#you spend SO MUCH TIME with shizune and misha

[aparticularbandit]

Okay, so gonna talk about the Prologue.

Just as a general with the understanding that I haven't gone through all of the options on this new playthrough.

Katawa Shoujo does a very good job of making sure that you, the player, get individual moments with each of the girls through the Prologue (with the exception of Shizune and Misha, who are a much more integrated pair than the other pairs).

And that's the thing - Katawa Shoujo is built with pairs. Shizune and Misha are a pair. Hanako and Lilly are a pair. Emi and Rin are a pair. And the Prologue sets up these pairs and has Hisao interact with each of them (depending on responses), as well as interacting with each girl on her own (again, with the above exception).

As a player, this is nice. You get to see how the girls act on their own and around friends - they aren't all alone, they're part of a dynamic and a support system - even Hanako. You see how Lilly and Shizune have conflict; you see where Hanako hides; you see how Lilly and Rin react to each other but also that Rin has Emi as a friend who understands her.

Whichever route you're on, it's more than just Hisao and whoever he's dating.

And I love that, actually.

[beevean]

Im really curious about Katawa shoujo, what this game is about ?

(Sorry for the not-so great English)

Oh boy let me gush about one of my favorite things of all time <33333

Katawa Shoujo is a 2012 visual novel developed by 4-Leaf Studio, a defunct team made of 4chan members. You’re Hisao Nakai, a boy who recently discovered he has arrythmia after getting a heart attack: due to the fragility of his condition, his doctors send him to Yamaku High School, a school that specifically caters to students with physical disabilities.

Hisao will meet many people, most importantly 5 girls:

- Shizune Hakamichi, the blunt, headstrong, determined, slightly Machiavellian Student Council president who wants to better the world through her efforts. Being deaf-mute, she has to rely on her cheerful best friend, Misha, to communicate (she doesn’t have her own route).

(Shizune is on the left, Misha is on the right)

- Lilly Satou, the prim and proper president of the class for blind people. She’s calm, serene, utterly dependable and overly kind for people in need. Except for Shizune, the two really don’t get along.

- Hanako Ikezawa, a shy and adorable bookworm who hides from the world due to her extensive burn scars. She has a very close relationship with Lilly, who dotes on her.

- Emi Ibarazaki, the “fastest thing on no legs”, a happy-go-lucky, stubborn runner who doesn’t let anything get in her way and constantly strives to better herself and other people.

- Rin Tezuka, a very strange, aloof, sarcastic girl with a very peculiar way of seeing things. She doesn’t let her lack of arms stop her from painting beautiful, if not a bit unsettling, pictures. She forms an odd friendship with Emi.

During his first week, Hisao has to try and form a bond with one of these girls to spend the school festival with, and after that he can develop a meaningful relationship with her... if he finds the way to help her with her issues, that is.

KS became famous in 2012 for being one of the most tasteful portrayals of disabilities in fiction, and in this regard it has barely aged. In most of the girls’ cases, I could have described them without even mentioning their disabilities, because their personalities, desires and problems go far beyond that initial gimmick. This is representation done right, it’s not there to pay lipservice nor does it constantly beat you over the head with it.

The writing is phenomenal and evocative, the story is down to earth and almost slice-of-life but it captures you with its simplicity and genuine feelings, helped by the fantastic OST (this is the track the game greets you with, and you will come to cry everytime you listen to it). Each route has an important lesson to teach you, and it does it masterfully.

I must mention that there are sex scenes in it, but 1) you can disable them, and 2) they’re not simply wank (or worse fetish) material, instead most of the time they’re genuinely important for the girls’ characterization.

Sure it’s not perfect - some side characters are... there, some plots are a little too light in content, and as it often happens with choice-based stories some options don’t quite do what you expect them to do, but overall it’s a gripping, charming story with memorable characters and that might change your outlook of life.

I can’t say much else without spoiling it, so I recommend you and everyone who reads this to try the game - it’s free!

[qarsi-live]

Lilly and Hicchan say good night and the day’s over! I hope Rin-chan’s okay...

So, a two day recap! It sorta sunk in that this game seems to have three distinct pairs of girls: Misha and Shizune, Emi and Rin, Lilly and Hanako. The pairs don’t seem to get a long, both Lilly and Hanako have had issues with Shizune, and Lilly struggles to “get” Rin. Maybe that’s the structure of this game? You settle into being friends with one of the pairs, then you spend more time with one of the two? That seems the most rational at this point. I’ve certainly missed Misha and Shizune, though the breakup was way more violent than I expected. I had hoped Hicchan and them would stay friends, but that seems to be over now, or at least delegated to the background. There seems to still be an in on the Lilly and Hanako friend group possibly, but it looks like most likely I’m with Emi and Rin. Which I totally don’t mind because I love Rin, she’s great.

That brings me to GIRL RANKINGS!  Lightning round! 

Remember, these are for Hicchan’s girl dating not for best girl. That will become really apparent in a second.

Let’s start!

#1 LILLY Yeah that’s right this is the self-indulgent choice. Hicchan didn’t have his mouth in fuckwad city on this little excursion with her and its really cute. I’m super nervous that the choice with Lilly was super consequential (do not tell me if it was obv). If I see an in I’m going for it I think. Although I’ll be super sad if I don’t get to see more

#2 RIN-CHAN If this was best girl rankings she’d obviously be on top. I hope Hicchan makes it his charge to help Rin-chan with her mural 24/7.

#3 EMI She’s really cute, but she doesn’t have the kind of substance that I’m liking in Lilly and Rin-chan. 

#4 HANAKO Show me more of her, game.

#5 MISHA Because it isn’t Misha’s fault that

#6 SHIZUNE was a big meanie this session.

I have an appointment early tomorrow so I’ve got to call it quits for today! Thank you very much for reading this! See you in the next one!