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About this blog

This is a blog primarily focusing on but not limited to VNs.  It is primarily designed to express my opinion on otaku media (jrpgs, anime, manga, LNs, VNs, etc), individual VNs, and otaku community issues.   Most of the posts are related to my VN of the Month and Random VN columns, originally started in threads in the forums. 

As of March of 2017, I'm also looking for people to help with VN of the Month.

Entries in this blog

Amayui Castle Meister part one: Gameplay

I'm going to be straight about this game... if you liked Kamidori, you'll probably like this game, gameplay wise.  It uses a nearly-identical battle and skill system, and it is all about gathering ingredients.  For those unfamiliar with the battle system, you essentially summon your characters into a dungeon, which you explore and gather ingredients from while fighting off monsters.  Your characters each fight one-on-one for the most part, in a battle system highly reminiscent of Fire Emblem gam
Clephas

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Utawarerumono Mask of Deception

First, I should note that this is the first half of the game and as such, it might be wise to wait until the second half comes out in September before trying it.  Second, this game is based some time (around sixteen to nineteen years) after the original Utawarerumono in the much larger nation of Yamato, on the continent across the sea.  For those who don't want spoilers about the original game, STOP HERE. Second, I will note the differences between the anime and the game.  There are numerou
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JRPG: Nier Automata

The Nier/Drakengard series is one of the single weirdest series out there.  It's games range from DW-style man vs armies  with dragon flight simulation elements to heavy action-rpgs like the Nier games.  The Nier series originates with one of Drakengard's endings, where the protagonist and his dragon get thrown into another dimension and end up getting impaled on the Tokyo Tower after having it out with the JSDF.  This leads to the events of Nier, a thousand years later.  The original Nier'
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Random VNs: Bradyon Veda

Bradyon Veda is one of the hardest to read VNs out there... right up there with Kajiri Kamui Kagura, if for different reasons.  One reason is the frequent usage of internal jargon, obscure (to an outsider) physics terms, and other setting issues.  The other reason is that the writer is, similarly to Masada, in love with spellchants and rarely-used kanji.  That said, Bradyon Veda is science fiction and science-fantasy, not fantasy.  One of the biggest distinctions between this game and fanta
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Semiramis no Tenbin: Characters

Like Akagoei, I've previously posted on Semiramis no Tenbin, so I'm going to limit my comments to some generalities and character descriptions.  This game, for the most part, focuses on the manipulative efforts of one Kamio Ami, the game's main heroine, seen from the point of view of Hayami Reiji.  The game starts out with Reiji being tricked into having sex with Ami, who then proceeds to blackmail him into giving her a place to stay.  He then ends up being at her side as she manipulates the hel
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Akatsuki no Goei (series) Characters

Since I've posted previously on Akatsuki no Goei as a trilogy, I thought I would instead make a description of the setting and a list of characters and their roles in the story, with a personal assessment attached.   I'm pretty sure I missed at least one of the Route C heroines, but there are so many of them...  Setting The setting of the Akagoei series (several generations before the events in the Reminiscence series, incidentally) is in a fictional version of Japan.  In this version
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Majo to Tsurugi to Sen no Tsuki

This review was written by Dergonu   Majo to Tsurugi to Sen no Tsuki Majo to Tsurugi to Sen no Tsuki is the newest game in Kai's mahou shoujo series. (There is no need to play the two previous games in order to follow the story in this one. I personally did not, and understood everything just fine. The game does a very good job of explaining everything that happened in previous games properly for new readers. Of course, reading a general summary of the two previous games will h
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Random VNs: Tsuisou no Augment (both)

Tsuisou no Augment, when I first played it, blew me away.  Part of it was because it was so surprising, part of it because it was just that good.  Thankfully, it turned out to be just as good on a second playthrough. First, this VN doesn't fall into any of the standard genres.  Most of the game is hilarious, some of it is romantic, some of it is hot and sexual (seriously so), there is serious drama, and there is even some guro, though of limited scale.  The game begins with Hideya, the prot
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The relativity of inconvenience

One of the things I've experienced more and more in the last decade as a part of 'the generation gap' is a difference between our interpretations of the word 'inconvenience', especially when it comes to games and devices. Understand, when I say 'inconvenience', it generally means 'it doesn't have the functions I find useful'.  When I talk to people who were born after the year 2000, it is almost always 'too many functions I don't know how to use/are not intuitive to me'.  Perhaps the m
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Random VNs: A second play of World Election

As you can see above, this isn't the first time I've played this game, and I had a reason for going back to it... a good one.  To be blunt, I thought I hadn't given it a fair review, as it seemed a lot better as the memories soaked into my backbrain than it seemed immediately after.  So, naturally, I decided to play it again after a year had passed (my minimum for replaying non-chuunige). First, I should say that my view of the common route is pretty much the same as the first time I played
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My list of the greatest charage

This list isn't in any particular order, but I'm going to separate out the fantasy ones from the non-fantasy for the sake of those who have no taste in fantasy elements.  This list excludes nakige and utsuge.  I got a request to make a charage list a while back, but I only got around to it today.   Fantasy World Election (first-class) Floral Flowlove (kamige) Minamijuujisei Renka Koiiro Soramoyou Senren Banka Ore no Tsure wa Hitodenashi Yomegami
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Grisaia Phantom Trigger parts one and two

Since this one was released in English already, I'm pretty sure at least a good number of the members of this community have already sampled it.  However, this is also the last VN for this month (that isn't a nukige).  This has been a month full of short kinetic novels that are parts of a larger story... a setup that I normally dislike intensely.  Since this game is only a partial, it isn't actually a candidate for VN of the Month (VN of the Month's rules require that the release in question be
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Tayutama 2 After stories

For my post on the original Tayutama 2 game, look below Now, my opinion of what LoS did wrong with Tayutama 2 hasn't changed at all, and, in my mind, they did the same thing with this one.  As fandiscs go, it has a lot of content, though most of the stuff that was actually of interest was to be found in the extras portion.  While it might bet tempting to see the three original heroines' stories as the main part of this one, they are in fact a secondary issue.  Their actual stories are shor
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Random VNs: Haru Uso, Natsu Uso, and Aki Uso

The 'Uso' series by Campus is a series of games, each focused on a different heroine who is in love with the same protagonist. That protagonist possesses the ability to hear lies (note that he doesn't hear truth), due to a magical artifact accidentally implanted in his body half a decade before the story begins.  The last game in the series, Fuyu Uso, will be coming out in July and covers the final heroine, the school president.   The other three heroines are Satsuki (Haru Uso) the school idol w
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Hatsukoi Syndrome

I've been avoiding Campus's games.  Why?  Because the Uso series they began with and all their other games are based in the same setting, which I thought would be pretty frustrating.  I broke down and played this one pretty much just because it was one of only three releases this month, including Grisaia's new game, which were non-nukige and non-fandisc... that said, I'll say the conclusion first.  This game isn't VN of the Month material.  That isn't to say that this game doesn't have its
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Random VNs: A few thoughts

First, I recently completed my second playthrough of Kikan Bakumatsu Ibun Last Cavalier... and I'd forgotten how much fun it was digging around in the political violence of that period.  It made me remember why I named it VN of the Year 2015, though that was mostly because 2015 sucked, lol.  It is a great game for fans of historical fantasy and the Shinsengumi, as well as fans of Grisaia's writer (who also wrote this one).  Having a trap protagonist who is also more than a little... bewitching m
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9 -Nine- Kokonotsu Kokonoka Kokonoiro

This game, which I will refer to by the nickname Kukoro from now on, is Palette's newest low-price release, based on the same concept as Corona Blossom (episodic releases) and other games released in the last few years.  It is also written by the same individual who wrote Nanairo Reincarnation and Akeiro Kaikitan, so in that sense this is definitely something I was looking forward to.  I should tell you that my philosophy on this kind of episodic game is not to play it until all the episodes are
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Advice for those Playing VNs for a second time

Now, I'm well aware that most people don't play VNs twice.  Visual novels are a static media, similar to one of the old 'choose your own adventure' novels in interactive terms, so this is only natural.  To be blunt, the main reason I go back and play old VNs is because nothing is satisfying one of my itches amongst the more recent releases.  That said, there are some pieces of advice I can give for those who habitually re-read their favorite books and rewatch their favorite anime. 1- Wait l
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VN of the Month March 2017

After discussions with the other contributors to this month, we decided that the VN of the Month for March 2017 is Haruru Minamo ni by Clochette.  The reason is fairly simple... nothing else met the standards for a VN of the Month pick from the March releases we played.  Now, Haruru isn't a kamige (except that the heroines are kami, lol), but it is an excellent 'charage with a story', and it is definitely the type of VN I'll remember years from now.  As such, I didn't really have an reserva
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JRPG series: Shin Megami Tensei

I've been friendly with the Shin Megami Tensei series for over twenty years now, since the release of the incredibly crappy localization of the original Persona on the ps1 (believe me, it is one of the worst localizations of all time).  That said, I saw the series as just a darker than normal jrpg series... until I played SMT: Nocturne for the PS2. Nocturne is frequently referred to, both seriously and derisively, as 'Pokemon with demons and a cohesive story'.  Seriously.  While the Persona
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Amanatsu Adolescence (Dergonu) and Suisou Ginka no Istoria (cancelled by Clephas)

Played and written by Dergonu, edited for grammar by Clephas Amanatsu Adolesence is a moege that might seem very average at first glance. And, well, I'm not going to lie, it kind of is. But, at the same time the game has quite a few fun aspects that breaks away from the norm that is the "standard moege". This, alongside a fairly enjoyable cast, made me like this game more than I expected to. You won't find any seriously engaging drama, or super intellectual writing in this VN. But it does a
Clephas

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Trinoline

Written by Kiririri and edited by fun2novel  and Me Trinoline If there ever was a time when the quality of a story was judged purely on its aesthetics then minori’s games would be tough opponents to defeat. Trinoline continues in the same tradition as many other minori games. High-budget top-quality visuals with a ridiculous level of attention to details. This includes blinking eyes and well done lip syncing, top-notch high quality CGs, and unusual camera angles, where you walk a
Clephas

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Office de Sasou Ecchi na Kanojo

First, I should probably say that this isn't a nukige.  It looks like one, it has all the outward qualities of one, but it isn't one, strictly speaking.  The ratio of story and character development to H-content is too high, for one thing.  This game focuses on a young salaryman named Touma, who has just completed his training period, and he is given his first trial with one of the departments of his company.  He is assigned to a more experienced senpai, a capable young woman named Mai, at
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Feb Release: Ouka Sabaki and VN of the Month

This entry was written by fun2novel and edited by me.  As in the previous post, I have only made grammatical and stylistic changes, as well as eliminating unnecessary spoilers.  As such, the content is essentially fun2novel's review of the game. tl;dr: If you’re a fan of the Phoenix Wright series then stop reading. There’s nothing more I can say to make you want to play Ouka Sabaki. Go play it now. The rest of you keep reading. In the ancient Japan during the Edo period, under the firm
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Kamidanomi Shisugite Ore no Mirai ga Yabai

Content Created by Kiriririri and edited by fun2novel and myself (Clephas: I kept myself to grammatical fixes, so the content is pretty much as-is, with me only eliminating some excessive spoilers here and there. Kamidanomi Shisugite Ore no Mirai ga Yabai. Hulotte’s previous game Yomeyaba was an unexpected surprise. It wasn’t anything special but it appealed to readers with a fondness for charage with lots of ichaicha and some drama. Hulotte’s newest entry, Kamiyaba, treads simil
Clephas

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