What's your opinion about VNs where the main heroine dies at the end?

[MikeY91]

I have been reading this visual novel (which i will not mention its name for spoiler purposes) for over 3 months. i have been attached to the characters especially the main heroine, and i just reached the part where she dies... i am still in shock mode right now and my initial feeling is that i feel like i have been cheated reading this vn for 3 months (on and off) and reaching such a devastating ending.

Emotions set aside, it is still a great visual novel and i have enjoyed every bit of it.

let me know what you guys think.

[akaritan]

Which VN? I don't mind if you spoil it, I'm pretty curious.

Spoiler

Going by your avatar and the long time it's taken you to read, perhaps Clannad?

Anyway, I think it depends on the execution. When a heroine dies, it can add a lot of impact to the story, and I do appreciate it when a VN has the guts to do that. Especially when it's an utsuge, sometimes it just makes a lot more sense thematically (for instance, a story about the inevitability of death). With that said, if it's executed poorly, it can come off as a cheap way to try to trigger emotions, or pointless. And god forbid the VN kills of a main heroine and then uses bullcrap deus ex machina to bring them back at the end.

[Deep Blue]

VNs with heroines dying at the end are perfect if they are well executed(no pun intended xD) and if it makes sense in the context of the story and it's not just for some cheap emotional impact *cough* bad utsuge *cough*

[Limerence_]

I think it really depends on the VN. The only VNs I've read where the heroines die in the end are: 

Spoiler

Narcissu 1 and 2, Eden, and Planetarian (Is that even considered death?) 

I think for those VNs (especially the first 2), it's fine because we know that they're going to die since it's more or less told to us at the beginning of the story. It also serves to progress the story since we know why they do the things they're doing. Even though I went in with the knowledge that the main heroine's going to die, I still enjoyed every minute of it. 

However, I don't think it's a good idea if a VN were to abruptly kill a heroine for no apparent reason (other than creating an emotional impact, as mentioned above). 

[MikeY91]

1 hour ago, akaritan said:

Which VN? I don't mind if you spoil it, I'm pretty curious.

 

to answer your question:

Spoiler

yes i am talking about Clannad, i haven't finished the whole vn yet but i have reached the part where Nagisa dies

 

[MikeY91]

1 hour ago, Deep Blue said:

VNs with heroines dying at the end are perfect if they are well executed(no pun intended xD) and if it makes sense in the context of the story and it's not just for some cheap emotional impact *cough* bad utsuge *cough*

hahaha that pun though . true i agree with you there.

 

[Funyarinpa]

2 hours ago, akaritan said:

Which VN? I don't mind if you spoil it, I'm pretty curious.

  Reveal hidden contents

Going by your avatar and the long time it's taken you to read, perhaps Clannad?

Anyway, I think it depends on the execution. When a heroine dies, it can add a lot of impact to the story, and I do appreciate it when a VN has the guts to do that. Especially when it's an utsuge, sometimes it just makes a lot more sense thematically (for instance, a story about the inevitability of death). With that said, if it's executed poorly, it can come off as a cheap way to try to trigger emotions, or pointless. And god forbid the VN kills of a main heroine and then uses bullcrap deus ex machina to bring them back at the end.

should not have opened that spoiler welp

[akaritan]

Just now, Funyarinpa said:

should not have opened that spoiler welp

I'm so sorry, should I have put more warning? 

[Narcosis]

3 hours ago, Limerence_ said:

  Hide contents

Planetarian (Is that even considered death?) 

 

More like transcendence, to be honest.

As Deep Blue said, stories featuring such turn of events are one of the most emotionally impactful and meaningful, if properly written. And I'm not just talking about heroines (as those typically include only galge-type games), but any major characters, who die or "disappear forever" in the end. Best of those usually bring catharsis in it's purest form.

[Kawasumi]

if its good, yes then I really love the punch in your stomach it gives.

[ChaosRaven]

Not gonna lie here, I try to avoid them like the plague. In most cases it's just low-end drama for cheap emotional kicks.

That's not to say there wouldn't be a few who are well written like...

Spoiler

Eden*

But even in those cases it can hit me so hard that I don't consider it enjoyment anymore. I tend be highly protective towards characters I like and loosing them at the end therefore also bears a strong taste of personal failure. And I usually can't just snip that feeling of gloom and doom away, so it can last for days which I simply can't afford with a full time job where I have to be fully focused and concentrated each day. But it's certainly a matter of personal taste.

In general I prefer it if writers just make multiple endings, so everyone gets the ending he or she wants. And although I wouldn't call myself a big fan of School Days, I think that's something this VN/anime hybrid did particular well. The endings were in many cases a direct consequence of your actions and decisions, and that made reaching a good end a real achievement and not just something that was presented to you on a silver plate. But I AM a control fanatic - I hate it if a VN gives me the feeling to be helpless.

[MikeY91]

5 hours ago, ChaosRaven said:

But even in those cases it can hit me so hard that I don't consider it enjoyment anymore. I tend be highly protective towards characters I like and loosing them at the end therefore also bears a strong taste of personal failure. And I usually can't just snip that feeling of gloom and doom away, so it can last for days which I simply can't afford with a full time job where I have to be fully focused and concentrated each day. But it's certainly a matter of personal taste.

I can strongly relate to you there, that is precisely that happens with me, regardless of the message that the vn conveys, whenever i lose a character whom i was attached to i get that feeling as well. and likewise i could feel down for days and in one case i felt down for weeks after i finished the first vn where something like this happens. for example (spoiler about a popular vn, open at your own risk)

Spoiler

After i read Narcissu, i felt like crap for weeks. When i talked to some other people who have read it, most of them felt positive after finishing the VN because the overall message of that VN was to teach you to value life and not complain about small things because there are other people who would gladly be in your shoes instead. As for me that wasn't the case. I got too attached to the character and although i understood the message that the VN delivered when the character died i felt like i have lost a part of me. Was i being too emotional? i guess i was, but i couldn't help it.

 

5 hours ago, ChaosRaven said:

In general I prefer it if writers just make multiple endings, so everyone gets the ending he or she wants. And although I wouldn't call myself a big fan of School Days, I think that's something this VN/anime hybrid did particular well. The endings were in many cases a direct consequence of your actions and decisions, and that made reaching a good end a real achievement and not just something that was presented to you on a silver plate. But I AM a control fanatic - I hate it if a VN gives me the feeling to be helpless.

As for me i would prefer one true ending even if it was a sad ending, multiple endings make me unsure of which ending to consider as the true one and it kinda annoys me, however i cannot deny that in some VNs multiple ending can be very well done. i haven't read school days yet mostly because i hear people talking shit about the protagonist having a terrible personality and all that. but i might give it a try.

[gunter]

i kinda love it when it's well written and not pointless. some stories are not meant to have a (sappy ) happy end ,and it's forshadowed since the beginning of the game in most of the case i've encountered. and even if it's depressing ,it shows how well written  the game was in a sense...

 

[Bolverk]

Quote

 

What's your opinion about VNs where the main heroine dies at the end?

 

I think it's faking great. More heroines need to die. Makes me sad, and thus gives me feels. And feels are good. Badly written deaths are prbly badly written from the start. So I wouldn't really count them, ha ha.

[TexasDice]

Most people would think I dislike them, because I'm a softy who doesn't like to feel bad. But as a (ex) writing student/analytic, I can judge almost every script based on it's quality, regardless of context. 

 

So my answer is; While I don't like this type of story per se, lots of them are written so well that I still end up being infatuated and impressed. If it's written well.