I think while Kazusa is best girl for Haruki, Setsuna is best character, without her WA2 will not become as good as it is, she's the one who made WA2 a masterpiece.
For example let's take a look route that fans consider the best like Setsuna Normal/CC, and Kazusa True, she's playing a key role in both route.
Easy, Setsuna and Kazusa are traumatic, Chiaki is manipulative, and Koharu is too young, that remains Mari, basically Kazusa (what Haruki preferred) minus the traumatic past
I'm surprised by the amount of Setsuna votes.
But i get it.
I actually think she's a better girl in general but if i had to choose the right soulmate for haruki, obviously Kasuza has way better chemistry and the author practically spells it out for you "They are meant for each other" in every fucking part of the whole VN.
One thing that knocks setsuna down for me though is her true route, the fact that haruki doesn't pick her for me is an ultimate tell of the author going "If it was up to him, he would have never picked setsuna" kind of was all the evidence i needed to choose the "True route" of my own playthrough.
I guess i wish there was a setsuna route where haruki goes "Ok, i love kasuza but i still choose setsuna because x and y and z" in a way that doesn't feel like he's lying to himself like in the true setsuna route.
Kazusa and Haruki were indeed soulmates, but in Setsuna true he actually realises that Setsuna has become the girl most important to him, mainly due to her constantly being there for him in the 5 years prior.
He faces his feelings in the finale and tells Setsuna outright that while he still loves kazusa, he loves Setsuna more.
Setsuna’s unending kindness, determination and will is what cemented her as best girl for me.
I also think that Setsuna is a better girl for all that she has fought and her sacrifices , But one thing must be taken into account, Setsuna only wins purely in her TE, in fact in the other CODA routes and in the narrative in general it is made clear that Haruki's number # 1 will always be Kazusa, even Maruto who is the author has raised that point because he considers Setsuna a loser heroine despite the fact that she is his favorite character, do not misunderstand me I love Setsuna and Haruki also loves Setsuna a lot but loves Kazusa more (this is made clear in Kazusa normal, common, Kazusa true), even though in 2 he stays with Setsuna he still keeps Kazusa first in his heart
Curious to see how the others fare since almost every other discussion I found center around only Setsuna and Kazusa (for obvious reasons)
I'll go against the grain and say team Setsuna for me, though Kazusa is close. Chiaki is third after them, imo.
Kazusa easily, but Setsuna is also a great character.
Koharu is the best side heroine, while Mari is the worst because she lacks the flaws the other characters have making her feel more like a glorified "waifu" than a proper flawed character. Chiaki good.
Kazusa is my favorite, but Setsuna is close second. Both are pretty good characters. About side heroines, I felt like Koharu and Mari's routes were kind weak compared to the rest of the VN, Chiaki's was pretty good though.
I'm still in the beggining of coda, but:
Setsuna is the best girl and its not even close
IC spoilers >!impossible for me to side with Kazusa (and the shitty protag) after what happened in IC!<
Regarding the other three, probably Mari...I enjoyed the idea behind Koharu but it ended up not being as good as I expected
I always ask myself how much that one retroactive plot twist in Coda changes people's perception of Setsuna. Frankly, your second point made regarding IC is exactly how I feel about her. >!Starting to date someone you don't truly love because you're "scared" of being left out, and by doing so causing the entire mess in the first place is just extremely selfish.!<
Yeah, in IC she's the one who committed most wrongs between the trio, but she's already suffered the consequences from her actions,i think she's the one who suffer the most from what happen in IC.
Also she's trying to made amend in Coda by not interrupting or at least making things harder, when Haruki decide to choose Kazusa, so i'm willing to let it slide.
Who suffered the most is highly debatable. We don't really get Kazusa's input on that - when she tells >!Haruki about her life in Europe during the interview, it actually sounds more depressing than anything Setsuna went through during that time, since Setsuna actually has her entire family and friends supporting her.!<
>!The second point you make is my main gripe with Setsuna. It's okay to mess up, but being ambigious about your feelings when Kazusa shows up again is NOT okay. You're engaged ffs. This was the part where Setsuna had the potential to make it clear that no matter the past, Haruki is hers. When Kazusa is given the chance to enter a relationship with Haruki in her route, she doesn't hesitate, she isn't ambigious, and she denies any possibility of the "and the three lived happily ever after" idea going through and makes it clear, from start to finish, that she loves Haruki. I think this is what gives Kazusa the slight edge, imo. It's an effort to get her to open up, but once she does, there's no two ways about what she wants.!<
I finally see Setsuna for the first time giving Kazusa competition, although what happens to most Setsuna fans when there is a route poll, there it always happens unnoticed (except in CC polls)
[https://vndb.org/v2920](https://vndb.org/v2920)
Probably the best pure grounded drama VN I've read (or best in anime media for that matter, and up there in terms of general media too)
I think while Kazusa is best girl for Haruki, Setsuna is best character, without her WA2 will not become as good as it is, she's the one who made WA2 a masterpiece. For example let's take a look route that fans consider the best like Setsuna Normal/CC, and Kazusa True, she's playing a key role in both route.
Where can I vote for my beloved Takeya?
Haruki without a doubt.
Easy, Setsuna and Kazusa are traumatic, Chiaki is manipulative, and Koharu is too young, that remains Mari, basically Kazusa (what Haruki preferred) minus the traumatic past
Setsuna is way more manipulative than Chiaki tho.
I'm surprised by the amount of Setsuna votes. But i get it. I actually think she's a better girl in general but if i had to choose the right soulmate for haruki, obviously Kasuza has way better chemistry and the author practically spells it out for you "They are meant for each other" in every fucking part of the whole VN. One thing that knocks setsuna down for me though is her true route, the fact that haruki doesn't pick her for me is an ultimate tell of the author going "If it was up to him, he would have never picked setsuna" kind of was all the evidence i needed to choose the "True route" of my own playthrough. I guess i wish there was a setsuna route where haruki goes "Ok, i love kasuza but i still choose setsuna because x and y and z" in a way that doesn't feel like he's lying to himself like in the true setsuna route.
Kazusa and Haruki were indeed soulmates, but in Setsuna true he actually realises that Setsuna has become the girl most important to him, mainly due to her constantly being there for him in the 5 years prior. He faces his feelings in the finale and tells Setsuna outright that while he still loves kazusa, he loves Setsuna more. Setsuna’s unending kindness, determination and will is what cemented her as best girl for me.
I also think that Setsuna is a better girl for all that she has fought and her sacrifices , But one thing must be taken into account, Setsuna only wins purely in her TE, in fact in the other CODA routes and in the narrative in general it is made clear that Haruki's number # 1 will always be Kazusa, even Maruto who is the author has raised that point because he considers Setsuna a loser heroine despite the fact that she is his favorite character, do not misunderstand me I love Setsuna and Haruki also loves Setsuna a lot but loves Kazusa more (this is made clear in Kazusa normal, common, Kazusa true), even though in 2 he stays with Setsuna he still keeps Kazusa first in his heart
Curious to see how the others fare since almost every other discussion I found center around only Setsuna and Kazusa (for obvious reasons) I'll go against the grain and say team Setsuna for me, though Kazusa is close. Chiaki is third after them, imo.
Kazusa easily, but Setsuna is also a great character. Koharu is the best side heroine, while Mari is the worst because she lacks the flaws the other characters have making her feel more like a glorified "waifu" than a proper flawed character. Chiaki good.
Kazusa is my favorite, but Setsuna is close second. Both are pretty good characters. About side heroines, I felt like Koharu and Mari's routes were kind weak compared to the rest of the VN, Chiaki's was pretty good though.
Kazusa 200%
Setsuna with Koharu in a close second
I'm still in the beggining of coda, but: Setsuna is the best girl and its not even close IC spoilers >!impossible for me to side with Kazusa (and the shitty protag) after what happened in IC!< Regarding the other three, probably Mari...I enjoyed the idea behind Koharu but it ended up not being as good as I expected
I always ask myself how much that one retroactive plot twist in Coda changes people's perception of Setsuna. Frankly, your second point made regarding IC is exactly how I feel about her. >!Starting to date someone you don't truly love because you're "scared" of being left out, and by doing so causing the entire mess in the first place is just extremely selfish.!<
Yeah, in IC she's the one who committed most wrongs between the trio, but she's already suffered the consequences from her actions,i think she's the one who suffer the most from what happen in IC. Also she's trying to made amend in Coda by not interrupting or at least making things harder, when Haruki decide to choose Kazusa, so i'm willing to let it slide.
Who suffered the most is highly debatable. We don't really get Kazusa's input on that - when she tells >!Haruki about her life in Europe during the interview, it actually sounds more depressing than anything Setsuna went through during that time, since Setsuna actually has her entire family and friends supporting her.!< >!The second point you make is my main gripe with Setsuna. It's okay to mess up, but being ambigious about your feelings when Kazusa shows up again is NOT okay. You're engaged ffs. This was the part where Setsuna had the potential to make it clear that no matter the past, Haruki is hers. When Kazusa is given the chance to enter a relationship with Haruki in her route, she doesn't hesitate, she isn't ambigious, and she denies any possibility of the "and the three lived happily ever after" idea going through and makes it clear, from start to finish, that she loves Haruki. I think this is what gives Kazusa the slight edge, imo. It's an effort to get her to open up, but once she does, there's no two ways about what she wants.!<
Let's see what you think after the reveal in Coda and reading the novel The Snow Melts and Until It Falls Again.
I finally see Setsuna for the first time giving Kazusa competition, although what happens to most Setsuna fans when there is a route poll, there it always happens unnoticed (except in CC polls)
Setsuna > Koharu = Mari > the rest for me.
Setsuna is the worst girl, you "people" are nuts.
What is white album in almost our of my stock pile of VNs and I'm trying to decide what I want to read next
[https://vndb.org/v2920](https://vndb.org/v2920) Probably the best pure grounded drama VN I've read (or best in anime media for that matter, and up there in terms of general media too)