Semiramis no Tenbin: Why I love it.

I get people asking me all the time why I like this VN so much, and indeed, there is a lot about this VN that makes it a somewhat eclectic choice. The only thing that is even remotely moe is the basic visuals, and the arcs of the story range from the shocking to the creepy.

First, the biggest reason is quite simple... Kamio Ami. It is really rare for a heroine to so completely shatter pre-existing standards of what a VN/anime/manga heroine should be. Ami is the single most pragmatic, cold-blooded, and manipulative heroine I've ever come across. She also mixes that with a hedonistic side that makes her even harder to read.

The second reason is a bit more complex. This VN basically crucifies modern Japanese culture from beginning to end. It pokes holes in common Japanese preconceptions of what should be, and it outright sneers at the assumption many make that the law is there to protect people. I don't think I've ever come across a VN that so completely finds the most distasteful aspects of modern Japanese law and customs and dissects them for you to see.

If you choose to take it that way, this VN can be seen as a symbolic jab at all the things the Japanese don't want to think about when it comes to their culture, whether it is the way their law treats domestic disputes or the fact that, of all the first-world nations on the planet, they have the least effective rape-victim protections. This VN is fairly merciless, and the fact that it is represented through two character opposites at both extremes of the spectrum - Ami (realism) and Eru (law and order) - only creates a higher degree of symbolism that reminds me of the best philosophical fiction I've read in English.

Now... do you still wonder why I love this VN, or why I put it on the list of potential VNs of the Year for 2014? It isn't a kamige, but it is an impressive literary achievement. I'll be straight out and say this VN really picks its readers. Straight-out weaboo types and moege-lovers won't get into this (for different reasons), and those who want to keep their illusions about Japan will also be made to feel a little uncomfortable during the course of reading this VN. However, it is nonetheless something worth reading, for those who simply enjoy a good read.

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