Hira Hira Hihiru

About

Hira Hira Hihiru is a single player action game. It was developed by BA-KU and was released on November 16, 2023. It received very positive reviews from players.

In "Hira Hira Hihiru," a visual novel set in a fictional Taishō Era, you explore a world where the dead return to life as hihiru, individuals with depleted cognition and memory. As Dr. Shūhei Katori, you'll conduct field studies to enhance living conditions and support systems for Aerodema patients, who are both shunned and revered by society. This game explores themes of life, death, and societal acceptance through its unique narrative.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 41 reviews

story17 positive mentions

The story is beautifully written, exploring profound themes related to illness and societal issues with sensitivity and realism.
The visuals and music are exceptional, enhancing the overall experience and complementing the narrative well.
The characters are well-developed and relatable, providing multiple perspectives on the struggles faced by those affected by the disease.

The pacing is slow, which may lead to a tedious experience for some readers, making it feel like a slog at times.
There is a lack of engaging audiovisual elements, resulting in a narrative that often feels more like reading a book than experiencing a visual novel.
Some characters may come off as unlikable, which could detract from the overall enjoyment of the story.

story
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
39%
9%
The story is a beautifully crafted narrative that explores the impact of illness on individuals and society, focusing on two main characters dealing with a fictional disease that serves as a metaphor for real-world healthcare issues, particularly regarding mental health. The combination of engaging visuals, evocative music, and well-developed themes creates an emotional and immersive experience, making it a highly recommended visual novel for those interested in poignant storytelling. Overall, the narrative is praised for its depth, sensitivity, and ability to resonate with players.
- “The first story follows Chigusa Masamitsu, who has been tasked to travel the Japanese countryside observing and reporting on the inadequate living and caring facilities for patients afflicted with a terrible disease.”
- “This is a beautiful and emotional story where the game's premise (a condition called aerodema) serves as an excellent metaphor for problems in healthcare in the world today, especially when it comes to mental health and care for the elderly.”
- “Abit of a rant here but to this day I still find the visual novel underutilized as a medium for storytelling despite its capabilities to combine sound and visual arts to enhance the reader experience.”
- “I thought that there were some interesting themes explored, and overall I'd say that it's a pretty uplifting story even though it's about the oppression and mistreatment of those who are mentally ill.”
- “The other story follows a young man, Tenma Takeo, whose whole life gets turned upside down when someone close to him is afflicted by the disease; it subsequently goes into vivid detail about the daily mundane slog and all the trials and tribulations of having to deal with sickly people.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
29%
7%
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and ability to enhance the storytelling, with many noting the excellent original soundtrack by Manyo. However, some users feel that the music is used too sparingly and occasionally does not match the scenes well, suggesting that more music could have improved the experience. Overall, the combination of music, visuals, and voice acting contributes positively to the immersive narrative.
- “Visuals are great and music supplements the story well.”
- “The graphics, music, and voices that support this story are all wonderfully done.”
- “The writing draws you in immediately and paints a vivid picture that is only enhanced further by the beautiful art and the excellent OST by Manyo (who also worked on one of my absolute favorite OSTs for the Flowers series of visual novels).”
- “The music is also used extremely sparingly and when there's actually BGM, somehow it doesn't match very well with the scenes.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
14%
The graphics are praised for their high quality, with particularly stunning backgrounds and effective music that enhances the storytelling. However, some users note a lack of character CG, leading to a reliance on narration that detracts from the overall experience. Overall, while the visuals are impressive, the execution in terms of showing rather than telling leaves some players wanting more.
- “Visuals are great and music supplements the story well.”
- “The graphics, music and voices that support this story are all wonderfully done.”
- “The artwork is extremely good, backgrounds in particular are simply gorgeous.”
- “I feel like I would be enjoying this a lot more if this was just an actual physical product without audiovisuals.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the visual novel is highlighted as a poignant exploration of healthcare challenges, particularly regarding mental health and elder care, using the condition of aerodema as a metaphor. Reviewers note the story's depth and the emotional toll on family members supporting the patient, distinguishing it from typical emotionally charged moe anime-style narratives.
- “This is a beautiful and emotional story where the game's premise (a condition called aerodema) serves as an excellent metaphor for problems in healthcare in the world today, especially when it comes to mental health and care for the elderly.”
- “The family members who support the patient but are also emotionally drained.”