Him, the Smile & Bloom | Switch Review

March 5, 2025 Alyssa White

I can safely say I’ve found one of my new favorite visual novels (VNs) now. I’m already a huge fan of the genre, but EDIA/TEam Entertainment Inc. MintLip’s Him, the Smile & Bloom stole my heart. You can’t help but fall in love with the characters and their stories. It’s the perfect entry to jump into the genre if you’re a newcomer, while also gripping existing fans of VNs.

Love Blooms

Him, the Smile & Bloom features four different couples and their respective journeys of love. All of the tales are centered in a flower shop called Fill Flower, and blooms are an important aspect of the relationships. I also adored the fact that the game has an in-game flower encyclopedia, so whenever a flower is mentioned, you can read about its traits and what it means in the world of love. Each of the stories are swoon-worthy yet realistic, with the individuals hitting bumps in the road and figuring out their partners personalities and traits while embarking on their romances.

All the characters are likable, and I found myself rooting for everybody. I was also compelled to find out what happened in every route, which isn’t always the case for me with VNs. You don’t have to play each characters’ story, but I highly recommend doing so. Each playthrough only takes about two hours, so it’s a manageable amount of time to dive into each tale.

Even though this is a romance VN, you can’t select who you’d like to woo. The characters are already pre-selected and none of the choices you make endanger the budding love stories. I found this refreshing and it makes it easy to jump into the VN genre with this game. Every route is also kept to a PG-13 level, with implied spice but nothing explicit. Each narrative is filled with hope and moments that will have you kicking your heels in glee while pasting a smile on your face. It’s a truly delightful title.

The Language of Flowers

The visuals of Him, the Smile & Bloom are bright, vivid, and colorful. The sound effects are fantastic, and the Japanese voice acting is delightful. The translation is also excellent, with only the occasional typo slipping through. The developers have stated that a new English translation will be released in the future, but the current one is already solid and enjoyable. It’s obvious a lot of love and care has gone into making this title, and it’s all the better for it.

The Final Bouquet

Him, the Smile & Bloom is an absolutely delightful visual novel. It’s one of my new favorites with its swoon-worthy yet realistic romances, likable characters, focus on flowers, and excellent visuals, translation, and sound design. The short length and pre-set couples make this an excellent choice to jump into the VN genre if you’ve been wanting to test out the genre, and the level of spice makes it appropriate for a larger audience. This was truly a magical experience, and I enjoyed every single minute I played.

To hear me talk more about Him, the Smile & Bloom, be sure to listen to the March 7, 2025 episode of The Gaming Outsider podcast.

This review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy of Him, the Smile & Bloom provided by PQube for coverage purposes. It is also available on PC via Steam.