Hey there. I know it hasn’t been that long since the last post I made, but I thought about making a “short” new one to detail what’s going on right now.

Firstly, I want to let you know that I’m going to reduce the frequency of posts on the website. Monthly updates will no longer be the norm. This decision stems from the desire to share news when significant milestones are reached, rather than posting just for the sake of it. Essentially, I’m returning to the original Daybreak format I used when the website first launched.

All projects are progressing as intended, by the way.

ANYWAYS!

The primary reason for this blog post is to discuss something that’s been on my mind since I began the final game of Akatsuki – “the poll.” With the third game of Akatsuki on schedule, it’s projected to be completed around February of next year, more or less. As I’m getting closer to finishing, two options emerged: I could step back from fan translation, or I could continue. At the moment, I’m inclined to continue (unless unexpected circumstances arise between now and the finalization of Akatsuki 3). That’s why I’ve been exploring various games to see what potential projects might be on the horizon.

To be completely honest, most of the top-tier titles I had in mind to work on have already been tackled (like Akatsuki, Eustia, Sen no Hatou). Therefore, I’ve compiled a concise list of the few remaining games that pique my interest. In about a week or so, I’ll initiate a poll and keep it open for the remainder of the year, allowing you to voice your preference for the next translation project.

Before I introduce the game list, here are a few notes:

I won’t commit to working on potential sequels or side releases of the listed games.

The list might undergo changes before the poll goes live.

These games, in my assessment, have a low likelihood of being officially licensed, so doomposting or fearposting will be ignored.

I’ll only unveil the poll results after Akatsuki 3’s completion.

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Your input will play a significant role in shaping the next translation project.

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Anyways, as for the games I chose:

Niizuma LOVELY x CATION (Highest chance of being taken from the list atm)

Cation games have always been in my radar as one of the best girlfriend simulators. While I also have a soft spot for Lovely x Cation, Niizuma is definitely one of my favourites, and I’d love working on it.

Pros: super good girlfriend / marriage simulator, game length is appropriate, good production values, and low difficulty to translate. It also has a lot of customizable options.

Cons: has hundreds of images and engine strings, requiring a strong engineer and image editor. Daybreak’s weakest link has always been image editing, so that’s why the title has a high chance of being discarded atm. Too many H scenes per heroine, and game has no overall plot (effectively pure SoL).

RE:D Cherish!

While Red Cherish started being a title I absolutely despised for trolling me after its amazing common route, I have grown to have a soft spot for it. Red Cherish is the newest Crystalia game, and definitely has themes everyone who follows us would enjoy.

Pros: high production values in art and music, as well as voice acting. The story up to the end of the common route is very engaging and interesting. New game with shiny UI. Has a sequel, so I could potentially steer towards it. Title with relatively easy Japanese bar, easy to translate.

Cons: the game FALLS OFF after the common route finishes. Like, a lot. Anime-like plot and character development (I suppose this could be a plus for some). The best villains die early. Misleading marketing—promoting a cyberpunk vibe that’s essentially replaced by a mix of diner ambiance and sporadic action scenes.

Tsuki ni Yorisou Otome no Sahou

The Tsuriotsu series undoubtedly ranks among my all-time favorite visual novel collections. It stands as a robust charage, boasting an astute and clever sense of humor, intricate writing, and a genuinely diverse and international cast of characters. Regarded as one of Navel’s untranslated masterpieces, Tsuriotsu poses a formidable challenge for translation, yet one that I’m eager to embrace and introduce to the English-speaking audience.

Pros: all of the characters are likeable. The art is kami (subjective opinion). The writing is superior compared to your average charage. Very sharp humor and jokes. High chance I work on the sequels if I pick this up. Fully-voiced protagonist. Very good after stories and side content.

Cons: the fact that the tsuriotsu series has effectively a trap, submissive protagonist might be a turnoff for many. The translation for this title would not be easy, to the point where some jokes cannot be localized to their fullest extent (I’m still thinking about how I’d tackle many of them, to the point of using translation notes. The horror). The game is long and would require some time to translate it. It would most likely lock me for quite a while if I decide to do the sequels.

Tsujidou-san no Virgin Road

The Tsujidou FD has not only been a game that has been highly requested to me ever since I worked on Gin’Iro Haruka, but also a personal favourite of mine within the Minatosoft catalogue. It has themes I absolutely love (delinquent girls, lots of fighting, crass language, over the top personalities), and it would give a good close to the Tsujidou series overall.

Pros: all of the characters are likeable. The protagonist fights and is more chaddish in this fandisk entry. Azusa and Yoiko Routes. Tsujidou’s true route is absolutely bonkers and kami. Lots of funny references, complex humor and more down-to-earth japanese. Lots of people have requested this title from me. We can reusetranslated assets from Tsurezure’s translation of game 1 to make our work relatively faster. We’d have access to terminology already translated by game 1’s team, making our work easier.

Cons: The game’s engine is notably problematic, incompatible with modern operating systems and challenging to navigate overall. The translation might not fully capture the same essence that Triplicate achieved with the original game. The game’s duration is substantial. I will not commit to the sequel, Minato Carnival, as I find it to be subpar. The after stories for Renna, Ai, and Maki leave room for improvement.

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So yeah, that’s pretty much everything I had to say so far. It’s a lot of info, so for the time being I’m not gonna say anything else on this matter.

See you in like a week when I post the funny poll.

Have a good one,

Bzz bzz