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Review of Hatsuyuki Sakura

SubjectHatsuyuki Sakura
ByHelpfulness: 1
Vote: 8
blaircatch22 on 2021-05-01
ReviewThis review will have light spoilers.

Hatsuyuki Sakura is ultimately a novel that is very akin to a greek tragedy. Many of the faults and problems that the protagonist has is really no fault of his own and many times, out of his control. From the prologue to the exodus, there is always something hidden in between for the reader to figure out and it gets told in such a endearing fashion that it is hard to dislike this game. The fairy tale elements in the story also adds to the themes in this game. Revenge, love, friendship.....The story is also very easy understand with no plot twists or anything of that sort. I actually commend the writer for making being able to make such a great story without the use of much theatrics or crazy drama. A lot of the plot elements in this game, because they are simple, the reader is able to make and understand inferences. This game does a very good job on the show not tell aspect and that's why I adore it so much. However one of its weak points that I would have to say is probably not really a fault of the writer, but the medium that it was in. Hatsuyuki Sakura reads much like a book because of its chapter based elements and routes other than Aya and Sakura don't really add much to the story. Also the sex scenes are really really shit. It can go from "I am your girlfriend now" to "I must have sex with you" the very minute. It's very obvious that the writer did not intend to add those scenes out of necessity, but because of the medium that it is in.

Of course I can't talk only about the story, but I can't ignore the MC. The MC, Kawano Hatsuyuki is memorable in a negative and positive way. I don't doubt that some readers might really hate Kawano for being an absolute prick, but as I keep on reading, I couldn't help but feel that Kawano is a very endearing character. There are reasons for him being an asshole and they are pretty plausible. His past is well, very shit and he himself admits that he is a loner wherever he goes. What makes Kawano very fun to look at is his progression as a character, especially in Aya's route. He used to be just a crazy asshole, but he became a more tame asshole as he realizes that he isn't the only one alone. His also no bullshit type of attitude on many things can add some great humor, but I couldn't help, but feel that his sexual harassment towards the girls and their acceptance or nonchalance of his harassment kind of broke the realism of the story despite the fact that all his friends have some sort screw loose in their head. Despite all those misgivings, Kawano's story is heartfelt and his role in the story as an outlet of revenge is very endearing. I don't doubt that many readers will be able to connect to him in the ways a normal person would as youth itself was confusing for Kawano and the loneliness that he felt for the most of his life due to his circumstances is very tragic.

The heroines especially Aya and Sakura is very well done and they their routes explain most of the mysteries in the novel itself. Pretty masterfully done if I can say it as their routes show Kawano from being a complete asshole to a lesser asshole. The other routes are so-so. They are pretty complete and not exactly wedged in for extra sex scenes, but it feels like the writer added them in for a longer screen time with the exception of maybe Shirokuma. A lot of routes are 'what ifs' of when Kawano wasn't able to fulfill his duty as the outlet or had no knowledge of being a complete human.

Although I really like this novel there are a few qualms I have in terms of its plot structure. I would have to say that its pacing and progression is probably the biggest problem. I can see what the writer tried to do in its final theme of 'graduation', which is the catharsis of the novel, but for it to have a bigger impact, some things have to better explored. For example, it only shows very basic flashbacks for why the MC became this way. This novel properly explains many things, but the question of 'how?" regarding the MC's past after the 'incident' isn't explained other than some convenient short flash backs that don't really explain much. I feel that if this part was given more proper attention, it would've had a greater impact. I can also see that the pacing is quite off in some moments especially when it goes towards the ending as a large part of the novel is SoL and these SoL moments don't really add to the story or characters like it was intended to be. After these SoL moments it suddenly races towards the climax and it feels rushed in a way. Also I would have to say that the structure is quite strange as like I said this novel is kind of unorthodox as it goes in chapters like a book. However, the prologue/common route shows one possibility of an ending. I thought that this was in fact the ending of the novel, but it just shows the possibility of what could've happened which adds some confusion and adding these other routes as a part of the canon chapters also make it seem strange when this novel has no time loops whatsoever. I can see that the author tried something different, but his inability for a comprehensive plot arrangement and the somewhat awkward shoehorning of Sakura is what ultimately makes it hard for me to rate this as a kamige.

The music is also very good. I never felt that the music was out of place or repetitive. The songs "Presto" "Crushing the Merry-go-around" and "Ghost x Graduation" is very good.

A simple and great novel/10


Now I want to say that I have never read other Nijima's works prior to this one and it seems that a lot of people are uncomfortable with the fact that Hatsuyuki Sakura has no 'good' ending. I want to ask those people that demerit this novel based on that fact this one question: Did you even fucking read the novel? The whole story itself is about Kawano being an existence that is between a human being and a ghost due to him being the outlet for the rage and hatred from the hotel bombing from the two cities' power struggle. From the start, his existence itself is a shady one and without his struggle for wanting to live like in Graduation route, he is destined to disappear. Every route clearly explains this and it is destined for him to go that way unless he hooks up with Tamaki. The fact that he didn't destroy the city in the other routes itself is the best ending possible.
1 point
#1 by kondou
2021-09-04 at 18:41
< report >great writeup and I agree with your points. the pacing is a very big problem to me as the SoL moments and the serious plot moments just doesn't transition very well, and it makes the former loses quite a lot of impact.