Clephas

Until you can understand enough Japanese to read untranslated (if you choose to learn), you are pretty much restricted to what is on that list for Japanese-made VNs... I'm afraid there just aren't a ton of the VNs you want translated, sadly. Edit: Just to be clear, none of my choices are translated. If I make a suggestion, it is almost always going to be untranslated. I figured, since you didn't specify, that you wanted choices for the future as much as for the now, so I went ahead and made a bunch of suggestions. The vndb pages for those VNs also display whether there is a translation or not, as well.

There are reasons... one reason is that relatively few yandere heroines exist in non-rape VNs. Another reason is that very few writers can handle a believably yandere heroine, so most don't even try. Another reason why you wouldn't find these just by cross-referencing on vndb is that you were probably looking through non-obscure translated ones... and these are obscure untranslated for the most part. Inochi no Spare is emotionally intense and agonizing for the characters involved, but it is also the one that fits the 'caretaker' vibe the most directly. There are some VNs where things are reversed (the protagonist is being taken care of for various reasons), but the heroine-centric nature of most VNs has relegated the disabled heroine to a minor sub-genre tag. End Sleep is also a horror-mystery, so you might have trouble with it if you can't stand guro. If you don't mind a bit more subtlety (the psychological vs the physical caretaking), I'd recommend Karenai Sekai to Owaru Hana... the protagonist is so intensely selfless about taking care of the heroines that it breaks your heart almost from beginning to end. For something more comedic, Sakura Nikagetsu is a first-class game, since the protagonist is a self-proclaimed 'fixer' of hopelessly incompetent/clumsy heroines. The big problem is that there just aren't that many VNs where the heroine is so maladjusted or incapable of taking care of herself in the most basic of fashions... and in most cases, the heroines are dying, so it is less about cuteness and more about melancholy.

Inochi no Spare is a decent choice, though it is incredibly sad. Koi suru Doll to Omoi no Kiseki has an excellent yandere heroine (Towa). Gleam Garden no Shoujo has some serious yan moments, as well as the heroines being dependent on the protagonist for their very survival if they don't want to be lobotimized. Gun Knight Girl has two yandere of differing types (one is an extreme masochist, the other is a standard yandere). End Sleep has one of the most terrifyingly psychotic yangire/yandere heroines I've ever seen (a match for Mirai Nikki's heroine)

No, it looks like there are 'gaiden' scenes that are accessible after playing each route, but the routes themselves don't have alternate endings. Compared to the SKM, a lot of events have been either redone or added in. In the Gi path, a lot of stuff was added on in the 'build up to becoming a power' stage, whereas in the original version, that stuff was only the prologue. I'd say the actual length of the paths is about 1.4 times greater without counting heroine stuff. Go seems to have gone down a similar road, at least so far. You actually get to see how Shuu Tai, Taishiji, and Ryoumou get recruited, and those scenes are major events that are part of the main story. There are also lively villains/antagonists who didn't exist in the original story except as peripheral mentions, but in this one they are actual characters with a decent amount of screen time (the Empress, her sister, the 'eunuchs', and the Empress consort and her sister, for instance). Edit: by the walkthrough, it looks like an alternate ending was included in the 'gaiden' section for go, but there wasn't one for Gi.

I'm playing it right now... and the opening of the game is completely and utterly different from the original Go path in Shin Koihime... but if it follows the pattern of Souten no Haou, the most important events probably won't change. Edit: There are some major improvements to the presentation of Kazuto's character in the Go route. While he was something of a tactician apprentice in the original version, he gets more down into the dirt and blood in this one than the original route. As a result, he makes a much better impression than the original version. However, the actual character events between chapters involving previously-existing characters haven't changed significantly... so I suggest focusing only on the most central characters (the Son family) and the new characters for the best enjoyment factor for people who played the original version. The mother is a pretty interesting/funny character, though her harshness makes Karen/Cao Cao seem mild.

Thanks, fixed.

I've decided to start a new column called Reader's Choice of the Month. The concept is simple. I will post a poll of end of the month releases I don't intend to play, and the readers of my blog will have a chance to pick which one I will play and review. This column will take the place of VN of the Month in the sense that I will still be playing something for the sake of the readers, but this time I won't be going out of my way to play every obscure charage/moege I find. This is about picking out the VN in the poll you most want to know about before playing yourself, so keep that in mind while voting. July Release choices: Erewhon Shukusei no Girlfriend Minikui Mojika no Ko Games I will play: Shin Koihime Musou Kakumei Haru to Yuki

https://vndb.org/v14303

There was a remake of this game back in 2011... I have it in my physical collection somewhere, set aside for a rainy day.

'Young mistress' in the personal (servant to female master), 'milady' (in the lower case because it isn't a recognition of a formal title) is workable for when speaking from a non-subservient position. Overall, though, without an ear for nuance, it is a pain in the butt.

English dubs shouldn't keep honorifics... *shudders*

In the end, if you aren't the one translating it, you should just shut up about this issue... because, after all, it is a matter of style and opinion, not morality or an absolute standard. Complaining about a poor translation (easy mistakes, literalism taken to extremes, etc) is one thing, but complaining about a style issue is both pointless and causes unnecessary annoyance to all sides. Personally, this is my chart of standards: Based in old (pre-WWII) Japan= Keeping honorifics is necessary Situation is layered with meaning reliant on honorifics- case-by-case (honestly, consistency is important, but Japanese high society and politics place a lot of importance on interplay involving specific manners of speech and honorifics. However, even most ojousama-ge don't actually need the honorifics) Modern Japan, not involved with complex high society issues- Doesn't need honorifics/loss of meaning in eliminating them is minimal Based outside of Japan or in another world- No point in honorifics (usually Western ones are fine for ones like this) What that comes down to is that categorically ignoring/eliminating honorifics is not always a good idea. That said, the Japanese tag them on even in Western settings and fantasy settings, and modern Japanese society is a lot more flat-planed when it comes to this kind of thing than old Japan was. As such, outside of a few odd/unique situations or settings, there is no real need to keep the honorifics in most modern Japanese settings (meaning 90% of all VNs). I will however, bash gladly anyone who eliminates honorifics and titles in something like Miburo or Sengoku Koihime, because it actively harms the storytelling. That particular situation I mentioned is an annoying one, but it is just one common scene, so screwing around with it won't cause any real problems with most VNs.

There really isn't any point in adapting food names, since you'll find that the original names are used more often than not in the West... It is just like borscht is borscht and enchiladas are enchiladas... there literally is no point in translating most cultural food names, regardless of the language (ingredient names it often makes sense to translate, since Western versions will often be under the translated name). In English, most foreign food names are treated as the name for that food in modern times, including in cases where it has a close relative to a food we already know. Chinese food is the one that breaks that tendency almost constantly, since most Chinese food was Americanized a long time ago. However, it is just that... an exception. You'll almost never see that with Japanese food here (ex. tempura is tempura, oyakodon is oyakodon, etc). I'm not going to weigh in on honorifics in general, but I will say that if you are dealing with a jidaigeki type based in old Japan, taking out the honorifics often makes large swathes of the story incomprehensible. In stories based in modern Japan, honorifics can mostly be substituted or ignored, save in ones where the difference in social status and the character's use of a particular honorific effects the events occurring deeply. In cases like this 'Mr' or 'Ms' really isn't an adequate substitute, unfortunately... Not that most people who don't know Japanese will pick up on that level of subtlety, but there are some capable of reading the social cues without actually knowing Japanese. Edit: 70% of all newbie translators will be honorific fanatics... so be tolerant. In the end, the only time a translator is obligated to do anything is when s/he is being paid to do it, so our complaints one way or another are pissing in the wind. Edit2: I am mildly curious about how editors/translators nowadays get around the inevitable 'honorific argument' that occurs in an obligatory fashion in almost every charage in existence with one or more of the heroines, where they converse on how to call one another... I've seen a few really really awkward suggestions for dealing with it, but it gives me a headache just thinking about it. One of the reasons I will never tl a charage. Edit3: ... looking back, it is pretty hilarious to see how viewpoints have changed. Back when I first started translating, anyone who suggested removing honorifics at all (much less categorically) was just ignored or made fun of. Now it has sort of reversed itself... lol

The definition of a 'capable' heroine, in my case, is a heroine who manages to surf the waves of life and move circumstances to create a situation convenient to herself, either through manipulation or force of will. A heroine of this type might pursue a dream, pursue revenge, or pursue power, but what defines them is that they both 'seek' and 'take' what they want. Most heroines in male-oriented and otomege VNs do not fall into this area. Most are reliant on the males in their life to some extent, and without them they wouldn't get anywhere. This is a list of heroines who don't fit that particular stereotype, for one reason or another (incidentally, this isn't me being a male feminist... I just like this kind of heroine). These heroines aren't dependent by nature, though they might feel a strong attachment to or obsession for someone. These are heroines capable (both in general and psychologically) of navigating the sea of life with none or little help. If you feel someone belongs on this list, feel free to add them in the comments section. I might argue with you, but if it is within the ballpark, I won't delete the name, lol. (an exception... most heroines that are born all-powerful don't count, since they meet few if any challenges in their lives. As an example, Sofia from World Election doesn't count since she was born essentially unkillable, with a genius-level intelligence, and more power than anyone else in the world) A heroine of this type should be at least a little ruthless, even if it is only the sense that they are capable of pulling out stops in the way of their goals or manipulating others if necessary. Kamio Ami (Semiramis no Tenbin) Hinaori Kagome (Comyu) Himehoshi Arika (Ojousama no Hanbun wa Ren'ai de Dekiteimasu) Chitose Oboro Amatsu (Silverio Vendetta) Amatsu Kanata (Devils Devel Concept) Otonashi Saku (Hello, Lady) Himegami Alice (Yami to Hikari no Sanctuary) Fujina Kanori (Minamijuujisei Renka) Tsukigase Sayane (Shuumatsu Shoujo Gensou Alicematic) Hijikata Sei and Sakamoto Ryouma (Kikan Bakumatsu Ibun Last Cavalier) Leona Kaname Burns (Electro-Arms) Shiguresato Himeno (Hyper→Highspeed→Genius) Naname Nanami (Ojousama wa Gokigen Naname) Kizuna (Reminiscence) Sakurakouji Luna (Tsuki ni Yorisou Otome no Sahou) Nagisaka Hakua (Namima no Kuni no Faust)

Yes, you can pick any order you want other than those two. I recommend playing Maia's route before Alice's.

There is a lot to say... but I guess I'll just hit the important parts:

Greetings and I'm glad to welcome another untranslated reader to the forums...

Maia route is, strictly speaking, a bad/sad ending. This is self-evident, though, even just based on the prologue. Alice's route is generally best left to last, but I don't have a recommendation of which of the other heroines to do first. Personally, I tend to go after Keiko first, because I like her personality (that and she is surprisingly sexy), followed by Yayoi and Saki (one or the other, based on my mood). Hapymaher is the type of game you just sit back and experience, not the type you plow through at speed. Its style is probably unsatisfying for moe-only specialists, though. The atmosphere is a bit too depressing, too often for people of that type. Of course, on follow-up playthroughs, I generally found the Christmas arc to be something of a headache (once you've experienced it once, it loses what little appeal it has). I mostly play this game for the feels and the music, though I also love Maia (a given for anyone who likes this game in general). Her sadistic giggles and mocking speech patterns are a fond memory for me, even five years later.

For those who are interested, my favorite ending, which I picked after my fifth playthrough, his Shizuku Ending 1, followed by Rydia and Aqua's threesome. The reasons are [major spoilers] (I don't recommend anyone who has not finished these endings read this):

Rance was genre-defining. It defined the 'kichiku VN/rpg' genre and single-handedly brought it into existence. Evenicle is basically just another harem vn/rpg, of which there are dozens out there.

It is no secret that I am a huge Higashide Yuuichirou fan and that Evolimit is my favorite Higashide Yuuichirou game. Before I go any further into this, I should note that Evolimit has the dubious honor of being the VN I've played the most often... a total of six times, as of two hours ago. I should also explain what Higashide's unique qualities are as a writer. Higashide Yuuichirou wrote six VNs for Propeller before retiring from VNs completely to work for Type-Moon as a writer. He also worked on the Vita version of FSN, with the Caster and Rider routes, the Muramasa FD, Princess Waltz (as an assistant), and Fate/Extella Link. His qualities as a writer include a peculiar genius for the characterization of 'heroic' characters, the ability to create villains/antagonists worthy of those same heroic characters, and an even rarer ability to both write and integrate SOL with those aspects. For better or worse, most SOL writers fail utterly when it comes to dramatic characterization and most chuunige writers suck at SOL compared to specialists. However, Higashide manages to do both at a very high level and, when he is 'in the zone', does it better than any other writer I've encountered. Some will argue with me about this, naming Shumon Yuu, Masada, or even Hino Wataru. However, it needs to be said that Shumon Yuu writes in a manner that is so unique that it is completely genre-free. Masada writes excellent dramatic characters, but his SOL is average at best. Hino Wataru tends to shift the balance of his games back and forth, and there is usually a huge gap between the quality of the paths of heroines he loves and those he merely likes. I have never felt like Higashide has failed to give a heroine a fair shake. In fact, Higashide almost never makes heroines the true focus of a game/path from beginning to end. Circumstances, events, the protagonist, the antagonist, and the pattern as a whole often far transcend the heroine of a given path. His heroines are often good, but I've yet to encounter a path in a Higashide game where I felt cheated. Higashide is a devout follower of the concept of the 'heroine that is always by the protagonist's side, no matter who he chooses'. This type of heroine pops up in a lot of chuunige. Kagome in Comyu is probably the most blatant example of this, but Higashide takes it to extreme lengths. In Ayakashibito it was Suzu, in Bullet Butlers it was Selma, and in Evolimit it is Shizuku. The key point of each of these heroines is that the bond with the protagonist transcends romantic relationships (though it leads to them in their own paths). Suzu is both parent and older sister to Soushichi, Selma is Rick's master and truest friend, and Shizuku and Shiranui are ridiculously close friends, so close that they easily settle into a familial role toward one another. Why is this important? Because these characters and their relationships form the largest and firmest pillar that serves as a backbone for each of these protagonists' view of the world and how they relate to it. Evolimit Evolimit is a kamige. Yes, that is my opinion, but I'll stand by it until the end of days if necessary. For this entry, I'm going to focus on characters, their interrelationships, and their influences on one another. From here on in, I will intermittently add in spoilers, which I will put in boxes. These spoilers will often reveal aspects of the story you absolutely do not want to know until you've played the game, so I recommend just reading the parts that aren't spoiler-boxed and going back after you've had the opportunity to play the game. The Characters Shiranui (nobody calls him Yoshikazu, interestingly), is an interesting character. Like the other two Higashide kamige protagonists (Ayakashibito's Soushichi and Bullet Butlers' Rick), he is, when it comes down to it, a classic hero. He is the type who will, without hesitation, throw away his life for others if it comes down to it, take a bullet for a friend, or mercilessly destroy someone or something that seeks to harm them. Since this is revealed in the prologue (and my rules about spoilers don't apply to prologues), I'll go ahead and describe his basic set of circumstances. First, Shiranui was one of the Calamity Monkeys, the first colonial/terraforming expedition sent to Mars by the more-or-less unified governments of Earth. Born with a bad heart, he spent much of his youth in horrible pain and fear, wondering if that day would be the day his heart went out. However, he received a heart transplant, and soon after he encountered Kokoro, the spiritual remnants of the young Chinese girl who was his heart's original owner. The reason I reveal this particularly dramatic element in advance is because it is necessary to describe his peculiar personality. On the surface, Shiranui is a slightly pervy young man with an ever-present smile who goes out of his way to be something of a clown. In stressful situations, he is surprisingly perceptive, brave, and compassionate. However, there is one peculiarity that is all-important to grasping his character. He is incapable of sorrow. The reason goes back to the spiritual remnant of his heart's original owner, Kokoro. In order to allow her to remain within him, he, of his own free will, gave up his ability to feel sorrow (as well as odd bits and pieces of other emotions) in order to allow what amounts to a second person to inhabit part of his brain. She is also the reason he chose to head for Mars. When he discovered that her dream was to go to Mars as part of a colonial expedition he, without hesitation, chose to take the baton and run with it, ferociously devoting himself to the duty of taking her there as part of himself. The Heroines

https://vndb.org/v16858 Based in past Japan. The protagonist is a Japanese magistrate in the Edo era. For a bit of background, a magistrate during the Edo era served as investigator chief, prosecutor, jury, and judge all in one. Because of this, magistrates in the later Edo era were often badly corrupt or obsessed with making examples rather than discovering the truth of an incident. The protagonist is a strait-laced type though. Butterfly Seeker would have been a recommendation for me, if the protagonist wasn't a (very limited) psychic. It is one of the few mystery VNs I've honestly enjoyed. The protagonist in this one is part of a school club of detective trainees, each with a peculiar talent (such as the main heroine's extreme empathy, another one's analytical abilities, or the last one's natural talent for subduing suspects). He's got a sort of Hannibal Lector/Clarice dynamic going with an imprisoned killer that makes it more interesting, at least to me. Same thing for Sakura no Mori Dreamers (both are based in cities with extremely high murder rates from serial killings), though Sakura no Mori is a lot more heavy on the fantasy crap.

I know. I was simply stating my opinion. This is one case where there shouldn't be an h-patch, regardless of what the fanboys and the anti-censorship people want. The thing that most people who are new to the community don't understand, not having lived through that period of time, is that periodically, some Japanese eroge catches the attention of someone in the mass media for extreme objectionable content. When that happens, you suddenly see entire otaku sites go down, DDOS attacks on anything related to VNs, etc. The Rapelay incident was one of them, but Maitetsu has the possibility of being an even worse threat to the community, because lolicon is the one non-violent Japanese fetish that could cause the authorities to move against VN localization companies.