Thoughts after Lilly's path

[YeOldGrog]

I recently completed Lilly's path, and even though it was not the first path that I completed it definitely affected me in much more of a way than the others. (Emi and Rin)
That sense of togetherness and the feeling of wholeness when Hisao was with her really hit home. That moment when they are in the wheat field and Lilly tells Hisao that she never wants him to leave her, utterly beautiful. Lilly's path was filled with heart warming moments like this that made it that much more memorable.

But it also made me think about how I handle my relationships (I have not had many) have gone and how I should handle future ones. My last relationship was shallow, I didn't feel very connected to the girl. It left me feeling empty inside and I have shied away from making new relationships because of that. Lilly's story has let me realize that I have to pause and assess my feelings and really getting to know the person before trying to further our relationship. If I really do have strong feelings for this person then I should let them know even if they reject me, if I don't then there is no way for me to know what could have happened.

I guess I just did this post to get my feelings out there in a physical form instead of keeping them to myself, something i do far to much of. I feel much more emotionally stable on this matter now. Thank you for your time.

[Wander]

Good stuff

I agree with you that Lilly's path is indeed the most emotionally effective one in the game. Well built, even in all its glorious cheesiness.

[ShadeHaven]

I had the same feelings when playing through her path, even with the wheat field scene. I almost shed a tear at that part.

I've actually just gotten out of a shallow relationship myself. After it ending I found myself rather unaffected, even though the relationship lasted for almost 2 years. We just weren't that compatible. But I'm left with many of the same feelings and thoughts that you have. Emotions were never intended to be hidden.

[Mirrormn]

Lilly's route took on a bit of a different feel for me once I realized that even before her confession in the field of wheat, she already knew she would likely be returning to Scotland permanently. Even as she says to Hisao, "Don't go away, I beg of you. Never, ever go away. I love you, so please...!", she is planning to abandon him! From that viewpoint, their entire relationship throughout Acts 3 and 4 seems a little less heartwarming to me.

[Nekken]

Lilly's path is cliched, but things become cliched for a reason: they resonate with people. When used well, they can be really powerful as images, and, well, my choice of avatar should be enough to tell my opinion on this one.

[Lone Collie]

Lilly's route took on a bit of a different feel for me once I realized that even before her confession in the field of wheat, she already knew she would likely be returning to Scotland permanently. Even as she says to Hisao, "Don't go away, I beg of you. Never, ever go away. I love you, so please...!", she is planning to abandon him! From that viewpoint, their entire relationship throughout Acts 3 and 4 seems a little less heartwarming to me.

Thats how i felt too and if she loves him so much why does she leave? For a freaking job?
Even if you get the good ending she still leaves you so... :/

[Wander]

Lilly's route took on a bit of a different feel for me once I realized that even before her confession in the field of wheat, she already knew she would likely be returning to Scotland permanently. Even as she says to Hisao, "Don't go away, I beg of you. Never, ever go away. I love you, so please...!", she is planning to abandon him! From that viewpoint, their entire relationship throughout Acts 3 and 4 seems a little less heartwarming to me.

I think that only emphasizes how torn she was with the decision. Otherwise she would've told about it earlier. I think it's clear that she never wanted the relationship to end, but her parents had convinced her that they wanted to make up for when they had left her and Akira in Japan. In fact, knowing how parents can be, I'd imagine that she was pestered by phone calls begging her to come there and she eventually promised to do so. And besides, it's realistic. Shit happens and people do decisions like that in the real life, too. It is the paradox of love.

[Breaker deGodot]

Lilly's route took on a bit of a different feel for me once I realized that even before her confession in the field of wheat, she already knew she would likely be returning to Scotland permanently. Even as she says to Hisao, "Don't go away, I beg of you. Never, ever go away. I love you, so please...!", she is planning to abandon him! From that viewpoint, their entire relationship throughout Acts 3 and 4 seems a little less heartwarming to me.

Look at it this way: Lilly has a serious problem with telling other people about her problems. She's so used to having other people relying on her for support that she can't even fathom being that honest to another person. The reasons she confesses to Hisao are twofold: one is that he had just had a near-death experience, so she figured it was now or never.
The second is that she loves him too much to let him go. She says later on in her route that she has rejected many confessions in the past. With this in mind, the very fact that she bothered confessing to Hisao at all shows that she's more serious about him than anyone else she's known.
Plus, you have to take into account that Lilly is a very trusting person, to a fault even. Despite her parents basically abandoning her and Akira, she still wanted to return to Scotland and leave Hisao behind solely because she felt the need to patch things up with her family.

Now, does this make her actions justified? Not necessarily. But she certainly didn't just think of Hisao as a disposable lover, much less a person to be used.

[ShadeHaven]

Thats how i felt too and if she loves him so much why does she leave? For a freaking job?
Even if you get the good ending she still leaves you so... :/

Hm? I believe she left to be closer to her family, which is more justifiable than a job.

[Mirrormn]

The second is that she loves him too much to let him go. She says later on in her route that she has rejected many confessions in the past. With this in mind, the very fact that she bothered confessing to Hisao at all shows that she's more serious about him than anyone else she's known.

Yes, I agree. I didn't mean "less heartwarming" in the sense that their relationship was never real or meaningful, but rather in the sense that it was being torn apart by outside forces from the very beginning. In some sense, the fact that Lilly decides to confess to Hisao despite knowing that their prospects for a long-term relationship are very poor is a testament to the strength of the emotion she feels in that moment. Lilly is generally very composed and deliberate, and she certainly knows that it's a bad idea to start a relationship with Hisao when she's going to be leaving a month or two later. But, then Hisao's heart flutter causes Lilly to consider how much it would hurt to lose him, and that, combined with the knowledge that she is inevitably going to have to leave him, is too much pain to bear. So, in that one scene in the field of wheat, she throws her composure, her rationality, her common sense away, and she can only confess what she truly feels, no matter how contradictory it is to the reality of her situation. It's a touching scene, but not entirely heartwarming, since it is laced with melancholy.

[Wander]

^This is correct. But melancholy is better than just heart-warming shit anyway, in terms of story-telling.

[YeOldGrog]

^This is correct. But melancholy is better than just heart-warming shit anyway, in terms of story-telling.

It makes it seem more realistic. It is not a far off fairy tail, it is something that happens in real life to real people.

[Lone Collie]

Thats how i felt too and if she loves him so much why does she leave? For a freaking job?
Even if you get the good ending she still leaves you so... :/

Hm? I believe she left to be closer to her family, which is more justifiable than a job.

Well of course there is that too but still is the fact that they practically deserted her (if Akira is to be believed) and that she specifically told him never to leave her. Still doesn't justify that, in my opinion.

[Wander]

^This is correct. But melancholy is better than just heart-warming shit anyway, in terms of story-telling.

It makes it seem more realistic. It is not a far off fairy tail, it is something that happens in real life to real people.

As I was saying earlier. And my point there is that it wouldn't be much of a story if there was no conflict. Same goes for all the routes.

[ArwinBakker]

Lilly was the first I choosed from. She's so honest/ caring and sweet. Not a single time she's angry or acting weird.
I also liked the fact Hanako is Lilly's best friend so I could help her out to be more confident.

For me.. this was the most heartwarming story to choose from.