the visual novel database

Report an issue on this page.

Review of Operation NOVEL: Act 1

SubjectOperation NOVEL: Act 1
Operation NOVEL: Act 1 (Demo GxX2)
ByHelpfulness: 4
Vote: 9.5
flat-is-justice on 2022-01-21 last updated on 2023-09-30
ReviewBeing not familiar with the source material, the TV show Codename: Kids Next Door, I was skeptical if I should give this visual novel a try, especially since it’s currently in active development and far from being finished. I’m very glad that I did since it was a very pleasant surprise!

Over 8 years after the release of the masterpiece Bernd und das Rätsel um Unteralterbach (UAB), there’s finally another lolige written by an author who can *actually* write! People have called One Summer in Loliwood the spiritual successor of UAB, but I believe that this visual novel captures the spirit of it much more succinctly, at least with respect to the humor and overall impression.

The characters have so much personality and the scenes are legitimately funny and full of clever ideas. I particularly love communication officer Annabelle (Numbuh 404) and team lead Kimberly (Numbuh 202). Annabelle’s pompous manner of speaking and her unabashed hypocrisy are simply jaw-dropping, in a very good way, and Kimberly is just such a likeable character. Compared to the great heroines, the protagonist sometimes feels a bit flat. But I guess someone has to play the role of the “straight man” in a madhouse like this.

The artwork, especially the character models, looks lovely too. I particularly like the cute facial expressions of the female characters when they’re blushing.

The visual novel doesn’t feature any sex scenes yet, only some suggestive CGs and one very short nude scene.

KND: Operation N.O.V.E.L. is published in episodes (currently 4) that are only loosely connected to each other. That may be a small downer for people expecting a long continuous storyline. But it didn’t bother me much since the episodes are long enough to tell decent little stories of their own. If the developer team manages to keep up the quality of the first episodes and flesh out the characters a bit more, this visual novel could even become a 10 at some point.

Update on 30 September 2023: The latest episode was also great with fantastic ideas, lovely artwork and clever writing all around. Therefore, I increased my rating from 9 to 9.5. I only had wished for some more sexy scenes. I expected more in that regard.

This VN is so overlooked, it's almost a war crime! 6 measly votes for this masterpiece?! Are you fucking serious, VNDB.org?
4 points