Kara no Shoujo - solving murder mysteries in 1950's Japan

[Haba]

To much of my surprise, I noticed that Innocent Grey's Kara no Shoujo is getting an international release. Incline!

What Innocent Grey? Well, they are known for two things mostly - rather gruesome storylines and refreshingly somewhat non-linear games (for visual novel).

Kara no Shōjo's story revolves around Reiji Tokisaka (時坂玲人, Tokisaka Reiji?), a private investigator who is investigating a series of grotesque murders on the request of his former colleague, Kyozo Uozumi (魚住夾三, Uozumi Kyōzo?) of the Tokyo metropolitan police force. The murders are reminiscent of another string of serial murders that occurred six years ago prior to the game where Reiji lost his fiancée which drives him with a strong desire to solve this case. Reiji is also asked by Toko Kuchiki (朽木冬子, Kuchiki Tōko?) to find her real self, Reiji is initially unsure of what she means but later finds out that Toko is actually an adopted child. While working on the murder cases, Reiji also takes some time out to get to know Toko and to also try and find out where she has been when she was young and who her real parents are.

The game plays as an actual adventure game - you have to to inspect scenes and talk to various characters to get clues and then draw conclusions from them. You actually get to decide which locations to visit, so it is even possible to miss certain information (and end up in a different outcome).

Consequences for sloppy detective work and poor choices are rather... well, explicit. Expect organ gouging and dismemberment. Classic detective thriller formula works rather well in the game, and tension starts building up as the murders start piling up. Especially as you get to see first hand the torments that the victims go through...

Further pros:
- Mature characters, no little girls (aka lolis)
- Gorgeous, hand drawn art
- Japan of 1950's provides an interesting setting
- Characters are not deformed in the usual manga style

Some cons:
- No voices in the english version
- No real branching in the main storyline, you get additional information on different "paths"
- Certain events can be a bit hard to stomach for some

The game is getting released on 29.6.2011 by Mangagamer. Download the demo and see for yourself, despite having played the original release through, I'm still pre-ordering this one.

http://mangagamer.wordpress.com/2011/06 ... available/

More information about the game:
http://vndb.org/v810

 

[Haba]

It is out now.
http://mangagamer.wordpress.com/2011/06 ... no-shoujo/

So far so good, translation seems to be rather good.

 

[Kawaii Theurgist]

- Certain events can be a bit hard to stomach for some

From my experience with the original japanese version that's quite the understatement...

Other than that, I really like the story and the art style. In particular the art used on the darker scenes, It has a style very reminiscent of japanese horror while being much more unique and less anime than others, like Karutagura.

Maybe I should get this, though the less japanese shit I force myself to read through the harder it is to read moonrunes when I actually need it. Choices, choices. T_T

Edit:

 

[torpid]

Re: Kara no Shoujo - solving murder mysteries in 1950's Japa

Fucking tits -- how do they work?

 

[Andyman Messiah]

Fucking clothes -- how do they work?

 

[Eyeball]

Looks vaguely interesting, apart from the devs being unable to restrain themselves from putting tits like cannonballs on random females - all I want to know is: How much sex/child rape is in this game? I refuse to play games with graphic depictions of any of this, especially if they're Japanese.

 

[Haba]

Looks vaguely interesting, apart from the devs being unable to restrain themselves from putting tits like cannonballs on random females - all I want to know is: How much sex/child rape is in this game? I refuse to play games with graphic depictions of any of this, especially if they're Japanese.

Well, there is sex in it, though it doesn't really play such a major role. And it can always be skipped if you're not into it.

Highschool girls as well, but... they are more of this sort:

http://i.imgur.com/TGNKr.jpg (ITL: tits)

On the other hand, if you're not able/willing to stomach the sex, the violence will probably be several times worse. Try the demo, it should give accurate impression.

 

[torpid]

Wait, so this is basically a hentai game? Why can't they make normal games for once?

 

[Gragt]

I remember watching the anime for it. Rather interesting story though it ended abruptly. I hope the game is better on that level.

 

[Haba]

Wait, so this is basically a hentai game? Why can't they make normal games for once?

Not a hentai game really, at least if you look at what used to be localized under the "hentai" brand in late 90's/early 2000's.

It is more of an adventure game with sex. It has mature themes and mature characters so the sex in it doesn't bother me that much.

They do make "normal" games as well, but those so called "all ages" games are aimed for consoles and console audience. I'll rather take games for grown ups rather than childish shit aimed for kids. Even if they have to put in a few tentacle fuck scenes to fill up their sales quota.

 

[Atheist]

(It's a hentai game)

 

[Gragt]

Not that it's a bad thing.

 

[Konjad]

oh ffs, you got me until I saw pic with breasts larger than head and all this sex shit.

not interested.























































fucking japs

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

- No voices in the english version

I think that should be a plus.

 

[FaChoi]

Any bugs haba?

A very important tidbit about this: MangaGamer basically screwed up and the first version of the game they put up for sale had no DRM whatsoever. They have fixed it now, the current version has it.

The important thing is there's a major bug on the version without DRM. When you meet someone ingame, the MC writes a little profile on his notebook, which you can check anytime and is updated as you find new information about that person. However, when you meet the killer for the first time the notebook entry that gets added is actually the final one, which obviously tells you outright "this is the killer". Way to go, Mangagamer!

AFAIK, this only happens when you meet the killer for the first time, so further notebook entries will be the right ones. So if you're planning on reading this, don't read notebook entries for characters as soon as you meet them. If you wait until you get some more info on that character, the entry should update and it should be safe to check it. Still, I have no idea when it's safe to check as I don't know whodunit.

No word if this bug is fixed on the DRM'd version yet though. I'll let you know if I hear anything.

Quote from http://www.vn-meido.com/k1/index.php?topic=1008.0
That page also has some patches/bugfixes if you have any problem. Patches most likely will fuck up previous savegames though.

 

[Kawaii Theurgist]

I just wanted to add that I got this thingie and my version is not only in english but also has the japanese voiceovers, though I don't really know if all english versions are like this or it was something the guy who did upload the torrent did himself.

Also, if someone here cares about it we not only did get Kara no Shoujo localized but also Nitro+'s Demonbane.

 

[villain of the story]

How intriguing. Not removing from the inventory.

 

[Vagiel]

Demonbane? A quick google search mentions mecha, Cthulu, apocalypse. Aside from the porn factor is it worth my attention?

 

[Kawaii Theurgist]

Demonbane? A quick google search mentions mecha, Cthulu, apocalypse. Aside from the porn factor is it worth my attention?

It depends.

The plot is about a failed sorcerer turned private detective who, while looking for a powerful grimoire for a client, meets Al Azif, the infamous Necronomicon, who has taken the form of a little girl as all powerful grimoires do (don't ask) and makes a pact to become her master in order to save both himself and her from the evil Doctor West, a member of The Black Lodge who is pursuing Al for Master Therion, the head of the order. Oh, and the Black Lodge also terrorizes the futuristic Arkham City by means of giant robots built by Doctor West, who also fights using a missile launching electric guitar. Soon afterwards they kind of steal the Demonbane, a giant mech build partly on scientific principles and partly on occult ones, to fight against the Black Lodge, etc. It's... a very unique take on the cthulhu mythos, yeah.

The good point is that the story is really upbeat and ridiculous and it knows it. It never takes itself too seriously, and it is really funny and LOL. It's also ladden with over the top battles both on foot, between wizards, and on the mechs. The voice acting is insanely good, the art is very good and crisp, and the music is awesome. There are three routes for your main character: Al Azif, which is awesome, and two others who really suffer because Al is so awesome and the writters actually managed to create a lot of chemistry between her, the main character, and demonbane. As the plot advances the story goes completely out there: The fight against the black lodge and the hunt for Al's fragments turns into a battle against the elder gods to save the world, etc.

My favorite thingie, however, is the main character, who is equal parts funny, cute, badass, Gar, and >9k. It's one of the few male main characters for visual novels I actually like and find hot, so I'm biased. His voice acting is delightful, again jumping constantly from cute old boy to completely badass warrior sorcerer to down on his luck private detective. Al is also so: Sometimes cute, sometimes badass, and sometimes a bitch, so contrary to most other action oriented Visual Novels their relationship is pretty mutable, sometimes Kurou acting like the hero and Al like the damsel in distress and sometimes the other way around.

The game is also loaded with mythos references, some obvious and some really obscure. Though, to be honest, you will discover some plot twists hours before they happen if you know your mythos, like the actual identity of the occult shop girl and all that.

In any case, don't go expecting high drama or psychological thriller. It's an action story with plenty of comedy, badassery, kickassery, and cuteness. There's drama, yes, and there's pathos every now and then, in particular towards the latter half of the game. Al's endings are epic, and the normal and bad are actually not only epic but tragic and even more awesome. The rich girl's endings I did not watch myself, but they are said to be awful, just like her entire plotline. The nun's endings I was told were also epic and tragic, though not on Al's level.

Oh, yes, and the sex. Well, it isn't anything special. It was more of a jesus, just get it over so we can continue reading awesome and ridiculous fights and comedy scenes, you two! situation.

Ah, and there's a patch that add voices for the entire game. The PC version, the one translated, only has voices on the first and last chapters, which is sad given how good the voices are. The PS2 version adds voices to all other chapters, and there's a fan patch that fuses the voice files from the PS2 version with those of the english PC version so you can have voices all along.

So, final veredict? Ehm, it's much better than Fate/Stay Night and their ilk. It's epic? Yes. It's badass? Yes. It's funny? Hell yeah. It's sexy? Eh, not really. It's cute? A lot. It's not, however, on the same level than, say, Saya no Uta or Chaos;Head. At all.



OP Video for the PS2 version, as I can't find the other one on Jewtube.

Lemuria Impact!, from the game.

The anime's opening. It's awful compared to the game, but the character design and that should give you an idea of the mood and style.



There's also a sequel which went the way of an action game about giant robots kicking butt, though I have not played it myself yet.

Kishin Hishou Demonbane

 

[Vagiel]

Well, after such a warm recommendation I cannot ignore it. You have yet to let me down miss so I am going to give it a try in the foreseeable future.

It also helps that I have a soft spot for occult and robots as well.

 

[Gragt]

You do not need any recommendation to play hentai games. Funnily enough both Kara no Shoujo and Demonbane are on my list of hentai games to play/suffer through.

 

[Wolfus]

Well, I started to play it and after clicking-off two in-game days without any choices/investigation/map work I turned it off. How long it takes to get to "normal" playing (as we can see in first post)?

 

[Kawaii Theurgist]

The first investigation scene and "thinking" scene are back to back during the third day, I believe. Those two, however, are mostly just tutorials for you to get the ropes of the system, and you cannot make bad choices during those. Afterwards, meanwhile, the game will stop holding your hand and you will be able to both make bad choices on the "thinking" scenes and leave things unsearched on the investigation ones, and thus you can get into dead ends or bad ends because the investigation went in a wrong direction. So make a separate save for every investigation scene and thinking scene you come across.

The first map work I believe is just after the first investigation scene, though you will have just a bunch of places to go at first (the bar, the park, and I believe Shinjuku or something). Again, you will only be able to visit two places a day, so keep a diferent save for every single map time so you can go back if you miss important information or scenes like that.

 

[Wolfus]

Thank you, I am going to give it another try.

 

[Haba]

I just wanted to add that I got this thingie and my version is not only in english but also has the japanese voiceovers, though I don't really know if all english versions are like this or it was something the guy who did upload the torrent did himself.

Also, if someone here cares about it we not only did get Kara no Shoujo localized but also Nitro+'s Demonbane.

Uhn... No, due to licensing issues (greedy Japanese jews) there are no voices in the RETAIL copy. But you can always download the patch from the interwebz.

Also, if you liked what you saw, plx do buy a copy. At the moment the shitty sex romps are still leading the sales charts which does not bode well for further releases (Cartagra, Kara no Shoujo 2).

 

[Suchy]

So I'm scrolling from top... the investigation scene, the map... damn, looks like something I wanna play.
And then those fucking anime characters pop in.
























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