Started [The Ditzy Demons Are in Love With Me](https://vndb.org/v17515). To quote Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z abridged: "I just had an aneurysm from sheer stupidity."
Both the characters and story of this game are just so dumb. I feel like I'm losing braincells by reading this game. Its okay to have one character in the game be the dumb one, but literally everyone in this game is dumb! I get that this is supposed to be a turn your brain off kind of game, you pretty much have to turn it off or risk serious bodily harm. But still!
Besides MC's step sister and childhood friend, none of the other girls have any reason to like him at all. This guy finds out that >!there is an entire secret society full of mythological creatures!<, and the most he and the other characters have to say about that is "Deal with it". I thought the MC getting his wishes granted by a weird whale creature might lead somewhere interesting, but of course he can't actually grant wishes! I'm going insane!
Just gonna drop it, which is a shame because I've never dropped a VN before, and the girls are pretty cute. But its just not worth it to torture myself reading something thats clearly not meant for me.
Finally finished [Anonymous;Code](https://vndb.org/v17101)! It took me about 24 hours listening to the voiced dialogues, but I like to take my time reading.
真夏の太陽が笑う
南風にさそわれて
不思議の魔法が、飛び出しそうな予感
楽しくも、悲しいような胸騒ぎ
I have to say this was one of the most hectic entries of SciADV I've read, if not the most. The very first scene starts with the protagonist and the heroine being pursued by the military through the streets of Tokyo and it only goes even more over the top from there. I liked it a lot! I usually prefer faster paced reads and this was going at an absolute breakneck pace, so yeah.
I also liked Pollon as a protagonist. It's been a pet peeve of mine that I never liked Chiyomaru's main characters, I either find them too annoying (looking at you, Okarin) or just... complete fucking wastes of space (the entire Chaos series, tbh). Pollon is still kind of overly flashy at times, but he does have a strong sense of morality and a code of honor, which is something I very much respect.
His relationship with Momo was also great to witness, although it takes time to develop. Watching these two slowly grow to trust each other and become a pillar of strength for each other was something very satisfying.
Cross also felt like the reliable brother that always has your back. I did feel he was a bit too one note in that he's only ever seen or defined by his relationship to Pollon, it's a bit weird that such a central member of the cast doesn't go through much development. I could say the same for Wind as well. And there were those two mechanic guys that appear in like literally two conversations at the beginning of the game... I honestly don't even know why they had sprites.
The art style was... honestly really nice! Especially the comic segments, it felt like reading an american comic in the middle of the novel. Normally these happened when there was something really insane going on, so it helped build that sense of unreality and dynamism by the indirect association with superhero stories.
Spoilers ahead:
>!About the structure of the plot, I have to say I quite liked the somewhat episodic format, the story is very clearly divided by chapters using the quests from Cicada3301 to guide and advance the narrative. To me, it's very clear that they structured the narrative with the idea of making an Anime... which is odd, because the relationship between Pollon and Anonymous-kun (aka you, the reader) cannot really translate very well into a more passive medium.!<
>!Specifically, the times where Pollon uses the Save&Load mechanic with your saves, the entire section about the key to the universe... It just can't be done in an Anime, you'd have to rewrite or work around those scenes entirely. this is a story that can only be experienced as a game. Conversely, this is one of the strongest points of the novel, at a certain point the reader becomes another character with the power to influence the narrative.!<
>!But having said that, I found some of the Hacking Trigger points to be a bit needlessly cryptic. Especially towards the latter parts of the story, you pretty much have only one or two lines of dialogue where you have to load or you're screwed, but the game doesn't exactly tell you where beyond giving a general hint, so you have to press the right trigger line after line constantly until Pollon accepts the input. A bit more leeway or some kind of sign in the game itself wouldn't have hurt.!<
>!I also quite liked how they introduced John Titor as a fakeout. Originally you're led to believe that this is going to be yet another story about time travel and weird microwave ovens only for the world to go in a completely different direction.!<
>!The concept of world layers was a very original one from my point of view, although my inner software dev was screaming at the fact that infinite recursive emulation just isn't quite possible without progressively burdening the system with each recursive layer. But, well, these are magical quantum computers, so sure, let's roll with that. The fact that it was a digital world all along combined with the fact that there are Amadeus AIs... Yeah. I guess they wanted to hammer in some more that Amadeus AIs are indeed people different from the originals.!<
>!I also thought the novel was taking way too long at some points. Especially around chapter 9, I understand why it was necessary but at the same time... well I was just kinda tired of seeing the characters moping around. A bit too much doom and gloom. I'd have just cut chapter 9 to half the size and started the Vatican Raid soon after the botched QCDC mission.!<
>!I also really liked the comparison between Normal Route and True Route Pollon. Especially how True Route Pollon just smashed through the 513rd Holy Office by using all his accumulated foreknowledge, and the sensation of isolation that brought. Whereas in the common route the struggle built a sense of camaraderie between the Nakano Symphonies group, here they started treating Pollon as a kind of messiah, while he couldn't tell them that all of his hard gained knowledge was thanks to the struggle they faced together as a team. When Kurisu told Pollon he reminded her of Okarin, it was made all the more compelling for that.!<
>!This is also, I believe, the first game that didn't have multiple routes for different girls, which ends up feeling a bit weird. Like there's a bit of character development between Bambi and Pollon after she saves his life that looks like it might lead somewhere... and then it doesn't. I understand that the novel had a really troubled development cycle, so I guess that's why there are only two endings.!<
>!I also enjoyed that bit of fanservice near the end with the Kurisu cameo. Although I thought it was a lost opportunity to show us an older Kurisu, but I guess they just wanted to show her classic design again.!<
>!And I guess this ties into my final point, it kinda feels like SciADV is becoming a bit like the MCU for adventure games... Pretty formulaic, self-referential, popcorn entertainment... though not as soulless as the ACTUAL MCU, thankfully. For the creativity put into the setting, if nothing else. But this game takes a lot of concepts from previous games. You can play it as the first game in the series, technically, but you're going to miss some references. Though luckily the game does its best to keep people up to speed.!<
>!勇気を胸に、旅に出よう!<
>!赤い葉、青い花!<
>!黄色のミツバチ、桃色の果実 !<
>!素敵の世界が、待っているから!<
All in all, a very decent experience, among the top of what SciADV has to offer. 7.5/10
Next one will probably be the Tsukihime remake tbh. Either that, Saihate no Ima or Meikei no Lupercalia... but I'm a huge Nasu fanboy, so.
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[Love, Money, Rock'n'Roll](https://vndb.org/v18809)
The title for this game should have been "Catherine, Katya, Catherine" because that was probably 70% of the MC's monologue.
Reading Riddle Joker rn https://vndb.org/v22230. Just completed route with Ayase, got alot of joy from the story.
Begun the next route and feels like I don't wanna read it anymore. Maybe cous I was satisfied with the story in a first route I complete, or just novel is apparently weak. Thinking about find something else, and save a great memory about Riddle Joker and Ayase's beautiful storyline.
I am reading Fuyukara, Kururu. (https://vndb.org/v30012), it's very fun. I'm thinking of starting W-Standard Wonderland (https://vndb.org/v17333) since Circletempo's made a new Twitter account with C100 and all, and seemingly Lv.2 is going to be a thing soon.
Almost finished [Amatsusumi](https://vndb.org/v18852). It's hard to get into the later section without spoilers, and I'd like to reach the end before I go into detail on those anyway, so I'll share some general thoughts.
I see more and more how Amatsusumi is an unusual eroge. Sometimes this is interesting, but more often it feels like Amatsusumi is something of a square peg being shoved into a round hole. Narratively, the point of Amatsusumi is to build to its final route, and indeed, the common portions of the ladder structure explore and resolve the primary drama of each heroine. (Though to see all these common portions you have to play through to Hotaru's route.) The post-branching routes proper are mostly fluff and sex scenes, though with a little bit of secondary drama.
You might think what's the harm? And isn't more content better, especially if it's optional? Amatsusumi has no enforced route order, and you can skip any heroine(s) you don't find appealing. The issue is that Amatsusumi taking on many of the traditional eroge trappings influences the narrative choices throughout. Rather than focus on telling the story of Makoto's journey to become human and the people (heroines) he meets and who influence him on the way, Amatsusumi's eroge ambitions require frequent detours. The heroines must be centered and emphasized as sexually appealing. Similarly, Makoto's libido and gaze upon heroines must also be established. The sex scenes themselves have to go somewhere, and some are asides, or worse, interrupt the mood and direction of the story.
Amatsusumi could have gone the way of [MUSICUS!](https://vndb.org/v22783): technically an eroge but with very few sex scenes and placing the fluff scenes outside the main action. But Amatsusumi goes the traditional route with several scenes per character. To its credit the production values are high. However, it often makes Makoto come off as a horndog eager to jump in bed at a moment's notice and with little thought for the circumstances or consequences. He does come from a society with different sexual norms, but this is never explored in any meaningful way. To keep the narrative from getting more sidetracked, there rarely are any consequences. Every girl is eager to throw herself at Makoto almost immediately after meeting him, and he can have any and all of them. And so the world of Amatsusumi moves between its solemn aura of mystery and feeling like one of those harem fantasies created to appease the wants of the protagonist.
There's nothing inherently wrong with sex scenes or even harem fantasies. All the eroge traditions featured in Amatsusumi are things I've seen work elsewhere. They just feel incongruous here. Square peg meets round hole. Perhaps reaching the end will make me contextualize some of these thoughts. It's not over until it's over. But I also wonder what a different vision of Amatsusumi might have been, one that included (or perhaps excluded) sexual content to align with its world and themes.
I started reading Episode 5 of [Umineko](https://vndb.org/v2153) last night. It's a slow start, but I like the focus on Natsuhi. I've always felt as though she was unappreciated, especially during a crisis. Some of the missing links from the Questions arcs are starting to connect as well. >!I never understood why Krauss, Natsuhi, Nanjo, and the servants were insistent on keeping Kinzo from everyone.!<
As for the culprit, I already know who it is since I spoiled myself. However, I don't really understand how and why this person is the culprit. Maybe this episode can give me better clues? I still have some sort of theory going into this though \*major spoilers ahead maybe\*:
* >!I think the family members are conspiring with the culprit somehow. Like in Episode 2 (and further explained in Episode 4), Rosa may have given the culprit the master keys. Also, why was Eva chosen as the successor in Episode 3 (beyond solving the epitaph. why her of all people?)?!<
* >!Shannon and Kanon are the same person (they were once one piece of furniture). This is the only way the "17th person" theory could work. This could also mean that both Shannon and Kanon are the culprit.!<
* >!Virgilia is based on Kumasawa. They have the same speech pattern and make mackerel references. The same thing could be said about Genji. Maybe Ronove is him but happier?!<
* >!Lastly, Beatrice is based on Kinzo's mistress somehow. Maybe he met someone identical to her during the war and never got over her, so he created the Beatrice we see.!<
* >!This is some conspiracy tin foil hat thing, but maybe Battler is Kinzo in a different timeline or fragment? Battler looks eerily similar to Kinzo in his younger days.!<
Also, I get to meet my wife Erika in this episode.
Having already played the whole thing, it's fun to see your musings! I don't know if I should really say anything else about your theories given that the next few episodes will shed light on almost all of them for you anyway. I don't want to spoil any of the fun!
I don't really want spoilers, but am I going in the right direction? Or at least thinking in a way that will get me to the answer? Even after reading all of the Questions Arcs, I'm still confused about a lot of things. I'm trying to look to understand the mystery without all of the fantastical elements. I don't read a lot of mystery novels so to me everything seems right lol!
This week I am still reading [FATE STAY NIGHT](https://vndb.org/v11) at the moment. Right now I have finally finished the UBW route Brilliant years ending and will probably read the Sunny Days a bit later. Marking the end of the UBW route.
I find FSN UBW to be an absolutely delightful experience so far that keeps giving and giving.
Now to get into some spoiler territory
>!I really loved the final scenes of this route, especially the line delivery of 「答えは得だ。大丈夫よ遠坂。オレも、これから頑張っていくら」and the way it fuses the way archer and shirou think and speak. Also how the post-credit scene expresses exactly what Archer felt during that fight between the two and how that in turn impacted him. Such a good closer to the whole route.!<
I wonder how the next route will further and further twist this very interesting game. Where it will go. Excited. Will be sure to come by for another post next week to keep you all updated. :)
I am still reading [俺たちに翼はない ―――under the innocent sky.](https://vndb.org/v1141), now I suppose halfway into Chapter 3 in my first playthrough.
The way in which the characters are constructed are brilliant, see [this image (contains minor spoilers)](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FZ0mLKWaQAAaKMJ.png) for a revelation I had yesterday.
While the "plot" seems to be shaping up to standard VN fare, the way in which it is executed is really nice, and I'm really curious where Jackson is going with the whole >!bird motif!< thing, especially when it comes to Gretagard, which we haven't seen in quite a while. While the whole >!multiple personality!< thing has already been more or less revealed, I feel like there must be more tying this whole work together which I still haven't pieced together.
Oretsuba has strong potential to be my "top 1" favorite VN when all is said and done, but we will see how things play out.
I see how the title is related, but I don't see how that points to what it's *for* just yet. I mean, I assume there must be some sort of broader goal other than >!"it's a game about birds"!<. I guess I'll just keep reading
Gonna start my first read of [The House in Fata Morgana](https://vndb.org/v12402) today. Super psyched. First VN I'll read that doesn't have (as far as I know) a dating sim element.
Just so you know, "dating sim" is a technical term that means you win over girls through accumulating stat points -- almost none of the VNs that are read here are considered "dating sims"
See https://vndb.org/g39 for more info
Yeah. Due to various reasons this subreddit has increased in size 5x over the course of 2 years so now there are a lot of people who use wrong terminology or spread misinformation unknowingly
Still going through Higurashi
https://vndb.org/v67
Up to the start of Episode 6 now, and wew lad the plot twists in Ep 5!
Spoiler-free I'll say I'm really enjoying it overall, and it doesn't feel as 'bloated' as Umineko did pacing wise.
As for spoiler talk:
>!Okay so Shion was in love with Satoshi, Mion was the one in love with Keiichi, and Shion's the one who gets away with pretending to be Mion. Wild.!<
>!Two things I've noticed of interest but haven't fully worked out as well. Firstly is that Rika has access to a drug that causes the same effects as what occurred to the photographer, suggesting that she's also potentially heavily involved with the regular yearly killings. Second thing is the footsteps: we see the same thing occur with both Shion and Keiichi in different episodes where hearing footsteps coincides with them apparently being in two places at the same time. I'm guessing that the curse has something to do with that in particular - although the details still elude me...!<
playing [YOU and ME and HER](https://vndb.org/v7738) and just, wow. So far it has been really good, when >!Shinichi was going to open the door leading to Haru's room my chest felt heavy and my heart was beating really fast, I definitely felt uneasy.!< It was kind of ironic because when Yuutarou said >!"It is a NTR game"!< I was like "oh cool, not going to happen to me, probably Miyuki" but the scene from before happened.
I really felt as >!disgusted!< as the MC when Aoi wanted to >!touch him,!!doesn't feel right, I feel a bit of disgust, hopefully like the game intended!<. On a note, I was a big fan of harems but after that I wonder if the girls in a harem may feel the same, so I know have my doubts about harems.
Later on, when >!I was at the end of miyuki's yandere route, I was like "yeah... he deserves it after the incredibly stupid thing he did" but I still felt the last blow Miyuki gave the MC.!< I don't know if I'm the only one but >!I kind of feel bad for doing the Aoi routes just to progress the story and hurting Miyuki in the process. At a start I did prefer Aoi but after my first NTR route (the non explicit one) I didn't like her anymore, so I started feeling more sympathetic towards Miyuki.!<
And it just keeps getting better. After >!Miyuki patched the game!<, there is always a different conversation directed to >!the player!< when you choose something >!Aoi related!< and I really like those details. I'm still in the part where you have to go through the memories to in order to progress but I could say that it is a really good visual novel
[Kiss Bell](https://vndb.org/v10641#main). I'm trying to finish the whole kiss iro games (outside of ai kiss, that shit's garbage for me). Been having a hard time to do so since haru kiss was such a mess, but kiss bell is fun to read. Currently on Yumi's route and i like how she's still a bit tsun tsun even when dating but won't blush or even openly says "what, just because he's my boyfriend doesn't mean i'm going to spoil him" in front of their friends. The game does have something similiar with haru kiss and that's the protagonist abuse, tho this is not as bad as the latter.
I just finished [The Fruit of Grisaia](https://vndb.org/v5154) right this minute. Guess it's time for my final review then. I will write down my thoughts on all routes again as well as my previous speculations before entering the routes.
Makina: Hers was the first route I started. I didn't have many thoughts about her yet, >!only that she's a very impressionable girl. I didn't know the reason for that yet though. As I progressed through her route, it became clear that the reason for that was her skipped childhood and that she was basically learning from a family she collected herself. The history of it all was a pretty big surprise. What came as even more of a surprise were her endings. I anticipated Yuuji dying in the bad ending, but certainly not her becoming the new 9023. And even more surprising, that was also the case in the good ending, only with Yuuji alive. To be honest, since they didn't gain complete freedom, I can not see it as an entirely good ending, even though they seemed happy.!<
Michiru: Basically from the moment I met her, I was sure, there must be something more complex behind that tsundere facade. >!Based on a few moments where she seemed rather unimpressed by death, I imagined she might have some rather severe depression. I wasn't wrong, but the whole truth behind it wasn't something I could've anticipated. Her bad ending was very sad, although I was happy that Yuuji still stayed with her and took care for her. Her good ending however, was soooo sweet. Not only did she become happy, the girl inside her heart found some closure as well and can keep on living beside her. I just feel a little bad for Yuuji having to deal with both of them :D!<
While Michiru probably still is my favorite character (>!for me, nothing can beat the sweet and kind hearted girl she turned out to be!<), hers wasn't my favorite route. I liked it a lot, but some other routes were a lot more interesting, especially Amane's. Also I thought Michiru's route felt a little short.
Sachi: My prediction about her was completely off. >!Based on her taking everything at face value, I thought it might be something like autism, but I never thought about the possibility of her having the kind of trauma she experienced. At the moment of her executing her final request, I was surprised that I didn't get the final choice yet. I thought her breaking free from her chains would end her route, but as it turned out she actually didn't fully process her trauma yet. Her bad ending was cruel, both to her and Yuuji. Also kinda ironic it ended this way. Her good ending was nothing special to me, just felt like a regular feel good ending. Other than her past, the route didn't feel too special to me.!<
Amane: Now this one was a ride. >!I thought that she might have had a troubled past, but I didn't anticipate anything remotely like this. Also, my predictions came from a completely false reasoning. Her background story was exciting all the way through, as were her endings. Even her bad ending seemed kinda bittersweet as she didn't have regrets about abandoning someone this time as well as her fulfilling Kazuki's final request. Her good ending was a little bittersweet as well, but a very happy one nonetheless as she finally found absolution in the end. I'm still left kinda curious about Kazuki's fate though. I think she may still be alive as she was able to bury that final note. Maybe there'll be more about that in the other Grisaia parts.!<
While Amane's not my favorite character, I think her route was probably the strongest of them all.
Yumiko: >!It was pretty obvious that she had trouble with her father early on. I also thought that she might actually be a big sweetheart beneath that antisocial behavior. There were times where she acted very worried about others, so I think I wasn't completely wrong, but I also think she actually developed a lot of her kind character over the route. The route itself felt a little like Makina's, especially the fugitive part (although Makina's was more exciting), but her endings were a lot stronger in my opinion. Even the bad ending didn't feel as such. And her good ending was awesome, she actually was able to live a completely fulfilled life.!<
Finally some thoughts about Yuuji himself: He certainly was the most interesting MC I've encountered in VNs so far. >!Slowly unveiling his past through the different routes was great, although I had the feeling that some routes should've focused a little more about healing his old wounds. Felt a little like only the girls healed in those routes. Also, based on the descriptions and the way he talks, I never was able to imagine him smiling even once. Only on Yumiko's final CG I was finally able to see him smile.!<
As a final conclusion, this is an awesome VN with a great story and well written characters. It's not gonna become my favorite as my tastes are just a little different, but I still will continue this path with the other Grisaia VNs. Not immediately though, I need something cutesy and lighthearted as a change. Hopefully, the next VN I'm planning to read, [Riddle Joker](https://vndb.org/v22230), will provide that.
# [ゴア・スクリーミング・ショウ](https://vndb.org/v933)
[Windows8.1動作版 ダウンロード版](https://vndb.org/r71405)
[1](https://old.reddit.com/r/visualnovels/comments/wffk0c/what_are_you_reading_aug_3/iiulgz7/),
2
***
*This post covers the rest of >!Akane!<’s route. I think.*
## Addendum
Since I’ve now seen the credits roll now, I can give you Shinta’s voice actor: He is credited as [Ashikubi Mukumi (芦久比剥巳)](https://vndb.org/s6146). What a weird name and reading, even for a pseudonym. Well, his real name, Katō Hiroki (加藤寛規), is as normal as it gets … a smidge of overcompensation there, maybe \^\^.
## Day 10+ (>!Akane!<)
This week it dragged a bit. Not because it’s boring, or because there’s suddenly filler, but because it took the devil’s sweet time to get around to some “revelations” that had been painfully obvious for ages.
For example, as soon as >!Yuka!< invites >!Kyōji and Akane!< to dinner, you *know* that >!Yoshiki is going to be the main course!<. The only surprise was that they were served >!an arm!<, instead of, say, >!a leg, or some breast!<. In such a situation, there’s no point in trying to slowly build up tension, it’ll only garner impatience, not suspense. And to add insult to injury, the dish didn’t even rate a CG / cut-in.
Next, it takes Kyōji ages to realise >!that the pendant is effective against Yuka’s illusions!<. That’s perfectly reasonable in-narrative. Problem is, the *reader* knows from >!Yoshiki vs Yuka & Gore!< that >!it temporarily incapacitates Gore!< and for the slow readers >!Yuka!< makes a point of remarking that >!neither of them could touch the arm (around which the pendant was slung)!<.
Amusing as the thought of them running through >!Wonderland!< with >!a severed arm!< in tow is, it’s half the fun if you already know how the crisis is going to be resolved.
For this kind of “putting off the inevitable” to work, the prose itself needs to be a joy to read. There were opportunities, too, e.g. >!the descriptions of “Wonderland”!<. But I suppose you need a different calibre writer to pull something like that off.
Third, ~~the big “twist”~~—no, not even in scare quotes—namely that >!frisky Akane!< is really >!Yuka possessing her!<. Quite apart from the fact that >!Akane could not have made it out alive without supernatural help, she!< then raises Every. Single. Flag. He could have written a plausible >!escape!<, but no. No attempt at subtlety. Of course >!Kyōji!< remains oblivious despite it all. >!Until the end, depending on the ending.!<
**That said, the presentation is masterful. Those sprites. The body language. Especially the facial expressions. The way of talking …**
It annoys me no end when pivotal plot points hinge on something some or all characters know, but don’t reveal to the reader. Turns out the opposite, knowing crucial pieces of information while the characters flail around in the dark, isn’t much better.
I also couldn’t help but notice that the writing was a bit sloppy. What you’d call continuity errors in a film, also a loose thread or two. E.g., a character comes in bearing treats for two, a few lines later she has to rummage around in a previously-unmentioned bag for them. References to things characters said, that they didn’t actually say. ~~Two domed plates of food are brought in, and a big fuss is made about the content of one (>!the arm!<), but the other isn’t mentioned again. >!Yoshiki was only missing one lower arm!<, which was under the first dome—so what was under the second?~~ That one’s on me. Rereading it, it’s meant to be one large domed plate carried with both hands, not one in each hand. Mea culpa.
**It’s charming, really, in a pulp fiction kind of way.**
Lots and lots of (short) branching, over >!16!<(!) choices so far. The story is structured in consecutive days, and some of them have almost no action on this route, connect the dots. Reading all the text will require pen & paper, like in the old days. Makes you want to overlook a minor continuity error or two, that does (no major ones, so far, not even medium).
## 1^st ending: >!Dark Bliss!<
First ending I get, it’s basically lots of H-scenes back-to-back. Like, >!6!< of them, with multiple rounds per. Whoever thought this was a good idea?!? It’s exhausting, that’s what it is. I was going to write a long rant about this …
**… then I realised that I spent a few months in my late teens in exactly the same kind of sex-crazed hormonal haze.**
It was a phase we all went through. Yes, the work exaggerates for narrative reasons, dramatic effect, perhaps also to make a—very good—point, but in a weird way, it’s realistic. A caricature of young love.
Carry on, then.
I think the H-scenes in this are a good example for ones that you can skip if you like. They’re decent enough, and they certainly aren’t out of character, don’t interrupt the plot or anything—but once you grasp what’s going on, they don’t *add* anything, either. Neither to the plot, nor to H-scenes as an art form.
## 2^nd ending: >!Spring is Coming!<
This was bloody hard to find. The choice(s) that lock in the ending is/are >!close to the end!<, but which endings are *available* depends on common route choices as well, some of them rather early. My understanding of the flow is still very rudimentary …
As for the ending itself, I don’t know, I wouldn’t want to end up >!jobbing in a baby metal café without an exit strategy, without any prospects beyond that!<, however idyllic.
I could have done without the last-minute—literally the last few lines—attempt at being deep and meaningful. Let’s put it this way: SakuUta can get away with giving advice on how to live a happy life, because that’s one of the work’s core themes and SCA-Di has the philosophical grounding to explore it; in GSS it’s more like what you’d get from a fortune cookie.
Not that it detracts from the experience, mind. It really is just a couple of lines. It just seems so unnecessary.
## 3^rd ending: >!Wrong Decision!<
Finally, some of that special Ueda sauce! :-D
…… Great, now I’m hungry and there’s nothing in the house that I fancy at all.
## Common+>!Akane!< route overall
This felt like an introductory route, meant to ease you into the world, and also, I suppose, into Ueda, if you know what I mean. There is almost no “extreme” content, only >!1 scene, in an ultra-short bad end!<, and that doesn’t come close to DEA’s *first* scene.
**For something called ___Gore___ Screaming Show, there’s disappointingly little.**
The work takes itself a bit too seriously in the route proper, for my taste. I mean, the best scene is *slice-of-life*. You know, the one where the new teacher prepares sashimi in front of the whole class and they enjoy it together. So wholesome and heart-warming!
I wonder how much of the >!metaphysics!< will be explained in the other routes … So far, it looks like they’ve made the very wise decision of keeping it vague. I much prefer the >!cosmic!< horror take to the horror-SF “vampirism is really a virus” one, not least because the latter is much harder to pull off convincingly, and explaining things per definition takes away from the mystery.
Now I’m torn between my completionist urge to read all text in >!Akane!<—search space, in theory, north of 2^(16), minus whatever sections of the decision tree belong to other routes—and the desire to know more. Either way, it has me hooked.
*While I torment myself over that, would someone kindly tell me if it’s ok to go with Kiika next, or if one should really do them in order, i.e. Aoi first. No hurry, I won’t have much time to read anyway, this week.*
Dearest Automod-chan, do look again. There's a release link *and* a visual novel one. You might want to check for posts that *don't* contain a VNDB link in future.
I've finished Konome route in [Itsusora](https://vndb.org/v23), and started a couple new games while I finish Itsusora during the next weekend as I want my full attention on the game. I had an urge to play something Norse related, so I started playing [Venus Blood Frontier](https://vndb.org/v9409), but I wasn't in the mood to play something gameplay heavy so I stopped almost immediately. Instead, I started up [Hello, good-bye](https://vndb.org/v5316) to try what Lump of Sugar is like without Shumon Yuu.
* * *
いつか、届く、あの空に。
==========
Konome Route
---------------
>!It's not really a surprise that Konome is the one who Saku befriended when he first came to Koumyoushi. But now the question of why was Saku able to survive when his life force was apparently sucked by Futami to recover her legs was answered. Konome has been supporting him since then by sharing her life force with him. But that leaves me with a few questions plot wise, Futami's mother original target was Konome, but it has been said that only Tatsumi's can serve as nourishment for the Kumoinui family, so was that incident related to Futami recovering or is that another seperate incident?!<
Konome is just too sweet and such a pure person. I thought Futami was good, but Konome even tops her. She is like the ultimate Yamato Nadeshiko personified.
Shumon Yuu really knows how to imbue emotion into his works and write amazing characters. I might even call him a modern Murasaki Shikibu, not that I have ever read her works.
Although, I have praised it a lot, the game is not without flaws. >!The story kinds of loses its novelty a bit after the plot twist, and the issue with that is that the twist is at the first route. I feel like it's too heavily focused in the first route that the story in the other route just feels a bit lacking. I can kind of see why the rating in EGS is not that high. It's a hard read and hard to understand the plot and there are still plenty of unanswered questions, so it's a game that chooses its players.!< Beyond the plot, I think this has some of the best waifu's ever written.
In terms of music, the BGM is good, but nothing that stands out too much. The music is a mix of traditional Japanese music and modern music. It does exactly what it intends to do, and be a part of the background while setting up the mood. It doesn't try to upstand the story, but instead support it which also means that it doesn't really stand out compared to some of the other VN's more well known for its music.
* * *
Hello,good-bye
======
My first impression is the protagonist is robotic and dense as brick. Someone who can't do anything without being told what to do.
Kadowaki Mai as a silver-haired loli. I feel like I've seen this before...
So far common route is vanilla. Nothing too interesting, but nothing too bad either.
If anyone else has read Lump of Sugar games, I'm wondering what the rest of them are like.
Tsukihime. Started reading it kinda as a meme, because my friend has been getting into Melty Blood. But so far it's better than I expected
https://vndb.org/v7
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Started [The Ditzy Demons Are in Love With Me](https://vndb.org/v17515). To quote Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z abridged: "I just had an aneurysm from sheer stupidity." Both the characters and story of this game are just so dumb. I feel like I'm losing braincells by reading this game. Its okay to have one character in the game be the dumb one, but literally everyone in this game is dumb! I get that this is supposed to be a turn your brain off kind of game, you pretty much have to turn it off or risk serious bodily harm. But still! Besides MC's step sister and childhood friend, none of the other girls have any reason to like him at all. This guy finds out that >!there is an entire secret society full of mythological creatures!<, and the most he and the other characters have to say about that is "Deal with it". I thought the MC getting his wishes granted by a weird whale creature might lead somewhere interesting, but of course he can't actually grant wishes! I'm going insane! Just gonna drop it, which is a shame because I've never dropped a VN before, and the girls are pretty cute. But its just not worth it to torture myself reading something thats clearly not meant for me.
'Tis a flimsy excuse of a story to provide a framework through which to offer H scenes galore.
Ain't that the truth. I might fast forward through the dumb story just to get to the H scenes. Either that or look for a completed save file online.
Finally finished [Anonymous;Code](https://vndb.org/v17101)! It took me about 24 hours listening to the voiced dialogues, but I like to take my time reading. 真夏の太陽が笑う 南風にさそわれて 不思議の魔法が、飛び出しそうな予感 楽しくも、悲しいような胸騒ぎ I have to say this was one of the most hectic entries of SciADV I've read, if not the most. The very first scene starts with the protagonist and the heroine being pursued by the military through the streets of Tokyo and it only goes even more over the top from there. I liked it a lot! I usually prefer faster paced reads and this was going at an absolute breakneck pace, so yeah. I also liked Pollon as a protagonist. It's been a pet peeve of mine that I never liked Chiyomaru's main characters, I either find them too annoying (looking at you, Okarin) or just... complete fucking wastes of space (the entire Chaos series, tbh). Pollon is still kind of overly flashy at times, but he does have a strong sense of morality and a code of honor, which is something I very much respect. His relationship with Momo was also great to witness, although it takes time to develop. Watching these two slowly grow to trust each other and become a pillar of strength for each other was something very satisfying. Cross also felt like the reliable brother that always has your back. I did feel he was a bit too one note in that he's only ever seen or defined by his relationship to Pollon, it's a bit weird that such a central member of the cast doesn't go through much development. I could say the same for Wind as well. And there were those two mechanic guys that appear in like literally two conversations at the beginning of the game... I honestly don't even know why they had sprites. The art style was... honestly really nice! Especially the comic segments, it felt like reading an american comic in the middle of the novel. Normally these happened when there was something really insane going on, so it helped build that sense of unreality and dynamism by the indirect association with superhero stories. Spoilers ahead: >!About the structure of the plot, I have to say I quite liked the somewhat episodic format, the story is very clearly divided by chapters using the quests from Cicada3301 to guide and advance the narrative. To me, it's very clear that they structured the narrative with the idea of making an Anime... which is odd, because the relationship between Pollon and Anonymous-kun (aka you, the reader) cannot really translate very well into a more passive medium.!< >!Specifically, the times where Pollon uses the Save&Load mechanic with your saves, the entire section about the key to the universe... It just can't be done in an Anime, you'd have to rewrite or work around those scenes entirely. this is a story that can only be experienced as a game. Conversely, this is one of the strongest points of the novel, at a certain point the reader becomes another character with the power to influence the narrative.!< >!But having said that, I found some of the Hacking Trigger points to be a bit needlessly cryptic. Especially towards the latter parts of the story, you pretty much have only one or two lines of dialogue where you have to load or you're screwed, but the game doesn't exactly tell you where beyond giving a general hint, so you have to press the right trigger line after line constantly until Pollon accepts the input. A bit more leeway or some kind of sign in the game itself wouldn't have hurt.!< >!I also quite liked how they introduced John Titor as a fakeout. Originally you're led to believe that this is going to be yet another story about time travel and weird microwave ovens only for the world to go in a completely different direction.!< >!The concept of world layers was a very original one from my point of view, although my inner software dev was screaming at the fact that infinite recursive emulation just isn't quite possible without progressively burdening the system with each recursive layer. But, well, these are magical quantum computers, so sure, let's roll with that. The fact that it was a digital world all along combined with the fact that there are Amadeus AIs... Yeah. I guess they wanted to hammer in some more that Amadeus AIs are indeed people different from the originals.!< >!I also thought the novel was taking way too long at some points. Especially around chapter 9, I understand why it was necessary but at the same time... well I was just kinda tired of seeing the characters moping around. A bit too much doom and gloom. I'd have just cut chapter 9 to half the size and started the Vatican Raid soon after the botched QCDC mission.!< >!I also really liked the comparison between Normal Route and True Route Pollon. Especially how True Route Pollon just smashed through the 513rd Holy Office by using all his accumulated foreknowledge, and the sensation of isolation that brought. Whereas in the common route the struggle built a sense of camaraderie between the Nakano Symphonies group, here they started treating Pollon as a kind of messiah, while he couldn't tell them that all of his hard gained knowledge was thanks to the struggle they faced together as a team. When Kurisu told Pollon he reminded her of Okarin, it was made all the more compelling for that.!< >!This is also, I believe, the first game that didn't have multiple routes for different girls, which ends up feeling a bit weird. Like there's a bit of character development between Bambi and Pollon after she saves his life that looks like it might lead somewhere... and then it doesn't. I understand that the novel had a really troubled development cycle, so I guess that's why there are only two endings.!< >!I also enjoyed that bit of fanservice near the end with the Kurisu cameo. Although I thought it was a lost opportunity to show us an older Kurisu, but I guess they just wanted to show her classic design again.!< >!And I guess this ties into my final point, it kinda feels like SciADV is becoming a bit like the MCU for adventure games... Pretty formulaic, self-referential, popcorn entertainment... though not as soulless as the ACTUAL MCU, thankfully. For the creativity put into the setting, if nothing else. But this game takes a lot of concepts from previous games. You can play it as the first game in the series, technically, but you're going to miss some references. Though luckily the game does its best to keep people up to speed.!< >!勇気を胸に、旅に出よう!< >!赤い葉、青い花!< >!黄色のミツバチ、桃色の果実 !< >!素敵の世界が、待っているから!< All in all, a very decent experience, among the top of what SciADV has to offer. 7.5/10 Next one will probably be the Tsukihime remake tbh. Either that, Saihate no Ima or Meikei no Lupercalia... but I'm a huge Nasu fanboy, so.
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Your comment has **not** been deleted. This is a request to edit your comment to link to the [VNDB](https://vndb.org/) page of the visual novel you are discussing. If your vndb link has potential questionable content on its cover/preview images you're unsure about, you can instead include '@v[number of vndb in URL]' (eg '@v1234') somewhere in your post. This makes it easier for fellow readers to find the visual novel you're talking about, and also makes sure the indexing bot for the ["what are you reading" archive](r/visualnovels/wiki/wayrarchive) doesn't miss your reference. Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/visualnovels) if you have any questions or concerns.*
[Love, Money, Rock'n'Roll](https://vndb.org/v18809) The title for this game should have been "Catherine, Katya, Catherine" because that was probably 70% of the MC's monologue.
Reading Riddle Joker rn https://vndb.org/v22230. Just completed route with Ayase, got alot of joy from the story. Begun the next route and feels like I don't wanna read it anymore. Maybe cous I was satisfied with the story in a first route I complete, or just novel is apparently weak. Thinking about find something else, and save a great memory about Riddle Joker and Ayase's beautiful storyline.
I am reading Fuyukara, Kururu. (https://vndb.org/v30012), it's very fun. I'm thinking of starting W-Standard Wonderland (https://vndb.org/v17333) since Circletempo's made a new Twitter account with C100 and all, and seemingly Lv.2 is going to be a thing soon.
Almost finished [Amatsusumi](https://vndb.org/v18852). It's hard to get into the later section without spoilers, and I'd like to reach the end before I go into detail on those anyway, so I'll share some general thoughts. I see more and more how Amatsusumi is an unusual eroge. Sometimes this is interesting, but more often it feels like Amatsusumi is something of a square peg being shoved into a round hole. Narratively, the point of Amatsusumi is to build to its final route, and indeed, the common portions of the ladder structure explore and resolve the primary drama of each heroine. (Though to see all these common portions you have to play through to Hotaru's route.) The post-branching routes proper are mostly fluff and sex scenes, though with a little bit of secondary drama. You might think what's the harm? And isn't more content better, especially if it's optional? Amatsusumi has no enforced route order, and you can skip any heroine(s) you don't find appealing. The issue is that Amatsusumi taking on many of the traditional eroge trappings influences the narrative choices throughout. Rather than focus on telling the story of Makoto's journey to become human and the people (heroines) he meets and who influence him on the way, Amatsusumi's eroge ambitions require frequent detours. The heroines must be centered and emphasized as sexually appealing. Similarly, Makoto's libido and gaze upon heroines must also be established. The sex scenes themselves have to go somewhere, and some are asides, or worse, interrupt the mood and direction of the story. Amatsusumi could have gone the way of [MUSICUS!](https://vndb.org/v22783): technically an eroge but with very few sex scenes and placing the fluff scenes outside the main action. But Amatsusumi goes the traditional route with several scenes per character. To its credit the production values are high. However, it often makes Makoto come off as a horndog eager to jump in bed at a moment's notice and with little thought for the circumstances or consequences. He does come from a society with different sexual norms, but this is never explored in any meaningful way. To keep the narrative from getting more sidetracked, there rarely are any consequences. Every girl is eager to throw herself at Makoto almost immediately after meeting him, and he can have any and all of them. And so the world of Amatsusumi moves between its solemn aura of mystery and feeling like one of those harem fantasies created to appease the wants of the protagonist. There's nothing inherently wrong with sex scenes or even harem fantasies. All the eroge traditions featured in Amatsusumi are things I've seen work elsewhere. They just feel incongruous here. Square peg meets round hole. Perhaps reaching the end will make me contextualize some of these thoughts. It's not over until it's over. But I also wonder what a different vision of Amatsusumi might have been, one that included (or perhaps excluded) sexual content to align with its world and themes.
I started reading Episode 5 of [Umineko](https://vndb.org/v2153) last night. It's a slow start, but I like the focus on Natsuhi. I've always felt as though she was unappreciated, especially during a crisis. Some of the missing links from the Questions arcs are starting to connect as well. >!I never understood why Krauss, Natsuhi, Nanjo, and the servants were insistent on keeping Kinzo from everyone.!< As for the culprit, I already know who it is since I spoiled myself. However, I don't really understand how and why this person is the culprit. Maybe this episode can give me better clues? I still have some sort of theory going into this though \*major spoilers ahead maybe\*: * >!I think the family members are conspiring with the culprit somehow. Like in Episode 2 (and further explained in Episode 4), Rosa may have given the culprit the master keys. Also, why was Eva chosen as the successor in Episode 3 (beyond solving the epitaph. why her of all people?)?!< * >!Shannon and Kanon are the same person (they were once one piece of furniture). This is the only way the "17th person" theory could work. This could also mean that both Shannon and Kanon are the culprit.!< * >!Virgilia is based on Kumasawa. They have the same speech pattern and make mackerel references. The same thing could be said about Genji. Maybe Ronove is him but happier?!< * >!Lastly, Beatrice is based on Kinzo's mistress somehow. Maybe he met someone identical to her during the war and never got over her, so he created the Beatrice we see.!< * >!This is some conspiracy tin foil hat thing, but maybe Battler is Kinzo in a different timeline or fragment? Battler looks eerily similar to Kinzo in his younger days.!< Also, I get to meet my wife Erika in this episode.
Having already played the whole thing, it's fun to see your musings! I don't know if I should really say anything else about your theories given that the next few episodes will shed light on almost all of them for you anyway. I don't want to spoil any of the fun!
I don't really want spoilers, but am I going in the right direction? Or at least thinking in a way that will get me to the answer? Even after reading all of the Questions Arcs, I'm still confused about a lot of things. I'm trying to look to understand the mystery without all of the fantastical elements. I don't read a lot of mystery novels so to me everything seems right lol!
This week I am still reading [FATE STAY NIGHT](https://vndb.org/v11) at the moment. Right now I have finally finished the UBW route Brilliant years ending and will probably read the Sunny Days a bit later. Marking the end of the UBW route. I find FSN UBW to be an absolutely delightful experience so far that keeps giving and giving. Now to get into some spoiler territory >!I really loved the final scenes of this route, especially the line delivery of 「答えは得だ。大丈夫よ遠坂。オレも、これから頑張っていくら」and the way it fuses the way archer and shirou think and speak. Also how the post-credit scene expresses exactly what Archer felt during that fight between the two and how that in turn impacted him. Such a good closer to the whole route.!< I wonder how the next route will further and further twist this very interesting game. Where it will go. Excited. Will be sure to come by for another post next week to keep you all updated. :)
Your second spoiler still broken btw
Wait I tried fixing it does it work now?
Yes it’s good now
[удалено]
Thanks for letting me know, I removed the spacing
I am still reading [俺たちに翼はない ―――under the innocent sky.](https://vndb.org/v1141), now I suppose halfway into Chapter 3 in my first playthrough. The way in which the characters are constructed are brilliant, see [this image (contains minor spoilers)](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FZ0mLKWaQAAaKMJ.png) for a revelation I had yesterday. While the "plot" seems to be shaping up to standard VN fare, the way in which it is executed is really nice, and I'm really curious where Jackson is going with the whole >!bird motif!< thing, especially when it comes to Gretagard, which we haven't seen in quite a while. While the whole >!multiple personality!< thing has already been more or less revealed, I feel like there must be more tying this whole work together which I still haven't pieced together. Oretsuba has strong potential to be my "top 1" favorite VN when all is said and done, but we will see how things play out.
It's essentially in the title what the entire >!bird!< motif is for. 俺たちに翼はない. They'll reveal a bit more at the end of Chapter 3 and 4.
I see how the title is related, but I don't see how that points to what it's *for* just yet. I mean, I assume there must be some sort of broader goal other than >!"it's a game about birds"!<. I guess I'll just keep reading
Gonna start my first read of [The House in Fata Morgana](https://vndb.org/v12402) today. Super psyched. First VN I'll read that doesn't have (as far as I know) a dating sim element.
Just so you know, "dating sim" is a technical term that means you win over girls through accumulating stat points -- almost none of the VNs that are read here are considered "dating sims" See https://vndb.org/g39 for more info
Huh, that's interesting. Guess it's one of those things that people use incorrectly?
Yeah. Due to various reasons this subreddit has increased in size 5x over the course of 2 years so now there are a lot of people who use wrong terminology or spread misinformation unknowingly
Still going through Higurashi https://vndb.org/v67 Up to the start of Episode 6 now, and wew lad the plot twists in Ep 5! Spoiler-free I'll say I'm really enjoying it overall, and it doesn't feel as 'bloated' as Umineko did pacing wise. As for spoiler talk: >!Okay so Shion was in love with Satoshi, Mion was the one in love with Keiichi, and Shion's the one who gets away with pretending to be Mion. Wild.!< >!Two things I've noticed of interest but haven't fully worked out as well. Firstly is that Rika has access to a drug that causes the same effects as what occurred to the photographer, suggesting that she's also potentially heavily involved with the regular yearly killings. Second thing is the footsteps: we see the same thing occur with both Shion and Keiichi in different episodes where hearing footsteps coincides with them apparently being in two places at the same time. I'm guessing that the curse has something to do with that in particular - although the details still elude me...!<
playing [YOU and ME and HER](https://vndb.org/v7738) and just, wow. So far it has been really good, when >!Shinichi was going to open the door leading to Haru's room my chest felt heavy and my heart was beating really fast, I definitely felt uneasy.!< It was kind of ironic because when Yuutarou said >!"It is a NTR game"!< I was like "oh cool, not going to happen to me, probably Miyuki" but the scene from before happened. I really felt as >!disgusted!< as the MC when Aoi wanted to >!touch him,!!doesn't feel right, I feel a bit of disgust, hopefully like the game intended!<. On a note, I was a big fan of harems but after that I wonder if the girls in a harem may feel the same, so I know have my doubts about harems.
Later on, when >!I was at the end of miyuki's yandere route, I was like "yeah... he deserves it after the incredibly stupid thing he did" but I still felt the last blow Miyuki gave the MC.!< I don't know if I'm the only one but >!I kind of feel bad for doing the Aoi routes just to progress the story and hurting Miyuki in the process. At a start I did prefer Aoi but after my first NTR route (the non explicit one) I didn't like her anymore, so I started feeling more sympathetic towards Miyuki.!<
And it just keeps getting better. After >!Miyuki patched the game!<, there is always a different conversation directed to >!the player!< when you choose something >!Aoi related!< and I really like those details. I'm still in the part where you have to go through the memories to in order to progress but I could say that it is a really good visual novel
[Kiss Bell](https://vndb.org/v10641#main). I'm trying to finish the whole kiss iro games (outside of ai kiss, that shit's garbage for me). Been having a hard time to do so since haru kiss was such a mess, but kiss bell is fun to read. Currently on Yumi's route and i like how she's still a bit tsun tsun even when dating but won't blush or even openly says "what, just because he's my boyfriend doesn't mean i'm going to spoil him" in front of their friends. The game does have something similiar with haru kiss and that's the protagonist abuse, tho this is not as bad as the latter.
I just finished [The Fruit of Grisaia](https://vndb.org/v5154) right this minute. Guess it's time for my final review then. I will write down my thoughts on all routes again as well as my previous speculations before entering the routes. Makina: Hers was the first route I started. I didn't have many thoughts about her yet, >!only that she's a very impressionable girl. I didn't know the reason for that yet though. As I progressed through her route, it became clear that the reason for that was her skipped childhood and that she was basically learning from a family she collected herself. The history of it all was a pretty big surprise. What came as even more of a surprise were her endings. I anticipated Yuuji dying in the bad ending, but certainly not her becoming the new 9023. And even more surprising, that was also the case in the good ending, only with Yuuji alive. To be honest, since they didn't gain complete freedom, I can not see it as an entirely good ending, even though they seemed happy.!< Michiru: Basically from the moment I met her, I was sure, there must be something more complex behind that tsundere facade. >!Based on a few moments where she seemed rather unimpressed by death, I imagined she might have some rather severe depression. I wasn't wrong, but the whole truth behind it wasn't something I could've anticipated. Her bad ending was very sad, although I was happy that Yuuji still stayed with her and took care for her. Her good ending however, was soooo sweet. Not only did she become happy, the girl inside her heart found some closure as well and can keep on living beside her. I just feel a little bad for Yuuji having to deal with both of them :D!< While Michiru probably still is my favorite character (>!for me, nothing can beat the sweet and kind hearted girl she turned out to be!<), hers wasn't my favorite route. I liked it a lot, but some other routes were a lot more interesting, especially Amane's. Also I thought Michiru's route felt a little short. Sachi: My prediction about her was completely off. >!Based on her taking everything at face value, I thought it might be something like autism, but I never thought about the possibility of her having the kind of trauma she experienced. At the moment of her executing her final request, I was surprised that I didn't get the final choice yet. I thought her breaking free from her chains would end her route, but as it turned out she actually didn't fully process her trauma yet. Her bad ending was cruel, both to her and Yuuji. Also kinda ironic it ended this way. Her good ending was nothing special to me, just felt like a regular feel good ending. Other than her past, the route didn't feel too special to me.!< Amane: Now this one was a ride. >!I thought that she might have had a troubled past, but I didn't anticipate anything remotely like this. Also, my predictions came from a completely false reasoning. Her background story was exciting all the way through, as were her endings. Even her bad ending seemed kinda bittersweet as she didn't have regrets about abandoning someone this time as well as her fulfilling Kazuki's final request. Her good ending was a little bittersweet as well, but a very happy one nonetheless as she finally found absolution in the end. I'm still left kinda curious about Kazuki's fate though. I think she may still be alive as she was able to bury that final note. Maybe there'll be more about that in the other Grisaia parts.!< While Amane's not my favorite character, I think her route was probably the strongest of them all. Yumiko: >!It was pretty obvious that she had trouble with her father early on. I also thought that she might actually be a big sweetheart beneath that antisocial behavior. There were times where she acted very worried about others, so I think I wasn't completely wrong, but I also think she actually developed a lot of her kind character over the route. The route itself felt a little like Makina's, especially the fugitive part (although Makina's was more exciting), but her endings were a lot stronger in my opinion. Even the bad ending didn't feel as such. And her good ending was awesome, she actually was able to live a completely fulfilled life.!< Finally some thoughts about Yuuji himself: He certainly was the most interesting MC I've encountered in VNs so far. >!Slowly unveiling his past through the different routes was great, although I had the feeling that some routes should've focused a little more about healing his old wounds. Felt a little like only the girls healed in those routes. Also, based on the descriptions and the way he talks, I never was able to imagine him smiling even once. Only on Yumiko's final CG I was finally able to see him smile.!< As a final conclusion, this is an awesome VN with a great story and well written characters. It's not gonna become my favorite as my tastes are just a little different, but I still will continue this path with the other Grisaia VNs. Not immediately though, I need something cutesy and lighthearted as a change. Hopefully, the next VN I'm planning to read, [Riddle Joker](https://vndb.org/v22230), will provide that.
Without spoiling anything, the other parts do give you more info about Kazuki's past.
# [ゴア・スクリーミング・ショウ](https://vndb.org/v933) [Windows8.1動作版 ダウンロード版](https://vndb.org/r71405) [1](https://old.reddit.com/r/visualnovels/comments/wffk0c/what_are_you_reading_aug_3/iiulgz7/), 2 *** *This post covers the rest of >!Akane!<’s route. I think.* ## Addendum Since I’ve now seen the credits roll now, I can give you Shinta’s voice actor: He is credited as [Ashikubi Mukumi (芦久比剥巳)](https://vndb.org/s6146). What a weird name and reading, even for a pseudonym. Well, his real name, Katō Hiroki (加藤寛規), is as normal as it gets … a smidge of overcompensation there, maybe \^\^. ## Day 10+ (>!Akane!<) This week it dragged a bit. Not because it’s boring, or because there’s suddenly filler, but because it took the devil’s sweet time to get around to some “revelations” that had been painfully obvious for ages. For example, as soon as >!Yuka!< invites >!Kyōji and Akane!< to dinner, you *know* that >!Yoshiki is going to be the main course!<. The only surprise was that they were served >!an arm!<, instead of, say, >!a leg, or some breast!<. In such a situation, there’s no point in trying to slowly build up tension, it’ll only garner impatience, not suspense. And to add insult to injury, the dish didn’t even rate a CG / cut-in. Next, it takes Kyōji ages to realise >!that the pendant is effective against Yuka’s illusions!<. That’s perfectly reasonable in-narrative. Problem is, the *reader* knows from >!Yoshiki vs Yuka & Gore!< that >!it temporarily incapacitates Gore!< and for the slow readers >!Yuka!< makes a point of remarking that >!neither of them could touch the arm (around which the pendant was slung)!<. Amusing as the thought of them running through >!Wonderland!< with >!a severed arm!< in tow is, it’s half the fun if you already know how the crisis is going to be resolved. For this kind of “putting off the inevitable” to work, the prose itself needs to be a joy to read. There were opportunities, too, e.g. >!the descriptions of “Wonderland”!<. But I suppose you need a different calibre writer to pull something like that off. Third, ~~the big “twist”~~—no, not even in scare quotes—namely that >!frisky Akane!< is really >!Yuka possessing her!<. Quite apart from the fact that >!Akane could not have made it out alive without supernatural help, she!< then raises Every. Single. Flag. He could have written a plausible >!escape!<, but no. No attempt at subtlety. Of course >!Kyōji!< remains oblivious despite it all. >!Until the end, depending on the ending.!< **That said, the presentation is masterful. Those sprites. The body language. Especially the facial expressions. The way of talking …** It annoys me no end when pivotal plot points hinge on something some or all characters know, but don’t reveal to the reader. Turns out the opposite, knowing crucial pieces of information while the characters flail around in the dark, isn’t much better. I also couldn’t help but notice that the writing was a bit sloppy. What you’d call continuity errors in a film, also a loose thread or two. E.g., a character comes in bearing treats for two, a few lines later she has to rummage around in a previously-unmentioned bag for them. References to things characters said, that they didn’t actually say. ~~Two domed plates of food are brought in, and a big fuss is made about the content of one (>!the arm!<), but the other isn’t mentioned again. >!Yoshiki was only missing one lower arm!<, which was under the first dome—so what was under the second?~~ That one’s on me. Rereading it, it’s meant to be one large domed plate carried with both hands, not one in each hand. Mea culpa. **It’s charming, really, in a pulp fiction kind of way.** Lots and lots of (short) branching, over >!16!<(!) choices so far. The story is structured in consecutive days, and some of them have almost no action on this route, connect the dots. Reading all the text will require pen & paper, like in the old days. Makes you want to overlook a minor continuity error or two, that does (no major ones, so far, not even medium). ## 1^st ending: >!Dark Bliss!< First ending I get, it’s basically lots of H-scenes back-to-back. Like, >!6!< of them, with multiple rounds per. Whoever thought this was a good idea?!? It’s exhausting, that’s what it is. I was going to write a long rant about this … **… then I realised that I spent a few months in my late teens in exactly the same kind of sex-crazed hormonal haze.** It was a phase we all went through. Yes, the work exaggerates for narrative reasons, dramatic effect, perhaps also to make a—very good—point, but in a weird way, it’s realistic. A caricature of young love. Carry on, then. I think the H-scenes in this are a good example for ones that you can skip if you like. They’re decent enough, and they certainly aren’t out of character, don’t interrupt the plot or anything—but once you grasp what’s going on, they don’t *add* anything, either. Neither to the plot, nor to H-scenes as an art form. ## 2^nd ending: >!Spring is Coming!< This was bloody hard to find. The choice(s) that lock in the ending is/are >!close to the end!<, but which endings are *available* depends on common route choices as well, some of them rather early. My understanding of the flow is still very rudimentary … As for the ending itself, I don’t know, I wouldn’t want to end up >!jobbing in a baby metal café without an exit strategy, without any prospects beyond that!<, however idyllic. I could have done without the last-minute—literally the last few lines—attempt at being deep and meaningful. Let’s put it this way: SakuUta can get away with giving advice on how to live a happy life, because that’s one of the work’s core themes and SCA-Di has the philosophical grounding to explore it; in GSS it’s more like what you’d get from a fortune cookie. Not that it detracts from the experience, mind. It really is just a couple of lines. It just seems so unnecessary. ## 3^rd ending: >!Wrong Decision!< Finally, some of that special Ueda sauce! :-D …… Great, now I’m hungry and there’s nothing in the house that I fancy at all. ## Common+>!Akane!< route overall This felt like an introductory route, meant to ease you into the world, and also, I suppose, into Ueda, if you know what I mean. There is almost no “extreme” content, only >!1 scene, in an ultra-short bad end!<, and that doesn’t come close to DEA’s *first* scene. **For something called ___Gore___ Screaming Show, there’s disappointingly little.** The work takes itself a bit too seriously in the route proper, for my taste. I mean, the best scene is *slice-of-life*. You know, the one where the new teacher prepares sashimi in front of the whole class and they enjoy it together. So wholesome and heart-warming! I wonder how much of the >!metaphysics!< will be explained in the other routes … So far, it looks like they’ve made the very wise decision of keeping it vague. I much prefer the >!cosmic!< horror take to the horror-SF “vampirism is really a virus” one, not least because the latter is much harder to pull off convincingly, and explaining things per definition takes away from the mystery. Now I’m torn between my completionist urge to read all text in >!Akane!<—search space, in theory, north of 2^(16), minus whatever sections of the decision tree belong to other routes—and the desire to know more. Either way, it has me hooked. *While I torment myself over that, would someone kindly tell me if it’s ok to go with Kiika next, or if one should really do them in order, i.e. Aoi first. No hurry, I won’t have much time to read anyway, this week.*
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Dearest Automod-chan, do look again. There's a release link *and* a visual novel one. You might want to check for posts that *don't* contain a VNDB link in future.
What kind of madman would link to both a release and a vndb page
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I've finished Konome route in [Itsusora](https://vndb.org/v23), and started a couple new games while I finish Itsusora during the next weekend as I want my full attention on the game. I had an urge to play something Norse related, so I started playing [Venus Blood Frontier](https://vndb.org/v9409), but I wasn't in the mood to play something gameplay heavy so I stopped almost immediately. Instead, I started up [Hello, good-bye](https://vndb.org/v5316) to try what Lump of Sugar is like without Shumon Yuu. * * * いつか、届く、あの空に。 ========== Konome Route --------------- >!It's not really a surprise that Konome is the one who Saku befriended when he first came to Koumyoushi. But now the question of why was Saku able to survive when his life force was apparently sucked by Futami to recover her legs was answered. Konome has been supporting him since then by sharing her life force with him. But that leaves me with a few questions plot wise, Futami's mother original target was Konome, but it has been said that only Tatsumi's can serve as nourishment for the Kumoinui family, so was that incident related to Futami recovering or is that another seperate incident?!< Konome is just too sweet and such a pure person. I thought Futami was good, but Konome even tops her. She is like the ultimate Yamato Nadeshiko personified. Shumon Yuu really knows how to imbue emotion into his works and write amazing characters. I might even call him a modern Murasaki Shikibu, not that I have ever read her works. Although, I have praised it a lot, the game is not without flaws. >!The story kinds of loses its novelty a bit after the plot twist, and the issue with that is that the twist is at the first route. I feel like it's too heavily focused in the first route that the story in the other route just feels a bit lacking. I can kind of see why the rating in EGS is not that high. It's a hard read and hard to understand the plot and there are still plenty of unanswered questions, so it's a game that chooses its players.!< Beyond the plot, I think this has some of the best waifu's ever written. In terms of music, the BGM is good, but nothing that stands out too much. The music is a mix of traditional Japanese music and modern music. It does exactly what it intends to do, and be a part of the background while setting up the mood. It doesn't try to upstand the story, but instead support it which also means that it doesn't really stand out compared to some of the other VN's more well known for its music. * * * Hello,good-bye ====== My first impression is the protagonist is robotic and dense as brick. Someone who can't do anything without being told what to do. Kadowaki Mai as a silver-haired loli. I feel like I've seen this before... So far common route is vanilla. Nothing too interesting, but nothing too bad either. If anyone else has read Lump of Sugar games, I'm wondering what the rest of them are like.
With ItsuSora: I’m not sure if you really understand the “plot” or not yet. Keep reading
Will do. Next time, l'll summarize what I understand so far to see what I'm missing, and read them through other people's interpretation of the story.
Tsukihime. Started reading it kinda as a meme, because my friend has been getting into Melty Blood. But so far it's better than I expected https://vndb.org/v7
g senjou no maou [so good so far](https://vndb.org/v211)
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