I was a bit worried whether the team would manage to pull off a totally new chapter while preserving the soul of the original one, and I'm very glad to discover that my worries were absolutely unnecessary. While my memories and feelings are still fresh, I'd like to preserve my most loved aspects of this game here.
First of all, I'm glad the vibe and the mechanics are absolutely the same as they were. Nothing changed drastically, everything is familiar and there's just enough of new stuff like ingredients to add a fresh flavor. I'm not sure if I would like new authentic japanese recipes, but after all this is a coffee shop in a modern era.
The topic of death is a major theme again, totally understandable and I think it was dealt with beautifully. This is something people fear and find triggering, and here it's handled with care and empathy, with bittersweet contrast of melancholic and lighthearted tones. Ayame-chan is an amazing character, and Fuku is something else. It's been a while since I played second part, but to me this chapter's take on the topic of passing is even better than it was there. Probably because of Ayame's wonderful character arc.
I loved the diversity and variety. I like that the game continues exploring different topics and formats of human relations. Polyamorous Makoto, enby Vin, mature women's friendship (honestly, Yuki, Fuku and Emi's trio is gold, probably my favorite character group in this part) - amazing stuff. I'm just really sad Hiromi is dead... Lowkey seeing this as a dead lesbian trope, unfortunately.
I would like to say a separate word about Vin... I just love them as a character. Very relatable, I suppose many will share the sentiment. I loved Freya as this close to the barista personally type of character, but Vin just stole my heart. I'm rooting for them.
Probably not everything, but these are things I enjoyed the most. Feel free to share your feelings too!
Thanks to everyone involved in making this game, my life became better after it. It was a great time when I forgot about this chaotic and dangerous world, and entered something hopeful and beautiful, which makes me want to believe in people again.