Within the visual novel genre, there are works that offer more than just reading through text. ”Uso kara Hajimaru Koi no Natsu” (UsoNatsu) is a prime example, a piece where the emotional tremors of the characters gradually resonate with you as the story progresses. The setting is a high school in a port town overlooking the sea. Amidst a school life filled with summer light, love, friendship, and the secrets each character harbors become intertwined. As indicated by the word ”lie” (uso) in the title, this story is not a simple romance. The desire to forget someone, the wish to become someone else’s substitute, and the weakness of hiding one’s true feelings. These complex emotions are depicted as if slowly melting together into the summer scenery.

At the center of the story is Kaoru Tachibana, a high school girl attending Aoba Daiichi High School. She held a secret crush on her homeroom teacher from middle school, but that love comes to an end one night. Shiori Minagi, an honor student and classmate, happens to witness this scene. From here, the story takes an unexpected turn. Shiori asks Kaoru, ”Do you think you can overwrite the memories of someone precious?” and further requests help in forgetting the memories of her older brother. A strange promise to repaint the past by visiting places filled with memories. Since Kaoru also had reasons for wanting to forget her first love, this proposal was somewhat convenient for her as well. Thus, their mysterious relationship begins, and as the feelings of their classmate Riku Inohara—who watches over them—also become entangled, the boundaries between love and friendship slowly begin to blur.

The charm of this work lies in the complexity of human relationships that goes beyond a mere love triangle. The relationships between the four characters—three high school girls and one female teacher—change as friendship, admiration, and love blend together. The feeling of liking someone is never a straight line and sometimes creates emotions that even the person themselves cannot sort out, but this work carefully depicts such subtle psychology. While the bright and fun scenes of school life lead to smiles, the moments where the characters’ pasts and true feelings are revealed leave a quiet lingering feeling in the heart. It is a story that makes you ponder the meaning of ”lies” as love and friendship intersect.

Coloring the story are translucent illustrations and fluid 2D animations. The backgrounds feature the summer scenery of a port town, with classrooms, streets, and seaside landscapes depicted in soft colors. The natural movement of the characters within these visuals makes for an impressive experience, as if watching an anime. Furthermore, this title is fully voiced, including the protagonist, allowing the characters’ emotions to be conveyed more realistically through their voices. With the conversational tempo and subtle pauses being performed so well, players can experience a sense of presence, as if standing right next to the unfolding story.

The ease of play as a game is another attractive point of this work. The text supports not only Japanese but also English and Chinese, and the display language can be easily switched during play. Regarding controls, it fully supports the touch screen, allowing for intuitive reading in handheld mode, while controller operation is also comfortable. Additionally, by connecting to a TV, you can play in high-definition full HD, allowing you to thoroughly enjoy the beautiful visuals on a large screen. Thanks to these thoughtful details, the game is designed so that even those unfamiliar with visual novels can easily immerse themselves in the story.

”Uso kara Hajimaru Koi no Natsu” is less of a flashy romance story and more of a work that gently delves into the emotions deep within the human heart. The feeling of wanting to forget someone or the struggle to break free from past memories are themes that many people can empathize with on some level. Amidst the sparkling summer season, the characters change little by little as they face their own feelings. After finishing it, this gentle and bittersweet visual novel leaves a quiet lingering feeling and makes you feel glad to have witnessed this summer story. It is a title highly recommended not only for fans of romance games but also for those who want to take their time enjoying a story-driven work.