As you know, one of the things I like to do for fun is play visual novels. Uchi wa Mou, Enki Dekinai is the one I’m currently trying to complete. It follows the story of Shiiba Masashi, a high school student who ends up helping his older sister Sayaka with her eroge company, Hades Soft, after some serious resource issues put the team in a situation where they “can’t delay it any further” (hence the title).

The story plays out like a standard romantic comedy when it comes to the individual heroine routes, but it also offers an interesting peek behind the scenes at how these games are actually made, from funding to production chaos, which I found surprisingly refreshing. It’s kind of like the Shirobako of eroge, though naturally some things are exaggerated for comedic effect.

The five heroines are:

Miyamura Miku – the protagonist’s childhood friend and a new writer for the company. She’s shy and easily embarrassed (especially given the company’s “adult” theme), but she has genuine writing talent and a strong desire to grow as part of the team.

Miyamura Karin – Miku’s older sister and one of the company’s voice actresses. Playful, teasing, and confident, she has a strong “older sister” vibe both in personality and archetype, and her chemistry with the protagonist really stands out.

Sakakibara Ai – one of the illustrators and, secretly, a YouTuber who streams her art. Mischievous and a bit chaotic at times, she’s also one of the most dedicated workers in the group, making her route particularly fun to watch unfold.

Suzumoto Chisa – another illustrator who gives off the most mature, composed aura among the heroines. I haven’t formed a strong opinion of her yet since I haven’t finished her route, and she doesn’t appear as prominently in the other stories.

Shiiba Sayaka – the protagonist’s older sister, writer, and president of the company. Energetic, assertive, intelligent, and a total otaku, she’s the one who usually pushes the plot (and other characters) forward. In other routes, she often takes on a “tough mentor” role, like when she deliberately pressures Miku to help her grow as a writer.

So far, I’ve completed three routes, Miku, Karin, and Ai. Karin’s route was probably my favorite overall, but Ai’s had the strongest character development, so I’m still torn between the two. I’m currently playing through Chisa’s story, and I’m really looking forward to Sayaka’s route afterward.

She’s easily the most intriguing character personality-wise and there's still a veil of secrecy around her past with protagonist, and I’m curious to see how the writers handle the whole sibling dynamic.

As for the presentation, Karin’s voice acting deserves special mention (see the video above) it’s absolutely stellar. It always amazes me how versatile some voice actors are, able to perform completely different roles while keeping every delivery natural and believable. I’ll definitely have to look up what other projects she’s been involved in and check those out sometime.

As you can see from the various images in this post the art is genuinely gorgeous. The use of vibrant colors gives every scene so much life, and the character designs strike a perfect balance between cute and expressive without ever feeling generic.

Each heroine has a distinct visual personality that really fits her role and mood, from Miku’s soft, warm palette to Ai’s more playful and bold look. Even the backgrounds are detailed and full of charm, making it easy to get immersed in the world. It’s one of those cases where just looking at the visuals makes you want to keep playing.

Now back to reading and finishing this route I guess. I'll write more in a future post about it.