The step up in quality and focus from chapter 2 to 3 is mindblowing. I don't know what the reasoning was behind it aside from chapter 3 (presumably) being more important in the overarching story, but the music, CG’s and even plot as a whole were impressively better.

It being introduced as a Satoko chapter was the most anticipated I had been due to her lack of development outside of the club. And while the chapter delivered that tenfold, this wasn't Satoko's chapter. This was a veil that eventually revealed itself as a chapter about Keiichi and his psyche. The 3 part act where he decides to kill Satoko's uncle, goes through with it, and then gets rid of the evidence is the peak of the VN so far. While the VN is sometimes lacking in the music department, it really knows how to set a scene. The rain, lack of music and the dumb shovel sound effects all worked to enhance the scene of burying the body. And then after the VN shows its teeth, has Keiichi commit the act and has the reader believe it could be over. Until whatever the fuck happens and he isn't dead. the following chapters were almost just as good as the murder plot. Culminating in literally every 1200 members of the town dying. This chapter (and chapter 2) i feel will only get infinitely better with context from later chapters. While the demon stuff with Mion dampened the ending of Chapter 2 slightly, I feel like Chapter 3 already learnt from that, and went balls to the wall throughout.

I'll admit the supernatural stuff being all but fully admitted is disappointing, but that for the story to work, it couldn't solely be people killing other people. Though I'll also admit the curse and it's uses were much better in chapter 3.

Chapter 3 also did something new in showing a body, chapter 1,2 and 99% of 3 led its scenes of brutality and gore with black screens and explanations. And it worked. Until the end of chapter 3 where you see Rika's body being eaten by crows (albeit still no gore, just some blood running from her eyes). This chapter showing a corpse is a culmination of how I have no fucking clue what is going on anymore. the remaining FIVE chapters could pull anything out and I anticipate that essentially anything can happen.

Another surprise was the abundance of CG's in chapter 3. There was double what chapter 1 and 2 had combined. I'm sure this applies to everyone, but CG's just work so well in describing how a scene truly is. I'll never forget the best ones from chapter 1&2, and 3's highlights will also last in my brain for a while.

Content Warning: Discussion of Abuse and PTSD Responses

Again, I am rushing here midway through a chapter to give this 5 stars for making me feel things.

This chapter has Keiichi going to pet Satoko’s head: a move that he believes will help somewhat restore his idealized concept of normalcy. Instead, Satoko returns the gesture with a smack and horrified expression. In his confusion, Keiichi reattempts his petting, to which she retorts with a similar, although far more intense response as a means of self defense. She screams in pure agony, desperately flailing her arms in order to protect herself, and squeals out apologies in between heaving sobs. In that moment, she cannot differentiate between friend and abuser, and she is entirely inconsolable. She experiences a full-blown trauma-induced panic attack, and her friends are powerless to help. All they can do is sit in terror as they watch her tirelessly thrash about, wail, and convulse in unimaginable pain.

This chapter does a fantastic job of placing you in Keiichi’s shoes. You and he both feel as though you’ve been robbed of your agency, and that you have no choice but to sit with a hole in your heart as the person you care about cries in pain that you struggle to empathize with. It’s masterfully done, and the author does a scarily great job of capturing what traumatized and abused children behave like.