I keep going to play Mikko's route again, and then end up getting sidetracked by Bjørn. I just love him so much. 👏🥺
I'll probably get downvoted, but I don't like Bjorn's route. It's clearly underdeveloped - it's almost entirely linear and has Arvo acting on his own without your input.
Also I just don't feel the chemistry between the two.
It's like... Bjorn is just being sad and barely saying anything, and Arvo's like "Omg omg omg, a bear! I want to cuddle him! I'm so horny!". Seriously, everyone else in every route has a game on. Bjorn does not, but Arvo is falling head over heels for him, it feels weird to me.
Bjorn needs a friend, not a fuckmate, what are you doing, Arvo? :\
I guess I understand what you're saying, but I'm not sure I agree with it. Obviously you're entitled to your opinion, and I find it an interesting perspective nonetheless.
I like Bjørn. I find him compelling because he reminds me of a lot of people I've met in my own life. His struggles with responsibility and desire, I think are rather relatable to, at least where I'm from, the general culture surrounding ones dreams and aspirations.
I disagree that they don't have any chemistry. Bjørn is a creative individual, a dreamer, an artist just like Arvo, but his creativity is being stiffled by his depression, his fear of failure, and of course his feelings of responsibility and obligation to his parents and to their future. He believes, in some respect, that he must earn the life that they gave him a chance at by achieving something great. He's drowning in the never-ending problem he's trying to face because he's not cut out for the field he believes would make his parents happy. Bashing his head against a brick wall, expecting it to break instead of finding another path out.
Arvo is also a dreamer and an artist. He desires to capture the beauty in the world around him, and because of his different upbringing from that of the bear, he holds the belief that he can achieve his dreams, but is stiffled by his fears of not being good enough. Stifled by his fears of messing up. Stifled by his fears of mediocrity. We see examples of this in a lot of different routes, but in this route we see a specific example in his conversation with Guðrun about photography where he admits to himself that he's lost the meaning of photography that he was originally striving for.
I think when Arvo looks at Bjørn, in some respect, he sees himself. In addition to that, Bjørn, just like Arvo, is extremely lonely. The whole route is focused on the idea of inhibitions, what they are, what they mean, and finding a balance between responsibility to others and to yourself.
So... Yeah... Sorry for the essay.
Nono, that's why I'm here!
But I don't really see how any of the things you've mentioned could be a basis for the extremely rapidly blooming romance of this route, when none of them were portrayed or used in this manner. They were good reasons to become friends though.
I think the chemistry you're seeing in this route is actually entirely inside your head this time(and maybe you and the author are on the same wavelength about this) - to me it's obvious the plot is missing some key developments between "we're chatting about studying" and "we're cuddling half-naked under a blanket".
Though I don't know what we're even arguing about here, the route is literally underdeveloped, you can't even derail it if you try, and I tried.
It has my favorite interaction with Lake though! Jealous Lake! Or maybe I'm the one reading too deep into it this time.
After the game night, regardless of whether you visited it or not, you won't be present for the power outage. So at the supper Lake goes: "too bad we didn't have you there :C I have to talk you into staying with us next time. So what did you do?" - "Stayed with Bjorn". Lake, without moving a face muscle, looks up at Bjorn, who has been towering over them like the Eye of Sauron the entire time: "Oh hi, Bjorn, didn't see you there." xD Yeah, right. And then Lake's like "Oh well, gotta go!" and skedaddles to avoid drilling a hole in Bjorn with a jealous look. He's such a sweet idiot, I wish there were options to derail other routes for Lake :3
Oh, I don't think we are arguing. In fact, I do agree that it develops rather quickly—when I first played the route, I was surprised at the speed at which they connected—and I can see what you're saying in regards to being underdeveloped.
There are even inconsistencies with plot points and exposition as well. Maybe the author just hasn't had time to do a clean up like he's done for other routes in the past.
I suppose I came off as though I thought it was a perfect route, but it isn't and that wasn't my intent.
Nono, I didn't mean it like fighting-arguing, more like discussing-arguing. People sometimes forget the word "arguing" comes from the word "argument", and think of it as screaming at each other in futile rage - that's not the meaning I intended :p
You have been a very nice companion to discuss this VN with, I very much enjoy your company and opinions and hope we will get to keep discussing it all the way to its full release =)
for me it was weird that whether you romance him or befriend him comes from a choice to drink or not to drink, and if you drink you automatically suck him off later that night. but if you don't drink there is basically no romance, just two friends hugging in an underwear, providing physical touch to each other which is great
i still like this route personally