Saekano – Little Love Rhapsody (Y/G) [03/04/2024]

Everyone has that little thing that kick-starts their interests. Whether that be a single event that you remember surrounded by a golden shining frame or that of an object that you hold dear to your heart, these small trinkets or experiences carry tremendous impact that can influence the direction your life takes forever. Such is the case for both Eriri and Izumi. For Eriri, Little Love Rhapsody was a treasured game shared between two childhood friends. For Izumi, it was what spiralled her interest in the game-creating industry.

Little Love Rhapsody, a game beloved by both Eriri and Izumi, is an event that goes to memory and can potentially replace itself. Additionally, it continues to grant permanent power to all your characters during your turn. Eriri’s bonder to the event is shown here on the right.

Izumi is the combo of choice for the early game as she can help you fetch the Little Love Rhapsody event to hand through her Maguro ability with her climax. Furthermore, if you do add a level three character to hand, you may pump an additional soul to one of your other characters for the turn. As long as you have a card in memory, she gains an additional bit of power and a level during your turn.

Izumi here is our finisher. When Izumi attacks with her climax on the right and her costs are paid, she gains a boosted Musashi-esque ability where instead of the traditional mill one and deal damage equal to that card’s level + one, she’ll deal damage equal to the milled card + two levels instead.

Since we are running the Little Love Rhapsody event, we may as well run the above Izumi cards that benefit off the event being in memory. Firstly, Izumi on the left is a stock charger upon reverse as long as you have the event in memory. The center Izumi is a support that only benefits your characters with Izumi [出海] in their name. It also grants all your early play Izumi(s) on the right the ability to pay a stock on reverse while removing an event from memory to heal the top card of your clock if you have the event in memory. Speaking of which, the early play comes out early if you have two or more of the event in memory. It is a huge beater that also searches your deck on play to add a character to your hand.

Two interesting Eriri supports to consider are shown above. Eriri on the left here is an assist with a very unique ability to search your deck for any character with RECOLLECTION [記憶] in its card text. This is quite useful as this can grab any of the Izumi cards that combo with the event. The other Eriri on the right is a level zero assist which greatly benefits your deck if you choose to run may level zeros, especially level zeros that value off having large power such as that of the clean cut profile. Furthermore, it’s second ability is an anti-salvage ability, punishing both players at the start of any attack phase should they salvage a character to hand. This is fine as Izumi’s combo does not salvage whatsoever. It is important to note that salvaging a character through the choice trigger ability does trigger the anti-salvage, and as such, you may wish to take that into consideration.

Another set of characters to consider are Eriri and Izumi here with their alarm icons. Eriri is a climax swapper which also gives you the ability to draw and discard a card at the start of your attack phase if she’s at the top of your clock. Izumi can potentially refund you hand upon being reversed as she’ll let you reveal and add the top card of your deck to your hand if it’s a level zero character. Her alarm ability provides an extra power boost.

The last two cards I’d like to mention before wrapping up are Eriri and Izumi here. Eriri is an assist with two great additional abilities. The first forces you to draw, discard a card, and bounce an opposing character back to your opponent’s hand. Her second ability lets you pay her cost to put her at the bottom of your stock (effectively refunding the cost) to check through the top three cards of your deck and add one to hand. Izumi is a secondary finisher that has a cost during the turn she’s played from hand to place a character at the bottom of your clock to give herself the ability to deal three damage when her damage is cancelled.

As for backups, Eriri has some powerful shields to protect your characters. Eriri’s level two backup is an anti-change counter that kicks cheated cards to memory. Eriri on the right is a “free” 2000 power backup that refunds the top card of your deck to stock.

Eriri and Izumi have teamed up with all kinds of other extras for your deck. Eriri with glasses is a spawner profile if you have one or less characters, milling the top card of your deck and spawning it to your field if it’s a level zero or lower character. When it’s reversed, you may also reveal the top card of your deck, and if that card is level one or higher, Eriri can fly to stock. Eriri in her pretty apron dress is a Koume profile when she’s sent to waiting room. Eriri drawing on her sketchpad in her bikini is a clean cut profile that reveals the top card of your deck on play and gaining power if that card is level one or higher. She works very well in conjunction with any ability that wants you to gain top deck information. Chibi Eriri gains power on the turn she’s played from hand. She allows you to discard a card when she attacks to bounce another character on your field back to hand. Izumi in her pyjamas is a mill runner that can pay its cost to sack itself to memory and nab you a character from the top four cards of your deck. Young Eriri is a large power pump on play to one of your other characters, perfect for empowering your clean cut profile, that’s also a drop search on reverse that can send itself to memory. Lastly, Izumi is a Riki profile that spawns a cost zero character of your level or lower from your deck.

Stack your memories. Relive the greatness of Little Love Rhapsody. Make Eriri and Izumi’s dreams come true!