Our Wonderland

So like. Amazing. Literally amazing. What the fuck am I going to do with my life now? /j

SPOILERS FOR THE GAME BELOW

Ok so, before finally playing the last part of Arc 5, I actually replayed through the whole game in order to refresh my memory on everything and I DEFINITELY felt like that was needed. I already had a good idea of everything that occurred throughout the game, but experiencing it all over again was definitely much more different than just remembering. It was probably a bad idea in hindsight because I was playing during a week where standardized testing was happening, but I believe it was all worth it. And it made Arc 5 all the more impactful.

The moment they all enter the cabin, there was already quite a bit to unpack. Iggy and Gidget were faced with a reminder of what happened at the end of Arc 4, there was a weird door they all had to figure out how to open, and Genzou and Orlam were already starting to bicker.

(I liked the brief callback to Jerry :D)

I had expected to see Genzou and Orlam to be somewhat happier to talk with each other, but it makes sense that they were still quite hostile, when you think about the relentless torment that Orlam had to go through, and Genzou’s routine of degrading Orlam that he had fallen so deeply into, which he was reluctant to break. That isn’t something one single apology can just fix, and that’s not even considering all the things in the loops that they had to undergo.

And then… Iggy and Gidget. I can’t imagine the cesspool of emotions both of them probably felt when entering the cabin, especially Gidget. That moment HAD been peaceful at first, until the drug that they infused the drink with kicked in, in order to “fix” Iggy and have the perfect life with him.

I love how much emphasis is put on this moment when Iggy “chose” them. The fact that Iggy described Gidget as so composed and strong at first, only for their barely maintained composure to crumble when they started apologizing for what they did to him. And also, in no way did they ever show the resentment towards him that they harbored for him in previous arcs. It was likely exacerbated by the Wonderland, and they also were preoccupied when apologizing to Iggy at that present moment, but still.

They had changed so much, from when Genzou and Iggy first visited them in the town, to that moment, when they started crying, kneeling in front of Iggy. Their change wasn’t just in physical appearance, but in mindset and demeanor as well. The complete shift from how flippant and carefree they were in the beginning, to the serious and grounded mindset they started to adopt the moment they were released from the shackles of others’ expectations for them. Though, that same carefree demeanor also felt like an attempt to disguise the fact that they were hanging onto their last thread of sanity, so it was probably more like a return to what they used to be.  And the vulnerability they had when they expressed their fear of the Wonderland showing their “true self” is heartbreaking. It tied in with their whole theme of "not knowing themself", which is most evidently relevant to their gender identity, but also to other aspects of themself and whatnot.

Even with all this in mind, Iggy chose to trust them, and believe in the person that they have transformed into, rather than the person driven insane by the delusions of a fantasy world that had tortured him so much. I feel like that aspect of their relationship is what led me to enjoy seeing it play out so much. Them falling asleep outside instead of going back inside is so dorky too.

And SPEAKING of Genzou… there was a lot of content for his scene that made me think “damn, this one is definitely the most romantic out of all of them”. Like, they kiss once, then another time, and then they have a CG in the cabin where they’re lovingly gazing into each other’s eyes. Funnily enough, I was thinking about Orlam being awake and just watching them (especially considering that’s the very thing he does the morning after) when that moment happened. As for Gidget, I assume they were still outside, but it’s kinda funny to imagine them walking in and being like “…oh" and then needing to deal with that in the morning. 

It does actually make sense that Iggy and Genzou have the strongest relationship, at least in terms of romance, because he’s the only one that hadn’t really traumatized him in any way, so there’s not much room for animosity in their relationship. And the fact that his arc was centered around the comfort that he gives Iggy and how much he cared for him makes it even easier for Iggy to love him without any reservations.

Either way, it’s so sweet to see how their scene plays out. It first starts off with Iggy caring for Genzou’s severed finger, and then delving into Genzou’s deep-rooted issues of self-hatred and his hypocrisy. I really love the part where Iggy proclaims that he loves Genzou when Genzou asks why he cares so much and then they have the kiss and then the dorky moment when Genzou is pulling his beanie over his head and AAAAAAAAAAAAA

This scene with Genzou feels EXTREMELY relevant to how they both were in the beginning of Arc 5, where Iggy takes it upon himself to care for Genzou when he’s not in the right mind to care for himself, where in the past, Genzou had been the one doing that. Notably, there’s also the juxtaposition of how they’re feeling extremely conflicting emotions about each other when Iggy visits Genzou’s house in the beginning, to how SURE they are of their feelings right before they confront Bucks. Iggy’s comment about the world being too cruel to let them sleep peacefully together reminds me of Arc 2, where they have the moment in the castle where Iggy opens up to him and they kiss, only for that happy moment to be taken away from them so quickly when Iggy was brought to be electrocuted and Genzou was later axed by Bucks at the cliff.

As for Orlam, it’s a bit sad that my opinion of him hasn’t changed much from my perspective in previous comments I’ve made. I guess it’s because of the fact that we didn't really see much of him until the latter half of Arc 5, and his segment primarily consisted of him expressing his hatred for the others and how much he suffered, right until the very end. It’s like, I understand his story and shit, and there are some parts of it I feel I can relate with, but he just doesn’t resonate with me as much as Gidget and Genzou does.

With that out of the way, I still think his dynamic with Iggy is intriguing, though. Their relationship isn’t plainly defined as “romantic”, because there’s more to it than that, but they also don’t try to conform to the expectations of others (hence the theme of “making one’s own rules”). Even so, there’s still a clear connection that they have with each other, even with the ways that they largely differ.

He definitely opens up more when Iggy chooses him, too. There’s no doubt that he certainly likes to fluster Iggy, but there’s also a sense of caring that he has for Iggy too. His morals are interesting also, with how he confirms that he had some semblance of regret for what he did, but still wouldn’t change what he did: rather, if it ended, then he would simply “let it end”. Interestingly enough, this idea also seems to be relevant to his lack of reactions compared to Gidget and Genzou when Iggy is put in some kind of danger (even when he’s the one that’s “chosen”).

I think it’s because in some way, he’s accepting the possibility of Iggy dying. Not because he doesn’t care for him, but because that’s something that can happen, and there’s no changing it if it does. One also has to consider that this timeline takes place where Iggy was one of the multiple people in the friend group that let him be bullied relentlessly (even when he had good moments with Orlam), and the fact that he was the target of Genzou’s affections. Genzou, the one who Orlam had a big fat crush on. So it would make sense if there was still some built up resentment that led him to not care as much for Iggy. I could be misconstruing his actions entirely, but who knows lol.

And then if Iggy chooses no one, I think I like the way he approached the events that happen from that point onward. Sure, you lose out on specific interactions that pertain to specific characters, but it also feels like his actions were consistent with his motives. He tried to take it into his own hands to do things on his own and took the initiative, first helping Genzou and going off on his own to confront Gidget. He didn’t go unscathed while doing it, evidently (considering he sustained injuries basically every other second), but his efforts still showed nonetheless.

He grit his teeth through the tough moments, and tried to rely on his own strength to do everything that he can feasibly do himself (at least if he chooses no one to help him). In all honesty, it’s kinda funny thinking about how he has the whole spiel about needing someone else’s warmth because he’ll die without it, only for him to be like “…actually, I can use my own warmth”.

Ok so um. Finally moving onto the more important events of Arc 5, the battle with Bucks was... certainly not what I was expecting. She manifested as a LITERAL monster when they first encounter her, which then becomes so sad to think about after the flashbacks and cutscene of Iggy as Hunar telling her she’s not a monster. With this continuous perception of her being some sort of monster, she just started to roll with it entirely, with Hunar being the only one that diverged from this point of view. At least, up until their relationship started going downhill (it was so sad seeing her sob after Hunar called her a monster T_T). The Wonderland also warping her into becoming the cold-blooded killer that the group was faced with at the end of their respective arcs didn’t help to relieve that perception of her either, and probably even exacerbated it considering they had to see her like that multiple times.

Going back to before that, it’s interesting that Iggy tried to use the Saydie doll to get Bucks’s attention first instead of the axe charm, when Saydie was basically the primary cause of Bucks’s suffering, whether she wanted her to be or not. Though Iggy does come to this realization when he actually grabs the axe charm. It’s pretty funny how it plays out cause the screen is all red and shaky from having his fingers literally being CUT OFF and then everything suddenly comes to a stop, and he's like “ah. of course.”

And when they finally get to the tree. I fucking had CHILLS when the heartbeat scene happened. Initially, the silhouette of the tree getting closer and closer made me anxious that there was gonna be a jumpscare or something, but then the reveal that Saydie was being kept alive by the tree was horrifying. Like, she was alive, but as a “writhing mass” (as Orlam had described her), and the visceral descriptions that were given, accompanied by the music that played… like jfc. It makes sense that she kept telling Iggy to kill her cause I don’t think ANYONE wants to live like that.

Tbh, I actually didn’t think about the tree itself being the main antagonistic force, but that should’ve been obvious in hindsight to me. It’s so… innocently described in the story given in the very beginning of Arc 5, and then it felt so... malicious once they finally met it in the end. Though, that could be because it was affected by the Wonderland’s tendencies, considering how fucked up the world all was.

After that would be the scene with Saydie where she takes Iggy to hear about all of the others’ wishes, and then Iggy’s own wish. Through Iggy’s own power, when he simultaneously grants Saydie’s wish and destroys the tree, it’s very gratifying to watch. At the same time though, I’m confused about the true importance of Iggy’s wish. He wished that “he could make his friends this happy forever”, but… what happened, exactly? Under the assumption that this wish disappeared just like the others, does it mean that the loop was broken? I guess it would be because this happiness was derived from being in the Wonderland, and if that lasted forever, then so would the Wonderland. There was clarification about this in another comment, but I'm not exactly sure if I have the correct impression.

On that note, the fact that everyone got a chance to redo the past (albeit with certain events staying the same) is quite the unexpected ending. I had thought they would be forced to confront the world as they were, with their present injuries and trauma and all that shit. Don’t get me wrong though, it was not bad by any means. I very much liked seeing the new resolutions of the events that went down, and also how everyone lived their lives anew. It probably just took me surprise, like it did with many others. I think I liked the Genzou variant the most (which is probably no surprise, considering my previous comments about him).

There’s honestly so much more I could call attention to, like the callbacks dispersed throughout the game to moments that previously happened, the various cutscenes in the latter half of the game that are so fucking heartwrenching (i.e. Genzou’s apology to Orlam), the endcards, and the very fitting OSTs, but that’d drag it out way longer. So I will leave it at that, and tell you that this was truly a fantastic game. I’m very happy to have discovered this game when it was still in the works and it feels so great to see it be finished. I also enjoyed your responses to my comments very much and I will miss them a lot. IDFK how I made another comment this long just by analyzing the second part of Arc 5, but I guess I just REALLY really liked this game. So as a concluding statement, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING OUR WONDERLAND!!!!

After finishing the game, I immediately created this account for the sole purpose of writing this comment. Our Wonderland has been a journey–I wasn’t here at the beginning of the game, I actually played it first when Arc 5 part 1 came out. Nonetheless, It’s been amazing seeing the story and character development. Even as I write this, I can’t believe it’s over. Iggy, Genzou, Gidget, Orlam, Hunar, and Buxley.. They’ll always be in my heart. The world of “Our Wonderland” is so much more than a game. It’s everything!!

Anyways, I’m not the best with words, but I need to say THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CREATING OUR WONDERLAND!!!!!!! IT’S THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, AMAZING PIECE OF MEDIA EVER CREATED AND I’M GOING TO SCREAM THAT FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!! Everything from the music choice, placement, sprites, colours, EVERYTHING was perfect. And the writing. I LOVED THE WRITING SO MUCH RAHHHHH

Don’t get me started on the characters either. I love everyone of them and I feel so close with them. Iggy especially though, he’s so relatable and I really connected with his struggles at times. The pressure to perform is so hard, and life can feel meaningless sometimes. But I love the message of the game, which I think is to find your own happiness. The character development is amazing, and there are so many connections and references throughout the game!! 

I’ve recommended this to everyone I know (whether they actually played it or not has remained a mystery) but I think that more people need to seriously know about this!!! Our Wonderland is a beautiful, heartwarming and tearjerking game (literally i cried multiple times) which is severely underrated. I wish that I could tell you every other thought that i’ve had about this game or write several essays like the other commenters, but like i said earlier I’m not too good with words. Still, I hope my message reaches you (in case it didn’t, the message is that you created the best game in the world and i love it so so so much my heart might burst). 

I won’t yap for much longer: Carrot Patch Games, you deserve an award or several of them or really a trophy for creating the best game EVER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING :) <3 

I needed some time to collect my thoughts after finishing the finale and all endings. The ending threw me for a loop (a time loop...lol). I'll get more into Ending Spoilers later, but I want to say some non-spoilery stuff about the game as a whole first.

This is such an awesome gore game. There is nothing else like Our Wonderland. The level of nonsense this game is on is unmatched. I am a big fan of hyper-gore and guro-type games, on some level because its such a strange and loud way to tell a story that it always makes me interested. There's also a sense of humor and catharsis in the absurdity of all that violence. Our Wonderland makes use of these ideas so well. These characters are dysfunctional, they never learned how to be close to someone without ripping their skin off, and its sad, and its funny, and it's hitting on a personal level. I have also never played another game that depicts asexuality in such a visceral way. OW rockz 5ever.

Spoilers time~

Okay, so that ending! The more I thought about the characters, the more I liked it and a sense of acceptance washed over me. They were always in that never-ending life, even before I came in and started playing with them, and so of course they return once again. It reminded me of the Nietzsche quote I sent you on tumblr a while ago. (I couldn't find the tumblr post, so I'm just linking to the quote itself.)

The scene with Saydie guiding Iggy to find all his friends was really emotional for me. All the characters saying their adult wishes, but looking like children, and realizing their wishes sound so much like the wishes of children. Sometimes I feel like I carry every age I've ever been with me, so I'm more experienced at being 9 than I am at being 26. This scene reminded me of that feeling. It was really well-done. 

Other thoughts: I am still reeling from my ship being canon!? Gidget/Cecil/Orlam canon, arguably in every universe except for the Orly ending! I am screaming!! I am sooooo happy for them. Oh my GOD.

I also really loved the Orly ending, too! For me, that one was the sweetest. They keep coming back to each other. Everything about them together. Discordant harmony in B, please. <3 

Our Wonderland is so good. Congrats on finishing this giant game! I'm so happy I got to play it, and now it will be played over and over again by players new and old! :3

I am literally in love with Orlam and Genzou. They are my new hyperfixation. Thank you.

I have never been great with words, but I very much have to try for this game, as it has meant so much to me in so many ways and I have to find a way to say it. It's beautiful, somehow relates to me, or makes me think about what I would want in ways that I was expecting (me being ace, feeling like I didn't fit in) to ways I just wasn't expecting or maybe didn't even know that I was going to relate to (the potential Orlam and Iggy relationship) and, of course, made me cry after a day or two with my friend who played the game practically alongside me, but with how many emotions I had for this game, that was to be expected!

Honestly, this game inspired me in every way it could, art (especially pixel art which I hope to be just as good in some way at some point!), music choice, writing and the characters (who I all loved the whole way through), enough that I feel I have to buckle down and find a way to make a game that's somehow just as amazing, I even found myself literally listening to the music and such while I work on my own stuff, just to remind myself how much I love it, and feel so inspired all over again!

!SPOILERS!

But that's just my general feelings, I have even more to say specifically! :D

I think I played the finale as soon as I was physically able to, exactly how I played every other Arc when I found this game and refused to put it down. (Or stop telling the people around me in real life everything about it.) And with everyone together and things being more peaceful at the cabin I was already emotional, enough that when things got to Bucks and everything surrounding her with how the group treated her and, honestly I like how it wasn't a "huge" incident or particularly one incident that was bad, it was more of a consistent treatment that wore on her eventually, I was consistently close to tears from the start, and that's not even mentioning the later scenes, where I had to fight tears so badly I got a headache.

Then the tree and Saydie. Those were just amazing scenes in every way, horrifying, but amazing. This is where I mean I have a hard time with words, but I truly loved this scene, in atmosphere and reveals.

The field scene surprised me, but fit in perfectly too!

I had little idea what the final ending for everything was going to be, but the final time loop was a great end to me, one final loop to something better, not perfect, but better!

And that's of course not even mentioning the routes, a big part of all my emotions, I just love every ship with Iggy, enough that one day I basically have one as my favorite before waking up the next day and having another and then other days they are all my favorite, just because I find something so good in each of the dynamics, where I'll just remember a scene and just love that pair all over again.

I feel like I can only just say random things about each pair that I loved so much, like how Iggy and Orlam's relationship isn't one thing and still just as close, or how Genzou and Iggy's scene finally has Iggy actually tell Genzou he loves him or Gidget and Iggy's relationship changing so much for the better in their ending together. Maybe my thoughts are just a little scattered right now, but I can only describe it as I have so much to love with each pair and I have a hard time describing how much I love each, other than just saying random parts I liked with each.

I went in the order of Orlam - Neutral - Gidget - Genzou, mostly as I knew I would like Orlam and Genzou no matter what so they should be my first and last routes and I always leave Gidget as my nice surprise in the middle. Plus tradition honestly, for some reason I did the same thing while playing OFW and OC, I either played Orlam or Genzou first, then Gidget, then whoever was left. My friend and I even discussed which route to play first, we took it seriously!

Just to end this, thank you for making this game, Carrot. I loved it in every way, and I believe it is a story that I will carry with me forever! Take care of yourself and I'll keep an eye out for anything else you do!

I am finally back and actually managed to sob (My heart turns to stone for a day after finishing something, and THEN I cry) so now I am ready to pour love all over this game!

!SPOILERS!

Firstly, I played through everything (Leaving Genzou's route for last because I wanted to end on my fav) and for the story, MY GOSH.

I adored everyone being back together, and finally realizing how much they've been neglecting Bucks, who somehow went from the littlest one of them (Complete with Gidget "protecting" her in the beginning from Genzou's crassness) to becoming the big, strong one that got shoved the responsibility of "protecting" them. I loved how it was never anything spectacular, or horrific, but her response was still just as upset at the expectations thrust upon her. The whole situation is complete when you realize in Arcs 3 and 4, Bucks just...disappears from mind, because they forgot about her. In that way, it was obvious only words from Hunar (adorable flashbacks, btw) would bring her back.

And then...the tree and Saydie. I loved how in the realization that this terrible, awful tree smells sweet made me feel like it was a Venus Fly Trap. Guiding children in to feed it wishes, and then kicking them out when their lives became difficult and "not innocent" (And judging them by completely arbitrary standards that are unfair to people growing up or going through life).

And then Saydie and the field was honestly where I teared up. That Iggy could never allow himself to have the same enjoyment as them all, and their frankly innocent wishes, followed by making a decision for himself (I found it a really nice thing that making himself happy was not exclusive to helping support the others in their happiness, heck, even IGGY seemed to think his happiness was exclusive to theirs, which was just untrue) And then destroying that terrible tree (I wonder if its gone for good, especially since the book is now blank).

I honestly wasn't expecting the time loop to loop back into their childhood, but my surprise didn't supersede my enjoyment. I love that they only get this opportunity to start again AFTER they've made the decision to be better to each other, and no sooner, so it feels like a reward for their efforts, and just a final wish to ease the journey (cause I believe they could have fixed their relationships, but I'm glad they got a chance to take kinder actions). Obviously, I'm super glad they remember as well (even if not in their head all the time) and this influences their actions beyond this point, but never making it perfect (Orlam still had his rough childhood, Genzou had his accident, Gidget still had a tough self-discovery), just better. Being ACTUAL friends to each other (now I just wanna write fanfics of the "better" actions that the others took, if only cause we only explicitly see Iggy's choice changes...and ships, cause that fuels me and I wasn't expecting to get so much material  + poly implications with some parts!?!?). Cecil and Jerry making it into the real world was a happy surprise, that just makes me think reality had to rearrange itself without the tree, which is always fun.

Them crying together nearly killed me, though, such a good catharsis and I felt a good way to SHOW how this would still affect them (along with all of them seeing each other's pain in the moment).

Speaking of ships, the SCENES and ENDINGS. Strap in, cause here's where I get rambly. I played them in order of Orlam -> Neutral -> Gidget -> Genzou, so I'll speak in that order.

Orlam's was incredibly sweet, along with the typical Orlam flavor. I liked how he views his actions in Wonderland as disconnected compared to Gidget, as he has a stronger grasp on who he is. The dynamic is very cute, with the fast paced dance and talking finally easing down into a dance that's much slower and more comfortable, as he honestly knows Iggy enough to know he'd appreciate that.

It did hurt seeing the other's reactions though, but I feel it helps the theme. An imperfect thing, or an unhappy thing, was not going to destroy the friendship or chance of happiness.

I played the neutral ending next, and the ending cgs were really cute in detailing how Iggy reached out to the others more in friendship (The clubbing cg was hilarious), and then the connection to OC was very cute!

I'm always pleasantly surprised by Gidget, but never know what to expect, so I did them next. Their fear of their actions being their "true self" was a great contrast, and made complete sense, given they barely know who they are right now. Their feelings of wishing they could have figured this out sooner, along with Iggy, were just achingly familiar in alot of ways I imagine many people feel. Iggy also finally KNOWING what Gidget means also felt a nice contrast from their childhood, where he tried comforting them but couldn't actually understand WHAT he was comforting them from. Sleeping outside (though it froze them up good) was incredibly sweet, and having them so CLOSE (when in Arc 4 Iggy had to turn away from them, he was so ashamed by their reaction) was a great culmination. For their ending, I of course have to bring up the triple kiss. As funny as it is, it feels like a confirmation Gidget isn't letting the expectations of what's "normal" hold them back anymore, even if they shocked everyone but Cecil in the process. All in all, Iggy and Gidget felt like the most "new" relationship, as they had to figure themselves out in a way that never happened before, as so the hackathon trophy next to Saydie feels a great representation of that.

And...oh boy, GENZOU. I'm so glad I left him as my final choice to end off on, cause I adored him and Iggy so much, and it felt right. Sorry, gonna ramble a bit. Genzou always felt like the one who avoided intimacy the most with Iggy, despite how close they got and how much he became a comfort to Iggy, like he thought he'd ruin it (crossing his arms and staying still on the boat, having to think a moment to even hug Iggy, breaking away from the second kiss the moment he feels something's wrong), so it felt right that Iggy had to be the one to push for this kind of closeness. Iggy refusing to become Genzou's only reason for taking care of himself was also awesome, as their relationship clearly led to knowing they needed each other, but that has no reason to lead to Genzou setting himself on fire to keep Iggy warm, but nor should that mean Iggy should become his sole reason for living (Both aren't fair to either of them). The apartment scene, keeping Genzou warm in the woods, felt like perfect lead-ups to this conversation, to really SHOW him neglecting himself out of self-loathing and Iggy really needing him to stop doing that to himself (it only really hit me that Genzou was choosing not to eat on a second day in a row out of misery later). I also enjoy that it was the only route that has an explicit "Love you's" traded, as again, it feels relevant to both characters and their problems. Iggy for finally WANTING something out of him, and not being afraid to say it and push the issue. Genzou for finally letting himself believe Iggy actually loves him, rather than avoiding the intimacy, or writing it off as something else (acting like Iggy's just tired at the rabbit warren rather than just accept he's trying to be this close). The verbal affirmation just felt necessary. As always, I see the cgs as beautiful. The clearly overwhelming kiss like their kiss in Arc 2 (followed by tears, nooooo), and then the warm "by the stove scene" (capping off my intimacy talk by having them be so close and on the same page this time) feeling like a mirror to them in the dark bedroom in Arc 2 and their childhood scene before the accident (which ended up a moment of shame for them both, tragically). I was just glad they finally both got their "cocoon" away from expectations, Iggy from needing to do something he's uncomfortable with to deserve love, and Genzou from needing to be "helpful" to deserve a relationship (I always loved the cocoon imagery and was so happy to see it used over and over, especially in an "our cocoon" sense). I hope you can tell I loved it, and them, with all my heart! Their ending was adorable, that somehow the anxious Iggy and boisterous Genzou ended up highschool sweethearts (I also loved the cg of them talking on the phone, what with lovestruck Genzou surrounded by the decidedly UNromantic sounds of the vocational school) and settling into a very cozy life of working together and helping each other rather than one trying to do everything. Capping off on Saydie, Checkers, and Oswald as a representation of their relationship both as a friendship and romance felt perfect (for them and the game in general).

That got super long, and I hope it's not too much, but I really wanted to let you know how much this game touched me. As an ace person myself, seeing Iggy go through all this and coming out ok with his friends and potential partner was a beautiful experience. I'm sure you're tired of hearing this, but the game was an inspiration to me, and I hope to make a game that touches someone the same (I wanted to make games, but this was the kick in the pants I needed). 

This was amazing, Carrot, and I'll continue being your fan for anything else you make (but please rest up and take care of yourself!). This Drakka is out and ready for life!

Oh. My. God.

carrot i don't know how you did it but you did it. You've actually made a masterpiece.

I've been following this project since arc 1 and holy shit your game (or games, because it's like this with all your games) make me produce enough tears to make a fake ocean and also give me heavy chills.

I LOVED it. Seriously how you write, how you present the scenes, the dynamics and how REAL this feels is abnormal (in a good way of course).

This is all beyond words. I feel like i've commented this before but this is truly one of the best games out there. Something EVERYONE should try once in their life.

I won't stretch this much longer. Just know that this was an extraordinary experience. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS!!! <3 <3 <3 <3

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (incoherent screaming)

i’ve only done one route so far but there’s so much i want to scream about. the finale was amazing and there were sO MANY FEELS i don’t know if i can articulate them entirely

firstly, a side note: i mega goofed up lmao. i was shipping genzy for the most part and wanted to do genzou’s ending first but somehow i managed to unlock everything except genzou’s ending??? (don’t worry, i’m just amused! not that it was a bad thing!) i thought about genzou when entering wonderland at the start of act 5 and went to talk to genzou in the bunny hideout before heading for orlam’s castle ;;w;; maybe it’s because i :(-ed at genzou too much at the beginning for being mean to orlam maybe aslkdjalkjkdl. but it’s okay! i did orlam’s route first and thoroughly enjoyed it!

genzou saying “oh sorry orlam i forgot you were on a strict humanitarian diet” was really funny to me alksjdldkjkla,

THE ORLAM ROUTE CABIN SCENE! even though orlam wasn’t who i was originally going to pick first (i do like orlam a lot too though!! i went for orlam’s route first in OC before i played OW and got sold on genzy) the dance with him!! his comments flustering iggy!! the kiss!! them falling asleep together!! i was smiling through the whole thing and it was warming my dumb cupiromantic heart and it was chefs kiss.

genzou’s </3 at seeing iggy with orlam but still telling iggs to stay safe during the fight adiljalkdja,,, genzou im so sorry i wanted to pick you!! the game didn’t let me!! D:

BUCKS’ PART,,,, aaaaaaaa!! somehow in the previous arcs i’ve always just saw her as a scary angry axe-wielding person but seeing her go “i’m a monster” was aaaaaaaaaa (sob) and i just wanted to hug her,,, i understand that iggy and the other members of the crew didn’t have malicious intents when calling her a monster when they were younger and didn’t know how it’d impact her but still ;;w;; smol!hunar’s interactions with bucks were really sweet though!!

saydie nooo D: also the tree yelling at gidget for making genitals with toilet paper aslkjdaldkja,,,, wheeze.

the tree telling iggy that his choices weren’t even his, leading to iggy’s choice about whether to reset the timeline later actually made by him (and not letting us choose) was woah :o i’m also proud of iggy, go iggy!! make your decisions!!

i want to hug the cast so much they’ve gone through so much and the epilogue where everyone gets a second chance and does things better makes me really proud of their progress, even if they’re just fictional characters! aaa

thank you for creating this game!!! i had a wonderful experience playing it and it gave me a lot of feels and ace joy (and it shall be haunting (in a good way) my thoughts for many days to come),,, massive kudos to you for completing such a massive project, i know it takes a lot of determination and perseverance to finish something like this (source: my short attention span and my bazillion unfinished projects), please get some good (and well deserved) rest!! sorry this was a very rambly post and i’m not very good with words ;w;

HUGGGGE FUCKING W ON RELEASING THE FULL GAME!!!!!

I went and finished playing our fantastic wonderland after the main game...got all 3 endings. (and got all 4 for this game LMAOO errrr I just really like this game okay the writing is amazing and ohhhhh my fucking god if only I could video essay this in everyone's mines because THIS IS THE VN HORROR I"VE BEEN MISSING!!!)

sorry I love this game toooooo much LOL XD

So first things first i LOVVEDD these endings so cool, great work to everyone envolved.

I can't explain how much this game has changed me. The only thing i can really do is thank you because i have never felt and related to game characthers (specifically Iggy and Genzou) this intensely.

I discovered the game when arc 4 was fully released but only played when arc 5 part 1 came out so i could experience it more compleatly than before and OMG ITS THE BEST GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED LIKE SERIOUSLY and its a really beautifull story and it helped me a LOT with my sort of sexuallity discovery.

And on that note i REALLLYYY want to tell you how much i relate to Iggy because omg i felt like i was watching a version of me on many ocasions and i also want to thank you because while playing i went on a sort of search of the meaning of asexual (given the fact i didn't know much about it) and it beautifully represents the things i feel and think (and the relationship between Iggy and Genzou makes me really miss a friend of mine) and  their more personal scenes really hit me hard (in a good way!!) and knowing its ok to feel out of place and having that special someone tell you you are not broken is so so so amazing. 

I have been in a really bad state mentally and this game has helped me see things in so many new ways so thank you thank you THANK YOU!!!

And to finish this awful long confession i want to thank you for working so hard on this game and never giving up on these projects, i'll be watching for everything you do next and i hope you and everyone who reads this to have a great day/night ;)

okay so i have a Query. finished the game, LOVED IT , i can’t skip forward? ? ?? i tried using tab and ctrl many times but it just shows the skipping flash for a second before going away this may because of how. weird ive been playing the Game?? ? since when i hit launch on itch.io, it gives me the different versions ive downlaoded (arc 5 part 1 1/2, final version pc, final version 32 bit pc, etc), and when i click on one it gives me More files (all the same but with different files sizes?) so i’ve been using final version 32 bit pc and any file size which has been the moment the skip buttons stopped working. idk WHAT im doing wrong but i know its something (the reason i had to use the 32 bit version was because all the other ones didn’t have the final update despite being titeld Final Update) . as much as i love this game (43 -> 59 hours bayBE) i replay it too much and my short attention span needs the prime moments (genzy moments) stat .Help

[Arc 5 finale spoilers!]

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So first of all, the execution was amazing. I praised how the Orlam and Genzou scene was done in the previous part, and I can say that pretty much the entire game after they left the cabin had the exact same quality. It felt like it was actually my life, like I was the one going through it all. It brought me to tears and heartbreak multiple times. The art, soundtrack, and writing were superb, as usual. I can really tell Carrot improved so much with their art and put so much love and care into, I feel like I could just stare at and admire all of the CGs. They're all so special and beautiful, and that's not even to mention the animated cutscenes. The cinematography was simply top-notch, the way Carrot combined their art with the music and brought the scenes to life made this all the more special. I cannot imagine how much effort it must've taken to get it all so perfect. And the way Carrot was able to combine both more lighthearted scenes towards the start and then slowly biuld up to the climax, it really kept me on the edge of my seat and really captured my heart. And towards the end, the way it was all wrapping up and having them "leave Wonderland behind"... I was simply overcome.

I loved all the routes, they were all unique and beautiful. The way they so perfectly captured Iggy's dynamics with each of the LIs and reflected on them is so poignant. And the mixture of angst, pining, hurt/comfort and the relief of finally admitting their feeling to eavh other was flawless. Also, all of the morning after scenes are hilarious. Carrot, I swear, I don't know how you managed to write a horror masterpiece and still stick in comedic moments that are not only funny but don't feel out of place at all.

I think the way Bucks' character was unveiled was so beautiful and visceral. It was so simple, yet it explained so much, and it made me really love her and Hunar's relationship. And the choice to have it  all unravel at the very end strengthened it all. For the entire game, Bucks' detachment from the group was downplayed, chalked up to her being younger and in a relationship. But when they finally show how they treated her, what caused her to feel so ostracized, not only did the player realize the truth of it all, but the characters did too. It wasn't put off until the end because it wasn't relevant enough to adress earlier, it was because the characters themselves didn't adress it yet. And I think that's a really clever way to have done it all.

The section with the tree... I barely even have words. It was so visceral, so captivating, so... intense. It truly felt like the "final boss" of it all. And the added scare factor with Saydie really brought it all together.

The ending is... still messing me up. I just finished getting all the routes and I loved how each of them played out, but I want to talk more about the actual prospect of the ending itself. In all honesty, I didn't really know what to expect. I mean, I knew they'd come out of Wonderland in mostly one piece, but I didn't envision it would involve an entire timeline reset. And... that's the part I'm still coming to terms with. On one hand, it makes sense narratively. A big theme in the game is, obviously, time-looping. Having to go back to the same start, trying different things each time, and trying to untangle the mysterious web of not only your issues, but your friends' while you're at it. So having the ending go back in time to where this all began, give everyone one more chance, feels fitting. Especially with them having to defeat the tree, having to break free from the one thing holding them back... But on the other hand, I can't help but feel conflicted about it all. It might just be the very fact that the game is ending, but I think it's something else too. Having everything reset after the characters went through so much feels... weird. It's not like it was a complete reset, there's still obviously the remnants of the previous timeline guiding them in a better direction, but it's still a reset. Iggy even says in Gidget's route "it's not too late", but with their salvation sending them back in time, it's kind of saying that it was too late. That the characters were already beyond saving, and the only way to fix this mess would be to go back to where it all began. I feel like a big part of the game was the notion that these characters might be fucked up beyond all reason, that they might've done unforgivable things, but they're still human. And all they could really do was just move past it and try to do better. But then they had all their actions just erased. And... I don't know. Okay, you can disregard pretty much everything I said there. I thought about it a bit more and also read Carrot's ask about the whole thing and I can confidently say that the ending has grown on me. There was a bit of a misunderstanding on my part on how the whole thing happened + just generally being fucked up from the fact that the game was over so I apologize. Anyways, I loved the ending. All the epilogues were just precious and adorable??? Happy Bunar, cute high school Genzy, a thriving Orlam, and a Gidget/Iggy/Cecil/Orlam polycule (I'm still not over that GIDGET REALLY JUST KISSED EVERYONE. THAT'S INSANESAADOHDSHSJ???). I could go on and on about all the little moments but I think I'll stop here. (I do still wanna know, though, was Our Cinderella always planned to be canon, or did you decide to add it in because it lined up? Would the ending be different if you hadn't made it?)

All in all, Carrot, I cannot thank you enough for making Our Wonderland. For sticking by it. For putting your soul into it and giving everyone such an amazing experience for free. You have made one of the most amazing visual novels of all time, and you should feel nothing but proud of yourself for such an accomplishment. I hope everything goes well for you, and wish you nothing but the utmost luck on your next projects. Please, take care!

This is absolutely fantastic!!! After playing so many visual novels, I want to say that this is my favorite of all time!!! 

The amount of CGs, the exquisite story, and the perfect matching music??? Oh CARROT, you are SO FREAKINGLY TALENTED!!! 

<spoiler alert?>

*My random mumbling:

As a loyal fan of Orlam, I wish there were more romance scenes between him and Iggy... I guess I'm just being a bit greedy since, yeah, I know Iggy is the ace ;-; 

I don't know. Maybe I just want to see more intimate CGs between Orlam and Iggy, considering the ample amount of pics between Genzou and Iggy and the Orlam's deep mad crush on the G man...

Also, I notice that in the later fighting scenes, when Genzou and Gidget show care when Iggy is hurt or captured, where is Orlam's expression??? Saaaaaaddd

Somehow, I totally guessed the time rewind part haha, but I do wonder what the story will be if everyone still remembers what they have done in the wonderland, heh :P

Because... that's where Orlam and Iggy get super doper intimate ;-;

My reaction towards Orlam's part is just too funny to listen (I record myself a little when I play the final part hahaha, embarrassing moments *blush*)

Sincerely,

Your huge fan <333

(Completed Arc 5) 

...

I went into neutral and... I felt a lot, in a good way.

Ahem

So, arc 5 - answered all the questions that were in the other arcs, and even about what kind of tree it is (especially on Tumblr) 

It was cool, the sound and music were also perfectly matched to the mood of the characters. 

I predicted a lot of things while I was playing - and they came true, in a good way. Because, I expected it, and I got it... And because I'm attentive to details, hehehe

It was funny, even when everyone was feeling bad, it was also funny. Some moments are funny, heartfelt and symbolic. 

"Carrot, are you okay?" - I was already thinking to myself when I got to the part with Saydie(Say 'die', hehe) and Iggy. 

Although, I felt like Iggy again that I even took off my glasses (for screens.) 

Crap... Plus, I like that there is a neutral option, thank you very much ❤️ 

Because usually in a "dating simulator", hehehe, there is no such neutral option (for a change, like a sudden turn, hehehe). 

And yes, Carrot, it seems either you are cunning, or you changed your mind later 👀 "The end... Or not?" At the same time, to the OC🤣🤣🤣

Uh... although, Iggy mentioned "another life".

Anyway, thank you for coloring my birthday. ❤️✨

Heartfelt, funny and fun❤️

DUDE THE FINALE WHEN I END ALONE IT'S THE BEST! I MEAN, MY BRAIN JUST EXPLODED!!!!!! IM ON TEARSSSSSSSS

I also have questions (spoiler alert) 

SO, the the tree just ... reset everything??? I'm so confused!! does that mean that the baby has never been born???? that means that the tree no longer exists?? SO THE HUMAN BUNNY HAS DIED TOO? NOOOOOOOo 

Great game, I love it!

(excuse me for any mistakes, English is not my first language)

I totally didn't make account just to comment))

I'm going to keep this a bit short since I haven't played the new part of the final arc and I need to 🥲.(Also happens to drop the day I have a fever ahem) I've been playing this game, saw it a few months ago around my birthday and one day I played it while I had my friend on the phone. Loved it. There was tears, I probably should expect more when I play the last part gufajfzitskydkletiai. I also laughed, and gushed over Genzou and Iggy?(Arc 3 and Arc 4 are painful to me ;-;) Gidget used to scare sometimes.. I feel bad for Orlam but somewhat find him annoying?? Also I feel like Cecil is underrated, I don't know what it is but I just love him 🥺🥺🥺! Another thing, all the wholesome Genzou and Iggy moments in the arcs make me happy. I love those two lots together. The fact Genzou doesn't question Iggy's asexuality makes me feel cozy, as an asexual myself this is comforting to me. 

(Maybe this wasn't that short but short in my terms. Sorry for rambling, I just love this game and the characters. And sorry if I have any bad grammar, im half awake and, well sick. Anyways, I hope you have an amazing dayy!!)

SPOLIERS AHEAD

Update: After straining my throat on the phone with my friend, reading some of the dialogue while crying, and gushing more over Genzou and Iggy(Haha guess which route I did), I completed the game. Atleast in one route. I wanted to take a few moments before I go to sleep to give my thoughts. Iggy saying I love you to Gen in his route is just sweet and wholesome(waterworks though). Whenever I found out that monster was Bucks my soul left my body. I cried at the Bucks and Hunar flashbacks, when he called her beautiful and sweet my heart melted. No comment on the freaky-deaky tree. Iggy breaking the cycle and going into how their past actions and how they handled things better. What was different, also the part about Bucks and Hunar thinking about a kid(Saydie? 🥺). Gidget and Cecil living together, Orlam's job(Im sorry I already forgot if he worked at somewhere specific) and businesses he tried to start up(Was that a human Jerry in the back or am I just loopy 🤨). Also the mentions of Orlam and Cecil together on and off seemed kinda cute. I might have to try out the other routes and try to hold back the water works lol 😭.

AHHHHHH THE FINALE IS OUT AHHHHHH I CAN'T BELIEVE IT??? IT'S HERE???

I'll touch on the technical aspects a bit here, though not too much as it is a Carrot game, we already know that these will be great...but the SHEER AMOUNT OF CGS, the INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF ART, the ANIMATED CUTSCENES, the sprite movements...it was all so dynamic and REAL and immersive that I couldn't tear my eyes away, not even for a second. The prose was wonderful as always, and the raw vulnerability of it - as we enter the emotional crescendo - really hit me in the heart in a way that I can't explain.

The themes and the way that the story concluded, without spoilers, are nothing short of flawless. Everything was incredibly well-conceived from start to finish, everything was so TIGHTLY wrapped up with cohesive character arcs and full-circle moments...and this story was just BURSTING with so much compassion, kindness, understanding, and empathy...both for others, and for yourself. Aside from the obvious horror aspects, this is a story that I would recommend to anyone, and I MEAN ANYONE.

=========SPOILERS FOR ARC 5.2=============

MY HFGHGFGHJGHJGHJ REACTIONS

I'm very sorry these thoughts might be a bit disorganized as I was basically writing them as I was playing...

I love the way that the arc starts off with the gang having a warm meal together - it's just so NOSTALGIC and comforting (especially with the beef stew) and such a contrast to what came before. Even when Genzou and Orlam start to fight, it's different - they're just bickering, and Gidget calms them down immediately, and the relaxing track keeps playing in the background - it really hammers home that things have truly changed between them. 

After that, rather than being comforted by someone - Iggy reaches out someone for comfort. He realizes that it's natural to want to feel someone else's "warmth" - and it almost feels like he's also acknowledging that he has the right to love and be loved, that he's deserving of human companionship. 

I PLAYED GENZOU'S ROUTE FIRST BECAUSE I HAD TO I WAS GOING TO SAVE HIM FOR LAST BUT I COULDN'T STOP MYSELF

AHHHHH Iggy cleaning Genzou's wound is SO SWEET and also very touching - after all of these loops where Genzou was the one comforting Iggy, the one "cleaning Iggy's wounds" - it was so nice to see Iggy reaching out to Genzou in this way. Finally recognizing that Genzou WASN'T fine, that he was just pretending to be - and that even Genzou didn't care whether he was fine. He just swept everything under the rug. THEN IGGY KISSES GENZOU AHHHHHHHHHH PROACTIVE IGGY AGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH (gosh the white background REALLY makes this CG pop in an AMAZING way, then the gradual fade to the background as the realization sinks in - SO GOOD) 

THE PARALLELS WITH THE PHONE CALLLLLLL in the beginning of the game, the first "route" deciding factor is you deciding who to call - Genzou, Orlam, or Gidget - but your choice then doesn't really matter, not really. No matter who you call, only Genzou picks up. However, here, you can call the person you CHOSE, and it "unlocks" the door (and it's such a LOVELY metaphor for Iggy finally "reaching out" - to contact the friends that he's been estranged from for so long). And it's only THEN, after Iggy reaches out, does the door to "move forward" - to move past all of the hurt and trauma of the past - open. 

THE WAY THAT BUCKS TURNS INTO A MONSTER - perfectly reflective of how she views herself while also acting as a metaphor for how her friends didn't really recognize what she was going through. (Side note but the sketchy black and white CG of Iggy as his hand got cut off was SO GOOD) 

AS WE GO THROUGH BUCKS' FLASHBACKS I WAS REALLY TEARING UP, you can see how she was alienated by the people around her and even her friends - the little comments that really "wore her down" - saying that she was a killer whale, a monster, etc - even when they meant it in a positive way. How they shaped how Bucks viewed herself and her own worth. How Hunar was the only one who reached out to her - who treated her differently (calling her a princess, worrying about her getting hurt, seeing her as someone other than a big, strong oaf.) AND THEN THE SNAPPING POINT WAS HUNAR CALLING BUCKS A MONSTER - the one person who saw Bucks as she was. I really had very little sympathy for Bucks until this point, and yet after this I was completely on her side, despite the absolute VILE things she did - it's just a testament to how strong the writing is that I was able to care so much for her in such a short amount of time. 

IT'S ABSOLUTELY PERFECT THEMATICALLY, as the entire story has been about this group that was "close" but never really recognized the problems that others were going through because they were so wrapped up in their own issues. The choice to end on Bucks - whose problems we've never seen, who seems so strong and relatively simple-minded, who has a happy family and seemingly no troubles - is a perfect one - recognizing all of the problems that she was facing, even when no one (except Hunar) was looking. 

THE SEQUENCE WHERE BUCKS SHRINKS IS SO GOOD, until she's finally kneeling in front of Hunar - and she looks SO SMALL in comparison to him, so vulnerable. (It REALLY contrasts the first non-childhood CG from OW, where Bucks is heaving Iggy over her shoulder, and she looks so big and strong.) 

AND THEN THE BABY REVEAL DFGDGD THE CORRUPTION OF INNOCENCE, turning her into "fuel" for the warped "Wonderland" - it's SO PERFECT DFGFDGDG 

ANDDDD we got confirmation on the results of Iggy's wish from the first arc! His wish was so "heinous" that he was cut off, and instead he was bent to the wishes of others. It's so perfect from a character perspective - Iggy, unable to assert his own desires and wishes - instead trying to please others, to make them happy. (YAY I got confirmation that the Iggy in each route WAS bent into a shape to please his companion of choice! It's also a really interesting take on a "dating sim" - where, instead of deliberately acting in a way to please your beau of choice, you're warped into a shape that fits them). 

Another side note but I love how, in this arc, there's so much silence. It's pretty unlike previous arcs and other carrot games, which used so much music - but here, there are pretty long stretches where there's complete SILENCE and it's perfect - it's so calm and yet unsettling, really making you focus on the words and visuals on screen. 

GDFDFGDGDG THE CLIMAX, WITH IGGY REMEMBERING WHAT HIS ORIGINAL WISH WAS, and Saydie saying that he can CHOOSE to be happy. Then when Saydie vocalizes her wish - that she wishes to be killed, and the tree DELIGHTS in it, in the innocence of that desire - it really hammers home how HYPOCRITICAL the tree is. After all, Iggy and Saydie's wishes were the same - to disappear, to be killed (although Iggy's desire was due to guilt, while Saydie wanted to be freed from her suffering). I LOVE how you aren't given a choice to break the cycle - it really hammers home how this is Iggy's story now, and how he's finally taking control of his life. And the destruction of Wonderland - this warped, twisted place that fed on children's hopes and dreams - is a good parallel for Iggy as well - destroying his need to be responsible for his friends' happiness, paving the way for him to make himself happy. 

I WASN'T EXPECTING TIME TRAVEL, the chance to redo everything, but fgfhgfhfhgf it made me so happy to see, I really wanted to see all of these guys get their happy ending (and it didn't seem possible with the original iteration). I love the fact that they still all make the same mistakes - it's what happens AFTERWARD - Iggy reaching out to his friends, and in Hunar and Bucks' case choosing not to commit to a life that didn't make them happy - that makes a difference. 

DGDFGDFGDFGDF I LOVE HOW THE "STAY BY YOURSELF ENDING" TRANSITIONS SO SEAMLESSLY INTO OUR CINDERELLA AGHHHHH OUR CINDERELLA IS CANON IT'S REAAAALLLLL (I do love how it also gives you the option of "not committing" to a love interest but leaving the possibility open down the line! And gosh I'm so glad that the "idealized" world of Our Cinderella is canon AGHHHHHH I WASN'T EXPECTING IT AT ALL) And I do really like how, even in the "happy endings," it shows that Iggy's life wasn't perfect - that he's still anxious, that he still has things to work on. Because that's the way life is. It's not perfect; it's flawed. And that's okay. 

Onto Orlam's route and DFGDFGDF THE SLOW DANCE, I really love how it's the perfect capstone to all of the "dances" Orlam and Iggy have had up until this point - Orlam falling into Iggy's pace, doing something that he's comfortable with. (BUT GENZOU IS IN DESPAIR AFTER YOU PICK THE ORLAM ENDING WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS, and Gidget too dfgfdg it is interesting how, when you picked Genzou, Gidget and Orlam seemed much more chill about it LOL) And AWW I loved the ambiguity of Orlam and Iggy's relationship - how it was difficult to label, in the end, but they didn't need to "bend" to anyone's expectations. 

And finally, Gidget's route - AGHHHHHHH GIDGET IS APOLOGIZING I LOVE IT, it's such a full circle for them and really fitting for the conclusion of the route. Since Iggy and Gidget were the most "entangled" pair (and Genzou with Orlam, and Bucks with Hunar) - this reconciliation is very fitting. And the realization that they've both been wearing masks their entire lives - RELATABLE. 

I LOVE HOW IN ALL OF THE ENDINGS, Iggy is wearing his ace-themed hoodie, it really emphasizes how he's comfortable with himself and his identity. And in all of them, there's no label for what Iggy has with any of his partners - they're not boyfriends, they're not married, they're not friends - they're just themselves, living as they are, by their own rules. 

Okay now that I'm done with my AHHHHHHHH REACTIONS AGHHHHFHGHF I'll try to calm down and leave some coherent thoughts here.

Final Conclusions

There are SO MANY themes and concepts in OW, all told to perfection through the different routes and characters, that I can't detail them all (and I've touched on a few of them before, in Essay #1 LMAO). The mistakes that you've made, how what you say affects others. How both your own expectations and the expectations that others have for you can shape your identity and self-worth. How you need to seek your own happiness in order to support others. How important reaching out, communicating, and supporting others in their time of need is. The time travel - the ability to go back and redo everything from the start, but better this time - is a happier conclusion than what I was expecting, admittedly. But at the same time it's perfect. They can go back to a time before Wonderland corrupted them - with its expectations, with its desires - and they can live freely. And it shows how even the smallest actions can change their lives so much. That just reaching out a hand to a friend in a time of need can be all the difference in the world. 

I loved that, in the end, the final villain was "Wonderland" itself. And in the end, Wonderland wasn't "childhood" - as being a child, with no worries or regrets, IS wonderful. No, Wonderland is this oppressive, corrupting entity that delights in what it thinks childhood SHOULD be - purely innocent. Wonderland is the amalgmation of all of the expectations, the rejection, the self-hatred - all of the things that are weighing down on our characters, preventing them from fully accepting themselves and being happy. It curses our cast for their "corruption" - for bringing lust, and sadness, and anger, and everything - into its "perfect paradise" - when those are all things that just make us human. And only when you free yourself from that vision of how you SHOULD be - how you expect yourself to be, how others expect you to be - are the characters' wishes truly freed - and they can finally fulfill them in their own way, on their own terms.

At first, I found Saydie's life to be rather melancholic - killed by her mother, brought back as a monster by a corrupted Wonderland, and then finally killed by Iggy - but in a lot of ways Saydie was just as much of a metaphor as Wonderland itself. Iggy needed to move past not only the "corrupt" Wonderland, but also the "childish, innocent" Wonderland - the idea of that "pure" childhood, when there were no problems to overcome. Only when he accepts that life is MESSY, that everyone is flawed and everyone makes mistakes and life won't be perfect - is he able to reach a "happy ending." And so him killing Saydie, this embodiment of "innocence" - makes so much sense. And at the same time Saydie also represents the "ideal life," the life you're expected to have - as people are expected to marry early, have children, and live that perfect "dream life," as Gidget described. So killing her (or the corrupted version of her) - is also like killing those expectations. (And, I do like how Bucks and Hunar DO think about having kids in the end - but on their own terms, when they've had a chance to live their lives how they want, and pursue what they want to pursue. And I wish that Saydie can live happily in the new timeline - in a world where her existence is appreciated and cherished.) 

While OW is a deeply queer narrative, its themes are also quite universal. Iggy is asexual, and that is a big part of his character, but at the same time his desire to be loved as he is, his fear of not being able to love his partner in the way they want - is a really universal feeling. Similarly, when Iggy and Gidget talk in Gidget's route about the "mask" that Gidget wore to cover up their confusion regarding their sexuality, Iggy understands Gidget's feelings, despite not having exactly the same problems.

I found the conclusion to Iggy's arc to be INCREDIBLE. In Arc 1, he hates himself for not being able to bring his friends happiness, so deeply that he wants to disappear (and, when you learn that his original wish was to make his friends happy, it makes so much sense). In the end, he breaks free from any sort of expectation, any sort of need to PLEASE anyone, to make anyone happy - and makes his own choice, for his own happiness. And, only after making sure that he's happy is he able to support others. It's such a meaningful and powerful message that I think everyone needs to hear. 

In the end, Iggy's life isn't all that different from how it was before, but I think that makes a lot of sense. His problem was with how he viewed his life - and how he acted regarding his relationships. He's not rich, he's not an entrepreneur, he's not happily married - he's living his own life, with happy relationships with his friends, and that's HIS happy ending. 

I'll conclude by saying that I can't say how important this story is to me. How deeply personal and moving it is. I teared up so much while reading it, and cried at parts. There were so many aspects that felt so true to my own life and my own relationships, parts that made me feel really vulnerable and exposed and SEEN. There are some things that you experience that carve their existence onto your soul - good and bad things, and you carry them for the rest of your life. Our Wonderland is one of those things for me. 

Thank you very much for making this masterpiece, Carrot; I am your dearest fan, and I'll never forget this experience. Thank you. 

What can I say Carrot... WHAT CAN I SAY

THE EMOTIONS. THE WHIRLWIND OF EMOTIONS I WAS CAUGHT IN (admittedly, it was more bearable the previous part but STILL) BUT GOODNESS WHAT A CONCLUSION.

Okay. Okay. Okay. It's alright, I'll gather my thoughts.

First of all, WHAT?? SO MUCH ART??? AND I ONLY DID GENZOU'S ROUTE???? EVERYTHING IS SO PRETTY????? Like, really, the composition of the CGs was AMAZING, I loved the animations too, the succession of them to narrate very dramatic scenes (because this climax is still very dramatic looool). YOUR USE OF MUSIC, IT'S ALWAYS SO CLEVER, IT ALWAYS SETS SUCH A MOOD I AM IMPRESSED EACH AND EVERY TIME HOLY GOLLY MOLLY IGGY (yes, I need to create new interjections now)

The writing was, per usual, great and, per usual, made me discover French expressions used in English loool ("en masse" here dvdcvb). Your phrasing is both poetic, metaphorical even, and yes so visceral when it needs to. It perfectly supported the different moments of horror, fright, action and peace. Because I did say it: this finale is a WHIRLWIND OF EMOTIONS, it felt warm, then cold, blurry then clear, pure then soiled... it was an amazing finale, the perfect conclusion to a perfect game. An amazing culmination of everything that has been set up, and looking back on some things noticed during act 1 finally make sense and be explored.

I alas can't say much without spoilers. Just know, reader, that this game is amazing, be it the art, the writing, the music, the emotions, the heart, the themes... Oh, these themes!!! Play it, you won't regret it.

#### ------ SPOILER PORTION ----- ####

CARROT. CARROT. CARROT. OH MY GOD, THE THEMES OF THIS LAST PART RESONATED SO MUCH WITH ME YOU HAVE NO IDEA AT SOME POINTS SOME SCENES EVEN FELT CLOSE TO SCENES AND THEMES FOR FUTURE GAMES (Happy :) in particular I was screaming AND I CAN'T EXPLAIN BECAUSE OF SELF SPOILERS BUT DAMN THIS HIT SO CLOSE TO HOME YOU BROKE MY SOUL AGAIN) DFVFDDFDFGFDFG AND YOU EXECUTED IT SO WELL I AM IMPRESSED.

First, finally, we got to see Buck's struggle and how her dehumanisation has indeed turned her. This also was a GREAT WAY to highlight Hunar as a character, the comfort he's brought her and how losing this last connection, the last thing that made her human made her snap and do the unutterable i.e. putting her own child in at best a questionable state to go back to a place where she could have peace, at worst, in an ironically wooden coffin. This theme of the monster residing in the perception of others, rather than being something inherent to a person, really touched me a lot, and it was the perfect conclusion for Bucks. Seeing her being called a monster, disgusting for helping a bug... was sad, and I adored how these little things are what, in the end, ended up breaking her.

Another theme that touched me a lot is the theme of innocence, the way it gets corrupted and, when we lose this childhood innocence, what the best we can do is. Growing up is hard. Growing up is difficult. Growing up is becoming a more complex person, because the world around you gets more complex. You start questioning yourself. You are subjected to norms. The questions multiply like rabbits. And only the ignorant can remain innocent, because the world has its darker colours, and so do we. So, when childhood seems far away, and the world around us gets more obscure, when people start harming each other deeply... what can we do?

Being nice. Being kind to others. Trying to understand them. Apologising for our wrondoings. Always making sure we act with kindness and respect. These are the things we can do. And your potrayal of this message was absolutely gorgeous. This is something that rings very personally with me, as these are things I firmly believe in.

I ADORED Saydie, and that is an UNDERSTATEMENT. She is an incarnation of innocence and yet, Iggy cannot connect with her. Of course he cannot: he is grown. He's been selfish and mean, he's hurt the others around him. And yet, he follows her, considers the perspective she presents and realises: when you look for others, and don't let them on the side... you make them happy.

I loved how this was the culmination of Iggy's arc: being good to others, bringing them happiness. His wish isn't for his friends to be this happy: "I want to make my friends this happy", I appreciated he took the matter into his own hands, because I agree: happiness is something you build by supporting others (you can tell it was already a theme in The Life I Lost with the "if you want to enjoy roses in life, you have to go get them" loool so I'm not lying when I say you really NAILED themes that REALLY resonate with me).

And I loved that these characters, after everything, could go back in time, get a new chance at trying things again and doing them better. Sure, we cannot do that in real life, and we have to grow from our mistakes. But in real life, we don't necessarily get through what these characters go through either loool. And more than that, it really reinforced the message of the game by contrasting the original timeline and the new one. And seeing these characters happier, realising their dreams and being still imperfect, of course, because who isn't, but so much healthier.

That being said, I wasn't expecting the tree to be a yandere looool, but I truly adored it. The reveal of Saydie's corpse was striking, and its interventions were amazing, displaying new layers of these characters. This tree is the guilt we feel while exploring the world and discovering that, no, we're not the children we were, and that we have more twisted wishes and experiences. Well, some of them are normal, some are a result of our own suffering and some... are indeed a result of the world getting to us. Well... that's okay. Without getting into too many untasteful details you can guess from The Day Being Ace Made Him Stronger, as this comment section isn't the place to share them lol, but accepting exploring a soiled world will also soil you, and that some soil is okay as long as you act with kindness was an excellent message. This cult, this fascination for childhood is pointless: people don't grow into children. And we have to accept to grow into healthy adults instead.

The romance was also GREAT! I played Genzou's and am watching Joy play the two others right now loool but from what I can tell from Genzou's route and Joy's stream, you wrote these scenes wonderfully, really. It felt consistent with what you set up in the game and well-earned. I loved how the LI is the one to defend us against Bucks, it showed they cared.

In conclusion, it was an amazing game, Carrot, and I hope you are proud of you. I've been following the development of it for years now, and, if it was great from the start, you've truly grown as a creator and a person too, and this final part shows it. This whole game shows it. It is an inspiring story about kindness, empathy and how to navigate a world not meant for those who are innocent. This also is a game about LGBT-issues, one of the most amazing ace representations I've ever seen in a piece of media, not to say THE MOST amazing... Thank you, Carrot, really. This game will stick to me all my life, and will be a stone of all I create, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Time for a confession: you and your game are the reason I've started working on Waterlily on the Froth lol. When I played the previous part, I felt so strongly about it that I wanted to create something that would make me feel feelings as strong... so ta-dah...

I'll just conclude it all with a thank you. Thank you for creating this. Thank you for your kindness. Thank you sharing your thoughts and your vision of the world through this game. Thank you for all the art you put inside it. Thank you for such an emotional conclusion. I am looking forward to the rest of your creative journey. Please never stop inspiring others by sharing the stories and themes blazing in your soul. Because I'll endlessly thank you.

its 4am and im a complete fucking wreck. i love u carrot

☺️☺️☺️ im normal (wrong) (im insane) (i lied) (just like carrot when they said our cinderella wasnt canon i mean what)

um i can barely think rn but ill try to write something coherent tomorrow. maybe. just know that it was um good. very very good

I wish I could compile all of my thoughts together and just like, project them directly here LMAO just...you really made something special that I think will stick with me for a very very long time it's just lightning in a bottle, these characters this world, this STORY. To say "it's so good" would be to do it an injustice, there isn't a word to describe fully what this experience has been like (even only through stream bc I am a COWARD SCAREDY CAT) but this is like one of the best stories I've seen just the journey of getting to the end, both as Iggy and his friends and us as a player/viewer and you as the developer. You should be so incredibly proud of yourself for creating this game and story and experience and these feel like, just like people I know now! These are my FRIENDS lmao and I love them. I really really love them and I can't even begin to describe everything. I was laughing and bawling and terrified and feeling all of that catharsis and happiness and desire and so much and I'm just still absolutely reeling. You deserve all the flowers for this and I am just bursting with happiness and pride and adoration for this project and god saying goodbye to these characters, even though I'm late to the party, is so emotional and bittersweet but also good to have everything wrapped up and it's like letting out a big breath and letting go and god I don't know if any of this makes sense but I'm so emotional rn hahahha just. incredible job I wish I could push my heart up against the screen and into this comment LMAO because nothing I can say will ever be enough. I genuinely feel changed after this experience in a way only a few pieces of media have done for me and this is one of them and I'm just in awe. Thank you thank you for making this and sharing this and I'm so lucky to have gone on this journey and got to meet these characters and know this story, I wish you nothing but rest and great things and I wish your every happiness!!! that's my wish!!!!

solid 9.5/10, i'm glad that this ended as well as it did

spoilers ig?

as someone who fairly recently realised they're enby, i'm so glad that you've included not just a non binary character, but that their enby-ness is a major part of their character. i can name maybe 3 pieces of media that prominently feature someone non-binary, so i am unimaginably happy that something like this is included, even if it a felt a little heavy handed once. 

sidenote, when replaying for each of the endings, i forgot how great the music is

AHHHH FINANLY CANT WAIT TO PLAY OMG I CANT TYROPE

OMG can't wait!!

This is probably my favourite visual novel on itch.io. It's so well thought out, I love how each arc focuses on a different character's past and relationship to Iggy. Each time I play I find myself having a new favourite character.

I want the best for all of them, can't wait for the final update!

Hi.... replaying it the 5th time. Please... PLEASE OML. I CAN'T STOP SOBBING. GRIHSKJHEGUWQIBFAJ;KNAF ISTG I remember this was one of the first few game I played when I founf out about itch.io. I created an account just to wait for the final arc and write a comment. This game has a special place in my heart T^T

hello! i literally just created an account to scream because HOLY COW aaaa this is so cool and i am hit with so many feels and feel the burning need to shower you with compliments.

i found your post on an ace subreddit advertising Our Cinderella and i am now down a rabbit hole of your content (help) alkdsjsaljkd. do i regret it? absolutely not!

first of all, AAAA. i did not expect to be bawling over a horror game but THAT SCENE IN ARC 2 where Genzou tells Iggy that he's not broken for not wanting to do certain things made me tear up sO MUCH. i'm probably overreacting but I. also. had similar fears and really needed to hear it so thank you <3

i'm not a writer so i'm not very good at complimenting writing and plot but it was very good and i was absolutely hooked to the plot all the way. and the FEELS. i waited to finish the game to date before posting so my feelings from Arc 5 are the strongest and AAA JERRY protecting iggy!! the cutscene where genzou hugs orlam and apologises and orlam trying to push him away and aaAAA. EVERYTHING. the bits of humor in it was also REALLY HECKIN GOOD and i was constantly switching between laughing, crying, and oh-noing all the way through it. i'm sorry i'm a bit of a mess at describing things alkjfslkdjaslkj but just imagine me having a giant ball of appreciation and yeeting it your way bECAUSE ITS WHAT YOU DESERVE

i love your art style!! it's so expressive!! the poses are so dynamic and they add so much to the experience! the iggy dolls' body language (and arm flailing) are hilarious and made me love them and then they got chomped and hurt my heart ;;w;; the angle choice of making scary characters tower over you and looking down on you makes them even scarier aaa. and DID I MENTION HOW GOOD THE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS ARE. from the subtle changes that happen as we go through dialogue (genzou hiding his affections for iggy in arc 4, screams) to the very expressive ones (orlam's maniacal laughter to shock to breaking down at genzou's hug in arc 5!!). everything is so well done AAA grabs you and shakes you. tell me your secrets.

sorry aaaa this is not very well put together and i'm pretty sure i didn't get to articulate how amazing this game is and how much i love it as well as i could so please help me dial up whatever feelings of appreciation you feel from this post by 1000x because that's probably more accurate to how i actually feel alASLKJKLJ. 

important news everybody.

They need to be real (specifically Iggy and Genzou I love them they're both so me)

okay but being serious I LOVE THIS GAME!! I will admit that I kinda just made this account to comment here but WHATEVER!! >:P

the game is a rollercoaster of emotions, no joke like YEESH, but I truly love it!! I've been playing it for a good bit + the side games and I really enjoy it all; my mind has found something to hyperfixate on, haha. I really like the fact that Iggy is asexual btw, its not often you find a game with an asexual protag. it really interested me when I found out, and its caused me to really project onto him!! I see myself in him a lot and it makes the gameplay a lot more comfortable for me seeing a character like him having the same problems and worries and such as I might. 

anyway yeah, its an awesome game!! I love the characters and I often find myself ranting about their stories and conflicts to my friends. (I'm trying my best to get them as interested as me, wish me luck! haha)  

saying all this, thank you Carrot, for creating a game with a story and characters that many (including me) love and adore!!<3

Most incredible game I've ever played. Jaw dropping at every line. Beautifully written and illustrated. Relatable characters that you grow attached to (specifically Genzou he is me i am him). This game played with my emotions and had me screaming at my laptop at 2 in the morning.  So excited for the next update <3

I really want to play this on Android 😭

Sorry guys just had to say this

I HATE GIDGET SO MUCH BUT I ALSO FEEL REALLY BAD FOR HER BUT ALSO HATE THE ROMANCE

"Ahem" goodbye and goodnight

THIS GAME IS SO AWESOME i love all these lil goobers :sob:

arc 5 had me SOBBINGGGG even with the games dark and gorey tones the plot stays somewhat comedic and intriguing. I'm glad i found this game when the first arc was out cuz its matured a lot since then. 

i absolutely ADORE this game. literally spent an ALL NIGHTER going through arc 1/2... but currently playing arc 3 and (SPOILERS AHEAD)

can someone reassure me that iggy won't keep being mean to genzou? or will this be a constant theme for arc 3? 😭 i just love my baby boy. my fail guy. he's my wife. arc 1/2 made me fall head over heels for him, and now it's crushing my heart!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is this how orlam felt

edit: i have to keep taking breaks whenever iggy is mean to genzou. i'm so normal about genzou (lie) 

edit: MANAGED TO GET THROUGH. WHO CHEERED FOR ME!

now i'm on arc 4, and i'm already crying my eyes out minutes in cause (SPOILERS) gidget is struggling with her image and expectations and that HITS. then, then you DEMON, YOU, HIT ME WITH.. WITH THE GENZOU IGGY CONVO. "would you be with someone like me?" "to me... being with that person is enough." i'min TEARS.. this is a horrible game for an ace-spec, genderqueer person. (positive)

update, i was worried we'd return to rude iggy like before - but no. iggy is Normal and joking with genzou and to be honest, this might be worse. this might be worse. the blatant pining... oh, iggy..... "you'd have to be blind to be attracted [...]" oh my god. genzou is the strongest soldier in all humankind. in all bunnykind. 

I really having fun with the game and am a bit obsessed. I’ve just completed Arc 1 and am at the beginning at Arc 2 and is loving the game so far.

I have one problem though, and this is just my fault honestly, but I think there’s something wrong with me because I keep finding myself laughing at the horror of this game.

Spoilers for events in Arc 1:

For some reason I kept thinking up jokes or laughing at the scenes where the characters are in mortal danger.

When the eye monster tried to eat Iggy and Genzou, I thought, “Hey, that looks like the eye enemy from super Mario, and started jokingly spinning my mouse around in circles.

The entire fucking scene in Arc 1 where Gidget is actively trying to murder Iggy was kinda funny to me. Gidget yelling about how Iggy’s pristine dick was too good to put in her got an active chuckle out of me. Iggy getting strangled was somehow funny, somehow Gidget trying to cut Iggy’s dick off with a pair of scissors was funny. When she died, while both Genzou and Iggy were panicking about their dead friend, I was mentally cheering that she died, and that Genzou did it. Even the zombies were somehow funny.

I don’t know why I find the horror in this game to be kind of comedic most of the time, but I think somehow that works to make the experience memorable and makes me question if I am sane for laughing so much in a horror game. I have no idea if the goal of the game was to make me question my sense of humour and sanity, but it’s really doing a good job at that.

props to you developers!

I hope progress on the game is going well and I’m excited to continue the game. I’ll still probably laugh in a bunch of inappropriate times throughout though.

the game was REALLY interesting, I like Genzou best of the bunch, Gidget was a little too pushy for me, and Orlam was too wild, it turned out to be more bloody than  I had thought but it was still cool, it quite traumatized me a bit so I'm gohad to need a break :)

OK so phew...my comment is gonna be long I know it for sure. I'll give a little bit about my experience of another side game of yours to uh provide context I guess? [Obvious spoilers!] And a TW/CW for brief sexual trauma mention (nothing graphic though)

So I'm familiar with the side game :"texting your awkward ace guy you've had a crush one since highschool" and this made me view Genzou & iggy kind of "better" than everyone else. (Because everyone was complete strangers to me and y'know everyones comforted by something they've already seen before.) To be honest, first going into the game I wasn't sure what I was expecting, like gore, definitely, but what else? I actually...either don't remember or don't know. I was just hooked on curiosity, intrigue, you're immediately set into the wonderland, (ok maybe not technically but besides the point as it doesn't take long lol) and it is like the fairytale. The grandest place for kids to be, like an amusement park.

I really didn't know what rollercoaster I strapped myself in while playing, at first it's calm, maybe a little awkward but I find myself somewhat comforted by Genzou as he familiarizes me to this new world, he's a little mean, but I don't hate characters who are a little rough around the edges. It was admittedly a little unexpected as I thought he wouldn't just swear and insult like a sailor, I mean I thought he would be awkward. ( Though looking back now it's usually only with iggy.) 

You finally return back to wonderland but it's not long before you've come to find things have changed. Not too unlike another game I've played. ( Huge Alice Madness Returns fan) I knew the gore was going to happen eventually ( granted its not shown but we uh, definitely hear it.) And we also see Iggy's and Genzou's reaction to uh, the corpse. After this, things start to pick up, the rollercoaster I've gotten into starts to go faster, practically everything's out to get you, screaming danger. (OH MY GOD when I tell you I hated the first time going on the Kiddie Kruise. I never went to look whenever the collector part came up, the first time I went through this part of the ride I was like scared because of the screaming, but the more times you go on it I would just be antsy around the lighthearted tone the boat ride has like preparing for the inevitable. Just know I FRIGGIN hated when all the options switched to only being able to look. WAAAA) Then you're back to a temporary calm. You see Gidget again, she's seemingly looking and feeling her best. And then, you realize she's not safe either, the false sense of security makes your heart drop. Sure I didn't know literally anything about Gidget other than work I guess up until this point, but the twist makes me basically trust nothing. 

As someone whose also asexual, Iggy's POV spoke to me. I think I'm fine with that kind of adult content until it gets physical. Until I have to actually be there, there is no disconnection of me and the sexual situation, it, yeah makes me afraid, because I feel like I lose control. I just worry over the thoughts of flashbacks coming back, so yeah the game did.. uh really connect to me emotionally. It was probably the most uncomfortable part to get through, but I knew I wanted to see more of the world regardless.

Not long after you're going, running again. And you manage to get away and to no one's surprise we are leaping into just more danger. Orlam definitely like gave me whiplash because he just acts as a complete opposite to his self outside or wonderland. And uh oof cannibalism tag makes sense now. You find his secret, and he finds you. When ya finally get out oh...sorry genzou. ( I still eat him in Orlams arc though as a combo of just well I don't wanna disappoint him and I also DO NOT want to die, so live and eat I will.)  Orlam was surprisingly charming during his arc as I gained a new perspective and like Genzou a LOT less. I mean I can't believe bro really just, yup talked about bros mother after faking giving him a hug that was so wrongggg. AND HIS DAD TOO. C'mon bruh. Like dubble u tee f  [w-t-f] kinds of what the hell is wrong with you. (God if Orlam was real I would friggin love him to hell, give him a hug and all the love he deserves.) OK OK enough of my simping, myself, lmao.  

Iggy...iggy, iggy. Man I have screamed at him a whole bunch to just like DO something, (lowkey praying for 3rd arc iggy to come back ) but I understand that sounds like pretty out of character for him. (thus understanding why he doesn't) But like I almost want to jump in his body and do what I feel he needs to do GAAAAH. Even if that's selfish, reckless, etc.  

I'm not as uh prepared as another commenter and I didn't write notes but just tried to wing this comment through pure memory. ( I just finished to the latest update and UGHHH THE ITCH TO WRITE ABOUT THIS GAME SHSHSH.)  So I'll write a few more things about arc 5 and then you can free yourself from my uh remix of the dictionary. 

I wasn't expecting Gidget to like...find themselves like who they truly are after they lost Cecil. ( BROS A REAL ONE BTW I LOVE HIM TOO LMAO) Uh yeah so as I said like Gidget like changed so much it's like their a different person like it kind of made me forget what happened in the previous arcs surprising. ( of course till it's brought up again) And god Orlam you were hurting so much you cut your own heart out? Like I didn't think of that in the moment of actually playing the game but it's deeply emotional storytelling. His heart full of hate spread though all of wonderland. Up until he gets a small bit of love he's craved. From a person he'd admire (maybe even still admires). If I was where Iggy was at when he asked what you hate about me I would be like. "UH, well I kinda hated you for basically cooking my friend. Granted I ate him because I didn't wanna die, besides the point. But like now I could only empathize with you bro. Like please let me love you???"  Waiting for the next part definitely!! And the other side game as well cuz I NEED those a03 fanfics to read man! XD 

um....end of my rambling now! 

TLDR THIS GAME IS INCREDIBLE, IT'S ONE OF THE BEST VNS I'VE EVER PLAYED, LITERALLY ONE OF A KIND.

(Okay now on to my essay length review. I wrote WAY too many notes while playing this. I-I'm very sorry, I didn't know where else to post this other than here LOL)

I'll keep my compliments of the "game quality" brief and focus on the story (since it's a Carrot game, OF COURSE IT'S BRILLIANTLY MADE), but I will say that I LOVE the artstyle. It's so instantly recognizable and unique (the pixel artstyle, the faces, the noses, the ears, THEY'RE ALL SO CUTE), and the characters are extremely expressive - I screenshotted so many of the different sprites because they're all so great. I really love the background style; the saturated colors, filter, and framing so that the background doesn't quite fill out the screen gives everything a very dreamlike quality that's fitting of Wonderland. The animations are absolutely top tier; it feels like I was watching a fully animated show. When sprites are present, almost every single line has some sort of animation associated with it, making everything feel so lively and dynamic. The cinematic cutscenes at the end of each arc are absolutely amazing, and they really stirred up EMOTIONS in me like you wouldn't believe! 

The writing style is WONDERFUL, particularly the descriptions and the dialogue. The descriptions really paint the setting so well that it feels like I'm standing in Iggy's shoes, and all of the characters have such lively and colorful dialogue (it's incredibly easy to tell who's speaking, even without the color coding). The dev has a great knack for using words, metaphors, and imagery that really "get under your skin" in the most ghoulish and horrific way. Even the non-gorey moments, moments that are filled with unease or awkwardness, feel just as horrifying and queasy as the gorey ones, particularly the parts where Iggy is confronted with physical intimacy that he does not want. The song choice is absolutely BANGER. There's an incredible amount of variety in the music choices, and they all perfectly suit the scene. I am also simply in awe of the amount of dedication put into crediting all of the background sources, SFX sources, BGM artists, etc. 

Since my comments are pretty long, I'll split them up by arc:

Arc 1: 

The opening scene is BRILLIANT. In addition to laying the seeds for the mysteries of Wonderland, each character is efficiently characterized in only a few lines of dialogue. The follow-up scene just makes it better, as we see how the dynamics of the friend group have changed over time - some things have stayed the same, while others have changed dramatically (Bucks' size, for instance). You also see a lot more nuances: Orlam's clumsy jokes and his lies to cover up his insecurities, the newfound awkwardness between Iggy and Gidget, and Genzou's nonchalance despite not seeing Iggy in a long time. 

The entire arc is very well set up in terms of structure, going over key memories with each of Iggy's friends that portend their warped selves in Wonderland, and ending in a spectacular cliffhanger that gives you insight into Iggy's own problems. The time loop at the end of the arc is simply a brilliant way of making the player intrigued, wanting to know more.

Arc 2:

I'm a bit biased, but this might be my favorite (apart from Arc 5, of course). It was so heartwarming watching Genzou and Iggy get closer, seeing Iggy let his guard down around Genzou and letting himself be vulnerable. I honestly really like Genzou's scenes in general because rather than "Genzou scenes," they really feel like "Iggy scenes", as they mainly center around Iggy being vulnerable and honest with Genzou, who he trusts.

I find it really fascinating that all of the "bad" answers - the ones where Iggy keeps to himself, doesn't open up/talk - are the ones that lead to the "good" ending. I think it's fitting since the good ending is also tragic: Iggy's tragic decisions lead to an equally tragic end, where he regrets opening up to Genzou. 

It's interesting that Iggy is a bit "different" in each arc. Rather than being truly himself, he seems to be a "version" of himself that fulfills the desire of the arc's central character. In Arc 2, Iggy is helpless and defenseless (even losing part of his vision as a result of Gidget's attack - reflecting Genzou's own loss of sight in the real world). He needs Genzou's protection. While Genzou is capable and independent in the present, you get to know his feelings of helplessness in the flashbacks, particularly when he loses his cane during prom in Arc 4. So it seems that here, Iggy's helplessness allows Genzou to be the "protector" as opposed to the one that is protected. 

Arc 3:

At first I was curious as to why Orlam's arc was third, as I expected Gidget's to be next considering the "order" of characters in Wonderland; however, in hindsight it absolutely makes sense. The whiplash from Arc 2 is INCREDIBLE. In Arc 2, Genzou is Iggy's protector while Orlam is his sworn enemy, who just finished torturing him. Orlam seems almost cartoonishly evil, someone that you could never sympathize with. However, in just the first few scenes in Arc 3, you're instantly endeared to Orlam: his awkwardness, his desire to please, his self-harm. It's a brilliant way of playing with the player's emotions and their perceptions.

The use of "saving and loading" starts being really interesting in this arc, particularly when you're presented with the choices to finish off Gidget/eat Genzou. The first time around, you get the choice, but if you make the "bad choice," then you aren't given that choice the second time around. 

Iggy in this arc gave me INCREDIBLE whiplash. He's bold and confident, to the point of being aggressive. He's never afraid of speaking his mind, and he's almost strangely confrontational with Genzou (this hurt my heart more than a little bit considering the ending of Arc 2). Iggy's the perfect partner for Orlam; his partner in crime, a person who is willing to play along with Orlam's desire to be the tormenter instead of the tormented. Interestingly, rather than being himself, Iggy almost seems to "become" Orlam. You're only able to achieve the "good ending" by choosing to eat Genzou - which is what Orlam wants. And, in the end, Iggy's ultimate desire is for cleansing/release, like Orlam; he drinks the acid in the river and dies, paralleling Orlam drinking bleach at the start of the arc. It's interesting because it seems that Orlam has always looked up to Genzou, to the point of wanting to become him (and this is probably why his greatest desire is to consume Genzou - to become him by eating his flesh). So here perhaps Iggy fulfills Orlam's desire to be appreciated/admired in the way that Orlam admires Genzou - because Iggy literally becomes another version of Orlam.

(On a side note, this is the only arc where I thought Iggy's name - Ignatius - was kind of fitting LOL otherwise it's really the opposite to how he usually is)  

Arc 4:

I'll have to say that this really was the most horrific out of all of the arcs (somehow, the threat of Gidget's advances was WAY more scary than any of the monsters!) I'd actually say that while Genzou is my favorite character/my favorite partner for Iggy, Gidget is the one that I find the most interesting, partially because they're a little hard to figure out. I think it's because they're always playing a role, constantly trying to do what they "should" be doing as opposed to what they actually want to be doing.

As this arc heavily revolved around sexual themes, Iggy focuses a lot on "touch" (there are a lot of descriptions of how he feels being touched/touching the other cast members). There's a big focus on how Iggy finds Gidget's touch to be the most comforting/comfortable, while being slightly uncomfortable with Genzou and Orlam. In addition, he "plays the right role" for Gidget - acceding to her requests, going to dinner with her, saying yes to her proposal - going along with her "perfect life." 

This arc kind of stands out from the other two in that Iggy doesn't really "reach a happy ending" with Gidget. In Arcs 2 and 3, Iggy does reach a place of understanding/trust with Genzou/Orlam, but Gidget asks things of Iggy that he simply can't do. (The ending sequence in this arc was the MOST horrific.)

Arc 5:

We're on the final arc and it is INCREDIBLY SATISFYING (as of the release of 5.15). I loved every single scene to bits - Genzou's, Gidget's, and Orlam's "revelations" were all so emotional to see (literally teared up), especially given so much buildup from the prior arcs (ESPECIALLY Genzou and Orlam's relationship). I really loved seeing Gidget embrace their true self and witnessing Genzou and Orlam finally come to a little bit of an understanding after SO MUCH pain and vitriol that had been exchanged between the two of them. I really liked how Genzou's "turning point" was really delivered not during his "central scene," but during his interaction with Orlam - where, for once, he decides to stop spreading hate and truly atones for his actions. 

It's interesting that Gidget and Orlam both seem to have counterparts in Wonderland (Cecil for Gidget, and Jerry for Orlam) - who seem to reflect their true selves. I also like how the characters aren't emerging unscathed from this. Iggy is stabbed in the shoulder, and Genzou even loses a finger - physical injuries in exchange for the pain that they caused in the real world. (I just hope that Genzou's finger doesn't affect his livelihood!) 

I really love the use of game mechanics here. In the early sections, you're given a lot of similar choices to Arc 2, but the choices that originally led to bad endings now lead to good endings (choosing to help Genzou, for instance). Moreover, the game makes use of the "taking away the player's choice on the second play" mechanic - only instead of solidifying Iggy's decisions to hurt his friends, this time Iggy chooses to help them. 

In this arc, Iggy actually DOESN'T make anyone happy. Gidget figures it out for herself during her confrontation with Cecil (her "other self"), and Orlam and Genzou overcome their problems with each other. Iggy doesn't play a significant role in either revelation, and it's very fitting. He needs to learn not to place all the fault on himself. All along, starting from Arc 1, Iggy has been blaming himself for his friends' problems; in Arcs 2-4, he tried to make them happy by being the version of Iggy that would make them the happiest, and it only led to tragedy each time. Even in OFW, where he tried to make his friends happy by giving them love/acceptance, they all died in the end. Now, when he's standing on the sidelines and only acting as moral support, the path to a "happy ending" is finally opening. 

In general:

All of the characters are wonderfully complex and three dimensional, and I love how there is a LOT of thought put into their relationships between one another. They have a lot of history with each other, and it shows in the flashbacks and the way that they interact now. You could write an essay about each of the characters, their pasts, motivations, desires, and issues - which is just a testament to how incredibly well done the character writing is.

As the "normal" one, I think that it's easy for a lot of Genzou's complexities to go unnoticed. Compared to Orlam and Gidget, Genzou seems pretty easy to figure out - he's secretly in love with Iggy, and he has been for a really long time. I think it's because Genzou does a good job of hiding his problems. In reality, he feels insecure and washed out; he's blind, and even though he's doing well for himself he's working a blue collar job with no college education. He's basically resigned himself to eternal loneliness, certain that he won't be able to find anyone, and he encourages the object of his affections to date other people, convinced that Iggy will never love him back. His relationship with Orlam is probably the most intriguing thing about his character. For the most part Genzou is calm and level-headed (almost to an insane degree), a reliable friend in a horrific land. And yet when it comes to Orlam, Genzou is extremely, unnaturally antagonistic. Even when Iggy tries to convince Genzou to lay off, Genzou is steadfast in his taunts - even though he seems to realize that he's in the wrong. In Arc 5, Orlam points out that Genzou didn't become a monster in Wonderland because he was already a monster in real life - and Orlam isn't wrong. I'd say that Genzou's main flaw is "complacency." Rather than trying to find companionship, he accepts that he'll be alone. Rather than fighting against Orlam's bullies, he joined them. Rather than accepting his past mistakes, he continued to pretend nothing was wrong. The turning point of Genzou's character is really the acceptance of his mistakes, as he finally tries to change something about his life rather than simply accepting everything as it occurs. 

Orlam is a VERY interesting character. He's a person driven by contradictions. He wants everyone to love him, to look at him, to appreciate him. But at the same time he doesn't trust anyone, and he doesn't want to get close to anyone. He longs for human warmth and affection, but the alienation that he has faced from everyone around him (Genzou, most of all) limits him to only seeking the shallowest of physical relationships. He appears egocentric, looking down on others and not valuing their lives, but he hates himself most of all. He causes others pain because he's in pain. 

Gidget is probably the character that I find the most interesting and honestly the most relatable, as well, partially because I think that they're the most flawed. Unlike Orlam, Gidget isn't lashing out because of pain that they have endured in the real world (while Iggy did hurt Gidget in high school, it was nothing like the continuous harassment that Genzou subjected Orlam to). Instead, Gidget does bad things because they're a "dreamer"; like their modeling career, they can't give up on the perfect life that they dream about - not because they actually want it, but because society as a whole has conditioned them to believe that they need that perfect life. I relate a lot to those expectations, especially as a person that doesn't really conform much to feminine ideals in my own life. I think that Gidget's character perfectly encapsulates the idea of "Wonderland" - how our dreams get warped and changed by adulthood, circumstance, and society until they're ugly and broken.

I'm very curious to see what happens with Bucks and Saydie in the last part, as we don't really know that much about them (apart from Bucks' cameo as the axe-wielding final boss of every arc). I also wonder if we'll learn what Iggy's real wish was. (I wonder if it was to reconcile with his childhood friends?)

I LOVE the general themes and ideas behind this game, and I think they're something that almost everyone can relate to. Past affections and regrets; how things that you do in the past - things that you do out of emotion, or momentary anger - things that you don't mean - can have a really profound effect on your relationships and the people around you. How your actions have CONSEQUENCES, no matter how young or naive you were. How you grow up and regret what happened in life and how you treated the people around you. How even if you get another chance, you can never take back the things that you did, the things that you said - you just have to grow and learn and try to heal. 

If I had to describe this game in one word, it would be: raw. Raw and authentic and vulnerable and painfully real. It's one of those works where I think, "THIS IS ART" and "I'm truly glad that I was born on this world, so I could experience this." 

Thank you so much for the experience, Carrot; it's truly one-of-a-kind. I will be waiting (patiently) for the final part!

Hi, I wanted to let you (Carrot) know that Arc 5 has been a punch in the emotional gut (in a very positive and validating way, if that makes sense).
I'm near thirty and I've never quite seen myself in fiction ever, until Iggy. So I think I now feel less alone in the world and less cut off from other humans, really thanks for that :' )

(I'm also lowkey considering growing a baby rattail lol)

HIHIHI!! BIT LATE TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCE WITH ARC 5 PART 1 1/2 BUT SHUSH. ( IHADWIFIPROBLEMS)

ANYWYAZ! SPOILERS AHEAD!!:

- IM SO GLAD THE LITTLE IGGIES GET A HUMBLE BIG PLACE TO LIVE IN <3 (the safe ones.)

- SCREW YOU RED TOMATO CHILDREN!!!

- JERRY!//??!/1/1/1/11/1?!/?!??!

- WAIT SO OUR FANTASTIC WONDERLAND IS SOMEHOW CONNECTED TO OUR WONDERLAND?? (I THOUGHT ITS OFF STORY HELP?)

- GENZOU ROUTE YUH #GENGGY4LIFE!!

- AWWW THEY LOOK SO CUTE BUNDLED UP IN A BLANKET DJHDJSH ( GENZOU AND IGGY )

- GENZOU LOOKING AT IGGY AND TOUCHING HIS FOOT??? BHDSGDJGJDGS PLEASE YOU TWO BE TOGETHER NOW.

- EWW RABID RABBITS.

- NOOOOO JERRYY!!! ILL MISS YOUUUU even though I have only read through your dialogue once or twice-

- HI ORLAM :3

- WHY ARE YOU PALE AF??

- WHAT HE TOOK HIS HEART OUT????

- EW KINKY RABID RABBITS.

- Im sure when kid orlam meets adult orlam, Kid orlam will be disgusted :p

- POWER OF FRIENDSHIP AND SORRY BOOM YIPPEE

- RUN FAST DOR YOUR FATHE-

- THE FINAL BOSS... BUCK- oh NOOOOO ITS TO BE CONCLUDED WTF.

CARROTPATCHGAMES HII!! IM SO EXCITED FOR THE FINAL PART!! ( SADLY DIDNT PLAY THIS SESSION WITH MY FRIEND IDK IF YOU REMEMBER OR SMTH BUT I USUALLY PLAY WITH MY FRIEND, SO NO WEIRD QUESTIONS ME AND MY FRIEND MADE UP :'( )

HOPE YOU REST AND WORK WELL!! THANK YOU FOR ARC 5 PART 1 1/2 praiseemoji