i'm not allowed to vote for this game but i oughta leave a comment huh round it all out
but you already know huh we talk you know
SORRY for the development issues CONGRATULATIONS on the fantastic kotohimegame
Play touching grass quest
The Little Rabbit Princess and the House of Eternity's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Use of LGBT Themes | #1 | 4.633 | 4.808 |
| Story / Writing | #1 | 4.781 | 4.962 |
| Audio | #2 | 4.522 | 4.692 |
| Overall | #2 | 4.707 | 4.885 |
| Concept | #5 | 4.522 | 4.692 |
| Visuals | #10 | 4.262 | 4.423 |
| Challenge | #19 | 2.928 | 3.038 |
| Gameplay | #20 | 3.373 | 3.500 |
Ranked from 26 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Team Members
Luyuu, Aeon, Tami, Yunevii, Aqwa
Streaming Permission
Yes
Comments
This is probably the first time I've reread a visual novel so... dedicatedly. I re-read the Latter Part, and then the Epilogue, and then the Epilogue again, thinking about (ROT13) Xbgbuvzr'f qrcnegher, jung vg zrnaf va gur tenaq fpurzr bs guvatf, naq ubj vg pbaarpgf gb rirel punenpgre jr'ir frra fb sne.
Other commentators have talked enough about the spoilery stuff already, so I'll just keep my review short and mostly non-spoilerific. I was very excited to play this game while it was in development, and now that it's out I can say that it was worth the wait. Every line of dialogue and (almost) every character arc was developed fantastically into a story that tackles many important and possibly heavy topics - lying for the sake of others' happiness, the fear of death, the search for oneself, loneliness, and more. I came into the Epilogue expecting a light conclusion that just ties up some loose ends after the incredibly deep and fascinating writing of the Latter Part... and Epilogue turned out to be my favourite part of the game, by far. I keep thinking about Kotohime's thoughts, and how her character is beautifully revealed and grows through her "matchmaking" sessions with everyone else. She didn't stand out much to me in the Latter Part, but I think I know the reason now. The end left me with more questions and answers, and yet it was satisfying all the same.
Now, my only complaint about the story is Reisen. Considering how everyone else got so much screentime and development, I was disappointed by how little development Reisen got. It felt like she was there just to be Kana's girlfriend instead of a fleshed-out person like everyone else, and her significance disappeared completely from the Latter Part onwards. In the Afterword/Credits I noticed that there was some unused writing and art - if it was for Reisen's part, I would love to see it finished after the jam ends.
This is a beautiful work of art, congratulations to you and your team for getting it out in time before the voting period ends.
Submitted
Touhou: Bustling Rainbow MarketeerLuyuu,
If this is a debut, I cannot wait to see what you have cooked up for the future.
I was worried coming in that a lot of comments were perhaps overhyping what you've done here; it was part of the reason I avoided playing up to this point. But now that I've had a chance to experience it, I fully understand why everyone reacted as they did. The emotionality is genuine and grounded, even in a fantastical setting. The feelings of love and loss burn deep throughout, seeping into even the narration and atmosphere (which Tami did an excellent job of bringing out with her hauntingly sentimental music.)
The concept could have found its way into being lukewarm and falling into stereotype under the wrong guidance, but under your hand, you found a way to take the preconceived notion of "enemies into lovers" and make it so beautifully bittersweet. In many ways, your story and treatment reminds me of the narrative device F. Scott Fitzgerald uses in "The Great Gatsby"; if Nick Carraway and Kotohime ever met, they would find kinship in one another's sense of duty and personal development.
Without getting spoilery, at the climax of action, I found myself in the character's shows, deciding "what do I need to do this for?" and if that was the intended impact, bravo. It worked to perfection.
I initially had qualms about the varying quality of the art and how distracting the placements could be, but understanding there were some issues with staffing and the like, I can't be too judgemental. A month isn't a lot of time for polish, alas, especially for something so lore heavy as this. And anyway, I was so absorbed in such a riveting story, such little mistakes ultimately fell by the wayside.Please continue to make such wonderful art as this.
Submitted
Kokoro's Doki-Doki SabbaticalI may have sobbed a little while reading this. Cried, definitely
Submitted
Patchy's Magical MazeMmm. Wow. Under different circumstances, I'd be crying right now. There was pain, and there was joy, and there was pain again. In short, the story and writing was incredible, and it was well worth the wait. I'm happy that you managed to release the game.
The positive things that I commented on in The Endless and Kotohime still ring true here, in particular the music, the great use of PC-98 characters, and the relationships between all the characters in the story. Great job.
Submitted
Kutaka RunYou won son! OK brick joke done, now for actual comment.
Even if it's more of a book than a game, I think it's nothing short of absolutely fantastic.
The story in there took me for a ride I'll most likely never entirely forget.
To say it all in a single paragraph: the storytelling and the dialogues kept me fully invested from start to finish, every moment was interesting (both the serious and the more laid back things), the characters are quite fleshed out (going as far as filling some blanks for Kana and Kotohime, while keeping in character for everyone!) and so I couldn't help but care about the main cast.
One thing I'd like to bring up: in my opinion Reisen didn't feel like she stood out enough, especially when she ended up being Kana's partner. For you see, Kana, Kaguya, and Mokou got a lot of screen time where we see their character develop, but Reisen I felt was just there. She did have some moments where she was brought in most of these times, but I'd have loved to at least see more of her side, or a bit more into how her story with Kana turned out. All I know is that years passed after they first met, and now they're sweetey-lovey. Maybe having it all in the Rabbit Princess's perspective didn't quite allow for that, so that's understandable.
tldr: Reisen despite of feeling like she's in the main cast, doesn't have enough shown character exposition and development. I could give a 6 out of 5 in Writing otherwise.
Anyway, I go through the conversations, witness everything that happens in Eientei, and then I reach the epilogue. And it's fair for me to say the twist there is a shocker. It hit me like the truck that honked three seconds too late and sent me to the [Repairs Department] for months (for legal reasons, this last sentence was a joke).
The following is encrypted in ROT13 because it discusses the Epilogue (PatchMixolydic below had a great idea so I borrowed it):
Naq jura vg jnf nyy bire, V unq znal dhrfgvbaf yvxr "Jung'f gur qrny jvgu gur cneragf + freinagf guvat", "Jung vf guvf ceboyrz fur unf gb gnpxyr ol urefrys?", "Jung jnf nyy ure npgvbaf hagvy abj sbe, gura?", "Jung ernyyl unccrarq gb ure?", naq znlor fbzr bguref V'ir lrg gb unir cbc hc va zl urnq.
Arrqyrff gb fnl, fur yrsg oruvaq n ibvq bs zlfgrel, naq V pna'g fbyir vg. Abj V qba'g xabj vs gung'f orpnhfr V fbzrubj zvffrq fbzr favccrgf/ersreraprf nobhg gur Enoovg Cevaprff, be vs vg'f cheryl vagragvbany naq vg'f gurer gb or crefbanyyl vagrecergrq... V guvax V ng yrnfg jnag gb xabj juvpu vg vf, fb V pna unir n pyrne pbafpvrapr (vs lbh cyrnfr?).
V jrag gb yhapu, naq V xrcg ercynlvat gur fprarf va zl urnq, fgvyy guvaxvat nobhg gur Enoovg Cevaprff'f qrcnegher. V guvax nobhg ubj zbfg bs gur tnzr jnf sebz ure crefcrpgvir. Gura V erzrzore guvf vageb nobhg jung yvivat vf, naq gura nobhg Xnan, Xnthln naq Zbxbh'f onpxfgbevrf. Gurer jnf n ovt gurzr bs "ybaryvarff" va gurz - Xnan pnzr vagb rkvfgrapr gunaxf gb n ybaryl tvey naq pbagvahrq rkvfgvat va ybaryvarff, Zbxbh jnf n fbpvny erpyhfr sbe n zvyyravn, naq Xnthln unq gb bhgevtug vfbyngr urefrys sbe nf ybat. Naq gura V jrag "Ab... Qba'g gryy zr..."
Sbyybjvat guvf genva bs gubhtug, gung'q zrna gur Cevaprff gbb jnf va ybaryvarff. Ybaryvarff jbhyq or ure pntr, znxvat ure jvfu sbe ure cneragf naq bs n furygrerq yvsr fur arire unq (juvpu jbhyq or jul fur fnlf fur'f n cevaprff), Fur jrag bhg bs ure jnl gb trg bguref bhg bs gurve bja ybaryvarff, naq gung cebzcgrq ure gb iragher bhg nybar ba n dhrfg gb trg evq bs ure ybaryvarff.
... So was I supposed to theorize or did I overthink it? lol
But thank you for the read, it's been food for thought at a personal level. I can't believe this was your first time writing a story that long and (quite honestly) emotionally captivating. Your first Touhou fan story at that? I would have said I'm speechless but I wrote all this text so... ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯
Thanks for reading, and for the positive & negative feedback. It's much appreciated.
Yeah, I wish we did more with Reisen. There were three things holding me back from having her be a main main character. First, I knew from the start that we probably weren't gonna get decent art for her in time, and I didn't want to give her tons of emotional stuff when she looks like a cardboard cutout. Second, it seems she gets a lot of characterization and development in 14.5 thru 15.5, and I haven't played any of those games, so I'm not very confident in writing her. And third, as you guessed, Kotohime's perspective-- she's not present in the moments where Kana and Reisen's relationship develops, so all she sees is that years passed and now they're all sweetey-lovey. Still, I agree that it's a crime Reisen gets sidelined so hard here.
For the epilogue...
ROT13:
Lbh'er abg ernyyl "zvffvat pyhrf" be nalguvat yvxr gung. Gur rcvybthr vf fhccbfrq gb yrnir lbh jvgu zber dhrfgvbaf guna lbh fgnegrq jvgu, naq jung npghnyyl unccraf vf hc gb lbhe bja crefbany vagrecergngvba.
Bar guvat V jvyy fnl: Lbh'er evtug nobhg gur ybaryvarff gurzr. Xbgbuvzr vf fbegn qrirybcrq ivpnevbhfyl guebhtu gur bgure punenpgref. Xnan'f frnepu sbe n ybivat ubzr, Ervfra'f vfbyngvba sebz gur bgure zbba enoovgf (juvpu fnqyl qbrf abg trg rkcyberq urer), Xnthln'f frys-vasyvpgrq frpyhfvba, naq Zbxbh'f eryhpgnapr gb yrg tb bs n tehqtr gung ab ybatre unf gb thvqr ure npgvbaf. Nyy bs gurfr gebhoyrf ner ersyrpgrq va Xbgbuvzr va gur Rcvybthr.
Gubhtu, gb zr, Xbgbuvzr orvat n cevaprff jvgu birecebgrpgvir cneragf vfa'g rknpgyl n jvfu fur unf. Zber yvxr n jnl gb uvqr ure ybaryvarff va cynva fvtug. Sebz gur jnl fur gnyxf nobhg ure cneragf, nyy gurl frrz gb qb vf xrrc ure sebz vagrenpgvat jvgu gur bhgfvqr jbeyq. Yvxr Xnan fnlf, gurl'er gur "zbafgre va ure pybfrg. Fbzrguvat gb cebwrpg nyy gur srne naq fnqarff bagb."
I don't have much to say that hasn't already been said. The writing in this touching grass quest was simply outstanding. To wit, the latter part was the weakest part of the game for me (I'm allergic to TeruMoko), and it still made me smile, laugh, and even tear up.
The epilogue nearly floored me. Almost every line hit hom— erm, hard. Spoilers, ROT13: Nsgre frrvat Xbgbuvzr'f ivfvba rathysrq va synzr, erzvavfpvat gung fur'q ab ybatre unir ure pbyyrpgvba, V jnf n ovg pbashfrq jura ure sevraqf jrer rkcybevat ure hafpngurq ubhfr. Vg gbbx zr n zvahgr orsber V ernyvmrq... Wrfhf Puevfg, qvq Xbgbuvzr whfg frg urefrys ba sver!? V qrsvavgryl jnfa'g rkcrpgvat gb frr n znva punenpgre qvr va n wnz tnzr (bhgfvqr bs zl bja artyvtrapr), rfcrpvnyyl abg ivn fhvpvqr. V pbhyq or pbzcyrgryl jebat, ohg...
The only possible flaw that I noticed was that Kotohime seems to go out of the way to avoid sharing her name (the game's title uses a direct translation of her name, as do many of the characters, her dialogue boxes are labelled "me", and she leaves to go not use the bathroom when Mokou asks her for it), but she was fine with plastering it all over her newfangled "video game" thing. Is the implication that "Kotohime" is just a title, and that she has no real name?
Thank you for reading, and sorry for exposing you to such a large dose of TeruMoko. I really tried to make Latter Part feel believable even if you don't ship 'em. It almost felt like my duty, since I find their relationship really interesting, both in and out of a romantic context. And besides CILR Chapter 4, almost everything I've seen them in has either characterized their dynamic as black-and-white hatred, or radically changed their personalities to make the TeruMoko pairing work.
For the fire scene, all I can say is... it's not as literal as you're probably thinking.
You're right, "Kotohime" is just a title. Only Kana knows her real name.
Wow, the writing quality here is crazy. Heartfelt relatable characters that feel accurate to source material, subtly consistent details, and representation that feels real enough I have to wonder if any of this is based on real events. The excellent art, music, and other bits of presentation just make the comedic and emotional beats land that much better.
Definitely looking forward to seeing more projects from you. Truly a touching grass quest to remember
Submitted
Touhou ~ Legacy of Scarletunironically 5/5 in all categories.
At first I was just thinking about how much I liked the genuineness of the aromantic/asexual representation, as someone who has been through similar situations to Kotohime's from part 1 and the early part of part 2. But, by the end, I had to take several breaks in my stream because I just couldn't stop crying. This hurt really bad. In a good way.
It's, shocking, that you say this was your first time writing something over fifteen minutes. Though, I do very much understand the situation of writing a lot without ever really showing anyone a completed work. But this, you say you tried to make it emotionally resonant, well, the 40ish people who were in my stream at the end of it all certainly seemed like none of them could stop crying either. It, ah, it was a lot, and I really think that you succeeded in all fronts. Even the little danmaku minigame had some really fun patterns to try to dodge, even tho dodging them wasn't really necessary.
I can definitely see why you needed extra time. But to me, this was far and away the strongest entry in any of the Touhou game jams I've played through, and I feel you succeeded on all fronts. I hope that you feel encouraged to write more for public consumption.
Thanks for playing, and, uh... sorry about the emotional devastation. I didn't know it'd hit so hard. This was initially supposed to be a much more lighthearted romp with many more characters, but the lack of art assets and some real-life stuff forced me to really narrow my focus down to the parts that I was personally most invested in. And those parts happen to be... a little painful.
Anyways, in your VOD you tried to find my Twitter and couldn't. I don't have a Twitter or anything like that, but I am on Discord, if that means anything.
Luyuu#2800
This isn't my first time writing a story longer than 15 minutes, but it's my first time finishing one. I have several "Chapter 1"s of stories that never got continued, usually because I either went way too ambitious with my plans or doubted myself and gave up early on. With this game jam, I only had time to buckle down and write the thing. Though even still, until now I haven't written anything that was longer than Former Part alone-- even I can barely believe that I wrote all this in two weeks.
Speaking of that, the long wait for release was only there because we were trying to fix an unavoidable crashing bug in the danmaku minigame, and trying to get Kaguya's sprite drawn when all our artists were super busy and/or exhausted. You have my word that over 95% of the writing & coding was done before the deadline. Though I took the extra time to rewrite some lines and extend the Mokou section of the epilogue a little, no new scenes were added.
Thanks on the danmaku patterns, by the way. My main goal with them was expressing the emotions of the story, rather than giving players a challenge. It's nice to know you found them fun to dodge on top of that.
And finally... damn. Watching the VOD gives me a funny feeling I dunno how to articulate. "Thank you" doesn't feel like enough anymore. The closest phrase I can think of is "I'm gonna cry."
Take your time, guys :D Unless it's The Endless and Kotohime? I'm not sure cuz there are 2 submissions, so yeah xD
*waiting comfortably for your game unless you already release it xD*
Submitted
Love in Chireiden
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