Zalor

I'm not exactly sure what your cut off point is for mid-2000s, but for simplicity's sake I'm going to judge that to be 2005. With that in mind, here are my recommendations: Saya no Uta (Released 2003) Symphonic Rain (Released 2004) Ever17 (Released 2002) Kana Little Sister (Released 1999) Crescendo (Released 2001) The early Key VNs, Kanon and Air (Released 1999 and 2000 respectively) YU-NO (Released 1996) Policenauts (Released 1994) Snatcher (Released 1988)

I certainly recommend checking it out for yourself. One thing I should mention is that I think the VN's Opening is classic (it's part of the reason I had such high expectations)

Eh, I mean I don't mean to be a downer but I'm not one to censor my opinions either. When I first felt comfortable enough with my Japanese, I read Snow since I'm a huge fan of Kanon and I heard its Japanese isn't very difficult. Short end of the story, I ended up dropping it because I found it very boring and not nearly as charming as Kanon. Admittedly, apparently relative to other VN fans my standards are rather high. But, I did find Snow to be a tremendous disappointment. And this is coming from somebody who really wanted to like it (since I both love nakiges and snow-settings)

I agree, the merging of dating sims with adventure games was an interesting development that was central in creating VNs. If you go back to the Sound Novel era with stuff like Kamaitachi no Yoru, it's not immediately obvious that the two genres (sound novels and dating sims) would work so well together. But because of that hybrid, VNs went in the direction where choices effect the direction the narrative goes, choose your adventure book style. Currently I'm playing some retro point and click games, and its interesting how open to exploration they are, but the structure of the story is more linear as you pointed out.

Yeah, I mean both VNs and point and click adventures have their roots in text adventure games and interactive fiction. What I find kind of interesting is that at a certain point, both in Japan and in the west the emphasis of interactive fiction starts getting placed more on the fiction, and relatively less on the interaction. In early text-adventures, the fiction is really just an excuse for interaction. But in the 90s with both VNs and point and click games, this seems to flip where the interaction becomes a means to explore the fiction. Kind of like looking at an evolutionary chart of a species, it's interesting to see how VNs and point and click adventures branch off from a similar point, yet in essence strive to do similar things but in different ways.

Don't know anything about this, but I'm assuming you (or friends/associates) worked on this so congrats on finishing the project!

Excellent video, it's really quite well done from pretty much every aspect. While not directly related to the video, I do have an observation I'd like to share and I'm curious about your thoughts. Briefly in the Intro & History portion of the video you go over how Japanese PC games eventually evolved to become more story focused. Eventually embracing more text heavy games. Bowl of Lentils in his video does a good job connecting this to the history of Japanese Adventure Games. Something I find quite curious though, is that at around the same time American PC games also began to merge story and adventure with Point and Click games, like Adventure of Monkey Island, Sam and Max, Drowned God, etc. In a certain sense I think 90's VNs and 90's Point and Click games have a point of commonality that I haven't seen anyone talk about. The difference between the two is quite obvious, with Point and Click focusing on storytelling through environment interaction, and VNs focusing on character interaction more than explicit environment interaction. But the desire to explore and get the reader participating in a story I think is shared between both. This is just an observation I've had for awhile and I'm just curious to get other peoples input on. You seem like a person that might have some thoughts about it so I'm posting it here

Visual novels seem to have gained a dirty reputation as cheap, disposable works of escapism. Often focused on simulating relationships in a digital, anime themed virtual reality. When I think of a visual novel fan with the most vanilla taste, I think of ones that want to be coddled in anime cliches so thick any semblance of reality's discomforts can be forgotten. Among other reasons, I think this is an explanation for why For Elise ~Elise no tame ni~ has been so overlooked. No other visual novel has ever felt so raw. There is hardly anything anime about it, aside from the character designs. Even then, the character designs standout as unique amid the typical mold of anime characters. The work's focus on reality doesn't just rub the typical escapist the wrong way, it has just as often disappointed the fans of the writer's other work. For Elise has gained the association as the older, unpolished sister of the cult classic psychological horror visual novel Sayonara wo Oshiete. A masterpiece that deserves every bit of praise thrown its direction. However, after having read For Elise I think it's very unfair to compare the two. And even more unfair to go into For Elise expecting to find a prototype of Sayonara. At one point the writer of both works made a website (that is now archived), with the sole purpose of explaining For Elise to people considering reading it. What he makes quite clear, is that while the primary theme of Sayonara is madness, the main theme of For Elise is reality. And so if you are expecting madness from a story focused on reality, you will end up disappointed. However, if you go into For Elise free from expectations, and go along for its own ride, it makes for quite an interesting experience. One of a kind even. That alone I think makes it worth a read. Certainly one aspect of the VN that I find appealing, is that in retrospect it exists as a sort of time capsule of 90's Japan. Nearly, if not all the backgrounds are filtered photographs, mostly from Matsudo city in Chiba prefecture. (Things have certainly changed a lot in ~25 years) Given the realistic characterization of its cast, it nearly feels like looking into a window of the past. All while experiencing it from the perspective of a believably apathetic salaryman. You walk around in his shoes, almost literally as much of the story involves going back and forth between various consistent locations. On the way you'll run into several characters, and much of the conflict is rooted in how these characters work themselves into your life. Most holding ulterior motives of their own, exposing the passivity of the main protagonist until things culminate into a crescendo of sorts. Until you reach the ending though, much of For Elise feels like a thematic shepard tone: an auditory illusion of a tone that continually ascends or descends. In fact, given that the last thing you see before the credits is the main character walk back to work, through to the end the experience consistently feels like an ominous tone which only continues. What emphasizes this thematic mood is the soundtrack. Speaking for the main character's subconscious mind where his words rarely do. From the violent fantasies he experiences every night, it is clear that he is a repressed individual. And although his interactions with the cast act as a catalyst for the conflict, the root of all his problems rests entirely in his own passivity. What the ambiance of the soundtrack communicates is that behind the main character's mundane life festers something sinister. It's only later on when he's put in a situation where he is forced to react, that we finally see this manifest. But from the first scene to the last, it is the music which tells the true story of the main character's mental framework. As somebody who wants to see the visual novel medium used to tell stories beyond the sort that pander to otaku, For Elise was a breath of fresh air. Perhaps precisely because I feel relatively isolated in my vision of VNs being used for more than they currently get relegated to, it might not be too surprising that I appear to be one of its few fans. Nonetheless, for VN fans who can stomach realism, or for those like me who have just grown tired of anime cliches, For Elise is a work worth looking at. It's definitely a flawed work, but its charm I think far outshines its rough edges.

Kei's route in Dies Irae applies

Welcome! What VNs have you enjoyed so far?

That's very honorable of you

I'm so confused. How was this blog posted yesterday, if there are comments that are literally dating back to 2019 here? Is fuwa glitching out, or what? EDIT: Oh, I see what you did you sly dog you. Apparently editing the blog post bumps it up the list. Had no idea you could necro blog posts that way.

That's a nice length. I have a hard time getting into longer VNs these days. Also I think I fall on the ~ 4 hour side of that spectrum lol

Looks interesting. Around how long would you say it takes? The vndb page doesn't have an estimate Currently I'm reading For Elise after not having picked up a VN in a while myself. I think it's highly underrated, and I'm loving it. If you like darker stories with more realistic characters, you'll love it. If that doesn't sound appealing however, then it's probably not for you.

I was mostly just explaining the sentiment behind mitchhamilton's comment, since it seemed to have been misunderstood a bit. As you mentioned, given the state of these forums there really isn't any objective harm to dumping video links (at this point in time). But it does kind of break an unwritten rule of forum culture. As opposed to Reddit which is basically solely focused on whatever topic a particular subreddit is about, and seems to be pretty accepting of self promotion. Forums always balanced that with a communal aspect. Hence why people like Solidbatman and other once prominent members here didn't even read that many VNs. They stayed more for the community. In that context there is nothing wrong with self promotion either, but it should ideally be framed in a way that has the community in mind first. But as @adamstan said, it's just a sentimental nail in the coffin. You're not wrong, and these sentiments brushed aside your posts are one of the few things that still bring some vitality to these forums. I just wanted to explain that when people make sarcastic remarks like that, it's not that they have anything against you or your content. But they are softly pointing out that you're breaking an unspoken rule a bit. But when the place is a ghost town it doesn't matter much anyway lol

It's not that we don't care about your videos, or the content. But it seems that the only use of this forum to you is to shill your stuff, rather then engage us. You could have linked to your video and typed out your top ten common routes here, for people who don't have time to watch a bloated video. Instead you want us to leave the forums, watch your video (which genuinely, I appreciate that you put time into) , and then direct all discussion to your comments section instead. That doesn't benefit the forums in anyway, only you. Now I get it, these forums are a bit of a necropolis. I can understand why you wouldn't want to put effort into genuinely engaging us. But as a long time user of these forums, it does irk me a bit that you don't even put 5 minutes into making it a genuine forum discussion.

If you really are interested in a darker romance, then check out Saya no Uta

Hey, thank you very much for reaching out and posting that! I do appreciate it! I still visit here on occasion, but it was actually through an email notification that I noticed this post. I'm glad I encouraged the reread. The cyclical nature of Subahibi is one of its most fascinating aspects to me. The fact that Rabbit Hole 1 is both the most boring (on a first reading) and most interesting (on a second reading) chapter is a truly unique achievement. I've never read any other work where the entire meaning of the first chapter changes upon finishing the work. And that cyclical aspect emphasizes that point Ayana makes about eternity in one of her rants with Takuji. And yes, it also recontextualizes everything Zakuro says in a truly beautiful way.

Hey, welcome to the forums! It's always nice to see new people here! Interesting that you should mention that and phrase it in that way. It was actually from sharing those same exact thoughts that led me to make this video:

If you get around to doing that video, I'd be honored if my VN makes the cut! If you're also looking for shorter VN recommendations, I couldn't recommend Narcissu enough. It's basically an extended meditation on death and the ephemerality of life. So long as you're okay with heavy themes like that, then Narcissu is certainly worth checking out sometime.

Always good to get new blood around here! I responded to your other thread a bit earlier, but I love finding people interested in older VNs. As you might have noticed, these forums are a bit slow theses day but this community is still alive! Even if sluggish with old age

This is very nice! It's really nice to have somebody focusing on retro VNs. Kanon also is a huge soft spot of mine so I'll be sure to check that video out very soon. Regarding translated suggestions, the first ones that immediately spring to mind are YU-NO, Kana: Little Sister, and Nocturnal Illusion. Also, to briefly indulge in some self-promotion myself, last year I published a freeware VN that is entirely focused on retro VNs and immersed in that vibe. (You can find the link in my signature)

Confession, I remember when this used to be the most active thread on the entire forums. Also, I think it's been over 5 years since I last posted here. Feels kind of nostalgic. 1) I mean, you should eventually tell them assuming that you have a good relationship with them. Don't let them discourage you if they don't approve though. Imo it's really important to leave your homeland for a while when you are young. You don't have to leave permanently, but you should at least go somewhere that will force you to confront the world on your own. There's a reason that it's one of the oldest archetypal stories. It's the best way learn about yourself and personally develop. 2) The easiest ticket into Japan is English teaching. And after all these years that is still the case. Once you're in Japan it's easier to get other type of work. You don't even need JLPT N5 to get a job as an assistant language teacher. But if you want work that isn't English teaching related, you'll need JLPT N2 minimum in most cases. I should also add that in rural areas in Japan, it's pretty common for foreigners from South East Asia to be hired to do farm related work. Basically if you're a 1st worlder the best ticket in is through English teaching, and if you're a 3rd worlder then manual labor work is the best way in. Of course if you already have JLPT N2 and some other skill (and/or a University degree) there are other options open to you.

I like this new series idea. I hope Jast USA is next

I was actually being a tongue and cheek, mostly because I do agree with your sentiments. It's something I addressed in an article I submitted for an e-zine recently about Dies Irae. But mostly I was referring to what Conjueror, one of the English translators of Dies Irae, had to say about the work when reflecting on it: "It might help you to know that the word chuuni in Japanese actually denotes pseudo intellectualism — the use of fancy words to appear cool and sophisticated for showing off superficially rather than in pursuit of any sort of actual depth." (full blog post here). Actually, regarding Dies Irae I think he nails it in that post. Since he addresses its many flaws point blank, but also does a good job defending its merits as well.