Visual Novel Review: Kira Kira

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to start your own band? The good times, the fame, and the hardships you’d go through with your friends? Would it strengthen your friendships or pull them apart? And in the end, would it all be worth it? In Kira Kira, you can get a taste of what it’s like. With an array of routes to choose from each involving different characters and some deep emotional moments, this visual novel is a lot more than what it appears to be. You may even be tempted to label it as trash simply because of its romantic elements – but that would be a shame, because that would be disregarding the story as a whole, and a huge disrespect to its creators.

Kira Kira follows the story of Shikanosuke Maejima, a student attending Oubi Academy in Tokyo. Shikanosuke is a mediocre student with no real aspirations in life – he just wants to get through high school. Three of his female friends, Kirari, Chie, and Sarina, are members of the Second Literature Club. Due to lack of interest, the club is set to be dissolved at the end of the school year. In an effort to save the club, the three girls and Shikanosuke decide to put on a live rock performance at the school’s cultural festival. Through the help of Murakami, a close friend, the group is introduced to punk music and they decide that is the sound that they want to go for. The band members set out to learn their instruments while simultaneously learning the history of punk music and the true meaning of “punk.”

But that’s only the beginning. The cultural festival performance turns out to be a success, and the “Second Literature Club Band” starts to move on to bigger things. Eventually, they find themselves going on tour, traveling all across Japan, meeting different people and going to different places.

As you may have guessed, the three band girls are the “heroines” of the story, and depending on the path you take, you may end up dating one of them. This doesn’t happen until late in the game, which makes it clear that romance is not the main focus of the story. However, the girl you end up with will have a drastic effect on where the band ends up touring, as well as the various events that happen during or after the tour. The story ranges in all kinds of flavors – some moments are very silly and fun while others can get deeply emotional and may even bring one to tears. There are even some moments when the story delves into the psychological/horror realm.

In terms of presentation, there is a decent amount that sets Kira Kira apart from other visual novels. First, and most apparent, is the game’s vocal soundtrack. During the game, there are moments when the band is performing on stage, and many of these are accompanied with a vocal song. Each of the game’s endings also provide a different song to close it out. All of the songs in the game make up a full-sized soundtrack, and any fan of the pop-punk genre will be more than pleased with the tunes it has to offer. The artwork is highly detailed, with a large amount of CG scenes (all of which are accessible through the Extras menu after one play-through) and tons of beautiful backgrounds that change as you enter new surroundings. The characters don’t go far beyond typical anime tropes in both appearance and personality, but they do have their stories, and they do develop as they experience more of the joy and hardships that life has to offer.

Clocking in at well around 50 hours, Kira Kira is a very content-heavy adventure. While some scenes do drag on for a bit too long, overall the game is paced fairly well. If you do decide to play it, just make sure you know that you’re in for a very long story. After playing through the game completely, I can confidently say that I don’t regret the time and money I invested in Kira Kira. If the adult content in the game is a turn-off for you, then pick up the All Ages version, where you can still experience the story without being made uncomfortable. Whether you’re a fan of rock music, looking for an emotional dramatic story, or are just looking for some 2D love, you’ll find it here in Kira Kira.

Kira Kira is available at MangaGamer.com
Standard Version (18+)
All Ages Version

Very Highly Recommended