Luniverse Miscellaneous

things I actually kinda liked about GM

first post of the new year, let's go

granted it was supposed to be a completely different idea instead but GL2 is a pain to use

Okay, okay, I know what you're thinking. For all the time I and everyone else on this side of Wattpad spend trashing and clowning on Lander's writing (and rightfully so) why would I unironically praise some of it in the same breath?

Incredibly valid point. GM's absolutely ATROCIOUS, even for an apparent budget VN. Honestly genuinely and thoroughly surprised Lucas even let the project get published at all, let alone under his/his company's name, because as far as I'm aware he didn't even WORK on this one.

Did he seriously just handwave it just like that?

Or did the rest of the crew make it under the table or something?

How the heck did NOBODY THERE bother to sensitivity read (or at least beta at the bare minimum)?

Who knows, and who cares. Either way this piece of work is visible for all to see, complete with stale voice acting, stiff dialogue, nonsensical retcons, and severely questionable undercurrents that thanks to the BS narrative framing only become increasingly more apparent with age/life experience instead of being 100% recognizable right off the bat. Ugh.

Still don't like how Sellie and Lunith were unnecessarily screwed with either. It's like he specifically set out to defy the source material and went out of his way to try painting the former far worse than it originally was and the latter "better" than it originally was.

hm

like we all know which ship you very clearly favor(ed) dude

you're giving those fujoshis that rewrite a canon fem love interest into hell on earth just so they can justify pairing the MLs in their convoluted borderline fetishistic/NSFW fanfic because they can't possibly think of any far more reasonable way to make the fanon M/M ship look better by comparison

literally both ships are basically canon (or at the very least an open possibility) there's no reason to play warmonger

also don't you dare get me started on that OT3

i refuse to believe someone is unironically this bad at portraying relationships without some form of malice or internalized bad influences/overexposure to the internet behind it

and this is coming from someone who has definitely written all kinds of improper relationships she shouldn't have in middle/early high school for seemingly no identifiable reason

no I don't want to talk about it

i just needed it off my chest to make a point

Anyway, enough of all that. We're talking about concepts I either liked when I first played or still do now because it's the new year and we at least can try to start it off positive up in here. :D

Liked at first:

• Kuku's route, even though it wasn't the route I was going for whatsoever. Honestly, ignoring the whole DID/evil split personality thing (which rubbed me the wrong way the second it was referred to as the former in-game, because before that point I figured it was just a really strong residual brainwash/phantom link she hadn't been able to break yet, and even 2019 me figured attributing supernatural tendencies to a genuine mental illness felt like an offensive attempt at a cop-out of sorts), it was pretty solid? Faulty memory I guess, but I actually found it kinda cute at certain points.

• Ellie's route, ignoring the vaguely bad vibes I got every now and then but willingly shook off anyway solely because it was finally some potentially canon ship material for a pairing I was just starting to get into. Cause if other people like it just fine there's not really anything wrong and I'm just crazy, right? (Yeah, not a good motto to live by.)

• Naomi's route was pretty nice too.

• Kugari's route I found neat enough. Nothing too sappy or special, but I was genuinely surprised when nobody else seemed to like it just because it stayed platonic no matter what. Then again, I HC him as aroace partially because of that whole ordeal so maybe that made me like it more, I dunno.

Still like:

• The general/central conflict. Makes for some good moments. Definitely could be more developed.

• The Sellie night garden/greenhouse scene (and honestly even the bedroom, almost-confession, and hotel nightmare ones too but we're mostly talking the garden here) would've slapped SO damn hard had it had a better writer. Like that's a beautifully perfect atmosphere for some seriously deep and honest conversation about what they mean to each other (without giving too much away on Ellie's side but still adding much-needed salve to certain burns on both ends) but Lander just went and fumbled the dialogue and general vibe despite being a quarter of the way there. So instead of proper closure it just feels like the protag's just suddenly understood and forgiven her emotional foibles right there for no good reason other than plot because her half-baked apology/explanation didn't have enough to it, or at least I felt that way. This is still my favorite scene, though now mostly for the potential and vibes it could've had more than anything else.

• Her newly gained tsundere attitude and simultaneous craving and refusing of physical love would've again been much better if not played for laughs or at the protag's expense.

• Kugari and Naomi's routes are still the best ones and I stand by this.

• The protag having a one-sided grudge against the occult/supernatural research club over fairy wings is both justified wrath and solid running gag material. Plus a nice nod to their character in general.

• I've said this before but their whole "curses" and "gods" quirk is also pretty neat.

• Kuku and the protag sneaking out of school together like they're on a stealth mission was a pretty fun concept, though slightly unnecessary (cause nobody would've cared they're together and honestly I don't remember why they actually bothered to) and kinda underdone. Their time out and about was neat too. Just your average almost-couple having fun. :)

• I also remember her beach scene being pretty ok and on par with the Sellie garden but feel free to correct me.

• Honestly, if anything I do find her whole deal with Kugari painfully relatable in a comforting-ish way. Obviously not by choice, and DEFINITELY not to such a drastic extent either. But being in that unprompted limerance state where that logical part of you knows full well your obsessing/unhealthy attachment is wrong and you want it to just stop, and yet somehow some ungrounded obsession you don't even want to be feeling with someone you hardly know manages to override and calls all the shots anyway is actually something that really speaks to me now. It honestly really does feel like two completely different impulses are running my brain sometimes - I feel like that whole plot wouldn't have gotten so much backlash if he didn't try to poorly pin it on DID and instead something like obsessive love disorder...maybe.

• Can I just say I love the idea of the Earth gang frequenting a favorite cafe near the school so dang much? Legally the best part of the game right there. No joke.

• Banter amongst the Moon gang is a great idea. Again, wish it was better dialogue.

• Creator Luni actually has something to somewhat distance her from "old obsolete persona" and her connection to Lucas. Love to see it. Not saying that it's well-developed or explored enough or anything, but small victories.

• Don't necessarily like it, but I think L and L's entire route would've been significantly improved if it was at least written like Kugari's.

And then as far as I'm aware the rest needs to go to super hell.

Obviously if I forgot anything or you have suggestions, feel free to comment. :D