Seventh Court (Free Visual Novel) Introduction and Review

Preface

A work by Novectacle, the game development team famous for "The House in Fata Morgana"."Seventh Court"I played it.

I haven't played "The House in Fata Morgana" yet, but I've seen many positive reviews, and I've been thinking about buying and playing it someday.
Meanwhile, I learned that "Seventh Court," a game by the same production team, is a free game and has received high praise.

Since the playtime wasn't supposed to be very long, I decided to give it a try.
The completion time was approximately two and a half hours.

Game Introduction (No Spoilers)

This game, "Seventh Court," is a visual novel game where you progress by reading text.
This is a linear story with no choices.

The protagonist, Michelle, a free game creator, suddenly finds herself dragged into the world of a game called "Seventh Court."
Having no idea why she's in this situation, Michelle soon encounters a character in a similar predicament.
Upon inquiry, it turned out that those people were regulars on "Royaume Heaven," a website run by Michelle.
Although the situation is unclear, Michelle and her friends will proceed through the game according to its progression.

The premise involves getting lost in another world.
The characters' graphics are aesthetically pleasing, but the content of their conversations is exactly like online chatter, and this contrast creates a strangely amusing effect.
Even though it's online, it's not the current atmosphere, but rather from the early days of the internet, a time that evokes a sense of nostalgia for me.

The website "Royale Heaven," run by the protagonist Michelle, exists as an actual webpage and can be viewed.
I think you'll enjoy the story more if you quickly read through it before playing or refer to it while playing.
Reading it after playing the game might lead to some new discoveries.

As you progress through the game, the lighthearted and humorous tone of the beginning fades away, and it becomes more serious.
Given the nature of the game, going into too much detail would spoil the fun, so all I can say is that if you're interested, you should just give it a try.
Since it's not a very long game, why not play it without putting too much pressure on yourself?

Review (contains spoilers)

This section contains many spoilers about the game's plot and the truth behind it.
If you plan to play the game, I think you'll enjoy it more if you don't read this.
please note.

As I played this game, my impression of it changed between the beginning and the later stages.
At first, I thought it was a comical work that would let you enjoy the gap between the art style and the dialogue while seriously commenting on the conventions of the game.
The phrase "Battle Pocari" reminded me of the Color Ranger episode of "Level E," and I couldn't help but laugh along with a wave of nostalgia.

However, the story becomes more serious and unsettling as the circumstances surrounding Nelly and Aid are revealed.
Even in the realistic portrayal of Michelle and Giselle's relationship, their bond deepens smoothly, but I had a nagging feeling that it would suddenly fall apart at some point.
As expected, just when I started to feel warm inside, I was suddenly plunged into despair.
I continued reading in a daze, and when I reached the scene where Giselle's song is recorded, tears welled up in my eyes.

Since the protagonist of this work, Michelle, is on the game development side, I felt that the way of thinking and feelings from the creator's perspective were depicted very realistically.
At the same time, I think the other players besides Michelle were also well-developed.
In online interactions, there's a lack of a sense that the other person is a real human being; text is the only thing that's conveyed.
Unlike real conversations, subtle nuances are lost, and a casual remark can become a sharp blade.
These are things that seem obvious, but we tend to forget them.
A single word like the one Jacopo wrote is something anyone could potentially utter.

Setting aside the issues of internet etiquette, I think this work, as a theory of creative writing, conveyed important ideas.
As Michelle says,"If you hadn't poured your feelings for her into it, it wouldn't have been a piece that anyone could enjoy."、"It was the creative impulse that led to it becoming a topic of conversation."I think that's probably true.
Creative works born from some kind of impulse often leave something behind for others.

Below, I will write my impressions of each person.

Michelle
The story unfolded in a way that reminded me of "Densha Otoko" (Train Man), but in the end, he ended up in hell.
Although the games they created weren't widely popular, they have a dedicated following, so I think they were made with a certain degree of purpose in mind.
It's ironic that a mass of malice created in the depths of despair unintentionally became a "masterpiece."
It's not really anyone's fault, but it's a truly heartbreaking story.
However, the epilogue shows that the other members have become more positive in their lives, so I'm glad it was a hopeful ending.

Giselle
Initially, I thought Giselle might be one of the people posting on Royaume Heaven, but that wasn't the case.
Imeon recommending the game to her ultimately triggered the tragedy, but surely no one can be blamed for that.
Even after his illness was discovered, he never spoke about it in a serious tone, so as not to worry Michelle, which is heartbreaking.

Nelly
In the beginning, Michelle thinks rather harshly of him, saying things like, "(I thought he was some kind of stupid sweets guy, but it seems that's not the case after all...)" but considering what Mel says, he seems to be a fairly serious gamer.
Judging from the epilogue, it seems that the protagonist was able to talk to and understand her mother, who is the closest person to her, which was very good.
Among the remaining members, this character has the most promising future, so I think this is the first step that gives us hope.

Jacopo
This might be my favorite character in this work.
He has an arrogant attitude, but it's quickly revealed to be a bluff, and because he's treated rather badly by those around him, he comes across as a teased, tsundere character.
After the truth about Jacopo was revealed at the Fairy House, he started speaking more honestly, and I was really touched by the contrast.
He himself regrets his thoughtless remark, and I can't bring myself to blame him at all.
"Fairy House was a good game, Dakna..." Jacopo mutters weakly, revealing his vulnerable side, and I think this is the real him.

Aid
Among the characters, the Four Heavenly Demons are a bit different and stand out from the rest.
Even though I'm not a gamer myself, the fact that I happened to like Fairy House because my girlfriend was playing it suggests that Fairy House must be a good game after all.
The reason Aid and Pauline weren't given the choice of life or death was probably because their fate was already decided, and they had no other option.

・Imeon
Having lost Giselle, the woman he loved, and his best friend Michelle, he is still entrusted with many things by Michelle, and I think he is the person who carries the most burdens of all.
Judging from the epilogue, it seems that the game we're playing, "Seventh Court," is something he created.
The fact that I'm already suspicious of whether his feelings for Michelle are purely friendship simply because she's physically female makes me realize that I'm also someone who judges people by their appearance.

・ messenger
This messenger is surprisingly willing to go to great lengths to prevent suicide, such as staging a play using the worldview created by Michelle.
Although they are not human, and therefore might give off a rigid impression, they seem to be quite flexible and responsive to various requests, which is endearing.
After Michelle pointed out that her BBS post was incomprehensible, I thought her annoyed expression was cute.

Added on May 3, 2021I also played "Erasmus on the Mist," but I preferred this game, "Seventh Court."
This film had a stronger positive emotional impact, while "Erasmus in the Mist" left a stronger impression of negative emotions.