Taimanin Yukikaze 1: Trial

Foreword

Gameplay

. . . in a nutshell

Read my article on visual novels.

out the shell. . .

A basic visual novel lacking in player agency. There are no decisions to make, other than “advance dialogue”. This “game” is not a game; rather it is more like an eBook.

. . . and yes, this is a game you can play one handed.

Story

. . . in a nutshell

Akiyama Tatsurou is a member of an elite ninja task force called Taimanin. They are responsible for beating back the dark side, a collection of demons and human criminals. He fights beside his sister Akiyama Rinko and his childhood friend, Mizuki Yukikaze. That is, until they would be separated by an undercover mission that may very well rob his companions of life or worse.

out the shell. . . (with spoilers!)

Japan is overrun with demons, visitors from the Dark Side. Criminal scum have joined with the demons, creating powerful evil syndicates. To stop their reign on the city, Japan’s government founded the an organization of ninjas known as the Taimanin. All Taimanin have a special ability (called a ninpo)

With the setting established, let’s get into the meat of the story.

Akiyama Tatsurou, a novice ninja, is joined by Akiyama Rinko and Mizuki Yukikaze, a pair of veteran Taimanin. Rinko has to power to teleport, or what she calls shifting through space. She shifts everyone inside a nearby building, where she and Mizuki dispatch a small army of demon sympathizers. Tatsurou does absolutely nothing. They encounter Yazaki Muneichi, a corrupt politician. He explains that Japan is a dog-eat-dog country, and he’s simply making his living.

Fast forward a few days.

Tatsurou and friends are at Gosha Acadamy, a hidden school/village to protect and train all Tatsurou. They are to meet Asagi, chief commander of the Tatsurou. She is impressed by their recent mission, and offers Mizuki and Rinko a new mission; Tatsurou will not participate in this mission. In this mission, Mizuki and Rinko are to go undercover, dramatically altering their identity to infiltrate Yomihara. Yomihara lies underground, a major stronghold of the Dark Side. Five years ago, Mizuki Shiranui, Yukikaze’s mother, went missing in Yomihara; this is a rescue mission. There are two types of woman that exist in Yomihara, prostitutes and slaves. Asagi informs them that they will pose as prostitutes.

Oh boy. I see where this is heading.

After being rejected by Asagi, Tatsurou sulks in his favorite meadow. He reveals that he has no powers (or ninpo), and he hates himself for being a grossly inferior Tatsurou when compared to his girl friends. His lament is interrupted by Mizuki. She tries to cheer him up, which eventually leads into a make-out session. Tatsurou informs her that he has decided to attend Special Camp, a elite training curriculum that is held once a year. They decide to go out for a bite at Mizuki’s favorite cafe.

Fast forward a week later.

Wombat Talks!
I really, really like Mizuki. She’s the sort that doesn’t take “no” for an answer — though I’m not keen to anger, I find her confronting personality to be attractive. Her tan skin and flat chest are well up my ally — mmph!

Rinko summons Tatsurou. She’s under the impression that he and Mizuki have fallen in love (and had sex), and she’s ecstatic — however, that’s not the reason that she requires Tatsurou. Without beating around the bush, she asks him to take her virginity. He declines, and explains that he and Mizuki did not engage in sexual intercourse. Rinko loses interest in losing her virginity, but she is delighted to know that Tatsurou would take her if asked in the future.

Fast forward to the day Mizuki and Rinko part for the mission.

Mizuki declares her love for Tatsurou, and she demands another kiss from him before she leaves. They embrace, and as she departs the game abruptly ends — signaling the end of the trial.

Visuals

I found the titlescreen attractive, though seemingly off-centered. From the “Menu” button, you may a variety of audio, display, graphical, and language preferences. You may review unlocked CGs from the “Gallery”, accessible from the main menu and from within the “Menu” dialogue. The application cannot be fullscreened from the titlescreen; you must hit the appropriate key from in-game. Anytime you bring up the “Menu” menu, the application will break fullscreen. Though the application can be fullscreened, the actual game is rendered in a 4:3 aspect ratio.

The Goods

There are strong sexual themes that occur between the protagonists. One of the characters has a see-through outfit, but there is no full nudity or uncensored sexual content.

. . . expect male-on-female sexual themes.

Verdict

I definitely recommend this game. Though the English leaves something to be desired, I found myself interested in the male lead and his love interest — this is abnormal. The game ends abruptly, but it’s important to note that this software is a free trial. You can’t go wrong with free, and this if this visual novel seems to be a great entry point into the Taimanin Yukikaze universe.