Vndbreview

Not reviewing OreTsuba is probably for the best, since it doesn't seem like your type of VN at all (focus on character interactions, very little plot). Yumina The Ethereal is probably the VN i overrate the most, but i still consider it a classic for having the greatest approach to multiple routes i've ever seen on a VN-JRPG hybrid.

OreTsuba almost certainly gets into the end of the year poll as untranslated skipped masterpiece (unless there are over 5 skipped masterpieces that are all more suitable for me), so there is still a solid chance to witness its appeal for me. Looking back at poll history, main consideration is not my feelings, but something that would make a nice video to watch sometime. That's totally fine, I'm just somewhat stressed about finding remotely praising words for that extra review.

Suzunone Seven was the first of Clochette's good oppai charage and still considered a classic by many readers.  Having replayed it last year, I can say it has aged well, and while the story isn't great, I liked the protagonist well enough.

 

I see that we started to get more well known VNs, so let me comment on what I can say in regard of January 2009 although I only know three works though.

Yumina - Both of Ayumu and Yumina resembled Kazuma (Bonus point for same VA) and Aqua respectively, Kirara here is the exact opposite of Darkness, and Ai didn't have Explosion as her attack skill. Yeah half of the quartet did resemble Konosuba party, and that they have a lot of comedic moment. The premise itself is quite absurd in that we'll going to have tournament in order to chose student council president, with the debate must be done through fighting using sci-fi technology and that the voters chose which candidate that have more convincing argument (Or in this case the winner of the fight). Of course you'll obviously not going to assembled the debate material, but instead the quartet must go through dungeon to grind or take care of opposing campaign party by fought them (Well this is a gameplay VN). There's also the second part which to say quite hidden for first time player, and let's just say with Yumina ability to sing remind me of Macross which is an anime that been famous with the insert songs in the middle of space fight. Forgot to say that it's been available in English and JAST is the one who publish the English version.

Shukufuku no Campanella - Apparently RPG like VN, although I don't exactly know on how the gameplay goes though. I did try to search about this VN on Youtube, only to find out that it only have anime video which to say apparently quite mediocre. As for Windmill themselves, I guess it's easy to say that their specialty is moege/charage with unique setting as shown with this, Witch's Garden, Sakura Celebration, HHG, and Hatsukoi Sankaime, which to say quite charming on it's own so I hope that we can see more of their VNs in English. That said, it's just too bad that three of their VNs are under Sol Press in that they still search the employee for HHG and Witch's Garden, so we need to wait before the release in English. Campanella here is also have it's trial translated, and the translator said that he'll considering the full version translation if many people ask him to translate Campanella.

Oretsuba - One of two more well-rated Navel VNs series, and speaking about Navel it's just too bad that we got the weaker series (Shuffle) in English instead of this and Tsukiyori. That said, I won't deny though that I can know more VN thanks to my experience playing and finishing Shuffle (I even did open the Gamefaqs because I always stuck at Kaede's route while I want to get Primula's route, and turned out I need to finish Nerine's route first). As for Oretsuba, I did hear that there's a lot of praise on how the writer (Ou Jackson) manage to write very interesting character developments and that Moogy did classify this as being hard to translate. It's hard to talk about the spoiler here even though I know the deal behind this, so let me just say that Oretsuba is definitely not a harem VN lol. Nishitama art here also show that she can't jump out of her character drawing, although I didn't remember that I have much problem with her art back at Shuffle. Lastly I hope that we can see this being translated, even though it's impossible seeing that Navel did separate themselves from Mangagamer and this is one of their well known series.

That's all for what I can comment in regard of January 2009 VN releases.

Edited October 17, 2020 by littleshogun

1 hour ago, littleshogun said:

Oretsuba - One of two more well-rated Navel VNs series, and speaking about Navel it's just too bad that we got the weaker series (Shuffle) in English instead of this and Tsukiyori. That said, I won't deny though that I can know more VN thanks to my experience playing and finishing Shuffle (I even did open the Gamefaqs because I always stuck at Kaede's route while I want to get Primula's route, and turned out I need to finish Nerine's route first). As for Oretsuba, I did hear that there's a lot of praise on how the writer (Ou Jackson) manage to write very interesting character developments, and that Moogy did classify this as being hard to translate. It's hard to talk about the spoiler here even though I know the deal behind this, so let me just say that Oretsuba is definitely not a harem VN lol. Nishitama art here also show that she can't jump out of her character drawing, although I didn't remember that I have much problem with her art back at Shuffle. Lastly I hope that we caan see this being translated, even though it's impossible seeing that Navel did separated themselves from Mangagamer and this is one of their well known series.

The thing is that for a proper translation for OreTsuba, the translator would have to do good research on lingo for japanese youth, THEN do good research on lingo for english-speaking youth to keep the same spirit in the dialogue. Unless the translator is an obsessed fan doing a major passion project, he would probably have to request twice the regular pay.

Then I suppose it'll be very hard to do if someone didn't understand the lingo then, although localizing it may also cause some controversy as well. I doubt that even the obsessed fan would willingly to do this passion project, especially after I see Arunaru did try to request Mangagamer to up his payment in regard of Rance X translation work (From what I know Arunaru himself is Rance's big fan). I guess I shouldn't expect any translation project for Oretsuba then, although it's not like we lack of translated VNs nowadays now that I think about it (At least it's better compared to what kind of translated VNs that we have in the past).

Edited October 13, 2020 by littleshogun