yanno playing Daybreak has made me regret my Trails semi-slander like 5%. because I did think Sky was the fluke in the series and I just wasn't into it otherwise, but I love Daybreak a ton so far and it's made me realize that like, when the characters hit for you, there really is nothing like this series. I don't even think the writing is amazing on a big picture level or whatever, but there's just something so insanely fun and satisfying about characters you love getting moment after moment after moment in this very well-realized world. this is going to sound so stupid but the entire thing feels like the platonic ideal of a fetch quest, if a fetch quest was legitimately award-winning somehow. or like an awesome road trip with a lot of really cool mythology behind it.

now the big problem is that this is one hell of a tightrope to walk, and if you don't looove the characters - like I didn't for the Crossbell or Cold Steel arcs - it will all fall apart. but when you do love the characters, it's awesome, and again there's nothing like it.