As most people probably expected, the staff behind Kanata no Ningyo Hime (彼方の人魚姫) is the same crew carried over from Yukiiro Sign and even further back, Aonatsu Line—same artist, same writer. So naturally this one inherits that same “youthful air.” Though “youthful air” isn’t quite the right phrase. Starting with Yukiiro Sign, this little lineage shifted from “youth” to “melodrama.” When I heard Kanata no Ningyo Hime was coming out, I had a bad feeling—I figured that melodrama would carry right on over. But this time the setting had moved from “school” to “fantasy,” so maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Turns out I was wrong.

That one Aonatsu Line everyone hyped to hell and back got a spiritual successor a little over a year later: Yukiiro Sign (ユキイロサイン). Why “spiritual successor”? Same writer, same artist, different company — some outfit called wonder fool. I’m all for them ditching the shitshow that is GIGA, but wonder fool isn’t exactly a saint either. Look at the garbage they’ve put out. Feels like they’re just publishing leftovers nobody else wanted. Anyway, I was still hyped, because Aonatsu Line was goated, so this had to be goated too. A bunch of otaku were dying to feel their youth again through this game (even though they never had one). Then it came out and I played it, and I have to say, unfortunately: this game does not deliver what most people wanted.