The previously announced Kimi ga Nozomu Eien crowdfunding campaign will formally launch on October 21st and last until December 31st. The campaign targets 30 million JPY (~$200,000) to release a new all-ages Windows 11 port of the game. The port is based off of the game’s Latest Edition released back in 2008 and runs on the AGES Mk. II engine. If they reach their stretch goal of 45 million JPY (~$300,000), they will release a brand new non-voice acted story on how Suzumiya Haruka and Hayase Mitsuki first met. They are targeting a spring 2024 Steam release for the game.
While a Windows 10-compatible version of the Latest Edition (which is 18+) is still available for sale in Japan via the âge Archives ~20th Box~, the last available all-ages version of KimiNozo was released in 2003 for the PlayStation 2. Therefore, their main goal with this campaign is to revive the IP and expand its reach to a wider audience. They wish for KimiNozo to become as big as if not bigger of an IP than Muv-Luv. Since this new all-ages version of the game is based on the Latest Edition, it would also have less cut story content than prior all-ages releases. It would also be the first all-ages version of the game for PC.
Unlike the last few âge releases, the new KimiNozo port is being developed by ACID as opposed to aNCHOR. ACID also previously developed the âge ARCHIVES ~20th BOX EDITION~ for the company’s 20th anniversary a few years back. Interestingly, that was an 18+ release despite them not publicly advertising it as such. Members of the crowdfunding server suspect that an 18+ version of the new AGES Mk. II port will be made available in some way because of past patterns from ACID as well as staff comments in response to queries about an 18+ version.
When the project first went public, Yoshimune went through great lengths to neither confirm nor deny a potential 18+ release. In response to queries on the topic, he would often suggest that following an all-ages release, anything could happen. Moreover, bamboo@milktub, one of the KimiNozo live event’s organizers and one of the crowdfunding campaign’s advisers, released a statement on the possibility of an 18+ release. He later elaborated on it in a longer blog post.
To summarize what his blog post suggests, an 18+ version of the game is very likely to release alongside or shortly after the all-ages version. However, ACID and aNCHOR cannot explicitly state that they are making an 18+ version because of Ubgoe’s terms of service, internal rules within Avex, as well as potential problems with investors. Series creator, Yoshimune Kouki later retweeted this blog post. Fans can support the all-ages crowdfunding campaign and still expect to be able to obtain the original 18+ experience in some way, shape, or form.
Additionally, in a twist of events, aNCHOR took over the management of the campaign as of this past week. Up until now, Yoshimune Kouki, ACID, and some volunteers were managing the project. This management change and its accompanying changes render the previously announced supplemental English-exclusive crowdfunding campaign as canceled entirely. As announced by the official Muv-Luv Twitter, KimiNozo will be receiving an English localization via an update to the Steam version at a later point. There will be no crowdfunding campaign exclusive for it.
Overseas fans looking to contribute to the campaign can do so via PayPal and receive physical goods via proxy services. However, this particular campaign primarily targets a domestic audience. As such, it does not accept non-Japanese credit cards and international shipping addresses. International fans suggested a digital-only crowdfunding tier on the Crowdfunding server. aNCHOR staff is considering incorporating one at the moment but have not officially confirmed anything as of yet.
This campaign marks the first of the many planned KimiNozo Reboot projects, which Yoshimune Kouki presented via livestream in August 2022. Yoshimune Kouki hopes that a successful crowdfunding campaign can eventually lead to KimiNozo 2024 and KimiNozo 2040 reboot projects. Additionally, he hopes to release a live-action adaptation, an anime adaptation of the reboot, as well as a social game.
The âgeverse is no stranger to crowdfunding campaigns. The 2016 Muv-Luv Kickstarter raised over $1.25mill, well above its initial goal of $250K. Time will tell if the KimiNozo crowdfunding campaign will be a similar success. aNCHOR will provide more updates on the project at their upcoming livestream on October 21st.
KimiNozo is a romance utsuge developed and published by âge. It takes place in the same universe as âge’s other works (most notably Muv-Luv). The story follows protagonist Narumi Takayuki, a high school boy who enters a relationship with a girl named Suzumiya Haruka. Soon after, however, tragedy strikes when Haruka gets into a traffic accident and falls into a coma. Following this, Takayuki cannot forgive himself and seems determined to follow Haruka into a coma himself.
KimiNozo remains one of the most influential visual novels of all time. Since its initial release in October 2001, it has sold over 100,000 copies to date. It stands as âge’s second most popular IP behind the Muv-Luv series. KimiNozo inspired a 14-episode anime adaptation in 2003 as well as a 4-episode OVA series from 2007-2008. With the KimiNozo Reboot projects, it may see even more adaptations.
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