novel narrated from the perspective of a young man whose love for animals led him to join AGAPE to become a master of the red list girls. To complete his training, he is tasked to become the master of the Andean flamingo, and by that to help her discover her own superpowers and then learn how to control them. When humans suddenly attack the AGAPE’s Avian Lab where the Andean flamingo was born, the two main characters are forced to flee into the nearby woods.

The story then follows their fight for survival as they try to find their way towards the next closest lab, seeking for help. Red List Girls. -Andean Flamingo- tells the touching story of the bond that gradually develops between the two, the mutual trust and support that they grow towards each other.

The strongest feature of this visual novel is the way the human connection between the master and the red list girl is conveyed: full of warmth and emotion, with their cute interactions described in detail. Although among the beautifully designed backgrounds there are a few *revealing* ones, this is not really an adult visual novel and there are no sexual depictions or explicit erotic play. The storytelling is addictive, with enough unexpected twists to keep the reader invested for the whole 6-8h that it takes to reach its end. There are a couple of minor inconsistencies that can easily be waived off and a few details that don’t seem realistic at all – although this is expected to be the case, since it’s a fantasy-themed tale after all.
For those that want a spoiler about the ending (<mark the following lines to reveal it>): it’s very rushed and unfortunately extremely nonsensical and in my opinion very unfitting, to the point that it could completely ruin the beautiful experience that you had until then.
The ending also leaves the door open for future installments, and certain storylines are intentionally left unfinished so that they can be further explored in the next episodes.

Red List Girls. -Andean Flamingo- has two achievements that are unlocked at the beginning and respectively at the end of the story. Since it’s a kinetic novel, it flows linearly, there are no choices and there’s only one ending. You can of course adjust the text speed, enable auto reading and customize the font. The game is fully voiced, and it also has an outstanding soundtrack. Equally impressive are the beautifully drawn CG artwork, with vivid colors and lots of details.

Red List Girls. -Andean Flamingo- is definitely a very enjoyable VN that I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who enjoys romance / dystopian stories with heroines having superhuman abilities, and / or to those that are into environmentalism – while this is not necessarily the focus of the story, it’s still a strong component of the narration.