STORYTELLING AT THE CUTTING EDGE

A look at the visual novel

Japan’s influence on global pop culture has become increasingly significant in today’s media discourse. A notable example is the visual novel, an interactive form of digital fiction that immerses users in narratives through various sensory experiences.

This article presents three visual novels in relation to three key conceptual frameworks that illuminate their function as storytelling experiments. As a form, visual novels advance the project of modern literature and cinema by further probing the imaginative capacities of fiction.

Ambiguity

A defining characteristic of visual novels is their non-linear storytelling. Consider Fate/Stay Night, for instance. Originally developed by Type-Moon in 2004 as an adult game for Windows, this visual novel has since become a cornerstone of the Fate franchise, which now spans multiple media, including anime and manga. It is particularly valued by fans for its structure, which presents three distinct narrative “routes,” each offering compelling what-if scenarios within the broader storyline.

The main characters in Fate/Stay Night are designed to be both compelling and mysterious throughout the narrative. Sakura, in particular, exemplifies this intricacy; she can be viewed as fundamentally dualistic within the context of the visual novel as a whole. Her persona reflects a sense of ambiguity similar to characterizations often seen in avant-garde literature and cinema.

The Pleasure of the Text

The standard structure of a visual novel can be compared to Richard Wagner’s idea of a total work of art, effectively combining text, performance, animation, and more. A prominent example is Steins; Gate (Nitroplus, 2009), which is best known for its 2011 anime adaptation. This visual novel is remarkable for its surprisingly immersive quality.

A crucial aspect of Steins; Gate is the cell phone used by the main character, Okabe Rintarou. The ability to use this device enhances the player’s involvement in the story by allowing them to receive text messages from other characters. It also expands the visual space for text on the screen, serving as a narrative device that blends storytelling with graphics.

Metatextuality 

Doki Doki Literature Club! (Team Salvato, 2017) offers crucial insights into metatextuality in visual novels. This game explores complex themes such as psychological denial and narrative subversion. Players immerse themselves in a literary club, where interactions among characters blur the lines of reality.

This visual novel renders the idea that “nothing is as it seems” as a dynamic and perceptible experience for the player/reader. A pervasive sense of disorientation compels us to confront a challenge inherent in the game’s structure, grappling with an unsettling tension that may ultimately lead to the deconstruction of the work, enabling it to be analyzed from an avant-garde viewpoint.

This is a revised version of an article originally written in Italian and published in Alias, the weekly magazine of Il manifesto.