Tonight, on a very special addition to the VN appreciation series (I wonder if people ever actually catch these references), I will be covering my favorite one, it was about time.
This is Minori’s Magnum Opus, a VN which pushed the medium to the limit, a fairy tale which has changed the way I see life twice, a story of hope born from tragedy.
The Fairy Tale of The Two.
Since it is very confusing to approach this “series,” here is a quick primer.
Originally, the game was divided in 2 entries, Ef: The First Tale (2006), and Ef: The Latter Tale (2008). Later on, the series will be compiled into Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two, which was originally released for the PS2.
The version I played for this article, was the old release of this VN which was translated by No Name Losers, who is the same guy who did the translation for the official MangaGamer release.
There is no significant difference between the original separated versions, and the compiled one, so you can get the Steam versions if you wish, although they have the 18+ content removed.
As for the anime, Ef: A Tale of Memories covers the first game and 1 story from the second, Ef: A Tale of Melodies covers the rest.
There are quite a few changes in the anime btw, I will point a few later.
The anime was made by Studio Shaft, famous for the Monogatari series.
Before we move on, I must give a trigger warning, this game has depictions of sexual assault, and references to child abuse.
Without further ado, let’s get on with it.
This is Minori’s Magnum Opus, a VN which pushed the medium to the limit, a fairy tale which has changed the way I see life twice, a story of hope born from tragedy.
The Fairy Tale of The Two.
Since it is very confusing to approach this “series,” here is a quick primer.
Originally, the game was divided in 2 entries, Ef: The First Tale (2006), and Ef: The Latter Tale (2008). Later on, the series will be compiled into Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two, which was originally released for the PS2.
The version I played for this article, was the old release of this VN which was translated by No Name Losers, who is the same guy who did the translation for the official MangaGamer release.
There is no significant difference between the original separated versions, and the compiled one, so you can get the Steam versions if you wish, although they have the 18+ content removed.
As for the anime, Ef: A Tale of Memories covers the first game and 1 story from the second, Ef: A Tale of Melodies covers the rest.
There are quite a few changes in the anime btw, I will point a few later.
The anime was made by Studio Shaft, famous for the Monogatari series.
Before we move on, I must give a trigger warning, this game has depictions of sexual assault, and references to child abuse.
Without further ado, let’s get on with it.
There Were Two And Only Two
On Christmas Eve, two people meet in a church, one was waiting, the other was searching.
Two strangers? No, two old acquaintances, with stories to share.
The story of the dreamer, and the drifter.
The story of those left behind, and a hope for tomorrow.
The story of the girl with no memories, and the writer.
The story of the man with no future, and the hopeful girl.
And, the fairy tale of the two, a tale of tragedy.
Stories told, of people just like them, people who hope, while living in a world of suffering.
Of the ones who move forward.
To welcome another sunrise, with a smile.
Two strangers? No, two old acquaintances, with stories to share.
The story of the dreamer, and the drifter.
The story of those left behind, and a hope for tomorrow.
The story of the girl with no memories, and the writer.
The story of the man with no future, and the hopeful girl.
And, the fairy tale of the two, a tale of tragedy.
Stories told, of people just like them, people who hope, while living in a world of suffering.
Of the ones who move forward.
To welcome another sunrise, with a smile.
When You Become Old Enough To Read Fairy Tales Again
The Ef series was Minori’s most ambitious creation, it is said that it cost them around 100 million yen to produce.
Besides the fact that its among the VNs with the best presentation, to the point that if you find a CG gallery of Ef, its actually 95% of the game.
It isn’t the typical VN which relies on standing pngs for most of their runtime, its a full moving CG gallery turned into a VN.
Small details, like the characters blinking, and lip-synching, add a lot to the experience, besides the fact that the blinking made taking screenshots quite annoying.
There is also the fact, that Makoto Shinkai himself used to work making cinematics for Minori’s games before he made it big.
In my opinion, Ef has the best soundtrack when compared to the entirety of Minori’s catalog.
Its pertinent to add, that the Ef series, together with Eden* was when Minori peaked, all the games afterwards are… Well, let’s just say they won’t make it to this series.
Minori also became quite infamous at some point, due to how hostile they were towards fan-translations, the irony being that they worked with those very same people for the eventual official English version.
However, Minori is no longer around, with them closing the doors in 2019, after multiple underwhelming games.
As for Ef, it follows an anthology format, with Yuu and Yuuko serving as the central characters connecting all stories together.
Unlike other VNs, this one doesn’t allow the player to choose the order in which they read the routes, or rather, stories in this case. Everything will have to be read in order, and you will get to move to the next one, once you got the true ending for the story you are on.
3 out of the 5 stories, have decisions, with those same 3 having potential bad endings, which all they do is extend playtime.
The final 2 stories, are linear, and are purely reading.
So, I am going to talk about the stories in the order you get to read them.
We start, with Hiro and Miyako, the theme for their story is belonging.
Hiro is budding mangaka, who is also a student, but, due to how demanding his work is, he will have to decide what matters most, instead of half-assing both.
Miyako is a girl with attachment issues, who is searching for a dream, and a place to belong.
Once they meet in that fateful Christmas night, their lives will change.
This one is my least favorite of the stories, the reason is simple, is far too standard for a VN, its the typical boy meets girl affair, with the very same problems and tropes you see in most romance VNs, it also has that love triangle thing…
Its not bad, there are moments I like, with Miyako hard carrying this story. I like the way it handles dreams, and what you must do to accomplish them, even though its my least favorite one, I’d say its message salvages it.
Besides the fact that its among the VNs with the best presentation, to the point that if you find a CG gallery of Ef, its actually 95% of the game.
It isn’t the typical VN which relies on standing pngs for most of their runtime, its a full moving CG gallery turned into a VN.
Small details, like the characters blinking, and lip-synching, add a lot to the experience, besides the fact that the blinking made taking screenshots quite annoying.
There is also the fact, that Makoto Shinkai himself used to work making cinematics for Minori’s games before he made it big.
In my opinion, Ef has the best soundtrack when compared to the entirety of Minori’s catalog.
Its pertinent to add, that the Ef series, together with Eden* was when Minori peaked, all the games afterwards are… Well, let’s just say they won’t make it to this series.
Minori also became quite infamous at some point, due to how hostile they were towards fan-translations, the irony being that they worked with those very same people for the eventual official English version.
However, Minori is no longer around, with them closing the doors in 2019, after multiple underwhelming games.
As for Ef, it follows an anthology format, with Yuu and Yuuko serving as the central characters connecting all stories together.
Unlike other VNs, this one doesn’t allow the player to choose the order in which they read the routes, or rather, stories in this case. Everything will have to be read in order, and you will get to move to the next one, once you got the true ending for the story you are on.
3 out of the 5 stories, have decisions, with those same 3 having potential bad endings, which all they do is extend playtime.
The final 2 stories, are linear, and are purely reading.
So, I am going to talk about the stories in the order you get to read them.
We start, with Hiro and Miyako, the theme for their story is belonging.
Hiro is budding mangaka, who is also a student, but, due to how demanding his work is, he will have to decide what matters most, instead of half-assing both.
Miyako is a girl with attachment issues, who is searching for a dream, and a place to belong.
Once they meet in that fateful Christmas night, their lives will change.
This one is my least favorite of the stories, the reason is simple, is far too standard for a VN, its the typical boy meets girl affair, with the very same problems and tropes you see in most romance VNs, it also has that love triangle thing…
Its not bad, there are moments I like, with Miyako hard carrying this story. I like the way it handles dreams, and what you must do to accomplish them, even though its my least favorite one, I’d say its message salvages it.
The second story, is Kyousuke and Kei, the theme for their story is change.
Kyousuke is the best friend of Hiro, and a former member of the film club, he is a guy who follows his whims, and his whims are telling him to film Kei.
Kei, is the childhood friend of Hiro, after the events of the previous story, she feels like she has been left behind, until a certain annoying wanna be director takes a liking to her.
The anime cuts about 80% of this story… If there is one criticism I have of the anime, is the way it handled this one.
This story, is where you start to see what makes Ef such a great VN, even though it has a standard start, afterwards, is anything but.
Character writing is top notch, both Kei and Kyousuke are superbly written, and the way they complement each other is peak romance writing.
I really like the conflict, and how they both grow as characters.
I am also a sucker for the trope of the silly goof guy, ending up with the very serious girl. Shame is barely done these days.
The fact they took the guy who was the comedic relief of the previous story, and the girl you knew was going to lose, and gave them such a beautiful story for themselves, is admirable.
I also like, that this is where the VN shows that the world isn’t static, we get to see what Hiro and Miyako are up to after their story, the change of perspective helps a lot in making the world feel alive.
Kyousuke is the best friend of Hiro, and a former member of the film club, he is a guy who follows his whims, and his whims are telling him to film Kei.
Kei, is the childhood friend of Hiro, after the events of the previous story, she feels like she has been left behind, until a certain annoying wanna be director takes a liking to her.
The anime cuts about 80% of this story… If there is one criticism I have of the anime, is the way it handled this one.
This story, is where you start to see what makes Ef such a great VN, even though it has a standard start, afterwards, is anything but.
Character writing is top notch, both Kei and Kyousuke are superbly written, and the way they complement each other is peak romance writing.
I really like the conflict, and how they both grow as characters.
I am also a sucker for the trope of the silly goof guy, ending up with the very serious girl. Shame is barely done these days.
The fact they took the guy who was the comedic relief of the previous story, and the girl you knew was going to lose, and gave them such a beautiful story for themselves, is admirable.
I also like, that this is where the VN shows that the world isn’t static, we get to see what Hiro and Miyako are up to after their story, the change of perspective helps a lot in making the world feel alive.
Now, its where the Latter Tale begins.
The third story, my favorite one in both VN and anime, follows Renji and Chihiro, their theme is memories.
Renji is just some guy, who doesn’t really have any goals, nor friends, he is just drifting through life.
Chihiro is the twin sister of Kei, thing is, after an accident, Chihiro was left with a mental condition, in which she can only retain 13 hours of memory per day, after time is up, her memories will go back to the day of the accident.
I love this one, remember what I said at the start? This was the one which changed me when I was younger.
The impact this story had on me the first time I saw it (since I saw the anime first), is what made me fall in love with writing.
I relate far too much with Renji, and his character growth is the best I have ever seen among the many VNs I have read.
Chihiro is by far the most interesting female lead in Ef, and both her diary and her novel become such crucial keys to make the emotional core of the story hit magnificently.
This story, is what sets the massive tone shift between the First Tale, and The Latter Tale.
The third story, my favorite one in both VN and anime, follows Renji and Chihiro, their theme is memories.
Renji is just some guy, who doesn’t really have any goals, nor friends, he is just drifting through life.
Chihiro is the twin sister of Kei, thing is, after an accident, Chihiro was left with a mental condition, in which she can only retain 13 hours of memory per day, after time is up, her memories will go back to the day of the accident.
I love this one, remember what I said at the start? This was the one which changed me when I was younger.
The impact this story had on me the first time I saw it (since I saw the anime first), is what made me fall in love with writing.
I relate far too much with Renji, and his character growth is the best I have ever seen among the many VNs I have read.
Chihiro is by far the most interesting female lead in Ef, and both her diary and her novel become such crucial keys to make the emotional core of the story hit magnificently.
This story, is what sets the massive tone shift between the First Tale, and The Latter Tale.
While the First Tale was sweet, the Latter Tale is bittersweet. And, the Latter Tale has far more drama.
Fourth story, Kuze and Mizuki, their theme is connection.
Kuze is a world-renown violinist, a very talented man who has done it all, everything seemed bright, until he was diagnosed with a chronic heart disease, life expectancy is low.
Mizuki is a happy and bubbly girl who is left for Kuze to keep company, due to the girl’s natural curiosity, and her obsession with romance manga, she takes a romantic interest in the man beside her.
This is an age-gap relationship, which can make some people uncomfortable, I guess.
Their relationship is a very interesting one, with Kuze trying his hardest to push her away just so she doesn’t have to suffer when he dies, and Mizuki wanting to get closer to him just so he doesn’t suffer alone.
This story also serves to show how Renji and Chihiro are doing after theirs, with Renji taking the role of the mvp (and the GOAT), giving advice to Mizuki.
It has some really powerful moments, especially the ones regarding Kuze dealing with his disease. Mizuki is no slouch either, as she gets to have the most thought provoking moments in the story.
This one also has the most introspection from both leads.
When it comes to drama in a romance VN, its absolute peak writing.
Fourth story, Kuze and Mizuki, their theme is connection.
Kuze is a world-renown violinist, a very talented man who has done it all, everything seemed bright, until he was diagnosed with a chronic heart disease, life expectancy is low.
Mizuki is a happy and bubbly girl who is left for Kuze to keep company, due to the girl’s natural curiosity, and her obsession with romance manga, she takes a romantic interest in the man beside her.
This is an age-gap relationship, which can make some people uncomfortable, I guess.
Their relationship is a very interesting one, with Kuze trying his hardest to push her away just so she doesn’t have to suffer when he dies, and Mizuki wanting to get closer to him just so he doesn’t suffer alone.
This story also serves to show how Renji and Chihiro are doing after theirs, with Renji taking the role of the mvp (and the GOAT), giving advice to Mizuki.
It has some really powerful moments, especially the ones regarding Kuze dealing with his disease. Mizuki is no slouch either, as she gets to have the most thought provoking moments in the story.
This one also has the most introspection from both leads.
When it comes to drama in a romance VN, its absolute peak writing.
Now, the final story, Yuu and Yuuko, their theme is dreams.
The story which single-handedly gives Ef the nakige (crying game) tag, its that brutal.
This story takes place before all the other ones, serving as both the prologue and finale.
Yuu is an orphan who has decided to become somebody, with sheer effort and willpower.
Yuuko is an orphan who has experienced warmth in her entire life.
This is a story of 2 broken people, finding comfort in each other.
I really don’t want to spoil anything about it, what I have said is already more than enough. This is a story best experienced.
The anime adds some extra scenes to it, but its as equally brutal as the VN.
This one finally gives us the story of the 2 characters who have been helping everybody in all the other stories. It is both the beginning and the end.
And, the entirety of Ef, is how a miracle is achieved.
The story which single-handedly gives Ef the nakige (crying game) tag, its that brutal.
This story takes place before all the other ones, serving as both the prologue and finale.
Yuu is an orphan who has decided to become somebody, with sheer effort and willpower.
Yuuko is an orphan who has experienced warmth in her entire life.
This is a story of 2 broken people, finding comfort in each other.
I really don’t want to spoil anything about it, what I have said is already more than enough. This is a story best experienced.
The anime adds some extra scenes to it, but its as equally brutal as the VN.
This one finally gives us the story of the 2 characters who have been helping everybody in all the other stories. It is both the beginning and the end.
And, the entirety of Ef, is how a miracle is achieved.
A Treatise On Humanism
Ef had its time to shine, but it didn’t have the staying power some of the other kamiges (the top of the genre) have. Yet, its still considered a cult classic among us VN enthusiasts.
It has a weak start, and the best is left for the 2nd half.
Still, its a story worth reading.
It starts as the typical VN, it ends as something else, it slowly builds upon itself to create one of the most unique experiences in the genre.
Each story doesn’t feel like an isolated world, each story is an event which changes both the world and the character which are living in it.
Each story is connected in some way.
Kyousuke is Hiro’s friend, Hiro lives in Kei’s grandpa’s place, Yuu used to live in that same apartment complex, Mizuki met both Yuu and Yuuko when she was a child, Kuze is Yuu’s best friend, Renji took advice from Kuze when he needed it, and Renji gave that same advice to Mizuki when she need it, the CD Hiro is always listening to, is Kuze’s album, etc. etc.
Even some of the events can show up later, in Chihiro’s route we can read the emails Kei writes to her, as well as Chihiro’s answers, the dress Kei’s buys in her story as a present for Chihiro, Chihiro wears it later on, etc. etc.
All of this might seem minuscule in the short term, but, in the long term, all these little details add up, to make the world actually feel lived in, making all the stories, and by extension the characters connected.
The best single thing about Ef, its the writing, unlike some other romance VNs, this one makes 1 thing very clear, love is good and all, but the world is still cruel regardless.
In Ef, the power of love alone won’t magically fix the characters’ problems, Hiro’s tendinitis will only get worse, Chihiro’s memory won’t be magically fixed, Kuze’s condition won’t get better, still, it doesn’t mean that they should wallow in despair.
Its about how to live despite those problems, and how the small accumulated efforts of many, can lead to a miracle.
It has a weak start, and the best is left for the 2nd half.
Still, its a story worth reading.
It starts as the typical VN, it ends as something else, it slowly builds upon itself to create one of the most unique experiences in the genre.
Each story doesn’t feel like an isolated world, each story is an event which changes both the world and the character which are living in it.
Each story is connected in some way.
Kyousuke is Hiro’s friend, Hiro lives in Kei’s grandpa’s place, Yuu used to live in that same apartment complex, Mizuki met both Yuu and Yuuko when she was a child, Kuze is Yuu’s best friend, Renji took advice from Kuze when he needed it, and Renji gave that same advice to Mizuki when she need it, the CD Hiro is always listening to, is Kuze’s album, etc. etc.
Even some of the events can show up later, in Chihiro’s route we can read the emails Kei writes to her, as well as Chihiro’s answers, the dress Kei’s buys in her story as a present for Chihiro, Chihiro wears it later on, etc. etc.
All of this might seem minuscule in the short term, but, in the long term, all these little details add up, to make the world actually feel lived in, making all the stories, and by extension the characters connected.
The best single thing about Ef, its the writing, unlike some other romance VNs, this one makes 1 thing very clear, love is good and all, but the world is still cruel regardless.
In Ef, the power of love alone won’t magically fix the characters’ problems, Hiro’s tendinitis will only get worse, Chihiro’s memory won’t be magically fixed, Kuze’s condition won’t get better, still, it doesn’t mean that they should wallow in despair.
Its about how to live despite those problems, and how the small accumulated efforts of many, can lead to a miracle.
We cannot control our circumstances, but we can control how we deal with them.
Ef is not a story about giving in to despair, nor is a story of waiting for a miracle to happen. Ef is a story of people doing their best, and how they can find a little happiness in the cruel world they live in.
Ef is a story, of how small mundane efforts, open the way to a miracle, a very human story about finding happiness despite the odds.
Which is why, Ef is among the greatest VNs ever made, and is my favorite one.
Ef is not a story about giving in to despair, nor is a story of waiting for a miracle to happen. Ef is a story of people doing their best, and how they can find a little happiness in the cruel world they live in.
Ef is a story, of how small mundane efforts, open the way to a miracle, a very human story about finding happiness despite the odds.
Which is why, Ef is among the greatest VNs ever made, and is my favorite one.
The main genre I write is romance, can you guess why that is?
Last edited:
