Ascendant Hearts

Ascendant Hearts is a cute Visual Novel that takes many of the concepts that we as gamers know and love and turns them slightly into a joke. That said, it is done in a way to make you laugh and enjoy the adventure as you play as the protag. This Visual Novel has multiple endings and multiple paths which is a big hit in my book.

The original version of this Visual Novel was done on Renpy which is a Visual Novel program that is free to use and offers forums where you can get help with your Visual Novel. However, the company that created this Visual Novel has recently updated the entire game and reissued it using Unity. 

The character design and backgrounds are well done and the music that goes with this Visual Novel is nice, even though it isn't very varied as many are. There are also very few emotes expressed by the characters and view actions which isn't a problem but is something that I look at when playing.

The game starts with you the protag named Hayato that suddenly wakes up in a town he doesn't know. Plagued with amnesia you are unable to understand how you got there or why you are there. As you start to gain your bearings you realize the town is quiet...too quiet and as you make your way around you realize something is wrong. That is when you encounter monsters that are called 'Darkwolves' and they are out to kill anyone that is on the street, which means Hayato. 

However, before they are able to get to him the few Darkwolves are killed by a blast of elemental magic. That is when you meet the first interest of this Visual Novel, Shiori.

Shiori is an Elemental Mage and can cast a wide variety of elemental based spells such as Ice, Fire, and Lightning. She is a higher level and has much experience in dealing with the monsters. She can be a bit abrasive and a bit shy when placed under a great deal of stress. But you later find out that she has a deeper problem that is hard to get around. Because of her past, the town's Adventures don't party with her and this has caused her a great deal of grief and undue stress, which has also led to resentment. 

Despite that, however, she starts to help Hayato learn more about the world he is in and the things he should know. She also helps him obtain his first weapon and armor. She also helps him start his first quest as a member of the Adventures guild in the city. 

Being one of the love interests in the story for the protag, I find that she is the 'cliche' option. She is the first girl you meet and does the most to help you at first, in return you help her get in good with the township and the adventures guild and so on.

But deciding to get her ending first was a good option as it is a nice ending that I can say I greatly enjoyed getting. 

As you continue to play through the Visual Novel you will meet the second love interest soon after meeting Shiori after you decide to spend the night at the Inn in town.

Aiko is a natural Healer. She works at the Inn to pay for her stay there and for her meals. She is an avid player of a card game that is comparable to Magic the Gathering and apparently, she enters many tournaments. She is shy, reserved, and very innocent in many ways. 

I can only assume this is due to a sheltered upbringing but her past isn't really brought up much. I actually find that to be a bit of a character flaw for her overall, I think a little bit more of a backstory would have been nice. But despite that, her character is well rounded and she provides a nice partner choice.

She doesn't at first want anything to do with being an adventure but after Hayato and her start talking she finds herself drawn to him and starts to train to be a better healer and eventually joins a party with Hayato and Shiori. 

The big problem that Hayato has with Aiko though is her thoughts on her role not just as a healer but as the 'character that is destined to die' which Hayato has a hard time grasping or understanding. Over time if you choose her to be your romantic partner you will get her to come to terms that she doesn't have to die.

After Aiko joins the party the party decides to investigate the Darkwolves attacks on the town they are in and why they are happening. During their search, they are met with a new person that is also a romantic option for Hayato. And her name is Chise.

 

Chise is your stereotypical Rogue, she can seem cold and a bit heartless at times but deep inside she cares a great deal about what is going on the world. She has spent many years searching for a 'hero' that is foretold to be coming to the world to stop the Darkwolves attacks. Because of this mission, she has lost friends and has lived in solitude for the most part. 

During a time when your party is needing a member to join to go do a raid in a dungeon, she decides to join your party. She at first doesn't say why and she is very defensive and quiet. As time goes by however she does open up a little bit and as a romantic interest, you find drawn to her despite her standoffish attitude at times.

Chise's history is a bit more fleshed out than that of Aiko's and while not as much information is given as Shiori's you still get a sense that you can sympathize with her which makes her an easier choice for one of the playthroughs to pick as best girl.

While I will not ruin the story or the ending, I want to say that from what I have seen on the Steam Community for this game it is obvious there are now more than three endings. While I am not sure what they are as I have only really played through to get the love interest stories done I may at some point decide to get the last two endings to get the 100% Achievement for the game. 

I also have made it obvious on my post on the Steam Review section for this game that I'd like to see a fourth girl make her way as a love interest as well but I do not think they will do it. But at least I got my opinion out in the open right? 

In the end, this game really isn't adult-oriented which is what I mainly focus on. It really only has a couple of moments when things can get suggestive but not much more than that. There are a couple of times that you will see the female characters in their bra and panties and that is about it really. 

Despite it not really being adult-oriented, I still felt compelled to make a blog post about it as it was still a really well done and crafted Visual Novel that had a lot of humor in it as well. A good storyline and decent character development also make this a good Visual Novel. I highly recommend it to anyone. 

NekoPara Vol. 3

NekoPara Vol. 3

NekoPara Vol. 3 is a continuation of the story found in Nekopara Vol. 2 with one main difference. The difference is the focus on two different catgirls from the other two Volumes. In NekoPara Vol. 3 the Visual Novel revolves around the relationships between Cinnamon and Maple and their relationship with Kashou, the main protag of the story. 

In this installment of the NekoPara storyline, the protag, after establishing his new catpanions in Coconut and Azuki alongside his first catpanions of Chocola and Vanilla.

Now pushed into realizing his feelings for the remaining two catgirls his sister has raised. This doesn't happen at first of course, and instead happens over time. With trial and error and through some heartbreaking moments. 

Maple and Cinnamon are closer than any of the other catgirls with the exception maybe of Chocola and Vanilla as they are sisters. That said the relationship they have is much more in-depth than that of being sisters and this is made very clear about midway through the VN with a nicely timed H-Scene with Maple and Cinnamon. 

Maple is the type of catgirl that doesn't show her inner thoughts well and tends to be a bit brash. She isn't the type to wear her heart on her sleeve and she has an issue with being involved with many of the things the other girls are into. She is however shy and timid when it does come down to her having to express her feelings to others. 

Maple seems to be extremely bitter and puts up walls around her that directly affect her friend Cinnamon. She has dreams of her own, and sadly there are many that do not show much respect to catgirls or their dreams. However eventually through conversation with Kashou and Cinnamon, she finally confesses her feelings and dreams of being a singer.

Cinnamon is the polar opposite of Maple in the sense that she does not have a problem telling you exactly what is on her mind or what she thinks about something, usually though her mind is preoccupied with thinking of lewd and dirty thoughts. Despite being one of the younger sisters of the catgirls, she is always talking about sex and other lewd things which makes the others feel a bit awkward around her. 

Cinnamon was taken in by Kashou's sister and for some time felt alone and didn't interact well with the other catgirls. However, eventually, Maple broke her of her shyness and isolation. Since then Cinnamon has always considered Maple her best friend and is wholly committed to making Maple happy by any means. 

When Maple tells Kashou and the others her dream of being a singer and how she wants to learn an instrument to go along with her singing, Cinnamon decides to pick up and learn the piano and keyboard to help Maple make her dream come true.

With Maple and Cinnamon on the road to stardom of sorts by practicing every day and still working at the bakery with Kashou, things seem to be getting better. Kashou even helps the duo out by buying their instruments and providing them supplies and time off as they need. 

This selfless action along with his guidance and push to help make Maple's dream come true eventually earns the love and conviction of the two. While Cinnamon doesn't hide the fact that she has an interest in Kashou, Maple is not as open about her feelings and eventually Cinnamon comes to the conclusion that Maple has fallen in love with Kashou just as the other catgirls have. 

During a rather...hot scene, Maple and Cinnamon admit that their bond is much deeper than just being sisters in the catgirl family they are apart of. Instead, not only does Cinnamon consider Maple her best friend, but she also considers her to be to some extent a lover. 

Maple of course at first tries to stop the scene from happening but realizes that she also has the same feelings for Cinnamon and both share those feelings with Kashou as well. 

Eventually, Kashou is able to get the two to do a live performance for a customer of the shop. When they do a catering event for a college friend of Kashou the two blow the audience away with their music and song. Maple takes lead with singing and she is backed up by Cinnamon on piano. 

After the performance, the two spend the night on the ship the show was on and through the course of the night, they make it clear to Kashou that they want to be his companions as well and that both of them are in love with him.

With the final set of catpanions made between Kashou and the catgirls of his family he now has the complete support of all the catgirls that help him in his shop.

This Visual Novel isn't over yet though, I have recently come across information stating that NekoPara Vol. 4 is due to release this year! I have already heard what many fans think the premise of this volume will be as pictures have been leaked showing some new characters and new catgirls. 

I personally can not wait to see what the new Vol. will have in store, and I highly recommend anyone that enjoy's Visual Novels to consider getting the series of NekoPara. 

NekoPara Vol. 2

NekoPara Vol. 2

If you haven't played NekoPara Vol. 1, I highly recommend it before you play this one. While they are stand-alone games and don't really need to be played in any particular order, I find that playing them order will help keep you up to date with the storyline. 

So if you don't want any spoilers from Vol. 1, I suggest you don't read this review until you have read and or played through the NekoPara Vol. 1 game. 

NekoPara Vol. 2 starts pretty much where Vol. 1, left off with our protag opening up his shop. And with the help of his sister and their six catgirls, the pastry shop becomes a success. 

With Kashou making all the cakes in the shop, his little sister Shigure, using her online presence to increase their customer count, and all the catgirls being waitresses, the shop seems to be a lively and fun little place. 

Despite that, however, there are still some inter-family issues that are taking place between the oldest sister catgirl Azuki and the second youngest sister catgirl Coconut. 

Azuki the eldest sister of all the cats is also the smallest of them all. She is a munchkin breed and so she won't get much bigger then she is now which is pretty short and small in stature compared to the rest of her sisters. 

Despite being the smallest, she as the oldest uses her seniority to take command and controls the other sisters as a big sister would. She is loud, proud, and despite her rough exterior, is extremely protective of her younger sisters. 

She also has a problem with being honest openly and instead hides her true feelings deep under her rough and sometimes harsh words and actions.

 She butts heads with Coconut the most, and as of recently, it is more and more of a problem than it has been in the past. To the point that Azuki actually strikes Coconut during an argument, though her reasoning is sound and justified to a point.

Coconut is the second youngest of the sisters, she is also the tallest and biggest of them as her breed is that of the Maine Coon cat. Coconut is a reserved cat that knows she's not the smartest which she more than makes up for in her strength and agility. Despite her appearance, however, she is still a kitten and acts it.

Coconut was one that acted childish at times and relied heavily on her oldest sister for help much of the time. Recently however though she had been acting differently and in that she began to start making many different mistakes that were very uncharacteristic of her.

Because of this the eldest sister and she had started to butt heads on regular bases to the point that during an argument, Azuki struck Coconut out of anger. This led to Coconut leaving the shop for a short time before Kashou and Azuki go to find her and do so at the park near the shop.

During these events, Kashou has realized he has feelings for both Coconut and Azuki and through trial and error, these catgirls also find it deep in their hearts that, they also share these same feelings. This leads to the two deciding they will also become Kashou's catpanions, much like Chocola and Vanilla. 

With Kashou now having four catpanions things get interesting as they begin to bond with one another not just as Master and catgirls, but as lovers as well. 

NekoPara Vol. 2 is a great continuation of this VN series and adds new dynamics to the already complex relationship between the Catgirls and the main protag. It is interesting to see the difference in each catgirl and how they handle different situations. I highly recommend this VN to those that have already went through Vol. 1. 

NekoPara Vol.1

NekoPara Vol. 1

NekoPara Vol. 1 is a straight-laced Visual Novel that has no choices or no multiple endings and instead tells a story directly without variation. Normally I prefer to have a Visual Novel that has choices and multiple endings as they tend to have replay value and are just more interesting to me. However, with that said, this VN was also very interesting and was one that I was glad I picked up.

This VN has been around for a while so it isn't a new addition to Steam. Despite that though I think it deserves a review.

NekoPara takes place in the modern world and modern times, with the exception that now that there are catgirls around. In most themes with Neko's the idea is that they are demi-humans or cat sports, or something of the sort which is unique unto itself and lends itself well to a fantasy style VN. However, this particular VN takes things in a different way, the idea that Neko's or 'catgirls' are actually genetically modified combinations of human and cat DNA created in a lab.

While obviously more human than cats physically, they do act like cats in the respect that they like fish, play with cat toys, and tend to take on cat characteristics. Physically the only difference is the ears, eyes, and tails that are cat-like. The modified catgirls are treated like normal pets with laws in place to protect them and make sure they have qualifications to be in public by themselves. Thanks to the lab they are also unable to reproduce and therefore the worry of them overpopulating doesn't exist...unlike real cats.

In the NekoPara world, you are the protag named Kashou Minaduki who is the son of a long time confection maker. That said, you decide one day that you would rather do something else with your life. After practicing in secret for a while you move away from your family home and live in the city, and you open your own pastry shop with the name "La Soleil".

Within moments of starting the game, you find yourself being introduced to two of the Minaduki family catgirls. These two apparently stowed away with your belongings as you left the family home. 

The two catgirls, Chocola and Vanilla decided to come with you even though you didn't plan on anyone coming with you when you moved out of your family home. The two catgirls are sisters and are polar opposites in many ways, but despite that, they complement each other and like kittens tend to get into trouble even when they try not to. In cat fashion, the two appear to be one age but cats tend to age differently than humans do, so keep that in mind.

Chocola is the outspoken, rowdy, energetic catgirl that always smiles and tends to be a trouble maker even though she doesn't do it on purpose. She can be slow on the uptake at times and is spontaneous. 

Vanilla is a reserved, quick-witted, and intelligent catgirl that doesn't speak often and is very quiet. Despite that, she is very smart and very adept, she also tends to be able to plan out things many moves ahead. She is able to predict things and adapt quickly to the situation, making her less of a bother than Chocola but that doesn't mean she doesn't have a more...kitten side. 

Kashou accepts that they decided to move with him because of their bond. He found them when they were young and both were alone left to be strays. He took them home and cared for them along with his sister who has several catgirls of her own. Raising them was left to his sister and while she trained them and taught them to speak, read, write, and how to be accepted in human society, they still viewed Kashou as their Master. 

Kashou opens his store despite having to now deal with two catgirls that have made the choice to stay with him regardless of his thoughts on the matter. And since they have decided to stay he decides to use their talents to help his shop.

Time goes by and eventually, Kashou's sister shows up to help his store...even though it goes against their father's wishes. She brings along her own catgirls and eventually she decides to help him with running his store along with using the catgirls as employees to help increase his business. 

Azuki, Coconut, Maple, Cinnamon, along with Chocola and Vanilla act as hostesses and waitresses in the store while his sister coordinates his online presence by using social media to draw in customers and to help him take his business online with online ordering. Despite her age, his sister is very capable and handling the business side of things...so much so it actually scares him slightly. 

Eventually one of the catgirl's most enduring traits...especially that of Chocola and Vanilla shines through and makes the VN more interesting by adding a new dynamic. Catgirl's for the most part are very open with their feelings and tend to wear their hearts on their sleeve so to speak. While Vanilla is more reserved she is especially receptive to this fact and can be a bit more open. Chocola while getting flustered quickly and easily is also very open with her feelings. To that end, they make the declaration openly that they see Koshou more than just their Master. 

Of course, this all comes around after they move from the kitten stage to being more of a cat. Chocola notices it first and without warning, she enters 'heat' and that brings her emotions to the top. Though Vanilla isn't far behind her, being sisters they tend to feed off one another so it was only a matter of time before Vanilla went into heat as well. 

Koshou and the three become intimate, (note: please be aware that this is actually very acceptable in the society of the VN. Afterall...they are still very much human girls.)

Soon after the trio begins a relationship, catgirls are more in touch with the cat mentality and don't view relationships the same. They don't view monogamy the same way. Many catgirls instead see it as a relationship that involves those that have strong feelings for one another. They don't get jealous easily and if they do get jealous it is more so in the fact they feel that they are not getting as much attention as the other catgirl in the relationship. 

The Visual Novel ends on a good note with all the catgirls helping out at the store and Koshou's sister continuing to help him as well. With Chocola and Vanilla as his 'catpanions' and not just pets anymore he feels that life can only go up from here. (Note: Catpanions in the VN refer to catgirls that are more than just pets and are intimately involved with their owners and Masters.)

Overall, this VN is a great VN that has comedy, romance, sex, and drama. It will make you fall in love with Neko's...I mean I already liked them but this solidified that fact. While the concept is unique and different it isn't that bad of a concept and the storytelling is well done. I enjoyed this from start to finish and I think regardless if you are new to VN's or someone that enjoys them on a regular bases you will too.

Sounds of Her Love

Sounds of Her Love

Sounds of Her Love is a short Visual Novel that places you in a unique position and situation. This particular VN places you as a protag that is going to a school that caters to 'International' students. As a half Japanese and Half English born citizen, you are able to attend the school. All the students of the school are either those like you who are children of parents that are from separate nations or children of parents that are in Japan for work. 

The protag (which you can create the name for) has just started attending the school and on his way to school happens to see a girl that drops her bag and upon further inspection, she loses her Library Pass. You being the nice guy you are of course pick it up and upon getting to school give it to her. 

The girl is extremely shy and talks very little. She is quiet and keeps to herself, that is until you start speaking to her. She goes by Ceri and from that moment on the story revolves around you slowly breaking through her barriers and learning her story along the way. 

Now there are said to be 3 to 4 endings, I have only gotten 1 of those endings and I was quite happy with that ending and I assume that from what I have seen there is 1 confirmed neutral ending and 1 'bad' ending. I am conflicted trying for the bad ending much like I was and still am on the Visual Novel "Wolf Tails". But if they add achievements for getting the endings then I guess I will make the effort to get those other 2 endings.

This Visual Novel plus the recently released free DLC which extends the story slightly between the Protag and the Ceri, roughly translates into 3 hours of playtime. That is of course getting one end. If you were to try for the other endings you may end up with 5 to 6 hours of full playtime. 

The Visual Novel is short, there are a few small grammar errors, and there are a couple of CG's that in my personal opinion could be slightly modified as the dimensions seem off...but all things considered those are not too big of problems to have. All in all I would rank this up there as a good VN to start on, it has good music, good CG's, a decent story, and decent character development, even if those developments are pushed extremely fast due to the shortness of the VN.

The Language of Love

The Language of Love

Steam Review

At the time of this review, I have not posted a Steam review.

Review

The Language of Love is a VN that takes a unique look at a culture norm inside Japan and creates a unique story. Graphically it is appealing and nice, the soundtrack is not as varied but isn't bad either. The plot is unique and fresh, despite the fact that it has no choices, no 'paths', and no multiple endings. Usually, those are what I look for in a VN but I went out of my comfort zone a bit and decided to give this one a chance, and I am glad I did. 

What makes this VN unique in my mind is the situation placed on the characters from the beginning, it shows the depth of Japanese society and how even today the nation has the same internal struggles that most nations do, the fight between traditional values and modern values. 

The Language of Love starts out with you playing the protag named Mitsuki who is 23 and is at cram school to get into a university. Now for those that know Japanese culture that well, it is unheard of someone that old, (yes I said it...old) to be in cram school and in their culture is looked down upon. Most students take entrance exams when they are 17 to 18 with the oldest being 19. So to see a 23-year-old in a cram school is unheard of. 

Mitsuki was born and raised in the country, and the reason why he waited so late to try and get into University is explained, but the short version is he stayed in his small village to help his parents run their store. This of course meant right after high school he was too busy to try and go through the entrance exam and or go to cram school to get in. Despite his circumstances, he is shunned by his fellow classmates. 

He lives alone in a rundown apartment complex and despite him moving to the city to go to school he feels alone and depressed and loses his interest in studying to get into university. Then one day on his way home from cram school he hears a girl crying on a playground close to his apartment complex and decides to see what is going on. That is where he meets a 6-year-old girl named Tama who lives in the same apartment complex as he does with her mother. 

Tama is a furious force of nature and a bundle of energy that allows her to cause all kinds of problems and mischief. She is for the most part fearless and has no filter when it comes to telling the truth, she says what is on her mind regardless of what it might mean for the person on the other side. Mitsuki finds her on the local playground crying when she lost the key to her apartment. Her mother had left her at the apartment while she made a quick trip to the store only for Tama to leave the apartment. 

Mitsuki helps her look for her lost key but soon a rainstorm moves in and he decides to take her to his apartment to keep her from getting sick out in the rain. Mitsuki leaves a note under the door of Tama's apartment to let her mother know he was keeping an eye on her till she got back. As time goes by he becomes concerned that her mother has left her even though Tama says that isn't the case. Eventually, however, a knock on the door of his apartment and a woman's voice lets him know she has returned. 

Her name is Kyouko and she is the mother of Tama. As Mitsuki finds out she is only a year older then he is. After doing the math he realizes that she had to have Tama during or right out of high school for her to only be 24-years-old. He finds out that she works in a local restaurant as a waitress and spends most of her time either working or taking care of her daughter as a single mother.

Kyouko is a well-spoken, quiet, reserved, and dedicated mother. She is a single mother who has been cut off by her family due to her pregnancy and the father Tama was a fellow student in her high school days that broke up with her after hearing she was pregnant. In Japanese society it is still taboo to become pregnant before marriage and to become pregnant in high school is even more so. 

Because of her situation and being a single mother she has been looked down on by those in the apartment complex and at the school that Tama goes to. That said though she does have at least one friend in the mothers of the school.

Mitsuki starts helping Kyouko by taking care of Tama while she picks up more shifts to provide more income for them and in return Kyouko who is extremely smart decides to help Mitsuki study for his cram school and entrance exam. The two eventually as you would think fall in love with one another.

Through the ups and downs of life and learning to take things as they come Mitsuki decides one day that his love for Kyouko is too strong to deny it any further and when he confesses to her she is a bit apprehensive. But she also confesses that she can't deny the fact she has fallen for him as well. She worries of course what that means for him as he would be entering into a dynamic where he would go from single man to having a family. Despite that Mitsuki reminds her that over the months they have been together helping each other that Tama has already stated she sees him as a father figure in her life. 

Kyouko is reluctant at first due to her past history with her ex-boyfriend, but she knows that Mitsuki isn't the same as he is so she finally agrees to them dating, but only after he finishes his entrance exam. 

The VN ends with Mitsuki leaving to take his entrance exam...what happens after that is left to your imagination. I think that based on the overwhelming support of this VN from the ones that have already played it and made reviews of their own and comments, many enjoy this unique view and perspective that you do not see in most VN's. Even the creator and writer of the VN stated in his notes of the game he wanted to do something unique and different than what we expect from VN's at this time, and I can say they delivered.

I recommend this VN to anyone, there is a patch that allows you to see the H-scene at the end of the VN but that is the only one. The VN itself lasts around 6hrs of playtime, which is not bad for this VN. I won't deny I hope there will be an addition to this game or maybe a new patch that will add an After Story so we know more about Mitsuki and Kyouko's relationship. But you can never tell if such a thing will happen or not. 

(Note: As I stated before this VN touches on some subject matter dealing with the traditional views of Japanese society. The idea of marriage before having children and not having children while in school is something that is seen as taboo or bad in many nations and cultures. 

The social response varies and in many cases, it can lead to depression, child abuse, child neglect, suicide, and other issues with the single parent in question.

In Japan, there are cases where children are simply left at home when a parent simply 'walks away' unable to deal with the stress of raising a child on their own. Regardless of your views on this subject matter, social unacceptance of a single parent regardless if it is a single father or single mother is not something I condone or think any society should condone.

The good part of this story is that Mitsuki mans up and is willing to be a father to a child that isn't his and in Japanese society, some men are looked down upon for it and others are simply mocked because people think they are taking pity on the mother. In this VN the fact that he is willing to take Kyouko and Tama regardless of the consequences I think speaks volumes about his character.)

Golden Time

Golden Time

Golden Time Review

Golden Time is an anime I recently found on my new HiDive streaming service. I decided that I needed to broaden my horizon when it came to anime and get away from my niche of Isaki. So this one sounded a bit interesting and at the time of this review, I have not actually finished the series time though I do plan on it at some point soon. 

Golden Time is based on a unique story plot that will definitely resonate with some people and may put off others but not for what you may think. The story focuses on the protag of Banri Tada. Banri just moved from his small hometown out in the country to join a Law School in the city. When the anime starts he meets a fellow freshman named Mitsuo when both appear to have gotten lost while looking for their primary school building.

Banri and Mitsuo hit it off pretty quick and establish a quick friendship of sorts. It is also during this time you are introduced to a primary character named Kaga Kouko. She is apparent wanna be girlfriend and lover of Mitsuo even though he clearly doesn't want to be anywhere near her.

The anime progress with you finding out that Mitsuo and Kouko have a long history together and that she is a bit obsessive and she is loaded and rich. She of course uses this to influence her transfer from a pristine University to be with Mitsuo at Law School. This, of course, creates quite a bit of drama and Banri hangs on for the ride of his life with his newfound friends that also include a young man they call '2D' a girl named Oka and another girl named Linda. Later a special anime character from another hit series makes a guest appearance and plays a pretty major role in the anime itself which is an interesting thing to see.

As time goes by there is a lot of drama that leads up to a big explosion of feelings that throw this group of people into a bit of a chaotic moment. That is when Mitsuo flat out confronts Kouko about her behavior and tells her he can't be with her and doesn't have any feelings for her and in fact, he has fallen for another girl (Oka). A heartbroken Kouko eventually cheers up with the help of Banri and eventually the two fall in love and start dating.

Now before you think that is the end of this tale...you also need to know a bit more of the backstory. Banri Tada on the last day of High school is involved in an accident that takes away all his memories. It is as if his soul and body are separated and he can't remember anything, friends, loved ones, his parents, nothing. 

As the anime progresses, certain events and discussions with Linda bring more and more memories back, and he begins to remember certain things. After going home and finding a picture in his room of Linda and him, he confronts her and finds out that prior to his accident he had strong feelings for her. 

In several episodes, it shows a ghostly Banri watching his 'body' create new memories and fall for Kouko even though his soul still loves Linda. As the anime begins to reach midway events lead to some serious moments between Linda and Banri that lead to some interesting drama between Banri and Kouko.

Now as I have stated I have not at this time finished the series and when I do I will update this blog post. However, at this time the anime is a good one. It is well crafted both with music, audio, and artwork. I also enjoy the unique perspective presented by the difference between the 'soul' of Banri Tada and his 'body'. It is a unique perspective to think that when one loses his memories that is liken to losing his soul. The trials and tribulations that Banri endures are aspiring at a certain level it also reminds us that the bonds we make are not easily broken or cast aside. Even though he has no memory of certain things from his past he has the 'feeling' of what Linda meant to him and at moments his 'soul' finds ways to connect to him and to Linda. 

How to raise a Wolf Girl

Steam Review

To be posted.

Review

How to Raise a Wolf Girl is a fairly new VN that has recently hit the Steam Marketplace. The anime is visually appealing and has quite a few well put together music tracks that make the game feel pretty good. I am going to be upfront though and state here that while I did greatly enjoy this VN there are a few things that I think need to be addressed. And I have heard rumors that the issues that were in this VN will actually be addressed at some point so I have hope. 

The game revolves around the male protag named Shuji that lives in a rural community away from the hustle and bustle of the bigger cities. He lives with his younger sister and his grandfather. He is also friends with the protag's main love interest Kana. He is a down to earth guy with a large heart of gold, in fact Kana tells him all the time that his large heart is too large for its own good. Shuji as the protag has a very open mind and tends to view things as a combination of a realist and dreamer. It is a delicate balance but one he actually pulls off pretty well. I would say his character development is pretty decent if a bit slow at times.

Kana is the daughter of the township leader. She is also very open and very direct in her approach to everything. She isn't afraid to push things to get her way and her father is wrapped around her finger even if he never comes out and admits it. She is Shuji's close friend since childhood and has proclaimed over and over that they are either dating, eloping, or getting married. Of course, Shuji denies all of this but their history isn't just the 'kids' that grew up story you think. 

The truth is that Kana and Shuji have had several sexual experiences with one another though they do not talk about it as it is greatly looked down upon due to them not even officially dating yet. 

Kana is a bit of a loose cannon and this can lead to Shuji being in trouble a great deal because she is, in essence, the counter to him and tends to be very intimidating. 

One day while Shuji and Kana are out in the mountains they come across a hunters cage that has a wolf girl in it. A girl with ears and a tail like that of a wolf. Deciding to take a chance they rescue her and take her home. What follows are events that are intriguing, spiritual, and uplifting. There are also some sad moments but for the most part the VN is geared more to being a slightly comedic VN with some other types of genres added in. 

So normally here I would be discussing this next girl like a love interest to Shuji and in a way she is and in a way she is not. So before I get into that let's talk about Ihori a bit. Ihori for all intense purposes is a wolf girl. How do you ask? Long short is she went missing at a young age and to ensure her survival the spirit of the woods made her one of his retainers which embued her with some of his traits and talent. Which also led to her developing the wolf ears and tail.

Ihori while pretty much human lacks some basic skills such as the ability to talk properly, she also has an issue with being a bit more...animal-like in certain ways. This includes using the bathroom outside and not really liking certain clothing...primarily she doesn't like panties. Though later we figure out it's because of her tail she can't wear them like they should be worn and it is very uncomfortable for her.  

Ihori is very cheerful and happy go lucky to a fault. She is extremely smart and can learn quickly. She is dedicated to Shuji in the purest of ways. She tends to sneak into his bed at night and tends to be sad when he isn't around but is extremely happy when he is. She also enjoys being with Kana and the rest of Shuji's family.

In most Visual Novels like this one, you would expect that there would be multiple choices that would determine how things proceed through the game. And there are choices so you wouldn't be wrong there, but the choices you make only change a handful of texts and does nothing to actually change a 'path' that you can go on to get a certain ending. Instead, the ending of this VN is the only one so no matter what you choose to do you will always get the same ending. 

Furthermore the idea of 'love interest' is only somewhat true. Kana is pretty much your only 'true' love interest as far as the Visual Novel hints at. This is of course done through the fact that if you have the 18+ free download, Kana and Shuji have couple of H-Scene's that end with him in some form or fashion confessing that he is in love with Kana. 

Now that said I won't deny that there is something going on between him and Ihori but there were no H-Scene's which left me quite disappointed. There is also a third girl that comes in later that could at some point even be a love interest if that was the direction they wanted to go. However, the Visual Novel ends very abruptly and leaves the person playing it asking many questions...which in my experience isn't a good way to leave things. 

So despite the good marks on visuals, music, story and plot...the fact that the character development is slow and the fact that the VN has no 'paths' so dialogue really changes nothing along with the abrupt ending makes one wonder...is this really the end of this VN? 

There are several that are saying they are expecting an update at some point that will add more to the story and even maybe add 'paths' the player can take to get the girl that they want Shuji to be with. Now, none of this has been confirmed by the company that has produced the game nor the distributor at this time and many times you will not hear about an update this soon after a game has launched. I think we shall wait and see how this goes.

All that said I still recommend this VN as a good buy to add to your collection of VN's. I think you will be swept away by the story and enjoy the game for what it is even if it does lack some of the things we have all come to expect from most VN's.