Oct 20, 2025
The Sun Will Rise is a weird story, and Rina’s a weird character, but I enjoyed her journey. Rina is anxious, passive and riddled with self-doubt, with an unfortunate tendency to spiral. On many occasions, her struggles felt bitterly relatable. The greatest enemy she faced wasn’t the Imperium, but her own doubtful nature. Even when positive progress was made, Rina repeatedly found herself succumbing to her insecurities, in a manner that was both realistic and frustrating.
However, in the latter half, these regressions could teeter closer to tedium than realism at times. This might’ve been compounded by the conclusion’s brisk pacing, as the climactic moment in which Rina finally overcame her passive nature felt somewhat compressed and disconnected. Condensing the more repetitive moments and destinations in the later sections of the story and fleshing out Rina’s shift from passive to active could have produced a more satisfying payoff.
On the other hand, your world-building is incredible. The environments of each location feel both inspired and distinct, with strong visuals that effortlessly distinguish them from one another. The world itself feels alive, as if there’s truly thousands of years of deep history the audience learns bits and pieces of.
I also fell in love with a number of side characters: Selene, Aki and even Chaya were always charming, alongside more minor characters such as Nashka. Though, I would’ve loved a deeper exploration into others, such as the remaining party members, who remained more or less mysteries even into the ending.
The most compelling aspect of this story is the chemistry in its relationships. The main party shares a beautiful sense of found-family, which lends itself to a very comforting atmosphere. Rina’s relationships with Aki, Chaya and, of course, Selene were consistently well-written. Her relationship with Selene in particular was engaging throughout, with realistic highs and lows, and a beautiful exploration of anxiety and communication. Their bond felt equal parts perfect and humanly imperfect.
In the end, I enjoyed my time with Rina and her friends, and I would readily recommend the story to readers interested in imperfect characters and relationships, and powerful found-family dynamics. 
