Japanese School Life

About

"Japanese School Life" is a visual novel that follows the story of Brian, a foreign exchange student, as he navigates high school life in Japan with the help of two classmates. They introduce him to Japanese culture, customs, and school traditions, and as they spend more time together, Brian's bonds with them deepen. During the summer vacation, Brian experiences fun summer activities such as beach trips, festivals, and watermelon splitting. The game provides an immersive experience into Japanese culture and lifestyle.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 159 reviews

story30 positive mentions

The game provides a fun and educational experience about Japanese culture, traditions, and festivals, making it a great introduction for newcomers.
Character designs and animations are well-executed, with a cute art style that enhances the overall experience.
The game features a responsive menu/UI and offers a wholesome storyline that is safe for work, appealing to a wide audience.

The story is quite linear and lacks depth, with limited choices that lead to similar endings, which may disappoint players looking for more narrative complexity.
The main character, Brian, is often perceived as a stereotypical 'weeb,' which can be off-putting and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
There are issues with the background music being repetitive and the lack of sound settings, making it difficult to adjust the volume during gameplay.

story
103 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
67%
4%
The story centers around a foreign exchange student in Japan, featuring a cute-meet narrative with light romance and educational elements about Japanese culture. However, many reviewers find the plot to be simplistic, rushed, and lacking depth, with limited choices that do not significantly impact the outcome. While some appreciate the wholesome and charming aspects, others criticize it for being bland and forgettable, making it more suitable for fans of slice-of-life anime rather than those seeking a robust narrative.
- “Overall this is a great visual novel with an amazing story about two high school girls teaching you stuff about Japan and a little romance to it.”
- “The characters were likeable and the story was good.”
- “The story is about 75% cute fluff and 25% educational.”
- “However, the story is really limited and kind of rushed: a guy who just joined a school starts dating girls and shopping or something?”
- “Overall, I did not enjoy the story at all; it feels extremely rushed and all over the place.”
- “I would not recommend this game at all; it honestly felt like a waste of time and did not cover much aspect of Japanese school life. Instead, it feels like a Wikipedia that has been glossed over with a story.”
music
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
62%
10%
The music in the game is generally described as catchy and upbeat, fitting the light-hearted theme, but it suffers from repetitiveness and a lack of volume control, leading to frustration for some players. While many appreciate the relaxing and enjoyable nature of the soundtrack, others find it forgettable and intrusive, particularly due to the inability to adjust the background music volume. Overall, the music is a mixed bag, with some praising its charm while others criticize its limitations.
- “Befitting the light-hearted nature of the game, most of the music used is of an upbeat nature that is enjoyable to listen to, though it is somewhat repetitive.”
- “The music is decent and catchy, and had me humming a couple of the 'happier' tunes after I'd closed the game.”
- “The art is good, the characters are fun and well-voiced, and the music is non-intrusive.”
- “On top of that, there is also the problem of the background music... almost always the same and so, I started to get a headache after only 1 hour of listening.”
- “And for lack of sound settings, you can't turn off or at least lower this annoying music.”
- “While it does have Japanese audio, it's kind of useless as the background music is far too loud and there are no controls to reduce the volume.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
18%
9%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful and well-executed anime art style, with many reviewers highlighting the cute visuals and appealing character designs. The artwork is described as standard for visual novels but executed with a high level of quality, earning it a strong positive reception overall. Additionally, the graphics complement the game's relaxing soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The artwork in the game is very well done.”
- “Graphically, the sprites and CGs are beautiful.”
- “A very cute game with nice visuals and voice acting.”
- “As can be expected from a visual novel, the artwork for the most part is a standard anime style.”
- “The art and visuals are fine and cute.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its wholesome and educational storyline, providing a safe and enjoyable experience. Players appreciate the cute and uplifting nature of the game, noting that the different routes do not significantly alter the overall narrative.
- “The storyline is 100% wholesome and the routes don't impact the overall story.”
- “Very wholesome fun, safe for work and downright educational.”
- “Cute, wholesome game.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized as silly and occasionally funny, with a cute charm that complements its long-winded storytelling. Set against the backdrop of an American exchange student's experiences in Japan, the visual novel offers a blend of lightheartedness and amusing moments.
- “It's silly, it's funny (sometimes), it's long-winded (like me) and cute simultaneously.”
- “A rather interesting and funny little visual novel, this one centers around an American exchange student studying in Japan for a year.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features strong character design complemented by charming chibi art that effectively enhances scene transitions, contributing to an engaging visual experience.
- “Good character design and adorable use of chibi art to transition between scenes.”