Reseñas

• gamedeal user

  Dec 17, 2019

  I guess I'm what you'd call a fudanshi--a guy who has an inordinate interest in BL. I'm a pretty avid follower of the genre, admittedly; there isn't much I haven't at least spared a glance. And just like all connoisseurs of the niche, I've developed standards that are perhaps unfairly high. For me, it's never enough for a work to use gay as a gimmick and call it a day. I'm not in it for some cut-and-dry guy-on-guy action. I want a real story. I want themes. I'm always searching the golden goose that understands BL's potential, sees its ability to outgrow the public's current perception of it as a fetishistic outlier designed exclusively for women (though women still certainly have their place here, rightfully so) and uses its premise to tell an enthralling tale that would, given the chance, woo readers of every gender/sexuality combination. That being said, Hashihime satisfied in almost every right. With masterful comprehension of the literary works it takes its aesthetic cues from, the game spins a massive reticulation of thoughts and ideas and works each strand with the patient delicacy of a grandmother knitting in her rocking chair. Much of this is owed to the fantastic main character and how his personal flaws interact with the central plot. Rather than acting as the passive, soulless simulacrum that the player projects themselves upon, he displays fantastic agency, weaving the story almost entirely by his own hand. The beating heart of the game lies in the complex relationships he has with his friends, the uncertainty he feels toward them, and in the way those relationships and feelings are thoroughly de- and reconstructed. Each route is almost like a game of its own, so massive as they are. If not for the enforced playing order, the reader might not grasp the true immensity of of the writing. I know there was at least one guy I would've skipped had his route not been necessary for another character's that I wanted to pursue, but even though I didn't come out liking him any more than I did before I played it, I felt satisfied in seeing his ending because I felt like I understood the encompassing themes a little better. Strangely enough, more than the romance, what I enjoyed about each route was the probing monologue and dialogue that led to it. I would even say that the romantic elements were my least favorite thing about it. Often, toward the end of a route, the game would ramp the surreal element up to 11. Normally I wouldn't mind that, but in this particular case I felt like Hashihime lost something special when it cast aside its meandering, cogitative tone in favor of something more breakneck in speed. Abstracts muddled its thesis and sometimes things happened seemingly just to happen. Not that the rest of the story never pulled anything out of left field, but it never felt quite as egregious when the protagonist was able to chew and swallow each event at his own pace. To sum it up, Hashihime is a world to lose yourself in. Each character, the protagonist included, has depth in volumes, and the game takes its time exploring their motivations and personalities without ever overstaying its welcome, a fantastic feat with its density. It's written to entertain and the translation does its script great justice. The romance feels somewhat lacking, but the rest of the ride is so much fun that I can't really bring myself to care. Would recommend. Hope to see future translations of projects like it.
• gamedeal user

  Jun 12, 2020

  [h1]Loneliness was like water...That’s why I hated the rain[/h1] This is a unique, psychedelic, bizarre BL visual novel and one helluva experience. It’s also a poignant story about friendship and loneliness. I wanted to describe it as Kafka meets Steins;Gate because the atmosphere struck me as kafkian, but probably a better reference points are Japanese authors of the early 20th century, especially Kyusaku Yumeno and his work Dogra Magra, extensively referenced throughout the vn. The uniqueness of the vn can be seen right away from [b]the setting[/b] to the visual presentation. It takes place in Tokyo in 1922, before the Great Kanto earthquake. It features a lot of cultural and literary references from the time and a handy encyclopedia. Although it’s all very educational don’t mistake this for a historical novel. Those references are there to infuse the setting with the spirit of the times, but this story could have played out in any time. Tamamori failed to get into the Imperial University and now works in a used bookstore, writes his fantastical stories and has daily conversations with his imaginary characters. When one of his friends is found dead he finds himself in a three day time loop. And the bizarre nightmare begins. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2002952883 Another unique trait is a [b]visual presentation[/b] starting from the sprites. Characters look pretty realistic for students of the time period, but sprites aren’t typical, they’re more like cutouts. At first I thought this was an interesting esthetic choice or maybe a writer poking fun at her own characters’ depth, but then it started to feel like a way to play with realities, since the game liked to play with stories within stories. Oftentimes you won’t see the sprites. Narration and conversations are held against pretty austere and minimalistic backgrounds with washed up colours and a certain flat monotony. Backgrounds of the city soaked in rain with shadows of people only add to this surreal feeling that this never ending rainy season has put the world in a twilight zone and washed all the colours away. The cgs are the real star though. There are over 150 of them and they are a mix of this minimalistic monotone flatness and a psychedelic mindfuck of exploding colours and patterns all coming from Tamamori’s rich imagination. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2002999113 Aside from the excellent music and voice acting I especially appreciated the use of silence and the omnipresent sound of the rain which was used to great poetic effect. This poetic feel permeates the whole [b]writing[/b]. It was a joy to read every sentence, be it Tamamori’s inner thoughts that reveal his insecurities and ugly sides or the witty banter between friends and self depreciating conversations with his illusions. The writing is full of these wonderful details. But there lies a flaw. Because of this poetic writing I feel like the vn lacks in dramatic elements. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of ‘drama’ here as Tamamori’s stuck in time loops trying desperately to save his friends. But the vn is more interested in after effects, emotional fallout and Tamamori’s inner condition than in events and causes. Because of this, motivations of other characters are often not sufficiently explored and remain vague and unconvincing and that’s terrible for a true dramatic impact. I often forgot the motivation for a certain event and that is the major driving force for Tamamori’s journey. That’s why the vn often feels melodramatic. It lacks something to ground it. Combined with the time loop induced repetition of the same conversations, thoughts and plot points, the result is that the pacing suffers. This monotone repetition does give it that surreal nightmarish vibe, but with better pacing and true dramatic elements the vn could’ve avoided to actually be monotone through a good portion of Minakami’s route. Thankfully, [b]the characters[/b] are very colourful. The best character is the protagonist himself. Tamamori is a slacker, a dreamer, a wannabe writer with a wild imagination, a pretty selfish guy who needs constant attention from his friends. Ultimately he’s a guy who dreams about pure, true friendship like they had in childhood. An interesting case of a protagonist so brutally honest with himself and delusional at the same time. He’s pretty self depreciating and is hilarious in a way he’s aware of his flaws and just brushes them off, or accepts them as a necessary part of his genius. Also, wears glasses to look smarter. Nyhaha... Let’s not forget this is yaoi and his friends are potential love interests. To be honest, this game could’ve done without romance and it wouldn’t have changed the story and themes. Romance is another step and it’s thanks to the strength of the writing that this crossing doesn’t come off artificial and jarring. The first chapter, [i]Minakami[/i]’s route, is the longest and the most tragic and romantic. Minakami’s a kind childhood friend with an almost zen calmness and extreme love for reading. He lives for Tamamori’s stories. It’s pretty apparent that he loves him. Romance is the most natural in this route, especially from Tamamori’s side. This chapter doesn’t have any choices and is effectively the whole story. Other routes are like bus stops disembarking from it and exploring other possibilities and relationships, but not adding much to the overall story. [i]Kawase[/i] is the second route, another childhood friend, a sadistic clean freak (or fake germaphobe and just a misanthrope as Tamamori calls him). He likes to torment Tamamori and is a harsh critic/destroyer of his writing/delusions. He’s ridiculously blunt and their back and forth is the highlight of the game. He’s jealous of Minakami and is also secretly in love with Tamamori. You can see the pattern. His route nicely complements Minakami’s. It has the mystery vibe. [i]Hanazawa[/i], the third friend, is a stoic military guy, a ‘big brother’ whom they haven’t seen in 8 years. It becomes obvious that he’s quite intense and extreme about everything: his asceticism, his bravery, patriotism, his one-track mind. His route is very short, but intense and has a rather bizarre adventure theme. [i]Professor[/i] is not a childhood friend, but a weird eccentric genius and Tamamori’s biggest fan much to his confusion. He’s the submissive one with masochistic tendencies always provoking Tamamori’s sadistic side. Despite his weirdness, he’s a genuinely good person, a loveable weirdo. His route started very melodramatic but turned into hard sci-fi. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2118222576 What about [b]sex scenes[/b]? Tamamori’s always the uke. Two characters offer role reversal but he refuses. Similar to romance, sex scenes aren’t necessary. They conclude every chapter as is traditional in many VNs. But unlike many eroge, sex scenes here don’t feel artificial. That’s because character work isn’t abandoned suddenly and characters don’t turn into porn actors. They retain their characterisation throughout and those scenes become another way of exploring them and their relationship. So you can skip them but you will miss character moments. The only exception is the last chapter. The last chapter is very controversial. It features Man in Noh mask, a mysterious giant always stalking Tamamori and apparently living in his basement, just like in his story. I had a hunch about the type of ending this vn might get because there were lots of hints, especially those literary references. Unexpectedly I loved it. It helped me see a lot of shortcomings in a new light. In the end the whole story is the Ouroboros. It finished how it started...[i]Until it's dawn[/i] [h3][quote][b]Follow [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33853800/]Otome Sekai[/url] for Visual Novel and JRPG Reviews & [url= https://store.steampowered.com/curator/40848670/]My Curator[/url] for Narrative Games
• gamedeal user

  Aug 8, 2020

  Minakami best boy I would even buy the game full price just for him
• gamedeal user

  Oct 24, 2020

  [If you want a comprehensive SPOILER trigger warning list, I'll provide one down at the bottom] Honestly, I don't even know where to begin with this game. One of the best BL games of recent years, if not the best. If you don't know what a BL visual novel is, it's basically a game with character sprites "speaking" and illustrations for some scenes. The BL stands for Boys Love, meaning it's Man x Man romance. This particular game is a visual novel and not a kinetic novel, it has choices that can lead you to different endings. Now that's out of the way, let's talk about the actual game. The game is about Tamamori, Tama for short, who's an aspiring novelist. Tama has two friends, Minakami and Kawase, who contrast each other in personality and demeanor, with one being a quiet bookworm and the other being a loudmouthed smartass. You will also meet other characters, such as Hanazawa and Professor. As you read through the story, you quickly discover that Tama possess a mysterious ability that will bring many twists and turns to the story. I want to avoid as many spoilers as possible in this general overview, but it truly has some of the most interesting and mind-boggling concepts I've ever seen in a BL game. Speaking of BL games, it should be mentioned that this is an indie game in terms of visual novels. Most of the games translated into English, particularly the Nitro+Chiral games (Dramatical Murder, Sweet Pool, Togainu no Chi), are all created and published by a big company, which is in-turn a branch of an even bigger one. However, Hashihime being an indie game isn't a bad thing at all. The creator, Rinko Kurosawa, is one of the most talented people I have ever witnessed and her writing, programming and art are all on point and maintain a standard that should be saluted for how consistently good it is. My biggest gripe was following some of the character's emotions and actions during their routes, but the well-written routes make up for it (refer to my list further down). In true BL game fashion, this game does deal with some heavy topics and should not be played by those sensitive to such content and definitely not anyone below 18. It is an adult game. It has adult scenes and themes. I will include a list of trigger warnings further down in-case someone wishes to check if there's anything in particular that would be upsetting to you. Another thing that genuinely surprised me is that this game contains LGBT+ people. Yes, gay men are LGBT+, of course, but more often than not the actual LGBT+ aspect of BL games are just brushed over casually. Hashihime has at least one transwoman and some routes discuss what it means being homosexual in their time and age. Good stuff! We love to see it. Overall, I give this game a huge thumbs up, I simply can't recommend it enough. I want more people to read this story and be sucked into it's amazing universe, fun characters and colorful dialogue. - GETTING INTO SPOILER TERRITORY- ROUTE information (number + rankings, not too many spoilers) [spoiler] The game has 5 endings and unfortunately they are not created equal. Of course, this is just my personal opinion, but here's a quick overview, in the order of which they're played: Minakami: 10/10 - great, amazing, has some of the best storytelling. Kawase: 6/10 - it wasn't very enjoyable for me. Hanazawa: 1/10 - no. Professor: 10/10 - professor best boy. ???: 1/10 - why?? [/spoiler] Trigger warning: Gore [spoiler] Not a whole lot of blood, but there are some graphics scenes of people being cut. [/spoiler] Dubcon [spoiler] Kawase's route. I might have read it wrong, but it came off as dubcon to me. [/spoiler] Noncon [spoiler]Hanazawa's route. The entire route is nasty and weird. If you don't like this type of content, I would suggest muting and skipping through it. [/spoiler] CSA (mentioned) [spoiler] It's revealed one of the characters is a pedophile. He is condemned and hated, it's not justified or glorified at all. [/spoiler] Animal death (fish death, otherwise mentions) - it's mainly small critters and nothing graphic at all. I don't like animal death, but this one didn't phase me at all. Just including it for safety sake. Child abuse (ment) [spoiler] Kawase's dad is an asshole and it's mentioned a few times. [/spoiler] I may have forgotten some, so feel free to leave a comment below.
• gamedeal user

  Mar 13, 2022

  Listen to me: I have purchased this game three times, that's how good it is. Once on the Switch, again as a gift for my friend because I could not shut up about it, and one more time on Steam. This was my first VN and because of it, I started playing others, but it will always have a very special place in my heart. Give it a try, you may never forget it!
• gamedeal user

  Nov 16, 2021

  This is one of those games where I feel a bit guilty doing another route in fear of "abandoning" the prior LIs. There's not enough Tamamori to go around haha. For the routes: Minakami: Minakami's route definitely felt like one of the truer routes and was also the longest. It's so bittersweet and I find myself wanting Tamamori to end up with him again and again, even while playing the other routes, especially after his backstory. Kawase: Personally, I liked Kawase's route the best since it focuses more on the murder-mystery side of this VN. It was also surprisingly romantic [spoiler](and twisted), especially when it implied that Minakami was the one that prevented Tamamori from going to the bridge and thus preventing Kawase from killing him.[/spoiler] Hanazawa: I think Hanazawa's route definitely isn't for everyone, but there were some moments where you can see his true feelings. Professor: I didn't like Professor in the beginning due to his bizarre personality. But then when I began to play his route, I realized that he really genuinely liked Tamamori. [spoiler]The scene where Professor said he could easily find another Tamamori, but still chose "our" Tamamori really broke my heart because it directly mirrored the part where Professor asked if Tamamori was leaving him all alone in that timeline (even after Professor gave up everything for him).[/spoiler] There is also a secret route, but I think it's best to see for yourself. Overall, this was a truly beautiful game, paired with breathtaking art and music. Highly recommend.
• gamedeal user

  Dec 30, 2021

  10/10 Would definitely erase my memories so I can experience it all over again
• gamedeal user

  Jan 16, 2021

  Hashihime of the old book town is a devastatingly beautiful love letter to lesser known cult classic literature, as well as the fleeting nature of the early 20th century with all its anxiety and turmoils. While Yumeno Kyuusaku's Dogra Magra was touted as the main inspiration, it was even more delightful for me to learn about other works referenced in the game, such as Yoshiya Nobuko's Flower Tales. Neither a masterfully written novel nor a well executed dark romance, Hashihime is, instead, a highly accomplished avant garde narrative, that brings to mind Terayama Shuji's movies, Suzuki Seijun's Taisho trilogy, animated series by Ikuhara Kunihiko, or the works of Franz Kafka. Most importantly, it is very much its own thing, as I know of nothing else that is both so highly surreal and well grounded, in fact, its roots are planted firmly in the ground, like a plant that grows nasty black orchids. Flowers of evil. I love the finale (Kaoru's route) and was heartbroken to hear that its conclusive status was retconned due to upset fans. Regardless, this is Kurosawa Rinko's passion project and I respect her decision to give her readers a gentler resolve. P.S. [spoiler]In my view, the beauty of the last route lies in the symbolism for moving on from the tragedies of one's youth with poise and grace; as well as the honouring of the very private romance between a reader and his favourite books: each of them boundlessly derived, woven into the most forbidden traumas as he coped with the turbulences of his life & his heart. It is a poetic reminder that fiction was there for us when we had nothing else.[/spoiler]
• gamedeal user

  Mar 15, 2022

  I don’t cry very often. I've played plenty of VNs, read plenty of books, and I can't remember the last time I've cried after reading anything that wasn't Hashihime. It's not a perfect game, by any means, but it managed to tug at my heartstrings in a way that I haven't felt in a long while, so I felt like it was only right to write something for it. (As a disclaimer, I played this entire game over a single weekend, half of it sick in bed with a fever, so if I sound a little like I’m losing my mind, I probably am. This game destroyed me.) As a warning, if you do choose to buy it-- there's a content warning at the beginning of the game, and it's definitely something to keep in mind. Suicide, sexual assault, abuse, and explicit gore/body horror are present, and are definitely shocking when you aren't prepared for them. I have a chapter-by-chapter list below, if you need them. They’re not comprehensive, but I think I’ve got at least the large majority down. It'll be spoilered in case you'd like to experience everything completely blind, but if you need specific warnings per chapter, I really do recommend checking these out. ALL CHAPTERS -- [spoiler] Mentions of suicide will be present in every chapter, and it's woven into the story. It's very, very difficult to tune out without losing an integral part of the story. The main character also experiences frequent hallucinations in every chapter, and finds himself out of touch with reality. It can hit hard. [/spoiler] CH. 1 -- [spoiler] Suicide [on-screen], murder [on-screen], child abuse [mentioned], kidnapping [on-screen] [/spoiler] CH. 2 -- [spoiler] Sexual assault [mentioned], child abuse [mentioned], murder [on-screen], body horror [obfuscated in-game, but the full image is available in the CG gallery afterwards], drugging [on-screen] [/spoiler] CH. 3 --[spoiler] Sexual assault [on-screen], drugging [on-screen], murder [on-screen], not exactly body horror but a lot of blood [on-screen] [/spoiler] CH. 4 -- [spoiler] Sexual assault [mentioned], attempted suicide [on-screen], murder [on-screen] [/spoiler] CH. 5 -- [spoiler] Murder [on-screen], severe reality-checking/Unreality [on-screen], incest [on-screen] [/spoiler] This is also a R-18 game. The story is not at all centered around sex-- and really, not centered too much around romance, either. However, there are sex scenes at the end of every route. Now, onto my review! Before I get into the story, I’d like to praise the art and musical direction. This is a beautiful game, with hundreds of CGs and a stunning art style. Even the most mundane actions can be transformed into something beautiful through Hashihime’s art, and it does a wonderful job of combining a gritty reality with beautiful, dreamlike depictions of delusion. The soundtrack does a wonderful job to complement the story, and I have little-to-no complaints whatsoever about the game’s art and music. It’s wonderful, and ADELTA’s art in general is stunning. If Hashihime isn’t your thing, but you’d like to experience an ADELTA game for yourself, I encourage you to keep an eye out for the English release of another ADELTA game on March 24, 2022 - UUUltraC! Hashihime is marketed as a romance game, but over all else, I think it's a game about friendship. Sometimes it feels as if just choosing one route to stick to seems unfair to the other characters we've bonded with over the course of the game, and I take that as a testament to Hashihime's well-written character dynamics. One of the best parts about this game is how naturally the characters seem to interact with one another-- and not /just/ with the protagonist, either. When you start the game and begin to play through it for the first time, it really feels as if you've already known some of these characters for a long, long time. The protagonist is endearing, and shies away from the 'Y/N' or 'silent protagonist' trope, feeling like just as much of a character as the main 'love interests' are. Tamamori is a flawed, yet entertaining MC who makes it just a little easier to get through some of the weaker points in this game's story. He's not a perfect person, and there are times in the game where I was compelled to get frustrated or to question him-- it's a reminder that this isn't necessarily our story, but Tamamori's. The plot can seem a little convoluted, and there are places in which I feel like I could've used a second or two more of explanation, but for a plot that can seem so, so strange at times-- Hashihime does a surprisingly good job at 'show, not tell' in regards to the long-winded plot, but I've noticed that there are some routes where it seems to go 'off the deep end' in regards to what's happening. The final three routes are much shorter than the first two, and because of a lack of exposition that the first two had, it's much easier to get lost in the sauce. Genuinely, this is one of Hashihime's weakest spots. My advice is just to 'go with the flow', because just when you think things can't get any weirder, it gets weirder. As a note; Hashihime is a sad game. It's not a game that you should play when you're looking for something feel-good, or something to lift your spirits. It's a game with happy moments, but for a large majority of the time, it's a game which relies on feelings of attachment, fear, and desperation. When I cried reading Hashihime, they were happy tears-- because there's a lot to get through in order for some of these routes to reach a happy ending. Although it's very, very sad, these 'happy endings' you can achieve only shine brighter because of it. I had individual chapter reviews up, but they went way past the character limit, so I'll summarize those here, without spoilers- there are definitely highs and lows when it comes to individual routes. Route 2 is my personal favorite, and it definitely hit hard for me, but it's definitely a matter of opinion. The first two routes are definitely the longest, and the rest are much shorter, but there are important messages and threads of plot to learn in (almost) every one. That being said, if you play for the first route, please consider playing for route 2, as well. It's a masterpiece. this game is so good. im (br)ok(en)
• gamedeal user

  Feb 14, 2023

  (Contains 18+ uncensored scenes, 1 per route) Don't expect any gameplay elements! It's a kinetic visual novel. You are locked into the first route, and you have to do the other routes in order (I tried to jump over one, did not work) Those "choices" are there if you ever choose to read it again. To replay the first route you would have to reject all the other guys. I would say that It's easily the best BL story that I've seen on steam so far. It does start a bit slow, but once it gets going It's on a roll. The first route is the best route, all the other routes are still worth going through as they flesh out the world as well as the characters more. Yes, even the last route, It's easy to hate it at first, because it feels like it makes all the other routes invalid but It's not true. The artstyle in this game is very artistic and beautiful at times. What is it about? To put it simply It's a murder-mystery with elements of time travel . The story takes place in 1920s Japan, Tokyo. Within the first 1.5-3 hours of gameplay (depending on your reading speed) you discover that the main character's friend has died The protagonist tríes to solve the mystery behind this death and (a bit further spoiler) prevent it from happening ***Note There's also a version for Nintendo switch. No 18+ scenes, with extra stories that work as epilogues.