First impression of the girls vs final impressions?

[Phyro]

I'm not really sure why, but I found myself not liking Emi very much by the end of her route. She at first struck me as a very innocent kind of girl, but it turned out there was a lot more drama and adult-mindedness to her character, and I guess that kind of bothered me.

Rin is another character where my initial impression of her varied dramatically from my final understanding. Being quite an enigma, I really had no idea what to make of Rin at first, but she appealed to me because she was an artist. I thought she was really amusing and I remember looking forward to playing her route to see what kind of crazy dialogue she might have, only for it to turn out a lot more serious and dramatic than I expected. The weird thing about Rin though is that even though I felt like I got to know her a little better from her route, I still felt like I didn't quite understand her at the end.

I don't think my take on Hanako or Lily really changed much after playing their routes, but I suppose they fulfilled my expectations. Hanako definitely struck me as a shy girl, and though her character develops both in her own route and in Lily's, I never once felt like she stopped being herself, or that there was some different side to her that she was hiding. I sympathized a lot with Hanako and I went for her first, so her route really set up my expectations for the rest of the game. Even though I liked Lily I played her route last for some reason, which ended up turning out nicely since I personally think Lily's route had the happiest ending. I also felt like it kind of summed up the game as a whole, and I really liked how it kind of ended similarly to how it began. The other routes didn't really tie back into Act 1 very much, at least not to my memory.

Also my opinion on Shizune is kind of funny because I never really liked her very much, but I actually liked her story arc best after Lily's and Hanako's. My first impression of her was that she was really bossy and condescending, and while her route definitely allowed me to see her in a much more positive light, I still felt like she wasn't really someone I would get along with very well IRL.

Anyways, I'm new here, but I've been a fan of KS for about a year or so now and I'm currently trying to play through it again.

[Potato]

I still felt like I didn't quite understand her at the end.

And that's okay.

Weird reason to dislike Emi though. .-.

[Phyro]

I still felt like I didn't quite understand her at the end.

And that's okay.

Weird reason to dislike Emi though. .-.

Yeah I was pretty happy with Rin's ending. I suppose by the end I figured it was less about understanding her and more about being able to accept her.

I'm not exactly sure why I dislike Emi to be honest, I think it may just have to do with my personality. ._.

[SpunkySix]

I'm not really sure why, but I found myself not liking Emi

I found myself not liking Emi

not liking Emi

[Phyro]

@SpunkySix: It's not like I hated Emi but I guess I didn't like her as much as the other characters for some reason... It's been a while since I read KS so I don't remember exactly why.

[SpunkySix]

@SpunkySix: It's not like I hated Emi but I guess I didn't like her as much as the other characters for some reason... It's been a while since I read KS so I don't remember exactly why.

That's fine, I just can't imagine not liking her myself so I always forget that other people might be able to.

[Guest Poster]

I don't think my take on Hanako or Lily really changed much after playing their routes, but I suppose they fulfilled my expectations. Hanako definitely struck me as a shy girl, and though her character develops both in her own route and in Lily's, I never once felt like she stopped being herself, or that there was some different side to her that she was hiding.

You could tell from the initial impressions that Hanako was a quiet misanthrope and privately questioned the sincerity of her friendship with Lilly? I sure couldn't.

[SpunkySix]

I don't think my take on Hanako or Lily really changed much after playing their routes, but I suppose they fulfilled my expectations. Hanako definitely struck me as a shy girl, and though her character develops both in her own route and in Lily's, I never once felt like she stopped being herself, or that there was some different side to her that she was hiding.

You could tell from the initial impressions that Hanako was a quiet misanthrope and privately questioned the sincerity of her friendship with Lilly? I sure couldn't.

It's in her eyes.

[brythain]

I entered the game trying to identify with Hisao, which set up my expectations and attitudes for each initial encounter.

1. Misha/Shizune: too loud, I could get a heart attack from this.
2. Emi: worse, I almost did.
3. Hanako: what if she gets one first?
4. Lilly: this, I can learn to live with.
5. Rin: cardiac dysrhythmia…

After finally completing all the paths…

1. Misha/Shizune: non-lethal emotional intensity, something to live with.
2. Emi: the feels, and cardiac training too.
3. Hanako: the feels, but minus a clear direction.
4. Lilly: the extended route seemed most complete and optimistic.
5. Rin: enchanting, but again, minus a clear direction.

Final impressions:

1. Shizune - grows on you, potentially a long-term relationship or not at all.
2. Emi - positive all round, and I felt warm about it.
3. Hanako - hopeful all round, but I felt a tad uncertain; it's hard not to want to white knight her.
4. Lilly - I liked her, frankly; there's variety and depth despite the surface stereotyping.
5. Rin - I was intrigued by her, but the uncertainty was always there.

[Phyro]

I don't think my take on Hanako or Lily really changed much after playing their routes, but I suppose they fulfilled my expectations. Hanako definitely struck me as a shy girl, and though her character develops both in her own route and in Lily's, I never once felt like she stopped being herself, or that there was some different side to her that she was hiding.

You could tell from the initial impressions that Hanako was a quiet misanthrope and privately questioned the sincerity of her friendship with Lilly? I sure couldn't.

Could I tell that she was a "quiet misanthrope"? Definitely. Her fear of others is pretty easy to spot right away, especially because I can relate to her position to an extent. As for her relationship with Lily though, that's part of the "character development" I mentioned that didn't come in until later.

[Potato]

Yeah I was pretty happy with Rin's ending. I suppose by the end I figured it was less about understanding her and more about being able to accept her.

I'm not exactly sure why I dislike Emi to be honest, I think it may just have to do with my personality. ._.

I was destroyed by Rin's ending. I didn't get the good one first. And your personality is quite clearly Hitler.

[someguy1294]

The biggest change, for me, was my perception of Hanako. At first I thought she was was just the shy, timid girl stuck in the game for guys who are into girls who are too emotionally weak to support themselves. I wasn't playing Hanako's route because her character appealed to me; I was playing it because I had already done Rin's and Emi's, and figured I might as well see what her route was like, for the sake of completeness. It didn't take long for Hanako to grow on me, partially because she's such a sweet girl, and partially because certain little quirks of her personality connected to me. I have played "Don't step on the dark tiles" since I was about five, and still play it on occasion. I'm twenty. Should give you an idea of how much that part of Hanako related to me. I was also glad to see Hanako gain some personal strength and confidence. She's among my favorite characters, now, not that I would have guessed it.

[someguy1294]

Finally finished every route, so I feel like I can answer this question for realz now. I already talked about Hanako, but I ought to address the other girls in full now...

Rin
Before Playing Her Route: I adored Rin from the moment I clapped eyes on her. I loved her quirky personality and her honesty, and figured her route would be light, breezy and whimsical.
While Playing: Rin drove me insane. I could NOT understand why the hell she was being so distant and removed from Hisao. I wanted to slap her for being so stupid.
After Playing: I came to understand why Rin acted the way she did, and came to sympathize with the problems she has in expressing herself. I gained a much better appreciation for her character after suffering through her problems than I did initially.

Emi
Before Playing: Aw, an adorable, energetic runner-gal! I'm a runner too, so I bet I'll love her route!
While Playing: Hey, this is pretty sweet...
*when Emi starts shutting out Hisao and hiding her feelings* Oh, she's... being kind of a bitch now... but I'm sure she'll--
*when Emi tells Hisao to get out* SWEET MERCIFUL FUCK WHAT HAPPENED TO HER FACE.
*at the Good End* Yeah. You have a cute butt. That's nice. I'm gonna try to not think about you nearly murdering me in the kitchen now.
After Playing: Emi scared the living shit out of me. There's something genuinely chilling in that smile. When I talked to her mom instead (hoping to avoid the slasher smile), she JUMPS OUT OF FUCKING NOWHERE, STILL RAPE-SMILING. *shivers* ...Once I calmed down a bit and looked back on Emi, I started to remember the things I admired about her in the first place: her optimism, her determination, and her sense of humor. The will Emi shows in becoming a runner despite her injury is really quite impressive. I might consider dating Emi, but I'm not going to turn my back on her in the presence of any sharp objects.

Shizune
Before Playing: Oh my god you are such a bitch why am I even playing this route Misha is sexy I want to fuck Misha instead of you I really hope there's a choice that lets me do that.
While Playing: Eh, she's not such a bitch... kinda pushy though. And pretentious. Seriously, all these lectures are getting tiresome. Misha's... acting a little weird. And broken. WTF SHE CUT HER DRILLS OFF. Yeah, that really killed the mood, I don't feel like boning her now.
After Playing: I've read worse things than this. I couldn't really connect with Shizune, but I don't mind her story.

Lily
Before Playing: Hmm... she's seems alright. Pretty well-spoken, if a little dull. Better than that awful bitch, Shizune, anyways. She doesn't appear to be psychotic like Emi, so that's a plus, and she seemed like an okay character during Hanako's route, so, well, why not?
While Playing: Oh! Oh. Oh... well this thing with the crane is nice, and uh... the wheat-field scene's pretty moving... and uh... yeah. *snores*
*during Good Ending* Wait, doesn't she have a cell-phone? Wait... what. WHAT!?
After Playing: WHAT THE FU--WHY WOU-- YOU--THAT'S.... AAAAAAAAARRRRRGGH!!!!

[Atario]

WTF SHE CUT HER DRILLS OFF. Yeah, that really killed the mood, I don't feel like boning her now.

Am I the only one who thought she looked cute after the haircut?

[Numb]

WTF SHE CUT HER DRILLS OFF. Yeah, that really killed the mood, I don't feel like boning her now.

Am I the only one who thought she looked cute after the haircut?

Drilless Misha best Misha