I want to commemorate this fateful but unfulfilled game. /w＼
"Moon & Star". Abbreviated as "Munsuta".
I accidentally came across the pre-registration information in the Play Store. I was interested in the visuals and the theme, so I did some research and didn't see any major issues, so I made a reservation.
After it was released, I noticed that the login screen displayed a name that was clearly not from a Japanese unit, and some of the in-game text didn't feel natural even to me as a foreigner. And sometimes, when the system lagged, Chinese characters would appear, and that's when I realized that this might not be a Japanese game.
After searching again in this direction, I quickly found the original version.
Indeed, it is a game from mainland China, but it seems to be almost dormant.
At first, I didn't pay much attention, just wanted to understand the situation.
At that time, the Japanese version was quite active, and there were often players from different countries in the chat room engaging in mini international exchanges. (laughs) The reviews on Twitter were generally good, and some people said that although there were many flaws in the game, the operating unit took every issue raised by the players seriously and responded actively. It was indeed like that at the time.
I think maybe the Japanese version obtained the authorization and developed independently.
But when I occasionally checked the information about related games including the original version, I started to feel uneasy.
The state of the original version was not good, and by the end of July, it was announced that it would be officially shut down.
I comforted myself that the Japanese version should not be affected, after all, it had just started, and the company would evaluate it before launching.
I checked the information about the Japanese version company and saw the games they operated, and my uneasiness grew. Firstly, the tone was completely different, and secondly, the content seemed closer to being a proxy.
But there was also a Korean version. Besides occasionally appearing in Chinese, the Japanese version would also display Korean. So I told myself that maybe there was some cooperation between the Japanese and Korean versions, and maybe I didn't need to worry too much about the operation of the Japanese and Korean versions.
But at this point, it was already difficult to see people chatting in the game. The contrast with the initial enthusiasm was very clear. Although I prefer playing games in single-player mode and generally don't like to see or participate in conversations, this situation intensified my sense of unease.
Worried posts started to appear on Twitter, mostly expressing hopes that this game could last.
Not long after, the game had a revival event.
I felt very uneasy.
The reactions on Twitter were also expressing the same sense of crisis.
But everyone seemed to have the same feeling - that the revival might be a stopgap before creating new activities? Hopefully.
On one hand, I was very worried, but on the other hand, I hoped that the company was actively negotiating or creating, and that there would be a rebirth after the revival.
And finally, the announcement of the shutdown came.
Sigh...
After all, I wasn't completely unprepared.
But still, I feel quite sad.
I still see similar sentiments on Twitter, saying that although it seems like there won't be much time left, they still hold a glimmer of hope. What a pity.
Hmm.
For me, I really feel it's a great pity.
This game only lasted a little over half a year from start to finish... sigh.
This is the first time I've encountered such a short-lived game. In fact, it's also the first time I've experienced a game shutting down during its run.
But perhaps it's fortunate that it happened in this kind of year. In this kind of year, one cannot afford to be attached to things in life.
And I feel so emotional and melancholic because I really liked this game.
This game was so rare and unexpected for me, a chance encounter that was not sought after, but the fate was so short-lived.
First of all, the visuals. I really liked this art style, and among the games I've played or am currently playing, there are hardly any that match my aesthetic. Although the art style of the card illustrations in the game is not consistent, it feels like they were drawn by different artists, which is a bit of a drawback for me because I really appreciate the art style of the main illustrations, the ones shown on the official website, including the chibi images, I love them all. The chibi illustrations are so cute that I wonder why they didn't release them as LINE stickers. They are used as stickers in the simulated text messages in the game and can also be posted in the chat room. I really wish I could officially have this set of stickers.
The characters are attractive, and what's even rarer is that the story is equally captivating. This game can be said to be primarily focused on reading the story, and the story itself is quite wonderful. The female protagonist is smart, capable, and resolute, which is unprecedented. The relationships between her and each character are just right, and each character is mature, rational, and has their own unique characteristics. Overall, they leave a good impression, except for Tachibana, maybe because I don't like his appearance. The plot progresses layer by layer, one event after another, which is the life experience of each character, and it is connected by the protagonist's own life story. The plot is suspenseful and exciting, making me eager to know the development of the story. There were several nights when I worked hard to unlock the story, and I truly felt that this story would be great as a drama, every scene is so vivid.
Moreover, it made me cry. One night, I was sitting on my bed, reading a scene, and there was a description that suddenly pierced my heart, and tears welled up in my eyes. While crying, I murmured to myself, I can't believe a game can make me cry like this. And then I thought, this game is really amazing. It happened between chapters fifteen and sixteen, describing a young girl's passionate and genuine admiration for her idol. The self-blame when she realized that she had hurt her idol. The hesitation when she finally faced her idol. The courage it took to apologize in person. And the greatest gift she could think of, the idol's autograph. She cherished that autograph. And when she lay on her bed, smiling and thinking about how she met her idol and got her idol's autograph, I cried on my bed. It was such a small thing. Her redemption, her happiness. I understand. I understand.
Just because of this scene, I can't bear to part with this game.
And the gameplay of this game is extremely simple. In terms of the core concept, it's really just about reading the story.
The few actions in the game can all be reduced to upgrading cards to unlock the story, such a simple task. Although this has been criticized or questioned by many people, for me, it's just right. The game starts up quickly, the page transitions are smooth, and the vertical gameplay can be held with one hand. I can quickly open the game, go through a few simple steps, and then close it, and soon after, I can easily open it again and repeat the process. It's quite pleasant for me. These steps are naturally designed to have a simulated experience that matches the game's theme, and I think they have a charming atmosphere. There is also a small game included, a "memory match" mode, which happens to be something I'm good at.
A game that touches me in every aspect like this is hard to come by.
Even the sound, I find it harmonious. I'm not someone who pays much attention to sound, except for Japanese games, where voice acting can sometimes feel unnecessary for me, but the voice acting in this game, overall, feels appropriate. My favorite character, Tsukki, sounds cute the more I listen to him.
Tsukki's appearance is my favorite and I really like it, as well as his personality, and the voice acting is almost perfect. He is a character I really like and find adorable. Just like his representative color, which is my favorite, the bright yellow makes me feel joyful. He is like my favorite golden sun, shining brightly, and he is the typical dog-like guy that I like. He is still a classmate of the female protagonist, which is just perfect.
I really like the world and every character that the story of this game has created, even the supporting characters are very moving.
I tried to find the original writer and illustrator during the game, but I couldn't find any related information.
If I could find the "original creator" in this sense, perhaps the regret of the game ending could be lessened a bit.
Since the beginning of this game, I can say that I logged in every day.
I originally wanted to make an effort to see more of the story before it ended, but the way to obtain essential in-game currency was suddenly and completely removed without warning.
This is truly incomprehensible.
With this, the game basically ended prematurely. Without being able to obtain the in-game currency, the game couldn't progress.
Only a few feedback questions in the daily missions and the option to exchange diamonds for in-game currency remained, but that was originally limited and had limited help.
In this final moment, it just feels so regrettable.
It seems that the Korean version is still running. But that's not my fate.
In this kind of year, I encountered a wonderful game and now I have to say goodbye to it.
This is truly a year of helplessness.
This post turned out to be quite long.
This is my tribute.
I'm glad we met.
Thank you for this love.