A Kickstarter is currently running for the translation of a visual novel called Chuusotsu – 1st Graduation: Time After Time. They released a demo, so I decided to give it a try.

It was… really weird. But interesting!

In this visual novel, everyone gets an “Authorization Seal” that determines their job, strength, intelligence, etc.

When the main character, a girl named Arue, is unable to meet the requirements for her Authorization Seal after middle school, she becomes a “chuusotsu,” a person with the lowest possible power level.

Determined to gain a seal, Arue signs up for a program where she will need to room with two other chuusotsu, and… work on philosophy?

It’s hard to explain how weird this demo was. The basic premise for the setting is so bizarre. As a chuusotsu, Arue is weaker than even children. She can’t read maps or do addition anymore. I’ve never seen a world setup quite like it, and it made me interested in learning more.

Arue also loves anime and manga, and she has a tendency to start talking strangely and referencing RPGs when she gets really nervous. The other characters in the demo were also strange, especially Ahara, who rambles about saving the world from dark forces.

Even Chuusotsu’s narration was odd, with occasional commentary from the narrator outside of Arue’s own descriptions.

Before I played the demo, I saw the Kickstarter, but I couldn’t get a good grasp on what the visual novel really was. Three girls who didn’t get past middle school sharing an apartment and asking existential questions? What? Why is it so well-regarded?

Now that I have played the demo, I’m still not entirely sure how to describe what this visual novel is, but it left me intrigued by its premise and the characters. So take a look at the Kickstarter and try the demo, and let me know your own thoughts on Chuusotsu – 1st Graduation: Time After Time.