VN Reading Club - May 2015 (Coμ -Kuroi Ryuu to Yasashii Oukoku-)

[TehRealOne]

Gasai needs a fandisc.

 

Yeah although there's the theme of the world has no mercy or is unforgiving but killing of few of the characters might be not the best choice considering that some of the readers might hate the game. You know how business works, no matter how good it is, if it's not well received, you're out. Also it could also go along the lines of 'persevering against the gentle kingdom and win'. But I do agree that having a more bittersweet ending would be nicer.

Thats why I kinda liked Hisoka's route and how Yoshimoro(W/e that girl who did drugs is called) dies and Rondo Rondo goes basically insane, Benio gets stabbed and nearly dies. 

[Kosakyun]

I liked Kagome's route, although 

This whole "Kagome survives" thing, was annoying. I always believed there was no "Plot armour" per say (Even though it's lampshaded a few times by Mayuki). The whole "feel" of the Novel is that "The world is harsh", "There are no miracles" & "Life is easily taken". Shown by the deaths of people like Gasai, Iroha, David. Yet no one in Akihito's Comyu does die, despite the overwhelming odds against them. Furthermore they also saved Kagome, "No one ever recovers from Stampeding, you know this best yourself Kagome" Fast forward 10 minutes and she recovers from it. I think it would have been best if Kagome died in the end, it would have really fitted well with the story "Miracles don't happen".

 

This is how I felt about it as well. Though you can always reason out that it was because Kagome's actually different from the other connectors in Takakura City. It's natural that there are inconsistencies in theories, which is why they are disproved in the first place. Kagome had just done that in her route. You could say that it's plot armor, but it's also evidence of the difference between the Second Carrier and the connectors that she had created. Also, Hisoka's another person who didn't die after her avatar stampeded. It's certainly possible. Although Akihito's comyu may be outrageously lucky. You just have to accept the protagonist's luck.

 

Also, I don't really want a Gasai fandisc.

I kinda like how everything ended for him. Not that it was good, but it certainly was great and in place.

[Jakez123]

 

 

Also, I don't really want a Gasai fandisc.

I kinda like how everything ended for him. Not that it was good, but it certainly was great and in place.

 

Haha, I'm not sure if you've played G-senjou no Maou, but

That scene where Gasai tells Yoriko to go, is essentially the exact same at the end of Haru's route in G-senjou. The only difference is that the CG is reversed (Eg, Gasai on the Right/Yoriko on the left compared to MC on the Left and Haru on the right in G-senjou).

I liked that scene though

 

But yea, I definitely have what you would call a "void", I definitely feels empty now that I've completed the game. Back when I first got Comyu, I started it up, saw the fighting and then turned it off, I disliked it. When I came back to it I started to warm up to it, and funnily enough, some of the best bits are the fighting scenes. Also the music is amazing, Visual Novels with great music are always amazing. 

 

Not sure if it's the right place to ask, but has anyone got some recommendations on what I should play next?

[kyrt]

 

Not sure if it's the right place to ask, but has anyone got some recommendations on what I should play next?

[Nerathim]

You might like Ayakashibito, since it's chuuni too you should try it. Sadly the music isn't as good and varied as Comyu's but it's very catchy imo.

[Kosakyun]

 

Haha, I'm not sure if you've played G-senjou no Maou, but

That scene where Gasai tells Yoriko to go, is essentially the exact same at the end of Haru's route in G-senjou. The only difference is that the CG is reversed (Eg, Gasai on the Right/Yoriko on the left compared to MC on the Left and Haru on the right in G-senjou).

I liked that scene though

[Nosebleed]

Yeah i'm completely done with this VN, really don't feel the will to play it anymore, what a shame I was having so fun with it, but like with all VNs, I just lose all will before I even finish one route because a one day break is all it takes for me to completely lose interest for some reason.

 

I'll probably come back to it in like 10 years (as soon as I finish all the others in the same situation).

 

Benio was best grill though so that's nice, the VN was really good too for how much I managed to care for it, but in the end I just burned out, as usual.

 

Maybe next time if the VN is less than 30 hours long I'll give it a go, but right now this is just too long and I don't feel like investing my time in it, despite how good it is.

 

RIP in pepperoni Comyu (for now at least)

[TehRealOne]

Yeah i'm completely done with this VN, really don't feel the will to play it anymore, what a shame I was having so fun with it, but like with all VNs, I just lose all will before I even finish one route because a one day break is all it takes for me to completely lose interest for some reason.

 

I'll probably come back to it in like 10 years (as soon as I finish all the others in the same situation).

 

Benio was best grill though so that's nice, the VN was really good too for how much I managed to care for it, but in the end I just burned out, as usual.

 

Maybe next time if the VN is less than 30 hours long I'll give it a go, but right now this is just too long and I don't feel like investing my time in it, despite how good it is.

 

RIP in pepperoni Comyu (for now at least)

Everyone has their own circumstances, it's fine, as long as one day you come back to finish it.

[Fred the Barber]

Finished Heroine 3's route:

Very sweet, but I really wish it had no H-scenes. Also, the tie-in with K's comyu was super weak. I was expecting some surprise link like "Amakuni is actually K's connector!", which would've been nicely symmetrical with Herm and Mayuki, but no... they were just random weird dudes who had an explicable beef with Yuuna. I wouldn't exactly call it unrealized potential, so much as an artificial infusion of action into a story that probably would've been better without it.

 

Since I only said two words that were positive, and the rest negative, I should clarify that I really, really liked that route. It was easily the most fun route so far, and it had a more satisfying ending than Benio's route, almost on par with Hisoka's (did I get her name right?) neutral ending. I usually prefer the more emotionally "everyday" flavor of seriousness, like Mayuki had, rather than the epic dramatic seriousness of a route like Hisoka's or Benio's.

 

On to Heroine 4!... maybe. I only have ~1.5 days left to play before I'm out for a week, so maybe I should just put off starting with Heroine 4 until I get back.

[Lexyvil]

I really want to join this reading club but I already got two visual novels on hold/to finish first. ;~;.

Clannad and Swan Song.

[Kosakyun]

On to Heroine 4!... maybe. I only have ~1.5 days left to play before I'm out for a week, so maybe I should just put off starting with Heroine 4 until I get back.

 

Don't stall it. Heroine 4's route is at most 4 hours long. It's incredibly short lol. You won't realize that it already ended. It felt like a fanservice route, imo.

 

What'd everyone think of Kagome's route?  It was my favorite.  Kinda felt like the definitive route to me.

 

I have the same opinion. It was easily the best out of the five. While I may have loved the flavor that Mayuki's route had, Kagome's route was just too good to not surpass Mayuki's. Everyday life was, of course, thrown away, but god I just can't explain it. Everything was awesome in Kagome's route. I just. People who've read the route will understand.

 

The end was also nice in that route. Though it's kinda sad that he wasn't able to preserve his normal, peaceful everyday life.

[Turnip Sensei]

Are we still taking about first impressions? 

 

What'd everyone think of Kagome's route?  It was my favorite.  Kinda felt like the definitive route to me.

In terms of quality and content, yes Kagome's route was the best. It was most extensive and showed light on the previous mysteries. Still the conclusion wasn't as specific as I would have wanted it to be.

 

But still, my personal favorite is Hisoka's route. It hit on the right spots for me. It was the darkest and the characters felt most alive in that one. You also might have heard my praises for the ending, but that ending was the best I've read in a while.

[Kosakyun]

Please tell me you aren't talking about the good end   I thought Hisoka's route itself was okay, but it was blown out of the water by the bad/normal end, whatever you want to call it.  Wasn't quite on the level of G-senjou's bad ends, but it was quite the feels injection.

 

I thought it was decided that the neutral end was better.

[Kurokusari]

Almost seems like they were setting it up for a sequel (not gonna hold my breath, though).  I was also thinking that it was the most epic of them all, and really made a good ending to the VN.

 

Please tell me you aren't talking about the good end   I thought Hisoka's route itself was okay, but it was blown out of the water by the bad/normal end, whatever you want to call it.  Wasn't quite on the level of G-senjou's bad ends, but it was quite the feels injection.

A sequel would be good. Although something with just the same setting could also work out.

 

I had more pity rather than feels in G-senjou's bad ends. That and a bit of anger for the MC.. Like whut are you doing?

I thought it was decided that the neutral end was better.

It's more of a unanimous decision haha

Well the good end didn't have that much impact tbh. It's pretty hard to believe that a few lines in the ending could make the route this good.

[Turnip Sensei]

Almost seems like they were setting it up for a sequel (not gonna hold my breath, though).  I was also thinking that it was the most epic of them all, and really made a good ending to the VN.

 

Please tell me you aren't talking about the good end   I thought Hisoka's route itself was okay, but it was blown out of the water by the bad/normal end, whatever you want to call it.  Wasn't quite on the level of G-senjou's bad ends, but it was quite the feels injection.

I almost feel like refusing the existence of the good end, it was that disappointing. 

 

I want a sequel/fan disk

Where Akihito&Co. are going around as superheroes. They had that set up already in the ending.

[Kosakyun]

Well the good end didn't have that much impact tbh. It's pretty hard to believe that a few lines in the ending could make the route this good.

 

It basically disregarded the fact that people couldn't be saved from stampedes. Or that Hisoka was stampeding. Or that the situation was increasingly desperate. That was utterly unimaginable, Noiz reconnecting to Nomad after being able to survive whatever happened to him and then dying because lol. I can accept Kagome's case because she's special. Hisoka's was very luck-based, and felt really forced. Wow, so she was saved because her other partner came and reconnected after the avatar stampeded? Wat. Well, it's the creator's world. So he can do whatever he wants.

[Kurokusari]

It basically disregarded the fact that people couldn't be saved from stampedes. Or that Hisoka was stampeding. Or that the situation was increasingly desperate. That was utterly unimaginable, Noiz reconnecting to Nomad after being able to survive whatever happened to him and then dying because lol. I can accept Kagome's case because she's special. Hisoka's was very luck-based, and felt really forced. Wow, so she was saved because her other partner came and reconnected after the avatar stampeded? Wat. Well, it's the creator's world. So he can do whatever he wants.

Well at least they didn't use some sort of convenient magic. This was is a bit more believable albeit really luck-based as you said. I already forgot the mechanics of how avatars work so I can't give a more convincing explanation on this one. But did Noiz really die when he was supposed to be have been 

killed? I do remember something like he made it in the nick of time but that's more of a miracle since he died right after saving Hisoka. Well it also works somewhere along the lines of redemption so I was fine with that miraculous ending.

 

But bad end still best woot.

[TehRealOne]

Noiz got shot and his connection to Nomad broken. 

Doesn't that mean he was dead?

But then he comes back to life?

That is the only thing that I have against Hisoka's route.

 

But Mayu Mayu is still best route, Kagaome's might have been suspenseful, intriguing and exciting but I prefer the kinda half normal life style, half school protagonist part of Mayuki's route.

To better explain, its how it has casualness(Not seen in Benio's, Hisoka's and Kagaome's) but some actual action and plot(Unlike Ayaya's).  

[Fred the Barber]

Noiz got shot and his connection to Nomad broken. 

Doesn't that mean he was dead?

But then he comes back to life?

That is the only thing that I have against Hisoka's route.

 

Well, "dead" is a pretty tricky concept to nail down, and it's unclear exactly what makes or breaks the connection to an avatar. For instance, if someone is asleep, is it possible for them to "load in"? Perhaps not. Not trying to make some deep point here or argue about details, but rather, I'm just saying there are enough unexplained elements that I can let this explanation slide.

 

Anyway, I wrapped up Heroine 4's route today, and will pick up with Heroine 5 next week. I might reread the whole common route first... we'll see how I feel after a week away from the game.

 

I don't really have much to say about Heroine 4 - it was mostly sweet, though that second H scene was... weird. One thing that made me happy about both Heroine 3 and Heroine 4 routes was the heavy use of the best BGM song I've heard in the game so far. I'd previously thought it was being really underutilized, since I'd only heard it once or twice, but after those two routes I realized they were just saving it for the right moments, since it came up all the time:

[TehRealOne]

. One thing that made me happy about both Heroine 3 and Heroine 4 routes was the heavy use of the best BGM song I've heard in the game so far. I'd previously thought it was being really underutilized, since I'd only heard it once or twice, but after those two routes I realized they were just saving it for the right moments, since it came up all the time:

I concur

[Kurokusari]

But that's why they were so awesome!  Bad ends aren't bad unless they're fucked up, in my opinion.  Having the protag/heroine die randomly gets kinda old.  Anyway...[/tangent]

 

What I liked best about it was

the part where Akihito is pretending that she's not in a coma, and that she's agreeing to marry him.  I knew that it wasn't really happening, since we all knew that you can't un-stampede someone (unless you're Kagome and overpowered as hell), and the contrast between reality and what he wanted reality to be was just so heartwrenching.  It was also one of the few times Kagome suppressed her true personality in order to help Akihito, and that also had a pretty big effect on me, since we all know how selfish Kagome is.

  That ending really made me wish there were more bad/neutral ends in Comyu; bit of a shame there's only one, really.

Well they are called bad ends so making them slightly less than good wouldn't cut it. Still, I didn't like 'em. Grisaia's bad ends are also screwed up but I'll stop here.

 

Stahp the feels. I think it being the only one in the whole VN also makes it count. If they put up more neutral/bad ends then it might feel less special imo.

[Nimbus]

I'll give my final thoughts on Comyu now. Before you read let me pre-empt all the replies to this by telling you to mentally add the phrase "but it's better in the final route" at the end of all of my criticism.

 

Comyu is perhaps the most disappointing vn I have ever read, not because it's bad but because it could've been so much more than what we've been given. What I mean by this is that we have been given an amazing and fascinating world but Comyu doesn't do anything with it. We see practically none of Caesar's Legion beside Caesar himself (and even he is underused), we get very little insight in the practical side of the Round Table and We don't even see much of The System. Comyu spends so much time on slice-of-life stuff that we don't get to see enough of Comyu's unique world. Don't get me wrong, the slice of life stuff is still good and entertaining but if given the choice between reading about a "super-detective's" school life and a giant metallic black dragon I'm inclined to choose the latter. If I were to equate it to anything it would be those First Person Shooter where in the final level there is mass carnage and a huge exciting battle going on in the background but the player is only tangentially related to it.

So what did I like? If I'm honest, just bout everything else. Characters were definitely Comyu's strongest point for me, it is home to some of my favourite side-characters such as Izawa, Haru, Gasia and Tainwen. That being said there were a few misses with characters. I've already my opinion on Kogame (very monotone) and I found Akihito wasn't very likeable he was a hypocrite, I didn't care for his particular ideologies and he was a little inconsistent. Mayuki was my favourite heroine because reasons (and yes I understand the irony of liking her the most when she best personifies my first complaint).

The fight's between avatars were incredible. the writers nailed the imagery and succeeded in making me picture the fights in my mind, though it would've been nice if the avatar sprites matched what was being told. The soundtrack was also really good, I never found it boring or repetitive so that's a plus in and of itself.

Overall I really enjoyed Comyu and was glad I replayed it. But it could've been so much more.
I may have forgotten to mention something so feel free to ask my opinions on anything I missed.

[Kosakyun]

Well, "dead" is a pretty tricky concept to nail down, and it's unclear exactly what makes or breaks the connection to an avatar. For instance, if someone is asleep, is it possible for them to "load in"? Perhaps not. Not trying to make some deep point here or argue about details, but rather, I'm just saying there are enough unexplained elements that I can let this explanation slide.

 

I thought that whenever you were in range of your avatar to be loaded in, you're automatically loaded in. Though I'm not really sure about that since there isn't any scenario where I can compare your hypothetical situation to. Consciousness might be a factor in being loaded in, yes, because you control your avatar based on each of your wills. I would think that you'd need to be conscious to actually provide a will for the avatar to load in. I'm trying to think of something to prove that point. But at the moment, I can't think of anything.

 

I still cannot find a valid explanation for whatever Noiz did to reestablish his connection. I was thinking that his heart stopped momentarily though, leading whatever's controlling the connections to think that he's dead, breaking the connection. 

 

The fight's between avatars were incredible. the writers nailed the imagery and succeeded in making me picture the fights in my mind,

though it would've been nice if the avatar sprites matched what was being told. The soundtrack was also really good, I never found it boring or repetitive so that's a plus in and of itself.

 

That was probably my biggest complaint, if there were any. 

[TehRealOne]

I'll give my final thoughts on Comyu now. Before you read let me pre-empt all the replies to this by telling you to mentally add the phrase "but it's better in the final route" at the end of all of my criticism.

 

Comyu is perhaps the most disappointing vn I have ever read, not because it's bad but because it could've been so much more than what we've been given. What I mean by this is that we have been given an amazing and fascinating world but Comyu doesn't do anything with it. We see practically none of Caesar's Legion beside Caesar himself (and even he is underused), we get very little insight in the practical side of the Round Table and We don't even see much of The System. Comyu spends so much time on slice-of-life stuff that we don't get to see enough of Comyu's unique world. Don't get me wrong, the slice of life stuff is still good and entertaining but if given the choice between reading about a "super-detective's" school life and a giant metallic black dragon I'm inclined to choose the latter. If I were to equate it to anything it would be those First Person Shooter where in the final level there is mass carnage and a huge exciting battle going on in the background but the player is only tangentially related to it.

So what did I like? If I'm honest, just bout everything else. Characters were definitely Comyu's strongest point for me, it is home to some of my favourite side-characters such as Izawa, Haru, Gasia and Tainwen. That being said there were a few misses with characters. I've already my opinion on Kogame (very monotone) and I found Akihito wasn't very likeable he was a hypocrite, I didn't care for his particular ideologies and he was a little inconsistent. Mayuki was my favourite heroine because reasons (and yes I understand the irony of liking her the most when she best personifies my first complaint).

The fight's between avatars were incredible. the writers nailed the imagery and succeeded in making me picture the fights in my mind, though it would've been nice if the avatar sprites matched what was being told. The soundtrack was also really good, I never found it boring or repetitive so that's a plus in and of itself.

Overall I really enjoyed Comyu and was glad I replayed it. But it could've been so much more.

I may have forgotten to mention something so feel free to ask my opinions on anything I missed.

I guess a reason why they focused on ordinary life quite a bit was because the MC didn't exactly want to have an extra-ordinary life, 

I remember that Ahikito came back to Takakura city to escape from killing his mother's murderer and live out an ordinary life(quote: "To not make anymore connections")

But yeah, the whole comyu world was left mostly unexplored, and the sprites were really misleading. 

[Nimbus]

Have to admit, reading that various avatars lost limbs, only to see their sprites unaffected in any way kinda bugged me, although I understand why they didn't have damaged sprites for each and every fight.  Still kid of disappointing, though.

It is a bit of a stretch to demand they change sprites for ever fight so I guess it's a compromise we have to make.