This review contains spoilers
ChäoS;HEĀd NoAH, Science Adventure Series #1, is a complete version of Chaos;Head PC (which I read years before this, meaning that the common route of NoAH was like a reread for me).
It is a very ambitious work, and a bit risky in some aspects. It's ambitious due to how many various concepts it juggles and the different directions the routes go into. It's risky due to Takumi not being a surface-level likable protagonist, character or person.
It goes into varIous sci-fi concepts such as various scientific and philosophical ideas of reality being what you you perceive it to be, gigalomania, interdimensional concepts, and more. Thematically, though, all of it connects back to the main theme of "you love yourself NOW", which, while not being the most original (I'm sure anime-related media consumers can think of several stories that go over this), is executed very well and provides many, many different examples and way this can be applied.
Takumi is beyond awkward. He is socially inept with other people, barely getting a word in, while in his thoughts or when he's alone in his construction container of a room, he mocks others. He jumps to conclusions, and is insanely paranoid. It even turns out that he's not an ordinary human being either. Driven into despair and at a loss for what to do, it's this kind of protagonist, the opposite of the gallant and likable heroic figure that you might often see, that is perfectly suitable for the messages this story tries to communicate.
The vibe in this is great. The feel of the city is palpable, and Takumi's paranoia and the reader's becomes one.
The NoAH routes are a great addition for the most part, barring Yua's and Nanami's routes. For the former, it's very unambitious unlike other content in the VN, and Nanami's just felt very mediocre. The other three are amazing, though the issue that I have with SciAdv as a whole starts to seep through the cracks in Sena's route. It's still good, though. In addition, I didn't really like how you had to repeat ending A/AA's finale for the true ending, but it still hit hard.
So what are some issues I have? Well, it is quite often boring, and sometimes it goes over the top with Takumi being disgusting, especially in negative delusions. Kozupii's route also went over the line in one aspect. And the aforementioned Yua and Nanami routes aren't impressive.
Overall though, very cool.
It is a very ambitious work, and a bit risky in some aspects. It's ambitious due to how many various concepts it juggles and the different directions the routes go into. It's risky due to Takumi not being a surface-level likable protagonist, character or person.
It goes into varIous sci-fi concepts such as various scientific and philosophical ideas of reality being what you you perceive it to be, gigalomania, interdimensional concepts, and more. Thematically, though, all of it connects back to the main theme of "you love yourself NOW", which, while not being the most original (I'm sure anime-related media consumers can think of several stories that go over this), is executed very well and provides many, many different examples and way this can be applied.
Takumi is beyond awkward. He is socially inept with other people, barely getting a word in, while in his thoughts or when he's alone in his construction container of a room, he mocks others. He jumps to conclusions, and is insanely paranoid. It even turns out that he's not an ordinary human being either. Driven into despair and at a loss for what to do, it's this kind of protagonist, the opposite of the gallant and likable heroic figure that you might often see, that is perfectly suitable for the messages this story tries to communicate.
The vibe in this is great. The feel of the city is palpable, and Takumi's paranoia and the reader's becomes one.
The NoAH routes are a great addition for the most part, barring Yua's and Nanami's routes. For the former, it's very unambitious unlike other content in the VN, and Nanami's just felt very mediocre. The other three are amazing, though the issue that I have with SciAdv as a whole starts to seep through the cracks in Sena's route. It's still good, though. In addition, I didn't really like how you had to repeat ending A/AA's finale for the true ending, but it still hit hard.
So what are some issues I have? Well, it is quite often boring, and sometimes it goes over the top with Takumi being disgusting, especially in negative delusions. Kozupii's route also went over the line in one aspect. And the aforementioned Yua and Nanami routes aren't impressive.
Overall though, very cool.