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Now... I've already commented on this VN elsewhere, at least to a point. So, I'll just do a quick recap of my initial feelings on this VN. I'll go ahead and get the negative out of the way first. First, the common, Sara, and Karen routes... as I've said elsewhere, these routes exist solely to give you certain information that adds depth to the story of Rinne and Setsuna. So, lolicons and fans of heroines like Karen, you are wasting your time if you go into this VN if you are expecting something truly great out of those two. Sadly, those routes are about as weak as some of the worst charage routes I've played. Things change dramatically during the Rinne, Winter, and Summer routes (they extend from one another). The degree of character development quality, story-writing, and narrative is incomparably better than that of the common and sub-heroine routes. This is perhaps inevitable, as this VN is basically a kinetic novel using chameleon-like techniques to make itself look like a normal multi-path VN. Do you think I'm joking? I'm not, seriously. I'm going to be blunt... I wasn't moved emotionally at all until the Rinne route. I can honestly say that if you are looking for emotional stimulation, the Rinne>Winter>Summer progression is ideal. There is a lot of mindfucking involved (those who compared this to other VNs with similar themes are more or less correct). The biggest complaint I might decide to bring up would be a very simple one... in the VN's 'true' ending (there is a 'good' and a 'true' one, whose actual names I won't reveal, since they are spoilers) the story as a whole isn't actually brought to a resolution. Of course, there is a definite sense of hope that comes out of it, but the writer chose to leave the story unresolved, probably for similar reasons to the people who did so with other VNs of the type. Intellectually, this VN isn't nearly as stimulating as you might think. For one thing, the protagonist is too much of an idiot to grasp most of what is going on. For another, there isn't much food for thought that hasn't already been covered if you've taken an advanced physics course or two (at least conceptually). The humor in this VN tends toward shimoneta (sexual humor), which is kind of ironic, considering it is an all-ages VN. I honestly enjoyed the humorous character interplay in the various paths, and they did a really good job in the latter half of the game of bringing the various characters and the settings to life. Edit: One thought that occurs to me is that this might be intellectually stimulating if you aren't accustomed to juggling sci-fi and science fiction weirdness, such as the stuff from the Hyperion book series. The protagonist's perspective in this VN isn't so much ignorant as limited by his own psychological immaturity (like a five year old in an adult's body, his immaturity enforced and reinforced by his amnesiac state). Is this a kamige? No. Three elements make this an impossibility... the common, Karen, and Sara routes, the inconclusive final ending, and the somewhat stale attempt (in my eyes, at least) at intellectual stimulation. However, this is definitely one of those VNs I'll name as 'one to remember from 2016'. It won't make it onto my personal favorites list, because I intensely dislike inconclusive endings, but it is still worth mentioning, just as many flawed VNs I've played have been. Overall... this VN will probably appeal to the sci-fi mystery crowd and inveterate romantics (love across time, lol) the most. This isn't a moe-type story, despite the art style, but it does take a page from the playbook at times. This is also a relatively short VN, considering how much content they tried to force into it... think about seventeen hours of playtime, total (that is what my clock is saying, anyway). It is about the same length as an medium-length charage, so that isn't necessarily short... but for a story-focused VN that is pretty short. If you were to ask me straight out whether I liked it as a whole, I'd say yes, but if you ask me if I'll replay it, I'll say 'only if they remake the ending'.

Some people here already know that I hurt my knee falling down the stairs a while ago... what most of you don't know is that the stuff they have me on (non-narcotic pain drugs, sleep pills, and antibiotics) in combination make me a zombie for most of the day... I sleep around twelve hours a day, am fuzzy for two to three hours more, have to do rehab exercises for another two hours, and I spend around four hours of what is remaining working. Needless to say, this doesn't leave much time for anything else... which is why VN of the Month is so far behind. Normally, by this point I would have played through at least four or five of the month's VNs, and I would probably be considering which one - if any - was worth the VN of the month rating... as it is, it has taken me a little over seventeen days to finish just two VNs from April's releases. I'm basically venting my frustration right now... since I lose money with every day I can't work at full capacity and I go a little more stir crazy with every day I can't go out and get some fresh air without using crutches. For the first time in almost nine years, I actually had to use up my entire pay for a month for bills and food (the medical bills being the highest, obviously). Needless to say, I'm in a sour mood. If I seem harsh toward the remaining VNs this month, please forgive me. It is really, really hard to concentrate outside of work right now... and I'm actually having to reconsider a lot of my plans for the rest of the year based on the costs I project for the rest of the next few months. Nothing pisses me off more than being unable to rectify everyday money problems (which is why I work so much normally).... Anyway, that's enough moaning from me for now. The two key points are that the above are the reasons VN of the Month is so far behind and I so rarely post, despite the fact that I'm technically 'online' (I rarely if ever shut down the fuwanovel tab, lol) all the time. If I'm slow to respond, it is because I'm not myself, not because I'm not interested in doing so.

There’s no getting around it. If you’re looking to edit visual novels, at some point you’re going to have roll up your sleeves, put on the rubber gloves, and get elbow-deep in some H. The good news is that if you come prepared, practice your technique, and set some clear boundaries, it can be a pleasurable experience for both you and the reader. First, a disclaimer: I don’t like pineapple on my pizza, and I don’t like H-scenes in my VNs. It’s not a prudish thing; it’s a narrative thing. They’re rarely well crafted — you can feel all the hallmarks of the B-team being brought in to write them — and they almost never add plot/characterization that couldn’t have been handled better some other way. (I’ll pause here so you can mention Amane’s route from Grisaia, an exception that helps prove the rule.) Let’s be honest: they’re shoehorned in to help sell product. It’s built into the economics of the eroge genre. And honestly, that’s fine. I try to be sanguine about it and think of H-scenes as banner ads or TV commercials. They’re profit centers that help support the content I’m actually interested in. (I suspect more than a few developers feel the same way.) Long story short, H-scenes ain’t going anywhere. So how do we deal with them? Go in with a game plan. [Warning, there will be some NSFW language from this point forward. Sorry! It’s all part of seeing how the sausage is made.] 1. Do your research In raw translation, sex scenes from a Japanese visual novel tend to be far from erotic. More often than not, they read like an obsessively detailed transcript of a gynecological exam. That’s not because the Japanese writing team suddenly forgot they were supposed to be penning a passionate sex scene. It’s just that what’s erotic in one culture isn’t always as erotic in another. It’s your job (along with the translator) to help bridge that cultural divide and come up with something that feels faithful to the original, yet still sexy in English. Your first stop? Research. Read some English-language erotica so you can get a better sense of what works and what doesn’t. Sites like literotica.com even have stories broken out into fairly specific categories, so if you know you’ll be editing BDSM, threesome, and footjob scripts, you’ll have no problem finding what you need. (If you have all three in a single scene, you still might be in luck.) There’s also a category called “First Time,” which is more broadly useful, given how fixated many VNs are on virgins. Read, read, and read some more. Pay attention to the verbs, the nouns, the pacing. Try to quickly form a model of what makes a sex scene successful, then look to carry those techniques over to your VN script. 2. Pack a box lunch If you take nothing else away from this post, remember this: bring a big bag of dicks; you’ll need them. Better pack a few pussies while you’re at it. By the time you’ve edited your third or fourth H-script, you’ll find you’ve run dry of good synonyms for the male and female genitalia. In KoiRizo, the raw script mostly used the word "thing" for the protag’s package, which ended up sounding childish and/or ambiguous in English. (I only kept it in a few instances where such a reaction might be appropriate — for example, when the route partner catches her very first glimpse of Lil’ Protag: “Is that your ... thing?”). The remainder of the original script was a mix of the clinical ("my mucous membrane”) and the hilarious (“my soiled meat stick”). As for ladyparts, the original script relied heavy on metaphor and indirect reference — lots of openings, entrances, gates, doors, depths, special places, overflowing pots of nectar, etc. So what’s missing from the above? The common English erotica standbys: “dick” and “cock” for men, “pussy” for women. There’s a reason for that. KoiRizo complicated things by using the Japanese equivalents of these very sparingly, reserving them mainly for shock effect in dialogue — “e.g., OMG, she just said ‘cock!’ Things must be getting real.” Moreover, when these words were finally hauled out, the devs bleeped the VO and censored the text string (e.g., “p*ssy”). That meant it was very obvious when those words were being used and when they weren’t. All of which presented quite a challenge to the team: if we were to preserve those “shocking” character moments, we couldn’t use the most common English terms 99% of the time. And so, I fell back on a shortlist of alternate references: pole, rod, erection, hard-on, manhood, etc. By the time I was done editing, however, this list felt far too limited; those words were overused pencils worn down to their nubs. This is one of those areas where, in hindsight, I feel like I could have done a better job with KoiRizo. The takeaway: If I ever tackle a VN this H-heavy again — doubtful — I’ll come packing a much longer list of euphemisms. 3. Bring a raincoat Compared to its English counterpart, Japanese erotica seems downright obsessed with fluids: saliva, vaginal secretions, semen, urine — you name it. The look, the sound, the feel, the taste, the smell, the volume. You’ll be describing a lot of liquids in a lot of ways, so get ready to break out the thesaurus. And an umbrella. 4. Embrace the improbable Let’s admit it: VN sex is over-the-top ridiculous. In a matter of seconds, sheepish virgins turn into seasoned pornstars, cramming 20 orgasms and 40 positions into a quickie broom closet hookup. (Oh so much cramming.) This is the nature of the genre, so don’t fight it; embrace it. Trying to force realism onto a typical H-scene would be like trying to force realism onto a Dragon Ball Z fight: everyone still looks constipated, but no one’s having any fun. If you’re that desperate to edit sadly mundane sex scenes, wait for the VN version of Michael Winterbottom’s 9 Songs to come out. Till then, work with what you have. I remember a tiny dustup a while back when another TL team supposedly wrote lubricant into an H-scene because they felt the acts described would be difficult or painful without it. It’s a minor thing, but if the original writer left the lube out, I’m inclined to do so too. These portions of the script are wish fulfillment at their best/worst, so just leave them be. Except ... 5. Reject the impossible ... Except when the improbable becomes the impossible. More often than not, this is either the result of a mistranslation or an error by the original writers. (As an example of the latter, KoiRizo was haunted by an entity we dubbed “phantom Riho.” A couple of times, the devs would forget they were writing another girl’s scene and use Riho’s name for a line or two instead. We fixed this in our version, but still ...) Anyway, as editor, it’s your job to keep an eye out for the impossible. Is the protag’s penis simultaneously in someone’s vagina, anus, mouth, and ear? Did the heroine’s hymen suddenly regenerate? (Starfish Girl is mah waifu!) Did a corded vibrator suddenly become a battery-operated one? Ask to have the TL double-checked and, if that still doesn’t resolve the issue, use your best judgement to fix the error while causing minimal disruption to the surrounding lines. 6. Set your limits This is important. Know what you’re comfortable with going into a project and make those boundaries abundantly clear. Some VNs can venture into very unpleasant territory — rape, abuse, gore, catgirls, etc. — and it’s best to ask yourself up front if you could, in good conscience, commit to editing that sort of content. Set your limits early on, then make sure your team’s fully aware of them. 7. Have a sense of humor At the end of the day, VNs are entertainment. Unless you’re editing Saya no Uta 2: Vom Harder, it’s probably okay to approach your H-scripts with a subtle sense of play. A decent chunk of your audience will either be fast-forwarding through these scenes outright, or paying far more attention to the visuals than the script. So think of these times as exhibition games in your script editing schedule. They’re opportunities to spread your wings a little bit, try a few stylistic experiments — maybe even slip in a sly joke or two. And even if everything doesn’t quite work, we’ll still respect you in the morning.

Gonna go ahead and make this update here as well. When I have something more than just the weekly update to share about the project, I'll make a blog post about it on my own blog, (so I don't spam the dev feed.) Hello everyone! Today I have great news, and some kind of meh news. First the good news! Porygon has finalized the patch making tools, so we can now get all sorts of stuff worked out. (Previously we had issues with the text not displaying right, some symbols dissapearing etc. That's all gone now.) On the translation side of things, I had some days off this week and got some decent work done. The progress has moved quite a lot since the last update. (Progress update and more is below.) Now for some meh news. I have a really important exam in one week, (like, if I don't study like crazy, I am so failing it,) and so I am kind of studying myself to death here. Because of that, next week I wont have a lot of time to translate. I will still make updates like usual, but expect like, a miniscule amount of progress the next week or two, as I try my hardest not to fail and screw up my life Also, @Meat_Bun1 is back on the project as an editor, and he will be fixing all the silly mistakes left in by me. Anyways, progress time! Here is the progress, and also, for those interested, a few pictures of the translation in game. (Note that these pictures have completely un-edited lines, so ... You know, this is not the quality of the final translation.) Progress: Pictures:

Karin (Chibi Vampire) What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think or Shounen romance? Bland? Shallow? Stagnating? Un-progressive? Well, for about 90% of the Shounen romance mangas that is indeed correct. Karin however, is a different story. But before we jump into that, first some background information. Karin (Chibi Vampire in the US) is about Karin, your average 16-year old high-school girl, but she has a secret. She is a vampire, a mysterious vampire, who can walk in the sunlight, and when Usui Kenta transfers to her class, all sort of different kinds of events start rolling ahead. The manga, drawn Yune Kagesaki, by started it's serialization in late 2003 and finished February 2008. It consisted of 58 chapters and 8 special chapters (omakes and special side story chapters), spanning through 14 volumes. Karin also got a full anime of 24 episodes, which started airing late 2005. There was a light novel series of Karin in 2003, written by Tohru Kai and illustrations bythe original author of the manga, which spans 9 volumes and is fully transated in English, both the manga and the light novel. Back on topic, I read Karin about 2 years ago in my native language in a library close by. Needless to say, it was my first romance-driven manga I've read. I say it's a Shounen manga, but honestly it feels more like a Shoujo manga, but it's officially tagged as such, so I'm rolling with it. As I was saying, Shounen romance is just torture to me, but luckily I had no clue about manga and it's classification, so I didn't mind at that point, and if had, I probably wouldn't have read this wonderful piece ever. As a Shounen manga, you probably have some doubts about this manga's romcom nature. I'll say this, throw those doubts in the incinerator. As I said, this manga has a huge shoujo feel to it, basically meaning it actually has good, progressing, heart-warming romance in it, and it has a conclusive ending, believe it or not. The start of Karin is a little on the slow side, and shows Karin's personality well in the first few chapters you'll read. It tells you your main character's personality well, and with almost no needless filler. In those few starting chapters, you get to know the supporting cast, the Maakas and Usui Kenta. As Karin gets to know Usui better and he more or less unintentionally finds out Karin's rather bloody secret, she and Usui get more friendly. Usui's situation also gives an insentive for some rather generic romcom moments, albeit with refereshing twists. This goes on for a while, with some side cast developments, like Karin's little sister, Anju, and Usui's mother, Fumio. This goes on for a while, until the first major twist comes into play when everything literally blows up in Karin's face in a bloody fashion, and as a result the Usuis think of leaving the whole town, with pressure from an other party. This brings us to our first conflict, which gets resolved quite nicely with drama, but not too much drama. Quickly after that Karin and Usui become an item. The second half of the manga is basically lovey-dovey romcom, an introduction of a new character that plays some importance to the plot and the final twist. I won't spoil it as you should read it yourself. The climax and the ending are something to look forward to. All in all, the plot is nothing too special and it doesn't really bring anything new to the table, but the twist are executed so well. It has some Shounen air to it, but overall plays out like a Shoujo manga. The art is pretty stellar for something made in the early 2000's, but it's till weak sometimes. It plays well to the theme and the facial expressions are really cute. I have zero issues with the art style. The characters, even side ones, are well fleshed out, and bring some nice color to the scenes. The length of the manga is average. It's not that long, but the chapter total can be deceiving as the chapters are long, spanning from 20 pages to even over 40. For a manga made rather early, it's one of the only ones I really adore. It'll blow your expectations of what Shounen romance manga is out of the water and leave you with a nice feeling. I'll quarantee it. Still to this day, it's my favorite Shounen romcom. You should definitely give this old-ish classic a try. I heard that even the anime is pretty good.