Alright. I’ve let this sit for 48 hours after clearing Epilogue 4, and I still feel like I’ve been emotionally sucker-punched by a velvet glove. For those who don’t know, Shinshou Genmukan (The New Phenomenon of Illusion) is already a notoriously dense gothic horror/psychological thriller VN. But the epilogues —specifically the “Extra Speed / Raw” version of Epilogue 4—are something else entirely.
Has anyone else decoded the hidden text in the manuscript burn sequence? I swear I saw a line that says, “The fourth epilogue is the first beginning.” Let me know in the comments.
Let’s break down why this specific epilogue is destroying the fanbase right now.
This isn’t a literal racing term. In the context of the patch notes, “Extra Speed” refers to the narrative pacing. The base game’s epilogue 4 (the canonical follow-up to the True End where Kyouko and the protagonist survive) is a slow, melancholic burn. It’s about trauma recovery, rebuilding the shrine, and the quiet horror of everyday life after witnessing the supernatural. -Extra speed- -Raw- Shinshou Genmukan - epilogue 4
Roll credits. No music. Just the sound of wind.
Is “Extra Speed – Raw – Shinshou Genmukan Epilogue 4” good? Yes. Is it enjoyable? Absolutely not. It’s a masterclass in using pacing (Extra Speed) and unflinching text (Raw) to deliver a nihilistic gut-punch that recontextualizes the entire base game. If you thought the True End was hopeful, this epilogue tells you that hope was just the first stage of a deeper, more insidious curse.
The final scene: He burns the manuscript. And as the fire consumes the last page, Kyouko looks at him and smiles—a genuine, innocent smile from before the nightmare began. But then she asks, “I’m sorry… do I know you?” Alright
9/10 – A perfectly executed tragedy that respects your time by disrespecting your emotional stability.
You liked Saya no Uta and thought, “You know, this could be more emotionally devastating.” Avoid it if: You need a happy ending. There isn’t one. There was never going to be one. The Genmukan always gets its due.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go stare at a wall for an hour. But the epilogues —specifically the “Extra Speed /
In the eroge/VN world, “Raw” usually means unrendered, unpolished, or uncensored scripts. Here, it’s a deliberate artistic choice. The dialogue in this epilogue is brutal. No honorifics. No poetic metaphors. When Kyouko wakes up screaming, the text is literally: “Her throat tore. Sound didn’t come out. Just air. Just pain.” It’s clipped. It’s ugly.
The infamous H-scene in this epilogue (and yes, it’s there, but it’s not for titillation) is labeled “Raw” because it strips away all the usual visual novel gloss. No soft focus. No romantic BGM. Just the creak of floorboards, the sound of two broken people trying to feel something—anything—other than the cold of the Genmukan still clinging to their bones. It’s uncomfortable to read. It’s supposed to be.