Hoshi Ori Yume Mirai

Precious memories of bygone days: engrave them into your heart. With hope guiding your every step, ignite those moments as fuel, setting yourself towards the path of a brighter future.

Reading through Hoshi Ori Yume Mirai has been an incredibly long and arduous journey. For three months straight, I have been doing nothing but reading Hoshi Ori in my moments of leisure. Every scene was emotionally resonant, tinged with feelings of intertwining levity and longing throughout. Now that the journey is over, the cloud bearing over me has now disappeared and I am left with an empty gaping hole in my heart. The many experiences I have shared with these characters affected me on a personal level as these characters learned to live out their lives to the fullest. Every step they took on their ever vast journey, I undertook alongside them as a silent spectator, supporting them every step of the way. As these characters fell, stumbled and got up, so did I, as I internalized their monumental life moments and learned right along beside them. Hoshi Ori has shown me the beauty of life, conveying its message in a simple but powerful manner, delivering on its ideas and themes in a fantastically wrapped package.

Hoshi Ori relies heavily on the ideas of nostalgia and aspirations as a consistent through-line throughout the entirety of its script. The opening scene starts off with a wonderfully written introduction to the story as the protagonist flies into Shionagi, optimistic about the adventures awaiting him. With the ever-so nostalgic “星に願いを” playing in the background, the protagonist laments on the hazy future, unsure of the possibilities waiting before him. With its opening scene, it perfectly sets the stage for the main ideas permeating Hoshi Ori, encapsulating what kind of work Hoshi Ori aspires to be, and accomplishes in spades. Ryousuke recalls his hometown, reminiscing on his past and begins pushing him towards the future. By using his recollections, specifically ones regarding Marine Pier, Ryousuke wills himself to take his future in his own hands and bring his own aspirations into reality. Ultimately, the thoughts toiling in his mind become actions, as he seeks out Azuma, the esteemed architect, as he sets his cherished memories as the fuel to light his own future, his own path. The consistent theming is wonderfully done and it is these small moments that give Hoshi Ori an edge that sets it ahead of the competition. Each scene is relevant to the growth of the characters as they set themselves on the road towards that bright paven path of happiness.

Each of the main heroines represents a different theme within the core ideas, giving a broader scope, and in essence, a bigger sandbox to explore these concepts. For Sora, expanding her potential and, quite literally, reaching for the stars. For Rikka, finding a venue to express her repressed thoughts and emotions. For Natsuki, preserving the little moments to live her future to the fullest. For Misa, protecting the memories that mean so much to her. For Marika, being able to reciprocate the charity and compassion given to her in the past to those around her. And for Touko, the internal realization of her potential and her intrinsic value despite her own personal misgivings. Each heroine’s own struggles and realizations are potent and individually powerful; with each theme, the opportunity to expand on the more intricate details is readily available, displaying the weight the writing has in terms of its characters. Reducing the journey’s of these wonderful heroines into single sentences does not do any justice to the absolute dynamic story arcs they go through and the growth and development because of it.

As with the themes, the romance and atmosphere are written in the way that appeals heavily to my own tastes in fiction. Hoshi Ori is written in a way to emulate real life in a sense. While some things are exaggerated or beautified, the underlying aspects feel incredibly human and real. There is no excessive over-the-top slapstick humor, there is no hidden supernatural elements; Hoshi Ori’s world is through and through rooted heavily in our own and I deeply respect it for that. With this in mind, Hoshi Ori is able to create a romance that feels genuinely human and build an atmosphere that is deeply reminiscent of our own world. The underlying problems that need to be resolved are inherently human and do not overstay their welcome, presenting surprisingly simple, yet satisfying resolutions to each of the various troubles presented. The romance is developed organically before and after the relationship commences. Aiding your significant other with their goals, mutually supporting each other during tough times, showing signs of affection in every small moment; these are but a few things that really exemplify the romance and show it off in its purest form. It is a mutually beneficial relationship formed on trust and companionship, and it is these smaller nuances of the various relationships that elevate Hoshi Ori into something more. The friend dynamic is also amazing, with the cast growing towards each other as time moves forward, constantly shaping it in different ways, yet always heading towards the path of deeper camaraderie. Not only is the rekindling of the friendship between Ryousuke and Shuuichi a joy to read, but the six main heroines supporting each other is another facet of the web of relations that is wonderful to watch unfold. Everything feels so alive in how they react and communicate with each other, giving off so much energy in the process.

The structure of Hoshi Ori in terms of its pacing is similar to Dies Irae in a really roundabout manner. Both offer a long, expansive story where the length works as a double edged sword as some individual scenes feel lacking to the overall narrative, or has its pacing dragged to a drastic halt to explore an idea that has already been emphasized many times before. However, looking at the complete package, it is impossible to fault the pacing of certain individual scenes when the cohesive whole of the story wraps itself in a very satisfying finale that ties everything together. While Hoshi Ori has no true end, or anything that it builds up to compared to the scales of Dies Irae, the ending of the routes offer compelling emotional resolutions to the various character arcs that were constantly built up in the school arc and further expanded upon during the after arcs. The experience is similar to Dies Irae, as a similar escalation is seen throughout the unfolding complex narrative. Dare I say, in respect to pacing, Hoshi Ori feels like the Dies Irae of moege.

The after stories really help accentuate the overall narrative and helps set it apart from many other eroge. Surely, these after stories are where Hoshi Ori shines the brightest, its star not fading after the first climax in the school arcs. By showing the characters in the adult world, it presents them in a unique and different situation, basically a breath of fresh air and the extra creative spark Hoshi Ori needed to truly flourish. Seeing how the character’s respective relationship dynamics altered over the course of many years is of course interesting to read through. Without the potent deadline of the Tanabata festival looming over them, the after stories engage in true slice-of-life, where the fruits of their labours are demonstrated in full, whether it be nearing its end goal or already achieved sometime during the after stories. Hence, seeing them in a new stage of their lives, where the characters become able to verify the lessons they learned as students in the real world, paving the trail that will lead to their promised happily ever after is so fulfilling. Here, the protagonist and the heroine’s affection become a major driving force in taking a direct approach in shaping their own unique futures and destinies.

I think what I’m getting at with my heavy-handed and long-winded essay is simple. Hoshi Ori Yume Mirai has affected me vastly on a cognitive level where so many ideas and thoughts conjure up in my head. Never has a work been so inspiring for me, allowing me to think about its many intricacies in so many fashions. Being able to spend time with these amazing characters is such a joy and I'm grateful for every single moment. Everything about this VN invokes so much nostalgia for me, despite finishing it only recently, and it inspires me to look towards my own future and aspirations. A truly deep, ethereal experience that would be near impossible to top for me. Hoshi Ori Yume Mirai opened my eyes to truly look beyond the superficial aspects of life and think about the deeper aspects of living, that of being able to be a positive effect to those around me, and most importantly, giving me the strength and courage to reach out towards my own aspirations and chase them with all my ability.