Give this visual novel a chance [Meikei no Lupercalia]
Seriously, give this VN a chance. The recent release of the fan TL for this game kind of went under the radar, so a lot of people still don't even know about the existence of this game, and others who maybe did bother to check it out may have disregarded it because the game plot didn't catch their attention.
However, I'm making this post because, after finishing it, l've got to say that it probably became my favorite VN from the ones I've played so far, so it's my responsibility to recommend it to other people, especially because it's WAY more than you may think it is if you’re just going from the synopsis.
The plot is amazing; something that a lot of people may find a turnoff because they're simply not interested is the thought that this may be just a SOL visual novel about some high schoolers interested in theater trying to make it big while enjoying what they do, sprinkled with some romance, but you couldn't be more wrong; going into details about what this story is about is a big spoiler, so all I can say is that even though it does go deep into an actor's mind since that's more or less the setting, there's also so much more to it that can make even people disinterested in the theater setting interested in this particular story. This is a heavy story that doesn't pull any punches in its delivery, and it's not afraid of touching on complicated themes.
The characters are one of this VN's strongest points, MC included. All the characters are very complex, with their own set of insecurities and obstacles to overcome; each of them have very defined personalities; they're not designed to always be likeable; they have struggles; and they don't fit at all in the usual stereotypes of characters you'd usually find in other visual novels.
The OST is simply amazing; this medium needs a really good soundtrack in order to enhance the delivery of most scenes, and you can tell the people in charge of this visual novel understood that. The composer really shined with this work; the tracks capture perfectly the theme and feel of the visual novel, and the major scenes really benefited from this.
Another big point that I'm obligated to mention is the fantastic voice acting. This VN has some of the best voice acting I've ever heard in a piece of media, not just visual novels. This visual novel specifically called for great voice acting in its most important set pieces, and the voice actors understood this because they really went all out to deliver.
To conclude, I must clarify that despite everything l've said, I'm not trying to sell this as the perfect VN; it definitely has its issues like any other work; some parts of the story drag a bit too much, while other parts of the story and other characters could be explored a bit further. Also, if the characters don't interest you in the slightest, you're probably not going to find this VN enjoyable because it's a really character-centric story.
However, despite everything, I think the good far outweighs the bad, and it's a work that everyone should give a chance because, in my opinion, at least it's a fantastic piece of fiction.
Seriously, give this VN a chance. The recent release of the fan TL for this game kind of went under the radar, so a lot of people still don't even know about the existence of this game, and others who maybe did bother to check it out may have disregarded it because the game plot didn't catch their attention.
However, I'm making this post because, after finishing it, l've got to say that it probably became my favorite VN from the ones I've played so far, so it's my responsibility to recommend it to other people, especially because it's WAY more than you may think it is if you’re just going from the synopsis.
The plot is amazing; something that a lot of people may find a turnoff because they're simply not interested is the thought that this may be just a SOL visual novel about some high schoolers interested in theater trying to make it big while enjoying what they do, sprinkled with some romance, but you couldn't be more wrong; going into details about what this story is about is a big spoiler, so all I can say is that even though it does go deep into an actor's mind since that's more or less the setting, there's also so much more to it that can make even people disinterested in the theater setting interested in this particular story. This is a heavy story that doesn't pull any punches in its delivery, and it's not afraid of touching on complicated themes.
The characters are one of this VN's strongest points, MC included. All the characters are very complex, with their own set of insecurities and obstacles to overcome; each of them have very defined personalities; they're not designed to always be likeable; they have struggles; and they don't fit at all in the usual stereotypes of characters you'd usually find in other visual novels.
The OST is simply amazing; this medium needs a really good soundtrack in order to enhance the delivery of most scenes, and you can tell the people in charge of this visual novel understood that. The composer really shined with this work; the tracks capture perfectly the theme and feel of the visual novel, and the major scenes really benefited from this.
Another big point that I'm obligated to mention is the fantastic voice acting. This VN has some of the best voice acting I've ever heard in a piece of media, not just visual novels. This visual novel specifically called for great voice acting in its most important set pieces, and the voice actors understood this because they really went all out to deliver.
To conclude, I must clarify that despite everything l've said, I'm not trying to sell this as the perfect VN; it definitely has its issues like any other work; some parts of the story drag a bit too much, while other parts of the story and other characters could be explored a bit further. Also, if the characters don't interest you in the slightest, you're probably not going to find this VN enjoyable because it's a really character-centric story.
However, despite everything, I think the good far outweighs the bad, and it's a work that everyone should give a chance because, in my opinion, at least it's a fantastic piece of fiction.