Recommend a VN

[Nobody in Particular]

Well, according to the picture I need to set my system locale to Japanese to make it work. Does it need to be Japanese for just the installation, or while playing it too?

Yeah you do. The Muv-Luv trilogy is one of the very few translated VNs that requires you to install AND run it in Japanese locale.

Please explain how they're racist...

The president of Key has apparently made plenty of racist comments indicating that he doesn't want anyone non-Japanese playing Key stuff. Also the later Key games require you to have a Japanese version of Windows or something, although it can be easily bypassed.

[OtakuNinja]

Please explain how they're racist...

The president of Key has apparently made plenty of racist comments indicating that he doesn't want anyone non-Japanese playing Key stuff. Also the later Key games require you to have a Japanese version of Windows or something, although it can be easily bypassed.

That's... pretty racist.

[stanman237]

Also, where can I buy the English release of Planetarian for Windows?

Its currently only available on the iOS, in other words, iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

It might be released on Android eventually

Also wasn't that the president of Visual Art's????????????? After all, Key's website is the only one that you can go on outside of Japan

[Zilveri]

So I recently found this thing called "anime". It was either because of KS or that anime bracket's fault, but I've started to watch anime and so far glad I did. I have now watched (from best to least best): Clannad + Clannad After Story, Accel World, Mirai Nikki, Another, School Days, Angel Beats, Chuunibyou Demo Koi Ga Shitai and I'm still watching Little Busters and Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and planning to watch more Higurashi and Sword Art Online (maybe Steins Gate).

But here's my question: I have already downloaded Clannad and Little Busters as a visual novels and I know that School Days is also a visual novel (and Steins Gate), but is the visual novel same as watching it as anime, like is the story same? Should I play it or watch it? I know that School Days has different endings than the one on the anime (I have read and watched that Cracked-article) I have played Kyou's route on Clannad (She was my favorite from the anime) and her route was the same as in the anime. Right now I'm playing Tomoyo After, but I don't know what I will do after that. I also just saw that Fate/Stay Night is also as anime, so maybe I check it out too. I don't know anything about it, but you guys have talked about it for a bit and it got my interest.

Also, everytime I see Nagisa or her mom, they look like an ant or a fly. Anyone else?

[Nobody in Particular]

But here's my question: I have already downloaded Clannad and Little Busters as a visual novels and I know that School Days is also a visual novel (and Steins Gate), but is the visual novel same as watching it as anime, like is the story same? Should I play it or watch it? I know that School Days has different endings than the one on the anime (I have read and watched that Cracked-article) I have played Kyou's route on Clannad (She was my favorite from the anime) and her route was the same as in the anime. Right now I'm playing Tomoyo After, but I don't know what I will do after that. I also just saw that Fate/Stay Night is also as anime, so maybe I check it out too. I don't know anything about it, but you guys have talked about it for a bit and it got my interest.

Anime adaptations of VNs are quite notorious for being bad, so I would advise reading VNs before their respective adaptations unless it's actually considered good. Clannad and Steins;Gate fit that criteria.

With the VNs you have individual routes and usually a lot more content, so if you enjoyed the anime adaption then reading the VN may be a good choice. Otherwise it probably doesn't matter that much. School Days has a lot of endings, I think it was about 21 or something.

Apparently the Fate/Stay Night anime is meant to be pretty bad, in comparison to the VN which is considered one of the best the medium has to offer, and everyone I know says the read the VN and just completely skip the anime. Prepare to invest a lot of time in it however, it's quite long.

[Flutterz]

Just finished Deardrops, and it was pretty good overall. Riho's path was, naturally, the best, since it seems to be the canon one, Kanade's was also pretty good, but Yayoi's was a bit lackluster and Rimu's was downright subpar, but thankfully it wasn't very long. Not much else to say here, except that I recommend it and that I'm going to have to try out the other VN's by Overdrive sometime soon.

I'm going to do a few shorter VN's while I wait for Rewrite's translation to finish, so that I can start it as soon as it's out, and I'm going to start with Analogue: A Hate Story.

[Nobody in Particular]

Just finished Deardrops, and it was pretty good overall. Riho's path was, naturally, the best, since it seems to be the canon one, Kanade's was also pretty good, but Yayoi's was a bit lackluster and Rimu's was downright subpar, but thankfully it wasn't very long. Not much else to say here, except that I recommend it and that I'm going to have to try out the other VN's by Overdrive sometime soon.

Be sure to do Kira Kira at some point. It's set in the same universe as Deardrops and also about a rock band. More lighthearted and wackier than Deardrops.

The routes in Deardrops were infuriating. Only one of the routes really felt "complete", and arguably another. The other two were just terrible and it was almost as if no effort was put into them.

[Flutterz]

Just finished Deardrops, and it was pretty good overall. Riho's path was, naturally, the best, since it seems to be the canon one, Kanade's was also pretty good, but Yayoi's was a bit lackluster and Rimu's was downright subpar, but thankfully it wasn't very long. Not much else to say here, except that I recommend it and that I'm going to have to try out the other VN's by Overdrive sometime soon.

Be sure to do Kira Kira at some point. It's set in the same universe as Deardrops and also about a rock band. More lighthearted and wackier than Deardrops.

The routes in Deardrops were infuriating. Only one of the routes really felt "complete", and arguably another. The other two were just terrible and it was almost as if no effort was put into them.

Yep, Kira Kira is just a little bit further down my list.

My thoughts exactly. Even in G-Senjou, where the side routes weren't nearly as good as the main one, and purposely uncanon to avoid spoiling the reveal, they had a lot more effort put into them.

[Flutterz]

I've finished Analogue: A Hate Story, and it was a pretty interesting experience. It's slightly more of a game than most VNs, which gives you the feeling that the protagonist actually is you, rather than you playing one. You get to interact with 2 AIs aboard a long-deserted spaceship, while piecing together what happened and why. It's pretty short, and shorter still if you take the easy way out(but where's the fun in that?), and I very much recommend it.

Up next is True Remembrance. On a side note, my VN list has gotten so long that it no longer fits in my signature

[Mysterious Stranger]

Finished Deardrops, at long last. I did enjoy it much more than I did Kira Kira, but there were quite a few things I didn't like as well. I thought the Rimu and Yayoi arcs were a little insubstantial compared to the other two - although I actually enjoyed Yayoi's quite a bit. Rimu's arc was definitely the weakest - exceptionally disappointing, since she was probably my favorite character (next to Chika, the most competent 4th grader in all of fiction), solely because of her hilarious lines. I did really like how Deardrops is more grounded in reality than Kira Kira, which had one too many fantastic elements for my tastes.

Major Deardrops spoilers follow. Do not read.

One thing I distinctly remember not liking at all was the revelation (in Kanade's arc, specifically) that Shoichi did not in fact make his attempt on Johann's life. That felt a little cheap to me - Shoichi comes to terms with his past, only to be told that he wasn't a murderer after all. Especially considering that the confession scene during the interview in Riho's arc was one of my favorite moments out of the entire game (his confession in Kanade's arc was a tad truncated, obviously).

Other minor complaints... I thought there could've been more chemistry between Shoichi and Riho in their arc. Felt like their relationship was very segregated from the actual plot (which, to be fair, was fairly excellent - in fact I'd go ahead and say that Riho's arc was probably my favorite). Oh, and in Kanade's route, there came a point when I was seriously expecting at least two "do your bests" in every scene. I don't have a problem with that type of "try your best, work hard, give it your all" kind of theme, but there are plenty of synonymous phrases the translators could've used besides "do your best". That was actually pretty annoying.

Overall though I had quite a bit of fun with it, even though there was never a point at which it blew me away.

[Flutterz]

And now I'm done with True Remembrance. It was a short but sweet story. Saying too much would probably spoil it, but it deals with people's memories and the desire to forget. And the best part is that you can just go download and try it out here.

Now I'll patiently wait for Rewrite to be finished.

[Nobody in Particular]

And now I'm done with True Remembrance. It was a short but sweet story. Saying too much would probably spoil it, but it deals with people's memories and the desire to forget. And the best part is that you can just go download and try it out here.

It always irritates me that True Remembrance didn't get the same popularity as other short beginner VNs, like Narcissu and Planetarian. Personally I thought it was much better than both, but it's undeniably a fantastic story made better by the fact that it is free.

Now I'll patiently wait for Rewrite to be finished.

@Anyone who has played Rewrite
Is this VN any good? Honestly I'm not a fan of Key's work at all but this one looks more interesting than the generic drama SoL thing they usually do. Since it's close to being finished I'm thinking of picking it up.

[Flutterz]

It always irritates me that True Remembrance didn't get the same popularity as other short beginner VNs, like Narcissu and Planetarian. Personally I thought it was much better than both, but it's undeniably a fantastic story made better by the fact that it is free.

Well, Planetarian has the advantage that it is made by Key which instantly gives it a large audience, and both Planetarian and Narcissu are pretty tearjerkish, which might also contribute to their popularity.

@Anyone who has played Rewrite
Is this VN any good? Honestly I'm not a fan of Key's work at all but this one looks more interesting than the generic drama SoL thing they usually do. Since it's close to being finished I'm thinking of picking it up.

It is pretty different from what they usually do. Normally their VNs are entirely SoL with a bit of fantasy in the reveal/true route. Rewrite definitely starts as a SoL novel, but by the time you get to the point where the paths split off, all SoL is gone, and it becomes much more fantasy/action oriented, all with completely different plots and outcomes, which makes you feel as though your actions actually affect the world(even if not always for the best...). So if you weren't a fan of Clannad or Kanon, you might still like Rewrite. Oh, and the actual translation is, as far as I know, finished, and they're simply working on the patch, so you can just pick it up right now, and by the time you do all the heroine routes, the full patch will probably have come out.

[Nobody in Particular]

Oh, and the actual translation is, as far as I know, finished, and they're simply working on the patch, so you can just pick it up right now, and by the time you do all the heroine routes, the full patch will probably have come out.

Yeah, the translation is finished (apparently), it's just in the process of editing. Main reason I'm interested in it actually.

Okay then, thanks for your input. Guess I'll give it a shot.
If I install one patch, can you just install the other and it will add on all of the untranslated parts?

[Flutterz]

Oh, and the actual translation is, as far as I know, finished, and they're simply working on the patch, so you can just pick it up right now, and by the time you do all the heroine routes, the full patch will probably have come out.

Yeah, the translation is finished (apparently), it's just in the process of editing. Main reason I'm interested in it actually.

Okay then, thanks for your input. Guess I'll give it a shot.
If I install one patch, can you just install the other and it will add on all of the untranslated parts?

Yep, apparently Key picked a good engine for this one, patching over doesn't break anything - even the saves still work after repatching.