The meaning of Katawa Shoujo.

[MegaMoto]

In hindsight this was a stupid topic to make. Everyone can interpret something differently.

Isn't that the point?

I suppose it is. When I made this I just wanted to prove my friend wrong.

[Xanatos]

In hindsight this was a stupid topic to make. Everyone can interpret something differently.

Isn't that the point?

I suppose it is. When I made this I just wanted to prove my friend wrong.

Now that's stupid.

[CFC Kyle]

All the people we meet in KS can function perfectly fine and can handle themselves.

Yes, the runner who literally runs from all problems and cannot commit to a partner handles herself fine? The trauma case who goes into paralyzing panic attacks just from mention of her birthday functions perfectly fine? The girls whose ears and eyes don't function, one of whom has a severe interpersonal barrier as a result?

Your friend is right. Going to lengths to act as if it's not there is as much patronizing bullshit as constantly going out of your way to help them as if they're broken.


@Oddball: ...Not in any way that matters, but yes. Add in the trauma she's loaded with as well as the resulting interpersonal issues and then it becomes significant. To claim no difference in the girls is either patronizing or delusional.

I'd love to see how Moto thinks about Kenji's way of 'handling himself fine.'

[MegaMoto]

All the people we meet in KS can function perfectly fine and can handle themselves.

Yes, the runner who literally runs from all problems and cannot commit to a partner handles herself fine? The trauma case who goes into paralyzing panic attacks just from mention of her birthday functions perfectly fine? The girls whose ears and eyes don't function, one of whom has a severe interpersonal barrier as a result?

Your friend is right. Going to lengths to act as if it's not there is as much patronizing bullshit as constantly going out of your way to help them as if they're broken.


@Oddball: ...Not in any way that matters, but yes. Add in the trauma she's loaded with as well as the resulting interpersonal issues and then it becomes significant. To claim no difference in the girls is either patronizing or delusional.

I'd love to see how Moto thinks about Kenji's way of 'handling himself fine.'

He's still alive.

[Xanatos]

He's still alive.

And? A drug-addicted whore with five malnourished kids is still alive. She's still handled herself like shit.

[MegaMoto]

He's still alive.

And? A drug-addicted whore with five malnourished kids is still alive. She's still handled herself like shit.

He's uh living alone, seems to be happy kind of, um and he is in not bad health. OH wait I thought of a good reason. He take's care of himself fine, he dosen't need a helper or whatever. no assistance.

[Sea]

Oh look, it's the topic!
I've always though the whole point is that you can find love and happiness with anyone, no matter what they look like or what their health is.

[Mint]

I really don't think Katawa Shoujo has a specific "point". Sure, it has direction, it has a good sense of how to convey different emotions into different situations.

But ultimately it's just whatever positives you extract from it.

[Ritter Delorges]

Of course the possible meanings of a work are often highly subjective, but personally I don't see the meaning of Katawa Shoujo as a statement about disability. For me the whole disability angle is more plot device than message.

It defines the setting and it provides a 'surface' conflict for each of the girls and Hisao and ties those together with a common theme. The setting is interesting because it is fairly unusual and challenging to do well. The disabilities serve an important purpose for characterization, but not in their own right. It is the way the girls deal with them that shows us some essential aspects of their characters. Then, after we have learned some important things about them, we are able to notice and perhaps eventually understand their deeper conflicts.

"Random teenage boy encounters five nondescript teenage girls, observes how one of them deals with her completely average and unremarkable life, ponders what that reveals about her and explores if there is more to discover." could lead to a masterpiece of social realism, but it is more likely that it would be horribly boring. It helps to have a specific hook that gets you interested in the work as a whole and then a particular character. it also provides some framework for the exploration of her character and then the details can develop more naturally from that.

In short I think that the disabilities are a fact of life for the characters and the are affected by them. They are also woven into the stories that we are told, but I think possible lessons are not really about any of that. For me it is about properties of good relationships, the value of relationships and interestingly their attainability.

[Haitaka]

Hmm... well I think I should start this train of thought by using a couple quotes from the game itself.

Act 1:
- Doctor: "A person does not have to be held back by their disability"
...
- Hisao (thinking): "A person doesn't have to be held back by their disability? That's what a disability is"

The game, as far as I'm concerned, does not try to state that disabled people are no different form ordinary people-because it is pointed out that that's exactly what they are! However, I believe the game tries to say that disabled people learn to cope with their challenges and set-backs and come out just fine in the end. Everyone at Yamaku High has their problems, but as far as I'm aware they all deal with them-and the character whose romantic route you follow (minus KENJI) gives you a deeper understanding of their specific and detailed issues and methods of coping.

So to round it off, I think that Katawa Shoujo was meant as a romantic visual novel revolving around choosing a disabled girl and trying your luck at developing a romantic relationship with that character. In the story you learn a lot about the character of your choice (again, excluding KENJI) and thereby also get an impression of how they cope with their disabilities. That's one of the messages I've gotten from the game anyway-that disabilities DO set you apart, but you can cope with them and have a happy (and romantic) life if you choose the right path.

[YZQ]

They can pursue (and have) the same emotions as the average folk. The ways and methods may vary.

[CFC Kyle]

Hmm... well I think I should start this train of thought by using a couple quotes from the game itself.

Act 1:
- Doctor: "A person does not have to be held back by their disability"
...
- Hisao (thinking): "A person doesn't have to be held back by their disability? That's what a disability is"

The game, as far as I'm concerned, does not try to state that disabled people are no different form ordinary people-because it is pointed out that that's exactly what they are! However, I believe the game tries to say that disabled people learn to cope with their challenges and set-backs and come out just fine in the end. Everyone at Yamaku High has their problems, but as far as I'm aware they all deal with them-and the character whose romantic route you follow (minus Shinji) gives you a deeper understanding of their specific and detailed issues and methods of coping.

So to round it off, I think that Katawa Shoujo was meant as a romantic visual novel revolving around choosing a disabled girl and trying your luck at developing a romantic relationship with that character. In the story you learn a lot about the character of your choice (again, excluding Shinji) and thereby also get an impression of how they cope with their disabilities. That's one of the messages I've gotten from the game anyway-that disabilities DO set you apart, but you can cope with them and have a happy (and romantic) life if you choose the right path.

Shinji without a romantic route? Thanks. I'd only just forgotten about Neon Genesis Evangelion.

[Xanatos]

Hmm... well I think I should start this train of thought by using a couple quotes from the game itself.

Act 1:
- Doctor: "A person does not have to be held back by their disability"
...
- Hisao (thinking): "A person doesn't have to be held back by their disability? That's what a disability is"

The game, as far as I'm concerned, does not try to state that disabled people are no different form ordinary people-because it is pointed out that that's exactly what they are! However, I believe the game tries to say that disabled people learn to cope with their challenges and set-backs and come out just fine in the end. Everyone at Yamaku High has their problems, but as far as I'm aware they all deal with them-and the character whose romantic route you follow (minus Shinji) gives you a deeper understanding of their specific and detailed issues and methods of coping.

So to round it off, I think that Katawa Shoujo was meant as a romantic visual novel revolving around choosing a disabled girl and trying your luck at developing a romantic relationship with that character. In the story you learn a lot about the character of your choice (again, excluding Shinji) and thereby also get an impression of how they cope with their disabilities. That's one of the messages I've gotten from the game anyway-that disabilities DO set you apart, but you can cope with them and have a happy (and romantic) life if you choose the right path.

Who is Shinji?

[Oddball]

In the story you learn a lot about the character of your choice (again, excluding Shinji) .

Who is Shinji?

Don't know. We never learn anything about him.

[Xanatos]

In the story you learn a lot about the character of your choice (again, excluding Shinji) .

Who is Shinji?

Don't know. We never learn anything about him.

Apparently we learn his name.

May be the fusion of Shizune and Kenji. Is there fanart yet?