Awwww Im sad that I was wrong in my take on How the art work came to be the way it is. But it honestly did have that effect on me. It really grows on you, and the juxtaposition between the style and the story, imagine for a moment (if your old enough to know what im talking about) Big bird, cookie monster, and the gang taking the places of these characters (aside from a very few and short AOish moments, honestly the rest of the story could work with those characters too.) They are characters you are comfortable with, and Imagining them having suffered through things, and currently trying to work through such adult situations really just really brings home how heart crushing it is, and how down to earth and legitimately real it is to have these discussions with each other, be there for each other.
Either way Im seriously invested in your story. The tears are real but they are worth it.