I have a nomination for this one (and a second one since it seems light if that’s okay):
Title: Christmas Tina ‐泡沫冬景‐ / Christmas Tina: Ephemeral Views of Winter
Platform: PC, Switch
Story Summary:
Summary
It is the year 1988. Japan is in the midst of the bubble economy. New buildings are sprouting up everywhere, and the people are ecstatic.
The old disappears and the new is born, but there are some people, some places, some things, that nobody notices… or perhaps nobody chooses to notice them.
This is a story of people who live for one year… in such a little corner of the city.
Kanna is a first-year high school student who’s involved in a traffic accident during the summer. She finds herself unable to stay in her hometown any longer.
Jing fails his university entrance exams in China. He spends a year or so working at a job he doesn’t like.
Both of them hear of the incredible opportunities presenting themselves in the bubble economy of Tokyo. Therefore, Kanna drops out of high school and goes to Tokyo. Jing quits his job and goes to Japan.
The job both of them set their eyes on, would have them simply living in an old, run-down train station. Although the job only pays a measly 400 yen per hour, it runs for 24 hours a day, so it really isn’t that bad. They wouldn’t have to pay rent, heating, or electricity.
Kanna is a bit awkward around people, and Jing doesn’t speak Japanese. The employer only wants one person. Neither wants to give up on this job, so the woman in charge recommends that they simply do it together…
Vndb Link: Christmas Tina ‐泡沫冬景‐ | vndb
Language difficulty: No JPDB page, based on a few chapters maybe ~5 on a JPDB scale
Average Game Length: 8h 45m
Hookable: ?
Voiced Audio: Fully voiced protagonist (worth noting that one of the main characters is Chinese, so many of their lines are voiced in Chinese instead)
Spoken Lines Replayable: Yes (from backlog)
Trigger Warnings: ?
Why nominated: The production value is very high, it is from a well known VN scenario writer (from narcissu), and it has a unique setting/plot not being a romance and being set during Japan’s bubble economy
And I have another nomination too since it seems light, and I saw a poll earlier in the thread that looked to say that was okay
Title: ヒラヒラヒヒル / Hirahira Hihiru
Platform: PC (Steam)
Story Summary:
Summary
They’re all perfectly normal human beings.
 ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄
The world you are about to enter is one in which the dead come back to life.
It is a phenomena which has occurred since time immemorial. But these unlucky individuals do not return as the person they once were. They rise from the grave with depleted cognition, memory, and awareness. Their bodies, stripped of all regenerative abilities, slowly rot away.
In Japan, those with this affliction are known as “hihiru.” Though once revered as holy beings, over time they have come to be shunned and reviled by society. Eventually, however, their condition was recognized as a medical issue, and given the name Aerodema.
Now, at the dawn of the Taishou Era, Dr. Katori Shuuhei is conducting field studies in an effort to improve living conditions and support systems for Aerodema patients. Given how slowly they have developed in Japan compared to other nations, it is an uphill battle he fights.
It is through the eyes of two men that this story will unfold: Chigusa Masamitsu, a young doctor assisting with these studies, and Tenma Takeo, a student to whom Aerodema has only been a distant problem until now. Watch how these men grapple with Aerodema as it twists itself into their lives…
Vndb Link: ヒラヒラヒヒル | vndb
Language difficulty: No JPDB page, but rather difficult based on the trial
Average Game Length: 11h
Hookable: Yes
Voiced Audio: Yes (including protagonist)
Spoken Lines Replayable: Yes (from backlog)
Trigger Warnings: ?
Why nominated: The writer is one of my favorite VN writers (Setogutchi, from BLACK SHEEP TOWN, Musicus, SWANG SONG, Kira Kira) and this seemed like a fairly challenging and interesting title to work on some vocab with. These BAKU VNs also have a fairly unique NVL layout that plays a lot with different text placements and art layouts that looks pretty cool, especially when combined with the fairly unique art style