VN - Others - Completed - Kara no Shojo [v1.04] [Innocent Grey]

V1.04

not played this one for some time, but have fond memories.
still in my top 5 VN's of all time as a double hitter behind F/S night's UBW.

i do remember it was a tricky read and i hit many dead ends before i finally found a half decent guide to routes for both, but the story was great to me. i don't think i have read another horror VN that comes even close.

it may be that my memories are rose-tinted as i had a small fascination at the time of other things japanese and especially their cinematic style of 'sinister', something hollywood normally fails at and turn to typical jump scare scenes to surprise the audience, not exactly horror.
this also translates into VN's as i do remember finding this one a little sinister and much more horrific than bible black, which is probably the closest competition for a horror VN that i have read.

but then tastes vary and we all are different. after all, i was the only person i know these days who did not see the twist ending at the end of sixth sense coming, even though all 3 times i see it at the cinema the whole audience gasped at the same point causing an ear-popping vacuum. so you might like this one or it may frustrate you. only one way to truly know.

i personally read the original 2011 release, the first western release, which was uncensored. not sure why this has been re-translated as i certainly don't remember it being ingrish. money for old rope possibly?

worth playing both. just play at night in a dark room bwahahaha

One of the best VNs I've ever played, and I've played a lot. An absolute classic of the horror / drama / mystery genres. I've looked and looked and never been able to find its equal.

First played it years ago, then went back to it after playing its sequel. Still holds up great. You owe it to yourself to play this game. It may stick with you for decades like it has with me.

I own a giant almost human sized wall scroll of one of the cover of this game (Touko sitting on a giant broken eggshell filled with blood while blood is falling on the ground), should tell you how much i love this one, i wasn't expecting to as i'm not that into horror or mystery/investigation but i did end up loving it, really loving it.

Everything is high quality, the character design, the art in general, the music, the story, the horror and the emotion this make you go trough, the sex scene are great too.

Touko the main girl is one of my favorite visual novel girl, she's really captivating, interesting, mysterious and likeable.

This game made me feel some pretty extreme thing multiple times i had that feeling of your heart sinking, definetely depressed me and made me feel like shit for a while after finishing it but i don't regret it, an experience like no others and one i won't forget.

I do very much realize that this isn't for everyone and most won't see this game as perfect as i do, objectively i can tell it's not flawless but it doesn't matter to me.

Anyway absolutely recommended, not for everyone but give it a chance !

This is one of those properties that knocks you off your feet immediately with just how graphic it is, and then proceeds to attempt to replicate this system shock repeatedly through the rest of the story, failing more and more each time as you become more and more desensitized to it. The story is well done, but the content lends the experience more towards exhausting than satisfying.

In the end, I'd say it's still worth a read. Just don't go expecting a happy ending, not that you should after that first scene.