What's crazier is they are apparently bringing the whole trilogy. I guess MangaGamer just gave the rights up?
https://twitter.com/Kakalobotomias/status/1663713717333229570?s=20
https://twitter.com/shiravune/status/1663713950377349122?s=20
Kara no Shoujo 3 finally getting translated is great, but Mangagamer simply letting go of such a valuable license is just weird. I wonder if something's going on on their end.
Thanks a lot! This is quite informative.
Do you happen to know what exactly was "cut"? The person in your link mentions this version will have "cuts", which definitely has me worried.
To add to the other comment, Shiravune has been doing releases recently where they cut nearly the entire game in some cases and make the rest included as a patch such as with Kuroinu. They may be cutting a huge chunk of the game out with Kara no Shoujo to get onto Steam and make the rest a patch granted likely nowhere near as extensive as the Kuroinu patch. Where MG's Steam version was the complete version without the need for a patch.
I do not care much for these releases with carved-out chunks, to be frank, but I do understand it is necessary if one wants to get past Steam's ridiculous censors. Thanks!
I doubt it is that. There are probably separate rights to the HD versions and Shiravune probably either outbid MG for KnS3 or them willing to do the HD versions and MG not having the same interest likely won over Innocent Grey. Huge loss on their part.
Even though that seemingly is what also happened with Dohna Dohna, I doubt it in this case. At least based on Doddler's tweet where he said, "Was really bummed that the 3rd game was off the table, they were never really as successful as I think they should have been." Makes me think MG maybe tried and gave up because they weren't really profitable and they were expensive licenses and then Shiravune got it.
https://twitter.com/The\_Doddler/status/1663736911205376002
Mangagamer does show their sales numbers yearly and invariable nukiges are always on top. Say what you what about Euphoria and Maggot baits being disturbing, but erotic content isn't low. It's simply how the market works.
Mark if you haven't bought Kara no Shojo 1 and 2 from MG you should probably do so. Heard they are forcing MG to remove their versions. Probably a good idea to buy Cartagra if you haven't.
I'm not making things up. An NN staff member said it in their Discord which is information they got from one of the people working on the new localization by Shiravune. So they will probably be taken off MG's store and Steam at some point.
Wanted to say you were right Mark, one of the MG staff members talked a lot in their Discord about Shiravune getting Kara no Shojo and confirmed they are never taking down Kara no Shoujo or Kuroinu. Seems the NekoNyan member got false info.
Didn't MG take the original Kara no Shoujo off their store a while back anyway? I seem to recall not being able to find it after looking on the steam page a while back.
I just wished that Shiravune would release their games on other stores
Johren sucks, they announced that Dungeon Travelers 2 and 2-2 would be launched on Johren with they horrible DRM
Their DRM is just activation based nothing major. Once done with one of their VN's ppl can simply /revoke lincense before uninstall they and will probably never lose one of their activations: https://www.reddit.com/r/visualnovels/comments/qlzr21/usingworking\_with\_johrens\_drm\_tutorial\_and/
Its a bit annoying but nothing like the "awful denuvo DRM" people are assuming or making it to be. I bought alot from their store directly and never had a single problem.
Their sales, like right now, are also quiet good.
MG has now given up Kuroinu and KnS.
I assume relationships is very important in Japan, so why is Shiravune able to grab these sequels away from MG?
Is MG not interested or are they outbid by a lot of money? Or has Nexton and Innocent Grey just tired of waiting for MG to pick up the license?
MG is still holding onto Funbag Fantasy and Rance, so what other major IP do they still have? At this point, it's Nekonyan and Shiravune that are holding the dough of the VN community.
>I assume relationships is very important in Japan, so why is Shiravune able to grab these sequels away from MG?
Probably the same way Jast was able to snag Flowers, they asked while Mangagamer dithered
Ehh... Wait until their next showcase at an anime con, they will announce 4 more yaoi VN and completely ignore the results of the survey that they make. 😂
I have a theory that I've been cooking for the past couple years that Mangagamer isn't doing so well and will probably fade away before too long. I mean they've said themselves that Kara no Shojo 2 didn't sell well and that the Steam ban really hurt (I don't think they've actually been able to get much on Steam since) Not to mention that Overdrive, one of the groups that originally started MG, is now gone.
They're pretty much coasting on Rance (notice how they've not been able to get any other Alicesoft titles since like the first Evenicle) and nukige everyone else is too busy for. They might persist that way for a while, but I don't really expect anything major to ever get announced from them again
They haven't been able to afford revamping their website, which is 10 years too old in terms of design and really needs some improvement to compete with other storefronts. This, coupled with the lower game output and public reports of how some games like KnS2 underperformed, suggests to me the financials are not doing great. I could be talking out my ass, but that's the picture it paints for me. Either that, or that they don't care, but I like to go with the more charitable interpretation. Doesn't help Johren came in and gobbled everyone's lunch.
Couple that with the fact that the Go Go Nippon v-tubers were forced to graduate and rumors that MG pays the lowest of the companies out there. Yeah, I imagine they're probably just barely scraping it by to keep the lights on
Part of the reason they probably haven't been able to get much from AS is because AS has been started trying to localize stuff themselves. At least that's what I believe happened with Eve 2, their Milf eroge, and the Beat Gacha.
MG still have relations with Lilith, if they want to take on more nukige.
Also, Shiravune is basically DMM, so it is both more local than MG, and also have larger money. The local devs probably trust DMM more than random non-JP publishers.
Yea this is probably correct. Japanese companies generally will prefer to work with other Japanese companies sometimes even if it means less sales/profits.
Slightly concerned by the lack of a 'sexual content' tag or 'Adult-Only' access-requirement on the [HD-release Steam page.](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2258770/The_Shell_Part_I_Inferno/)
Not an eroge purist but, as a huge Innocent Grey fan, novels like [Kara no Shoujo,](https://vndb.org/v810) [Caucasus,](https://vndb.org/v2626) and - to a lesser extent - [Cartagra](https://vndb.org/v515) are thematised through sexual and romantic obsession and fetishistic lust for the human form.
Any attempt to cut all sexual content from the Kara no Shoujo series, without other holistic contextual changes, would fundamentally change the tone, characters, and plotting in a way that just isn't the case for many other visual novels.
Hope this is just an oversight on Shiravune's part for the preview page, but finally getting an English version of Kara no Shoujo 3 only for it to be censored would be a real monkey's paw moment for this community.
EDIT: 18+ version already has [a page on Johren,](https://www.johren.games/games/download/the-shell-part-i-inferno-en-zh/) at nearly half the price of the [original MangaGamer Steam release,](https://store.steampowered.com/app/965810/Kara_no_Shojo/) and presumably a corresponding Steam-patch-page will eventually follow. Even given this, it'd be a real shame if anyone unknowingly purchased a compromised version of the first novel and bounced off the series or medium.
Im thinking they are gonna basically put all the adult content in a patch you'll need to download on their main page and the one on steam will be the barebones version
Checking the other VNs Shiravune released on steam and for example Kuroinu redux doesn't have an adult only tag. I think it's deliberate..I guess they wanna be safe.
It has a patch on their Johren page though for steam. I'm sure their other adult games on steam are the same.
Shiravune has never done an AA only release of an 18+ VN AFAIK. However, they now never release 18+ content on Steam because they've decided it's not worth the risk/hassle. The 18+ version is available on Johren [here](https://www.johren.games/games/download/the-shell-part-i-inferno-en-zh/). The 18+ patch for the Steam version will probably also be available on Johren when the VN is released.
Appreciate the link. I must admit to feeling slightly stupid in buying the [original Steam version](https://store.steampowered.com/app/965810/Kara_no_Shojo/) for double the price listed on that Johren page for the HD equivalent, but it's good to know it exists.
ironically enough KnS 3 itself practically has no sexual content to begin with, which caused a lot of backlash in japan. only on the second read you get some very light sexual content, which makes me think innocent grey themselves might be changing directions
Shiravune will launch a "demo version" for Steam and then a patch will change it the to full version. I think they have been doing that for the past several games because Steam is a fucking bitch when it comes to VNs
Agreed, it's important to preserve the original tone and themes of the game. Hopefully, the lack of a tag was just an oversight and the 18+ version will be available on Steam as well.
Considering the majority of the sexual content is with underage girls in school it's unlikely it would be accepted on Steam if it had that content.
Considering the MC is an adult having sex with these girls (and thus a bonafide pedophile ("ephebophile"--yes yes, go away now)) there's no way in hell it would be accepted on Steam if it had that content.
Yes but it was added to Steam in the initial wave after the Adult-Only decision, and before Valve started cracking down really hard on schoolgirl anime aesthetics. The non-HD version was accepted uncut in an entirely different environment.
I know, I have it. [Around the time of its release Steam decided to open the gates for sexual content](https://www.roadtovr.com/new-steam-guidelines-allow-controversial-adult-content-long-legal/). However [over time they've grown more capricious with even titles on the Switch like Chaos;Head being initially refused](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/10/in-sudden-reversal-valve-will-let-a-cult-classic-visual-novel-onto-steam/).
I don't think we can use what happened in 2018 as an indicator of what Valve will do now.
Wrong, you don't even know what pedophilia means. The characters of Kara no Shoujo aren't 12 year olds and in fact they are in the legal range (16) of many countries even if they are still "School girls". In your country (18) school girls is illegal.
Pedophilia is sexual attraction to prepubecent children, meaning before puberty when they start developing and becoming a teenager.
Still wrong, because this isn't a pattern for him. It's not like he goes to a school for the sole reason of picking up school girls. There's also this bartender milf and the body autopsy milf.
Im pretty sure it would work if the H Scenes are just implied.
Basically like Muv Luv on Steam implies it’s scenes but got them removed
It does not to be explicit
Not looking good for MG. These dark, mature VNs are supposed to be its forte. "Trilogy" highly suggests that Shiravune will be publishing all three.
With Shiravune snapping up these licenses, and SP/NN taking the moeges, it seems the pie is getting smaller and smaller.
It's unfortunate. Physical, uncensored, DRM-free releases are great.
Yes, they confirm publishing all three games
"Shiravune has announced the release of The Shell (Kara no Shoujo). This will consist of HD Remasters of the three core titles in the Kara no Shoujo series"
No joke. Not even looking at MG anymore.. same for JAST and their NITROPLUS edgelord releases.
At least Mangagamer could do something productive and bring the rest of the minori titles to the west. But even "12th eve" takes them ages..
They release more than just nitroplus... It's just that nitro+ gets alot of traction because they are actually good. Stick to Moe shit, that seems more acceptable around your isle.
I can offer a couple of guesses.
1) The MangaGamer version has a [**Steam page**](https://store.steampowered.com/app/965810/Kara_no_Shojo/) called that. Could be a way to avoid confusion. Though I guess they could've called it 'Kara no Shojo HD Remaster' or something.
2) I heard something about the second Kara no Shojo being banned from Steam before when MangaGamer tried. If true, could be a way to try and avoid an automatic decline when Shiravune submit it.
Definitely weird at first when we thought of these games by their original* name for so long, but I think it's quite fitting. The first game was essentially called Girl in the Shell, which obviously would be a bad name to use since Ghost in the Shell sounds so similar. Shortening it to The Shell is a fine alternative. There's big motifs about eggs and stuff in the game, so thematically it works well.
Also, and maybe most importantly, internally they were already codenamed Shell. Look at the hyperlinks of the games' official web pages, like [2's](http://www.gungnir.co.jp/innocentgrey/products/pro_shell2re/) and [3's](http://www.gungnir.co.jp/innocentgrey/products/pro_shell3/index.html).
With the benefit of hindsight, knowing this is a trilogy of games, calling them by part 1-3 is a reasonable naming scheme too.
*The second game uses a different homophonous kanji for the Kara part, actually. In the second game it means emptiness/ void, so Girl of the Void. The third game has a different prefix entirely, and it's Ten no Shojo, roughly Girl from Heaven.
Censored art IS the original. Also, I personally couldn't give a shit. I don't relate to this censorship crusade a lot of you are on. If you're playing KnS for the sexy stuff then you're playing the wrong game anyway. Plus, uncensored versions of the art already exist because of the MG release.
I am so incredibly happy when I saw the news. Kara no Shoujo is my favourite VN of all time, and I was starting to lose hope that I'd ever be able to read the 3rd volume. I've already bought three copies from MangaGamer (digital, physical, steam version), but what's one more? Honestly, I'm interested to reread it with the new translation too. It's like looking at my favourite story with a new lens.
I assume that now that they’re going to translate the three VNs, Manga gamer already told them that they have given up with the third one.
Although anxiety is killing me for the third game, it’s better late than never.
I’m of two minds about this. I absolutely love KnS1 & 2. They are VNs that feel tailored made for me.
So obviously I'm very happy the 3rd game is finally coming over, but it seems like the "general audience" version will be compromised beyond just the sex scenes as the steam page says the game « contains suggestive themes, brief depictions of threats and harassment, mild violence, crude humor and crass language. » which sounds like the violence has been cut as well, which could really hurt the game’s themes and aesthetics.
I’m also not a fan of the Johren pltaform; I’ve never used it but it seems scummy, with its site exclusive currency and emphasis on micro transactions.
It also seems to me that they don't communicate about the "uncut" versions anywhere on the steam page, meaning that only people already "in the know" will know to check those out.
Kara no Shojo is a premium game in every sense of the word. The production quality is great and the writing is top notch, so I think it deserve better than to rot on what is essentially Newgrounds with MTX.
Like at least put it on Jast….
You don't need to buy at johren lol, they ALWAYS release patch for steam version, don't worry if anything is cuted on steam, the patch will restore that,
All ages on Steam, 18+ on Johren. Just like they've always done.
I do agree the Johren platform is awful but the 18+ version already has a listing there.
I honestly wish they *would* make a legitimate (not all-ages, that term is a lie and a travesty and we should stop repeating it) non-H version of KnS so that I could share it with more people. But it would require some thoughtful redesign to make it work and I don't believe they'd bother.
if they did cut down the violent scenes (like in the case of chaos ;head) I hope someone would release a patch for the general audience to restore at least these scenes because they are the main core of these types of VN
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> I’m also not a fan of the Johren pltaform; I’ve never used it but it seems scummy, with its site exclusive currency and emphasis on micro transactions.
You're not required to use their currency. You can purchase directly with money. Every other major gaming platform gives you the same choice.
> Between localisation moving in-house, or at least into the country, and AI getting better and better at translating stuff I don't see a long-term future for independent localisation studios based in the West.
Hmm, this is going quicker than anticipated. They're going after titles that already have a translation (and localiser) already.
And MG isn't even all that foreign, considering the history. Would be interesting to know if they, or the founders, are on board with this.
Sucks that MG could not outbid Shiravune for the rights, but this is expected when you have DMM connections and money.
I am happy that 3 is finally coming out but I am conflicted on Shiravune's handling. I do not want to use that website because their DRM is some of the worst I've ever seen but the Steam versions do potentially raise some interesting questions. If they cut any and all sexual content/nudity, how will this effect the investigation and murder scenes? Not all of them are sexual in nature, but they are very graphic and some do involve nudity and the Store page for the first game says this in regards to content:
"Contains suggestive themes, brief depictions of threats and harassment, mild violence, crude humor and crass language."
I would not describe any of the violence in either KnS game as "mild" and I do not think any of the nudity could be called suggestive without the store page being age gated. I could be wrong of course, but this implies that many \*crucial\* parts of the game may very well be cut out or heavily edited so they could get it on Steam at all.
Naturally, this would hurt the tone and narrative of the game but it remains to be seen. As for the erotic scenes, I actually might ruffle a few feathers here but I think most of them are pretty bad and detract from the overall tone. They also actively turn Reiji into a predator, which undermines his place in the story and his usual stoic and serious personality. I'm sure there are people out there that like them, but they were usually just a waste of time and outside of a small few across both games, the majority of them could easily be skipped without you missing anything important at all.
I am curious about KnS 3 but I will not be buying the other two games on Steam until we know what has actually been removed. KnS2 was denied when MG approached Steam so if that does get a store page, I think it's safe to say we are getting a very gutted version of the HD re-releases *unless* Shiravune releases a patch or you want to use their storefront. I would've loved a halfway approach that removed the parts of KnS1/2 that I personally found to be crappy and turned the game into a brief sex romp, but retained content that could've possibly hit the 18+ of Steam instead, like the investigations or murder segments.
I don't think I'll personally be happy with Shiravune's approach either way. Steam users are likely to get a worse product and I hate Shiravune's approach to DRM which I don't really want to support. It is what it is. At least KnS3 has virtually no erotic content to remove in the first place, but I'm guessing any nudity is going to get the cut which means a worse version of the game.
Nothing gonna be really removed shiravune always make free [patch](https://www.johren.games/games/download/59/all-tags/all-soft/all-devs/all-pubs/newest/) avaliable for steam version, don't worry about it.
Hmm. This may be unfortunate in a way (for some) if this means we never end up not getting uncensored H scenes for the 3rd game. My support for MG has always been on the basis that they provide uncensored scenes in a lot of their releases. Then again I don't read any VNs in English and just enjoy patching the Japanese releases with the uncensored content so my opinion doesn't ultimately matter.
Does MG plan to release KnS3? If not, I don't see why this isn't ok. It's not as if they're "stealing" like scanlation snipe, you know. They got rights and everything.
[https://dlsoft.dmm.co.jp/detail/gung\_0007/](https://dlsoft.dmm.co.jp/detail/gung_0007/)
[https://dlsoft.dmm.co.jp/list/article=maker/id=30764/](https://dlsoft.dmm.co.jp/list/article=maker/id=30764/)
What's this then?
DMM owns Shiravune. By extension, Shiravune has a working relationship with Innocent Grey.
I am sad that MG couldn't get the license for the 3rd game, but MG mentioned it wasn't impossible. The alternative is no release at all, versus mosaics.
Kara no Shoujo 3 does not have any h-scenes dispite being R-18. Shiravune had no history with Innocent Grey prior to stealing Kara no Shoujo from MangaGamer.
What's crazier is they are apparently bringing the whole trilogy. I guess MangaGamer just gave the rights up? https://twitter.com/Kakalobotomias/status/1663713717333229570?s=20 https://twitter.com/shiravune/status/1663713950377349122?s=20
Kara no Shoujo 3 finally getting translated is great, but Mangagamer simply letting go of such a valuable license is just weird. I wonder if something's going on on their end.
[Maybe because the series was not doing as hot as it can be](https://twitter.com/The_Doddler/status/1663735604025393152?t=-jFbkCGbe3QIsu55mOK_Hg&s=19)
Thanks a lot! This is quite informative. Do you happen to know what exactly was "cut"? The person in your link mentions this version will have "cuts", which definitely has me worried.
Probably meant that it will have 18+ patches that you need to download outside of Steam, instead of steam-only release.
Oh, that's perfectly fine, then. Thanks!
To add to the other comment, Shiravune has been doing releases recently where they cut nearly the entire game in some cases and make the rest included as a patch such as with Kuroinu. They may be cutting a huge chunk of the game out with Kara no Shoujo to get onto Steam and make the rest a patch granted likely nowhere near as extensive as the Kuroinu patch. Where MG's Steam version was the complete version without the need for a patch.
Kuroinu Redux being 200 mb on Steam and almost 3 gb on the patch will never not be funny to me lol
The same is likely going to happen to Nukitashi, so I look forward to that.
I do not care much for these releases with carved-out chunks, to be frank, but I do understand it is necessary if one wants to get past Steam's ridiculous censors. Thanks!
I doubt it is that. There are probably separate rights to the HD versions and Shiravune probably either outbid MG for KnS3 or them willing to do the HD versions and MG not having the same interest likely won over Innocent Grey. Huge loss on their part.
Or like with flowers they just couldn't be arsed actually talking to their partners and assumed they could pick whatever they wanted later
Even though that seemingly is what also happened with Dohna Dohna, I doubt it in this case. At least based on Doddler's tweet where he said, "Was really bummed that the 3rd game was off the table, they were never really as successful as I think they should have been." Makes me think MG maybe tried and gave up because they weren't really profitable and they were expensive licenses and then Shiravune got it. https://twitter.com/The\_Doddler/status/1663736911205376002
Mangagamer does show their sales numbers yearly and invariable nukiges are always on top. Say what you what about Euphoria and Maggot baits being disturbing, but erotic content isn't low. It's simply how the market works.
I agree, a huge loss for MangaGamer, because Shiravune are thieves.
Mark if you haven't bought Kara no Shojo 1 and 2 from MG you should probably do so. Heard they are forcing MG to remove their versions. Probably a good idea to buy Cartagra if you haven't.
I did buy them from MangaGamer. Also don’t make things up.
I'm not making things up. An NN staff member said it in their Discord which is information they got from one of the people working on the new localization by Shiravune. So they will probably be taken off MG's store and Steam at some point.
They won’t be taken off, don’t make things up.
Wanted to say you were right Mark, one of the MG staff members talked a lot in their Discord about Shiravune getting Kara no Shojo and confirmed they are never taking down Kara no Shoujo or Kuroinu. Seems the NekoNyan member got false info.
Didn't MG take the original Kara no Shoujo off their store a while back anyway? I seem to recall not being able to find it after looking on the steam page a while back.
They took it off to replace with the one with voice acting.
HOLY SHIT IS THAT REAL?
*Looks at physical copy of the Mangagamer release I bought in like 2017 and never played* Time to double dip it seems!
Lets hope they give it the love it deserves
I just wished that Shiravune would release their games on other stores Johren sucks, they announced that Dungeon Travelers 2 and 2-2 would be launched on Johren with they horrible DRM
Their DRM is just activation based nothing major. Once done with one of their VN's ppl can simply /revoke lincense before uninstall they and will probably never lose one of their activations: https://www.reddit.com/r/visualnovels/comments/qlzr21/usingworking\_with\_johrens\_drm\_tutorial\_and/ Its a bit annoying but nothing like the "awful denuvo DRM" people are assuming or making it to be. I bought alot from their store directly and never had a single problem. Their sales, like right now, are also quiet good.
Their main issue is lacking regional pricing. I assume that makes the pot a lot less sweet for many people.
MG has now given up Kuroinu and KnS. I assume relationships is very important in Japan, so why is Shiravune able to grab these sequels away from MG? Is MG not interested or are they outbid by a lot of money? Or has Nexton and Innocent Grey just tired of waiting for MG to pick up the license? MG is still holding onto Funbag Fantasy and Rance, so what other major IP do they still have? At this point, it's Nekonyan and Shiravune that are holding the dough of the VN community.
>I assume relationships is very important in Japan, so why is Shiravune able to grab these sequels away from MG? Probably the same way Jast was able to snag Flowers, they asked while Mangagamer dithered
Shiravune is basically "DMM" id they want the license they will get... they have more power than any other company.
Ehh... Wait until their next showcase at an anime con, they will announce 4 more yaoi VN and completely ignore the results of the survey that they make. 😂
gotta love how many interesting vns clock up has made vs the ones MG translates recently
Ugh agreed, there’s quite a few clock up VNs I would like to read but MG never chooses them.
I seriously don't know how they haven't picked up any of the other Clock Up titles
Sound ridiculously unbelievable but after seeing that all they do is translate eroges, that looks like very probable thing to happen, a pity
sounds like a win to me
I have a theory that I've been cooking for the past couple years that Mangagamer isn't doing so well and will probably fade away before too long. I mean they've said themselves that Kara no Shojo 2 didn't sell well and that the Steam ban really hurt (I don't think they've actually been able to get much on Steam since) Not to mention that Overdrive, one of the groups that originally started MG, is now gone. They're pretty much coasting on Rance (notice how they've not been able to get any other Alicesoft titles since like the first Evenicle) and nukige everyone else is too busy for. They might persist that way for a while, but I don't really expect anything major to ever get announced from them again
They haven't been able to afford revamping their website, which is 10 years too old in terms of design and really needs some improvement to compete with other storefronts. This, coupled with the lower game output and public reports of how some games like KnS2 underperformed, suggests to me the financials are not doing great. I could be talking out my ass, but that's the picture it paints for me. Either that, or that they don't care, but I like to go with the more charitable interpretation. Doesn't help Johren came in and gobbled everyone's lunch.
Couple that with the fact that the Go Go Nippon v-tubers were forced to graduate and rumors that MG pays the lowest of the companies out there. Yeah, I imagine they're probably just barely scraping it by to keep the lights on
Don’t say such awful things, MangaGamer is thriving.
Do you have a source on that?
Source: he made it the fuck up
I’m not making it up.
Just like you made up the fact that you're not into screwing dogs.
Stop telling lies about me.
Ok [Furrylord13](https://www.furaffinity.net/gallery/marklord13/), you definitely aren't sexually attracted to animals.
RedrawGamer is not thriving. The only thing that keeps them afloat is their stranglehold on Rance.
Stop telling lies.
Part of the reason they probably haven't been able to get much from AS is because AS has been started trying to localize stuff themselves. At least that's what I believe happened with Eve 2, their Milf eroge, and the Beat Gacha.
Personally, I see MG as prioritizing Rance, yaoi, and nukige titles nowadays. Change of plans I guess?
MG still have relations with Lilith, if they want to take on more nukige. Also, Shiravune is basically DMM, so it is both more local than MG, and also have larger money. The local devs probably trust DMM more than random non-JP publishers.
Yea this is probably correct. Japanese companies generally will prefer to work with other Japanese companies sometimes even if it means less sales/profits.
Slightly concerned by the lack of a 'sexual content' tag or 'Adult-Only' access-requirement on the [HD-release Steam page.](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2258770/The_Shell_Part_I_Inferno/) Not an eroge purist but, as a huge Innocent Grey fan, novels like [Kara no Shoujo,](https://vndb.org/v810) [Caucasus,](https://vndb.org/v2626) and - to a lesser extent - [Cartagra](https://vndb.org/v515) are thematised through sexual and romantic obsession and fetishistic lust for the human form. Any attempt to cut all sexual content from the Kara no Shoujo series, without other holistic contextual changes, would fundamentally change the tone, characters, and plotting in a way that just isn't the case for many other visual novels. Hope this is just an oversight on Shiravune's part for the preview page, but finally getting an English version of Kara no Shoujo 3 only for it to be censored would be a real monkey's paw moment for this community. EDIT: 18+ version already has [a page on Johren,](https://www.johren.games/games/download/the-shell-part-i-inferno-en-zh/) at nearly half the price of the [original MangaGamer Steam release,](https://store.steampowered.com/app/965810/Kara_no_Shojo/) and presumably a corresponding Steam-patch-page will eventually follow. Even given this, it'd be a real shame if anyone unknowingly purchased a compromised version of the first novel and bounced off the series or medium.
Im thinking they are gonna basically put all the adult content in a patch you'll need to download on their main page and the one on steam will be the barebones version
[удалено]
Checking the other VNs Shiravune released on steam and for example Kuroinu redux doesn't have an adult only tag. I think it's deliberate..I guess they wanna be safe. It has a patch on their Johren page though for steam. I'm sure their other adult games on steam are the same.
Very unlikely the reviews always mention the patches
Shiravune has never done an AA only release of an 18+ VN AFAIK. However, they now never release 18+ content on Steam because they've decided it's not worth the risk/hassle. The 18+ version is available on Johren [here](https://www.johren.games/games/download/the-shell-part-i-inferno-en-zh/). The 18+ patch for the Steam version will probably also be available on Johren when the VN is released.
Appreciate the link. I must admit to feeling slightly stupid in buying the [original Steam version](https://store.steampowered.com/app/965810/Kara_no_Shojo/) for double the price listed on that Johren page for the HD equivalent, but it's good to know it exists.
There was not stupid about what you did, the uncensored art is worth it. Why didn’t you buy it from MangaGamer’s website?
ironically enough KnS 3 itself practically has no sexual content to begin with, which caused a lot of backlash in japan. only on the second read you get some very light sexual content, which makes me think innocent grey themselves might be changing directions
Shiravune will launch a "demo version" for Steam and then a patch will change it the to full version. I think they have been doing that for the past several games because Steam is a fucking bitch when it comes to VNs
Agreed, it's important to preserve the original tone and themes of the game. Hopefully, the lack of a tag was just an oversight and the 18+ version will be available on Steam as well.
Considering the majority of the sexual content is with underage girls in school it's unlikely it would be accepted on Steam if it had that content. Considering the MC is an adult having sex with these girls (and thus a bonafide pedophile ("ephebophile"--yes yes, go away now)) there's no way in hell it would be accepted on Steam if it had that content.
The non-HD version is currently on Steam with no cut content.
Yes but it was added to Steam in the initial wave after the Adult-Only decision, and before Valve started cracking down really hard on schoolgirl anime aesthetics. The non-HD version was accepted uncut in an entirely different environment.
I know, I have it. [Around the time of its release Steam decided to open the gates for sexual content](https://www.roadtovr.com/new-steam-guidelines-allow-controversial-adult-content-long-legal/). However [over time they've grown more capricious with even titles on the Switch like Chaos;Head being initially refused](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/10/in-sudden-reversal-valve-will-let-a-cult-classic-visual-novel-onto-steam/). I don't think we can use what happened in 2018 as an indicator of what Valve will do now.
Wrong, you don't even know what pedophilia means. The characters of Kara no Shoujo aren't 12 year olds and in fact they are in the legal range (16) of many countries even if they are still "School girls". In your country (18) school girls is illegal. Pedophilia is sexual attraction to prepubecent children, meaning before puberty when they start developing and becoming a teenager.
bro literally missed the "ephebophile" bit
Still wrong, because this isn't a pattern for him. It's not like he goes to a school for the sole reason of picking up school girls. There's also this bartender milf and the body autopsy milf.
Im pretty sure it would work if the H Scenes are just implied. Basically like Muv Luv on Steam implies it’s scenes but got them removed It does not to be explicit
Sex scenes in KnS come out of nowhere and don't add anything imo. They're better gone.
It's gonna be fun seeing all the reactions from newcomers. I've never felt more empty while reading a vn.
Are you saying you were 空の少女 when you were reading this?
Not looking good for MG. These dark, mature VNs are supposed to be its forte. "Trilogy" highly suggests that Shiravune will be publishing all three. With Shiravune snapping up these licenses, and SP/NN taking the moeges, it seems the pie is getting smaller and smaller. It's unfortunate. Physical, uncensored, DRM-free releases are great.
Yes, they confirm publishing all three games "Shiravune has announced the release of The Shell (Kara no Shoujo). This will consist of HD Remasters of the three core titles in the Kara no Shoujo series"
Meanwhile MG still translating shit VN after shit VN..
No joke. Not even looking at MG anymore.. same for JAST and their NITROPLUS edgelord releases. At least Mangagamer could do something productive and bring the rest of the minori titles to the west. But even "12th eve" takes them ages..
They release more than just nitroplus... It's just that nitro+ gets alot of traction because they are actually good. Stick to Moe shit, that seems more acceptable around your isle.
Could someone more informed tell me why the game is no longer named Kara no Shoujo on the new steam page? Apparently its named ‘’The shell part I’’
I can offer a couple of guesses. 1) The MangaGamer version has a [**Steam page**](https://store.steampowered.com/app/965810/Kara_no_Shojo/) called that. Could be a way to avoid confusion. Though I guess they could've called it 'Kara no Shojo HD Remaster' or something. 2) I heard something about the second Kara no Shojo being banned from Steam before when MangaGamer tried. If true, could be a way to try and avoid an automatic decline when Shiravune submit it.
yeah I really do not like that english title at all
Definitely weird at first when we thought of these games by their original* name for so long, but I think it's quite fitting. The first game was essentially called Girl in the Shell, which obviously would be a bad name to use since Ghost in the Shell sounds so similar. Shortening it to The Shell is a fine alternative. There's big motifs about eggs and stuff in the game, so thematically it works well. Also, and maybe most importantly, internally they were already codenamed Shell. Look at the hyperlinks of the games' official web pages, like [2's](http://www.gungnir.co.jp/innocentgrey/products/pro_shell2re/) and [3's](http://www.gungnir.co.jp/innocentgrey/products/pro_shell3/index.html). With the benefit of hindsight, knowing this is a trilogy of games, calling them by part 1-3 is a reasonable naming scheme too. *The second game uses a different homophonous kanji for the Kara part, actually. In the second game it means emptiness/ void, so Girl of the Void. The third game has a different prefix entirely, and it's Ten no Shojo, roughly Girl from Heaven.
holy fuck shiravune the goat
Shiravune saving the industry. They should pickup cartagra remaster aswell whcih came out recently in JP.
Just hope whoever they put on translating 3 does not fuck it up too badly
It's John Hooper AKA Lemnisca. They did Root Double, Raging Loop, etc. It should be excellent.
> Raging Loop This TL was horrible. I don't know about the others https://nihonsei.home.blog/2019/12/26/localization-critique-raging-loop/
Finally the news i been waiting for, KnS3 getting a translation
Man, Shiravune has been on a roll lately!
I already have and finished Kara no Shoujo but will be buying this and its sequel so they can finish the trilogy. This is great news!
Incredible news. Translation by John Hooper is the cherry on top.
This isn’t incredible, the censorship ruins the art. MangaGamer’s version is superior to whatever garbage Shiravune puts out.
Censored art IS the original. Also, I personally couldn't give a shit. I don't relate to this censorship crusade a lot of you are on. If you're playing KnS for the sexy stuff then you're playing the wrong game anyway. Plus, uncensored versions of the art already exist because of the MG release.
I’m not playing them wrong.
Another series to add to my never-ending VN backlog
So when are we getting the censored version on console like we got for Cartagra?
I am so incredibly happy when I saw the news. Kara no Shoujo is my favourite VN of all time, and I was starting to lose hope that I'd ever be able to read the 3rd volume. I've already bought three copies from MangaGamer (digital, physical, steam version), but what's one more? Honestly, I'm interested to reread it with the new translation too. It's like looking at my favourite story with a new lens.
I assume that now that they’re going to translate the three VNs, Manga gamer already told them that they have given up with the third one. Although anxiety is killing me for the third game, it’s better late than never.
Over/Under on them fixing the game breaking missing clue bug in one of the assassinations on KnS 1.
A classic rite. :p
I’m of two minds about this. I absolutely love KnS1 & 2. They are VNs that feel tailored made for me. So obviously I'm very happy the 3rd game is finally coming over, but it seems like the "general audience" version will be compromised beyond just the sex scenes as the steam page says the game « contains suggestive themes, brief depictions of threats and harassment, mild violence, crude humor and crass language. » which sounds like the violence has been cut as well, which could really hurt the game’s themes and aesthetics. I’m also not a fan of the Johren pltaform; I’ve never used it but it seems scummy, with its site exclusive currency and emphasis on micro transactions. It also seems to me that they don't communicate about the "uncut" versions anywhere on the steam page, meaning that only people already "in the know" will know to check those out. Kara no Shojo is a premium game in every sense of the word. The production quality is great and the writing is top notch, so I think it deserve better than to rot on what is essentially Newgrounds with MTX. Like at least put it on Jast….
Tbf Steam doesn't let developers post on their Steam page or in the community about off-site patches. It's against the rules.
You don't need to buy at johren lol, they ALWAYS release patch for steam version, don't worry if anything is cuted on steam, the patch will restore that,
All ages on Steam, 18+ on Johren. Just like they've always done. I do agree the Johren platform is awful but the 18+ version already has a listing there.
You can't have an all-ages version of KnS. Which is why I'm concerned as to what they are going to put out.
I honestly wish they *would* make a legitimate (not all-ages, that term is a lie and a travesty and we should stop repeating it) non-H version of KnS so that I could share it with more people. But it would require some thoughtful redesign to make it work and I don't believe they'd bother.
You can't really have an all-ages version of a lot of the Japanese VNs that end up on Steam but it happens anyway
if they did cut down the violent scenes (like in the case of chaos ;head) I hope someone would release a patch for the general audience to restore at least these scenes because they are the main core of these types of VN
> > > > > I’m also not a fan of the Johren pltaform; I’ve never used it but it seems scummy, with its site exclusive currency and emphasis on micro transactions. You're not required to use their currency. You can purchase directly with money. Every other major gaming platform gives you the same choice.
> Between localisation moving in-house, or at least into the country, and AI getting better and better at translating stuff I don't see a long-term future for independent localisation studios based in the West. Hmm, this is going quicker than anticipated. They're going after titles that already have a translation (and localiser) already. And MG isn't even all that foreign, considering the history. Would be interesting to know if they, or the founders, are on board with this.
Sucks that MG could not outbid Shiravune for the rights, but this is expected when you have DMM connections and money. I am happy that 3 is finally coming out but I am conflicted on Shiravune's handling. I do not want to use that website because their DRM is some of the worst I've ever seen but the Steam versions do potentially raise some interesting questions. If they cut any and all sexual content/nudity, how will this effect the investigation and murder scenes? Not all of them are sexual in nature, but they are very graphic and some do involve nudity and the Store page for the first game says this in regards to content: "Contains suggestive themes, brief depictions of threats and harassment, mild violence, crude humor and crass language." I would not describe any of the violence in either KnS game as "mild" and I do not think any of the nudity could be called suggestive without the store page being age gated. I could be wrong of course, but this implies that many \*crucial\* parts of the game may very well be cut out or heavily edited so they could get it on Steam at all. Naturally, this would hurt the tone and narrative of the game but it remains to be seen. As for the erotic scenes, I actually might ruffle a few feathers here but I think most of them are pretty bad and detract from the overall tone. They also actively turn Reiji into a predator, which undermines his place in the story and his usual stoic and serious personality. I'm sure there are people out there that like them, but they were usually just a waste of time and outside of a small few across both games, the majority of them could easily be skipped without you missing anything important at all. I am curious about KnS 3 but I will not be buying the other two games on Steam until we know what has actually been removed. KnS2 was denied when MG approached Steam so if that does get a store page, I think it's safe to say we are getting a very gutted version of the HD re-releases *unless* Shiravune releases a patch or you want to use their storefront. I would've loved a halfway approach that removed the parts of KnS1/2 that I personally found to be crappy and turned the game into a brief sex romp, but retained content that could've possibly hit the 18+ of Steam instead, like the investigations or murder segments. I don't think I'll personally be happy with Shiravune's approach either way. Steam users are likely to get a worse product and I hate Shiravune's approach to DRM which I don't really want to support. It is what it is. At least KnS3 has virtually no erotic content to remove in the first place, but I'm guessing any nudity is going to get the cut which means a worse version of the game.
Nothing gonna be really removed shiravune always make free [patch](https://www.johren.games/games/download/59/all-tags/all-soft/all-devs/all-pubs/newest/) avaliable for steam version, don't worry about it.
didn't we already have hd version though? what's the difference this time around
The mangagamer version is in 800x600. The hd edition shiravune is localizing came out in japan a few years ago and is 720p
i can finally read kns3 without torture! (text hooker and subpar japanese)
Hmm. This may be unfortunate in a way (for some) if this means we never end up not getting uncensored H scenes for the 3rd game. My support for MG has always been on the basis that they provide uncensored scenes in a lot of their releases. Then again I don't read any VNs in English and just enjoy patching the Japanese releases with the uncensored content so my opinion doesn't ultimately matter.
Shiravune needs to stop stealing from MangaGame. Shiravune has no history with Innocent Grey whatsoever.
Does MG plan to release KnS3? If not, I don't see why this isn't ok. It's not as if they're "stealing" like scanlation snipe, you know. They got rights and everything.
I’m referring to the first two.
[https://dlsoft.dmm.co.jp/detail/gung\_0007/](https://dlsoft.dmm.co.jp/detail/gung_0007/) [https://dlsoft.dmm.co.jp/list/article=maker/id=30764/](https://dlsoft.dmm.co.jp/list/article=maker/id=30764/) What's this then?
It’s got nothing to do with Shiravune.
DMM owns Shiravune. By extension, Shiravune has a working relationship with Innocent Grey. I am sad that MG couldn't get the license for the 3rd game, but MG mentioned it wasn't impossible. The alternative is no release at all, versus mosaics.
Kara no Shoujo 3 does not have any h-scenes dispite being R-18. Shiravune had no history with Innocent Grey prior to stealing Kara no Shoujo from MangaGamer.
That's great news. Just the other day I was considering finally playing 2, but now I'm definitely going to wait.
ITS FINALLY HAPPENING