Which ending do you consider to be the most canon?

[Potato]

Who cares who he sees first? There's no law saying the first one is canon anyway.

[Megumeru]

Yes, Hanako's the first of the main girls he sees. He notes she's looking at him, he looks back at her and she immediately breaks eye contact and covers her face. That's before he even spots Shizune and Misha. So, in terms of first sighting/interaction Hanako's first, in terms of first introduction Misha/Shizune is first.

I'll quote and re quote:

First true introduction. As in 'actual' conversation/words exchanged--you're not suddenly acquainted with someone by just looking at that person and suddenly, you know exactly who that person is (which to Hanako's fortune, she's sitting right at the very end at the very left).

In definition, a 'gamemaker' would be the first heroine the MC is introduced to and ends the story with. (first actual conversation/introduction. No, Misha is a supporting character, not the main heroine.) Following that order, Shizune's storyline--as well as the undeniable fact that her route leads up to graduation--is canon, to me.

My memory's kinda' fuzzy on when did Hisao crashed into Emi (or was it the other way around?). It's Shizune->Hanako->Lilly->Emi->Rin(?)

Or was it Shizune->Lilly->Hanako->Rin->Emi?

Neither.
By your definition (first words/signs exchanged) it would be Shizune->Lilly->Hanako->Emi->Rin

There we go, that's the order I am looking for.

Close enough

[Mirage_GSM]

In definition, a 'gamemaker' would be the first heroine the MC is introduced to and ends the story with.

Now it would be interesting to see how many VNs (or Anime, since VNs - like KS - usually don't have one canon ending) actually follow that formula...
Kanon? No.
Clannad? Yes.
Tsukihime? No.
Shuffle? No.
Tora Dora? No.
KGNE?... He actually meets both at the same time.

That's just a small sample of romance Anime that first came to my mind, but it seems your theory is not really universal...

[SpunkySix]

In definition, a 'gamemaker' would be the first heroine the MC is introduced to and ends the story with.

Now it would be interesting to see how many VNs (or Anime, since VNs - like KS - usually don't have one canon ending) actually follow that formula...
Kanon? No.
Clannad? Yes.
Tsukihime? No.
Shuffle? No.
Tora Dora? No.
KGNE?... He actually meets both at the same time.

That's just a small sample of romance Anime that first came to my mind, but it seems your theory is not really universal...

It's less of a rule and more of a trope that applies to some things and not others, depending on how narrative is handled.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/M ... stGirlWins

[Potato]

Having never once heard the term 'gamemaker' in this context, I'm inclined to believe it's nonsense. Besides, Shizune is canon.

[Velitation]

When you say gamemaker, I think Final Fantasy VII. I'm not opening that can of worms, haha. Spoiler for FFVII: Dating Barret confirms that Cloud is indeed an asshole... most of the time.

On a more serious note, if I had to choose one of the routes as canon (that wasn't the manly picnic), I would pick Rin's. It takes the typical idea of a VN with its tropes and turns it on its head, which is what I thought KS was trying to go for in the end.

[Potato]

When you say gamemaker, I think Final Fantasy VII. I'm not opening that can of worms, haha. Spoiler for FFVII: Dating Barret confirms that Cloud is indeed an asshole... most of the time.

On a more serious note, if I had to choose one of the routes as canon (that wasn't the manly picnic), I would pick Rin's. It takes the typical idea of a VN with its tropes and turns it on its head, which is what I thought KS was trying to go for in the end.

Each route kind of turns various tropes on their heads though.

[yummines]

Visual Novels with multiple routes innately don't have a "real" ending (unless there is a direct sequel that establishes one or the creator says so).

But for the sake of discussion, probably manly picnic because in reality being a depressed lonely guy won't result in you getting a girlfriend. Especially in a setting where people are broken physically and emotionally.

[Oddball]

Visual Novels with multiple routes innately don't have a "real" ending (unless there is a direct sequel that establishes one or the creator says so).

But for the sake of discussion, probably manly picnic because in reality being a depressed lonely guy won't result in you getting a girlfriend. Especially in a setting where people are broken physically and emotionally.

Any other highschool, I'd agree with you. It always annoys me in anime and manga how the antisocial jerk is the one that everybody seems to flock towards.

Yamaku is different though. A guy shows up out of nowhere, he's in a bad mood, and he looks lost, having people's reaction be "Oh, poor guy. This is all so new to him. Well, we've all been there before," and wanting to include him seems a natural fit.

[Forever_ambivalent]

Visual Novels with multiple routes innately don't have a "real" ending (unless there is a direct sequel that establishes one or the creator says so).

But for the sake of discussion, probably manly picnic because in reality being a depressed lonely guy won't result in you getting a girlfriend. Especially in a setting where people are broken physically and emotionally.

Any other highschool, I'd agree with you. It always annoys me in anime and manga how the antisocial jerk is the one that everybody seems to flock towards.

Yamaku is different though. A guy shows up out of nowhere, he's in a bad mood, and he looks lost, having people's reaction be "Oh, poor guy. This is all so new to him. Well, we've all been there before," and wanting to include him seems a natural fit.

This
It's pretty easy to understand why girls such as Misha, Shizune and Emi try to help and approach Hisao. It's hard to say that the character's flock towards him considering how most people actually did not care about him. Rin, Hanako and Lilly didn't approach him too much. Emi understood Hisao's situation and knew how he felt and wanted to help him cheer up and get used to Yamaku because she has been through a somewhat similar kind of shock and depression (fine one day disabled the next. Although Emi's case was a lot worse). Shizune probably found it to be her duty to get him used to Yamaku and than began to try to fish him into the student council which lead to Shizune learning more about Hisao and sympathizing with him. Misha is there because Shizune.
Hanako doesn't help Hisao much initially and actually avoids him. Lilly and Rin sort of just encountered him and than helped him by simply being friends with him. They didn't actively try to help him like the others.

Almost all of the routes are all equally canon (if that makes any sense).The only route I think is less canon would be Hanako's route because I find it a little baffling why Hisao would chase after a girl who avoids others and has her own problems when he is having his own problems. There are probably a bunch of logical explanations for it but I really do not like the sound of it. With all the other routes the girls either pursued him or they just met. It's strange that Hisao is chasing after Hanako without knowing that much about her.

[bhtooefr]

There are common interests, and there's also the whole white knight thing (which is really a way that Hisao tries to distract from worrying about his own problems, which definitely isn't healthy for either Hanako or Hisao).

Also, he could simply consider everyone else out of his league. Or, the time that he does spend with Hanako (which isn't exactly contrived), he could realize that he genuinely likes her company.

[RavynousHunter]

I'm fine with the harem so long as it doesn't include Misha.

[Xaredian]

The one where Braum takes Lilly away from Hiaso. And takes her back to the realm of Runeterra.


In reality. It's probably Lilly's good ending. I mean, seriously. It's the only one with an official epilogue.

[Potato]

The one where Braum takes Lilly away from Hiaso. And takes her back to the realm of Runeterra.


In reality. It's probably Lilly's good ending. I mean, seriously. It's the only one with an official epilogue.

If by 'epilogue', you mean 'This is literally the good ending'...

[SpunkySix]

I'm fine with the harem so long as it doesn't include Misha.

What type of harem is that even then?

And hey, who is the cutie with the bloody eyes?