Excellent how-to guide for any extrovert adoption! Absolutely recommended material if you're a bored extrovert looking for an introvert to adopt! Jokes aside, this was an incredibly sweet game about overcoming your troubles with the help of new friends (and love) and forging new memories with new connections.
Starting off with the overall aesthetic, I loved the slightly red-pink tone that was used for the backgrounds and GUI, as it evoked a very strong "vintage" vibe (while also being quite romantic and sweet!) The green and pink hues used in the costumes for Sandra and Adriel also married excellently with the red hues, generating a really nostalgic "spring" feel for the game (quite apt, as this really is a game about Doug's "rebirth" after his divorce). The recurring motif of "photographs" is also quite symbolic as well, representing Doug's old memories with his wife (with, of course, the torn photo on the cover representing his torn relationship with her) - and the new ones that he creates with his new friends. The sprite art is ABSOLUTELY gorgeous, these are some of the PRETTIEST characters from chim yet (the face rendering especially), and the ending CGs are all adorable (and very fitting that he is creating new photos - memories - with his new connections).
The writing is as engaging as always, with some truly poetic lines. All of the characters have VERY different voices, and that difference in voice really comes out well in the first person narration. The animations are SO lively and engaging, with perhaps the most animation that a chimeriquement game has seen yet??? And all of the characters have stunning chemistry with each other that's incredibly fun to read (particularly Adriel and Sandra - I'm sorry, Doug...)
The choice to present two main characters, each with differing storylines, is a VERY interesting one that I haven't seen in many games before (I can only count them on one hand, honestly). Besides their gender, Adriel and Sandra have completely different personalities that lead them to have completely different arcs when trying to comfort Doug. So although the general "conceit" of the game is the same between the two protagonists (comfort the boringest man in the office), they were basically two completely different games, if I'm being honest LOL
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I started off with Adriel's route. I have to admit, the entire start to his route caught me COMPLETELY off guard. Adriel is basically CHAOS incarnate, and his route reflects that LMAO At every turn, Adriel was doing and saying the most RANDOM things. But it really makes sense in hindsight! Essentially, in addition to other parallels that I'll discuss later, Adriel and Sandra both start off the route trying to do something fun with Doug to get his mind off his divorce. Adriel's way of doing this is to AGGRESSIVELY distract Doug - and also get him to "get out his feelings"...with COMBAT. It's a very funny, almost stereotypically "masculine" way of bonding, which is just hilarious when juxtaposed with the fact that Adriel asks for hugs like two seconds later and is probably the cuddliest and most openly affectionate guy you've ever met (and also has a much better self-care routine than Doug...).
While the first part of Adriel's route focuses on comforting Doug (first helping him to forget about his divorce troubles, and then comforting him through his asexuality concerns), in the second half Adriel's own troubles come to light. He's unable to focus on or dedicate himself to his work, and he worries about burdening his coworkers. Later on, his childhood traumas are revealed, as he worries about burdening Doug with his mess. The arc comes full circle when Doug comforts Adriel in the same (awkward) way that Adriel comforted him - with a rap battle, and then COMBAT. It's revealed that Adriel has suffered from ADHD, and Doug suggests that Adriel's boredom at his job might be because it's not a good fit for him. There's a very sweet "reciprocity" to the relationship as Adriel helped Doug realize things about himself, and, in turn, Doug helped Adriel realize that he needs to quit making social media posts about talking bacon.
Moving on to Sandra, the tonal whiplash I received from her route was INSANE. She is, on the whole, much calmer than Adriel LOL and, unlike Adriel, who refuses to face his problems, Sandra's are pretty much on full display from the get-go. She's a perfectionist and an overworker whose obsession with her work is leading her to feel burnt-out and discouraged. When she takes Doug out to comfort him (with karaoke), he's the one who ends up listening to her work troubles (and she listens to him about his ex). Afterwards, Sandra takes Doug out to salsa, and then they go to his house to watch a movie (as Doug recognizes that Sandra is burnt out, although she denies it) - throughout, they get to know one another, and Doug opens up about his wife. (The discussion of gifts before they're about to watch the movie is an interesting one, and I wonder if Doug is thinking about his relationship with his ex, and how he felt the need to "comply" with what was expected or reciprocate his wife's feelings and desires towards him. His discussion of their sex life did feel quite "business-like" and transactional - as opposed to his relationship with Sandra and Adriel, which is much more natural).)
The "main conflict" in Sandra's route peaks when she has a misunderstanding about his divorce, assuming that he cheated on his wife and that's why she left him. It's an understandable assumption, and although it's an unfair one, it shows that Sandra is flawed. They end up having an open and honest dialogue afterward where Doug tells the real story, and afterward Doug opens up to Sandra with his passion for pottery. Doug's simple passion for his art - without the need for any recognition or monetary gain - inspires Sandra and helps rekindle her artistic drive. In the meantime, Sandra also recognizes the beauty in Doug - how he is simple and normal, but there is beauty in the mundane. It parallels well with the Barbie movie that they watched (in which there is beauty found in everyone) - and comes full circle when the realization gives Sandra the mascot design that she needs for her work. I really liked the theme here, and I think that it's a poignant one - that there are things to appreciate in even the small, normal things in life. My favorite ending in the entire game is Sandra's romantic ending, in which she and Doug sell the plates that he has in his storage room - it's very fitting, as the plates were "memories," as Doug discussed. It really feels like a conclusive ending, as Doug moves on from the memories that he has with his wife so that he can forge new memories (and plates) with his new friend/partner.
It's very interesting, comparing the similarities and differences between the two routes! Both Adriel and Sandra introduce Doug to their interests (exercise for Adriel and salsa dancing for Sandra), and Doug also introduces them to his (pottery). Sandra takes Doug's pottery quite seriously and it's a nice bonding moment for the two of them, while the pottery is actually the catalyst for Adriel's "downturn" in his route. Doug's behavior also changes between the routes! In Sandra's route, Doug is a little quieter, calmer - more like his usual self. But in Adriel's, Doug is pretty openly affectionate and even touchy-feely (maybe Adriel infected him...) I do love how both routes heavily incorporate this theme of "friends supporting one another." In both routes the MC (Sandra/Adriel) support Doug, and Doug supports them in turn; they both share their interests with each other, and they both listen to each other's concerns. It's a really heartwarming dynamic in both routes, and a good example of what a real friendship should be like.
One thing that I really appreciated about the game is that, no matter what protagonist you pick, the protagonist that you didn't pick has a very strong role in the route! (With Adriel comforting Sandra in her route, and Sandra in Adriel's.) And, regardless of what happens, Sandra, Doug, and Adriel all become quite good friends. (The entire game has EXTREMELY strong thruple energy lolol) I also liked how the routes play out largely the same regardless of whether the relationship is ultimately platonic or romantic - it does emphasize that friendships can be just as strong as romances.
Chimeriquement is no stranger to tackling issues of asexuality in his games, and while it wasn't as much of a focal point here, I really liked the new perspective on the issue. Doug is an asexual man who was married to an allo woman who cheated on him because of their sexual incompatibility, although he tried his best to make it work. He partially blames himself for the divorce, and he worries about finding a relationship in the future. It's an understandable worry, manifesting out of his own experience. When he asks you whether it's a worry, you are given the choice to either say that sex doesn't matter or that sex does matter (and, in Sandra's case - you can also say that you're ace yourself). It acknowledges that sex can be important in a relationship - and a dealbreaker, even - without portraying romance purely through a rose colored lens. If you say that sex does matter, then you can't end up with Doug - quite a grounded portrayal that doesn't fall into "love conquers all" tropes. I do like how, regardless of what you choose, Doug is openly dating/pursuing relationships in all of the endings, either with you or someone else. Sex can be a dealbreaker, and dating as an asexual person can have its difficulties - but there are always fish in the sea; it's quite a hopeful conclusion, even without the "rose colored glasses." Moreover, you're still friends in the end (though you don't get the special friend or romance epilogues). (I also like how, in both routes, even if Doug's ex's concerns were acknowledged, the cheating was definitely not acceptable.)
Overall, this was an incredibly sweet game, and EXCEPTIONALLY cleverly constructed with the parallel routes. Neither is "mandatory," you can get a very full experience from just playing one or the other, but both play seamlessly into the themes of love, friendship, mutual support, making new memories, and the beauty in the small interactions that you have with friends (and sometimes lovers). Excellent game, would date Sandra again (wdym Doug was the LI)