Summer Pockets Writing and Stories Inconsistencies

[hamros.rn]

First of all, I'm a big fan of KEY. I love their works on Clannad, Angel Beats, Charlotte, Little Busters! and Rewrite. So I kinda hoped Summer Pockets would give me the same feelings as their previous works that I mentioned. Alas, maybe I overestimate. Though I understand that SP doesn't have the same directors as KEY's previous works. Below is every parts of the stories that I find it odd or confusing, so SPOILER ALERT! for those who haven't finished the game.

1. Shiroha's Power of Precognition? or Time Travel?

Shiroha is destined to be a cursed child because of her bloodline, and she herself admit that she can see people misfortune in the future. When her power kicks in her eyes lose its focus and her mind become close to absent minded state. Sometime her personality become twisted like somebody possessed her. Later in the story, turns out Shiroha's power is told that she can move her soul to the past, hence knowing what the future holds (I may misunderstand something because this is the part that got me confused). So, like Umi? but there's no sign or explanation on the parts where she regain memories from the future on the whole summer vacation.

2. Kamome and Tsumugi Before and After True Route

When you play Kamome or Tsumugi route, the story tells us that both are not real a person. Kamome is just some kind of wandering spirit in search of treasure that she and her mom made while her real body is in comatose state. Tsumugi is a place holder from a real person that got spirited away. Both are on their last straws and will disappear if their problem doesn't get resolved. In the end they both will get their existence established ONLY if the MC go through their route. But in the alka/true route mc prioritize building his relationship with Shiroha and Umi. Yet in the epilogue the story tells us that they both get their own happy ending. Kamome talking with her mother just fine and plan to finish their pirate ship in the next year while about to take the ferry leaving the island, and Tsumugi existing as a real person who has her own home and has access to the light house.

3. Umi's Fate Where Shiroha doesn't Exist

Umi lives miserably because her father (Hairi) never pays attention to her since the death of her mother. So she decides to go back to the past where her mother is still exist. After knowing how it felt to live her summer with her mom and dad, she concludes that her present dad has reason to behave the way he did and believe he's still the kind person just like his past dad. Honestly, I expected something from Hairi's point of view after she lost Shiroha (just like Tomoya in Clannad After Story) yet sadly there's no that kind of story and it left a hole in my heart.

4. What actually happened in Pocket Route?

This is just my conclusion on the back and forth in this complicated sequence of time travel stuff. I'll focus on the spirit realm where everybody become shiny butterfly. This story happens when Shiroha just lost both of her parents.

Hitomi (Shiroha's mom) went back to the past and told Misaki to keep her nephew (Hairi the MC) in the shed until the last day of Summer when he visit, stuff happened and Hitomi came back to the spirit realm, finds Umi's butterfly wandering on the endless summer, decided to guide her to the timeline where young child Shiroha is depressed and make Umi into Nanami, tell her to make the most fun summer vacation they both ever had, thus make Shiroha and Umi to always looking to the future and never rely on her power to fix the past, leave a rainbow paper airplane in the shed, Hairi found the rainbow paper airplane after finished organizing the shed, finally the happy timeline everybody hoped for.

I want to give a review after this so tell me what you think about the story in general.

[永久に]

From what I remembered at least.

1) Naruse's power are time-related power (Prediction, Mind Time Travel) Shiroha's got both but her "Mind Time Travel" are weaker one, when she does it, she can't remember anything (beside having a small hunch) so it's basically 99% useless. Umi on the other hand doesn't have prediction ability but her Mind Time Travel is stronger and even got an "upgrade" when she was near death experience when she falls off the cliff, allowing her to body travel as well.

2) - Tsumugi in the True ending is implied to be the original Tsumugi. It's a bit confuse because White Garden dimension is set separate from time travel. (In Reflection Blue,same thing happened to Shiki, another White Garden resident, she come to the real world one day, confusing Umi who state "Never seen" her before in short novel) So you can assumed that Tsumugi tell her original about the outside world, which help her original decide to get out of WG as pop up in the ending of final timeline. While Tsumugi get back to her own route timeline.
- Kamome is literally Fuuko's, so in a way it's kinda weird. You can say It's got "Keys Magic" where she is miracle healed in the True Ending so everyone got an happy ending.
- Compare to Ai which can be assumed and handwave in the new timeline that because Shiroha is more active this time, she might prevent and help the twin problem.

3) Hairi's begin emo over Shiroha dead is indeed similar to Tomoya case with the exception that he still taking care of Umi (Since unlike Tomoya, Hairi's doesn't have any nice relatives outside of people in Torishima). Umi is still at that age that still want her dad attention so it's kinda make sense that she got "I want him to love me, but I'm also angry at him" as show in the game story where her interaction with him is switch between happy/annoyed with him.

4) In the ending of Alka route, it's was Butterfly!Shiroha telling her to go back to her time since she believe Umi already made a lot of happy memories (and doing more might cause her body cease to exist), Umi however does the opposite using her last power (implied Hitomi help her on "Nanami" body) thus start Pockets route. Umi goal this time is to prevent her mother from manifest time power resulting in "Umi's body" cease an existence for real. In the epilogue, the new Umi will eventually born but she isn't the same Umi you have been hanging with the entire game.

The Umi we know still exist as Shishieshou Butterfly except she can't returns to her original time nor manifest a new body anymore aka her butterfly will wander in the magical space for an eternity until the new epilogue in Reflection Blue that is

[hamros.rn]

Originally posted by U.M.A. New World:

From what I remembered at least.

1) Naruse's power are time-related power (Prediction, Mind Time Travel) Shiroha's got both but her "Mind Time Travel" are weaker one, when she does it, she can't remember anything (beside having a small hunch) so it's basically 99% useless. Umi on the other hand doesn't have prediction ability but her Mind Time Travel is stronger and even got an "upgrade" when she was near death experience when she falls off the cliff, allowing her to body travel as well.

2) - Tsumugi in the True ending is implied to be the original Tsumugi. It's a bit confuse because White Garden dimension is set separate from time travel. (In Reflection Blue, same thing happened to Shiki, another White Garden resident, she come to the real world one day, confusing Umi who state "Never seen" her before in short novel) So you can assumed that Tsumugi tell her original about the outside world, which help her original decide to get out of WG as pop up in the ending of final timeline. While Tsumugi get back to her own route timeline.
- Kamome is literally Fuuko's, so in a way it's kinda weird. You can say It's got "Keys Magic" where she is miracle healed in the True Ending so everyone got an happy ending.
- Compare to Ai which can be assumed and handwave in the new timeline that because Shiroha is more active this time, she might prevent and help the twin problem.

3) Hairi's begin emo over Shiroha dead is indeed similar to Tomoya case with the exception that he still taking care of Umi (Since unlike Tomoya, Hairi's doesn't have any nice relatives outside of people in Torishima). Umi is still at that age that still want her dad attention so it's kinda make sense that she got "I want him to love me, but I'm also angry at him" as show in the game story where her interaction with him is switch between happy/annoyed with him.

4) In the ending of Alka route, it's was Butterfly!Shiroha telling her to go back to her time since she believe Umi already made a lot of happy memories (and doing more might cause her body cease to exist), Umi however does the opposite using her last power (implied Hitomi help her on "Nanami" body) thus start Pockets route. Umi goal this time is to prevent her mother from manifest time power resulting in "Umi's body" cease an existence for real. In the epilogue, the new Umi will eventually born but she isn't the same Umi you have been hanging with the entire game.

The Umi we know still exist as Shishieshou Butterfly except she can't returns to her original time nor manifest a new body anymore aka her butterfly will wander in the magical space for an eternity until the new epilogue in Reflection Blue that is

so it goes a little bit makes sense in Reflection Blue. I can accept that the level of power is different for each person and its cost. Honestly, the writing feels like it forces us to accept "and then they lives happily ever after. THE END." Especially in Kamome's route. Though I understand time travel story can become complicated if you immersed to it.

[永久に]

It's definitely make a bit more sense in Reflection Blue. Spoiler for Shiki's route she got cosmic retcon out thus doesn't made any appearance in Alka or Pockets route.
Yet you can still replay her route at anytime.

I assumed it's because gameplay-wise, it's make easier for the player to replay the route but canoncial-wise it's implied that some of the heroine shouldn't even made an appearance at all once you're done with their route.

In Reflection Blue, there are also Umi's route, which is 120% canon happened, yet gameplay-wise. it's the only route you could have miss in your run.

yeah aside from Time Travel, White Garden, Butterfly dimension which have it's own time and space rules, there is also story & gameplay Segregation into the mix

[Yuki-san]

Originally posted by hamros.rn:

First of all, I'm a big fan of KEY. I love their works on Clannad, Angel Beats, Charlotte, Little Busters! and Rewrite. So I kinda hoped Summer Pockets would give me the same feelings as their previous works that I mentioned. Alas, maybe I overestimate. Though I understand that SP doesn't have the same directors as KEY's previous works. Below is every parts of the stories that I find it odd or confusing, so SPOILER ALERT! for those who haven't finished the game.

1. Shiroha's Power of Precognition? or Time Travel?

Shiroha is destined to be a cursed child because of her bloodline, and she herself admit that she can see people misfortune in the future. When her power kicks in her eyes lose its focus and her mind become close to absent minded state. Sometime her personality become twisted like somebody possessed her. Later in the story, turns out Shiroha's power is told that she can move her soul to the past, hence knowing what the future holds (I may misunderstand something because this is the part that got me confused). So, like Umi? but there's no sign or explanation on the parts where she regain memories from the future on the whole summer vacation.

2. Kamome and Tsumugi Before and After True Route

When you play Kamome or Tsumugi route, the story tells us that both are not real a person. Kamome is just some kind of wandering spirit in search of treasure that she and her mom made while her real body is in comatose state. Tsumugi is a place holder from a real person that got spirited away. Both are on their last straws and will disappear if their problem doesn't get resolved. In the end they both will get their existence established ONLY if the MC go through their route. But in the alka/true route mc prioritize building his relationship with Shiroha and Umi. Yet in the epilogue the story tells us that they both get their own happy ending. Kamome talking with her mother just fine and plan to finish their pirate ship in the next year while about to take the ferry leaving the island, and Tsumugi existing as a real person who has her own home and has access to the light house.

3. Umi's Fate Where Shiroha doesn't Exist

Umi lives miserably because her father (Hairi) never pays attention to her since the death of her mother. So she decides to go back to the past where her mother is still exist. After knowing how it felt to live her summer with her mom and dad, she concludes that her present dad has reason to behave the way he did and believe he's still the kind person just like his past dad. Honestly, I expected something from Hairi's point of view after she lost Shiroha (just like Tomoya in Clannad After Story) yet sadly there's no that kind of story and it left a hole in my heart.

4. What actually happened in Pocket Route?

This is just my conclusion on the back and forth in this complicated sequence of time travel stuff. I'll focus on the spirit realm where everybody become shiny butterfly. This story happens when Shiroha just lost both of her parents.

Hitomi (Shiroha's mom) went back to the past and told Misaki to keep her nephew (Hairi the MC) in the shed until the last day of Summer when he visit, stuff happened and Hitomi came back to the spirit realm, finds Umi's butterfly wandering on the endless summer, decided to guide her to the timeline where young child Shiroha is depressed and make Umi into Nanami, tell her to make the most fun summer vacation they both ever had, thus make Shiroha and Umi to always looking to the future and never rely on her power to fix the past, leave a rainbow paper airplane in the shed, Hairi found the rainbow paper airplane after finished organizing the shed, finally the happy timeline everybody hoped for.

I want to give a review after this so tell me what you think about the story in general.

Everything u wrote is what i'm thinking after played all.

But i just need one confirmation if is what everyone think, Shiroha in true ending still dies in Umi's birth right? as i Love Clannad i was expecting same case as Tomoya to save Nagisa i understand that Summer Pockets the history is to prevend Umi's power in the future, but about Shiroha made me think its SO SAD destiny, because Shiroha it's not weak as Nagisa in Clannad she just die suddenly

[永久に]

Originally posted by Yuki-san:

But i just need one confirmation if is what everyone think, Shiroha in true ending still dies in Umi's birth right? as i Love Clannad i was expecting same case as Tomoya to save Nagisa i understand that Summer Pockets the history is to prevend Umi's power in the future, but about Shiroha made me think its SO SAD destiny, because Shiroha it's not weak as Nagisa in Clannad she just die suddenly

Nope, Shiroha in True End doesn't developed power so she is just a normal girl
This is confirmed in Reflection Blue

The reason her body become so weak in the og timeline is because she saw that Umi will manifest the power, so she looking for a way to prevent it non-stop regardless of her health.

The irony is that this is what cause Umi to developed her power in the first place, because without Shiroha, Hairi turned emo which made her life suck that she developed one.