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• gamedeal user

  Dec 13, 2021

  Memories. No matter who you are, you will always gain plenty of them over the course of your life, be they joyful or full of pain and regret. There are always times where all of us want to forget that one embarrassing moment from years ago, or that terrible event that guts you every time it resurfaces in your mind… but what about the good memories, the ones that shape our very being that we live as now? We cling onto the people and objects that allow us to escape from the stress of everything else, and wonderful memories serve as just the same… until they are ripped away from us, slowly turning us and the people we know and love into shells of utter lifelessness. This fear of losing memories is shown in great detail within the visual novel Himawari, and effectively at that. This review will state three things in a matter that is mostly spoiler free, as I want to entice new readers to experience such a fantastic story from a practically blind perspective, albeit while knowing the themes that I will dive into in a moment. I will talk about some characters briefly, alongside the story ISLAND, another outstanding visual novel written by G.O and other similar people who worked on Himawari. The way I felt with Himawari was that all the characters felt like they had their place in the story, none of them were created just to fill some gaps where the writers just wanted to extend the story. Through slice of life arcs there are humble and playful characters that you may initially see as just regular fodder, however as the story moves on deeper and the tone gets more serious, these characters turn into crucial pieces and play their own roles in making the reader feel a specific emotion. Majority of the characters in Himawari ended up making me feel the same level of connection to them, however there are some that took my expectations and threw them out the window, even when I’ve come from reading ISLAND first. The three characters that were the most impactful to me were Daigo, Akira and Souichirou, characters that appear quite later within the story but all brilliantly convey the theme that ties this story together; the lengths a human mind will go in order to retain memory. Souichirou demonstrates the level of regret felt once your life has been kidnapped by the never ending chase of preserving remembrance, the implications that he caused due to research he conducted ultimately destroyed the significance of the memories he was trying to control in the first place. Daigo’s mental struggle and search for memories long since forgotten is a visual representation of the fear we all have, that sense of anxiety felt when you realize that your memories will cease to exist one day are all manifested in the gut wrenching and honestly pitiful downfall that we witness of this character. Akira is one of the utmost key parts of this story, as he reminds us across this journey that we usually come to love and appreciate the things that we initially despise tremendously, with terrible memories linking to that same philosophy. The burning rage you feel, the passion you emit in an effort to scorn Akira slowly but surely turns into a connection to him that is nothing short of taking a bite from the same apple… the vulnerability that is seen once this connection happens radiates the same energy as accepting a terrible moment you want to forget, in turn positioning Akira as one of the best characters in this novel. All of these views upon these characters will definitely change depending on the person reading this story, however I hope that this collection of traits and emotions can help those wanting to read Himawari understand the universality of the character pool that is given. The void. A phrase that makes most people who read or hear it experience at least a sliver of anxiety, a level of uncertainty and confusion arises once a word is said. What counts as the void? Loneliness, death, forgetfulness; all of these are general fears that we can have as humans, and when we read a story or hear a song that emphasizes these very things, a strong connection or force of emotion is born. Himawari advertises itself as an adventure posed in a galactic, space influenced environment being clashed against initially what seems as the opposite spectrum; a Japanese town littered with an abundance of sunflowers. I cannot stress enough how well this environmental contrast works with the rest of the themes shown, considering that two things that seem so distant from each other makes us feel a sense of nausea, which turns into unease… which turns into fear. This spacious setting intermingles with the thought of losing everything, the anxious feeling that we usually associate with something akin to a void; so what better way to represent a story about losing the people and memories you love, than by positioning the audience in a place so confusing, so dark, and so drastically fear inducing? Finally I just want to touch on the connection that can be made to G.O’s work, ISLAND. Once I finished ISLAND and found out about Himawari through a friend, I was honestly in absolute joy that I could have yet another experience that rivals the authentic masterpiece of writing that I had just experienced, however I had read somewhere that if you come from ISLAND, Himawari may not be for you… and I say yes and no to that. Himawari has had an odd history in terms of the explicit content in it being removed in the definitive edition, (which only cuts out fodder that this story does not need at all) however this story still absolutely destroys the reader’s expectations and allows the audience to feel a level of emotion that instantly makes the story become all the more worthwhile. Once you read both of these stories, you can begin to understand the aspects that truly define one piece from another. (By the way, Himawari and ISLAND are actually in the same universe but just never mention each other, so if you’re interested then research the story SILENTWORLD also written by G.O, which elaborates on this connection.) I completely understand that people read these stories for different reasons, such as instead of my reason being that the writing of G.O is practically modern poetry and I want to feel the heartbreak and mind shatter that his stories offer, somebody else may just want to read Himawari or ISLAND for the slice of life, which is perfectly fine and justifiable. So, to somebody that came from ISLAND who solely prefers a visual novel on the beach with a more quiet setting instead of a widespread town connected to space, then saying Himawari isn’t for you is a plausible claim. But for the readers who want passion, who want utter heartbreak and true speeches and emotion from characters that make you want to experience the same turmoil and beautiful tragedy that ISLAND offers so professionally… then Himawari is definitely for you. To conclude this review, I want you to leave knowing that regardless of whether you’re a reader who wants a gut wrenching story, a tale to pass the time with cute and interesting characters, or just another visual novel to play in a VN binging spree; I can 100% say that Himawari is worth the read. It’s easy to connect to characters who may go through the same trouble as you, and it’s even easier to like a character purely because of their design or personality. In the end, it’s a story that I would give probably a 10/10 out of my own bias, however looking at it from a critics standpoint I would say 8-9/10, but once again like my ISLAND review, nothing is perfect. If you decide to read Himawari one day and experience this wonderful, worrying and even sometimes crazy universe of G.O; I really hope that you have the time of your life… and that you’ll be able to remember the experience forever. TL;DR; Play the game for Ginga, you will fall in love with him.
• gamedeal user

  Dec 11, 2016

  Disclaimer: I have read the doujin JP version of Himawari. This is my first time playing the remake in either language. Himawari is a Sci-Fi VN from the mind of Goo. Originally a doujin game, it went on to achieve cult hit status and pave its way for a remake, the translation of which is offered here. Let's get the negatives out of the way first: The port. The remake was originally a PS Vita game, but was ported for the PC in Japanese in early 2016. Unfortunately, it plays like a port. The UI is lacking, making mouse-only/tablet play difficult. Essential functions are hidden behind keybinds--keybinds which are never outlined anywhere, as far as I can tell. It's the same as the JP version, but at least the JP version included a manual while this version does not. If you, like me, enjoy reading VNs on your television with a controller, you will need to prepare a new keybind setup for the unusual choices made here. Otherwise, keep a keyboard handy. Another issue, which is easily fixed, is the background music looping incorrectly. There is already a fan-patch out to fix this, and you can find it in the discussion section on Steam. Do not let the fact that this is an all-ages release for a formerly 18+ game discourage you from playing. I'm sure that as an eroge fan, you've heard this all the time, but it's especially true here: you're not missing out on anything. Really. The author, the translators, the fans, everyone who has read Himawari agrees that [i]the remake is the definitive version[/i]. Ok, time for the positives. I have to keep my review brief, but know that the positives [i]far[/i] outweigh the negatives. You are reading a visual novel. By far the most important parts are ahead: Himawari is among the best visual novels I have read, and I have read many. If you can look beyond the overdone amnesiac trope, you will quickly find that this story has much to offer in its episodes (all of which are included in this release). It is equal parts intriguing and emotional. Goo is a god, and I hope that ISLAND will handled by the same translation team. The translation here is fantastic. There are a few (very few) typos, which are to be expected with a script of this size, but the prose flows in ways other localizations could only dream of. Conversations read fluidly and are a [i]joy[/i] to experience. The Himawari translators are currently working on an exciting new project coming to Steam, and I have full faith that they will make it, too, shine in English. You should be able to judge the art from the store page photos. It's gorgeous and overflowing with cuteness. When comparing the remake to the doujin version, this is the most noticeable change. While the old version has nostalgic charm for me, the remake is undeniably more polished. The music, once patched to loop properly, is rather memorable. I'm not much of a music critic, so I'm not sure what else to say about it. Do apply the loop patch, though. You will fall in love with every character in this game, especially Aqua, and the wonderful world Goo has created. You would be doing yourself a disservice to skip this title, despite its technical limitations.
• gamedeal user

  Dec 16, 2016

  Himawari is likely the best, most touching visual novel on Steam, and perhaps the best I'll ever have chance to read. Make no mistake, this is no mindless, feel-good title filled with cute girls. Quite the opposite, as soon as the first chapter ends and the real story begins, wave of despair and suffering will hit you with a force of speeding truck and it will not stop any time soon, even if you think it will. But that's the point. The best way to describe Himawari is a mixture or character drama, romance, sci-fi and coming of age story. All of those are present but none of them takes the lead. It's a well-executed combination of many different elements coming together as more that just a sum of its parts. And most importantly, it's a motivational piece unlike any other you'll find it this medium. Social anxiety, depression, jealousy, obsession, fear of growing up, giving up, coping with loss, uncertanity of future - Himawari speaks of very intimate, personal themes. Your mileage may vary, I must admit, but if any of these resonate with you, Himawari will hit right where it hurts. It made me laugh, gasp in exhilaration, curse out loud, cry my eyes out and cheer for characters' happiness. Get over yourself. Your loss is somebody's win. Life is not only your story, and you won't always be in the spotlight. Doing your best and working hard does not guarantee best possible outcome, this works only in anime and real life is not so simple. Avoiding your fears does not magically make them go away. Pretending not to notice will not fix the problem. You're not some special snowflake, but it doesn't mean that you'll never be happy. You just need to keep moving forward. Youre not entitled to anything. Catgirls from Nekopara will never be real. Girls from Grisaia or Princess Evangile wouldn't necessarily fall for you. Heroines from Sakura series would all have their own relationships by the time you'd meet them. It's not a story I wanted from my escapism fantasy chinese powerpoint girlfriend simulator, but it's a story I'm genuinely grateful I had chance to read. Thank you for this.
• gamedeal user

  Dec 18, 2016

  [h1]TL;DR: the best visual novel on steam[/h1] [url=https://np.reddit.com/r/visualnovels/comments/5ictcw/what_are_you_reading_dec_14/db74xhl/]Note: this review is a modified version of my review post on r/visualnovels' December 14th "What Are You Reading" discussion thread[/url] I had a variety of expectations going into Himawari built up from all the posts I’d read beforehand (I lurk the english-speaking visual novel community fora and ircs a lot). In some ways Himawari met these, in others it didn’t, but blew me away where it really mattered. If you’re only looking for an adequate sci-fi plot, it delivers well enough. If you’re looking for characters, have no fear. The cast of this game is great to say the absolute least. Something I also expected from having read those posts were some gut wrenching water works from me. I did cry reading this game, but I can’t say it’s the same kind of visceral tears you get from some super sad game or anime like Clannad. The last broad sweeping expectation of mine was that the game had some beautiful thematic work. I won’t deny a bias here. My favorite fictional media rest almost entirely on the complex thematic-emotional spectrum, anime such as NGE, movies like Inside-Out and Gattaca, and the entire bibliography of Inio Asano (fantastic mangaka if you’ve never heard of his works). The combination of the previous character and emotional notes with this promise of themes was what made me really want to get into Himawari. And Himawari just does it. It does so so so much. Those characters and plot are good enough on their own to form a readable story, but it doesn’t capture you into reading just on their significant appeal. It keeps a conversation going with you using those from nearly the very beginning. The first route keeps that game on simple terms. Who are you? What makes you you? What makes your world yours? What in your world is precious to you? What do you want out of this world? Why? Through routes these questions evolve. They get specific. Present you with a scenario in three or four different ways, give you the same question three or six times. The characters give their answers to these situations, but what is your answer to these questions? Why is it your answer? Did your answer change from last time? If so, it silently asks you why again. It never gets your answer. It doesn’t tell you what answers are right or wrong. It only acknowledges the validity of them. All the while you have to see why these people in Himawari came to their answers. Their motivations and their goals. Sometimes these characters can’t ever actually figure out their uncertain questions no matter how sure they are of the rest. But they’re still whole. Because you don’t need to know everything about yourself to be yourself. We’re all growing living people finding more and more about ourselves each and everyday to become a new version of ourselves. Himawari is a story that wants you to to be you. To want to be you. Mistakes and scars and all. It knows you can soar to close to the sun and plummet into the ocean and that perhaps you never flapped your wings even once as you fell off the cliff. Yet it still wants to pull you up to the stars anyway to see where those wings can take you. Home or the other side of the ocean. To friends, family, or purposeful solitude. To where you want to go. Because even if you never make it there, you still flew. Witnessed by all the other people who are looking forward and up, just like you. Aaaaaand that’s my attempt at summing up how Himawari feels to read. It’s hard to describe the intimate experience that it is without sounding rambly or nonsensical (my initial attempt to write something after finishing the second route looks like the ravings of a madman). I mentioned earlier in this post about how Himawari managed to make me cry. It happened a couple times from plot being plot. Others it was when it managed to hit the right question. Something happening to bring me to my answer in relation to its own. It’s an odd sort of emotional-thematic catharsis I can’t say I’ve experienced in anything other than the surrealness of the Komm Susser Todd sequence in End of Evangelion. It’s an experience I can’t help but hope more of you can share with me. I realize I’ve handwaved away a lot of the actual plot in that, but I think the work serves you better blind. It’s hard to talk about the way things work to make these characters and their struggles so meaningfully great without taking away from the elements that make Himawari so special an experience for yourself. I want to talk about it anyway so I’ll just shove it behind a spoiler tag in a comment below so I don’t have to feel like I’m holding something back. I guess I can say that Aqua is amazing though. Like seriously. Aqua is an unbelievably amazing character. The last things I have to cover are basically shallow notes of whatever. Art is serviceable. There are some standout CGs even though the anatomy is almost always questionable, but at least it’s bright and pretty. Music is almost entirely incidental with very few prominent tracks to add to a playlist. The comedy is usually one-liners and banter in which the characters Aqua and Ginga dominate scenes by producing absurdism after witticism until you’re giggling uncontrollably. Unfortunately that’s only “usually”, some scenes with and all scenes without those two have a lot of misses in this regard. Other cast members Youichi (the protagonist), Asuka, and Aries sit in their blobs of “straight man narrator”, “semi-tsundere childhood friend” and “ditzy cute girl” for most of these routines which gets old rather quickly. Additionally, Himawari is a regrettable fan of what I call “the anime gay joke” where the entire joke is “something is gay [i]laughtrack[/i]” but thankfully doesn’t repeat it too often, and ultimately I was more bothered by the number of times sexual harassment was played for laughs but that's just me being SJW about my media. The final comment on that aspect is that the moment to moment dialogue remains charming and fun even if it isn’t the best of what “anime” comedy has to offer. As for overall quality of the game, the strengths are almost entire lopsided to the middle two routes. Not to say that the beginning and end are bad at all, but the first is just kinda good while the fourth is just way less of an an actively engaging story compared to the middle two. That said I do think that last route is kind of a perfect way for the story to end. So yeah. I don’t really have anything more to say after that. Himawari is one of the best works of anything I’ve read, watched, or played.
• gamedeal user

  Dec 19, 2016

  This been pretty much the best visual novel I've played to date and hands down the best VN I've read on Steam ( I own pretty much all ), while it's not perfect mostly because a somewhat slow start and the last route not being remotely able to live up to the two before it, but what makes up to this is the second and third route covering Aqua, one of the best written characters to date if you ask me. I strongly recommend this title for anyone who want a emotional story about finding your place in this universe. Took me 31 hours to beat the main game and I consider myself a average speed reader. (I've yet to start the side stories) and another 8 hours to complete the side stories that's also really worth to read, it flesh out many of the side characters in the story and connect some of the dots. The good: * All characters are well written, specially Aqua who might be the best written character in a VN so far. * Second and third route is more or less the reason to read this novel.. * Really liking the art of this title but I've always liked Kuuchuu Yousai art. * A emotional and interesting story that make you think. * Aqua * Aqua ( yeah I think you get it ) The mediocre: * The last route is a bit of a letdown compared to the two before it. * The music while good is very repeatable. * Some questions left unanswered. The bad: * Slow start, might be off-putting for some but keep at it it will get a lot better.
• gamedeal user

  Dec 30, 2016

  all these detailed reviews here i just wanna say that i love Aqua love edit: sometimes i have lovely aqua dreams.
• gamedeal user

  Jan 10, 2017

  best tsundere archetype best pure archetype very good osananajimi archetype very good imouto archetype voice acting is peerless, story might be confusing at first like all sci-fi VNs out there. SPACE LOLI BEST LOLI
• gamedeal user

  Feb 2, 2017

  I ended up with this game in my library one night after imbibing a [i]tiny[/i] bit too much alcohol, evidently having decided that these heroines were too cute to not throw 35 bucks at, as I knew nothing else about the game. I wish all my inebrieated decisions ended this well. Do not be deceived -- Himawari may be teeming with an overwhelming amount of moe appeal, but judging it as a run of the mill moege is more criminal than all the lolis the game has to offer [i]combined.[/i] It's understandably hard to convince you otherwise, and the entirety of the first route will, sadly, do little to dispel any reasonable person's concerns regarding that. You're treated to a route consisting of a hodgepodge of anime cliches you've seen at least a hundred thousand times before, including things like amnesiac protags, amnesiac girls falling from the sky, and a harem lead so bland you oftentimes find yourself wishing you were doing anything but reading this trite dialogue. How well you can withstand the game's copious amounts of slice of life comedy scenes depends on your tolerance for cute girls doing cute things -- fortunately, I consider myself quite the connoisseur, but I can understand it might be tiring for a more socially well adjusted human being than myself. I realize that I'm sounding overly critical of a game I genuinely treasured, but I want to be upfront about the game's flaws as much as possible. It can be an uphill battle for some, especially at the beginning. But I implore those people to persevere, and I equally urge those on the fence to consider the same reckless purchase I gave this game. The reason why becomes very clear not long after the first route -- in what has been alluded to by people more eloquent than I am with words as a Muv-Luv Alternative style 180 degree turn, the game turns around so drastically once the second route begins, you quickly feel like you're reading a completely different novel that just happens to build off the shoddy foundation the original built up. It upholds this steam throughout the second route and a vast majority of the third -- and while the fourth isn't nearly as much to write home about, it certainly isn't without its positive aspects. While I could (and have) gushed endlessly about the ambitious scope of its incredibly enthralling sci-fi story, something that stole my heart away more than anything else is the story's willingness to give not-so-pretty traits to all its characters, heroes and heroines alike. Aqua, in particular, makes for an incredibly fascinating character (and makes for a fantastic drinking partner on exceptionally lonely nights.) (I should probably stop drinking so much.) I hold nothing but respect for a visual novel that can give heroines some atypical traits that might turn off some of its target audience. A profound amount of characterization is gained in forcing the reader to witness what can oftentimes be ugly truths about our characters. Romance factors heavily into the game, but it isn't quite the main focus in the grand scheme of things, becoming increasingly intertwined with a twisted storyline that reveals itself in increasing complexity as the game goes on. It understands that not everything necessarily needs to have a happy ending, and the writer, Go, gained much of his notoriety for his perverse pleasure in taking his readers on an emotional rollercoaster. I, for one, can testify I became quite the emotional wreck inside at times. I want to emphasize that, as a lifelong filthy weeb of nearly twenty-eight years, I've read more visual novels than I'm casually willing to admit to you strangers on the Internet, but little else has had me as emotionally invested as this one managed to. For characters that seemed so initially moeblob, they ended up having more characterization than I've typically come to expect from the genre. (Although, to be somewhat truthful, Aries is still pretty moeblob.) For a game that made up a ridiculous story about a Japanese astronaut landing on the moon, it was one of the most realistic depictions of the general attitude about modern day space exploration there is (but I will admit my bias as someone inordinately fascinated with space ever since I was a kid.) I understand if you are particularly adverse to these moe-types, but if you can at all stomach it, you're certain to find a dramatic and surprisingly adult and riveting story behind all the cute fluff and slice of life hijinks (and the more attuned you are to it, the more you're likely to find great fun in those, too!) I know the words of some nobody on the Internet will do little to sway you, but if you are at all indecisive, I pray that you give it a shot. Even convincing one person to play this flawed, but wonderful masterpiece feels worth it. And, hey, here's hoping we can get a translation of the sequel, Aqua After, one day, but for now, I'm incredibly thankful for the opportunity Manga Gamer presented me to play this. p.s. akira is moe
• gamedeal user

  Jan 10, 2018

  Himawari’s most pressing issue is that it tries to be a story oriented visual novel while being a character driven novel. I heard many referring to the huge plot twists ending every route, especially after the epilogue for the last one, yet I feel each and every one of them fell flat for the simple reason that I had been given not enough knowledge or reason to care about the mechanics behind the world, as the plot mostly focused on characters’ interactions, which aren’t that impressive too. Each route, except maybe 2048, focused heavily on slices of life, mundane and every day content with sparse dramatic revelations and climaxes, so I was involved with the characters, I could relate to them (especially Akira, he’s my man) but as for the events I couldn’t care less or, in some cases, understand their importance. I was presented with a cast of characters having a simple, initial objective, to send a homemade rocket to fly into space, and from there it develops into a complex tale regarding the ambitions, the motives and, sometimes, the madness of the men reaching for the stars. What already made my emotional involvement with the story collapse were the inevitable comparison I unconsciously made with a comic named Planetes, which dealt with basically everything that is in Himawari only in far more depth, with better characters, a shorter more cohesive story and general better writing. I won’t make any distinct parallel between the two since it would be unfair and not say much about Himawari’s own merits. As for one last, personal digression, I hated the character of Daigo, from beginning to finish I couldn’t fathom his personality, his goals, his involvement with the story, everything he meant, did and stood for. Those who already read the novel may imagine how my impression of the story and the characters related to him was undermined by this, I won’t deny that what are often times considered to be the best parts of the game were, in fact, what had me the most groaning and rolling back my eyes for this reason. Lastly, what hammered the remaining nails in the coffin, was the lack of an aftermath in every, single route. They just end, show you some plot twists, build a circumstantial resolution but leave so much open you’d just hope the next route had the answer you sought. They don’t, never. If you have questions in the middle of the game better forget them and hope it’s something the game thinks is deserving of an explanation before the ending. Regardless, oftentimes the more you will go on with the story the bigger will be the twists presented and the more the lack of any epilogue, explanation or context will leave you with just the build up for a grander sci-fi story that is never going to be told.
• gamedeal user

  Nov 14, 2018

  I've made a very, [i]very[/i] extensive review for this VN that I'll link: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1564638159. Read at your own risk. Himawari is [i]not[/i] the happy-go-lucky slice-of-life VN it appears to be by the store page. Be warned, there's a lot of stuff going on here. Pros: Really good "true" route, with strong dramatic and thematic components Good intrigue and setting lore, built across multiple perspectives and leading the reader to piece things together themselves Good (not great) art and music Cons: The lore never gets the chance to pay off The non-true routes don't hold a candle to it, leaving the experience unbalanced 8.5/10. This is on the strength of the true route and lore: I was deeply impacted by the former, and deeply intrigued by the latter. The cons bring it down some, however. Read if you're interested in sci-fi, a fair dose of slice-of-life, and an interesting meta-narrative.