I've never played the visual novel, but I've seen the anime. I honestly feel like "season 1" isn't all that great. A lot of it annoys me until the very end. The ending segments are pretty great. Also, Nagisa's parents are awesome throughout. I just had to force myself through it to get to the good stuff, which is After Story. There is a lot to love in After Story. That being said, I still am not a huge fan of the ending. It doesn't bother me as much as it seems to bother most people, but yeah.