Too much focus towards Japan?

[iAsobu]

I've noticed a lot of VNs here where most of the characters are Japanese, have Japanese names, and are from Japan. (Making the VN itself in Japanese is OK, because they're very popular in Japan, so making it in Japanese would be a good way to see if attention could be received.) While this isn't too much of a problem, I'd like more VNs that don't have so much focus on Japan. Like, maybe there could be a VN that takes place in Russia. Or Spain. And the Characters could have Russian or Spanish names, with that. While still being able to release it in Japanese for attraction. Or, maybe there could be a VN that has focus towards Japan, just not modern Japan.

While the media is popularly known to be Japanese, it doesn't have to be all about Japan.

[nagirinara]

That's actually not a bad idea, iAsobu. =^.^= I'm grateful you brought this up, because I was kind of thinking the same thing. Only this screams to me "Do something based in Communist East Germany!" That would be interesting, I think, to see more VNs based outside of the context of modern Japan.

[IceD]

I was just lurking and waiting for someone finally bring this subject up

I don't have anything against japanese VN's (lol), nor any VN's set in japanese setting, especially if it's well made, but I feel a bit strange seeing almost every OELVN like this makes me want to scream. Why are people fond of Japan in their works so much? It's just like in this trope.

Why not make it in your country? Is it such a boring place to be, that no one ever would like to listen about it? Or are people so lazy, that aren't capable off inventing their own realities/worlds/whatever? I'd just be happy to see anything that has it's action set everywhere else except Japan. Japan isn't that exciting, it's a normal place like any other in this world. Furthermore, we aren't japanese developers. So why that much of attraction? It brakes the original concept of OELVN's existing.

Visual Novel is a type of media, not a cliche. It doesn't require japanese setting to run.

[linkdragon0]

I have one that takes place all over the world and stars american characters.

It also has a bunch of different cultures involved (due to being a horror/supernatural ghost story)

So I currently have only 1 based in japan.

[Aka-kami]

It has been done to death, true. And i do think it's overused, but i personally don't have anything against it, having written 2 stories that are located in Japan with a mainly Japanese cast. I consciously knew about this cliche while writing them out, and I decided not to go against it. Why? Because writing it in that locality made it fit in. I guess the influence of all the manga I've read and all the anime I've watched has made me not only attached to the Japanese setting, but the sort of culture they have as well. It's the appeal. If i set those two stories in another country, then it would have felt unusual and strange to me (it may not be the case to everyone else).

It's not that I'm saying that setting it in Japan makes it better, but that the idea was sort of made to be set in that country, and it would have been alienated in any other sort of setting.

...Okay. I just typed out a whole load of crap (not to mention redundant). It's really flawed *A*, but I won't change it since it sorta still brings my message across in the way that I intended it to.

[Applegate]

I feel that, for the Japanese, if you write with hopes to release there it may be more interesting to read about western culture, and to have different conventions from their tropes.

After all, different cultures are more interesting than your own, often. Ha ha!

For myself, I could never write in a Japanese setting, as I find it very important to have connection with your own story. Without having experience with Japanese, I cannot familiarise myself with it. For a fantasy novel it is fine, because you can create the culture yourself, but it becomes difficult when your story takes place on Earth.

[winternight119]

iAsobu: Your point is well-made and I agree.

I think part of the reason for this writing in a Japanese setting is because the ones writing the stories have had a certain amount of exposure to anime, manga, and Visual Novels in order to feel like, "if I am going to write about this, it would be more comfortable for me to do it in a setting that I have some familiarity with and that I know has been successful." At least, to some extent, they would be able to gauge their ideas against what's already out there.

P.S. The word "overused" doesn't necessarily mean "used to exhaustion." Because, quite obviously, it hasn't - just look at Japanese visual novels, anime, and manga. Perhaps in the OELVN community, it has been done to death. I do not want to put words in the mouth of Aka-kami, but by "overused" it seems that they mean that Japanese settings have been done not so much out of original creativity, as to mimic something of fame that has already been established, that they can identify their project with.

[Samu-kun]

I think this is a common misconception of the English language community. I think overall, the number of visual novels set in Japan are rare. If I compile a list of the major ren'py releases (meaning those that run for over 30 minutes), then I presume that over 80% of them will be set outside of Japan.

Abridged List (Only includes games that I have played)
Re: Alistair++ = Ambiguous
Digital: A Love Story = No
Memo = Yes
Angelic Orbs = No
Katawa Shoujo = Yes
Songs of Araiah = No
Heart of Fire = No
Tying Threads = No
Real Life: Bishoujo Adventure = No
Dream Chasers = No

[yummy]

I agree, despite the fact at least one character has a japanese name in most of the games I've played from the english community, most of the stories are set outside of Japan.
Actually most of them are set in other worlds like in Magical Boutique, or in other countries. Or in coutries that you just can't identify.

[Jake]

I think overall, the number of visual novels set in Japan are rare.

On one hand, it's true that there are a lot of people using Japanese names for single characters even if their VN is set outside of Japan.

On the other hand, to be honest, it seems that this is far more prevalent in the WiP forum than the Completed Games forum, if you know what I mean.

[sake-bento]

Re: Alistair++ = Ambiguous

US. Although mugen's backgrounds might lead you to believe The Philippines. Actually, none of the games I've made are set in Japan or a Japan facsimile.

Ripples - US (The United States has schools with uniforms, too.)
Forget me Not - Pittsburgh
[text] - Random English-speaking country that likes bagels
Cuter Than Fiction (CLF Project) - LA
Jisei (WIP) - US (Ambiguous city called Edgewater)

Although in the name of full disclosure, RE:A and Jisei do both have Japanese characters. I think part of it is that the anime-style artwork gives the illusion that it's in Japan, when really it isn't.

[Samu-kun]

US. Although mugen's backgrounds might lead you to believe The Philippines. Actually, none of the games I've made are set in Japan or a Japan facsimile.

Actually, I was pretty curious where Re; Alistair was set, since I do believe in the first version, Merui and Shiro say itadakimasu before they eat cup ramen when they're working on their project. So are they both Japanese immigrants who live in the US?

[Dark]

I think it's just the fanbase trying to find something to work off of before trying to delve into newer territory. It also could be just that peopel think that it's more interesting to work in a field which they are not used to than something they experience IRL.

Project 3Seasons - Ann Arbor, MI

[sake-bento]

Actually, I was pretty curious where Re; Alistair was set, since I do believe in the first version, Merui and Shiro say itadakimasu before they eat cup ramen when they're working on their project. So are they both Japanese immigrants who live in the US?

Shiro's a Japanese immigrant. Merui is a homegrown American girl. I think Shiro was the only one who said "itadakimasu."

[Freelancer]

I actually agree, too many have been made about Japan, when they needn't be.
My project is gonna take place in a town right here in my province.
But I just don't like working outside of what I know, if I do it seems a little...Dry.
And yeah, Shino was the only one to say Itadakimatsu.