Why have so many people taken Hanako's route first?

[yummines]

Probably cause she is very meek and shy, which makes her extremely moe

Considering how popular moe is with the average 18 - 30 male who would be reading anime-styled visual novels, I'm not really surprised.

I actually tried to get Hanako's route first but got Rin instead. Rin best girl anyways.

[Dr. Casey]

I went for Hanako first because I find her the most physically attractive, think she has a heartwarming personality, and am drawn to girls that seem to have a deep inner/emotional world. There's nothing wrong with going down someone's route due to the promise of a tragic backstory, though. Tragic pasts are interesting, and seeing someone move beyond that past and heal to some extent makes for a good story. That's not White Knighting.

[SpunkySix]

I actually tried to get Hanako's route first but got Rin instead. Rin best girl anyways.

I have no idea how people get Rin's route first. That thing is practically hidden.

[Forever_ambivalent]

I actually tried to get Hanako's route first but got Rin instead. Rin best girl anyways.

I have no idea how people get Rin's route first. That thing is practically hidden.

I get Rin's route the first two play through I had done (without using a flowchart or anything). I didn't know how to escape her ( I suppose I just love her that much ).
Later when I consulted a flowchart I saw that I was being too nice to both Shizune and Lilly. To get to either of their routes you have to completely ignore one of them and get 2 points for one of them. I got 1 point for each of them because I liked them both.
I also never thought that pushing Hisao to get a heart attack would get me down Emi's route.

[Umber]

Not really knowing about the characters, I didn't plan ahead for a specific person for Hisao to go for. Like, I really did just give KS a whirl the second it finished downloading. No preparations at all, which I'm glad for.

As I went through Act 1, I felt that Emi was the one Hisao initially clicked with the most. From a later glance, I thought Rin was the most interesting (and eventually became my favorite character), but that was after I realized I already went down Emi's route. I didn't think too much on Hanako until I had to consult a flowchart to start her route, which I adored.

[SiniisteR]

It probably has to do with the first impression most people make with Hanako in comparison to the first impressions of the other girls. The others all act in a normal way (Rin being the sort-of exception), just like regular people that just happen to have some form of disability. Hanako is the only one that draws attention to the player in both her actions and her appearance from the beginning. Her 'disability' is obviously the most noticeable, and she's the only one that acts strangely. It's this that causes most people to be the most curious about her out of all the girls, since the others have a similar path of getting to know them normally, becoming closer, then finding out about some sort of hidden problem with them (Emi's nightmares, the true nature of Shizune and Misha's relationship, etc.) later on in their own paths. It's only with Hanako that you know from the beginning she had something happen to her that's affected her both physically and mentally, so she draws the most attention to most new players.

[LorSquirrel]

Hanako was actually my 4th route that I played through my first was Emi, second was Shizune, third was Lilly. I never really thought she'd be an interesting character until I played through Lilly's route.

[Potato]

Hanako was actually my 4th route that I played through my first was Emi, second was Shizune, third was Lilly. I never really thought she'd be an interesting character until I played through Lilly's route.

What, no fifth?

I expected Hanako to be interesting. Rin was the wild card...

[HarvestmanMan]

I keep getting Hisao's route. Someone help me.

[AaronIsCrunchy]

I keep getting Hisao's route. Someone help me.

Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A-Start, do this on the menu, and unlock the secret Iwanako route.

[Munchenhausen]

I keep getting Hisao's route. Someone help me.

Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A-Start, do this on the menu, and unlock the secret Iwanako route.

No man, that gives Hisao the jetpack!

[KeiichiO]

Emi took my KS virginity, so I don't know what you're talking about~...

[brythain]

I keep getting Hisao's route. Someone help me.

Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A-Start, do this on the menu, and unlock the secret Iwanako route.

Don't forget to hop, clap and say 'Kweepa' at the right moments. That gets you closer to the hot Miki ending as well. The one with leather in it.

[AaronIsCrunchy]

I keep getting Hisao's route. Someone help me.

Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A-Start, do this on the menu, and unlock the secret Iwanako route.

Don't forget to hop, clap and say 'Kweepa' at the right moments. That gets you closer to the hot Miki ending as well. The one with leather in it.

Damn, I love that ending. I didn't even realise shit could get that hot...

[RavynousHunter]

Personally, I didn't get Hanako my first time. I just went in knowing nothing about the game or the girls, and chose what I thought I'd choose in those situations. Which, for some odd reason, gave me Emi. Played again, ended up with Lilly...then I cheated a little and resorted to a guide to Act I because I unintentionally got Emi again, and went with Rin, then Shizune.

However, I saved Hanako for last because I liked her the most. The quiet, bookish girls have always been a soft spot for me. If I may be frank, I disliked Shizune the most; she turned damn near everything into some kind of contest or challenge, you could barely ask the girl to spot you a dollar for a Coke without having to play a full game of Risk just to get the chance to get the words outta your mouth.

But, I saved the best for last, and wasn't disappointed. There's a reason Hanako has been my wallpaper for nearly 3 years, lol. She's nice, she's quiet, she doesn't turn everything into a game or a contest, isn't irritatingly perky (like Emi and Misha), and was just generally the most interesting of them all.

While I speak solely for myself with all this, I've little doubt that something similar contributes to people choosing to go with Hanako first off, if they can manage it.