Karenai Sekai to Owaru Hana is not a complicated VN, but it's one of those where you need to think about the themes presented, and pay more attention, to what's going on, than normal. Adding to that, this qualifies as a Nakige (not a heavy one, though), so you are expected to put your emotional sensitivity to good use, and resonate with characters/situations. All in all, it's weird to find a VN like this here, but maybe this one of those days where you find yourself, in the mood to contemplate your existence, or what's important in life (instead of the usual).
Positive:
- Many themes to think about - Consequences of self-sacrifice; Banalization of death; Inability to grieve, move on; Family and duty; Uncertainty in existence, no purpose; Broken bonds; Living vs surviving; Wanting to go back to a better time, and more things like that. The vast majority is tied to negative emotions.
- Visually appealing - Nice art style for 2016, with many extras/detail. Heroines are very cute, and the unusual color palettes in some backgrounds are aesthetically pleasing.
- Great voice acting and solid OST - Ren's V.A should be a (Japanese) National Treasure, when thinking of Imouto, Loli, and Kouhai characters. Top tier voice acting. The OST is pretty good if you consider its quantity VS title duration, and how varied it is.
- Better than usual writing and a bit of comedy - As you might expect, the segments where strong feelings are portrayed, become the most impressive parts of the VN, but the humor is also a plus. Most of it falls under "straight man" (funny man), and it's lighthearted enough to lull you into a sense of security, before unleashing the drama.
Negative:
- I can't really disclose it without spoilers, but think about it like this: When was the last time that the world adapted to the individual, instead of the other way around? Well that's what happens in this VN, and there are powerful forces at work trying to make only the (very) few happy, for some reason. In other words, any sense of likability, gravitas, or tragedy will eventually fly out the window.
Score: Karenai Sekai to Owaru Hana is an 8/10, and a very good VN, that it's difficult to recommend. There's a lot of good here, but it's accompanied by some strange decisions, and a dichotomy between serious and casual read. In any case, the moral of the story is a common "this is not for everyone". Work from that premise.
(H-scenes are good, but way too long. They also feel like extras, most of them are concentrated on the epilogues. Not much of a reason to read this)
Positive:
- Many themes to think about - Consequences of self-sacrifice; Banalization of death; Inability to grieve, move on; Family and duty; Uncertainty in existence, no purpose; Broken bonds; Living vs surviving; Wanting to go back to a better time, and more things like that. The vast majority is tied to negative emotions.
- Visually appealing - Nice art style for 2016, with many extras/detail. Heroines are very cute, and the unusual color palettes in some backgrounds are aesthetically pleasing.
- Great voice acting and solid OST - Ren's V.A should be a (Japanese) National Treasure, when thinking of Imouto, Loli, and Kouhai characters. Top tier voice acting. The OST is pretty good if you consider its quantity VS title duration, and how varied it is.
- Better than usual writing and a bit of comedy - As you might expect, the segments where strong feelings are portrayed, become the most impressive parts of the VN, but the humor is also a plus. Most of it falls under "straight man" (funny man), and it's lighthearted enough to lull you into a sense of security, before unleashing the drama.
Negative:
- I can't really disclose it without spoilers, but think about it like this: When was the last time that the world adapted to the individual, instead of the other way around? Well that's what happens in this VN, and there are powerful forces at work trying to make only the (very) few happy, for some reason. In other words, any sense of likability, gravitas, or tragedy will eventually fly out the window.
Score: Karenai Sekai to Owaru Hana is an 8/10, and a very good VN, that it's difficult to recommend. There's a lot of good here, but it's accompanied by some strange decisions, and a dichotomy between serious and casual read. In any case, the moral of the story is a common "this is not for everyone". Work from that premise.
(H-scenes are good, but way too long. They also feel like extras, most of them are concentrated on the epilogues. Not much of a reason to read this)