What does it mean to have a place in society today? For the people who are looking for jobs and the such, is there an end to their madness? Or do they have to fall into despair if they can’t find what they have to so?
Cultural relevance is something I have been considering when I read something contemporary today. It is hard to avoid playing a video game and see it parallel to the news. Maybe it is uncomfortable to imagine something as cute as Chuusotsu to feel like a commentary on education, society, and more but the writer is deeply invested in the politics of everyday life.
Chuusotsu is an egalitarian dystopia. If you have a skill, you can pick up a vocation and study it when you enter high school. But what happens if you are unsure what you want to do? Dropouts aren’t the most uncommon thing, but they are not talked about. This is the story of a group of dropouts — people without talents — trying to find a place in a intimidating society.
It is a story about high school and college graduates. After all, what does it mean to have a place in society? A society that seems so adamant in flushing everyone who can’t get in out? Can philosophy fix this?
It’s impossible to find any answers in any work, but there is at least the feeling that your struggle is real. Fictional characters in a screwed up setting share the same problems as we do. Hiruou’s writing achieves that without flair and it is hard to not connect to Arue and her friends. The sweats and tears of work and life are part of the beauty of Chuusotsu.
Chuusotsu is one of the cutest visual novels I have played, but beneath the cute smiles lies a fulfilling experience of what it means to have a dream and live. I hope people enjoy the game as much as I do and I look forward to the next episode.
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Let’s Philosophy!
みみドしま 
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