v nice as a postscript to hello charlotte, giving a fresh perspective and deeper focus on the trio at the heart of it. because of this, despite framing itself as an au, it honestly feels more like the reality of these characters that informs the universe of the rest of the series. its very depressing but its not too dour towards making this impression either, if anything it being removed from the intensity of emotions the series led up to, while relying on prior knowledge of it, gives a clearer and less obfuscated picture of how much etherane can pack into these characters' relationships.
the diary (which you can read if you get the paid version, please get the paid version) is such a great final note; it's not just as anri's view of things but also invoking charles's preoccupations within their narratives from their views on anri and possibly themself AND also feels to me, potentially?, like one of the more directly personal things the author has shared. a constant series of narrativizing btwn character and creator and audience. think theres a v clear bridge btwn hello charlotte and tomorrow wont come to be found in how heaven's gate brings this obsession in ane's work, on humans blindly seeing themselves in others, to such a level of legibility that it seems like it was readymade to be worked into the core of twc.
the stark, battered grief that hangs over hg gets expanded on nicely by twc too, and it also feels fitting that it comes after the anger and melodrama and anger ABOUT the melodrama of the series that came before. the arc of these games' development is like seeing someone develop their own self over time, trying to figure out what they honestly believe and what they mean to express. even this technically unnecessary side story vn to a larger rpgmaker series has a place in that bigger picture--one that i admittedly, ironically, am creating for myself. but im ok with believing in it, because this search is what affects me most in etherane's work: its not that the author has hard conclusive answers for the problems they present, but like they are still trying to understand and rigorously interrogate their view of the world in ways i can relate to v much, as if we are doing it together.
the diary (which you can read if you get the paid version, please get the paid version) is such a great final note; it's not just as anri's view of things but also invoking charles's preoccupations within their narratives from their views on anri and possibly themself AND also feels to me, potentially?, like one of the more directly personal things the author has shared. a constant series of narrativizing btwn character and creator and audience. think theres a v clear bridge btwn hello charlotte and tomorrow wont come to be found in how heaven's gate brings this obsession in ane's work, on humans blindly seeing themselves in others, to such a level of legibility that it seems like it was readymade to be worked into the core of twc.
the stark, battered grief that hangs over hg gets expanded on nicely by twc too, and it also feels fitting that it comes after the anger and melodrama and anger ABOUT the melodrama of the series that came before. the arc of these games' development is like seeing someone develop their own self over time, trying to figure out what they honestly believe and what they mean to express. even this technically unnecessary side story vn to a larger rpgmaker series has a place in that bigger picture--one that i admittedly, ironically, am creating for myself. but im ok with believing in it, because this search is what affects me most in etherane's work: its not that the author has hard conclusive answers for the problems they present, but like they are still trying to understand and rigorously interrogate their view of the world in ways i can relate to v much, as if we are doing it together.
2 Comments
thank you charlotte!!!! v grateful to have gone thru these games on your reccommodation ðŸ˜
ghost_girl
2 years ago