Reviews

• gamedeal user

  Nov 16, 2021

  This is one of those games where I feel a bit guilty doing another route in fear of "abandoning" the prior LIs. There's not enough Tamamori to go around haha. For the routes: Minakami: Minakami's route definitely felt like one of the truer routes and was also the longest. It's so bittersweet and I find myself wanting Tamamori to end up with him again and again, even while playing the other routes, especially after his backstory. Kawase: Personally, I liked Kawase's route the best since it focuses more on the murder-mystery side of this VN. It was also surprisingly romantic [spoiler](and twisted), especially when it implied that Minakami was the one that prevented Tamamori from going to the bridge and thus preventing Kawase from killing him.[/spoiler] Hanazawa: I think Hanazawa's route definitely isn't for everyone, but there were some moments where you can see his true feelings. Professor: I didn't like Professor in the beginning due to his bizarre personality. But then when I began to play his route, I realized that he really genuinely liked Tamamori. [spoiler]The scene where Professor said he could easily find another Tamamori, but still chose "our" Tamamori really broke my heart because it directly mirrored the part where Professor asked if Tamamori was leaving him all alone in that timeline (even after Professor gave up everything for him).[/spoiler] There is also a secret route, but I think it's best to see for yourself. Overall, this was a truly beautiful game, paired with breathtaking art and music. Highly recommend.
• gamedeal user

  Dec 30, 2021

  10/10 Would definitely erase my memories so I can experience it all over again
• gamedeal user

  Jan 13, 2022

  [h1]"No one liked being alone. If they did, they just hadn't met the people they were meant to meet yet"[/h1] ( Gosh, I can relate to that sentence, even thought it's probably meant for Tamamori ;-; ) This was my very first visual novel and I was not disappointed, it was a pretty special experience. Now that the game came to an end, I don't know what to do with my life...Help me guyyys... T-T The overall atmosphere is very mysterious and picturesque, this feeling got increased by the jazzy ost of the game. Besides, I thought the twists were brought in a really good way, at least I was taken by surprise each time x) Do I really need to talk about the illustrations ? Really gorgeous, a pleasure for the eyes, I found myself engrossed by Tamamori's hallucinations. By the way, I enjoyed myself and tried to decipher each little meaning behind the color of these illustrations ( cause you know sometimes colors carry various symbolic meanings ) and it helped to get a better grasp of their different personalities, it is just my own interpretation do not take seriously. ( For instance, Tamamori is often highlighted with yellow, which may be the color of cowardice, selfishness, jalousy, greed and it fit him. Then the colors blue pink and also sometimes purple. Blue and Pink can be associated with imagination while the purple is linked to mystery and extravagance and individualism ). The characters are the forte of the game, they are well-written, I really love how they stay true to their personality throughout the whole account, you know they could have changed for their love interest ( being all goofy and meek or at least soften towards Tamamori but instead they keep being themselves with their flaws and values, [spoiler]yes I'm talking about you Kawase..[/spoiler] ). Tamamori ended up being my favorite character, the most interesting to my opinion. The voice actors are so skilled especially Kawase's va ( Marx or Marcus I guess ), I would to see more of him but it seems this is the only role he got for now. [h1]Different Routes[/h1] [u]Minakami[/u]: Please tell me this is the canon ending, it was madly beautiful. the ending scene was so poetic when they talk as if they were underwater [spoiler]which refers to their very first encounter as fishes[/spoiler]. And despite Minakami being a great liar, [spoiler]always killing himself and freaking difficult to save ;-;[/spoiler], it's incredible how devoted he is to Tamamori [spoiler]and how his love for him has no boundary. Even in the bonus scene of Hashihime of the Old Book Town Append, there's a dialogue which shows how Minakami is in adoration with Tamamori[/spoiler]. He's done so much for the MC and he's such a good guy, composed, cherishing and commenting gingerly each book he read, I would like a Minakami to read my stories too T-T. To conclude, it was my second favorite route. [u]Kawase[/u] My favorite route, even though I used to dislike Kawase at the beginning but he became more and more interesting. [spoiler]I mean his obsession with Tamamori is something xD, wanting to soil him, kill him, he's such a sadist. He went through a lot in his childhood and also with his adoptive father and Hanazawa,[/spoiler] his mind became really twisted, this is why he probably have one of the most complex personality in the game ( with Tamamori ). His route also contains my favorite scene of the whole visual novel [spoiler] when Kawase dive into Tamamori's hallucinations, he seemed to have so much fun ! Him who was usually talking trash about his writing seemed to be captivated by it for once, he got to see how Tamamori's imagination was rich and colorful, creative. As a writer, this scene filled me with joy, it's just like when a friend of yours read your story and grasp your inner universe and have fun while discovering the world created by these fantasies in your head, in a way that is very intimate but I guess this is how an artist feels when someone understands his works[/spoiler]. As well as Minakami's route I would like it to be canon ( I mean I would like to see that " daisy-chain" Kawase mentionned, I'm surprised that he accepted to share though [spoiler] he's possessive, isn't he ? So why ??? The threesome would be gladly welcome 'cause Minakami x Tamamori = soulmates and Kawase x Tamamori = Sadist x masochist [/spoiler]. [u]Hanazawa[/u] What the f*ck was that :) Hanazawa was my least favorite character, but there was a lot of potential for his route/character, it was a waste in my opinion. [spoiler]Do I need to mention the rape :) And I hated how he treated Tamamori as an object, was ready to cast him away when he didn't need him anymore. It was a disgusting behavior.[/spoiler] I mean even if I could go back in time to get an other Tamamori, I wouldn't behave in such a gross way, no matter which Tamamori I encounter. This is not what I call " love "[spoiler], if I remember well, he also said he had admiration because of the story Tamamori wrote in the past, but again, you don't do that to someone you are admiring[/spoiler]. So I was disappointed, it was rather nonsensical to me. He had a great potential as a kuudere character [spoiler] and not a rapist nonsensical moron[/spoiler]. [u]Professor's route[/u] The saddest one, you can't tell me otherwise :'(. He's an endearing creepy stalker, but he deserves true happiness, he's very precious and I hate how lonely he must feel. He's very honest, candid, and he's ready to do anything for his loved ones, even his inventions are cute.. So why does he have to suffer that much ?! [spoiler]Even the future Hakase is adorable. But man, this scene in which he was left behind by Tamamori, all alone, blind, desespered, I swear I almost could feel his emotions, it was so cruel. This image will haunt me :) But Tamamori couldn't have done anything else for this Hakase, unfortunately. Now I can't stop thinking of what happens to the timelines Tamamori left, just imagine the hell he's living :) To conclude with a positive note, why am I not surprised he kinda created/invented sextoys x'D.[/spoiler] I have to admit he had the funniest scene :') [u]Secret route[/u] So, I truly don't know what to think of this one. I'm not fond of the [spoiler]It was all a dream/hallucination[/spoiler] endings. In the other hand, this end would make sense ( a bit ? ) but please tell me it is not canon. For the romance, I'm.. disturbed, it feels wrong ? [spoiler] I mean Kaoru is an adult but I'm not sure he's completely aware of his doings, like, it looks like his mind is the one of a child, it didn't grew up because of the trauma probably.[/spoiler] So it sounds wrong to let him have sex with Tamamori even if I don't doubt his love for him. I can't tell how they see each other so I cannot get if this is wrong or not, I'm deeply bewildered. Btw, [spoiler]Kaoru[/spoiler] is adorable ^^. I love how each love interest share a complicity with Tamamori. [spoiler] Tamamori and Minakami are soulmates ; Kawase and Tamamori share a twisted personality and Kawase can see his hallucinations ; Tamamori and Hanazawa = well idk.. maybe their love of military themed literature. Tamamori and Professor = the power of Hashihime, they go back in time together ; Tamamori and Kaoru = their strange link ?[/spoiler]. Even the side characters are good, touching and well-written. [h1]OST[/h1] As I said earlier, they really fit the atmosphere, the era [i]ecetera..[/i] but most of them remain really simple. Moreover, three of them marked me: - 「橋桁のてるてる坊主」( This one perfectly described the fantasies of Tamamori, I was vibing each time It was played in the background ). - 「後日譚」 ( We can hear this one in each s*x scene and it makes me feel things, it is really moving, sad and poetic at the same time.. Especially at the end of the first route, I will remember this OST for a long time. - 「ハルシネヰション」( This one makes me feel kind of nostalgic idk, I usually link this OST to Hakase and Minakami ).
• gamedeal user

  Mar 13, 2022

  Listen to me: I have purchased this game three times, that's how good it is. Once on the Switch, again as a gift for my friend because I could not shut up about it, and one more time on Steam. This was my first VN and because of it, I started playing others, but it will always have a very special place in my heart. Give it a try, you may never forget it!
• gamedeal user

  Mar 15, 2022

  I don’t cry very often. I've played plenty of VNs, read plenty of books, and I can't remember the last time I've cried after reading anything that wasn't Hashihime. It's not a perfect game, by any means, but it managed to tug at my heartstrings in a way that I haven't felt in a long while, so I felt like it was only right to write something for it. (As a disclaimer, I played this entire game over a single weekend, half of it sick in bed with a fever, so if I sound a little like I’m losing my mind, I probably am. This game destroyed me.) As a warning, if you do choose to buy it-- there's a content warning at the beginning of the game, and it's definitely something to keep in mind. Suicide, sexual assault, abuse, and explicit gore/body horror are present, and are definitely shocking when you aren't prepared for them. I have a chapter-by-chapter list below, if you need them. They’re not comprehensive, but I think I’ve got at least the large majority down. It'll be spoilered in case you'd like to experience everything completely blind, but if you need specific warnings per chapter, I really do recommend checking these out. ALL CHAPTERS -- [spoiler] Mentions of suicide will be present in every chapter, and it's woven into the story. It's very, very difficult to tune out without losing an integral part of the story. The main character also experiences frequent hallucinations in every chapter, and finds himself out of touch with reality. It can hit hard. [/spoiler] CH. 1 -- [spoiler] Suicide [on-screen], murder [on-screen], child abuse [mentioned], kidnapping [on-screen] [/spoiler] CH. 2 -- [spoiler] Sexual assault [mentioned], child abuse [mentioned], murder [on-screen], body horror [obfuscated in-game, but the full image is available in the CG gallery afterwards], drugging [on-screen] [/spoiler] CH. 3 --[spoiler] Sexual assault [on-screen], drugging [on-screen], murder [on-screen], not exactly body horror but a lot of blood [on-screen] [/spoiler] CH. 4 -- [spoiler] Sexual assault [mentioned], attempted suicide [on-screen], murder [on-screen] [/spoiler] CH. 5 -- [spoiler] Murder [on-screen], severe reality-checking/Unreality [on-screen], incest [on-screen] [/spoiler] This is also a R-18 game. The story is not at all centered around sex-- and really, not centered too much around romance, either. However, there are sex scenes at the end of every route. Now, onto my review! Before I get into the story, I’d like to praise the art and musical direction. This is a beautiful game, with hundreds of CGs and a stunning art style. Even the most mundane actions can be transformed into something beautiful through Hashihime’s art, and it does a wonderful job of combining a gritty reality with beautiful, dreamlike depictions of delusion. The soundtrack does a wonderful job to complement the story, and I have little-to-no complaints whatsoever about the game’s art and music. It’s wonderful, and ADELTA’s art in general is stunning. If Hashihime isn’t your thing, but you’d like to experience an ADELTA game for yourself, I encourage you to keep an eye out for the English release of another ADELTA game on March 24, 2022 - UUUltraC! Hashihime is marketed as a romance game, but over all else, I think it's a game about friendship. Sometimes it feels as if just choosing one route to stick to seems unfair to the other characters we've bonded with over the course of the game, and I take that as a testament to Hashihime's well-written character dynamics. One of the best parts about this game is how naturally the characters seem to interact with one another-- and not /just/ with the protagonist, either. When you start the game and begin to play through it for the first time, it really feels as if you've already known some of these characters for a long, long time. The protagonist is endearing, and shies away from the 'Y/N' or 'silent protagonist' trope, feeling like just as much of a character as the main 'love interests' are. Tamamori is a flawed, yet entertaining MC who makes it just a little easier to get through some of the weaker points in this game's story. He's not a perfect person, and there are times in the game where I was compelled to get frustrated or to question him-- it's a reminder that this isn't necessarily our story, but Tamamori's. The plot can seem a little convoluted, and there are places in which I feel like I could've used a second or two more of explanation, but for a plot that can seem so, so strange at times-- Hashihime does a surprisingly good job at 'show, not tell' in regards to the long-winded plot, but I've noticed that there are some routes where it seems to go 'off the deep end' in regards to what's happening. The final three routes are much shorter than the first two, and because of a lack of exposition that the first two had, it's much easier to get lost in the sauce. Genuinely, this is one of Hashihime's weakest spots. My advice is just to 'go with the flow', because just when you think things can't get any weirder, it gets weirder. As a note; Hashihime is a sad game. It's not a game that you should play when you're looking for something feel-good, or something to lift your spirits. It's a game with happy moments, but for a large majority of the time, it's a game which relies on feelings of attachment, fear, and desperation. When I cried reading Hashihime, they were happy tears-- because there's a lot to get through in order for some of these routes to reach a happy ending. Although it's very, very sad, these 'happy endings' you can achieve only shine brighter because of it. I had individual chapter reviews up, but they went way past the character limit, so I'll summarize those here, without spoilers- there are definitely highs and lows when it comes to individual routes. Route 2 is my personal favorite, and it definitely hit hard for me, but it's definitely a matter of opinion. The first two routes are definitely the longest, and the rest are much shorter, but there are important messages and threads of plot to learn in (almost) every one. That being said, if you play for the first route, please consider playing for route 2, as well. It's a masterpiece. this game is so good. im (br)ok(en)
• gamedeal user

  May 1, 2022

  Def recommend it to anyone, it's so unique and meaningful. I hadn't had a BL VN really move me and make me think so much since sweet pool. It's a beautiful tale on storytelling, relationships and loneliness that doesn't have easy recipes for happiness. I appreciated how the characters are realistically flawed and even though they go through change, they stay true to themselves. What I got from it was that despite the hardships you face you can just... keep on living. "Right" or "wrong" doesn't matter: even the pettiest person can find their own meaning - or spend their life searching for it. It was a very powerful message for me, a young adult struggling in a world that has different rules than the one I live by in my inner reality.
• gamedeal user

  Sep 22, 2022

  the first route: shocking, upsetting, riveting, well-written, revolutionary, touching, heartbreaking, a narrative tour de force every other route: "aren't gay guys WEIRD? anyway here's all of those usual BL rape and incest tropes we didn't include in the first route, sorry it took us so long to get it to you" tldr: buy it on sale, don't play past the first route
• gamedeal user

  Dec 20, 2022

  kawase :)
• !

  Dec 23, 2022

  Nobody reads the reviews anyways, so i'll just say i'm gay
• Chuuya sếch Atsushi cực múp

  Dec 25, 2022

  first 3 hours and i'm in love, if you familiar with Gen Urobochi's classic dead then return to checkpoint then this game kinda like that -World building fine (but damn that map on the loading just way too damn fast) -characters are damn fine too lol -story is good delivering but at some moment just cringed me out -Some moments do really need CGs !!! It's kinda tiredsome when i tried to imagine some moments in the game, Overall : Excellent but not really masterpiece . I do recommend yall this game tho but if you don't feel like it then it is alright, people have flavors of taste <3 8.6/10 from me