This is a pretty standard chara-ge. The plot isn’t the best in the world, and I really didn’t like how they handled a few issues. Most of the “revelations” to the mysteries and the foreshadowing isn’t that surprising, and after you get into the character routes, things feel a bit draggy. I also dislike how they try to build up tension with scenes that have a “shocking” one-liner, then end the scene there. I mean, if the characters do land in a situation where they have a revelation, how come you don’t see them reaction to the situation then? Why do we have to skip to the next day? Anyway. Like I said in my first impressions, the production values are definitely off the charts. Even minor characters like Saki have more poses than most main heroines in other eroges. The music is pretty nice, the voice acting is definitely good. While the actual plot is a bit lacking, the interactions between the characters are definitely fun, and it’s worth a play, at least for the character that interests you.
For me, the best character is definitely Saya, with Rin in a close second. Kuuderes are the best~
Calamitous Intent 
Saya is my favourite character as well, due in no small part in that she is voiced by Shizuka Itou, one of my favourite seiyuus. It’s too bad that she doesn’t feature much in the game’s Drama CDs. Ruriko apparently is the canon heroine as well, as you can hear in the first instalment here:
With the success of Infinite Stratos, I’d like to see an anime made of this game. Of course, if that isn’t possible, I’d like to see this game translated as well.
P.S. Does Saya start living with the protagonist in her best end? Is that her waking the protagonist up in that CG you’ve posted here? And are you going to be playing the fandisc for this game?
It is implied that she starts living with him, although that particular cg comes from after one of the h-scenes.
I see. Still, the chara-ge formula is good for pursuing each character’s relevant backstory and plot. The alternatives sometimes aren’t very good; if you make everything very linear as Leaf did with Utawarerumono, then you miss out on replay value. If character paths are more side stories than anything else and the player has no way of changing the main ending (such as is the case with Innocent Grey’s Kara no Shoujo), then you might frustrate the player because of how s/he is relatively powerless.
I take it that Kurashima Tomoyasu didn’t act as a bottleneck for this game (unlike Nakamura Takeshi did for White Album 2) because of Kurashima’s experience in working with anime series (i.e., working to very tight deadlines)? I say this because some of the paper dolls have less-than-pretty hands, for instance–it’s obvious that the faces and clothes were the focus there.
Hmm… I guess chara-ge isn’t the best way to put it. I meant to say it’s the typr of game that sells because the characters are cute, rather than the plot is well thought out. I mean, there is definitely plot there, but it’s focused on the girls being cute more than anything else.
I would agree that the game did focus on the heroines being cute, although not always well. I remember seeing the CG of Saya singing at a karaoke booth at the school festival, and she actually looked like she was having a good time. Too bad her seiyuu didn’t actually sing for that scene though–it probably would have cost the company too much.
But sometimes “being cute” has a place besides making the otaku swoon. There’s that nice CG in Kara no Shoujo where Toko Kuchiki is walking in a stream by moonlight–that’s a nice change of pace given all the tragedy in that game (or all the tragedy to be found in Innocent Grey games, anyhow).
Really? I thought that scene showed her loneliness and suicidal thoughts.
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Pardon me, I guess I was still preoccupied with Accany’s “Holy Hell” caption for that CG. I take it being cute was reserved for Hatsune (who from the CGs is still smitten with Shugo from the events in Cartagra), at least when she isn’t making Reiji some very questionable food.
Perhaps the writers were trying to show the main character’s shock after that one liner, so he needs time to think about it until the next day.