Finally got time to play this, and I am very glad I did!
I had high expectations going into this VN because of how much I loved Ritenuto (even though i shouldn't have, considering this is your first vn :p) , and this still surprised me in terms of quality.
The gameplay mechanic is really cool and complements the story really well! I loved how it fits the theme, the way Anna was physically trapped in the time loop until she tries to mend her bond with Katie is an amazing representation of how one cannot truly move on by refusing to face their emotions. The mechanic itself made it feel much more engaging than your average linear VN story line, and it made it all the more rewarding to piece together the final ending and finally have the two make up. (and also the gay scene :D)
In terms of writing, it was really good as well! The undertones of awkwardness and distance were shown clearly in Katie and Anna's dialogue, and the contrast with Anna's internal yearning made it feel really realistic. Viv and Chip's interactions (basically what i came here for LMAO) did not disappoint as well, I loved seeing their banter and basically everything about it tbh :3 (the sketches in the gallery could feed me for a month :D). The contrast between Anna's tense interactions and Chip's guideless goobering with Viv kept the story refreshing, and their couple dynamic was already super entertaining and cute on their own :D
Artstyle is really cute too, nothing much to say about it!
My only nitpick was the conversation in the art room between Anna and Layla, I felt that the romance novel talk could have been cut short significantly and the intended message would still come across well. Also, the random /pos in one of Katie's lines threw me off, but i'm kinda forcing it rn cause it was kinda funny :p
In short, this was really good! I love your approach to your visual novels, where the focus is on literary themes and messaging, with the romance elements designed to be heartfelt and realistic rather than exaggerated, overly-fluffy wish fulfillment as the main (and sometimes only) focus of the VN. I could see myself in a lot of your characters, like Viv, Torch, Anna, etc, and it really kept me engaged and made me more empathetic to the plotlines. Easy 9.75/10 from me!
(took me 49 days, tried to see if there was any hidden easter eggs in the dialogue options and also ended up pulling a stupid and entering the same route multiple times LMAO)
(spoilers for ritenuto below)
wait so did chip achieve his dream of getting a painting in the roselake art institute? or did he give up? or is he just doing it as a side thing while hes doing his art teacher stuff? i'm writing a fic that takes place in between ritenuto and dolce and i wanna be as accurate as possible :p (hopefully i actually finish it) :p :w:
oh my goshhh ;;7;;; thank you so much,, YEAH.. since it's my first VN there art for sure things I could have done better, knowing what I know now. (Especially the code LMAO) but!! I'm so glad the story was enjoyable for you! :')
A lot of my VN writing inspo comes from Butterfly Soup, which has a very down-to-earth and slice of life feeling to it. I'm super happy you enjoy it!! And that you like the characters!! My blorbos... LNSLFKGJ Thank you thank you for playing my games!! ;;7;;
(to answer your question, spoilers for ritenuto below)
Firstly, omg... that's so exciting :eyes_emoji:SHJFLKSH
Anyway, ultimately the dream of trying to become a Famous Artist fit for History Books grew to be too heavy on Chip in Ritenuto. And at the end of the game, he learns to slow down and spend his time valuing what is more important to him presently, rather than constantly worrying about The FutureTM.
In Dolce, he's at a pretty content space where he's more casually focused on his art projects/contests on the side rather than making it his whole thing. Plus, he's more communicative than before? So instead of shutting himself out in some perfectionist hell, he'll ask others for opinions to help him finish. And if it's not "perfect" that's okay.
Also, I feel like he's begun to like teaching students and interacting with them, so his work no longer feels like just a Thing He Has To Do To Survive. It's like, he's got lots of things he cares about now rather than zero-ing in on the One Thing that Defines His Existence and Worth (art) like before SLKFJGSHSFLG