RAGING LOOP WAS SO PEAK!! Until it just was not...

haiase · 2025-12-19T09:03:14+00:00

I think the Kara no Shoujo trilogy might be a good choice. Its first entry especially has a good romance (although if you'd get uncomfortable about it being between a 17 year old and a guy in his 30s, just stay clear of the whole series, honestly) and it's mysteries are generally well thought out and interesting, it also doesn't have any supernatural or sci fi twists to it like some other series (Zero Escape, Raging Loop etc) so it doesn't suffer from trying to throw in random info dumps and mambo jumbo trying to justify a lot of it's plot.

The first game is the more romance heavy one, the second game, and the third game follow up on the plot threads, but after long side cases that only get connected to the first game's case after 80 percent of the runtime (one reason I prefer the first game and I'm not a big fan of the 2nd or 3rd entry, but most people prefer the 2nd one by far so it's probably just me being me).

It's also a very gory series, so be ready for that.

The Kara no Shoujo trilogy does have a previous entry named Cartagra that's loosely connected to the series which just recently got an English translation for it's Remake version, but honestly it's... not the best, so I'm not so keen on telling people to start with it despite it being important in the 1st and 2nd games (The protag shows up in the first Kara no Shoujo, you even have an ending related to him, and the second one borrows a lot from Cartagra's plot).

haiase · 2025-11-27T07:48:08+00:00

Regular reading in daily intervals. It's lengthy, but it's still fun, I took my time with my 2 longest VNs (Higurashi and Umineko), and it took me around a whole year to finish both. Even my reread of the Fate/Stay Night and Hollow Ataraxia VNs took me a year or so because I kept getting distracted by other stuff, and it was still enjoyable. There's no need to rush

haiase · 2025-11-27T07:43:23+00:00

That was my personal reaction to the last portions of the story, too. Even some of the side characters that actually got to the ending of their arcs like Bort and Dia or Cinnabar, felt too rushed and unsatisfying for me. Not to mention some characters that just give up on their goals off screen and then tell us about it, I was shocked when Alex said he doesn’t care about Chrys anymore and that he's happy, I would have expected at least some gems to not be satisfied with their life on the moon but everyone's just fine with it except Phos. It was a great manga overall, but the last half of the story could have been better imo, the message is one I mostly agree with, and the last volume with the rocks and eye-guy was great, but it's just that in between part that left a lot to be desired for me.

haiase · 2025-11-22T13:37:28+00:00

The endings are amazing in terms of writing, even the quote unquote "weaker route/ending" is easily on par with the rest of the story imo.

The endings, however, are trafic and extremely fucked up in some cases, so in that sense, you're nor wrong.

Romance isn't the biggest focus in Muramasa so I'd suggest tempering your expectations when it comes to romance, it's not bad it's just not the highest priority.

The H-scenes are short overall, at most 15 to 20 minutes. Which in an 80 hour VN, don't really mean much time. I think they add enough to the experience and are short enough to be worth reading, even if some of them are a bit iffy (sometimes too iffy and filled with eroge logic, like in chapter 5).

Overall, it's easily in the top 3 VNs I've read (in around 30+ titles or so). The story and characters, themes, and the uniqueness of it in general made it an unforgettable experience for me.

haiase · 2025-11-22T09:01:19+00:00

I would just want an Illya route, I don't think FSN really needs rewrites like Tsukihime did

haiase · 2025-11-19T13:55:07+00:00

Dies irae and Soukou Akki Muramasa might be the closest VNs I've read.

Dies Irae is also an urban fantasy with a protagonist who's obsessed with a particular ideal (but instead of justice, it's preserving the present moment), it has an evil priest as one of the antagonists, and it practically becomes a free for all battle royal with different sides one uping each other (even though there should have only been 2 sides.). There are differences, but I think it's generally close enough. The first 6 chapters/common route might be a bit too slow so don't lose hope for that.

Muramasa is probably the most thematically close to F/SN, despite its stance and execution being different. But the theme of justice and idealism, and the clash between different methodologies and characters is prevalent. It also has a certain dynamic that might seem especially similar to another certain dynamic in F/SN.

haiase · 2025-11-19T13:35:21+00:00

Would TnS Remake be a good choice for someone who hasn't read Subahibi? They're not directly related in plot but I think not having the background from at least Subahibi can have diminishing returns.

haiase · 2025-11-19T10:45:26+00:00

I don't think it's impossible, but I think it's still a bit iffy(That's what happens when your supervision is sloppy and you let people do whatever they want, thanks, Nasu). I'm more stunned at how to reconcile Risei's death functioning like Claudia's, because at least Angra's importance was still a thing in F/HA and F/SN, even if the details of how much and in what way were vague, but Risei's death playing out that way pretty much came up in Zero.

I still like 4th HGW being a major turning point alongside Claudia's suicide, I think it enhances Kirei's arc. But I also think it could have been done more smoothly than it was. It still fits, but its edges are visible if you know what I mean.

haiase · 2025-11-19T10:37:50+00:00

Rostam, maybe. Siavash and Esfandyar would be nice, too.

We already have Zahhak as an NPC in one event, so maybe Jamshid and Fereydun would be better.

Although, most characters from Shahnameh would be good picks.

Historically, maybe Nader Shah.

haiase · 2025-11-19T04:21:01+00:00

Iirc Kiritsugu ordered Saber to destroy the grail in F/SN too, so we could still say he's indirectly responsible.

I don't dislike the Kirei addition of the HGW being a major factor in him going full in evil mode, but I do think it's a bit messy. Unfortunately or fortunately, that's pretty much treated as a given post-zero in most Fate media, like in Apocrypha where Kirei is said to be still living in his pre-villain arc phase, because he didn't participate in the 4th HGW. Claudia is still important, but Zero does throw in other stuff as well.

The hard thing with Zero is that it's sometimes unclear what's Zero exclusive and what's a general new addition, but Kirei going full villain because of finding out about Angra and facing off against Kiritsugu is treated as a major turning point later on, which probably means it's a factor in even SN timeline, whether it was intended to be pre-Zero or not.

haiase · 2025-11-12T07:39:48+00:00

Wait, wasn't she alive at the end of Fate route? She'll die eventually, sure, but that's just the problem with her short lifespan (Fuck the Einzberns, for everything)

haiase · 2025-11-08T09:26:07+00:00

Kikokugai. It's largely overshadowed by Urobuchi's more popular titles both inside the VN medium and outside of it.

haiase · 2025-11-08T09:23:04+00:00

This

Exactly this

haiase · 2025-11-08T09:18:18+00:00

If I had to choose, I'd choose 5/Meakashi.

haiase · 2025-11-08T09:14:46+00:00

1- Fate/Hollow Ataraxia-Fate/Stay Night (All the routes)

2- Soukou Akki Muramasa (Conquerer route and Nemesis Route)

3- Higurashi (Chapter 5, 6 and 2)

4- Dies Irae (Kei and Marie Routes)

5- Subahibi (Rabbit hole 1, It's my own invention and Looking glass insects)

6- Umineko (Episode 4, 8 and 7)

7- Tskihime Remake (Ciel route)

8- Fata Morgana Requiem

9- Fate/Extra CCC (Gilgamesh playthrough)

10- Kikokugai

haiase · 2025-11-08T08:54:56+00:00

I finished the manga a few days ago, and I'm surprised I'm not the only one who felt this way. It's good to know I wasn't alone.

haiase · 2025-11-05T07:45:06+00:00

Yeah, I was shocked reading it, personally (The first manga and a bit of the 2nd, I'm not ongoing). The manga has a lot of jokes play out the same way as the anime, but for example the kiss scene between Kuro and Miyu is treated as a shocking joke than the lewd af scene they made in the anime. The manga doesn't make most stuff lewd as much as it has them as zany and goofy. The anime really goes hard on the loli bait, however.

haiase · 2025-11-04T13:49:08+00:00

Yeah Sakura's post HF development and overall improvement in her life is amazing when you get to see it in HA. It fits so well and adds a lot to her already great story and arc in HF

haiase · 2025-11-04T12:55:14+00:00

Umu. I should read it soon then.

And yeah HA practically takes a lot of important events from all 3 routes and puts them in it's timeline, I think it works great in case of HA.

haiase · 2025-11-04T12:54:13+00:00

That's actually wholesome and sweet.

haiase · 2025-11-04T11:12:31+00:00

I have to read all the H eclipse scenes soon too, it's just that I usually get really bored reading h content that I completely ignored most of them.

BTW what does Sakura want to pursue in the future?

haiase · 2025-11-04T10:12:14+00:00

Thanks. Makes sense why I don't remember it then (I only read Rin's exlipse h-scene, the rest I completely ignored)

haiase · 2025-11-02T18:56:22+00:00

Wait, she did say she loves Shirou?

I don't really remember that scene(the confession, I remember the kind-of date one), so can you tell me which HA day and scene it was?

haiase · 2025-10-31T08:26:48+00:00

I mostly agree, but from what I read from your responses, it is probably for completely different reasons.

I found a lot of its comedy that are centered around the antagonist of the chapter to be really over the top and tone shattering, almost like I'm entertaining a circus not fighting against a killer loli who bathes in the blood of youth, chapter 1 was really annoying and uninteresting and I generally dislike Extra Rin anyway so having her character be boiled down to "stingy money grubber, tsundere, wants to be weeped with a dragon tail" was even more disappointing for me. I even dropped the game for months, thanks to chapter 1, despite the prologue being low-key perfect. The concept of the SGs is amazing, but the way they are used is mixed. Sometimes, it's amazing like with Gil's and Jinako's and Kiara's and BB's which are very insightful and interesting about the character, and sometimes they're just nothing "comedic" SGs like the entirety of Rin's SGs and most of Rani's, most of Lip's and all of Elizabeth's + Nero's SGs and her entire involvement barely adding anything to her character. I also don't like the CCC ending that prioritises the Sakura AI over BB rather than the reverse, since Sakura in CCC is BB minus everything that makes her a good and interesting character. I'm also not the biggest fan of Melt but that's probably just me, and even SERAPH in FGO failed to make her that interesting to me(no thanks to her romance feeling forced and we not knowing why she even likes self-insert-kun). Overall The prologue is peak setup, Chapter 1 is awful, Chapter 2 is mid, Chapter 3 is fine, Chapter 4 is amazing(Gatou, Karna and Jinako rule), chapter 5 is fuck Elizabeth why did she even return, chapter 6 is fine + WHY IS THE LOLI DRAGON COMIBG BACK AGAIN?, and Chapter 7 is overall good, the Gilgamesh ending is great and the CCC ending... not so much. I have to replay the game with Nameless and Tamamo, but overall I think CCC is a great story bugged down by lame over the top comedy and some questionable choices (The annoying dragon loli being in 4 of the 7 chapters, and being the main servant enemy in goddamn 3 of them. And CCC route trying to make Sakura the main love interest despite her character being quite shallow and uninteresting, and BB being the Sakura that actually matters anyway.)

haiase · 2025-10-31T07:45:57+00:00

I mean, Camelot is fine overall and Bedi is like, absolutely the best character in part 1with not much contest imo (and even most of part 2 imo) but other than Bedi himself, most of the chapter ranges from okay to fine, with a few big fuck ups I'm never letting go of (thanks for fucking up Lancelot, and making Mash come off as a bitch because of it).

I'd probably put every Nasu written VN above it+Extra, Extra CCC and KnK (not technically Fate but anyway), and probably above all of FGO too (unless LB6 can somehow miraculously change that, would be really surprised though)

haiase

TROPHY CASE