Cross

Nope^^ He is pretty cool, but the real hero of Sharin no Kuni is Houzuki: I haven't played G Senjou yet, but I'm looking forward to it. As for the spoilers I always make the first sentence a spoiler warning, if somebody misses that, he'll probably won't read the text anyway.

Three Remarkable Protagonists – Part 1 By Cross (Beware of spoilers for Wanko to Kurasou) The primarily function of a protagonist in a Visual Novel is to be the avatar of the reader. Protagonists are our connection between the fictional world and reality, like ambassadors to the 2nd dimension. While immersing ourselves in the story parts of our consciousness and personality merge with those fictional characters to interact with the in-game universe. Unfortunately many protagonists are badly written losers or irrational lunatics, far away from compelling characters, but during my journeys through the realms of VNs I managed to find some remarkable examples of this species. Some protagonists are more than just extended control-devices, some are fascinating characters of their own, while still serving as the connection for the player. The following weeks I'll try to introduce some of those fine gentlemen. Yusa Yuuichi (Wanko to Kurasou) - Low-key Badass Have you played Wanko to Kurasou? It’s a VN about anthromorphic female dogs looking like little girls (Lolis with tails…). Starting from this concept a shitload of H-Scenes, Moe and simple drama hits you straight in the face. Wanko wouldn’t be different from many average VNs, if the protagonist wouldn’t save the day. You play as Yusa Yuuichi (only genuine with two “u”), a twenty-something living on his own. Yuuichi is a university student and in his free time he teaches some kids in a cram school (just call him Lord of the Lolis). Pretty standard, you think? Let’s go on. Later he takes care of a little dog-girl named Mikan and her owner Risa (who also happens to be a pubescent girl, what a coincidence!), while a Loli from his class and her (female) anthromorphic cat always visit him to play… Your typical protagonist would turn into Super Hentaiyan 4 with all the peeping, panty shots and nose bleeds following right after. What does Yuuichi do? He doesn’t give a shit at all. He looks responsibly after Mikan, helps Risa (who has some problems with her sexuality) to buy porn and gives his best to teach the kids at school. No horny almost-rapist here… Yuuichi is an orphan, raised in a brothel. He saw every shit the world has to offer. Sex is nothing special to him. You could describe him as a cold-hearted cynic, but that’s not the core of his personality, because he still respects the feelings of others and is willing to make sacrifices for the sake of his relationships. When mating season arrives and the animal-girls suffer from their primal urges he is ready to help them in every way possible (intimate healing…). Every other protagonist would grin like Muten Roshi while abusing those girls for his own fun, but Yuuichi is different. He really sleeps with them for their sake, not for his own pleasure. Yuuichi is like the Good Guy Greg of Visual Novels, putting all the Scumbag Steves to shame. As you may have noticed my headline also contains badass. This relates to the special ability of Yuuichi: his extremly strong manly pheromones (no joke). When he eats something spicy his sweat makes all the girls extra horny. Every other protagonist would immediately run around, grabbing girls and put their heads in his armpits. What does Yuuichi do? Taking a good long shower, not wanting to make his friends feel uncomfortable. This is inner strength on a Pai Mei level… He massages girls to orgasm, not wanting anything in return, pays large sums of money for the pet girls and basically lets a stranger live in his flat (even if she is a 16-year old girl). He is good-natured in so many ways, but at the same time he’s strong-willed and ready to take responsibility when shit hits the fan. Yuuichi makes the difference between Wanko and crappy Nukiges. With kind regards, your Cross PS: Expect the second part of this series (next) in two weeks! (If you can guess who it will be I’ll personally send you a bag of fictional cookies^^)

Saya no Uta is actually the most romantic VN I know.

Arcueid from Tsukihime is a lovable, naive airhead and a homicidal vampire at the same time. Trust me, you'll love her, too.

still Gar for Houzuki

Real Imouto ga Iru There can never be enough sister-routes.

Sharin no Kuni The game is really popular with the fans, so I cut the praising. Just take a look at this picture: I'm not gay, but if this guy would have a yaoi-route I would play it instantly. Houzuki is the baddest badass of all the VNs I played this far.

true dat aaaaaaaaaaaaa

That's one fine slice of life game, I enjoyed it pretty much.

Discovered 10 minute ago in my current playthrough. This brings me to a great idea for this thread: post a picture of your favorite crying scene!

Of course real life is a completely different matter. A real crying girl (if she doesn't abuse it) has problems that shouldn't be used for one's entertainment. That's why I love art. In fiction we get the good stuff without worrying for the crap that reality throws in our faces.

I never understood this logic. "Hey, let's start with the garbage, after that i'm motivated for the good stuff!" When I start with a bad route the risk that I don't like the game at all is high. When you start with Ciel you won't appreciate Arcueid as much due to all the repetitions. And that would be really,really sad...

Start with Arcueid. Her route is in my top 5 of BEST ROUTES EVAR. Ciel is kinda boring and Akiha is one of the few sister-characters I didn't like.

Weak girls are usually the best in VNs, but I agree that when a strong heroine cries it is even more beautiful.

She may be just a cousin, but the overall atmosphere is very Imouto-like. ("Onii-chan!") Incest or not - the route is still crap

That's quite the idea...nah, I couldn't enjoy such a scene with a jerk-protagonist.

Man, that's quite cold-hearted^^ It seems that large parts of the fandom hates either Sekai or Kotonaha, but I don't understand why.

You can only get the Fate ending OR 15 bad ends along the way...

The joke was a bit mean, but I couldn't resist, sorry^^ I'm not a native speaker myself, so I know it's difficult. Please don't let it get you down, I didn't mean it as an insult.

Sexy Sadness By Cross Let your tears come. Let them water your soul. Eileen Mayhew I’m currently playing Sharin no Kuni. In the first climax of the 2nd chapter Sachi gets a present that reminds her of her painful past. She gets angry and insults her cute Loli-roommate. Shortly after, Sachi deeply regrets her actions and starts to cry. After dealing with this heavy Moe-impact I remembered other VNs with similar scenes. And I realized that I discovered one of the most successful tropes of VNs… Crying girls are cute. Tears are like an invitation for hugs and kisses. With the right buildup, matching music and a passionate Seiyuu, those scenes usually are the emotional climax of a route. Weak girls unleash our inner white knight, challenging us to comfort and save them from their sadness (H-Scene afterwards optional, but welcomed). It seems cheap and clichéd, but just imagine a cute girl with tears in her eyes. She will never be more beautiful than in this moment of weakness and fragility. You could argue that this emotional superiority of the male part is like a sexist wish for passive, submissive girls and maybe that’s not entirely wrong, but at the same time protecting girls is like a reflex carved into our subconsciousness, passed down to us for hundreds of generations. Tsunderes, Lolis, Imoutos, clumsiness, naivety… Moe has many forms, but the most appealing, the one with the biggest emotional impact is undoubtedly a weeping girl being comforted by a loving protagonist. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Cross’ Top Three of Crying Scenes From the 32 Visual Novels I played until now many contained scenes with sad and crying girls, but some of them clearly stood out. From this point onwards: SPOILERS GALORE Honorable Mention: Al Azif (Deus Machina Demonbane) During her H-Scene, after she climaxes, Al starts to pee uncontrollably. Being so embarrassed she loses her composure and begins to cry. This is incredibly cute and endearing! Al is a very strong female character, battling Mechas and ancient gods, but still manages to surprise us with such a remarkable weakness. This is a great way to connect cool and strong characters with readers. (If Al would be a real girl, I wouldn’t have a problem with her wetting my bed – it’s worth it!). 3. Ayu (Kanon) Ayu is the main girl of Key’s “Kanon”. She often meets the protagonist in town, but goes to a different “school”. Near the end of her route it becomes clear that this school doesn’t exist and the girl he met every day is actually an astral projection of the real Ayu being in coma in a hospital. When the two realize that, she starts to fade and all the emotional pressure breaks her barriers. Result: One of the most beautiful crying scenes. Uguu~… 2. Hanako (Katawa Shoujo) Hanako is the most popular of the girls in “Katawa Shoujo” (believe me – the rest of the cast is just a bonus). Her route deals with the mistake of Hisao to treat Hanako like a victim, instead of a lover. She doesn’t want pity. Hanako wants him to love her on an equal basis, not as a savior rescuing the helpless maid. Unfortunately Hanako is extremely timid and is too afraid to actually voice her concerns. Later they sleep together, both misunderstanding each other and neither being emotionally prepared. This results in a dangerous turning point in their relationship. The great showdown is in the park, where they honestly share their feeling and thoughts for the first time. This whole mess is a bit too much for Hanako and she breaks down crying. Hisao comforts her, resulting in the good end. This scene is awesome in the truest sense, despite being unvoiced! Without a Seiyuu we can only concentrate on text, music and the CG. However, the team managed to create a heartwarming emotional climax to a fascinating route. Just look at the picture and let the Moe in your heart… 1. Sekai (School Days) School Days is known for it’s complex animation and the over the top violent endings. The scene that got me instead is rather short and not really important compared to the rest, but for me it was very deep and touching. I’m talking about the ”Christmas Eve” ending. Before that, Makoto is given the choice between the two girls. Kotonaha waits for him in a hotel, while Sekai awaits him at the train station. If you choose Kotonaha you’ll get some Ero, but before that is a short scene of Sekai standing at the cold train station, looking at the clock. She mutters “goodbye” and then we see her crying desperately. Try to put yourself in her position. You wait for the person you love, but after some hours you realize that he chose another girl. While the hours pass and the hope fades, Sekai understands that her love for Makoto is not requited. While he sleeps with Kotonaha, Sekai is completely alone with her broken heart. A lonely, rejected girl weeping in despair on a dark and cold Christmas Eve. This is tragic and beautiful at the same time. This powerful image managed to deeply impress me, despite being so short and not even voiced (only background music). For me, this intimate and sad view on Sekai was the best moment of School Days. ----------------------------------- That’s it, folks. I’m looking forward to all the crying girls in VNs I will surely encounter (and comfort) in the future. If you have a good recommendation, feel free to post it. Best wishes and manly tears from your Cross

No offense, my friend, but this looks like it was written by a machine translator^^. That's why I better wait for a real translation, lol:o

I'm afraid of stuff like: 私はかなりあなたの家のようになりました犬しています I have been dogs in your home now fairly;)

This game is ridiculously long. I needed 30 hours for the Fate-route alone (and I enjoyed every minute of it (well, except for the 1st H-Scene (I mean, what the Fk, Nasu????)))

I know, I read One and Kanon, too. A H-Scene is still an important milestone in the relationship of an Eroge-couple!

Yeah, I know you are right. It's still hard to see a project you wait to be finished to advance so slowly. I guess I will restrict myself to complain about Jast and Mangagamer: Where's the Deardrops-fandisc and Chou Dengeky Stryker??1!??!?! ^^