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While reading the previous one, I stumbled upon a new release from a publisher and localization team whose other works I enjoyed, and so here I am, back in this genre.

Very often, when I read visual novels, I feel a desire to be inside their settings, as the described way of life of the characters who inhabit them seems so appealing. However, this setting is Tokyo in 2199, during a new ice age. Not only has the average temperature in the world dropped significantly, but a new pandemic, spread by the American military, has also ravaged the world, destroying people in areas where it was still relatively warm (like a virus that only lives in warmth). On top of that, we have all sorts of technological horrors, including the invention of necromancy, but not only that. Tokyo itself, as you can imagine, is a cold and crime-ridden city, where life is not easy for anyone. In this cold age, Tokyo survives thanks to geothermal energy, and pipes carrying steam, the main source of energy, are visible everywhere. Of course, in such conditions, one can't even think about aesthetics; the streets and the cityscape evoke a sense of melancholy. And everything is controlled by the military police and an energy corporation, in addition to the fact that Necromancers regularly engage in their sinister craft, and one of their groups even carries out terrorist attacks. And even the food here is synthetic... Also, this story has two protagonists, and one of them is a foul-mouthed, aggressive, and loud lesbian. All of this, combined with a somewhat chaotic narrative, did not evoke any feelings of delight. However, once again, I was shown that with desire, effort, and love, you can make anything interesting and even make the reader feel connected to your work, even if it goes beyond their usual preferences.

The setting turned out to be very well-developed. The society of this post-apocalyptic Tokyo is described, as well as the lives of the people who inhabit it and the places that exist within it. The technologies presented in the story sound authentic, and their existence in the real future is quite plausible. Over time, you begin to feel connected not only to the characters but also to this city, which at first glance seems hopeless. I felt something very beautiful in the fact that, despite its repulsive nature and the overall gloom of the depicted world, people still try to survive and do not lose hope for a better future. And even the protagonist, despite what was written above, quickly becomes likable, and over time, you feel nothing but love for her. I also liked the other characters; you could say that each of them has their own "quirk," but this is easily explained by the way of life in 2199.

Regarding the technical side, I take my hat off to the localization team – I did not experience any irritation or disappointment while reading. Moreover, even my hated caps lock, which is often overused to emphasize a particular word, was replaced with bold italics, and unlike caps lock, this was no longer perceived negatively. A brilliant solution.
The fights here are animated in 3D. At first, I was not enthusiastic about this because the illustrations are still more beautiful, but the well-thought-out choreography of the fights managed to win my respect – it's still nice to read when the characters' actions are based on tactics and the confrontation is based on some kind of logic. And the music here is good; at one point, I praised myself for recognizing a studio that I had heard in another novel.

There were also many difficult themes here, which once again showed that I am still a vanilla person at heart...

In short, I unexpectedly liked it. If you evaluate it superficially, you might think that it is just a festival of shock content, but in reality, it is a beautiful and life-affirming story.