Hoshizora no Memoria

Hoshizora no Memoria: Wish Upon A Shooting Star (星空のメモリア-Wish upon a shooting star-) is the fifth visual novel developed by Favorite.^[1] Before the game was released, a Prologue Trial Edition was released to the public on 27 February 2009; the standard version of the game was released on 27 March 2009. A fandisk titled Hoshizora no Memoria -Eternal Heart- which contained 2 extra routes was released on 29 January 2010; both the standard game and the fandisk were sold together in Hoshizora no Memoria Complete, released 26 November 2010. Sekai Project has announced an English localization of the game.^[2]

Plot

The story begins with the protagonist, Kogasaka You, and his younger sister Chinami moving back to their hometown of Hibarigasaki. After living for several years in a city, their mother had died, and they returned to Hibarigaski to live with their aunt Shino. The game switches to a view of the past, where every day after school during the month before he left, You would go to the lookout and play with a girl, his first ever friend. Upon learning that You was moving to the city she became extremely upset, she makes a promise with him to return and marry her one-day, and kisses him on the forehead. Upon returning to Hibarigasaki years later, You stumbles into an abandoned, fenced-off lookout, whereupon he encounters a mysterious girl who looks exactly like his childhood friend did years ago. She introduces herself as Mare, and tells You that she has been waiting for him for a long time. You points out her unusual clothing and large scythe, and describes her as a shinigami, a name she takes upon herself. Later, while You is visiting Mare at the lookout, she tells him to close his eyes. When he complies, she stabs him in the chest with her scythe. While no blood is drawn or injury occurs, he forgets the name of his childhood friend, and Mare informs him that she has "reaped" his nightmare.

Meanwhile, back at school, You ends up joining the Astronomy Lover's Circle (Tenkuru), which is in desperate need of new members and has been demoted from an official club to a hobby circle. At night, he continues to visit Mare at the lookout, all the while trying to remember the name of his childhood friend.^[3]

Gameplay

Average dialogue and narrative in Hoshizora no Memoria depicting the main character You talking to Mare.

Hoshizora no Memoria is a romance visual novel in which the player assumes the role of Kogasaka You. Much of its gameplay is spent on reading the story's narrative and dialogue. The text in the game is accompanied by character sprites, which represent who You is talking to, over background art. Throughout the game, the player encounters CG artwork at certain points in the story, which take the place of the background art and character sprites. When the game is completed at least once, a gallery of the viewed CGs, played background music, and the "memory mode" which allows the player to experience to re-play the game's erotic scenes, become available in the game's album. Hoshizora no Memoria follows a branching plot line with multiple endings, and depending on the decisions that the player makes during the game, the plot will progress in a specific direction.

There are seven plot lines the player will have the chance to experience, each of them centered around You's romance with one of the girls. Throughout gameplay, the player is given multiple options to choose from, and text progression pauses at these points until a choice is made. To view all plot lines in their entirety, the player will have to replay the game multiple times and choose different choices to further the plot to an alternate direction. When first playing the game, only the scenarios for Asuho, Isuzu, and Komomo are available. To access Chinami's route, Isuzu's route must be completed, to access Kosame's route, Komomo's route must be completed. To access Yume's route, all previous routes must be completed, and to access Mare's route, Yume's route must be completed.

Main characters

Beware of spoilers below

You Kogasaka (小河坂 洋, Kogasaka You)

Voiced by: none

The protagonist of the story. After living in the city for years, he and his sister Chinami move back to their smaller hometown of Hibarigasaki. He remembers a promise he made with a girl when he was a child and now he is trying to find her. He joins the Tenkuru and gets a job working at a restaurant called the Milky Way.

Asuho Minahoshi (南星 明日歩, Minahoshi Asuho)

Voiced by: Fūri Samoto

The vice-president of the astronomy club who always seems to clash with the student council at Hibari-Kou. She is a maid waitress at the Milky Way, which is owned by her father. She has had feelings for You since she was a child but has hidden her feelings from him.

Isuzu Aoi (蒼 衣鈴, Aoi Isuzu)

Voiced by: Karin Azuma

Kogasaka's neighbor and a first year at Hibari-kou. Shy and somewhat cold, she dislikes the Kogasakas at first (even sending them death threats), however she slowly opens up and becomes friends with You and Chinami. Has an interest in tarot cards and the supernatural. She is originally from Australia and she longs for the southern starry sky in her memories.

Komomo Hisakaki (姫榊 こもも, Hisakaki Komomo)

Voiced by: Yuana Miyazawa

The elder of the Hisakaki twins and the leader of the student council. She tends to have a tsundere personality and hates the stars for unknown reasons. In the beginning she tries to get the Tenkuru abolished, and wants to recruit You in the student council. She often gets into arguments with Asuho. She is a shrine maiden at the Seitenguu, which worships a hoshigami (star god).

Kosame Hisakaki (姫榊 こさめ, Hisakaki Kosame)

Voiced by: Suzune Kusunoki

The younger of the Hisakaki twins. She has a calm and mysterious personality and often randomly takes sides in arguments. Like her sister, she is also a shrine maiden.

Chinami Kogasaka (小河坂 千波, Kogasaka Chinami)

Voiced by: Ren Minazuki (Wish upon a shooting star), Yukina Fujimori (Eternal Heart)

You's little sister. She often refers to herself as Chinami and tends to talk in 3rd person at the same time behaving in an energetic manner. Extremely childish and immature, she tends to drive her older brother crazy.

Mare S. Ephemeral

Voiced by: Mitsu Anzu

She calls herself a shinigami (the label that You gave her), and "reaps" people's nightmares. Shortly after meeting You, she stabs him with her scythe causing him to forget the name of the girl from the lookout. She resembles the girl that You met at the lookout.

Yume Ototsu (おとつ ゆめ, Ototsu Yume)

Voiced by: Soyogi Tōno

The girl that You met at the lookout. She has an illness that caused her to be sent to the city for treatment, however she returned to Hibarigasaki years later.

Minor characters

Suwa Setsuna

Voiced by: Fujiko Ito

A shrine maiden and cousin of the Hisakakis, she works for the main branch of the Seitenguu and was dispatched to Hibarigasaki in order to send off a spirit.

Haruto Okaizumi

Voiced by: Fami Aizawa

A 3rd-year student and president of the Tenkuru. He has a tendency to yell "Shiiiiiiiit!!!!" when something upsets him, which always frightens Komomo. He has a second personality named Toudou which occasionally takes over, in contrast to Haruto is very brash and has no interest in astronomy. Haruto has a goal of becoming an astronomer at NASA some day.

Souichirou Minahoshi

Voiced by: Shoto Elsa

He is the father of Asuho and owner of the Milky Way. He is the former president of the Astronomy club, and he worked as an astronomer at the Science Society before it was closed down.

Mirai Asuka

Voiced by: Tatsuya Hirai

A second-year student at Hibari-kou and friend of You's. He is the president of the Okaken (Occult Research Circle). Originally the one and only member, he and You try and recruit Chinami into their respective clubs, she ends up joining the Okaken.

Suzuha Aoi

Voiced by: Mimoe Usami

A 3rd-grader and the younger sister of Isuzu. She is very shy and is easily frightened by strangers. She is chronically ill which often causes her to miss school for long periods of time. Her parents were forced to return to Japan because her body couldn't handle Australia's harsh desert climate.

References

1. ↑ 星空のメモリア (in Japanese). Favorite. Retrieved August 5, 2015. 
2. ↑ "Sekai Project Adds Hoshizora no Memoria, KARAKARA Games". Anime News Network. February 14, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2016. 
3. ↑ "Hoshizora No Memoria". VNDB. Retrieved August 5, 2015. 

External links

• Official website (in Japanese)
• "Hoshizora no Memoria". The Visual Novel Database.