This entry is a visual novel, which
means I’m not going to be the best judge of its strengths — everything I know
about VNs has been written by other
people.
Gender Exchange is the story of a boy
who loves Japanese culture so much that he’ll pretend to be a girl for a chance
to study there. It’s also an unbroken narrative with no choices for the reader.
(Maybe that will change if it’s developed into a full game?)
The plot seems suitable for the VN format,
although I was a little surprised that it didn’t rocket straight into NSFW
territory. Cross dressing is central to the story, but it’s not used to
describe any sexual thrills. And horny people make suggestive remarks, implying devious plans, but the narrator maintains an innocent, unapologetic enthusiasm
for Japan and Japanese culture.
I respected how the protagonist accepts
himself, and his love of Japanese culture, in an unfailingly positive way. He endures
verbal abuse because people dismiss his hobbies as weird. He makes some
cringe-inducing choices in pursuit of his dreams. And nevertheless, he
persists.
Switching genders to attend high
school in Japan is not something that I would enjoy. But the narrator’s
excitement is so earnest that I’m happy he enjoys it.
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