Ringing in the new year with completing my first foray into the denpa genre at a friend’s recommendation. Best read very late at night.
A sickly orange twilight is our backdrop to an acute, albeit harshly dated, portrayal of mental fragility and staggering acts of sudden violence. It’s no secret sayooshi is a hard to read title, I required frequent day long breaks in order to get to the core of the presented narrative, but it’s not something I regret at all. What lies beneath a veneer of sadistic fantasy is a story ripe for engaging critical analysis.
Outside of intentionally repetitive script which proved quite effective for both emphasis and flow, the rawness of the prose often stopped me in my tracks. Living in the protagonist’s head for the period of my playtime had me thinking of both his and others’ dialogue long after closing the game; the writing is gripping, the reader hanging off of every word as scenes end, leaving them with some final mysterious phrase which would only be elaborated on in another route.
The artwork is infectious in style, with the sharply pointed noses and almost melting eyes growing on me instantly. Paired with the warm reddish overlay layers and hauntingly stark 3DCG pre-rendered backgrounds, sayooshi establishes an iconic, instantly memorable presentation which is respected and referenced to this day. I especially enjoy the very much alive cult following and fanartist community this title keeps well after 20 years, a testament to its impact.
Upon first thinking the soundtrack merely did its job as background noise, before I knew it I was listening to the tracks outside of the game. Simple synth notes and drum samples make up evocative musical themes for every cast member, along with their use often adding to horrific juxtapositions in mood. My favourite tracks ended up being the smoky “Feignant” and the meandering, dreamlike “Inmobilite et Tourbillon”; the sound of an attempt to return to normalcy.
I don’t feel comfortable giving a rating, but I encourage those able to stomach more extreme scenes and seeking an entirely unique psychological horror experience to dive in.
じゃ、さよなら…
A sickly orange twilight is our backdrop to an acute, albeit harshly dated, portrayal of mental fragility and staggering acts of sudden violence. It’s no secret sayooshi is a hard to read title, I required frequent day long breaks in order to get to the core of the presented narrative, but it’s not something I regret at all. What lies beneath a veneer of sadistic fantasy is a story ripe for engaging critical analysis.
Outside of intentionally repetitive script which proved quite effective for both emphasis and flow, the rawness of the prose often stopped me in my tracks. Living in the protagonist’s head for the period of my playtime had me thinking of both his and others’ dialogue long after closing the game; the writing is gripping, the reader hanging off of every word as scenes end, leaving them with some final mysterious phrase which would only be elaborated on in another route.
The artwork is infectious in style, with the sharply pointed noses and almost melting eyes growing on me instantly. Paired with the warm reddish overlay layers and hauntingly stark 3DCG pre-rendered backgrounds, sayooshi establishes an iconic, instantly memorable presentation which is respected and referenced to this day. I especially enjoy the very much alive cult following and fanartist community this title keeps well after 20 years, a testament to its impact.
Upon first thinking the soundtrack merely did its job as background noise, before I knew it I was listening to the tracks outside of the game. Simple synth notes and drum samples make up evocative musical themes for every cast member, along with their use often adding to horrific juxtapositions in mood. My favourite tracks ended up being the smoky “Feignant” and the meandering, dreamlike “Inmobilite et Tourbillon”; the sound of an attempt to return to normalcy.
I don’t feel comfortable giving a rating, but I encourage those able to stomach more extreme scenes and seeking an entirely unique psychological horror experience to dive in.
じゃ、さよなら…
Reviewed on Jan 02, 2023