This visual novel feels like something made ten years ago in the best way possible every day I feel myself thinking how far I am from being a teenager. It feels both like it was yesterday and like it was ages ago, somehow at the same time.
Some weeks ago I had some friend over at my place and we had some edibles, as many of these kind of marijuana infused hangouts wind down we ended up playing some YouTube videos, at the request of one of my friends we ended up re-watching some filthy frank videos. That friend, I love him to death, he has always been there for me despite my constant nagging for him to be a bit more conscious on real-life issues, he nonetheless seems to be stuck in the 2016 era of edgy humor.
I had a visual novel phase as a late teenager and early adult, played some of the greats, doki doki literature club, higurashi, song of Saya, and katawa shoujo, to name some of the relevant ones to this discussion.
Go for a punch: Saki Sanobashi feels right at home with these, maybe will not be as influential or remembered as it does not make something new, but remixes existing themes to make something worth loving, showing love for something and this game is lovingly crafted, one doesn’t have to re-invent the wheel to make something nice, just taking a base and remixing is enough, hell even to create something with it’s own identity like fear and hunger does.
Saki Sanobashi herself follows after Monika, Saya or Rena but building upon what essentially is a creepypasta about a lost deep web anime (so cliche I can’t help but love the go for a punch story). I won’t discuss much of the story beats here as it is a visual novel, the whole point is the story, what my words can never spoil is the beautiful artstyle go for a punch sports, I specially love the main girl saki sanobashi who looks kind yet uncanny in a beautiful ethereal way, and the fake innocence in her eyes just emphasizes how much of an asshole she is when the facade drops, I love her to death.
The rest of the cast is somehow cute and uncanny at the same time, I specially can’t really put my finger as to why the sprite for Sayuri makes me kind of uncomfortable, maybe it’s how lanky she is. This game is a treat, love the visual style and the writing is pretty decent, I don’t expect blood meridian from a visual novel adapting a creepypasta. ALSO SAKI TURNS PURPLE LIKE PURPLE GUY!!!.