Little Kitty, Big City
Little Kitty, Big City
Game
Game2018
Shining Song Starnova
Developer Love in Space
Take the stage in Shining Song Starnova! From the Steam store page
187 reactions from 1 source (Steam reviews) · newest May 27, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
96
LovedLoved
179 positive · 8 negative
95% range 92–98%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 179 | 8 | 0 |
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
322 of 339 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 187 · most liked first8/10. An interesting premise, an interesting story, reasonably interesting characters. Technical details / Presentation: It's a RenPy VN, so nothing special going on technologically. Art has the standard OELVN slight-weirdness. This is a story about idols who produce music so you might expect the vocal music to be good. You'd be wrong: it's terrible, but that's also kind of par for the OELVN course. One nice touch is that the music is performed by the voice actors for the actual characters.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Oh my, it was a fun long adventure! This visual novel is about the ragtag band of seven cute idols and you play as their producer trying to make them great again. I can't say I was too excited when I just started. Not my cup of tea absolutely. But I realized once again that when a game is really well done, it doesn't matter if it's up your alley or not. My first impression was very positive. All those settings, nicely organized gallery. In this regard everything was just flawless. Artwork is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →bought for academic purposes so i didn't expect much from the story but it's unexpectedly good
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Man, where to even begin with this title... This was my first real experience with the Visual Novel (VN) medium, and I couldn't be happier that I chose Shining Song Starnova. I highly recommend this VN to anyone. I loved everything from the characters, the art style, the music, the stories, and the messages and meaning conveyed by these stories. While the characters all have their 'trope' that makes them come off as a generic VN character/idol group member, the game actually addresses those…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Came for porn, stayed for story. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was initially sceptical with this game. The developer Love in Space had a fantastic franchise with Sunrider going. Great writing and fantastic story with the main games and the Academy game throwing in some unexpected yet very fun twists. Then suddenly instead of getting more of that; Starnova is announced. I decided to give it a honest chance, considering Love in Space has produced solid visual novels so far. And I was not disappointed at all. In fact, I loved every second of it! Starnova…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Review in (hopefully) English: Shining Song Starnova is a visual novel that attempts to immerse into traditionally unpopular topics, while remaining a kind fairy tale. I would say that, despite the fact that it is not immaculate, this attempt is worthy of respect. I recommend playing it. The novel is arranged as seven stories (and one root that leads to the “true” ending opens only after reading six others): each story is dedicated to one of the heroines, and, to be more precise, a detailed…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Quite cheap and fun Vn it's also got adult patch and an animated H-scenes def worth it. Buy it when there is a steam sale.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I came into this thinking this was going to be a half-ass story for a good wank. BOOOOY WAS I WORNG! This is one of the best VN i'v read. the story is over 10+ hr for gust the first ack, and 100% worth gitting all the ending.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Shining Song Starnova is a Visual Novel developed by LOVE IN SPACE and Published by SEKAI PROJECT. Introduction We take the role of Kaoru Nishiyama, a new producer, recruited by the "Shining Production Company". We enroll in our new and very first job in the entertainment business, meeting the first talents we aimed to make the world's best idols. This goal is a far cry from the actual state of the studio and girls who work there. Story When we initially enter the studio, we encounter a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Shining Song Starnova is a visual novel showcasing the different paths of the 7 main idols of the STARNOVA group. Overall, I'd only recommend this game if bought during sale. It's worth it given the good story + bonus free +18 patch but honestly, there's also better VN's out there with a similar theme. This is one of the instances where I wish that steam actually has a mixed feelings/neutral option for recommending a game. Story: 7/10 Surprisingly, although Sasami's route was locked, I found…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Mariya best girl, fight me.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A really touching and well-crafted story. Love in Space is managing to produce VNs that target the real 20- or 30-something western fans who are buying these games on steam, and effectively giving a story with a modern modern take on the genre while still feeling fresh. With 7 endings, providing you go for them all, the story has plenty of gas in its tank, yet doesn't overstay its welcome. Certain other VNs are simply too long. This one is a simple ride with 7 branches. Make each girl dreams…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →STORY: Shining Song Starnova denotes the struggles and the rise of a girl idol band and their manager, the male protagonist, in the Japanese idol industry. Not a lot of decisions to be made, and the story progresses in a pretty straightforward manner. In the middle of the story you get a single choice - which girl/route to choose - and then another one in each that leads to a good or bad ending. There are 7 different girls, each with their own wildly different backgrounds, quirks,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Solid visual novel and h-game. Story was great. There are 7 routes, each for 1 of the girls and they all have their own story and problems to explore. Some are a lot of interesting than others. There's a lot of repetitiveness and straight up paragraphs I didn't care for but besides that it's pretty good. Art is fantastic and scenes are animated. They're a simple few seconds looped but it's still decent. There's 28 scenes in total. Great game, worth full price.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First things first: I own the 18+ content as I do like the way the Developer implements adult contend in his novels. However if you are someone who is interested in strong or plentiful adult contend, then this title might not be for you. Saying this brings me to the story which in my opinion represents the strong point of this Title Story and Plot feel properly researched and provide interesting new angle on this topic of the idol industry. All together the story contains several cheaters.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pros Alot of dialogue Seven Routes Some Story lines get dark Cons White light censoring
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Another VN banger i can't defend without getting disowned
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ok, the characters are good, well developed, the story is ok, the endings are diversified and fleshed out, the art is good, the H is ok, the software is fine, branching is minimal but acceptable, etc. etc. It would be a fine VN except... Damn, the writing is unbearable. This reads like its been written by 11yo weeb with asperger and ocd. The story and the characters are not deep enough to justify this heaping literary monstrosity. Everything that's in there could have been delivered with a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you've played any of Love In Space's other works, this is a little different because there is less in the gameplay aspect. This is purely a visual novel, so I would steer clear if you aren't into reading. But for those who are okay with that, or in fact, are into reading visual novels, it's great. The story revolves around the idol industry in Japan. The fame and money that idols gain come with hard work, but there are deep, dark secrets in the industry that make it hard for the idols to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →only play this if you would give your life for ire and anguihdishes
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Overview The story is about a young producer (the players character) that dreams of creating the top Idol group in Japan and he starts working on a, once apon a time, agency that had big clients, but now was in a smaller scale size business. He signs 7 "wanna-be idols" who all want a second chance of becoming a well respected idol. Art Style and Sound Anime Art style with gorgeous detailed character designs and backgrounds. Characters with multiple diferente expressions on dialogs, a great…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My first grievance is that I have to play as some Japanese virgin. Instant immersion breaker. "Mr producer" would have been better. Second up is the voice acting, my biggest issue. The Kansai girl doesn't sound "kansai" at all, to compound this issue, most of the time when she speaks, regardless of what the English text says, a sound clip of a (presumably) Kantou resident says "そうやね”. This is already annoying about 30 minutes in; I will likely be going insane by 5 hours. （Edit: This does not…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game made my VN Favourites List, so if you're interested in others like it, check out my Curator page here: [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35651135/] Val's Visual Novels, Anime & Hentai Style Art Well drawn, and plenty of cute humourous scenes. Eroge Content Yes, three scenes each for your chosen heroine, and all of them have their cute points. Music and sound Standard fare, with a few upbeat tunes suited to the setting thrown in, and some VA songs. Well above average if…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Shining Song Starnova is a story-heavy adult visual novel that surprised me with how engaging its writing and character development are. The idol industry setting feels fleshed out, and the drama kept me invested far beyond the adult content. Lewd scenes are well integrated instead of feeling forced. A great pick if you want substance along with spice.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I should have played this years ago. This is a very well done and interesting visual novel that is a unique experience compared to others I have played. The first two long chapters involve bringing together seven idols into a group and helping them to achieve their first success. These two chapters don't have any significant choices. As part of the character and story development, the personality flaws and some of the negative events in the characters' pasts come into focus. They are all…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a good game. I actually liked the characters a lot. The only bad thing is the absolutely terrible writing for the sex scenes. If you don't mind that, you'll probably like the game a lot.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really enjoyed the story even if the whole idol business isn't my thing. The art is great, the writing is nice and the soundtracks are pretty dandy. Also the fact that one of the girls is locked till you played trough all other routes really encourages you to go trough the entire game and I definitely enjoyed paths I didn't tought I would from the first look in the games intro.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →No Kodama route. Seriously disappointed. Seriously.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good overall. There was a lot of good writing, but a fair amount of irritatingly cheesy monologuing. Especially the second half of Marya's route. The spriting was excellent overall, especially since asymetrical characters had different sprites for facing left and right. It bugs me when a game just mirrors the same image and it looks bad. I do wish the jaws would go down when their mouths open, though. Mika and Kaori are my favorites, even though Sasami have the most attractive-looking sprites.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →11/9 would sell my spine for mika
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly, I sunk 24 hours into this to complete all the routes and I can say that i was immensely satisfied. This VN was very enjoyable to me, I've been a fan of Love in Space since Sunrider MoA. Their last game Liberation Day had a few issues before it got updated to be more satisfying (in my opinion). At first I was hesitant to buy Starnova because of that, but looking back I feel like it was completely worth it. The art style is very appealing, I don't recall any pertinent issues in terms…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →We need more visual novels of this quality on steam. The story sheds a more realistic light on the idol industry. It does get rather dark but I feel that the good endings make up for that. Mariya = best girl.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i wanted to wait until i finished the game entirely to write a review, but i couldn't. it was just so incredibly good. it's rare that i take the time to write a full length review for a game and not just a few sentences as a joke. shining song starnova is the story of 7 idols, all with troubled pasts, who come together to try and make it big. you play as the producer* who's nameless and just goes by producer but like. whatever. it's funny and it works. the fact that this vn is het was…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent storyline! Another winner from the Love in Space team! I really love the great storylines and the theme song. With the stories of seven main characters to go through, there is immense play value. What blows my socks away each time I start the game though, is the realisation that the theme song is actually sung by the voice actors of the characters - go search YouTube for the interviews with them; they are really talented, dedicated professionals, and hearing the theme song sung by…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you came only for those R-18 *scenes*, I don't recommend this game. Unless you came for huge storylines and those *scenes* too. This is for you. The story tho is kinda dramatic for me, LoL. p.s. Those scenes do move, impressive work. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →normally I don't review games so please pardon me Very complex story telling. Girls has intense backgrounds overall a solid B+ game Acting - 9/10 Music - 10/10 CG - 9/10 stories - 9.5/10 characters - 9/10 main character - 6.5/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Each girl has a long and deep story which is explored in great detail. The story is quite engaging and, despite over exaggerating here and there, it doesn't go too far. The main ideas behind the scenarios can easily be understood even when you don't know anything about idols, as all key aspects are explained when you need that knowledge to understand what is going on. I won't deny though that some knowledge about Anime and japanese culture may be needed to fully appreciate what this VN tries to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Came for Seycara Orchestral... stayed for the surprisingly developed characters... and somewhat dark stories?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Mika best waifu
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Mariya is such a precious girl
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I absolutely LOVE this visual novel. It has a great story, 7 routes with interesting storylines, free 18+ patch available on Steam, lots of H-scenes, great soundtrack. An absolute must-buy for anyone who likes VNs. Also, NATSUKI IS THE BEST GIRL. FIGHT ME )))
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →good video game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Kyosuke & Junpei are the real heroes. Anyway, can't belive I spent so much time on this, though about 10h of my playtime was probably idling. There's a serious amount of content in this title and I'd say it's well worth even the full price. Get the 18+ DLC if that's your thing, but don't expect Nekopara levels of ridiculous H, in this one it doesn't drag on forever and is over pretty quickly, which was a plus for me at least. All the routes are worth it. Obviously some are weaker than others,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't buy this game, you have the internet. This game is a horrific waste of time, too many words, too many characters that look like children, too much pain. A nonce bought it me as a torture method and it is really doing it's job. -Pros Good For Torture. -Cons Bad Story Bad Characters Nonce Fuel Boring All Round Mess of a game. It has good reviews because a lot of boys have never seen a woman.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Prepare your paper tissues... ... Because you'll be crying. A lot. Also doing other things.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Gorgeous, captivating, heartbreaking, life affirming and utter perfection. This one came out of nowhere and blindsided me. Imagine mixing the realism of Wake Up, Girls and Oshi no Ko and tossing in the inspirational brightness of The Idolmaster and you would have this. I loved every route and every second of this journey. I highly recommend this everyone out there. I'm definitely keeping on eye on anything this company puts out from now on. This is definitely in my top 10 list now! PS: If you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game to play with one hand! The other hand is giving headpats.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i just finished this game and i have to say i own over 100 vn games and this is definitely one of the best i will be waiting for a sequel with the next generation of starnova please make it happen.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a very good visual novel. High quality, very very long. Some routes are better than others, but that's a subjective thing anyways. I laughed, I cried, I felt happy; so many feels. I loved every aspect of it. I definitely recommend it. The 7th route is worth it and there's a reason you have to complete all the other 6 first, which is obvious once you do it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the best dating SIM's I've ever layed my hands upon. The characters are deeply modelled with their own respective backstory and trauma. I just finished the game today (99%, can't find the last %-tile :'D). Truly a blissful adventure to behold and cherish.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hentai content quality is average. Visual novel story is plain. The overall feeling is like a Japanese comic but the quality is below average for its price group.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →theres not so many choices you can make in the game. Took about 9-10 hours for the first choice to pop up and finished my first girl's route on my 16th hour gameplay, all with the auto-read pace.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →At first, I thought this would be another management game like Sunrider Academy. But it's not, sadly though. Anyway, this one is good!!! The characters are cute. Music is OK, kinda match with each situation. The plot is somehow normal everyday life stuff, sometimes it's happy, sometimes it's sad. There are not many choices to be made though, which is ok imo. I took 10 hrs for my first route and I'm pretty sure that it's the best route// will read the others when I've time. #teamMariya
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Their previous titles were just so much better, more content, more replay value... That this title seems so empty. You get about 3 choices per playthrough: Who you want to romance (just click who you want.. no relationship building or anything like their previous works) and 2 dialogue choices late in the game. I'd recommend skipping this title and play any sunrider (sunrider: mask. is free too if i remember correctly) This game could have been great with such an interesting idea, but I think…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After playing this game or visual novel, it was an amazing experience overall. From the various stories each of the members had in their routes, all of it was simply amazing. As far as everything goes for each route, there's only one choice that matters and it's fine. Sort of but it's not really great in matters of everything but it was again amazing. All of the routes were all roller coasters in their own rite, especially Nemu's holy cow. Though out of all of them that I personally enjoyed…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought this game because I really liked the Sunrider games and so I wanted to give Shining Song Starnova a try even though this isn't usually the type of game I'm into. And what can I say, I didn't regret it! The narrative sure gets slow moving at times, but in the end all 7 routes and their respective characters have a unique feel to them and the story surprised me several times (in a good way). If you enjoy visual novels or like any of Love In Spaces other games, I highly recommend that you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Every young woman or man wanting to go into the entertainment business should be required to play this v.n. Then they should be told the truth that good (ethical) producers and directors are about as common as unicorns. The #metoo movement has just scratched the surface. If you buy these for the sexual content avoid this one as it is more about morality-honesty-duty and some people who are thrown together to put on a show and be successful. But if you want to see the truth about modern society…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am not used to buying visual novels that cost more than ten dollars, but this game has completely sold me. Don't ask yourself if its worth the price. If you like storytelling and a little bit of sentimentality, it's easily a great value.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hope for hope's sake. That's one of the last lines of this Vn and it sums up the stories within it perfectly. The routes of this vn are about failure, waiting too long for your dreams, and the people who will put you down along the way. The hardest part is the emptiness achieving your dreams can often bring. There are different degrees of success for the different characters, and reading it asks you to reflect and ask yourself what would ultimately bring you happiness. While I have varying…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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