Jul 7, 2015 4:54 AM
Hoshi Ori Yume Mirai Reaction Part II
Anime Relations:
Monster
Ousaka Sora's Route [Informative, Calculated and Apt]:-
Ousaka Sora was a first year student, the kouhai character and a member of the Astronomy Club. She was an enthusiast about the stars and as a character, she was rather shy. A girl of few words and interesting expressions. She used her body language often to interact and converse. All in all, she was just an interesting character. She was extremely knowledgeable about the stars. To the point where she knew way more than she should. Her explanations weren't as good as Misa's. There was no subtlety. She was direct and raw. BUT, unlike Misa, when it came to romance she clicked.
Sora was a delightful character and had a really nice range of quirks. She had a habit for nodding when she wanted to say yes. She did a thumbs up every time she wanted to say good job, she shook her head when she wanted to say no, she called everyone by short nicknames. Ryou, Shuu, Natsu, Tou, Ritsu, Mari and Mossan for Azuma. She made a smug face when she did something worthy of praise. Her blushes were cute as hell too and she had a great range of expressions.
This route was Hoshi Ori getting back to its usual best and laying the foundation first before doing anything else. Actually the connection to Ryousuke in this route was very apparent. In fact, Sora and Ryousuke actually shared a past together. Sora actually remembered it all the while and it was one of the reasons why she believed in stars. Sora also happened to be the first heroine that Ryousuke met following his arrival in Shionagi city. It all happened when Sora dropped a paper star from the school roof and Ryousuke went in to return it. That roof was their nest basically and it was the fulcrum around which this route operates.
This route as such involved a lot of star gazing and explanations regarding various constellations. Sora, being part of the Astronomy Club, spent her time on the roof most of the time with her astronomical telescope. She had thought it to be comfortable that way and she was the only member of the club. She had yet to confirm her participation in the Tanabata Festival even after the camp trip because she was unsure as to what to do. Ryousuke was tasked with the duty of convincing her and getting her to make up her mind as part of the Events Committee. Then Sora and Ryousuke slowly get closer to each other through various experiences and star gazing sessions on the roof. It became such a habit that they were both so used to each other's company with time. So much so that it felt unnatural if even one of them was missing when they did the star gazing sessions.
It was a gradual process and love developed in due course. Ryousuke genuinely found these star gazing sessions to be very interesting and they enjoyed each other's company. It all felt very Hoshi Ori at long last. After the relative disappointment which was Misa's route, I was sort of apprehensive about this route as well seeing how Sora was the kouhai character but thankfully, it dished out something amazingly tight knit and calculated. Each move linked to another and this route was great by the end of it all. The relationship development was slow and subtle. Apart from the star gazing sessions, there was the sequence where Ryousuke and Sora ate hamburgers together. It was her first time doing so. That actually became a thing and she fell in love with hamburgers. Only, she did not like pickles and got Ryousuke to eat it every time. Sora also had friends within her own class and was popular. Ryousuke found this to be a surprise and a good thing. She did fortune telling too.
There was also a sequence where they had to get permission from a teacher called Yamashita to use the roof at night to star gaze and with Shuuichi's help they were able to do so. That was when most of the climactic moments in terms of romantic developments took place. Starting with Ryousuke lying on Sora's lap to star gaze, followed by Ryousuke's confession, followed by Sora's admission of her past with Ryousuke and finally Sora accepting his confession followed by their first kiss. They all happened gradually and not in one night. They were a series of important events. In between, Ryousuke saved the telescope from a sudden rain fall, caught a cold and Sora visited him to cook for him. As always, the rest of the cast was very supportive of the two and they helped at every possible opportunity with Natsuki at the forefront. She was a real proactive character.
Natsuki did tell Ryousuke about a weird rumor involving Sora. She told him how she always rejected confessions because she was still reminiscing about her first love. This does give Ryousuke more to think about but when Sora talks about her past, it becomes clear that the person Sora thought about was a young Ryousuke. Neither of them knew each other at the time. Sora was a lost child and Ryousuke helped her get back to her parents. That was an excellent and cute as hell scene, one which also involved star gazing. It led to Sora believing in stars leading to fateful encounters. She was already very knowledgeable about stars as a child.
After they do start going out, they visit a planetarium and Sora and Ryousuke finally decide on what they have to do for the Tanabata Festival. They decided to do a Planetarium. One which they would make by themselves. They would construct a dome using cardboard, use a projector and Sora would do the explanations. All of them were going to work together to gather the required cardboard and Sora with Ryousuke were going to do a part time job to get the required money to rent the projector for a day. I won't go into too much detail here as that would be meaningless. It's the gist of how things were and it was very fun to read through. Especially the part where Sora and Ryousuke did their part time job. They were promoting the city mascots Shionyaa and Shiowan. It was hilarious at times with kids doing funny things and the two of them trying to keep it a secret from their friends.
Of course, what I'm trying to get at here is that this the fact that, this route established all the connections very well. I'm not going to go into the details of what the star gazing sessions entailed but in actuality they were filled with meaning and each session provided a link between Ryousuke and Sora. They were interesting even as the reader. What this route also had in abundance was teamwork and friendship again. Constructing a planetarium is no mean feat but every one of them worked hard and made it a success. Ryousuke in particular had to think of ways to shape the dome all over again in the last minute when the previous dome collapsed. Everyone stood by each other to get it done. Azuma Morio also had a role as usual.
Sora also had a dream of wanting to spread the joy and meaning behind the stars to other people. She wanted to show how great stars are. Rikka helped Sora in coaching her to better her presentation skills. She taught her the way to convey her message. She was strict but Sora knew that she was that way because she cared. Sora affectionately called her Ritsu Sensei. Sora wanted to become a navigator at a planetarium in the future and this was her first hurdle in that path. On the day of the Tanabata Festival, the planetarium was a whopping success and it felt deserving. There was a shooting star finale prepared by Sora so that the people can wish upon the stars to make their dreams come true. At the end of it all, Ryousuke and Sora have a moment together and the high school section ends.
Right, whatever I said might have sounded bland but it really wasn't. This route is the hardest to explain after Natsuki's. It's again heavily dependent on feel and more importantly, interaction. It used stars as a connection to every event and it was extremely tedious to put it into words. Don't be fooled into thinking that it did not have any development. Sora gradually changed during the course of the route as she spent more time with Ryousuke and the group. They were all intrigued by star gazing and Sora's knowledge. What follows however, is a lot easier to highlight. The after story section.
This was perhaps the longest after story in the VN. Not only that but I felt that it was also the most meaningful one. It actually focused completely on Sora's and Ryousuke's dreams. It focused on their career path and how they supported each other through the trails and hardships. That was the primary focus. The other routes had it too but it was more of a secondary factor to the romance. I did not mind that this route did the reverse, in fact, I was glad. This route had already set everything up in the romance department and what was important was to move forward.
Here, the story fast forwards to the point where Ryousuke has already worked under Azuma Morio for five years and is going to start up an individual establishment as an architect. Sora was working at the city's planetarium as a navigator. The role of Azuma Morio is not to be taken lightly in this or any route for that matter. He looked out for Ryousuke every step of the way. He made him grow as a person, as a man and as an architect. I won't go into the details of each job because that would again feel too tedious and even boring to read about. It's completely different from actually experiencing it.
In short, Ryousuke is called up to design an extension for a house of a particular council member who was very impressed by one of Ryousuke's designs when he was working under Azuma Morio. That was his first job. He successfully completed it without a hitch. Next, he was asked to design Shuuichi's and Kaori's new home as they were planning to get married. That was his first major undertaking. He took a few years but it finally came to fruition and they were delighted at the results. They even published a picture in a magazine and it was photographed by.................? Guess who?
Simultaneously, he was asked to design the new City Hall that was going to be built in place of Shionagi Gakuen's old wing along with Azuma Morio Constructions. That was a major turning point in his career and again it was Mr. Azuma who insisted that Ryousuke participate and help him. This was arguably his toughest assignment and he needed a lot of help and support from Sora especially. Azuma did his bit as well. Ryousuke failed many times but he finally got it right after learning the answer that Azuma was expecting through struggle and hard work. In the end, the answer was simple. Finally, on Sora's request, he entered a contest to see who would design the new and improved planetarium including a small aquarium display that was going to come to play in the future with Azuma Morio as one of the judges to pick the winner. Due to all the accolades that he had amassed previously as stated and due to his extremely promising design, he was able to land the job. These were the various projects that he undertook and each one of them was shown in detail. I only gave a simple and quick summary.
The VN actually took that series of sequences very very seriously. Meanwhile, Sora also had her own struggles. She was tasked with the job of trying to make the planetarium sessions more interesting and appealing. She depended on Ryousuke just as Ryousuke depended on her for some support and ideas. There was a session about the Moon and meteor storms. It was calculated and the build up simultaneously with Ryousuke's architectural growth was perfect. They did not live together. They still helped each other whenever they could. Ryousuke lived in a separate apartment as he did in Misa's route and had a separate office too. Sora took time off and visited him whenever possible.
After they both moved forward and settled in their respective fields, Ryousuke proposed on the school roof. Actually, when Ryousuke was struggling earlier with his toughest assignment, he collapsed due to overworking. Sora had then proposed and asked Ryousuke to marry her so that she could be by his side all the time. Ryousuke rejected her saying that when the time was right, he would propose to her. He did not want Sora to give up on her dreams for his sake. He also thought it to be unmanly to accept her proposal. That was an extremely touching scene. As was Ryousuke's proposal which Sora gladly accepted. Their marriage took place in Mauna Kea which was supposed to be one of the best places in the world for star gazing.
There were other romantic moments between the two throughout the course of the after story section. They went to the hot springs twice, they went on a nostalgic visit to their school where they met Rikka who was a part time music teacher. Ryousuke bought a pair of star shaped earrings and presented it to Sora. So it was a really long after story route but also the best only in terms of the after story content all round. As mdz mentioned in his review, this route definitely defines the feel of the work in general the best and also defines the title. It was consistent in everything it did. There wasn't a single misstep.
The epilogue after the marriage in Mauna Kea was fantastic. Ryousuke and Sora went star gazing with a spectacular view.
Holding hands. Ryousuke almost teared up just because of the sheer weight of moment and he told that to Sora. Sora's response....................
The final lines from Sora:-
"I'm already crying."
"Thank You for bringing me here."
"Thank You for finding me among lots of stars."
"Thank You for loving just me."
"Thank You for showering me with so much love."
And the ending song "Celestia" plays thereafter. It was another glorious transition and finale.
I give this route a 9/10. I took 21 hours to complete it. It was consistent, mature and knew what it was doing every step of the way. Spot on with its romance, its star gazing sessions, the high school section, Tanabata Festival, the after story, marriage, epilogue and ending.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yukimura Touko's Route [Sweet and Chummy]:-
Yukimura Touko was also a second year transfer student at Shionagi Gakuen and she had transferred just before Ryousuke did. She was in a different class however. She was a loner, lazy and mischievous archetype. To best describe her, and the route makes it very apparent, she resembled a cat. She loved taking naps, running off to places, wandering, teasing, she had a fondness for sweet things and a liking for cats. She spent most of her time at the school's old wing. She had a key to the old wing and used it to make it her secluded hideout. She also wore a different uniform from the others and she really liked it. She was bad at cooking, bad at operating electronic items and knew only the basics of operating a smartphone. Touko also had this wonderful cat like laugh and her voice actor was extremely diverse in her range, pitch and voice modulations.
This route was written very similarly to how Rikka's route was written. However, content-wise, this route was much simpler and not as strong as Rikka's route was. What I mean is, the focus was almost entirely on Touko and the preparation for the Tanabata Festival took a back seat. The after story in this one also happens to focus completely on just three characters. Ryousuke, Touko and Azuma. It was intricate and added the layers meticulously. As such it is imperative that one gets attached to Touko's character or else this route may not be that appealing. Thankfully, that was not an issue at all for me. Firstly, she had a really interesting personality and secondly, she had THE BEST VOICE in the VN. That is actually saying a lot given that this VN has some outstanding voices and voice acting performances. All round though, her voice was a treat to listen to every single time.
Touko was introduced as this really distant character. She did not make friends in class, she distanced herself from everyone, she was good at sports and participated in club tryouts but never joined. She did not attend classes regularly, she was beautiful and popular. She also did not call anyone by their given name. She called Marika Ohana-chan, Sora, Tennen-chan, Misa Kurage-chan, Natsuki Camera-chan, Rikka Piano-chan and Shuuichi Megane-kun. But when it gets down to it, she really can have fun, she can smile, she can enjoy herself in everyone's company. There was a reason why Touko acted and behaved the way that she did. That reason being that her Father was a journalist and he kept getting transferred regularly. Touko did not really want to make any memories or leave traces of herself because it hurt. It really hurt when she was separated from the ones she cared for. That was why she acted the way she did.
She did not want to put any pressure on her Father because she knew that he was working hard for her sake. She genuinely loved her parents and as she said herself, she was a good girl. They loved her back too. In essence, that is her primary conflict in her route. That was where Ryousuke came in at his meddlesome best. The Events Committee was short of people and Ryousuke decided to get Touko to participate and help him. They had made a promise at the camp earlier, in exchange for Touko's participation in the camp trip, Ryousuke was to find a way to stop people from bugging her to join their respective clubs. Ryousuke used this opportunity to get her to join the Events Committee so that she need not join any clubs. Touko was hardly willing to budge. Slowly however, Ryousuke's persistence paid off.
Now here's the thing, while this route did not focus that much on the preparation or the Tanabata Festival, that does not mean that the other characters were non-existent in the high school section. They all had a role in getting Touko to feel at home. They all unanimously supported her whatever the situation and the friendship aspect of the VN remained in tact. Their roles cannot be undermined. Without them, Ryousuke wouldn't have been able to get Touko to open up. Ryousuke had constant interaction with Touko at the old wing. It was their nest much like the rooftop in Sora's route. The old wing was going to be used for the Tanabata Festival and demolished a year later.
Touko actually had a special attachment to the old wing and that attachment only grew throughout the course of the route. Ryousuke fell in love with Touko in due course and confessed. She was not easy prey though and kept resisting as long as she could. It was decided that she was going to transfer out a month after the Tanabata Festival anyway and she didn't want to leave anything behind. Ryousuke however was having none of that and was determined to have a relationship with Touko. Touko finally gave in and they agreed to a deal. They promised that they would date each other till the Tanabata Festival and what happens thereafter is upto Touko to decide.
Event wise, there wasn't too much in this route despite it being the second longest route. What this route reveled in was its excellent, excellent character interaction and romantic banter. Touko and Ryousuke actually had very good chemistry that felt natural even without much effort. They understood each other's feelings very well and as much as Touko did not want to admit it, she reached the point where she needed Ryousuke in her life. Ryousuke being the smooth operator that he was, treated her with care and put her first whatever the situation. He wanted her to enjoy and treasure her time in Shionagi. Their relationship really hit home and the developments were fun to experience. The content was extremely consistent without being overly deep. It was consistent both to the events that transpired and the character interactions.
Now Touko also had another conflict. One that was solved in the after story but originated here. She was not sure as to what she wanted to do with her life. She had no dream, no goals and no ambition. She was envious of the group around her including Ryousuke who all had some passion and something to pursue in life. For example, Ryousuke wanted to be an architect, Rikka had her piano, Natsuki her camera, Sora was interested in stars, Misa was interested in Marine biology, etc. Looking at those around her, she only felt more out of place. Ryousuke assured her however that she would find something that she could wholeheartedly devote herself to in due course and that he would be by her side every step of the way. He told her that there was no hurry. She believed in those words.
Alright so this route involved loads of flirting, teasing, acting lovey-dovey and cozy with each other. That was the bread and butter of this route and to be honest, I personally never tired of it. It suited their relationship very well. They went on dates, they went to the pool, they ate lunch together at the old wing every day with Ryousuke bringing bentos that he prepared, Ryousuke taught her how to use a smartphone to send mails, take pictures, use applications and he also thought her how to cook. They played around after school hours, she joined the Events Committee and they were both put in charge of supporting the clubs using the old wing. Touko loved taking naps so she would rest on Ryousuke at times. Touko also went shopping with Ryousuke for a yukata to wear at the Tanabata Festival. Overall, the romantic scenes were very very sweet in nature as I described in the title.
Returning to the friendship part of the route, Touko was not easy prey and the core characters needed to be behind Ryousuke as well and support him in his quest to help Touko. After they did become a couple, the group just got tighter. They had lunch together a couple of times and they also were in full support of Touko when she announced that she was transferring at the end of August. They made up their mind to make her happy till then. To give her plenty of joyous memories that she can look back on and treasure. She also played an active role as part of the Events Committee. Even though everything seemed to be going smoothly, she had some insecurity in her heart. She feared the moment when she would have to let go of everything and move on. As much as she genuinely had fun, at the back of her mind, she knew that it was all going to end soon.
What she thought was that it would be better to put and end to it all sooner rather than later to ease her pain. She felt that it might allow her to put it all behind and move on. Ryousuke was having none of that though and he insisted that she must stick to her promise. There was another element to all this. The fact that Touko's Father was an alumnus of Shionagi Gakuen from back when the old wing was still in use. That was how Touko had a key to use in the first place. They found a time capsule containing the dreams and items belonging to that generation. Touko saw the slip written by her Father there stating that he aspired to become a journalist. She then confessed everything related to her, her past, her family situation and her internal conflicts to Ryousuke. She laid it all bare.
Ryousuke heard all this and felt that he had to do something for her. Something so that Shionagi Gakuen and the time that she spent in the city would be etched in her memories forever. He then devised something special for her with the help of the group and everyone at school. Shuuichi, Natsuki and Azuma Morio played massive roles. As a result, in the last week leading up to the Tanabata Festival, Ryousuke spent less time with Touko. He had the others help him out and keep her company whenever time provided. He was unrelenting in his effort to make her final day a truly memorable one. Finally, that day did arrive. The Tanabata Festival was in full flow and Ryousuke spent all of his day showing Touko around. The main event was at night though and he requested Touko to go to the roof.
He had prepared a special bamboo plant with the wishes of everyone who cared for Touko. Touko emotionally overwhelmed by the sight and she could not help but break down in tears. As she read everyone's wishes, the group all came up to her one by one and gave her some well-wishes. It was a really heart-rending scene and Touko clearly was at her limit. She immediately expressed her innermost feelings saying that she wanted to spend more time with everyone, that she wanted to be with Ryousuke and that she wanted to remain there, where she cherished her time. As a result, she had finally accepted that she needed the group to move forward. Ryousuke had his answer then and there. It was inevitable.
The next day, she told Ryousuke that she would try to convince her Father to stay at Shionagi. She revealed that her Grandparents lived in Shionagi and though the commuting would be more arduous, she preferred that over transferring out completely. She was successfully able to do so and thus she did not transfer. Her Father was elated that she was able to make such precious friends and that she was finally able to make a selfish request after putting up with him for all these years. He apologized for dragging her along all over the place and thanked her for her co-operation. So basically, all's well that end's well.
Now here's my issue with this route, while my enjoyment was consistent and the route itself hardly put a foot wrong, the conflict was way too simple. That is why I won't place this route on the same tier as the others. Conflict isn't a major part of this VN, I know this. If there was absolutely no conflict, then I would be fine with it but if it chooses to have one, then it better be something more concrete. This was an issue that could have been solved with some nice, careful heart to heart with her parents. It makes it feel bigger than it actually is and that was something that bugged me. It's still a genuine conflict, just not as big a deal as it was made out to be. Besides the direction it was heading in was sort of predictable from the beginning. I can see why Touko would be hesitant to bring it up given how she always behaved prior to this but it could have been solved in a simple fashion.
Still though, I give it the benefit of the doubt since execution wise and feel wise, it delivered the goods. Touko's emotional line of thought was presented extremely well. Her unrest in particular, was disturbing at times. Actually, the fact that she was worrying about something that was simple from an outsider's perspective made it feel effective. Perhaps her situation was more complex from her perspective. I won't take away too much from it because it was more than justifiable. It also acted as a successful pawn in establishing a superb character chemistry between Touko and Ryousuke. One that is as good as any other in this VN. So we move onward, Touko in a yukata and then the stage shifts to the after story.
The after story here almost entirely hinges on the Touko-Ryousuke relationship. The other characters bar Azuma don't have any screen time. Ryousuke and Touko were cohabiting. Ryousuke was busy working under Azuma as usual while attempting to clear the architect examinations to get the required qualification to practice as an individual architect. Touko meanwhile was working part time at a coffee shop and had got job security in a literal field. However, she refused to go that route and wanted to become an interior coordinator.
As I mentioned earlier, she had found her answer for the second conflict in her mind. She wanted to walk hand in hand with Ryousuke and support him every step of the way. As such, this course and path was the best way for her to get close to Ryousuke. Ryousuke was flabbergasted when he heard this and urged her to rethink but she was determined to study even if it was not her strong point. She wanted to walk down this road and be of service to Ryousuke. She told him to move forward and that she would catch up. That was her dream and she would persevere till she succeeded. She also said that she would lean on him for anything architect related. He knew that it was a battle that she was determined to win and gave her his approval. That was the core content of the after story. Ryousuke studied hard and cleared both stages of his examinations and Touko did the same although she failed once before clearing it on the second attempt a year later.
As such, the both of them ended up working under Mr. Azuma. Touko looked great in her suit by the way. The after story was not very long again and the main content was as I mentioned above followed by the marriage proposal and actual marriage ceremony which transitioned into the ending song. Touko looked stunning in her wedding dress. Like in Rikka's route, the H-scenes were ridiculously long and there were certain times that the perspective shifted to Touko. It was not as frequent though. This was a short and sweet after story and had just what was required to close things out.
I give this route an 8/10 for offering consistent enjoyment and jolly romantic moments. It did not do anything extraordinary but stuck to its core principles. It was a real pleasant route to play. It took me 25 hours to complete.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shinozaki Marika's Route [Down-to-Earth, Honest and Passionate]:-
Shinozaki Marika was the good natured, kind and simple childhood friend character. She was a second year student at Shionagi Gakuen but in a different class to Ryousuke. This route was probably the easiest one to write about and to be frank, there wasn't much to write about. I won't go into the details and specific events in this route much like Natsuki's for the same reason. This route is also HEAVILY RELIANT on how the reader feels. Maybe more so than Natsuki's route. There was honestly nothing to pick apart as such. It flowed placidly with plenty of warmhearted sequences.
To put it simply, it was the best route after Rikka's and one riddled with natural love and heartwarming emotional scenes. If I were to pick one girl who could immediately go out with Ryousuke at the end of the common route, it would have to be Marika. She had the most natural chemistry with Ryousuke. A large part of that being because of the fact that she already shared a past with Ryousuke and they had a connection established well before he met anyone else. In the high school section, Marika and Ryousuke were together in the Events Committee in every route. This happened in the common route when both of them joined together.
Marika was a really simple character. She was gentle and tenderhearted. Her past with Ryousuke was already firmly described in the common route. It involved her suffering from asthma and being unable to attend school regularly. She was weak and spent most of her time resting at home. She and Ryousuke went to the same elementary school together. They sat next to each other and Ryousuke once defended her when there was a dispute regarding who should eat her pudding. The teacher gave him the task of delivering the pudding to her house and he did so. Starting then, he regularly visited her and kept her company. He told her stories, kept her abreast about what was going on in class, shared pudding, played together and most of all, made her smile. They both talked about their dreams for the future as well. Markia had several ones that a normal person would be able to achieve like watching a shooting star together, having fun at the Tanabata Festival, singing at a karaoke, etc.
That may not have been much as far as Ryousuke was concerned but for her, that was a something truly significant. After a while, Ryousuke had to transfer out and therefore, the tryst ended there. Marika however, worked hard to improve her condition. She studied about various ways to get healthier. She went to swimming classes which was supposed to help her condition and in due course, got a part time job as a swimming instructor. She had the condition from when she was born and her Father moved to Shionagi in order to get her to a healthier environment and help her recover. She was not born in Shionagi. All her efforts paid off and when Ryousuke transferred back in high school, she was a completely renewed and different person. She was active, hale and healthy. So much so that Ryousuke could not picture it for a while.
Ryousuke could not help but worry. In his mind, the only picture of Marika was one shut up in a room in her pajamas. His personality in this route is that of a 'worrywart'. I don't mean that in an extreme sense but he constantly had her physical condition in the forefront of his thoughts. He kept thinking that she would break down at any moment. He still pictured her as a ticking time bomb. This was extremely evident to those around him. He even confessed this to Misa. The result of that was not good. When they had gone fishing to provide for the aquarium, a little girl got into trouble near the shore. He thought it was Marika and rushed to the scene, suffering a broken leg in the process when he crashed into the rocks on shore. Marika however was the one who ended up rescuing and comforting the child. After this sequence, Marika reassured Ryousuke and told him that she was not the fragile person she once was. She told him that it was thanks to him that she was able to get the encouragement to get stronger.
At long last, Ryousuke admitted that she had actually gotten a lot stronger. He had seen evidence of this first hand. When he was recovering from his fracture, she cooked for him, helped him bathe and took care of him. To return the favor, he offered that they go out some place fun and thus the went and they went to the beach. It was another jolly sequence which was followed by the most natural and inevitable confession. One which was accepted without a fuss. This one felt fated. It was destined to happen and it came as no surprise to anyone out there that they were a couple.
The only hurdle to accepting their relationship on the long run was Marika's Father, Mr.Shinozaki who was quite the sublime character if I may add. Seriously, every single climactic scene in this route was made effective because of him. Without him, I'd boldly say that the emotional strength of this route would be cut in half. He had worked ridiculously hard to get Marika to where she was now. He cared deeply for her well-being. He could not bear to see her suffer ever again. He was one of those Fathers who just refused to let go of her daughter till he was absolutely certain that the man who took her away deserved it. So far, this VN had covered everything from love to friendship to unity, to workplace scenarios to life struggles to achieving dreams. The one last frontier that it had yet to cover was the familial theme in full seriousness and Marika's route did that bit. The other routes had it in bits and pieces but Marika's route had it as one of its primary facets.
Ryousuke's parents were a passing shower throughout this VN. An appearance in the Common Route, a couple of appearances in Rikka's route and a couple in Marika's. Marika's parents however were very prevalent in this route. Marika's Mother, Yumi Shinozaki knew Ryousuke from back when he was a child and always welcomed him. She was a firm supporter of their relationship. She was an able and lovely Mother. Mr.Shinozaki was a bit robust and stubborn on the outside but a real softie on the inside. He loved his wife and daughter dearly and so did they. They were an extremely tight knit family. Throughout the course of the route, Ryousuke was invited for dinner several times and after the two were a couple, he braced himself and wanted to convey his feelings to Mr.Shinozaki.
There were several heart-to-heart discussions/interactions between Ryousuke and Mr.Shinozaki I won't detail them but they involved several topics such as Marika''s past, how she grew to be the girl she was at present, showing picture albums of her indoors at all time, the struggles that they had to go through and finally, it led to a man to man promise between the two. Mr.Shinozaki told Ryousuke that he would watch over the two of the till Ryousuke can stand on his own two feet and support Marika. He would not let go of her till that time came. This series of interactions DEFINED this route. It made the route into something extraordinary.
Sure, as usual there were moments of friendship while preparing for the Tanabata Festival. This time they were doing a combination of an aquarium and planetarium in the old wing. They all worked hard till the last moment to make that a success and there were several moments of hardship but as always they pulled through with effort, teamwork and perseverance. Ryousuke had also promised Mr.Shinozaki that it would be a sight to behold. He worked his socks off to make it happen. There were several romantic moments between Marika and Ryousuke. They went to school and back home together, went on dates, took baths together and supported each other. But at the end of the day, the series of events involving Mr.Shinozaki took the pole position. That was the focal point and one of the reasons why this route impressed me so much. After a really successful showing at the Tanabata Festival as always, Marika singing a song and the sight of Marika in her yukata, the high school section came to an end.
The after story set in and it involved Ryousuke working hard to get the qualifications necessary to become an individual architect. He worked under Mr. Azuma as usual and lived in a separate apartment. Marika meanwhile, worked at a nursery. It was a job that suited her perfectly. She supported him from the sidelines waiting for the day when he could get the necessary qualification and propose to her. He eventually achieves his objectives and proposes. Ryousuke and Mr.Shinozaki again had a talk before he entrusted his daughter to Ryouske's able hands. Marika and Ryousuke then shift to a separate new home where they would live together.
After which the BEST SEQUENCE in the VN follows. I mentioned this in Rikka's route reaction as well but yeah, hats off to the marriage ceremony between Ryousuke and Marika. Marika looked dazzling in her wedding dress and everyone congratulated the two of them. They exchanged vows and were married. What follows is a tear-fest. Marika read a letter addressing her parents and that scene had me crying like a little baby with an idiotic grin on my face at the same time. I won't go into the details because there's too much to say. It was a near 5 minute read. It involved her thanking her parents for getting her to where she was now, expressing gratitude for all the struggles and hardship they had to go through to raise her. The various sacrifices that they made for her sake, thanking them for the infinite amount of love they showered her with and finally letting her live with the person who she loved. Just thinking back makes me emotional. At the end of that, pretty much everyone in that ceremony were in tears. I'll just post a sequence of pictures because I can't post the speech so at least, I'll let the pictures do the talking.
This was followed by a letter addressed to Ryousuke which she read out to him in private later on.
Now then, if I had my say, I would have ended the route right there with an epilogue showing Marika and Ryousuke with their child Mirai that was born shortly after. What we get however is another needless hour or so of play involving three H-scenes. The route was at such a high at this point actually that it kinda irritated me that one had to go through that afterwards. It was by no means a bad sequence but an unnecessary one. It almost completely involved the two of them trying to make a child. In between it showed bits and pieces of their newly wed life together but to be frank, no one would have complained if it shifted straight to the epilogue and ending song which it eventually did. That's the one gripe I have with this route. Apart from that, it was a marvelous route. The route ends with Ryousuke, Marika and their newborn little girl Mirai looking at a meteor shower. The last of Marika's childhood dreams that was to be fulfilled.
I give this route a 9/10. I spent 18 hours on it. It hardly put a foot wrong and felt extremely natural throughout. As great as it is, it's not a 10/10 because Rikka's route just had that extra edge and extra substance from an all round perspective. This route's strength was different however. It banked on making it as touching as possible. It had a series of tear-jerking moments and any normal person should be able to enjoy this route.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That does it for the route reactions. It turned out to be way more lengthy than I had initially thought but hey, I spent 157 hours on the damn thing so I had loads to say. The route reactions are done but there are various other things that I have yet to address at this point.
Ousaka Sora was a first year student, the kouhai character and a member of the Astronomy Club. She was an enthusiast about the stars and as a character, she was rather shy. A girl of few words and interesting expressions. She used her body language often to interact and converse. All in all, she was just an interesting character. She was extremely knowledgeable about the stars. To the point where she knew way more than she should. Her explanations weren't as good as Misa's. There was no subtlety. She was direct and raw. BUT, unlike Misa, when it came to romance she clicked.
Sora was a delightful character and had a really nice range of quirks. She had a habit for nodding when she wanted to say yes. She did a thumbs up every time she wanted to say good job, she shook her head when she wanted to say no, she called everyone by short nicknames. Ryou, Shuu, Natsu, Tou, Ritsu, Mari and Mossan for Azuma. She made a smug face when she did something worthy of praise. Her blushes were cute as hell too and she had a great range of expressions.
This route was Hoshi Ori getting back to its usual best and laying the foundation first before doing anything else. Actually the connection to Ryousuke in this route was very apparent. In fact, Sora and Ryousuke actually shared a past together. Sora actually remembered it all the while and it was one of the reasons why she believed in stars. Sora also happened to be the first heroine that Ryousuke met following his arrival in Shionagi city. It all happened when Sora dropped a paper star from the school roof and Ryousuke went in to return it. That roof was their nest basically and it was the fulcrum around which this route operates.
This route as such involved a lot of star gazing and explanations regarding various constellations. Sora, being part of the Astronomy Club, spent her time on the roof most of the time with her astronomical telescope. She had thought it to be comfortable that way and she was the only member of the club. She had yet to confirm her participation in the Tanabata Festival even after the camp trip because she was unsure as to what to do. Ryousuke was tasked with the duty of convincing her and getting her to make up her mind as part of the Events Committee. Then Sora and Ryousuke slowly get closer to each other through various experiences and star gazing sessions on the roof. It became such a habit that they were both so used to each other's company with time. So much so that it felt unnatural if even one of them was missing when they did the star gazing sessions.
It was a gradual process and love developed in due course. Ryousuke genuinely found these star gazing sessions to be very interesting and they enjoyed each other's company. It all felt very Hoshi Ori at long last. After the relative disappointment which was Misa's route, I was sort of apprehensive about this route as well seeing how Sora was the kouhai character but thankfully, it dished out something amazingly tight knit and calculated. Each move linked to another and this route was great by the end of it all. The relationship development was slow and subtle. Apart from the star gazing sessions, there was the sequence where Ryousuke and Sora ate hamburgers together. It was her first time doing so. That actually became a thing and she fell in love with hamburgers. Only, she did not like pickles and got Ryousuke to eat it every time. Sora also had friends within her own class and was popular. Ryousuke found this to be a surprise and a good thing. She did fortune telling too.
There was also a sequence where they had to get permission from a teacher called Yamashita to use the roof at night to star gaze and with Shuuichi's help they were able to do so. That was when most of the climactic moments in terms of romantic developments took place. Starting with Ryousuke lying on Sora's lap to star gaze, followed by Ryousuke's confession, followed by Sora's admission of her past with Ryousuke and finally Sora accepting his confession followed by their first kiss. They all happened gradually and not in one night. They were a series of important events. In between, Ryousuke saved the telescope from a sudden rain fall, caught a cold and Sora visited him to cook for him. As always, the rest of the cast was very supportive of the two and they helped at every possible opportunity with Natsuki at the forefront. She was a real proactive character.
Natsuki did tell Ryousuke about a weird rumor involving Sora. She told him how she always rejected confessions because she was still reminiscing about her first love. This does give Ryousuke more to think about but when Sora talks about her past, it becomes clear that the person Sora thought about was a young Ryousuke. Neither of them knew each other at the time. Sora was a lost child and Ryousuke helped her get back to her parents. That was an excellent and cute as hell scene, one which also involved star gazing. It led to Sora believing in stars leading to fateful encounters. She was already very knowledgeable about stars as a child.
After they do start going out, they visit a planetarium and Sora and Ryousuke finally decide on what they have to do for the Tanabata Festival. They decided to do a Planetarium. One which they would make by themselves. They would construct a dome using cardboard, use a projector and Sora would do the explanations. All of them were going to work together to gather the required cardboard and Sora with Ryousuke were going to do a part time job to get the required money to rent the projector for a day. I won't go into too much detail here as that would be meaningless. It's the gist of how things were and it was very fun to read through. Especially the part where Sora and Ryousuke did their part time job. They were promoting the city mascots Shionyaa and Shiowan. It was hilarious at times with kids doing funny things and the two of them trying to keep it a secret from their friends.
Of course, what I'm trying to get at here is that this the fact that, this route established all the connections very well. I'm not going to go into the details of what the star gazing sessions entailed but in actuality they were filled with meaning and each session provided a link between Ryousuke and Sora. They were interesting even as the reader. What this route also had in abundance was teamwork and friendship again. Constructing a planetarium is no mean feat but every one of them worked hard and made it a success. Ryousuke in particular had to think of ways to shape the dome all over again in the last minute when the previous dome collapsed. Everyone stood by each other to get it done. Azuma Morio also had a role as usual.
Sora also had a dream of wanting to spread the joy and meaning behind the stars to other people. She wanted to show how great stars are. Rikka helped Sora in coaching her to better her presentation skills. She taught her the way to convey her message. She was strict but Sora knew that she was that way because she cared. Sora affectionately called her Ritsu Sensei. Sora wanted to become a navigator at a planetarium in the future and this was her first hurdle in that path. On the day of the Tanabata Festival, the planetarium was a whopping success and it felt deserving. There was a shooting star finale prepared by Sora so that the people can wish upon the stars to make their dreams come true. At the end of it all, Ryousuke and Sora have a moment together and the high school section ends.
Right, whatever I said might have sounded bland but it really wasn't. This route is the hardest to explain after Natsuki's. It's again heavily dependent on feel and more importantly, interaction. It used stars as a connection to every event and it was extremely tedious to put it into words. Don't be fooled into thinking that it did not have any development. Sora gradually changed during the course of the route as she spent more time with Ryousuke and the group. They were all intrigued by star gazing and Sora's knowledge. What follows however, is a lot easier to highlight. The after story section.
This was perhaps the longest after story in the VN. Not only that but I felt that it was also the most meaningful one. It actually focused completely on Sora's and Ryousuke's dreams. It focused on their career path and how they supported each other through the trails and hardships. That was the primary focus. The other routes had it too but it was more of a secondary factor to the romance. I did not mind that this route did the reverse, in fact, I was glad. This route had already set everything up in the romance department and what was important was to move forward.
Here, the story fast forwards to the point where Ryousuke has already worked under Azuma Morio for five years and is going to start up an individual establishment as an architect. Sora was working at the city's planetarium as a navigator. The role of Azuma Morio is not to be taken lightly in this or any route for that matter. He looked out for Ryousuke every step of the way. He made him grow as a person, as a man and as an architect. I won't go into the details of each job because that would again feel too tedious and even boring to read about. It's completely different from actually experiencing it.
In short, Ryousuke is called up to design an extension for a house of a particular council member who was very impressed by one of Ryousuke's designs when he was working under Azuma Morio. That was his first job. He successfully completed it without a hitch. Next, he was asked to design Shuuichi's and Kaori's new home as they were planning to get married. That was his first major undertaking. He took a few years but it finally came to fruition and they were delighted at the results. They even published a picture in a magazine and it was photographed by.................? Guess who?
There was also a separate photograph of Ryousuke taken thereafter by the same person to publish in a different magazine.
Simultaneously, he was asked to design the new City Hall that was going to be built in place of Shionagi Gakuen's old wing along with Azuma Morio Constructions. That was a major turning point in his career and again it was Mr. Azuma who insisted that Ryousuke participate and help him. This was arguably his toughest assignment and he needed a lot of help and support from Sora especially. Azuma did his bit as well. Ryousuke failed many times but he finally got it right after learning the answer that Azuma was expecting through struggle and hard work. In the end, the answer was simple. Finally, on Sora's request, he entered a contest to see who would design the new and improved planetarium including a small aquarium display that was going to come to play in the future with Azuma Morio as one of the judges to pick the winner. Due to all the accolades that he had amassed previously as stated and due to his extremely promising design, he was able to land the job. These were the various projects that he undertook and each one of them was shown in detail. I only gave a simple and quick summary.
The VN actually took that series of sequences very very seriously. Meanwhile, Sora also had her own struggles. She was tasked with the job of trying to make the planetarium sessions more interesting and appealing. She depended on Ryousuke just as Ryousuke depended on her for some support and ideas. There was a session about the Moon and meteor storms. It was calculated and the build up simultaneously with Ryousuke's architectural growth was perfect. They did not live together. They still helped each other whenever they could. Ryousuke lived in a separate apartment as he did in Misa's route and had a separate office too. Sora took time off and visited him whenever possible.
After they both moved forward and settled in their respective fields, Ryousuke proposed on the school roof. Actually, when Ryousuke was struggling earlier with his toughest assignment, he collapsed due to overworking. Sora had then proposed and asked Ryousuke to marry her so that she could be by his side all the time. Ryousuke rejected her saying that when the time was right, he would propose to her. He did not want Sora to give up on her dreams for his sake. He also thought it to be unmanly to accept her proposal. That was an extremely touching scene. As was Ryousuke's proposal which Sora gladly accepted. Their marriage took place in Mauna Kea which was supposed to be one of the best places in the world for star gazing.
There were other romantic moments between the two throughout the course of the after story section. They went to the hot springs twice, they went on a nostalgic visit to their school where they met Rikka who was a part time music teacher. Ryousuke bought a pair of star shaped earrings and presented it to Sora. So it was a really long after story route but also the best only in terms of the after story content all round. As mdz mentioned in his review, this route definitely defines the feel of the work in general the best and also defines the title. It was consistent in everything it did. There wasn't a single misstep.
The epilogue after the marriage in Mauna Kea was fantastic. Ryousuke and Sora went star gazing with a spectacular view.
Holding hands. Ryousuke almost teared up just because of the sheer weight of moment and he told that to Sora. Sora's response....................
The final lines from Sora:-
"I'm already crying."
"Thank You for bringing me here."
"Thank You for finding me among lots of stars."
"Thank You for loving just me."
"Thank You for showering me with so much love."
And the ending song "Celestia" plays thereafter. It was another glorious transition and finale.
I give this route a 9/10. I took 21 hours to complete it. It was consistent, mature and knew what it was doing every step of the way. Spot on with its romance, its star gazing sessions, the high school section, Tanabata Festival, the after story, marriage, epilogue and ending.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yukimura Touko's Route [Sweet and Chummy]:-
Yukimura Touko was also a second year transfer student at Shionagi Gakuen and she had transferred just before Ryousuke did. She was in a different class however. She was a loner, lazy and mischievous archetype. To best describe her, and the route makes it very apparent, she resembled a cat. She loved taking naps, running off to places, wandering, teasing, she had a fondness for sweet things and a liking for cats. She spent most of her time at the school's old wing. She had a key to the old wing and used it to make it her secluded hideout. She also wore a different uniform from the others and she really liked it. She was bad at cooking, bad at operating electronic items and knew only the basics of operating a smartphone. Touko also had this wonderful cat like laugh and her voice actor was extremely diverse in her range, pitch and voice modulations.
This route was written very similarly to how Rikka's route was written. However, content-wise, this route was much simpler and not as strong as Rikka's route was. What I mean is, the focus was almost entirely on Touko and the preparation for the Tanabata Festival took a back seat. The after story in this one also happens to focus completely on just three characters. Ryousuke, Touko and Azuma. It was intricate and added the layers meticulously. As such it is imperative that one gets attached to Touko's character or else this route may not be that appealing. Thankfully, that was not an issue at all for me. Firstly, she had a really interesting personality and secondly, she had THE BEST VOICE in the VN. That is actually saying a lot given that this VN has some outstanding voices and voice acting performances. All round though, her voice was a treat to listen to every single time.
Touko was introduced as this really distant character. She did not make friends in class, she distanced herself from everyone, she was good at sports and participated in club tryouts but never joined. She did not attend classes regularly, she was beautiful and popular. She also did not call anyone by their given name. She called Marika Ohana-chan, Sora, Tennen-chan, Misa Kurage-chan, Natsuki Camera-chan, Rikka Piano-chan and Shuuichi Megane-kun. But when it gets down to it, she really can have fun, she can smile, she can enjoy herself in everyone's company. There was a reason why Touko acted and behaved the way that she did. That reason being that her Father was a journalist and he kept getting transferred regularly. Touko did not really want to make any memories or leave traces of herself because it hurt. It really hurt when she was separated from the ones she cared for. That was why she acted the way she did.
She did not want to put any pressure on her Father because she knew that he was working hard for her sake. She genuinely loved her parents and as she said herself, she was a good girl. They loved her back too. In essence, that is her primary conflict in her route. That was where Ryousuke came in at his meddlesome best. The Events Committee was short of people and Ryousuke decided to get Touko to participate and help him. They had made a promise at the camp earlier, in exchange for Touko's participation in the camp trip, Ryousuke was to find a way to stop people from bugging her to join their respective clubs. Ryousuke used this opportunity to get her to join the Events Committee so that she need not join any clubs. Touko was hardly willing to budge. Slowly however, Ryousuke's persistence paid off.
Now here's the thing, while this route did not focus that much on the preparation or the Tanabata Festival, that does not mean that the other characters were non-existent in the high school section. They all had a role in getting Touko to feel at home. They all unanimously supported her whatever the situation and the friendship aspect of the VN remained in tact. Their roles cannot be undermined. Without them, Ryousuke wouldn't have been able to get Touko to open up. Ryousuke had constant interaction with Touko at the old wing. It was their nest much like the rooftop in Sora's route. The old wing was going to be used for the Tanabata Festival and demolished a year later.
Touko actually had a special attachment to the old wing and that attachment only grew throughout the course of the route. Ryousuke fell in love with Touko in due course and confessed. She was not easy prey though and kept resisting as long as she could. It was decided that she was going to transfer out a month after the Tanabata Festival anyway and she didn't want to leave anything behind. Ryousuke however was having none of that and was determined to have a relationship with Touko. Touko finally gave in and they agreed to a deal. They promised that they would date each other till the Tanabata Festival and what happens thereafter is upto Touko to decide.
Event wise, there wasn't too much in this route despite it being the second longest route. What this route reveled in was its excellent, excellent character interaction and romantic banter. Touko and Ryousuke actually had very good chemistry that felt natural even without much effort. They understood each other's feelings very well and as much as Touko did not want to admit it, she reached the point where she needed Ryousuke in her life. Ryousuke being the smooth operator that he was, treated her with care and put her first whatever the situation. He wanted her to enjoy and treasure her time in Shionagi. Their relationship really hit home and the developments were fun to experience. The content was extremely consistent without being overly deep. It was consistent both to the events that transpired and the character interactions.
Now Touko also had another conflict. One that was solved in the after story but originated here. She was not sure as to what she wanted to do with her life. She had no dream, no goals and no ambition. She was envious of the group around her including Ryousuke who all had some passion and something to pursue in life. For example, Ryousuke wanted to be an architect, Rikka had her piano, Natsuki her camera, Sora was interested in stars, Misa was interested in Marine biology, etc. Looking at those around her, she only felt more out of place. Ryousuke assured her however that she would find something that she could wholeheartedly devote herself to in due course and that he would be by her side every step of the way. He told her that there was no hurry. She believed in those words.
Alright so this route involved loads of flirting, teasing, acting lovey-dovey and cozy with each other. That was the bread and butter of this route and to be honest, I personally never tired of it. It suited their relationship very well. They went on dates, they went to the pool, they ate lunch together at the old wing every day with Ryousuke bringing bentos that he prepared, Ryousuke taught her how to use a smartphone to send mails, take pictures, use applications and he also thought her how to cook. They played around after school hours, she joined the Events Committee and they were both put in charge of supporting the clubs using the old wing. Touko loved taking naps so she would rest on Ryousuke at times. Touko also went shopping with Ryousuke for a yukata to wear at the Tanabata Festival. Overall, the romantic scenes were very very sweet in nature as I described in the title.
Returning to the friendship part of the route, Touko was not easy prey and the core characters needed to be behind Ryousuke as well and support him in his quest to help Touko. After they did become a couple, the group just got tighter. They had lunch together a couple of times and they also were in full support of Touko when she announced that she was transferring at the end of August. They made up their mind to make her happy till then. To give her plenty of joyous memories that she can look back on and treasure. She also played an active role as part of the Events Committee. Even though everything seemed to be going smoothly, she had some insecurity in her heart. She feared the moment when she would have to let go of everything and move on. As much as she genuinely had fun, at the back of her mind, she knew that it was all going to end soon.
What she thought was that it would be better to put and end to it all sooner rather than later to ease her pain. She felt that it might allow her to put it all behind and move on. Ryousuke was having none of that though and he insisted that she must stick to her promise. There was another element to all this. The fact that Touko's Father was an alumnus of Shionagi Gakuen from back when the old wing was still in use. That was how Touko had a key to use in the first place. They found a time capsule containing the dreams and items belonging to that generation. Touko saw the slip written by her Father there stating that he aspired to become a journalist. She then confessed everything related to her, her past, her family situation and her internal conflicts to Ryousuke. She laid it all bare.
Ryousuke heard all this and felt that he had to do something for her. Something so that Shionagi Gakuen and the time that she spent in the city would be etched in her memories forever. He then devised something special for her with the help of the group and everyone at school. Shuuichi, Natsuki and Azuma Morio played massive roles. As a result, in the last week leading up to the Tanabata Festival, Ryousuke spent less time with Touko. He had the others help him out and keep her company whenever time provided. He was unrelenting in his effort to make her final day a truly memorable one. Finally, that day did arrive. The Tanabata Festival was in full flow and Ryousuke spent all of his day showing Touko around. The main event was at night though and he requested Touko to go to the roof.
He had prepared a special bamboo plant with the wishes of everyone who cared for Touko. Touko emotionally overwhelmed by the sight and she could not help but break down in tears. As she read everyone's wishes, the group all came up to her one by one and gave her some well-wishes. It was a really heart-rending scene and Touko clearly was at her limit. She immediately expressed her innermost feelings saying that she wanted to spend more time with everyone, that she wanted to be with Ryousuke and that she wanted to remain there, where she cherished her time. As a result, she had finally accepted that she needed the group to move forward. Ryousuke had his answer then and there. It was inevitable.
The next day, she told Ryousuke that she would try to convince her Father to stay at Shionagi. She revealed that her Grandparents lived in Shionagi and though the commuting would be more arduous, she preferred that over transferring out completely. She was successfully able to do so and thus she did not transfer. Her Father was elated that she was able to make such precious friends and that she was finally able to make a selfish request after putting up with him for all these years. He apologized for dragging her along all over the place and thanked her for her co-operation. So basically, all's well that end's well.
Now here's my issue with this route, while my enjoyment was consistent and the route itself hardly put a foot wrong, the conflict was way too simple. That is why I won't place this route on the same tier as the others. Conflict isn't a major part of this VN, I know this. If there was absolutely no conflict, then I would be fine with it but if it chooses to have one, then it better be something more concrete. This was an issue that could have been solved with some nice, careful heart to heart with her parents. It makes it feel bigger than it actually is and that was something that bugged me. It's still a genuine conflict, just not as big a deal as it was made out to be. Besides the direction it was heading in was sort of predictable from the beginning. I can see why Touko would be hesitant to bring it up given how she always behaved prior to this but it could have been solved in a simple fashion.
Still though, I give it the benefit of the doubt since execution wise and feel wise, it delivered the goods. Touko's emotional line of thought was presented extremely well. Her unrest in particular, was disturbing at times. Actually, the fact that she was worrying about something that was simple from an outsider's perspective made it feel effective. Perhaps her situation was more complex from her perspective. I won't take away too much from it because it was more than justifiable. It also acted as a successful pawn in establishing a superb character chemistry between Touko and Ryousuke. One that is as good as any other in this VN. So we move onward, Touko in a yukata and then the stage shifts to the after story.
The after story here almost entirely hinges on the Touko-Ryousuke relationship. The other characters bar Azuma don't have any screen time. Ryousuke and Touko were cohabiting. Ryousuke was busy working under Azuma as usual while attempting to clear the architect examinations to get the required qualification to practice as an individual architect. Touko meanwhile was working part time at a coffee shop and had got job security in a literal field. However, she refused to go that route and wanted to become an interior coordinator.
As I mentioned earlier, she had found her answer for the second conflict in her mind. She wanted to walk hand in hand with Ryousuke and support him every step of the way. As such, this course and path was the best way for her to get close to Ryousuke. Ryousuke was flabbergasted when he heard this and urged her to rethink but she was determined to study even if it was not her strong point. She wanted to walk down this road and be of service to Ryousuke. She told him to move forward and that she would catch up. That was her dream and she would persevere till she succeeded. She also said that she would lean on him for anything architect related. He knew that it was a battle that she was determined to win and gave her his approval. That was the core content of the after story. Ryousuke studied hard and cleared both stages of his examinations and Touko did the same although she failed once before clearing it on the second attempt a year later.
As such, the both of them ended up working under Mr. Azuma. Touko looked great in her suit by the way. The after story was not very long again and the main content was as I mentioned above followed by the marriage proposal and actual marriage ceremony which transitioned into the ending song. Touko looked stunning in her wedding dress. Like in Rikka's route, the H-scenes were ridiculously long and there were certain times that the perspective shifted to Touko. It was not as frequent though. This was a short and sweet after story and had just what was required to close things out.
I give this route an 8/10 for offering consistent enjoyment and jolly romantic moments. It did not do anything extraordinary but stuck to its core principles. It was a real pleasant route to play. It took me 25 hours to complete.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shinozaki Marika's Route [Down-to-Earth, Honest and Passionate]:-
Shinozaki Marika was the good natured, kind and simple childhood friend character. She was a second year student at Shionagi Gakuen but in a different class to Ryousuke. This route was probably the easiest one to write about and to be frank, there wasn't much to write about. I won't go into the details and specific events in this route much like Natsuki's for the same reason. This route is also HEAVILY RELIANT on how the reader feels. Maybe more so than Natsuki's route. There was honestly nothing to pick apart as such. It flowed placidly with plenty of warmhearted sequences.
To put it simply, it was the best route after Rikka's and one riddled with natural love and heartwarming emotional scenes. If I were to pick one girl who could immediately go out with Ryousuke at the end of the common route, it would have to be Marika. She had the most natural chemistry with Ryousuke. A large part of that being because of the fact that she already shared a past with Ryousuke and they had a connection established well before he met anyone else. In the high school section, Marika and Ryousuke were together in the Events Committee in every route. This happened in the common route when both of them joined together.
Marika was a really simple character. She was gentle and tenderhearted. Her past with Ryousuke was already firmly described in the common route. It involved her suffering from asthma and being unable to attend school regularly. She was weak and spent most of her time resting at home. She and Ryousuke went to the same elementary school together. They sat next to each other and Ryousuke once defended her when there was a dispute regarding who should eat her pudding. The teacher gave him the task of delivering the pudding to her house and he did so. Starting then, he regularly visited her and kept her company. He told her stories, kept her abreast about what was going on in class, shared pudding, played together and most of all, made her smile. They both talked about their dreams for the future as well. Markia had several ones that a normal person would be able to achieve like watching a shooting star together, having fun at the Tanabata Festival, singing at a karaoke, etc.
That may not have been much as far as Ryousuke was concerned but for her, that was a something truly significant. After a while, Ryousuke had to transfer out and therefore, the tryst ended there. Marika however, worked hard to improve her condition. She studied about various ways to get healthier. She went to swimming classes which was supposed to help her condition and in due course, got a part time job as a swimming instructor. She had the condition from when she was born and her Father moved to Shionagi in order to get her to a healthier environment and help her recover. She was not born in Shionagi. All her efforts paid off and when Ryousuke transferred back in high school, she was a completely renewed and different person. She was active, hale and healthy. So much so that Ryousuke could not picture it for a while.
Ryousuke could not help but worry. In his mind, the only picture of Marika was one shut up in a room in her pajamas. His personality in this route is that of a 'worrywart'. I don't mean that in an extreme sense but he constantly had her physical condition in the forefront of his thoughts. He kept thinking that she would break down at any moment. He still pictured her as a ticking time bomb. This was extremely evident to those around him. He even confessed this to Misa. The result of that was not good. When they had gone fishing to provide for the aquarium, a little girl got into trouble near the shore. He thought it was Marika and rushed to the scene, suffering a broken leg in the process when he crashed into the rocks on shore. Marika however was the one who ended up rescuing and comforting the child. After this sequence, Marika reassured Ryousuke and told him that she was not the fragile person she once was. She told him that it was thanks to him that she was able to get the encouragement to get stronger.
At long last, Ryousuke admitted that she had actually gotten a lot stronger. He had seen evidence of this first hand. When he was recovering from his fracture, she cooked for him, helped him bathe and took care of him. To return the favor, he offered that they go out some place fun and thus the went and they went to the beach. It was another jolly sequence which was followed by the most natural and inevitable confession. One which was accepted without a fuss. This one felt fated. It was destined to happen and it came as no surprise to anyone out there that they were a couple.
The only hurdle to accepting their relationship on the long run was Marika's Father, Mr.Shinozaki who was quite the sublime character if I may add. Seriously, every single climactic scene in this route was made effective because of him. Without him, I'd boldly say that the emotional strength of this route would be cut in half. He had worked ridiculously hard to get Marika to where she was now. He cared deeply for her well-being. He could not bear to see her suffer ever again. He was one of those Fathers who just refused to let go of her daughter till he was absolutely certain that the man who took her away deserved it. So far, this VN had covered everything from love to friendship to unity, to workplace scenarios to life struggles to achieving dreams. The one last frontier that it had yet to cover was the familial theme in full seriousness and Marika's route did that bit. The other routes had it in bits and pieces but Marika's route had it as one of its primary facets.
Ryousuke's parents were a passing shower throughout this VN. An appearance in the Common Route, a couple of appearances in Rikka's route and a couple in Marika's. Marika's parents however were very prevalent in this route. Marika's Mother, Yumi Shinozaki knew Ryousuke from back when he was a child and always welcomed him. She was a firm supporter of their relationship. She was an able and lovely Mother. Mr.Shinozaki was a bit robust and stubborn on the outside but a real softie on the inside. He loved his wife and daughter dearly and so did they. They were an extremely tight knit family. Throughout the course of the route, Ryousuke was invited for dinner several times and after the two were a couple, he braced himself and wanted to convey his feelings to Mr.Shinozaki.
There were several heart-to-heart discussions/interactions between Ryousuke and Mr.Shinozaki I won't detail them but they involved several topics such as Marika''s past, how she grew to be the girl she was at present, showing picture albums of her indoors at all time, the struggles that they had to go through and finally, it led to a man to man promise between the two. Mr.Shinozaki told Ryousuke that he would watch over the two of the till Ryousuke can stand on his own two feet and support Marika. He would not let go of her till that time came. This series of interactions DEFINED this route. It made the route into something extraordinary.
Sure, as usual there were moments of friendship while preparing for the Tanabata Festival. This time they were doing a combination of an aquarium and planetarium in the old wing. They all worked hard till the last moment to make that a success and there were several moments of hardship but as always they pulled through with effort, teamwork and perseverance. Ryousuke had also promised Mr.Shinozaki that it would be a sight to behold. He worked his socks off to make it happen. There were several romantic moments between Marika and Ryousuke. They went to school and back home together, went on dates, took baths together and supported each other. But at the end of the day, the series of events involving Mr.Shinozaki took the pole position. That was the focal point and one of the reasons why this route impressed me so much. After a really successful showing at the Tanabata Festival as always, Marika singing a song and the sight of Marika in her yukata, the high school section came to an end.
The after story set in and it involved Ryousuke working hard to get the qualifications necessary to become an individual architect. He worked under Mr. Azuma as usual and lived in a separate apartment. Marika meanwhile, worked at a nursery. It was a job that suited her perfectly. She supported him from the sidelines waiting for the day when he could get the necessary qualification and propose to her. He eventually achieves his objectives and proposes. Ryousuke and Mr.Shinozaki again had a talk before he entrusted his daughter to Ryouske's able hands. Marika and Ryousuke then shift to a separate new home where they would live together.
After which the BEST SEQUENCE in the VN follows. I mentioned this in Rikka's route reaction as well but yeah, hats off to the marriage ceremony between Ryousuke and Marika. Marika looked dazzling in her wedding dress and everyone congratulated the two of them. They exchanged vows and were married. What follows is a tear-fest. Marika read a letter addressing her parents and that scene had me crying like a little baby with an idiotic grin on my face at the same time. I won't go into the details because there's too much to say. It was a near 5 minute read. It involved her thanking her parents for getting her to where she was now, expressing gratitude for all the struggles and hardship they had to go through to raise her. The various sacrifices that they made for her sake, thanking them for the infinite amount of love they showered her with and finally letting her live with the person who she loved. Just thinking back makes me emotional. At the end of that, pretty much everyone in that ceremony were in tears. I'll just post a sequence of pictures because I can't post the speech so at least, I'll let the pictures do the talking.
This was followed by a letter addressed to Ryousuke which she read out to him in private later on.
Now then, if I had my say, I would have ended the route right there with an epilogue showing Marika and Ryousuke with their child Mirai that was born shortly after. What we get however is another needless hour or so of play involving three H-scenes. The route was at such a high at this point actually that it kinda irritated me that one had to go through that afterwards. It was by no means a bad sequence but an unnecessary one. It almost completely involved the two of them trying to make a child. In between it showed bits and pieces of their newly wed life together but to be frank, no one would have complained if it shifted straight to the epilogue and ending song which it eventually did. That's the one gripe I have with this route. Apart from that, it was a marvelous route. The route ends with Ryousuke, Marika and their newborn little girl Mirai looking at a meteor shower. The last of Marika's childhood dreams that was to be fulfilled.
I give this route a 9/10. I spent 18 hours on it. It hardly put a foot wrong and felt extremely natural throughout. As great as it is, it's not a 10/10 because Rikka's route just had that extra edge and extra substance from an all round perspective. This route's strength was different however. It banked on making it as touching as possible. It had a series of tear-jerking moments and any normal person should be able to enjoy this route.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That does it for the route reactions. It turned out to be way more lengthy than I had initially thought but hey, I spent 157 hours on the damn thing so I had loads to say. The route reactions are done but there are various other things that I have yet to address at this point.
Posted by
ABHISHEKV
| Jul 7, 2015 4:54 AM |
Add a comment