This was originally posted on Weebly on April 15, 2021. At the time, this game was titled "Yobidasu".

Before I started working on Yobidasu, I originally wanted to make a galge. However, I wasn't sure if I would be able to handle the galge properly, so I figured I ought to make a quick little test project first, a short little story based on one of the heroines. Over time, though, this "test project" expanded into a full-fledged first project.

This is embarassing, but in other words: Shana, the protagonist of Yobidasu, was originally going to be a heroine in a galge.

Early on, I think I put too much effort into developing the protagonist's appeal, and not enough on developing the actual love interests' appeal. As I review my older drafts, I'm trying to find ways to improve Inato's and Higa's characterization, and trimming down excessive parts of Shana's characterization.

At the same time, I don't want to strip Shana of her character either. For one thing, I still want to write the galge someday. And when I do, I don't want galge heroine Shana to seem drastically different from otome protagonist Shana.

For example, Shana has a lot of sassy internal monologue, but is actually quite awkward aloud. This VN will inevitably show more of the former, while the galge would show more the latter. To avoid a dissonance, both the otome and the galge need to convey both the internal and external aspects of Shana's character to some extent.

One sentiment I sometimes see in the visual novel community is about protagonists that seem to lack personality. This is usually attributed to the protagonist being a stand-in for the player. Now personally, I think a VN can still be enjoyable even if the protagonist is underdeveloped, but it is true that some of the most memorable VNs in my library put considerable effort into the protagonist's characterization.

With Yobidasu, I want to provide you all with an interesting protagonist. Someone with her own motivations, thoughts, and feelings, but also someone whose role you can get into.