Said to be the cultural equivalent of the Olympics, the World Cultural Exchange Expo is renowned for the political prestige bestowed upon its host nation. Countries from around the globe take part in this eminent festival, utilizing it as an opportunity to showcase their glorious histories and traditions. After long years of lobbying and negotiations, the Land of the Rising Sun has been chosen to carry the event, both proud and humbled for the esteemed honor. Yet everything is not what it seems, and there are those who harbor malevolent designs for such an important occasion in the eyes of the world.

 
Minzoku Injou (民族淫嬢) is an enslavement eroge published by Akatsuki Works Black in 2008. It has no sequel, side story, or noteworthy doujinshi.

 

 
Like a gourmet banquet, eroge are served in many flavors and styles. There are titles which the player assumes the role of a person who deeply cares for the women in his life, offering everything in his power to grant them happiness; even at the expense of his own. Then there are titles which the player assumes the role of someone who views women as little more than pleasurable possessions, creatures only fit for enslavement and fulfilling heartless desires; then sold as prize cattle to the highest bidder. Minzoku Injou falls into the drudges of the later, yet doing so with a touch of unique flair in the recipe. The adjustment is not drastic, indeed it’s superficial, but obvious enough to make an immediate noticeable difference. Of course this begs the immortal question, if the novelty lasts long enough to justify purchase. The short answer? No… but if you’re reading this, you’ll want the long answer too.

 

 
Japan is a nation well known for its ethnic and cultural singularity: the end result from centuries of national isolation, foreign xenophobia, and geographic seclusion. All of which was still in effect, little over a century ago. Yet societies share an intense curiosity for exotic beauty beyond their native borders, and the Japanese are no exception. The main gimmick and largest source of originality in Minzoku Injou, is a cast selection from different corners of the globe in their traditional attire. Out of simplicity, these locations are generalized into regions of the world than specific civilizations. Six of the lovely ladies are openly identifiable as Arabian, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. The seventh is christened Medieval European, although her attire is reminiscent of American Antebellum aristocracy: the product of European influence, but from an entirely different era. This faux pas really has zero impact on the overall quality, but is an amusing oversight (or sign of indifference) by the artist and scenario writer.

 

 
Irrelevant fashion gaffe aside, Minzoku Injou examines the elegance and splendor of foreign women. The fashions take gorgeous approaches towards attention to detail, and authentic in the sense that none would appear out of place in their historic locale. This lends each character a unique feel, further emphasized by the native mannerisms (from a stereotyped prospective) and ethnic talents of the girls. As two examples: Fatima is an elegant belly dancer who shirks before male authority, whereas Marie is master of Flamenco and openly playful with admirers. During early encounters the heroines take residence in pavilions decorated to match their attire, providing a diverse selection of coresponding background illustrations. The audio contributions also accentuate the multicultural mood, with individualized leitmotif for each woman based on her culture’s traditional music. There are even situations, though very brief, when words are spoken in the foreigner’s native tongue.

 

 
Lovingly arranged as they are, let it be abundantly clear these world culture trappings are merely springboards for the sinister plot. Anyone apprehensive of suffering through boring social studies need not concern: all six scenarios of Minzoku Injou are specifically geared to deliver enslavement. You take the role of Izanagi, a ruthless man who intends to organize a string of kidnappings and prostitution for selfish designs. The key to his success is derived from an artificial pheromone called Poison, which after delivery through saliva contact, has an overwhelming aphrodisiac effect on women. Merely one kiss will render his victim to fall hopelessly in love. Izanagi is further assisted by Shiroyama Yuri, his fiancé and accomplice, whose zaibatsu clan will gain considerable economic clout from the political fallout of their actions. Upon arrival at the World Cultural Exchange Expo, the duo ready information on six lucrative targets, instantly setting stage for the hunt.

 

 
Minzoku Injou is graced with a grand total of sixty-nine sex scenes: eleven each for the six main heroines, with three supplementing Shiroyama Yuri. These generally consist between four to six illustrations apiece, with a touch of recycling to enhance the duration. The situations are comparatively realistic, as no tentacle rape beasts or chain-spiked cocks are present, although there’s a bit of oversized insertion. Ironically enough, considering the title is tailored for a violent audience, two-thirds of the erotica is consensual as the victim will inevitably fall in love with Izanagi. Nonetheless even the most infatuated woman has her limits, and following an evil route will eventually unearth it: bestiality, bukkake, gangbang rape, and womb disfiguring among them. As mentioned previously, all these offerings are stunningly drawn, yet equally matched by spectacular voice acting. To simply put it: the crying, pleading, and screaming must be heard to believe. The actresses truly give a show stealing performance, and to hear them callout for mercy and salvation from the person they tragically love has a haunting feel of authenticity. In the frozen pit of your blackened soul, you might feel a moment of regretful remorse.

 

 
The charm and likability of Minzoku Injou predominantly owes from the excellent first impression. Unfortunately the number and extent of failings prevent it from going beyond. Foremost is the limited game duration, as each of the six scenarios can be completed (without text skipping) in an hour, give or take fifteen minutes. This could have been slightly mitigated – if only for another hour – if Shiroyama Yuri had a genuine route. Of the twenty songs comprising the soundtrack, only seven are exotic ethnic music, incidentally being the only noteworthy melodies. The remaining compositions are mind numbingly substandard. Except for the woman chosen and the kinds of sexual torture she’ll endure, all six routes are practically identical: kiss the girl, steal her virginity, brutally have your way, then sell her broken carcass to the mob… unless you want a “good” ending, in which case you’ll keep her for yourself. Surprisingly there’s no harem finale, which for an ero of this nature is an insane omission.

 

 
— Central Characters —

 

	Izanagi   Outwardly an unassuming man, Izanagi is a devious soul who seeks to better his standing in the world. Possessing a substance known as Poison, he has the ability to force any woman to fall desperately in love with him from a single kiss. Attending the World Cultural Exchange Expo, Ianagi intends to use this gift in an ambitious plan that will bequeath unto him an enormous stake in the Shiroyama Corporation.
	Shiroyama Yuri   Measurements: 92 – 59 – 87   Serving as a representative of the East Asia Pavilion, Yuri is heiress of the Shiroyama financial empire and Izanagi’s enthralled partner in crime. Her openly calm and submissive nature is a false shroud concealing brutal rage and violent jealousy. If one were to label Izanagi as the operation’s charming snake, Yuri would easily assume the scheming jackal.
	Amisha Mehndi   Measurements: 62 – 51 – 67   Serving as a representative of the Sub-Continent Pavilion, Amisha searches the world in hopes of finding clues to the whereabouts of her missing brother. Overwhelmed by the alien sights and sounds of Japan, to say nothing of the multinational festival it’s hosting, she makes the best of her confusing situation.
	Nguyen Thi Dinh   Measurements: 80 – 55 – 78   Serving as a representative of the Southeast Asia Pavilion, Dinh conceals her royal bloodline, discouraged by the notion that others would treat her differently from a normal person. Ever on the prowl for her destined soul mate, Dinh finds herself befuddled at how many Japanese men she finds attractive.
	Fatima Atik   Measurements: 89 – 56 – 87   Serving as a representative of the Central Asia Pavilion, Fatima finds it difficult to relate with men, a problem that owes from a lesbian sexuality she has yet to accept. Her mastership of raqs sharqi is second to none, with many travelling the globe to catch a glimpse of her performance. Fatima has a friendship with Reira Delius, and enjoys listening to the European woman’s stories and adventures.
	Long Fei Xiang   Measurements: 83 – 57 – 85   Serving as a representative of the East Asia Pavilion, Xiang is the star performer of a renowned acrobatic troupe. Highly intellectual, she projects a naturally serious personality, yet enjoys subtle mind games and wordplay. Xiang is fond of wearing glasses, believing herself more attractive with them.
	Marie Luis Castilla   Measurements: 93 – 60 – 90   Serving as a representative of the Europe Pavilion, Marie is a passionate and highly celebrated Flamenco dancer. Despite her talents and breathtaking beauty, she has a troublesome romantic history, with no less than fifty failed relationships. This curse does not apply to feminine friendship, as Marie has adopted an unofficial sistership with Amisha Mehndi and Nguyen Thi Dinh.
	Reira Delius   Measurements: 88 – 58 – 85   Serving as a representative of the Europe Pavilion, Reira is a child of the highest aristocracy. Forced into attending the World Cultural Exchange Expo due to emissary duties, she finds the entire affair beneath a lady of such impeccable breeding and civility. Yet even the peasants can be amusing at times, and finds herself enthralled by certain cultures.

 

 
— Scored Summary —

 
Scenario: 2 out of 10. The plot – if you can even call it that – is simply a vague attempt to justify sexual abuse. All the available ladies are enchanting, although you’re never given enough opportunity to dislike them in the first place: it’s roughly 45 to 60 minutes per scenario. You still get a sense of their personalities however, which goes a long distance in enjoying the inevitable destruction of them. With the exception of Shiroyama Yuri, each heroine has two endings: one cruel and another many times worst.

 
Visual: 16 out of 20. Beautiful artwork is the hallmark of this title, and considerable attention was devoted towards the ethnic clothing. The artist also shows a great deal of talent in illustration of exaggerated facial expressions, an element that gains significance as the girls lose sanity. Disappointingly the engine does not support screen resolutions greater than 1024 x 768, and attempting to do so will cause graphical distortion.

 
Audio: 15 out of 20. With screams and pleas that will chill your heart, the voice performance is marvelous. As is the usual treatment, all characters except the main protagonist are supplied. Each heroine has a unique theme song, accurately played in the style of traditional music she represents. Alas the composer was unable to maintain that universal standard for the entire soundtrack.

 
Erotica: 35 out of 50. Blessed with gorgeous artwork and surreal acting, the sixty-nine scenes are heavily soaked in menacing ambiance. While these erotic activities and situations lack originality, there’s a surprising amount of variety. Twosomes occur during certain routes, but the largest orgies are confined to male dominated gangbangs. Violent sex has a strong prevalence, although a large majority is technically consensual: at least for the first few minutes.

 
Mechanics: 0 point neutrality. The typical “choose your response” menu system that most eroge share.

 
Final Score: 68 out of 100. Do you dislike ero when women are degraded into slavery? The answer to that question, more than anything else, will be the ultimate decider of opinion. What this product presents is an attractive gimmick and quality sex, which are played upon with masterful guile. Yet beyond that Minzoku Injou has little else of note. Other sexfests and violent ero enjoy greater replay value. The women are charismatic, but the plot is too short to exploit this. If you’re unable to find worthwhile enslavement and immune to the six hour lifespan, Minzoku Injou might feed the hunger for a day or two. Otherwise something else might be in order. Not recommended for purchase, unless you really have a thing for exotic beauties.