[Soviet]

Originally Posted by velocity7

Spoiler:

I dunno, maybe we disagree on what WA2 was trying to convey... I felt more that Haruki certainly was pretty messed up in Introductory Chapter, and certainly he decides to rectify things during Closing Chapter. But taking Kazusa route, normal or true end, felt a lot like a Heel-Face-Turn in terms of character. Sure he goes to save Kazusa and be with her, but he essentially destroyed everything he'd built up in the two year gap in order to do so... I kinda skimmed the route myself, but I guess you're in one of two camps when it comes to WA2:

1. You want the three of them to at least reconcile
2. You want Kazusa to be the one who wins in the end

Reading the side material myself, it'd seem to me Haruki (when he's thinking straight) cares a lot about keeping promises and treasuring friendships. Should probably note that the Setsuna true route is the one whose credits roll is treated far better than Kazusa's, and Kasuza's matches pretty much all the other characters' credits rolls. If anything, Kazusa's route seems more like the omake scenario. Setsuna true route, even though it's labeled "Setsuna", was still about Kazusa and getting her to grow as a character nonetheless.

I guess if you care a lot about the love triangle aspect more than what the three initially wanted to be, then camp #2 is for you. I'd fall into camp #1 myself.

Besides, I think it's better the anime broadcast itself goes with Setsuna true end. Other characters could get fleshed out as OVA extras, much like what happened with CLANNAD and After Story.

Addendum: I'm not saying that Kazusa's route was a bad idea at all. On the contrary, it's essentially telling what would happen, and yes the dramatic impact is certainly there. But if there were a Kazusa route that at least matched the same kind of ending Setsuna's route got, it'd have to be one that forks from where Haruki was given the option to go to the concert (troll option, you can never pick this). Fandisc, anyone?

Addendum 2: Reading the side-story, The Idol Who Forgot How To Sing / 歌を忘れた偶像(アイドル), will also give some insight into Haruki's character.

Spoiler:

Both camps are not for me. I don't want the three of them to reconcile the way they did it in Setsuna's true route. White Album takes a more realistic approach towards love and romance with the sole exception being Setsuna's route where everything just works out perfectly for everyone, it's like a Disney movie. It doesn't read like something Maruta himself wrote.
Haruki chose Kazusa over Setsuna in IC, but didn't have the means to be by her side, and Haruki chose Kazusa in her true route but this time with a final conviction that forces him to burn bridges all around him. It's the wrong choice, Kazusa is ALWAYS the wrong choice but this is exactly where the story needs to be headed to make it go full circle.
You said it yourself, even Setsuna's route is more about Kazusa than Setsuna herself, all of Coda is about Kazusa and how her reappearance in Haruki's life changes everything. So it's kind of a problem that him and his ties with Kazusa are basically left on the roadside for a straight and very uneventful line towards happy marriage.

This is wrong by the way:

I guess if you care a lot about the love triangle aspect more than what the three initially wanted to be

It's what Setsuna wanted the three of them to be, both Kazusa and Haruki always knew that this is a naive pipe dream that just can't work, because relationships just don't work like that. And then it just magically does in Setsuna's route which makes it nothing more than really cheap soul food in a VN that is all about avoiding this Disney-feel cheapness.