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Sousaku Kanojo no Ren'ai Koushiki Review – Writing Beneath Pastel Skies

Genre – Romance, Slice of Life, Drama Play Time – 20 hours Developer - Aino+Links Patch Download VNDB

Painted Upon A New Canvas

A visual novel about those who create visual novels and other such creative endeavours is a uniquely difficult proposition since writing about what a developer knows often leads to extremely biased and self congratulatory elements seeping in. Throughout its play time Sousaku Kanojo no Ren'ai Koushiki struggles against this hurdle in its attempts to tell the tale of a band of young creators finding their place in the world. It is a game dominated by its long common route which contains many of its most powerful and memorable moments during their time at an academy tailored to their creative ambitions. The heroines are all given striking personalities and the space to properly show them off and rub up against the rest of the cast to promote their growth and provide some exciting drama. Colourful and varied designs for locations and characters define how the player will experience the highs and lows of the characters’ journeys as spring turns to summer and the march of time pushes them forwards. However, this is a game of two halves and once the common route is over it never reaches the same level of narrative quality and many of the smaller issues begin to pile together and make new larger problems. Focusing around the idea of creatives and the effect their passion has on their lives ends up meshing poorly with the standard romantic and tragic ideas each routes bring up and it results in some very messy theming and a protagonist who becomes increasingly toxic in their relationships. Is this clash enough to sour what starts out as amazing experience? Let’s pick up our pens and find out.

Writer’s Block – Narrative and Themes

Impactful emotional moments define much of Sousaku Kanojo play time with it regularly moving from one to another at a quick pace while alternating between which character is in the crosshairs. This oscillation between dramatic developments and their build up is at its strongest during the common route where it draws the main cast together in order to support the focus heroine. Feeding into this feeling is the way each of these big moments builds upon each other as a slow ramping up of the individual character arcs while paying of hints left from earlier points in the story. The overall plot has a somewhat modular nature in that it has its sections solely focus on one heroine at a time before moving on to another until it eventually comes full circle back to the ones it started with. What this means in practice is each character gets to stand on their own merits rather than having to share screen time with other developments and it lends the game an emotional clarity about what the player should be invested in at any one time. Yet the rest of the cast is never entirely gone either, they nicely slip into a supportive role to be a constant remainder of the promises of drama their respective arcs will offer in future. Since so much time is spent with a relatively small cast the game gets to present their growth, both as people and as creators, in a gradual fashion. Slowly they express their flaws and immaturity and have them be sharpened into strengths which can be invoked in the dramatic climaxes to sell their arcs as complete and provide a sense of earned catharsis.

Hmmm... I wonder who the main heroine is...

Despite the common route having some of the game’s strongest moments, it constitutes about half of its play time and so perhaps inevitably it ends up feeling long and meandering at times. There is a lack of any overall direction for most of it until in the latter sections where the group comes together to make their game. Having so many big emotional points of the heroines’ character arcs be located in the common route means their actual routes are left without a lot of material to work with and this can be felt in the somewhat contrived nature of the plot points they choose to focus on. They lack the easy pillars to fall back on since they have already been used up and this has to be written around leading to weaker feeling climaxes. However, all of this pales in comparison to the shadow which is cast over most of the game, Ayase Aisa or rather how obvious it is she is the main heroine. Everyone and everything which happens lives in her shadow since she get the focus almost all the time and even when it shifts onto another character she still is critical to how things resolve. Couple this with the short and anaemic nature of the other heroine routes and it clearly marks them as ‘sub-heroines’ who are merely stepping stone to reach the real route. This hurts the any feelings of investment the player might have in those other heroines since the game is only interested in Aisa.

Whether intentional or not there is an air of self congratulation to the focus on creatives and their struggles. It puts their struggles on a pedestal as something to be admired and uniquely theirs which normal people cannot understand. Some of this is due to the unintentional way it interacts with the need for drama, yet it cannot help but come across as tone deft to realities of the world around them and how real life creatives behave and strive for their place in it. Related to this is how all the big conflicts in the heroine routes are all caused, and often also resolved, by some kind a vague and ‘magical’ contrivance which is never explained properly. It is difficult to feel the impact of an important moment when the player knows the story can add or remove the source of the conflict on a whim just for the sake of having a higher stakes climax. The extent to which each route is effected by this varies quite a bit with some coming off lightly so the impact is often tolerable. One final minor point, early on there are lot of times where the protagonist will ogle or become sexually aware of the heroines in a poor attempt at creating teenage sexual tension. Instead it feels like a needless objectification of the girls which clashes against its attempting to sell them to the player as people leading to a weird tension between these two parts of the writing. What is strange about this is the way it just disappears after a few chapters never to be brought up again which makes it feel like a left over from a different version of the script.

Young Creatives – Characters

The cast is characterised by their diverse personalities and the friction which appears between them. Their individual goals all strive towards some kind of creative endeavour but they are taking their own path to reach it. Each one is added to the group individually and get the space to show who they are and who they will clash with. It leads to some colourful interactions between them which are a delight to witness since they are all similar enough to each other to promote a collective empathy but not so close as to be unable to criticise the others behaviour. Tsukimizaka Kiriha is often utilised by the story as a clashing viewpoint given the way she mixes a jaded cynicism with a genuine love for the group. She gets to be the voice of sense while also being her own gradually collapsing house of cards which needs the protagonist and the heroines to step in at times to prevent it from falling down. By contrast, Nagima Yumemi is a far more introverted character who mostly avoids conflict where she can yet even she ends up clashing with other characters and growing because of it. Her desire for friendship and honesty compels her to pursue that bond through her work and even though this does not quite end as she expects, lending the results pack an emotional punch.

This gang are a delight to witness

The only place where this strong characterisation comes back to bite Sousaku Kanojo is in the form of its protagonist Kagami Toshiki. For the majority of the game he is a perfectly fine character who more or less fits it with the rest of the cast. However, upon entering a heroine route his obsession with creatives rubs up against the romance in a way which does not paint him in a good light. He seems only interested in the version of the heroines which is a creator and wants them to adhere to this vision rather than accept them for who they are beyond this one aspect. The results of this are a series of unhealthy relationships with the heroines based on them keeping to his vision of them and it does not leave the player with the feeling of resolution the game seems to think it has created.

Seasonal Inspirations – Visual, Audio and Technical

From the moment the game starts it is clear a lot of time and effort has gone into the visual design. There is attention to detail across the board focused on sell the believability and physicality of the setting. This is a game set across a large span of time and the changing seasons are reflected not only in the backgrounds but also the characters having different uniforms and casual clothes. Underpinning this sits the pastel and bright colours of its visual language which led its tale of love and passion a sense of liveliness to complement the character’s pursuits. While none of it is groundbreaking for the genre, it cannot be overstated how much a consistent level of quality helps keep the player’s interest and create a smooth experience since they will be staring at it a lot over the game’s long play time. The audio also fits into this comfortable conformity where it perfectly serves its purpose in context but is otherwise unremarkable and not something the player is likely to seek out afterwards. Yet this is enough for it to sell the emotional highs and lows of the narrative and it is in tune with the overall identity of the work.

By contrast, the presentation of the only choices in the game is dry and abrupt where it functional asks which route you want at end of the common route without any build up. It also separates out the choice for Aisa route, presents it first and locks it until the other routes have been completed which furthers this feeling of Aisa being the only character the developer really care about. Even the existence of choices at all feels like an obligation to have a variety of heroine routes rather than something the game is passionate about. Another point of friction is found when after each and every chapter there is a full credits sequence which gets irritating to witness given there are quite a few chapters in this title so the player gets to see it a lot. It comes across as self congratulatory as if each chapter was some monumental piece of art within the medium rather than just another section of a single game.

Behold! The Heroine Route Selector 3000!

Conclusion

Being so fixated on creatives and the act of creating is a double edged sword for Sousaku Kanojo which it never quite manages to balance. Its character based drama leads to some amazing emotional moments which do a lot to engage the player and have them invested in the casts. Having a vivid art direction and a wide variety of environments and sprites crafts a charming visual language to help capture the narrative’s biggest moments. The diverse range of personalities supports this vision while creating many situations for them to rub up against one another. However, there are a litany of cracks throughout the game, from a fixation on Aisa over the rest of the cast to the protagonist’s unhealthy obsession with creators, which combine to deeply harm the experience. If the player can stomach these weaker elements then what is here is a well constructed visual novel with a high level of polish.

Verdict –

Clashing creatives and seasonal colours come together to forge a bright tale of love, writing and being true to yourself. Yet it can never quite reconcile the individual parts of its identity into a harmony resulting in a very uneven overall experience.

Pros -

+ Filled with impactful emotional moments where each character gets to wonderfully express and overcome their struggles in a suitably dramatic fashion.

+ The diverse personalities of its cast create a dynamic group who clash as much as they complement each other.

+ High quality visuals make every scene pop with life while the changing seasons and wardrobes provide a sense of place and individual identity.

Cons -

- Ayase Aisa is too clearly the main heroine to the point she overshadows the everything else due to her constant involvement in the narrative and the lacklustre choices offered to the player.

- Conflicts and their solutions often end up being too much like ‘magic’ where they appear and act in whatever fashion the story needs at that moment in a fairly blatant manner.

- The protagonist Kagami Toshiki’s obsession with creators does not mesh well with the romance leading to some very toxic relationships.

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Tag : Review, Romance, Slice of Life,

Schrödinger's Call Review – Is The Line Alive Or Dead?

Genre – Mystery, Drama Play Time – 10 hours Developer – Acrobatic Chirimenjako Steam VNDB

Hotline To The Dead

As a method of commination, a phone call walks a strange line between the awkwardness with its audio lacking the important non-verbal cues of human interactions and the deeply personal connection of having someone speak directly into your ears. This unique experience lies at the core of Schrödinger's Call’s narrative presentation which leans heavily into this space of intimacy and misunderstanding to craft its dramatic and emotional highs. The game follows Mary as she works as the last confidant for recently deceased spirits where she takes their calls and tries to help them make peace with their lives. All of these people do not entirely remember the trauma which keeps them here so a strong investigative element runs through the title as the player must deduce the truth and help Mary solve their cases. Each of the cast Mary talks to over the phone bring their own quirky personality and unique animal form to the table in order to make them easy to keep track of and a joy to talk with. This sense of striking identity extends to the visuals which use of a predominately black and white sketched aesthetic backed up by sudden bold use of singular colours to allow a moment or person to stand out. However, this is a game plagued with odd game design such as an overuse of repetition and an abundance of choices which merely loop the player around and waste their time. Are these development decisions enough to undermine this deeply personal tale of lies, loss and love? Let’s pick up the phone and find out.

A Cat In The Box – Narrative And Themes

From the moment Mary first picks up the phone there is a permanent through line of personal mysteries about each caller as well as about Mary herself. Having every person not completely remember their life creates enough space for speculation about what trauma holds them here and gives the player something to slowly pick apart over the course of the game. Each chapter is made up of one main caller which Mary has to help pass on and a selection of secondary callers who all knew the main caller in life or they are somehow linked to them. This interweaving web of relationships helps prevent the calls from becoming repetitive since the player will be bouncing around between these vastly different and colourful characters. Putting all the clues about their past together at the finale of a chapter and freeing them is an incredibly satisfying experience with a good catharsis and emotional climax to it.

The game begins and ends with this phone

Similarly Mary’s own past is slowly teased over her various encounters with the callers and provides a nice plot thread to link the entire title. The picture of Mary becomes more muddy over time as the fault lines in her personality reveal themselves and overturn any initial impressions of her character. So when the big reveals do come they are still shocking but make complete sense when looking back at the subtle hints left over the entire play time. Once all the callers have had their turn and the spotlight turns to Mary, the game does not pulls its punches and crafts a compelling final act where her suffering get put on full display for the player to engage with first hand. It is an impactful way to end the game and will sit in the player’s mind as the credits roll and they put down the phone for the last time. On a broader point, Schrödinger's Call makes a lot of narrative use out of its use of the phone as the main means of communication. There is a great deal of attention played to the misunderstandings and nuances which occur only over the phone and even make one of these a core plot line to great dramatic effect. The phone also serves the role of being a symbol of connection, or the seeking thereof, and how such relationships can be fraught with problems and cut off when we least expect it. Yet it is precisely these connection through the calls Mary makes which ultimately save not only those callers but also Mary herself when she comes to understand the value of those bonds. All of this is cleverly conveyed through the ups and downs of the narrative and its gentle warmth can be felt when it is most needed.

If there is one thing Schrödinger's Call seems to have an obsession with it is repetition. The game constantly repeats itself even when the events or information it is repeating have only just happened mere moments ago. By far the biggest offenders are Mary’s write ups after each call where the player is taken through the call they just experienced. Nothing in the game is complicated enough to justify this kind of aggressive hand holding since all of the main points of a call are highlighted during the call so the player cannot possibly miss them. It is as if the game does not trust the player’s memory and its own ability to hold their attention. At least a quarter of the play time is dedicated to such repetition making it a constant and invasive force many will find difficult to ignore. Had these recaps only occurred once every so often then they might have served a useful purpose to refresh the memory, but instead they are the largest stain on the overall experience.

Gasp! Just like the famous thought experiment!

A separate and less noticeable problem can be seen in the way the game hand waves away certain elements which seem like they should be important but end up slipping to the sides in favour of the emotional finale. The moon crashing to earth is perhaps the biggest of these and you would think it would be a big and constant presence but instead it has a surprisingly minor presence and often forgotten. This is to the point at which the game itself seems confused at times as to whether the moon falling really happened or not with it bouncing around on its position on the truth during the ending. Another weirdly discarded feature pops up when looking at the cat, Hamlet, who acts as Mary’s companion throughout most of the story. Despite this prominence and the mystery surrounding him, he is somewhat discarded towards the end and there is never any real resolution to who or what he is and where he goes or what his purpose might be. Neither of these concepts matter much to the emotional weight of the final act so it is understandable they go pushed aside, but some proper clarification would have been nice to neatly wrap everything up.

The Animal Kingdom – Characters

Being glued to the phone naturally leads to a conversation heavy style of narrative so it is important for the characters to be interesting to converse with and on this point Schrödinger's Call is impeccable. Each of the main callers has their own distinct relationship with Mary and bounce off her in entertaining new ways in order to keep them feeling fresh. From Lucy, the guilt ridden mother, to Violet, the gentle and confidant rich girl, they all present themselves through their memorable mannerisms then, as the player comes to know more about them, their flaws and imperfections give them a delicate humanity. Their associated secondary callers have intertwining views and lives despite the fact they never talk to one another during the game and rely on Mary to be a go between which helps further push the importance of her centralising role. As they all slowly remember their shared history, the powerful emotions this brings out constitute much of the titles ups and downs for them to push through and this journey is what makes them so memorable. The chapter structure also ensures they never outstay their welcome with their resolutions coming at just the right time when they have said all they need to and the player is ready to move on.

Choosing to have each caller be a different animal person was a smart choice

Every caller somehow has an emotional similarity to Mary and it is by interacting with them that a more complete picture of how she thinks becomes clear. This is an excellent method of making every character important since they each hold a piece of the puzzle about Mary and her lost memories. It also helps reinforce the idea of Mary as an empathetic person who is suitable to be the last confidant while setting this trait up be questioned and its fragility to be brought to the front. Mary’s broader characterisation is wonderfully put together from her ability to act as a problem solver for the callers to her eventual confrontation with her own past. Throughout she remains a central pillar of the player’s interest and the texture of her personality is teased out slowly to keep them on the edge of their seat. Investing emotional in Mary is easy which is extremely important when the final sections of the game rely so heavily on the player’s connection with her.

Hold The Phone – Visuals, Audio And Technical

When loading up the game for the first time its visual language immediately marks it out from its peers with its use of darker colours and strong lines. The majority of time black and white will be presented to the player as they act as the baseline for this space between life and death. It speaks to the delicate balance maintain here and Mary’s role in pushing people out of the intermediary place. This pairing of contrasting lines and white voids makes the flat and dark colours which each of the callers brings to the table stand out against Mary’s own bland room. Each lacks the lustre they may have once had to mirror the poor state the callers find themselves in yet the colours still hold a weight to them and subtly communicates the emotions and personality they had in their prime. The soundtrack is similarly dulled with a heavy use of deep and resounding sounds even in pieces aiming towards a lighter tone for their associated character. It does a good job of capturing the mood of each caller to the point of the player being able to recognise which person is calling from their track alone. Furthering the auditory identity of the cast are their series of distorted voice snippets which all carry the fuzziness of a phone line and their own unique cadences. These elements combine to create an audio-visual landscape which help elevate Schrödinger's Call and make it easier to overlook its issues.

Clean, informative and filled with personality

On the mechanics side of the equation things are a bit more uneven in terms of quality. Having the player input the phone number of the person they want to call by rotating the dial gives the phone a wonderful sense of tactility. It helps centralise the phone as a device of connection through this physicality with the phone also needing to be manually picked up to answering incoming calls just to keep it in the player’s mind. In a similar vein, the notebook has the player flipping between its writing covered pages to find the clues needed to answer the mysteries and set the caller free. Later on it becomes an important narrative point when starts to become the playground for Mary’s increasingly decaying mental state. Despite the game forcing the player to spend too much time looking due to the constant recapping of events, it remains an endearing feature due to its role in the story and Mary’s illustrative drawings.

Unfortunately things get worse when looking at one of the biggest points of player interaction, choices. The offender here is the way choices are looking for only one response and looping the player back around to the start of the text if they choose incorrectly. This is understandable in the quiz sections where the whole point is for there to be a right and wrong answer, less so when they are used for the general conversation choices without any kind of clear correct option. The second group form the majority of the choices in the game and so the player regularly finds themselves being looped around since they have no context to know what the game wants from them with such a small amount of information. What makes this worse is the way the choices initially create this idea of non-linearity which encourages the player to explore the narrative space only for them to be slapped across the face for attempting to do so.