Amanatsu is a slice of life romance comedy VN and should really come with a content warning because this game is diabetes-inducing levels of sweet. Definitely worth a buy if you're into slow paced, low stakes and wholesome romance stories.

To start off, the production in this VN is quite decent, everything from the art, the CGs, the character designs and models, the soundtrack and the outstanding performance from the VAs made it an absolute pleasure to read. The writing and pacing also work well to create a chill, summer vacation vibe. Nothing ever feels rushed, even the slower routes have plenty of comedy and shenanigans sprinkled in-between to keep you decently entertained. The characters, while not necessarily deep or profound, are also likable and funny when need be. I was surprised by the three male side characters as they provide different reactions to elevate comedy sections.

Yet the main draw of Amanatsu are the three main love interests. I played Kazuha's route first and was pleasantly surprised. Her bickering with Haruto laid the foundation for her route as they have decent chemistry together. I would say that Kazuha is one of the tamer tsunderes compared to others in the medium, as she becomes more honest and open with her feelings and desires for Haruto. Yes, you would definitely die if you had to drink a shot everytime Kazuha says Baka, but you'd enjoy it if that's what you're into.

Then we have Kogane, the golden retriever lowerclassmen with heaps of passion and a smile on her face. Honestly I liked her character design the most and her outfits were the most pleasing to look at. The scene where she screams face first in front of a running fan out of boredom is easily the most iconic scenes of the game, perfectly capturing the laid-back essence of the game. But her backstory and why she actively avoids love was something I least expected from Amanatsu. SPOILERS AHEAD. Due to her parent's divorce, she's been putting up a facade and avoiding home as a means to process her emotions. When Haruto and Kogane finally decide to talk about it, the topic is brought up in the most non-judgemental and respectful manner possible. Towards the end Kogane learns to love Haruto without letting her parents' divorce weigh her down and actively pictures a future with Haruto. I also have to mention Kogane's voice actress- Akino Hana, who voiced Kath from Evenicle. She has an impressive range that all my favorite voicelines where her doing various impressions. You can feel the fun she's having from delivering such divinely comedic scenes. I enjoyed Kogane and her route immensely.

Lastly we have Yashiro, the air-headed, soft-spoken upperclassmen. Her route was the most balanced in terms of drama, comedy and chemistry, I was not expecting to like her route that much. Due to my previous experience with another similar quirky airhead character from Making*Lovers called Mashiro (whose route I didn't particularly enjoy), I was abit hesitant to try her route. Yashiro has quirky hobbies like insect catching, but her date ideas involve including Haruto into doing the things she likes, resulting in a genuinely fun first date. On the other hand, Mashiro can't swim and is absolutely terrified of sea creatures like crabs and jellyfish, yet through placing her trust in Haruto, she is able to overcome most of her fears and change her opinions thanks to his patience. This give and take dynamic in their relationship was honestly very wholesome to read. Although Yashiro seems aloof at first, her character progression was the most satisfying of all the routes. Because she is incapable of lying, (this girl deadass told her whole family about her first kiss during dinner) she also laid bare her insecurities and introspective thoughts surrounding her role as a girlfriend. During a girls only sleep over (one where she asked her boyfriend to sit through as a make-pretend girl), I was shocked with how mature and methodical Yashiro approaches her relationship with Haruto, despite her supposed inexperience. She doesn't just go home after a date and spends all of her time missing Haruto, but tries to deepen her bond with Haruto while reflecting on her own actions. It also helps that she's very funny and adorable when she's with Haruto. Towards the end when Haruto dissects her facade and invites her to be her true self around him was just the perfect way to end her route.

If I had one small complaint, is the lack of an afterstory after the epilogues. One thing that I loved about this game is how love interests would openly talk about their future lives as a couple and how they genuinely appreciate each other's company. As such I think a short afterstory for the three characters would have been a nice touch considering how often our characters talk about marriage and having a family together. I would pay good money for a series of afterstory DLCs for each of the girls as is common in the industry since I would have loved to experience more of each route.