Koiiro Soramoyou (恋色空模様) is a visual novel released in 2009 by Studio Ryokucha, and I finished my second playthrough late last year. The game also has a fandisk titled Koiiro Soramoyou: After Happiness and Extra Hearts, which I have never played but plan to start soon.

This VN is actually iconic in my personal history with the medium because it came out right around the time I began seriously exploring visual novels. It left a strong impression back then, and my replay proved that it was not just nostalgia. It is genuinely as good as I remembered.

The story follows Itou Seigo, the son of two famous scientists. Due to his parents’ research, he ends up living on the remote Kamina Island, where he reconnects with his childhood friends. While causing his usual trouble with the school’s discipline committee, he encounters a mysterious and beautiful girl, Kanou Kayoko, wielding a Japanese sword.

She rescues him from the discipline committee’s pursuit, and Seigo later visits her home to help with some repairs, since he is quite handy. This sparks a friendship and leads him to meet various other characters at school, pulling him deeper into the island’s everyday life.

However, this peaceful routine does not last. A man named Arima arrives on the island with plans to buy out the school grounds and build a resort hotel. The school director and vice-director begin making shady deals with him, and the destruction of the school seems inevitable, especially after one of Seigo’s friends is attacked by Arima’s henchmen and falls into a temporary coma.

After a period of despair and emotional distance, Seigo decides to fight back using his wits. Together with his friends, he formulates a plan to expose the corruption and protect both the academy and the island’s future from Arima.

The narrative follows an episodic structure, very reminiscent of older visual novels. Between these “episodes,” the opening animation plays, creating a distinct chapter-like feel as the group slowly uncovers Arima’s true motives and works toward defeating him.

There's plenty of comedy and ecchi scenes in between the main events and each character is well defined and their personal backstory is explored in detail when their specific routes begins. The game is quite long taking me 65+ hours  to complete leaving the game on auto which is a blessing because it gives the many characters of the story enough time to shine.

There are many heroines in the game:

Kanou Kayoko
The sword-wielding beauty and the main heroine. She is a cool, composed fighter with exceptional sword skills. Her past is unclear at first, but hints suggest a painful event that made her reclusive.

Hattori Aya
The “dog” of the group in personality, and affectionately so. She is energetic, cheerful, a bit airheaded and endlessly devoted to her friends. Being around her simply makes you happy.

Itou Mikoto
Seigo’s younger sister. She is frequently pouting and quick to irritation, but she has a frail constitution and hides her softness behind a cold front. She cares deeply for Seigo but works hard not to let him worry.

Shinohara Sera
A member of the discipline committee and Kayoko’s self-proclaimed rival, though Kayoko never seems to acknowledge it. She is mischievous, competitive and willing to bend the rules if it gives her a chance at an exciting challenge.

Utsumi Shizuna
Granddaughter of the island’s unofficial leader and the student council president. She is the classic ojousama character who knows little about the real world and dreams of traveling beyond the island to learn more about life.

There are also several side heroines without routes in the main game, but I heard they are given proper stories in the fandisk, which I am eager to start soon.

As for choosing a favorite heroine, I am honestly torn. Every heroine in this VN is incredibly charming, to the point where picking one feels unfair. But if I absolutely had to choose, it would come down to Aya, whose presence is pure joy, or Mikoto, whose quiet dedication and sweetness hit all the right notes for me.

Arima, as an antagonist, is also a very well developed character. He isn't inherently evil, but just follows money and is not shy of using anything he has to try and maximize his profits. However, he seems to have a code and actually backs down when he feels he got one-upped.

I absolutely recommend giving this visual novel a try. It remains one of the best experiences I have had with the medium, and it holds up beautifully even years after its release.