Zalor

Yume Miru Kusuri is good VN that qualifies, it also has an official translation.

I've been there before (there have been one or two instances before that I stopped reading VNs for a good half a year). Honestly, the best solution is to just wait until you crave them again. There is nothing I can really do about that (time will do that job). But if/when you find yourself craving a story with dark and philosophical themes, I recommend Swan Song without reservation. It does a great job questioning what it means to be a "civilized human". Similarly, if you enter a phase where you can't stop thinking about death (maybe a family member suddenly died or something), the original Narcissu would be a perfect choice to read. Since I know you read Untld VNs, you've probably already read both those titles. And even if that's the case, I recommend them so highly because they are stories worth rereading.

Nice to see you back, it's been a while since I've regularly seen posts from you. (I'm sure part of that just has to do with me not being observant enough, lol). Also, I could be completely wrong, but is your avatar from Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, or perhaps another Jhonen Vasquez work?

Thank you so much, I truly feel honored for this post! I'm glad my work has been appreciated. This whole thing truly did begin with that idea. For those curious about the back story, in early 2014 or late 2013, Tay had this idea for a VN literary journal, and I was one of the people who applied to write for it. My article was going to explore the complex relationship between Mai and Sayuri in Kanon. The VN journal ended up not happening. My activity on the forums also gradually faded for a while, and then when I returned I felt really guilty as I remembered that I was partly responsible for the VN Lit journal not happening. So I finally sat down and rewrote the previous draft I had (I ended up scrapping most of what I previously had). It took a week or two of repeatedly rereading Mai and Sayuri's routes, writing and rewriting, and listening to the Kanon OST (for inspiration), and on June 30th I finally finished and published it on the forums. The first thing I did afterwards was pm Tay an apology, and I ended the message saying something along lines of "I hope you believe in the adage 'better late than never'". Since then, when a VN truly speaks to me I try to organize my thoughts of it on to paper (well, digital paper). Anyway, once again thanks for this post!

That actually looks pretty good. But I will forever use the classic green theme that Fuwanovel is known for. Nothing can persuade me otherwise.

@Palas You made a lot of good points, and your comment on nukige was particularly interesting. I never really thought about the relationship between how we experience visual novels and how that relates to the prominence of nukige in this medium. But I think your point about how this is a slightly interactive experience and a lonely one makes the medium perfect for pornographic uses. Also, I already said this on your thread, but your thread on The Writing in Visual Novels was brilliant. The reason Visual Novels are my favorite storytelling medium is because they require the isolation that books do (as Palas already pointed out) but they don't feel lonely. When I read an actual paper book, I feel the loneliness, but it's kind of unsettling. The good point about this, is that the isolation (when reading a book) demands strong attention. Therefore a writer that is truly talented can really immerse you in their story. But nonetheless, you still feel lonely. VNs have the pros of books (in that the narrative style can really immerse you in the story), but the music and visuals also serve to immerse you in the tale. At this point, the story is dominating your senses (vision, hearing, and intellectual thought). When I read a VN, I feel like I am in the story. Whereas when I read a book, I feel like I'm just observing the story. So yeah, my last 2 sentences probably best summarize why I love this medium so much, and even prefer it to traditional books.

I agree, it really is bullshit for this to happen so often in the VN medium. I can understand (though I still hate it) with how often this happens to anime, since usually the manga the anime is based on is still ongoing. (And usually the reason the manga is ongoing is to milk it for as long as possible). But VN's are like books. When they end, they tend to be done for good. I feel like this is a problem integral to Otaku media. To dig a bit bigger though, I think this happens for a similar reason that there are so many faceless protagonists. Faceless protagonists exist to allow the reader to insert themselves into the relationship with the female of choice in their VN. By not giving the main protag a personality, it makes it easier for the reader to personally feel involved with the girl, instead of being a voyeur into her relationship with the main character. Likewise, having a satisfying ending (particularly if it involves them getting married) would require for the main protagonist to actually have a personality. Which we can't allow, since then he wouldn't be a self-insert.

I have a bad tendency to write my thoughts more seriously then I intend them at times, sorry. ;p Also, I can completely relate, as there are popular shows that hate as well. In fact, I think most anime fans hate at least one really popular title that most other people seem to like. People have criticized me of this view before, and while I see their (your) point; as an involved critic I want to broaden my views and understanding of the medium I enjoy. And part of broadening your perceptive is to step out of your comfort zone sometimes. So in that sense, I actually don't regret watching K-on. Much like how I don't regret having read the Iliad, despite hating that poem.

I fail to see how I posted anything even slightly provocative. I don't guarantee that everybody will like Evangelion, but it is certainly more than it initially presents itself to be, and should at least be given a proper chance. Some people (like myself) gave it a chance and fell in love with it, whereas others gave it a shot and didn't like it. But if you don't at least give it a decent chance, then you will never sufficiently know whether it's something will love or not.

If the plan is to have the next podcast about the Evolution of VNs, then I highly suggest people (that haven't already) to read this: The History of Eroge. This was originally a Japanese article, and the place I linked to is one of the only places with a translation of it. For those that have not yet read it, It's a fascinating read.

I normally drop shows I don't like, but there are some anime/Vns/books/movies/etc out there that should be experienced simply because of how influential they are. For instance I sat through K-on even though I don't like moe slice-of-life shows, simply because it had a profound impact on anime trends. And Evangelion is one of those shows you should watch. What's more, Evangelion actually has little to do with robots (I don't like mecha much myself, yet Evangelion is one of my favorites). Neon Geneses Evangelion is a psychological anime before it is a mecha anime (especially in the 2nd half). Just give it more of a chance, some of the psychological themes should start surfacing in episode 4 : "The Hedgehog's Dilemna". Ultimately Evangelion is a show about why individuals do what they do, and why they are the way they are.

I used to be really into abridged series like 3 years ago. There were 2 really good Abridged series of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, but both were taken down. If anyone can find a place to watch Fullmetalchao's version of Haruhi abridged I would be really happy. I have no idea why he took down his videos -.- I used to rewatch his abridged episodes so much that I can still quote certain lines... My favorite would have to be Welcome to the NHK abridged by Cardboardlawyer. It's also one of the very few abridged series that actually was completed, so huge kudos to him. Here's the first episode:

Funny you should mention Swan Song, as I remember a few months ago using that as an example for why we should keep torrents for unlicensed titles. The short answer is that purchasing Swan Song (and many other fan tld VNs for that matter) is near impossible, and you will just have to find a another place to pirate it. I would also highly encourage it as well, because Swan Song is a fantastic title. The reason importing VNs from Japan is so difficult is because not only do you have to navigate a Japanese website, but often they won't/can't ship outside of Japan. So you'll need to get somebody else to buy it for you who is in Japan, and then have them ship it to you. Yeah, it's bullshit.

Out of curiosity, what was you're first untld VN? Snow is really quite easy. Very little narration, so you mostly only have to put up with dialogue. And the dialogue itself isn't anything complicated. It's the first untld VN I'm reading, and if I had to grade myself I would say my comprehension is between 95% - 100%. The only thing that might trip you up on occasion would probably be casual/slang expressions.

Guys, lets please stay on topic. This thread is about how global of an experience fuwanovel is. While there is nothing wrong with getting a little off topic, it gets annoying when the irrelevant discussion only concerns a few people.

Hmmm.... I actually like Funimation and sometimes even enjoy their dubs. I have mixed views of Crunchyroll, but I think overall it's a useful site. No, I was thinking of Myanimelist mostly (and the forums on Crunchyroll suck too). Anyway, I don't want to stray too far off topic. But anime was really obscure 20 - 30 years ago in the west, and look at it now. I definitely think the same could happen to VNs (which again, would be both a good and bad thing).

What is this blasphemy! No mention of Aaeru! (The god who crowned Tay the King Shogun).

Don't let Astro's malevolent mind and avatar confuse you. I heard his voice in one of Ren's podcasts. He is a guy.

Two weeks in a row a thread I started made it on the list, sweet!