Quaint

Part 1/2:

AHHHHH I FINISHED IT, and what an enjoyable ride it was! This ended up being insanely long...I'm very sorry in advance T_T (also OMG THIS WAS BEYOND ITCH'S COMMENT LENGTH LIMIT, so I'll separate this into two comments...I'm sorry...) 

I'll cover the technical aspects first. The art is really well done, and there are SO many CGs, characters, and sprite variations. The character art has a very slick and clean style that pairs well with the stylized backgrounds. The backgrounds also have very dramatic palettes that really help with setting the mood of a particular scene (for instance, the really saturated, dark, contrasting colors used for some of the more "tense" scenes and the light, pastel-colors used for the slice of life scenes). There are a LOT of really creative uses of sprites and little changes to the CGs that make everything very dynamic and lively, and I can't possibly cover them all (in particular, I really liked the hugging sprites and the inventive way the CG with Q lying in bed was reused to varying effects each time). 

I really love the little "squishy" effect that the characters have when they talk sometimes - it's very satisfyingly animated and pleasing to watch, and it makes them look quite lively! The "blips" add a lot of life and help characterize who's talking (it was a clever effect that reminded me a lot of Phoenix Wright). The GUI is attractive and readable, and I was VERY impressed at the two GUI variations for the Organization and the Society (the GUI changes persisted through all the screens, which was such good attention to detail). I also really loved the updates to the title screen as the characters were introduced, and it looks VERY nice when all of the characters are presented on either side (and I do love the composition of it, with the Organization on one side and the Society on the other).

I'll cover the characters in broad strokes here, and in greater detail below. All of the characters were really well-written, from the main characters to the side characters. Q is a really compelling, sympathetic, and nuanced protagonist, and I found Milo to be a really good counterpart for him. Milo's quiet, mature confidence is a good contrast to Q's severe insecurities/self-consciousness, and Milo's coy flirtations ended up being really good for getting Q out of his shell. I also loved how comforting Milo's presence is, and how secure Q feels with them. I enjoyed June and Wren's characters and their complex, platonic friendships with Q and Milo. I'll cover the more spoilery side characters below, but the side characters were VERY well conceived. One less spoilery one that I enjoyed was Mrs. Connell - although she's very pushy and a bit nosy and doesn't QUITE know what she's talking about, it's clear that she is at the very least, trying to be open-minded and accepting, despite being set in her ways. She's flawed in a very realistic, human way, and I could see her worldview in lots of older people that I know. 

The writing was really clean and well-done! I especially liked how natural and heartfelt the dialogue was. The writing also does an EXCELLENT job of dripfeeding information as the reader needs it, slowly fleshing out the world. The background music was also well-chosen, and I can still replay multiple tracks in my head depending on the mood of the scene - which is probably a testament to how well-selected they were. 

===============SPOILERS====================

The opening with the Organization is really intriguing. It perfectly drops hints as to what the larger narrative will be before shifting to a more grounded, "slice of life" scene. It really makes you wonder, "What is going on?" The story starts off relatively slowly as it introduces you to the world, the mechanics of the magic, and details about the magic societies. I was really impressed with how much thought was put into the details of the magic system, and the minigames helped to reinforce what was explained in the text.

Q:

I'll address Q first. Honestly the twist caught me completely off guard - at first I thought that the Organization was targeting HIM for whatever reason, so when it was revealed that he had actually known about them the entire time and was acting under their orders, I was very surprised! However, I liked that throughout, Q's characterization is very consistent - he doesn't have a dramatic "heel-face-turn" or something like that before/after the reveal. I enjoyed his kind of casual ruthlessness - he doesn't really care about killing others (if they're not people he cares for), and he definitely has a "willingness to die for the cause" that most people don't share. However, despite his unique background, he's characterized by his deep insecurities, which make him sympathetic and humanize him a lot (and make sense considering how his father treated and dehumanized him). 

It was quite interesting, comparing Q's character in the present day and in flashbacks. There are a lot of similarities, of course. In both times, Q suffers from deep insecurities and an almost unhealthy need to be loved - to the point that he'll do anything for the person that he loves. This is really apparent in the past, where Q actively solicits T for sex because that's the only way Q can see to get closer to/engage in the relationship that he wants with T, and after that Q continues with that relationship despite knowing how shallow it is. Similarly, after Q switches sides, he decides to basically do anything for Milo, even putting himself in danger to save them. However, the difference is that, in the past, Q was clearly growing as a person. He was building himself up - although he accepted most of T's casual cruelty, he also asserted his desires to spend time with T, to kiss him. He rebels against the Organization when they tell him to break up with T, believing that he DOES deserve to be happy and loved. It's rather heartbreaking seeing Q in the present day, where he's so insistent that he's undeserving of love or any affection at all (and needs to heal and build himself up again). 

I won't go into too much detail regarding Q's arc because I think it's pretty clearly outlined in the game, but I found it to be quite a powerful one. After being ground down by the abusive Organization for years and especially after the loss of T, Q's self-esteem is at an all-time low. He doesn't believe that he deserves love, and years of special agent upbringing have taught him to be dishonest with those he cares about. Over the course of the story, as the people around him show their appreciation and love for him (especially Milo), Q learns to value himself, to fight for what he wants. At the same time, he also learns to be more honest (depending on the player's choices). However, Q has also done bad things. While he doesn't get "punished" for his "unlawful acts" (killing people), he does have to take responsibility for lying to the people he cares about. I found Q's arc to be quite nuanced in its execution - it's a story of healing, but also a story about taking accountability. 

Milo:

Milo grew on me a lot over the course of the playthrough. At the beginning they're a bit of an enigma, other than the fact that they're clearly interested in Q, and I really like how different aspects of their character slowly unfold over the course of the game. The first hint towards their character really comes when Milo nearly kills Q - it's a clever way to foreshadow Milo's egotism/overconfidence (which is later expounded upon when Milo recounts their lack of care for basic safety). They really seem perfect at first glance, and they only start to seem human when the cracks in the facade start to show. And there are a LOT of cracks. It's implied that Milo treats others VERY differently from how they treat Q, for instance, and they disregard the rules despite being in a position of responsibility (studying Void Magic by stealing books from the Archivist). There's a particularly ironic part later on where Milo criticizes the Reader for sealing her heart off with void magic, when Milo does the EXACT same thing in Bad Ending 4, too. They're overconfident, egotistical, and reckless at times. At the same time you also see a lot of Milo's insecurities - their desire to be loved, their suspicions, their fear of being betrayed...and honestly all of this just made Milo much more likable, and I became very invested in their relationship with Q as they mutually support one another. Moreover, Milo has a lot of positive qualities as well: for instance, they're active in getting what they want (hence they pursue Q very openly), and they're honest and straightforward in their communication - which are a good counterbalance for Q (and help Q to grow as a person). 

I'll talk a bit about the Masquerade scene here since it mainly relates to Milo - I really loved it, and besides some of the flashback sequences it was maybe my favorite scene/sequence of scenes in the game. It expertly weaves exposition, comedy, and characterization for Milo and Q's relationship into a single sequence, with Q able to recognize Milo at every turn. Of course, this is due to Q's quirk, but it's also a good metaphor for how Q is able to see the "essence" of a person and is especially able to appreciate Milo for who they are, and not their surface appearance. Milo's different identities - their different genders and ways they choose to present themselves - were interesting (and fun to see!), and their inclusion expertly wove into their discussion of identity with Q later on. Milo was, I assume, AFAB- and then proceeded to reject their "feminine" side due to the expectations cast upon them. However, later on, they realized that they enjoyed those feminine aspects as well and thought they suited them, and they decided that they could present however they like as long as they're comfortable on the inside. It was nice to see that Milo only made this "realization" last year - as it does show that explorations of identity such as this are really lifelong experiences.

In general, I also like how Milo reacted to Q's deceptions. Even if Q chooses to be honest, Milo doesn't accept Q right away - they need time, and they talk it over with June before accepting Q. There's a big emphasis on clear and open communication, and Milo forgives Q for what he does/has done without overlooking it/diminishing the seriousness. This persists in the endings where Q kills the commander, as Milo disapproves of the act but nonetheless forgives Q because of the extenuating circumstances. 

(Side note, but I do like the pattern of Milo learning to cook once they get together with Q. It really shows how they're moving past their obsession with magic, instead choosing something "genuine" and real.) 

(Interestingly enough, while Milo and T seem VERY different, I think they actually have a lot of similarities! They both have a strong rebellious streak and sense of self-confidence that balance Q out well.) 

T:

T is...hmm...polarizing, to say the least. T is scummy for sure (T for trash), and  without outside knowledge (knowing there were side games centered around him), I would have assumed that T was just meant to be a villain after the first 1 or 2 recollections. Like the Organization, T was Q's abusive romantic past that put him down and made him feel small and undeserving of love. T's casual, DELIBERATE cruelty towards Q is hard to bear at times - for instance, saying "might as well spend time with you" and refusing the hug. However, this does quickly change over the course of the next recollections. There is genuine affection there, as T acknowledges Q's autonomy and respects his decisions, despite his jealousy. Moreover, he's disciplined for protecting Q, and there's actual growth in his relationship with Q - he goes from refusing a hug at all to kissing Q when Q asks for it. 

I'll admit that the side games do a LOT of work in characterizing T beyond what you see in Quaint itself. T, like Q, does some terrible things, and admittedly he's not 100% forgivable in the content presented in Quaint. However, I think that the side games flesh him out a lot more, giving much needed characterization for him in the "gaps" that Q doesn't see - particularly TXXX, covering (I assume) the gap between Bad Ending 4 and Ending S. I think that T's attitude is pretty clearly a result of a lot of internalized homophobia as a result of his upbringing, and while I can't excuse him for his actions, he does a lot to make up for them and grows as a person. It's pretty clear, both from Ending S and TXXX - how much T has changed, now genuinely appreciating and showing Q the love he deserves (to the point of enduring the pain of death for him). 

T's arc mirrors Q's arc in a lot of ways. Q obviously deals with a lot more grief and self-hatred, but T and Q both grew up in the same oppressive environment. As a result, T rejects his own identity in order to conform to the "standard" (rejecting Q in order to continue playing the ladies' man), and his dishonesty about himself hurts the people he loves (like how Q's dishonesty about his identity hurts June and Milo). After that, T needs to take responsibility for his wrongdoings and communicate openly, like Q. 

Other Characters:

I thought Wren and June were fantastic "main" side characters. Wren's no-nonsense, serious, rule-abiding personality was a good balance for Milo's rebellious streak, while June's open candidness made her a good influence for Q. I liked June and Q's friendship - the supportiveness, but also how it underwent some rockiness when Q's betrayal was revealed. It all felt realistic - like how real friends would act. Wren being in love with Milo was COMPLETELY unexpected, but I liked the twist as an exploration of his character. It really emphasizes how, above all else, he defines himself by his responsibilities - to the point that he wouldn't allow himself into a relationship with Milo because he knew he wouldn't be able to prioritize them the way they deserve. 

Actually, some of my favorite side characters were Iris and Lawrence, the "barely allies" members of the Society. At first they're quite prickly - Iris is openly hostile to Milo, although she understands their importance to the Society, and Lawrence is...well, basically an abusive ex. However, you get a chance to learn about them. Iris is a member of a wealthy family who agreed to be married off to some guy as part of an arranged marriage, so it makes sense that she's snobby about Milo mingling with "commoners" and them refusing to make concessions for their partner. While I didn't LIKE Lawrence by the end, I did appreciate that his problems with his relationship with Milo didn't just boil down to his problems with Milo's gender identity, but also his own insecurities and his problems with Milo's quirk. And he was quite self-aware that his family would never accept Milo as a boy, only as a girl. While the story doesn't excuse their behavior, their backgrounds explained a lot about why they acted the way they did.