adamstan

Yeah, that would make nice reason for reread **************************************************** Today I finished another route in Tenshin Ranman - this time it was Sana's (little sister) route. It was great - much better than Hime's route, at least for me. How to say it... - it had proper tension, and just the right amount of drama. And quite satisfying ending.

I have high hopes for WA2 - but at the same time I'm a bit afraid to start it - I had similar feeling about Clannad I have very fond memories of LB!, but it might be too long to reread right now, with my backlog So far I've reread Princess Evangile (two times - once in English and once in Japanese) and Konosora (in Japanese).

Yesterday I finished first route in Tenshin Ranman Happy GO Lucky - Hime's route. It was... okay, I guess? How to say it... it wasn't bad, there were lots of quite funny moments, and I cannot say I didn't enjoy it, but at the same time it felt a bit bland - as in, it didn't make me want to immediately read the rest of the routes. I'll probably do it anyway, since there might be some gems hidden there, and the game isn't bad, but I guess I expected something more from the "main girl's" route. Or perhaps it's just that the standard Yuzusoft's moege formula doesn't work for me as well as it should? So far I finished four Yuzusoft's games - Noble Works, Sanoba Witch, Natsuzora Kanata and PARQUET. And even though I rated them all with 8 points, I think that nakigey Natsukana was the best. Perhaps I should raise its score to 8.5? Sanoba Witch and PARQUET also had nakige elements. And Noble Works might be a bit overrated by me, since it was one of the first few VNs I've read.

Same. Actually I was interested in it even before the whole "controversy" - on the contrary, I was quite happy that original developer is releasing non-porn version for PC (and that said version also includes Japanese text). And here's the link to the game's page, where the writer talks about all those changes: https://laplacian.jp/yonagi/en/column/column-05/ Now, if someone would be so kind to port Hoshi Ori Yume Mirai - Converted Edition to PC I'd be really happy, since so far it isn't playable in emulators... (It kind of runs on Vita3k, but without sound and it's rather glitchy)

@ChaosRaven thanks for your review I'm even more late to the party, since I haven't started it yet. I got interested in Higurashi after I found out that I liked World End Syndrome (BTW where's the damn sequel!?). I'm still on the fence whether to read this in Japanese or in English, since it's already veeeeery long, so with my JP reading speed it would take ages to finish. How would you rate translation quality?

I just started Tenshin Ranman Happy GO Lucky PC. It looks very nice, has the distinctive Yuzusoft's art style, and seems to be nice charage. UI in this version is indeed updated, and seems to be the same as in, for example, PARQUET, with flowchart, lots of skipping and rewinding options etc I just completed the prologue, and during the OP sequence I encountered one weird bug - videos are flipped in both axes - meaning they're upside down and mirrored I haven't found the patch online - perhaps it hasn't been released yet. Video files themselves are packed into KiriKiri's *.xp3 archives, so fixing that would probably involve unpacking, unflipping them in some video editor, re-encoding and repacking... 面倒くさい...

Okay, yesterday I finished '&' - Sora no Mukou de Sakimasu you ni -, and while it was good, I have to say that Nine was better Main themes of And seem to be friendship and the nature of wishes. The routes can be divided into few groups. First there are three "introductory" routes - Riko, Tsukasa and Maki. What surprised me is that each route tells completely different story - after finishing Riko's route I expected that this is the gist of the main plot, and now other routes will just fill in the gaps or reveal more, but it was nothing like that. Of course, each route features some kind of trouble related to artifacts, but that's the only thing that connects them. Those routes mostly let us know the characters more, and provide lots of background info, and also bits and pieces of information about artifacts. I enjoyed those routes, and even though romance isn't the focus here - it's treated like in some action-adventure games or movies - but it was still nice to see MC getting closer with a girl I also laughed often, both in common route and in character routes - and Riko's little sisters are one of the cutest and moest things I saw in a VN for a long time . Moving on to the next level, there is Yae's route. It featured very amusing, almost RPG-like adventure with lots of action and kind of set the ground for the true route, introducing some of the important threads and characters. And Yae herself is very interesting girl to be around Completing aforementioned four routes unlocks Urara's route, which is over twice as long as the other ones, and serves as a true route, tying up together all bits and pieces from other routes, and revealing the truth behind the artifacts and wish-granting tree that spawned them. Relationship between MC and Urara is also a bit more developed than in other routes, but it still isn't the main focus. Nevertheless I found this route to be very good, especially since I liked Urara, so I have no problem with her being the main heroine. While the finale wasn't as epic and emotional as Nine's, it was still very good. And I think the game should end right there. However, there's more - and perhaps that's where they overdid it a little. First, completing true route unlocks mini-route for Seira - cute girl who's the first character we meet in the VN, right in the prologue. It has a bit of fandisc-feeling, presenting kind of light-hearted what-if alternative to the main story. Seira is cute, her story was fun, but nothing special. And then console version adds one more route - which seems to be half-joke one, but it was a huge letdown for me The main problem was that the "heroine" of this route is a trap Juri. The story in this route was pretty absurd, wandering into Majikoi territory, and while it was supposed to be about restoring the severed friendship - kind of an answer to one of the other endings - it was packed with weird lewd undertones that didn't sit too well with me, so I finished the whole VN with kind of sour aftertaste Like I mentioned before, I played All-ages PS3 version. It is the "lazy" kind of all-ages version - which might be considered both good and bad, depending on the point of view and implementation. It doesn't alter the story or give any replacement scenes - it just skips the porn, but the characters are banging off-screen. Almost Steam-ready The only additional content in PS3 version is the abovementioned Juri's route - which sadly I didin't enjoy too much. I'd prefer to have Shouko's route if anything - she appears in many other routes, and with her backstory it could make for pretty interesting route, perhaps in the YMK vein... So, to sum it up... This VN looks great - I really loved the art, although it would benefit from some more backgrounds and CGs. Music was also nice, although it got a bit repetitive after some time. Main story was quite engaging. So, considering all that, even though by the time I finished the game I was a bit disappointed, I still think it deserves at least 8/10. PS While I didn't find it overly difficult to read, it would be a bitch to translate, because it often features kanji puns or creative furigana usage, that would require long-winded explanations in English in place of the few words used in JP. ********************************** My next read will be probably Tenshin Ranman, since I recently grabbed newly released all-ages PC port from DLsite

Today I found some time and inspiration, and so I pasted another portion of original Japanese text into Ren'py, reaching the middle of 6th chapter

That's tough question I haven't taken any of the JLPT tests, but I estimate I'm somewhere between N4 and N3 levels. I often had to look up unknown words, but I think I understood most of the text, and I enjoyed it. FWIW, I think from the titles listed, I found Natsuzora Kanata to be relatively easy - compared to other untranslated VNs I've read. I think the most important thing is to be familiar with grammar, so you get the sentences structure, and eventually just look up unknown words.

Translated / in English: World End Syndrome - while it's console-only, it is translated, and can be also played on PC via Switch emulators. Key's AIR also takes place in a small town. Yukizakura also should work - it's rural setting, but in winter. And Katawa Shoujo perhaps? As for untranslated ones that I read and enjoyed - Himawari no Kyoukai to Nagai Natsuyasumi and Natsuzora Kanata. Especially the latter has setting very similar to Summer Pockets. Then there's also yet-untranslated Umikana's sequel - Ano Hi no Tabibito, Fureau Mirai.

I have very fond memories of Katawa Shoujo, even though it wasn't my first VN. I remember great, often very soothing music and kind of comfy (?) atmosphere. Also, the characters were quite memorable and well written. For some weird reasons some switch got flipped in my memory, and in my head I remembered the voices of the characters even though the game was unvoiced For me this is one of the true gems, not only for OELVN, but among VNs in general. This, together with The Language of Love is one of the very few OELVNs (perhaps even the only ones) that managed to convincingly pull off the japanese setting. I even remember some people on the forums believing that KS was translated JVN My favorite routes and heroines were Lily and Hanako.

Yes, I'm definitely going to pick up Hello Lady as well. And it seems that NekoNyan's edition will also include Japanese text, so that's nice Yesterday I finished first route in And. I loved it, and I think anyone who liked Nine would also like And. It's like Nine, but with group of childhood friends - there's also a bit of Little Busters' mood there. I'm looking forward to other routes Apart from childhood friends theme, the other difference is that And is (even) less focused on romance than Nine. As for sex scenes, it seems that, at least for Riko's route that I finished, console version just skips the sex scene itself, but the scenario isn't rewritten, and so characters are having sex, just off screen. BTW in the PC version of And H-scenes are marked by the momentary blackout and textbox changing color from blue to pink - and then another blackout at the end. So the all-ages version just skips the part between the two blackouts

There are two options. Either comyu is really written in such way or the translation is shit. Since it has been translated by ixrec, both are equally possible I've heard somewhere that the style of the writers responsible both for comyu and for "And" can be hard, but so far the japanese used in And seems pretty normal to me most of the time.

Yeah, because those are not just CGs but whole scenes. And it could also pose licensing problem, since PSP version has different voice for Himeo (and much better one actually ). That's why I suggested separate edition, like with Princess Evangile. ******************************************************************** As for my current read - '&' - Sora no Mukou de Sakimasu you ni - Yesterday I reached the OP, and I think this was the end of common route. So far this VN is great. I see lots of parallels to Nine, and I wonder if Nine's writer was inspired by it, or if both games have common source so to speak. Also yesterday I encountered kind-of easter egg - when Kuichirou was giving names to the "artifacts", for some he used names taken either from mythology or fantasy. For example, four of those names were taken from Tolkien's books:

Of course, the mosaic is the whole point of this gag (There's normal version shown before, and then mosaic gets introduced, and Kou's thoughts wander into dangerous direction ) It would be nice if they did the same thing as with Princess Evangile - release port of console version as an separate all-ages edition.

Now, that kind of lewd joke was pretty bold fo +15 release

Today I started PS3 version of '&' - Sora no Mukou de Sakimasu you ni - . I played for 3 hours so far (I'm still in the prologue), but I'm loving what I've seen up to now. It looks beautiful, the music is great and characters are, how to say it... it's all engaging right from the start, at least for me. Initially I chose this game because of "reuniting childhood friends with a bit of supernatural thrown in" premise - a bit like Amber Quartz which I loved. According to vndb's plot summary it also seems to feature some kind of "artifacts", so that brings 9 -nine- to mind. Nice combo, if you like such things, that is As for the minor things - I really like the look of font this VN uses. And group of friends in flashbacks! (It's right from the prologue, so it shouldn't be that big of a spoiler)

According to TV tropes most erotica writers are horny teenage girls (although perhaps that doesn't apply to VNs) ********************************************************************************* Going back to the main topic... Two days ago I finished DameKoi. It didn't exactly WOW me, but still I consider it to be very good. I had a rough start with it - it took some time to get used to the format, but then it kind of gained traction, and from the third or fourth chapter onwards everything was ok. I really liked the characters and dynamics between them - which seems to be one of Maruto's highlights. Heroines are one thing, but also side characters were very well done. I loved the trio of Mitoko's classmates - Matsuru, Rinko and Tsuyoshi. Three guys living at the house were also quite funny, and brought in some "Maison Ikkoku" anime mood I did routes in the "ladder order", meaning Kaya -> Himeo -> Asami -> Mitoko. Kaya was nice girl, and I enjoyed her route, even if it's clearly kind of "side" route. It wasn't anything special, but still nice. However, in the beginning I couldn't possibly imagine how in the hell Himeo could become love interest for Osamu Thumbs up for pulling this off Himeo turned out really lovely, although when it comes to blonde classic tsunderes, I still think her spiritual step-sister Katori Rea was even better Nevertheless her love for both Osamu and Mitoko is something to see. It was also nice to see how she grew up. Then there was Asami. I said it already, but I really loved how the game subtly shows the lingering feelings between her and Osamu and the intimacy they once shared as a married couple. If Mitoko's route wasn't as well done as it was, this would be perhaps my canon route - I really rooted for Asami and Osamu getting back together, since it was quite obvious they belong together - they just had to grow up to it. Mitoko's route was a hell of a ride - a true rollercoaster, and well, considering the stormy nature of teenage feelings, and the mess this kind of love is, I consider it well done. It did pretty good job at portraying Osamu's and Mitoko's struggle with their own feelings. I think it's good to play it last, since the "True" end unlocked after completing all other routes is actually the whole second (or rather third) part of the route, with quite significant portion of the story in it. Without it the route just kind of cuts off right in the middle. As you might know, I played all-ages version, and I have to say that its only drawback was low resolution, since it was available only for PSP. Otherwise I loved it, especially since I found animated H-scenes from the Mangagamer's release and their placement totaly not to my taste. The scenes themselves looked like slightly polished-up scenes from flash-based porn games, and while that's what ultimately brought me to VNs, today I don't like that kind of sex scenes outside the nukige - and I don't consider Damekoi a fap fodder. On the other hand, additional scenes in console release were great - they expanded the story, often were heartwarming or just funny, and the story had much better flow. I'd take them in a heartbeat over generic porn scenes. And according to the credits and cover, the PSP adaptation was also written by Maruto and Kikakuya group he's member of, so it all fits well. Apart from the various scenes scattered over the whole story, the most significant additions are added or extended post-credits epilogues for heroines who didn't have them in adult version. There's also completely new epilogue for the whole game (continuing from Mitoko's true end, accessible from main menu after clearing all endings) - so PSP version has 7 endings in total. That last epilogue is a bit similar to the "The Day I Found My Wings" from Flight Diary, since it's told from Mitoko's perspective. Below under spoiler tags are CGs unique to PSP version: Kaya: Himeo: Asami: Mitoko: So all in all, it was very nice VN with some minor drawbacks. I'd love to get high-res PC backport of the PSP version. 8/10

Could you at least list the titles here?

I got burned on previous Maruto's titles - especially by final h-scene in Folklore Jam, but I found scenes in Parfait or Kono Aozora ni Yakusoku o also to be rather detracting from the game's overall quality - all-ages versions were better and more consistent for me. So while his character and relationship writing is great, I don't trust him on ero stuff In each case it felt like something added because "PC VN has to be eroge".

I also have WA2 on my backlog, but since I'm going for all-ages version (PS3), no translation for me Actually, when I think about it, recently I switched almost completely to playing VNs in Japanese. I never thought that would actually happen The last VN I read in English was World End Syndrome (because text-hooking from the Switch emulator was impossible back then) in February, and before that, Making Lovers in June 2020. I have two weeks off starting next week (basically to the end of the year), but I don't think I will go with White Album 2 for my next read. First I have to finish Damekoi. And then, on the 24th of December Yuzusoft releases PC port of their all-ages version of Tenshin Ranman (previously available only for PSP) - and I think I will read either that or '&' - Sora no Mukou de Sakimasu you ni - (PS3 version). I'm becoming more and more of an "All-ages junkie" I'll read an eroge every now and then (when there's no good all-ages version available), but more often than not I find the H-scenes in eroges I read a turn off - either because they are just generic porn scenes featuring porn stunt doubles of the characters from the VN, or because of their jarring placement (or both )

Since I caught covid at 7th November, I had almost six weeks long break in reading. Recently I finally almost fully recovered, and so I resumed reading Damekoi PSP. Currently I'm at 13th chapter and going for (or actually already almost entered) Asami's route. While I had some complaints at the beginning of the game, it gets better and better as it goes, and as I got used to it. I'm loving how the relationship between Osamu and Asami is portrayed, and I'm really rooting for them. Let's see how it unfolds.

@0xDC00, I have another question. When I loaded my abovementioned DameKoi script into latest agent version (0.1.1) it seems to work (console shows "onEnter" message and memory contents of the address it landed on), but it doesn't copy text to clipboard. So my questions are - how do you create custom scripts for this new version, and how do you search for hooks for it? I found no information on github or discord. Update: My old script for Princess Evangile works. The only difference between the two is that PE uses utf16 encoding, while Damekoi uses shift-jis, and it seems that when I load it into new version of agent, it doesn't recognize the encoding.

In 3DOELVNs those are usually signs of early incest version that has been poorly covered up for patreon purposes

Only when playing on emulator. It's quite cumbersome process to find a hook code, but for some games it works. But machine translations from Japanese still suck.