Gemini recommends these ones. Any opinions?
Sad, Existentialist Japanese Visual Novels
Here are a few Japanese visual novels that delve into existential themes and might evoke a sense of melancholy:
1. Steins;Gate
- Themes: Time travel, regret, the butterfly effect
- Story: A group of friends accidentally invent a device capable of time travel, leading to a series of events that explore the consequences of altering the past.
2. Danganronpa Series
- Themes: Despair, isolation, the nature of hope
- Story: A group of talented high school students are trapped in a deadly game of murder and mystery.
3. The House in Fata Morgana
- Themes: Death, reincarnation, the meaning of life
- Story: A mysterious mansion holds the secrets of the protagonist's past lives, leading to a haunting exploration of memory and existence.
4. Saya no Uta
- Themes: Isolation, identity, the nature of humanity
- Story: A young man wakes up in a strange world and must confront his monstrous appearance and the challenges of survival.
5. Katawa Shoujo
Note: While these visual novels may not be strictly categorized as existentialist, they do explore deep philosophical themes and can evoke profound emotions.
- Themes: Disability, love, acceptance
- Story: A young man with a heart condition attends a school for students with disabilities, where he encounters a variety of characters and explores themes of love, loss, and the human condition.
Thank you for your clarification and the recommendations .Steins;Gate is not really sad, it's a time-travel, thriller plot with slice of life elements but has sad moments.
Danganronpa is not a 'sad existentialist visual novel' it's an over-the-top murder mystery/horror series for the severely neuro-divergent (many visual novels can aptly be described by this).
House in Fata Morgana
Saya no Uta is a grotesque horror VN not necessarily an existential sad one.
Yea I guess you could categorize Katawa Shoujo in that way
Planetarian is a short and sweet one which I like but most studio Key VNs are dripping with a certain melancholic sad existentialism, possibly Kara no Shojo as-well.