at first, i didn't even know what rating i should give kikokugai. if you've read the novel, you can tell by my username that, well, i actually liked it. but i have a complex relationship with kikokugai as a whole, i think
i love the premise. god, i really do! i think that nothing could be cooler than a transhumanist setting with martial arts and cyber warriors - unfortunately, it lacks in a few places.
the story was very entertaining and the fights were captivating, even i if i find it hard to wrap my head around contact sports with little to no visual feedback.
i think my main issue is that, again, gen urobuchi's misogyny and his dependence on shock value. game starts with a woman being raped. no, this isn't a spoiler, it's literally what you experience after pressing "start" on the main screen. besides that, the main premise of the game is about the protagonist's (kong taoluo) sister (kong ruili) was murdered during a gang rape. im keeping this review spoiler free, but the reason why this happened is revealed later in the game, and it's incredibly disgusting and misogynistic from the writer's perspective. it makes ruili sound like a shallow shadow of what she could be.
even though i hated what the premise came to be, and i feel like the story drags a lot during certain parts, i still enjoyed kikokugai somehow. i feel like the remake's visuals and voiced lines added a lot to my positive feelings towards the story. i also heavily enjoyed the soundtrack.
would i recommend kikokugai? definitely not. i do enjoy it a lot, as a story, as a birthplace of the titular ruili, who is one of my favorite characters of all time, but i don't feel like this is something you need to read.
read it if you wanna experience more of gen urobuchi's early works.
kikokugai is just my personal trashy vn that i enjoyed a lot more than i should.

was NOT expecting to like this as much as i did, holy shit this rocked. i'm often mixed on urobuchi's works because while i love his quirks and style (like the intentional anticlimaxes, the unique way he deals with morality in his stories and the dramatic irony that's present in a lot of his characters' arcs) i never feel it all really comes together. but this hit all the notes for me in a way i wish fate/zero, saya no uta or even kamen rider gaim did (madoka fucking rules though). just a completely unhinged and twisted take on the hero's journey and wuxia that still manages to understand and capture the heart of why these stories work, all complete with some of his most insane action scenes. also features a much better rendition of twisted love than whatever saya no uta was trying to do imo. there's definitely problems i can point to, like the beginning being very rough and the story only coming into its own later on but it leaves such a strong impression that i can honestly mostly ignore them.
just a very fun time overall and definitely my second favorite Nitro+ VN now, only behind Muramasa for my actual favorite.