We Without Wings (俺たちに翼はない, Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai), taglined Under the innocent sky., is the fifth visual novel developed by Navel. Before the game's release, a prequel game named Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa nai ~Prelude~ containing bonus scenarios and events before the timeline of the game was released on June 28, 2008. This release didn't contain hentai scenes. The limited edition of the game was released on 30 January 2009. A standard version of the game was released on 24 April 2009. A fandisc named Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai AfterStory was released on July 30, 2010. A non-adult version remake, named "Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai R", of the PC game was released on May 27, 2011. The game has also received several manga adaptations. An anime adaptation by the studio Nomad started airing on April 4, 2011.
It's winter in the big city of Yanagihara, and young people will meet and fall in love. Takashi Haneda is a teenage boy who plans to escape to another world, but is held back by thoughts of his younger sister Kobato Haneda and his girlfriend Asuka Watarai. Shūsuke Chitose is a poor part-timer who has to work with student-author Hiyoko Tamaizumi in spite of their initial dislike for each other. The antisocial Hayato Narita makes his living as a handyman until he is visited by a girl named Naru Ohtori.
The anime series is split into three separate vignettes covering the activities of three main groups of people. The first has Takashi Haneda as the main male lead and is focused around his school activities and direct acquaintances. The second has Shūsuke Chitose as the main male lead and is focused around a bar called Alexander and Chitose's direct acquaintances. The third has Hayato Narita as the main male lead and focuses on his street acquaintances. As the series progresses the vignettes become more complex and intertwined, while still being presented in chronological order. Some offshoot stories are told, but have direct connection to the above three main male characters.
Main heroines
Asuka Watarai (渡来 明日香, Watarai Asuka)Voiced by: Misono Moriya (PC) / Mayumi Yoshida (Drama CD and anime),
Felecia Angelle (English, anime)Takashi's classmate, part of the School vignette. She asked him to be her fake boyfriend because she was tired of rejecting all the guys who asked her out. She suffered a split personality illness when she was a child, however has recovered from it. She also wants to help Takashi with his illness, for which she is seen later confronting the latter about it without knowing a secret only known by Kobato Haneda and the other main male leads.
Hiyoko Tamaizumi (玉泉 日和子, Tamaizumi Hiyoko)Voiced by: Nazuna Gogyō (PC) /
Ryōko Ono (Drama CD and anime), Milly Prower (English, anime)Shūsuke's coworker, part of the Bar vignette. She is an aspiring novelist who thinks her books will be a success in the future; occasionally writing under the pseudonyms Tama Izumi and Tamaki Hosokawa. She eventually takes a job at Alexander to help with her income.
Naru Ohtori (鳳 鳴, Ohtori Naru)Voiced by: Ran Tōno (PC) / Yūko Gotō (Drama CD and anime), Zoe Latimer (English, anime)A young high school girl and Kakeru's younger sister, part of the street vignette. She's a cheerful airhead and, despite her appearance, quite acute. She asked Hayato (Naru's romantic interest) to help her look for her lost bike. She has a fetish for worker uniforms.
Kobato Haneda (羽田 小鳩, Haneda Kobato)Voiced by: Yui Minasegawa (PC) / Ai Matayoshi (Drama CD and anime), Mary Morgan (English, anime)A first year middle school student and is Takashi's younger sister, part of all the vignettes. She knows everything about her brother, including the fact that he has a split personality.
Miyako Yamashina (山科 京, Yamashina Miyako)Voiced by: Rio Tanaka (PC) /
Yukiko Takaguchi (Drama CD and anime), Michelle Lee (English, anime)Takashi's classmate. She has two personalities: one quiet and shy and the other extroverted and talkative.
Eriko Hino (日野 英里子, Hino Eriko)Voiced by: Don Ōhana (PC) / Eriko Kigawa (Drama CD and anime), Chloe Daniels (English, anime)A colleague and friend of Kinako. A self-described party wrecker, she eventually stopped getting invited to them because of it.
Kinako Mochizuki (望月 紀奈子, Mochizuki Kinako)Voiced by: Haruko Ueda (PC) /
Chiaki Takahashi (Drama CD and anime), Lily Carpenter (English, anime)A college student working part-time at Alexander. While she generally has a cheerful disposition, it is hinted she lacks self-confidence when it comes to her entrance exams.
Yū Yoneda (米田 優, Yoneda Yū)Voiced by: Honoka Imuraya (PC) / Emiko Hagiwara (Drama CD and anime),
Kristi Kang (English anime)Chitose's editor.
Ai Kohda (香田 亜衣, Kohda Ai)Voiced by: Kasumi Sawamura (PC) /
Saki Nakajima (Drama CD and anime),
Brittney Karbowski (English, anime)A classmate and friend of Naru's.
Harue Kasuga (春日 春恵, Kasuga Harue)Voiced by: Mitsuba (PC) / Hiromi Ōtsuda (Drama CD and anime), Tiffany Patterson (English, anime)Runs the street vendor cart "Pal Crepe". Has a personality of a man, but caring. She is endeared as "pal sister" from the old or young.
Takashi Haneda (羽田 鷹志, Haneda Takashi)Voiced by: Hiro Shimono (Japanese); Joel McDonald (English)The main male lead for the School vignette, Takashi goes to a high school in Yanagihara city. He considers himself a hero of a fantasy realm for which he "escapes" to frequently, going by the name Lord Hawk. He befriends Asuka Watarai and pretends to be her boyfriend as a favour to her. As the series progresses, it is revealed that his illness is somehow connected to his "escapes", and thinks he is a knight from Gredaguard. He has no knowledge of the other male protagonists. He is named after Tokyo's main domestic airport Tokyo International Airport, commonly known as Haneda Airport.
Shūsuke Chitose (千歳 鷲介, Chitose Shūsuke)Voiced by: Hiroaki Miura (Japanese); Ricco Fajardo (English)A main male protagonist, Shūsuke is a poor part-timer who works at Alexander's. He also does freelance reporting andbook reviewing. Kakeru Ohtori is a good friend of his and knows of his special nickname, Eagle. He befriends Hiyoko Tamaizumi at Alexander's. He knows of both Hayato Narita and Takashi, even conspiring with Hayato at times to help Takashi (unbeknownst to the latter). He is named after New Chitose Airport in Sapporo, Hokkaido.
Hayato Narita (成田 隼人, Narita Hayato)Voiced by: Junichi Suwabe (Japanese); Scott Freeman (English)A handyman with an antisocial personality who is the main male lead of the street vignette. Also known as Dracula or Drac for short due to only "appearing" at night. His nickname with a few of his "old" friends is Falcon. He befriends Naru Ohtori while being hired to help her find her bicycle. He knows of both Shusuke Chitose and Takashi, even conspiring with Shusuke at times to help Takashi (unbeknownst to the latter). Named after Tokyo's main international airport Narita International Airport.
Yōji Haneda (羽田 鷹志, Haneda Yōji)Voiced by: Tsubasa Yonaga (Japanese); Joel McDonald (English)The brother of Kobata Haneda seen in between vignettes watching them on a TV - it is implied that the hand changing the channel is his.
Kakeru Ohtori (鳳 翔, Ohtori Kakeru)Voiced by: Satoshi Hino (Japanese); Jason Liebrecht (English)Has a split personality, originally being presented as two different people using the same name. Hangs out at Alexander's with Shusuke Chitose as the gentleman Ohtori (who is supposedly a ladies man), but whose second personality is the crazy leader of the Yanagihara Flame Birds (referred to as Phoenix) and is an old friend of Hayato Narita (who the former calls Falcon). As the series progresses the delineation between his personalities is not ruled by the separation of the vignettes.
Kuroudo Hariu (針生 蔵人, Hariu Kuroudo)Voiced by: Yoshihisa Kawahara (Japanese); Eric Vale (English)An acquaintance of Takashi, also a member of R-Wing.
Kazuma Morisato (森里 和馬, Morisato Kazuma)Voiced by: Hideki Ogihara (Japanese); Austin Tindle (English)A friend of Takashi's and a member of the YFB.
Karuo Karube (軽部 狩男, Karube Karuo)Voiced by: Hideo Ishikawa (Japanese); David Wald (English)Karura Itami (伊丹 伽楼羅, Itami Karura)Voiced by: Tetsu Inada (Japanese); Charles Clegg (English)Misaki Hayashida (林田 美咲, Hayashida Misaki)Voiced by: Tae Okajima (Japanese); Mandy Lane (English)A friend of Kinako's.
Alice (アリス, Arisu)Voiced by: Sayaka Aoki (Japanese); Lara Woodhull (English)Masako Takauchi (高内 昌子, Takauchi Masako)Voiced by: Yuka Komatsu (Japanese); Teri Rogers (English)A classmate of Takashi's. Blonde, with an aggressive personality, she and Takashi are assigned to work on an essay together.
Akira Yoshikawa (吉川 あきら, Yoshikawa Akira)Voiced by: Akane Tomonaga (Japanese); Brittany Kramer (English)One of Kobato's classmates and best friend. She and Kobato go to the same middle school together.
Kyouya (狂夜, Kyouya)Voiced by: Tomoko Fujino (Japanese); Haley Esposito (English)Saeko Sawai (沢井 冴子, Sawai Saeko)Sen'ichi Sōda (左右田 仙一, Sōda Sen'ichi) (aka LR2001 (LR2001, Eruāru Nisen'ichi))Voiced by: Masayuki Sasamoto (Japanese); Chris Rager (English)Hiroshi Shimabukuro (島袋 浩, Shimabukuro Hiroshi) (aka Chikedon (チケドン, Chikedon))Voiced by: Kazunari Tanaka (Japanese); Cris George (English)Daisuke Domon (土門 大輔, Domon Daisuke) (aka Bunnie D (バニィ D, Banī Dī))Voiced by: Chado Horii (Japanese); Justin Cook (English)Menma (メンマ, Menma)Platinum (プラチナ, Purachina)Voiced by: Makoto Naruse (Japanese); Jerry Jewell (English)A man who has had at least 71 girlfriends.
Martinez (マルチネス, Maruchinesu)Voiced by: Takahiro Fujimoto (Japanese); Christopher Sabat (English)An foreigner, possibly American, who makes a living selling jewelry.
Sakuya (咲夜, Sakuya)Voiced by: Junichi Miyake (Japanese); Kyle Phillips (English)Michiya (満夜, Michiya)Voiced by: Hisayoshi Suganuma (Japanese); Eric Cherry (English)Archbishop (大司教, Daishikyō)Voiced by: Koji Haramaki (Japanese); Chris Guerrero (English)DJ Condor (DJ コンドル, Dījē Kondoru)Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita (Japanese); Brandon Potter (English)Eji (エージ, Ēji)Pastor (牧師, Bokushi)Voiced by: Ryūzaburō Ōtomo (Japanese); R Bruce Elliott (English)Kana Nakata (中田 可菜, Nakata Kana)Voiced by: Misato FukuenSky Sanctuary by Miyuki Hashimoto is used for the opening of Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai ~Prelude~ while Jewelry Tears by Aki Misato is used for the opening of the full version. The opening for the fandisc AfterStory is Cross Illusion by Aki Misato. Spread Wings is used for the opening of the English sub-titled version.
In November 2010, an anime television series based on the visual novel was announced. The 12-episode anime series is produced by Nomad under the direction of Shinji Ushiro and Takamitsu Kouno as script supervisor. The anime series uses the same voice cast as the drama CD. Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai began its broadcast run in Japan on April 4, 2011. Funimation Entertainment acquired the series and added it on their video portal on Jun 24, 2011, followed by a DVD and Blu-ray release in 2013. An unaired OVA came bundled with the remake of the PC game as a limited edition extra on May 27, 2011.
The anime opening theme is "Spread Wings" by Aki Misato, and the ending theme is "NEVERLAND" by Miyuki Hashimoto. "PARANoiA" by Aki Misato was the ending theme for episode 1 and "Hohoemi Genocide" by Alex3 was the ending theme for episode 10.
The PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita ports both received review scores of 29/40 by Famitsu.
