So far we are 3 for 3 in routes I enjoy for this visual novel. This was a very nice route, but I had to take it at a leisurely pace (which, for me, meant not reading at the speed of light.) Tomoyo’s route is a slow burn route. It has a conflict, and you can feel it coming, it just takes a while to get there. But it is very rewarding once you arrive. Some people have said that the portrayal of the relationship, and Tomoyo herself in regards to the relationship, are inconsistent and unrealistic. I do not think that is true. As a girl who has been head over heels for boyfriends in high school, I have to say they did a pretty good job at capturing the mindset. I was always flip-flopping between looking out for myself and what I want, and doing everything in my little power to make him happy and make the relationship work, even if it directly went against that. Of course, real life high school relationships are often rooted in teenage hormones and bad, immature decision-making, so at the core of it my logic and goals were far more flawed than our anime girl’s much more perfect foundation. But it was still very easy to relate to and, I assure you, very realistic.
As for Tomoyo herself, I found her to be quite pleasant. I’ve always enjoyed the “unlikely” pairing, such as the delinquent with the model student, in this case. I believe her and Tomoya go well together, and I admire Tomoyo herself. The only critique I will give this route is it did not do enough for me. The conflict and resolution was pretty good, but the route did not keep me engaged all the way through. If I had read this route at my normal pace, I would have surely burned out on boredom.
