With the fan translation of Majo Koi Nikki in QC and probably to be released soon, I thought I’d talk a little bit about it. I recommend it to all fans of Umineko who are open to reading 18+ VNs.
It’s a VN with many narrative similarities to Umineko, in that (EP2 spoilers) many of its narratives are stories, and it’s often unclear what is a story being read and what is an event actually happening. Stories are also described as having a magic to them. I suspect that the writer was heavily influenced by either Umineko or Forest (probably Umineko).
And if it was just the idea of the line between reality and fiction blurring I wouldn’t bother to mention this VN here since many stories touch upon that, but Majo Koi Nikki delves REALLY deep into it. The metaphors and layered truths continually build until it feels nearly as (and I use this word fondly) convoluted as Umineko.
Furthermore, I won’t spoil what happens in the story, but this is definitely a story with a “heart”. It’s definitely a story about love. It’s not just another VN about cute girls, and it’s not just a mindscrew.
That said, while it mostly deals with love in a non-physical sense, it’s an erotic VN, as in, it has sex scenes, which may be a dealbreaker for fans of all-ages VNs like Umineko. One of the protagonists is… someone who (prologue spoilers) frequently approaches girls and has one-night stands. That said, he is an extremely complex character, not just some lewd playboy. He’s very mysterious. This is definitely a story which doesn’t treat love and lust lightly, so don’t be fooled.
Lastly, here’s a dramatic line from the prologue to give you a sense of why I’ve emphasized its similarities to Umineko: “My name is Jabberwork. I am the story. As long as I have a reader, I can be resurrected over and over again.” (associated CG)
It’s also worth noting that the writer Niijima Yuu is also the lead writer for Summer Pockets, Key’s upcoming all-ages VN. So if you’re a Key fan and curious about what kind of writer Niijima is, Majo Koi Nikki is one way to investigate that. Bearing in mind that Niijima’s propensity for controversial creative choices will be much more constrained within Summer Pockets.