Hi, I want to leave my very thorough itch review!
So... what can I say about this game? God, it was good. It was so good! Aaaah!
I loved all the choices regarding the art: the colour schemes were great and adjusted to the characters, the writing was a delight to read (a smile being compared to a flame illuminating the world????? wonderful!!!!), the music was hypnotising and entrancing... I really loved that! The overall was very dreamy and whimsical (and can I say I love the gui? I love the gui)
Regarding the main characters, I really loved them. I have to start with Dulari. I've rarely loved a protagonist that much. Her solitude felt heavy, her fears and insecurities were tangible and how she uses everything in the end to empower herself without denying her tenderness... Sure, she's one of my favourite protags ever, maybe MY favourite protag, like the number 1?? I only wanted the best for her! I also really enjoyed how much of a dreamer she was: I like characters who can get in their own world. She's compassionate, empathetic, and yet, she doesn't handle everything perfectly. She's flawed (as a person, and as we all are, not as a character from a writing perspective), but it feels so right. And seeing all these classical "feminine values", which I personally hold dearly, and that are always disregarded by patriarchy, being what empowers her felt so right and so sweet.
I also really enjoyed Leon as a love interest! He is very melancholic, but also present for Dulari. I appreciated he knew how to respect her boundaries and how he tackled the terrible situation he was in, since he's very concerned by the general scheme behind the three routes. Even the backstory he had, and how it has influenced his vision of love... it was very tender.
Of course, I have to mention my himbo Ezekiel. He was hilarious! I do feel like his route should be played first, as I felt it was a bit less climactic than Leon's, but I really enjoyed his interactions with Dulari and how his backstory tackled the pressure of having children to have some sort of legacy. His love for Dulari also sounded very true.
For the secret route, I really enjoyed how it gave a whole new perspective of the jester. Well, their general motive was somehow revealed in the other routes by their dialogue, but once you explore it... It sounded so grounded in reality... Very true, very sad and very bitter. Obviously, very interesting commentary on capitalism from the game, but it also was just so moving. And seeing Dulari being able to answer to it with hope... made me love her even more to be honest! I was a bit worried about the love story, since I didn't want it to be romantic, and I'm glad this route was aro!
Let's talk about love: it is such a sweet take of what love can be. It's mostly supporting each other, showing empathy, caring in the broader sense... Actually, it can exist in so many different forms, and the game shows that so beautifully.
That's it! Long story short, it was an amazing game, thank you! Empowering, tender, melancholic, bittersweet, sweet, soft, sad, happy... It touched my soul!