If My Heart Had Wings -Flight Diary-, developed and published by MoeNovel, serves as a companion piece and fan disc to the original visual novel If My Heart Had Wings. It expands the story world through additional routes, side stories, and epilogues for some of the central and supporting characters. While it does not introduce a new main narrative arc, Flight Diary is designed primarily for fans who have grown attached to the original cast and want to experience more of their lives, relationships, and emotional journeys. It’s a piece of content that is more about deepening existing connections than breaking new ground, and as such, it leans heavily into fan service—both emotional and, in the original Japanese version, physical. However, the Steam release of the game comes with limitations that influence how well this expansion ultimately functions in English.

Narratively, Flight Diary provides a series of episodic stories centered around different characters, including Kotori, Amane, Hotaru, Kanako, and others, offering a closer look at their inner lives and relationships. Unlike the original title, which built a central storyline through a common route and branching heroine arcs, this fan disc opts for a modular structure. Each route is self-contained and generally shorter, with some acting as epilogues to previous routes, while others give side characters a chance in the spotlight. The writing attempts to maintain the emotional depth and thematic cohesion of the original—particularly its emphasis on longing, overcoming adversity, and the romanticism of flight and the sky—but due to the more limited scope and runtime of each episode, the dramatic stakes are typically lower. For fans who were deeply moved by the original’s blend of emotional storytelling and quiet beauty, these smaller tales offer a gentle continuation rather than a compelling new narrative.

The game’s presentation is a clear strength. Visually, Flight Diary is as polished as its predecessor, with character sprites, background art, and CGs retaining the clean, expressive aesthetic that helped make the original title so beloved. The UI is minimalistic but functional, allowing the artwork and story to take center stage. The musical score, which reuses and occasionally expands upon tracks from the first game, continues to enhance the mood with soft piano-driven melodies and atmospheric pieces that lend weight to the quieter moments. The voice acting, available in Japanese only, is performed with the same professional clarity as before, and the emotional nuance the cast brings to their characters helps bridge some of the gaps left by the uneven English localization.

Unfortunately, one of the most significant shortcomings of Flight Diary—and indeed, much of MoeNovel’s work—lies in its approach to localization. The English translation is frequently criticized for being stiff, overly literal, or occasionally incoherent. Lines that likely held emotional weight in Japanese are flattened in translation, and certain nuances are lost entirely. Worse still, the international version of the game has had all adult content removed. This is not simply a matter of trimming erotic scenes, but of cutting or rewriting entire routes that were structured around them. The Himegi twins' route, for example, which was originally central to the Japanese fan disc, is omitted altogether in the official English release because it was built almost entirely around adult content. As a result, the English version of the game feels incomplete—like a curated collection of the most sanitized moments rather than a true representation of the original vision.

What remains is still emotionally resonant in places. Some routes—such as Amane’s epilogue and Hotaru’s story—offer quiet, tender insights into the characters’ post-story lives, and they work well as slices of life that reward the investment players made in these characters during the first game. However, these stories are also uneven. Some feel like meaningful expansions, while others come across as filler or tonal diversions. Without the unifying drive of the original’s aviation project or the emotional tension of a tightly structured romance arc, Flight Diary sometimes struggles to maintain narrative momentum. It is at its best when it focuses on character-driven moments: a shared memory, a difficult confession, or a nostalgic return to a cherished place.

For longtime fans of If My Heart Had Wings, there is still much to appreciate in this continuation. The core appeal—the wistful, almost poetic exploration of dreams, flight, and adolescent longing—hasn’t been entirely lost. However, new players are unlikely to find much value in it without having completed the original, and even returning players may be disappointed by the gaps left by the removed content and the occasionally clumsy writing. Technically, the game runs smoothly, with minimal system requirements and no significant bugs or crashes reported, which makes it accessible to almost any player with a modern PC. The overall polish in visual and audio presentation contrasts sharply with the lack of editorial finesse in the English script, and the inconsistency leaves an impression of a product handled with care in some areas and indifference in others.

In the end, Flight Diary is a title that lives and dies by its context. As a standalone experience, it lacks the narrative cohesion or emotional stakes to stand on its own. As a continuation of a beloved story, it offers moments of genuine warmth and nostalgia, albeit dulled by localization choices and content removal. For those who can look past the missing pieces and embrace what remains, Flight Diary serves as a gentle farewell—or perhaps a lingering epilogue—to a story that once soared.

Rating: 9/10