This thread is for posting your thoughts and musings on whatever VN you're currently reading but haven't finished. (I looked to see if there is a similar thread, but I don't think there is one.) I'm currently enjoying Snow Sakura. Thus far, even after choosing one of the girls' routes, most of the VN is still dedicated to SoL moments. I'd be a tad disappointed, but these scenes are simply pleasant and amusing. The characters' interactions with each other are well-done, exhibiting a sort of warmness as they tease one another. I'm also a big fan of the perverted male friend in Sumiyoshi who, despite occasionally rebuked, fits well with the group. Really, in general, the group dynamic is fantastic. Hopefully, the ending will be appropriate as there seems to be a wistful and cold air permeating throughout the town.
I'm not the biggest fan of her personality so far but damn, aren't she cute in this and the following H-scenes.
>>2204 Didn't know this existed. I do like the moe-gauge, although I should have researched this before starting because apparently you will get your taste graded at the end: https://web.archive.org/web/20080915212506/http://www.kid-game.co.jp/kid/game/komugi/moe_ren.htm
>>2201 Currently replaying Kanon for the nostalgia, forever a classic.
I'm probably to cranky and old to enjoy this (now resolved) conflict, but this is still pretty cute.
>>2214 They can in my dreams.
I'm conflicted about this bipolar imouto-like childhood friend. She would be perfect without all that jealousy.
The second and final hill to climb was predictable but cute. Not sure if I care about the other heroines to actually finish the VN in totality. They're all missing the ❝ですわ❞ I love so much. >>2216 But that's what makes her cute, right?
I needed something set in Fall and Winter, so I chose Bokuten. It's alright, but the common routes' chapters didn't make me feel anything--except the last one. I laughed pretty hard when the girl's craving for cock lead her to have an orgy with hobos. Ended up on Naruko's route, and the big reveal of the red thread of fate and the angels' mechanics is stupid as it doesn't make sense to me. How does anybody stay married? Finally, the choices that lead to some of the branching are odd.
Naruko's endings left me somewhat empty inside. I had assumed that a loophole would be found to resolve things, but instead one must choose between two conclusions that come with their own benefits and deficiencies. What's interesting is that the sadder ending could have a potentially brighter future, but perhaps my selective optimism is coming into play.
>>2220 Adding to this, after embarking on another route, and choosing new destinies for the common route's couples, I realized something: why did the disappearance of the red string of fate for these couples not drastically alter reality like it did for the MC and Naruko? This and Aine's complete absence towards the end of Naruko's route seems like two fairly big holes in the script. I feel like I was taken to arbitrarily saddening conclusions.
There are not enough trap-yandere-neechan-miko in VNs.
This is the worst font rendering I've seen in my lifetime. Could be because I'm running it on Linux. Also, Sana is the cutest.
>>2229 Reverse searching it gave me this.
>>2230 The name of it is Tenshin Ranman Lucky or Unlucky!? and no, it's not supposed to look like that.
>>2231 I figured. I just thought it was funny that I managed to find the same line.
Must be nice to hold hands with a childhood friend.
I'm reading Cross Channel right now. Easily the hardest thing I've read, and it's hard to tell whether the prose as such is intentional, or there's actual depth behind it, but I'm probably only half-way done.
Continuing with Cross Channel, and finally struck with its beauty as it has effected an emotional response commonly associated with the solicitation of a translucent adaptive-form substance from the eyes. Despite the interference and noise; dialogue and monologue that is both garrulous and littered with odd diction befitting of madness' manifestation, befitting of the point; the messages are clear. Beings that primarily interface via these boards will easily find understanding within the informational packets strung together textually, pictorially, and thoughtfully. Nearing the apex and subsequent precipitous vestige of the future of a particular instance of a physical phenomenon, the existence of a solitary husk composed of disparate but multiplexed feelings whose significantly differentiated self starkly dichotomizes the affected man is prognosticated by the latter half.
Closing in on the end. There was a prolix explanation of the phenomenon affecting the students, but I can't tell if I'm being lied to by the writer, lied to by the character, or given an honest-to-God reason. Either way, strange particularities aside that are either due to the MC's insanity or narrative mistakes (Both?), I'm loving every second of this.
The crossings of myself and persons through various anonymous message boards from the ostensible beginning of time, I cherish them--good or bad. Over and out!
Since I know most of you have read Cross Channel (long ago), do you think the story is actually the result of SF or some magical component, or are you of the opinion that Taichi is having a maniac episode, and the looping is a coping mechanism or some such thing? Also I'm wondering if I should have used Amaterasu's TL instead of GHS' rewrite, but I've read both of them don't do CC justice.
It's unfortunate that an imouto-like cousin this cute is delegated to the role of a side heroine.
>>2245 Over and out, anon!
>>2248 Side-heroines are usually better than their main counterpart.
Wind -A Breath of Heart-. Typical bishoujo but nonetheless enjoyable. I much prefer the aesthetics and music that the VNs of this time period exhibit.
>>2256 I really liked Wind. The story itself was a bit full of holes, but the atmosphere and overall feeling was fantastic. And that one scene in Minamo's route is one of my favorites just in general. Once you've finished, you may enjoy checking out the music albums that were released. They have some nice remixes, plus Tsutomu's amazing image song.
>>2257 Nice to know that Minamo's route has such a nice moment. Just finished the imouto's, so I'll be moving onto that shortly. Though I will say that the story development was rather rushed and bit disjointed. Not surprised about there being holes considering it's all a dream or something. Thanks for mentioning the albums, I'll indeed take a look when the time comes.
I started Little Busters, finally. Bought some tissues and a durable rope for when things get bad.
>>2256 VNs aren't exactly a thriving medium these days. The only big recent work I can think of is the Tsukihime remake.
>>2261 VNs might be past its days of glory, but I am certain that they're still alive and well.
The baseball minigame is pretty fun.
>>2262 If the bars keep going up then do we get finally get to some great VNs again? Is that how this works?
Powerful word.
I'm currently reading through Little Busters, though at an extremely slow pace because of work and my PC constantly killing itself. I really enjoy the characters, who aren't shitty walking cliches, and manage to perfectly create the atmosphere of a fun highschool life with their constant banter. >>2204 For some reason it never once occurred to me that there could be a VN, I'll make sure to play through this when my Japanese is at an acceptable level.
I'm finally playing another route. I miss these 'unyu's!
I love imouto abuse!
Dreams and hope of every man.
There's really nothing more immersive than having a relatable protaganist.
>>2294 I just started Chaos;Head, pretty relatable too.
>>2261 It kind of sucks because I've hated takeuchis art since ~2008 or so. Shit, I don't think I've really liked any TM content in the last decade and a half. Something about remaking Tsukihime in the 2020s just feels wrong, like heresy. It shouldn't come out of its decade.
After rereading Saya no Uta I started thinking about the nature of VNs. The combination of visual and audio elements (with looping soundtracks in the style of a video game) being accessories to the typical written style of a novel, along with the 18+ rating that most of them have which allows them to let loose and go in more interesting directions compared to the typical anime or manga which is often hampered by pandering to juvenile demographics. The combination of these elements allows for a level of immersion that far surpasses any other medium. There's nothing that I've come across with compares to the haunting atmosphere and immersivity of a nitroplus VN (and Tsukihime too, now I come to think of it), and then there's also nothing like the romcom to melancholy to joyous atmosphere of a key VN, and there's also nothing that really creeped me out as much as the early chapters of Higurashi. I struggle to pin down exactly what is so enchanting about them. I often feel that I am being inspired by the muses when I read them, and that doesn't happen when I read/watch anything else.
>>2297 VNs are great. Too bad they're like a sub-medium of a dying medium(novels). VNs are a logical progression from novels without the drawbacks of shorter form media. Not enough people have the patience to read anymore though.
It's odd getting back into VNs again I used to read them almost as much as I possibly could around ten years ago, this was when the landscape was totally different in terms of what translations were available - things were a lot more limited than they are now. It's just odd how much things have changed. These days I'm reading them in Japanese with a dictionary but even then far more stuff is translated than before It feels similar to the way anime is these days, back when you'd wait and see if / who were TLing it each season as opposed to now where it being released is just a given..
>>2297 One more point about Saya while it's still on my mind: I really approve of the spirit of the characters. I believe that there are a lot of VNs that a more morally didactic than any other medium, and it fills me full of fighting spirit. The way that Fuminori manages to find something to live for even when every moment is a living hell, and also the way the he calmly exits the stage when he has no reason to live anymore. Same goes for Ryuoko in the way that she perseveres in her quest to destroy Saya and accepts her death when it comes to her. Dr Ogai's commitment to his research. The beauty of Saya, a superior lifeform utterly dominating through a mere act of biological neccesity and force. I really like the way that this style of chuuni elevates the soul beyond the routine interactions of experience. I hope to be able to cultivate such resolve too.
>>2298 I spent most of my childhood doing nothing but reading and drawing, and so it just comes naturally to me as the most enjoyable entertainment medium. When I tell people my age or younger that I read for fun, they treat me like some kind of alien or old man. It makes me kind of sad, because there's a world of imagination inside reading that you just don't get anywhere else. There are no better graphics than the graphics in a book.
Yume Miru Kusuri is as much of a story about exploring societal issues manifesting itself as girls and their respective circumstances as it is about a boy who finds something to protect and cherish, fights for it despite mental and physical abrasions, and becomes a man at the end, escaping stagnation and monotony. It's endearing and wholesome despite some of the imagery and scenarios. You never begin as a good man: you become him.
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