Sorry for the late upload everyone - the strike against Ayayo led to this being delayed for a few days. Also has to censor the crap out of it, but we're good to go now!!
@AmelieDoree Hey, can I get the name of the channel you mentioned for learning Japanese, Kiradolly was it? I couldn't find anything like that on youtube
Thank you for commenting this 😭 I watched an amazing video from Hazel a couple years back at the airport but have since closed that account and couldn’t find it again. I thought maybe I was misremembering and this channel was the one since it just popped up in my feed and was so similar to what I remembered but seeing your comment helped me find Hazel again after so long ❤
The conflict between knowing that there *can* be a lot more going on with "just porn" games and having to accept that I can't force people look past that aspect has been something that has been gnawing at me for a while, so I really appreciate your videos on this stuff. They're also just neat to watch in a straight-forward way since can't read Japanese and spend (most) of my time on more modern eroge so it's really fun to learn about older games like this. TL;DR: Cool video!
@@keiichimorisato98 Starting a story with getting to know the girls intelectually, emotionally and biblically does an amazing job of making you care about them in the long run when things get extremely high-octane with the feels. So much caring...so much worry...so much PAAAAIN! Muv-Luv is just so, SO good. I'm completely obsessed with it and will brutally assault anyone who slanders it.
@@tenaciousrodent6251 I only wish I was able to play the games as originally intended. By playing their other VNs first, getting lulled into a false sense of security, playing the first Muv-Luv title and assuming it was more of the same, then get the secret ending. It honestly sucks I can get that surprise that those Japanese kids got 20 years ago...
This is a very thoughtful video reflecting on how we perceive untranslated media. Even as someone who knows Japanese, I definitely understand the temptation of mystifying the obscure especially in the name of aesthetics. But at the same time, it is perhaps almost all too human to be interested in the niche and unique -- it's why I learned Japanese in the first place. Thanks again for letting me check out the video early!
I used to read synopses of media before watching/playing/reading them. The same kind of thing happens where you're filling in the gaps with your imagination, and often finding some disappointment at the actual product when you get to see it. I think the art from that game still has value, but as like writing or game design prompts or something. A mood board for a new game, maybe.
@@chara8407 That was the same with me, though it also applies to translated titles too. My family was too poor to afford many video games, so I would always read about the synopses of Silent Hill games and the such. My imagination is really what sold the games for me, regardless of their intrinsic qualities. To a certain extent, I am nostalgic about this. Ignorance is bliss after all. But also, I learned the language in order to pursue more dreams like that. Noelle’s videos, I’m sure, are doing the same thing, even if it may shatter a little bit of that romanticism. It just means those dreams are gonna be stronger.
@@kastelpls I guess now even experiencing something first, the memes and fanart and fan theories and everything can enhance it in almost the same way. Either way, imagination is making it better and deepening you love for it.
I cannot believe that Noelle is the only person and the internet that actually has any proper videos on PC-98 games that’s pretty awesome. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised since you’re only other person I know who owns a copy of Witch of the Holy Night.
somewhat unrelated to the video but i found your channel yesterday and i really appreciate the way you talk about sexually explicit material. i'm an artist and i draw mostly porn, and for years i've been trying to convince people that something being pornographic doesn't make it lesser art. of course, every time, people either think i'm joking or respond with something along the lines of "lol of course you'd say that" and the conversation stops. i really appreciate that you treat these games with the same analytical eye any piece of art deserves, and that you fully take the H scenes into account with your analysis. after all an eroge is an erotic game so why shouldn't its sexual elements also be analysed rather than brushed aside? if the erotic aspect didn't matter, it would just be a SFW VN. so yeah, as someone who does pornographic art for a living i just wanted to thank you for the way you talk about it! ^-^
I think people don't want to engage with how we really think about the erotic because that's a level of self-analysis that most people are thoroughly unwilling to engage in. I mean would I discuss it with children, no. But at the same time I think it is useful to talk with late teenagers and adults about what are the things that sexually excite them, and then ask them to consider why that may be.
I really wish this art style or its backgrounds would make a comeback in modern world designs. I don’t know about the characters, but those buildings and the architecture surrounding them is cool enough for an isometric action game.
My partner was like "Hey Liz did you see that video about the lesbian cyberpunk PC98 game" and I was SO EXCITED LIKE "NO OMG SHARE IT" I was very quickly shut down ): Man. I wish this was good lmao. Great video tho, thanks for sharing.
Your story about learning Japanese is inspiring btw. My dream is to learn Japanese so I can explore some of the obscure Saturn Japanese-only titles. Sadly Wani-Kani burned me out, but maybe I should look into other options :D
I found your channel by chance but I couldn't be happier. This type of content cuts deep with me because it takes me back to my teens when I was the girl super into obscure anime shit that no one knew. I'm incredibly happy, thank you. Cyberpunk GL sounds like a subject that needs more material.
in case anyone missed it, the sophistifuture ref at 17:54 is from ThorHighHeels, who you should also absolutely check out along with Thor's internet friend hazel
I think you have to be the only person I know of that is brave enough to cover VNs like this. It's unique and I'm glad that someone actually tackles these. I was always curious about the Muv-Luv series myself.
Found you b/c of Super Eyepatch Wolf, and it's refreshing to seem someone review old PC games, or specifically, PC-98 eroge games. Takes me back to my late 90s hentai game binge with games Foster and so on. Already subbed when I saw the Doukyuusei video, but I'm here to comment b/c I'm here to support your content.
I had to look into the er*tic sign language teaching game mentioned at 1:50. It is called Mel Mel Melty Marchen. It apparently features images of very inappropriate things happening to Alice in Wonderland and Little Red Riding Hood.
Just like the Ayayo series itself, examining these flawed works to see what worked and what didn't is important. We wouldn't have those more developed games without the basic and rough beginnings. Inspiration comes from everywhere, not just the best in the genre, and they're an important piece of the puzzle. Sure, everything doesn't have the same impact as the big hitters like YU-NO, but all it takes is a little nudge from a "bad game" to spark the light of a better game, or anime, or novel, or analysis. Plus, there's the survivorship bias in only preserving or talking about "the good stuff". *CW for slavery, racism, and CSA*. To draw an example, most of the "best" isekai anime don't have many of the common traits of the genre. There is a staggering prevalence of the main character buying or being gifted an enslaved women, not immediately freeing her, but to keep for some amount of time (if he ever does free her). That character is inevitably a love interest, often enslaved specifically due to her race, and has an alarmingly high risk of being a daughter or little sister figure. While there are similar themes in popular and acclaimed series in the genre - Kirito adopting an AI as a daughter in Sword Art Online, or the ""punishment games"" in No Game, No Life, for instance - you would get a very skewed understanding if you didn't dig through the trash. The works that don't examine this trope to justify its inclusion or that actively fetishise the most dehumanising aspects of this narrative aren't the ones rising to the top. It's not a fun job, but someone's got to do it 🙏 Also: haha yesss appreciated the Shizuku Easter egg
I've seen these gifs around and its nice to learn where it comes from, even if I do not have a clue about anything in the actual pc-98 space. just fun to hear you talk about them :)
Like most people I have a big knowledge gap about this kind of game - it's great to hear someone talk about them so eloquently. The discussion about games in translation and attitudes towards those with sexual content was insightful. It's interesting to think how attitudes towards that content differs between older forms of media (books, cinema) and Japanese games... Fantastic video!
To be fair, I have heard that, even in Japan, being known as a PC gamer was considered a bit sus until recently as people just presumed this meant you were into lewd games, so it's not just a Western interpretation. It's true that current day fans do have to struggle with that perception of older PC-88/98 games that have anything even a little sexy in them though, and I can see why that would be frustrating at times. As a side point, William Gibson, who wrote Neuromancer and all but invented the genre as we know it, has since stated that he didn't actually view his imagined cyberpunk world as a dystopia, for all its dark tones and corporate skullduggery. And he actually liked the idea that people could make a buck through various means in it, so not so anti-capitalist either. Though I suppose he does touch on counterculture themes with his insertion of drug stuff in a lot of his work, that's about the extent of it. Otherwise, it's hawt cyber girls, cool hackers and augmented assassins more than it is social-revolutionary ideas, though dark personal themes and tragedies with the cyber backdrop are sometimes explored. Some of the other sci-fi writers of the era even accused cyberpunk authors of being mere nihilists. Of course, other writers have since actually explored broader themes and transhumanism etc. in the field, but the origins of cyberpunk were just not so revolutionary. As such, people tending to take for granted that such themes are what cyberpunk was always about seems more of a modern presumption these days. So, in a way, this game was pretty much in the same shallow but adventurous spirit as the other earlier works of the genre, rather than a departure.
Having seen the video early (thanks to being a backer, *nudge nudge*) was mostly excited to hear the re-recorded patreon segment. Once again brought a smile to my face. Glad this has been a motivating experience despite all the hardship. As I've said before you really deserve the attention you've been getting.
Ahhh I didn't know about the video being taken down, glad to hear it's been overall good/people have been so supportive! I'm excited to see the new stuff you're cooking up!
As one of the folks frequently covering PC-98 games on social media (Pasokon Sunday threads on Twitter) & increasingly reading deeper into the stories (as much as I can trust DeepL), it's great to see the myths around titles like Possessioner getting scrutinized, as well as the general "lol it's all porn & weird" Western mentality towards this software library. I'm of a different opinion on what comprises the system's bread-and-butter, that being mainly business applications from '82 to the bitter end. WRT games, while ADVs/proto-VNs played a huge part in the scene, I find that too many people sleep on the sometimes less attractive but more substantial simulations, wargames, RPGs, & puzzle titles exclusively for PC-98 as well. True, I've only recently gotten more into PC-X8 ADVs thanks to better machine translation for skimming them, but that also helps me learn more about really underrated works like Innocent Tour, Mercury: The Prime Master, Star Cruiser, Marchen Veil, etc. I see people start & stop with what immediately attractive stuff they see on Tumblrs or PC-98 Bot, rather than jump into emulation/hardware & really try the games out. Exoticization is the name of the game WRT Anglosphere perceptions of not just the PC-98, but also the MSX platform & other 8-bit PC software found on NEC/Sharp/Fujitsu micros from the '80s. It's a huge problem for me because that kind of media fetishization has hurt deeper appreciation of better-known PCs/consoles, too, as seen with the X68000 ("it's all arcade ports & STGs!"), Saturn ("all the 3D games suck!"), Amiga ("hope you like nothing but Eurojank action games!"), etc. I'm so tired of reductive takes on media platforms in general, yet it feels hard for the PC-98's reception out west to shift away *because* there's more social cachet to recycling the same 'ol Weird Japan & Funny Vaporwave jokes. The jokes aren't funny when they're so predictable, after all. Great video as ever, and a very helpful perspective on these topics too. I still need to make a thorough "the PC-98 was more than weird or porn or jank" (nothing inherently wrong with any of that either) video essay, and you keep giving me great material to work off of!
Incredible coverage as always. Your words about how these games are perceived I think is incredibly poignant and it makes me very happy to see videos that treat these games, even when flawed, with unapologetic and deserved reverence. Excited to see your Rance review.
I absolutely love that this video starts with the exact thought I had in my mind. Yes, I -have- seen this gif before! And I appreciate a lot that now I know about the game behind it, warts and all. You also make excellent points about people usually dismissing eroge first hand without trying to see if there is any value in the work multiple people put into them. Creativity is not hindered by the inclusion of sexual relationships in the work.
Dang I would totally wanna play this if it had an english patch, I don't care if the eroge scenes are lacking I would probably still like it. I like that kind of yuri stuff.
Apart from just feeding Engagement™ here, I have to say that your section on why you play these games and kind of kicking yourself for putting off studying Japanese hit home. Exploring the vast breadth of games that never got a translation is really up there on my reasons why I finally put in the work. That said, I'd really love if you did a process/technology video or patreon post for those of us really trying to get into this era of retro games. I know you've mentioned PC98 emulation and text hookers before, and a starting point would be fantastic! And your work on these videos just keeps getting better, thank you so much for giving us a window into this niche of history.
Damn, I was hoping that Possessioneer would at least be decent. The purely technical aspect of working with the PC-98 is still around but there's just so much better content out there. I just wish there was better F/F ero or literature that was good.
Well that sure was a very interesting video and seeing you make videos of old pc 98 games i can't wait to see all your work, also wtf Thorhighheels reference is neat
Only recently started to get into VNs in the last couple of years. I never really understood the appeal before that despite the obvious overlap in narrative style with a lot of JRPGs, which I have been playing for many years now. That being said, I did always have a thing for the aesthetic style of older VNs and I did admire the way that they managed to convey so much with such minimalistic animation accompanying almost entirely static images. This is the first of your videos I have watched and if this is the usual standard of production, writing and narration then it definitely won't be the last.
Love the work! This is one topic I definitely knew next to nothing about before finding your channel, and I'm loving learning about these kinds of old school VNs. Keep up the great work :)
It's a unique kind of disappointing when one or more aspects of a work are ravenously beautiful (like Possessioner's art and music- I kept getting distracted from your words and having to rewind because the art was so lovely) but then the rest of the piece is a deal-breaker. Thank you for showing us all these beautiful games (good and bad) ! I don't know Japanese and I don't know if I'll ever have the time to learn it, so this is my only way of accessing or learning of these games. I know I'm commenting on a game that's not that good, but I've watched a lot of your other videos and I've almost cried to a few of them. Your writing and presentation really bring these games to life and is a wonderful window into art works that I, and many others, would never even know about if it weren't for you. I also really enjoy the personal connections and interpretations you bring to your videos, even when they are heavy. I hope you're doing well!
It's vids like these that remind me that I'm getting old. While I personally didn't come across anything I didn't already know about the game itself or gain any new insights, I'm glad you made this for the general otaku audience. Looking forward to watching you develop your skills.
I only know about visual novels because I sample their soundtracks to make shitty hiphop beats. in many ways; I am that dude that is purely after these games for aesthetics, and your videos broaden my knowledge and understanding of this very weird art. thank you
This video was fucking fantastic, especially the ending part. The stigma around eroge is always baffling to me, even if I myself am somewhat guilty of being one of those “I’m only playing something for the story and hate the sex scenes” people in the past. As I’ve grown older I’ve come to accept that sex is a normal part of life, and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying it or enjoying darker kinks (as long as it’s obviously kept between consenting adults irl obviously). Hell for me I honestly find stuff like Rance kinda therapeutic and helps me cope with my trauma regarding SA. Not to mention the genre has the benefit of not having many limits, allowing super unique stories to be created. I’m so glad that people like you exist who champion the eroge genre as being more than just porn, showing that there are titles that are absolutely fantastic and deserve to be checked out. Sorry for ranting I’m just tired of seeing things be written off as pure smut and thus worthless when there’s a lot to them beyond that.
I'm very glad that RUclips recommended me your channel because I've been interested in PC-98 games for a while now but, frankly, I do not have the resources to engage with the medium. It's so cool to see this kind of media being analyzed through the lens of a woman, the respect and thoughtfulness you give to these visual novels is remarkable. Your content is crucial to promote and preserve these games that would otherwise fade into obscurity. Amazing job!
Not totally relevant to the video, but that Dokyusei poster you have is really nice! I have some old PS1-era B5 game advertising posters from mandarake I've been meaning to frame and you're giving me the motivation to find something the right size here (Also consider this an LPT if you're looking for anything like that since a bunch of them are like 300¥ lol) EDIT: You like Thorhighheels??? Yes. Yes, you get followed absolutely. Super intrigued by your future Rance video, especially with your insightful words on untranslated PC-98 games
i don’t know why i clicked on this since i have never seen that gif, but i don’t regret it. it was very fascinating to me even though i have little to no interest in old japanese games.
I found you through hearing on Twitter about your video that got removed and while the video removal sucks, I’m so happy it at least led me here! As someone who can read Japanese and has an interest in old Japanese adventure games, I have no idea where to start with them and your channel is an incredibly interesting introduction :) Just kind of a shame about this one, as a bisexual woman I was quite interested in the premise but it sounds like it fumbles that and many other aspects…might still download it just for the aesthetic, haha.
I'mma be real, saying that Yuri VN H-scenes are literally just as flat, boring, and anti-erotic as they are in VNs with purely Het scenes is just... unsurprising. I've never once played a VN with H scenes that were worth their time. It almost always feels like everything would have been better if they just faded to black at the least. 90% of the time though, it all should just be fucking cut. VN porn is literally fucking fanfiction smut tier. Edit: having actually watched a lot more of the video now, the western pc-98 scene as you describe it definitely reminds me of the VHS era of anime here in the west. We also pretty much got a weird skewed view of what it was, we missed a lot of the heavy hitters, and we even had the extra barrier of distribution of what we did get being super incredibly spotty. I remember trading copies of VHS tapes in hotel rooms at Comic Con back in the day to get stuff I'd not watched yet. So while people have a skewed view of what PC-98 can offer, you can definitely take heart in the fact that it will change as availability and time goes on.
I'm sad to hear about the takedown troubles, but I'm glad things are generally working out well for you here. When I saw the five pages of backers it was super exciting to see, even as a very new subscriber, and I swear every time I look at your subscriber count it doubles. I love watching videos on this sort of obscure content, and I'm especially interested in the eroge angle, honestly. Looking forward to more content from you, and hopefully sometime in the future I'll be able to contribute to your Patreon as well :)
The Muv-Luv trilogy is masterclass in the vn eroge genre. It's not a PC-98 game, but I just wanted to throw that out there. I wish more people had the chance to experience it. I do absolutely love the PC-98 aesthetic despite never playing anything on it.
One of the many people here drawn by silver eyepatch wolf! I look forward to viewing more of your stuff, but I really adored this one :) As an erotica creator myself, one who covers some pretty taboo topics, a lot of what you said really resonated with me :)
During this video, I think I learned a lot more about you than I did this game. Thanks for saving me the time of hunting it down and playing it for myself though.
A minor nitpick, I wouldn't call JAST-USA an up and comer in 2002 considering JAST-USA was literally in the beginning of ero games being released in the US (PC) market since the mid 1990's. But still, a highly interesting video about Posessioner and in relation the PC98. =) All hail the PC-98, the primary reason I am in my second channel now, because of me playing PC98 games uncensored. XD PS. RUclips algorithm took me here. Perhaps due to PC98 interests. =)
My trip down 98 lane began with Touhou and Corpse Party a little over a decade ago now. Honestly there are still a bunch of games I haven't touched but golly do I think the platform deserves a bit more recognition.
So sorry about the whole kerfuffle with the Ayayao vid (I feel lucky that I got to watch it before it was taken down) but this was a delight to watch too. I've been making my way through your backlog and it's just awesome, to see such a cool niche subject I previously knew next to nothing about explored in a way that doesn't shame it for what it is. ... Unless it's just straight up a bad game lol
This is the first video of yours I have watched, so hopefully you didn't mention this in a previous one. But have you read Kimi Rito's 'The History of Hentai Manga' ? he talks a little bit about PC games in it and also about the sensibilities of popular art styles through the ages. You might find it interesting and also relevant to your dives into this stuff because it gives a Japanese eroge insider's perspective on how trends established and developed. Anyway, good video. Keep it up!
So, I know this sort of runs counter to the sentiment of the video, but I love the aesthetic of the PC-98 and 88 precisely because they are mystical, arcane consoles to the west. I realize that the systems are more than gore, horror, and porn, but I kind of really dig that there's *enough* of those types of games to make it have such a reputation. There's something to be said for a console's game library to be unabashedly biased; another commenter mentioned that consoles do have reductive reputations for their content, but I fail to see that as a bad thing. What is wrong with "eurojank" platformers? if a console has a lot of something, why not embrace that? The PC-98 dates back to a time where some games were jost more graphic in their depictions of things, gratuitous violence, shocking horror, prurient nudity... you'd never find things like that in games today, and if you do, a game tends to be defined by it. Oh, it's a porn game, of, it's the really violent one, that super freaky one, right? Kojima's Snatcher, Dead in the Brain, countless other games, the PC-98 is a console with a lot of very raw content, and I personally find that beautiful. I don't think it's wrong to call a spade a spade, so long as you can realize doing so is not in any way pejorative- and also, can convey that to another with that mindset clear.
Do you have any advice for someone who recently started learning Japanese? I've been using Anki for Vocab (Tango N5 and N4), an RTK deck to learn how to write, and will be making a mining deck after I finished Tango N5/N4. I've also been using Cure Dolly, Tae Kim, and some other resources for grammar. I was wondering at what "level" you'd recommend starting to consume actual media as a resource for studying.
My advice is to start reading asap with the aid of a text hooker and mouse over dictionary like Nazeka -- I think there's a point in Cure Dolly's videos where she encourages you to start consuming native material, and at that point you definitely should. I personally found flash cards really frustrating and spent the time I would spend in Anki just reading VNs. Prioritize what games you think are interesting (except for kamige which tend to be harder to read), but I've seen people recommend Axanael to beginners. I also found Hiruta Masato's works to be really parsable. It's gonna suck in the beginning but it helps a ton to just dive in, especially if you can find games with voice acting since that helps a ton with remembering and recognizing words.
I always looked up the ost on the RUclips. I knew it was risqué just because of the computer it’s on. If I never play PC-98 games. I’ll always hear the soundtrack when driving through metropolitan areas.
Sorry for the late upload everyone - the strike against Ayayo led to this being delayed for a few days. Also has to censor the crap out of it, but we're good to go now!!
ayayo still being an absolute menace lol
@AmelieDoree Hey, can I get the name of the channel you mentioned for learning Japanese, Kiradolly was it? I couldn't find anything like that on youtube
@@peterwestmer576 Cure Dolly is the channel!
@@AmelieDoree Thank you! Happy Holidays!
you and hazel make the best content on this god forsaken platform, thank you so much for this amazing work
Thank you for commenting this 😭 I watched an amazing video from Hazel a couple years back at the airport but have since closed that account and couldn’t find it again. I thought maybe I was misremembering and this channel was the one since it just popped up in my feed and was so similar to what I remembered but seeing your comment helped me find Hazel again after so long ❤
Who’s hazel?
My two faves
who is hazel
The conflict between knowing that there *can* be a lot more going on with "just porn" games and having to accept that I can't force people look past that aspect has been something that has been gnawing at me for a while, so I really appreciate your videos on this stuff.
They're also just neat to watch in a straight-forward way since can't read Japanese and spend (most) of my time on more modern eroge so it's really fun to learn about older games like this.
TL;DR: Cool video!
Muv-Luv thankfully has a version of its story completely without the porn, and it's really good.
@@keiichimorisato98 I've only played one route of Extra (Chizuru's, with the porn), I should really get back to it lol
@@keiichimorisato98 Starting a story with getting to know the girls intelectually, emotionally and biblically does an amazing job of making you care about them in the long run when things get extremely high-octane with the feels. So much caring...so much worry...so much PAAAAIN!
Muv-Luv is just so, SO good. I'm completely obsessed with it and will brutally assault anyone who slanders it.
@@tenaciousrodent6251 I only wish I was able to play the games as originally intended. By playing their other VNs first, getting lulled into a false sense of security, playing the first Muv-Luv title and assuming it was more of the same, then get the secret ending. It honestly sucks I can get that surprise that those Japanese kids got 20 years ago...
This is a very thoughtful video reflecting on how we perceive untranslated media. Even as someone who knows Japanese, I definitely understand the temptation of mystifying the obscure especially in the name of aesthetics. But at the same time, it is perhaps almost all too human to be interested in the niche and unique -- it's why I learned Japanese in the first place.
Thanks again for letting me check out the video early!
I used to read synopses of media before watching/playing/reading them. The same kind of thing happens where you're filling in the gaps with your imagination, and often finding some disappointment at the actual product when you get to see it. I think the art from that game still has value, but as like writing or game design prompts or something. A mood board for a new game, maybe.
@@chara8407 That was the same with me, though it also applies to translated titles too. My family was too poor to afford many video games, so I would always read about the synopses of Silent Hill games and the such. My imagination is really what sold the games for me, regardless of their intrinsic qualities.
To a certain extent, I am nostalgic about this. Ignorance is bliss after all. But also, I learned the language in order to pursue more dreams like that. Noelle’s videos, I’m sure, are doing the same thing, even if it may shatter a little bit of that romanticism. It just means those dreams are gonna be stronger.
@@kastelpls I guess now even experiencing something first, the memes and fanart and fan theories and everything can enhance it in almost the same way. Either way, imagination is making it better and deepening you love for it.
I have to watch this before RUclips arbitrarily takes this one down.
I cannot believe that Noelle is the only person and the internet that actually has any proper videos on PC-98 games that’s pretty awesome. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised since you’re only other person I know who owns a copy of Witch of the Holy Night.
That's not true, there's Basement Brothers, who also deserve a lot of love. But apart from them, yeah almost no one. It's wild.
somewhat unrelated to the video but i found your channel yesterday and i really appreciate the way you talk about sexually explicit material.
i'm an artist and i draw mostly porn, and for years i've been trying to convince people that something being pornographic doesn't make it lesser art. of course, every time, people either think i'm joking or respond with something along the lines of "lol of course you'd say that" and the conversation stops.
i really appreciate that you treat these games with the same analytical eye any piece of art deserves, and that you fully take the H scenes into account with your analysis. after all an eroge is an erotic game so why shouldn't its sexual elements also be analysed rather than brushed aside? if the erotic aspect didn't matter, it would just be a SFW VN.
so yeah, as someone who does pornographic art for a living i just wanted to thank you for the way you talk about it! ^-^
I think people don't want to engage with how we really think about the erotic because that's a level of self-analysis that most people are thoroughly unwilling to engage in.
I mean would I discuss it with children, no. But at the same time I think it is useful to talk with late teenagers and adults about what are the things that sexually excite them, and then ask them to consider why that may be.
I really wish this art style or its backgrounds would make a comeback in modern world designs. I don’t know about the characters, but those buildings and the architecture surrounding them is cool enough for an isometric action game.
My partner was like "Hey Liz did you see that video about the lesbian cyberpunk PC98 game" and I was SO EXCITED LIKE "NO OMG SHARE IT"
I was very quickly shut down ): Man. I wish this was good lmao. Great video tho, thanks for sharing.
Your story about learning Japanese is inspiring btw. My dream is to learn Japanese so I can explore some of the obscure Saturn Japanese-only titles. Sadly Wani-Kani burned me out, but maybe I should look into other options :D
I found your channel by chance but I couldn't be happier. This type of content cuts deep with me because it takes me back to my teens when I was the girl super into obscure anime shit that no one knew. I'm incredibly happy, thank you.
Cyberpunk GL sounds like a subject that needs more material.
in case anyone missed it, the sophistifuture ref at 17:54 is from ThorHighHeels, who you should also absolutely check out along with Thor's internet friend hazel
Thor and Hazel are my favorite two VG/Anime YT channels bar none.
YES!!!! I've been obsessed with Possessioner for a while because of its sheer weirdness and I'm so excited to watch your video on it!
peanut
@@demilembias2527 peanut
@@cyberpeanut4375 peanut
I think you have to be the only person I know of that is brave enough to cover VNs like this. It's unique and I'm glad that someone actually tackles these. I was always curious about the Muv-Luv series myself.
Found you b/c of Super Eyepatch Wolf, and it's refreshing to seem someone review old PC games, or specifically, PC-98 eroge games. Takes me back to my late 90s hentai game binge with games Foster and so on. Already subbed when I saw the Doukyuusei video, but I'm here to comment b/c I'm here to support your content.
I had to look into the er*tic sign language teaching game mentioned at 1:50. It is called Mel Mel Melty Marchen. It apparently features images of very inappropriate things happening to Alice in Wonderland and Little Red Riding Hood.
> Alice
> Red Riding Hood
> Marchens
Is this a Mary Skelter reference /s
Oh my God, how have I never ran into this channel before? VNs fascinate me to no end. Immediate sub.
Really sad to hear the Ayayo vid is gone. I'm glad to have seen it while I could.
Thanks algorithm. And thanks Amelie for showing me this, the artwork of this game is just amazing.
i want more stuff that looks like this. Alas.
Just like the Ayayo series itself, examining these flawed works to see what worked and what didn't is important. We wouldn't have those more developed games without the basic and rough beginnings. Inspiration comes from everywhere, not just the best in the genre, and they're an important piece of the puzzle. Sure, everything doesn't have the same impact as the big hitters like YU-NO, but all it takes is a little nudge from a "bad game" to spark the light of a better game, or anime, or novel, or analysis.
Plus, there's the survivorship bias in only preserving or talking about "the good stuff". *CW for slavery, racism, and CSA*.
To draw an example, most of the "best" isekai anime don't have many of the common traits of the genre. There is a staggering prevalence of the main character buying or being gifted an enslaved women, not immediately freeing her, but to keep for some amount of time (if he ever does free her). That character is inevitably a love interest, often enslaved specifically due to her race, and has an alarmingly high risk of being a daughter or little sister figure. While there are similar themes in popular and acclaimed series in the genre - Kirito adopting an AI as a daughter in Sword Art Online, or the ""punishment games"" in No Game, No Life, for instance - you would get a very skewed understanding if you didn't dig through the trash. The works that don't examine this trope to justify its inclusion or that actively fetishise the most dehumanising aspects of this narrative aren't the ones rising to the top.
It's not a fun job, but someone's got to do it 🙏
Also: haha yesss appreciated the Shizuku Easter egg
my new found obsesion for old Ys games make the youtube algorythm recomend me your channel , god Im glad it happend, I love your content!
Giving this a boost to the algorithm. Just wanted to say, love your stuff so far, Amelie!
I've seen these gifs around and its nice to learn where it comes from, even if I do not have a clue about anything in the actual pc-98 space. just fun to hear you talk about them :)
Just found your channel and excited for the other uploads! Never saw a channel that covered this sort of thing!
Thank you for the upload. This is a fantastic dive into how we view these pieces of media
Like most people I have a big knowledge gap about this kind of game - it's great to hear someone talk about them so eloquently. The discussion about games in translation and attitudes towards those with sexual content was insightful. It's interesting to think how attitudes towards that content differs between older forms of media (books, cinema) and Japanese games... Fantastic video!
To be fair, I have heard that, even in Japan, being known as a PC gamer was considered a bit sus until recently as people just presumed this meant you were into lewd games, so it's not just a Western interpretation. It's true that current day fans do have to struggle with that perception of older PC-88/98 games that have anything even a little sexy in them though, and I can see why that would be frustrating at times.
As a side point, William Gibson, who wrote Neuromancer and all but invented the genre as we know it, has since stated that he didn't actually view his imagined cyberpunk world as a dystopia, for all its dark tones and corporate skullduggery. And he actually liked the idea that people could make a buck through various means in it, so not so anti-capitalist either. Though I suppose he does touch on counterculture themes with his insertion of drug stuff in a lot of his work, that's about the extent of it.
Otherwise, it's hawt cyber girls, cool hackers and augmented assassins more than it is social-revolutionary ideas, though dark personal themes and tragedies with the cyber backdrop are sometimes explored. Some of the other sci-fi writers of the era even accused cyberpunk authors of being mere nihilists.
Of course, other writers have since actually explored broader themes and transhumanism etc. in the field, but the origins of cyberpunk were just not so revolutionary. As such, people tending to take for granted that such themes are what cyberpunk was always about seems more of a modern presumption these days. So, in a way, this game was pretty much in the same shallow but adventurous spirit as the other earlier works of the genre, rather than a departure.
Having seen the video early (thanks to being a backer, *nudge nudge*) was mostly excited to hear the re-recorded patreon segment. Once again brought a smile to my face. Glad this has been a motivating experience despite all the hardship. As I've said before you really deserve the attention you've been getting.
I haven’t watched the video yet but this channel always got the banger content
Ahhh I didn't know about the video being taken down, glad to hear it's been overall good/people have been so supportive! I'm excited to see the new stuff you're cooking up!
As one of the folks frequently covering PC-98 games on social media (Pasokon Sunday threads on Twitter) & increasingly reading deeper into the stories (as much as I can trust DeepL), it's great to see the myths around titles like Possessioner getting scrutinized, as well as the general "lol it's all porn & weird" Western mentality towards this software library.
I'm of a different opinion on what comprises the system's bread-and-butter, that being mainly business applications from '82 to the bitter end. WRT games, while ADVs/proto-VNs played a huge part in the scene, I find that too many people sleep on the sometimes less attractive but more substantial simulations, wargames, RPGs, & puzzle titles exclusively for PC-98 as well. True, I've only recently gotten more into PC-X8 ADVs thanks to better machine translation for skimming them, but that also helps me learn more about really underrated works like Innocent Tour, Mercury: The Prime Master, Star Cruiser, Marchen Veil, etc. I see people start & stop with what immediately attractive stuff they see on Tumblrs or PC-98 Bot, rather than jump into emulation/hardware & really try the games out.
Exoticization is the name of the game WRT Anglosphere perceptions of not just the PC-98, but also the MSX platform & other 8-bit PC software found on NEC/Sharp/Fujitsu micros from the '80s. It's a huge problem for me because that kind of media fetishization has hurt deeper appreciation of better-known PCs/consoles, too, as seen with the X68000 ("it's all arcade ports & STGs!"), Saturn ("all the 3D games suck!"), Amiga ("hope you like nothing but Eurojank action games!"), etc. I'm so tired of reductive takes on media platforms in general, yet it feels hard for the PC-98's reception out west to shift away *because* there's more social cachet to recycling the same 'ol Weird Japan & Funny Vaporwave jokes. The jokes aren't funny when they're so predictable, after all.
Great video as ever, and a very helpful perspective on these topics too. I still need to make a thorough "the PC-98 was more than weird or porn or jank" (nothing inherently wrong with any of that either) video essay, and you keep giving me great material to work off of!
Incredible coverage as always. Your words about how these games are perceived I think is incredibly poignant and it makes me very happy to see videos that treat these games, even when flawed, with unapologetic and deserved reverence. Excited to see your Rance review.
I absolutely love that this video starts with the exact thought I had in my mind. Yes, I -have- seen this gif before! And I appreciate a lot that now I know about the game behind it, warts and all.
You also make excellent points about people usually dismissing eroge first hand without trying to see if there is any value in the work multiple people put into them.
Creativity is not hindered by the inclusion of sexual relationships in the work.
Just found out your channel and I absolutly devoured all your video, you do great work
Saw this on Reddit. Very cool stuff! I especially love a queer perspective on queer retro vns! Subbed! Cant wait to watch the rest of your content!
Just stumbled on this channel and it s already a banger. Keep up the great work.
Dang I would totally wanna play this if it had an english patch, I don't care if the eroge scenes are lacking I would probably still like it. I like that kind of yuri stuff.
Just found this channel, and subscribed.
It was a really interesting topic, and since I know nothing about this scene, I learned a few things.
Unironically using drakengard 3 to block the H scene actually feels fitting
Apart from just feeding Engagement™ here, I have to say that your section on why you play these games and kind of kicking yourself for putting off studying Japanese hit home. Exploring the vast breadth of games that never got a translation is really up there on my reasons why I finally put in the work. That said, I'd really love if you did a process/technology video or patreon post for those of us really trying to get into this era of retro games. I know you've mentioned PC98 emulation and text hookers before, and a starting point would be fantastic!
And your work on these videos just keeps getting better, thank you so much for giving us a window into this niche of history.
Damn, I was hoping that Possessioneer would at least be decent. The purely technical aspect of working with the PC-98 is still around but there's just so much better content out there. I just wish there was better F/F ero or literature that was good.
Super happy I found your channel. Keep up the good work.
ayoo wake up everybody, new hazel just dropped. Can't wait to binge all these videos
16:56 Misty reference from Pokemon easter egg? some scenes of the game look great , the anime style from the 80s is an art :D
Well that sure was a very interesting video and seeing you make videos of old pc 98 games i can't wait to see all your work, also wtf Thorhighheels reference is neat
Only recently started to get into VNs in the last couple of years. I never really understood the appeal before that despite the obvious overlap in narrative style with a lot of JRPGs, which I have been playing for many years now. That being said, I did always have a thing for the aesthetic style of older VNs and I did admire the way that they managed to convey so much with such minimalistic animation accompanying almost entirely static images.
This is the first of your videos I have watched and if this is the usual standard of production, writing and narration then it definitely won't be the last.
Love the work! This is one topic I definitely knew next to nothing about before finding your channel, and I'm loving learning about these kinds of old school VNs. Keep up the great work :)
It's a unique kind of disappointing when one or more aspects of a work are ravenously beautiful (like Possessioner's art and music- I kept getting distracted from your words and having to rewind because the art was so lovely) but then the rest of the piece is a deal-breaker.
Thank you for showing us all these beautiful games (good and bad) ! I don't know Japanese and I don't know if I'll ever have the time to learn it, so this is my only way of accessing or learning of these games. I know I'm commenting on a game that's not that good, but I've watched a lot of your other videos and I've almost cried to a few of them. Your writing and presentation really bring these games to life and is a wonderful window into art works that I, and many others, would never even know about if it weren't for you. I also really enjoy the personal connections and interpretations you bring to your videos, even when they are heavy. I hope you're doing well!
You got me on "Cyberpunk Yuri" 😅 Thank you for the amazing video, finding your channel was a pleasure treasure
you and hazel have become my comfort channels
Cool to hear you like Cure Dolly. She’s the best resource for Japanese grammar imo.
I've never seen that gif before but this is pretty cool anyway
English translation when?
Also thank you for putting the titles for each game in the video
Another great video! I appreciated the recs at the end in particular. Keep up the good work!
absolutely Loved the video!
Yeay!! Time for another journey down the PC-98 rabbit hole!
It's vids like these that remind me that I'm getting old. While I personally didn't come across anything I didn't already know about the game itself or gain any new insights, I'm glad you made this for the general otaku audience.
Looking forward to watching you develop your skills.
I only know about visual novels because I sample their soundtracks to make shitty hiphop beats. in many ways; I am that dude that is purely after these games for aesthetics, and your videos broaden my knowledge and understanding of this very weird art. thank you
This video was fucking fantastic, especially the ending part. The stigma around eroge is always baffling to me, even if I myself am somewhat guilty of being one of those “I’m only playing something for the story and hate the sex scenes” people in the past. As I’ve grown older I’ve come to accept that sex is a normal part of life, and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying it or enjoying darker kinks (as long as it’s obviously kept between consenting adults irl obviously). Hell for me I honestly find stuff like Rance kinda therapeutic and helps me cope with my trauma regarding SA. Not to mention the genre has the benefit of not having many limits, allowing super unique stories to be created.
I’m so glad that people like you exist who champion the eroge genre as being more than just porn, showing that there are titles that are absolutely fantastic and deserve to be checked out.
Sorry for ranting I’m just tired of seeing things be written off as pure smut and thus worthless when there’s a lot to them beyond that.
I'm very glad that RUclips recommended me your channel because I've been interested in PC-98 games for a while now but, frankly, I do not have the resources to engage with the medium. It's so cool to see this kind of media being analyzed through the lens of a woman, the respect and thoughtfulness you give to these visual novels is remarkable. Your content is crucial to promote and preserve these games that would otherwise fade into obscurity. Amazing job!
It feels like you've been doing this for years. Keep up the good work.
Welcome to being my new favorite channel
Not totally relevant to the video, but that Dokyusei poster you have is really nice! I have some old PS1-era B5 game advertising posters from mandarake I've been meaning to frame and you're giving me the motivation to find something the right size here
(Also consider this an LPT if you're looking for anything like that since a bunch of them are like 300¥ lol)
EDIT: You like Thorhighheels??? Yes. Yes, you get followed absolutely. Super intrigued by your future Rance video, especially with your insightful words on untranslated PC-98 games
@@Lynntempname omg, that's even cooler! It looks fantastic framed like that. Thanks for letting me know
Another fantastic video, thanks for sharing this. I was always curious about this game and now i can rest easy
Wow, what a fantastic video to teach me about things I absolutely knew nothing about! Thank you Noelle bottom text
Oh my goodness I love your videos and I'm so happy I found your channel 💗
*sees title*
Why is my computer downloading a translation of this?
i watch most videos on youtube at 2x + speeds but i never feel the need with your videos good job
i don’t know why i clicked on this since i have never seen that gif, but i don’t regret it. it was very fascinating to me even though i have little to no interest in old japanese games.
Yay Amelie back with another one! You are an amazing writer!
I'm kinda falling in love with your channel
I can't believe the organization of lesbian super soldiers is named slit
I found you through hearing on Twitter about your video that got removed and while the video removal sucks, I’m so happy it at least led me here! As someone who can read Japanese and has an interest in old Japanese adventure games, I have no idea where to start with them and your channel is an incredibly interesting introduction :)
Just kind of a shame about this one, as a bisexual woman I was quite interested in the premise but it sounds like it fumbles that and many other aspects…might still download it just for the aesthetic, haha.
I'mma be real, saying that Yuri VN H-scenes are literally just as flat, boring, and anti-erotic as they are in VNs with purely Het scenes is just... unsurprising. I've never once played a VN with H scenes that were worth their time. It almost always feels like everything would have been better if they just faded to black at the least.
90% of the time though, it all should just be fucking cut. VN porn is literally fucking fanfiction smut tier.
Edit: having actually watched a lot more of the video now, the western pc-98 scene as you describe it definitely reminds me of the VHS era of anime here in the west. We also pretty much got a weird skewed view of what it was, we missed a lot of the heavy hitters, and we even had the extra barrier of distribution of what we did get being super incredibly spotty. I remember trading copies of VHS tapes in hotel rooms at Comic Con back in the day to get stuff I'd not watched yet.
So while people have a skewed view of what PC-98 can offer, you can definitely take heart in the fact that it will change as availability and time goes on.
90s cyberpunk games are always pretty cool 😎
I swear I’ve seen the Raiden-looking guy on the screen at 1:27 in Battle Angel Alita
I love the PC-98. Subscribed!
I'm sad to hear about the takedown troubles, but I'm glad things are generally working out well for you here. When I saw the five pages of backers it was super exciting to see, even as a very new subscriber, and I swear every time I look at your subscriber count it doubles. I love watching videos on this sort of obscure content, and I'm especially interested in the eroge angle, honestly. Looking forward to more content from you, and hopefully sometime in the future I'll be able to contribute to your Patreon as well :)
"Props for showing rec droog use is okay? I guess that's kinda based." -
(No, you, VN youtuber, are the based one.)
💖
"shout outs to cure dolly" annnnnd subbed.
The Muv-Luv trilogy is masterclass in the vn eroge genre. It's not a PC-98 game, but I just wanted to throw that out there. I wish more people had the chance to experience it.
I do absolutely love the PC-98 aesthetic despite never playing anything on it.
One of the many people here drawn by silver eyepatch wolf! I look forward to viewing more of your stuff, but I really adored this one :) As an erotica creator myself, one who covers some pretty taboo topics, a lot of what you said really resonated with me :)
During this video, I think I learned a lot more about you than I did this game. Thanks for saving me the time of hunting it down and playing it for myself though.
A minor nitpick, I wouldn't call JAST-USA an up and comer in 2002 considering JAST-USA was literally in the beginning of ero games being released in the US (PC) market since the mid 1990's. But still, a highly interesting video about Posessioner and in relation the PC98. =)
All hail the PC-98, the primary reason I am in my second channel now, because of me playing PC98 games uncensored. XD
PS. RUclips algorithm took me here. Perhaps due to PC98 interests. =)
At the very least, possessioner is a baller title
My trip down 98 lane began with Touhou and Corpse Party a little over a decade ago now. Honestly there are still a bunch of games I haven't touched but golly do I think the platform deserves a bit more recognition.
You had me at "erotic sign language teacher"
So sorry about the whole kerfuffle with the Ayayao vid (I feel lucky that I got to watch it before it was taken down) but this was a delight to watch too. I've been making my way through your backlog and it's just awesome, to see such a cool niche subject I previously knew next to nothing about explored in a way that doesn't shame it for what it is.
... Unless it's just straight up a bad game lol
you should upload fully uncensored versions of your vids for patrons :)
This is the first video of yours I have watched, so hopefully you didn't mention this in a previous one.
But have you read Kimi Rito's 'The History of Hentai Manga' ? he talks a little bit about PC games in it and also about the sensibilities of popular art styles through the ages. You might find it interesting and also relevant to your dives into this stuff because it gives a Japanese eroge insider's perspective on how trends established and developed.
Anyway, good video. Keep it up!
dig your videos soooo mcuh i gotta binge them all
You had me at yuri.
Hope RUclips lays off. This is pretty neat to learn about.
The game has some really good music, thanks for sharing your knowledge of it :)
So, I know this sort of runs counter to the sentiment of the video, but I love the aesthetic of the PC-98 and 88 precisely because they are mystical, arcane consoles to the west. I realize that the systems are more than gore, horror, and porn, but I kind of really dig that there's *enough* of those types of games to make it have such a reputation. There's something to be said for a console's game library to be unabashedly biased; another commenter mentioned that consoles do have reductive reputations for their content, but I fail to see that as a bad thing. What is wrong with "eurojank" platformers? if a console has a lot of something, why not embrace that? The PC-98 dates back to a time where some games were jost more graphic in their depictions of things, gratuitous violence, shocking horror, prurient nudity... you'd never find things like that in games today, and if you do, a game tends to be defined by it. Oh, it's a porn game, of, it's the really violent one, that super freaky one, right? Kojima's Snatcher, Dead in the Brain, countless other games, the PC-98 is a console with a lot of very raw content, and I personally find that beautiful. I don't think it's wrong to call a spade a spade, so long as you can realize doing so is not in any way pejorative- and also, can convey that to another with that mindset clear.
Possessioner is my favorite game that I haven't played.
Nice content
Do you have any advice for someone who recently started learning Japanese?
I've been using Anki for Vocab (Tango N5 and N4), an RTK deck to learn how to write, and will be making a mining deck after I finished Tango N5/N4.
I've also been using Cure Dolly, Tae Kim, and some other resources for grammar.
I was wondering at what "level" you'd recommend starting to consume actual media as a resource for studying.
My advice is to start reading asap with the aid of a text hooker and mouse over dictionary like Nazeka -- I think there's a point in Cure Dolly's videos where she encourages you to start consuming native material, and at that point you definitely should.
I personally found flash cards really frustrating and spent the time I would spend in Anki just reading VNs.
Prioritize what games you think are interesting (except for kamige which tend to be harder to read), but I've seen people recommend Axanael to beginners. I also found Hiruta Masato's works to be really parsable.
It's gonna suck in the beginning but it helps a ton to just dive in, especially if you can find games with voice acting since that helps a ton with remembering and recognizing words.
@@AmelieDoree what are kamige?
I always looked up the ost on the RUclips. I knew it was risqué just because of the computer it’s on. If I never play PC-98 games. I’ll always hear the soundtrack when driving through metropolitan areas.
Great video. Was worth the original 3 GB download.
Oddly, a part of this game's story reminds me a little of a recent anime, Vivy: Flourite Eye's Song.