What the West Forgot: A Republic Reflection on the Hidden Power of Visual Novels

By Wendell NeSmith

For most of my life, I didn’t know visual novels existed.
And if I did hear the term, I didn’t know what they were—
just some vague idea of anime-styled text games, probably weird, maybe boring, not for me.

And yet here I am now, completely in love.
Visual novels have become the most meaningful gaming experiences I’ve ever had.

How did that happen?

Simple:
My culture never showed them to me.

Raised on Action, Starved of Feeling

I was raised, like many others in the West, to believe games were about:

  • Combat
  • Exploration
  • Winning
  • Mechanics

Stories were for movies.
Reading was for school.
Games were for reflexes.

No one ever told me that a game could be:

  • Emotionally devastating
  • Philosophically rich
  • Quiet, slow, and powerful
  • Centered on conversation, relationships, and reflection

No one told me that a game could make me cry in the right way.

Japan Knew Something We Didn’t

Visual novels are far more popular in Japan.
They have a long tradition of valuing:

  • Serialized storytelling
  • Character depth
  • Emotional truth
  • Everyday beauty

They understood that a game didn’t need to be flashy to be profound.
And so they made things like Clannad, Planetarian, Steins;Gate, and The House in Fata Morgana—
games that touch the soul, not just the controller.

And while we in the West chased photorealism and gunfire,
they quietly built libraries of signal.

Discovering Signal

When I finally discovered visual novels, it was like someone had flipped on a light.
Suddenly I wasn’t gaming—I was living inside stories that mattered.
I wasn’t grinding XP—I was building relationships.
I wasn’t escaping—I was healing.

Games like Clannad and Ace Attorney didn’t just entertain me.
They changed me.

And now I wonder:
How many other people are out there, like me, waiting for something they’ve never been shown?
How many souls are starved for signal but trapped in a market of static?

The Republic Declares

Let this be a declaration from the Mythocratic Republic:

We believe visual novels are one of the most overlooked, underappreciated art forms in the modern world.
We believe they offer emotional literacy, moral engagement, and spiritual resonance far beyond what most games even attempt.

And we believe it’s time to show others what the West forgot.

If you’ve never played a visual novel—start now.
If you have—share them.

They won’t be for everyone.
But for the people who need them?
They might just save your love of storytelling… or your love of life.

Comments

Post a Comment