Parents in VNs
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Parents in VNs
In some anime and manga, parents rarely seem to show up in the teenager's lives. What's your opinion on the role of parents in VNs?
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Re: Parents in VNs
Depending on the story, it could be very important. In Yume-Miru-Kusuri, parents role is very important and even a key-role in Nekoko's path. Parents' also very important when you want to make VN with family or social life as the theme. Though the rate of them showing up is entirely up to you.
One thing for sure is, when making VN about independent children, parents shouldn't show up too much and let the children solve their own problems. This is one of the reason why I hate pokemon. It's very unrealistic in that part.
And don't forget that parent could be ally, but also could be enemies at the same time...
One thing for sure is, when making VN about independent children, parents shouldn't show up too much and let the children solve their own problems. This is one of the reason why I hate pokemon. It's very unrealistic in that part.
And don't forget that parent could be ally, but also could be enemies at the same time...
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Re: Parents in VNs
Not showing the parents on screen is perfectly fine... It irks me when by some coincdence every kid in town has some story about their parents dying in a car crash.
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Re: Parents in VNs
Yeah, I almost feel like if the parents aren't part of the picture, unless their absence is something relevant to the story, just... don't even go there. I struggled with this the other day. "Everyone has a mom and dad, right? But where are they in the story? Well, I want to think about my character as an individual and not delve into his family, so I'll just say they died in a fire. Wait... why do they need to die in a fire?!" lol
A nice example of a story where a dead parent actually seems more present than most alive parents is Fruits Basket.
A nice example of a story where a dead parent actually seems more present than most alive parents is Fruits Basket.
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Re: Parents in VNs
So many of the VNs dont show parents during the game because they are irrelavent in the plot most of the time.
And it's perfectly fine not to show them. I mean, parents won't follow the children to their high school... typically, and when their daughters go on dates with guys... Normally.
And it's perfectly fine not to show them. I mean, parents won't follow the children to their high school... typically, and when their daughters go on dates with guys... Normally.
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Re: Parents in VNs
It just depends.
If your game is written from the POV of a high school student, then consider the fact that most high school students don't like to be involved with their parents. The parents aren't really important to the story and it isn't necessary to mention them.
If the theme of your game is family (like Clannad) then the parent should be present (even if its in spirit) and they should be just as fleshed out as the other characters.
But if you decide not to show the parents, one thing you should never do is say ... "Even though I'm in high school, my parents are working overseas and now I live on my own."
That's both unrealistic and unoriginal XD
If your game is written from the POV of a high school student, then consider the fact that most high school students don't like to be involved with their parents. The parents aren't really important to the story and it isn't necessary to mention them.
If the theme of your game is family (like Clannad) then the parent should be present (even if its in spirit) and they should be just as fleshed out as the other characters.
But if you decide not to show the parents, one thing you should never do is say ... "Even though I'm in high school, my parents are working overseas and now I live on my own."
That's both unrealistic and unoriginal XD
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Re: Parents in VNs
teacup wrote: But if you decide not to show the parents, one thing you should never do is say ... "Even though I'm in high school, my parents are working overseas and now I live on my own."
That's both unrealistic and unoriginal XD
I HATE it when people do that! It's definitely redundant & impossible.
EDIT: I guess sometimes it makes sense for those filthy rich boys that often appear in VNs.
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Re: Parents in VNs
Here, have a free line from my draft.
Feel free to replace "died in a fire" or "working overseas" with this.
My parents have always been lenient, but they've gotten downright lax in the past few months.
Since <character name(s)> will be leaving home next year, they've come to terms with the fact that I/we need to learn how to make my/our own decisions.
Feel free to replace "died in a fire" or "working overseas" with this.
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Re: Parents in VNs
I can't count how many times I've seen this used in various anime/manga/VNs... It's like "SCREW MY PARENTS ALL THEY DID WAS GIVE BIRTH TO ME. Bastards can go overwork themselves overseas.""Even though I'm in high school, my parents are working overseas and now I live on my own."
It's probably used a lot since if you want a character that isn't particularly angsty about family life, but have other issues to deal with instead. But c'mon family life is full of angst ESPECIALLY when it involves their kid doing stupid things :/
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Re: Parents in VNs
pondrthis wrote:"died in a fire"
awkward... I'm using this. :3
but only briefly
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Re: Parents in VNs
Almost every opinion of mine was said here.
Parents are rare in VNs because they're presence is not really that significant on the game. (Not unless the game's theme is family, or something that really has to involve them)
And I think, even if parents are shown in VNs or manga, they're often used as the character's moral support or someone the character has to support. (If the MC is the breadwinner.)
Parents are rare in VNs because they're presence is not really that significant on the game. (Not unless the game's theme is family, or something that really has to involve them)
And I think, even if parents are shown in VNs or manga, they're often used as the character's moral support or someone the character has to support. (If the MC is the breadwinner.)
Re: Parents in VNs
That would be a funny VN story if the parents followed you around the dates or you played from the perspective of one parent who's really overprotectiveSnowflower wrote:So many of the VNs dont show parents during the game because they are irrelavent in the plot most of the time.
And it's perfectly fine not to show them. I mean, parents won't follow the children to their high school... typically, and when their daughters go on dates with guys... Normally.
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Re: Parents in VNs
There was an interesting idea along those lines in the Hentai ideas dump once, it was something like playing as the overprotective parent trying to STOP your teenager from sleeping with everything in sight...or you played from the perspective of one parent who's really overprotective
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Re: Parents in VNs
Wow, I hadn't even remembered/noticed to get wound up on this subject!
I guess if the story is about someone's dating life in the modern world, it's acceptable to assume that their parents are completely irrelevant to the situation.
Yet the more I think about it, the less healthy that seems to me. It would seem that the people who conceived and raised you and probably still live with you oughtn't be left out of the loop when something significant in your social life is happening, unless there's a very good reason for such a schism. If my parents had had a happy/continuing marriage, I'd most certainly be asking their advice on opposite-sex relationships. As it is, I can still ask for the "don'ts" of dating, the warning signs of an unbalanced personality, etc. Wait, am I supposed to be getting all that from the media instead? In any case, I can see how each of them has affected who I am as a person. Nobody develops in a vacuum; there is a nurture element to anyone's personality even once you've got the nature pinned down, and it would be very artificial to ignore that aspect of a protagonist.
...Not that the "My parents randomly died/ditched me, but I'm cool with it," scenario is much better. (I don't mind at all when they actually do have some reaction to it.)
</hypocrite for not mentioning the family very much in the brain-eating space worm story she wrote...but then, the shock of EVERYONE being dead distracted the protagonist slightly>
I guess if the story is about someone's dating life in the modern world, it's acceptable to assume that their parents are completely irrelevant to the situation.
Yet the more I think about it, the less healthy that seems to me. It would seem that the people who conceived and raised you and probably still live with you oughtn't be left out of the loop when something significant in your social life is happening, unless there's a very good reason for such a schism. If my parents had had a happy/continuing marriage, I'd most certainly be asking their advice on opposite-sex relationships. As it is, I can still ask for the "don'ts" of dating, the warning signs of an unbalanced personality, etc. Wait, am I supposed to be getting all that from the media instead? In any case, I can see how each of them has affected who I am as a person. Nobody develops in a vacuum; there is a nurture element to anyone's personality even once you've got the nature pinned down, and it would be very artificial to ignore that aspect of a protagonist.
...Not that the "My parents randomly died/ditched me, but I'm cool with it," scenario is much better. (I don't mind at all when they actually do have some reaction to it.)
</hypocrite for not mentioning the family very much in the brain-eating space worm story she wrote...but then, the shock of EVERYONE being dead distracted the protagonist slightly>
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Re: Parents in VNs
I'm often surprised by how rare boarding school environments seem to be in these games, despite them making it easy to keep parents out of the picture. (Of course, Magical Diary does feature a boarding school. )
I mean, not that every game should be set at school obviously, but for the huge number of school games we get ANYWAY, setting some of them at boarding school or at university instead of high school makes it so much easier to put the protagonist on his/her own. You can still contact the parents by phone for advice but you don't have to sprite them. Win!
I mean, not that every game should be set at school obviously, but for the huge number of school games we get ANYWAY, setting some of them at boarding school or at university instead of high school makes it so much easier to put the protagonist on his/her own. You can still contact the parents by phone for advice but you don't have to sprite them. Win!
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