I’m obsessed with reading all kinds of stories. As I said before, I like to soak up the thoughts and feelings inside a story, not just extract some bare conclusion. And stories aren’t limited to novels—they come in all shapes and sizes. So yeah, AVG games count too. Lately I’ve been bouncing back and forth between novels and visual novels. I’ve read way too many stories—some happy, some sad, some boring as hell. Maybe it’s because I’m a sucker for “philosophical mystery” plots, but I’ve got a real soft spot for Japanese storytelling. Compared to the brainless harem wish-fulfillment you get from Chinese stuff, or the intense, spicy flavor of Western media, the Japanese style—a little chuuni, a little slow—hits different. I’m getting off track. I’ve played a fair share of visual novels, and honestly, very few have plots that really hold up to scrutiny or give you a complete sense of immersion. Most of them can’t escape the usual banter and girls throwing themselves at you. Just having some payoff at the end or in the True End is already a rare feat—like Hatsuyuki Sakura. I used to wonder: is there a company out there brave enough to ditch the mindless harem romance, take a cold, clear-eyed look at things, avoid all that sappy lovey-dovey bullshit, and tell a genuinely thought-provoking story? That would be amazing. But eventually I figured that was just naive. Gal is still short for Girl and Love—without harem and sexy elements, who’d even make one? Of course, that was before I played Eustia of the Tarnished Wings (穢翼のユースティア)… The reason I say that is because this game actually pulls off that idea—“ditching the sappy romance and seriously telling a story”—and it does it well. Everything is handled with care. Playing through it, I was floored by the scenario. The way it builds layer by layer, all the way to the end, leaves you with this endless aftertaste. Major spoiler warning for the rest of this post