Hello all,
This topic has many different kinds of answers to it BUT before I do JUST a little comment on the Comments made previously from Nobody. My User name should give away an idea on may age so lets say I have been around awhile and I have many many ups and downs in my life, no matter how pointless and bad our lives can be it is in our power to make things atleast a LITTLE more of want we want even IF not what we want exactly…
As for what I see in the games… I see a very good story telling the draws me into the their world at least the ones that I have really like. The art work is can be amazing and amazing art work of pretty girls is simply wonderful. The games themselves are more of a concience based sort to be a jerk or not, JUST a little different than how good my trigger finger is. I mean I NEVER was very good at those sort of games anyway… I will always be a sucker for a great story with cute girls in it AS long as the story is up two snuff.
AS usual JUST my 2 cents worth…
Bishoujo stories allow me experience all of the things I don’t get to experience in the real world (love, joy, adventure, romance).
I hate the jealousy and anger I feel when I see those things, from the outside, in the real world. I cannot spend much time around adults, that are enjoying themselves, without the rage. With a story I can at least pretend that I am part of the beauty. Even if it is just for a short time.
??
Well… I can’t say I play the games to help learn Japanese, that sounds a bit too close to learning. Gives you those painful elementary learning-is-fun game flashbacks. Mathblaster…aack.
As surely as pretending to be a knight in shining armor in another game, pretending to be a romantic figure has it’s merits. The virtual environment removes alot of the potential thorns in either situation. For the former, living without air-conditioning, hot-water, and moving about in over a 100lbs of armor. For the latter, horrible irreparable failures, the dregs of the gene pool (physically anyhow), and very often - any potential problem in pursuing the polygamist dream.
It’s a whirlwind romance in just so many easy steps. Real-life issues such as dealing with answer machines, having to wait till you have free time, finding venues to meet, do their friends like you?, pregnancy, and potentially deadly sex (I mean by STDs, not over-zealous S&M types) generally don’t enter the picture.
You’re left with the better parts of a relationship. Romance, akward first moments, and of course, sex. Now that’s a nice fantasy to live.
Depressing but true. I like to say I play these games to learn about Japan and Japanese, but mostly to get some emotion I normally don’t have. That comes from a great story. Many people on the net still collect just pictures, but they don’t make me feel as alive as a good story bishoujo game.
Every lonely person needs a Machine Maiden, game I played a little while ago.
whats a machine maiden?
tentacles?
wierd, interesting
sounds fun!
heh
an interesting role reversal, the girl has the tentacles
too bad i cant understand the language
[This message has been edited by exoarchaeologist (edited 05-08-2001).]
One appealing nature of bishoujo games is that it represents an idealistic view of our youth, and keeps it there like a framed picture on our desk.
I’ve got disagree with Kumiko on the part about girls blossoming into young women, but maybe because both of us share a slightly different school of thought (would be real boring if we didn’t, no, Kumiko? ^^
The bishoujo mentality in many of the more mainstream titles (not adult-oriented ones, that is) see bishoujo characters as ideals that are normally unattainable in real life, people whom age may not wither them (to kinda quote some bard), and most of all forever beautiful. One might say it’s like admiring some glass angel from afar, but I over exaggerate. In any case, these girls are there not to arouse, but create a sense of wistful longing within the gamer. The more succesfully they are, the more successful the game is.
The moment these girls grow up into adults; or their perfect world tainted by traces of our reality, they–and their games–lose the appeal. This was the belief that Konami had when they created the Tokimemo series, and the girls in the game never grow up; they just graduate. The latest Sister Princess craze also features adorable girls who are even younger (and more innocent).
Sentimental Graffitti tried injecting some reality into the game by killing off the hero of the first in the sequel (thus reducing the heroines into forlorn figures), but that backfired. I really can’t imagine the backlash should someone create a hentai version of Tokimemo. Fans would be the first to react, I’m sure.
Of course, you do find PC bishoujo games using the same formula as well. But even the eroticism–esp the sex scenes–is never over the top. In fact, sex is treated in a gentle manner in the game’s narration. There are English adult PC games out there in which girls most coy can turn into real sluts when they have sex in English… think you guys got the point. ^^
I guess it all comes down to what sort of bishoujo games you like…
[This message has been edited by yyoshi (edited 05-09-2001).]
Actually, Shuusaku did get slight romantic towards the end (sort of). That’s the part when the player’s conscience gets the better of the old lecher.
anyway, if we want to talk about reality, how about this: Shuusaku blackmails the girls by taking photographs and video-taping them. He threatens them with the photos hoping they’ll submit to him. Instead they gang up and no only do they report the case to the authorities, they also sue him for an unspecified sum of money. Shuusaku goes bankrupt (don’t think he can pay for the suit, can we?) and ends up in jail. the end.
well, that’s a dose of reality, I guess. Even in the more realistic bishoujo games, it’s still a lot of ideals (guys’ that is). True that perverts will stalk and rape their victims; not true that girls will give in that easily though.
btw, not that Tokimemo doesn’t try to be naughty as well–there are the bathing scenes and in tokimemo2 notice the emphasis on Akane’s assets? guess if it’s ‘chotto ecchi’ it’s all right for Konami.
Boy I go away for a week, and there are a bazillion new posts!
Anyway, so I can quickly read the other posts as well, for me I’d have to say that… it’s the romance of growing up. Seeing how someone else deals with the same problems you did. And reminding you that you’re just as important.
Okay, it’s kinda sappy, but it’s why I enjoy these things so much.
Mike