The Hundred Line’s Script Is Long Enough To Print 60 Paperback Novels

As stated by its director, at a minimum

• by Ollie Reynolds Yesterday, 1:15pm

The Hundred Line – Last Defense Academy is now available on Nintendo Switch and, by all measures, it ranks among the top offerings from directors Kazutaka Kodaka and Kotaro Uchikoshi.

This title is quite substantial, showcasing 100 distinct endings with more narrative turns and surprises than a typical George R. R. Martin novel. Consequently, a recent Denfaminicogamer interview (thanks to Automaton) with Kodaka and voice artists Taihi Kimura (Takumi Sumino) and Tomoyo Kurosawa (Nozomi Kirifuji / Kashimiya Karua) unveils just how extensive the script actually is.

Kodaka mentioned that translators encouraged him to trim the script when it ballooned to around 5 million characters. Although he initially managed to do so, new narrative elements caused the final script to exceed 6 million characters. He equates this length to around 60 paperback novels.

Kurosawa humorously expressed that if she had received the script prior to the digital era, she’d have been faced with heaps of paper. She also mentioned that due to the game’s extensive nature, she frequently consulted the directors to clarify which storyline was in motion, which characters were alive or deceased, and the dynamics between characters before she could proceed with the acting.

However, Kodaka aims to prevent players from feeling daunted by the game and emphasized on social media that gamers should not feel pressured to achieve all endings:

“Don’t push yourself to complete everything; if at any point it feels off, try making different choices. When you discover a conclusion that satisfies you, that’s where you can stop. If a friend suggests a path, feel free to explore that, too, and have fun with it.”

We rated The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy a 9/10 in our recent review, describing it as “A well-crafted and engaging tale, robust and strategic gameplay, appealing art design, and dedicated voice acting all merge to create a comprehensive experience that is not to be overlooked.”

Nevertheless, developer Too Kyo Games is reportedly still “on the verge of closing down” after securing a loan to support production. Consequently, there are no current plans to port the game to other systems.

Have you nearly finished The Hundred Line yet? Share your progress with us in the comments below.