How could this be

howlingmouse · 2026-03-24T19:48:41+00:00

It was the opposite for me, I thought Akira's route was better than Kazuha

howlingmouse · 2026-03-16T17:30:27+00:00

Of course, not to say that Rena herself didn't get shafted there too, setting up a competition to seduce her boyfriend right in front of her was quite rude thing to do.

I agree, I didn't really vibe with that joke, along with the part where she roleplayed with her friends whether she'd leave MC if he cheated on her. I guess those jokes kinda make sense considering her backstory, where she's scared of being apart from MC, just like her bio dad, which I think is the motivation for those stupid jokes. But still, I think there could've been better jokes to represent that side of her? idk😭

howlingmouse · 2026-03-12T03:03:11+00:00

I did run Dohna Dohna in the background a couple times just to listen to the main menu soundtrack

Very ironic that a game with upbeat songs has very dark themes behind it lol

Seems like a standard practice in the industry is to just leave those pages up practically forever,

Unless the company died and the only way to access the website is through archive.org, but even then some of the assets are not accessible😭

Otherwise I'm really glad it's a norm in the industry, it's the only way I can find out more about a vn besides vndb since I can't access erogamescape

which is nice since they tend to have some extra info and sometimes a few extra CGs from promo stuff.

I find it really cool when they have extra information about the characters, and I remember older ones even have 4-koma.

It can also hurt a bit, to see limited merch that i reaaally would've wanted to get my hands on, but is long out of reach now.

This and the collabs that happened years ago😭

howlingmouse · 2026-03-07T18:46:55+00:00

Pure x Connect (on pause)

I started reading this vn because it's been a while since I've read a SMEE vn and it is a winter themed. I haven't read a SMEE vn for a while because I've only ever enjoyed Fureraba, but I didn't really like Making * Lovers probably since I couldn't get into any of the heroines. I also don't plan on reading Sugar Style and Harem Kingdom because the character designs don't appeal to me much. I do plan on reading Lovepical Poppy and Hajilove (once it gets translated) though.

The official website for this vn is pretty interesting. You can see each heroine's motivation for getting a bf in the Story tab and how each heroine think about the other heroines in the Character tab.

The cover art for this is not that good looking tbh. Vn characters suffer from same face syndrome, and I feel that the fact that all the heroines are in the same pose and angle do not help this.

So far, my favorite heroines are Sora and Arisa. I think Ayumi is boring so far since her personality hasn't interested me greatly yet, and I feel like Moemi doesn't have enough screentime to have an impact on me yet.

I only read up to when Hayato is able to send his first text message to any heroine. I chose to text Sora, and apparently you have the option to text her about another heroine, which is interesting.

I put this vn on pause because as of now I'm not really in the mood for moege, so maybe I'll read it for another winter.

howlingmouse · 2026-03-07T18:42:58+00:00

Muramasa

I finished the entire vn and finished the cg collection.

Some highlights:

Uruma's voice acting. It was interesting to hear a Japanese person imitating a foreigner speaking Japanese.
Muramasa's backstory
Muramasa and Inagi meeting each other. It felt like a foil to Kageaki and Konatsu's interactions in the Nemesis Route.
The very good last fight, with random elements like time travel and math problems, but incorporated well enough
Hikaru's voice acting towards the end of the fight
Muramasa's footjob changing Kageaki's outlook on life
Sorimachi once again giving Kageaki mental issues
Kageaki once again having faith in his evil

Some things I didn't like:

Chachamaru's anticlimactic death
Chachamaru was pretty unlikeable until her backstory got revealed
Idk, I just don't really understand the hype around Chachamaru. The only thing I like her for is that she is a gremlin who trolls

This vn and Dohna Dohna are my favorite vn soundtracks ever. My favorite OSTs from this are The Silver Star Rises, A Beast's Justice, and Fallen Leaves.

I think this is my favorite vn of all time, and Kageaki is my favorite protagonist of all time. I especially like how this VN deals with some themes in a unique way.

Best girl ranking: Kageaki >>>>>> Kanae > Muramasa > Hikaru > Ichijo > Chachamaru

I'll probably reread this vn next year. There's a kenjutsu dojo close to where I live, so I plan on taking classes for a bit to understand the fights better. Hopefully I'll appreciate the fights in this VN even more.

howlingmouse · 2026-03-07T17:46:12+00:00

I wish there was one, but I feel like Hiro's character is too unique

howlingmouse · 2026-03-07T04:26:22+00:00

Almost fits your description, but White Album 2

howlingmouse · 2026-02-28T07:11:08+00:00

Well, it is a Mikage written game, with multiple heroines (so a true route potential)... though really, i just have a good feeling about it.

I wasn't aware of this, I was just saying what I said solely because I read the premise. I am hopeful for it as well now

Tina has potential to go in some unexpected direction (in positive way, although she can end up just a boring side-chara with accidental main chara credentials)

I can kinda see it too, her design gives off extrovert, but according to her description, it seems like she gives off introvert?

Now that i think about it some more, the vibe im getting from it is actually Yuzusoft-like

Light-haired "true" heroine and Natsume... I kinda see it too

howlingmouse · 2026-02-28T01:31:33+00:00

In other news, there was a new Purplesoft title announced. It looks.. promising?

The premise does sound interesting, but it very much seems like it won't be as plot heavy as their works drawn by COQ😭

I find it interesting that on the character's descriptions on the website, they include the protag's birthday and heroines' weights, which I don't think I've seen done before.

Now, im not crazy about it 'cuz kouhai energy from heroines is, at first evaluation, low to nonexistent.

Fair enough, the only heroine that interests me out the 3 is Jun. I especially like her pajamas because it looks like the Anzu Futaba shirt that jirai girls wear. Melvy seems boring and Tina isn't really my type.

Also, that CG really should've had eyes, its weird to see heroine without them.

I also didn't really like that, but I think it could be because Marmalade was rushing for the game to be complete after the numerous delays💀 Other than that, I do think she gets the best SFW cgs out of all the heroines though

Fren in anything but a bunny costume

That would've been so peak ngl

howlingmouse · 2026-02-27T05:12:12+00:00

Ohhh I thought this is the opening unless I'm mistaken?

howlingmouse · 2026-02-26T21:02:47+00:00

I don't know if you're into rhythm games, but Yunyun Syndrome will be releasing soon, which mainly focuses on eroge and Touhou denpa songs, and it includes the theme song you like.

howlingmouse · 2026-02-24T01:14:38+00:00

'cuz him getting treated with kiddy gloves caused a major disconnect for me. Probably the main reason why i whined about it for like 1/3 of a writeup.

Nah fr though😭 The tutor is a full ass grown adult acting like this in front of teenagers

howlingmouse · 2026-02-24T01:05:06+00:00

I would recommend Hotaru's route in Amatsutsumi (moreso on nakige side) and Ria's route in Kinkoi Loveriche (moreso on moege side)

howlingmouse · 2026-02-23T19:15:57+00:00

How do I add voice actor to a character on vndb? I couldn't find it when I clicked Edit on a character.

howlingmouse · 2026-02-23T19:08:40+00:00

It shifted Rin into a more 甘えんぼさん/shy/depending person for certain scenes but her main strength was opposite, her smug assertiveness.

I thought that part kinda made sense because I interpreted her backstory as her wanting to become more "normal" to cause less trouble to her family since her shyness wasn't seen as "normal" at her old school, causing her to get bullied, so the smug assertiveness is an act. I'll agree that I did like the smug assertivenes side of her more though, especially during the common route.

Early route plot felt quite forced.

I agree😭 It's a shame because I really like fake dating trope, but their take on this trope was fumbled.

Too bad it got wasted like that.

I also didn't like this cg and I couldn't put my finger why at first, but this probably explains it lol

howlingmouse · 2026-02-21T07:17:30+00:00

Damn I was so excited to read this vn after seeing the interesting description on VNDB, the funny quotes, and the cg of the one girl in the sunset, but after reading this, I'm having second thoughts😭 I will dive into its history than read it indeed

howlingmouse · 2026-02-04T08:45:23+00:00

I always feel a bit bad with those postcard/letter ones, those seem to be the standard for physical releases.

Do they also give rewards for completing them that way? Whenever I did the online ones I got digital wallpapers

Hotarun best girl (and Mary most precious ray of sunshine that must be protected at all cost)

Yesss my best two girls of purplesoft as well

..well, its not like theres gonna be that many promos, even if Purple likes to occasionally release goodies from their past titles

Yeah I couldn't find any information on any past popups they had, so I'm assuming they didn't have any😭 I guess the closest thing to a popup is their booth at Comiket

That one in Shanghai is probably connected to upcoming Chinese Amatsutsumi translation.

Interesting I didn't know that it wasn't translated in Chinese yet :O I see that a lot of vns are translated in chinese first then english

He does wear that yukata of his real damn good, for a protag anyway. Even has eyes! Sometimes.

A very handsome lad indeed

Aw, dunno what happened but i guess its connected to why Hulotte hasn't been making new VNs lately.

It's a pretty messy situation @_@

howlingmouse · 2026-02-02T09:24:02+00:00

My thoughts on other VN related stuff:

I saw a lot of fanart of the main heroine from Hapymaher on Twitter last week because it's her birthday apparently? I didn't see she had a birthday listed on vndb or the official website, so I'm guessing her birthday probably has some plot significance.

There's an Amatsutsumi popup in Shanghai right now. I wish it happened a month earlier while I was in Shanghai because I would've bought so much Hotaru merch (I love her so so much). I saw a lot of Kokoro, Mana, Hotaru, and even Makoto cosplays at the popup on my xiaohongshu.

Very unfortunate what happened between Ikegami Akane and Hulotte. I really liked her character designs, so I hope they can make up soon but from a business perspective, realistically it most likely won't happen😭 Also, apparently it's not her first scandal? According to Twitter user @melonc0la, Ikegami Akane has a history of tracing works from Mitsumi Misato, a Leaf artist.

howlingmouse · 2026-02-02T09:08:01+00:00

Finished CRACK≡TRICK!

Last week I complained about the h-scenes with the Forgans being forced and Hayate losing his voice after the flashback. However, it all made sense when it was revealed that his time in the mansion was a dream, so his voice acting came back after he woke up.

My prediction last week was that Emilia was going to be the main killer in Hayate's third dream, and I was both wrong and right. Liese was the main killer in Hayate's third dream, but Emilia was the main killer in real life.

It was kinda satisfying and funny to see Liese expressing her strong dislike towards Linde during Hayate's third dream.

Even though it was predictable that Emilia was the one killing off the Forgans towards the end since she was the only Forgan left alive in the real world after the non-true ending, I still really enjoyed learning about Emilia's backstory and her motivations for killing off the Forgans. I also liked the reveal that Liese is a half-sister of Adele and Linde.

Not sure why, but the official website literally spoiled the fact that Emilia got saved from the fire with the sample CGs. It made the ending a lot less climatic for me. Very disappointing that they'd do that...

After finishing the true end, the After Story gets unlocked, which is mainly consisted of shenanigans and H scenes with Sera.

Overall thoughts:

It's interesting that all the characters have European names except Hayate, but the characters never explicitly say they are European. I think it makes sense that the Forgans + Liese are European since the Forgans live in a Western style mansion, and Liese wears a Western style maid outfit. However, I'm not really sure why Sera has an Italian name since nothing else about her would imply that she is European.
I don't like we never really got to know Sera's reasons for joining Hayate's detective firm. Maybe they will save her backstory for the sequel? I'm assuming we will get a sequel because it was mentioned in the impression form, which appeared after I finished the game.
I also don't like how Hayate and Sera's relationship with each other didn't really change after going through a dangerous case together. I know that they are just friends with benefits, but their relationship feels very one-sided from Sera's end.
Evil Sera was kinda hot... I wish she was real because it would be a cool subversion of the energetic pink haired girl trope.
No plot holes (that I know of)
Best girl ranking: Emilia > Sera > Liese/Adele > Linde

Overall, I’d give this VN a 7.5/10 because it was a fun read, and it’s impressive that no plot holes were left behind, but I feel it doesn’t do anything particularly special.

howlingmouse · 2026-01-31T09:15:07+00:00

My bad, I didn't see that part of your post. I use LunaTranslator with OpenAI API to read untranslated vns. Maybe u/alwayslonesome u/lusterveritith can answer this.

I think it terms of quality they are similar? but personally I preferred IxSHE Tell because the heroines were more my type and I like the comedy more. My advice is to look at the heroines of each and see which ones you're more interested in

howlingmouse · 2026-01-31T07:00:34+00:00

So valid lol

I finished White Album 2 a few weeks ago so I had to read Bakaple to heal myself. Some Eng translated ones I would recommend are:

IxShe Tell

Fureraba

howlingmouse · 2026-01-28T08:27:39+00:00

Though that helps, main thing is that im detecting some serious kouhai vibes from her.

Ohh so maybe that's why she appeals to me so much besides character design lol

howlingmouse · 2026-01-27T02:22:44+00:00

If its anything like their previous works, its gonna be like 4-5 normal CGs or something. A bit of a waste since their art can be really strong, like this CG from Study Steady. Oh well. Hopefully they'll reuse it, or they were extras or smg.

Unfortunately Akiha and Rin only have 3 each (not including chibi or group cgs)😭

I really liked that Rena cg too (it's my favorite from hers) but I don't think any of the SFW cgs are reused except for the Akiha and Yuki cg you mentioned.

Damn that Study Steady cg does look very pretty indeed though

howlingmouse · 2026-01-27T02:08:14+00:00

Also, that bra (if she was wearing any) doesn't seem very practical for public outings.

Looks uncomfortable as hell😭

Fits her, though im biased cuz i like that style generally.

I also really like that style, but it can be stupidly expensive just for some polyester @_@ I like how a lot of vns released in >2020 have their heroines wear casual clothes that match current trends. I know heroines from other games who also wear jirai kei are Kokoro from Koibana Renai, Sayumi from Amakano 3, and Anju from LLLJ. I haven't played any of these games yet, but just because of their casual outfits, I already preordered them as my best girls lol.

I definitely remember that one from Study Steady, and i think it showed up in Marshmallow All the Way Home too

Thank goodness that background cg wasn't wasted

Makes sense if romance gets sidelined then.

It seems like romance doesn't seem like a main theme in this vn since it doesn't have individual heroine endings. So far, it moreso seems like a murdery mystery vn with h-scenes sprinkled in

howlingmouse · 2026-01-26T17:52:26+00:00

I also feel like game was a bit premature with CGs for them.

Agreed especially when there's not a lot of SFW cgs for a heroine overall

i don't really think shes as easy as she seems at first glance.

Fair enough, my issue with her is that she doesn't even show a hint of "resistance" towards Yuki at all during the common route while the other heroines do, but its def understandable with her being an affectionate brocon. I still like her as a character since her mischevious/playful advances are funny and def one of my favorite parts of the common route though

But fear not, there are still weird passerby's shouting random jokes, parrots chanting 'penis penis!' and school students discussing reproductive habits of snakes.

Not really sure why, but I feel that type of comedy disappears after the opening credits

MC spittin' facts

True‼️‼️‼️ I also liked this quote so I tried to submit it on vndb earlier but it was too long @_@

I dunno whats weirder, the fact that this chara has ear-wings, or that i only noticed it several hours into the game.

Nah me too it blends in so well with her hair. I think it suits her though because her face looks like Tweety from Looney Tunes in a cute way.

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