I've been hearing some talk about the game, but not enough to get spoiled on it. I simply know that unexpected stuff happens and that it isn't what it appears to be. I'm an avid "anime watcher" so I have no issue with shows that hide their true nature.

Is this game super anime? Will it go places that the bait and switch anime shows have gone in the past?

@golguin: If you've watched anime and can tolerate some typical anime girl archetypes at the outset, you will be perfectly fine to reach the point in the game where it gets interesting.

The interesting part in this game strikes me as something you would be unlikely to have seen in an anime show.

The difficult part is getting through all the tropes in the beginning but as an anime fan the way it breaks conventions will be more impactful.

I'd say that if you like anime, it's probably a good fit =) I would also say this game is the most appealing to those who have previously played VNs, as up until a certain point, it is very much a normal VN. They can be kind of slow paced, so know that going in. Otherwise, I can't recommend it enough!

This first hour or so is standard visual novel/dating sim tropes, followed by some real intense shit. By "intense shit", I mean mostly stuff related to mental illnesses, including (but not limited to) EXPLICIT portrayals of self-harm, suicide, and dissociation/derealization, as well as graphic violence and a plotline related to abuse, just to name a few things.

So not to give away all the twists or story beats, but just so you have a heads up in case that sort of thing is absolutely not your jam.

So is this just some form of porn, including non-sexual, or does it go exploring?

P.S. excuse me for interjecting this question, come to think. No rudeness meant to the OP

@bybeach: At first appearance it is a Japanese-style visual novel that falls within the "dating sim" genre where it is insinuated that the main character is a single guy and is in a school club where he can show romantic interest in one of the various typical anime girl characters.

Later on the story takes some dark, unusual turns, and is no longer a dating sim in any way, though it is generally still presented in the visual novel format.

@bybeach: The whole crux of the game is to subvert the expectations of an anime visual novel. You calling those kinds of visual novels "some form of porn," probably means you will appreciate some of the themes the game presents later on.

@bybeach: so I kept hearing about this game, and finally installed it (its free). I totally thought that was the direction it was going, and I didn’t get what the heck the appeal was until I did. There’s no nudity or anything like that.

Very interesting. I thought I knew the kind of turn the game was going to take, but it suddenly went somewhere I was not prepared for. Still playing.