In What Order Did You Complete The Routes?

[Megumeru]

My order was...

1. Shizune
2. Emi
3. Rin
4. Hanako
5. Lilly

I have a thing for glasses, and considering Shizune is part of the student council (to which I was once part of) it's almost natural for me to follow her. Read it once, slowly, and pretty much went full-on devotion to her after catching on a few subtleties and references I understand. There's just more about her than what I'm getting since I feel like I'm missing something.

Then there's Emi. I stumbled on her route since I was planning on doing Rin second, but I got her route instead so might as well. It is quite a feels trip, right about the end where the forgiveness scene and graveyard scene starts playing. Mostly though, I still can't help but feel like shit when Shizune appears in her route--albeit just a moment.

Following Emi, I decided to catch up and get Rin (since the 'choice' save is closest to her as well anyway--and I did attempted to get her before Emi). What got to me was a hail of confusion, but nonetheless a whole different level of satisfaction when she finally finds herself. Didn't get too emotional, but I still feel like shit when Shizune appears in her route.

Then I run a course through Hanako and Lilly's and...strangely enough I didn't feel anything. Hanako's route just gave me more of 'WTH HERO'-kind of feeling, but since Hisao redeems himself in the end I feel a slight sense of satisfaction. Lilly's route just...gave me a laugh. No, really. It gave me a laugh.

The only genuine 'feels' I'm getting came from Emi's route, Shizune's bad-end route, Rin's bad-end route (and a few branches from her route), and Hanako's good end route.


Following Lilly, I just re-read Shizune's route to see if I actually miss anything and that drive that made me want to know more about her than what I caught first-glance. Her route may not be the best to most, but that one choice that is given to you seriously mattered and affects the ending since it left a true 'action>consequences'-feel than most. That caught me off-guard.

[Zarys]

Remember, A22 wrote the least popular character and route in the game, for what it's worth.

While I also didn't like Shizune's route as much as the others (still good compared to most other VNs out there, though) it is for a different reason. I completely agree with A22 on few meaningful choices being better than lots of meaningless choices.
I think Aura's Rin path is the best written of them all, but all those choices that didn't affect the outcome at all were driving me crazy, and I think Rin's path would have been better if he had cut out two thirds of them.

Regarding walkthroughs, when I read the VN, there weren't any available, but if there had been, I probably would have used them, and not just because time until the release was growing short, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out how to get the last Rin scene
Like d2r I see KS as a novel, not as a game, so I don't feel any accomplishment on reaching the end any more than when I finish reading a book.

I don't deny that the text of the Route is interesting and worth rereading, but in my opinion, it doesn't compensate for bad pace and the lack of attachment to Shizune.

[AaronIsCrunchy]

I feel that the idea that most of the choices in Rin's route being inconsequential was a good thing, as to me it gave the impression that, as she says earlier in, she's a fairly easy going person that's not generally affected by outside influence. However, when it does make a difference, it shows that not even someone like Rin is immune from outside pressures.

Following Lilly, I just re-read Shizune's route to see if I actually miss anything and that drive that made me want to know more about her than what I caught first-glance. Her route may not be the best to most, but that one choice that is given to you seriously mattered and affects the ending since it left a true 'action>consequences'-feel than most. That caught me off-guard.

The idea that, given Hisao is in a relationship with Shizune at the time (albeit one which doesn't seem to display much in the way of outward affection) there's even the option of that does make it nice and clear what you have to do for a good ending/bad ending situation. Still, I agree with the point about it catching me off-guard somewhat, even if it is a 'shoulda seen THAT one coming' situation
I do find it interesting that Shizune's route, which offers no extraneous choices (much like you'd expect Shizune not to) has towards the end of the route a nice lump of psychoanalysis, which although I liked, seems odd in a story which seems, for the most part, to 'trim the fat' as it were.

[Megumeru]

The idea that, given Hisao is in a relationship with Shizune at the time (albeit one which doesn't seem to display much in the way of outward affection) there's even the option of that does make it nice and clear what you have to do for a good ending/bad ending situation. Still, I agree with the point about it catching me off-guard somewhat, even if it is a 'shoulda seen THAT one coming' situation
I do find it interesting that Shizune's route, which offers no extraneous choices (much like you'd expect Shizune not to) has towards the end of the route a nice lump of psychoanalysis, which although I liked, seems odd in a story which seems, for the most part, to 'trim the fat' as it were.

It's one of the reasons why Shizune's route and her character tends to attract more of the heavy thinker type. There's just a whole lot more things to analyze in what was written that a single read-through is just not that satisfying (at least to me). What I got after reading Shizune's story isn't just a 'happy feely'-kinda thing that keeps on nagging me for the next few days, but it's that strange curiosity that makes you want to know if there is more to the girl than what she managed to convey--unsurprisingly, Rin's character and story gave off similar feel, albeit not as strong to me (I did ran a couple of re-reads on her route though).

But maybe, it's because her route is also the more 'normal' and believable scenario. Life isn't all about the drama after all, thus it allows me to apply less on the 'suspension of disbelief'.

But hey, that's just my opinion anw.

[ogorhan]

Dont think i have to time but I'd love a thread about the things you could only understand better after rereading or get the meaning of that particular thing that happened in her route. Like I remember someone saying that Shizune making breakfast for Hisao, is a big deal cuz its something special in japan.

Maybe there is a thread about it and I missed it.

[ArazelEternal]

Its been a while since my first play through. Im not certian that this is the order, but I think this is how it went.

Emi (I know that one for sure), Lilly, Hanako, Shizune, Manly Picnic, Rin.

[SpunkySix]

I don't deny that the text of the Route is interesting and worth rereading, but in my opinion, it doesn't compensate for bad pace and the lack of attachment to Shizune.

That's something people tend to miss there. Yeah, there might be stuff you pick up on a second read, but if the first time you go through the route leaves you feeling unattached to the main girl and fails to capture your interest, then what is there to motivate you to even bother? A story can have all of the foreshadowing and subtle hints and emotional undertones and thought-provoking concepts in the world, but if it's boring and fails to immerse you in its world and make you care about its characters, then none of that matters.

I reserve personal judgment for when I read the route, but I see where people are coming from with this.

[Bruxae]

1. Hanako 2. Lilly -- That's how far i've gotten so far, but if everything goes according to plan I will follow it up with 3. Emi 4. Rin 5. Shitzune.

And - - that's exactly what happened, finished Shitzune yesterday.

[SpunkySix]

1. Hanako 2. Lilly -- That's how far i've gotten so far, but if everything goes according to plan I will follow it up with 3. Emi 4. Rin 5. Shitzune.

And - - that's exactly what happened, finished Shitzune yesterday.

Well that's not very nice.

[XcaaaL]

1. Emi (On complete accident)
2. Manly Picnic
3. Shizune
4. Hanako
5. Rin
6. Lilly (which I'm putting off finishing for now)

[Zarys]

It's one of the reasons why Shizune's route and her character tends to attract more of the heavy thinker type. There's just a whole lot more things to analyze in what was written that a single read-through is just not that satisfying (at least to me). What I got after reading Shizune's story isn't just a 'happy feely'-kinda thing that keeps on nagging me for the next few days, but it's that strange curiosity that makes you want to know if there is more to the girl than what she managed to convey--unsurprisingly, Rin's character and story gave off similar feel, albeit not as strong to me (I did ran a couple of re-reads on her route though).

But maybe, it's because her route is also the more 'normal' and believable scenario. Life isn't all about the drama after all, thus it allows me to apply less on the 'suspension of disbelief'.

But hey, that's just my opinion anw.

I see what is your point but if you make the synthesis of Shizune after several readings, she is realy more deep than the others characters ? and even if she was, what is the utility of a deep character is the experience wasn't good ? don't appreciate a Route the first and replay for "understand" after dont seems very amusing to me.
I don't know, i exagerrate maybe but I have almost the feeling that the fans of Shizune have her as her favorite more against the others Routes rather for a real quality of the Shizune's Route itself : they have not been captived by the other Routes but the Shizune's Route had at least get their attention because it need a replay. (Even if personaly I don't think it's because this route is "good written")

[Disposition]

1. Emi (just happened, wanted to do Rin's path through out hers.)
2. Rin
3. Shizune
Have yet to do Lily/Hanako.

[bhtooefr]

Keeping in mind that my first exposure was via a certain let's play...

Not playing it myself:
Hanako good->Hanako bad->Hanako neutral->Shizune good->Shizune bad->Emi good->Emi bad

Playing it myself:
Lilly good->Lilly bad->Manly picnic->Hanako good/neutral/bad->Emi good/bad->Shizune good/bad->Rin bad #1->Rin bad #2->Rin good

[AaronIsCrunchy]

Was playing Rin's good a conscious decision, given for the rest you'd done all the good ones first? (I presume anyway from ordering)

My only regret is not getting a bad route on my first go, as it did make it (ridiculously) more difficult to play a bad route in the future.

[bhtooefr]

For Rin's, I wasn't invested in the story, so I simply followed the flowchart to get every scene and get my 100%. The bad endings happen in shorter playtime, so I did them first.

I really can't into Rin.