It makes me feel guilty (Some spoilers)

[Depado]

After I finished every possible route, I couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Depending on the route you take, you affect someone's life in ways other than just being a romantic interest. For instance: when Hisao came into Emi's life, he cracked open a safe of secrets and emotions which aided in her realization that she doesn't have to do everything by herself. The end. Great right?

However, I couldn't stop myself from feeling sorry for Emi as I went down a different route, assisting someone else. While I helped another girl reconcile with some sort of problem, I've left Emi to be the previously stubborn, scarred girl that she is, leaving her to continue on with the nightmares and sleepless nights. Of course, the game doesn't indicate that this is happening. But I already know her story.

What I'm trying to say is, while I know that all these characters are fictional, I want to help them all. But each route is like a different universe, and in each universe only one of the girls can be saved so-to-speak. It kinda saddens me, really. Anyone else feel the same?

[SemisoftCheese]

It's sort of like life itself--there are choices to make, and paths to take.

But you're never sure that if you don't take one path, another won't resolve itself. You never know what happens to Emi if you take the Lily path, but it's never explicitly stated that Emi never finds someone she loves, or finally opens up.

If you want to think of them of as people, think of them as human beings--individual in their own right. Relationships aren't one-sided; people aren't toys to be fixed. Your presence as Hisao in their life isn't the only thing that can make them better.

I think the greatest joy in Katawa Shoujo is not "fixing" a "broken" character, but building a relationship with one of them until you two can look each other in the eye and discuss whatever's on his/her mind. That's what Hanako's smile is, or Lily's gaze. Not a sign that they're "fixed," or "saved by the great Hisao Nakai," but that they're open and comfortable with you, and they want you to know what's on their mind, and what's on yours. They care and want to help you as much as you want to help them.

After all, isn't that what a relationship's all about?

[Xanatos]

it's never explicitly stated that Emi never finds someone she loves, or finally opens up.

She opens up in college where a drunken party enables the intense sexual tension between Rin and herself to finally be resolved.

[Depado]

Those are actually some pretty valid points, thanks for that. I guess I felt like I should be some sort of Superhero saving damsels from distress.

[SemisoftCheese]

[
She opens up in college where a drunken party enables the intense sexual tension between Rin and herself to finally be resolved.

Those are actually some pretty valid points, thanks for that. I guess I felt like I should be some sort of Superhero saving damsels from distress.

You know, I clicked on those links expecting a screenshot or backstory... excellently played, Xanatos.

Also, no problem Depado.

[lukesrp]

It was the same for me when I took Lilly's route straight after I took Hanako's route.

When you are going through Hanako's arc she is quiet and never really comes out of her shell. She has a panic attack and never makes any friends outside of Lilly and Hisao. She eventually falls in love with Hisao however, never-the-less she never does anything outside of interacting with Hisao and Lilly.

However in Lilly's arc Hanako become's friends with Naomi (whom you never meet) and joins the newspaper club. She ends up traveling with Naomi at the end of Lilly's arc - which she never would have done while Hisao was in her life.

I felt guilty because after completing Lilly's route I had realised that my interactions with Hanako had actually held her back and reinforced her own ideas that she needs to be protected and is a burden on everyone else. After all the only reason she has sex with Hisao is because she doesn't want him to view her as only a thing that needs protection and is a burden - because she loves him and after the panic attack feels them drifting apart.

I felt like because I interacted with Hanako her ideas of being a burden and being something that needed to be protected became reinforced as Hisao only ever treated her that way. As opposed to when you interact with Lilly, Hanako gives you more space and ends up standing on her two feet actually making changes in her life - which she could not have done if Hisao was there.

[Guest Poster]

When you are going through Hanako's arc she is quiet and never really comes out of her shell. She has a panic attack and never makes any friends outside of Lilly and Hisao. She eventually falls in love with Hisao however, never-the-less she never does anything outside of interacting with Hisao and Lilly.

However in Lilly's arc Hanako become's friends with Naomi (whom you never meet) and joins the newspaper club. She ends up traveling with Naomi at the end of Lilly's arc - which she never would have done while Hisao was in her life.

The question whether Hanako's better off in her own route or in Lilly's has been debated a lot, but what makes it basically impossible to answer is the fact both routes end at different points in time. In Lilly's route, Hanako doesn't really start improving until Lilly gets back from her trip to Scotland...which is also the point where she starts improving in her own route. (well, slightly before since her own route ends before Lilly comes back)

I felt like because I interacted with Hanako her ideas of being a burden and being something that needed to be protected became reinforced as Hisao only ever treated her that way. As opposed to when you interact with Lilly, Hanako gives you more space and ends up standing on her two feet actually making changes in her life - which she could not have done if Hisao was there.

Hanako giving her friends some space in Lilly's route allows her to expand her own little world a little, but in her own route she ends up tackling some of her deeper issues which are neither addressed nor even mentioned in Lilly's route.

So it's kinda apples and oranges.

[xero]

What I'm trying to say is, while I know that all these characters are fictional, I want to help them all. But each route is like a different universe, and in each universe only one of the girls can be saved so-to-speak. It kinda saddens me, really. Anyone else feel the same?

I understand you on that one. When I first downloaded it I had no idea what was going to happen and I decided I'd work towards Hanako. However I actually wound up with Emi. After finishing all the character arcs I always thought back to Emi. Hers was in my opinion the most emotion and hits the feels hard.

[Oddball]

When you are going through Hanako's arc she is quiet and never really comes out of her shell. She has a panic attack and never makes any friends outside of Lilly and Hisao. She eventually falls in love with Hisao however, never-the-less she never does anything outside of interacting with Hisao and Lilly.

I don't think you're giving her enough credit.

When you first meet Hanako, she's incapable of carrying on a basic conversation. She ducks behind Lilly and Hisao whenever anybody walks by her. She has to get Hisao to pay for her purchases at the convenience store.

Before her route is over, she's making trips to the Shanghai and even into the city by herself. I'd say she's made some pretty huge progress.

[minkus]

I always felt that certain things happen at Yamaku whether or not Hisao has any direct effect on them. It seems that Hanako has always been trying to find a way to overcome her fears and do more for herself. There are signs that she doesn't rely on Hisao to be her white knight, its just in her route that he's there to help. I think she has the potential no matter which route to reach that goal.

I don't believe that making a choice in KS will have a negative impact on the other possibilities. It's just choosing to observe the outcome.

[Steinherz]

I always felt that certain things happen at Yamaku whether or not Hisao has any direct effect on them. It seems that Hanako has always been trying to find a way to overcome her fears and do more for herself. There are signs that she doesn't rely on Hisao to be her white knight, its just in her route that he's there to help. I think she has the potential no matter which route to reach that goal.

I don't believe that making a choice in KS will have a negative impact on the other possibilities. It's just choosing to observe the outcome.

.... good god, that makes perfect sense.
I tip my hat to you my good sir

[lukesrp]

I don't think you're giving her enough credit.

When you first meet Hanako, she's incapable of carrying on a basic conversation. She ducks behind Lilly and Hisao whenever anybody walks by her. She has to get Hisao to pay for her purchases at the convenience store.

Before her route is over, she's making trips to the Shanghai and even into the city by herself. I'd say she's made some pretty huge progress.

It is true that I haven't given her enough credit in this explanation, but it also true that throughout Lilly's arc she becomes a more self dependent and outgoing person as she makes her own friends and even joins a club. However in her own arc she never really steps outside the interactions with Hisao and Lilly, she does become more independent (as we goes into town) but never really makes any other friends. So it is true that she does make progress in her social and self-belief standings in her own arc, but she doesn't make the same strides as she does in Lilly's arc.

[Steinherz]

I don't think you're giving her enough credit.

When you first meet Hanako, she's incapable of carrying on a basic conversation. She ducks behind Lilly and Hisao whenever anybody walks by her. She has to get Hisao to pay for her purchases at the convenience store.

Before her route is over, she's making trips to the Shanghai and even into the city by herself. I'd say she's made some pretty huge progress.

It is true that I haven't given her enough credit in this explanation, but it also true that throughout Lilly's arc she becomes a more self dependent and outgoing person as she makes her own friends and even joins a club. However in her own arc she never really steps outside the interactions with Hisao and Lilly, she does become more independent (as we goes into town) but never really makes any other friends. So it is true that she does make progress in her social and self-belief standings in her own arc, but she doesn't make the same strides as she does in Lilly's arc.

you seem to forget this though: Hanako's arc ends before Lilly's arc finishes. If I remember correctly Hanako's arc finishes while Lilly is still in Scotland the first time. So it could be assumed that what Hanako does after Lilly comes back after her arc (Hanako) is the same as what Hanako does in Lilly's arc

[lukesrp]

I don't think you're giving her enough credit.

When you first meet Hanako, she's incapable of carrying on a basic conversation. She ducks behind Lilly and Hisao whenever anybody walks by her. She has to get Hisao to pay for her purchases at the convenience store.

Before her route is over, she's making trips to the Shanghai and even into the city by herself. I'd say she's made some pretty huge progress.

It is true that I haven't given her enough credit in this explanation, but it also true that throughout Lilly's arc she becomes a more self dependent and outgoing person as she makes her own friends and even joins a club. However in her own arc she never really steps outside the interactions with Hisao and Lilly, she does become more independent (as we goes into town) but never really makes any other friends. So it is true that she does make progress in her social and self-belief standings in her own arc, but she doesn't make the same strides as she does in Lilly's arc.

you seem to forget this though: Hanako's arc ends before Lilly's arc finishes. If I remember correctly Hanako's arc finishes while Lilly is still in Scotland the first time. So it could be assumed that what Hanako does after Lilly comes back after her arc (Hanako) is the same as what Hanako does in Lilly's arc

You could so that, but you could also say that now since she has Hisao around to be with her, will she branch out and want to talk to other people? As the reason she does it in first place is because she wants to give Hisao and Lilly some time alone - but without that interaction between those two (Hisao and Lilly) with Hanako ever feel the need to talk to someone, to be friends with someone else other than Hisao and Lilly now that Hisao will be there for her?

[Oddball]

You could so that, but you could also say that now since she has Hisao around to be with her, will she branch out and want to talk to other people?

Hisao and Hanako actually talk about that during her ending.

She says she knows she's shy and isn't sure she can talk to others the same way she can talk to Hisao. The way she says it seems like she's unhappy with that aspect of herself and wants to change.

Also remember that in her own route she comes to accept that friendship really is a real thing and people aren't just going to leave when they get tired of her, something that isn't even touched on in Lilly's route.

I've actually always wondered about her mentality in Lilly's route. Hisao and Lilly do seems to be spending a lot more time together and less time with her. I'm curious as to whether she thinks she's being abandoned there or not.