[Arc 5 finale spoilers!]
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So first of all, the execution was amazing. I praised how the Orlam and Genzou scene was done in the previous part, and I can say that pretty much the entire game after they left the cabin had the exact same quality. It felt like it was actually my life, like I was the one going through it all. It brought me to tears and heartbreak multiple times. The art, soundtrack, and writing were superb, as usual. I can really tell Carrot improved so much with their art and put so much love and care into, I feel like I could just stare at and admire all of the CGs. They're all so special and beautiful, and that's not even to mention the animated cutscenes. The cinematography was simply top-notch, the way Carrot combined their art with the music and brought the scenes to life made this all the more special. I cannot imagine how much effort it must've taken to get it all so perfect. And the way Carrot was able to combine both more lighthearted scenes towards the start and then slowly biuld up to the climax, it really kept me on the edge of my seat and really captured my heart. And towards the end, the way it was all wrapping up and having them "leave Wonderland behind"... I was simply overcome.
I loved all the routes, they were all unique and beautiful. The way they so perfectly captured Iggy's dynamics with each of the LIs and reflected on them is so poignant. And the mixture of angst, pining, hurt/comfort and the relief of finally admitting their feeling to eavh other was flawless. Also, all of the morning after scenes are hilarious. Carrot, I swear, I don't know how you managed to write a horror masterpiece and still stick in comedic moments that are not only funny but don't feel out of place at all.
I think the way Bucks' character was unveiled was so beautiful and visceral. It was so simple, yet it explained so much, and it made me really love her and Hunar's relationship. And the choice to have it all unravel at the very end strengthened it all. For the entire game, Bucks' detachment from the group was downplayed, chalked up to her being younger and in a relationship. But when they finally show how they treated her, what caused her to feel so ostracized, not only did the player realize the truth of it all, but the characters did too. It wasn't put off until the end because it wasn't relevant enough to adress earlier, it was because the characters themselves didn't adress it yet. And I think that's a really clever way to have done it all.
The section with the tree... I barely even have words. It was so visceral, so captivating, so... intense. It truly felt like the "final boss" of it all. And the added scare factor with Saydie really brought it all together.
The ending is... still messing me up. I just finished getting all the routes and I loved how each of them played out, but I want to talk more about the actual prospect of the ending itself. In all honesty, I didn't really know what to expect. I mean, I knew they'd come out of Wonderland in mostly one piece, but I didn't envision it would involve an entire timeline reset. And... that's the part I'm still coming to terms with. On one hand, it makes sense narratively. A big theme in the game is, obviously, time-looping. Having to go back to the same start, trying different things each time, and trying to untangle the mysterious web of not only your issues, but your friends' while you're at it. So having the ending go back in time to where this all began, give everyone one more chance, feels fitting. Especially with them having to defeat the tree, having to break free from the one thing holding them back... But on the other hand, I can't help but feel conflicted about it all. It might just be the very fact that the game is ending, but I think it's something else too. Having everything reset after the characters went through so much feels... weird. It's not like it was a complete reset, there's still obviously the remnants of the previous timeline guiding them in a better direction, but it's still a reset. Iggy even says in Gidget's route "it's not too late", but with their salvation sending them back in time, it's kind of saying that it was too late. That the characters were already beyond saving, and the only way to fix this mess would be to go back to where it all began. I feel like a big part of the game was the notion that these characters might be fucked up beyond all reason, that they might've done unforgivable things, but they're still human. And all they could really do was just move past it and try to do better. But then they had all their actions just erased. And... I don't know. Okay, you can disregard pretty much everything I said there. I thought about it a bit more and also read Carrot's ask about the whole thing and I can confidently say that the ending has grown on me. There was a bit of a misunderstanding on my part on how the whole thing happened + just generally being fucked up from the fact that the game was over so I apologize. Anyways, I loved the ending. All the epilogues were just precious and adorable??? Happy Bunar, cute high school Genzy, a thriving Orlam, and a Gidget/Iggy/Cecil/Orlam polycule (I'm still not over that GIDGET REALLY JUST KISSED EVERYONE. THAT'S INSANESAADOHDSHSJ???). I could go on and on about all the little moments but I think I'll stop here. (I do still wanna know, though, was Our Cinderella always planned to be canon, or did you decide to add it in because it lined up? Would the ending be different if you hadn't made it?)
All in all, Carrot, I cannot thank you enough for making Our Wonderland. For sticking by it. For putting your soul into it and giving everyone such an amazing experience for free. You have made one of the most amazing visual novels of all time, and you should feel nothing but proud of yourself for such an accomplishment. I hope everything goes well for you, and wish you nothing but the utmost luck on your next projects. Please, take care!