Café Stella to Shinigami no Chou - Natsume! Honestly the premise was kind of...

February 27, 2026 · 12:51 PM

Café Stella to Shinigami no Chou (喫茶ステラと死神の蝶) is a visual novel developed by Yuzusoft and released in 2018, which recently became available in English. I played it back when it was first released in Japan, and honestly, it was not the best experience I have had with a Yuzusoft title.

The story follows Takamine Kousei, who was living a normal college life until the fated day he died in a traffic accident. His strong willpower and his desire to "not die a virgin" caused him to bend reality, allowing him to wake up on the day of his death with knowledge of what happened and the ability to avert it.

Shiki Natsume was the highlight when it comes to looks for me, shame that her story was kind of the most boring.

Main heroine Akizuki Kanna was the most entertaining character with her mischievious and slightly perverted personality.

This, however, attracts the attention of a death goddess named Akizuki Kanna. She informs him that God will not allow such rule-breaking to occur, but she gives him a chance to stabilize the situation. He must collaborate with her and a Cat Sith named Mikado to collect "butterflies," which are a sort of alarm system that shows when a particular individual is in danger. There is more to the system, but it is better if you read those details for yourself.

To do this, they decide to open a café that they can use to attract people with this condition, allowing them to provide treatment before it is too late. Along with several other girls, they open the shop and begin their lives working as staff members while simultaneously trying to solve these mysteries.

Kanna at her best, imagining weird things despite no particular trigger that should cause her to think so. She's adorable isn't she? View video page

Honestly, I rolled my eyes multiple times during the prologue, but I was ready to give it a pass, assuming the issue was just a weak premise. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The story continued to deliver a sub-par narrative and generally boring content throughout.

I liked the character designs, and the art style is, as usual, top-notch for the visual novel industry. The issue lies entirely with the storyline, which does not seem to go anywhere in most of the heroines' routes. The only exception is Kanna's route, but that is not enough to save the visual novel as a whole.

As I said before, come on, just look at Natsume. That's perfection! I don't think anyone can top that.

Yes, straight to jail you go. Like, how can you even grow up to be nearly 30 and look like that?

The main heroines are:

Akizuki Kanna: The main heroine of the story and a death goddess. Her true age is unknown, but the fact that she is out of touch with current trends and technology makes it clear that she is much older than she admits. She is a closet pervert who likes to tease the people she enjoys being around.

Shiki Natsume: A girl attending the same university as Kousei. She appears to be a cool and calm person from the outside, making her very popular, but she is simply unable to express her emotions well. She likes drinking and has a very sharp tongue, especially toward Kousei.

Sumizome Nozomi: Kousei’s childhood friend. She is the stereotypical girl who comes to wake you up in the morning and spoils you to the point that people wonder why she and Kousei are not already dating. She is cheerful, energetic, and good at making friends. She is the exact opposite of the protagonist.

Don't worry, I'll take those. Just stay put, it'll take a minute, or two, or three...

Mei showing off her love for cute things. She does look even cuter when doing so.

Hiuchidani Mei: A close friend of Nozomi. She is a middle school student and a former member of her school’s swimming club, which plays an important role in her personal route. She has a stereotypical "kouhai" personality, is very direct when talking with people, and loves cute items.

Shioyama Suzune: The older sister of Kousei's best friend, Hiroto. She looks like a young girl, but she is actually the oldest human in the story. She is a pastry chef who recently left her job due to a dispute with her superior regarding their work style. She is hired at the newly built café after some convincing. While she is a side heroine, I really liked her story more than the others.

When it comes to pure aesthetics, Natsume is my absolute favorite. She looks great, and the art makes her even more attractive. The issue, as I mentioned before, is that her story was an absolute bore. As a result, it is a tie between Suzune and Kanna. Suzune is the better overall character, but Kanna has the better story.

Natsume is often seen drinking with the protagonist at this establishment.

Kanna's backstory is one of the best in the game, not that there is much competition though.

Overall, I do not think I can recommend Café Stella to Shinigami no Chou. While it excels in all production areas, the lack of a cohesive and interesting storyline causes it to fall into mediocre territory. There are honestly better visual novels available for you to buy and read.