In the distant cold north of Hokkaido is a small agrarian parish. Far from the bustling cities of Honshu, insignificant to the eyes of political and economic shakers of the nation, this quaint community goes about its day to day concerns in quiet seclusion. Yet for Hoshino Tetsuya these moments are no less important than any other, as each struggle and success is not without meaning or purpose. Here in the distant countryside, away from the crowded urban sprawls and industrial chaos, are people who cry, cheer, dream and hope like any other: the serene town of Yuzuhara.

 
Konayuki Fururi (こなゆき ふるり 柚子原町 カーリング 部) is a drama eroge published by Broom Handle in 2008. An optional standalone expansion provides an exclusive story arc for Yoshioka Saeko, one of the winnable support characters.

 

 
There’s an old idiom that I’m certain everyone has heard at least once in their lifetime: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Rarely is such a philosophy so engrained and dogmatic as it is within the eroge industry. Literally hundreds of titles use the identical premise, where an unassuming yet incredibly charismatic teenage boy becomes the romantic focal point of four to eight beautiful teenage girls in an idyllic suburban setting. The personalities of these heroines are then drawn from a vast stock of cliché templates, including but not limited to: the childhood sweetheart, the athletic tomboy, the rebellious tsundere, the mysterious loligoth, the no nonsense class president, and the younger sister who really isn’t blood related. Incorporate a unifying theme or outlandish fetish for originality, throw in an adorable cute mascot or lolicon, and stir the contents thoroughly. Voilà! You now have an eroge concept ready for actual production. With such a simplistic formula, is there little wonder why shelves are oversaturated with third rate titles? Of course while I’m grossly over exaggerating on the ease of actually releasing an adult game, my case argument is far from being absurd. You know it. I know it. They know it. We all accept it. This is why things are the way they are.

 

 
Enter Konayuki Fururi, a title which breaks the proverbial ice with a hidden figure skating theme. Set in a remote location of Hokkaido, the least populated of Japan’s four signature isles, the plot places a strong emphasis on the rural lifestyle of a secluded community far from the influence and prosperity of an urban metropolis. There’s also undertones of “dreaming to compete in the Olympics” for several story arcs, consequently conveying a connection or two with the 1972 Winter Games (unsurprisingly held in Sapporo, Hokkaido) and the 1998 Winter Games (hosted in Nagano, Honshu). Oh… before I forget: sad girls in snow… lots and lots of very sad girls in snow. Does all this actually work? Only in varying degrees: not for lack of trying, but merely ceasing originality after utilizing the aforementioned sources of inspiration. Therein lies the most irony, largest false advertising, and greatest waste of development: Konayuki Fururi is still a run-of-the-mill eroge lacking an extraordinary something.

 

 
The central plotline of Konayuki Fururi revolves around Hoshino Tetsuya, who finds himself involved with the management and training of a small town ice team. Given his age as the youngest member, only male representative, and inexperience in competition events the group is scheduled to participate; there is questioning behind the veracity of this managerial position: none louder than from Tetsuya himself. Nonetheless he is interned, inevitably overcoming the multitude of personal and profession obstacles that keep three ice borne beauties from achieving championship performance. Hmm? “What else is there,” you ask? I truly wish there was more I could elaborate upon: an ingenious spark of greatness I could preach statement after statement of praiseworthy acclamation. Unfortunately there is none: boy meets girl, girl gains strength from loving boy, boy and girl have happy outcome. The End. Repeat six times to see all scenarios. Did I mention the optional gangbang orgy harem ending? That’s important I suppose.

 

 
If there’s anything Konayuki Fururi has in its favor, it’s the elegant character artwork. Though saddled in mundane scenarios and insipidly cliché personalities; the artist deserves his paycheck for cranking out outstanding contributions. Unfortunately the applause ends there. With sole exception of the vocal introduction theme, the soundtrack is shockingly lackluster and forgettable. Appropriate voice acting is provided for the entire cast, with exception of the main protagonist (as per the norm), yet this merely satisfies prerequisite expectations. Clothing worn by the paper dolls changes from time to time, but each character enjoys no more than a half dozen facial expressions and body postures. This cutback quickly becomes apparent after an hour or two, as the repetitious storyline is underscored by repetitious illustrations. Quality of the background layouts wildly vary from pleasing (the family café), to cute (the cow farm), to outright blah (the ice rink). Least of all negatives, but certainly not overlooked, is the unexplainable gallery omission of super deformed illustrations encountered through the plot.

 

 
Konayuki Fururi is not sexfest orientated, and therefore places low priority on ero content. Indeed a significant portion of the scenarios must conclude before erotica makes an appearance. Nonetheless there are thirteen scenes, averaging 4 to 6 images apiece: nine equally divided between the lead trio, one apiece for the three support girls, and finally a hidden harem route. Although voice acting for the ero could have used more polish, it remains reasonably satisfactory. Regrettably there are cringers in the horrid audio effects: insertion sounds are reminiscent of flatulence from a Loony Tunes cartoon, quickly followed by the relentless “squish-squish” of someone squeezing wet oatmeal between their hands, ending in a climactic “gurgling-flush” orgasm finale. Fortunately these terrifying contributions can be muted in the options menu… but once you’ve been tainted, accidental or intentional, the trauma will never go away. Never.

 

 
Konayuki Fururi is not a bad eroge, but rather an eroge that has nothing seriously going for it. An individual who really likes sad girls in snow and innocent true love will get more mileage, but there’s no reason why an alternative can’t be sought. Exceedingly cute girls who fit their character roles can only carry a title so far. In the best of times Konayuki Fururi rubs off as entertaining nostalgia, yet the title frequently excludes a hollow feeling… as if something unspoken is missing. More originality would easily have filled that gap, but more originality is never delivered. It’s also suspect that a title this mediocre would spawn an expansion so quickly. More likely than not, the optional addition was cut material that failed to make deadline, thereby forcing customers to fork over more money to obtain the full experience. Unfounded or not, the mere notion that this eroge was unfinished is a bitter pill.

 

 
— Central Characters —

 

	Matsushima Koyuki   Tetsuya’s neighbor and childhood best friend. Koyuki is a temperamental woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, although she finds it difficult to express her feelings properly. Koyuki was a talented competition ice skater of breathless caliber, but suffered a leg injury that dashed aspirations.
	Nakahara Asami   Oblivious to her statuesque beauty, Asami is a quiet and emotionally reserved individual. While she maintains healthy interest in ice sports, Asami devotes most days and nights on her family’s private dairy farm.
	Kinoshita Tomomi   An unwaveringly compassionate housekeeping genius, the maternal Tomomi draws attention from every man who catches a glimpse of her: Tetsuya being no exception. Much about Tomomi’s habits and personal life are well hidden, adding an air of mystique to her natural charisma.
	Midou Iori   Class president of the graduating class, well-to-do Iori is daughter of the municipal councilman. Easily befriended and strongly devoted towards friends, her straightforward honesty is hard to disagree with.
	Yoshioka Saeko   Secretly harboring romantic feelings towards him, Saeko is one of Tetsuya’s classmates. Due to her father’s line of work, the young student constantly finds herself moving from one town to another, yet always finds a means to adapt and persevere.
	Narashino Saki   Saki is the captain of a rival out of town team, who has taken an unusual interest in Tetsuya and his skaters.
	Takizawa Sasuga   Sasuga deserves his moniker as a troublemaker and community bad boy. Every definition a jock, he was once captain of the school hockey team until his wayward activities came to light. Also an otaku, though he hides the fact.
	Hoshino Rintarou   Tetsuya’s stepfather and proprietor of the popular Snow Fairy Maid Café, Rintarou is an unusual fellow. His hobbies include sexually admiring other men, eavesdropping, bodybuilding, philanthropy, and offering advice. Fortunately his wildest eccentrics are strictly curbed by his wife.
	Hoshino Nana   Nana is Tetsuya’s beautiful no nonsense mother. Finicky and a terror with a knife, she’s almost as weird as her second husband, although no one would dare say that to her face. Nana is nevertheless a loving mom who cherishes her two children.

 

 
— Scored Summary —

 
Scenario: 25 out of 50. While surprisingly lengthy, the four story routes are largely unoriginal and unimaginative. You have a twin tailed tsundere, an emotionally suppressed girl, the compassionate motherly type, an overconfident blonde haired chick, and a junior classman who looks up to you. Been there. Done that. The whole Eroge on Ice gets your attention at first, but the disappointment of mundane offerings hits pretty hard.

 
Visual: 15 out of 20. It’s the artwork that really carries everything to the distance. Background quality wavers from scene to scene, but character designs and event illustrations are simply beautiful. In all honesty, a title like this was a waste of the artist’s talent.

 
Audio: 10 out of 20. There’s solid voice acting, but nothing groundbreaking. The background music is equally passable, yet suffers from being forgettable. Sound effects during the sex are absolutely terrible, but at least there’s a way to disable them.

 
Erotica: 5 out of 10. The erotic content is of the consensual true love variety. Thirteen scenes total, one of which is “no boys allowed” yuri and the other a harem orgy. Most occurs during the second half of whatever story arc is being followed, so it might take awhile to reach.

 
Mechanics: 0 point neutrality. The typical “choose your response” menu system that most eroge share.

 
Final Score: 55 out of 100. Let me stress that Konayuki Fururi is not terrible, it simply has nothing worthwhile. The title does exactly what it’s supposed to do. Nothing more. Nothing less. Not recommended for purchase, if only because there are dozens of titles far more superior at the exact same price. Why get a Ferrari golf cart if you can afford their supercars?

1. Asceai Says:
   February 11th, 2009 at 9:53 pm

   I do like that Bloomhandle artist’s work. As far as Bloomhandle titles go, though, the older Aki no Urara no is a much more appealing title. The Sono Hanabira games are too.



2. Mazryonh Says:
   February 16th, 2009 at 9:36 pm

   The artist’s name is Peko.

   I remember at least one poster on the Peach Princess board recommending this title for translation; guess you didn’t quite agree with that sentiment.

   “Sad girls in snow,” huh? Can’t wait for you to finally deliver on a full-on review of Cartagra, with sad TWINS in snow. Heh-heh.



3. as Says:
   March 27th, 2009 at 2:12 am

   …I guess it’s not at all surprising that Peko can’t draw men. Not that anyone really cares about them.