The girls and why you like/dislike them

[helmet boy]

Hanako: (Copying what I said in the Favorite girl forum) As for Hanako, I'd like to say that I don't get why everyone likes her.

i think people just have a burning desire for her.

[Fawriel]

Dude. There's bad puns, and there's bad puns. (There's also bad puns, but that's not relevant right now.)
Point is: Dude.

[Falkentyne]

Hanako: (Copying what I said in the Favorite girl forum) As for Hanako, I'd like to say that I don't get why everyone likes her.

i think people just have a burning desire for her.

Two minute minor for unfunny joke at 6:20.00.

[abscess]

lol
I actually found the joke funny. It's like having a pic of Rin saying "high five!", which is a thing (me thinks) Rin would actually say just to have fun at the confused face of whoever she says it to.

[Guest]

Ok~ Here is my discussion on the girls.

Well Hanako is my favorite, lol. I don't know why but she has a really nice figure when I looked at her. Also her personality is very shy, which kind of means that she won't argue. I also like how she is really shy and apologizes over and over again. Also she likes reading a lot which I like also. Well also she just looks kind of pretty. It may not be that good in real life, but in anime she's really cute-looking.

Also, Lilly is also very pretty; she's about my second favorite. I love her personality! Although some people think she's boring, I kind of like the way she speaks. She is kind of subverted from the typical class representative; I thought she would be stuck-up at first. Actually, she is very caring and stands up for Hanako.

Shizune is cute. Like a tsundere. She is a meganekko tsundere, lol. Her personality is very business-like, like an Office Lady girl. Actually, she reminds me of this chara that is also a meganekko tsundere that dresses like an office lady. Well she is cute and I love that fight scene between Lilly and Shizune. Shizune also likes to cat smile a lot, which makes her cute when she does that.
Her original name is Rosa.

Rin. She is plain weird. I kind of like weird people, so... And her feet. ^_^ It's so cute... She is really artistic though. She kind of looks cute in a boy's uniform. I really don't know much about her. She is really funny when she blurts out things!

Emi~ She is so energetic. But she is only 141 cm! Apart from that, she is cheerful and cute, which are awesome qualities.
C-Chan would like her if she was taller! She also looks like a child.

Misha is cheerful and laughs a lot. I'm not sure about her since she's not an end girl.

[eith the king]

Truthfully i have 2 favorites the pair lilly and Hanako. I will start with Lilly. When you first meet Lilly sitting in the room with her eyes closed and her hands folded with the song concord playing i find that scene so heart warming it makes me want to cry. in terms of appearance she not my type with long blonde hair but her personality is what makes her so sweet. i think there is darker side to her but everyone has that so she seems realistic to me. Like everyone else i fell the need to protect Hanako no matter what like spend time with make sure she know that someone cares about her and acknowledges her existences. im a big sucker for the shy girl cause im not a very friendly person my self so in a way i know what is like to be nervous talking to people of the of opposite sex, i dont have the scaring so i cant say im in the same exact boat as her though. As for looks she is the shy cute type who i seem to like though in real life i think the scaring would put a dampering on the relationship but i think anyone could over some it with time. The character i disliked the most was Shizune. i have a fetish for glassless and short hair so at first i was damn! BUT as a stared playing more and more i got to the point where i stared to find her to be really bitchy. The thing that ruined it for me for her wa when she was getting all high and might over lilly and treating hanako like crap because of it.Some people may like Her personalty type i dont those type of people make the shy and insecure feel even worse. i know thats not her intentes but that what got. as for Rin to me she just to scattered brain she the type you would hang out with but not date. Emi is just your typically little sister, loli type if i were to engaged in any adult orientated actives with i would fell like im doing my little sister or checking out the window for the cops. Thats just my opinion and stuff

[Synoptic]

Shizune also likes to cat smile a lot, which makes her cute when she does that.

Actually she only does it like 3 times... I'd wish it would be more "=3" -ing. lol

[werd_up]

I honestly thought Hanako was the most boring character out of the lot. It seems to me that you (Hisao) have to initiate every single meeting with her and you have to provide the bulk of the conversation. I found her shyness cute at first then got annoyed with it after a while.

Rin was definitely the most interesting character but not my favorite. She seems to be the type of girl you can just chill with and discuss random thoughts. She's definitely in the mold of a "good friend" type.

Shizune's my favorite because she's ambitious, cute, smart, and knows what she wants.

I thought Emi was cute and that was pretty much it.

Lily is probably my second favorite because there's more than one aspect to her. She's very formal but as the act went on you could see a second side to her. She's also hard-working which I respect.

[CindehQ]

Being a straight female who was playing the game out of pure curiousity, I wasn't exactly "attracted" to them, but I did have my favorites. Aesthetically...

1) Lilly

I tend to find the "elegent lady" design the most attractive. What's not to love about her design? Although it's a little cliche, it's hard not to like golden waves of hair, soft blue eyes, and nice, slender proportions. The hair ribbon and air of refinement are also a plus.

2) Misha

The first thing that struck me about her design was that she appeared a bit thicker then the typical anime girl, and uniqueness always appeals to me. I also think bubblegum pink hair and golden eyes is a good combo, plus...DRILL CURLS! Who can resist that? >83

3) Rin

Maybe it's just the artist who drew her, but I really like Rin's overall look. Her colors are very soft and relaxing to me. I think short, messy hair is cute and she has the best eyes out of all the girls; soft, calming doe eyes that remind me of murky water. Her pouty and sad expressions broke my heart. And was it just me, or did Rin seem really busty in that boy's shirt?

4) Hanako

Her design isn't really remarkable, but it's pleasant. Long, silky purple hair and I thought her expressions were the cutest. She also had good proportions.

5) Shizune

I also felt Shizune's design was rather dull; short blue hair with blue eyes. I also didn't like her proportions at all; to me, she looked like the skinniest character in the game, so her "bustiness" looked really unnatural and implant-like. I did like the shape of her eyes and her long eyelashes though, very fierce. Cute expressions as well.

6) Emi

I wasn't really a fan of the way Emi was drawn. Her expressions were generic moe and her eyes were...neon-y. Child-like proportions and pig tails seemed really cliche, but atleast she had a nice color scheme.

Personality-Wise

1) Rin

I always enjoyed the scenes with Rin, she always had something amusing to say. In a weird way, I really respect that she doesn't follow social conventions and plays by her own rules. Even if no one else knows them. She seems like the type of person you can talk to and just be random with. I'm also very absentminded and aristic, so it's probably why I liked her so much.

My favorite moments were the "guessing game", "the mystery toilet girl", "the period", "sky of my mind", and "fireworks".

2) Lilly

I liked that she was laidback and was pleasant to talk to. Out of all the girls, she opened up the most through the course of the game and she seemed to loosen up by the end. It really felt like we were getting to know her.

3) Hanako

At first she seemed a little too shy, but as the game went on, it was hard not to want to befriend her. She definitely evoked protective feelings in people and she was pleasant to talk to by the end of the game.

4) Emi

She seemed cute and friendly without being overly-perky, unlike Misha, but she got kind of clingy at the end, which kind of annoyed me.

5) Misha

She laughed too much, but I thought she okay. Typical over-the-top perky girl, but her cluelessness amused me.

6) Shizune

While I like her playfulness, I didn't like how obsessed she was with student council. She was a little too high strung/pushy for me, and her manipulativeness was rather off putting. I also felt she was way too harsh on others and she seemed to get pissed for no reason. She got cuter by the end, especially during the fireworks scene, but I really wish she had been more straight forward with her intentions in the beginning, rather then turning everything into a bet.

[sazaland]

I still haven't gotten around to the Emi or Hanako paths, but I'll bite that invitation to throw up some walls.

Rin: She's the one I got my first time, picking whatever choices seemed reasonable to me. My thoughts are echoed already in this thread, but basically I really identify with her disregard for norms and "unencumbered" thought process and perceptions. I have trouble holding discussions with people(or rather they have trouble with me) because my lines of thought defy pretty much every convention there is. Based on her comment in her ending about cynicism she's not quite at my level though, or at least we'd disagree about a lot of things: which is totally fine, a point where people get confused when interacting with me, and a sentiment I see in Rin's character. She even says herself "I'm easy to talk to." At times her randomness does seem a bit forced, the line about needing to find out if she needs to find out stuff to avert the loss of all hope comes to mind. It seems like it's just thrown in to point out to duller readers that "this person rambles a lot!" in an unmissably obvious way. CindehQ has my exact thoughts on Rin's looks/art, she seems like the best drawn of the girls by a slight margin, I really like her artwork and think she's quite cute, and in a totally non-generic way at that. Overall, she's my favorite albeit it's quite hard with...

Shizune: At first I thought she was fair(barely), but overall quite mean. She literally chews out every other main girl character in the first act(except maybe Hanako). But doing her path totally changes that perception: she's my 2nd favorite, missing 1st by an absurdly tiny margin, it was actually difficult to ascertain that Rin was still my favorite. She seems to value actions over words, and while she turns everything into a mindgame and is therefore pretty deceitful on the surface, her gestures of kindess seem far more genuine than other characters, since they're bolstered by action, or pure action. The repeated treating of Hisao to meals pretty much rules out any possibility that she dislikes him without her having to say anything(nevermind that she's mute ). This "silent progress" is very charming. Likewise, I've come to view her as fair without question, she berates people for doing bad things. I hate it when people simply disregard rules or good practice as well, and think a more stringent stance should be taken on wrongdoing of all magnitudes. The only real bad one is her interaction with Hanako, which is purely by association, but then again she doesn't really berate her either, just vents anger at Lilly to her, which hurts her only because of her timidity. I can't speak for everyone, but it seems to me like Shizune would appeal most to the cynic(i.e. her scolding of Emi reeks of cynicism, stating the futility of the dialogue even as she sees it through), so for me she satiates the one aspect of my personality that Rin doesn't, and I think this also helps explain the general dislike of her, especially among Hanako fans. Lastly, I didn't find her artwork to be especially worthy of praise, but it's very good, and I would have no complaints if it were unchanged in the final product(but then again I think all the artwork is good enough to avoid genuine complaint at this point).

Lilly: The last girl who's path I've played. I like her, in a very generic "she's too nice to not like" kind of way. She's very balanced and calm, the latter I like in Rin as well, and the former I sorely miss in Shizune. Like Rin, she's easy to talk to, and mostly an open book(though in Rin's case not everyone knows the language), which is a major appeal. Initially I liked her better than Shizune, but Shizune came ahead after I did their paths. To directly contradict some things from my Shizune paragraph, I actually really liked how forgiving Lilly is. For example, I took Shizune's side in my initial playthrough and pissed Lilly off, but later when I encountered her for the shopping run, she was fine with me. This may be an oversight in the writing, but I was really comforted when she seemed to be okay with my earlier choices, even though I wasn't really trying to get her specifically. I felt genuinely good during all the scenes with Hisao helping her with the festival preparations, and her ending while perhaps a bit vanilla compared to Rin or Shizune's, it seemed perfect in a sort of simple foreshadowing way, like you felt good because you already knew where it was going, and you don't feel the need to see it happen right away. Not really related to Lilly the character, but one scene during her path that kinda confused me was when Hisao went to collect her from the stand at the festival to hang out. I was so certain he was going offer to help her with the overworked stand, it's nice that I can't predict everything that's going to happen but it felt weird when the stand was so overworked that A: Hisao would try to pull her away to enjoy the festival and B: She'd accept, even with the encouragement of her classmates. On her artwork, she looks a bit differently styled from Rin, Shizune & Misha, and Hanako, but more consistent with the overall style than Emi. As I said before, I overall approve of the artwork and the way all the girls look already.

Hanako: Even though it's just a one choice difference from Lilly's path, I still haven't done it. There's a reason: I'm just not interested. While I do kind of want to see all the endings, Hanako just fails to pull me in. I'm not any kind of Paladin, and I'm not one to pursue people who obviously don't want attention, so it was hard for me to even do Lilly's path, since you basically have to dog Hanako to get it. I also can't quite tell what kind of personality she'd have underneath her shell. While I feel no drive to go after her, it should be noted that I disagree with all those saying that the characters should be modified to be more generally appealing. I'd say that if everyone wants to do every path for any reason other than completionism(or a very eclectic taste), you've done something wrong. It's fine if certain characters don't appeal to everyone, it'd be plain wrong if everyone liked Shizune for the best example, the division she causes is a natural consequence of who she is, I don't think she could become universally appealing without a betrayal of her current self. Same goes for any of the other girls. My $.02 on that matter.

Emi: The other character whose ending I haven't done, which is more hurtful since she has so little screentime otherwise. What I'll say about her is she doesn't seem like she'll pair up too well with Rin, we'll have to see. I actually find her personality to be ok, sort of like Shizune-lite with a liberal dose of Chaotic Good. I found her "lunch with two bombshell beauties" joke to be a one of the best lines in the Act Not because Emi and Rin aren't cute but for the obvious reason that neither are the "bombshell beauty" archetype. As many have said her art is least consistent with the other characters, it's more the darkness of her lines/borders(or lack thereof) than anything. Overall she's well done though, she just looks like she's from a different VN/anime than the other characters. Her :] smile is great. Like Hanako, I haven't done her path because I don't feel any strong drive to(for now), and as I've already said I think it's good that there's room for such feelings.

I'll finish by saying it again, overall I love Act 1 and can't wait for the final product!

[Caesius]

After having a month to reflect on Act 1 and having discussions on these forums, my opinion of the girls has changed somewhat, and I think I have a slightly better understanding of their personalities.


Looking back, I think my rather harsh assessment of Lilly was unfair, and this was almost certainly due to a mental backlash from the realization that I actually preferred Shizune and didn't particularly care for Lilly. I was initially drawn to Lilly because her beauty was somewhat generic and superficial with long, blonde hair and blue eyes. Shizune's beauty on the other hand was somewhat more intelligent, with short, dark hair; glasses; and the nosebleed-inducing combination of skirt+thighhighs -- so it was only natural that I had to develop a physical attraction to her, and now I feel like she's physically the most attractive character. I suppose when I subsequently realized that I greatly preferred Shizune's personality, I had a subconscious "oh frak what was I thinking" moment.

It's not so much that Lilly is necessarily bland or that her personality is underdeveloped, but rather that I simply don't find her to be the kind of girl I'd be interested in for anything other than looks, or that a girl like her would be interested in me -- and given that the "me" in this case is Hisao, I imagine that his personality will be severely detached from mine on Lilly's route to turn him into a guy that Lilly would be interested in. I guess some guys hold "prim and proper" girls in high regard, but I simply don't.


Then there's Shizune, whose dynamic personality drew me in right from the get-go. She's a respected class rep and yet she's inappropriate, competitive, and flirty around Hisao (Misha really doesn't help in this respect either). I also only recently realized that she vaguely reminds me of a girl I knew in high school who would punch me and I would punch her back and she would be like "ow." I guess that really is my ideal relationship.

However, there seems to be a common conception that Shizune is a bitch or at the very least a tsundere, and though I didn't get that impression when I played through Act 1 I do see where people are coming from when I look back on certain scenes. She may have been unnecessarily harsh on Lilly and Hanako, and she does seem to be "using" Misha on occasion -- notably, when she leaves Misha to pick up the bill at the Shanghai, when she has Misha get the food at the festival, and when Misha isn't sure if Shizune will buy a drink for her as well at the vending machine. Also at the festival, Shizune gets the one stuffed doll (a lion I think it was?) that Hisao is able to win -- which really isn't anyone's fault, but more just seems to be the natural order of things, which may still bug some people.

I don't know how close Misha and Shizune really are or the reality behind their relationship, but even given the shortcomings mentioned above -- which are just as likely to be due to Misha being insecure and/or easily manipulated as they would be due to Shizune being a complete and utter bitch -- they at least seem to be compatible with one another. They're able to gossip like typical giggly high school girls right in front of Hisao in their "sekrit code," and when they show up in Hisao's dorm it seems perfectly plausible that they had the exact same idea at the exact same time and so went to fetch their new toy -- by no means did one have to coerce the other to enter the dreaded boys' dormitory.

Still, given the apparent tension between them, I'm a little anxious that in subsequent acts Hisao will become a wedge between them, driving them apart and bringing out the "darker side" of one or both of them (most likely Misha). I absolutely despise high school love triangle bullshit (as well as high school drama in general), and given that these are two high school girls I guess I should fully expect them to react as two high school girls would in this situation. I'm not sure whether I should keep my expectations low or if I should trust the Shizune path writer to not turn this into a fucking soap opera. Though, I know you guys would appreciate it if I did the latter and, if sorely disappointed, never let you live it down. Right?


Another character I'm anxious about is Hanako -- even though, like Lilly, I don't find her to be my type. But before I attempt to delve into the dark recesses of her mind, let me say that online I absolutely despise people who incorporate ellipses into the end of their sentences... and I mean every single Goddamned one of them... it makes them appear sheepish and really rather less than assertive... like they can't be trusted to follow through on anything they say and are fully prepared to backpedal vigorously if someone says they're being stupid... and they could devolve into a self-deprecating rant at any second... So I do hope that Hanako's relationship with Hisao will mature to the point where her speech doesn't need to make use of stutters and ellipses, because although I was ambivalent towards her personality in this act and enjoyed her company at the end, I'm afraid that she'll become a full-blown emo in subsequent acts. I expect that there will be at least one self-deprecating rant about how she's a terrible person and can't do anything right and Hisao deserves better than her, which is okay if it's a genuine nervous breakdown and Hisao is able to (gently) slap some sense into her. But if it turns out to just be a self-pity fest and Hisao falls right into it, I will rage so hard. I suppose I should, once again, trust that the writer (in this case crud) knows what he's doing.


Rin is just about the exact opposite of Lilly for me. I found her to be unattractive, but the better I got to know her the more I started to like her. Like many people, I enjoy her random musings, and if she were a guy there's no doubt in my mind that we would become instant "Best Friends Forever." However, if there was any way to get me emotionally attached to her (as I should be), having her fall asleep on top of Hisao was absolutely the sweetest way it could've been done. I don't have any fears or strong opinions about her, aside from the fact that I find feet to be a turn-off.


About Emi... Like about half the people who played this game, I got into the Emi path on accident while I was aiming for another girl, so I must admit that I rushed through her path so I could get started on Shizune. Also like many people, I found Emi's ending to be sub-par -- I honestly don't remember anything that happened after Emi stops Hisao from having some greasy food, and I wouldn't even remember that the day ended with Hisao falling asleep if a post on this forum hadn't reminded me. I distinctly remember thinking, "Well, Shizune's route ought to be better." It's unfortunate given that it's the first ending a lot of people end up with, so they'll either remember how bland it was or (like me) they'll hardly remember a Goddamn thing. Though, it's strange that so many people found Emi's ending to be bland when Hanako's ends in chess; but that may be because Emi didn't have a "hnnnnng" moment the day of the festival along the lines of Hanako's tile game or Shizune's "I love you thiiiiiiiiis much" gesture.

However, as I said in the OP, I was pleased to find that she wasn't just some generic loli. If anything, her small size makes it that much more amusing that she's going to be Hisao's "boss" to get him in shape. I should feel creepy for wanting to unlock an H-scene with someone half my size, but after going through her route I really don't -- that's quite an accomplishment on the part of the writer. Yet that's only because her personality appeals to me, and I suspect that she's wild in bed; if during the H-scenes she reverts to a 12-year-old I will feel so fucking dirty.

Also, she reminds me of Ilya from F/SN, especially the whole "an H-scene with them starts to feel more plausible the better you get to know them" bit. (And yeah, I reference F/SN a lot, what of it.)

[Hypothermia]

Hanako:

Honestly, I have no idea. Uhm. Hm.

Probably has something to do with the fact that most of her disability seems to be psychological. I had a shrink for a parent, so I naturally tend to affiliate with the crazies. I really like reading, so that's cool and all. She shy, and that's good. I liked how you learned very little about her in the first act. It makes learning about her a challenge, in a way. Also, her hairstyle is one I've always loved. Purple's also the best color ever. And audiophilia. Goddamn.

Lilly:

I liked Lilly's way of speaking and generally her entire demeanor, and she's obviously a looker. However, she seems more like some I'd befriend. Whether or not she's hiding a sex-starved interior, she simply isn't "off" enough for me to be attracted. Her appearance also lacks "substance". Not that she's badly drawn, but she simply isn't... I don't know... enough.

Rin:

I love this walking non-sequitur. I also like creative types, and, as mentioned, the slightly mentally strange. I have a thing for short hair, and red hair, so her hair's cool. Also, she has an nontraditional beauty. She's my second favorite, and her ending in the preview was my favorite.

Shizune:

She comes off as a bitch to me. Analyzing my opinions, I've deduced I just have a thing for the more laid back, quiet girls. Since Shizune is not those things, I can see where my lack of interest comes from. She's cute though. Short hair and glasses.

Emi:

AHH CHILL TEH FUCK OUT

Again, not laid back. She does those cute faces though. However, I am not into lolis, so she's cute like a teddy bear, not like a potential mate.

edit:


I HAPPEN TO LIKE CHESS

[atat]

Let's see,
as far as physical attractivness goes: Lilly almost hands down, not a big fan of the whole blond hair in real life, but eh, this is a comic/vn/anime etc... and hair color matters not as much.

Followed closely by Rin, because I like the tomboy look. I get along famously with all the dikes I've ever been from my former roommate, to my boss. I don't know, there is just something in me that likes 'manly' woman.
For the rest, well shizune: I'm just not big on her, it's probably more her personality that makes her ugly to me. Hanako, ditto as shizune, her down personality just bothers me, and makes what might otherwise be a cute person, ugly. Emi: I'm not into loli, it bothers me in fact.

As for personality: Well I'll go down the list:
Hanako: I don't like her for the same reason a lot of people seem to like her, they feel that they want to protect her, that she won't argue, blah blah blah. My gawd, what kind of relationship is it that a person does not have a will of their own. Give me a break. So BORING. I only finished the story line for a 100% completness.

Lilly: refined... some people say that's a turn off. I say that's a turn on. What is wrong with being civil and smart. What's wrong with having manners and being proper. I mean, I'm totally not, I have a nick name 'the tactless bear' for my complete and utter lack of manners and gracefullness but I find it attractive.

Shizune: Man if she were a little less of a bitch, I would like this girl. As it turns out she's not only a strong girl, but also an asshole. She's just a jerk, no question. It's not a strong woman that turns me away, it's that she treats Hisao and everyone around her like shit. That, is not attractive. If she could be nice about being her own person, i would probably find her a lot more palatable. Less shotgun tactics, more strong inner self.

Rin: Hell yah, funny, quirky, sounds familiar. Not just to me, but to my wife. I guess that might have something to do with it. My wife after all is quite a bit like Rin. Speaks up when she has something to say, and not afraid to say it, no matter the situation, but unlike what most people seem to think, she is not totally out to lunch. She tries hard to just be the best at what she is, and be there for the moment, not something else, or anyone else. this is what I like about her, she's a strong woman, who doesn't feel the need to treat everyone else like shit.

Emi: Well, she's a loli, kinda fun to hang around. In real life I would make friends with her probably, but to date, like i said above, I don't do that. (even though in real life my wife was once mistake for my daughter even though we are only 2 years apart!!!) She's nice enough if a little boring. I kinda like her pushy side in her ending, with the fried food and stuff kinda made me like her a little more, but the whole loli thing is just to much off a turn off to really care.

[Jintor]

Having just finished the Shizune route, I can say with authority that while the payoff is spectacular, getting there is a friggin' chore. It's not very fun, to be honest, what with the endless repitition of "JOIN THE STUDENT COUNCIL JOIN IT COME ON OKAY SO DON'T JOIN THE STUDENT COUNCIL NO JOIN IT!"

[Some Lurker]

I would like to try a different approach on how to describe my choice regarding my favorite girl.

I try to play these games while acknowledging the fact that I am not the main character. Therefore my choices are a little bit like what would I like my character to be? Based on that after playing through all the arcs I came up with an attempt to characterize Hisao throughout the diferent arcs.

Shizune:
One defining word: RISK.
From the very first moment Hisao is drawn into the schemes of the student council and in Shizune's story he seems to be a very fun-loving and helpful guy. Yet the fact that he is somehow talked into it after only some days marks him as a rather weak-willed person who is just that happy that something interesting happens while he is living his life at Yamaku.
This character portrait feels somewhat anime-generic.
I felt Shizune's arc is more focused on the girls than the other arcs. I cannot shake the feeling off me that Shizune (at least in the beginning) is playing (with) you. The bad pun aside it makes me wonder about Shizune's appreciation of Hisao's character other than his muscles to help the student council and his participation in activities to pass the time.
One is not able to gauge what to expect from Shizune and that is why I think the game of RISK foreshadows her personality.
Hisao's character strikes me as unfulfilling in this scenario and that is why I Shizune is not my favorite.


Misha:
She is an extension of Shizune and not a main heroine.


Lilly:
As the instruction from RAITA says she is a clichè, albeit a a nice one. Lilly's personality and upbringing are reflected within Hisao in her route. She is the only one from the whole cast who could be considered definite marriage material while the others (at this point) are mere dating material.
So, if we want Hisao to be a little bit older and mature than his age suggests than Lilly would be our choice. The Hisao featured in this path is more laid-back and I mean the armchair version of laid-back. Someone who prefers high class stuff. That being said it makes Hisao look cheap - going after the pretty, well-behaved and caring person that Lilly is strikes me as walking the easiest path. You just have to mimick her to be near her.
One wonders why nobody in Yamaku advances Lilly romantically as she would be an obvious choice.


Hanako:
As others have said before me Hanako awakens the archaic male instinct to protect. However, as shown in her route she stays a little bit bland up to her ending when we witness a new facet of her. The lack of dialogue from Hanako's side is filled with Hisao's thoughts and internal monologues and he reveals himself as a helpful and nice person who is not afraid of befriending outcasts. In comparison to Hanako the Hisao in her route seems stronger than her. It is the opposite of the Shizune route in that regard.
Nearly every character trait Hisao possesses in this path is positive but the really good thing is that he does it genuinely and unintentionally. He has not sworn the Hippocratic Oath, nor has he any other reason to play the knight in shining armour and to change Hanako all the way. The little scene where he adopts her game of tilt-stepping actually shows the opposite.
In this scenario we see a dominant (text-wise) Hisao who makes me think that he is not changing Hanako but rather getting to know her and accepting her as what she represents.
That makes me attracted to her path - a strong male lead who is growing with his female companion.


Rin:
As with Shizune it is hard to figure her out. That forms part of the attraction and part of the repulsion. While all other females have an obvious reason to be close to you; in Rin's path this is reversed. It feels like you are the one who is subconsciously and actively seeking her out but you do not know what she gains from you.
I found her dialogue interesting and although I could understand her sometimes I could empathize with Hiaso for pondering her view on the world and her sanity. Like in Hanako's path Hisao becomes more and more like Rin along the way (although to be completely like her he would have to go to the moon and back to earth) because Hisao joins the Art club and at the end Rin herself describes Hisao a a little bit cynic.
This arc is more for the philosophers and artists out there because things are explored and discussed. Weird Theories are thrown around and odd people like Rin an the Art teacher are featured. As characters these people are extremely well written.
Still, I wonder how a romantic connection can be forged from that. Philosophy and art are always linked with detaching yourself from your subjective human nature and from relity to a certain degree and I find it hard to develop something out of this other than something platonic (bad puns - bear with me).
The sleeping scene with her at the festival is taken rather unromantically by Rin and Hisao for example.
I find Rin to be extremely sympathetic but romance seems unlikely considering her nature and that of Hisao in her arc respectively.


Emi:
Last but not least Emi is more enjoyable than a first glance suggests. She is a nice subversion to the normal Loli that craves fatherly or brotherly protection with romantic undertones. It is very refreshing to see such a stereotype avoided. The fact that she is looking out for Hisao while not becoming a motherhen and staying in character as a schoolgirl is a wonderful path. However in order to make Emi care for Hisao he has to behave recklessly and foolishly. Someone could say considering that he is around 18 years he should know better than to challenge fate with his heart condition.
But that is probably the point. Her part in Act 1 centers around Hisao's heart condition but it has to get worse for a moment to spark the real flames of attention in Emi. That makes this route quite realistic as this game is about disabled people and we should not leave Hisao out of that definition.
The interactions with Rin and Emi, the recklessness and the mental excuses to eat junkfood portray a Hisao who acts his age making us recognize that it is not age that defines a mature person but character.
The flawed Hisao is maybe unattractive to some but he is believable and that makes me like this path.



And now for the abbreviated listing

Hanako>>>Emi>>>Rin>>>Lilly>>>Shizune

Thank you for reading my humble thoughts!