White Album | A Bittersweet Adult Romance Drama!

White Album 2 is known as a romance masterpiece; one of the highest-rated visual novels of all time.
But what about the first one-White Album ?
I’m going to take a look at this classic bittersweet drama in this beloved franchise-and why not many people see it with high regard…
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[@EbullientSMP]

White Album is a game I've really wanted to check out because of its historical contributions to Leaf and general completionist mindset (I wanted to check it out before the second game) and while it does have a few problems, namely the tedious clicking, I do think it's still a very nice experience and drama. I think Touya as a protagonist works better in some routes than others, with Rina being the overall best balance of them all IMO. Great video!

[@shikhahalder4708]

When are you going to upload your next video?

[@TheAugustHail]

Yeah, I may have complained a bit but out of all of the VNs I've read, but White Album has much more staying power for impact.

[@deckyfx2188]

If we put aside other heroines and limit the topic to Toya, Yuki, and Rina, White Album's main theme is actually pretty interesting it is a choice between Love and Dream. as explained, Yuki and Toya are both torn by that choice. Yuki is pressured by her job to put aside her Love life if she wants to shine even brighter as an Idol, and Toya always has an inferiority complex where he always questions himself, does he become a shackle for Yuki's dream to be an Idol, he always thought is it better if he just let Yuki soar high? this alone is pretty interesting, but putting Rina in it makes it more interesting, IIRC, Rina's theme basically is she doesn't hesitate to drop her career to be able to get together with Toya which is in stark contrast to Yuki who always hesitates

[@TheAugustHail]

Yeah you're correct in what Rina does at the end. And that was like the biggest "oh damn" moment for me in her route. A certain line lives free in my head "It was Yuki's first album, and it was Rina's last album..." There's that bittersweet feeling knowing that Yuki is able to pursue her dream, because Touya let her go. There's that trace of feeling that he still loves her, despite loving someone else in every route but hers

[@justsesamestreet1238]

Let’s go! White album 1 was the first vn I’ve ever fully read and while yeah it’s flawed, it got me to find this gold mine of a channel.

[@paduls]

theres no other channel out there like this man, its perfect. im relatively new to visual novels, got into them because I finished the Utawererumono trilogy and had to find stuff to branch out. Entire channel has given me some gems to feel comfortable about

[@TalkingAboutGames]

Thank you for this video. White Album is much deeper than most people realize. (SOME SPOILERS AHEAD) In the case of Touya, it shows how a single childhood traumatic event, could colour your perception and understanding of romantic relationships between men and women. His infideility routes are a clear sign of a damaged individual, struggling to do better, but messing up, just because he feels inferior as a man, or at least not as "big" as the stuff that is happening around him, and in Yuki's life. In the case of Yayoi, she gives some major hints as to what she truly feels; everytime she seems to reach the pinnacle of indifference, her hands communicate a completely different thing (yes, I am talking about those moments). And when she seems downright hostile and cold, there is an amazing, paradoxical reason for that; every single person she has loved in the past, disappears or fades away from her life, so by trying to keep emotional distance from the main character, that is her way of trying to keep him around. Because she knows that the moment she shows "true affection", like a curse or a hex, he will simply just fade away from her life... A lot of subtly emotionally scarred characters in this one 😅

[@TheAugustHail]

There's an understated part to Touya's backstory that I've always wondered. That is, if Touya really loved Yuki when she initially asked him out. It always was sitting in the back of my mind that he might have been going with the flow.. As for Yayoi, the writer really liked to make it ambiguous with her. However the scene with Yayoi faking smoking caught me attention immediately

[@TalkingAboutGames]

That's true, those are some good points! I knew a guy back in college, that had some deep seated emotional problems; so when the opportunity to date or even go steady with someone would present itself, he would automatically take it, no matter who it was. And that thing would never last, he would constantly break up, and repeat the pattern. In the case of Touya, perhaps he just went with Yuki for similar reasons, as a subconscious way of trying to "heal himself". As to Yayoi, definitely, it's all in the gestures and the hands. I remember this was also well represented in the anime, when she would talk casually to Touya while robotically embracing him, but the moment he hints at stopping the affair, you can see her hand suddenly clinging to him like and eagle's claw; or when she was looking for him as she was having trouble with the stalker, while trying not to show vulnerability; or how her eyes lingered on him for the longest time at the end, after making it "clear" that she didn't love him. She might actually be my favorite character, just because of her ambiguous personality. @@TheAugustHail

[@helmutthat8331]

The main problem with the "who do you want to talk to today?" format in a common route, is that the scenes have to be disposable. You could just jam one heroines' scenes back to back to back (which is how I played Majokoi, Da Capo, etc.) but the writer cannot count on a player doing that. Which means that there cannot be remarks the MC makes to the heroine later in her route referencing scenes that are skip-able, as it wouldn't make sense for someone to reference a scene that never happened in the playthrough. A good example of this is in the Tsukihime remake, where you can decide to have lunch with Ciel every day in the first week, or skip all of those lunch scenes with her. Which means that at the end of the Arcuied route Shiki remarks "I'm going to miss eating lunch with you, Senpai." And my reaction was "YOU ATE LUNCH WITH HER ONCE!", as I skipped those scenes. This means that all the common route scenes are essentially generic, disposable, slice-of-life vanilla where yes, you can build character, but nothing crucial to the plot, themes, or setting can happen.

[@nayuta_23]

I played White Album long ago. One of the first visual novels I ever played and I liked it quite a lot. Mana's route ending broke me... damn this made me sad. I planned to play White Album 2 ever since then (I own the game) but never played it through.

[@AkiyaA2]

Just finished White Album myself, loved it and great review! Coming to it from White Album 2 (my favourite thing ever) I was mainly looking forward to experiencing its roots and it really made me love it all the more despite its faults. In a way it delivered on exactly what made me fall in love with 2 so much, but just to a more awkward and less developed degree, so seeing these stepping stones that paved the way to it just made it hit all the harder, seeing the original love triangle in particular. Also great to hear some Kisa love, saved it for last as the remake exclusive and absolutely adored the dynamic between her and Touya, great one to close it out after Rina's. P.S. Can confirm, still emotionally destroyed coming on 2 years later, hope you enjoy when you get to it!!

[@Shazbut0191]

Never played it but the soundtrack is glorious. I listen to it often

[@daktozo]

I just wanted to drop by and say: I love your content, keep it up!!

[@TheAugustHail]

Many thanks~!

[@iceofblizzard]

Great video! I can totally see how the dating sim elements could be tedious and get in the way of the experience. I really appreciate how you evaluate the good and the bad of White Album. I remember watching White Album 2 several years ago, and feeling quite distraught in the aftermath, so I'm sure I'll be in for some suffering when I get to the visual novel. Nevertheless, its incredible ratings should hopefully entail an unforgettable experience. I was on the fence about getting White Album, due to having plenty of other visual novels I'd plan to read before it (I'm very new to the genre), but your verdict has, like with other visual novels, persuaded me that it is worth it. So thanks for that :) I'm new to the community, and highly anticipate your future videos as you have already significantly increased my anticipation for more visual novels, that I am looking forward to picking up during the winter sales. Keep up the great work!

[@Christopherjazzcat]

Tell the people who matter in your life that you love them, and hold them close while you still can. Stock up on comfort food, tissues, and make sure you're hydrated. ...Maybe then you might be ready to try to read White Album 2. Though it's hard to see the screen through all of the tears. I'm eventually going to go back and play White Album, I just don't know when I'll be ready to have my heart ripped out again.

[@millasgameroom]

so glad to see you review this! Completely agree regarding the dating sim aspects - removing them entirely would make the game even better as it'll be a lot less of a chore. Reminds me a lot of Jack Jeanne (an otome game localised this year) in that regard. I really hope you enjoy White Album 2 when you get to it (and given the various hints and reveals Aquaplus are dropping as of late, an official localisation will likely happen very soon 👀).

[@TheAugustHail]

Yup, I'm going to be super excited when White Album 2 comes out! On another note, I've been actually interested in Jack Jeanne for a while, how is it?

[@Globlight18]

Man my backlog is already growing bigger and bigger! Thanks for the review! I remember watching the anime way back then and not liking it but hoping the VN will change my mind

[@TheAugustHail]

I heard the anim was a real mixed bag, so this should clear things up~

[@Valllefor]

Both white albums where for me were such a ride. The rollercoster of emotions on those vns are amazing. Sometimes the actions of the characters are hard to read/watch, but you can also be empatic for the situation, leaving you, the reader with a complex array of emotions. I love both games for that, even if they (espeacly the first one) have some flaws

[@TheAugustHail]

I think them having really deeply rooted flaws just makes them more believable, especially if you acknowledge that you have traces of them within you

[@enzokenzakifunniestvideos299]

0:15 i did not expect Nana Mizuki voice this girl

[@Zorin1]

This game is infinitely better with a guide. Kinda bittersweet that the best song Replacing You is in the non Yuki routes and that she doesn't get a song as good. I don't understand Japanese but Suara's vocals do an amazing job conveying the emotions of those scenes.

[@JunJunMusume]

I'm very interested in playing this game but I have just finished WA2 introductory chapter, so I'll finish WA2 first then go to WA1. Very good review, as always!

[@FanxiangLi-zi4fw]

I have to say the whole reason why I checked out this title was Mizuki Nana. She is one of my favorite singers and actresses in Japan.

[@TeamSakurasou]

Might pull the trigger and finally get this game. I ended up playing white album 2 after watching the anime a while ago and honestly loved it, but never really thought of trying the first one given how I wanted space from the series after the second one, and watching the anime for both series before trying the VN.

[@MrSupersonic2012]

Yeah i read this when it came out. I wanted to support the release in hopes that maybe we'll see the sequel one day get an offical English release. I didn't read all of the routes. I did Yuki's, Rina's, and Sayoko's routes. Honestly i did enjoy their different stories and thought there were some legitimate enjoyable moments. But the dating sim aspects and the way they were implemented made this tedious and the minor interactions with characters where you talk about the weather or whatever made them feel shallow outside of important story moments. I think WA1 is worth a read, but it doesn't come even close to how good WA2 is.

[@lexaed7680]

Why White album 2 is so different compared to the first game? It is simple. The scenario writer of White album 2 Fumiaki Maruto once finished the first white album and thought the game was pretty bad, yet there was one route that he likes the most - a love triangle between mc, Yuki Morikawa and Rina Ogata. He wanted to make a make based on a love triangle - we have White album 2.

[@TheAugustHail]

Honestly the strongest aspect of White Album. (There's also Sayoko but that's just bias speaking lol)

[@lexaed7680]

@@TheAugustHail Yeah, I've watched your video, the next natural question is, when you will play white album 2?

[@TheAugustHail]

I'm just waiting at any point for further Aquaplus news. Either for a remake or localization or something. If those don't come out, maybe around December next year, but that's far off in thr future so it's uncertain.

[@lexaed7680]

@@TheAugustHail So, there is a chance that this game will be localized by Shiravune, I don't see anyone else who will take the project, however, there is a fan localization, I assume you already know it. The game is around 600k words, which is a lot. I wouldn't believe that Shiravune will make a better translation than a team, that made a fan translation, simply because it took them a lot of years to make it, and yet, there are still some people in visual novel subreddit who belives, that this translation is bad. Anyway, if you don't care about learning japanese, or are not ready to wait who knows who much years for an official translation of WA2, Then I would suggest to finish the game, it is good. Also about remake, there are not points to remake white album 2 since it was made 10 years ago, (a bit more, but who cares), there are nothing to make better, just to add a bit of Cgs, but no one will do it. However, there were some rumours that Aquaplus wants to make a white album 3, but I don't remember anything about the second game.

[@tranducquang5912]

@@TheAugustHail Sayako is not in the OG white album game, it came out after WA 2 i believe so maybe thats why the tone of it is so different. She comes with the remake

[@Aryan-de9jw]

Bro is finally talking about this classic. 😮

[@DepressiveKnight7]

thanks for the video '-' 👍

[@TheAugustHail]

No problem!

[@xtradany5398]

8:35 the way you pronounced 'apex' shouldn't bug me but it does. had to run to google to see who's been saying it wrong

[@allot5530]

White album two is the best NTR simulator ever made

[@hatorihanzo3431]

think ill give this one a miss, got to huge a backlog

[@enzokenzakifunniestvideos299]

August Hail, please review My Klutsy Cupid(Ore no Cupid) and Clover Days, they recently release by Nekonyan this year

[@TheAugustHail]

We'll see in the future~ Been busy as of late, especially with the backlog I have now this month's and last... 😅

[@enzokenzakifunniestvideos299]

​​@@TheAugustHailyeah i see in your vndb profile, im looking forward to it in your future video reviews Thank you

[@irish.breakfast]

EVERYONE - Does WA 1 anime summarize the events of WA 1 VN? BTW August - yes, If it is WA, the music is god tier :)

[@TheAugustHail]

White Album is iconic but Sound of Destiny is an absolute banger

[@avendurree]

I could see why Maruto liked this VN and why he made WA2. Sadly, the dating sim elements really take away from the experience. Since this is a remake of the original, I wish they made this game into a full fledged VN instead. And yea, the MC was a little bit too wimpy for my tastes, I didnt mind the cheating aspect as thats the point of the VN, but I didnt like how they made Yuki's route, because it made me feel like I'm reading a VN about to go full NTR.

[@TheAugustHail]

I always thought Yuki was always devoted in her route. Which made what happen completely unexpected. Unfortunately they didn't really focus on that all too much here

[@troy7635]

Honestly it not as good as white album 2, but I can't help but be intrigued by the characters and the setting in this story, maybe it's me being a fan on the sequel, but the original has its own charm. FYI the white album series and Kanon is what got me into Visual Novels.

[@TheAugustHail]

I think people give White Album a lot of flake due to how great the second one is. There are some arguments, but the story is still perfectly alright 👍

[@Sevenhens]

Yes. White Album 2 will in fact destroy you 😅😢

[@Freestyle80]

I think WA2 is kinda overrated lol, but that may be because i never really liked love triangles as much and some of the choices in that game are just frustrating. White Album seems to be more into cheating, i kinda forgot all about it, watched the anime like over a decade ago, this video made me a bit interested in it again lol.

[@ccf2722]

finally, no more gore review

[@danishhalder4895]

New video when?

[@TheAugustHail]

It'll be up on Monday~!

[@fwra1234]

Great video 👍👍 Will read if we ever get pandemic 2.0

[@thefuzzter]

I can’t believe you made this video 16 minutes long /s

[@MrWeebs-gc2jj]

White album protag is just straight up pathetic

[@MrWeebs-gc2jj]

Exept haruki he is..... A bit kind of pathetic

[@Victormination]

fasd

[@averagewhiteguy2]

One thing I'll say is that in a VN with dating sim elements is that it's pretty normal to ignore everybody else and focus solely on one girl, grinding stats, and doing nothing on some days. However, I refuse to read White Album 1 since the translation is for the remake, the one with no h-scenes. I boycott all remakes that are made without h-scenes when the original did. I hate that practice so much.

[@TheAugustHail]

It's that grind i just don't enjoy, giving I'm playing something story-driven. I think just naturally I dislike actual dating sims 🤔