My Favorite Galge of 2019
A lot happened to me in 2019. The most important thing was that I gave my Surface Pro 4 to my wife, which left me with basically no device to keep playing galge on. And the second half of the year was genuinely busy—I abandoned a lot of games, and for some I finished but can’t find the screenshots anymore. But with some recent effort, I’ve slowly written up all my 2019 game impressions, and with yesterday’s final post done, I can finally start this belated game of the year write-up.
So without further ado, here are the works I think are worth recommending.
Of course, let’s start with a music list:
8 - Neko Kamisama to, Nanatsuboshi -Imouto no Ane-
This is actually a horror game, but it has its own flavor.
The game has some genuinely unexpected suspense, a cute-looking heroine, a voice performance that delivers, and most importantly it’s short and sharp—there’s a bit of a “B-movie horror” vibe to it. It’s for players with guts, fans of Natsuki Nogami, people who don’t mind wild developments, and anyone who wants a thought-provoking ending.
Thinking about it, the game itself is around a 70-point level, good enough to recommend—which also says something: most 2019 games couldn’t even hit 70…
7 - 9-nine- Haruiro Harukoi Harunokaze
This series has reached its third volume, with the final volume slated for April 2020.
This is probably my first time recommending this series, because the third volume is really high quality—it not only clears up a lot of mysteries but also has some seriously hype fight scenes, reveals the protagonist’s ability, and introduces the final boss. It also lays out part of the worldbuilding and sets the stage for the finale, giving it that bridge-between-arcs feel.
Recommending this is a bit odd though, since it’s volume three—jumping straight in would be confusing. But maybe for people who played a volume or two and dropped it, this recommendation can give them a bit more confidence in the series.
Hoping the final volume lands a perfect ending.
KoiAme, Karichaimashita is already Asa Project’s ninth game, eight years after KoiAme 0 Kilometer (恋愛0キロメートル), the one most domestic players know best. Maybe many people still equate Asa Project with “parody” and “gag faces,” but times have changed—players’ tastes keep shifting. Sure, parody and gag faces grab attention and generate discussion, but they easily overshadow the heroines’ own “cuteness” and the player’s feeling of “romance,” and over time it gets stale. Besides, if every romanceable heroine becomes a joke machine, playing a galgame feels like watching an extended stand-up routine—clearly not what a galgame should be.
So Asa Project has been seeking a transformation, gradually downplaying the role of parody and gag faces in the content and pursuing lighthearted, pure love in the story. From Purumai Wars, Suki to Suki to de Sankaku Ren’ai, to Karigurashi Ren’ai, and now this year’s KoiAme, Karichaimashita, you can see clear progress. A few years ago I’d have found it hard to believe Asa Project could deliver memorable romance writing, but they’ve actually done it. I have enough reason to look forward to whether their next game can surprise us even more.
KoiAme, Karichaimashita is one of Asa Project’s better overall works in recent years. While enjoying the fun story, you also get a sense of the heroines’ rich, entertaining personalities—it strikes a nice balance between “lighthearted story” and “individual heroine characterization,” delivering a solid “romantic comedy.” If you get the chance, I recommend jumping in; and after playing, don’t forget to tell everyone whether you’re on Team Emi or Team Hasumi.
Overall, Onaji Class no Idol-san. is painfully clichéd—the setup and common route have zero highlights, and there’s a lot of “borrowing,” including the idol costume designs, which are straight-up copied from The Idolmaster. The game’s “entertainer training course” barely says anything useful; most of the time it’s just about living together.
But the “sister-in-law route” saves it, elevating the whole game considerably.
I’m recommending this game because of Mao Ishihara’s voice work as Utano Kotori. If you decide to play, make sure not to miss her route—you won’t be disappointed.
4 - Aonatsu Line
Recommended by the infamous political shitposter and Weibo-account-banned Kamisaka Yatsuki (a.k.a. “Haka-sensei”), and honestly the game is solid overall.
Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s some masterpiece—I’d just say its story, music, art style, and presentation all hit “just right.” Remove any one of those and the game wouldn’t succeed.
You can get the gist of the story from the synopsis—a summer youth drama. If you’ve seen Taiwanese idol dramas, the pacing won’t be hard to follow; in fact, this game is basically a “nukige version of an idol drama,” except the heroines aren’t Rainie Yang and An Yixuan but Natsuwa Koto and Takamori.
The length is well-controlled and the pacing is good. Playing it at least won’t cost you anything, and it won’t make you uncomfortable—it’s an entry-level game suitable for recommending to all galgame players.
3 - Fata Morgana no Yakata - PS4 Edition
Normally I only recommend games “released this year,” but conveniently, the PS4 version of this game came out in 2019, and its PSV and PS4 versions have identical content, so I finally found a loophole to recommend it.
I don’t need to say how god-tier this game is—just push through the first three chapters and everything is worth it. Sure, the game has no voice acting, the art style in the first three chapters is bizarre, and the music is eerie, all of which might drive players away, but if you stick with it you’ll understand what makes this game powerful.
Everyone needs one game they can brag about for years—this should be one of your choices.
Of course, if you don’t have time to play, you can just click the title and read the spoilers.
2 - Pieces / Wataridori no Somnium
The game Haka-sensei hates most and one of my favorites.
Besides the usual Spiral’s art style, the game’s strengths include Natsuwa Koto’s voice work for the main heroine, and it also has Spiral’s strongest story to date.
The story is a slow burn—at first you’ll think it’s moege, but as the later story unfolds you realize how many foreshadowing seeds were planted.
The most moving part is the last five minutes, when the protagonist meets the heroine again, paired with the ED starting and the pause in the middle—I couldn’t help but cry. I’m this old and have seen countless emotional scenes in games, but in recent years the only one that truly moved me was this game’s final scene.
For an eroge to achieve that, it’s already won.
Of course, the game is getting a cash-grab FD in 2020—I have to sigh at how shameless current game companies are. They’ll probably squeeze out every last bit of value.
1 - Tamayura Mirai
If I had to pick a “game of the year” for 2019, it would have to be Tamayura Mirai.
Don’t bring up “Sakura, Moyu”—that’s a lullaby, not a game.
Tamayura Mirai shows you what an “all-rounder” looks like. First, the art is good; second, the story is decent; and it has depth in its setting, quoting classics, even getting me to read the original Tono Monogatari. The game also incorporates many Chinese legends. The ED is nice, the final wild development is moving, and it uses “demons” to blend East and West while delivering some big life lessons.
Scenario writer Tou-sensei must be very satisfied with this work—it genuinely deserves recommendation and praise.
Like the “national confidence, system confidence” we hear about every day, this game embodies it perfectly, promoting Japanese culture and outputting some knowledge. Sure, you could say Chinese culture is deeper, that Liaozhai Zhiyi is far above Tono Monogatari—but they actually made a game. Did you? Liaozhai probably couldn’t even pass TV censorship these days.
In short, Tamayura Mirai is a game with no weak points. Some parts of the story are even worth digging into—I still don’t fully understand some of it—and that’s where the game’s depth lies, and why I recommend it as number one.
Next, my recommended game music of the year, which is the music list from the start:
- Akane Fujita - Sweetest Bitterness (Kissa Stella to Shinigami no Chou Natsume Shiiki character song)
- Yūyu - Yūenshō (Sen no Hatou, Tsukisome no Kouki: Hanaakari ED)
- Eri Hiiragi - Koi to Mahou no Sekai de (Tamayura Mirai ED)
- Chata - Somnium (Pieces / Wataridori no Somnium True End ED)
- eufonius - Hanaakari no Toki (Sakura, Moyu ED)
- Akane Fujita - Ashita no Koto. (Aonatsu Line ED)
- Mr.FanTastiC - Liar, Liar (DEAD DAYS OP)
Finally, the 2019 game list:
Dayglacia no Rashinban /archives/9928/
Edible Girl /archives/9944/
Sorceress * Alive! the World’s End Fallen Star
/archives/9959/
Kizukirabiku Koi Iroha -Tsubaki Koika- /archives/9978/
Sugar * Style /archives/10042/
Kin’iro Loveriche -Golden Time- /archives/10052/
Neko Kamisama to, Nanatsuboshi -Imouto no Ane- /archives/10072/
Pieces / Wataridori no Somnium /archives/10301/
Ninja Girl and the Mysterious Army of Urban Legend Monsters! Hunt of the Headless Horseman
/archives/10602/
Tamayura Mirai /archives/10546/
Waka-sama no Zasuru Sekai /archives/10512/
9-nine- Haruiro Harukoi Harunokaze /archives/10397/
Shirokoi Sakura * Gram /archives/10354/
Shogun-sama wa Otoshigoro Fandisc -Gosanke da yo! Zen’in Shugo /archives/10352/
Yume to Iro de Dekiteiru /archives/10444/
Eroimo Typhoon! ~Mizu mo Taruru Ero Ero Imouto-tachi to Yukemuri Onsen Burari Yokujou Ryokou! /archives/10511/
Sugar*Style Koibito Ijou, Fuufu Miman /archives/10657/
Usotsuki Hime to Moumoku Ouji https://plumz.me/archives/10665/
DEAD DAYS /archives/10690/
KoiAme, Karichaimashita /archives/10719/
Yuki no Yoru, Ore wa Imouto o Hadaka ni Suru /archives/10750/
Purumai Wars V /archives/10774/
Sex Open World e Youkoso! /archives/11095/
I Love You, Colonel Sanders! A Finger Lickin’ Good Dating Simulator /archives/11019/
Fata Morgana no Yakata /archives/10869/
Sen no Hatou, Tsukisome no Kouki: Hanaakari /archives/11085/
Wakaba Iro no Quartet /archives/11036/
Koi Arashi Spiritchu /archives/11297/
Animal ☆ Panic /archives/11287/
Kissa Stella to Shinigami no Chou /archives/11238/
Shiraha Kirameku Koi Shirabe /archives/11213/
Kimagure Temptation /archives/11201/
Onaji Class no Idol-san /archives/11149/
Docchi no i ga Suki Desu ka /archives/11224/
Iai no Uta /archives/11459/
Panical Confusion /archives/11447/
Cross Concerto /archives/11432/
Railroad no Ryakudatsusha /archives/11355/
Study § Steady /archives/11369/
Sakurairo, Mau Koro ni /archives/11307/
Aonatsu Line /archives/11466/
(End)
See you next year!
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