So I'm in the middle of my second playthrough via my weird route file. I'm doing the "aborted" weird route since I could always quickly activate Side B later if I need to and I might as well keep my system save file clean of it for now just in case. I've got another three things that have come to mind or I want to share.
So there's been some speculation on whether the game's world is literally a game or simulation in-universe due to Ralsei and Flowery bringing up game mechanics and the UI. I'm thinking it's actually just supposed to be a Dark World thing, and not that that Hometown on the whole is a simulation. I have a couple reasons for this. First off, remember how Toby really didn't have there to be save points in the Light World at first? And even after he begrudgingly added some to Chapters 4 and 5, the game still gives you this message the first time about how it shouldn't be there and they're more faint than in the Dark World, as if to try and scream "This is just a gameplay abstraction unlike the ones in the Dark World." The other thing is that you can't access the config menu at all from the Light World. I've been annoyed by this a few times, but now with it being brought up in dialogue in Chapter 5, I think it's actually an intentional choice for the story. I suspect all the gameplay abstractions, even being able to access the config menu, are an in-universe part of the Dark World, so that's why there's as little of it as possible in the Light World.
My theory right now as to what this is supposed to be tied to the whole think in Chapter 3 about how Kris and a girl (Dess or Noelle) would use the objects that have been in Dark Worlds as pieces in a grand game of pretend they were having that seems to maybe also be based of Dragon Blazers (based off Gerson's book based off the prophecy). I think the whole thing that Ralsei keeps hinting at when he talks about needing to hold back and how not doing things properly will "ruin" it (ruin what?) is that the Dark Worlds are literally a big game. Like they're a manifestation of this game Kris and the girl were playing as kids, so they follow game rules. Ralsei is trying to make sure the integrity of the "game" is kept, which is why he hold back to act like a standard party member and insists Kris and Susie solve puzzles or clear obstacle in the proper game-like way. If Ralsei just used his full power to instantly solve everything like he actually could, then it would ruin the game.
Second thing, I've noticed that the bonus bosses have been rewarding weapons for the party members in a pattern.
Devilsknife - Susie
Puppet Scarf - Ralsei
Black Shard - Kris
Justice Axe - Susie
Flowery Scarf - Ralsei (though he can't use it until next chapter)
Thinking about it, these last couple chapters focused on Susie and Ralsei respectively, with them getting character development egged on by Gerson and Flowery, who they then inherit ultimate weapons from.
Following the pattern, perhaps Kris gets a new ultimate weapon in Chapter 6?
Shadow Crystals according to Seam are:
"The power of lost dreams.
When a strong attachment is formed... when a dream is gripped tightly... and then broken off."
One could perhaps say then, that the weird route is the player forcing a lost dream back to being real. Or maybe I'm looking too deeply into things.
Funny enough, this is related to the third thing I wanted to talk about. I was looking through comments on a Japanese video for the Chapter 5 weird route scene, and someone gave a really interesting theory. Since Shadow Crystals are made from lost dreams, and Noelle if you abort the route here talks about her dream of breaking free not coming true and she gives up on ever just being a Noelle who does Noelle things, perhaps a
new Shadow Crystal was created from this that doesn't exist on any other route.
