Kakenuke★Forward to Our Sparking Youth!

About

"Kakenuke★Forward to Our Sparking Youth!" is a romance visual novel game where players assume the role of Yuu Tono, a second-year student at Kazami Academy who is more focused on his part-time job than his youth. His childhood friend Hibiki and classmate Riri try to encourage him to join their clubs and enjoy his youth. The game won several awards in Japan for its art, music, and character design.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Kakenuke★Forward to Our Sparking Youth! screenshot

+10

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 56 reviews

story7 positive mentions

character development2 negative mentions

The game features delightful characters with great writing and voice acting, making it a fun and engaging experience.
The art and music quality are superb, contributing to the overall enjoyment of the visual novel.
Kikka's route, in particular, is highly praised for its emotional depth and character development, making it a standout experience.

Many routes feel repetitive and lack significant drama or excitement, leading to a somewhat bland experience overall.
The writing can drag on, with some routes feeling bloated and not adding much to the story.
The game heavily emphasizes the theme of 'youth' to the point of becoming tiresome, which detracts from the overall narrative coherence.

story
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
72%
8%
The story is primarily a lighthearted romcom that focuses on a group of friends encouraging the protagonist, Yuu, to embrace his youth, featuring a mix of comedy, slice-of-life, and romance elements. While the storytelling is praised for its production quality and character development, some reviewers noted inconsistencies and plot holes that could detract from the experience. Overall, the narrative is enjoyable, with standout routes, particularly for the main heroine, Hibiki, though it may not reach the heights of other titles from the same developer.
- “I really felt for her as a character, and her overall story really shined the brightest.”
- “Seishun Sparking was an enjoyable story about youth combined with a tear-jerking finale, making the experience even more memorable.”
- “And to top it all off, the storytelling is just beyond my expectations.”
- “Storywise, there is no real drama or action in this visual novel, and it really sticks with its comedy/slice of life/romance setting at all times.”
- “It's hard to explain, but there were several times throughout the story where some events that happen in the game are instantly over through a time skip, and we only learn what happens in scenes afterwards where a character briefly summarizes what happens.”
- “The production value is great, the characters remain enjoyable despite the borderline terrible storytelling, and the finale is an absolute banger of a read.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in Kakenuke is highly praised, with users enjoying the entire soundtrack and noting the exceptional quality of the original soundtrack (OST), particularly the main ending theme. The combination of art, music, and character design is described as top-notch, contributing significantly to the overall experience of the visual novel.
- “The art and music for Kakenuke is great, and I enjoyed every bit of the soundtrack and artwork throughout the novel.”
- “Art, music, and characters are all top-notch.”
- “I will call out the OST in this, which I found to be particularly great - the main ending theme being a particularly great song.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its engaging dialogue and a mix of funny, cute, and wholesome scenes, particularly in the common route. Players find themselves emotionally invested, experiencing both laughter and tears, which contributes to a bittersweet yet satisfying narrative. Overall, the humor enhances the connection to the characters, especially the beloved heroine, Kikka.
- “I became so attached to this secret heroine that I found myself laughing or shedding tears uncontrollably till the very end.”
- “Personally, I really enjoyed the common route the most, as it had some really nice dialogue, funny scenes, cute scenes, and also wholesome scenes.”
- “A very fun, funny, bittersweet at times, but ultimately extremely satisfying route with one of my new favorite heroines, Kikka!”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its wholesome and heartfelt moments, particularly in the common route, which features engaging dialogue and cute scenes. Kikka's true route stands out for its well-crafted narrative that builds on previous routes, evoking strong emotional responses from players. Overall, the experience is more about warmth and connection than excitement.
- “Kikka's (true) route was surprisingly well-written in regards to how it built off the information you had from completing the other routes before it (it's locked behind the main 4 heroine's routes), and got me emotional at multiple moments.”
- “So don't expect any exciting moments, but much more of a wholesome experience.”
- “Personally, I really enjoyed the common route the most, as it had some really nice dialogue, funny scenes, cute scenes, and also wholesome scenes.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
Character development in the game is praised for its depth and progression, particularly in Nagiko's route, where her multifaceted personality is gradually revealed. Reviewers appreciate that the game avoids superficial development, instead allowing for a more nuanced exploration of characters, with the main character taking on a supportive role that enhances the overall narrative.
- “Nagiko's route I enjoyed quite a bit as it provided her some needed character development and showed the main character as more of a support character, which was a nice change of pace.”
- “Nagiko's route I enjoyed quite a bit as it provided her some needed character development and showed the MC as more of a support character, which was a nice change of pace.”
- “Not only was she given more than one personality trait, but I loved how they introduced more about her throughout the route and even built up on her character as a whole rather than just giving her character development and calling it a day like with the others.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The graphics in "Kakenuke" are highly praised for their impressive artwork and engaging soundtrack, reflecting the established art style of Saga Planets, which has been honed over two decades. Reviewers appreciate the aesthetic quality and immersive experience provided by the visuals and music throughout the game.
- “The art and music for Kakenuke is great, and I enjoyed every bit of the soundtrack and artwork throughout the novel.”
- “Saga Planets has been in business for over twenty years now, and the same goes for their art style.”