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Haruka ni Aogi, Uruwashi no, is on a shortlist of kamige that I tend to recommend to newbies to VNs or those who missed it during their first rapid obsessive blasting through the 'classics'. For some reason, people are making excuses not to play the newly-fantranslated game. I'm going to first pick apart the reasons that have been given for not playing it, even if it falls into the realm of their tastes. Number one reason, the one that is hardest to speak against, is that the game itself is practically ancient and as a result the visuals seem dated. That isn't something I can entirely refute, but I can say this... Kamishino has some of the best visuals for its time, and its sprites and character designs are truly exceptional. While it does show its age, this isn't a truly good reason not to play it, in my mind. The second reason people give me is that 'only four of the six routes are translated'. I find this to be the silliest reason... since anyone who has played the game in Japanese can tell you that the two routes that aren't translated fall so far behind the other four in quality that the game is actually better off without them. Frankly, the 'main school' routes are simply more emotionally powerful than the other three routes, which is the point of a nakige (which this is). I'm going to go ahead and explain why you are better off without the two untranslated routes... for one thing, the routes are much shallower in terms of characterization and emotional depth. For another thing, the twin heroines are just... not really a good match compared to the other four heroines. A large part of the point of the story is how Tsukasa heals himself by healing the hearts of the girls, and there really isn't that much of that in those two paths. In fact, Tsukasa's issues are ignored for the most part, making those two routes feel like they aren't even part of the same game. The only translated 'branch school' route is good for a different reason than the other three translated routes. It strikes much more to the heart of how high society functions in general, with more of a focus on the heroine's ambition and Tsukasa being more of an accomplice than a savior/healer as he was in the other three translated routes. The third and last reason people give me is 'no one is really hyping it' or 'I'm waiting for reviews'... to be honest, this is a fairly silly reason. If you look for them, ancient reviews for this VN are all over the net. The reason it didn't get hyped that much is frankly because the translator (Ittaku) thought people would pick it up without the need for excessive hype. I felt the same way, since normally the community jumps on 'classics' when they get fantranslated or localized. This is probably more of a shift in how the VN community is now, as I've noted there is even more art bigotry in recent years than there was when the community was at its most passionate. Now the reasons to play it... the first reason, which is fairly obvious, is the sheer emotional depth of this story. The three 'main school' heroines (Miyabi, Tonoko, and Shino) all have incredibly emotional paths with a completely unique story progression and deep character development. This is, in fact, the main reason I replayed this game twice, despite it not being a chuunige or a straight-out plotge. The second reason is the setting. While a girls' school might seem like a common setting, it should be noted that this game's setting served as an inspiration for a number of later games that you have probably played or even just heard of. Two that stand out are Grisaia no Kajitsu and Koisuru Natsu no Resort. The situation for four of the heroines (the ones that are translated) is very similar to that of several of the heroines (specifically Makina and Yumiko) in Grisaia, and Koisuru Natsu no Resort essentially steals the game's theme and waters it down significantly. The main reason I say this is because the school setting in this case is, just like the previously-mentioned titles, one that is meant to essentially be an exile or holding pen for the heroines by those who sent them there. Last of all... I should note that the four translated routes are some of the most well-paced routes I've seen outside of works by Masada, Shumon Yuu, or Higashide (which it is unfair to compare to in the first place, lol). While this post is full of my personal opinions, I should note that this is one of a small number of VNs I use for my gold standard in VNs in general and have so for over a decade. Missing out on playing this VN means missing out on one of the best nakige in VN history.

Sakura, Reincarnation I remembered a certain thing A flower petal fluttering down From my tiny hands At the same place Where we first met How long ago you’ve forgotten Don’t hide your excitement Show me everything Your smile is mine! On the night of sakura petals fluttering Let’s dream once again Cast off reality and turn into a flower If you listen carefully to the whispers of a far-away wind See, It’s never-ending Let’s tread together On this Sakura Blossom trail Let’s become a sparkling dream raining down Even if we become like lost children See, the shining love will never disappear Rinne The means to save Taiga right now… The tools… The magic… It isn’t here Inside the “Chamber of dreams” But, I have "it" in me You will hang up this call Let’s make that as the signal And then everything should return back to normal Even so, I’ve learnt just one thing about my feelings today I love you I… love you so much Waking up alone in the morning With no light coming through In the corner of the room chained by the darkness I waited for you On unrelenting lonely nights All I wish for is a faint warmth Like stars that are attracted to each other Dreaming of the moment we meet each other The hope your heart drew Is still the star that shines through this night I'll find you any time and place Even if we’re far apart Envelop me in your kindness I’ll lead you until a new morning comes - Special thanks to Hata, Yossa and Nemesis for helping to improve the wording