Say it Again can be defined as surprising and tricky. It's surprising cause they went to a very "complicated place", when you consider how short this is (kind of saw it coming, but not completely). It's tricky because there's noticeable quality here, and a lot of positives, but one of the main themes is completely removed from my empathy range. In short this is not the kind of thing I'm looking for. (Keyword here is I)
The longer version: I'm gonna be extra blunt with this one:
- Too short (1 hour and change) - You can't feed me something interesting, and then take it away with a quick resolution. The length of the title is a letdown. If you are gonna present an interesting scenario, then go all the way. Surface level is not gonna cut it for me.
- Good humor - A lot of it rides in the "frame by frame", and it works very well. Not exactly subtle, but it asks for your attention, and had me chuckling.
- Onomatopoeias - Some of the best use I have seen in a long time. Well done, helps with immersion.
- Key concepts - Say it again is about this "sort of stuff": The things you like Vs the things you SHOULD like; The feeling of vulnerability opening up to someone; Tolerance and accepting different possibilities, life choices; Living your entire life not understanding yourself; Self acceptance as the first (and most difficult step) to happiness.
The writer doesn't get preachy about any of this, this is all surmisable content. That's a strong positive. There's more such as natural vs artificial self, societal stigmas, lack of confidence or self-worth in tatters, but nothing strays too far from the same emotional field (finding yourself while surpassing barriers). It sounds great, but there's not enough running time to go anywhere meaningful.
- Visuals - The characters look like Muppets, the animations are very good though.
- No audio - Visual novels are better with some nice tracks. I couldn't care less about double standards***, and concessions of any kind on my part are rare. No audio equals lower score. Budget, staff, and production difficulties are foreign concepts to me, when reviewing any entertainment.
- Adult content works - Completely personal (yet again), but the whole sub/dom "sort of roleplay, but with real anger", with roots on repressed feelings/traumas is a turn-on. I liked the shower scene especially, and I can rationalize the appeal behind the kitchen scene (it's primal, brutal and animalistic, in simple terms). Watching the dynamics of this relationship, was entertaining.
- Shizue - Somewhat relatable character, but having trouble figuring out how to love someone, is a winning concept, no matter how you slice it. It's a "broken puppy", given the reins of a sexual relationship. In the words of the "legendary" TH, It just works...
- "I hurt myself today, to see if I could feel" theme - It doesn't work for me. Yes, I do have some things, that do the trick and make me emotional, I'm not heartless!!! Self-harm (or suicide attempts), would get me saying things that don't belong on the internet, and some topics are better off being avoided. Not my cup of tea is gonna have to suffice for this one.
What can I say? This is not for me. A 7/10 seems about right. If what I described sounds interesting, go for it, there's obvious quality here. This is a textbook example of a product I would not consume. I feel disappointed, can't get much clearer than that.
*** Actually, I'm overly demanding and critical when I genuinely like something. That's the only exception.