Clephas

You'll find out eventually. I'd really advise against asking other people to spoil masterpiece VNs for you. It takes all the fun out of things. As for how long I took to learn Japanese... about three years before I reached the point where I didn't need anime subs anymore. I started playing VNs in Japanese about five years ago... maybe longer (I'm not really good about remembering the passage of time). Bush wasn't president anymore, but the healthcare debate that lead to Obamacare hadn't happened yet either. I was still fansubbing anime at the time, and it was my VN-obsession that eventually put the last nails in the coffin of my fansubbing career (too many interesting VNs, too little time, lol). I plowed through all the translated VNs of the time, and for a while I was playing newly translated ones as well as untranslated... but then I got to the point where I wasn't interested in translated versions at all and sort of stopped paying attention to what was getting translated. Playing the untranslated was made so much easier by jparser, which utterly changed the speed with which I could process kanji. I'm now at the point where I can read a Japanese VN at a time equivalent to what it would take me to read one in English (with jparser in use)... and my English reading speed is enough for me to finish the entire Game of Thrones series currently released in just under fifteen hours...lol Needless to say, since I can't 'swallow' entire paragraphs in a VN the way I do with books, I'm slower with VNs, as I can only read them one line at a time, but a single glance is enough for me to read, process, and comprehend anything in a line written in modern literary Japanese (trying to be precise here). If I try to process it into English, it takes about five to ten times as long, so I don't even bother with that, haha.

I generally don't play multiple VNs at once, though I do put gameplay-heavy ones on hold after a single path frequently. I can finish VNs fast enough that I don't feel the same level of frustration some people get with ones that don't fit their tastes, allowing me to finish games that are outside my personal range, despite the parts that irritate me about them.

Grisaia is huge... G-senjou has various problems (plot structure that will make you hate the writers for having more than one heroine), and Sharin no Kuni has a really unique cultural setting. If you want to go for the main dish first, go for Grisaia... but be warned that most of the stuff written in other VNs suffers a lot by comparison. It is one of those VNs that causes other VNs to pale greatly in comparison. Also, if you use jparser, kanji knowledge isn't really necessary for playing vns in Japanese. What you need is a working knowledge of grammar, particles, and common words. Depending on your mental agility, you'll probably pick up the most common kanji automatically as you go. I do suggest you know the kanji for 'reasoning', 'minute', and a few others (mostly conceptual kanji) that get used commonly in literary Japanese. These aren't necessarily ones that will pop up early in your kanji lessons, either... so I'd suggest you make it your business to go out of your way to learn 理　and 分かる, as well as others that have seemingly unconnected usages, though many of those will be automatically grouped in jparser, so you'll learn them automatically.

It's probably a side-story/joke... some fandiscs and side-story VNs do weird things with the original's characters.

Mmm... most protags in VNs tend to be nekketsu (hot-blooded/somewhat thoughtless) or normal. Shirou's personality and action make a lot more sense as you go along, but that doesn't decrease the sheer annoyance with the Fate arc, where all of his most annoying aspects are displayed in the most annoying of ways. Shirou shows better both in UBW and Heaven's Feel, though for different reasons. tbh, the only pragmatist protags I know of in translated VNs are G-Senjou's protag, Sharin no Kuni's (to an extent), and Yuuji in Grisaia. They all have their reasons for being that way (ingrained fear in G-Senjou's, survival instinct and cold planning with Sharin's, and training for Yuuji's), but those are the closest you'll get. You can also get bugfuck insane protags in a few VNs (Cross Channel's Taichi) or a protag that is cool on the surface while impulsive under it (Akihito from Comyu). I could suggest large numbers of protags to fit your tastes in untranslated ones, but it is apparent you aren't ready for those, lol.

This list is entirely devoted to VNs that serve to provide healing, light catharsis, laughs, and warm fuzzy feelings. Understand, most of the games on this list will be moege, charage, or nakige, with almost no exceptions. Some of these, I would not rate highly by my own tastes, but in the eyes of someone seeking this quality, would be awesome. I WILL NOT provide a translated list, as the last time I played a translated VN was more than three years ago, and thus others would be a better judge of what to include in the translated portion of it (hint, hint, Kaguya, Steve, and other Fuwa vets). A great story is generally not a requirement for this type of game, which is why I didn't always give them as high a rating as they would deserve from fans of the genre. Heavy drama (outside of the 'it is definitely going to end happily' type that you get in nakige) is not acceptable. I am going to be very picky for this list, as games that leave you with a bad aftertaste or leave you wondering why you bothered waste people's time, lol. (Hoshimemo would be borderline out of bounds, if you want a clear marker of what not to include. This kind of game has to be almost devoid of violence and meant to heal or soothe) Untranslated: Haruka ni Aogi, Uruwashi no (seriously, this game is my universal recommendation from this type) Moshimo Ashita ga Harenaraba Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru ~Futari no Elder~ (rare example of sequel far surpassing the original in every aspect) Toppara Zashiki Warashi no Hanashi Sukimazakura to Uso no Machi (yes, this starts out kind of sadly, but its generally light nature and characters definitely make it soothing) Koisuru Natsu no Last Resort (as I said in my comments on this game, it is like a much weaker imitation of Uruwashi no) Clover Days (another recent addition, perfect example of a light charage with no serious drama that isn't solved relatively quickly) Chiisana Kanojo no Serenade (pure moe, stops just short of moeblob, totally light, no really serious drama) Kaminoyu (no human heroines... but this game is enormously soothing and decently funny) Shiro no Pikapika Ohoshi-sama (this was the game that came to mind when I thought of making this list) LoveKami Sakura Bitmap Strawberry Nauts Tenshin Ranman - Lucky or Unlucky!? Natsuiro Recipe AI Love: Koisuru Otome wa Kikai-jikake YES I am being very picky about this list. Not every nakige is soothing/healing for the reader, and not every moege is capable of providing easy laughs and adorable cuteness. The basic reasoning behind all of these choices is: emotional release from sympathy/empathy with the characters and an overall sense of relief of pent-up non-violent stress for the reader. I could have put up to three times this many games up here if I'd been less picky... but then I would have been wasting the readers' time. Have fun, yall.

Just started the Hapymaher FD. It started out by making me cry, lol. The big downside of a good emotional VN is that just remembering it can make me burst into tears, in some cases, haha

Some use pseudonyms for both, because they want real anonymity. It just depends on the individual. Edit: It is pretty obvious to those who have played a lot of games and watched a lot of VNs which ero-pseudonyms match the names of voice-actors in non-ero media. Because of that, I don't think it should surprise anyone that a lot of voice-actors only use pseudonyms.

Another comment... the Japanese are the most sexually repressed culture on the planet (outside of religious orthodox people in certain faiths), but they are also the culture with the strongest fictional sexual entertainment industry.

Mmm... with otakus in Japan, VA's are generally honored on the same level as idols, though their private lives are respected a great deal more and there are no real restrictions on how they live their lives. However... the Japanese tend to put out a lot of mixed signals on sexual issues. For one, the taboo amongst traditionalists about talking about sex is if anything stricter than it is here. However, there is also a strong tradition of sexual symbolism in Japanese art (think Greek art, as it has some parallel similarities). So, since VA's are essentially 'wearing a mask' by not actually acting out the sexual acts, there would be very little in the way of a stigma on them amongst 'normal' people. However, it is a fine line... sexual issues are always touchy issues in modern cultures.

Untranslated with genius protags: Hyper→Highspeed→Genius Hello, Lady Bradyon Veda Devils Devel Concept Draculius Jingai Makyou Noble Works (charage) Otome ga Tsumugu Koi no Canvas Rui wa Tomo wo Yobu Soukoku no Arterial (there is an interface translation patch) Tenshi no Hane wo Fumanaide Tokyo Babel Akatsuki no Goei (series) Boku ga Tenshi ni Natta Wake (this is scheduled for an official translation) Electro Arms Gleam Garden no Shoujo Hello,good-bye Kamikaze Explorer (charage) Kimi to Boku to no Kishi no Hibi -Rakuen no Chevalier- (charage) Ojou-sama wa Gokigen Naname Namima no Kuni no Faust Reminiscence Soushuu Senshinkan Gakuen Hachimyoujin Gensou no Idea Dies Irae Kajiri Kamui Kagura Zero Infinity A few comments on Eien no Aselia: I know how you feel about protags that want to 'return to their own world', but it is an unavoidable trope in Japanese fantasy stories. It is a cultural thing, lol. On the other hand, in Yuuto's case it makes perfect sense, up to a point. He was taken from his own world along with his little sister, turned into a slave soldier, and even when he gets free of his first master, he is forced into a situation where he has to fight anyway. As for Kamidori: If you go into this game expecting a great story, you'll get burned. It is one of the weakest of all of Eushully's games, plot-wise.

Don't forget Ayakashibito. Also, check out my lists when you are ready for untranslated VNs.

Yes, I've played it... those who played Ever17 and liked it but would have preferred a slightly more character-centric story will probably enjoy it. However, for those who are afraid of bad endings, you should probably avoid the game, as you'll be forced to see a lot of horror in the ends of each heroine's path.

http://vndb.org/v838 I was asked to check this out by members of Fuwa's lolicon community (you know who you are), and I went ahead and did so. This is a fantasy lolige, with nothing but loli or loli-appearing heroines. In all honesty, I didn't get much pleasure out of playing this game, primarily because the story is pretty poorly paced. I finished all the paths of the game in just under eight hours, and it goes pretty much from beginning to end in a ridiculously short time. It is quite obvious that not much thought went into the overall setting or story from the very beginning, and I felt the overall situation was kind of... iffy. I honestly can't come up with much of a redeeming value for the game... though I think with some work it could have been made into something interesting. The big problem is that the time from beginning to end is too short to get the sense of isolation that you'd need to get behind the protagonist's eyes in the story, as he goes more over to the monsters' side of things. Considering that it was obvious that was what they were trying to do... that is a critical flaw.

I never said that Shinri was a good guy, lol.

I just finished Clover Days... (I really sped through it). The paths split off really early, so you get a lot of each heroine, but it is mostly romance-related, though there is generally at least a little drama toward the end of each path. The exception is Hekiru and Hikaru's path, which goes pretty predictably, if you've ever read a path for a set of twins. For people who love the cuteness, this game is great... but if you aren't interested in being moe'ed to death, this VN is kind of painful. That isn't to say that it doesn't have it's good points... but if it wasn't Alcot, this game probably would have made me want to puke, lol. This game has Alcot's usual humorous character interactions, which fans of their other games will probably recognize. I can honestly recommend this to someone who wants some light VN reading, with plenty of heroine character development. I guess the main reason I couldn't get into this was because the protagonist/heroine relationships were all established at the beginning, as all of the heroines are either his imouto or osananajimi. Since I despise the osananajimi trope when it is overused, I couldn't help but get irritated at this. If I have to deal with a romance, I prefer situations where the heroine and the protagonist are finding out about each other at the same time I am, as it makes it easier for me to get into things. For those who want a moe-charage, this is a great choice... but for those who want something focused around a great story, I don't think that can really be provided from this. The story isn't bad... it is just all young romance between people who already know one another and don't really make any new discoveries about one another beyond the usual tropes for this kind of situation. Game of the Month Announcement: March The winner for non-action is: Hikoukigumo no Mukougawa My main reason for choosing Hikoukigumo was the enormous effort put into Eiri's path, which is worth a VN in and of itself. While both of the other paths had their down and dirty drama moments, Eiri's was a work of art, and for once I didn't feel something lacking from a game made by Flat. I also considered Alia's Carnival, but it just didn't possess the level of depth and thought that went into Hikoukigumo. Clephas Choice: Hello, Lady My reason for choosing this over Endless Dungeon (despite how hilarious and cool that addendum to the Tiny Dungeon series was), was simply the usual Akatsuki Works genius. Hello, Lady did for me what even the chuuni games of the last few months didn't quite manage... it made me have hope for the future of story-focused VNs. The incredible decrease in the number of quality titles over the past two years has been depressing, quite frankly, so I was happy to run across so many in such a short period of time in the last few months. Hello, Lady proved to me that a VN could still end without the story turning into just another moral lesson, where the bad guys are somehow forgiven for everything in the end. Shinri's unapologetic pursuit of his own goals, regardless of the cost to those around him and his determination to retain his humanity while doing it made him a singularly compelling protagonist. The fact that his everyday actions were hilarious was just a nice bit of topping to the cake.

Now draw her once she becomes an adult and tells Daddy that she is going to marry Uncle Sunohara.

Too cutesy for my tastes... No Game, No Life seems the most potentially interesting to me.

No, but it doesn't appear as if there is a direct relation. The heroines are different and the protag seems to be different as well.

Currently playing Clover Days, as Doko no Donata sucks donkey shit (ok, all the heroines are annoying, which was enough to get me drop it then and there... and it has that 'everyone loves the protagonist for no real reason from the start' setting that I despise). It will be my last game from last month, other than fandiscs. It is pretty decent so far, though all the heroines are either osananajimi or imouto. Too many lolis in this game though... retro, lol

*makes arrogant assumption* Well, now that you are addicted to Propeller games, don't you think it is time you ventured into the realms of the untranslated ones? lol

Kuki.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/260130/?snr=1_7_7_151_150_1 Something to look forward to for jrpg gamers who still prefer to play on the PC. I enjoyed this series, personally, though it gets dissed a lot by various people. I'm a reformed jrpg-addict (ok, I just shifted my addiction to VNs, which fulfill my love for good story better than jrpgs do), but I still like retro-style games, lol

Haven't played Ayakashibito yet? lol

http://vndb.org/v13046 OK. First, I'm going to say that I had absolutely no intention of playing this game through now, as I mentioned above, and I did indeed regret playing it once it was done. That isn't to say it is an awful game. I've played and left comments in this thread on far worse games, that didn't leave me feeling this annoyed. I was specifically requested by an off-site, rl friend to play this and give him my opinion of it, otherwise I would have delayed going through with this, probably until years later. My main reason for disliking this game is that it is fairly obvious that whoever wrote it was being very conscious of this game (http://vndb.org/v604) which is by the same company and incidentally leagues above this one in quality. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem... except that Uruwashi no is a masterpiece and a kamige, and imitating a kamige usually just means the imitation gets compared unfavorably with the real thing. The reasons I say this is an imitation is because of several elements: First: The setting. An isolated location, with oddly few people for the amount of money obviously put into it. Second: The heroines. ALL of the main heroines in this game are either psychologically damaged and/or have circumstances that make it difficult for them on the outside. Third: The protagonist, except in the case of the sub-heroine, Nagisa, is always the more mature and more experienced half of the pair, leading the girl to solving her problems (or at least dealing with them) while dealing with his own. Fourth: The attempt to make the story emotionally heavy for each of the heroines and create a strong empathic bond between the player and the characters... (in the case of Last Resort this is the point where it frequently failed) This game suffers from an enormous problem for the emotional part of the story... it develops too fast. The main story only covers a month, and both the common route and the heroine routes fail to give the sense of intimacy and personal attachment that is necessary to draw in experienced readers. While a needlessly long common or heroine route is nothing but an annoyance, an unrealistically short one, either in-game or in actual length, tends to lead to shallow character attachment from the reader. What is frustrating is that this game just screams 'I have POTENTIAL!!!' as loudly as it possibly could. It is obvious what the writer wanted to do was at odds with what he actually did do, which was create a regular charage that aspires but fails to enter the ranks more involved VN stories (understand, I don't know who wrote this, and I generally don't care, as long as the story is good... following any single writer in VNs only leads to disappointment, in my experience). I would have been perfectly happy to play a VN imitating Uruwashi no, if they'd just managed to create something approaching the depth of character development and plot in that game. Nonetheless, if you go into this without looking at it from an experienced VN player's point of view, this is a perfectly adequate charage (albeit one that can be matched by dozens to a hundred others in quality) that people that like skimpy outfits, weird extras (the append disc and patches), and emotionally-scarred heroines will probably take pleasure in reading. I am absolutely sure someone who hasn't read some of Pulltop's better games (such as Uruwashi no) will probably like this game for itself, so I won't scream that my disappointment with it makes it a bad game. I simply felt that I would rather have played something else, lol. PS: Incidentally, if you take issue with my bashing this game in the first part of my post, I won't be offended if you counter my thoughts on this one. I was actually shocked at how I felt once I started playing the game and realizing where it was going. I could see that this game possesses the baseline quality that Pulltop's games are known for, but after I'd played it for a few hours, all I could see was how thoroughly the game parallels one of my favorites... and how it fails miserably to match it (sort of like the difference between grocery store pound cake and fresh cake from a famous patisserie ) Edit: Incidentally, I do intend to play one more game from March before making my decision on Game of the Month. However, as I'm unsure of which I'll play as of yet, I'd appreciate patience from those who are reading the thread, lol