Going by this list, Jun Maeda is my favorite (how original), then Chika Shirokiri and Ryukisihi07 (and that’s excluding his other works!). After that, Kai and Leo Kashida.
But really, there’s quite a large gap between Maeda and the rest 
After Story, Tomoyo After After and Refrain, plus their respective build-up scenarios, are just that good, and he is credited for all of them.
I’ll take your word for it, then!
Yuuichi Suzumoto seems to be really good, too. Planetarian was great, and Kotomi’s story was pretty solid as well.
Apparently, he is working for Aquaplus now
From what I see, it seems Maeda Jun isn’t too bad at this. He writes most of the common routes in stuff like Clannad and LB as well, right? There is some great humour in those.
It somehow feels a bit too obvious that there are so many writers involved though. Like the quality goes up and down so much…
It’s kind of a big issue they have that doesn’t come to light too often- But Rewrite stood out pretty bad.
Angel Beats will save the day. <3
Also yeah, Maeda is the man.
I’ve been noticing Rewrite is quite polarising in that regard
It’s the Key VN that seems to be better regarded by people who aren’t much into the other Key VNs (some of them outright hate the other Key VNs) than the regular Key fans. Must be the writers involved
Slightly off-topic, but I think the thing about Rewrite and th people who like it is like a battle between thinkers and feelers.
Key fans are generally feelers in that, they wouldn’t care much if one part of the story didn’t make sense if the message and emotions were portrayed successfully.
Non-key VN fans are generally thinkers, in that they like mentally stimulating VNs, and will get angry at illogical nonsense.
Rewrite, Terra route especially, is a very thinking type of story. All the fantasy elements are explained really well andthe ending seems totally plausible. Other Key stories, well… Not so much
Lucia route best route.
Haha yeah, i gotta say, even if Kotarou was one dense motherfucker the whole route, but when it finally happened, I cried so hard T_T
Going back on topic, Ryukishi07 writes really good romance, surprisingly! Wouldn’t expect that after Higurashi and Umineko
Not for the whole route, just the last part of it. I’m guessing some people told Ryukishi to draw the route out a bit longer.
No, I don’t dislike Rewrite as a Key VN or anything. It’s a good VN. But it isn’t consistent. It’s a mess. That’s both a charm and a curse, but it’s a fact.
I’m getting the feeling that this talk might get moved to somewhere else, like the general VN thread or something. We’ll see.
I hereby voice my disagreement with that statement of yours.
After all, I am definitely a thinker. I need to know how and why everything happened and especially how certain ‘systems’ (separate worlds, parallel worlds, familiars, etc.) work. If a story ends with a big mindfuck (like Bioshock Infinite), I just HAVE to go around and look for the answers or try to find them on my own.
And yet, Key VNs are definitely my favorite ones.
Now here’s the thing: I do not think that certain parts of Key plots are “illogical nonsense”. Key magic, too, has a certain logic to it in every story. And while it’s certainly a bit too convenient at times, I never considered it inexplicable.
Well, maybe it still does apply to the majority of VN readers, me being an exception of sorts.
Talking about the writers and how a VNs presentation was due to those writers is a-okay.
If you want to ever take the talk in that direction you can reply to a post in a separate thread.
On the topic of Rewrite- It’s multi-writer syndrome is the worst to me out of other VNs. Pretty straight forward. Other writer routes are fun and bring equally interesting things to the table, but the overall scenario overshadows everything else because Tanaka. I’d like to read it in JP some magical day.
Well, “generally.” There are, and always will be exceptions. While they do have some logic behind them, some things are just too tough a pill to swallow, IMO.
Going back on topic, I think it’s mostly Jun Maeda who delves into Key Magic a lot. The other writers mostly like to deal with what still remains in the realm of reality.
I really very much share the same opinions here, I really like how the vast majority of the time it isn’t just “Key Magic” and that’s it, there’s a logic behind it and a consistency behind the “magic”. But then (little busters vn sasami spoilers) I didn’t like the scene with Kyousuke communicating with Riki. There was consistency in all the magic and stuff that I really loved, but that scene seemed to just make no sense >_>. I really praise the anime for sorting literally all of the consistency problems (there was a little confusion at the end of refrain with the whole resetting the bus crash scene to attempt to save them) - It skipped that scene and the scene in Sasami’s route.
I don’t think it sorted all of them. I think it made some inconsistencies (that I never even noticed in the VN) stand out more. Admittedly I was paying more attention to Refrain when watching the anime, but I heard lots of people struggle to make sense of the whole “Going to the real world! Oh, back to the fake world! And we’re in the real world!” thing. I think they messed up on explaining Riki getting over his memories of the car crash and curing his narcolepsy too.
Ah yeah I suppose it got rid of that confusion but didn’t include the parts of it that were important. It did seem a bit silly for them to just chill out a bit on a hill and then say “oh okay i guess we could try and save them”, it gave off the impression to me like they wasted a lot of time there but it didn’t matter.
I agree completely. I am a “thinker” as well, and to me that just means that Im gonna like Rewrite even if its that different form other Key works. But I agree with @Pepe. Most people I know who dont like Key site the “Key magic” or really just aren’t “feelers”
Just found this thread. I had no idea who had written the routes in Kanon, so I’m glad someone pointed that out.
[quote=“JDAM_Cid, post:2, topic:459”]
Mai: Jun Maeda
[/quote]So the length of Mai’s route was all Maeda’s fault, huh? Well, nobody’s perfect.
[quote=“JDAM_Cid, post:2, topic:459”]
Ayu: Naoki Hisaya
Shiori: Naoki Hisaya
[/quote]I’m beginning to wonder if the guy lost his touch over time, if Sora no Method was really that bad.
[quote=“JDAM_Cid, post:2, topic:459”]
Misuzu: Jun Maeda
AIR arc: Jun Maeda
[/quote]Knew as much.
[quote=“JDAM_Cid, post:2, topic:459”]
Nagisa: Jun Maeda
Tomoyo: Jun Maeda
Fuuko: Jun Maeda
Yukine: Jun Maeda (First Half)
Misae: Jun Maeda
Koumura: Jun Maeda
After Story: Jun Maeda
[/quote]I knew Maeda had a huge, personal hand in writing CLANNAD, but this is ridiculous.
[quote=“Pepe, post:1, topic:459”]
Haruka: Chika Shirokiri
Kud: Chika Shirokiri
Kanata: Chika Shirokiri
Kud Wafter: Chika Shirokiri
[/quote]Never have I felt such mixed feelings about a scenario writer before. May you forever remain in an awkward place in my heart, Shirokiri. T_T7
[quote=“Pepe, post:1, topic:459”]
Lucia: Ryukishi07
[/quote]Now I’m really looking forward to Rewrite. 
[quote=“Pepe, post:25, topic:459”]
I think it’s mostly Jun Maeda who delves into Key Magic a lot. The other writers mostly like to deal with what still remains in the realm of reality.
[/quote]I don’t believe that in the slightest. That would mean Rewrite has no Key Magic at all…Does it?
There are some scenario writers that like to delve into Key Magic, but I think Maeda’s stories have the best execution of Key Magic, and he’s gotten better through trial-and-error. I know Shirokiri and especially Tonokawa delved into Key Magic before with Little Busters!, and Hisaya had some of that going in Kanon, too. It’s just that they tend to play it safe and try to keep their stories as realistic as possible, only using Key Magic when it’s absolutely necessary. Maeda, on the other hand, uses the stuff as a resolution all the time. I mean, look at CLANNAD.
It basically doesn’t in my opinion. It’s a very non-traditional Key game.
Lucia’s route is one of my favourites in any Key VN
[quote=“EisenKoubu, post:30, topic:459”]I don’t believe that in the slightest. That would mean Rewrite has no Key Magic at all…Does it?
[/quote]
Without spoiling, off the top of my head I think Chihaya and Shizuru have a tiny bit at the end but there is very little Key Magic in Rewrite.
