From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
Like Life |
Like Life Renewal Edition visual novel
cover. |
ライク・ライフ
(Raiku Raifu) |
| Genre |
Drama, Harem |
|
Game |
| Developer |
Hooksoft |
| Publisher |
Hooksoft (PC)
GN Software
(PS2/PSP)
NTT
DoCoMo (FOMA) |
| Genre |
Eroge, Visual novel |
| Rating |
18+ (PC, PS2, PC Renewal)
17+ (PS2 re-release)
15+ (PSP) |
| Platform |
PC, PS2, FOMA, PSP |
| Released |
May 28, 2004 (PC)
April 28, 2005 (PS2)
August 24, 2006 (PS2 re-release)
August 17, 2007 (FOMA)
September 28, 2007 (PC Renewal)
October 1, 2009 (PSP) |
| Light
novel |
| Author |
Jōji Kamio |
| Illustrator |
Hirokō Buda
Araiguma |
| Publisher |
Softgarage |
| Original run |
August 20,
2004 – April 15,
2005 |
| Volumes |
4 |
|
Game |
| Life Like
Hyokoban |
| Developer |
Hooksoft |
| Publisher |
Hooksoft |
| Genre |
Eroge, Visual novel |
| Rating |
18+ |
| Platform |
PC |
| Released |
December 29, 2004 |
| Anime
and Manga Portal |
Like Life (ライク・ライフ, Raiku Raifu
?) is an adult Japanese visual novel developed by Hooksoft which was released
on May 28, 2004 playable on the PC as a CD; a PlayStation 2 consumer console port
called Like Life An Hour followed on April 28, 2005 by GN Software. An updated
version of the original game released on September 28, 2007 called
Like Life Renewal Edition (Like Life新装版, Like Life
Shinsōban
?), compatible up to Windows Vista, is
playable on a PC as a DVD. A PlayStation Portable version of
the game titled Like Life Every Hour was released on
October 1, 2009. The gameplay in Like Life follows a plot
line which offers pre-determined scenarios with courses of
interaction, and focuses on the appeal of the five female main
characters. The story revolves around Kazuma Kōsaka who is living a
normal life in his aunt's home while he attends high school. One
day, objects all over town start turning into girls, and his mobile phone is no
exception; after the transformation, Kazuma names her Himeko
Kōsaka.
Four light novels
based on Like Life were released between August 2004 and
April 2005 written by Jōji Kamio. An adult fandisc for Hyoko, one
of the supporting characters, was released at Comiket 67 on December 29, 2004 called Like
Life Hyokoban, playable on the PC as a CD. There have been
four drama
CDs released: two bundled with the limited edition of the PS2
game, one with the original release of Life Like Hyokoban,
and the last was based on the PS2 game version and was released in
Japanese store in January 2005.
Gameplay
The gameplay requires little interaction from the player as most
of the duration of the game is spent on simply reading the text
that will appear on the screen; this text represents either dialogue between the various
characters, or the inner thoughts of the protagonist. Every so
often, the player will come to a "decision point" where he or she
is given the chance to choose from options that are displayed on
the screen, typically two to three at a time. During these times,
gameplay pauses until a choice is made that furthers the plot in a
specific direction, depending on which choice the player makes.
There are five main plot lines that the player will have the
chance to experience, one for each of the heroines in the story. In
order to view the five plot lines to their entirety, the player
will have to replay the game multiple times and choose different
choices during the decision points in order to further the plot in
an alternate direction.
Plot
Story
Like Life's story revolves around Kazuma Kōsaka who had
to move into his aunt's house due to his parents always being too
busy. He lives next door to his childhood friend Yumi Miyasato, and
the two of them walk together to Shitasōno Academy (下総ノ宮学園, Shitasōno Gakuen
?) which they both attend. One day at
school, many strange transfer students arrive at school: all over
town, objects start turning into girls, though they still retain
some form of what they used to be on their person. Kazuma's mobile phone is no
exception and turns into a girl he names Himeko Kōsaka. The concept
of giving moe traits
to inanimate objects is known as moe anthropomorphism.
Characters
Main
characters
- Kazuma Kōsaka (高坂 和真, Kōsaka
Kazuma
?)
- Kazuma is the protagonist of the story and is the person the
player assumes. Both of his parents are working overseas, so he
came to live at his aunt's house. He is almost never in contact
with his parents, which is in stark contrast to the kind
environment he finds himself in with his friends.
The girls of
Like Life: Tsubaki (top-left), Kizuna
(top-right), Atori (center), Yumi (bottom-left), and Himeko
(bottom-right).
- Yumi Miyasato (宮里 結未, Miyasato
Yumi
?)
- Voiced by: Mayumi
Shindō (PC/PS2)
- Yumi is Kazuma's childhood friend who lives next door to him.
She is always cheeful, and is a natural airhead. She often refers
to Kazuma as "Kazu-kun". Every morning, she climbs over the veranda
between her home and Kazuma's and enters into his room to wake him
up for school. She comes over to his house so often, it is almost
as if she lives there, and she is treated like a member of Kazuma's
family. She always wears a pea-green ribbon in her hair. She is a
health-food nut and is extrememly popular at her school; so much so
that she even has bodyguards to protect her from the constant
attention.
- Himeko Kōsaka (高坂 姫子, Kōsaka
Himeko
?)
- Voiced by: Junko
Kusayanagi (PC/PS2)
- Himeko was, at one point, Kazuma's favorite mobile phone, but one
day she transformed into a beautiful young high school girl. At first,
Kazuma did not believe that she used to be his cell phone for he
did not witness the transformation. In fact, the first time he saw
her was in his room sitting down wearing a wedding dress, which is what she
originally was wearing after her transformation. Somehow, she gets
admitted into Kazuma's school and gets into his class. She retains
a bit of her former self on her appearnace: there is one cell phone strap above
each of her ears, and the antenna is still visible behind her left
ear. Despite the transformation, Himeko still functions as a cell
phone. For example, every time Kazuma gets a text message, she
sings the game's opening song "GirlsLife" to signify this, but
since it happens often, she tends to be out of breath. If her
battery is running low, she will start to appear as if she is sick,
and must recharge via connecting a recharger to her power source
located on her chest. This way, she does not have to eat like the
other objects that turned into girls.
- Tsubaki Sawaki (沢木 椿, Sawaki
Tsubaki
?)
- Voiced by: Shino Kujō (PC), Yūko Gotō
(PS2)
- Tsubaki is a girl who transfers into Kazuma's class; she has a
weak body, but a strong-willed personality. When she first found
out about Himeko living in Kazuma's house, she hinted at the fact
that he may be a lolicon.
Her sickness is not stated, but she constantly coughes up blood,
possibly due to a lung
hemorrhage. She enjoys acting superior to others she deems to
be unworthy of her time. Sometimes she behaves differently around
Kazuma, likening her to a tsundere character type.
- She is in fact not the real Tsubaki, but merely a
personification of the real Tsubaki as a transfer student into
Kazuma's school; she is presented as an older identical twin of the real Tsubaki. The
fake Tsubaki constantly worries about her real couterpart and looks
after her. This is because the real Tsubaki has been hospitalized
for a long time, and since the hospital bills are so expensive, a
rift has built up between Tsubaki and her parents, leaving her more
or less alone. Years before, she attended the same school as Kazuma
and admired him from afar, but she was never able to tell him how
she felt since she became hospitalized.
- Atori Arikawa (有川 あとり, Arikawa
Atori
?)
- Voiced by: Marina
Ono (PC/PS2)
- Atori is another girl who transfers into Kazuma's class; she is
introverted, always tends to be nervous, and constantly falls down
because of it. After her beloved grandmother died, she closed
herself off and became introverted. She has a natural gift when it
comes to cooking. She generally attempts to avoid physical contact
with others, but is close with any of the objects that turned into
girls. Due to this, she was early on able to become friends with
Himeko and Tsubaki. She never goes without wearing earmuffs to hide her
red-colored ears. It is later revealed in the visual fanbook that
she is Sōya's younger sister.
- Kizuna Rindōji (竜胆寺 絆, Rindōji
Kizuna
?)
- Voiced by: Kiyomi
Asai (PC/PS2)
- Kizuna is yet another girl who transfers into Kazuma's class.
She is a wealthy girl, who is in fact supposed to be a first year
high school student, but used her money to skip a grade and get
into Kazuma's class. She first met Kazuma as a child, and ever
since has adored him. She is not only selfish, but she hates to
lose, and tries to use her standing in society for her own benefit.
She even went as far as to buy the school she attends and brought
her own desk from her home; she mainly has no common sense about
how the world works.
Supporting
characters
- Tae Yamazaki (山崎 妙, Yamazaki
Tae
?)
- Voiced by: Mai Goto (PC), Eriko Fujimaki
(PS2)
- Tae is Kazuma's aunt; she took him in while his parents are
overseas. She loves to play dirty tricks on Makoto in an attempt to
allure him with her feminine charm, though she also acts like a
normal guardian. She has a youthful appearance and personality, so
when she is called "Oba-san" (おばさん
?, lit. "aunt", but also implies
middle-aged), she gets really angry and has even gone so far
as to throw knives at Makoto for doing so. After her refrigerator
and vacuum cleaner turned into girls, she became their godparent.
She is usually hard to figure out, and is readily aberrant.
- Ichigeki Kodera (小寺 一撃, Kodera
Ichigeki
?)
- Voiced by: Kazunari
Tanaka (PC/PS2)
- Ichigeki is Kazuma's delinquent friend who is in love with
Yumi. His family owns a temple, to which he is the heir. Outwardly,
he appears to be a typical gang member, though he wears a wig to
make himself took tougher. His personality changes when around
girls he likes, and is always trying to go after Yumi. He is the
leader of the bodyguard squad that protects Yumi while at school.
His dream is to one day be a shōjo manga author. In fact, Tsubaki gives him high praise
for his artistic ability.
- Shōko Usui (碓井 祥子, Usui
Shōko
?)
- Voiced by: Natsumi
Yanase (PC/PS2)
- Shōko is Kazuma's homeroom teacher. She is typically unhappy,
and was flustered when objects in town started turning into girls.
In the classroom, she lacks confidence and often asks her mother
for help after school.
- Itsuki Kobayashi (小林 唯月, Kobayashi
Itsuki
?)
- Voiced by: Kozue
Yoshizumi (PC/PS2)
- Itsuki is one of the maids at Kizuna's mansion. She has a stern
personality towards Kizuna, and has the tendency to shun others. At
Kizuna's mansion, there are other maids, but they are all identical
to Itsuki. This came about when various objects in the mansion all
transformed into Itsuki.
- Sōya (総哉
?)
- Voiced by: Unknown (PC), Eiji Miyashita (PS2)
- Sōya is a man who constantly smokes cigarettes, has silver
hair, and has sanpaku-eyes.
He is Mitsuba's owner, and always keeps her nearby. He is Atori's
older brother.
Former
objects
- Okiru (起留
?)
- Voiced by: Kiyomi
Asai (PC/PS2)
- Okiru is Kazuma's former alarm clock. She has a rude
personality, and will wake Kazuma up by hitting him with one of her
hammers.
- Akari (あかり
?)
- Voiced by: Kozue
Yoshizumi (PC/PS2)
- Akari is Kazuma's former desk lamp. Her light source comes from
under the skirt she wears, and must flip the skirt to illuminate
anything; due to this, she is extrememly embarrassed.
- Hyoko (氷庫,
Hyōko
?)
- Voiced by: Kozue
Yoshizumi (PC/PS2)
- Hyoko is Kazuma's former refrigerator. She enjoys ridiculing
Kazuma. Originally she went unsold, but after she transformed, she
thanked Tae for buying her. She appears in the fandisc Like
Life Hyokoban as the main heroine.
- Tōka (トウカ
?)
- Voiced by: Megumi
Kobayashi (PC/PS2)
- Tōka is a former post
box on a street corner in town. While originally being eighty
years old, she looks like a youthful girl, but still retains the
wisdom of someone in their late years.
- Keshiko (消し子
?)
- Voiced by: Megumi
Kobayashi (PC/PS2)
- Keshiko is the former blackboard eraser from Kazuma's class.
She makes a small cameo appearance in the _Summer original video animation
mini-series.
- Kōmon (校門
?)
- Voiced by: Kana
Fumizuki (PC/PS2)
- Kōmon is the former front school gate of Kazuma's school. She
often cites the fault of others.
- Mako (マコ
?)
- Voiced by: Mai Gotō (PC), Eriko Fujimaki (PS2)
- Mako is the former coffee pot in the teacher's lounge at
Kazuma's school; she was originally Shōko Usui's. At first she is
terrible at making coffee, but after she makes friends with Shōko,
she gets better at the task.
- Nobuko (信子
?)
- Voiced by: Kozue
Yoshizumi (PC/PS2)
- Nobuko is a former traffic light. She has a strong sense of
justice, and will call those who run red lights evil.
- Mitsuba (三葉
?)
- Voiced by: Kana
Fumizuki (PC/PS2)
- Mitsuba is a former sex
doll owned by Sōya, who she is almost always together with. In
the PlayStation
2 version, she was changed to be a former child's doll.
- Kiyori Kōsaka (高坂 浄, Kōsaka
Kiyori
?)
- Voiced by: Natsumi
Yanase (PC/PS2)
- Kiyori is Tae's former long-time favorite vacuum cleaner. The
vacuum cleaner hose is unified with her single-braided hair. She
has the habit of belittling herself after she makes a mistake. When
a room gets dirty, she would rather choose suicide than not clean
it.
- Kagari (篝
?)
- Voiced by: Natsumi
Yanase (PC/PS2)
- Kagari is a former Maneki Neko owned by Atori's family. She
was bought around eighty years ago, and was once owned by Atori's
late grandmother. She is content with living a solitary life and
acting as Atori's guardian. Kagari always is at odds with
Kazuma.
Development
Release
history
Like Life was first introduced to the public in Japan
on May 28, 2004 as a CD-ROM
playable on a Microsoft Windows PC.[1]
A version for the PlayStation 2, retaining its adult
rating, called Like Like an hour, was developed by GN Software and
released in Japan on April 28, 2005 in limited and regular
editions. The regular edition PS2 game featured a different cover
than the limited edition.[2]
The limited edition PS2 release came bundled with two drama CDs
entitled Like Life radio hour and Like Life Typical
Hot Spring Traveler's Journal (Life Like的温泉紀行, Like Life
Teki Onsen Kikō
?), and a music CD containing twenty-one
tracks used in the game.[2]
The PS2 version was re-released at a cheaper price on August 24,
2006, and its rating dropped to ages seventeen and up.[3] A
portable version, playable on FOMA cellular phones, was
produced by NTT DoCoMo on August 17, 2007.[4] Various
patches
were released as free downloads to update the original game ranging
between version 1.1 to version 1.4.[5] An
updated version of the original game called Like Life Renewal
Edition (Like
Life新装版, Like Life Shinsōban
?) was released on September 28, 2007
compatible up to a Windows Vista PC playable as a DVD;
Life Like Renewal Edition retailed for 6,800 yen.[6] A
version playable on the PlayStation Portable called
Like Life Every Hour was released by GN Software on
October 1, 2009 with a CERO rating of C (ages 15 and older).
Related
media
Like Life novel volume 1.
Light
novels
There have been four character light novels based on the game written by
Japanese
author Jōji
Kamio, with illustrations by Hirokō Buda and Araiguma,
published by Softgarage. The novels contain adult material not suitable for children. The
first novel covers Himeko, the second covers Yumi, and the last two
are general novels entitled Omnibus. The first
novel was released on August 20, 2004, and the final novel was
released on April 15, 2005.
Fandisc
A fandisc sequel of sorts
based on the Like Life visual novel entitled Like Life
Amusement Disc "Hyokoban" (Like Life 氷庫版
?, meaning "Like Life Hyoko Edition")
was released by Hooksoft at Comiket 67 on December 29, 2004 playable as a
CD on the PC. A
popularity contest was held earlier in 2004 to decide who should be
the focus of the fandisc, and Hyoko, one of the supporting
characters, was ranked first. The original version was available at
Comiket and came bundled with a drama CD.[7]
The game was first sold outside of Comiket on January 6, 2005.
Music and
audio CDs
Like Life's opening theme is "GirlsLife" sung by Miyuki
Hashimoto, the ending theme is "Reach Out" (届きますように, Todokimasu Yōni
?) sung by Nana, and there the insert
song "Sky and Rain and Rainbows and" (空と雨と虹と, Sora to Ame to Niji to
?), also sung by Miyuki Hashimoto. The
game's original soundtrack was released by Lantis on
July 22, 2004 and contained twenty-four tracks.[8] A drama CD
entitled Drama CD Like Like an hour: Winter and a Festival and
an Untied Ribbon (ドラマCD Like Life an
hour ～冬と祭と解けたリボン～, Dorama CD Like Life an hour ~Fuyu
to Matsuri to Hodoketa Ribon~
?) was released on December 29, 2005 and
contained seven tracks.[9]
References
External
links
Wikis
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