Your Diary (visual novel)

Your Diary

Your Diary original visual novel cover featuring (from left to right): Sayuki Ayase, Kanade Hirosaki, Yua and Yūhi Minagawa
ユアダイアリー
(Yua Daiarī)
Genre Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Game
Developer Cube
Publisher Cuffs (Windows)
Alchemist (PSP)
Genre Eroge, Visual novel
Platform Windows, PSP
Released
  • JP: September 30, 2011 (Windows)
Manga
Written by Cube
Illustrated by Sō Hamayumiba
Published by Hakusensha
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Young Animal Island
Young Animal Innocent
Original run June 29, 2012 – present
Volumes 1

Your Diary (ユアダイアリー Yua Daiarī) is a Japanese adult visual novel developed by Cube, a brand of Cuffs. It was originally released on September 30, 2011 for Microsoft Windows. Later, Alchemist ported the game without the erotic content to the PlayStation Portable. The story revolves around Tomoki Nagamine, who has feelings for an upperclassman named Sayuki Ayase. Upon receiving a diary from the library manager, he is informed by Yua that all of his happiest memories will be recorded in the diary.

The gameplay of Your Diary follows a branching plot line which offers pre-determined scenarios with courses of interaction, and focuses on the appeal of the four female main characters by the player character. The game ranked as the third best-selling bishōjo game at the time of its release. It received a manga adaptation which serialized in Hakusensha's Young Animal Island between volumes 19 and 24.

Gameplay

Average dialogue and narrative in Your Diary. Here, Tomoki is talking to Yua.

Your Diary is a romance visual novel in which the player assumes the role of Tomoki Nagamine. Much of its gameplay is spent reading the text that appears on the screen, which represents the story's narrative and dialogue. The text is accompanied by character sprites, which represent who Tomoki 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.[1] Your Diary 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 four main plot lines in the original Windows release that the player will have the chance to experience, one for each of the heroines in the story. Throughout gameplay, the player is given multiple options to choose from, and text progression pauses at these points until a choice is made.[1] Some decisions can lead the game to end prematurely and offer an alternative ending to the plot. 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. In adult versions of the game, there are scenes depicting Tomoki and a given heroine having sex.[2]

Plot

Story

Your Diary main heroines from left to right: Yūhi, Sayuki, Kanade, and Yua.

Tomoki Nagamine attempts to confess his love to an upperclassman named Sayuki Ayase;[3] however, he does not succeed in doing so, being caught off by a sad expression on her face. In the meantime, he works alongside his crush Sayuki in the library committee. One day, the library manager Misuzu gives Tomoki a diary, telling him that the book chose him. A cute girl introducing herself as Yua—who is the goddess of happiness—comes bursting out of the book, and informs Tomoki that all his happiest memories will be recorded in his diary.[3] The story mostly revolves around Tomoki interacting with the four heroines (in later versions, seven) and eventually forming a romantic relationship with one.

Main characters

Tomoki Nagamine (長峰 智希 Nagamine Tomoki)
The protagonist and playable character of Your Diary, he harbors a crush on Sayuki,[3] but is unable to express his feelings for her. Tomoki works as a member in the library committee alongside her, in hopes of coming to understand her more. He is a generally serious person, yet tends to be oblivious in terms of love, despite harboring a crush on Sayuki. Upon being given a diary, all of his happiest memories are to be written down.[3]
Yua (ゆあ)
Voiced by: Ryoko Watanabe (PC) and Yumi Shimura (PSP)
Yua, the main heroine of Your Diary, is a bubbly and energetic girl who claims to be the goddess of happiness.[4] Despite being a deity, she doesn't seem to have any special powers. She has a somewhat childish demeanor,[4] which causes her to be teased by other characters. Yua gets along with most people because of her carefree attitude and cheerfulness.
Sayuki Ayase (綾瀬 紗雪 Ayase Sayuki)
Voiced by: Cedric (PC) and Ai Shimizu (PSP)
Being the eldest member of the library committee, she acts like a big sister to everyone else, to Yua in particular.[4] Graceful and smart, Sayuki is the object of Tomoki's affections; however, he has not confessed to her, though at some point, he almost did.[3] Sayuki has a mysterious aura, and may be bearing some secrets of her own.
Yūhi Minagawa (深菜川 夕陽 Minagawa Yūhi)
Voiced by: Miyako Suzuta (PC) and Naomi Wakabayashi (PSP)
The childhood friend of Tomoki who lives above the café in which she works part-time.[4] Her mother died a few years ago, so she works with her father and a few others to keep the family business running. Yūhi is talented at cooking;[4] her homemade dessert is very popular. Like Sayuki, she has secret feelings for Tomoki, but Yūhi hides these feelings and often acts tsundere towards him.
Kanade Hirosaki (広崎 かなで Hirosaki Kanade)
Voiced by: Misono Moriya (PC) and Mayumi Yoshida (PSP)
Kanade is the younger sister of Tomoki's male friend. A first-year at school, she is extremely timid and cries often,[4] which may be the main reason she is teased. One of her hobbies is drawing memories from her past. Whilst Kanade already has a brother, she likes to think of the protagonist as a brother,[4] as he would often play games with her when she was a young child.
Kaho Enomoto (榎本 香穂 Enomoto Kaho)
Voiced by: Ui (PC) and Ayuru Ohashi (PSP)
A good friend of both Tomoki and Yūhi, and also one of their classmates, Kaho is quite popular at school,[5] especially with lesbian girls. More than anything else, Kaho likes to either participate in sports or create a commotion. In the original version of Your Diary, Kaho was a sub-character, but she was promoted to a heroine in Your Diary +.[5]
Natsuki Fujimura (藤村 奈月 Fujimura Natsuki)
Voiced by: Natsu Sawata (PC) and Misato Fukuen (PSP)
Natsuki is a friend and classmate of Kanade; something that they both share in common is their shy nature. Because Natsuki barely talks at all, and is usually emotionless,[5] it is difficult to tell what she is thinking. The most important person to her is Kanade, her only friend. In Your Diary +, she is promoted to a heroine from a sub-character.[5]
Hotori Ichinose (一ノ瀬 ほとり Ichinose Hotori)
Voiced by: Shiho Moriyasu (PC) and Yoshino Nanjo (PSP)
Added as a heroine in Your Diary +,[5] she is a dainty girl who attends the same school as Tomoki. Being good-looking and helpful, Hotori has no problem befriending others.[5] Sometimes, Hotori is a customer at the café which Yūhi works at.

Development and release

Your Diary is the second title developed by Cube. The game was planned to have fantasy elements incorporated in, unlike Cube's previous visual novel Natsu no Ame, which was thought by staff to be quite a realistic story.[6] The scenario was written by Inori Tanemura and Airu Minamoto;[7] in Your Diary + and Your Diary +H, Ryoichi Futaba assisted in writing the screenplay.[8][9] Character designs were drawn by Kantoku,[7] who is best known for his illustrations in the light novel series The "Hentai" Prince and the Stony Cat; the super deformed (SD) art was by Suimya.[7] Lastly, the game was directed by Naoto Sakura.[7]

Your Diary was first released on September 30, 2011 in limited edition for Microsoft Windows, containing the game itself and coming bundled with a soundtrack CD as an extra bonus.[10] A regular edition, with different package art, was released on July 27, 2012.[11] Alchemist released an all-ages version under the title Your Diary + for the PlayStation Portable on November 28, 2013;[12] the limited edition release comes with a maxi single.[13] Your Diary + introduces a new heroine, and two sub-characters are promoted to heroines.[5] An updated version of Your Diary + with added H-content was released for Microsoft Windows under the title Your Diary +H on May 30, 2014.[14]

Manga

A manga adaptation based on Your Diary, drawn by illustrator Sō Hamayumiba, was serialized between volumes 19 and 24 of Hakusensha's Young Animal Island sold between June 29, 2012 and September 27, 2013.[15][16] Alongside the final issue (No. 24) of Young Animal Island, a single tankōbon volume (ISBN 978-4592143444) was released under the Jets Comics imprint.[17] The manga continued serialization in volume 1 of Young Animal Innocent sold on March 19, 2014.[18] Ever Glory Publishing has licensed the manga and released a volume in Taiwanese on May 28, 2014.[19]

Music

Your Diary features music by Duca, who performs the opening theme, "Clover" (クローバー Kurōbā), and ending theme, "Colorful Diary" (カラフルDiary Karafuru Diary). Your Diary + adds "Lost Happiness" (幸せのオトシモノ Shiawase no Otoshimono) and "If I'm With You" (キミとなら Kimi to Nara). Your Diary +H employs Duca's "Wishing You" exclusively as an image song.

The game's original soundtrack titled Your's Sound Diary CD came bundled with the limited edition release of Your Diary, featuring game-size versions of the opening and ending theme.[20] A maxi single titled Your Diary + Vocal CD comes bundled with the consumer port's limited edition release,[13] containing the songs used in Your Diary +.

Reception

Your Diary +
Review score
PublicationScore
Famitsu30 / 40[21]

Your Diary ranked as the third best-selling bishōjo game at the time of its release on Getchu.com, a major redistributor of visual novel and domestic anime products.[22] During the next month, the game ranked again at twenty one out of thirty.[23] Your Diary was the twenty fourth best-selling game of the year on the website.[24] The Japanese video game magazine Famitsu reviewed Your Diary +, and gave it a total review score of 30/40 (out of the four individual review scores of 8, 8, 7, and 7).[21] Your Diary + was the 666th best selling video game of the year in Japan in 2013, with 5,726 units sold.[25]

References

  1. 1 2 Cube. Your Diary (in Japanese). Windows. Cuffs.
  2. ↑ "Your Diary ギャラリー" [Your Diary Official Website - Gallery] (in Japanese). Cube. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Push!! (in Japanese). Max. November 2011. pp. 32–39.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Your Diary キャラクター" [Your Diary Official Website - Character Profiles] (in Japanese). Cube. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dengeki G's Magazine (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. October 2013. pp. 100–101.
  6. ↑ Pasocom Paradise (in Japanese). Oaks. September 2011. pp. 4–11.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Your Diary ErogameScape－エロゲー批評空間－" [Your Diary ErogameScape - Eroge Commentary Room -] (in Japanese). Erogamescape. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Your Diary + ErogameScape－エロゲー批評空間－" [Your Diary + ErogameScape - Eroge Commentary Room -] (in Japanese). Erogamescape. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Your Diary +H ErogameScape－エロゲー批評空間－" [Your Diary +H ErogameScape - Eroge Commentary Room -] (in Japanese). Erogamescape. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Your Diary 初回版" [Your Diary First Press Edition] (in Japanese). Amazon. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Your Diary 通常版" [Your Diary Regular Edition] (in Japanese). Amazon. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Your Diary + 生産情報" [Your Diary + Official Website - Product Information] (in Japanese). Alchemist. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  13. 1 2 "Your Diary + 生産情報: 限定版" [Your Diary + Official Website - Product Information: Limited Edition] (in Japanese). Alchemist. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Your Diary +H 生産情報" [Your Diary +H Official Website - Product Information] (in Japanese). Cube. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  15. ↑ "ヤングアニマル あいらんど No.19 2012年 8/5号" [Young Animal Island No. 19 August 5 2012 Issue] (in Japanese). Amazon. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  16. ↑ "ヤングアニマル あいらんど No.24 2013年 11/4号" [Young Animal Island No. 24 November 4 2013 Issue] (in Japanese). Amazon. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Your Diary 1 (ジェッツコミックス)" [Your Diary 1 (Jets Comics)] (in Japanese). Amazon. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  18. ↑ ヤングアニマル イノセント 2014年 5/2号 [Young Animal Innocent May 2 2014 Issue] (in Japanese). Amazon. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Your diary -幸福日記- (1)" [Your diary -Diary of Happiness- (1)] (in Chinese). Ever Glory Manga. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  20. ↑ "your's Sound DiaryCD". VGMdb. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  21. 1 2 Weekly Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain (July 11, 2013).
  22. ↑ 2011年・9月セールスランキング [September 2011 Sales Ranking] (in Japanese). Getchu.com. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  23. ↑ 2011年・10月セールスランキング [October 2011 Sales Ranking] (in Japanese). Getchu.com. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  24. ↑ 2011年　ゲーム・セールスランキング [2011 Game Sales Ranking] (in Japanese). Getchu.com. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  25. ↑ ファミ通ゲーム白書2014 (in Japanese). KADOKAWA. 2014.
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