I've written a couple different reviews in this spot but I think my final thoughts are cemented now
First off, I put mastered here just to make clear that I got the true ending. I honestly could not be bothered to do the other routes properly, so I fast-forwarded through them for the completion. I got the gist of them from the anime, and maybe one day I'll do Minagi's route proper because I remember liking it in the anime. But honestly, I cared too much about Misuzu and just wanted to get to the Summer and Air routes as quickly as possible
I have to dock a star for my feeling that the ending just goes on too long. Maybe it's because I had seen the anime already, but I was ready for the emotional payoff, and I felt myself waning as it just kept going far longer than I expected. The last segment definitely could have been truncated for a better emotional release. I also played this without the sex scenes, so I'm not docking for those, but I definitely would have if there wasn't a way to take them out
But what this VN nails perfectly is atmosphere. Every time I think of the setting, music, or even the tagline "The 1000th Summer," I remember just how ethereal and bittersweet Air feels. It leaves you with this longing that never really goes away, and I think that's the mark of a great piece of media. Despite its problems, the feeling Air gave me will never go away.
First off, I put mastered here just to make clear that I got the true ending. I honestly could not be bothered to do the other routes properly, so I fast-forwarded through them for the completion. I got the gist of them from the anime, and maybe one day I'll do Minagi's route proper because I remember liking it in the anime. But honestly, I cared too much about Misuzu and just wanted to get to the Summer and Air routes as quickly as possible
I have to dock a star for my feeling that the ending just goes on too long. Maybe it's because I had seen the anime already, but I was ready for the emotional payoff, and I felt myself waning as it just kept going far longer than I expected. The last segment definitely could have been truncated for a better emotional release. I also played this without the sex scenes, so I'm not docking for those, but I definitely would have if there wasn't a way to take them out
But what this VN nails perfectly is atmosphere. Every time I think of the setting, music, or even the tagline "The 1000th Summer," I remember just how ethereal and bittersweet Air feels. It leaves you with this longing that never really goes away, and I think that's the mark of a great piece of media. Despite its problems, the feeling Air gave me will never go away.