Introduction

Hi, guys. It’s me again. Been a while since I’ve done one of these posts, hasn’t it? I’m here today because I recently finished reading a series of four games by scenario writer Watanabe Ryouichi, each one themed around a season of the year. He’s hardly the only person to do this, but what he’s done is truly captivating, and I want to share my impressions of them with you.

Due to their nature, it will be hard to talk about them without spoiling them, and impossible without revealing one very minor spoiler that’s really more of a poorly-kept secret at this point: they all heavily feature sci-fi elements. I will not spoil the games’ plots, though, beyond vague, overarching statements. This, as always with me, is gonna be a multi-parter. The rest will be in the comments.

Harumade, Kururu.

Harukuru, as the name implies, centers around spring. This game’s most infamous trait is that it starts with a good fifteen H scenes almost back to back. Some smooth-brained individuals might complain about this, but it’s actually genius. The game opens with a screen stating “45 days passed” (since what?), and within minutes of reading, best girl Shizuka essentially says, "Look, we've all been banging this guy behind each other's backs, so let's just cut the crap and make a harem." And so they do.

The ensuing Kyakkya Ufufu World arc exists to get you acquainted with the characters. Since they already know each other after 45 days together, the game can't afford to tell you anything; it has to show you, and show it does. The way the characters interact during the H scenes aptly illustrates their personalities and character relationships. Why not just regular SOL scenes like any other game, you ask? A lot of this game's humor is sexual in nature, and most of it is set up here. (For instance, Akio's remark in her arc of "I've never even thought of putting anything up my butt" becomes ironic when you consider her actions in the Kyakkya Ufufu World arc.)

But lurking behind all this fluff are some eerie mysteries surrounding the idyllic countryside setting. Why does the vaguely unsettling melody of "Haru yo Koi" play every day at five? What's the door at the end of the school hallway, and why is it locked with a passcode? What's with the chimney? Where are the other residents of the dorm? Why does our cast have amnesia? Why do they call the protagonist "broken?" What's up with Harumi's violent thoughts? And most importantly of all—isn’t ninety days a bit long for a spring break?

On T 89 days, the characters go to sleep together happy as can be, and then the clock winds back to T 0 days, the day they first met—and the game's genre shifts hard. The game has what VNDB would probably describe as "enforced route order," but considering that only one sends you back to the title screen and the rest occur back to back, they’re better referred to as arcs. Each one focuses on a different heroine and plays on a different tone: big-titty masochist Harumi hosts an existential horror plot, while funny loli Fuyune starts a madcap romcom romp and detective Akio is swept up in a meditative mystery story. And best girl Shizuka, of course, has the best arc. The only thing wrong with her is that, despite being voiced by the car lady, she’s only a dominant in one H scene. You don’t put the car lady in your game and only make her a top in one scene.

I can’t tell you what order they come in, as that would be a spoiler, but I can tell you that together, they achieve great things. The first three are great for setting up and hinting at the solutions to the game’s many mysteries in preparation for the long sci-fi info dump that leads into the fourth one, and all four do a superb job of evoking feelings of spring without relying on the crutch of cherry blossoms. The game takes place mostly during the day; it’s bright and sunny outside, and Akio can often be seen going to the shore to fish. There’s much ado made about the rice fields, not to mention those rascally deer that that try to munch on the crops.

But what sticks out the most is the ensemble cast. Harukuru does a superb job of making these characters come to life, and I could read their silly interactions for hours. Make no mistake, though: it’s not just comedy. The more serious aspects of their personalities mesh beautifully together. They butt heads, they help each other through difficult moments, and they feel full of the breath of life. When the game tells you how much they all love each other, you absolutely believe it.

The aforementioned info dump at the end of the penultimate heroine’s arc thrusts both the protagonist and the player into overpowering despair. It hits you like a hammer and leaves you numb. I found myself sympathizing considerably with poor Kazuki as he lost his way, especially considering the robustness of his character. Kazuki is no self-insert character: he has distinct and unique virtues and issues that manifest throughout the game and shape his words and actions. He’s a compelling character in his own right, which only made me root for him and identify with him all the more.

It’s strange, isn’t it? So many developers write very bland and unassuming protagonists in an attempt to identify with a wide audience, but doing so only alienates people more. Is there anyone in real life whose bangs cover their eyes, wears nothing but jeans and solid-color shirts, and doesn’t have a single hobby besides sleeping? I, personally, see myself more in characters that have distinct personalities and passions, even if I don’t share their exact traits. I can empathize with and get invested in the emotions that drive them. Take Senmomo’s protagonist, Soujin, for instance. Do I share his ideology of fealty to a lord? No. Can I be moved by his fervor to see his ideals through? Absolutely.

It’s this connection to Kazuki that made the game’s final arc and epilogue so impactful for me, and this is where the game finishes painting its landscape of spring. At last, Kazuki obtains a new hope and begins to climb out of rock bottom and up to a bright, sunny future. He seeks a new beginning, a new life. There will also be new trials, to be sure, but with this hope in his heart and his companions by his side, there is nothing he can’t accomplish—and that is the essence of spring, made all the more poignant by knocking Kazuki and the reader down as far as they can go before taking them by the hand and standing them back up. The final scene of the game provides a beautiful resolution to Kazuki’s character arc, and its final five seconds are the best conclusion it could’ve possibly had. My first reaction upon being sent back to the title screen at the end of the game was, “I can’t believe I’ll never read this game for the first time ever again.” That’s damn impressive.

Harukuru is my favorite game of the four. Fuyukuru ended up making a bigger impact on me as a whole, but that was due in large part to the fact that I had already read Harukuru, so I yield the honor to where the series began. Sekai Project is currently working on this game; if the VNTS threads are to be believed, the translation and editing are done. Work hard, guys; the English-speaking world needs to read this game.