Osananajimi/childhood friend stories in visual novels

[Hobgoblin2014]

Just being curious: does anybody else prefer osananajimi stories over others in visual novel romances? I find it extremely cute when two children form a bond that continues through adulthood, childhood is the most innocent period in people's lives, I almost always choose the osananajimi character route in these games, unless they look too much like lolis. Such stories are the main reason I became interested in Japanese visual novels.

[TexasDice]

If there's nothing to dislike about the character or her appearance (or the translation, looking at you, Ageha...), I predictably fall for the childhood friend first.

Without a doubt my fetish of choice (before kneesocks). 

 

My guess why? Probably because I had a lot of female childhood friends, who aren't around anymore. Sometimes I wonder what could happen, if one of them suddenly stands before my door. 

 

Welcome to the forums, by the way. I hope you enjoy yourself.

[Kosakyun]

Nah. I don't really go for the osananajimi route first.

Unless she's really my type and she's really hot, then I'd go for her first.

Almost everything has an osananajimi romance thing going on, so I'd rather see something I haven't seen before. Who am I to judge though?

[Clephas]

Pros of the osananajimi:

 

1-established relationship with the protagonist

2-frequently has a great everyday dynamic with the protagonist

 

Cons of the osananajimi

1-established relationship with the protagonist

2-actual story is almost always a 'but we are childhood friends, I'm not sure if I can see you as a potential lover' plot

3-osananajimi stories tend to be weaker, reliant on pre-existing relationships and distant past promises...

4-osananajimi heroines fall into two different types... the devoted or the tsundere.  The former is boring and the latter is a fault in and of itself, lol.

 

Kagome from Comyu is an exception.

 

Edit: Sorry, but the osananajimi, in my experience, is always used as a 'throwaway path', with less effective character development, excessive ichaicha (think two thirds of the path being dates, ecchi, romantic events, and 'oh god I think I love him/her' worrying on both sides...), and half-hearted efforts at making a real heroine story.

[Hobgoblin2014]

4-osananajimi heroines fall into two different types... the devoted or the tsundere.  The former is boring and the latter is a fault in and of itself, lol.

[TexasDice]

Edit: Sorry, but the osananajimi, in my experience, is always used as a 'throwaway path', with less effective character development, excessive ichaicha (think two thirds of the path being dates, ecchi, romantic events, and 'oh god I think I love him/her' worrying on both sides...), and half-hearted efforts at making a real heroine story.

[Clephas]

Of course, Kagome is the best osananajimi of all time.  She is what an osananajimi should be.

[Kosakyun]

Of course, Kagome is the best osananajimi of all time.  She is what an osananajimi should be.

[Clephas]

[Kosakyun]

I didn't know she was the mature looking girl.

Well, I'm surprised even more.

[Zakamutt]

I tend to be somewhat of a sucker for the osananajimi type, but it depends. I like the forgotten-osananajimi-reveal (which I obviously can't talk about specifically since even the names of the VNs would give it away.) Part of it is probably that I haven't read enough things with osananajimi to get bored of it. Another part is that the two I immediately think of (of the non-reveal kind) are good executions: Symphonic Rain's Torta and Rewrite's Kotori (somewhat arguably an osananajimi?)

 

My favorite is still classic tsundere and kuudereish stuff. Of course, you could combine the two...

[Vokoca]

I have a weakness for osananajimi heroines. If there is one, I always tend to go with her first, since she seems to deserve it the most. It can also be incredibly cute.

[Ezeefreak]

I have a weakness for osananajimi heroines. If there is one, I always tend to go with her first, since she seems to deserve it the most. It can also be incredibly cute.

[BlackBirdd]

Nah. I don't really go for the osananajimi route first.

Unless she's really my type and she's really hot, then I'd go for her first.

Almost everything has an osananajimi romance thing going on, so I'd rather see something I haven't seen before. Who am I to judge though?

im the same because at least i can predict some of the outcome of the story for childhood friend

[Kosakyun]

im the same because at least i can predict some of the outcome of the story for childhood friend

 

I can't deny that it's utterly adorable though.

I cry at the thought of ending up together with a childhood friend ---- which probably won't happen to me.

[Heizei_koukousei]

Ikinari Anata ni Koishiteiru put a really strange spin on the childhood friend route...

 

S&M

[suikashoujo]

I love osananajimi characters, which I'm pretty sure can, in my case, be traced back to Kaede from Shuffle. Preferably, though, they won't be tsundere variation, because my dislike of tsundere does still manage to outweigh my love of childhood friends. I like how dedicated they are, usually. I mean, it's just so cute when their feelings are finally returned that I usually don't care if it's cliche. That said, though, twists in the formula can be pretty interesting if done right.

[BookwormOtaku]

I like the devoted type one since I have a weakness for the deredere type heroines. On the other hand if she's of the tsundere type my interest goes down and plummets if she's of the physically and/or vocally abusive type.

[TexasDice]

Eroge-rule Number 81 says: 

Childhood friends spend less time dating and usually skip the "I want to know more about her"-phase, so they instead use their time to go at it. Like rabbits. Wild, sexually charged rabbits.

 

That might be another thing people could like. I don't know.

[Hobgoblin2014]

I agree with all of you about the tsunderes: it's weird to be abusive towards somebody they love. Deredere is in fact better, a pity they often are too much loli-looking, that really makes me feel uncomfortable to make the character romance her. One of my favorite osananajimis is Tamaki from "To Heart 2".

[Vokoca]

I like the devoted type one since I have a weakness for the deredere type heroines. On the other hand if she's of the tsundere type my interest goes down and plummets if she's of the physically and/or vocally abusive type.

Oh, that's a very good point. I pretty much despise abusive characters; I suppose I just haven't had the 'luck' of encountering an osananajimi character like that yet.

[Hobgoblin2014]

Has anyone played Hoshi Ori Yume Mirai? I became curious after reading it has more complete stories that usual visual novels (has a wedding, family life etc), while most games finish when the characters are still in school or university. I read in reviews and comments the osananajimi (Marika) route is especially well done. Hopefully somebody will eventually translate the game.

[Eclipsed]

Eroge-rule Number 81 says: 

Childhood friends spend less time dating and usually skip the "I want to know more about her"-phase, so they instead use their time to go at it. Like rabbits. Wild, sexually charged rabbits.

 

That might be another thing people could like. I don't know.

Reminds me of If My Heart Had Wings xD

The protagonist Aoi and his childhood friend Ageha start their sexual activity pretty suddenly midway through the route and there's even 5 minutes of drama where Aoi thinks Ageha merely sees him as a sex friend -.-

 

~~

I'm also a sucker for childhood friends, for reasons that pretty much agree with Clephas's listed pro's of them having an established relationship and good dynamics with the protagonist. It's always cute to see how these characters interact with each other.

~~

Edit: All the tsundere hate ;-; though I can understand if its towards the physical/vocally abusive type tsunderes. Those are the extreme ones. Like Lucia from Rewrite. Though at least in her route she ditches the violence and becomes alot more tolerable than she was in the common route.

The Tsundere characters I adore aren't as extreme; they include Kotori from KonoSora, Michiru from Grisaia no Kajitsu, Maki from LoveLive!, Kurisu from Steins;Gate, Mizuha from G-Senjou no Maou, etc... 

[Aceinthehole]

I tend to not go for the osananajimi characters in VN's. Unfortunatly a good number of them are painted as air-headed and somewhat immature which are major turn offs for me. I think it was mentioned in an earlier post that their paths tend to be not as well fleshed out, so that doesn't help either.

 

I'm currently working my way through Kagome's route in Comyu, so maybe that'll push my opinion your way after I finish.

[Rilarion]

Pros of the osananajimi:

 

1-established relationship with the protagonist

2-frequently has a great everyday dynamic with the protagonist

 

Cons of the osananajimi

1-established relationship with the protagonist

2-actual story is almost always a 'but we are childhood friends, I'm not sure if I can see you as a potential lover' plot

3-osananajimi stories tend to be weaker, reliant on pre-existing relationships and distant past promises...

4-osananajimi heroines fall into two different types... the devoted or the tsundere.  The former is boring and the latter is a fault in and of itself, lol.

 

Kagome from Comyu is an exception.

 

Edit: Sorry, but the osananajimi, in my experience, is always used as a 'throwaway path', with less effective character development, excessive ichaicha (think two thirds of the path being dates, ecchi, romantic events, and 'oh god I think I love him/her' worrying on both sides...), and half-hearted efforts at making a real heroine story.