Say It In Red

The Podcast version of hanging out with ghosts in a haunted parlor, but like really chill and the ghosts are talking to you about Visual and Kinetic Novels! Join Runa and Sara as they read and discuss games like Higurashi, Umineko, Kindred Spirits on the Roof, Heart of the Woods, and a lot of other VNs. We break down the mystery elements of the stories we read, talk about the implications of ghosts and magic and the tech apocalypse, and swoon every time a handsome woman shows up on screen. For the most part this podcast is entirely safe to listen to around friends and family and co-workers *except* for the moments when we talk about dismemberment or murders since that comes up in some of these games - we'll give you a heads up whenever things like that are on an episode and when we're about to start talking about them in the show!You can follow us on twitter at sayitinredpod and check out our patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SayItInRed for even more content and features!

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Say It In Red

Say it in Red Episode 79: Black Lily's Tale

July 31, 2026 • Say It In Red cast

0:00 | 2:08:16

Oh Sweetie, did you have a nightmare?

Don't worry, your family is here for you. Now, just tell me everything that happened... everything you thought, everything you felt...

Hmmm, yes I see. I see...

Sweetheart, it seems that you're trapped in a time loop. Yes, I'm quite shocked as well but if you've been reliving the same day over and over, what other explanation is there? If you want to escape, you'll have to find out what's keeping you here. In fact, I've got an idea... Yes, I think this is exactly what will help you. It's time for you to grow out of this little homosexual phase of yours and think about contributing to the birth rate, darling.

This month, Sara and Runa read through Black Lily's Tale (2023), a yuri visual novel about putting gay teens through literal nightmare scenarios in order to "correct" their homosexual tendencies. It's at times horrifying and often salient in its political commentary, and though romance isn't its core focus Black Lily's Tale grounds itself in the real social forces of homophobia and compulsory heterosexuality that weigh on Japanese youth. Set in a near future timeline after a new pandemic devastated the younger generations of Japan, we quickly see the shadow of nationalist anxieties fall over our cast. In particular, the persistent fears of declining birth rates are already at critical mass in Black Lily's Tale and almost immediately, we find examples of all the new social programs aggressively promoting Marriage and Procreation.

We spend most of our time following Hana, a high school senior who is just weeks away from graduation, and her closest friends Itsuki and Aoi. While they've successfully completed their college entrance exams, Itsuki wants to make sure they all make the most out of their high school life. So, in between mandatory classes on the benefits of heterosexual marriage, the girls write out flash cards filled with things they want to do before they graduate – usually silly things like visiting pop-up shops or watching cheap shark horror movies. All of that changes when Itsuki falls into the street and gets killed by a speeding truck... and then Hana wakes up to find herself back in the previous day. Stuck in a seemingly endless loop, Hana struggles to figure out what could possibly save Itsuki from death and allow her to escape this endless nightmare. All the while, Hana's father and the nurse at her school are acting very strangely, and all of these dreams seem to suggest that Itsuki would be happier if she were dating a boy...

As always, if you enjoy our show please consider writing us a review on your podcast platform of choice! You can always support us directly on Patreon at patreon.com/sayitinred where you will get access to all of our bonus episodes past and present, including our most recent bonus episode in which Sara and Runa talk about their experience at Anime Conventions!