Spoilers for Rowley's route -
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I'm caught up on Rowley's route and have a few issues. The character writing feels inconsistent at times—deeper into the story, characters start blending together, making the same jokes or using the same internet humor ("Blep," adding "ussy" to words). There are also moments where Welkin acts out of character.
While the writing can be a bit bumpy, my bigger struggle is Rowley's internalized homophobia. I appreciate that it’s included when most VNs ignore it, but the way it’s handled feels off. Arthur as a positive example of PDA is a good angle, but his overt passes in Day 5 feel excessive and unrealistic. almost comically overtuned. I liked that Welkin brought up Rowley's internalized homophobia, but it didn’t feel as apparent as it should have. Instead, it built up to calling him a "coward" and pressuring him out of his comfort zone, rather than critically discussing why it’s unfair to expect Welkin to commit to monogamy while Rowley won’t show any public affection.
I get that Rowley's route is leading to a choice about what this relationship means—friends with benefits or something more—but the harm his indecisiveness on both their relationship and his sexuality causes hasn’t been fully addressed.
I enjoy his route, but I wish both characters acted with a bit more maturity.