Sukisho

Plot

Sora Hashiba, a high school student, ends up in the hospital after a fall from the fourth floor of his school. When he returns to the dormitory, he wakes on his first night to find a strange boy in his room who calls him "Yoru." This boy introduces himself as "Ran" and claims to be Sora's new roommate. The next day, Matsuri Honjou, Sora's childhood friend and dorm manager, tells Sora that the boy is actually Sunao Fujimori, another childhood friend of Sora's, whom he calls "Nao-kun." Sora has no memory of ever meeting Sunao, and in fact, he has lost most of his past. The story follows his attempt to recover those memories.

Sora soon discovers why Sunao called himself Ran: both of them have alternate personalities. Sora's alternate is Yoru, a strong protector who is in love with Ran, Sunao's more dependent and feminine personality. The relationship between Yoru and Ran is intensely passionate, which contrasts sharply with the hostility and distrust between Sora and Sunao. These alternate personalities take over at random, often leaving Sora and Sunao in awkward situations when they regain control. More comedic moments come from Matsuri's schemes to involve Sora and Sunao in his money-making group, "The School Do-It-Alls," as well as minor characters like a bishonen ghost and three younger boys who mirror the trio. No parents appear in the story; the only authority figures are school nurse Kai Nanami and math teacher Shin'ichirou Minato. Both Sora and Sunao are orphans. Their dark past is connected to these authority figures, as well as to an older student named Kai Nagase and a mysterious doctor called Aizawa.

Games

The Sukisho series includes four main games and one spin-off. These were originally point-and-click visual novels for Windows that included sexual content, with certain body parts censored in line with Japanese regulations for pornographic material. Three of these games later appeared on the Sony PlayStation 2. The PS2 versions underwent significant editing, gained many new CG scenes, and added voice acting from the Drama CD cast, which the Windows releases lacked. No official English translation exists for these games.

The first game centers on Sora Hashiba, who spent a long time in the hospital after falling from a school building. He suffered no major injuries but lost some memories. He keeps seeing a vision of himself being carried through dark corridors and hearing a voice calling to him. After leaving the hospital, Sora returns to the dorms and learns his new roommate is a boy named Sunao Fujimori. He is told Sunao is a childhood friend, but Sora cannot remember this. As they spend time together, Sora notices strange things about Sunao, including his transformation into an alternate personality named Ran. Additionally, the spirit of a hospitalized schoolmate possesses Sunao and confesses love for Sora. Depending on player choices, Sora can end up with Sunao, Hiromu, Ran, or Minato.

Later, after staying with Shin-ichirou and Nanami, Sora and Sunao encounter a mysterious cosplaying bandit known only as number 416. This bandit claims to have come to take something precious from Sora. They also meet Chris, who works at a nearby church. Though Chris seems harmless, he starts spending more time with Sora. Sora begins to notice that he and Sunao sometimes wake up in bed together without explanation. He already knows about Sunao’s alternate personality, Ran, and wonders if he might have an alternate personality of his own. Depending on the player’s decisions, Sora can end up with Sunao, Chris, Ran, Matsuri, or Minato. Unlocking all CG images rewards the player with a special ending involving bandits 416, 773, and 848.