Hi, finally got around to play this lol, pretty cool yandere VN! ^^
The game gets pretty immersive from the get-go, really liked Aspen (didn't do the self-insert path, so idk how much of a difference it makes), and the first scene sets the stage in an engaging and fun way, making them a pretty likeable protagonist right away. Aspen is actually my favorite character of the VN honestly, now that I think of it, they have a good amount of depth and funny antics while still being relatable enough to be a good stand-in for the reader.
The rest of the intro gets the "how is it going to go wrong?" idea across pretty well, and while I knew Crowe is a yandere from the start because... idk, I saw the game page and content warnings lol, there's still the feeling that he's pretty nice. His interest in nature is well-developed, and the research put into it to make this interest shape his character up is really well-executed! His relationship with Aspen is also pretty good, the cute moments being consistently well-done, but the tense moments are a bit more hit-or-miss in my opinion. This probably comes from the fact I'm not too much of a yandere guy, but sometimes Crowe just felt a bit too tropey, despite the clear attempt to separate him from the average yandere clichés, but then again, I guess yanderes are a pretty limited trope to play around with, so it's more of a personal preference thing if anything. The exposition near the endings definitely points out a will to make something different, but I feel like at this point, I've just went "oh yeah, Crowe's just a yandere" and it felt a bit like too little was done too late, and the occurences of foreshadowing like the wound in Day 2 just feel a bit out of place and like it's leaning too much in the yandere aspect on first playthrough in my opinion (although I could understand why it may not be the case for some people). One of the endings especially (the bad ending) feels a bit more like yandere fanservice in a way that feels both out of character for Crowe, who is still at the end of the day a nice person towards Aspen, and like it dials back on the idea of making a more fleshed out yandere character, which is a shame because the other two endings are pretty good closers! So overall, I'd say Crowe is still likeable and I completely get his appeal, I'm just not that into yanderes. I can appreciate him still though.
The supernatural elements in around the last third of the story help spice the story out in a way that feels mysterious and interesting, but I honestly wish it was introduced a bit better, as that dream scene with the crow (AKA our first introduction to these elements) felt a bit out of place. It was kinda like I was reading a small creepypasta in the middle of the VN, with all the word spam happening. Again, it does pick up though, making the last days the most interesting ones in my opinion.
Speaking of writing style, the writing was constantly immersive, helped by the great VA work and art, as well as the pacing in Days giving out appreciated little "chapters" to the story and the research in nature themes. Just solid style overall, and a pretty enjoyable experience! ^^