adamstan

I exported dialogues from my current ren'py version, and started to line up original lines in the same order - as a preparation for retranslation. (So I'm basically rearranging the spreadsheet containing JP and EN lines side by side that you've seen earlier in this thread)

I agree that dismissing solely because of the original language would be silly. However - it's not only language and production values that separate them. I can speak only for myself, but currently I'm interested in VNs as a part of japanese pop-culture, together with anime, music etc - not as much in the medium/genre itself. So while I'm not completely dismissing EVNs, I'm just not attracted to them that much. Of course, many EVN developers try to imitate JVNs, but most of the times results are cringeworthy - with Katawa Shoujo being noble exception (and guess what - this EVN is in the top of my list, with the score of 8.5, just below KEY classics ). So - it's not that I totally dismiss EVNs - I just tend to prefer JVNs, and my backlog is already horribly long...

I'm still buying lots of music, but recently I also got some physical editions of VNs. Konosora Cruise Sign: And old dating-sim True Love Story Why I got interested in it? It has very nice opening, old-school art style, and one of the heroines is voiced by Aya Hisakawa

If the forum was bigger - why not? But with such a few active posters as we have now, probably there would be nobody to talk to in those corners...

Hell has frozen - Steam version of HGB got unbanned https://store.steampowered.com/app/1009460/Hello_Goodbye/

Yeah, that's probably the best advice - after all my wishlist has enough titles that don't have TL available. And time is a limited resource after all As for HoshiOri - I think I should love it based on descriptions and reviews

I'm still torn between using this patch or trying untranslated. But will definitely read it. Well, with patch it will definitely be quicker, and I like tsurezurescans' style.

Today I finished Multi's route in ToHeart. Well, I understand those who say she's best girl. She's moe incarnate You just wanna take her home Route was short, but very enjoyable, with some heartwarming and a bit tearjerking moments, as well as a sweet epilogue. I'm not sure if it was the best, but certainly in the top. Also, if I'm not mistaken she's one of the first AI/robot-girl heroines to appear in VNs? Especially of the "too human" kind. From the VNs that I've read, both Ame from Dal Segno and Yumemi from Planetarian seem to be her descendants in some ways.

This looks awfully similar to that thread: https://vndb.org/t11847 Time to get the popcorn

Aaand, before I ever knew it, I finished second season of MKR (全部を見てしまった , I guess? ) While most reviews rate it lower than the first, for me actually it scored higher. While with first season I went at pretty slow pace, due to its episodic nature (except for the final 4 or 5 episodes), almost every episode of second season ended with a some kind of cliffhanger, so I just HAD to see what happens next. It was quite intense, and much darker than most of the first season. Of course, it's still pretty, how to say it, naive? But I'm OK with it. Loved the music - actually you can see the tape I made with selected songs from it in my avatar (alongside with Sailor Moon and Slayers ones). And combination of isekai, magical girls and mecha fights was rather interesting one Overally - I'm certainly not disappointed. I'd still put SM a bit higher, but this was good too. I think that next I'm going for some romcom again LovelyComplex maybe? EDIT: I just found out that Chizeta twin princessess were voiced by my two favourite seiyuu - Kikuko Inoue and Aya Hisakawa. I knew they sounded familiar - especially Tatra, voiced by "onee-chan"

[semi-OT] It looks that JAST is officially releasing Asenheim's web-ports on their page: https://jastusa.com/classic-game-archive/ https://retro.jastusa.com/season-of-the-sakura/ Interesting... I wonder what that means to this little project of mine - maybe it would be then possible to forward it to JAST too? That is, if it ever gets completed

I just finished first season of Magic Knight Rayearth Whoa, that bittersweet, to say the least, ending managed to surprise me. Really good twist.

There are many Electone covers on YT, but most are played on recent modern models - like EL900, StageA and so on. Here I played it on ancient analog D85 from 1981. Hope somebody will enjoy it

Original style was much better IMO... But I understand that it's "dated" and it's probably impossible to make anime in this style today... Still, a bit sad

Akari's route never had any sex scenes to begin with, as it was originally made for all-ages console version. So I suppose one doesn't need to worry about censorship too much in her case

Finished Aoi's route in ToHeart. Unfortunately, this route didn't work for me at all - it was pretty boring and tedious to read, consisting mainly of Aoi's training descriptions, and martial arts infodumping full of unknown words. Route was pretty isolated, with Hiroyuki's other classmates disappearing completely (if you choose to skip read text - meaning, they are featured only in common scenes). Each day you just go to the training grounds, watch Aoi train (and/or assist her), have a bit of rather bland dialogue, go home, rinse and repeat. Also, this route made me sick of the word "senpai" for a while Next one is robot girl Multi. They say that she's the best girl in this game. Let's see...

I just browsed FD thread on reddit. Some guy, who has completed Steam version of FD says, that this release is actually decent, without most of the issues that the main game had. https://www.reddit.com/r/visualnovels/comments/b5lm6s/akari_route_originally_only_in_the_ps3vita/ejgdkrt?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x Maybe RNG Gods smiled upon us again However I'm still going to read Cruise Sign first, as I've already bought it But if what's written above is true, then, well... nice I may actually buy it one day to compare with CS.

Childhood friend.

I'm halfway through ToHeart PSE, (I've been posting my impressions of each route in general "What are you playing?" thread). So far it's nice - of course not anything mindblowing, but well, just nice ancient moege

Yeah, totally. However, when it comes to childhood friends trope I'm on the opposite end - I usually love them. Except when childhood friend's route is messed up, like in One I never had such girl in my life, but for some reasons I like this trope. Maybe because I'm, how to say it... nostalgic(?) in general...

Currently, yes. But there were also some +18 releases on NEC PC-FX console (like Pia Carrot He Youkoso). From the wiki:

Yeah, I feel exactly the same. Add to that the VNs that don't have enforced playing order although they should, and going in blindly can ruin or spoil some things.

Hmm... a bit strange. After all, "Cruise Sign" is main game + Flight Diary combined, and Akari's route was definitely part of main game, not FD. So why they introduce her as a addon to FD? How is this supposed to work?

PC. And emulators (on PC) for VNs from other platforms (PS, PCFX, PC98).

The only cliche I truly dislike is characters turning into pornstars during h-scenes, throwing away their personalities. And other hentai cliches related to it. Most of other charage tropes mentioned above can be fun, if there is something else besides them in the story