The Sad Story of Emmeline Burns

Fairly maudlin, but the tongue-in-cheek extra scene was pretty funny.

Чистая отомэ новелла, даже стиль рисовки как в старых аниме для девочек. Благо история короткая и прочитывается быстро, не успевает надоесть.

ABSOLUTE CINEMA

quite riveting for something so short! i'm fond of ghosts (the concept lol) and how it ties to stories and identities myself so story-wise this was a very welcome treat to have. a kind of biased perspective since the story deals with topics i'm already partial to but ebi-hime's writing is already quite strong in this despite this being one of the older works in the collection (albeit i do think some punches are pulled especially towards the end). particularly endeared by the ui and some of the background work: there's just something about the choppy editing of the greenery in the lake background that is so kyute to me... probably a product of my time as well; it's so hard to find something earnestly edited kyutely like that nowadays! excited to read your newer works!

The Sad Story of Emmeline Burns is a short visual novel that caught me off guard because it looks very simple at first, but there is more feeling behind it than I expected. I play as Toma Andrews, a fourteen year old girl who spends time in a graveyard because she feels more comfortable around the dead than the living. One night she meets a strange girl called Emmeline, who may actually be a ghost, and ends up listening to the story of how Emmeline died back in 1851. The whole thing has a quiet and slightly gothic atmosphere that I think suits the story really well. The writing is easily the strongest part for me. Most of the game is focused on the story, so there is a lot of dialogue and very little getting in the way. I like the way it moves between Toma's modern life and Emmeline's story because it gives me two different perspectives on the same kind of loneliness. The relationship between Emmeline and Cordelia is also where a lot of the emotional weight comes from. It is not a huge romance with loads of complicated drama, but there are some genuinely sweet moments mixed in with the sadness. The artwork is another thing I really liked. The character designs have a soft, almost storybook look to them, and the backgrounds fit the old fashioned setting nicely. The game uses a lot of pale colours and delicate details, which makes the darker parts stand out more when they arrive. I also really liked the music because it has a calm piano based sound that fits the slower pace. I did notice that some of the sound effects are a bit rough, especially the rain, but the soundtrack itself does a good job carrying the mood. The biggest issue for me is the lack of actual gameplay. This is a kinetic novel, so I am not making choices or changing the story. I am mainly reading and letting the story play out. That is completely fine for this kind of experience, but it means there is very little reason for me to replay it once I have finished. I also think some parts of the story could have been given more time to develop. There are some good ideas involving Toma, Emmeline and Cordelia, but the short length means certain moments move past quite quickly instead of letting me sit with them for longer. The short length is both a strength and a weakness. I can finish the whole thing without making a huge commitment, and I think the story benefits from not dragging itself out with filler. At the same time, I finished feeling like I had only seen a small part of what these characters could have offered. I would have liked a little more time with Emmeline and Cordelia in particular, because their relationship is easily the part I found most interesting. Still, there is something nice about a game knowing exactly what story it wants to tell and stopping before it starts repeating itself. I also think the fact that it is completely free changes how I look at the game's limitations. I am getting a full visual novel with original artwork, music, a complete story and an art gallery without having to pay anything. There are no complicated systems or unnecessary features trying to pad things out either. I can just sit down, read it and finish it in a couple of hours. For something created as a short project, I think that works in its favour and makes the experience feel more focused. Overall, The Sad Story of Emmeline Burns is a simple but surprisingly touching visual novel. I really like the atmosphere, artwork, music and especially the relationship between Emmeline and Cordelia, while the lack of choices and short length stop it from having the same depth as a larger visual novel. I would have liked more time with the characters and a little more development in some parts of the story, but I still think the game tells its small story well enough to leave an impression. For a free visual novel that only asks for a short amount of my time, I think it is worth playing when I want something quiet, sad and a little different. Rating: 7/10

Історія розповідає як важливо бути собою та не цуратися своєї індентичности, бо саме прийняття себе здатне змінити життя на краще, попри страх та сором'язливість - головна героїня демонструє, що нормально відчувати страх, коли робиш те, що ніколи не робив. навіть хоробрі люди відчувають страх, але хоробрість, це не коли ти нічого не боїшся, хоробрість, це коли попри страх та тремтіння - ти йдеш, невпевнено, але йдеш. Також воно розповідає, що важливо цінувати кожну мить і не боятись діяти і зробити те, у чому ти вагаєшся. Про що там коротко й без спойлерів: Томо - головна героїня, батько якої - покинув ще до її народження, від матері передалась звичка - тинятися по кладовищам та вивчати історію своїх померлих предків, проте один похід у кладовище в п'ятницю - назавжди змінює життя Томо. Українізація до гри непогана, локалізація гарна, хоч і не без помилок та одруківок, та вони не дуже значні.