Content Warning: This game contains scenes of physical and sexual violence, cannibalism, death, and dismemberment.
Synopsis
When medical student Fuminori Sakisaka is involved in a car accident that claims the lives of his family, he is beset by a condition that casts the world in a dreary new light. He soon meets Saya, a girl who stands out as a normal face in a sea of meat and rot. As Fuminori and Saya sink deeper into their twisted quest for normalcy, how will Fuminori’s friends’ lives be changed for the worse?
The Good
The Song of Saya introduces a lot of questions about love and our own perceptions that left me thinking for a while after I finished it. There are comparisons that can be drawn to the novel Lolita, as Saya is portrayed as a young girl, and her youthful appearance brought up as a point of moral issue. However, the points being made here are more about allowing oneself to fall into a cycle of self-harm and wallowing due to depression or trauma.
While it’s understandable that loss can lead to bad coping mechanisms, Fuminori immediately throws himself into them, giving up on any chance for recovery from his condition and getting swept up by the comfort Saya provides. This is a harsh but ultimately fair take on sadness, as it is very easy to stay in that lane after you merge into it. As someone who has struggled with depression my entire life, I know how relieving it can feel to let the pain take you. But, much like it does with Fuminori, the sadness will drive away those who care about you.
The emotions at play here are raw, and I think they’re handled well overall. Characters are believable, the prose is engaging, and while the actions taken are extreme, they are obvious metaphors for more subtle, everyday ways humans fracture the relationships in their lives. The new relationship between Saya and Fuminori is wrong, but I still felt moved by their interactions at times. I very quickly alternated between “awww” and “euugh” in multiple scenes, and that’s thanks to Gen Urobuchi’s excellent scenario writing.
The Bad
There’s quite a lot of sexual assault in this game, and I would say it all feels included for edginess’ sake. There are other sex scenes between Saya and Fuminori that make more sense in the story as their relationship becomes physical and Fuminori loses himself to the easy pleasures of Saya, sexually and otherwise. However, after a while, most of the sex is violent in nature, and there’s not really a reason why besides shock. I’m someone who believes that it’s possible for any topic to be touched on in fiction, including the most foul ones, but in this instance, I felt that the sexual assault was used very cheaply. I mentioned earlier that Gen Urobuchi can write some amazing plot and dialogue, but it’s not his work unless a woman is given the short end of the stick somewhere.
To a far lesser extent, I think Fuminori’s character could’ve used a bit more fleshing out (no pun intended). I would’ve appreciated seeing more of the kind of person he was before the incident. As is, he’s a total ass the entire game. I get that he’s been through a lot, and he has a horrible condition that’s ruined his life, but I believe it would’ve hit harder if we saw how far he fell.
Also, I like most of the art, but what the hell is up with this outfit, Yoh? It’s like she’s wearing a baby’s onesie as a top that has also been vacuum-sealed to her body. Yeesh.
Verdict
The Song of Saya is a harrowing story that is worth reading, but there’s a lot of unnecessary edginess that undercuts the narrative. If you’re aware of the content and can handle the subjects, it’s worth a read, even if you don’t end up agreeing with the story’s thesis. I fully understand why this VN is held in such high regard. I’ll be thinking about Saya for a long time, both for the good and the bad.
The Song of Saya is available on Steam in a censored format and on JAST uncensored. If purchased via Steam, an uncensored patch is available.
Thank you to JAST USA for providing the game key & sponsoring this review. Receiving this key & compensation had no effect on the reviewer’s opinions as expressed here.
Article edited by: Anne Estrada
The Good
- A gripping tale of depression and failing mental health full of horror and intrigue.
- Memorable, gruesome art.
The Bad
- Uses sexual assault flippantly.
- Women are not treated well by this story at all.
Featured Sponsor - JAST
The sweetest romance and the darkest corruption, the biggest titles and the indie darlings; for visual novels and eroge, there's nowhere better.
Big thank you to our supporters
From their continous support, we are able to pay our team for their time and hard work on the site.
We have a Thank-You page dedicated to those who help us continue the work that we’ve been doing.
See our thank you page
