Like a gateway drug into visual novels.
I first read this on recommendation from a dude in the forums(those still exist) of a manga reading website, and I fell in love once I got around to playing it. Now, 2 years later, I'm revisiting it and its still just as good as I remember.
It does have some of the trappings of anime, the art style being the most obvious, but I still think it would stand on its own for someone not familiar with anime, its got a good amount of romance, but the philosophical and melancholic scenes are where it really shines.
But hey, I'm just a random guy on the internet, the game is literally free, at least download it.