Sakura no Uta isn't just my favorite visual novel ever, it's not just my favorite game ever, it's my favorite piece of media ever.
One may go into Sakura no Uta expecting a dark and disturbing journey like Subarashiki Hibi, but instead, it is more of a "typical" drama. However, the themes and ideas presented in Subarashiki Hibi do return and are expanded on. Theories on language and one's world are taken to art, the artist, and the viewer. Sakura no Uta is once again Sca-Di's look at philosophy, especially metaphysics, but this time from a more mature perspective and under the lenses of artists.
The story itself starts slow, following the daily life of Naoya Kusanagi as he adjusts to his new life with his childhood friend and homeroom teacher after the death of his father, a world-famous artist. While one may instantly compare this to Down the Rabbit Hole 1, it goes on much longer and plays out more subdued. The start takes on a calm yet melancholic feeling. It is rather uneventful compared to the later half, but that is not a bad thing. While I occasionally found myself underwhelmed by the first two chapters at the time, I do not feel that way now. Like life, the beauty may not be able to be observed till later. As the first two chapters introduce you to this life, it also slowly feeds many of the ideas explored. The end of chapter two is a cumulation of the story so far, exploring an art's purpose and value in the eyes of the artist and consumer.
After the first two chapters, there are the four heroine routes. They are not just generic romance routes, but hold important story reveals, explore the central themes, and peel off the layers of Naoya. Makoto's is not written by Sca-Di, but instead Asou Ei, the scenario writer for Euphoria. While Makoto's route may not be as profound, I do not think it is terrible. It does add important details, so it is not something that can just be skipped. Rin's route may be the roughest part of Sca-Di's work on Sakura no Uta. It is abundant in h-scenes which personally got a little annoying to me, but still holds important themes and plot points. After Rin, everything is all uphill. Rina's route blew my mind. It once again holds important reveals, but its structure makes it one of the most interesting routes in any visual novel I've read. It switches between the point of view of Naoya, Rina, and Yuumi, a girl who loves Rina. Yuumi is a genuinely amazing portrayal of a queer character. There is an alternate ending where she gets with Rina, but it's just a pointless h-scene. The main ending though is beautiful. It is a genuine portrayal of a lesbian without fetishizng. Shizuku's route is the last of the heroine routes and my personal favorite. A lot about Naoya and his family is revealed. By the end of these routes, the common route is heavily recontextualized, yet there is still a lot more.
The following three chapters are genuinely flawless. Every aspect of the plot, themes, and characters go into full force. The fourth chapter follows Naoya's father reflecting on his life before his death. The fifth chapter follows the true events of what happens after the point where the visual novel splits into the heroine routes. Lastly, the sixth chapter takes place years after Naoya has graduated high school, returning once again to a slower life. These chapters are the richest in Sakura no Uta's themes. This is an overall praise for Sca-Di, but it really shines here. Sca-Di communicates high-level ideas in an easily digestible way for the average reader. He also masterfully balances these ideas with fleshed-out characters and stories. These three chapters are extremely profound. They are not limited to just the themes of art I have spoken of but follow questions of genius vs talent, God, and the human condition. Of course, there is the obligatory return to Wittgenstein. Like Subarashiki Hibi, Sca-Di integrates many philosophers and stories into his work. Oscar Wilde's works had some of the most influence on the story, but many other poets, philosophers, and artists are examined, including but not limited to Emily Dickinson, Kenji Miyazawa, Donald Davidson, and Édouard Manet.
For me, nothing has quite reached Sakura no Uta's take on philosophy and life plus its' highly engaging story and developed characters. It leaves so much to think about and digest. Sca-Di is truly a master of his craft. While probably pretentious to say, I was changed by the time the final credits fell. I am a better and happier person after reading Sakura no Uta. Near the end of Subarashiki Hibi, Yuki says "Live happily!". Sakura no Uta is what it means to live happily.
One may go into Sakura no Uta expecting a dark and disturbing journey like Subarashiki Hibi, but instead, it is more of a "typical" drama. However, the themes and ideas presented in Subarashiki Hibi do return and are expanded on. Theories on language and one's world are taken to art, the artist, and the viewer. Sakura no Uta is once again Sca-Di's look at philosophy, especially metaphysics, but this time from a more mature perspective and under the lenses of artists.
The story itself starts slow, following the daily life of Naoya Kusanagi as he adjusts to his new life with his childhood friend and homeroom teacher after the death of his father, a world-famous artist. While one may instantly compare this to Down the Rabbit Hole 1, it goes on much longer and plays out more subdued. The start takes on a calm yet melancholic feeling. It is rather uneventful compared to the later half, but that is not a bad thing. While I occasionally found myself underwhelmed by the first two chapters at the time, I do not feel that way now. Like life, the beauty may not be able to be observed till later. As the first two chapters introduce you to this life, it also slowly feeds many of the ideas explored. The end of chapter two is a cumulation of the story so far, exploring an art's purpose and value in the eyes of the artist and consumer.
After the first two chapters, there are the four heroine routes. They are not just generic romance routes, but hold important story reveals, explore the central themes, and peel off the layers of Naoya. Makoto's is not written by Sca-Di, but instead Asou Ei, the scenario writer for Euphoria. While Makoto's route may not be as profound, I do not think it is terrible. It does add important details, so it is not something that can just be skipped. Rin's route may be the roughest part of Sca-Di's work on Sakura no Uta. It is abundant in h-scenes which personally got a little annoying to me, but still holds important themes and plot points. After Rin, everything is all uphill. Rina's route blew my mind. It once again holds important reveals, but its structure makes it one of the most interesting routes in any visual novel I've read. It switches between the point of view of Naoya, Rina, and Yuumi, a girl who loves Rina. Yuumi is a genuinely amazing portrayal of a queer character. There is an alternate ending where she gets with Rina, but it's just a pointless h-scene. The main ending though is beautiful. It is a genuine portrayal of a lesbian without fetishizng. Shizuku's route is the last of the heroine routes and my personal favorite. A lot about Naoya and his family is revealed. By the end of these routes, the common route is heavily recontextualized, yet there is still a lot more.
The following three chapters are genuinely flawless. Every aspect of the plot, themes, and characters go into full force. The fourth chapter follows Naoya's father reflecting on his life before his death. The fifth chapter follows the true events of what happens after the point where the visual novel splits into the heroine routes. Lastly, the sixth chapter takes place years after Naoya has graduated high school, returning once again to a slower life. These chapters are the richest in Sakura no Uta's themes. This is an overall praise for Sca-Di, but it really shines here. Sca-Di communicates high-level ideas in an easily digestible way for the average reader. He also masterfully balances these ideas with fleshed-out characters and stories. These three chapters are extremely profound. They are not limited to just the themes of art I have spoken of but follow questions of genius vs talent, God, and the human condition. Of course, there is the obligatory return to Wittgenstein. Like Subarashiki Hibi, Sca-Di integrates many philosophers and stories into his work. Oscar Wilde's works had some of the most influence on the story, but many other poets, philosophers, and artists are examined, including but not limited to Emily Dickinson, Kenji Miyazawa, Donald Davidson, and Édouard Manet.
For me, nothing has quite reached Sakura no Uta's take on philosophy and life plus its' highly engaging story and developed characters. It leaves so much to think about and digest. Sca-Di is truly a master of his craft. While probably pretentious to say, I was changed by the time the final credits fell. I am a better and happier person after reading Sakura no Uta. Near the end of Subarashiki Hibi, Yuki says "Live happily!". Sakura no Uta is what it means to live happily.