History Videogame / Rakuen

* FantasticRacism: There are some tensions between the Kanko Leeble tribe and the striped Ilbo Leeble tribe, as while the two are fine trading with each other relations beyond being friends are strongly frowned upon. [[spoiler:This is shown as a reflection of the real life racism Korean/Japanese couples face, as it's what Winston (a Korean man in real life, and a Kanko in the fantasy world) and Gemma (a Japanese woman in real life, and an Ilbo in the other world) had to struggle with prior to Gemma's coma.]]

* ThrowTheDogABone: Talking to Danielle in the cafeteria about Sue right before the ending of the game [[spoiler: reveals that the real Sue was somehow able to reunite with Puchi at the hospital before her death, with Danielle stating that she's never seen Sue so happy, other than when she was spending time with the Boy.]]

''Rakuen'' is an AdventureGame, developed by Creator/LauraShigihara in UsefulNotes/RPGMaker and released for [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]] through UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} on May 10th, 2017. A sequel titled ''VideoGame/MrSaitou'' and a port to the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch (which includes ''Mr. Saitou'' and the short films) were released on March 23, 2023, and a mobile port is in the works as well.

* ADayInTheLimelight: The process of learning each a part of the "Mori no Kokoro" involves using the book to summon a door that leads to the past of a patient's life. During these segments the game will let you take control of one of the patient's loved ones as the past plays out from their perspective.

** [[spoiler:Sue dies without reconciling with her father Uma.]]
** [[spoiler:The Boy asks for Morizora to let him travel to Rakuen, the afterlife.]]

** A recurring NPC seen in Morizora's Forest is [[VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies a singing sunflower]]. Creator Laura Shigihara's first big break was composing the music to the game, as well as voicing the Sunflower.

** The Boy is a CheerfulChild [[spoiler:mourning his father and his cancer]].
** The Boy's mother visits the hospital regularly while [[spoiler:making sure his brother is safe with her mother, mourning her husband, and eventually having to let the Boy go when he desires to go to Rakuen]].

-->'''Yami:''' [[spoiler:They all leave eventually.]]

* BittersweetEnding: Everyone at the hospital is helped, and the Boy makes their lives better with his actions in the fantasy world. [[spoiler:Sue still dies, as does Uma and Kisaburo. The Boy wishes to go to Rakuen, and die, by default. His mother promises to be strong, and she goes back to take care of his little brother.]]

* EarnYourHappyEnding: The theme of the game is that although you ARE helping the people at the hospital a great deal, you can't magically solve all their problems - [[spoiler:Kisaburo still has dementia, Tony's son is still dead]], etc. Despite this theme, a few characters are able to avoid a bittersweet ending after all they've been through. The credits sequence shows that [[spoiler:Gemma woke up from her coma and reunited with Winston. They've been through so much, it's almost like the game just said, "Okay fine, let them have this."]] Additionally, [[spoiler:Tony is able to reconcile with his estranged daughter Christina, allowing him to be involved with her life once more]].

** When you meet Sue's self in Morizora's Forest her sprite is semi-transparent [[spoiler:implying Sue is close to death.]]

* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler: The Boy suffers this after Sue dies, despite his efforts in trying to help her. Yami, revealed to be his cynical alter ego, takes his place for the rest of the game, and the Boy doesn't return until Mom is able to bring him back using the completed "Mori no Kokori".]]

** "Build A Little World With Me", sung by Laura Shigihara, plays when the Boy dreams about having fun with Sue in all her little marble worlds [[spoiler: and wakes up to learn that she passed away that night.]]

** A more somber and creepier version of Tony's music box theme, [[spoiler: "My Little Girl,"]] can be heard in [[spoiler: Tony's house.]]

* NeverSayDie: Despite all the deaths in the story, the words "die" and "passed away" are never uttered a single time. The two biggest context clues that point towards their fates are that they're never seen or heard from again, and that [[spoiler: all of the deceased appear on Morizora's magical boat headed towards Rakuen at the end of the story.]]

** Kisaburo [[spoiler:due to dementia no longer recognizes his wife and grown children. They convince their mom to put him in a hospital.]]

** The Pet Goldfish, Panky Doll, and Ao Boshi Matsuri CD can only be obtained during the Star Night festival. Once the festival ends and day rolls over, they will be unobtainable for the rest of the game.

** One of the paintings in Monsieur Bud's mansion is of him observing [[VideoGame/ToTheMoon two people dancing inside of a lighthouse.]]

** As a more general RPG reference the frog the Boy finds and hopes to keep as a pet is named [[VideoGame/ChronoTrigger Glenn.]] The Boy's mother also mentions during one of her dialogues that she used to play a videogame where the characters traveled through various time periods.

* SillyLoveSongs: Gemma's and Kisaburo's songs are both songs directed at how much they love their spouses, even if separated by [[spoiler:a coma or failing memories, respectively.]]

** The Boy's mother visits the hospital regularly while [[spoiler:making sure his brother is safe with her mother, mourning her husband, and eventually having to let the Boy go when he desires to go to Rakuen.]]

** Not the lines itself, but who says it: [[spoiler:the Boy asking why his father left him, why he chose to leave.]]

** Throughout Gemma and Winston's section early in the game, you stumble across a number of newspaper clippings about [[spoiler:a catastrophe and people being exposed to radiation, all a few days after March 11, the day of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.]]

* FantasticRacism: There are some tensions between the Kanko Leeble tribe and the striped Illbo Leeble tribe, as while the two are fine trading with each other relations beyond being friends are strongly frowned upon. [[spoiler:This is shown as a reflection of the real life racism Korean/Japanese couples face, as it's what Winston (a Korean man in real life, and a Kanko in the fantasy world) and Gemma (a Japanese woman in real life, and an Illbo in the other world) had to struggle with prior to Gemma's coma.]]