To say goodbye is to die a little: let's talk about 7’scarlet

Something about this VN felt kind of nostalgic to me, somehow. Wondering why that was only brought back the vague answer of “it's the type of visual novel I’d read in my teens”, but I can't think of any examples that seem close to it other than Higurashi—maybe that's plenty on its own. Or maybe it's just that my platonic ideal of a visual novel is set during summer. Who knows.

We follow (or I guess play the part of) a college student, Ichiko, traveling to a secluded mountain town, Okunezato. Shaped like a crescent moon and shrouded in mystery, it's the place where her older brother disappeared a year prior. Accompanying her is her childhood friend, who is going to a meetup of an occult forum centered on the town’s many mysteries and legends—one of them involving dead people who supposedly come back to life. The cast of characters is very lively. The way they joked around and teased each other was surprisingly funny—definitely one of the highlights of this VN. My favorite of the bunch was Yua. Referencing The Portopia Serial Murder Case gets you some points in my book—

Now, I know I'm not the target audience for it, but I think the romance was the weakest aspect. Design-wise, those were the most some-guys ever. I know it's summer but how is someone supposed to fall in love with a short-haired guy in shorts and a (ugly!) t-shirt, come on…

Though I was furiously taking notes like my life depended on solving the mystery, I have to admit that I spent the first two routes rather bored. Well, on Hino's route I was bored. In Isora’s I was mostly scared. Ichiko darling, while the credits roll you gotta run while you can that guy is danger. Though the scariest part of the route was when she ordered a cup of Darjeeling with milk and sugar—

Toa’s route really heightened my opinions of the game at first, and I spent most of it adding more material to my personal conspiracy board, so when it ended the way it did, I felt so let down to the point that I wondered if I wasn't going crazy from the out-there theories I had come up with.

Sosuke's route was good in that it exposes a lot more of the underlying mystery, and Yuzuki’s shorter route (which I found surprisingly cute) seemed like it was wrapping up things decently enough, but that nagging feeling that something was lacking wouldn't go away, until…

HEAVY SPOILERS AHEAD

When I unlocked Toa’s true route, my jaw hit the floor.

I figured out who the culprit was very early on, but he wasn't my only suspect. One of my scribbles on the margins of my notes reads: if it's Yua I'm going to cry. Fast-forward to the newly-unlocked chapter. Mister Killer says he didn't murder Sosuke's dad. At first I was surprised, but it soon dawned on me that I already knew who did it.

I cried.

And when my crackpot theory of Toa being the revenant turned out to be correct, I cried even more. It's been nearly two whole months, and I still tear up when I think about him.

What I assumed would be a quick wrap-up had already turned into a bit of an exhausting night when yet another secret route unlocked.

The voice who tells you to stay away at the start of the game.
The one you've been looking for.
Your mysterious, so-called brother.

I'd say he's the prettiest one in the game,design wise (his t-shirt is possibly the ugliest though), but my perception might be skewed because his VA is Midorikawa Hikaru, so I'd probably like him no matter what he looked like. His route is mostly a flashback through his POV, and the story finally ties up its loose ends as we switch back to Ichiko. And then, that ending…

Realistically, I know it couldn't be any other way. I wouldn't think so much about Toa, about that single purple flower, if they had had a happy ending like the other characters (of whom I remembered so little that I had to look up their names). Even then, it still hurts…!

That very last scene was so punchy I was almost mad at it.

I love trying to solve mysteries on my own, and while the game’s choices mostly don't go for the investigation aspect and favor the romance, it really felt like the story itself, if not always the gameplay, was rewarding me for asking those questions. There's only one thing I didn't manage to figure out on my own, that being who the forum's administrator was— I initially supposed it was Ichiko’s brother, and even when that theory fell through I didn't consider Yuki, mostly because I didn't assume he'd just straight up lie like that (⁠^⁠～⁠^⁠;⁠)⁠ゞ

I don't think this is a masterpiece or anything, but it's definitely a solid VN, and I'm glad I gave it a chance (and I'm sorry that this page ended up looking like the pentagon papers...)