This is sixth of fifteen essays contained within the fourth issue of the Adult Analysis Anthology, a collection of longform writing that seeks to expand the breadth of critical discourse around adult games and adult game culture. If you’d like to support the creation of more high-quality writing about adult games the full anthology is available for purchase on Itch! Anthology logo by Pillow!
Written By: Kastel
I believe Amelie Doree has written some of the finest criticisms on adult visual novels. In accessible English, she integrates her queer experiences and scholarly research to discuss why erotic fiction is an authentic vehicle for artistic expression. You can see it for yourself on her YouTube channel – my personal favorite is her video on Suisenka.
But before she became a pioneering figure of our times, she was an ordinary trans woman who followed my ramblings on visual novels. While reading older visual novels and thinking about the historical conditions of their narratives, I joked on Twitter that I wouldn’t mind helping a video essayist discuss visual novels. Expecting nothing, I was surprised to see her reply on the next day, asking if I could help provide background information and translations on a then recently translated game, Dōkyūsei: Bangin’ Summer, a remake of a historically influential visual novel from the 90s. The ensuing video helped establish a long-lasting collaboration that persists to this day.
As a fellow critic, I am always curious about the way others formulate their thoughts and put them into words, especially under restrictive settings. Her answers below are a window to a mind who cares deeply about the meaning and place of adult visual novels. I hope you find them as insightful as I have.