Our Novel Game (Free Visual Novel) Introduction and Review

I was intrigued by the fact that this visual novel is about "making visual novels," so I decided to play it.
It was a linear visual novel with no choices, and it took about three hours to complete.
As the description page for the work states, "Summer x Youth x Creativity," the content lives up to those keywords, and the more I read, the more I was drawn in.
I think this book will resonate with anyone who has experience creating something they love, whether it's a visual novel or a hobby.

Game Overview

This game, "Our Novel Game," is a visual novel with a linear storyline where you progress by reading the text.
It is made using Tyrannoscriptor.
There are no choices to make, and there is only one ending, so you will simply be reading through the text.

The synopsis of this work is as follows:

Review (no spoilers)

The story became more and more interesting as I read on, and I ended up reading it all the way through in one go.
There are many points that make this work interesting, but one of them is,I think it's the realism that comes from life-sized depictions.

First of all, there are no outlandish elements in the characters or setting.
There are no supernatural phenomena, and the main theme of the story is "creating a cultural festival performance together as members of the literature club."
None of the characters stood out as particularly outstanding; each one had their own unique personality.
I believe the story wouldn't have worked without any of the five main characters, and I feel that each of their unique qualities and personalities truly shone through.

The story really started to get interesting once they decided on a visual novel as their project and began working towards it.
I thought it was helpful that the tasks were checked off from 1 to 4, making it easy to see what the club members were working to accomplish.
As these items gradually turn into "completed," it gives me the feeling that game development is progressing steadily.
For this work, which isn't divided into chapters, I think it served as a kind of milestone.

Naturally, the book was written by someone who truly understands the difficulties involved in creating a visual novel, so it felt very realistic.
However, it wasn't written in an overly technical way; the descriptions were just the right depth, making it easy for anyone to understand.
Furthermore, I think it would have been difficult to depict the challenges inherent in collaborative work unless one had actually experienced the difficulties of working on a collaborative project.

And I thought the way the story unfolded was very realistic.
I don't want to go into too much detail and spoil it, but the plot wasn't contrived at all; you could really feel the struggles and joys of the production process.
I'll leave my spoiler-free impressions here, and I'll write the rest in my spoiler-filled review.

The background music (BGM) uses a surprisingly large number of tracks for the length of the game itself.
Although this work is set in summer, looking at the titles of the background music, some songs that evoke spring and winter are also used.
It makes me realize that the music provided as source material can transform into an image that fits the context, depending on how it's used.

The character illustrations feature a calm, muted tone reminiscent of "TLSS," "Amagami," and "KimiKiss."
As I'm writing this, I realize that I might have been drawn to it because I like character designs with this kind of atmosphere.

Review (contains spoilers)

Both the heartbreaking and joyful scenes in the latter half of the film left a lasting impression on me.

If we were to use a narrative structure like introduction, development, turn, and conclusion, the turn was particularly emotionally impactful.
Certainly, I expected there would be some kind of trouble at some point, but I never imagined it would go so far as to make us abandon production altogether (although it was eventually completed).
Moreover, the fact that the cause was a tangled love affair within the department, something not directly related to game development, made it feel realistic in a way.

It was Tatsu's misunderstanding that caused it, but it was a rather subtle misunderstanding, and I think it would have been difficult for Shinpei to figure it out.
Even if I could have sensed his feelings and we had talked it out, it's questionable whether Tatsu would have been convinced, and ultimately, I think he would have ended up in a mental state where he couldn't focus on production.
For students of this age, romantic feelings can be difficult to control, and I felt that they are often unpredictable.

The argument between Shinpei and Tatsu at the family restaurant that followed was quite painful to watch.
Although Tatsu was aware of his own wrongdoing, Shinpei, with his overwhelming desire to make the collaboration a success, continued to hurl increasingly insensitive words at Tatsu.
Even Tatsu, who had been silent until then, finally got angry, and in the end, the two of them had a fight and parted ways.

Later, in the clubroom, the scene where Shinpei hears from Haruka-senpai about Tatsu's departure from the club and becomes depressed, wondering how things could have turned out this way, was the most memorable scene for me in this film.
Words written on scattered pages of a creative notebook.
"Let's create the best story together with everyone in the Literature Club! And let's move lots of players!"
When I read this scene, tears welled up in my eyes.

It's cruel that something I love, like creative work, which seemed like it would go well with everyone, ended up like this.
However, I think this also reflects the difficulties and realities of creative work and collaboration.

Later, Shinpei receives the illustration he had commissioned Onigawara to create, which he had forgotten about, and upon seeing it, he sheds tears and regains his motivation.
When a character you've created takes on this much form, it's understandable that a creator would want to bring it to life no matter what.
I thought it would be difficult to finish in time for the school festival, but thanks to Tatsu's help, we were able to finish it on a good note, so I'm relieved.
This is a grounded solution that relies on getting help from friends rather than relying on miracles.

The epilogue begins with a scene where you're talking to Haruka-senpai, eight years after the events of the main story.
Judging from the conversation, it seems like Shinpei might already be married.
Based on the flow of the story, it would be natural to assume that Mio is the opponent.
However, for players who are fans of Taniguchi, the way it's written could be interpreted as meaning that he got married to her, which is what makes it interesting.
Fans of Taniguchi-san, please rest assured.

After Shinpei says he'll set up another get-together with everyone, a picture of a memorable starry sky is displayed.
When I saw this picture, I felt a strong sense of nostalgia.
It was a moment that made me realize that youth shines brightest when you look back on it later.

Next, I'd like to talk about the characters.
As mentioned earlier, none of the characters were outlandish, which I think gave them a realistic presence.
I liked that the relationships between Shinpei and the other characters felt realistic and not overly affectionate.
The character names that are displayed are"Mio", "Haruka-senpai", "Taniguchi-san", "Tatsu"The interesting thing is how each character's sense of distance from the others comes through.
Also, in the email reply from Comiket, Mio's use of polite language, such as "Have you gone home yet? If you're free, could we meet again?", conveyed a subtle sense of distance and realism.

Of all the characters, the one who left the strongest impression on me was Taniguchi-san.
From the very beginning, he's quite quick to challenge what Shinpei and Tatsu say, and what's more, his arguments are actually quite logical, which I found annoying (and I mean that as a compliment).
As evidenced by her statement to Shinpei, "I think I'll hold a grudge about this for a while," she comes across as someone who embodies anger and righteousness, much like Mayaka Ibara from the novel "Hyouka."
Although she gives off a cold and aloof impression, the reason I don't harbor any negative feelings towards Ms. Taniguchi is probably because she is always right.
While being strict, she also played a different role than Haruka, pushing Shinpei to do what he needed to do.

I think Haruka-senpai was like a mother figure, possessing both kindness and strictness.
Basically, they respect and support the opinions of the club members, but when necessary, they are strict and set realistic goals.
While he may enjoy observing people, he seems to prefer fostering the growth of his club members rather than leading the club himself.

Mio was portrayed as a quiet childhood friend, and the fact that they had become somewhat distant felt very realistic.
In games and manga, childhood friends often come across as being very forward and uninhibited, but this feels like a more realistic portrayal of a childhood friend.

Tatsu is a character that's easy to understand, but the scene where he gets angry at Shinpei at the family restaurant was quite intense.
When a character who seems like the type to raise their voice suddenly hurls words with a sense of resignation and disappointment, it really hits home.
This story wouldn't work without Tatsu, so he left a very strong impression on me.

As for the villains, Kinoshita-kun is the one who left the biggest impression on me.
Despite not looking like a delinquent, the fact that his thoughts are power-type, involving things like destroying boards and physical attacks, is terrifying.
The fact that glasses, which are supposed to make you look intelligent, only give you a neurotic impression is surely a testament to Kinoshita's personality.
The motive he spoke of on the rooftop was so utterly unreasonable and spiteful that it went beyond anger and became rather unsettling.
In the sense that he possesses absolutely no positive qualities, he was perhaps a great success as a villain.
I thought Tatsu might come to the rescue, but of course that didn't happen, and he was taken away by the other students.
Even so, the ending, where they are helped by the results of the work they created, made me feel like it was all worthwhile.

I've written quite a long review, but it's been a very long time since I've been this emotionally invested in a visual novel.
Aside from the aspect of creating a visual novel, the themes are fairly common, but I think this is a wonderful work that tackles them head-on and with great care.
This section contains spoilers, but I highly recommend that anyone who hasn't played the game yet give it a try.