The problem is though, while it is very well written and visually stunning...watching a couple enjoying (or not, in the Mei route) their honeymoon together with the occasional malevolent dream or family member cutaway intermixed isn’t especially interesting in the long term. I mean, I certainly like these characters but at some point you have to give them more to do than self-reflection.
But, who knows. Maybe the dev wants this to essentially be the VN equivalent of a Terrence Malick film, and if so then more power to him. His ability to set a mood and to invoke emotion is certainly up to the task. I would be concerned about the long term viability of that approach though and whether the Dev would get the kind of support needed to sustain this.
I agree with virtually everything you have said here. The detail put into the renders, the facial expressions and the very clear sense of humour evidenced in the game are really quite unique. The writer clearly has a good grasp of plot and dialogue but I cant help but feel he needs an editor too. Given the fact that on the mei route the entire story has been driving the MC into bed with her, both of them being coerced into it either unknowingly or unwillingly, there just seemed to be an utter lack of drama about the whole scene, it was a quick hop onto the bed, a rather dull sex scene and then an "OK doll thanks for the sex,I better get back to the wife now." Rather than dealing with both parties emotional repercussions, we instead jump straight out of that to the sister's side story. Given the build up to all this it just seemed to be a bit of a let down.
It is hard to say this isn't a very good game, I just cant help but feel it needs trimmed for pacing a bit more than it is. I think too many unrelated (well seemingly so at the moment) stories are being told per update, and it essentially means there is very little progress in anyone of the stories. We have one sisters relationship with Hannah, and now anew one following through with a potential love interest in the cafe, we have the mothers story, then also the side characters fathers story bubbling under the surface, you have the two spooky peoples stories, the brothers story, lawan's story, mei's story, her friends story, then you have the bloody awful medieval thing, whatever thats about. And then of course you also have the good husband story branch. That's a hell of a lot going on for a story that's on update 6 and even more renders, which at the quality level he produces has to be a very time consuming job.
MY main concern is as the game goes along the complexity of the story writing, and the sheer weight of the render count will drown the developer, al the while potential subscribers will hold back subscription due to the unavoidable slow pace of development in any one story arc. Basically as time goes by I see this as becoming one of the very best games to eventually be abandoned and that really would be a shame , all for the lack of decent story boarding and planning.