AROOO I LOVE THE TRUE ROUTE AROOOOOO

I really love the whole buildup from Towa remembering his past to indulging in his self-harming mechanisms to the attempted suicide to finally, opening up with Fujieda stripped bare of all their armor.
Scene by scene gushing commences.

At his lowest point, Towa surrounds himself with his paintings because those were the first thing he ever had passion for, but now those were the things that brought him anguish because he views it as something that makes him similar to his abuser.

The conversation with Fujieda doesn't change that what he was doing is similar to Maya, but at the same time, he can turn it to something good!! Now that he has a full understanding of his past, he can make Mei's ( and the people around him) come true: To Live. Wow, who would've expected this message from Yet Another Human-made Story. Goes hard though!!

And what I really like is that Fujieda is quite frank that suicide is an easy way out, that Towa is not wrong for feeling despair because Fujieda comes from similar circumstances. Whereas Towa's coping mechanism was to be as destructive as possible, Fujieda was hyperfocusing on saving his long-dead sister by becoming the Alpha Chad Lawyer Robot. He comes to terms with it before Towa (probably because he has his memories) and realises that if he doesn't really have nothing left. He still has Towa, something that Mei cared for. He can learn to care for him too (kyaa big brothers).

Making the true route relationship parallel characters is such a good idea!!! Way better executed than the previous game's weird.. uh Freudian.. selfincest? route.

"I want to see a body that is like mine" GOOD GOD!!! THAT LINE!!!!

The whole line sums up what both Fujieda and Towa crave: understanding of someone who is similar to you. Fujieda strips (lmao) his lawyer exterior and shows Towa the abuse scars that he has always hated. Then they fuck, unrealistically? I don't know I never had MLMasochistic sex but whatever it's a VN and these aren't 1:1 to reality. What matters is what the scene means in the context of the story and that is Towa turning another aspect that was once just a means to self-destruct to something that is enjoyable. Loving even.

It's hard for trauma victims with no understanding or experience with romance to fall in love with someone, but both of them believe they can find it with each other. Thus, they decided to face the future together and heal from their childhood. Gay.

Gaaah I really like my mimir blorbo Towa. He's the epitome of bad coping mechanisms like HDB. If I were to compare both, HDB desperately tries to crave joy and beauty from life while Towa doesn't (or can't) find new joys which is why he turns to painting people at their desires.

Criticisms: I didn't like the Fujieda rape scene with Towa but unlike other people, I think it's okay he says he isn't sorry for doing that. I think it's hard to be honest with a stranger and especially one that you still view as the abuser. The rape part is OOC though because I don't think a former sex abuse victim would do it even at his lowest points, but what I can justify (other than the writer having a non-con fetish which is morally neutral hot take I know) is that to the writer, rape is the most horrific violence a person can do. And they want to show Fujieda inflicting that to Towa. I still don't interpret Fujieda would feel the same way as the writer about rape, but this is the only thing I can think of. Anyway, doesn't really detract from the route for me.

jsahgjdshjgdsgjhjghsadjhgdh idk it's so hard to put into words my thoughts in general that's why therapists looove pulling out the Thoughts Feelings Actions card game with me.

Another thing is that I didn't really find the localization as bad as people would say? I didn't feel they detracted from the emotional parts or my interpretation of the characters to be as different as people who read MTL/original script were. Maybe it's just me idk.