A very good way to approach transidentity and asexuality through play for people unfamiliar with the subject. In this, translations are a must. We need more games like this!
I as a person under the trans umbrella have to admit this really helps the topic. Being unable to know what bathroom to use, and unsure of what name or such to use. It's all so understood!! I feel so seen with all of them, finding your perhaps ace, or else it's hard!
im a big fan of your games! i claimed a community copy and i really enjoyed it, although i feel very guilty for not paying it tho. im too young to get a credit card and i dont have paypal, also i literally cant pay anything online rn with k plus. im planning to try and make a paypal account in the future and try to transfer some of the money from my k plus account to there to purchase it. ill try to talk to a friend and ask if they wanted the game so i could send them the game either online or using a flash drive. im pretty sure that i will be able to pay for this one day!
as for the game, awesome writing as always. society can be cruel sometimes, and i understand the pain they were in. i relate to the three of them in a way. i dont have much time to write now, thanks for this awesome game!
The cozy atmosphere of this game gives me so much hope for myself and my friends, even when society doesn't seem to be friendly towards us. The characters feel very real, and their stories are ones I will always remember.
The writing is incredible, and I have a special fondness for the last one. I started crying as Manami was starting to realize certain things about herself because of how closely her feelings mirrored mine when I was in her position.
This is such a beautiful game. Thank you for making something that really helps understand how someone who is trans might feel and the awkward interactions they usually encounter. My wife is trans and I saw so much of her in Haru. <3
I just wanted to say thank you very much for making these games and this collection. The depiction of transgender topics and romance feels very earnest and raw while still having a hopeful spin to it. I love that the characters are flawed but nice friends who remind me a lot of me and the people I know. Everything hits close to home and gets sometimes quite emotional for me and the whole series has been close to my heart since I played all three a year and a half ago. Now I played this collection on console and I really like the epilogue too and it's good to support the creator finally! :D
Everybody in the world is probably talking about "a pet shop after dark", but....!!! HERE I AM, PLAYING THIS INSTEAD........ And I'm really happy I did!!! It's a really beautiful experience.
The uncaring nature of society is really a brutal thing; I mean, I personally have a hard time ever accepting myself and my feelings and anything valuable to me, so. Experiences like this are really important to me. Reminders that, even if you can't exactly think to yourself "I'm valid" or "I'm secure" or "I'm loved", there's so many people in this world who want you to be happy, even if we aren't personally connected.
In terms of the experience itself, the first chapter, "one night, hot springs" really made me feel.... excruciatingly sad, but also really happy, y'know? It had the most put it into it, as far as outcomes go, and so.... There's a lot there to make one feel either dejected or elated. On one hand, giving up is such an easy thing to do, and.... it hurts. Thinking "life would be easier if I didn't bother" is just such a desperately soothing thing at times, but... being who we want to be is a big part of what life is about, right? So... The dichotomy of never trying or trying your best is.... really beautiful. It's a really, really, really good first chapter.
Extremely good because, getting into "last day of spring", the payoff of the experience was very immediate and really powerful. Like!!!! Erika is just.... such a good character. A character that comes off as abrasive but simultaneously tries their hardest to make people happy, for me, is just.... Really powerful. People who're open-minded, understanding, and trying their best to make people feel accepted.... They're really beautiful. So, while the second chapter has its dead ends, which all felt really empty.... the true ending felt, so fricking beautiful. Like.... so much on display is stuff that I have so much trouble, personally, getting over, so.... Seeing a story where such struggles are given a genuinely beautiful conclusion is just, amazing to me.
But the third chapter is also really beautiful in its own way.... I myself identify as asexual, though it's obviously a spectrum and my own place is somewhere different, but.... I mean. It's really fricking impossible to untangle the thoughts of standard, socially acceptable sexuality from my brain sometimes, and understanding that my own perspective genuinely does not have to fit in line with the perspective of the rest of the world is a struggle. So a story like this is really beautiful, too. In terms of romance, I genuinely have no idea where I land, but. The story of forming really deep bonds with people important to you is.... really beautiful. Having people who'll support you no matter the issue, because they want you to be happy, and care about you, is just like... What could be more splendidly sweet and encouraging than that, right? The way it caps off is so perfect!!!!
I suppose I, myself, didn't really experience the build-up of these stories, and the subsequent importance of the epilogue, but.... As somebody who's dived right in, I've genuinely wept a lot of happy tears playing through it! And the epilogue is just..... It's a bit of an overused phrase here, but it really is beautiful. It's a really, really good last note to leave the story on. Deeply encouraging, deeply satisfying, but also.... Like.... God. I want these characters to be happy. They're really wonderful.
As an extra note, just. The music is all really freaking good, too!!! Admittedly my own methods of playing through certain games are probably pretty unusual, but. Sitting at the title screen and chapter select screen for long stretches of time between chapters was such a wonderful experience. The main theme of the story is really beautiful. And, really, the entire game as a whole looks so fricking good... It's a minimalist style, but it's genuinely so fricking good!!!!!!!!!!! I love all of it. ALL OF IT...........
As a personal ramble, I knew a lot things I wanted/identified with for a really long time, but always held it back because, I just simply didn't think any of it was worth bothering with, nor that I deserved any of it anyway. Life is short, society is uncaring, and there's very little assurance that anything I'd want is even possible. So. A story like this, that encourages growth and trying your best to feel valid even if the world is the way it is, it's like.... It's really perfect, y'know? I really appreciate it. So!!!!!!! Thank you for making it!
thank you for this kind comment! i'm really happy that you enjoyed your experience with the game and also want to say that you can play a game however you want! so if you enjoy just having the title screen open for a game and listening to the music, that's valid and awesome.
because i've updated all the games for the trilogy version and want people to play these ones. i've left the first one up on all platforms since it was on steam individually already & i didn't want to remove it.
i buying this game to support npckc on playstore and i like the stories so far. Being a different gender with legal gender is tough and stressful. Gladly erika and manami can accept it.
Wondering about haru situation if it's in real life? Must be a lot of pain
A YEAR OF SPRINGS is a work of fiction, but the laws mentioned are still the current situation at the time of this comment (so same-sex marriage is still not legal in japan, trans people still can't change their gender legally without going through the medical procedures specified in the law, &c.).
things are slowly changing for the better - for example, tokyo recently announced it will start recognising same-sex unions - but there is still a lot of room to improve.
I'm two weeks late in responding, but I want to say: Thank you.
I first played the AYoS trilogy last summer. I knew it was a collection of three older games (all of which were still available in their legacy forms at the time), but I had no idea you didn't originally plan it as a trilogy. I cried through much of the game, shifting between tears of sadness and joy.
Hi. Thank you so much for these games. I know they're about Japan, but they hit so close to home that I almost cried multiple times (I'm trans and ace)
It's been like, months since I last played this and I still think of it with so much fondness from time to time. This felt so hopeful and I love how the way the characters were written felt human instead of having their LGBTQIA+ identity as their only identity. Also, the art was so cute!!!
This game was amazing and a lot of it resonated with me as a trans woman. This story had such a positive impact on me, and I really hope everyone who needs the love this story can bring to them can find this story and experience it for themselves. Truly a work of art. Thank you.
I completely forgot that I claimed a community copy back when this released. After having played it on switch and loving this collection finally came back to pay for the game on here. Thank you so much for this series, it means a lot to me :)
I love these! It's rather uncommon to see explorations of queer people navigating Japan and its culture in the VN space; i can't help but root for everyone in their journey to live their best lives
thank you for playing! if this is something you are interested in, right now actually japan has a lawsuit for marriage equality going on - here's a website about it >> https://www.marriageforall.jp/en/
(i'm in no way affiliated but currently the laws in japan make it hard for queer people to live their best lives, so i want to put attention on actions being taken to make things better)
thank you for this. I can't express my gratitude, and I really hope you are proud of these beautiful games. It moved my heart and it made me learn a lot. Thank you<3
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amazing game, the writing was great as well. i really felt for haru. manami as well. thanks for making these.
thank you for playing them!
100%d the free version of one night hot springs on steam and i loved it enough to claim a community copy and now i feel bad
5 stars
please don't feel bad about claiming a community copy! they're there to be taken.
A very good way to approach transidentity and asexuality through play for people unfamiliar with the subject. In this, translations are a must. We need more games like this!
I as a person under the trans umbrella have to admit this really helps the topic. Being unable to know what bathroom to use, and unsure of what name or such to use. It's all so understood!! I feel so seen with all of them, finding your perhaps ace, or else it's hard!
hi
im a big fan of your games! i claimed a community copy and i really enjoyed it, although i feel very guilty for not paying it tho. im too young to get a credit card and i dont have paypal, also i literally cant pay anything online rn with k plus. im planning to try and make a paypal account in the future and try to transfer some of the money from my k plus account to there to purchase it. ill try to talk to a friend and ask if they wanted the game so i could send them the game either online or using a flash drive. im pretty sure that i will be able to pay for this one day!
as for the game, awesome writing as always. society can be cruel sometimes, and i understand the pain they were in. i relate to the three of them in a way. i dont have much time to write now, thanks for this awesome game!
hey please don't feel guilty - that's what the community copies are for (: thank you for playing!
The cozy atmosphere of this game gives me so much hope for myself and my friends, even when society doesn't seem to be friendly towards us. The characters feel very real, and their stories are ones I will always remember.
The writing is incredible, and I have a special fondness for the last one. I started crying as Manami was starting to realize certain things about herself because of how closely her feelings mirrored mine when I was in her position.
thank you! spring leaves no flowers is special to me too for similar reasons.
This is such a beautiful game. Thank you for making something that really helps understand how someone who is trans might feel and the awkward interactions they usually encounter. My wife is trans and I saw so much of her in Haru. <3
thank you for playing & for the comment! <3
have you considered providing an Android release here on itch as well as on Google Play?
sorry not at the moment!
I just wanted to say thank you very much for making these games and this collection. The depiction of transgender topics and romance feels very earnest and raw while still having a hopeful spin to it. I love that the characters are flawed but nice friends who remind me a lot of me and the people I know. Everything hits close to home and gets sometimes quite emotional for me and the whole series has been close to my heart since I played all three a year and a half ago. Now I played this collection on console and I really like the epilogue too and it's good to support the creator finally! :D
hey thank you for the comment! i'm glad you got to enjoy it on console & that the characters in the game feel close to you (:
Everybody in the world is probably talking about "a pet shop after dark", but....!!! HERE I AM, PLAYING THIS INSTEAD........ And I'm really happy I did!!! It's a really beautiful experience.
The uncaring nature of society is really a brutal thing; I mean, I personally have a hard time ever accepting myself and my feelings and anything valuable to me, so. Experiences like this are really important to me. Reminders that, even if you can't exactly think to yourself "I'm valid" or "I'm secure" or "I'm loved", there's so many people in this world who want you to be happy, even if we aren't personally connected.
In terms of the experience itself, the first chapter, "one night, hot springs" really made me feel.... excruciatingly sad, but also really happy, y'know? It had the most put it into it, as far as outcomes go, and so.... There's a lot there to make one feel either dejected or elated. On one hand, giving up is such an easy thing to do, and.... it hurts. Thinking "life would be easier if I didn't bother" is just such a desperately soothing thing at times, but... being who we want to be is a big part of what life is about, right? So... The dichotomy of never trying or trying your best is.... really beautiful. It's a really, really, really good first chapter.
Extremely good because, getting into "last day of spring", the payoff of the experience was very immediate and really powerful. Like!!!! Erika is just.... such a good character. A character that comes off as abrasive but simultaneously tries their hardest to make people happy, for me, is just.... Really powerful. People who're open-minded, understanding, and trying their best to make people feel accepted.... They're really beautiful. So, while the second chapter has its dead ends, which all felt really empty.... the true ending felt, so fricking beautiful. Like.... so much on display is stuff that I have so much trouble, personally, getting over, so.... Seeing a story where such struggles are given a genuinely beautiful conclusion is just, amazing to me.
But the third chapter is also really beautiful in its own way.... I myself identify as asexual, though it's obviously a spectrum and my own place is somewhere different, but.... I mean. It's really fricking impossible to untangle the thoughts of standard, socially acceptable sexuality from my brain sometimes, and understanding that my own perspective genuinely does not have to fit in line with the perspective of the rest of the world is a struggle. So a story like this is really beautiful, too. In terms of romance, I genuinely have no idea where I land, but. The story of forming really deep bonds with people important to you is.... really beautiful. Having people who'll support you no matter the issue, because they want you to be happy, and care about you, is just like... What could be more splendidly sweet and encouraging than that, right? The way it caps off is so perfect!!!!
I suppose I, myself, didn't really experience the build-up of these stories, and the subsequent importance of the epilogue, but.... As somebody who's dived right in, I've genuinely wept a lot of happy tears playing through it! And the epilogue is just..... It's a bit of an overused phrase here, but it really is beautiful. It's a really, really good last note to leave the story on. Deeply encouraging, deeply satisfying, but also.... Like.... God. I want these characters to be happy. They're really wonderful.
As an extra note, just. The music is all really freaking good, too!!! Admittedly my own methods of playing through certain games are probably pretty unusual, but. Sitting at the title screen and chapter select screen for long stretches of time between chapters was such a wonderful experience. The main theme of the story is really beautiful. And, really, the entire game as a whole looks so fricking good... It's a minimalist style, but it's genuinely so fricking good!!!!!!!!!!! I love all of it. ALL OF IT...........
As a personal ramble, I knew a lot things I wanted/identified with for a really long time, but always held it back because, I just simply didn't think any of it was worth bothering with, nor that I deserved any of it anyway. Life is short, society is uncaring, and there's very little assurance that anything I'd want is even possible. So. A story like this, that encourages growth and trying your best to feel valid even if the world is the way it is, it's like.... It's really perfect, y'know? I really appreciate it. So!!!!!!! Thank you for making it!
thank you for this kind comment! i'm really happy that you enjoyed your experience with the game and also want to say that you can play a game however you want! so if you enjoy just having the title screen open for a game and listening to the music, that's valid and awesome.
why'd you take the other two off sale? /general
because i've updated all the games for the trilogy version and want people to play these ones. i've left the first one up on all platforms since it was on steam individually already & i didn't want to remove it.
oh
after playing one night, hot springs for free, i immediatly bought this. I love this game! Will there ever be any more, or will it stay as a trilogy?
thank you for playing! i don't have any plans to continue this trilogy at this time.
i buying this game to support npckc on playstore and i like the stories so far. Being a different gender with legal gender is tough and stressful. Gladly erika and manami can accept it.
Wondering about haru situation if it's in real life? Must be a lot of pain
A YEAR OF SPRINGS is a work of fiction, but the laws mentioned are still the current situation at the time of this comment (so same-sex marriage is still not legal in japan, trans people still can't change their gender legally without going through the medical procedures specified in the law, &c.).
things are slowly changing for the better - for example, tokyo recently announced it will start recognising same-sex unions - but there is still a lot of room to improve.
The game is very cute and the theme is great. Glad to play a game like it.
(It is also my first time to get to know ren’py. Look very interesting :D)
thanks for playing! also ren'py is a great engine & i highly recommend it to anybody who wants to make visual novels.
I really enjoyed this game, it had a nice story. Thank you for making this.
thank you for playing & for the comment!
I'm two weeks late in responding, but I want to say: Thank you.
I first played the AYoS trilogy last summer. I knew it was a collection of three older games (all of which were still available in their legacy forms at the time), but I had no idea you didn't originally plan it as a trilogy. I cried through much of the game, shifting between tears of sadness and joy.
thank you! & i hope the game brought you more joy than it did sadness.
I wanted to thank you for creating this wonderful game. It really is a heartwarming story.
thank you for playing it!
Hi. Thank you so much for these games. I know they're about Japan, but they hit so close to home that I almost cried multiple times (I'm trans and ace)
thank you for playing! i am happy the games resonated with you.
It's been like, months since I last played this and I still think of it with so much fondness from time to time. This felt so hopeful and I love how the way the characters were written felt human instead of having their LGBTQIA+ identity as their only identity. Also, the art was so cute!!!
Thank you so much for this <3.
thank you for coming back to share your thoughts! 💜
This game was amazing and a lot of it resonated with me as a trans woman. This story had such a positive impact on me, and I really hope everyone who needs the love this story can bring to them can find this story and experience it for themselves. Truly a work of art. Thank you.
thank you for playing! i hope this game can reach people who need it too 💜
I loved it!! I already told you on twitter lol, but aaaa this game is so beautiful!! <3
hehe thanks for playing & for coming to comment here too (:
I completely forgot that I claimed a community copy back when this released. After having played it on switch and loving this collection finally came back to pay for the game on here. Thank you so much for this series, it means a lot to me :)
thanks for coming back to comment after playing! i'm happy you liked the game.
I love these! It's rather uncommon to see explorations of queer people navigating Japan and its culture in the VN space; i can't help but root for everyone in their journey to live their best lives
Thank you so much for making this series!
thank you for playing! if this is something you are interested in, right now actually japan has a lawsuit for marriage equality going on - here's a website about it >> https://www.marriageforall.jp/en/
(i'm in no way affiliated but currently the laws in japan make it hard for queer people to live their best lives, so i want to put attention on actions being taken to make things better)
Thanks for showing this to me! I'll make sure to look into it
thank you for this. I can't express my gratitude, and I really hope you are proud of these beautiful games. It moved my heart and it made me learn a lot. Thank you<3
thank you for playing! i'm proud to have made something that could move your heart.