Critics and fans consider The Fruit of Grisaia one of the greatest adult visual novels. Find out what makes it so extraordinary and learn the basics from this comprehensive overview!
The Fruit of Grisaia – Books, movies, and TV shows are windows into other worlds, often significantly different from ours. They provide a rare opportunity to escape mundane reality and become someone else. But for the longest time, one key element has been missing. That of being able to control the flow of the narrative.
Fortunately, video games have added the long-anticipated interactivity to the equation. Audiences can finally make their own choices and actually influence the course of the story. And when it comes to romantic relationships, The Fruit of Grisaia visual novel is unparalleled.
The 2011 Japanese text-based adventure has become widely successful. Its gripping plot, memorable protagonists, and wonderful art direction stood the test of time. More than a decade later, the franchise continues to thrive. It is now available on a variety of platforms and remains as relevant as ever. This introduction aims to encourage the uninitiated to step into the enchanting universe.
Find out what makes Grisaia no Kajitsu one of the greatest representatives of the niche.
The Events Take Place in Mihama Academy
What immediately sets this title apart is its intriguing premise. The events take place in Mihama Academy, presumably not far from the city of Mishima. A mysterious young man enters it, hoping to become a normal student.
As Kazami Yuuji quickly realizes, the establishment is anything but conventional. It accommodates only 6 attendees, 5 of them female, with a troubled past.
The fruits of Grisaia fell too far from the tree. Lost in life, they’ve been given a chance to turn things around. They spend most of their time on the premises, study, and lead uneventful lives. But the new arrival unavoidably stirs some commotion.
Will the freshman take interest in one of his new acquaintances? How will he influence their destiny? And does he, perhaps, have some dark secrets of his own?
General Overview
The concept was inspired by several popular romance-driven anime series. The original installment was created by Frontwing, a Tokyo-based studio that specializes in adult gaming.
It received numerous awards for its outstanding qualities:
- Casual and highly immersive gameplay that combines romance, comedy, mystery, and drama
- Branching storylines that depend on the player’s decision-making
- Enthralling script that revolves around memorable Grisaia characters and their unique backstories
- Relaxing, moderately paced slice-of-life storytelling style
- Beautiful 2D illustrations, top-notch voice acting, and outstanding sound design
Together, these features made for an unforgettable experience that set an industry standard. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from both critics and regular consumers. To this day, it holds up incredibly well, and deserves its international renown.
How to Play The Fruit of the Grisaia
The mechanics are very straightforward and require minimal involvement. Watch the story unfold in sequences of images accompanied by narration and text. Get to know the heroines, listen to the dialogue, and shape their future. Enjoy the distinctive atmosphere of the private schoolhouse, have countless conversations, and get romantically involved.
There are no timers, health bars, or stats to worry about. Nevertheless, Grisaya has an extraordinary potential for replayability, thanks to its complex routes.
Navigating them is refreshingly intuitive:
- Watch the captivating reel and choose between alternative options when they are presented
- Switch between the slides manually, or activate the convenient Auto mode
- Use the Quick Save and Load functions to try out different scenarios
Ultimately, the goal is to get intimate with one of the girls. Explore all the paths to reveal as much information as possible. Thanks to the low difficulty curve, the process is not especially demanding. But needless to say, it’s not suitable for younger players.
Fruit of Grisaia: Characters and Locations
The majority of the playthrough is set in the aforementioned Mihama Academy. The building itself, with its high sturdy walls, and a tall iron gate, looks uninviting. The interiors, on the other hand, are fairly typical.
The teenagers listen to lectures and spend their days in the following areas:
- Regular classrooms and hallways
- The principal’s office
- The dormitory management desk, where every fruit of the Grisaia can ask for assistance
- Individual dorm rooms, equipped with separate bathrooms and kitchens
- Athletic grounds, surrounded by high walls
- Dedicated bathing facilities
- The single-player campaign also incorporates flashbacks that occur in other locations altogether. They have specially-drawn backdrops, which are a nice change of pace.
Of course, the place wouldn’t be nearly as fascinating if it wasn’t for its inhabitants.
All the Grisaia no Kajitsu characters have distinctive personalities. Beware, the summary below may contain spoilers:
Kazami Yuuji
Kazami Yuuji, the male protagonist, who used to work as an operative for the government. He is intelligent, physically capable, reserved, and somewhat intimidating.
Makina Irisu
Makina Irisu, a bright-eyed first-year student, is cheerful and carefree. Despite the positive demeanor, some of her peers find her behavior off-putting. In The Labyrinth of Grisaia, Makina looks noticeably edgier, wearing knee-high boots and shades.
Sachi Komine
Sachi Komine, the class representative, goes out of her way to please others. When she doesn’t have to wear her uniform, she chooses to dress as a housemaid.
Michiru Matsushima
Michiru Matsushima always tries to appear energetic, confident, and outspoken. However, she suffers from a split-personality disorder, and is quite fearful and insecure underneath.
Yumiko Sakaki
Yumiko Sakaki may seem distant, cold, confrontational, and hard-to-please. And yet she cares about others, and strives to protect her fellow fruits of Grisaia.
Amane Suou
Amane Suou is an attractive young lady with red hair and dark-blue eyes. She often acts as a mother figure or an older sister towards her classmates.
Initially, the heroines seem to embody predictable stereotypes and tropes. But there is much more to every single one of them than meets the eye.
Routes and Endings
Overall, there are 10 finales, 2 per heroine. Seeing them all will take some time and effort. Even without taking The Labyrinth of Grisaia and consecutive chapters into consideration, that’s a lot. The overall body of content amounts to over 100 hours of playtime.
Eventually, each girl gives the user an opportunity to pick her as the main interest. These moments are relatively obvious and hard to miss. There will be one other choice that leads to either a good or bad outcome.
Keep in mind that none of them are considered canon. The sequels, as well as the Grisaia Phantom Trigger animation, don’t take them into account. Instead, they merge all the arcs into the same all-encompassing narrative. Still, enthusiasts are welcome to experiment and pick their personal favorites. Since there is no true end, they get to forge their own fates.
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What Can Players Learn from The Visual Novel
This product was created mainly for entertainment purposes. But despite its harem-like structure, it also happens to be a strong psychological drama.
By gradually revealing certain facts about the characters, it teaches a number of valuable lessons:
- Deep inside, everyone is fighting a battle that others know nothing about
- Trauma changes people in unpredictable ways
- The mechanisms of handling it are as personal as its effects
- Sharing one’s burdens can be therapeutic
- The road to recovery lies through love and understanding
Curiously, compared to the first Grisaia, Eden and other iterations alter the tone significantly. Not as character-driven, they feel more like spy thrillers with exciting twists and turns. But they are worth checking out regardless, if only to see the final resolution.
On a more practical level, the gameplay rewards patience above all else. It helps the viewer develop the ability to tune out the outside world. Those who have a short attention span could benefit from giving it a shot. Despite being long-form, the storytelling is surprisingly gripping. Additionally, since The Fruit of Grisaia English dub doesn’t exist, it’s a great linguistic exercise.
Finally, it’s a rare opportunity to gain fascinating insights into the everyday culture of Japan. Even those who have no interest in learning the language might appreciate that.
Сonclusion
In conclusion, this gem didn’t become a worldwide phenomenon for nothing. It has many admirable traits, and is a must-play for any fan of the genre. What starts out as a slow burn soon turns into a remarkable, mind-blowing ride. That said, almost every Grisaia no Kajitsu review points out that it’s not for everyone.
Those who favor proactive playstyles may find it underwhelming or not stimulating enough. Still, newcomers who are curious about the format, can’t go wrong with this modern classic.
