Japanese Reading Report: 01 September 2024

This week I watched season 1 of Code Geass to the end, started season 2, and continued to read エロゲー文化研究概論. The main topics of interest this week relate to the dating sim genre. There are Major Spoilers for Code Geass Seasons 1 and 2 so if you haven't watched that show do not read on.

エロゲー文化研究概論

Read about 同級生 and ときめきメモリアル, the progenitors of the 恋愛アドベンチャーゲーム / 恋愛SVG (dating simulation) genre. The development behind 同級生 was interesting. It was supposed to be a ナンパゲーム (a game focused solely on picking up and sleeping with as many characters as you can/want) and the internal game file reflected this as it was called nanpa.exe, but after the art of a few girls was finished the direction was shifted to put a lot more focus on getting to know, attract, and date fewer, more well-developed girls. The gameplay was also made to be extremely free form. The player has 21 days to spend in a town and can choose to sleep away every day and get a perfectly valid (though probably uninteresting) ending. A game in the spin-off series, 下級生, featured an alien woman with difficult romancing requirements. It makes me wonder about the tension between making a game that is "totally free" and one designed with "good" or "secret" endings.
Released about two years later, ときめきメモリアル was a less NSFW game with broader appeal and deeper romance systems. It was the first of the genre to exceed 1 million copies sold (across multiple platforms). ときメモ's success on family-friendly platforms emboldened eroge developers to publish family-friendly versions of their games with the purpose of creating interest for their "full art" versions on PC. I can't help but think about the parallel with the current Steam VN system where a sanitised version is published for "general audiences" and a "true" version is offered as an external download for those who want to experience that as well. While I don't think that system is perfect it doesn't feel quite as novel now.

All this reading about the dating sim genre gave me an interest in trying it. Seeing that ときめきメモリアル is getting a remake just days after reading about it felt like serendipity. I'm sure whatever I end up playing will be in one of my reports.

コードギアス反逆のルルーシュ

So around the half way point Mao is properly introduced to add to the Geass system, as well as Lelouch's relationship to CC. The "battle of wits" between Mao and Lelouch was pretty fun, and I liked the episode where Nanari is kidnapped and Suzaku helps Lelouch save her. It's funny that Lelouch is established as a pro chess player and he just loses to Mao every single time.
The episodes where everyone spends some time on an island was really great. I love the strategy to power down Lancelot, the end of episode cliffhanger where Lelouch realises he will have to use Geass or everyone will die... and then the reveal later of what exactly he commanded Suzaku to do... all of it was so well done. Definitely the peak of the series for me.
And then there's the episode where Lelouch and Euphemia spend some time alone. I think the outcome is fine and catastrophic in a good way for setting up the end of the season, but I couldn't stand the "trigger" for it. It really feels like the writers knew where they wanted the story to go but had no idea how to make it work so they just made Lelouch stupid for 15 minutes. Anyway the end of that part was also quite strong, especially Suzaku and Euphemia's next meeting. I felt that the ending was well set up but if I had watched it without having access to season 2 immediately I think I'd feel pretty cheated since it opens up like 3 threads and closes none of them until the next season.

コードギアス反逆のルルーシュＲ２

So... back where it all started. Having seen season 1 the first episode of this season made a little bit more sense but it also kind of removed tension from a few scenes that only really work if you assume Lelouch's amnesiac position (or already know nothing like I did the first time). It was nice to see a few familiar faces that didn't register at all the first time though. I like Rolo, though his Geass feels totally overpowered. I really like how they levelled up the spy games for season 2 compared to the first. In season 1 it felt like no one really suspected Lelouch of anything, but in season 2 several characters know Lelouch is Zero and now the drama is about Lelouch hiding the fact that he has regained his memory whilst also distancing himself from the "surprise return of Zero". Especially episodes 5 and 6 had some great moments. When Suzaku hands the phone to Lelouch and Nanari is on the other end... it was a good moment even if Rolo swoops in to conveniently help out.