melo4496

And finished! (Well, still have the Another Story part, but it's aside from the Main story, so i'm posting my opinion now)
It was good. Or more like, good and sometimes awesome.
Leyline 1: Good, but nothing outstanting, as it's the game supposed to make you discover the world of the VN. CGs are beautiful, and BGMs are kinda nice too.
Leyline 2: The background was set in the first game, so it can go deeper. A little like the first one at first, then it quickly becomes better going deeper in the story. The revelations are amazing and the end really emotional. CGs are beautiful as always, and the new BGMs are nice, particulary Vanish.
Leyline 3: To be honest, I liked the atmosphere of the second game better, but I really liked it too, and Ushio is just too cute in this one. My only complaint is that, well, you know. Anyway, really liked the end, it was beautiful! CGs are eye candy as always, with a few REALLY beautiful ones, and really liked the Ley-Line BGM.
 
Anyway, all in all really liked this trilogy. Plot holes aside, the mysteries were cool. I really liked the humour and the characters, thought I would have liked Koga to be more proactive sometimes, but he's not bad at all. Ushio is a given, and Omaru (Yeah, well, once you're used to it...) and Shizuka are really well developed.
So yeah, time well spent!
Now, I did Kisaragi Gold Star, Natsuiro Recipe (well, only Yuzu's route), and the three Ley Line in succession, so guess I'll rest a few days before playing the next one. I wonder what I'll read next... (I also have Sora no Kiseki the 3rd to do, hope I'll be able to finish everything before Dies Irae)

If you got here then you're already pretty far into the abyss  seeing how everyone already gave you a lot of recommendations I'll just stick to my usual murder/mystery series, instead of repeating what others said above.
- Cartagra
- Kara no Shoujo
- Kara no Shoujo Ep 2
I hope you enjoy them if you do end up reading them.
 
Best of luck to you 

Sugina Miki

Sugina Miki

Sugina Miki

Sugina Miki

Sugina Miki

Dmitri Kalanikov (Evolimit)- The head of the Calamity Monkeys, a bear of a Russian scientist who was the operational leader of the first Mars colonization effort.  Highly intelligent (despite his appearance), his one weakness was his daughter, Tsunami.  Like most of the Calamity Monkeys, there is an aura of childish wonder to his attitudes toward the colonization of Mars.  A man of heroic proportions in every way.
Kamio Ami (Semiramis no Tenbin)- Ingenious, borderline sociopathic, and manipulative, she is redeemed somewhat by a lack of malice (toward most people) and a definite sense of fairness.  Referred to as a demon by the protagonist, due to her manipulations, she nonetheless prefers to create positive results in most situations she manipulates (though there are some seriously odd results).  Unfortunately, her early life has left her somewhat screwy when it comes to close relationships.
Hinaori Kagome (Comyu)- Vicious, malicious, and ingenious, with an endless capacity for ruthlessness.  The true heroine of Comyu.  Her only love is the protagonist, but she tends to have an odd way of showing it, most of the time.  Not fit for human company most of the time.
Shigure Sora (Devils Devel Concept)- Sociopathic, monstrous, and more than a little crazy.  While he has many holes in his personality and negative personality traits, he is also invariably honest, endlessly dutiful to those duties he has taken on himself, and protective (as well as possessive) of those he attaches to.  He is incapable of love in the romantic sense, though the heroines generally refuse to believe this (despite having issues there themselves).  He is, however, capable of contentment and desiring the contentment of others, albeit in a limited sense.  He is also rarely needlessly malicious, outside of combat (where is aroused in every sense).
Toshirou (Vermilion Bind of Blood)- An ancient former-samurai vampire who serves as a guardian of vampiric law in the city of Foggy Bottom.  A rarity amongst vampires, who generally don't bother to polish technique, he is willing to use anything he can to fulfill what he sees as his duty.  However, he also suffers from a silver bullet that is slowly rotting away his heart, giving him a sense of mortality no other vampire is able to experience.
Zephyr Colerain (Silverio Vendetta)- Normally a lazy sponge of a cowardly deserter whose only passion is protecting his adopted sister Millie from danger.  When cornered he becomes the most sadistic sort of killer, ruthlessly utilizing insults, examples of painful death, and human shields to kill his enemies, often in an enormously painful fashion.  The ultimate assassin due to his abilities and personality (cowardly, intense desire to survive, absolute ruthlessness).
Serika (Ikusa Megami series)- Once a young warrior-hero full of kindness and dreams of peace, with the loss of his humanity he has become the God-slayer, wandering the world in search of a place to be at peace.  Broken and worn down by his experiences and the pressure of his goddess body on his all-too-human soul, there is very little remaining of the young man he was at the beginning.
Kaito (Akatsuki no Goei)- Insulting, rude, arrogant, and more than a little crazy, Kaito is the protagonist of the Akatsuki no Goei series.  Well-aware of his own internal darkness, he nonetheless lives as he wills, no matter the situation.
Narita Shinri (Hello, Lady)- Hyper-intelligent, arrogant, and uncaring of others sensibilities, he is the protagonist of Hello, Lady.  A vengeance-seeking young man with a strong sense of theater, as well as a capacity for ruthlessness tempered by a moral compass damaged but not destroyed by his experiences.
Elceranto de Annoyance/Belche (Draculius)- The ultimate 'loli-baba' vampire.  A five hundred year old vampire sent to serve the protagonist, she serves as mother, mentor, lover, wife, maid, and general guide to the world for Jun throughout the story.  As a support character and a heroine, she is unmatched... and she is also really really good at killing humans, lol.
Marie (Dies Irae)- An innocent young girl who lived her entire mortal life without human contact due to the curse of the guillotine.  Her last words were 'I will always be here, won't I?' when she was finally executed by the very guillotine at whose foot she was born... only to continue to exist, immortal and unchanging. 
Maia (Hapymaher)- The mistress of Tohru's dreams, a sadistic loli who loves nothing more than teasing the people she loves.  However, she is also intensely protective of those same people and utterly unforgiving of those who attempt to harm them.  She is the image of Tohru's greatest desire and a source of endless pain and sorrow for him, the sweet dream he does not allow himself to experience.
Donoko (Haruka ni Aogi, Uruwashi no)- Donoko is a young woman at the isolated girls' school who acts as if she cares about nothing at all.  However, her meeting with Tsukasa changes her outlook, giving her a confidante she otherwise never would have possessed.  The girl that she shows to Tsukasa is inquisitive, kind-hearted, and highly intelligent, as well as being a natural rebel to authority that seeks to force her into a mold she can't fit into.
Yuuji (Grisaia series)- A deeply scarred young man who has lived much of his life since adolescence as an intelligence agent.  His outlook on life is warped rather obviously by his experiences, including those prior to his adoption by his teacher and his entry into service.
Ichirou (Hatsuru Koto Naki Mirai Yori)- The protagonist of the story.  A hard-edged kamikaze pilot with a drill sergeant's attitude and a surprising talent for analyzing a situation... though he tends to act on instinct more often than not.  He is the product of WWII's battlefield and nationalist culture, but he is well-aware of the contradictions of his education and life in the service.  In his view, a soldier's duty is to die so that civilians don't have to.  At times, he will speak indirectly about the horrors of being in service to a nation that has forgotten how to surrender.
Kaze no Ushiro ni Ayumu Mono (Jingai Makyou)- Feral, animalistic, and direct in all matters.  She is of a species of wolf-like non-humans who seek the protagonist's potential power, asking him to allow her to eat him when he is satisfied with his life (in her mind, after he has kids).  To an extent, she follows the natural laws (survival of the fittest), but she doesn't believe in giving up the struggle for life while there is a breath in her body.
Cinema (Komorebi no Nostalgica)- A main character but not a heroine of the story of Komorebi no Nostalgica.  A simple, innocent humanoid AI who displays an odd level of humanity in her gestures and actions, despite being far behind technologically in comparison to the fully self-aware Metosera.  She was once both the ultimate masterpiece of one of the greatest software and hardware developers of all time and a perfectly innocent sales clerk at the movie rental shop he ran.   Decades later, after the war, found and repaired by the protagonist and friends, she begins a journey of self-discovery that is deeply touching as she blurs the boundaries between man and machine in ways even the denizens of the new world have yet to encounter.
Fluorite (Komorebi no Nostalgica)- A young Metosera and one of the protagonist's group of friends since childhood.  While she retains the tendency toward excessive dependence on logical analysis that many of her kind have, she nonetheless displays a depth of emotion and personality that sets her apart as a distinct individual sentience, rather than a mere result of artificial development. 
Luna (Tsuki ni Yorisou, Otome no Sahou)- A brilliant artist, investor, and master of the mansion the protagonist works at as a trap maid.  She is an albino, suffering from the same difficulties many such individuals endure (weakness to UV rays, a tendency toward vision problems, etc), she has nonetheless made a life for herself, even in the face of the active opposition and off-hand contempt of her birth family.  While she can be harsh on first meeting, she is deeply passionate in her affection toward those she comes to care about, even if she appears to maintain a certain distance at times.
Roy (Ryakudatsusha no In'en and Ryuukishi Bloody Saga)- A young man who began his life as a victim, endured living as a killer to become an avenger, and eventually became a healer and protector after his vengeance left him empty. 
Tendou Setsuna (Tokyo Babel)- A child forced to act as a god to a desperate populace, who then proceeded to foil their desires, causing the extinction of an entire planet full of humans.  His guilt has made him gloomy and given him a disregard for his own safety and happiness that is unnatural in its completeness.  Created as a short-lived tool, he looks to be in his late teens despite having only lived a few years.  He can be considered the 'ultimate human' in the sense that his abilities lie at the very limits of what is possible through bio-engineering a human before birth.
Opera (Tiny Dungeon)- A dragon-race maid... as well as a former assassin and counter-intelligence agent in the war.  Her current hobbies are putting her beloved mistress in compromising situations and enjoying the aftermath.
Hime (Tiny Dungeon)- The protagonist of the Tiny Dungeon series.  He is a young man, who in the face of near-impossible odds, endless contempt and racial prejudice from almost everyone around him, and an inability to use magic, has nonetheless managed to remain at the Trinity Academy and even thrive there.  He is intelligent and a hard-worker, as well as being kind of heart and thoughtful.
Kiritooshi Hiro (Yurikago yori Tenshi made)- An odd young man with dead eyes who has an unfortunate tendency to say what he thinks at any given moment, then bang his head against the wall afterward when he realizes just what he said.  The possessor of an artificial skeleton known as a Knight Frame, non-fatal wounds heal in moments and he possesses a level of physical capability no unaltered human can match.  His dislike of trouble tends to combine with a tendency to draw that trouble to him to create some rather desperate situations.
Rain (Baldr SkyDive)- A young woman who lived much of her youth in a sheltered fashion, in the wake of the nano-assembler disaster, she becomes the protagonist's sole companion.  She has a singular, devoted love for the protagonist that is overwhelming in its strength.  I found it a pity she wasn't the true heroine, lol.
Takefumi (Natsuiro Recipe)- A simple, honest young man who is drawn to a small town by a letter from a (yet another) potential half-sister.  He finds her living alone in her grandmother's home, and he decides to accept her as his little sister, even if it turns out not to be true.  A steady, hard-working young man with a strong sense of responsibility.
Reiji (Electro-arms)- A bored young gamer with a delinquent's reputation and a love of gaming that makes him quite at home in EA when he discovers it one night.  He is highly intelligent and skilled at putting puzzles together with only a few pieces available (in the metaphorical sense), as well as being driven primarily by curiosity in most matters.
Kotarou (Izuna Zanshinken)- A near-shota with an easy manner and a ready smile... who is also the vigilante assassin, Izuna.  While he is generally mild-mannered in most situations, he possesses an instinctive and overwhelming rage toward those who 'cross the line', which often comes out in his manner of killing (ex. feeding a cannibal alive to his pet rats after cutting his hamstrings and the tendons in his elbows). 
 

Generally speaking, most protagonists in VNs are teens reliant on their parents for money, food, and shelter.  As such, it is pretty hard to find a VN where the protagonist is capable of supporting himself/herself, and some of my favorite protagonists are of this type.   For the purposes of accuracy, I'm excluding people merely living alone on money being sent to them by relatives.  I'll also name chuunige with this type of protagonist in a separate section at the bottom.  Incidentally, I reluctantly excluded Akatsuki no Goei's Kaito because he sponges off anyone who will let him, lol.  I'm also excluding 'high fantasy' with no characters from Earth.
 
The List
Nanairo Reincarnation
Ojousama wa Gokigen Naname (protagonist is actually fairly wealthy due to his dirty-dealing, lol)
G-Senjou no Maou
Namima no Kuni no Faust
The Grisaia series (yes, I count Yuuji, as he works for his money and shelter)
Haruka ni Aogi, Uruwashi no
Hataraku Otona no Ren'ai Jijou
Hataraku Otaku no Ren'ai Jijou
Koisuru Doll to Omoi no Kiseki (though he is basically living off an inheritance)
Koisuru Otome to Shugo no Tate series (protagonist is of the same type as Yuuji)
Rui wa Tomo o Yobu
Suzunone Seven (pays his way with magitech sex toys, lol)
Minamijuujisei Renka (technically, the protagonist lives off his little sisters... but he was the one supporting them and one other before, until he collapsed, lol)
Soshite Hatsukoi ga Imouto ni Naru (protagonist lives in a school dorm but pays his own ways through part-time jobs)
the Mecha-con series (all the protagonists here are wealthy)
Natsuiro Recipe
Sakura Nikagetsu (living off of inheritance)
Sumire (though he is miserable)
Re:Birth Colony
Lamunation (though it is hidden under layers of sexual humor)
Sora no Tsukurikata
Dekinai Watashi ga, Kurikaesu (utsuge)
Hotel. (though at this point, money means nothing, lol)
Konata yori Kanata made (living off inheritance, utsuge)
Kazoku Keikaku (though this game has aged horribly)
Reminiscence
Sakura Iro Quartet
Sanzen Sekai Yuugi (dark otomege)
Valkyrie Runabout
Sharin no Kuni
Toki o Tsumugu Yakusoku
Trouble@Vampire
 
Chuunige
Hi no Nai Tokoro ni Kemuri wa Tatanai
Izuna Zanshinken
Vermilion
Bloody Rondo
Yurikago yori Tenshi Made
Hello, Lady
Bradyon Veda
Silverio Trinity (but not Silverio Vendetta, since Zephyr is a sponge except in emergencies)
Tokyo Necro
Ayakashibito (because he is supporting himself and Suzu after a certain point)
Sorcery Jokers (the second protagonist)
Muramasa
Tiny Dungeon series (though this is mostly because he is on a scholarship)
Bloody Rondo
Gensou no Idea
Zero Infinity
 

Finished Karehana
This vn is suited for readers who don't want to invest so much time in reading, but still seeks for a good solid story. Unfortunately, it hit several of my pet peeves (moege-type art, lack of comedy and tsundere scenes, vague setting) so I wasn't immersed enough, and didn't shed some tears. ……薄情者め
To be honest the real thing starts after you finish the game lol いやいや楽しかった…

Finished Karehana
This vn is suited for readers who don't want to invest so much time in reading, but still seeks for a good solid story. Unfortunately, it hit several of my pet peeves (moege-type art, lack of comedy and tsundere scenes, vague setting) so I wasn't immersed enough, and didn't shed some tears. ……薄情者め
To be honest the real thing starts after you finish the game lol いやいや楽しかった…

Hello, welcome to a community where we talk about the English versions of Japanese media.  
Nice to meet you. 

Well the thread title should be obvious. Let's just look at their tweet first.
 
Hype and pretentious issue aside, anyone looking forward to this? Personally I'm interested with that, though not as hyped as any other people though. Anyway, this is one of VN that had some history in regard of VN Translation scene, and it was already discussed to the death in this forum and VNDB as well (Maybe Reddit too). As for release year, not sure if it's real but let's just wait and see for now.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sekaiproject/a-clockwork-ley-line-a-visual-novel-trilogy
This is similar to how the Chrono Clock KS was set up, with them saying that the localizations are already funded and being released no matter what, the crowdfunding is just so they can do a special limited box set for all three games. So you shouldn't feel a strong impetus to fund this for the sake of seeing these games in English, though they do seem to be offering a pretty good discount over what the final retail price will be for the digital copies.
The Ley-Line games are magical mysteries with plenty of comedy and some romance. They seem to be pretty well-liked, with good ratings in EGS and VNDB and generally good reviews, although people disliked the second game a little (a huge cliffhanger ending being one of the biggest complaints). In any case, I've had them on my VNDB wishlist for years now, so I'm glad the entire trilogy has been confirmed. 
Here's a review from Conjueror, for those who want to know more: https://vnrw.wordpress.com/2016/01/18/vn-tokeijikake-no-ley-line/
edit: I forgot to mention, yes, 18+ versions are confirmed.

That's normal
In my case I just kept on looking for the definition of a certain word over and over. Repetition is the key. I know it's tiring but learning is done by doing the same thing again and again.
Narration tends to be difficult to read. I suggest just getting the gist/thought of the narration at first and focus more on the dialogue, which is a lot easier to understand because of voices.

That's normal
In my case I just kept on looking for the definition of a certain word over and over. Repetition is the key. I know it's tiring but learning is done by doing the same thing again and again.
Narration tends to be difficult to read. I suggest just getting the gist/thought of the narration at first and focus more on the dialogue, which is a lot easier to understand because of voices.

I bulldozed through it. I did flashcards on the side but I learned most of my vocabulary by looking up words over and over until it clicked. Selectively choose which ones to focus on. Glance on the complicated ones just to get the gist (or save them in anki for later) and focus on basic looking everyday words. It's going to be HELL the first several hours of gameplay. I remember having to constantly look up most of the words in a sentence to being able to read 40~ lines without needing a dictionary (within maybe 10+ hours of doing the method). If that gets tedious vary your methods for learning the vocab. Maybe watch a video or do pictographs.
The VN method is hardest in the beginning so do your best to get out of the hump. After I finished my 1st VN, which took me a year, I knew as much as half of level 2 JLPT (around 600 kanjis maybe).

って、多すぎっ！You have tons of interesting vns..
Read the blog post about Shinsou Noise. The minigame sounds 面倒臭い but Mystery+Tragedy looks nice

Currently on Natsu no Iro no Nostalgia. Finished my first route - Ayane's.
Few comments on the game:
1. 絵がきれい
2. 妹が鬱陶しい
3. 雰囲気がいい
4. 普通なｓｏｌドラマかと思ったが、びっくりしましたわぃ。http://i.imgur.com/8DAuvp1.png

Try Noraneko Heart or some AsaProject games, I'm pretty sure you'll like and have some good laughs in them.

How about Dracu Riot, Swan Song, Tokyo Babel, Kimisora, and Yosuga no Sora? Hope those could be good to you.

Floflo
Karehana
Iroseka
5

Tasogare no Sinsemilla
Ashita no Kimi to Au Tame ni
Aster
Phantom of Inferno
Flyable Heart

http://key.visualarts.gr.jp/summer/
Staff:
Original Story: Jun Maeda
Original Character Design: Na-Ga, Tsubasu Izumi, & Yuunon Nagayama
Scenario: Yuu Niijima, Kai, & Hasama
Composer: Shinji Orito, Jun Maeda, Donmaru, & Tomohiro Takeshita

Angel Beats's sequel?  

If it was just dark themes, I could name about fifty VNs, but you wanted death/violence/guro...
Midori no Umi (Depends on the path, but can be pretty horrifying... anything by this company is going to be dark though)
End Sleep (seriously recommend this one as a murder mystery...)
The Secret Game series (survival battle royale)
Nanairo Reincarnation and Akeiro Kaikitan (though a lot of these games are comedic or simply melancholic, they have a few major guro moments)
Tokyo Necro (extremely high reading difficulty, but it has some serious guro moments due to the zombie thing)