EPTWhat is "ef – a fairy tale of the two"?
It's a visual novel. More precicely, it's a story about love.
But please, don't be decieved by the description. It's not an ordinary love story. Rather, it's 5 stories seemingly unrelated to each other, but in the end, inseparable. Frankly, I've been jaded by the words "love story" myself after watching corny american Hollywood films but I assure you, this is not as superficial and shallow as Hollywood's stories.
It's a long novel, that takes about 30-50 hours of clicking and reading to finish, but I think anyone looking for a love story regardless of their preferances, will find something to like here.
Normally these types of games involve a varying amount of interaction required from the player to advance the story forward. This one requires very little interaction, and the choices are obvious. Neverthless there are walkthroughs around for those stuck or unsure which to pick.
Now with that out of the way, let's begin.
Let me take you for a ride...
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/6mL4c.jpg)
1. Prologue
It's Christmas Eve. A man walks into a church.
He finds a girl there. A girl he once knew. As the snow falls outside, they begin to talk.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/nGY4z.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/1F04B.jpg)
They reminiscence about their past, the happy moments and the sad ones.
She says he reminds her of a boy that came into the church once. He tried to escape from the cold.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/5yykJ.jpg)
With those words, she begins to retell the first story...
2. Ef: The First Tale.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/tzA3R.jpg)
Chapter 1
A boy by the name of Hiro Hirono was walking home beside his bike, late evening. Trembling from the cold, he decided to seek refuge in a certain church along the way. Inside the church was a lone woman. She introduced herself as
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Abgn9.jpg)
They talked a little, then the boy decided to go home.On his way home, a girl decided to forcefully "borrow" his bike and chase after a thief. Wanting his bike back, he quickly purused her and found her ten minutes later beside the remains of his bike. Not wanting to give up just yet, she started to puruse the purse snatcher on foot. Hiro wanting compensation for his destroyed bike, quickly followed suit.
He finally caught up to her beside the beach. As they walked together and talked about what happened snow began to fall. The girl immediately regained her high spirits and introduced herself as Miyako Miyamura.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/CsDqg.jpg)
It was the beginning of a beautiful White Christmas.Hiro is at an impasse in life, not being sure what to do in the future. Although he tries his best in school, it isn't his main priority. He usually gets marks that let him barely pass. He's much more occuptied with his part time work that (almost) noone knows about. Often sleeping in class and being late are his trademarks. He's also not very good at socializing, having very few acquaintances and friends. Being a person of very few words and having a serious personality, doesn't help him either.
Miyako much like him, is also looking for a direction in life. She gets top marks on her tests, but sees little to no point in purusing any career related to her grades. Both of them have some degree of family problems.
Miyaki's character can best be described as the 'genki' type. She's rather clingy, always an optimist and bursting with energy. Stubborn and a typical "idiot" that follows her heart instead of her common sense. But that is not all that there is to her. Under her happy apperance she bares scars. During the story we get to know she didn't exactly have a happy childhood. Her parent were too busy fighting with each other to really give her the love a child needed at her age. This shows why she is somewhat detached from the real world. Once she fell in love wih Hirono she did a lot of things best described in her own words as "selfish". She was ready to fight for him, even if it meant hurting others around them. This selfish part is really what got me to like her – it showed that she is not really a 1-dimentional character, but "human".
They meet again when school starts, and fall in love. We learn many things about their pasts, their families, their passions, motivations and dreams.
Yuuko often appears for both of them, guiding them and giving them helpful advice when they most need it.
It's probably the closest thing to a "by the book" love story you'll find in this novel. It's the most standard, normal love and happy ending.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/MBvIt.jpg)
Chapter 2
Seasons changed from winter to summer, and another love story was about to begin.
This arc is about Hirono's childhood friend that was secretly in love with him all her life – Kei Shindou
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/a7pzJ.jpg)
and one of his few friends at school – Kyosuke Tsutsumi.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/3Sgyh.jpg)
After being beaten to the punch (confession of feelings) by Miyaki, rejected by Hirino and her recent knee injury, Kei is in a slump. She had quit her basketball team and was suffering emotionally. Kyosuke was your average playboy, except he had a passion for filming movies.
Kyosuke probably fell in love with her at first sight, but didn't notice it. However he notcied her being hurt and unable to move forward. One day he asked her to star in his movie. Initially she was against it, going as far as violance against him, but eventually caved in and agreed.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/MTd82.jpg)
Kei was supposed to be a tsundere I think, but on some occasions I would be more inclinded to call her a yandere due to her violent character and behaviour. She's also really tomboyish, but is capable of being cute. She's bad at studying but nevertheless decided to enter Otawa High, a prestidious school in hopes of following Hirono further. What she lacks in mental capacity, she more than makes up for with athletics. She's quick, agile and very active. At heart she cares for her loved ones, especially her twin sister Chihiro.
Kyosuke is a guy that loves two things in life – women and filming. Although he has had many girlfriends in his life, his relationships never seemed to last. When finally confronted by Yuuko, he admits that between fimling and the women he's been with before, his passion for filming was greater. This made him realize he's never been truly in love before. Being captired by Kei's charm he sets out to fulfill his dreams and hers too.
During the shooting of the movie Kei was able to regain confidence in herself and passion. A few hints dropped here and there by Yuuko helped also. Finally having closed up her wounds, she is able to move forward.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/lOkyA.jpg)
3. Interlude
The story shifts back to the church with the 2 people in it on that eventful Chistmas Eve. Finishing her part of the story, Yuuko says
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/8busq.jpg)
The man commends her for her actions, saying that if it wasn't for her those children probably wouldn't have been so happly together now. The man brings up her question, about the reason for him being here right now. He says that for her to truly understand, he needs to tell her about a certain girl. With these words, we witness his side of last year's events.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Ke5Wo.jpg)
4. Ef: The Latter Tale
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/UlMrz.jpg)
Chapter 1
It's winter again. A young boy by the name of Renji Asou is returing home from school. Near an old uninhabited train station, he hears a nostalgic song and decides to inspect further. Upon entering the station he finds a lone girl sitting on a bench. The girl is very shy, and Renji doesn't know how to approach her. Not being able to strike up a conversation, he leaves.
During the next few weeks they meet at the station and talk about things they both love. Before long, he meets her caretaker – Yuu Himura, who tells him he'll only suffer if he gets close to Chihiro. Finally, one day Chihiro decides to tell him her secret. She lets him read her diary – which is like a Bible to her, which she lives by everyday. Having mixed feelings about the revelations, he decides to not meet her for a day. During that day she waits for him for a long time and ultimately catches a cold.
The next day comes and he decides to go see her at the station, but Renji's greeted by Himura instead of her, who says that he isn't mad about Renji breaking his promise to see her, but rather that he is surprised to see him back again. He reminds Renji again that if he'll involve himself with Chihiro further, he'll suffer even more.
A lot of hardships await both of them, but ultimately Renji decides to help Chihiro fulfill her life long dream.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/KgmZ7.jpg)
Chihiro's full name is Chihiro Shindou, she is Kei's twin sister. Despite being twins they aren't exactly alike on the inside. Chihiro is a shy, frail, and calm girl that has lost all hope. Her secret weights heavily upon her shoulders, bringing her down and making her believe she should live out the rest of her life like a doll. She's very girly and sensitive, but like her sister, stubborn and immensively caring. She keeps in touch with Kei via e-mail.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/JIf4z.jpg)
Renji Asou is a shy boy, that moved a lot when he was younger. This caused him to not easily make friends. His only real acquaintances are his cusin, his mother and the family's friend who lives next door. He loves books and reading.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/zoZfz.jpg)
This story was beautiful in it's own way. I can't shake off the impression I've already read a very similar story somewhere before, but it was still enjoyable to read it.
Chapter 2
Time flowed on, and summer came again.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/MzMNf.jpg)
This story is about a girl we heard about or seen all through the previous 3 arcs – Mizuki Hayama. Being the kouhai of Kei and Miyaki, and a cousin to Renji, she comes over to visit and stay with him over summer holidays. She's a very particular heroine. Loves reading shoujo manga, always smiling, naive and this time around, we discover her other, less annoying and more cute side.
She also posseses incredible inner strength that no other heroine can match. Even when life threw lugs under her feet she didn't falter and always got back up again. She also carries emotional baggage of her, and has known the hardships of life. Despite all that, she find the strength to carry on.
The protagonist is Shuuichi Kuze, an exceptional violinist and an old friend of Yuu Himura, Yuuko Amamiya, and Nagi Hirono (the first protag's older sister). Kuze is suffering from an incurable heart disease and doesn't have much more left to live. He tries to tie up all the loose ends of his life before he dies.
Being the neighbour of Renji, they know each other very well. A romantic at heart, he greatly enjoys the company of women and often flirts and wants to tell renji about his love conquests. A joker at heart, and also an exceptionally good liar.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/abLnl.jpg)
One day Renji's mother brings Mizuki along while visiting Kuze. She asks him to take care of her for 10 days from the mornings till around 6 PM. Being indebt to Renji's family, for all the food he's been getting and taking care of his home while he was abroad, he accepts. They spend a lot of time together and she falls in love with him, but discovers the one thing he didn't want her to find out – that he was diying.
After that, Kuze tries to push her away, while she is trying to show him that his life isn't over yet and that he still has plenty to live for.
When Mizuki is at an impasse, Himura Yuu is there, ready to support her in her efforts to give Kuze a life lesson he will never forget.
We also find out what happens with Chihiro&Renji, and what connects Yuuko to the people of this city.
The story often jumps from sad moments to funny ones, then to serious ones and back to the funny ones. The relationship between Kuze and Mizuki is something the other couples didn't possess. The constant clashes of personality and the teasting back and forth make it a light-hearted story about a serious topic. Masterfully executed. It's a very beautiful story.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/2Iw3s.jpg)
The story ends abruptly as Yuu and Mizuki meet in the church and she tells him the story of her childhood, which she never told anyone else. This gives a fine opening to the 5th, final story of this novel.
5. Ef – A Fairy Tale of the Two
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/FP5Kf.jpg)
In the beginning we are greeted by the same few scenes we have vitnessed in the first few minutes of the novel.
As a young student is leaving school as dusk arrives, a paper plane lands just beside his feet. He searches for the sender, and notices a silhouette at the top of the school building. When he gets there, he finds a girl dressed in her winter seifuku. She seems to know him and teases him. When she asks him if he remebers her, he says he does not. This makes her really sad and says
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/7GiIR.jpg)
The young man then remembers who she is. Over the course of the next few weeks, she teases him and clings to him, while he firmly rejects her advances, as he is unable to forgive himself for something that happened during his childhood.
As days pass and he gets more and more involved with the girl. Everything escalates at the church, when she tell him the whole truth. Despite her confession, Yuu is finally able to let go of his past and admits that he loves her back. Bewildered, Yuuko tries to escape and turn down his feelings, but in the end, they surrender to each other.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/qaarO.jpg)
As ultimately they both are able to break free from the chains binding them to their pasts, and start a new life
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ihrNb.jpg)
and then, the tragedy happened.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/6aPiL.jpg)
6. Epilogue
We return back to the present. Back in front of the church, where Yuu and Mizuki are talking.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/1PObz.jpg)
She explains to him how she knows Yuuko. Yuu doesn't tell her about his relationship with Yuuko, and decides to forgive her.
We return to the church on that Christmas Eve. Finishing his story, Yuu gives Yuuko her Christmas present he wasn't able to give her so many years ago. With that Yuuko's job is done, and Yuu is finally able to move forward himself.
Wow, it's done. It's finally done. That took a lot longer than I anticipated.
I hope you made it up to here dear reader, and I hope you had as much fun reading this as I had writing it!
Ef is an incredible VN and I want to encourage everyone to give it a try. It's not just a visual novel. It's art.
See ya!
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/C0f8U.jpg)
