This is a short visual novel (90-120 minutes) with no choices. In spite of its brief duration and linearity, it touched my heart. I'd like to replay it. At first the tone seems like that of a children's book, but the story deals with some darker topics, such as child abuse. There are some vicious characters, some kindhearted characters, and many characters who fall in-between. Figuring out which of those groups the titular Fairy Bell belongs to is one of the delights of this VN. The ending is strong. It leaves some characters' fates up to the imagination, but shows the consequences of the main characters' decisions well. This is one of the best-looking visual novels I've played. Unlike the vast majority of visual novels, it has no sprites (i.e. character illustrations that appear in front of backgrounds). Instead, the characters and backgrounds are depicted in the same images. The art style resembles watercolor paintings, children's sketches, and anime or manga. As for the music, I loved the more heartfelt pieces and would buy the soundtrack for them alone. During darker scenes, the music shifts to a dissonant (no pun intended), electronic style. I didn't find those tracks pleasant, but I don't think they were intended to be. I haven't played the Alice in Dissonance's "fault" series, so I can't say how many references this game includes to that. But having played this VN, I'm excited to look into the developer's other work, and I think that's one of the highest compliments I can give to a game.
