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So far I finished 3 out of 5 routes in Time Leap - and it's quite good (At last!) While nothing outstanding in terms of plot or romance, I find it very enjoayble - there's some good comedy, a bit of drama and lots of heartwarming family moments I'll write more once I complete it.

Generation Witch I bought the Physical Ed. to support the creator

Hi, I'm trying to locate a game that I remember seeing gameplay for on YouTube a long time ago. Here is what I know. I remember the title or an advertisement for this having a raven/outline of a bird. The plot was the main character is a hitman; something went wrong with one of his jobs and a couple ended up dead bc of this. The couple was actually connected to the gang who had hired the main character for this job so needless to say not a good thing. One of the routes that I remember leads you to make up with the gang that hired you, once you clear up the misunderstanding and that you were framed for the couple's death, you join them as a temporary hire with the idea that if you prove your worth, they might take you on full time. There is a blond guy who is one of the possible love interests is either the second in command or one of the people higher up in the gang. In the begging her does some hazing and gives you a beat down while two other members hold you still (which he later gets in trouble for, and you have the opportunity to cover for him) Does anyone recognize this VN? I've been looking for it for months.

BIG NEWS! I've created a brand new preview video that contains a sampling of my music tracks that you'll find in my Ogg Music Mega Pack. You can check it out here: https://youtu.be/W7yQVscjqUM?si=wD1XqAOJ6_Lswgqw PACKS THAT GROW WITH YOU I think the coolest thing about the music packs isn't just that they keep growing as I add new tracks to them, but that Gumroad allows me to notify users so they can download the newest additions as they come out. I really like the idea of music packs that grow along with the people who are using them. https://soundimage.org/ogg-game-music-mega-pack/ Mp3s ARE ALWAYS FREE That said, this week's new Mp3 music tracks are on my Action 2 page: "Fantasy Racing Game Menu_LoFi" "Mech Street Fighters_LoFi" "Wild West Coast Racing_LoFi" https://soundimage.org/action-2/ As always, my Mp3 tracks are 100% free to use with attribution. Enjoy!

I'm currently working on translating Kabe no Mukou 1 with Deepseek, but there is that issue I have - I can't make tools for Anim (both) to work on smaller file containing descriptions for recollection room (they usually called xxx_define.dat). Seems there is an issue with their older 'define' files ( Kabe 1 is 2013, and I also tried it on their first 2011 game). Any help, perhaps from the ones who are into coding/AI? One tool is based on py script containing ~300 lines. I put the tools, both 'define' files and Kabe 1 script - that tools work fine with - on Mega? https://mega.nz/file/8hV0gJSJ#ASuu_EFR8STnlFoCknn6w3TsQrF4YNtim-e0hVHXehQ

For the info sometimes there are manga adaptation when it come to dorama just like Glass Mask, so I'll comment on whenever there was one. That said for Glass Mask obviously the dorama still not finished the story yet seeing the author still not restarting her work in 2025, but at least I know it adapt majority of the volume (38 out of 49) with it had second season later. That's all for what I can comment in regard of 1997 dorama here.

It should be noted that before DDLC Nitroplus already done the similar thing with You and Me and Her: A Love Story, although in the end Shimokura Vio (The Nitroplus writer) and Dan Salvato have different idea on where they went from the infamous twist. I do know there are much more examples for the first point, but the element in those examples are major spoiler to discuss. For the second point, arguably Umineko and Danganronpa V3 can count. In those case though it's note really joke like Lamunation or Royale, but instead it's where the writer can be pretty much perceived as someone who lashed out towards its customer base, and of course most of the players were very reactive at that with it cause no small controversy. For the last point, I don't remember much VN limit the player's progression, but I do remember there's a review of Love Plus which mention some eccentric feature with one of those that you must say 'I love you' to the DS had you decided to leave the game causing it to become locked with the only way to unlocked it by saying that, which in turn it made the VN more like pet simulator only with the heroine. I don't know if Love Plus count toward the example of meta fiction, but at least it's the VN that I know limit the player's progression. That's all for what I can write in regard of this topic.

It has been a few months since my last comment here. College kept me busy till the very end. Also, Momocon just ended. Since this comment in March, I finished Sakura: The Jirai-kei Magical Girl, Mojika - Truth Rears Its Ugly Head, and Love's Sweet Garnish. As for Livestream 2, I failed to make any progress on it. I have been too busy playing other games. Currently, I started Love's Sweet Garnish 2 over a week ago. Mojika is definitely my favorite and most memorable of the three. It is VERY different from any VN that I read with its plot containing many scenes that are hard to read through. However, it did not get into my Top 10 due to me not liking most of the characters that much and the routes not doing enough for me. I get what the story was leading up to, but it does not come to a conclusion that satisfied me that much due to my thoughts on its characters. Sakura: The Jirai-kei Magical Girl is just a decent VN. The scenes with the UMAs or half-humans are the best parts of this VN's story. It is just a shame that Sakura was making me a little mad due to her laziness and inability to clean up after herself. How she acts is not cute just because of her gender. Also, the romance is just decent. It is not a VN that I would recommend to anyone anytime soon. At least Tsubaki was always a pleasure to see. Lastly, we have Love's Sweet Garnish. If you are not captivated by seeing cute girls, then you will not like this one very much. Many events for most of the story feel repetitive. Also, the characters do not really deal with any problems until the heroine routes. For one of them, they had to make a character be out of character despite their little screen time prior to the start of the route. Thankfully, the rest of the VN (its sweet premise, a couple of wholesome moments in the routes, etc.) is fine, making it a decent VN in my eyes.

Welcome to the VNTS Review for this week. For the title because we have Putrika released with the opening has focus on the jewel, I made the reference of Cabbage Soft's Jewelry series with I add 'Lights' from Perennial Dusk's writer previous work (Irotoridori no Hikari with 'Hikari' mean light) and 'Aria' from Iwakura Aria, so we have 'Jewelry Light Aria'. For this week, the most obvious thing is that it was very active compared to the last week with several releases along with the publishers announced the exact release date for several titles. and more importantly there are several updates from fan translation section for better or worse. Overall, this week is definitely an interesting one, and let's see what I can write in regard of it. First of all, I should address the news that we know was happened, namely Sakura no Uta translation project was stopped because the team was told by the developer to do so. While it's too bad seeing it's one of well received VN with it currently has sizeable progress, the developer has the right to do so, like it or not. Besides, nowadays there's a number of VNs available in English anyway, including some with the past problematic translation projects such as Hatsusaku or Mahoyo, so if I may be frank I didn't feel the loss too much. That said, had it happen nine years ago I probably reacted more strongly. In the end, I just hope that the C&D may resulted with Sakura no Uta getting the official release even though the chance for it seems to be quite low if not miniscule. Dramatic Create released Nie no Machi fandisc, and I only know Nie no Machi is BL VN with the MC manage to date one of handsome heroes after being stranded into another world that is full of death. Feel free to get the fandisc if you played the original Nie no Machi and want to see more of it, and have fun. We also have dramatic GL VN Iwakura Aria release date was changed from August 18th to August 14th, and well at least you can get it quicker even though it's only four days earlier. Sekai need to delay Nekopara 5 to 30th later because of some approval problem (Most likely from Steam reviewer), and turned out they already have sizeable progress from their Anime Central announcements (Nekonin exHeart Spin fandisc is already fully translated and edited while Dra-Con Cafe is already fully translated). After delayed for some times because of the engine work, Nekonyan finally have the exact release date for Sakura Celebration, and it'll be on 30th later so you can note the date if you've been waiting for it ever since Sol Press announced it. Oh yes, we have Kawaiinium promote Tayutama 18+ patch, so we got the confirmation that the 18+ patch is official. For fan translation, obviously there are some more updates beside the cancellation Sakura no Uta translation project. First, we have Daybreak give surprising update for Majikoi A Plus Disk with it now was at 43.14% translated along with 3.44% edited. We also have a fan translate a nukige called Sneaky Link Seduced by my Girlfriend’s Best Friend which telling us the story about the horny MC Yukito who has his childhood become his girlfriend, although he was at the crossroad where his girlfriend's best friend using her body to seduce him, so Yukito being horny was become indecisive before he decided to do some bold thing. Well, at least I can say the art is not too bad if you're not the fan of the story where the MC has affair with another woman while he is in relationship. For the last fan translation update, we have two updates from Shinzou with Dekinai is at 20% edited and Sousaku Kanojo is halfway edited. That's all for the fan translation updates. Last but not the least, we have Putrika 1st Cut released in which is pretty much new Uguisu Kagura VN even though they used doujin name in order to save some cost or something like that. In Putrika, we have a girl, Lazriel, find herself with an amnesia has an encounter with the demon boy, Remi. Soon, Lazriel find herself has a dream with she was called Ilsa in the dream with she very devoted to an Archangel, which would eventually led into the tragedy. Uguisu Kagura here obviously still has some knack to write the dramatic story, with the voice acting direction can rival Lupercalia. Note that it's called 1st Cut, so obviously Uguisu Kagura still has more story to tell, with the most recent update is that they're almost finished with the 2nd Cut. Go get Putrika if you want first officially translated Uguisu Kagura VN, and have fun. Also there are some other secret projects from Kagami Games with some have sizeable progress, so I'll look forward to when they announce those. That's all for what I can write in regard of this week, and see you next week.

This is a condensed version of the full article which can be found on my Main Blog Here. The Magic Of Buttons One of the most underappreciated areas in a visual novel is the work which goes into its UI design. An ideal UI will never draw attention to itself and become a natural extension of the player’s engagement with the game. This is not an easy thing to achieve since a balance has to be struck between its presence on screen, its ease of use and its aesthetics. Over the years a standard set of expected practices have grown up for both ADV and NVL UI design and the majority of visual novels follow them to avoid the pitfalls of invasive UI. However, if the developer is willing to run the risk of potentially irritating the player with unfamiliar layouts, there is value in breaking these conventions for the sake of creating a memorable overall experience. How do these differing approaches influence the form and function of visual novels? Let’s press some buttons and find out. Standardised Structure In order to ensure the best player experience, visual novel developers have learned from the mistakes and successes of the past and formed a cohesive set of standards for UI which most modern titles adhere to. These rules of style manifest slightly differently depend on if the game uses ADV or NVL as its means of text presentation. For an ADV title we can look at how Sabbat of the Witch handles its UI elements and given Yuzusoft’s prominence within the industry they make for a good bar to gauge how standards have been cemented. The first thing which will strike the viewer is the layout of the text box comprising the bottom eighth of the screen. Here it is a translucent orange textbox and this use of colour and opacity is done in order to make the text clear to read while not entirely obscuring the background and sprites behind it. Being as nonintrusive as possible is the aim here as it means having as few barriers as possible to the player’s immersion in the narrative and this prevents them for being reminded of the fact they are playing a game. Along the bottom of the screen are a series of small buttons that provide access to the various load and save features, the ability to skip in differing ways and other important settings. These are made as small as possible while having the ability to let it disappear if the player decides it is in the way and this is done to remove as much clutter from the screen as possible while still providing access to all the needed features a player expects to have at their fingertips. As for the text in the text box, the name of the speaking character is sits above the main body of the text aligned with its left side and the text itself does not fill the entire box, but instead leaves about a third of the text box as empty space. This formatting of the text placement on the UI keeps the text feeling like a consistent flow as everything occupies roughly the same amount of space regardless of how much is said and it prevents the text from feeling disorderly. All these common UI elements are in service of the general aim to make itself as easy to ignore as possible while still being clear and navigable. There is also a light overall feeling from the small size of the UI and the way it takes up so little of the screen allows for the character sprites and CG to have an immediate and striking impact. It is for these reasons that ADV is favoured by many visual novels which want to keep their tone bright or those which want to place an emphasis on their characters. Hidden UI The standardisation of NVL has a lot of similarities to that of ADV since both stem from the same design philosophies, but they manifest in different ways and for different purposes. A common trend in NVL titles is to have no UI buttons on the interface at all and instead require the player to open and entirely separate pause menu to access other functions like loading and saving. On the surface this inconvenience might seem to be a major issue but it is a trade off to compensate for the much larger amount of the screen which is covered by the NVL textbox. Since it covers much of the portraits and CGs and puts a greater emphasis on itself compared to its ADV counterpart, there is a need to avoid drawing the player out of the experience through the large UI and removing an unnecessary element helps keep the focus on the narrative. Thinking Outside Of The Box Breaking the rules and conventions of a medium has a strong impact on the viewer and UI can make good use of this shock factor to play on their emotional state. Rather than being clean and out of sight these visual novels make their UI take up large sections of the screen and be loud and obvious at all times. Such a direct presentational element is impossible for the player to ignore and helps the imagery and messaging this interface is aiming to convey. Parts of the UI might also change over time to keep itself interesting and reflect the narrative or mental state of the characters at any given moment. The uniqueness of these aspects helps the title to stick in the player’s memory through its contrast with the familiar UI from other games and encourages the player to return and experience the distinctiveness they cannot find anywhere else. However, standards exist for a reason and a visual novel using an odd or expansive interface may run afoul of frustrations stemming from the inconvenience and confusion caused when attempting to do something as simple as saving. For an example of what this kind of UI looks like in practice we can turn to Girlfriend Simulator. It uses a style of frame UI which encloses the backgrounds and sprites while taking up a large section of screen space. Large and clear buttons occupy the left hand side for easy access to the core features of a visual novel and are presented as part of the edges of the main window alongside the text box to create a feeling of importance and continuity with the rest of the visuals. Behind all of this an ominous image of an eye hang in a sea of unsettlingly dim orange which communicates the tone and atmosphere of the game before a single word has appeared on screen and remains as a constant reminder of what underlies everything. In the top left sits an unease meter that slowly ticks up as the player makes their choices and acts as a constant communication of the protagonist’s decaying state. Together these powerful elements show how a large UI can impact a player's perception of a work and the way it can influence they emotional state. Conclusion As the part of a visual novel which is always present on screen, it is important for the design of the UI to meet the needs of both the developer and the player. Standardised rules have formed for what UI should look like and these have influenced many titles. Those using ADV aim for a clean interface where the player has easy access to all the key features they need while not distracting from the visuals. NVL takes this to a greater extreme with many games often having no visible buttons at all and those with them try to frame them within the aesthetics of the narrative. Rejecting rules and guidelines can provide a powerful impact for a visual novel UI and further the tonal and thematic ideas the game is presenting. When it comes to UI there is a temptation to consider it as the last element in the design process for a visual novel, but to do so is stripping yourself of understanding a valuable angle of how the player will experience your game.

Thank you very much!!!!Do you know where to search haahah i am searching everywhere but no luck :(...

I briefly search the released patch for Sayooshi, but no luck. That said, you can probably search for the pre-patched version of Sayooshi so you didn't need to worry on how to apply the patch, and if you manage to find it then have fun.

An episode for the extra material such as game manuals and TL notes that sometimes appear with VNs!

Hello everyone...i know that there is some eng patch from long ago for this VN but for days i was searching and searching and nothing :)... I would be very happy if someone know where to find this patch for ''sayonara wo oshiete'' and how to apply patch?Thanks in advance i realy looking forward to play/read this vn. Best regards

Looks like I lied. I skipped April... Currently I'm reading Mahoyo https://vndb.org/v777 which so far is fine...Nasu being Nasu basically, so it's verbose or dragged out in some places, but it's still entertaining. Next week NekoPara After, Pillagers of Raillore, Clover Reset, Happiness (2): Sakura Celebration, and Perennial Dusk: Kinsenka all release within two days and I plan to read all of them, so deciding a bit on the order of that, probably NekoPara > Happiness > Kinsenka > Clover Reset > Raillore for both spoiler risk and then who is on Steam for the minor help of fueling their algorithm early. But since that post above I have finished Omoneko and read (I'm going to omit very short titles unless they were good): Futatabu Fuyu ga Kuru Toki (https://vndb.org/v51099), ImaImo (https://vndb.org/v7766), Karehana (https://vndb.org/v19658), LOOPERS (https://vndb.org/v29445), Saya no Uta (https://vndb.org/v97), Onee-chan no Yuuwaku (https://vndb.org/v22483), reread Love, Elections & Chocolate (https://vndb.org/v4028), Mojika (https://vndb.org/v21667), Tayutama (https://vndb.org/v828), reread Nukitashi (https://vndb.org/v22899), Nukitashi 2 (https://vndb.org/v23741), Hentai Prison (https://vndb.org/v31055), Kouguchi Rinko (https://vndb.org/v25713), reread Kinkoi (https://vndb.org/v21852), reread Kinkoi FD (https://vndb.org/v24717), SugarKiss! (https://vndb.org/v26603), and Mrs. Hinako (https://vndb.org/v30294). Incoming wall of text with super mini-thoughts on all of the above. Woo...soo...from that big list starting at the top, Futatabu Fuyu ga Kuru Toki was a quick read (under an hour) but still managed to be decently emotional, but I wish there was more of it. ImaImo was incredibly good for an AA moege, managing to tackle some more serious issues than most of the 18+ ones do and is now tied for my highest rated Sprite game (fandiscs not included). Karehana was was fine nakige, but its comedy didn't land for me so it felt very one note. Loopers I was not a big fan of, since it largely felt like a commercial for Geocaching rather than a VN until near the end. Saya's Song I liked, but ultimately I feel is overrated (I gave it a 7.3/10) a bit, but is still well worth a read for most people. Onee-chan no Yuuwaku is probably my favorite nukige ever right now, both because it hit on some things I really like, and because it was just incredibly sweet. Love, Elections & Chocolate's official release is far better than the fan translation that came out before it, and on a reread I enjoyed it more than my initial read through, it's a solid game, but I'm unsure I'd call it a moege since it handles some serious stuff at times. Mojika is a trip, it's more of a game about the presentation than the story itself, story is pretty dark, but it's the presentation that will carry this, I'd recommend checking it out on some level, maybe watching a short clip of it, and if the presentation vibes with you then dive in. Tayutama was good (if you only read one route) and decent (if you read everything), it largely just retreads a lot of the same events between routes with poor read detection so you either have to manually skip and possibly miss some line changes, or you have to speed read through it, other than that it also has some surprisingly serious or dark moments in a "moege". Nukitashi's be nukitashi-ing. They're good, but all over the place. If you like perverted humor with a surprisingly serious story, then go for them, they're rated well for a good reason. Hentai Prison is my favorite Qruppo game, and features a lot of references to other media (mostly movies), and was funny at times and managed some serious stories pretty well. Kouguchi Rinko is a comedy-nukige from Laplacian, it had me laughing extremely hard, but that may not hold true for everyone. Kinkoi is still arguably my favorite moege (the only two I'd rate above it from tone work's I'm not sure I'd call moege), and its fandisc, while a step below it, is still very entertaining. SugarKiss! was very cute, sweet, and a grounded adult romance, but largely centers around smoking, so if you're against that, skip it, but otherwise pick it up when it goes on sale, cause it's recently done that at 95% off. Lastly, Mrs. Hinako is a netori (so you play as the person doing the stealing) game that actually tells something of a story, and it lives up to its English title with Mrs. Hinako being in a terrible relationship (husband cheats on her, never works, gambles their money away, doesn't raise their daughter at all), with the MC coming to "save her". Although I prefer its Japanese title for it which doesn't try to "sell" netori as being a positive thing, which lets you make up your own mind about whether it was good or not. Either way it was an entertaining story with some decent H as well. *deep breath* Okay, see you in June...maybe

Damn, is this forum completely dead already? Anyway, as predicted, I couldn't be bothered to continue Kimi ni Steady Instead, yesterday I started Frontwing's Time Leap. Today I entered first route. So far I'm liking it - it plays many of my favorite tropes, like childhood memories with a bit of supernatural mystery. It's also quite good looking despite using cell-shaded 3d models instead of sprites. The positive side of that is the dialogues feel much more lively. I'm playing PS3 version - it works flawlessly with current version of RPCS3, and can be hooked using Agent after some tinkering

Love Generation (1997) ended up the only to my liking while Virgin Road (1997) is more of a honorary masterpiece. 1. Virgin Road (1997) [バージンロード] (Finished 11/11) Tags: Romance, Drama To pursue her dreams, Sakurai Kazumi quits her job and goes to New York to study jewelry design, against the objections of her naggy and stubborn but well-meaning father. As part of remaking herself, she changes from spectacles to contact lenses, even though she has problems adapting to them. When she accidentally drops her contact lenses, a mysterious man helps prevent them from being stepped on, but he walks away before she can talk to him. Some years pass, and Kazumi is on a plane home after receiving a letter from her brother Taku saying their father is critically ill. She has morning sickness and has some run-ins on the plane with a sloppily-dressed man, and it is only when she drops her contacts and the man helps her in a similar way that she recognizes him. She chases after him and asks, "would you like to do some work?" It turns out that Kazumi in her last letter from New York had written that she was in a relationship with someone and that they might soon marry, but since then she has broken up with him, and she didn't want to make her father upset by coming home alone. The man, a freelance journalist named Yoshimi Kaoru, agrees to pretend to be her fiance. On reaching home, Kazumi discovers that her father is not actually on his deathbed and everyone discovers that Taku had written that letter back to Kazumi where their father says he's happy about the relationship. But the biggest shock comes when Kazumi admits that she's pregnant, and that she wants to have the baby... I'm probably just too tired of faking relations trope, so I was about to drop it around 5th episode. But by the end of 5th episode faking ended while from the end of 7th episode it was finally starting to getting somewhere. All in all, I can probably spare it a minor masterpiece, because OST was nice and main leads ended up not repulsive, plus there were couple moments that I liked. Overall Rating: 7/10 2. Souri to Yobanaide (1997) [Farewell Mr. Premier/総理と呼ばないで] (Finished 11/11) Tags: Comedy What happens when the Prime Minister of Japan suddenly has the lowest approval ratings in history? Tamura Masakazu plays an unpopular Prime Minister who faces daily protests of citizens, inside betrayals, and the decision of a new Chief Cabinet Secretary. He makes an unprecedented selection, choosing his daughter's private tutor, who is only in his 20s and not even a politician! Will the Prime Minister be able to turn his ratings around, or will he be forced to resign? This drama focuses on the government of Japan, with a comedic twist. It's a brave idea, and probably it inspired such future masterpieces as The Thick of it. But content is not on par as it's constantly some silly premise of conflict like grean peas case or crab case, and egoistic prime minister has to do conflict management and imitate activity just for the sake of ratings and not real deals. With time prime minister becomes more human-like. Nothing great or interesting or even funny about it. Overall Rating: 6/10 3. Love Generation (1997) [ラブジェネレーション] (Finished 11/11) Tags: Comedy, Romance, Drama Katagiri Teppei is a promising creative agent, but whose attitude gets him transferred to the sales department. He has to learn to adapt to the new working environment, which includes cutting his precious locks of hair to create a neater and more appropriate image. Helping him along the way is Uesugi Riko, whom he tried to pick up along the street earlier but was tricked by her instead. Riko does not have a good impression of him at first but falls for him gradually. However, Teppei runs into his ex-girlfriend Mizuhara Sanae, who is now the girlfriend of his brother Soichiro. Consoling him is Riko, whom Teppei likes gradually. Just when Teppei and Riko start dating, Sanae realises that she still likes Teppei. It's cute, and I'm glad to see Matsu Takako having main role after so many supporting roles. Of course, there's both irrational forced drama and abrupt end, so it's not outstanding. Overall Rating: 7/10 4. Kimi no Te ga Sasayaite Iru (1997) [青い鳥] (Finished 1/11) Tags: Romance, Life, Drama This drama is an adaptation of the manga by Junko Karube about a deaf woman and her struggles with love, family and everyday life. This is made of 5 special episodes, aired one per year. I'm giving drama about disabled person exactly one episode to sample. And this one does not fit my interests, as expected. Overall Rating: 5/10 5. Narita Rikon (1997) [成田離婚] (Finished 5/10) Tags: Comedy, Romance A hilarious story about a couple who get married because they felt they belong but then they find out their differences in Narita Airport, divorce and... what happens to them next? Sadly, when it says hilarious comedy, it actually means artificial antics, overreactions and exaggerations in general. It's painful for me to watch for this reason, and there's nothing really good going here, just trying to laugh out hasty divorces. Overall Rating: 5/10 6. Aoi Tori (1997) [青い鳥] (Finished 11/11) Tags: Romance, Life, Drama A train station attendant falls in love with the wife of the son of a powerful community leader. When Yoshimori sees how unhappy Kahori is in her new marriage, he impulsively runs away with her and her 9-year-old daughter. But nowhere are they able to find peace, for her husband is always just a step behind them. Too melodramatic and sour and forced to my taste, plus can't say I believe main characters even a bit. Overall Rating: 6/10 7. Time Before Time (1997) [大鬧廣昌隆] (Finished 1/20) Tags: Thriller, Romance, Supernatural A man finds a ghost trapped in an umbrella. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 8. Beach Boys (1997) [Comedy, Life] (Finished 8/12) Tags: ビーチボーイズ Upon getting thrown out of his girlfriend Fujiko's apartment, Hiromi decides to head for the ocean. En route, he crosses paths with Kaito, an elite employee of a large multinational trading company in Tokyo who is running away from his problems at work after losing a key client. The two stumble into a quiet B&B on the beach run by the aging surfer Masaru and his high-school-aged granddaughter Makoto. Hiromi immediately applies to work there for the summer, and Kaito is forced to join him after he loses his wallet. The two share a room, with Hiromi trying to make friends, and Kaito at first resisting, unimpressed by Hiromi's devil-may-care attitude. Slowly over the ensuing episodes, Kaito becomes more and more at home in this sleepy rural town, and begins to wonder if he should give up his pursuit of success in the big city, and try to relax, and enjoy himself more. When he returns to Tokyo to finish his work, Hiromi and Makoto come to lure him back, but when he returns to the B&B, his boss and girlfriend Sakura likewise come looking for him. Ridiculously infantile and lightheaded, made just for the looks with no afterthought. Overall Rating: 5/10 9. Konna Koi no Hanashi (1997) [こんな恋のはなし] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Drama Harashima Shuichiro is a wealthy but lonely businessman who succeeded his father's company after his death. Reputed to be cold, merciless, and corrupted in his dealings, he seeks only to expand his company and profit at the expense of others. One day, he experiences some painful seizures and decides to secretly visit a clinic. To his horror, he finds out that he has an incurable case of cancer and only has three months left to live. There, he is asked by a working-class man, Konosuke Shimodaira to lend him 30 cents. Unknowing of Harashima's plight, Konosuke cheerfully promises to pay Harashima back. Happy yet poor, Konosuke is the direct foil of Harashima - a man living an empty existence with money. From this moment onwards, Konosuke invites Harashima into his world - a world without money, but brimming with compassion and friendship, alien concepts to Harashima's cold heart. Although Harashima at first resists Konosuke's attempts to become friends, he eventually gravitates towards Konosuke and his friends' warmth, even finding love in the innocent Kaori. However, they have no idea that Harashima is the same man who is planning to demolish their homes in order to build a business center. How will his newfound friends react, and what will Harashima do with his last remaining months left to live? I find both concepts - of terminal illness and of 180 degree change in character on the verge of death - cheesy. Of course it totally lacks realism, and the whole love story extraction is totally forced. Everything is as usual - the worst expectations come true while nothing unexpected shows up. Overall Rating: 6/10 10. Beautiful My Lady (1997) [아름다운 그녀] (Finished 1/16) Tags: Romance, Drama, Melodrama Jun Ho is an orphan from young and grew up in the world alone. Never knowing kindness from people, he learnt to survive on pure grit and determination. By chance, he was given an opportunity to fight in the boxing ring, where he started to gain glory and money. Seon Yeong loses her husband to tragic circumstances shortly after their wedding. Things change when she meets ambitious boxer Jun Ho, and their miraculous first meeting brings hope to them both. However her parents object to them because of his boxing profession and his past. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 11. Ii Hito (1997) [いいひと。] (Finished 2/11) Tags: Romance, Drama, Sports After graduating from college, Yuuji lands the job of his dreams at the company that manufactures his favorite running shoes. The complete sincerity and selflessness that Yuuji shows everyone he meets causes many to dismiss him as naive or simply stupid. But when his good deeds start paying off, his co-workers begin to come around to the idea that nice guys don't have to finish last. Sport theme and simpleton MC make me drop it prematurely as I see nothing here that can work out for me eventually. Overall Rating: 6/10 12. Star in My Heart (1997) [별은 내 가슴에] (Finished 16/16) Tags: Romance, Drama, Family Lee Yun Hee is an orphan who is adopted into a hostile family environment. She harbors an undiscovered artistic talent, which helps to catapult her into the lives of two men: a promising star Kang Min Hee, a son of a rich businessman, and Joon Hee, a lead designer in a fashion house. Production quality is finally on a good level, so could watch to the end for a change. But compared to jdrama of the same period this one is even more naive and forced and lacking in mimics. And overall it feels like otome as one typical girl is chased by two stylish bishounens. Overall Rating: 5/10 13. Risou no Kekkon (1997) [理想の結婚] (Finished 6/10) Tags: Comedy, Romance, Drama, Family Although a couple may enter into a marriage expecting love to conquer all, the reality rarely meets this fantasy. Abandoned by her boyfriend and fired from her job for resisting her supervisor's advances, Mari meets Tsutomu, who has been jilted by his fiancee. When their commiseration quickly turns to love, their families see only more trouble on the horizon. Is a happy union in store for this star-crossed young couple? Whatever happens, their journey in this romantic comedy is sure to be a hilarious examination of love and marriage. Constant bickering of overprotective families, just on new topic with each new episodes. Feels artificial and not funny or interesting. Overall Rating: 5/10 14. Bokura no Yuuki (1997) [ぼくらの勇気] (Finished 10/10) Tags: Thriller, Mystery, Sci-Fi After a devastating earthquake strikes Makuhara the northern part of Chiba, 18 year-old Yamato, leaves to Makuhara to find his friend Kiichi who lives in the area. On his way Yamato meets Takeru, who is also traveling to Makuhara as a volunteer in the relief effort. However, when the two arrive at Makuhara they are shocked to find that the city, which is under government lock down, is intact and is managed solely by children after a mysterious virus results in the deaths of all the adults. Forced to survive on their own, the child leaders must save the city and also fight the government, which tries to hide the truth. I believe I finished it before, too, but it did not leave a strong impression. Pretty cheesy conspiracy that can only be praised for bravery of genre and opposition to govenrment agencies. Whatever ideas it tried to present are shown in rudimentary state, and even social self-governance is done poorly. Overall Rating: 6/10 15. Fated Love (1997) [天長地久] (Finished 1/41) Tags: Drama It recreatesthe love story of the Republic of China in the 1930s. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 16. The Mad Phoenix (1997) [南海十三郎] (Finished 1/20) Tags: Drama A Cantonese librettist enjoys immense popularity over the course of decades, followed by decline. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 17. Corner the Con Man (1997) [皇家反千組] (Finished 1/15) Tags: - Not translated. Overall Rating: 0/10 18. My Brother, My Mum (1997) [屋企有個肥大佬] (Finished 1/32) Tags: Comedy, Life, Drama, Family Jyu Man Chyun treats people with enthusiasm and is nosy. There are some mothers-in-laws who are called "Sister Jyu". Man Chyun has been fascinated by the story of "Ten Brothers" since he was a child, and hopes that his brothers and sisters will unite as the people in the play and live happily. Although his father died young, with the optimism and determination of his mother Jang Cho Yin, the four brothers and sisters Jyu Man Chyun were finally brought up. In order to reduce the work of his mother, Jyu Man Chyun not only inherited his father's business, but also made a living from the special industry-toenails, but also shouldered the big and small things in the family. The second brother Man Gaai and his girlfriend moved into Jyu’s house after marriage, but due to different living habits, family conflicts arose, and finally the couple decided to move out. For the happiness of his younger brother, Man Chyun did not want them to relocate in every possible way, but he still funded the two people to buy a house with his many years of savings for marriage. Therefore, his marriage with his girlfriend Mou Lai Ping was nowhere in sight. Therefore, Mou Lai Ping was completely disappointed in Man Chyun, and left in a rage to work in China, and finally met with a new love, and the relationship with Man Chyun passed away with the wind. The third brother Man On tends to act recklessly wherever he goes. Once I adopted a stray dog and started a dog farm. Man Chyun feels Man On's enthusiasm and has provided financial assistance many times. It is a pity that Man On is not well managed and the dog farm is losing business, and eventually the dog farm is forced to close it. But because of a blessing in disguise, I met Lin Jing Xuan, his lifelong partner. The fourth sister Man Wai met a wealthy son, but because his parents were dissatisfied with Man Chyun's low career, she scorned her. Man Wai categorically refused marriage, which made Man Chyun very guilty. Later, Man Wai met a liar and cheated all the money away. Man Wai, who suffered a series of blows, fell into discomfort. When she was most disappointed, Man Chyun and her family continued to support and solve her problem, and she was finally able to stand up again. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 19. Mori Motonari (1997) [毛利元就] (Finished 50/50) Tags: Historical, Drama The 36th NHK Taiga Drama is Mori Motonari. This series chronicles the life of Mori Motonari, a warlord of the early 1500s who stood at the vanguard of the Warring States era. All Japanese school textbooks contain the Mitsuya no kyokun, Mori's famous lesson to his three sons that teaches that while one arrow is easily broken, three arrows together cannot be broken. In 1997, 500 years after his birth, NHK dramatizes Motonari's rise from a chief of the region of Aki (now Hiroshima) to a daimyo who rules over ten provinces of the Chugoku region. Motonari was 64 years old and already the patriarch of a powerful dynasty about the time Oda Nobunaga and Takeda Shingen appeared on the scene. And even after his death, the Mori family figured prominently in Japanese history. His grandson Terumoto became a loyal Toyotomi vassal. Defeated at the Battle of Sekigahara, Ieyasu confiscated most of his lands, leaving him only with Suwo and Nagato, later known as Choshu. But 260 years later, the Mori got their ultimate revenge, leading the imperial forces against the Tokugawa in the Meiji Restoration. I was looking forward to seeing Mori side of story during Sengoku. But it's the story 50 years prior to that, just about becoming from small to medium in local squabbles. It has some ok scenario moves, but I don't deem it as a must have watch and thus can't recommend as such. Overall Rating: 6/10 20. Odoru Daisousasen (1997) [踊る大捜査線] (Finished 1/11) Tags: Mystery, Comedy Odoru Daisousasen is a Japanese drama, with some comedic moments. It originally ran for 11 episodes, and has spawned several TV specials and four full-length theatrical movies. Oda Yuji plays a character named Aoshima Shunsaku, an ex-computer salesman, who decides one day that he wants to be a detective. He soon becomes a detective at the Wangan Police Station where he encounters various cases and deals with the police bureaucracy. If it was deliberately marked as detective, I'd not pick it up. And it should have been. No interest arose during pilot episode. Overall Rating: 5/10 21. Stalker: Nigekirenu Ai (1997) [ストーカー　逃げきれぬ愛] (Finished 1/10) Tags: Thriller, Psychological, Drama Made at a time when the word "stalker" began to be used and recognized in Japan, it played a role in introducing the idea of what a stalker was to society in a clear, easy-to-understand story. Umi works at the golf club and has been having an affair with Masahiko, a former pro golfer-turned-teacher. On Christmas Eve, he lets her down but promises to spend her birthday together instead, giving her a bouquet of Christmas roses. Feeling blue, she heads home but spies him buying a bigger bouquet for his wife. Nearby, she sees a man (Tatsuya), carrying flowers, who is suddenly knocked over by a passerby. As she watches him frantically trying to pick them up, she feels sorry for him and offers him her own bouquet. As she walks away, she turns back, smiles and wishes him a "Merry Christmas". This one act of kindness triggers the start of Tatsuya's unhealthy obsession with her. With her name on the card still attached to the bouquet as a starting point, he begins his relentless pursuit and attempts to weave his way into her life and obtain her love. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 22. Koi no Bakansu (1997) [恋のバカンス] (Finished 10/10) Tags: Comedy, Romance, Drama Work, romance, and life take on a strange twist when a chance meeting at a bar between company salaryman Mayuzumi Kankuro (portrayed by comedian Akashiya Sanma) and his managing director's secretary (Suzuki Anju) leads to an engagement rumor. Soon fellow employees and family members are drawn into the mess. Kankuro's career with the company could be affected as things become complicated and misunderstandings occur in every step he makes in this romantic comedy, and things only get worse with his inability to set the rumor straight. It started pretty nice, but confusion only aggravated as more and more women showed up, and it ended up just a circus of women falling for a single and not that great man... so pretty artificial even though not banal. Overall Rating: 6/10 23. Agri (1997) [Historical, Business, Life, Drama] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical, Business, Life, Drama It chronicles the life of a Showa period hairdresser, and is based on a true life story of Moshizuki Agri. Agri has worked for over 70 years as a beautician. She is a successful business woman who survived the war by becoming a farmer. During the war, going to the beauty salon was considered a frivolity, so many such businesses went bankrupt as Japan suffered from the energy spent as all the yen was fueled into the war effort. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 24. Tomodachi no Koibito (1997) [友達の恋人] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Romance, Drama Having just graduated from art school, three young people discover that their paths are no longer the same, and they must reconcile their new lives with their former relationships. Mako has given up her idealism to join a company, and falls in love with Akira's boyfriend. Meanwhile, Akira decides to end her own romantic involvement to pursue her dreams. This is a new twist on a love-triangle from the perspective of three twenty-somethings facing an unknown future. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 25. Gift (1997) [ギフト] (Finished 3/11) Tags: Mystery, Drama Naomi, a middle-aged woman, goes to a house to meet her boyfriend with whom she had planned to skip the country, along with 50 billion yen in cash. When she gets to the house, there is no boyfriend, no money and a trail of blood leading to a closet. Opening the closet causes this nude, blood covered body to come falling out. She gets the young man into a hospital to revive him in hopes he can tell her where the boyfriend and the money went, but the guy from the closet has lost his memory. She gives him a new identity, calling him Yukio, and then employs him as a courier at her company to keep track of him in case he ever recovers his memory. As he works for Naomi, Yukio slowly discovers who he was and what has led him to the man he is now. As expected, pretty much detective mystery with some paranormality. Even Kimutaku could not help it. Overall Rating: 5/10 26. Miss Cinderella (1997) [ミセス・シンデレラ] (Finished 1/11) Tags: Romance, Drama Mizuho lives with her husband Yasuyuki and her mother-in-law Ryoko, who bullies her constantly over her failure to produce a grandchild. When her pet Java sparrow escapes from the house, Mizuho welcomes the chance to follow it and tracks her errant pet down to a local park. There, she finds that the bird had flown to Mitsuru, a handsome artist with whom Mizuho soon begins a torrid affair. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 27. Sore ga Kotae Da! (1997) [それが答えだ！] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Music, Life, Youth A worldwide maestro, Nozomi Naruse, was boycotted by members of the orchestra during the concert and was dismissed in charge of its responsibility. And now he's stuck in a mountain hut. Occasionally, he visits the liquor store, but no one else comes to visit. He hasn't worked for more than a year. However, everything changes when he starts working at a local middle school. By spending time with students, teachers and villagers, Naruse gradually changes. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 28. Dessin (1997) [デッサン] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Drama Two years ago, Satoshi saw a promising young painter. However, after the suicide of his fiercest rival, Masato, Satoshi gave up painting altogether. Now, he meets up with Sae, who was Masato's fiancee. For some reason, Satoshi seems to have great feelings of guilt concerning Masato. Sae encourages him to continue his painting. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 29. Tomoko to Tomoko (1997) [智子と知子] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Drama Tomoko and Tomoko became step-sisters 23 years ago through the marriage of their respective mother and father. But when the younger Tomoko's mother died, she left and only returned 15 years later to attend the funeral of the older Tomoko's father. Finally together after all these years, the two step-sisters decide to move in together to preserve the little family they have left. However, they soon discover that, although they coincidentally have the same names, they now have very different personalities. What follows is a light comedy of their humorous bickering and prying, as well as a heartwarming drama of their search for a common bond. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 30. Otona no Otoko (1997) [オトナの男] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Romance, Life, Drama Three single men, each 39 years old. Japanese society tends to judge such men, in the middle of their careers and still unmarried, as a bit strange. But is that fair? The three heroes in this drama each have some faults, but they are all lovable, interesting men. You'll learn about their hopes and dreams, and end up rooting for them. Did not end up rooting for three weirdos. Narration is seriously torn between the three. Feels like unfunny exaggerated comedy sketches without any big picture as a concept. Overall Rating: 5/10 31. Glass Mask (1997) [ガラスの仮面] (Finished 2/11) Tags: Drama The story is about a young girl named Maya whose dream is to be an actress. A legendary former stage actress, Tsukikage Chigusa, watches Maya as she reenacts drama episodes she's seen on TV. She approaches Maya and has her join her acting company, Tsukikage Theater. Tsukikage holds the production rights to a legendary masterpiece called "The Crimson Goddess", in which she had played the title role until a terrible accident burnt her face beyond surgical repair. She's been searching all of these years for someone to play the role which only the most talented actress could play, and maybe she's found that someone in Maya. Famous shoujo manga adaptation. It's quite good, just not my cup of tea. Overall Rating: 6/10 32. Saigo no Koi (1997) [最後の恋] (Finished 11/11) Tags: Romance One summer night, sixth-year medical student Natsume Toru is propositioned by Shinozaki Aki. He coldly brushes her off and tells her to look for someone with money. Several days later, while on duty at Keiyu University Hospital, Toru comes across Aki once more. It turns out that she is the sister of Shinozaki Jun, Toru's first official patient. Jun is waiting for a costly operation and in order to pay for it, Aki has been forced to sell herself on the streets. Toru falls in love with Aki, but will he be able to take her off the streets and more importantly, convince her that she deserves his love? Again terminal illness condition is in the core and serves the reason for all stupid actions. The same pattern repeats over and over with increasing irritation on my part. Not good enough, and female lead simplicity is disappointing. Overall Rating: 6/10 33. Fukigen na Kajitsu (1997) [不機嫌な果実] (Finished 1/11) Tags: Romance Mayako, a married woman, finds her life of comfort and casual affairs thrown into disarray when she unexpectedly falls in love with a younger man. Here is a modern fable of the moral dilemmas facing today's women, in a time where the expectations of love, marriage, and divorce from earlier generations no longer seem true. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 34. Best Partner (1997) [べストパートナー] (Finished 3/11) Tags: Comedy Two men with the same name work for the same company and are involved with the same girl. One is her husband and the other is her superior. Best Partner focuses on the life of Japan's corporate 30-somethings and the rivalry for success that encompasses their lives. Unbeknownst to each other, Suzuki Ichiro and Suzuki Ichiro both work for the same publishing firm in Tokyo. The only difference in their names is two strokes in the kanji character of their first names. Ichiro #1 marries his coworker, Hayama Asuka. Ichiro #2, who is Asuka's superior, attends the wedding reception and the two Ichiros meet for the very first time. But seeing how close his new wife and her superior seem to be, Ichiro #1 begins to feel anxious about the future. It's just constant competition between two families, as well as trying to teach and learn from each other. Can't say it's interesting enough. Overall Rating: 6/10 35. Eve (1997) [イヴ] (Finished 1/10) Tags: Romance, Drama Koshiba Seijuro is the assisstant to some influential figure whose daughter was all messed up, and who comes to the psychiatrist Koizumi Santa and asks him to counsel the daughter without her knowledge. Since Santa is a compulsive gambler he's hard up for money and takes the job even though he's queasy about the ethics. Turns out that she's the same girl he took to the hospital nine months earlier when she had passed out drunk on a roof preparing to jump. As it happens she woke up in the hospital and saw Santa's best friend Kusanagi Shunsuke (a surgeon) holding the Santa Claus hat Santa had been wearing (it was Christmas Eve), and it turns into a very complicated love triangle. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 36. Medical Brothers (1997) [의가형제] (Finished 1/16) Tags: Drama Both brothers and rivals, Kim Su Hyung and Kim Jun Ki are doctors at the same hospital. Young and promising figures in the field, Su Hyung and Jun Ki are dedicated to their profession, though not always as disciplined in other matters. Su Hyung's rash and insensitive personality often brings tears to his longtime girlfriend Min Joo, who is also a doctor. The brothers face crises in both their personal and professional lives when Jun Ki's mistake leads to his friend's wife's passing and Su Hyung discovers a family secret concerning his identity. Medical theme is not to my liking, but I'm afraid to miss something like Scrubs or something more about people than place, so will keep sampling works with this theme. This one is not it, pretty mundane one. Overall Rating: 5/10

Seeing that real life matter may be a bit hard to predict when it'll be finished, June release may be possible.

Well, have fun there.

please don't mind the incredibly late reply, but darker-toned VNs are actually my favorite haha, so thanks for the recs!

Currently playing FFXV and I'm absolutely in love with it! I also want to get back to playing Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones and Gungrave.

Is there a way, or a trick to make kirikiri align text (in dialogues) to RTL (Right to left)?

"Bro, one question: what’s the point of that 100% save file? The game works 100% for me and it’s already patched in English, but I’d like you to explain what it’s for or how to use that file.

Glad to hear you liked it! Thank you for the feedback, I hope you'll play (and enjoy) the finished game too.

I just finished it. This seems like it could be an interesting story. The forest looks really colorful, so it will be fun seeing what else it has in store for Mira and Wendel. Speaking of Mira, she is already a likable character with her energy and pouting expression. Also, she did show many sides to her within the 15-20 minutes it took me to finish it. The last scene was a bit unexpected but justified given Mira's situation. Overall, I do like what I have seen so far. I cannot wait to see how this game evolves in the future.