Purist Mod - After Action (long review) 2/4

>>> SPOILERS BELOW <<<

Natsuki Path - ✰✫★★★ (3.5 stars)

2nd run-through This time perusing Natsuki.

TLDR: It is very good, will play again, but... the "relationship" was a bit off... (see 4 below) it felt flat and could have felt deeper IMHO.

1) The path doesn't start out with Just_Monika this time, so I was a little worried.

I expected a part 2 of the conversation we had when I started the 1st run-through of the Mod, but I persisted anyway... worried something was screwy and I might run into the Sayori scene.. Found out later this was OK, but wish I had known from the start. Even a "grrrr" from Just_Monika at the start would have allowed me to settle in better.

2) "are you cheating?"

Playing through Act 1, the 2nd poem when Natsuki runs out of the room, and Monika comes over, reads the poem and asks "are you cheating?" made me LOL, because I totally was!!

Well not totally, I had looked up Natuki's poem words, but only looked at it once for theme. Then I was using educated guesses when writing poems to her with decent results. But it was very surreal and funny when Monika said it. I was caught red-handed trying to impress Natsiki ! :D

3) I was put off by Natsuki when I 1st played DDLC. - my bad.

I'll admit, being totally new to VNs and having no idea of the Anime tropes, I was put off by Natsuki when I 1st played DDLC. Getting to know her on my failed attempt to get through the '9 cut-scenes to the good ending' showed me her innocence and strength of character. This made what I failed to appreciate in her in DDLC much richer while playing Purist Mod. For me, much of the frustration from her 'tood fell away in the scene where I confess to her and... well lets just say that hers weren't the only tears.

Later though I found it a bit jarring to go from her showing me only hate to suddenly being in a relationship and ignoring the weeks prior with out SOME conversation about it - even vague would have been helpful. I missed it not happening. It was jarring, but I was still glad things got better. Much of this likely due to my more persistent and less patient personality than MC has.

4) I don't look at the Dokis in a sexual manner but... There was a lack of sexual tension.

Sexual tension is natural, needed, and does not need to be resolved. It was strong in Sayori's path. It was missing in Natsuki's path and that left that relationship missing an essential element. All those months together and no kiss? Occasional hugs? Sleeping in the same bed and no sexual tension??? Damn - does MC have zero libido? The lack of any sexual tension cause the relationship to flounder and the characters felt two... er... one dimensional.

I just assumed my personality type didn't fit the intended mold. But, it was unsettling that licking her finger in the Act 1 "baking together for the festival" was the most intense the attraction seemed to get throughout the relationship. There was much more natural "want" implied with Sayori.

Here's my rewrite...

  MC has a small guest room (or study with a small futon), and Natsuki moves into it, unable to be at her own home.
 One night, she has a nightmare, and slips into MC's bed. She makes it very clear that there will be "no monkey business", 
and turns her back to him. But this doesn't help MC from fretting about a girl in his bed, let alone Natsuki who he likes,
but has so many confused emotions about. MC gets very little sleep that night.   Periodically Natsuki has a nightmare and 
leaves the guest room to seek comfort in MC's bed, with her back to him and MC pressed against the wall.  
One night Natsuki comes in, and just as MC is almost asleep (semi accustomed to Natsuki's "visits") he hears her weeping. 
He decides to distract her by talking to her and succeeds in making her laugh - mostly at him. The next time she "visits" 
his bed, she gets a bit closer and (still with her back to him) takes his arm and puts it around her. 

IMHO this would add more depth to Natsuki, and to the relationship. As well as making it feel less platonic.

5) Meeting her dad was particularly rough.

I tried to be at least partially objective and somewhat empathetic, but really I just wanted to say "Oh boo-hoo, if you're really sorry - pretty sure Sayori has a rope you can borrow."

But in the end I though an attempt at repair was the better solution for Natsuki.

And when she came down... Yeah, I had another good cry.

"Oh... hello Monika..."