This novel was interesting. Although I did not really care for the extra details of chapters each dedicated to Nakajou, Haba, and Sawakiguchi, when we got to the middle of the volume and the focus was Irisu and Oreki and authorial intent, it got immensely more put together.

For context, even with Book 1, Kyoto Animation's ability to elevate a source material is unbelievable and streamlining the story with ample visual prowess to carry the themes across mediums. I frankly don't care about anyone talking that isn't the main 4 especially with how bombastic these 3 from the amateur movie production come off as. But I also understand that's exactly the point. Their arrogance in their talent and thought process is used to showcase the way that Oreki gets used in the same vein. The author's intent is no longer important for a finished product because there are too many brains involved in the production. Someone that is able to mask the situation and tie it all together is the ideal candidate and who better than Oreki with the way he misdirects himself and others to solve a problem faster so that he can go back to the state of grayness he is content (or stuck) with.

Hongou is fascinating. The fact that her intent with the script was overridden to the point was used so perfectly with Oreki. Someone that seemed to understand Sekitani Jun so well because they were under the supposed same vein couldn't when it came to Hongou who is more similar to Chitanda. Oreki got caught up in solving the problem and dismissed the outliers because he started to believe that he was special. The little dance that Irisu made him do would've worked if he was all alone like at the beginning of the story. It was the Classics Club that unintentionally threw him back to the ground, all beaten and gray. If he didn't surround himself with those people to this extent, maybe he could've flown to that rose-colored tint. But it wouldn't have been real, and that's why it hurts so much. I still vividly see that one shot from the anime where the puppet of Oreki has the spotlight while real one sits alone in the stands in this one man show.

Does the author matter? That's the most intriguing question that I got out of this Book 2 of the Koten-Bu Series. Didn't Oreki's analysis and proposal actually solve the issue at hand? Once it got out of Hongou's hand, her intentions of how it should've ended died along with true script as it was. A more deeper nuanced look at that one specific point could take forever (kind of like how it took me over a year to read this and the only thing that got me out of the slump was a new Replay Value video on Youtube) but I digress. I would like to get caught up with this series this year by the end of 2023.