Kakenuke★Forward to Our Sparking Youth!
- October 18, 2024
- SAGA PLANETS
Get on Steam"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.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features delightful characters with great writing and voice acting, making it a fun and enjoyable read.
- The art and music quality are superb, with colorful visuals and a great soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
- Each character route offers unique moments and character growth, particularly Kikka's route, which is highlighted as the best and most emotionally impactful.
- The writing can feel overly long and repetitive, leading to moments of boredom, especially in certain routes like Shiori's.
- Some routes lack depth and character development, making them feel one-dimensional compared to others.
- The game's central theme of 'youth' is often reiterated to the point of feeling shallow, detracting from the overall narrative experience.
- story15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The story is generally well-received, with players appreciating the character development and engaging storytelling, particularly in the main heroine's route. While the narrative leans heavily on comedy and slice-of-life elements, some found it repetitive and noted a few plot holes that could detract from the experience. Overall, the game is recommended for its production value and enjoyable character interactions, despite some inconsistencies in tone and theme.
“I really felt for her as a character and her overall story really shined the brightest.”
“And to top it all off, the storytelling is just beyond my expectation.”
“The game is separated into a common route, character routes, and a short afterstory for every character.”
“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.”
“Even if the storytelling can be shaky at times due to its overly repetitive theme and inconsistent tonality, I still recommend Kakenuke★Forward to our sparkling youth for its great production value and generally fun characters throughout the journey.”
“There are some plot holes you'll have to overlook a bit, but they don't detract too much from the story; however, they may bother you like they did me, and it did make me downgrade my rating a bit.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in Kakenuke is highly praised, with users highlighting the exceptional quality of the soundtrack and its integration with the artwork and characters. The original soundtrack (OST) is particularly noted, with the ending theme receiving special acclaim for its appeal. Overall, the music significantly enhances the gaming experience.
“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 standout song.”
“The music in this game is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I found the soundtrack to be underwhelming and not fitting for the game's atmosphere.”
“The background music is forgettable and doesn't enhance the overall experience.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by engaging dialogue and a mix of funny, cute, and wholesome scenes that evoke a range of emotions, from laughter to tears. Players particularly enjoy the common route for its entertaining moments and the endearing character of Kikka, making the experience both fun and bittersweet.
“I became so attached to this secret heroine that I found myself laughing or shedding tears uncontrollably until 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!”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its wholesome and well-crafted dialogue, particularly in the common route, which features a blend of humor and cuteness. Kikka's true route stands out for its depth and emotional impact, effectively building on previous routes to evoke strong feelings in players.
“Personally, I really enjoyed the common route the most, as it had some really nice dialogue, funny scenes, cute scenes, and also wholesome scenes.”
“So don't expect any exciting moments, but much more of a wholesome experience.”
“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, and it got me emotional at multiple moments.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is praised for its depth and progression, particularly through the introduction of multiple personality traits and a gradual exploration of characters over time. Reviewers highlight Nagiko's route as a standout example, where her development is effectively intertwined with the main character's supportive role, offering a refreshing shift from typical narratives.
“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 her character as a whole rather than just giving her character development and calling it a day like with the others.”
“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.”
“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.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics of Kakenuke are praised for their impressive artwork and engaging soundtrack, showcasing a well-established art style from Saga Planet, which has been refined over two decades.
“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.”
“Saga Planet has been in business for over twenty years now, and the same goes for their art style.”
