KIRAKIRA is not only one of the few all-ages visual novels currently available on the English market, also one of the most accessible. It features likable characters, an engaging and usually lighthearted plot, well-drawn art, and audio befitting a game that revolves around bands and music. KIRAKIRA is also one of the best-distributed VNs around, available on the iOS App Store as well as direct download and disc-based versions for Windows.
KIRAKIRA is the story Shikanosuke Maejoma, a fairly normal high school student who has recently broken up with his girlfriend and is coasting through life without challenge or direction. The story really begins when Shikanosuke becomes involved with his school's Second Literature Club and the band it creates for the school festival. He becomes a key player in the club activities and embarks on a new chapter In his life alongside his three female clubmates/love interests.
As a character-driven story, KIRAKIRA thrives or dies based on how engaging the cast is. KIRAKIRA's characters are one of the game's strongest points. From the bountifully energetic Kirari to shy, reserved Kashiwara, the club members are all genuinely likable and unique characters. Though the heroines do follow anime stereotypes to a degree, they are well-defined In background and personality. Each of the four band members has a multi-hour route to follow based on the player's choices, with Kirari having a second that is unlocked by finishing the other paths. Many secondary characters are every bit as entertaining as the core club members, and It's easy to become attached due to the solid writing and voice acting.
Like most visual novels, KIRAKIRA runs at a standard 800x600 resolution on PC. Characters have a youthful look and a distinctive, lighthearted art style common to other games created by Japanese studio Overdrive. The characters all have unique, easily distinguishable designs and are pleasant to look at. They Each have a few different poses, and there are well-drawn full-screen art pieces In each route. For best effect, run the program In windowed mode. It will still look decent when stretched to fit a larger monitor in Fullscreen mode, but some of the crispness will be lost and some widescreen monitors will distort the game's proportions to fill the screen.
KIRAKIRA includes the usual variety of background music, some catchy and some noticeably generic, but the most important part here is the vocal music. The Second Literature Club sings a number of original tracks over the course of the game, and each these are presented as actual recorded pieces both In context during the story and in a gallery mode unlocked once you finish the game. They were good enough to see multiple CD releases in Japan, and copies were even sold at MangaGamer's convention booths in 2010.
KIRAKIRA is a good Visual Novel, and a great . It offers several branching paths with their own twists, great music, and good art. There's no particularly objectionable content to be had aside from some strong language, a bit of alcohol consumption, and what ratings boards would probably call "suggestive themes." As with the visual novel genre in general, I can't recommend it for everyone-- but if you're up for a good amount of reading and want some character drama with comedy mixed in, KIRAKIRA is a great choice to pass some time.