let's talk about CGs, baby!!

[kalechipskid]

It’s a beautiful, warm morning and instead of working I’m thinking about visual novel cgs. It’s something I’m usually always thinking about since a cg’s purpose is mechanically important: Crystalize that plot beat with all of it’s emotional weight and draw out all of the potential. Make an image so memorable, when you remember the game you’ll remember that specific scene and the picture that punctuated it. In a game that uses almost exclusively text and images to convey its message the art itself becomes a part of the game design. 

  When thinking of what makes a good cg, these few points come to mind:

• Effective use of the setting and/or scene specific props
• Focal point (clothing, expression, props)
• Angles + art quality (I know this seems obvious, but it's not uncommon for cgs to be drawn by completely different people. Characters looking out of whack or not like themselves really pulls you out of the experience!)

  I think the first point is a seriously overlooked aspect. The setting ties the cg to a specific moment in time which helps further cement the image in your memory. A picture of you walking alongside your girlfriend at a summer festival with fireworks going off in the sky behind her is a 1 in a million shot.

Alright, enough of that! Now for the fun part! I’m just gonna rattle off a buncha cgs I really like, so buckle up (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

KYAAAAAAN!! (‾◡◝)

Ys II: Opening

  The camera pans up through the sky to reveal a gigantic floating island bustling with life. In a far off shot we see our main character Adol, passed out on the ground as a worried young woman cautiously approaches him. Our hero comes to his senses and we are thrust into his point of view: There is Lilia, moving eyes and mouth, looking down at us with the infinite blue sky behind her, asking if we’re okay.

the original pc-8801 lilia... haiiii!! ^_^

  Nowadays the scene comes off as quaint and crusty but when Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter dropped in 1998 for the PC-8801, it was a technological marvel. Lilia’s facial movement and detailed up-close sprite made an immediate emotional connection with the people playing it. She felt real. It made her an instant favorite.

the pc-98 version with some added background stuff
 

  The original image has no background elements besides the white clouds, however later versions add some more detail to the scene. I personally really like the PC-98 version. Lilia still looks the same with her red hair sticking out brightly from the cool-toned sky, but the environment helps enforce that you’ve really entered a whole new magical land. The shape of the cloud is really pretty to me as well~

☆Fanart of this scene:

https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/107432820

https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/30300997

https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/44581023

Ripple Island: Meeting Cal

  In Ripple Island, the young adventure boy Kyle comes across a flooded village. A lone girl named Cal stands precariously upon the last branch of a dead tree, the mountain in the background reflected clearly onto the still waters.

cal is my bestie and i love her
 

  This is one of my favorite cgs of all time for how well it captures the moment of the meeting. The island has been thrown into turmoil and you witness the after effects in this now flooded village where people once lived peacefully. But for how dreary the description is, the scene feels more bittersweet– The cheerful colors, gorgeous mountainscape, and patient smile of Cal let you know that your adventure is only just starting. Ripple Island’s presentation is extremely strong with its happy choice in colors and early Toei artstyle.

  The scene has been recreated over and over by fans. My favorite iteration is this acrylic stand of Cal standing on a branch. The most perfect acrylic stand to ever exist, as far as I'm concerned.

☆Fanart of this scene:

https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/1844807

https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/67683065

Doukyuusei: Miho’s Flower Shop

  On the first morning of your summer-long schlong quest, you may find Miho, a cotton-candy pink picture of puppy-dog innocence, watering flowers at her part-time job. She looks up at you with an adorable smile, ready to greet you.

kirby gajinka XD
 

  Doukyuusei is a game schlock full of superb cgs but this one is a personal favorite simply because I like Miho. It introduces the little ray of sunshine perfectly by adding the flower shop as a part of her character, the apron and watering can a cute dress-up touch. 

  While visual novels have an accursed history of getting remade and ruined, Doukyuusei Remake’s art is actually some top tier stuff. The art quality itself is gorgeous, but best of all the original spirit of cgs were lovingly recreated. Let’s take a look:

high saturation pink
 

  The pose has slightly changed and the character design is modernized but it’s still the same ol’ Miho, happy to see you. The angle is preserved, you looking at her from above, ready to tease the poor girl before moving on with your day (“Close, my date’s a boy!”/ “Oh, so Chippy is like that….?”/ “W-Well…”)

  As an additional (horny) note, the ecchi of the scene has been relocated. In the original, there is a bit of the undershirt peeking out. In the remake, Miho’s thigh-high stockings 絶対領域 become the focal point. A very naughty observation but it’s a very naughty game, so please forgive me for my sludgeyness. I simply find it interesting how even with the numerous changes between versions, Doukyuusei still captures the  original horny asshole spirit ^_^

☆Fanart of this scene:
I was too scared to search doukyuusei on pixiv so look at this clip of her voice actress going "Hanyaaan~" as Sakura from Cardcaptor Sakura instead.

HANYAAAAAAN~

Slow Damage: King of Filth

  Guys…We’re not horny enough… We can get filthier!!

not showing you the full cg but you get the idea im sure
 

  This cg is particularly interesting for its use prior to (english) release and its placement in the story. JAST BLUE would advertise the game primarily with this image cropped, leaving plenty to the imagination. And ya know what? It intrigued me. A grimy story about a grimy guy smoking a cigarette on the floor of what looks to be a public bathroom and probably no pants on, I had to know who he was and why he was sitting his derriere on the diseased tile of a Tesco Express men’s room. I needed context.

  After playing the game, I found the context! Towa got rammed in a diseased bathroom and had a smoke after. Wow, mystery solved.

  But there’s more to it than that. This cg shows up in an optional diversion from the main plot– Pursuing it throws aside the actual story before ending the game. They’re completely non-consequential sex scenes. At first glance they don't hold any real importance, but because of how important sexuality is to the themes of the game I found myself branching out (despite my tendency to skip sex scenes entirely with the help of a very rapid battering space button lol). I kept thinking “I like these characters, I want to see what happens next.” or “How far will Towa go?”. Towa is a canvas for the desires of everyone around him. Sex is just another form of communication for him. And so with this CG we learn what kind of world Towa lives in: A world of filth where pleasure reigns king, no matter what it costs. I get why JAST BLUE picked this image out of all the others. It sums up the game pretty well.

☆Fanart of this scene:
I am absoutely not gonna be looking for fanart of this scene because I still want to go to heaven. However it has come to my attention that a figure of this scene is in the works, which you can search for yourself. I'm not really sure how you'd display something like that... But if you're purchasing something like that, I guess you wouldn't really care! (￣y▽￣)╭ Ohohoho.....

honorable mentions yippee!!!

  These are additional CGs I think are pretty neat~

One Kagayaku Kisetsu e: #girl moment

i think this is from the psx version
 

  ONE is a pretty plain-jane game but this scene always stuck out to me. A lonely girl in the rain, looking out of place. Even with the admittedly amatuer color work, it’s memorable. The advertisements for the remake seem to use this scene a lot.

the remake feels ultra deluxe!

Policenauts: get your goddamn feet off the desk

right before the psuedo-incest plot begins... thanks kojima :))
 

  Sexy-ass opening that really sets the mood for the whole experience. I want to hit the main character with a car. I think the color work is stunning, though.

Sayonara o Oshiete ~Comment te Dire Adieu~: this happense everyday at lunch so get ready

Blood warning!!! Click the Hitomi-sensei only if you dare!!!!!


 

  Just about all the art in this game is stunning and almost every cg could be a favorite, so I’ll just grab this one at random because of the cool use of white space.

Shuuen no Virche- ErroR:salvation: what if the phantom of the opera was moe

ehehehehehehhehehe.... >:3
 

  I haven’t played this game yet, but he’s really moe. The more tortured a man is, the more moe he gets.

MOON: i was the tree

i was the tree

I was the tree.

  That about wraps things up. Basically, I just wanted to ramble on about scenes I really like in visual novels. It will absolutely happen again. How else shall I end this thing… Composition is important, colors are important, anime is cool sometimes… Oh well. Have a good day ☆⌒(*＾-゜)v