Taishou Kitan: Kotonoha Sakura

About

Taishou Kitan: Kotonoha Sakura is a visual novel set in early 20th-century Japan following Kotoko Yatsuse as she seeks a legendary cherry blossom said to grant wishes. The story continues from its predecessor, focusing on her mission to deliver a message tied to a past tragedy. Players navigate branching narratives shaped by dialogue choices, influencing relationships with companions including a romantic partner formed through shared struggles. The plot weaves school life, supernatural elements, and personal growth as Kotoko uncovers secrets tied to the hundred-year bloom. The game stands out for its atmospheric art style and emotionally driven character arcs. QuinRose crafts a quiet yet tense story where small decisions ripple through the narrative, affecting how bonds develop and mysteries resolve. While shorter than some entries in the genre, it earns praise for its pacing and thematic focus on connection and redemption. Fans of narrative-driven dramas with historical settings and subtle romance may find its 10-15 hour runtime rewarding despite a relatively low profile in Western circles.

Storyline

It's the Taishou Era. Around spring, almost a year since she started attending Seiryouin, Yatsuse Kotoko hears of a certain rumour. There is a cherry blossom that blooms once every one hundred years somewhere in Seiryouin named the "Hundred-Year Cherry Blossom". If you make a wish under the tree after it blooms, the spirit of the cherry blossom will grant it... so she hears. Kotodama user Kotoko's wish... Her wish is to deliver the late Nishijima's last words to Kusuka. In order fulfill her wish that cannot be granted by kotodama, Kotoko searches for the Hundred-Year Cherry Blossom. The partner with whom she was paired up with due to a certain incident is now her lover. Aided by her lover and her companions, will she be able to find the Hundred-Year Cherry Blossom? What will Kotoko obtain in the season in which the cherry blossom blooms? Now, the season in which the Hundred-Year Cherry Blossom blooms will begin...