Not gonna lie, 腹上死 came out of the blue for me as well. Overall, I liked how the maid with white hair was introduced, which made メル that much more conscious during their first real interaction. Liking the vibes so far as well, been enjoying it with some tea and it’s just great.
Yeah, I got completely crushed by vocab in this section xddd
It might be a level above my current proficiency, so maybe I also should’ve come up with a kanji screengrabber in the PC version and played it with that, but with all of the expressions used to describe how handsome メル was, I was gauging my eyes trying to infer readings from the kanjis based on the vibe of a specific kanji xddd
But there were a few kanji I thought I wouldn’t be able to get, like 薔薇の館, and then I looked them in the vocabulary once and I was like “oh. yeah, i suppose, that makes sense.” and now I can’t see them any other way ^^
As the time went on, my Japanese reading slightly deteriorated and I don’t know whether it’s because 女中 is using very formal speech that makes it really hard for me to tell what’s what, or I simply started growing tired, but the result is the same either way ^^
I’ve currently stopped at ネリー talking about her necklace, my goal for the week might be to get to the white-haired girl and leave it for the week, but we’ll see how my understanding develops ^^
I know what you mean cause 薔薇 is one of those random words that has just been shockingly easy to remember ever since I came across it for the first time. Those random freebies that lock into your head immediately for whatever reason are so nice.
Good luck! I’m sure the VN is going to break out new fancy descriptive words on us over time, but overall I bet we can settle into the writing style much better after a door or two.
Yeah that garden sequence was a bit rough. I don’t mind too much when it’s just kanji/vocab lookups though. Slows me down but less annoying then tricky grammar or slang.
Finished the hallway conversation too. (character count says 19.5k)
The reading is really going fine! Only a few words here and there that I need to look up (調度品, 纏めていた, 尾鰭, to name only a few, or the best one that is hard not to notice (spoiler for hallway conversation) 腹上死 x) ), otherwise it’s flowing pretty well, enjoying it a lot.
Loving the music and the mood, curious to know more about the story, and their faces are pretty funny haha, especially in the hallway scene there were a lot of different expressions, needed to remind myself to not only look at where the text is!
Please do! I don’t mind playing the vanilla version but every time I see your pics I go WOW!
Why does he never asks her name?? Maybe not something that you ask a servant?
Also I love that the word “servant” is 侍女, basically samurai-woman, bad ass!
I’m almost in the same spot then,
wanted to get to the reveal of the white-haired maid, but kept going and the awkward absolutely-not-flirting scene is even better in Japanese than it is in English, ahhh xdd
I don’t even remember how long is this door sequence, I wonder how much is left for this door 
What happens if we finish this door and then other people are still behind, when do we start door 2? In a week? In a month? xddd
It’s to keep story rolling for now, there’s a later story reason to that and also the part that メル is super awkward with women not being his sister, for his sister reasons 
I believe the thread for door 2 will be starting as soon as someone reaches it, and people can just keep reading at their own pace and comment in the appropriate thread. @Daisoujou will confirm?
Also if we start spreading, maybe it would be nice to have something in the main thread to keep track of where everybody is? Either a poll to mark what doors we have finished, or a list of main posts where people can update their status, or a table as a wiki that can be updated by everyone? (I feel like the first idea is less work)
Ahh right yeah I remember you suggested this! I’ll add a poll to the home thread soon.
So far we seem to be nicely together; I’m kind of loosely trying to stick around where the further among us post, at least for now; I have no need to run ahead with all the things I’m juggling.
And yeah I did intend to just put up a Door 2 thread when appropriate and let people zoom on ahead if they want.
They talk about going to the Globe Theater to watch Shakespeare which given the time period only really makes sense if they’re English IMO. I wonder if the story will throw other conflicting statements later to keep things vague for this particular story arc.
The beginners on these forums who obsess about jouyou kanji coverage should really have a look at the script of this game to gain some perspective about how meaningless it really is. Those descriptions are brutal. At least I managed to recognize 林檎 and 葡萄…
We also had 嗜 pop up earlier with the same radical. It’s fun because so far I only knew it as part of 稽 (found in the relatively common word 稽古).
EDIT: wait no, it’s 耆, I didn’t look closely enough. Damn it, it’s always trickier than you think.
Not one that I personally remember seeing in kanji actually! I was kinda mixing it up with 匍匐 which was my guess at first, but that sure didn’t make sense in context heh
This one I have in my 図鑑. Was a bit funny because I was reading a book where the setting is the Japanese workplace, so unlike some other books there is never any plant or animal or what else, so I had dropped all hope to mine for my 図鑑 from that particular book. But then, suddenly, one of the character went to grab 葡萄ジュース!! I was so happy 
I may have gotten a bit invested and already reached door 2…
I’m pretty sure it was in kanji (with furigana) in Frieren.
EDIT: found it:
Now how did I manage to remember that when I couldn’t remember the reading of 現れる earlier today? Who knows… Brains are weird.
Wow nice!!
Uh…
I haven’t read a VN before
And I was very confused about the pacing, and stuff
And I’m not really tech-savvy
So I’m not dealing with text-hookers and stuff
I’m just using my eyes and looking things up like I always do… Attempting to hand-write into Google Translate, them looking up on Jisho…
I will post my translation notes here
But I can’t be bothered to cut and paste them into a vocabulary spreadsheet or somesuch
apologies
とこしえ = eternal
翠色 (すいしょく emerald) ShanMne like “water-colored” these are the onyomi for 水(すい) and 色(しょく)…
この屋敷…一人で…手入れ (ていれ maintenance, upkeep N2 Anime, News Top 10K)
…女中= (じょちゅう =メイド)
女中らしき女は …The woman who seemed to be a maid… … The らしい grammar point, I think
…ついついはしゃいでしまいました…I couldn’t help but get excited… I was very confused by this sentence! Ah! I see now!* …
…はしゃぐ (to make merry, to frolic, to be in high spirits Anime Top 6K) conjugated into its て-form: はしゃいで… Expressed as Verbてしまう ended up Verb -ing
…ついつい (unintentionally, unconsciously Anime Top 11K)
…歳相応の明るさ…Age-appropriate cheerfulness
…歳相応 (としそうおう age-appropriate; alternate kanji 年相応; Anime Top 50K)
…薄暗 (うすぐら dark, dim), see 薄い (うすい thin, weak, dilute WK40) and 暗い (くらい dark WK13)
…壁(カベwall)の漆喰 (しっくい plaster). It’s funny to me that the kanji for stucco/plaster is the kanji “漆lacquer/varnish59–notWK喰eat”. I checked, and stucco is not made by mixing in lacquer… But it is very porous, and therefore “eats paint” 
… So you have to use 2-5 times as much paint when you paint stucco…
.
… From akasheila’s comment on the Fata Thread
…気の所為 (きのせい just my imagination Anime Top 4K) which I had recently, but had not noticed the Kanji
.
午後11:14 Meh…I had to quit
I’m a rather slow reader. I set all of the text automated settings to the slowest… but I still have to pause and read through the sentence log, “backlog バックログ” because the text flies by faster than I can comprehend…
It’s my first VN, so I don’t know how to tell if there are any pausing points or how far away they are…
Continuing later:
..回顧 (かいこ recollection, retrospection Anime Top 10K “回times/revolve5–顧review40”)
心臓 (しんぞう heart) を 押しつぶす (to crush, smash, flatten Anime Top 25K, News Top 13K)
…閉塞感 (へいそくかん feeling trapped Anime Top 60K “閉closed14–notWK塞close/obstruct–感feeling”)
…自身を受け入れようとはしないようだ…It seems like he doesn’t want to accept himself
…背筋haikinが冷たくなる思いをする…sends chills down my spine from to become 冷たい → つめたくなる and
…叶う (かなう to come true {of a wish or a prayer} N1 Anime Top 5K (!!) “notWK叶grant/answer”)… New kanji ShanMne: Hey, this kanji kind of looks like a mouth口 and a cross十… And that is like “praying”, so I can remember this kanji. To remember the “かな” sound of 叶う, I will connect this strongly to the Nara god that is in the name of Kanagawa Prefecture, 神奈川県 (かながわ けん WK36)
…頷く (うなずく to nod, agree Anime Top 77K). I’m in agreement with other’s discussion elsewhere… うなずく for nodding seems to be in every book!
…参る (まいる to come/go/visit humble language; to be defeated, to be at a loss WK14)
…手を離す (てをはなす to let go of one’s hand)
…歴史の波に攫われてしまう…to end up being swept away by the waves of history
…攫う (さらう to be swept away N1 Anime Top 4K “notWK攫abduct”)
…ホールを抜けた
…抜ける (ぬける to come out, to fall out WK27) I had previously added a user synonym “to come out the other side”, which makes more sense here… Embarrassingly, I looked up ホール, because I got stuck in thinking “hole” 
…霧がかかる… 霧 (きり fog WK47)
…かかる (to take time or money, to hang, to come into view, to be covered with, etc N5 Anime Top 500 (!!), News Top 24K) I was really surprised to see this Verb used as a thing for does… “it hangs around,” I guess?
…重苦しい (おもぐるしい heavy, oppressive, gloomy, stifling atmosphere Anime Top 38K, News Top 21K)… I’ve always liked that くるしい sounds like crushing…
…I like the sound of 進み続ける (すすみつづける to continue to advance) … It’s fun to say! 
…硝子 (ガラス glass, also しょうし “notWK硝nitrate/saltpeter–子child”)
…純白 (じゅんぱく pure white)
…鈍色 (にびいろ dark grey “鈍dull46–色color”) dull color? Recall 鈍い (にぶい dull WK46)
…有様 (ありさま the way things should be, ideal state, condition N1 Anime Top 22K, News Top 11K)
…薔薇 (バラ roses)
…豪華 (ごうか luxurious, luxury, splendor WK31)
…裕福 (ゆうふく wealthy, well-to-do WK20)
…お気に召すと (おきにめすと if you like)
…頬を撫でる (ほほをなでる stroking one’s cheek)
Well…I just made it up to the “beginning”…1603?
…目を瞑る (めをつむる OR めをつぶる to close ones eyes; to turn a blind eye to, pretend not to see; to die) …瞑る (つぶる or つむる to close Anime Top 8K “notWK瞑sleep/dark/close eyes”)
…空想 (くうそう vision, fantasy, daydream N2 Anime Top 18K, News Top 12K “空sky/empty5–想imagine/contemplate13”)
…伽噺 (とぎばなし fairy tales “notWK伽nurse–notWK噺tale話”)
…重厚 (じゅうこう heavy/thick “重heavy9–厚thick20”)… This is the “thick” used in formal writing that sounds like “hot”, 厚い (あつい thick WK20) I’ve seen it describing physically thick things, like textbooks, walls, and the line from thick art markers.
…規律 (きりつ rule, law, discipline WK24)
…中世時代 (ちゅうせいじだい Medieval period, medieval times N2 News Top 5K). Japanese Medieval Period 1185-1603
…変遷 (へんせん change, transition WK59)
…寄り道 (よりみち take a detour, make a side trip Anime Top 10K)
…亜麻色 (あまいろ flax-colored) の髪 flaxen-haired…
…誠心誠意 (せいしんせいい wholeheartedly devoted “誠sincerity41–心heart3–誠sincerity41–意idea11”) “hearts and minds”? “heart and soul”?
…特有 (とくゆう characteristic N1 News Top 5K(!!))
…大のお気に入り (だいのおきにいり most favorite thing)
…夢見がち (ゆめみがち tendency of being dreamy, unrealistic)… Grammar point BunPro がち means “tends to, prone/apt to”
…人影 (ひとかげ a figure; a shadow of a person News Top 11K)
…寄り添う (よりそう to cuddle up close together Anime Top 11K, News Top 22K “添append29”)…see also 添う (そう to meet, live up to, comply with; to accompany, stay by one’s side; to marry; to be added N1 Anime Top 35K)
…木陰 (こかげ shade of a tree) I’m surprised that 木 has the kunyomi こ WK2
…ごっこ遊び (ごっこあそび playing make-believe)
…捲し立てる (まくしたてる to talk on and on, endless chatter “notWK捲coiled/rolledup–立stand”)
…裾 (すそ hem, bottom edge of clothes N1 "Anime, News Top 23K* “notWK裾hem”)
…肩を竦める (かたをすくめる to shrug one’s shoulders “notWK竦crouch/cower”) Nb. not in しゃがむ or うずくまる to crouch… New ShanMne: Note the similarity in sound between “shrug” and “すぐめる”…
…まんざら (満更 wholly, altogether “満full25–更renew22”)…
…肩入れ (かたいれ support, backing, patronage) … Does
…期待 (きたい expectation, anticipation WK12)
…頼る (たよる to rely on, depend on, trust WK38)
…鼻が高い (はながたかい proud)
…口添え (くちぞえ recommendation, putting in a good word for someone News Top 20K)
…所属 (しょぞく affiliation, belonging to)
…思いつく (おもいつく to think of, to be hit with an idea; to remember, recall N2 Anime Top 4K(!!))
…やれやれ (“Good grief” frustrated, flustered, mixed up thoughts Anime Top 2K (!!))
…裕福な (ゆうふくな wealthy, なAdj WK20)
…物乞い (ものごい beggar)
…フードで頭をぐるぐるに…with a hood wrapping around his head
…祝福 (しゅくふく giving a blessing Anyone, News Top 10K “祝celebrate24–福luck/fortune15”)
…侯爵 (こうしゃく marquis Anime Top 15K notWK)
…工房 (こうぼう workshop “工construction1–房cluster38”)
…店舗 (てんぽ shop, store WK53)
…貫族 (かんぞく family lineage)
…評判 (ひょうばん reputation WK23)
…腕前 (うでまえ ability, skill, facility N1 Anime, News Top 10K)
…嗜好品 (しこうひん luxury goods)
…期待通りの仕上がりだ (きたいどおり の しあがり だ) …The result is as I expected.
…頼もしい (たのしい reliable, trustworthy N2 Anime Top 5K (!!), News Top 20K)
…装飾品 (そうしょくひん decorations, ornaments)
…大盛り (おおもり large serving Anime Top 9K)
…引く手数多 (ひくてあまた being in great demand, very popular Anime Top 40K “引pull–手hand–数numbers–多many”)
…家柄 (いえがら family’s social standing, lineage)
…器量 (きりょう beauty, intelligence, reputation, ShanMne: “the package”, “the whole package” “器container13–量quantity24”)
…見目 (みめ appearance, looks)
…遊学 (ゆうがく studying abroad)
…肩書き (かたかき title News Top 5K (!!))
午後3:28…I have no idea where I am in this game, but… I’ve grown tired of reading this for now
Don’t worry, I do the same.
I don’t autoplay, I just use buttons to progress the dialogue. Annoyingly the Switch version also progresses if you tap the touchscreen which I often do by mistake as I shuffle around to reach for my dictionary, fortunately there’s the backlog.
I just tend to wait for the end of the scene when I want a break. You can usually tell by the change in background.
I didn’t know much about Japanese history
But I watched Shōgun recently, and it got me thinking about how much contact Japan had with outside cultures, such as Portuguese sailors and traders and their religions and “flaxen hair” LoL…
And then later, how many Japanese and Germans felt very comfortable settling in Brazil, which speaks Portuguese probably due to those same explorers (I also know nothing about Brazil, or is history; just rumors that many European fled to Brazil during/after world wars…)
So the Portuguese singing in the 1600s tracks with world-traveling traders…
I couldn’t tell what the voices were singing, but did and up turning the sound track off after hearing it repeat 10 too many times (lol, I’m a slow reader!!)
That’s impressive! I’m glad you are into it that much.
Made a door 2 thread already, then.
The answer is, you never know! And that’s fun. From my experience, VNs have a bit more slice of life than novels, some novels are very plot focused while I experienced several times in VN that people are just chilling together, getting you familiar with the cast and attached to them. So once in a VN I was in a middle of an uneventful slice of life scene, I had let my guard down completely, and bam! a major plot twist was revealed in a conversation 
So, the only thing you know, is that you never know. Could be a short scene, could be a long scene, could be characters just chilling, could be major plot events. Also you can just die or get game over after 1 hour of gameplay depending on the VN x)
Welcome in any case, happy to have you!
