That's a lovely story.Lndbcn wrote:I had always been intrigued by the idea of visual novels. I figured that the medium could be used to tell stories impossible to tell in a book or movie (I've discovered just how right I was; for instance, the story of Ever17 just wouldn't work in another format).
However, I never played any for two main reasons. The first was that I'm not a big fan of anime-style art. The second reason is that I got the impression that most if not all visual novels limited themselves to being porn games. Hentai doesn't really do anything for me.
However, my interest in the genre returned when a friend told me about Katawa Shoujo. When he said it revolved around romancing various crippled girls, I assumed he was just trolling me. However, he went on to talk about how surprisingly sensitive and well-researched the game was, especially due to its emphasis on how the girls adapt to their disabilities, instead of focusing on the disability itself. He also said that I should have no problem sympathizing with the main character, since one route involved romancing a hot tall blond blind girl who's way too kind, gentle, and classy for him, just like my fiancée (now wife). I'm still not sure whether that was a compliment or insult to me.
Intrigued by all of this, I gave it a try. I was impressed by how good the writing actually was, and the sympathetic way some difficult subjects were handled. I enjoyed the LIlly route most, for obvious reasons. My wife actually tried the game as well, though she enjoyed the Hanako route most. She didn't finish the LIlly route, since according to her, it felt "a bit unsettling and 'Twilight Zone'-ish to romance a character who's pretty much myself".
I really want to thank the devs for creating a game that served as a gateway for my wife and I into the world of visual novels. She may enjoy them even more than I do, since as long as the text is read to her, she can actually share enjoyment of a computer game with me. After trying KS, we completed Narcissu, Ever17, and just finished G-Senjou no Maou. We're planning on trying Sharin no Kuni next, followed maybe by Fate/Stay Night.
Sorry about the outrageously long first post.
My feelings are very similar. The idea of "cripple romance" is somewhat cringe-worthy a first, especially when you find out there will be pornographic elements later on. However, once you give it a chance, you realize how much thought and care truly went in to it and you view the characters as people with detailed personalities rather than just "some cripples you get to screw" (not that I'm implying you ever viewed it that way, but after reading some comments from various sites I can safely say some people do). You gotta admire the people who took on a somewhat taboo subject and turned it into what I can honestly say is a work of art.Congratz on the marriage by the way.
