i have so much to say about this game, gods. first of all, its got some visibly queer representation, and its done so casually it makes me, a trans man all fuzzy inside.
secondly, this game is so good at personalizing your experience. you get to make little choices that dont affect much, but meant so much to me as a player! like, the fact i got to CHOSE my outfit??? AND they had options both fem, androgynous, and masc?? over the MOON.
thirdly, this game actively asks your consent every time. EVERY. TIME. so often dating sims dont ever consider consent and it literally made my night that this game did.
finally, this game makes me feel warm. i'm a queer person in a deeply conservative town, and in a place where my trauma makes it hard to trust people. fiction is where i'm able to experience connection without fear. this game made me think of what i WANT my life to look like. its warm, safe. my main concerns in life are simple and easy. i have just enough money to buy a good coffee, or a nice wheel of cheese for myself. my friends and i live in comfy, well decorated homes and the getting along is easy. even the hard stuff, is easy, domestic. like, your close friendships are so well written that they genuinely made me emotional because i kept thinking of my best friend since 1st grade whom i now live several hours away from. i kept thinking about how similar it is to how we spend our time together when we're able to see eachother, and how when i move to the big city and she's my roomie, how we'll get to have all these kinds of adventures.
this game is more than just a silly little dating sim. this game is about experiencing an ideal life, full of good coffee, good friends, and a partner that genuinely adores you.
this game made me cry. not because its made me sad, but because it gave me an experience i cannot wait to have for real. it allowed me to live my ideal life for just a few hours. it made me feel loved, both platonically, and romantically.
this game made me feel safe.
thank you SO fucking much for that.
also i need a trapping naruto shirt so badly i think i may die without possessing it.