Sakuranomori Dreamers

Sakuranomori Dreamers

Soon after after graduating to grade two of high school, Shinji Fukigami saw a spirit. He had seen her before, but didn’t know her name, and of course hadn’t talked with her before. She was a student in his class.

Why had she died? What happened?

Even if she couldn’t speak in words, she could show him what happened. The thing that laid it’s hands on her was a monster in the skin of a human, a “bodach.”

From the beginning of that incident, the town that Shinji lived in, “Sakura no Mori,” was the stage of repeated incidents. The only ones who could stop this tragedy were themselves. Shinji and his friends got entangled with the supernatural.

The stage of the battle was in dreams. In that deep place, the monsters lurked there inside humans.

To protect their town. To protect the people they love. Sakura no Mori Dreamers went forth to battle the unknown.

52 comments on “Sakuranomori Dreamers

  1. Just a PSA for whoever hasn’t played this yet: Kureha is the only route that lets you get the true end. Picking the other heroines ends the game early.

    Not sure why the devs made a dumb decision like this but whatever. Overall this VN was okay-ish. Started out strong, but loses momentum. Worth a play, but don’t get your hopes up too high because the end is a mess in all circumstances. The killer’s motives half didn’t make sense and half just contradicts itself. Super unsatisfying endings.

  2. Oh man, as soon as MC took off before her on his bike I knew exactly what was gonna happen D:

    Can’t wait to get her route when part 2 is translated.

    Thanks Admin!

  3. What a waste of time this was. I managed to force myself to finish Kureha’s an Mifuyu’s “story”, but that was enough for me to hit the delete button.

    There are no character routes. The common route takes up up to 70-90% of the whole game depending on which girl you’re going for, with the rest so short and lacking, it might as well not be there. I should have known not to expect much after seeing Moonstone Cherry releases, but I’ve played nukige several orders of magnitude more interesting than this.

    Glad I didn’t blow 45 dollars on this, because it isn’t worth 10.

  4. Part 2 of this game is a must have to be translated so buy to support the game~!
    Part 2 has also a harem ending, along from having Madoka route!

  5. not a bad read so far, but i am not crazy about the characters . they all kinda got a boring personality i mean the only defining characteristics they have are lab coat, kimono, brother complex etc. not very well developed characters anyways. my opinion may change by the end, but i’m near the end of the common route from what i can tell so all that’s left after that is mainly different girls routes from what i can tell. I do like the murder suspense type stuff even though some of it’s not very well done either. its refreshing to have something a little different then the same ole predictable slice of life drama. hopefully part 2 will be much better since get a Madoka route on it. I will probably buy to support them when i get a chance since it is a little different and i certainly want more unique VNs to be released that don’t follow the same basic formula as so many previous entries have.

  6. Anyone can get in Mahoro’s route? I’ve selected all choices with Mahoro (from begin till the end) but at chapter 10, when i chose come along with her, the next sence is Hatsune’s. Im I wrong at somewhere? Need a help, tks u!

    1. Did u also get her choice in chapter 3?
      I didnt read Mahoro yet (atm done Hatsune, Kureha) and atm im reading Mifuyu. To get into her route i had to make all choices for her from ch3 so maybe Mahoro has the same thing.
      If u did that then uff sry wouldnt know D:

      1. I’ve reload and choose (Stay) instead (Leave) when we was in the Forza Restaurant (after the chief arc), and then i get in Mahoro’s route after that 😀 idk the meaning of that choice (becuz we go to the restaurant with Kureha, not Mahoro) but it’s worked.

        1. Well since i did choose stay on my 1. run anyway it didnt rly affect me. Just started my last route which is Mahoro and by going from ch3 choice i ended in her route without problems.

  7. The qualtity decreases after the common route where you pick the heroines, its not that bad, but not fullfilling, I suggest you guys wait for the Part 2 of this game cuz the only interesting route is Madoka’s which is not present here.

    1. I know it’s ironic seeing as we’re on ErogeDL but I hope this game sells well so they localise the second part.
      Haven’t played this yet but if the 2nd one is better then let’s wait for its localisation.

      1. I pirated for a while though, but a got a stable work now that’s why i bought this game just to support them, hopefully the second part will be localized or this will be a hell of a cliffhanger for me, Madoka is the only route that passes the best with the Story, Im not saying the other routes are bad just not that good.

        1. Madoka is main heroine and the whole story is for her and Shinji so after ch10 final it was like “gimme a Madoka route!”
          I managed to read my 1. route Hatsune and atm 2. Kureha and holy only 5min into both route confession x.x
          Feels like Madoka was never rly there and the whole griefing aspect or other stuff is kinda left out.
          The route itself wasnt bad but yeah D:
          Also brought the game and rly hope MG will deliver the 2. game alone for Madokas route.

          1. Yup, that made it a little bit boring, I didn’t state here about the instant confesions cuz Im trying to avoid giving to much spoilers. Would buy the part 2 instantly just for Madoka, I don’t care if the ending of her route is sad or bitter sweet, i just want to know what really happened to her after the common route, and how they progressed their relationship if she’s a Ghost, hopefully it sells well.

  8. My Heart broke during the 1st 30 min. but Im loving this, The Story is interesting, Hopefully it won’t disappoint cuz I Literally bought this game from Mangagamer to support them.

    Is anyone finished with this game?.. Does Madoka has a route??.. or she just stays as a supporting char.?.. tnx

    1. As far i know Madoka has a route in the 2. game (im currently in ch 8 which should be very close to the end of the common route.
      Personally i hope she got one in the 1. game but in the 2. game she has one for sure.

      1. I kinda scanned through the cgs without focusing too much to avoid spoilers, but sadly no she’s just a supporting char. here, I didn’t even know there’s a sequel, so this game is incomplete or the 2nd one is like the complete edition?.. tnx

        1. Well acording to the summary on vndb the 2. game plays in the 2. semester after summer break and has a main focus on a Common route if u didnt choose a heroine and a Madoka route.
          Madoka route is what im most interested in personally (didnt read any heroine route so far) bc she is supposed to be dead etc.

          1. So that means they just added a new route and maybe some new Dialogues and Cg’s?.. hmmh.. But buying the game again at Full price in the future with only 1 route added is like a money grab.. but still maybe I’ll buy it for the sake of Madoka’s route, she’s like the only Heroine that Im interested too. Gonna start the routes, I think Im at the end of the common route.. Tnx again btw

          2. But still it will be an interesting read on how her Story goes, I mean she’s dead and all.. Im already sensing a bitter sweet ending but that’s already given though with that Prologue.

  9. whts shocking fr me about this is tht it comes frm the devs tht gave us VN’s like imoutou paradise
    never thought these guys would go try the dark side of VN’s

  10. Thanks for the fast upload as always Admin. For people wondering, this vn is a Mystery-plot focused VN. Pretty good in of itself. However after the common route, When going into individual routes there is a noticeable drop in quality. Veterans might enjoy this less as well but over all, it’s a good read.

      1. It has gore and stuff like that, according to vndb it has long bad endings but it doesn’t say it only has bad endings so just avoid picking the wrong decisions if you don’t want to se anything fuck up happen to the heroines, it also has Unavoidable Death of Heroine but i think thats a given i mean the power of the guy is seeing ghosts you know they will pull a sixth sense on you and you can already tell who it is after reading like 30 mins, you know a VN called 11 Eyes? if you do is kind of the same a lot of fuck up stuff happen hell even one of the heroines is a ghost and it has bad endings but it also has happy ones, so earch for walkthrough if you want to avoid any of that stuff

        1. In vndb I saw an avoidable death tag, not an unavoidable one so I guess it can be prevented. Bad endings don’t bother me unless there are only bad endings. If a story has a happy ending, all is okay for me. The one thing I hate is utsuge. I gave Bokuten a try and the endings for the side heroines were really messed up for my tastes so I was forced to drop it. But Muv Luv even though it was an utsuge it had an amazing ending and story telling so it became one of my favourites of all time. I went off a tangent there, so I’ll play this and give my impressions after completing it (hope it’s a good one and nothing bad happens to the heroines)

      2. Also and this is probably the most important unlike nanario reincarnation this is not a nakige so not shoving sad stuff down your throat to make your cry

    1. Doesn’t seem that bad to me, but hey, I played Euphoria until act 2, and I actually love Saya no Uta despite everything.

      1. I also loved Saya no Uta and darker stories in general so I have high hopes for this. Considering buying it but you never know if you’ll like it until you try it…

        1. If you decide to read this, have fun!!
          This one seems great.
          I’m actually replaying Saya no Uta, ffs it’s still amazing. The atmosphere, voice acting, art and soundtrack are top notch.

        1. What’s up T?
          How are you enjoying the more grim scenarios?
          I’m quite fond of them. Stories feel more real if they are dark.. that came out a bit depressing.
          Well overly forced tragic events can fell shallow as well but for a story where you basically build your characters just to inhabit their world for the duration of said story, i find bad ends to be quite fitting.
          Persona 3 or devilman crybaby come to mind.

          1. Hey sorry for the late reply, I was kind of out of it, been playing Saya no Uta again and a game called Hypnospace Outlaw – it’s cool as hell.

            I haven’t read that many grimdark VNs yet, but the ones I’ve read were good. I couldn’t get past the second act of Euphoria though because it was nonsensical.
            Been thinking of getting this one.

            I agree that grim scenarios makes things more realistic, because not everything is flowers and unicorns. In fact that is one of the reasons I need to read Family Project to completion, I heard it’s a classic utsuge. From the little I’ve seen of it it’s relatable.
            Like you said, if there’s too much drama with no explanation it can come across as forced. I haven’t come across that yet. At least not in the case of visual novels.
            Bad endings can be really well written. In fact I consider some of them canon. Like the ones in Saya no Uta – there’s a true ending and 2 other endings.

            My best friend is a fan of SMT and Persona. By the way, there’s a fan translation of Majin Tensei II now (it’s an older game from the Megaten series). Grab it if you want 😀

        2. End of the line for the reply chain again.
          I liked Saya no uta in a way. It ain’t a bad example for the kind of bad end / tragedy i like in stories. However overall it didn’t really stick with me. It had some lovecraftian vibes and the theme of being torn between 2 questionable realities, which i really like, however it fell short on some very basic things, if i remember correctly.
          Btw. if you are into the alien outerspace horror thing, as a means to push character to their limits, watch “the color out of space”, lovecraft short story that got made into a movie this year, featuring nicolas cage weirdly enough, yet still very good. Best lovecraft adaption to date imho.
          Persona 3 (and to a degree steins gate 0) are the best examples of grim realities that enrich a story i’d say. Though persona 3 really got me depressed for quite a while (it deals with the topic of death throughout the whole game and in the end the main character suffers a very tragic death).
          Last game i remember which really overplayed the drama was tricolor love story, available on steam – with a terrible translation. That was not a bad vn, but the drama was really really overdone, full on asian soap opera style (abusive parents, love triangle, school bullying that borderlines rape, undecided main char that hurts the other chars… list goes on). Stuff like euphoria also isn’t for me, like with the asian drama shows it’s all just to focused on the suffering. It’s not in it to enrich a story, it is the story, and in most cases this does not make a good story.

          1. Long comment incoming. Sorry everyone. We should probably talk elsewhere.

            Thank you for that recommendation. I’ll check it out eventually. Speaking about Nicolas Cage, there’s that cheesy movie he made, City of Angels, which is a remake of Wings of Desire, which is actually good. I wholeheartedly recommend WoD but it’s not for everyone.

            Sakuranomori Dreamers seems pretty cool. Hell I have a shit ton of VNs installed but I don’t know what to play after I finish SnU.

            Yeah, the best thing about Saya no Uta for me, is the atmosphere. The music contributes to it a lot, as well as the art. I haven’t seen another VN with that kind of feeling. I don’t think it’s a perfect game though. I gave it a 7 or 7.5 on VNDB.
            What you said about the 2 realities is true. That’s one of the most interesting things about it. As well as the Lovecraftian themes (I need to read more Lovecraft!)

            I am into stories where the characters slowly lose their minds. I know about the term denpa, but not much about what it means. Highly recommend the film Jacob’s Ladder – I see it as a metaphor for mental illness and find it highly relatable.

            Well, I was thinking of reading Euphoria again. I really hated act 2 so I left it unfinished, but the hype surrounding the game is so big. Same with SubaHibi, I despised what I read but perhaps my mindset was different then. Doesn’t help that there a gazillion of obscure references and it’s heralded as one of the great philosophical VNs.

            Euphoria is absolutely focused on suffering. The MC is a sadist and I don’t know how that can be excused but !spoiler! apparently it is. I actually heard that in act 2 there are bigger themes like !spoiler! love but I couldn’t be arsed to finish it. It becomes ridiculous and my suspension of disbelief can only be stretched so much…

            I went with Euphoria because of its infamy as one of the most fucked up eroge, and because of the “Battle Royale” trapped scenario. I love Battle Royale so I decided to give it a try after all. The game is 98% fetish porn. I chose the route that is “consensual” if that makes sense. That’s probably why I actually had the courage to read it for some 10 hours. It also helps that I am used to fetishes at this point so I wasn’t too disgusted. I’ve been on the Internet for 15 years at this point, you get to find some weird stuff.

            There is a boys’ love game called Room no.9 which I heard is basically the gay counterpart of Euphoria. I would probably like it more – at least the guys are hot.

            BTW if you enjoy trapped scenarios, you should watch Cube 1 (skip the sequels, they’re awful).

            Dramatic stories with a lot of suffering can be done well, for example, Lilya 4-ever – which is one of my favourite films and is based on a real story to boot. I actually like to cry with media.

            But most of the time, they just inject drama for no reason, or do it in an implausible way. Especially if the writers don’t have much experience with the topic at hand. For example, drug storylines. You can notice if the writer has never taken drugs before, or at least the drug that is being mentioned. The worst case of this is the book Go Ask Alice. The VN LEAVEs has a bit of implausibility in regards to this theme.

            You said in a comment about Making Lovers, that sometimes it seems like VN writers don’t have experience with dating or even socialising with women, and that sounds true. That’s why I loved IMMHW. At least in Kotori’s route, the romance is so natural, and everything is realistic. It could all happen in real life.

            !IMMHW H-SCENE SPOILER! Kotori is sexually innocent but it could be explained as her being sheltered, and it being Japan, they don’t talk about sex too much. Well, I grew up a conservative household, but I had access to information. Although… there is something that doesn’t add up, like how she knows how to give a BJ but doesn’t know what masturbation is. The comedic scenes in IMMHW aren’t annoying, and the conflicts aren’t too forced. I wish there was more of that. Though to be fair, I haven’t seen all the routes yet.

            You know the British teen show Skins? I have a lot of gripes with it, mostly because it makes me feel bad about myself (sometimes it seems like a show for hedonists with a big social circle). One of my biggest complaints is that there was unnecessary drama (like a love triangle), deaths coming out of nowhere, and they changed the personality and appearance of my favourite characters for no reason.

            Asian dramas, well I haven’t seen many as I said to d d before. I know that for the most part they’re formulaic. I think Mexican and Brazilian soap operas would probably win in the melodrama department though. I’m Brazilian and our soap operas are all the same – poor vs rich, deaths, lame romance, etc.

            I have a bigger tolerance for grimdark now, more than I had before. When I saw Requiem for a Dream for the first time, I couldn’t stop shaking. Now I even watched Salò. It is based on Marquis de Sade’s writing – and I found myself “liking” it because of its supposed political and philosophical allegories (which make sense), and seeing as it is a film and not a VN where you are put in a protagonist’s shoes, you can distance yourself from the heinous acts that are being committed, at least in a way. I felt that.

            Whereas with Euphoria, I hated myself for playing it because the protagonist is such a sadist, and with SubaHibi, Takuji repulsed me so much that I couldn’t go on. I tend to relate to protagonists in the media I consume (or other characters). I don’t like when they’re evil. In the case of Salò, the bad guys were clearly meant to be villains and you weren’t supposed to sympathise with them – if you do, then you have serious issues.

            Salò actually surprised me. It took me years to find courage to watch it properly. I finally bit the bullet after I talked to several people who listed it as their favourite film ever. I was curious because it’s so controversial. It must mean something when I wasn’t even that shocked. I am probably far off the deep end now. What happens is bad, of course, but there are scenes that are almost comical in nature. It also features real life people instead of drawings and that may harder to stomach. Strange experience overall. I will never see it again.

            Like I said, I have friends who love Persona. I’ve been putting off on playing it for a long time because I wanted to start with the older Megaten. I actually have a PS2 but it’s not working right. I’ll probably emulate it somehow. I heard that Atlus games tend to explore some interesting themes. Catherine even has a trans character. I really should play Persona. I’ll probably begin with the first one (Revelations) after all. I already have a ROM here.

            Tricolour Lovestory – I thought of playing that one, or Gaokao Love 100 Days. I have some interest in traditional Chinese culture (as well as Hong Kong culture). I have been playing a game called Chinese Parents. It’s kind of repetitive but it gives you more insight on how the Chinese raise their kids and the pressures that Asians face.
            So, yeah, I wanted to try out Tricolour but I saw that the translation was really awkward and I gave up on that idea.

            Oh, the undecided MC who hurts others reminds me of School Days. I have a love/hate relationship with that shit. Most people agree that Makoto is an asshole but I don’t see him in that way necessarily. He’s indecisive, as the game pushes you to start a love triangle. He can be an absolute jerk depending on the route. The bad endings are entertaining but I prefer focusing in one girl as much as possible. In Shiny Days he can do something really to Setsuna (best girl) and that pissed me off. The Days series is a parody of harem BS but at the same time you wonder what’s going on with 0verflow. Their works are all interconnected and one of the MCs has a gigantic family tree where it is revealed that he impregnated his daughters, cousins, IDK… it’s fucking odd.

            Really good to talk to you.

          2. Oh, and yes, suffering/drama needs to have a purpose in the story. Like everything else. Sometimes I feel inclined to write my own thing. You should write if you don’t.

          3. Seems like I made some mistakes when writing the first comment. I meant that Makoto from School/Shiny Days does something really bad in a certain route. I think the number one reason for me to play this crap is because it’s animated, as it doesn’t have much merits. I used to like it more but it has many flaws. Can’t believe I still half-assedly defend it. I will never hate Setsuna, though as she is too cute.

            TVTropes is really good for listing common tropes from anime, manga and other media. It will ruin your life though, because you’ll read articles for hours.

            I don’t know why my curiosity leads me to disturbing works. I guess it’s because I want to be challenged somehow. I also want to acquire more knowledge and experiences in general.

            I want to see how far people (even fictional ones) can go.
            How bad the world can be.
            It’s like a philosophical question.
            I’ve gone through a lot of awful experiences, perhaps I am looking for a way, subconsciously, to rationalise it all. (Does that even make sense?)
            That’s why I love drama films. Usually independent ones.
            For example, I can’t stand scenes with bullying because it hits too close to home and makes my stomach churn. I suffered a lot of bullying and verbal/psychological abuse and still do. It took me strength to be able to watch Koe no Katachi. I couldn’t stop crying, especially at the beginning.

            A question that will never be answered: why does the audience enjoy extreme content?
            For me, at least, it’s not sadism. I’m not a nihilist or cynic either but I enjoy those themes. I’ve dealt with depression, anxiety and nightmares for years now. Sometimes I can’t even discern whether I am still alive or not. These works make me introspective about my own situation. (Again, Jacob’s Ladder is essential viewing!!!)

            And why do the creators make extreme content? Are they crazy?

            I guess I want the entertainment I consume to have a point. That’s why I don’t watch reality shows or inane BS 99% of the time. If it doesn’t have a point, I want to at least be able to think about it, enjoy it somehow, IDK. If it’s meant to be experimental I will excuse the lack of plot, characterisation, etc. I am a huge fan of Tetsuo: The Iron Man and Pinocchio 964. They have almost no plot, and no meaning. Both are an assault on the senses and it’s awesome.

            The film that made me feel like I wasted my time but will never leave my mind is Ken Park. It’s another one that I was drawn to due to controversy surrounding its contents. The other famous work by Larry Clark, Kids, had a clear reason for existing (it’s about misguided youth, AIDS and hedonism) but Ken Park has no purpose.

            The story is random and nonsensical, the characters unlikeable, but it’s not… bad, at the end of it all. There is so much worse out there. This one is just a story about fucked up people. Although I may somewhat biased because I’m attracted to one of the actors.

            I just want to be moved… I want to feel something when consuming media. And I am usually very picky. I read reviews first.

            I am not afraid of tuning out if I despise something. Like Disney Star Wars. That was so insulting.

          4. Hey T,
            yeah we are hitting the limits of what can be discussed in such a format here. Let’s try to use the actual forum-function. Write me a PM over the forum (name is revvo there as well) and we can talk more in depth without losing track of half the topics.
            What you are describing about your interest in peoples limits and your own negative experiences is actually part of the common curriculum for any kind of therapy/psychology. There are some theories about that like the brain searching for known patterns or even about your psyche trying to recreate traumatic experiences to find a way to solve/resolve those scenarios. It’s not unnatural for people to try to re-traumatize themselves. Surely this is also true for negative yet non-traumatic-experiences. I think my interest in horror has some common ground with that, although it might hold a different function for me as well. My fears are rather mhhh “disembodied” (?) / non specific / abstract (can’t really find the right word right now) and horror focuses them into something tangible.
            Funny you mention school days, i have a love hate thing for that as well, although hate is probably stronger. I think it is almost an unintended masterpiece. School days to me is what would happen if a weak/soulless vn MC, who is instantly loved by everybody, would get inserted into reality. He would just get with everybody and everything would end in a psychotic mess. I love School days for that, eventhough i think it fits the “needless drama”-category i complained about (which is why i hate it as well).
            I get what you write about evil MCs as well. i’m also not good with those who are just sadistic or rapists or fat stepsons wronged by society who now hypnotize their step-mothers/sisters to…. you know how those stories go. On the other hand i can enjoy villain characters. Since you already went pretty old-school let me mention the vn “kingdom” for example. There is a route where you need to decide between a succubus and a priestress trying to save you. The demon route does not end well for said priestress and the lot of humanity, but i could enjoy that story quite a bit – comparable to saya.
            Anyways try to send me a PM through the actual forum so we can discuss in more orderly fashion – also let me know if it didn’t work.
            regards!

          5. Yo T, did you ever read this? or are you ghosting me? or did corona get you? Anyways i did not get any messages if you tried to send them. So ring me u.. no.. type? type me up?.. you know what i mean..

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