Talk about a game with a lot to talk about in it. I basically spent the last couple hours after beating it collecting my thoughts and talking to a friend about it. I don't really play too many visual novels, let alone eroge, at least not yet to say I'd be versed, but I did this out of curiosity and with its reputation and overall, I'm very pleased with it. This game isn't without its baggage, and I do not fault anyone who would take issue with a number of aspects of this game. I myself have my own critiques, but at its core, its a very well presented and executed story about trauma, and it is not afraid to showcase it in the most extreme ways. It can be a lot to stomach, but what it does with it to present a story in how despite these traumas, life can still be wonderful, and worth living despite how difficult it can be to heal.

I'm not sure I'd call this a master class of handling all its sensitive subjects, it is still an eroge and it is clear some parts of it are still made with the intent of making people horny. More power to them I guess, though its not really my bag, and sometimes it can really feel like its stepping too far and it can definitely detract from my reading experience (especially the Wonderful Everyday ending H scene, what the fuck). But even in spite of that, I totally get it, and I think it takes advantage of being an eroge visual novel to enhance its themes. It can be extreme, especially in routes like It's My Own Invention or Looking Glass Insects, where I genuinely felt a pit in my stomach at just what was happening. The characters all definitely help as well, some very memorable ones in here, and it definitely made the read all the more interesting as they all slowly opened up.

Overall, yeah, I really enjoyed my month's time slowly reading this thing. It is a lot, and it is something I more respect and appreciate more than just adore it, but I still did love my time with it. Reading this super late at night for a month or so was a great time. I'm not sure its something I can easily recommend, especially if you're not comfortable with the idea of even getting near an eroge, this stuff is barely in my wheelhouse myself. But if its something that interests you like it did for me, it might be worth giving a look down the rabbit hole.

Reviewed on May 25, 2022


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