Pia キャロットヘようこそ!! (Pia Carrot Youkoso!!)
The first time I was aware of Pia Carrot, it was around 2000, when I came across a beautiful resin kit on HobbyLink Japan. The kit is Hasegawa Akemi in the floral type uniform. If you want, here is the link.
Since then I have got a copy of Pia キャロットヘようこそ!! 3 (illegal copy no less) from eBay, played through it, and love it ever since (yeah yeah yeah call me pervert all you want). Then got the anime movie version of Pia Carrot 3 plus the Pia Carrot 2 DX anime.
Now, a brief history on the games themselves... (To check out the games, go to the official homepage of F&C
Pia キャロットヘようこそ!!
First released in 1996 for PC. You played the guy named Kinoshita Yusuke. You just lost a
bet with your dad, and ends up working for his restaurant "Pia Carrot" for a month in the
summer. That's where all the good things happen...
Being a MS-DOS, and then a Windows 3.1 release, you cannot expect superb graphics from back then, game play is simple, just choose a girl each time and try to win her heart in one month's time (and get the goodies along the way). However, don't expect to have a lot of hentai moments with all the girls (some will have more and some with less).
Later a Sega Saturn version was released.
Pia キャロットヘようこそ!! 2
The sequel to the first one, released in 1997 for Windows 95. set about 4 years after the
end of Pia Carrot, You played the guy named Maeda Kouji. You have just found a new
part-time job at "Pia Carrot" restaurant (branch 2), and like the first one, that's where the
fun begins...
Graphics is only slightly better than the first one, but character designs do show some improvements. Now, as there are a lot alternate endings in the first one, which one is the official ending?? Answer: Morihara Satomi. In fact, your old character from Pia Carrot, Kinoshita Yusuke, will get to marry Satomi in this game.
As a side note, this time your character can hit on a "guy" too... (Not going to tell you more)
As a "semi-sequel", Pia carrot 2.2 was released in 2000 for Game Boy Colour. Set 4 months after the end of Pia Carrot 2, you are still playing Maeda Kouji, and three new characters available (Aizawa Tomomi, Kamiduka Yuki, Shima Noriko). Please note that this is the first "NON HENTAI" title released.
Later, Pia Carrot 2.5 was released for Sega Dreamcast, as a combination of Pia Carrot 2 and Pia carrot 2.2.
Pia キャロットヘようこそ!! 3
The "true" sequel to Pia Carrot 2, set one year after the end of Pia Carrot 2.
Your character, Kannnaduki Akihiko, works in Pia Carrot first branch, with your friend Takai
Sayaka. The owner requests you to go help the 4th branch at the beach for a month, and so you
go, and that's where the fun begins...
What can I say, the graphics are simply excellent, character designs are top notch too. The three characters (Aizawa Tomomi, Kamiduka Yuki, Shima Noriko) are brought back, with Tomomi as a "potential" love interest (ahem) for your character. (Yes, the official ending of Pia Carrot 2 should be Maeda Kouji (your character) picking Hinomori Azusa, the girl who has the most arguement with your character throughout the game he he)
Note that your character is the brother of Kannnaduki Shiho, who appeared in Pia Carrot as one of the "potential" love interest for your character, Kinoshita Yusuke. Also, Kinoshita Satomi will make a cameo if you pick the right girl.
As I have played through it, all I can say is, it is not a easy game to finish. Actually, I depend on some strategy guides I found online. Timing is everything, you have to be somewhere, doing something, at a particular time in order to get the story going.
By the way, there is a "secret" character that is available as a love interest, and she is somehow linked to your character in the past (not going to tell you more...)
The officail ending is of course with Takai Sayaka. (She has become my NUMBER ONE choice as the desktop wallpaper girl) It never hurts that the uniforms here are the best in design of all time!
Pia キャロットヘようこそ!!! 3.3
The "semi-sequel" to Pia Carrot!! 3, set one year after the end of Pia Carrot!! 3
. Your character, Kannnaduki Akihiko, are called upon to go help the 4th branch at the
beach for a month again, and that's where the fun begins...
Released for Game Boy Advance in 2004, this time besides the original Pia Carrot!! 3 characters, a mix of characters from the first and second installment will be available, plus a new character! Best of all, it is NON-HENTAI!!!
For more information, click this link.
Pia キャロットへようこそ!!G.O.～グランドオープン～
The newest sequel, this time there will be more than enough girls (total: 15) for you to get, one at a time. Set at the 5th branch, with
Kinoshita Rumi as the new manager. I will provide more details once I can get them in English...
It is released in February 2006 for PC.
For more information, go to the official site.
Pia Carrot!! 2 DX
6 episodes OVA, released in 1999 to 2000. *Available as fan sub*
The first NON-HENTAI anime release for the whole franchise, this OVA is a nice love story between your game character, Maeda Kouji, and Hinomori Azusa from Pia Carrot 2. Of course, throw in the cosplay queen and cowoker Enomoto Tsukasa and Kouji's friend and classmate, chaos will reign...
Since it is not licensed in North America, you can either buy it from Japan, or download the fan sub version (link).
Dino's Rating: 6
Will Girls Like It: Possible, just don't let them watch the one without the "DX"...
Pia キャロットヘようこそ!! 劇場版 ～さやかの恋物語～
Feature-length movie!
Being the fist ever movie based on a hentai / ecchi game, that says a LOT of Pia Carrot's popularity in Japan. Oh yeah, it is NON-HENTAI too!!!
Based on Pia Carrot 3, but with a twist: This time it is Takai Sayaka being asked to go to the 4th branch, and she obviously has a huge crush on our guy Kannnaduki Akihiko (which is not really the case in the game...)
Loosely based on the actual game events, the movie served as, first and formost, a fan service. (Don't blame the fans!! We are drooling for more...) The story is only decent at most, but it serves its purpose, and it is quite short too (only around 60 minutes).
Dino's Rating: 6
Will Girls Like It: Slime Chance
Warning: Hentai contents!
Pia Carrot
3 OVA episode
Pia Carrot 2
3 OVA episode
Have I seen them?! Of course I have! otherwise how can I review them, stupid?! (yeah yeah yeah call me pervert all you want...)
Based on the game events respectively, these 2 titles are made as fan service plus one thing only: to get you jerk off. Story is none, afterall, you compress a lot of material into a 3 30-minutes series, what are you looking for anyway?? The graphics are pretty old, but slightly better for Pia Carrot 2 (Pia Carrot 2 DX is done afterwards, so the character designs are pretty much the same)
Now a buyer-beware warning: these 2 are indeeded licensed in North America, by NuTech. Quite frankly, if you buy them, you are getting ripped off. Why? The compnay hires stupid pronstars to do the dub, and quite frankly, they are the worst character voice I have ever heard (even during sex). If you actually buy them, you are pretty sutpid, they are not worth the price.