I was gonna write this like a month ago, but idk how I feel about this VN. Like a get it, it's a LIL-like and in Koikatsu, but I've seen others in this micro-genre of VN's that seem to be able to stand on their own feet without following the "source material" too closely. Dissonance is one example. A denpa Koikatsu VN influenced by LIL, that manages to have it's own themes, own lore, own gags, or at the very least mix them up enough so that each of those properties can be their own thing rather than ideas and such obviously from someone else's work. Lost In You commonly feels like an alternate universe LIL. There are jokes ripped straight from LIL, plot elements that are exactly the same, etc. And the writing is ok, but of course is reminiscent of LIL.
The linear mode seemed to be a nice touch until events/dialogue began to happen out of order (characters would speak in a way that made it seem like you've encountered/befriended them much longer ago, yet it'll only be your 2nd time ever seeing them, or reference things/people that they have not seen/met yet), and there's this meta-plot thing where (the main)character(s) (i believe others characters along with the MC may have exhibited this) will know the spoken words, feelings, happenings of others, or information that was shown/given in the previous or same scene that they should not know because they have not witnessed it. There's one such time that it happens that's moreso a joke,
but the majority of them happen out of nowhere and frequently enough that it makes the already barely par writing seem moreso subpar.
Some of the events, characters, and writing do stand out well, and is nice to see. Other elements of this VN (the cake scene) are...yeah. But even with the occasional enjoyable parts sprinkled in here and there, the not so enjoyable parts are always sprinkled in right along with them and just as much, and I feel like that negates people's feelings of how this can be enjoyed as a well written, less convoluted, alterantive to LIL. LIL is purposely convoluted, while this one convolutes itself without reason. It makes a mess of itself by misplacing events and employing meta writing elements that should not be possible in the context, muddying the VN as a whole. These could be overlooked if it weren't prevalent throughout the entire story so far, and instead just in the earlier writing as the author ironed out the kinks.
I think this VN could really pick up if some of those points were changed/fixed, and if more original elements are implemented into it. Polishing it up, rewriting some things, and being more creative with the plot/writing could make this a really nice piece of work. As it stands, this VN really needs it.
