adding to the LAD discussion (and as a heads-up, using the masc version/pronouns because this is the version i play with, lol) ... but i really do think that there's some points in the plot (related to Elias death, and Athiel's levels of awareness regarding this) might've been a last minute thing/retconned while the story developed, because otherwise it just... doesn't make sense - or worse, sounds idiotic, LOL. like bdatzmr said, Athiel thinking that MC and Elias 'just broke up' was probably done because Athiel is one of the biggest fan favorites, and there was really no way to actually make his route work without addressing this huge betrayal, and making Athiel a bit (and by that, i mean a lot) "evil".
to be honest, i do enjoy morally gray/downright evil characters, so this would actually be a plus for me (lmao), but from the start i knew that the game and the author would never really go down this route, because it's just not really the tone of the IF at all. yeah, it deals with dark topics, but it doesn't go too deep into it like other IFs go. but as a result, it just makes Athiel seem... completely dumb, and somewhat amoral but not in the sense that is fun. more in the sense of 'wow, this guy would date an horrible person just because they are nice to him/are hot' type - because well, if he thinks MC broke up with Elias because he's amnesiac and disfigured (with the plus of Elias being his brother), why would he willing date someone like that...? (to quote Emtastic).
plus, the thing about being dumb: okay, let's say that he was always just... not around... whenever someone downright said that Elias died.
(first off, regarding this point, there's an scene where Athiel blows up and tell people - MC and someone else, i think? i've played this ages ago, i don't really remember all the details, lol - to not talk about Elias "as if he's not here/died", alongside all the weird/suspicious little points throughout the story, specially if you're on his route. i know that everyone thinks that athiel is in denial, but i just don't know why, as time goes on, no one ever call him out regarding that or even try to sit down and talk with him directly; specially characters like travis, who are the 'no-nonsense', observant type. i mean, i guess it is for the drama value... but still)
SO, yeah. he was never around. but this brings the point of making him dumb - this guy is somewhat a detective who is really good at solving (fictional) murder cases, but he can't put 1+1 together and find weird or even, i don't know, annoying/guilt-trippy (does this word exist... oh well) how MC acts after what he thinks was a simple break-up? over "trivial" reasons and by MC no less.
in the start, he was 'oh, get over it ' but 1. it's part of the tsundere act, because that's the archetype of character he is (and deep down, he cares, etc etc), 2. i would understand with MCs who are joking around to cope, or in denial, or whatever... but what about MCs who are coping terribly? not sleeping, eating, leaving home, had a personality change, and above all, really treasure Elias' things still? wouldn't that be a bit... too much for a break-up? let alone one that he thinks MC was responsible for? i just think about this image.
also, yeah, the thing about his mother lying and him just believing her - specially when he knows she dislikes MC, and that she lied in other instances - is just overall very nonsensical to me. sure, let's trust her, the woman who has lied multiple times before, clearly has some issues with this person she's particularly painting in a bad light, and has a weird complex over the son (Elias) she's shielding this person from. ...??
honestly, i do think that the path where Athiel knows and still chooses to get closer to MC would be way more fun anyways. specially because it's very clear (spoilers for his route/extra)
that he was crushing on MC before them (MC) and Elias even started to date. he says something along the lines that he felt betrayed - hence why he lashes out on them and is so 'mean' - because he thought that MC and him had something special, until MC got with Elias. it basically stated that the three of them, Elias/MC/Athiel were friends before the former 2 got in a relationship, and that Athiel was different/closer to MC.
so yeah, it would add much more and would be genuinely interesting if Athiel was 'evil' (in quotes because i think it's silly to call a character in that IF this word) rather than dumb/insensitive... plus whatever is the fitting adjective for a guy who would date a person who dumped his brother over being amnesiac and disfigured. right after the car crash.
// plus - yes, i know this text is huge, but i need to rant - some other points:
- quoting Vanya, i also don't like Val (the parental figure, i believe that's their name...?) at all either. for me, i just think it has that "millenial quirk chungus" (i do not know how else to describe it) vibe... i just can't take it very seriously or be "attached" if that makes sense. though i guess in the setting, anything for MC would be better than their father, really...
- the writing sometimes has a huge case of purple prose. but to be fair, this happens to a lot of tumblr IFs (like the ballad of the young gods, for example. atrocious), so, i won't point fingers too much LMAO.
BUT, overall, i actually do like this game. i know it might not look like it due to this gigantic word vomit, but i think the idea was/can still be interesting and there's some fun/genuinely touching plot points (when you see it from the POV of someone who is grieving, who missed the timing and now has this huge regret). and i like athiel as well! him and elias are, funnily enough, my favorites. i enjoy these messy dynamics and angst, what can i say... (i like travis too, so when i'm tired of going through the family, i can go for this guy i've met 3 days ago. LMAOO)
edit: just some typos/etc, i just went typing as i thought about it so it might be messy still HAHA.
Out of pure curiosity, I went to go read Love After Death due to all of the comments (as in, a lot of people complaining about it and alot of people complimenting it)
Wow that was stupid of me. I’ll probably keep reading it so that I figure out the resolution but wow
you’re telling me Juliet expected to keep up this lie when E could recover their memory any moment? And that a doctor was going to risk their entire career (how did the doctor even do this? No nurses? No other doctors?)
I get that they had an affair with each other but like who the heck cares bro, one will get you into a fight with your spouse and some gossip, the other gets you removed from the board
and also acting like Juliet would actually go through with that threat lol
Also, I get that Athiel not knowing is meant to be suspension of disbelief, but how dense must you be to not wonder why everyone is making these things such a big deal? priverial was correct to say this bro was dumb
all of it was all very dramatic, but also not dramatic at all. I don’t know how to describe it. Some plot points didn’t make sense to me either, but I could understand it kind of.
During that scene with the mc when they were trying to reach E in the car, they could have really just booked it. Dude wasn’t about to get assault charged for a trash can
the kids and kids parents and cat switching it up after learning about E’s death kinda made sense at least
Also is it just me or was the story trying to say that you can forgive and move on from an abuser? I simply do not care for him, why was there that whole scene with the co-workers after the phone call with the dad (at least for the options I chose it seemed like a possibility they were pushing.)
The most unrealistic and railroaded scene was that weird plot line where mc decided to go randomly downloading a dating app and going on a date. Do people really do that? It also made zero sense for the character I was playing, it took me way out of the story. There had to have been a better way to railroad a “breaking” scene
And also if I read “break” one more time I will claw my eyes out
I can’t believe people find this depressing. Is it interesting? I could see how people would find it interesting. It’s like watching an out of control rollercoaster and you’re waiting for it to finally crash
I can’t believe people find this depressing. Is it interesting? I could see how people would find it interesting. It’s like watching an out of control rollercoaster and you’re waiting for it to finally crash
I'm 100% gonna keep reading, because I never have enough to read and at least it updates. But I've kind of filed it away in the part of my brain with my mom's soap operas and reality TV: the junkiest of junk foods for reading. Can be fun, but don't stake your diet on it.
The writing is at least readable, if not particularly complex (which isn't necessarily bad; it allows it to be more accessible to different skill levels of readers), at least the son of the neighbor is adorable, the pacing isn't awful (ignoring everything to do with El), and if I can sit through awful fanfiction for millions of words in order to have something to read, I can stomach this.
It's the same I'm disappointed but I want to keep reading to get a better understanding of the story. I just wish they went with the name of the IF Love After Death, not "Love After your partner ends up in a car crash has amnesia, but people are keeping up the premise that he's dead, because?"
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' but 1. it's part of the tsundere act, because that's the archetype of character he is (and deep down, he cares, etc etc), 2. i would understand with MCs who are joking around to cope, or in denial, or whatever... but what about MCs who are coping terribly? not sleeping, eating, leaving home, had a personality change, and above all, really treasure Elias' things still? wouldn't that be a bit... too much for a break-up? let alone one that he thinks MC was responsible for? i just think about this image.
