Interesting choice of wording re: Kaori's name - did you spot something I missed re: her cause I'm still trying to unravel what the hell is going on with her - even if I love her and all her craziness.
Here's the one that fucking scared me for a few moments:
So, I'm the same but I think for me why this works despite certain parts of the story that absolutely fuck with my head is that I feel like there's this glimmering thread of how Akira seems to become more self aware and wrestle with the demons. Granted it's still a goddamn smut game end of the day and we all want our favorite scenes with our favorite girls but there's this character progression that's fairly unmatched in this game where both Akira and those he interacts with move forward, not always gracefully, to something more.
The most terrifying thing for me regarding Tsukasa is that (for the moment) it really is your choice. It's like the game's saying to you that you don't get to claim neutrality in this, the choice was not made for you, you are now a part of this.
As for the game in general I agree, and I feel like LiL reads like you're with this character that's a recovering drug-addict, and every step forward is followed by a thousand steps sideways. But Akira is aware of what he is, we have enough of justification from his past and supernatural elements to not abandon him completely, and he is going somewhere. As for the other characters, well most of them have somewhat wholesome arcs of growth.
I agree and I think the main problem with Otoha (regarding her public image to the readers) was that her development was not guided by Akira during her relationship with Rin.
We see a lot of characters do some fucked up shit, but all of these things either benefit Akira or they discuss it with him/he's an active part of the process (Nodoka's the biggest example).
Otoha just went on a tangent in which she positioned herself outside his influence or even against Akira in a way. She assaults Niki more or less in a moment in which Akira is coming to terms with loving her, then she drops that info on him out of nowhere and in a way that he can't even react to it properly cause she's a coward and doesn't come clean.
Then there's the issue with Rin, since she isn't just cheating, but she puts him in a position of knowing about it for no real reason (when Rin can be one of his most wholesome relationships).
I don't think Akira really minds her cheating, or assaulting Niki, that much to be honest. But I think that because her relationship with him didn't allow for there to be scenes about these things way early that addressed him being okay with it, it created an unnecessary hatred from me as a reader that went on in the background far too long.
Anyway, there are a lot of shitty individuals in this game, but I don't think there's one other than Otoha whose actions didn't benefit Akira (or were meant to benefit him) for so long - nevermind involving genuinely good people, like the love of his life and his little perverted sister behind his back - but hey, maybe when all of this is justified by her creating a hole for herself in which she finally lets him get her ass, I'll feel okay about it.
Personally, I just don't really think Otoha was sold well (I'd assume intentionally). She's so cool, look at her rings, she's so creative, watch her smack Rin in a manic episode, she's so popular, watch everyone fawn over the prince while Chika wins the popularity contest. Etc.
Otoha is kind of like a bad joke, that's finally getting a laugh out of me, as she descends deeper into delightful depravity:
There's definitely a lot of moments in the game where a player is meant to be scared to continue...yet we do.
Like Maya's scary room is one that comes to mind for me. I was starting to like Maya then it's like "FACTORY RESET IN 10...9...8...7..."...."-1....WATERMELON"...
My thought process at the time: "This muthafucka..."
Edit: When it comes to scaring the player, I think Sel may have peaked at 'The Scary Room':
Nao-chan definitely seems able to hear gods or at least the voices in Sensei's head. She literally traveled with Sensei mentally somehow and seemed to understand the plants.
Nodoka may or may not talk with things, she's implied she's been ordained by the World Itself, and mentioned a girl with blue eyes in her dreams, but she didn't talk to Nodoka apparently. Hard to tell if she's just figuring things out or being given hints.
Sana talked to something HOPEish, or, well, stared at it as it spoke to her:
I think we have enough to assume that Ami hears (or has heard) the world itself. When she comes back from the graveyard/date (when Sekai's name is revealed - in Somnambula) the bus they're on moves backwards. And then when Yasu says something about the world itself it is revealed to speak backwards.
Also, if Ami hears the world itself it would explain a lot about sudden knowledge that she seems to have at times. And possibly also explain Sekai not being able to speak to her at that one point in the cemetery (not sure if she still can't speak to her), but still hear things from something.
I mean, the world itself is a big mystery since Yasu says it's the last of its kind, and feels very lonely because no one talks to it. Given that it was excited about the news about Makoto's dead dad, it's also possible that it views the changes to this timeline as something positive. From all Ami says in Somnambula it could also stretch to it being Ami in the far future, but that's a much wilder theory.
OOO that's who that is? Like do we understand her motives much? It feels like she's rather helpful most of the time just of course "I don't got time to explain why I don't got time to explain" heh
OOO that's who that is? Like do we understand her motives much? It feels like she's rather helpful most of the time just of course "I don't got time to explain why I don't got time to explain" heh
For me it feels like she's a weirdo most of the time and in the other times she's either working with Long Maya ,who's a side villain, or with Pareidolia, who looks like the main antagonist of this arc, if not the whole game.
There was one time she helped Ayane, and that's pretty much it for the good deeds, her interactions with Maya are mostly theorised here as a preparations made for Maya's eventual sacrifice.
It is being speculated that all this stuff is some kind of her grand plan that requires Ayane to succeed at the cost of others.
OOO that's who that is? Like do we understand her motives much? It feels like she's rather helpful most of the time just of course "I don't got time to explain why I don't got time to explain" heh
So far she seems like a freelancer that is able to meet with Akira by working with other people. However, because she has to work with other beings, that also limits her in what she can do. Her overall intentions seem to be something that she believes to be for a good ending, presumably for Akira (her father, that calls her his little Himawari) and her mom (Ayane) - and that she'd like him to suffer the least possible towards that end (that's why she fights back during that one reset with the quiz).
Being a freelancer, it's possible that some of the things she did were instead her working for someone else's plans. She can be seeing partying with Akira during a reset along with angels, if he chooses to dance. She can also be seen just chilling on the roof with Noodles during the christmas when he meets Maya after Niki confesses. Selling Akira Maya's scarf and selling watermelons during Maya's dates are related to Maya. Saving Akira from being lost, and shapeshifting into Sana happens if you have sex with Sara. However, there are instances where she seems genuinely surprised at seeing Akira, and seems to be acting on her own (like saving him from outside the city in his trip with Nodoka), or during Scientific Research (which requires cheating, and implies she works alongside someone named Shiori). She seems to hint at being limited in what she can say, and tells him in a roundabout way to NOT follow orders in Futaba's fake date.
Also, it should be remembered that she is the last one out during the Room with the Clocks, telling him to smile. She has stated she's no god at all. And it is implied that she narrates a lot of stuff when Ayane is involved, and/or choosing to not witness some events that involve her (like furlough).
I've been taking a close look at Himawari in my replay, but I'm still in the beginning of chapter 3.
There are the events where she physically shows up so far in my replay:
Room with the clocks, Scientific research, Place she falls asleep at night, Glued to the sky, Three halves make a whole, A life of prizes (host a dance party), Beyond the reach of god, Ad meliora, Hiding in plain sight. When I get to the current build I'll probably make a post about my findings.
I'm playing through the latest version and in the middle of camping. Just clicked on "spend time with Noa" on the first night and get this. Is this just Selebus fucking with us or is there something actually wrong?
I'm playing through the latest version and in the middle of camping. Just clicked on "spend time with Noa" on the first night and get this. Is this just Selebus fucking with us or is there something actually wrong?
OOO that's who that is? Like do we understand her motives much? It feels like she's rather helpful most of the time just of course "I don't got time to explain why I don't got time to explain" heh
So, in theory, she's doing all that she can to ensure a possible future comes to past, so that she can safely exist. Whether or not she's from a future or is only allowed to exist if that future remains possible for her to play a part in, I'm not sure.
She also seems to value Sensei, and Ayane, possibly Sana, and shows up a few times only if you're fucking Ami and Sara, so they presumably play a part in things.
The Shapeshifter was also shown with Ami clones(?):
Albeit, Shiori may also just be a Shapeshifter, who looked like Nodoka to Nodoka at one point or something. (Or it's just a coincidence which I somewhat doubt)
Overall: It's not clear, but I'm leaning towards Survival being her main motivation.
The happiness and safety of Sensei and Ayane, are probably motives as well, and making the world a better place is probably another, if this was her, which I think was implied:
What an evil prick. I spammed ctrl and space after seeing your message and it passed. Before doing anything it sat for 5 or so min without advancing. Thanks. I tried searching the thread for "corrupted" and only saw hints for legit corruption. Guess everyone else is smarter than I.
I was just going through this event, and I'd like to reinforce that it seems to be the case since the narrator points out that they have been instructed not to reveal anything else, and yet they're going to (which is very similar to what Himawari just said on the Futaba fake date event).
Also, not related to Himawari, but relevant to the world itself - it seems that Yasu was trying to prevent what the world itself knew would happen by having HOPE/the angels provide her the answers to the quiz, and yet it could not be avoided.
Lastly, say what you want about HOPE, at least he wants Akira to have sex with Rin (it is implied he has allowed Sana and Rin to come inside because they are to become vessels/angels eventually - and he does not permit that Otoha, Touka and Imani come in).
Being that Akira is Akira it could happen, but Himawari has implied many times that this dynamic doesn't exist between them - and also possibly that she doesn't live with him (?) - that's harder to determine because it was the mysterious narrator saying that she loves riding some sort of train to cross districts and go see him (it could also be a metaphor and not about the future at all).
