No.3
At first I was thinking of starting a general "favorite" visual novels thread, but I think this topic is a bit more interesting and ultimately addresses the same question. What Visual Novels have most left some kind of mark on you? Feel free to be as elaborate or brief as you want.
I suppose I'll tag on a brief explanation for each entry, but if people are interested in more detailed accounts I'd happily expand. Furthermore, feel free to be as brief or elaborate as you want for your own post.
Yume Miru Kusuri: I think this visual novel had a very similar effect on me that Catcher in the Rye has had on others. It's one of the first things I read where the main character/narrator seemed to have the exact same outlook and voice of my own. In a weird way it's the first time I ever felt understood, or that I wasn't alone in perciving things in the way I did.
Narcissu: I first read Narcissu at a time when I was feeling very depressed. Although it's essentially an extended meditation on death and the ephermerality of existence, I walked away with a much more appreciative attitude towards life. It helped me get out of a rut by realizing that the problem depressing me wasn't such a big deal at all.
Symphonic Rain: It's not so much that this VN effected me in a deep personal way like the previous two had. But it's such a comfy experience that then pulls the rug from under your feat revealing a much more complicated narrative that I still look back on having read it for the first time with tremendous pleasure.
Sayonara wo Oshiete: I consider this visual novel to be one of the best examples of the strengths of the VN medium. It fully takes advantage of being able to see and hear the world its main protagonist experiences as we steadily witness his grip on reality loosen until it's completely gone.
Subarashiki Hibi: Man, I could go on and on about this VN. But I think my sentiments can best be summerized by a claim that an old VN blogger who was also lit-adjecent once said, "Personally I seperate my life in pre and post Subahibi periods." It's huge statement, but honestly I've found it to be true for myself. I do think a lot of that has to do with the time and place I read Subahibi, as my reading it directly coincided with my transition into adulthood. But it was the perfect thing for me to read during that turbulent period. And like Narcissu I also walked away from it with a greater appreciation on life.
Umineko: I read this one right at the start of the whole Wu-flu panic. It was the very last semester of my last year of college, and with the combined factors of both my semester getting delayed by a month to a month in a half, as well as having nonesense online lessons that term when classes did start. I figured this would be one of the last periods in my life for a while that I would have a solid chunk of time to do whatever I wanted. So I opted to finally give Umineko a read, and it did not disappoint. I will say that Umineko is 80% a slog, however that 20% that is engaging is very engaging.
I'll leave the list here for now. There are other VNs I want to mention but I don't want the OP to be too long, so I'll hold off for the time being.