The "thank you 4LS" thread.

[Broken]

It's 3am and I've just finished reading version 1.3 story, through which, I followed the Emi story line.
To the developers, writers, and various artists, my most heartfelt thanks.

(Wall of text and possible feels inbound)
With a distinct lack of wars to fight, a friend recognized my sedentary stature and suggested some light reading, by which I came upon Katawa Shoujo.
See, I'm a recently retired US vet. I've suffered several wounds that leave me up late rubbing my limbs in agonizing pain. I've recently been pushing family and friends away because none of them could possibly understand what it's like to deal with the physical and emotional stress I've endured in the last 22 years. I might even say I've been downright nasty to the few people I care about the most. Out of pain medication, I've visited (some would say returned to) dark places. In an effort to insulate the ones I care about, I push them away from the images behind my eyes.

In your Emi story line you very deftly express the emotions a person who has suffered great loss feels in their most private times. For that, I can't thank you enough.

Perhaps you set out to create entertainment, but you succeeded in reaching farther than that, in my case. To me, this wasn't just a story. It's a personal revelation that I've been keeping people away because I know the exact measure of life. To some it is frighteningly temporary and painful. I've only been honest to my own four walls and it isn't enough. Creating a prison for myself isn't the answer. I can't keep them safe. My body may never be the same again, but I do have the power to heal my mind.

There are people in my life who actually care about me, but I'm afraid to admit that to myself. To some degree, it persists. But your description of innermost thoughts and feelings was all to real. I know what I have to do.

I just texted "her", to apologize for pushing her away. I have a lot of healing to do, but for now I can throw away my note and unload my gun.

Thank you

[jayjayx5x1]

I first played your game some time last year and i regret that at the time I only played Hanako's Story arc, but two days ago i stumbled across it again and i couldn't help but download it and play it again, and well i think i played it for 12 hours straight, the only story i have yet to complete is Rin's. But i would just like to sincerely thank you for this wonderful Visual Novel you and your diverse team has made, I'll be sure to keep an eye on these forums if you guys do ever release anything in the future, But i would also like to thank you for the obvious time and effort you put into this game, to be completely honest i found this more immersive than any game I have played to date, at one point i literally thought i was Hisao not only that after playing this game i have felt my own personality change (for the better of course) this might sound a bit melodramatic but I am being honest, after playing all these stories i found a new appreciation for people with such conditions, I personal have a mental disability although i like to think of it also as an advantage in some areas, what i have is mild aspergers syndrome or more simply i am a high functioning autistic, being such I am sometimes highly impressionable (things that i find or watch or play can impact me permanently) although i do have control over this but in playing this game i found it started to make an impression upon me and it kind of caught me off guard, not that this is a bad thing it was actually a welcome surprise, and i found that my beliefs and attitudes had been affected by the game and well i am glad of this change and i welcomed it, before i knew that people with disabilities are greatly annoyed by and even hate when others pitty them, especially when they have come to terms with their situation and are proud of who they are, similar to when Emi thought Hisao was trying to save her or when lily caught on to hisao pitying her, i don't know if you based some of these characters on real people but either you have a remarkable ability to put yourself in that position or did your research because these characters and the way they act and talk felt like it would if you were to speak to someone in real life, now obviously there are things that are there to lead the story along, but i found it very engaging and didn't really care much for the adult scenes ( i did care somewhat being a warm blooded male of course), what this helped realise more so was how true it was that people with disabilities tend to be very strong willed, in my opinion if they weren't before they would be after because seeing people in reality that have such disabilities they always have a sense of strong will. back to the main point i wanted to make, in the new found appreciation I have gotten to a point where i no longer view someone with a physical disability in a way where a part of me wishes they could be normal because at the end of the day a lot of them don't want to be normal because they have grown to love them and their disability like emi loves her running with her prosthetics. now don't take this the wrong way cause i know some people might, but know i actually find people like that in the game more attractive than normal people, because their stories would be more interesting, they would have in my opinion a sense of high willpower, yes i understand that everyone has hard times when they i down, i know perfectly well but getting through it is what really counts, and i would personally be honored if i ever had the pleasure of being someone who is there not to pitty not to feel sad for but to just be a friend someone to hang with to sit back and relax, for someone like them, hell i would find a woman with a prosthetic leg more attractive than a model in a magazine (don't take this the wrong way, not that it could be i dunno just try to think the best of what i am typing), and to be honest if i had an ideal partner it would similar to one of the characters in your novel, although that is hypothetical I personally am not one to have this ideal partner i am more someone who has qualities i want but if i meet someone and stuff ends up happening then great, anyway i diverge from the point (I tend to do that a lot), i would just like to thank you for your masterpiece i like to think it is one, and i truly believe it has helped make me a better person than i was before. On a side not i am actually studying games design at the moment and well before playing this game i would always think 3D massive maps intricate detail etc. however after this visual novel i have realised that sometimes the best and most immersive game/story can be a beautiful picture and a truly great story. I would like to thank you and everyone at 4LS again for this great game and I wish you all the best in your future. yes it does seem melodramatic to be honest but it is 100% true

P.S. EMI IS THE BEST.... #waifu ummm yeah soooo, also Shizune's bad ending :'( i was so sad and the music was perfect, top job, im just glad i ended on the good ending

[jayjayx5x1]

It's 3am and I've just finished reading version 1.3 story, through which, I followed the Emi story line.
To the developers, writers, and various artists, my most heartfelt thanks.

(Wall of text and possible feels inbound)
With a distinct lack of wars to fight, a friend recognized my sedentary stature and suggested some light reading, by which I came upon Katawa Shoujo.
See, I'm a recently retired US vet. I've suffered several wounds that leave me up late rubbing my limbs in agonizing pain. I've recently been pushing family and friends away because none of them could possibly understand what it's like to deal with the physical and emotional stress I've endured in the last 22 years. I might even say I've been downright nasty to the few people I care about the most. Out of pain medication, I've visited (some would say returned to) dark places. In an effort to insulate the ones I care about, I push them away from the images behind my eyes.

In your Emi story line you very deftly express the emotions a person who has suffered great loss feels in their most private times. For that, I can't thank you enough.

Perhaps you set out to create entertainment, but you succeeded in reaching farther than that, in my case. To me, this wasn't just a story. It's a personal revelation that I've been keeping people away because I know the exact measure of life. To some it is frighteningly temporary and painful. I've only been honest to my own four walls and it isn't enough. Creating a prison for myself isn't the answer. I can't keep them safe. My body may never be the same again, but I do have the power to heal my mind.

There are people in my life who actually care about me, but I'm afraid to admit that to myself. To some degree, it persists. But your description of innermost thoughts and feelings was all to real. I know what I have to do.

I just texted "her", to apologize for pushing her away. I have a lot of healing to do, but for now I can throw away my note and unload my gun.

Thank you

truly inspiring, I am someone who wants to someday join the military to serve my country, and i hope if i one day do and that if bad things happen, that i will have the strength and willpower to do what you have done. I thank you for your service to you country even though it is not my own i respect you and i wish you the best of luck in your future sir.

[jayjayx5x1]

Really? Never enjoyed a good pastry? Felt pain when you stubbed your toe? Been disappointed when someone eats the last piece of pizza?

There's probably a correct way to explain this, but, I'm not entirely sure how I would do so. I have nothing to be sad about. I've been diagnosed with depression, linked to signs of apathy, suicidal tendency, and generally not caring about anything. I don't know what being sad feels like, I've probably experience it before, but, if I did, I can't really remember. I think I do feel emotion but my brain stores it away, or doesn't let me experience/remember it, I'm not sure. I've been through a lot of things that would make people angry/sad, but, It doesn't faze me. I could go on about this, but I'd prefer some parameters before I go off on tangents.

If you still are reading these forums or if you happen to read this comment i have a question for you. do you experience time? what i mean by that is do you notice a difference between an hour passing by and 10 min passing buy or do you not feel it and you need to have a clock or you need to calculate things in order to figure out how much time has passed? i hope i worded the question correctly.

[iDefalt]

I'm not sure if anyone from 4LS will ever read this, but I just wanted to take a few moments to talk about my experience with KS. It's quite long, so apologies for that. It's also my first post on these forums, so hey all!

I only discovered this game about a month ago, after a friend told me about it. I'd never played any other VN's or any games that were even remotely like KS, and I think that's part of what drew me in. My friend told me about it, and I was mostly like "A game about dating disabled girls? Why would I play that?" But then I read up about the game, and discovered that KS is so, so much more. To think it all originated from a 4chan thread just adds more wow to it. So, about a month ago, I decided to download it and try it, and I played a few chapters before deciding that I actually liked this game, and ever since then I've been playing it on and off in my spare time. I'm pretty sure I'm in love with the game. For a little backstory, I had Testicular Cancer around 3 years ago, and while it's not one of the "worst" types to have, it's still quite an experience. After coming back to school having lost all my friends and being months behind on school work, I found my love and passion for Music. It kept me company when no-one else did. Previously, I'd just been one of those kids that listened to any music at anytime, like everyone else does, but after having quite a lot of time to think and brainstorm things in a bed, I came back and fell in love with Music Production and Media in general.
Since then (Around 2012) I've become a Music Producer, mostly just producing little pieces of music that I love listening to using FL Studio, because I love Music and what it can do for people. I came into KS expecting not very much at all, and I've come out of it extremely satisfied. From a producers perspective, the music in this game is absolutely magical. I've downloaded and spent more time than I should be, listening to the games soundtrack over and over and over again, it's truly magical. I'm one of those people that gets emotionally invested into a song or piece, I don't just "Like" a song, I pick out each and every part and instrument of the song and why I like it, and this games soundtrack is just a love letter to me, it's everything I could ever want from a soundtrack, and I'm listening to it as I sit here writing this at 1am.
Now, back to the game. I'm just another one of those people that has absolutely fallen in love with this game (So late I know) and everything about it. From the story and writing (From a short-story writers perspective, it's beautifully written) to the artwork (I've got a folder of a few thousand screenshots I've taken of scenes from the game that are just beautiful, my favourite is of Hisao and Lilly in the field together after they confess to each other) and the game itself, it's all beautifully done. I know I'm a bit late to the scene for the game, but this game alone has gotten me into many others of the same genre, an area I never thought I'd be interested in exploring. I've got some little avatars of the characters of the game that appear on my desktop while I'm playing, listening to the soundtrack, or after my computers idle so that when I come back, they're there waiting for me, quite literally hanging out, because I'll never forget this game.
There's simply too much to say for writing this at 1am, but I honestly just want to say thank you to 4LS from the bottom of my heart. This game was so perfect in absolutely every way imaginable, and from a producer, writer and gamers perspective, I've loved every minute I've played of it. I've put in almost 8 hours total and so far I've played through the Lilly and Hanako storylines, and I'm just about to start the others now. I'm loving every part of this game so far, and I can't wait to see how the other stories turn out for me. I've gotten the good endings so far, so hopefully I'll get them all. I'm single-handedly emotionally invested in this game more than I have been any others, and I've played all the big franchises, and a lot of games, but this game among the sea of amazing indie games, takes the cake for me. It's an emotional journey that causes the user to really think about the things happening, and not just make choices based on what the outcome may be, good or bad. The perfect-length and written H-scenes provide that touch of adult content that a game dealing with themes like this needs to appeal to the wide audience it does, and that's just one of the many things that are perfect about this game. I could go on forever about how perfect this game is, but I think that'll do for this post. You'll definitely be seeing me around the forums for a while, this is one game that makes me want to get involved in the community.

So, again. Thank you 4LS and everyone else who's worked on this beautiful little game. You've all done an amazing job, and I know I'm not the only one that's had their heart touched by this magnificent piece of work. You've all done an amazing job in dealing with this game, and the themes it explores, and for that, you should still feel proud, all these years later. I'm in love with your game. I've attached a few little screenshots, I'll be forever reminded by this piece of art.
Thank you.

[Gauth]

After finishing KS for two times in a row (Emi’s and Hanako’s routes), three major conclusions formed in my mind:
It’s a shame I didn’t discover it earlier. It seems that this forum is past its prime – it must have been fun a couple of years back.
It’s a shame I cannot erase my memory of the last few days and do it all over again.
It’s a shame there isn’t going to be any follow-up. KS devs certainly know how to create something that would talk to the audience.
But other than these three shames, it was excellent. I don’t know if there are many people here these days, but I want to write it down, and it seems like an appropriate place to do so.

I have no idea how I picked up KS. I don’t like visual novels. I don’t play dating sims. Perhaps I was amused by the premise and expected a good laugh due to all the potential cheesiness in handling it.
What I got was a bloody catharsis.

KS is a very, very rare example of a work of fiction that leaves a kind of longing when it ends. You want to know more about what happens next, and what happened before. You want to find out all kinds of inconsequential things: what exactly Hanako and Lilly talk about in the first act when you can’t hear them? Will Hanako go on collecting dolls? Will Hisao finally answer that letter?
These silly little things don’t matter from the narrative point of view. Hanako’s arc ends abruptly, but I do think that it ends when it should end and that it tells you only what you need to know. It is a coming of age story in the same degree as it is a love story, if not more. When both Hisao and Hanako become adults, the story ends.
But that’s exactly what the problem is. I feel silly, but after a while I no longer perceived Hisao, Hanako and Lilly as characters in a work of fiction. I inadvertently feel about them as real people (not ‘think’, because I know better, but ‘feel’, on a subconscious level). Like friends I knew briefly before losing contact with them, perhaps. Somebody whose fate I want to know not because I am interested in the plot development, but because I care. Something like that.
It is hard to express in words, but KS feels like a slice of life – not in terms of genre, but as a literal piece of someone’s life. Rationally you know that it is fiction, but can’t stop feeling and hoping that Hanako and Lilly and Hisao are somewhere there right now, going on with their lives and not caring whether you believe in them or not. It’s kind of sad that in time this feeling will fade, and just like with friends you’ve known a long time ago, you will gradually lose emotional connection with them.
It is exactly the second game that made me really care about its characters (the first one was To the Moon). No cheap tearjerkers, just clever handling of serious topics and people you can and want to believe in.

So thanks, Four Leaf Studios. It was excellent. Not without flaws, but it makes you think. Probably even makes you a little bit better.

[jwkent1973]

This is my very first post. Please bear with me. I am one of those people who find it a bit difficult speaking up, Not only inexperienced with this forum, But with forums in general. I tend to read posts, instead of write them. Only signed up recently to follow some of my favorite fanfiction on here. No doubt, I could well identify with Hanako in that way. Anyway, To the point of my post: Just as I have read how Katawa Shoujo has touched the lives of so many, Add my life to the list. I had never heard of it until last summer when I stumbled across the official website. I downloaded it, Thinking I could kill a bit of time... Just another game, right? Nope. I installed it on my computer and started the game, Just to spend a few minutes to see what it was all about. Things did not go as planned. Several hours later, Playing non-stop. I finished Emi's route. Mind totally blown. The characters have a realness to them I cannot really put in words, And as I learned about them, so did I learn about myself. While Yamaku might not be a real place, It is real enough in the minds and hearts of so many, Including mine. How in the world that a group of people on the internet could have put together something so moving and beautiful, Really amazes me. It is an awesome experience that continues to this day, And helped me to discover visual novels too. So, Thank you, 4LS. I know I am probably not saying anything that has not been said before, But all of your work was very worthwhile.

[cursedalpaga]

Hello, I just finished this VN and i made an account just to say thank you. I have never felt so much emotions since A while, I have lost both of my leg and im still crying right now. Thank you so much for making this masterpiece.

[Makowh]

Hi,

I discovered Katawa Shoujo few days ago, out of loneliness and boredom, and a bit of nostalgy of my teen years when I used to play shitty dating sims alone in my room.
This time I looked for a good one with some actual story telling. Never thought I would find so much more.

It appear that I come rather late in this movement, the definitive version of the game is online, the 4LS is dissolving, the community motion is dying out...

As a professional artist, author-illustrator, I am astonished by the quality and deepness of the outcome of these years of community development. I can only dream I would one day be part of such a unique project. This Visual Novel stands out of the crowd as a truly collective effort, made just for passion. This is beautiful.

The quality, complexity and sheer humanity of the story-telling caught me from the first lines and didnt let me go until the powerful catharsis I experienced of some of the routes (namely Hanako, Lilly and Rin). It is seldom to see written characters come to life so vividly, in their strangeness and strength and frailty.
Some of the most meaningful scenes are now burnt within me, and changed my life. Hanako's will to survive against her scars and fears. Rin's "Let go", which made me aware of all the emotional weight I was carrying myself unnecessarily since so many years. Lilly's sovereign empathy towards hurt and scared people around her.

As an artist myself I can only hope and work harder to try and give sensitive people such an experience on my own.
I shall keep from my experience with Katawa Shoujo this supreme humanity you people managed to set in your beautiful story. You managed to change a lot of people's view about life, and touched their hearts to the deepest, anonymously and for free, and for this you deserve all my respect.

All I can say is, Thank You.

[Satchel]

So many have written already so nice and long thanks that i feel like i should keep it a bit shorter:

I actually found this game/story by accident, i was never into such kind of stuff. But the artwork was really nice so i gave it a try .. and i fell in love with the story, the artwork, the music .. everything!
After starting the first time, i could not stop unitl i had my first storyline, which happened to be Emi, finished. I am having my own problems in reallife and i wouldn't say it is really hard to make me cry .. but this just was so much more then i expected, i couldn't stop weeping, be it out of joy for the happy ending, out of misery about how lonely it made me feel, out of all the other feels. I couln't even stop playing though beeing overwhelmed by them feels! I played another 2 story lines, Hanako and Rin, before i even went to bed, making this a 40 hour day (started playing on a late evening actually).

By then you had me in constant tears, for days i was on the edge of weeping when my mind wandered back to Katawa Shoujo, all these feelings i didn't even know i could still feel or feel at all .. after now finishing all lines and even doing Emi a second time, i still don't know if i should curse you, or thank you .. but i guess i will thank you, because as much as i am in tears and still have to process all them feels, i am greatful you enabled me to experience all this.

Thank you!

And now i guess ill head over to Hanako's Broken Heart Club ...

[Broken Yet Whole]

Four Leaf Studios, thank you, with all my heart.

I've never thought I'd find anyone, fictional or otherwise, who I can identify with, who shares the same problems, fucked up fears and insecurities, and issues I face.

Then I played Katawa Shoujo, and I found Hanako Ikezawa.

I recently found out I have a skin condition that leaves dark patches of dead skin all over my arms, legs, and other parts of my body. It has made me terribly self conscious, adding onto my large list of fears, insecurities, and anxieties.

Seeing Hanako, who suffered so much and eventually managed to confide in someone close to her, then another person, it has made me hopeful that I can eventually overcome my fears to be able to open up to others about my life. Seeing someone who is horribly self-conscious of her appearance and who scares easily, who has lost so much and has terrible thoughts, shys away from others, and is prone to breaking down, it makes me happy there is someone I fully identify with, who I am in many ways, who makes me feel so many emotions.

Thank you. Thank you so very much.

[UnknownNPC]

Hello everyone! For starter, just call me NPC.

I've been playing this game for a week straight and just finished with my last "girl". I did find my Favs. and less Favs around them but all in all. Every single one of them were just an Art to lean back and enjoy...well...Lillys was less enjoyable after crying my eyes out so much... but It was also my most Fav from all of them.

I'm 25 but been most of my time alone, It felt like I have been searching for myself the longes time now and still haven't really found me. But this game gave me some new views on my life, where it should go and the feelings I shared (sheared? eng..bad and stuff...) I'm going threw alot latly but to get to the point. This game...didn't really give me hope but for once it was a game I enjoyed, something in life I got to enjoy again and that was a really nice and warming feeling.
You Devs made something what I would have paid for. Just to experience these long lost feelings again was something I will hold long on to. I'm not sure what I really wanted to say. was just looking for a way to somehow say thank you but...yeah..didn't quite think this out how I should have.

When I first opend this game, I was wondering "When will the time come where I can move around, earn some money? etc etc... I thought this was a dating simu, dammit" haha but It didn't take long to see that it wasn't. And then I found myself spending nights on this game just wanted to know, how will it go on. Now I reached the end and between it hurts that its over and this was in so many was beautiful that if I lost my memories, I would gladly play it again.

From all the girls, I would have to Pick Lilly as my dream girl in this game, blind or not. She just has something that would ease my pain in Real Life. *clap* well. This was suppose to be a Thank you! So - THANK YOU - ! Much love for everyone who put all this work in this game and much love to the Fans that didn't let this game go down into the dark web (not that dark/deep web) and get lost.

Thank you again and wish you the best of luck!

NPC - A great fan and a huge Lilly Fan

[Ommadawn]

I know I am a late comer to KS, and that makes me a little sad (this is my first post) as I would have loved to participate in the years this VN was made and initially released. Alas.

I am new to VN's, and I think Katawa Shoujo can be considered my first (Sunrider Academy doesn't count, but was the link that helped me find this amazing thing). I really didn't know what to expect when I installed and started it up, I was simply intrigued by the premise. But from the first panes, I was drawn into the world 4LS created. Now, I have been playing it almost obsessively for days and have completed four routes, with Rin yet to come, but I feel it was time to post my thoughts and thanks, so I'm sorry if I ramble a little.

My first girl was Emi, and, by the end (the good ending, thank god), I was emotionally gutted. I have played many, many games, and read many, many books, and I have never been drawn into a story as I was here. Right up to the end, it was one gut-punch after the other, and the final ending left me sitting in front of my PC with tears rolling down my face. I felt a little stupid as I realised I had also fallen a little in love with Emi myself, and it struck me hard that a "game" could do this to me.

Then, there was Shizune and Misha (I will always consider that route to be a dual route, never just about Shizune). I felt my heart being pulled in so many directions, and the ambiguity of the ending, compared to Emi, left me downcast, almost depressed. I wanted more, I wanted to know if Hisao and Shizune would really make it. I'll never know, and that hurts.

Then Lilly. Once again, the writing brought the characters alive in a way that still shocks me. I had no idea what ending I had, until the end. And the blows to my heart along the way once again had me blubbering while reading, as well as later as I continued to think about Lilly, Hisao and Hanako. It was a sweet ending but the path was bitter indeed.

Then Hanako's route. I had become a little familiar with this special girl when reading Lilly, but my heart went out to Hanako, and to Hisao in the end, as he and I realised that he was just as broken as Hanako, if not more. The route was over too quickly for me, but I understood and accept it.

I haven't played Rin yet, and the reason is selfish. I don't want to end my experiences with these characters. Silly, I know, but I have been drawn in so much by this VN I picked up on a whim, that I don't want it to be over. Now I have said this, I know I will play again soon, and see what Rin can teach me.

This has turned into a ramble as I expected, but I had to post something as I have never, NEVER been affected by a game or novel as I have by Katawa Shoujo. I can't even describe the emotions I am experiencing, as they seem to change and flow constantly, but it is all down to this wonderful, wonderful VN. It's made me happy, made me mad, made me so sad I was inconsolable, but it's also made me wiser, and perhaps a better person, more understanding and accepting of others.

So, although very belated, a big THANK YOU to 4LS for creating Katawa Shoujo amd sharing it with us. I still regret not being a part of this community sooner, and that adds to my melancholy, but I knew I had to let 4LS know how I felt. It would be nice if you guys still read this, but regardless, I will treasure this experience and the VN that gave it to me for the rest of my life. Well done!

[Akros]

After all these years I've just got back to the game to get another read done, so I just wanted to thank you guys for creating this awesome piece of art.
Seriously, thanks

[Bostolm]

So, i only recently found out about this game. And i gotta say one thing to you guys...you did an truly amazing job. Im normally not the guy for Visual Novels, but this specific one.....wow. I played hanakos Story so far and im in the middle of Shizunes. I really really loved Hanakos story (oh the feels. Probably because im depressed too.), and im really enjoying Shizune so far. I just hope that you continue your awesome work, maybe consider bringing this out on steam. Its definitively worth money. I never enjoyed "reading" as much as with this one amazing game. I love everything about it. Continue being awesome, hopefully this post brought a little smile on your faces. Or face. I dont know how many you are^^
With big regards, Bostolm