Today, i will do a review on a recently finish VN called 車輪の国、向日葵の少女. Its develop by Akabesoft2 on 2005. It got translated last year and here in the info of the english version of it. The patch is also in the same website.
Well lets get started. I don really have the images of the 3 girls but heres the cover of the game
Orders in clockwise from top right: Sachi, Touka, Natsumi and lastly Ririko.
P.S Nobody touches Touka, shes my wife.
So the storyline is something like:
In the near future.
In a not so distant place.
There exists a society where law is based upon deterrence and criminals are assigned “obligations” fitting for their crimes.
Within this society, a man named Morita Kenichi aspires to the position of Special High Class Individual, one who holds authority over said criminals.
For the purpose of fulfilling his ambition, Kenichi returns to the town he once called home. There he will encounter three girls bearing “obligations” and there he will encounter the past he left behind.
Won’t you join him in this story about how people relate to their society?
In this story about how a society relates to its people.
In this story about the girl amid the sunflowers growing in the country spinning like a wheel.
You are Morita Kenichi, u have came bak to ur hometown to take ur final test to become a Special High Class Individual. U will have to get rid of 3 girls with “Obligation”. They are treated like criminals and any defiance to their own obligation means they will be killed. Its something to replace our Capital Punishment/ jail.
Chpt1
There wont really be anything inside, jus a intro of the characters and how each of their personality is like. And ur life in school and how ur character is really like. Aft u get into some trouble along with the 3 girls and the chpt ends.
Chpt2
Now u will be supervising Sachi 1st. Hmm her restriction is only can be awake 12 hrs a day, which really restrict her to wad she wans to do. Her personality is she doesnt wan to work but only make cheap money online or something. Ur task is to get her to starting working and her waste her life by gambling her luk. Sachi is a renown painter when shes small and had gotten a very honorable prize. But something happened to make her do not wan to paint anymore.
So she has a “Sister” called Mana and she lives with Sachi. Mana always believe that she will be able to make Sachi paint again. As the story goes on and Sachi is push to a situation to save Mana, she will be push into a corner where she will show ability to the extreme a human will be able to perform. Will she be able to save Mana in the end?
Chpt3
This is where u will supervise Touka, a child which have the obligation of “Not able to grow up”. That means she will have to do everything that her mother, Kyoko tells her and any defiance means death. Ok so my wife is a tsundere :D, and she hates to listen to her mother but she has to. She can only study and study and study which shes not really good at. She likes to watch TV, listen to the radio, eat sweet stuff, read manga and her dream Cook. However, Kyoko bans her strictly from entering the Kitchen becuz of a accident she had in her younger age which cause her to have a scar on her arm.
Suddenly, Kyoko is going to be called to go for a Parent Training course which every parent whose child have this obligation will have to go. It will easily lead to death, as the training is meant to make the parents meet death. Touka had a choice to let Kyoko go or nor, but due to some events around that time, she let Kyoko go. In the nick of time, Kenichi was able to save Kyoko af Touka regreted her choice. Thus the story continues.
As the story unfold, u will find out the deeper relationship between Touka and Kyoko and wad their real relationship is. And when the choice to choose between Kyoko and 2 person important to Touka appears before her, wad will she choose? It will be up to Kenichi to help her gain Independence in order to pass his test. Also wads the real meaning behind Touka’s scar and why Kyoko do not wan to cancel her obligation when she can? Wads Kyoko secret past that makes her do this?
Chpt4
Now u will supervise ur childhood sweetheart Natsumi. Her obligation is Unable to fall in love. If a opposite sex comes in contact with her, both will be killed. So Natsumi ignores u at 1st :D, how good is that…She doesnt look at anybody, toks to anybody nor response to ur question. How are u going to pass this stage of ur test?!
Thus she starts to have feelings for u, feelings as she is not supose to have. Feelings that shes banned from having.She starts to open towards u. Shes starts to treat u like a friend, or even a lover.
At one occasion when Kenichi falls off the cliff due to wanting to prevent Natsumi to fall, all of their childhood comes bak to his mind. Childhood of Kenichi’s family, his childhood, who are his friends, wad he did which labeled him a coward, wad is his purpose to become a Special High Class Individual. Then, as story continues, we find out why did she get such a obligation. This obligation are given to people who tried to trick money out of the opposite sex by suducing them. So Natsumi is given such a obligation and Kenichi couldnt believe it.
As plot unfold, Natsumi will find out that u are actually her childhood sweetheart and u have return as a totally different person, different name called Kenichi. She will also reveal some of her past personally to you. Af she finds out who u really are, she will get all emo again.Actually, Natsumi has been waiting all the while for Kenichi to return and she believes that Kenichi will return. Thats wad kept her living on.
Until a certain part near the end of the Chpt, she cant hold her feelings anymore and cried out. U hug her and means that she has jus break her Obligation. Thats when Houzoki enter the room and find that out.He calles both of them to their office and question is Natsumi has feeling to Kenichi. Thus shes force to say in to Houzuki face without any reluctant feelings. Thus she said from morning all the way to nite and finally did it. However they will not spared the punishment for breaking the rules.
Thus they were brought to a underground cell where they are to be kept. They were question by Houzuki further and Natsumi finally broke down and touched Kenichi and said she love him.
Thus the chpt ends and scary stuff will unfold from here.
Also in order to clear her Obligation, she has to not have feelings towards u. But thats impossible lol.
P.S Well until now i m kind of confuse, but Chpt 4 will unfold both Natsumi and Kenichi’s past. I m actually confuse which comes 1st or something…But Chpt 4 is most importantly their past.
Chpt 5
Oooo! This is where it gets all pumped up and the plots twist here and there. Kenichi escape from where he is held and met up with Isono and a certain someone most important to Kenichi returns to him af some many years. So the town in now totally own by Houzuki and his secret police. Houzuki then called Kenichi that Natsumi will be having public execution 3 days from now since shes keep lock up by Houzuki af that incident. Everyone will be arrested on the spot if seen and they include Sachi, Touka, Kenichi, Isono.
Thus, they decided to save everyone and 1stly is Sachi who got rescued. Nxt Touka and we find out who taught Touka those violent stuff :D LMAO. Then we find out how everyone involved in this are all linked to “Somebody”. Aft they planned how to rescue Natsumi since shes lock in a room which requires ID Card and only Houzuki has it.
Aft the plan was put into play and they acted according. But however in the end, everyone was captured by Houzuki and locked up in the room that Natsumi was locked in. Day af day “Somebody” was tortured in front of Kenichi. However, Kenichi manage to escape and all of them escaped into a cave, looking for a way to escape. Finally they made it out of the cave due to Isono saving them. They climb a ladder in order to get out of the cave but however sees Houzuki there. Then i duno why and wan to know y, Houzuki actually let them off! And if u are in Natsumi’s arc u will get a choice to follow “Somebody” to change society or lead a simple life with Natsumi. Touka and Sachi is jus their end without that final choice.
Thus the story ends. Its pretty much a lot of twist in between and a rather vague ending…
Reviews
Sachi
I will say I m not attracted to her for some reason…Well but her cheerful and happy always attitude really make my day. How she trys that hard to save Mana really makes me thing that bonds between human are unbreakable. And how Houzuki push her a a corner really can call out the extreme ability of a human.
Sachi voice is really all cheerful and how she different from a cheerful one and her sad one makes me think shes a really good seiyuu. Well i haven heard her H-scene so i cant really comment -_-. But overall i think shes ok.
Points geto: 55/100
Touka
Well Touka is a cute tsundere with a short blue hair. Her appearance really is MOE and i like her a lot. How she response to Kenichi is amusing. How she show her inner feeling i think is ok only. Not as deep as Sachi. But still ok. I really really like her tsundere feel and voice :D. Makes me feel Tsun lol. Her bond with Kyoko is really touching and how the final scene is really really tear-jerking. O her final result is :
I WANNA STAY HERE IN THIS HOUSE WITH U KAA-SAN!!!
I really did cry at the moment :D.
As for her H-scene voice, hmm somehow not as ero as i thought. But how she prompt u to touch her all that is still ok :D. How she response when u H her is wonderful to me ^_*. I jus love her voice and reaction :D.
Points geto: 85/100
Natsumi
I love her long red hair and her yellow ribbon. Really fits her. I think shes really kind and gentle and someone i wanna have as my wife (Too bad thats not happening T_T and i DON WAN TO). 2D is still ok :D.
Actually i really really really like the young Natsumi. Shes jus 可愛い過ぎだろう?! O shit, i think i show my lolicon side XD. Well yes shes jus super cute then. How she switch between a emo, cute and lively and unsociable Natsumi makes me rank her good. Well her voicing is awesome.
Her H-scene voice is kind of okok…Comapared to Touka, she kind of loses. Mayb becuz shes innocent… But its quite good thinking shes jus innocent and u wanna H her >.<.
Points geto: 80/100
Ririko
O shit, here comes the most Ero voice actor of the century. Ririko normal speaks makes me high already. I cant stop thinking abt her voice. Her voice is auto Ero-on mode, jus like Sakakibara Yui lol. How she teases u is really erotic until cannot take it.
When she step up to the school roof and make the speech, shes really like a leader. Very very leadership type and morale boosting. Her jokes are bad bad bad lol.
Her H-scene made me too high and my mind numb really. The H scene is really awesome and one of the most awesome on i got. Its jus so high and mighty between her and Kenichi. Her moaning is good, almost everything is good. Her voice is jus perfect.
Point geto: 98/100 (-2 for being a S ^_^)
Houzuki
Here comes pop, Oda Nobunaga, Our dear Emperor of Code Geass lol. Yes Wakamoto. His voicing of Houzuki is beyond scary and soul shivering. His words and the way he toks is jus too fiting for a authority type of character like Houzuki. I could nv have thought of another suitable character for Houzuki. Wakamoto is the guy.
I like the part when he question Natsumi:
“U looked away. Once more! No thats not it,Once more! U looked at Kenichi rite, Once more!”
His commands and voice is jus too awesome for a man like him. I think every school needs one guy like him. His sacarism is also wwww.
Points geto for voicing: 95/100
Overview
I think Sharin is really a very good VN/Eroge. The storyline is meaningfull, the plot unfolds layer by layer and not all at once of something. Every gal story is very meaning full and to the maximum or plot twist. The plot twist is acceptable and not ridiculous. Evey girl is jus tear-jerking, too much. Its jus a beautiful VN.
Howver the ending is rather weak, i dun understand why Houzuki let them off when he could have jus shot them all dead. He also withdraw from the village. Perhaps he jus wanted Kenichi to pass the test and mold him to be a maximum power Special High Class Individual going through all these obstacles. No matter wad the storyline is still awesome, one of the most awesome one i have played in my life.
The music is also suiting, each to its situation.
The artwork is beautiful to above avg for me. I like how Natsumi, Kenichi and Ririko looked. The others all above avg. The CGs are also beautiful, mayb a 70-73/100.
The H-scene are pretty good too .The body shape and everything is correct no flaw. The expression of the girls are also ok. But too bad only 1-2 per girl which is think is okok. I would prefer at least 3-4 :D.
Overall Score:
Storyline: 90
Music: 75
Characters: 83
CG: 76
This is a Grade A+ VN to play.