「何度生まれ変わっても、わたしはあなたに恋をするから」
An undeniable improvement from Purple Software in comparison with their previous games.
Title: アマツツミ(Amatsutsumi)
Company: Purple Software
Release Date: July 29th, 2016
Length/Estimated Time of Playing: 35~40 Hours
Summary: Makoto, a bearer of the power “kotodama” – a power that can manipulate others with words – fleed from his isolated village to the “outside world” thanks to his curiosity and his yearn to have “proper” communication with humans, but little does he know about the hardships that await him there. Thankfully, he encountered a girl named Kokoro, a girl who could help him…
Purple Software is an infamous, eminent eroge company. But unfortunately, most of the times – to most people; their products tend to be either a hit or miss. Or something that starts out very interesting at the start but goes downhill later on. And let’s admit it – games like those are frustating. Agonizing. Seeing a potentional, promising story concept slowly crumbling down at the palm of some mediocre writers’ hands is definitely not to my liking; no thank you.
Now, if there exists a need to put my whole opinion compiled into one word – then it’d undoubtedly be ‘mixed,’ or perhaps even ‘complex.’
It… has parts that I disliked a lot, but it also has its impactful parts that I liked and thoroughly enjoy to the very end. Like, to the very end. It was that good – but then when you think about the awful parts of this game, you just… meh. But then you remember again about those enjoyable parts, and the cycle painfully continues.
The game itself uses a ladder-like storyboard; similar to G-Senjou’s. Though the “true” route isn’t locked – but it still heavily emphasizes the enforced playing order, anyway. It’s in form of chapters – arcs; whereas the first part being the heroine’s “common” – where you get close to them and help them put an end to their respective “problem,” while the second part being mostly ichaichas and H-scenes. Well, except for Hotaru’s route anyway. The choices are obvious enough and won’t require any thinking, either – so I think you won’t be needing any walkthrough to proceed through this game.
The protagonist is… honestly, I don’t know how to feel about him. He just feels… empty. No; by empty I don’t mean something like he doesn’t have a proper character like some generic eroge protagonists out there – it’s just… I don’t really know how to explain it that well, but he’s just too… dense with the whole world? Sure, that comes as no surprise considering the environment he was raised in – but even still while knowing that; he just doesn’t really click on me… ah, well.
As mentioned earlier, this VN does get interesting at the beginning – but that’s just it. Well, until it picks up itself in true a.k.a Hotaru’s route; anyway. Yes; literally all the individual routes beside Hotaru were personally boring and horrendous.You can’t even really feel the dynamic between the protagonist and the heroines – at least it was like that in my case – thus the ichaichas being mostly meaningless to me. Well, unless you love the heroine; I think you’ll manage to overcome this, but if you don’t… well, then.
Oribe Kokoro
First heroine to go down, she’s the heroine who… “picked up” the protagonist. She’s a kind, honest and cheerful heroine – the kind of heroine made to be loved by literally everyone; be it by the players or even the other characters inside the game.
Her “common” part – which is technically like a “prologue” since it’ll be the first thing we read on this VN before we reach the OP – is absurdly good. Unbelievably. And it was easily the first thing that got me hooked on this game. For the second half of her route itself… well, like I said before, the latter part is just mostly ichaichas and if you don’t like her, high chance is that you’ll probably find it boring. Her latter route painfullty felt like what a typical eroge would have, and well… you just simply don’t compare it to her common part, lol. It’s really underwhelming, and unless you’re attached to Kokoro herself… trust me on this; you won’t really enjoy it. W̶e̶l̶l̶,̶ ̶u̶n̶l̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶’̶r̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶s̶i̶s̶c̶o̶n̶,̶ ̶I̶ ̶g̶u̶e̶s̶s̶.̶ ̶:̶P̶
Asahina Kyouko
A very timid miko with some pretty considerably concerning self-esteem problems, she’s also the protagonist’s classmate – and a diligent student on that.
By the way, she’s able to see “spirits.”
While it isn’t personally a compelling and stimulating premise for me, some of you may find it interesting, but unfortunately they didn’t really go in-depth with this – which is straight out disappointing – so I strongly suggest you to not really expect anything from her. Most of the ideas presented on her route were executed pretty badly too, IMO. Her common part is… well, kind of nice I guess, not as good as Kokoro’s common but if you love some dramatic interactions and stuffs then well, you’re in for it. It’s not personally impactful though, IMO – but then again maybe it’s because she’s the least heroine I liked. Not to mention that her personality and low self-esteem can get too much at times and it’s… not quite pleasing, if I must say. Seriously, Japan, is this what you call as the definition of “cute”? Because I certainly couldn’t feel it. Frankly speaking, her route was kinda stupid.
Oh, and perhaps it also has to do with the fact that she is the only heroine not designed by Koku.
Koizuka Mana
She’s the protagonist’s fiancée and childhood friend. She’s literally indifferent and doesn’t care that much about her surrounding except for the protagonist unless you open up to her. To her – in her eyes, the world is always – literally – ‘snowing.’ Yes, that’d be the main topic to solve on her common route. Quite an interesting idea, no?
But leaving that aside for later, anyway – while arguably having the most interesting personality in the game and once actually being my favorite heroine, words cannot even properly express my overwhelming disappoinment towards how terribly written her whole route is.
The fact that the main conflict in the common part was driven by some really stupid and selfish reasons were probably what turned me off the most, but perhaps it also has to do with how they potrayed her as a total… thirsty yandere for the protagonist. I will not spoil anything on this review since that’d ruin the fun, but you’ll get to see how stupid it is once you go through her route. While the climax of the common route was really good, if I must admit – there isn’t really much to talk about the other parts of her arc.
Minazuki Hotaru
Hotaru, the true heroine of this game – is a cheerful, sharp and clever girl. She’s good at talking things through and reading others’ expressions. Oh, and without doubt my favorite heroine, of course.
Now, then. How do I even begin?
…To be really honest, my first impression of her is quite faint – for quite the reasons. Well, until this one event happened in the middle of Kokoro’s common, anyway. She’s already mysterious from the very start – and of course this is intended to stimulate the readers’ thoughts into questioning about what is she actually; or such.
Her route – the ‘true goal’ of the game; is easily what made this game exceptional even from various lenses, and undeniably the most impactful and powerful part of this game. And personally the best thing Purple Software has offered to me(though I haven’t read Mirai Nostalgia, anyway) so far, comparatively better than their other products I’ve read such as Hapymaher and Chrono Clock. They even have some special – and IMO, the most beatiful BGMs on this game saved up just for her route, a new OP, and 2 endings. It was a thoroughly emotional and satisfying read. Heck, I’d even strongly suggest you to skip the side-heroines’ routes beside their commons which aren’t even worthwhile anyway and just go straight to her route. Seriously, if you’re ever planning to read Amatsutsumi… just do it, TBH.
I will not talk much in regard of her route because it’ll surely ruin the fun. Seriously, her route’s something that must be experienced blind; wholly and thoroughly – if you want to enjoy it to the fullest.
Artworks
Not much to say here other than the fact that Koku is God, Koku is God and oh have I mentioned how godly Koku is?
Okay lol my biased self aside, I’m sure one of the factors that succesfully drawn most people into this VN would without doubt be its art. The lighting is especially terrific and you can even feel the strong atmosphere of the game potrayed in the CGs coming out from your monitor and seething into you; though granted that some of them are just some simple CGs – but the impression it left is just that strong. Definitely nothing to complain on Koku’s side, while for Tsukimori Hiro(a.k.a Kyouko’s artist)… some sprites drawn by them have proportional errors. They’re decent but a bit underwhelming if we compare it to Koku’s of course… guess that’s about it.
SDCGs were cute though not really my favorite style, but eh it’s okay I guess. Not like it’s bad anyway.
Sound
So Purple Software-ish. They literally give out that feeling, but I must give them kudos for some of the BGMs used in Hotaru’s route. Main OP and ED aren’t really my type of song, while Hotaru Route’s OP is just pure music to my ears – to the point I even start to think that I can listen to it for days.
Voice actings were almost flawless if not for Kyouko. She sounds a bit awkward in some of her lines… though it’s not surprising since it looks like her voice actress is still a newcomer. Meanwhile I can see the efforts put into Kokoro’s voice actings, and Ogura Yui’s Hotaru is just simply the best thing here – leaving no room for argument.
Overall/Final Thoughts
A visual novel that starts out as promising at first but would probably betray your expectations in the middle through your reading; but eventually picks up its pace later on then shines as bright as it could to you until the very end. A visual novel that has no meaning if you don’t play it until the very end – while it may not be that good, I’m sure it’ll still be quite the ride thus enough for me to recommend it to you. Especially if you’re into impactful, emotional stories and some provoking plot-twists – then the more you need to give this one visual novel a try. Accompanied with great soundtracks, gallant visuals and its charming heroines which may pique your interest, it is definitely a work that stands above those generic, boring eroges these days – I can at least say that with full confidence. Though beware of its painfully obvious flaws that would probaby turn you off in the middle of playing, because by no means is it a perfect; ‘special’ VN.
Story: (8/10)
Characters: (7.8/10)
Artworks: (9/10)
Sounds: (8/10)
System: (8.2/10)
Enjoyment: (8.4/10)
Overall/Finalized Score: (8.5/10) (bonus +0.1 because of how much I loved [redacted] at ending 2!<3)
「ねえ、教えて。わたしは、あなたに恋をするの？」
碑銘の素晴らしき混乱 
Why did you rate the system 8.2/10?
Kinda had mixed feelings with the floating textbox mostly; it’s a really good system to make me able to focus on the cute heroines’ sprites instead of only reading the text but also it can be dizzying too at times lol(I’ve already gotten used to it by now though ig)