It's not perfect, but pretty good for its time. The art, aesthetics, and soundtracks are amazing- Aoba's character design is really captivating and iconic, which probably added to the game's rise in popularity on the internet over the years. I haven't played a lot of Japanese BL VNs (in fact, this was my first) but this is probably one of the best you can find (officially localized in English). Sure the story may not be THAT great, but I still enjoyed it for what it is. I don't really like how once you're in a route, everyone just dips. Also, the "true ending" is... something.
I am one of the few people who did not touch DMMD at a young age, but I was aware of its existence. That Really Sensual Picture of Aoba Listening to Music and the "sounds gay I'm in" meme have been following me ever since I got my hands on social media.. so I was bound to play this game at some point.
I didn't read the trigger warnings or anything before playing and dived head first into the game. Don't be like me. This game is NOT for the faint of heart, especially the bad endings. Safe to say that 80% of the game my jaw was on the floor.
Anyways, I think it's cool to finally experience something that's been lingering on the internet for over a decade. There's a reason why we still see DMMD here and there today. You can tell that a lot of heart was put into this game. There's something really charming about DMMD that makes it stand where it is and a lot of people hold it close to their heart because of that.
p.s. Clear's my first and favourite route :) also, holy crap is the merch for DMMD super expensive...

many people's baby's first blvn, which was my case too. i know this one is controversial specially for those who experienced tumblr's obsession with this one, but reading it for the first time back in 2020 (with 2020 eye, too) made me truly appreciate this story.
i think dramatical murder is a super fun vn, everything is extremely delightful. the music, background art and even character design is extremely remarkable. the music very prominently features chiptune elements, which was was popular back in the day but doesn't make it sound dated at all. it's very 2012, but in a good way. the art too - pastel colors, specially the millennium pink along with the light blue, are definitely the main colors you'll see throught the game, through the beautifully created background art and even the character designs - all characters have remarkable silhouettes, which can be hard to execute!
one thing that this vn might lack a little is in the story. which, i know, is the main point of a visual novel, but hear me out! i think the story is good enough. god, i wish - i truly wish this game had a more expansive lore. the setting is so intriguing and captivating, but unfortunately it definitely lacks exploration.
when it comes to character writing, i think aoba is a great and well written protagonist, and all other characters are very captivating, but... i wish mink was written better! i feel like he deserved better. his character is so interesting, but unfortunately his character development is stunted by racist native american tropes...
overall, i think dramatical murder is pretty great for what it is. it's iconic, charming, and captivating.

I actually ended up liking this game more than I anticipated. I'd been kind of interested in it for a while, reading about it online and watching bits and pieces of walkthroughs. I ended up finally acting on my curiosity and getting it as a joke.

The issues I'd heard about were there. The game has a tendency to use SA for shock value in places where it isn't necessary. Despite the flaws, though, I actually ended up enjoying myself while playing. The character writing is quite good. I particularly like Noiz and Clear.

So far, I've played and gotten the good endings for Clear, Koujaku, and Noiz's routes in that order. I don't really want to look at the bad endings, as I've heard they're incredibly brutal and, even though I know I can probably handle seeing them, I just don't feel up for it at the moment. I'm currently debating as to whether I'm going to play Mink's route or not. I know that I have to do all four of the main routes in order to unlock the secret route, but from what I've heard about Mink, I feel like playing his route is going to end up quashing any positive feelings I've developed toward the game.

why did i even...
i finished the noiz and clear route.
and the mink one.......

yeah i don't care about what happens next in this game, even if its probably good, mink as a character disgusted me from it.

but i love clear