Understand, chuunige mostly appeal to a very core fanbase. The style, the fact that they don't translate well, and the fact that most of the action/story is so 'out there' makes the games unapproachable. The sheer amount of text means that localization costs are through the roof, which makes things worse, of course.
I'm being realistic, ignoring my inner fanboy who screams everybody should love chuunige because charage suck in comparison. However, that is the flat-out truth.
So, I decided to make a list of chuunige I believe would sell in the west/appeal more to the western brain... and not just the core fanbase. I have these ordered by the most likely to the least.
1. Bullet Butlers- I say Bullet Butlers is the most accessible precisely because it uses a lot of elements that Western audiences can easily grasp without having to be 'deep' into otaku media. Zombies, elves, dragons, and orcs. Firearms as the most common weapon type, superviolence, and a film noir atmosphere to a great deal of the game. If I were to name one chuunige that has the potential to be a hit (by VN standards), if properly advertised, it is this one.
2. Draculius- If I were to name a sort-of chuunige that is accessible to people that don't particularly like chuunige, this would be it. If you liked the best parts of Libra and hated the rest, you'll probably like this game. It has aged somewhat, but the characters are unique, the story is excellent, and the humor is recognizable on both sides of the ocean.
3. Hello, Lady- Yes, I went there. If you can enjoy Narita Shinri, you will like this game, regardless of your genre preference. Narita Shinri is a protagonist who will earn as many haters as he does lovers, and there won't be that much room in between. However, his story is very much one that is visceral and easily comprehensible for any human who has lost someone they loved.
4. Shinigami no Testament- 3rdEye's chuunige are accessible. I could put any chuunige by that company in this spot other than Bloody Rondo and say that it has the same potential for success. Even Bloody Rondo does have some appeal outside its genre (in fact, it probably has more, lol). 3rdEye is a company that I can use to brainwash newbies without overwhelming them, which is why I was happy when Sorcery Jokers got localized, lol.
5. Gekkou no Carnevale- I can guarantee someone is going to ask why I didn't mention any other Nitroplus game besides this one. However, the themes in this game are very Western, for the most part... and werewolves and murder are always guaranteed to catch the interest of a certain (surprisingly large) crowd over here. Put in living dolls and mafia connections as well, and you have a recipe for success.
I actually thought of naming some others, but when I seriously thought about it, the hurdles for a Westerner and non-chuunige addict for playing those were just too high. Anything Bakumatsu is going to be translated poorly, so Last Cavalier is out. Evolimit has potential, but I thought BB is more likely to catch hold of westerners who aren't already part of the scene. Anything like Dies Irae is almost guaranteed to flop if it isn't 100% crowd-funded (as in, all costs paid for by the crowd-funding), so Bradyon Veda and the Silverio series are out. Vermilion has similar problems. Muramasa suffers from swordsmanship infodumping that will probably cause the average reader's brain to go numb early on. Tokyo Necro has zombies, but the chances of people actually getting past the prologue are relatively low, despite the coolness of the story and setting. Izuna Zanshinken has enormous potential in the US, because of the style and the themes it tackles, but its episodic 'feeling' is a huge negative for some of us...
One thing I've noticed as a difference between the kind of VN consumer I am now and the one I was at at the beginning is that I fundamentally have difficulty mustering interest in sequels, fandiscs, and even anime continuations of my favorite VNs.
When I first started playing VNs, I was your classic fanboy. If they put out some kind of new story related to a VN I'd enjoyed, I'd snap it up in an instant. Before I started playing the untranslated, I would obsess over fandiscs and sequels to the point of staring at the Japanese sites for hours at a time.
Now, once I've finished a VN, if there is a solid conclusion to the VN, I actually actively dislike standard sequels and fandiscs that come out later. There are exceptions, such as where the setting itself transcends the cast of characters or where the VN in question was obviously sequel-bait or incomplete to the point where a fandisc was needed to fill in the blanks (ex: Akagoei). However, those are just that... exceptions.
So what's the difference in me? A lot of it is experience. Most fandiscs are just excuses for extra h-scenes with no real added content (in the sense of enhancing the content of the original), and the sequels tend to ruin the best parts of the original games for me or reuse characters that sucked in the first place (Bansenjin). Another part of it is that I've begun to draw parallels between the 'endless anime series' and the way some VNs seem to get endless amounts of extra content that are designed to waste the consumers' money. Heck, Tsuyokiss is a perfect example of a series that went too far for too long, even going so far as to use a 'second generation' of characters living in the same homes, related to the same people.
Majikoi is a rare exception, since its endless sequels have actually been well-filled out, interesting additions to a world that was already whacked-out to the extreme (the many varying ways Yamato lives based on who he picks in S and A are fascinating at times). In fact, the original game, at this point, pales in comparison to the massive amount of content that came later, lol. As I said, this is an exception rather than the rule.
I guess my point is that, while a sequel or a fandisc can sometimes be beneficial, my own attitude is always going to be skeptical at best, given my experiences.
At present, I'm conflicted between playing Silverio Trinity, a VN I've been anticipating for quite some time, and continuing Tales of Berseria, which I'm enjoying immensely. Right now, the balance of my thoughts is caught perfectly between the two, so I'd like yall to decide by tomorrow morning, lol.
I felt like giving a you all a preview of the first quarter of 2018, after reading this blog post:
I generally choose to refrain from posts like this that cover the future of an entire year, but I feel that I have a good grasp on what is coming out over the next three months that is worth paying attention to, based on my own experiences.
Grisaia Phantom Trigger Vol. 4
This is something to look forward to for anyone who has liked this series so far... more assassin action based in the same universe as Kajitsu and the others.
Yorite Konoha wa Kurenai ni
Let's get something straight... I don't have an absolute faith in Lump of Sugar as a company. If anything, their work over the last five years has proven to me that this is one of the least predictable moege companies out there. For every great VN they make, they make at least two games (usually three) that are pure crap or mediocre. The reason I keep going back to this company is for experiences like Hello,Goodbye, Tayutama (the original, not the sequel), and Sekai to Sekai no Mannaka de. This game looks like it is based in the far future of the same universe as Tayutama, where coexistence between humans and the spiritual beings have stabilized somewhat (based on the content from the Getchu page). As such, I'm willing to give this the benefit of th doubt, despite the somewhat sour experience I got from Tayutama 2.
Sora no Baroque
So far, Light has yet to produce a bad game. I have no reason to think this game, another work from Light's more prolific second team, will be an exception. For chuunige fans, this is the game to pay attention to for the first part of the year.
Chuuni Hime no Teikoku
With a scenario team that was involved with both the original Love Kami (the later games had a different set of writers) and Haruka ni Aogi, Uruwashi no, this is definitely a VN that will be worth looking at, despite being the first work of a new company. Of course, it could end up being delayed for the seventh time... it wouldn't surprise me at this point.
Shin Koihime Musou Kakumei Son Go no Ketsumyaku (note: The title used on vndb is incorrectly romanized)
Originally planned for a release this upcoming summer, this game has been moved forward to February. Like the release of Gi's rewritten route this past summer, we can look forward to a nicely reworked version of the original Go route from Shin Koihime Musou, which was already an excellently-written work.
Hataraku Otona no Ren'ai Jijou 2
This is worth noting because this series (of which this is the third game, despite the numbering) is one of the few non-nukige VNs out there that is set outside a school, and the previous games were enjoyable experiences.
Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteiru Mitsu no Kiraboshi (note: again, what is with the shitty romanizations on new entries on vndb of late?)
This is the third game in the Otoboku series, a third game made over seven years after the second, which was a kamige. Caramel Box has been a lot less prolific in the last few years than it was, so I was gleeful to find a new release by them coming up so soon.
Unjou no Fairy Tail
A new VN based in the same universe as Hoshi no Tsukurikata, meaning that we can look forward to yet more antics in a dystopian steampunk setting.
Kieta Sekai to Tsuki to Shoujo
This is the game for fans of Japanese horror mysteries to pay attention to this quarter. A dark-looking game about a young man who has returned to his hometown, only to find the people around him disappear one by one.
Butterfly Seeker
A new game by Silky's Plus. I am unsure if I want to hold out hopes for this game, as the writer is mostly an unknown, though he has worked for Liar-soft in the past.
There is a pretty good chance there won't be a VN of the month for June, simply because there aren't enough VNs coming out to make it a competition. As far as I can tell, there is only one not-nukige coming out for certain tonight (in our time) and it doesn't look like it will be one that is worthy of the VN of the Month, from the looks of it. I will still play and mini-review it, but please forgive me if you don't see a lot of new posts for the next month or so.
The Poll
To be straight with you, this is a suggestion that has been brought up numerous times by the small number of people I recommend books (in English) to. I am a bibliophile, with a focus on history, anthropology, fantasy, and science-fiction. It has been suggested to me that I should add book reviews/commentaries to my blog in addition to my posts on VNs. While this is in some ways a good idea... I'm unsure if it makes sense to post about non-otaku content in this blog.
Fantasy VNs
My first love has always been fantasy. When I was a kid, I found reality to be boring and had my own bout of chuunibyou, which lasted almost to the end of high school. That love of fantasy never went away, and I honestly have no desire for it to do so. Fantasy VNs make up approximately fifty-five percent of the VN of the Month quality VNs I've read over the years... a fact that is partially a function of my personal tastes and mostly a function of the fact that fantasy is 'flexible' in a way that most other genres aren't. To be blunt, the biggest selling point for the writer is that they can do whatever they want with a fantasy setting, as long as it is internally consistent.
For the reader, nothing beats the escapism provided by fantasy. Fiction, to one degree or another, is about escaping one's own life to experience the life of another person or persons. Fantasy is, in many ways, the penultimate genre for escapism... but in exchange, it demands certain capabilities of the reader. One is 'suspension of disbelief', a skill/capability that allows you to take the setting seriously, as long as it maintains its internal integrity. Another is the ability to see fantasy characters as people. Sadly, some people are incapable of either, and those are the type of people who generally can't understand or enjoy fantasy... even the 'grittier' and more 'realistic' stuff.
Science Fiction VNs
There is that infamous Clarke's Third Law, that any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic. This is the primary reason why fans of fantasy and science fiction find it so easy to go between the two... and also why the two genres tend to be in the same aisle at bookstores. Science fiction VNs again make up a disproportionate number of the best VNs out there, though to a lesser extent than fantasy (for the purposes of this argument, I relegate science-fantasy to the fantasy genre).
Science Fiction, however, is interesting to a much wider audience than fantasy, in some ways. It is less flexible than fantasy, because the writer ignores established theories at his/her peril, and science fiction readers are often popular science junkies, leading to a somewhat higher standard when it comes to consistency at times. The main reason for the popularity of this genre is that it is the 'genre of hope and despair', the Pandora's Box of fiction. In the mind of an idealistic sci-fi fan, the visions given to us by sci-fi writers are prophecies of a potential future, and in the eyes of the more cynical, they are warnings against future perils. Either way, this genre is immensely fun to discuss with others, and it can lead to some truly interesting... and long arguments.
Charage
The people who began producing the slice-of-life focused genre of VNs that eventually became the single largest umbrella genre in visual novels other than nukige have a lot to answer for. Because this 'genre' takes in bits and pieces from other genres at need, it makes up roughly one quarter of my highest quality VNs list (most of them fantasy or sci-fi ones)... but, on their own, charage are a poison pill for the Japanese end of the industry.
To be blunt, as Japanese society has begun to shift its attitudes, fewer and fewer people are playing non-nukige VNs in general, because charage are the 'face' of the medium. As older fans depart, fewer new fans take interest, and as a result, the medium itself suffers. That's not to say the VN industry is doomed... it's not, in the short term. Charage have momentum, and there is a solid core of people on the other side of the big salty puddle who absolutely adore even the most puerile moe-infested kusoge among them who will ensure the genre's survival for at least another decade. Unfortunately, profits are probably going to continue to drop from the medium's heyday all that time.
I do like charage... but the sheer mindlessness of a lot of the ones produced in the last four years or so has left me exasperated. This genre sometimes produces some truly excellent games, but the sheer amount of filth I have to wade through comes very close to making it not worth searching.
There was a time when online multiplayer was the dream of a bunch of idiot techies who thought it was the best idea it was possible for anyone to have.
Those were the days, lol.
I'm not kidding... I can mark the general era when I stopped playing games with other people to the days when online multiplayer superseded in-the-house multiplayer and split-screen coop games. For better or worse, I don't like playing games with strangers. It is uncomfortable, and I never have time to get used to people's habits before I play with them. So, I pretty much dropped about a third of all the game genres I used to like because the online multiplayer had become the center of their experience. I still occasionally buy and play FPS games, but I wait until I can get them used for under twenty dollars because that is all their solo campaigns are worth. I still keep an eye on the strategy game market, but more and more often, the online portions are coming to dictate the designs for the main games (the removal of pause and fast forward functionality is one obvious one for RTS games).
So... when I take a look around the gaming market, I see a massive portion of it that I'm not even remotely interested in simply because it went in a direction I couldn't follow due to my personality. VNs and classic jrpgs are comforting because there is no possibility for a stranger to come in and screw up your playing experience (one of the main reasons I hate online multiplayer). There is no need to compete with faceless strangers for resources in a Romance of the Three Kingdoms game, and I don't have to deal with people screaming about 'noobs' when I go back to replay Suikoden II.
In other words, I loathe the poisonous nature of online gaming. Sure, there are positive elements, but the peer pressure tends to resemble the worst of my high school and part time job experiences. I go to games for stress relief, not to have my stress increased, lol.
I guess it is because I go to games to manage stress as much as for enjoyment that I can't stand online gaming. Social elements of gaming are like a poison pill to me and to a lot of solo gamers... so why is it that they continue to add social elements even to games that really don't have a need for it? I chose to pick up No Man's Sky when it became apparent that even though it was a shared world, there was no need to actually deal with other people to enjoy it. For once, someone is using game servers for something other than proxy socialization and petty one-upsmanship under the guise of gaming... and I'm immensely gladdened by that fact.
I've been considering this for some time, but it has suddenly become a reality.
To be blunt, I've come to my limit when it comes to playing pure SOL games. Oh, I can still enjoy many of them, but if you asked me whether I can look at them without my resentment of 'normal' SOL content blinding me, the answer is no. If I have to read through one more template date scene or see another osananajimi climb through the window from next door, I'm going to start tearing out the last remaining hairs atop my head.
*coughs* Ahem, now that I've got that out, it needs to be said that I've been doing this since September of 2012... a ridiculous amount of time to be playing roughly 80% of all non-nukige VNs that come out (I'm figuring those I dropped or just couldn't play because they were just that bad into the twenty percent).
Just to be clear, I will still continue to play VNs and comment on/review them in this blog. However, I will no longer play as many outside my tastes, nor will I go out of my way to seek gems from companies I hate reading from.
I realized while I was playing Koisaku (Ensemble's latest game), that a few years ago, I would have read this game without any real problems, and I wouldn't even have blinked at the crap that now drives me up the wall. Oh sure, Ensemble's base quality has fallen massively, but when I took a step back, this is actually one of the better amongst their more recent games, with plenty of indications of real stories for the heroines in the background. However, I found I just couldn't tolerate it.
It hit me in the date scene that occurs in the common route... I have no tolerance for date scenes at all anymore. Scenes like that exist for every heroine in every SOL VN, and they all turn out in almost an identical fashion. Reading it, even though it was basically a 'friend date', was like dragging my brain through mud. I just couldn't do it.
I promised myself that I wouldn't BS myself on this particular matter years ago... and I knew the limit was coming. I just didn't realize that it would be this soon.
So, I have to announce that this is the end of my VN of the Month column. Now, all that remains is my Random VNs and whatever VNs I choose to play each month.
I will continue to play what I'm interested in, and that will probably include slice-of-life at times. However, I will no longer play SOL out of a sense of duty to my readers.
My original reasons for starting VN of the Month
When I first started Clephas' VN of the Month, it was because vndb gives nothing to you for info on their games beyond poor tls of the game summary from Getchu, character profiles, and sometimes tags (that might or might not be accurate). I felt that that didn't do most games justice, and I hated the way I had to go into a game blind on so many occasions. As such, I started putting up commentaries on just what kind of VN I was playing, with few or no spoilers. This was a need that, at the time, was not being fulfilled (and as far as I know, still isn't, since most reviewers include major spoilers because they are inconsiderate).
Over time, my routine each month started with figuring out which games weren't nukige and which I would play first... and picking out which one was the best after I played them (the latter of course being entirely a matter of my opinion, informed as it might be).
However, it is time to set down my burden. I tried handing off my work to others, and that worked for a while (thanks to @Dergonu@fun2novel@BookwormOtaku@Kiriririri for their help over the last year - yes, even you, Kiriririri). In the end, though, I'm just one man... and one middle-aged man with increasingly bad health isn't going to be able to keep this up any longer. Heck, I'm amazed i kept going this long.
I do hope someone else takes up the torch of at least informing people of what to expect in newer games (and not just the ones from popular companies), but that isn't my job anymore.
Thanks for reading,
Clephas
For those looking forward to my comments on Hook Soft's latest release, I should probably warn you that I've yet to finish every route of any Hook Soft game. If you ask me the reason... it is pretty simple. Hook Soft is the charage 'ideal' company. I say this because I've never encountered a company that sticks so tightly to the 'golden road' of the charage.
Moe-moe heroines with soft, non-threatening personal settings? Check.
Cute tsunderes that just have trouble being honest with their feelings? Check.
Goofy fantasy gimmicks that appeal to the otaku and only the otaku? Check.
Blatant 'choosing' of the heroine (as opposed to more ambiguous choices that lead to a heroine path or ending)? Check.
Tons of excessive ichaicha (the reason I can never play all the routes of one of these games)? Check.
To be blunt, for those who love to be buried in sugar and sweets, Hook Soft's games are pure heaven. However, if you find the obsession with the ichaicha and dating stages of a heroine path tiresome, they tend to wear on the nerves.
Edit: At this rate, I'm going to puke granulated sugar... two routes is my limit with this game. Even doing one is giving me a headache, lol.
In this month's releases comes a sequel I've been looking forward to for two years (since it was quietly first leaked), Tayutama 2.
Tayutama 2 is based fifty years after the end of Tayutama (the original). To be specific, it is based on the Mashiro ending from that one (straight out the best immortal heroine ending I've seen in any charage). However, because it is based off of that ending, it spoils the main story completely, making it a necessity for you to have at least played Mashiro's path to understand how things ended up the way they have in the new game... and because the old heroines return as side or main characters (though not as heroines). This is just based off of me gathering information from the Lump of Sugar website, the official Tayutama website, and Getchu...
Tayutama was my first in-Japanese non-chuunige... and it is the reason I keep going back to LoS, despite the fact that I've been tempted to get a friend to use spambots on their support page for putting out almost all kusoge in the last four years. The magic of Tayutama is that, despite its moe-moe appearance, it showed me that even what I later came to call charage could still have a solid story, a well-designed setting, and a cast of characters that you actually wanted to experience as people, rather than just vicariously experience sex with. In other words, the mercy and lenience I'm willing to grant charage (though it might seem slight) was born from playing this game, so I do recommend it.
For those interested in playing the new game after the old one, an omnibus of the original and its fandisc was recently released, so feel free to get ahold of that one, since it is already Windows 7/8/10 ready, unlike the original version, which requires update patches to work on the later Windows systems, lol.
Now, for those interested in what I intend to play from September's end of the month releases... I'll list them here.
Natsu no Majo no Parade (maybe, maybe not... I don't have enough on this VN to make the decision now)
Kanojo ＊ Step (by the parent company of Hook Soft, which specializes in soft, pure-hearted charage)
Tayutama 2 (as I mentioned above)
Sen no Hatou, Tsukisome no Kouki (I'm a little exasperated that they are using a half-gakuen half-fantasy setting, but there is enough interesting stuff in the description for me to want to try it, despite having my hands repeatedly burned playing August games)
Furerute Love Connect: Ore to Kanojo no Aijou Hyougen (about a 50/50 chance I'll play this... since I dropped Nephrite's first game out of boredom three years ago)
Kyonyuu Fantasy Gaiden 2 After -Osutashia no Yabou (another gaiden story for Kyonyuu Fantasy/Funbag Fantasy. Since I actually like the setting of the game series, I'm curious if this new one will add anything interesting to the series)
Interesting stuff
Nitroplus is releasing an all-ages version of Tokyo Necro at the end of the month, for those who don't want to deal with the rape, choukyou, and other half-offensive sexual scenes in the game. Since h-scenes are actually the least offensive element of this VN, I have to wonder why they bothered, lol. However, I'm sure at least some of you will want to try it.
Liarsoft is re-releasing two more games, one from its Rail-soft lineup and one from its own, at the end of the month: Zettai Chikyuu Boueiki Mega Laughter and Kagerou Touryuuki. While I haven't played either, those who want to see what Liarsoft and Liarsoft's primary subsidiary used to produce will probably find this to be enlightening, lol.
At the moment, that's about it.
Since ceasing VN of the Month, I've been slowly recovering from my years of over-reading VNs, the vast majority of them ones I normally wouldn't have taken an interest in. While I still play VNs regularly, I do so at a slower pace, reading more conventional literature and playing normal games as much as I do them.
I recently began to regain some of my VN stamina (though I will never get back to where I was), and I've found that even the SOL VNs I choose to play are far less stressful than before. It is nice to reconfirm that I truly love VNs, after so many years playing far too many charage threatened to make me hate them.
However, I've also noticed that I am far less tolerant of obvious blunders and poor choices on the part of writers, regardless of genre. When something touches on my pet peeves, I immediately drop the VN, and I lose all urge to play it, often for months after. This was the case with Sorceress Alive and it is also the case with Raillore to Ryakudatsusha (dameningen protagonists with no interesting or redeeming traits are one of my pet peeves).
On the other hand, my stamina for 'sweetness' and 'ichaicha' in a VN has recovered somewhat, and I can play a route in a charage with no troubles... However, I no longer desire to play any routes other than that of my favorite heroine. I used to mechanically run through all the heroines in a VN without hesitation or slowing down, but now I only go for the one or two heroines that interest me, ignoring the others entirely.
This change in my own behavior leaves me somewhat bemused, though I can see where it comes from rationally. I simply got tired of plowing through huge numbers of boring heroines that almost buried the good ones, lol.
I'll be blunt... despite appearances, this isn't a chuunige. It is a sort of cross between fantasy, science fantasy, and mystery. I'll just say that I wasn't impressed by it... if only because there were numerous technical failures throughout the game (think the kind of BGM random cut-offs you sometimes encounter in older games), and most of the story is shared by all the paths... the only difference is in the epilogue, h-scenes, and who dies and lives at the end.
The protagonist is a former detective who is living in virtual exile in a walled-off city occupied by foreign military forces. It is pretty much a lawless city, where just about anything can happen... which would have been more interesting if so much of the VN hadn't been the protagonist being pushed around, unable to adapt to events.
For those who start reading this VN... it isn't your imagination. There is very little 'conversation' in this VN, though there is a lot of talking back and forth. Almost no one in this VN listens when someone else speaks and half the characters are either deranged or seemingly senile. The protagonist has something resembling common sense... except when it fails solely to make the story move forward after endless scenes that were probably intended to get you to like the heroines and other characters but don't quite manage it.
A few examples... Antonio the failed mafioso who forgets what he told someone five minutes later and can't follow instructions to save his life. His friend Mint who basically repeats what other people say and acts like a small child with the body of a man. Colossus, the sneak thief who got trapped in the city because he thought the ladder over the great wall was a way into a rich man's house... it goes on and on. The number of people that are incapable of listening in this VN made me want to pound my head on a wall. If it were just one or two, it would have been funny... but almost every character in this VN shows signs of this quality at one point or another.
It might sound funny but it quickly begins to wear on your nerves when you realize the conversations never go anywhere and there isn't a punchline.
The mystery of this VN is revealed in bits and pieces along the way... but by the time you start getting an outline of what is going on, you've most likely grown to hate the entire cast of characters. There are some scenes near the end that are definitely intended to be emotional... but simply aren't because you haven't developed an attachment to them. The fact that this extends to the heroines to one extent or another only makes things worse.
In the end, what am I trying to say? Don't play this VN unless you are a masochist... a really hard masochist. It really is painful to struggle through this mess.
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 long enough for your memories to fade: The human brain has a tendency to 'compress' old memories, and it is rare person who, through training or at birth, possesses an eidetic memory. As a result, details do fade over a period of time that tends to vary greatly with the individual. In my case, the base runs from a year to a year and a half for VNs that made a good impression and four months for ones that didn't.
2- Pick your paths: When it comes down to it, most of us are going back for a particular heroine or path. We aren't that interested in rehashing the heroine paths that we didn't find that interesting, and this is only natural. Sagaoz and other sites with complete saves can let you go to the true ending without bothering with the heroine endings, if that is what you want.
3- With gameplay hybrids, make full use of your save data: Most VN hybrids have NG+ built in, and as a result, you can breeze through the game portions of most of them rather easily by simply using your own save data. This is immensely helpful in games with a particularly tedious bent (like srpgs), where re-leveling would take forever.
4- Limit replays to your favorites: While I occasionally get a junk-food-like craving for something crappy that nonetheless remained in memory, in most cases I only really enjoy replaying my favorite VNs (in my case, a list of about fifty).
5- Nakige and utsuge work, but pure charage don't: I'm not kidding. Pure charage are agonizing to replay, no matter how long after you go back. I can still cry for the sad scenes in a Key game, but if you asked me to replay anything by Feng or most games by Navel, I'd rather cut off my balls and hang them out to dry on my windowsill.
6- If you fall asleep, just stop- In my experience, nothing is worse than getting bored of your favorites and then forcing yourself to continue. If you can't pay attention or if you suddenly lose interest, it is time to stop. If you force yourself to continue, there is a distinct possibility you will ruin your own impressions of the game in question for future playthroughs.
7- Stay away from pure mindfucks- I shouldn't have to explain this, but I will... the value of a mindfuck is in its surprise. Games centered on a mindfuck, with the sole purpose of trying to fool you into thinking one thing while something else is going on, are terrible for VN replays. This is because they are probably the most spoiler-vulnerable genre out there.
8- Highly emotional or intellectually stimulating works will often gain more depth: This isn't a fanciful statement. In my experience, a VN that is trying to get across something else besides pure story or something that is trying to make you cry will inevitably make for a better replay than something that is just shoving sex, romance, and comedy in your face. I could probably replay Houkago no Futekikakusha, for instance, three or four times in a year without the emotional aspects fading significantly, and I find new things out about Dies Irae, Vermilion, and Devils Devel Concept with each playthrough.
9- Infodumpers take longer to recover from: Bradyon Veda, I/O, Muramasa, etc... VNs that infodump seriously as part of the storytelling tend to leave a lot of info inside your brain. As a result, it takes significantly longer for your memories of them to fully 'compress'. Don't expect to be able to enjoy anything with frequent infodumps at less than one and a half times that of any of your other favorites.
10- A good night's sleep is your friend: Why am I emphasizing this? Because to get the best out of a truly great VN, a well-rested body and brain is necessary. Nothing kills enjoyment of a good story like being unable to grasp it due to brain-numbness from sleep deprivation.
Hope yall enjoyed my little lecture, lol.
Agobarrier, who was the writer of Shuffle (the work most familiar to people here) was one of my favorite non-chuuni VN writers. Ironically, his best works were all written after leaving Navel and its massive stream of liquid cash to form Rosebleu, my favorite comedy company. I started going back through his entire library of works (or at least the ones I've played and own) since I heard of his death in mid-April, and as I replay his final work, Valkyrie Runabout, I feel a need to look back on what he did for me, personally (though he obviously had no idea I exist).
First, for those who don't know what works I'm talking about, the Tiny Dungeon series, which is on the second level of my Beginner recommendations list, is a harem/fantasy/action/comedy based in a multiverse where four worlds, inhabited by four distinct races that just recently ended a horrible inter-world war. One of the nastier revelations at the end of the war was that it was a human and mostly human interests who had instigated the war's beginning and kept it going through some seriously Machiavellian manipulations. As a result, the human protagonist, Shirasagi Hime, is a target for prejudice, contempt, and outright hatred regardless of his personal character at Trinity, the school built to encourage peaceful interactions between the three non-human races (humans weren't forbidden from entering the school, but remaining there was kind of... difficult, to say the least). The series stretches across four games, three of them exploring the possibility of Hime choosing one of the three main heroines (the demon lord Veil, the divine princess Note, or the Queen of the Dragons, Ururu) and the resulting victories and tragedies that result. The fourth game, Brave or Slave, ties up the series and brings it to a true ending, and Endless Dungeon (the fifth game that serves as a sort of fandisc/extra story) completes the saga.
The Tiny Dungeon series relies on a mix of the various common types of humor found in Japanese VNs in general (manzai, personality-humor, running jokes) and it shows the various eras Agobarrier worked through (from the turn of the century to last year). In addition, it did what he probably wanted to do with Shuffle... ended things with a harem, lol.
His other works as Rosebleu's jack-of-all-trades (he apparently worked at least a little in every position... and I wouldn't surprised if the COD was overwork, considering this) all shared that sense of humor and maintained a level of quality that reflected his experience in the industry. The fact is that, setting aside the fact that Rosebleu's games are mid to low-budget affairs, they were all written well and used what they had to its fullest to entertain the reader.
And so I, as one of those who has read every one of his works since he helped found Rosebleu, will soon finish my own period of mourning. To be honest, his loss hit me almost as hard as the death of David Eddings (one of my favorite authors), and I often find myself purging myself of my grief through the cathartic scenes in his VNs. I am still young enough to have rarely lost one of the authors I truly fell in love with, so each of them hits me hard... harder than I really expected, really.
Edit: My posts on the Tiny Dungeon series
I didn't go into this VN expecting much. Judging by the cover (considering I am a bibliophile, you would think I would know better, lol) and the Getchu page, I thought it was going to be a half-nukige along the same lines as the Ren'ai Jijou series (since Otaku was written by the same guy). However, I was surprised at what I got... the first addition to my 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' list since Natsuiro Recipe in mid-2015.
As a reference point, I almost never add VNs to the Chicken Soup for the Soul list. The requirements for it are just too strict (low stress, soothing, mildly cathartic, and overall something that leaves you feeling better about the world afterward). So, I generally expect years to go by between each addition to that list. I specifically select these VNs for their restful properties, so the ones on the list are the kind of VN you should consider going to when you feel the need to just take a total rest from the stress of your life.
Now, this VN is a kinetic novel, which means there is only one ending and one story. In fact, there are no choices in this game. This isn't a bad thing, from the perspective of a game I'm adding to the list above. To be blunt, choices are a type of stress-factor at times, so it is nice to just be able to read the VN without thinking about choices or looking at a walkthrough.
The story focuses on a young scientist named Kyouji (he's in his mid-twenties), who, at the beginning of the story, has just finished his second and third prototype androids. The important thing about these androids is that they have emotions and the ability to learn and think for themselves (in other words, human emulation and autonomous AI decision making). This story is about how the three androids and Kyouji grow together, and it is mostly a gentle story about the family they form together.
The oldest android, Nect, is an 'older-sister' type who serves as Kyouji's accountant, assistant, go-between, and secretary. She is good at keeping him from breaking the household finances and keeping him on track to finish whatever work he has taken on at any given time, but she is also very caring and protective about Kyouji and her 'little sisters'.
Lux is the second android, designed to be a reliable partner and possess a desire to help others. This quickly turns her into what Kyouji refers to as a ダメ人間製造機 (a woman who reduces men to helplessness through her eager 'help'). She loves nothing more than to do things for others, including her sisters and Kyouji, and she feels the most fulfilled when she is doing her level best to spoil someone rotten.
Sphere is the third android, designed specifically to be like a younger family member. She hates being lonely and wants the affection of her family members, and she also has the most effective learning ability, eagerly absorbing information about human relations from movies, anime, manga, and books.
Overall, most of the VN is gentle, heartwarming slice of life, with frequent bits mild comedy (mostly running jokes like Roppu's desire to be modified by Kyouji) and occasional h-scenes (yes, they are occasional). I honestly haven't felt this relaxed coming out of a VN in a while, and I liked the ending fairly well. I give this VN high ratings for essentially erasing my stress from the work of the last few days, lol.
... are you as surprised as I am that I'm already posting on this? It isn't because I rushed through it or concentrated on it for three days straight. No, in this case, it is because the game is actually only about seven hours long in total... and that is probably an overestimate. While I don't tend to judge VNs by length, I do want to be able to get to know the characters before I see them falling in love.
This game's biggest plus point is that it is story straight from beginning to end, with no side-trips or long drawn-out slice-of-life segments... but in a way, that very same element is also the biggest bit of self-sabotage the writer of this game committed. To be straight with you all, given the excitement in the prologue, I thought I had some surprise chuunige fun with non-human heroines and a conspiracy in the background... and this game does have all the elements that might have created a low-level chuunige of decent quality. A ruthless kitsune heroine who hunts unnatural beings in order to rise to the next plane of existence as a deity, a half-youkai girl who struggles with her own identity and place in society, and a token human heroine who has 'Victim A' written on her forehead. There are inhuman beings with their own agendas, people the protagonist is involved with in daily life who have another face, and disaster seems to be looming over the school he attends...
So why, I ask, did Alcot give this over to their low-price subsidiary? Yes, there were some moments that were somewhat touching... but I wasn't invested in the characters because of a lack of any real character development beyond the introductory level. The protagonist was living with a kitsune, but they'd only touched upon the surface-most level of her personality when the heroine paths came along. The youkai-hunting half-breed girl was doing the classic 'oh, he knows what I am but treats me equally' bit, but it happened so quickly I could almost feel the sonic boom slamming my hopes in the face. Victim A turns out to have a secret issue with a non-human being, but it is resolved easily and with only a very small amount (relatively speaking) of drama.
Do you see what I mean? Instead of a good chuunige, we have the flesh-stripped, gnawed-on skeleton of a chuunige. It is better than Sougeki no Jaeger (which had some of the same problems) or Pygmalion, but again, that isn't saying much. Hatsugamai, the most recent game by this company, proved that even on a low budget, it was possible to create a first-class game. However, this one shows the pitfalls of not putting enough of a budget into a chuunige.
The grand route, while it extends the kitsune heroine's route beyond its somewhat bittersweet ending, is not what I'd call a work of genius, either... Overall, this game turned out to be a disappointment, if only because it had seriously immense potential to turn into something great, given a bit more effort.
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 of Japan, the difference in wealth between those at the top and those at the bottom has reached such a level that the lowest of the low have been essentially exiled for over a generation into abandoned parts of the great cities called Forbidden Zones. How it reached that point is rarely touched on in the story, but one of the primary reasons given is excessive interference of corporate/moneyed interests in government and social education, resulting in a society that rejects failures and the children of failures absolutely. Children born in the Forbidden Zones don't have family registries, so they can't get jobs or rent apartments, much less climb the social ladder. It is a society where it is easy to fall down the social pyramid but nearly impossible to rise, and the wealthy are raised to consider the poor to be garbage and those born in the Forbidden Zones as not being human (the latter also applies to the rest of society). Obviously, this is a society on the verge of collapse, but like many nations that experienced a long age of prosperity, most people don't realize it.
The degree to which wealthy people in this world retain their wealth is fairly ridiculous. Wealthy families tend to remain wealthy, and as a result, wealthy families have become a new aristocracy, with all the privileges such a class can receive (ranging from virtual immunity to prosecution to being able to break anyone below them on a whim).
The school Kaito attends is one for rich girls and young men training to be bodyguards. Bodyguard students who make it through the first year of training are assigned to a rich girl as a bodyguard.
In some ways, Akagoei can be considered an example of what a society that goes too far in holding onto a capitalism as an ideal might end up as. It is undeniably a dystopia, but the number of people who actually realize it is a dystopia is extremely low due to those most harmed by its social policies being marginalized and forced to flee into the Forbidden Zones in the generations immediately before Kaito's own.
Asagiri Kaito (Protagonist)
Kaito is probably the single strongest non-fantasy, non-sci-fi protagonist in all of the VN world. I say 'strong' in both the physical and psychological sense of the word. This is the kind of guy who can take apart an anti-terrorist squad with his bare hands. He is also capable of surviving torture with no real psychological after-effects, primarily because none of it is worse than what he experienced as a child. When we think of protagonists with horrid pasts, I think most VN-addicts who have played the Grisaia series will mention Yuuji... but Kaito's past is far more horrific, without any of the saving graces that transformed Yuuji into the character he was in the Grisaia series. Physical abuse, psychological abuse, and sexual abuse (from both sexes), he's been through them all. What resulted is a young man who has absolutely no interest in how people see him and no hesitation about acting on a whim. Don't expect empathy from Kaito, because in his worldview, the world is made up of the strong and the weak and he is one of the strong. That said, he has a tendency to show a deep love for those few people he cares about, even to the point of ignoring his own physical well-being. The problem with that is that it is really, really hard to get that close to him in the first place, lol. That said, to call him amoral is a bit off the mark. While his basic moral compass was formed around paranoiac levels of suspicion of others and a belief in the value of strength above all other things, he is actually quite reminiscent of Shin Koihime Musou's Sun Ce at times, possessing a wide capability for accepting others - flaws and all - that you don't see in people bound by conventional morality. This atmosphere of generalized acceptance is what seems to attract so many of the characters in the Akagoei games to him, one way or the other.
Some extra comments on the differences between Kaito in the original and Kaito in Akagoei 3: Kinugasa, the writer of the Akagoei series, is well known for disliking giving his readers a sense of certainty about endings and characters. As a result, there are some slight differences in Kaito's attitude in the first and third games. This seems to be deliberate, as he used Anzu's path in 2 to create the base for understanding how Kaito acts in 3... particularly in Route C.
Nikaidou Reika (Heroine/1/2/3)
Though the Akagoei series doesn't have a true heroine, it does have a main heroine... and it is this girl. This red-headed, twin-tailed tsundere is the central heroine of the series. She has a full route in all three games (something no other heroine can brag of), and she is the center of Kaito's interest during much of the three games. She is extremely misanthropic (her active distaste for the presence of other people is real, not faked), considering only a very select group of people worthy of being at her side (her sister Aya, the maid Tsuki, and - sometimes - Kaito). She is also highly intelligent and generally capable... for a teenage rich girl. That said, she is no super-woman, and she isn't trained in martial arts, so your first meeting with her involves Kaito saving her from kidnappers, resulting in her choosing him as her bodyguard (threatening him with a stun-gun all the time). Since her father despises Kaito from the beginning (with reason, though that isn't explained until the end of her path in the first one), her romance is opposed extremely by him.
Nikaidou Aya (Heroine/1/2)
One of the heroines of Akagoei 1 with an after-story in 2. She is Reika's twin sister and the Principal (the person being guarded) of Miyakawa Takanori, one of Kaito's fellow bodyguard students. She isn't as openly strong-willed as her sister, primarily because she isn't accustomed to getting her way through raw force of will. However, she does have an iron core, albeit one wrapped in silk. Her role in the first game is as a 'jewel', the type of heroine the dark-natured Kaito sees as 'bright' and beautiful from the beginning. However, in comparison to the other paths in the original Akagoei, hers is somewhat weak. This is perhaps because she fell in love with Kaito at first sight (a cliche that tends to weaken any decent story). She is also a heavy gamer, though she believes she is hiding this from everyone else. She is also surprisingly sharp-tongued when she feels safe to be so.
Kurayashiki Tae (Heroine 1/2)
Tae is the first Akagoei's resident airhead. She is the daughter of Kurayashiki Akiko, a genius scientist who specializes in AI, cybenetics, and robotics. While she seems bright and cheerful on the surface, she actually is very lonely, not having any friends other than the android Yuuki. She is the type of person who only has two settings when it comes to relationships with others... 0% or 100%. As a result, you are either her friend/lover or you are a complete stranger. While she apparently has some degree of hidden talent inherited from her mother, her inherent dislike of studying in particular and thinking in general means that she can barely write her own name, lol. Her path in the original is fairly straightforward, due to a lack of familial opposition... but it is questionable whether Kaito considers her to be much more than an adorable but stupid pet.
Tsuki (Heroine/1/2)
One of the main heroines of the original Akagoei. She is the head maid of the Nikaidou Family, despite being the same age as Reika and Aya (there is a good reason for this). In the story, she frequently serves as an advisor to Reika, while fighting playfully with Kaito. Her loyalty lies entirely - and obsessively - with Reika and her family, with reasons that make perfect sense, though you won't find out about them except in her path. She is perhaps the frailest of the heroines, psychologically, with a seriously traumatic past that vies, in its own way, with Kaito's own, though it still loses out in the end. She is also the only one of the five main heroines of the original Akagoei not to be an ojousama. She is pretty much the only character that can keep up with Kaito's verbal antics.
Kanzaki Moe (Heroine/1/2)
Moe is the granddaughter of a powerful political and economic figure, Kanzaki Dengorou and a student of Kanzaki-style Kobujutsu. While she is intelligent, she is fundamentally innocent, politically naive, and more than a little detached from reality. Kaoru, Kaito's former roommate, is her bodyguard. Moe loves food and has an endless appetite, and she can be incredibly stubborn at times. Her heroine path is a split-off from the path in 1 that leads into Akagoei 3.
Kaoru (???/1/3)
It is hard to explain Kaoru without spoiling Kaoru's secret, so I'm going to avoid any details. Kaoru was Kaito's roommate and fast friend during their first year at the school for bodyguards, and, after that first year, Kaoru became Moe's bodyguard. Kaoru's personality seems harsh on the surface, since Kaoru is always yelling at Kaito for various reasons. However, Kaoru is actually very kind-hearted and close friends with Kaito, despite his rude and crude nature. Kaoru's path leads directly into the events in Akagoei 3.
Anzu (Heroine/2/3)
Anzu is the closest thing to family Kaito has... the only person living who knows most of his past. She also loves him with a single-minded devotion that is touching, despite him rejecting her repeatedly. Her path in the second game is the story of Kaito's past in detail, from his early childhood to the moment he met Satake. While she has a temper, she is fundamentally incapable of actually hating Kaito or remaining angry with him.
Kiyomi (Heroine 3)
Kiyomi is one of the Route B heroines from Akagoei 3. She is Takanori's older sister and a high-ranking detective assigned to deal with a certain case related to the Forbidden Zone. She, like her younger brother, is a class bigot, with a sense of her own social superiority and a belief in correctness of the 'chosen DNA' philosophy their increasingly oligarchic society is based on. That said, underneath all that, she is something close to fair-minded despite her prejudices. She is also a decent cook and a good person at heart. However, those prejudices are so strong that they blind her. This is actually a disease inherent in most people in the setting, a sort of enhanced version of the way Japanese regard social outcasts now.
Miyagawa Takanori (Minor Antagonist/Rival/Friend)
Takanori is Kiyomi's elitist younger brother and one of Kaito's fellow bodyguard students. He is very straight-laced and shares his sister's bigoted attitude toward the lower classes and belief in the system that he lives within. He is one-sidedly in love with Reika, but he frantically makes excuses whenever Kaito points this out. He dislikes Kaito intensely, feeling antagonized by Kaito even when he isn't. He is one of Kaito's favorite targets for practical jokes, precisely because of his attitude and straight-laced nature. He grows somewhat during the series, though he never does overcome his prejudices to any significant degree.
Satake (Teacher/Ally/???)
The principal of the school and the individual who dragged Kaito into entering the bodyguard training program. He is a balding man in black sunglasses who was apparently Kaito's father's friend at one point. His motives are opaque and he has a strong relationship with Reika's father.
Hiiragi Akemi (Heroine 3/Teacher/enemy?)
Akemi is Kaito's homeroom teacher and one of a number of teachers tasked with overseeing the bodyguard candidates. Kaito dislikes her on first sight, due to, in his words, the murderous intent she constantly directs at him. She is constantly smiling and apparently cheerful, never showing her true face to anyone at the school. She is one of the Route B heroines in Akagoei 3. While she can't be considered a good person, she isn't really an evil person either. Her feelings toward Kaito are personal and have good reason behind them, though you won't find out why until the third game.
Haku (Heroine 3/watcher/???)
A mysterious woman who has a disease that keeps her permanently in child form. While she looks like an eleven or twelve year old girl, she hasn't changed significantly in appearance since his early childhood, and from her own statements, she doesn't have long to live. Her first appearance is in Akagoei 2, during Anzu's path's retelling of Kaito's past. Her only interest in life is watching over Kaito. She is one of the Route C (Forbidden Zone) heroines.
Shouko (Heroine 3/Blind)
Ryou's younger sister. She is blind and apparently frail, with a fragile manner and a tendency to constantly flinch from the words and touch of others. She is one of the heroines in Route C of Akagoei 3.
Ryou (Antagonist/Old Friend/Bodyguard)
A professional bodyguard that appears on the scene near the beginning of Akagoei 3 to fill in for Kaito. He is something of a ladies' man, with no real inhibitions or hesitation about doing what he wants. He is a bit obsessed with Reika and believes the whole world is destined to fall at his feet. Definitely a narcissist.
Makoto (side-character/bodyguard student/kouhai)
A first-year bodyguard student from a commoner family. He has a poor attitude in general, and he frequently lashes out at others without cause. His role in the story is minor, with him only taking central stage briefly in Akemi's and Sayo's routes.
Sayo (sub-heroine, ntr target)
Sayo is Makoto's osananajimi and is half in love with him. Her path occurs as part of Path B and getting involved with her essentially means stealing her from Makoto, briefly. While her path doesn't add much to the game, her presence does help build the setting, since she is pretty much the only 'pure commoner' girl in the story.
Kokudou Kyouka (sub-heroine/2)
A sub-heroine only available during the fandisc, Akagoei 2. She is an arrogant young woman who shares Kaito's love of reading. She has two bodyguards, Anzu and Raita. She is generally foul-mouthed with them and more than a little testy.
Raita (bodyguard student/friend?)
A bodyguard student from the same year as Kaito, he is Kyouka's bodyguard. He is an otaku and morbidly obese. However, he is also the third-ranking student from his year in the bodyguard course. That said, he is perverted, foul-mouthed, and lazy. Not only that, but he is more than a little misogynistic... basically the stereotypical scum-otaku (the type that faps to figurines and puts down real women at every turn). He also stinks... a lot.
Kaede (swordswoman/loli/heroine route C 3)
Kaede is one of several heroines only available in route C of Akagoei 3. She is a loli, as well as being a master swordswoman (she makes Kaoru look like a wimp). She is reticent, preferring to talk with her sword, only saying precisely what is necessary to carry out her work. However, she attaches like a little silent koala to those few people she does care about.
Mai (sadistic serial killer/heroine route C 3)
A sadistic torturer and one of the heroines available in route C of Akagoei 3. She has a very Bonnie and Clyde attitude toward life, loving nothing more than demonstrating her superiority in combat over others... usually through bloody massacres. She is also a prolific torturer, drugging and destroying people on a whim, simply because she feels like it. She has never had a friend in her life, and she is an almost complete sociopath.
Shion (Chinese/cold/side-heroine 3)
Shion is a half-Chinese girl and the sister of Ryuu, a professional bodyguard who becomes Kaito's friend. She loathes Japanese people (she has good reason) and, outside of her own path, she is generally cold and distant in manner. Even in her own path, she is extremely thorny. The only person she cares about is her older brother Ryuu. Her path is short and she is basically a sub-heroine.
Ryuu (Chinese/Bodyguard/Friend 3)
A professional bodyguard from China who came to Japan in search of fame and fortune. Like his sister, Shion, he dislikes Japanese people, but he is far more practical and at ease in his own skin than Shion is. Generally speaking, he is easygoing in manner, but he is capable of a certain degree of cold calculation.
Naoto (Bodyguard)
Naoto is one of Takanori's many siblings, a man in his late thirties who has found success as the bodyguard of a powerful politician. Like Takanori and Kiyomi, he is very class-conscious and elitist, but he has enough experience of the world to be able to get along with people from other classes to a degree. He is quite capable, but he is also very well-aware that a lot of his fame is due to good fortune rather than raw ability. This self-awareness is perhaps his most attractive quality as an individual, even as his elitism is the least.
Nikaidou Genzou (Parent/Wealthy)
Reika and Aya's father. He hates Kaito on first sight and only puts up with him because Reika is unwilling to tolerate any other bodyguard's presence. Like many of his class in the current age, he is excessively class-conscious and elitist. Whether he realizes it or not, he is a living representative of much of what is wrong with his society's upper levels, even as Kiyomi and Naoto are.
Akatsuki Works and Applique, two subsidiaries of Akabeisoft2 (of Sharin no Kuni and G-Senjou no Maou fame) have each released a mini-VN for free on their websites (which are a pain to access from outside of Japan, but anyone used to bypassing DMM's controls on their MMO releases should be able to manage it). Akatsuki Works released Hi no Nai Tokoro ni Kemuri wa Tatanai ( https://vndb.org/v19369 ), which seems to be a chuunige-type by Hino Wataru, as is typical of the Akatsuki Works brand. Applique released Tsukikage no Simulacre ( https://vndb.org/v19964 ), which seems to be an occult story based in a mansion with a living doll. Both VNs are kinetic novels with no h-content (one of the comments I saw on the Akatsuki Works company blog mentioned that they wanted h-content next time, laughingly).
For reference, Akatsuki Works releases chuunige and games with a heavy emphasis on narration over dialogue (story-focused VNS). Applique tends to prefer fantasy and sci-fi transhumanistic stories, nakige, and hard sci-fi. Both are excellent companies that have produced multiple kamige in the past, lol.
PS: This is Entry 300 in my blog... surprise surprise.
Edit: Oh, IOS and Android versions are being released as well, for those interested.
This is the third game in Crystalia's series based on a world where a sport has grown up around using spiritual swords and a prequel to the original game, Kizuna Kirameku Koi Iroha. For those who haven't played the other games, I can say that you might or might not get more out of this game by playing the others first, as playing the original spoils you on the winner of the tournament and a few other issues. On the other hand, this game also fills in a lot of gaps on characters from the original, such as Miyako and Tsubaki.
I'm going to come out and say this outright... this game is probably the best of the three. Why? The more obvious reason is that the battles are generally better quality than the other two games. However, the larger reason is the way it is structured. Ninety-percent of the game is actually a straightforward seishun drama based around a class of talented dropouts and a teacher protagonist. Romance doesn't change the outcome, and actual heroine paths are actually in the 'omake' section of the game, rather than being the main focus.
This comes as a trade-off. For those who want romance to be the central element of their VNs, this game will probably be a disappointment. However, if you like seishun drama with fierce competition and lively interaction between the characters, this is a first-class game.
The protagonist, Murakaki Iori, is a member of the JSDF's Tenju Tokka unit (wields Origami and Tenju as part of their tactics), and he gets pulled for a side mission involving educating a class full of talented individuals who normal teachers can't seem to handle. Iori is, on the surface and for the most part, a good-hearted and hotblooded teacher with a true belief in acting in the best interests of his students and treating them equally. However, he does have a somewhat traumatic past and that past isn't ignored during the story.
Takamine Setsugekka is your classic 'aho no ko', also known as the 'idiot child' or 'airheaded' heroine. She wields a close-in style wielding a ninjatou and hand-to-hand combat, and she starts out at the lowest point of all the heroines in terms of skill. She occasionally, when hurt or driven to rage, goes berserk and wields immense power, but in this state she is easy to handle for an appropriately skilled opponent. Typical of this kind of story, she grows the most in skill as time goes on.
Suzakuin Momiji is, on the surface, a competent and cool swordswoman who focuses on taking apart her opponent's style and habits until she can predict and lead them down the path to destruction. She wields a long katana similar to that of Sasaki Kojirou from Fate/Stay Night. She is Tsubaki's (from the original) eldest sister. However, behind the scenes she is a lazy young woman who can't be bothered to pick up her own trash or get out of bed if she isn't forced to. In all honesty, the first time I saw her chugging non-alcoholic beer (apparently, when at her family home, she goes for the real stuff) with sashimi in her other hand, I fell in love, so I favored her from the beginning (yes, I'm a bit weird sometimes with my heroine preferences).
Kuki Asahi is the younger sister of Iori's best friend and former rival, Kuki Takahisa. From a very young age, she has been in love with Iori, but for some reason she has grown up into a very yandere-ish Iori-worshipper who will ruthlessly act to protect her hold on him. Her preferred style is 'iai-battou', a defensive style where the user counters their enemies with draw-slashes. Emotionally, she is perhaps the most volcanic of the characters, though I imagine some will say Setsugekka is.
Tobe Ririmu is a gyaru swordswoman who has a rather unique style that is very-dance like, combining Tenju illusions with unusual steps with a difficult to predict rhythm. In all honesty, I felt bad for how this game treats her toward the end. While she has a strong presence throughout much of the game, that presence fades almost to nothing due to the events of the tournament near the end. In a very real way, she is a character that existed solely to provide emotional firewood for certain events near the end. She is something of a free-spirit, with a desire to combine fashion with Jindou, designing combat costumes and Origami skins. In many ways, she is like your typical 'slightly delinquent-like child' character, especially when it comes to dealing with teacher-student issues.
For those of you who didn’t already know, this VN is based in the same setting as Nanairo Reincarnation and by the same company. Nanairo Reincarnation was my VN of the Year 2014, and it is a VN that has remained strong in memory ever since.
This VN has a much stronger ‘horror’ influence than Nanairo, which tended to be more of a nakige for much of its length. The protagonist, Yashiro, is a young guy who was born particularly vulnerable to spiritual influences while not having the ability to see ghosts or spirits… meaning he is basically a walking target for stuff like that. At the beginning of the story, he finds out he is cursed by the ‘Ghost of the Old School Building’, one of the ‘seven mysteries’ of his school. This curse is fairly simple… it tries to get him to kill himself by jumping off the roof of the school building.
A lot of the common parts of this VN focus around dealing with the mysteries and trying to discover a way to put the ghosts to rest, and in that sense it is almost identical to Nanairo… except that the protagonist, while central to the story, is essentially a ‘normal guy’ who got caught up in the mess involving ghosts and spirits. The protagonist from Nanairo makes several appearances in the VN, as do his ‘family’ members, and it is based about two years after the original story. There is definitely enough influence from the original that I have to recommend you play Nanairo first.
This VN… tends toward an aura of sorrow, for much of its length. The moments of fear are there, but they tend to be less common than ones of sorrow/grief. There are a total of six heroines in the VN (five if you count Riri and Ruka as a single heroine), with three major arcs…
The first arc is the Velvet Arc, which has the twin kami (Riri and Ruka) path splitting off midway. Riri and Ruka’s ending… leaves a really strong impression, to say the least. Technically, they are sub-heroines, but their ending is in no way neglected, either for detail or emotional value. If there is a significant difference from the main part of the arc (Velvet’s path), it is that it is somewhat shorter and less dramatic. Still, I cried for a half hour after it was over. Those who liked the red-head from Hikoukigumo no Mukougawa’s ending will like this one. Velvet’s ending… is closer to what I would call a ‘bittersweet romance’ path. Velvet has serious psychological problems, all wrapped up in her past (I won’t spoil it), and dealing with those issues is the main focus of her path.
The second arc is the Older Women Arc, which contains Misato’s and Youko’s path. I’ll be straight… play Youko’s path first. If you play Misato’s path before Youko’s, it will destroy you utterly, whereas it is merely saddening when you play Youko’s first. Honestly, since I like that type of ending, I really did like how Youko’s path turned out, but it isn’t really a romance path (neither was Ruka’s and Riri’s). Misato and Youko’s paths branch off from one another dramatically very late on (from a story perspective), and Misato’s path follows a far less dramatic and painful road to the end, one that is closer to what romance fans would like.
The third and last arc is the True Arc. This path contains Kana’s and the True ending. Kana’s path… is probably the most normal of all the paths, at least until the endgame. To be honest, Kana’s path is the reason why I won’t be calling this one a kamige, though it isn’t horrible. It is just… difficult to empathize with Kana (by the time I got to her path, I just considered her Idiot Friend #2, so I couldn’t see her as a romantic partner, even through the protagonist’s eyes). Nonetheless, as paths go in a general sense, it was still pretty high quality. However, where this arc shines is, of course, the True path. The True ending is… really heart-breaking. What you might or might not have figured out from the clues about the mysteries behind what is going on at the school are brought to light in full form, and the issues that were generally laid to rest outside of the protagonist’s control or in a way that didn’t reveal the whole mystery were brought to a head in the protagonist’s personal viewpoint. I cried for the True path. I seriously cried. If you don’t cry after you see what there is to see in this path, you probably should go to a psychologist.
A few other comments before I go to my overall wrap-up. My favorite heroine in this VN was undeniably Velvet, both because of my tastes in heroines (you’ll know what I’m talking about when you know her secrets), and because I just really, really liked her ending. The protagonist’s degree of personal growth – and even his personality or outlook on life – will often be changed dramatically during the course of the paths, and this is one of the reasons I would love to give the kamige stamp to this one, despite the fact that it doesn’t quite reach Nanairo’s level.
Overall, this is definitely one of those VNs I’ll still be recommending to people five years from now, along with Nanairo. It is a bit guro at times (at about the same level as Nanairo there), and the protagonist is a bit too typical of protagonists in the kind of situation he ends up in at times. However, as long as you can get past these issues (or actively enjoy them) this is a great VN to play. I will say that I really wished they would have done another adult protagonist, like Makoto from Nanairo. I don’t really see the need to go back to student protagonists, but I guess that is just an inevitability when companies are under the kind of pressure of tradition these are. I am seriously looking forward to more works from this company and this writer in the future, and this one is a solid (almost inevitable) VN of the Month candidate.
Akiyume Kukuru is the third (and possibly final) game in Sumikko's 'Seasons' meta-sci-fi series. It centers around a group of five 'Holders', people genetically altered at the embryo stage to possess possibilities that don't otherwise exist in Earth's evolution using artificial DNA and RNA known as XNA.
These five people are individuals whose actions or abilities have made them a threat to society/the government/etc., and they have been exiled to Ruruan, a closed city in Hokkaido where a quantum bomb was detonated, obliterating the possibilities of the area it covered. In this area, objects and time move on a one-day time loop, causing objects and the shattered remnants of the people (blobs known as WASPs) to return to the state they were the previous day. The only way for an object to cease looping is for an individual to purchase it, thus 'observing' it as being their own ('observation' in the Schrodinger's Cat meaning of the word).
Anyway, despite what sounds like a bunch of spoilers above, this is all basic everyday knowledge for these five people (six if you include their human loli-teacher). These five were placed there both as an exile/punishment and in order to see what effect their presence would have on the damaged region.
This VN is classic Sumikko in one sense... in that it is full of meta-ideas and insane over the top happenings, as well as an immense amount of sexual and violence-related humor (which is also a signature of this series). To let those interested know, this one is as distinct from Natsukumo as Natsukumo was from Harumade. What that means is that the ideas it explores are fundamentally different while still being involved in concepts drawn from quantum physics and ideas (ideas versus the scientific meaning of theory). To be blunt, most of the scientific terms involved are ones that are beyond the understanding of someone who doesn't major in physics (well, beyond a surface understanding anyway), so I advise anyone reading this to focus on the protagonist's interpretations, since those the ones most likely to be relevant (obviously).
I honestly loved the characters - both the heroines and the protagonist - and I thought the game as a whole was a really enjoyable read. I laughed a lot at this one, and other parts made me think. I came to the conclusion that Sumikko is the only company I've ever encountered that can manage this meta-crap without making it sound like a pretentious teenager quoting Nietzsche. That's mostly because the writer is rather open about the fact that he/she doesn't care if we understand every detail of what is going on, as well as noting (in a really subtle way) that all of this is a bunch of convenient interpretations of various thought experiments.
Anyway... this is a fun VN if you can stand a few infodump-related headaches and like Sumikko's peculiar brand of violence and sex humor (think heroines that casually make serious death threats out of love/friendship and others that get hooked on not wearing panties...). The characters are all nicely twisted, whether it is the ex-male (had his/her balls shot off during the conflict) Noa who used to be a bomber or Saori's belief that making her breasts sway is an art form... so that in itself would have made for a fun game.
Don't expect any really huge mindfucks in this one, in comparison with the previous two. For whatever reason, they didn't really focus on fooling you on the big points, preferring to catch you on the details (there is a mindfuck hidden in the story, but it is relatively mild compared to Harumade or Natsukumo).
First, this VN is by Giga. Yes, Giga, the same people who did the Baldr series. However - and I have said this repeatedly in my comments on other non-Baldr Giga VNs - the second Giga steps outside of hard, complex, violent sci-fi... they get third-rate (except the visuals). The best non-Baldr VN I've even tried to play by Giga was Harvest Overray, and even that was only just above average for a charage with a central story (though the humor was the best of Giga). In fact, if you ignore the visuals, every charage they've made other than Harvest has been just below the charage average.
This one doesn't escape that trap, unfortunately. To be honest, I thought from the description on Getchu that they might have actually made something worth playing this time (despite the crappy character profiles). Unfortunately, what I got was a surprisingly shallow VN, whose best content is based entirely in parts (not the whole of) the heroine routes and where the rest stinks of potential but never quite manages to make it live.
I really and honestly thought I would like the characters... after all, if there is one thing Giga seemed to be capable of doing outside of its visuals and the Baldr series, it was a halfway-decent characterization, right? Right?
Wrong.
I honestly couldn't believe how shallow the characterization is, especially in the common route. The best you get in the common route is a vague, archetypical idea of what the characters might be like (Kanae being the most obvious). Unfortunately, the heroine routes basically say 'what you saw in the common route is mostly just a bit extended here'. Tomomi's path had some moments... but the other heroine paths were a patchwork of poor character development and a sudden shift to the 'endgame' after a relatively short bit of story progression.
Is this a kusoge? Not necessarily. I've played much, much worse charage in the past and not criticized them this viciously. Unfortunately, I'm also not in a charitable mood at the moment, because I was hoping this would wash the Kadenz Fermata flavor out of my mouth so I could play Tsumi no Hikari with a calm, reasonable heart. This is basically a very, very short charage with a very minimalist approach to... everything. When carried out properly, a 'minimalist' charage can sometimes be better than a longer one. Unfortunately, the failure to properly develop the characters (especially the protagonist) in the common route led to me being unable to care very much about the heroine routes. This made for a very 'rough' and 'slapdash' experience, at least in my (biased at the moment) opinion.
This is the second mimikko game from January's releases, a pure moege made by Cabbage Soft, the makers of two other games, both of which I disliked (perfect examples of charage/moege slogs in the sugary and brainless mud). I can't honestly say that Amairo Chocolata is that different from the company's other games... but I'm willing to forgive a lot for mimikko heroines.
This game is pretty short, so short I finished it in just under eight hours (it's been a while since I bothered with a game as empty of content that it was this short). Like most 'pure moege', this game is essentially endlessly cute with no real content beyond cuteness, adorableness, and H-scenes. That I was able to get through it is a mark of how much my fetishes drive me, but it also brought about a severe response from my old battle scars from years of playing such games.
The two heroines in this game are Chieri (the loli catgirl) and Mikuri (the miko doggirl). Chieri is a straight-out tsundere, whereas Mikuri is a straightforward tennen genkikko heroine. I can honestly say that there isn't a ton of depth to either of them or the protagonist, and I was more than a little dissatisfied that they focused entirely upon the cafe as the setting. With some work, it would have been possible to make this game a lot more intimate-feeling and turn both heroines and the two side-characters into something more unique. Unfortunately, such efforts were severely lacking, meaning that I played this game solely for ears and tails.
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 good job of making you laugh with its goofy humor, smile at the rather enjoyable romance and cringe from the... less than good usage of Russian, lol.
The game is centered around our main character, Akira, and the light music club that he is a member of. Or, well, was a member of. The light music club gets disbanded at the start of the game because of a certain incident with a guitar/ flamethrower that kinda sorta burnt down parts of the school. (Yup.) As the members of the light music club gets scattered over several different clubs, a stunning exchange student from Russia enrolls at Akira's school, and moves into his house due to a deal with his parents who currently resides in Russia. Turns out the girl, Sasha, is a very talented guitar player, and the president of the light music club, Ryou, sees this is as a perfect opportunity to rebuild the club. If they could snag someone as talented and well liked as Sasha, surely the school would have to approve of the recreation of the light music club.
And so they start trying to make Sasha join their club while ... other thing starts happening. I don't want to go into any more details about what comes next plot wise, as the little plot this VN does have should be left unspoiled.
Like I mentioned above, I liked the heroines in this game quite a lot. Although all four do go under the "standard moege heroine" templates, they have some unique quirks that make them feel less like stereotypical heroines you have seen a trillion times before, and more like actual people. Because the game doesn't have that much plot, the main focus of the game's routes lies with the characters themselves, and I therefore don't want to talk too much about what makes them all "unique." So, I'll just give a very short introduction to the characters. (I mean, at the end of the day this is still a moege, but I do think each heroine has some pretty nice aspects to them that sets them apart from most of the standard heroines I have encountered before, at least.)
First, you have the goofy and energetic childhood friend, Natsu, the vocalist of the light music club. Not a tsundere, believe it or not. (Thankfully.) Bit of an idiot, but an adorable idiot. Then, there is the president of the club and Akira's senpai, Ryou. My favorite heroine of them all. She is actually a refined lady, though she rarely plays the part, and she mostly spends her time coming up with new idiotic stunts for the club. The mix of an ojousama and a crazy daredevil is pretty damn great. Third is Amane, a weird little girl with a thing for electronics. Bit of a closet pervert. Super adorable VA that is basically made for her character. Last of all is Sasha, an intelligent and talented exchange student from Russia who doesn't exactly blend into the goofy group at first.
Another nice quality to the game is the confession scenes and the introduction to the romance. The main character is actually not a complete moron (Clephas: In other words, he isn't as dense as the average charage protag, lol) when it comes to his own and the heroines' feelings, believe it or not. The confession scenes in the routes actually took me by surprise, as they were surprisingly enjoyable and well done. Sadly, the game does fail a bit at the follow up to the confession scenes, and rushes the romance in all the routes flat out, which is a shame. After the confession is over, the game has a real strong urge to shove H-scenes down your throat without more than a few minutes of reading, which I don't really like. I think having some more build up is nice before jumping into that aspect of the relationship. Another issue I had with the routes was the frequency of H-scenes. Like, don't get me wrong, the art in the game is great and the H was nice and all, but they just kept on adding H-scenes in the routes without adding any real depth to the relationships. This was particularly a big problem for Sasha's route, because Sasha is definitely the character that has the best potential for enjoyable romance and plot among the four heroines. This "plot" is sadly not pursued at all, and it is just kind of thrown out the window and overshadowed by sex left and right. If this was a nukige, I'd be all for that, but it isn't... so it was a bit too much for me. In a game where the main focus lies with the characters and their interaction, they should have put more focus on actual interaction beyond just H.
The last complaint I have about the game is the musical element... Or, should I say, the lack of it. This is a musical themed VN, and, as one would expect, there is a lot of musical scenes scattered throughout the game. However, for some strange reason, whenever the bands perform in the game, we don't actually hear anything else than some boring guitar tracks left on in the background. The VAs don't sing, and we don't hear any of the songs they talk about in the story. They just skip over that element, despite it being so relevant (Clephas note: This is actually almost universal to all games where the characters are musicians... one of the big weaknesses of the sub-genre). Moreover, what is even more confusing is that they actually have several songs made for the game, in the form of unique outro songs performed by the heroines' VAs, that plays after you finish their respective routes. These songs are quite good; so I don't understand why they couldn't put half the effort put into those songs into something for the actual band performances in the story. This isn't a low budget game, based on the other aspects of the game, so it really is quite puzzling why they just cut out the music in this musical themed VN (Clephas: Sounds like a lack of forethought plus the usual failure to properly use the tools available that you tend to see in most charage).
Overall, if you are looking for a fun and lighthearted game to read, this is definitely a nice pick. You won't find any seriously heavy drama or a super intriguing story in this VN. Instead, you can just turn off your brain and enjoy the goofy and silly ride. The main character isn't so clueless that he makes you want to rip your own eyes out, and the heroines have some personality to them, making the cast pretty enjoyable overall. Despite the romance feeling a bit rushed at times, it does make up for it with some nice and unique confession scenes, and a pretty enjoyable common route leading up to the routes. As long as you don't go into this game with overly high expectations, Amanatsu Adolesence should definitely be a good pick if you just want something lighthearted and fun (Clephas: Though, just reading this, I get the impression that there are a hundred better-executed charage out there that I've read in the past... I'm so glad I shoved this off on someone else, lol)
Suisou Ginka no Istoria (Canceled)
Well, I tried. A lot of the reason I couldn't get into Suisou Ginka no Istoria is because of timing... to be blunt, combining a game this depressing with playing Persona 5 at the same time was seriously making it impossible to enjoy either one properly.
This game starts out depressing and continues that way up to the path split (where I basically dropped it and couldn't go any further). I'm not saying the story is bad... at any other time, I probably would have made it a priority to get through this. I would have enjoyed the suffering of the characters immensely, and I would have been waiting with bated breath for the inevitable ruin of the characters (which is constantly foreshadowed by Kureha, who is the protagonist's sadistic employer/slave-master). Unfortunately, trying to play this put me into overload on depressing stories when combined with Persona 5.
If someone else is willing or has already played this through, please give me detailed comments... as I can't bring myself to play it this month (considering how few in number April's releases are going to be, I might get around to it sometime in the beginning of May...).
... it's been a while since my feelings on a VN have been as complex as my feelings for this one are. I say 'feelings' because this VN has massive emotional impact... not as much as Hapymaher, but nonetheless a lot of emotional impact.
To be blunt, Makoto is nothing like Hapymaher's protagonist, so if you were hoping for more of his 'consumed by sorrow and despair but still living my life' personality, sorry, no luck here. Makoto is... a blank slate. I don't say this in a bad way. For better or worse, Makoto has lived his life in an isolated village where people literally don't talk any more than is absolutely necessary, lest they accidentally compel one another with their power, 'kotodama'. Makoto has a fiance named Mana (and no, not that kind of lukewarm, 'distant fiance' sort of thing you see in some VNs, since they actually get down to business), and a rather nice, slow life in that village... However, he yearns for the outside world, where people can talk to people without restrictions.
He escapes from the village and collapses from hunger in a small town four days later, where he is saved by the first of four heroines, Kokoro. From there the story begins, as he makes the journey from an innocent 'kami' to a real human being with all the baggage that comes along with it.
A lot of the most interesting parts of this game come from the fact that he naturally doesn't understand much about the outside world. Makoto's innocent, unstained viewpoint, combined with his natural kindness and willingness to embrace new experiences, feel surprisingly refreshing. Things other 'normal' protagonists would worry over don't even occur to him, and he is so laid back he makes the drugged hippies of US in the sixties seem tense. While he does change as part of the story, his personal 'lens', through which he sees the world, remains remarkably clean throughout... not to mention the guy has absolutely no sense of sexual morality (in other words, his idea of sexual morality is 'don't use his power to compel people to have sex with him').
The first of the heroines, Kokoro, is a shojo manga addict who has fantasies about immoral relations with older brothers. She is a natural at unconsciously grasping the hearts of others around her without trying, and she is pretty much the picture of a heroine who 'exists to be loved by everyone'.
The second heroine, Kyouko, is a miko that can see dead people (yes, I went there). She has huge self-esteem problems and is more than a little weird... for one thing, her reaction to Makoto is one of the more unique heroine reactions to a protagonist I've encountered over the years... for another, she is abnormally self-derogatory in both action and word.
Mana... is the protagonist's fiance from the village. She is pretty much apathetic about other people, unless they have the decency to provide her with food (from her point of view, people who give her food move up from 'stone in the road' to 'slightly adorable insect' in most cases). She is a bit of an S, when it comes to Makoto, and Makoto is pretty much her reason for living. Because of a careless use of kotodama by another member of the village, she is always cold and in her eyes, it is always snowing.
Hotaru... is the true heroine of this story. Cheerful and active, not to mention highly intelligent and perceptive... she is actually a fairly attractive heroine from the start. However, she has less initial impact than Mana or Kokoro, for reasons that are fairly apparent. Since that is by design, I actually am not complaining about this, though.
Now, to get to the downside of this game... it uses the G-senjou 'ladder' story structure, wherein the story progresses arcs where you choose to either pursue the heroine associated with that arc to an ending or move on with the main story. I can say that the path endings for the non-true heroines were actually pretty good, but having played the true path, they are comparatively low-impact. A lot of this is the fact that the major events of their 'paths' are in the arcs they branched off from, so little is added by their endings save for more sex and some minor tying up of loose ends.
To get back to the main game... the true path is the impact I was talking about. The main arcs were all emotional, so I guess you can say that the other heroines' 'paths' were also emotional, but, as I mentioned above, there is a definite sense that very little was added by choosing one of the other heroines. Hotaru's path is easily the most powerful 'arc'. In fact, it is so emotional and powerful that there are two ends for it. The first one (which you are required to watch first) is... sad, to say the least. It isn't a bad ending, but it is a sad one. I know I cried. For the second ending... well, let's just say it is a good one and leave it at that.
Overall, my viewpoint on this game is... just as mixed as I said above. My conclusions on the G-Senjou story structure are unchanged in the least. I still believe that all VNs that use that story structure should be changed to kinetic novels, just so I don't have to deal with heroine endings that are neglected by the creators of the stories themselves. While all stories with true heroines inevitably put a much larger emphasis on the true heroine, the way this story structure trivializes the other heroines is really irritating, especially when they are good heroines, like these were. However, if you take the arcs, characters, and the true endings separate from that source of irritation, it is a great VN. It just happens to use the single worst VN story structure in existence. Indeed, that story structure and the inevitable realities it brings along with it are the only thing that kept me from naming this as a kamige.
PS: I will erase any and all comments that spoil anything in the last arc. I say this because this is the type of VN that can only be enjoyed to the fullest once, not the type that merely changes flavor with each playthrough, like Devils Devil Concept. Anyone who spoils this VN should have their skin sliced open, drawn back, then have salt rubbed into the exposed flesh.
... *Clephas drools and goes off to make BBQ*
