Getchu Bishoujo Game Awards 2023

[littleshogun]

It's time for Getchu 2023 award, and the winner is unsurprisingly Sakura no Toki in which it's the sequel of very well received Sakura no Uta. Anyway, let's see top 10 below, and yes I did really mean 10 instead of 20 because somehow Getchu decided to just list 10 top rank instead of usual 20, which to say is quite understandable. By the way, you can view the result in this link.

1. Sakura no Toki -Sakura no Mori no Shita o Ayumu- - Makura

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The story centers on Kusanagi Naoya after the events of Sakura no Uta.

The final scene that Naoya and Ai saw while looking down at Yumihari when descending from that hill. Up through that point, there were many untold stories.
Two Geniuses: Kusanagi Naoya and Natsume Kei's true story.
Why do these artists continue to fascinate the people even after death or ceasing their profession?
The painter who is the very embodiment of beauty herself, Misakura Rin, why does she want to keep moving beyond where they halted?
Hikawa Rina, Kawachiino Yuumi, Toritani Makoto and Natsume Ai. The intersection of all kinds of human thoughts.

2. Amakano 2+ - Azarashi Soft

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About half a year has passed since "Amakano 2", sets in autumn. As the seasons change, and summer approaches, a new love story is about to begin.

Showing her true self as a matter of course, Yuuhi is now able to spend her age-appropriate youth together as lovers.

Despite aiming for affection straightforwardly as a lover, becoming interested in her classmates, Rei's world around her has expanded a little.

While attending college, acting like an older sister as before, the relationship as lovers with Chitose, continues to be deepened.

And one more, attending the school as a first-year student, a new love story with Sara.

Along with this new encounter, each affection gradually grows in the dazzling summer. Eventually, this feeling becomes the driving force to take a step from just a lover towards being bounded together in the future, marriage.

3. Tenshi Souzou RE-BOOT! - Yuzusoft

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It began as a day just like any other.
A dull morning, an uneventful trip to school, an afternoon of tedious lectures...
And then I met her.

"I'm an angel, sent here from Heaven on a very important mission."

She appeared suddenly, and without warning―a beautiful girl who called herself an angel.
Spreading her large, snow-white wings, she made a declaration that would forever change my life.

"I come in search of the Demon Lord's reincarnation."
"That being you, Tanikaze Riku."

That's right, apparently I was a Demon Lord in my previous life. From some other world to boot.

Unfortunately for me, the anarchy wouldn't stop there.
Memories from a previous life, visitors from another world... It was just one crazy, chaotic event after the other.

"Wait, what? But that doesn't― Huh?!"

Thus began the story of Tanikaze Riku, a tale marked by the loss of his normal life, along with so many other precious things.
Aside from even more anarchy, what else does the future have in store for him?

4. Mashiro-iro Symphony: Sana Edition - Palette

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Inui Sana is a young lady who can’t admit her feelings.

Luckily, she doesn’t have to at Yuihime Girls Private Academy, the place where she spends fun-filled days with her precious friends and the senior she loves.
Or at least, that’s how things have always been...

Now, her comfy and prestigious school is being merged with the boys’ school from the upstart side of town! Shoved into a combined class to trial the new system, she finds her world changing faster than she can keep up—and one of her new classmates makes her heart beat faster too. Quicker and quicker, the changes pile up, altering the landscape of her life like a sudden snowfall...

A new love story is about to begin.

5. Mashiro Iro Symphony -Love is pure white- Remake for FHD - Palette

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6. Koibana Ren'ai - ASa Project

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Due to declining birth rates and other adult concerns, the protagonist Kanata and his friends find themselves transferring to Ouka Academy, a renowned all-girls school that's newly going co-ed.

The boys, driven by the simple desire for girlfriends, eagerly anticipate their new life among the supposedly prim and proper young ladies.

However, on the first day of co-education, reality hits hard.

"This isn't what we expected at all!" the boys exclaim, overwhelmed by the girls' actual behavior.

But the shock goes both ways, with the girls lamenting, "These aren't the princes we were hoping for!"

Despite the mutual disappointment, both sides are determined to pursue romance. These love-challenged individuals band together, armed with nothing but their enthusiasm for discussing relationships.

Thus begins a ridiculous yet endearing tale of youth struggling with love—a story of misfits supporting each other as they navigate the unpredictable world of teenage romance.

7. Hapymaher - REGRET END - Purple Software

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8. Happy Live, Show Up: Encore!! - FAVORITE

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Akito, the main character, visits the land where he used to live in order to meet Miyabi, who has been in a long-distance relationship. It brings about an unexpected change of heart and greatly changes the destinies of the two. The main story is a close-up after story of Miyabi Asahina, and the mini-story of Sophia, Katya, Lou, Clarisse, and Pechica & co. are also included!

9. D.C.5 ~Da Capo 5~ - CIRCUS

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Kagamijima, an island closest to the sky.

Along with the Lake Mikagami waters that reflects the sky like mirror on it's waters, lies a soaring sakura tree in Kagami Gakuen.

Kujou Souma, who attends Kagami Gakuen.
Yasaka Menoa, his queen-like undesired unseparable childhood friend.
Tokisaka Yukina, big sister figure who is the student council president.
Shirawaka Akari, far-beyond-reach ojousama.
Yasaka Kako, Menoa's younger sister who calls Souma big brother.
Suginami, mysterious well-informed friend.
Together, they live a merry fun school life.

On Kagami Gakuen, stands a curious sakura tree called "Hakari no Sakura". It has the ability to help collect student's consensus on choices. Students choose to wear white or black cape on their uniforms, then Hakari no Sakura aggregates the amount of wearer to choose the majority. The latest choose event (called Hakarigoto), student has to decide whether the next school festival would be a cultural festival or sports festival. They get to promote and win sides on whichever festival they feel is the best to enjoy. It's a natural occurence whenever Hakarigoto happens.

Then one day.
Souma visited Lake Mikagami, there's "another sakura tree" whom has never bloom in so many years, blooms dazzlingly.
Looking up to the sky, along with the blooming petals, a young girl decends.

"Yes, you are....", whispers the mystery girl, Sakuragi Mizuha.

Meetings of the boys and girls, the fate begins to move.

While out-of-season sakura blooms, curtain to young boys and girls story opens.

10. Yuunagi-sou no S-kyuu no Kanojo-tachi 2 - MOONSTONE Cherry

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For a long time, the 2nd floor of Yuunagi-sou had been vacant.

This peculiar apartment is reserved for privileged S-class individuals, so a few empty rooms were no surprise.

However――.

✦ ∞ ✦ ∞ ✦

As if drawn to our protagonist, new tenants begin to arrive one after another.

An annoying former kouhai.
An overly anxious school teacher.
A studious-looking closet pervert examinee.
An easily aroused aspiring seiyuu.

✦ ∞ ✦ ∞ ✦

Thus, the entire 2nd floor is occupied, and Yuunagi-sou is getting livelier.
With the 2nd floor as the backdrop, a pure~lewd life begins once again......️

Despite fewer number on the list, we still have the winner for each categories, so I'll list it below.

• Best Scenario: Sakura no Toki -Sakura no Mori no Shita o Ayumu-
• Best Game System: Amakano 2+
• Best Graphic: Tenshi Souzou RE-BOOT!
• Best Soundtrack: Sakura no Toki -Sakura no Mori no Shita o Ayumu-
• Best Movie: Tenshi Souzou RE-BOOT!
• Best Character: Tanikaze Amane from Tenshi Souzou RE-BOOT!
• Best Erotic Contents: Bunny's Mama Daikou Service

That's all for the list, and admittedly speaking the list show the worrying state of VNs in Japan.

Edited November 22, 2024 by littleshogun

[Erogamer]

Amakano is developed by Azarashi Soft. Also, Happy Live Show Up got an award? It was just some mediocre moege that Favorite put out for a quick buck. I also find it funny that Sana Edition got an award when it JUST came out.

[littleshogun]

  On 2/29/2024 at 3:41 PM, Erogamer said:

Amakano is developed by Azarashi Soft. Also, Happy Live Show Up got an award? It was just some mediocre moege that Favorite put out for a quick buck. I also find it funny that Sana Edition got an award when it JUST came out.

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Fixed.

Anyway, while I did mentioned that the list show the worrying state of VNs in Japan, to me it still didn't show the real representative of the releases in 2023, especially with several title such as Imouto to Kanojo or Red Cherish FD are not on the list (Imouto to Kanojo is also questionably not available on the poll). Not to mention two of the title (Mashiro Iro HD Remake and Hapymaher Regret End) are the re-releases, although at least Regret End has new scenario that can be accessed from Hapymaher FD (Not the main story). For Sana Edition, the opening is on par with Nine series, so maybe it made people to vote for it, although Sana's popularity is obviously also contribute to the voting.

I'll try to comment on the list later on, even though it may took some times like last years. That said, at least it's nice we have three titles from the list are announced to be available in English, with those titles are Tenshi Re-Boot by Nekonyan and Mashiro Iro by Shiravune with them also included Sana Edition. I just hope the upcoming release for those title going smoothly, seeing that usually the releases need to wait review process, and moreso with the random ban of Tenshi Re-Boot from the Valve reviewer.

PS - Forgot to mention that while you think Happy Life Show Up FD is just mediocre moege, the writing is apparently still good enough so much it got 2nd rank in Scenario category. Speaking about scenario category, it's nice to see two parts of Criminal Border are placed in Top 5 of Scenario category.

Edited December 30, 2024 by littleshogun

[ChaosRaven]

This list feels almost nostalgic with its Mashiro-iro Symphony and Hapymaher remakes. And even nicer that the former will apparently get an English release. Finally!!

I also wouldn't complain about Hapymaher - REGRET END, considering it seems to contain the still untranslated fan disc Fragmentation Dream as well. Little interest in Purple software's newer titles though. Somehow they dropped the ball after Chronoclock - at least for me.

Same with Da Capo. DC 3 felt so bland in comparison to DC2, that it kind of killed my interest in all the newer ones as well. Though, that's also partly because I don't like their art style that much.

Edited March 3, 2024 by ChaosRaven

[Dreamysyu]

Kind of sad such a big proportion of these are either sequels or remakes.

[littleshogun]

Here's my belated comment on Getchu 2023 as promised:

• Unlike Tenshi Re-Boot with it got another ban after Hikari Field tried to submit it again because they got the bad luck have the review copy fallen into the same reviewer, Shiravune has easier time when it come to release Mashiro Iro. While Palette finally allow the English version to have Sprite Viewer which is good news, I didn't like on how Palette released Sana Edition separately despite almost no reason to do so (Moreso seeing it has same common route along with Sana's route has some parts of Miu's route, so Palette can just insert Sana's route into the main game). If anything else, at least good to see now we have Mashiro Iro in English after years of waiting, and therefore can enjoy it's good arts courtesy of Izumi Tsubasu.
• I read some saying that actually Sakura no Uta is already complete on its own, although obviously SCA-JI still want to tell more about Naoya and the friend story, and so he made Sakura no Toki. What I know is the sequel telling the story of the characters after Sakura no Uta or something like that, and it'll took a while to see it translated seeing even the prequel translation will most likely took a while because of real life business with it currently been at around one third translated.
• Seeing Shiravune released Amanatsu and Nekonyan announced Futamata, if anyone want to have Amakano 2+ and Koibana available in English it'll be up to Shiravune and Nekonyan respectively. Amakano 2+ is the lengthy fandisc of Amakano 2 with the new heroine added, and if I may give some comparison it would be like Galaxy Angel with 2+ equivalent would be Moonlit Lover with Broccoli add Chitose in there. For Koibana, once again ASa Project tried to experiment a bit by adding three side couples, and whether it's good addition or not is up to each of their own (What I know is that one VNDB user didn't like on how it put less focus on the MC and the four main heroines so much he spammed Koibana-related VNDB threads).
• Hapymaher Regret End is apparently the last time Purple Software using their own CMVS engine before moving on to Kirikiri, and I say this because their two VNs after this (And Criminal Border) using Kirikiri engine instead. Also the new story, Regret End, was notably all age with the arts were redrawn by Purple Software's main artist. From what I see, perhaps Purple Software wanted their game to be localized, although with them working with four publishers and Nekonyan revealed their problem with Purple Software (Nekonyan was asked to sped up the release after they find the difficulties on porting Aoi Tori engine), obviously it will be quite hard to publishers to work with them, and so hoping Mangagamer to localize Regret End is obviously out of question.
• Speaking of Mangagamer, I'd hear one of their companies, Circus, want to remake Da Capo and expressing their wish to adding their VNs into Steam. Whether there'll be English language or not is remain to see, but it would be nice if Circus adding Da Capo into Steam would eventually led them to localize both Da Capo 4 and 5, whether they'll ask Mangagamer help or not. Speaking of Da Capo, one of Discord user mention that 4 and 5 are more like the duology on its own, so there's no exact need to play first three Da Capo before playing 4 and 5. For Da Capo 5 itself, well it's like all of Da Capo VNs with it a charage that eventually led into one true route.

That's all for my belated comment on Getchu Award 2023.

Edited December 30, 2024 by littleshogun