Rin's Path discussion *spoilers*

[oedocowboy]

It is odd how things in what people in this world label as "Fiction/Fantasy" have a more profound effect on me then things in the "reality" in front of me.

I've always thought that's the great thing about top-notch fiction/fantasy. By taking you away from reality, you look at reality more clearly.

For me, I tend to have the utmost belief that those who "create", no matter the thing, have connections to realms/universes that are not connected to our own. Things like parralel universes or alternate dimensions to me are valid. I tend to think that those who "create" aren't pulling something out of nothing, but rather, they have some form of connection to these alternate realms of existance and also posses certain skills in which to be able to translate the data so it can be recorded into a medium that can be recognized and shared in our reality.

I don't know if I share this belief, but it's an interesting theory. I think I'm more of the slant that creativity comes from the accumulation of personal experience. But then, it could be argued that that experience is a filter for channeling these other universes. So, really, what you're saying is just as valid.

Granted, I also thing the reason why people who create are overly critical of their stuff is because of the fact that there can be no 100% Perfect translation as though the sheer fact it came through at all, it had to go through a form of distortion to allow itself to be made into terms that coincide with our reality, even though it may be different. I tend to think of that being the reason why artists are usually just "content" but always think their creations may be lacking or are not perfect.

This makes a lot of sense, actually. Also, I think that this is one of the things about Rin's path that hits me so hard: Hisao's arc in the story has a lot to do with finding beauty within imperfection. He and Rin never 100% understand each other, but that's okay. It is imperfect and at times infuriating, but that's okay. What they have at the good end is definitely love, it's just not his preconceived notion of what love (or a relationship) should be. It is kind of sad, in a way... but it's a beautiful brand of sadness. There is no such thing as perfection.

Somehow, I feel like this idea applies to many things in my life. Not the least of which is how I perceive my own artistic abilities. Like many artists, I never feel as though I'm never satisfied. I'm never good enough and there's always another artist doing things I wish I could; displaying skill I wish I could obtain. My abilities are imperfect, and that scares the shit outta me sometimes. Why should I try if what I'm doing isn't the best?

The scene where Rin talks about her fear of even touching a paintbrush comes to mind.

What do you think?

She makes a very good point. I hadn't thought of it that way before. What also hadn't occurred to me is to play through the story with my girlfriend. She knows it had a profound effect on me. We were laying in bed together while I was finishing the story. She was sleeping and she woke up to see me just fucking sobbing like a baby. She had never seen anything do that to me before. I recommended the game to her, but I hadn't thought of playing it through with her.

I'll need more time before I can play Rin's story again though.

Sorry for the long-ass post and getting maybe a bit too personal. Considering the nature of the this game, though, it seems appropriate.

[megamanrulesall]

It is quite amazing how something as "Little" as a "Game" can have such a profound effect on others, and making them feel things, maybe they haven;t for a long time. The team that made this did an awesome job. Most companies now, seem to just spew out one thing after another, which is kinda sad, when you think about it. I can't remember the last time I felt things like this, except for other visual novels really.

I will admit, I haven't given much time to Disgaea 3, but the music in the Mao's Heart area, good god that music just makes you feel like crying the moment it starts. I don't know why though either.

Also, I use quotes to signify things about like, the words not really meaning what they mean to me, but rather what society would probably think of it as.

This is anything but little and a game. It just is sad that there aren't more things with this...... detail, depth, essence? There isn't really a word to describe the cumulative experiance as a whole that this makes one feel and experaince.

Everyone has their own opinions. That is how their own little bubble of their personal reality is formed after all. There is no right or wrong answers.

Rin's path is indeed one that was done well. Probably not the best wording, but me + thinking seems to be not 100% well, what with all the stuff I am remembering by reading other peoples replies on other areas I have posted and stuff.

Your post is not long at all in my opinion. If yours is considered long, then what would mine be considered? XD Just messing with you. But yeah, it may be some time before I go back and replay this. Yeah, I got everything done 100% so it may not be for a while.

Take care of yourselves and take a break when you need to. This game does a good job at really getting inside a person and affecting them. Sometimes, you need time to sort things that were buried before but have surfaced back.

[Zahlman]

For some background, The Rin path was the only one I completed. I had a weird sort of break down at the scene where Hisao walks in on Rin half naked and having a melt down. It was the weirdest thing I had felt in a long while. Boy, did that whole scene just feel horribly wrong. I guess that means it was written really well? I'm bad at rating things, but the fact that it elicited the reaction it did was startling. Some sort of weird cross between shock and sadness, and the more I thought about it the worse I felt.

I liked it too for that weird feeling, but it was hard to feel completely negative about it. I think that's because of how tender Hisao seems to be with Rin, even as he keeps all that frustration bottled up inside. The direction for the scene is awesome, especially that bit where it just has her name in the middle of the screen. By contrast, given all they've been through, you're almost expecting him to suddenly slap her out of nowhere, and then freeze, and then cry...

But yeah. If you think you feel weird now, wait until you get to Lilly's route and hear the music for the first part of this Rin scene in a totally different context.

By contrast, the two of them in Hisao's room was sweet. Reading that was probably on the exact opposite side of the emotional scale than I described before.

It was, it really was. Rin seems to have this in common with Hanako and Lilly: the first sexual encounter is "for the wrong reasons", and then the rest feel(s) better.

[urishima]

Finsihed Rin's Path a couple minutes ago with the good ending (first path even).

Before that, I stumbled into the bad ending right after the first H-scene. Had me pacing up and down for a good 30 Minutes (well, probably not that long but It felt at least that long) like I always do when I think about stuff or something really bothers me.

The good ending... was good. That's the only way I can describe it. It felt... 'right'.

I dunno what to say, stuff like this tends to sit with me and has me thinking for days. Right now, I just feel all fuzzy inside

Not gonna pursue the bad ending. Stuff like this makes me all emotional and sits with me for weeks.

Anyway, about the H-scenes: I was bothered by the prospect of H-scenes first, but when I got to them, I must say that they have been handled in a really tastefull manner. Yes, even that messed up first one. So hats off to you, 4leaf studio

Well, I guess I'll be off to play some Minecraft to unwind. Not sure which path to do next but I don't want to do it today. I'll just enjoy the warm fuzziness for a day or two before moving on to the next path. Seems like the sensible thing to do.

Cherio...

[Carnificus]

Finsihed Rin's Path a couple minutes ago with the good ending (first path even).

Before that, I stumbled into the bad ending right after the first H-scene. Had me pacing up and down for a good 30 Minutes (well, probably not that long but It felt at least that long) like I always do when I think about stuff or something really bothers me.

The good ending... was good. That's the only way I can describe it. It felt... 'right'.

I dunno what to say, stuff like this tends to sit with me and has me thinking for days. Right now, I just feel all fuzzy inside

Not gonna pursue the bad ending. Stuff like this makes me all emotional and sits with me for weeks.

Yeah I've got this problem, I've gotten all good endings so far and I really want to see how the bad endings go but I don't think I can bring myself to do it, I can't even pick renegade options in Mass Effect without feeling bad, I don't think I'd do well with Rin hating me after the good ending

[Muzzius]

Finsihed Rin's Path a couple minutes ago with the good ending (first path even).

Before that, I stumbled into the bad ending right after the first H-scene. Had me pacing up and down for a good 30 Minutes (well, probably not that long but It felt at least that long) like I always do when I think about stuff or something really bothers me.

The good ending... was good. That's the only way I can describe it. It felt... 'right'.

I dunno what to say, stuff like this tends to sit with me and has me thinking for days. Right now, I just feel all fuzzy inside

Not gonna pursue the bad ending. Stuff like this makes me all emotional and sits with me for weeks.

Yeah I've got this problem, I've gotten all good endings so far and I really want to see how the bad endings go but I don't think I can bring myself to do it, I can't even pick renegade options in Mass Effect without feeling bad, I don't think I'd do well with Rin hating me after the good ending

I managed to get BOTH bad endings before I got the good one. Feel my pain.

[Levy]

I am writing this without having read anything here in this thread other than the title. I want to give my opinion on where I am at along her storyline and my thoughts on it. I will then close the thread and get back to her path. So even if you spoil it for me, I won't be here to be spoiled until I have finished.

Anyway, I am at the Boundless chapter. I have no clue how much longer this act will be, but I have been stuck in it for days. I even got slightly bored and left the game on muted while I did other things. Play time is at 57 hours. I am finding it incredibly hard to press on due to how distant they are. I am not sure if I chose a wrong option or if there was no way to avoid this third act's current progression. As it stands now, I have been trying to classify the girls with single words to try to find a pattern. Shizune was obviously communication, but in more ways than just the obvious. Hanako is still a bit hard to classify. I think the best word to describe her is alone. Emi's word is obviously abandoned, for her fear of losing people she cares about. I haven't done Lily's path yet, so I have nothing really to say about her.

Rin is one that is difficult to place. At first I thought she was having trouble with identity, but as things progress I feel more that she is more afraid of people coming close to her but for a different reason than Emi. Perhaps because she fears she would not be able to show affection like other people, like with hugging, but she never really seemed like she was troubled with her disability at all. Perhaps she is hiding it or trying to express it through her paintings. Ahh, now that I think about it she may have asked Hisao to stop coming to the paint studio because she is working on something for him? All conjecture, though. She is incredibly hard to read at this stage. She might also fear change, which would explain why she doesn't return Hisao's feelings immediately and why she doesn't see Emi more than just someone who takes care of her.

Well, I had better stop before I write a book here. If you respond to me, I won't get back to you until I finish the path like I said. I wonder if I already hit the word or if I am a mile off. Emi's plot was easy to figure out. But for someone like Rin who was born like she is, there's not really much trauma there it would seem.

Stop it, brain, let the nice people continue their conversations about the path and stop boring them with your conjectures and pseudo-psychological observations! See ya when I see ya.

[oedocowboy]

Yeah I've got this problem, I've gotten all good endings so far and I really want to see how the bad endings go but I don't think I can bring myself to do it, I can't even pick renegade options in Mass Effect without feeling bad, I don't think I'd do well with Rin hating me after the good ending

Oh, I'm the same way. I refuse to play out the bad endings. The good endings are profound and heartrending enough. I don't think I could deal with the bad ones.

[Harco]

Just started with Rin's route, the last one left. Don't really know what to expect... She reminds me of a friend I had in high school, who had Asperger syndrome. Conversations with him were tiring and interesting at the same time and I often had a hard time following his trains of thought. He also never quite reacted at questions or remarks the way you would expect. It's the same with Rin and maybe the reason why I don't feel compelled to complete her route as quickly as possible. Like I said: she's interesting but also mentally tiring. The more I see of her, the more she's growing on me, though. Her facial expressions could very well be the best in the game. There's something about her large green eyes and the way she tilts her head that draws me in.

Anyway, I already read some spoilers (I don't mind) and her route is apparently a bit darker than the others. I'm certainly curious how everything will play out.

Oh, and that art teacher? I don't like him. I don't know, something about him puts me off. I wish he were more like my old art teacher, an enthusiastic but very down-to-earth cool guy. Then again, I don't think this art teacher guy is here to be liked by the player... I could be wrong, though. Who knows? I guess I'll find out tomorrow, when Rin's story continues for me.

[viduuskamen]

I didn't have too much to add to this thread; but I do think the art teacher is possibly the least understanding / likable "adult" in the game.

While Shizune's father is not quite... collected, considering Noiya's position as an educator in Yamaku. He seems to be overbearing and rather tactless.

[alabaster]

I didn't have too much to add to this thread; but I do think the art teacher is possibly the least understanding / likable "adult" in the game.

He's a prick, to put it nicely. I knew I wasn't going to like him as soon as he started pushing Rin to show her art at the gallery. I could see It wasn't the right fit for her, and I was just waiting for Hisao to pick up on that. My only problem with this route is that there's never a chance to call Nomiya out.

[Snicket]

I think my brain melted when i was playing this route. (Well not literally or else i wouldn't be posting this.) Can't really sum up what i thought about it other then that. I'm not saying there was anything wrong, just that it was different. Or maybe i was just hoping it was going to be a nit more upbeat, considering the character. I dunno, it was still good though.

Also, this makes the fourth route I've gotten the good end in. on my first play thought. However, this also means that i only have one route left. *sad face* And it's Shuzune's.

[ultrarare]

Just started with Rin's route, the last one left. Don't really know what to expect... She reminds me of a friend I had in high school, who had Asperger syndrome. Conversations with him were tiring and interesting at the same time and I often had a hard time following his trains of thought. He also never quite reacted at questions or remarks the way you would expect. It's the same with Rin and maybe the reason why I don't feel compelled to complete her route as quickly as possible. Like I said: she's interesting but also mentally tiring. The more I see of her, the more she's growing on me, though. Her facial expressions could very well be the best in the game. There's something about her large green eyes and the way she tilts her head that draws me in.

Anyway, I already read some spoilers (I don't mind) and her route is apparently a bit darker than the others. I'm certainly curious how everything will play out.

Oh, and that art teacher? I don't like him. I don't know, something about him puts me off. I wish he were more like my old art teacher, an enthusiastic but very down-to-earth cool guy. Then again, I don't think this art teacher guy is here to be liked by the player... I could be wrong, though. Who knows? I guess I'll find out tomorrow, when Rin's story continues for me.

That seems to be a common conclusion people are drawing about Rin, and it really does seem like it's true. Talking to Rin is identical to talking to someone with Aspergers.

[machopacho]

I have just finished Rin's route a few hours ago.
Despite it was the first route I entered and stopped halfway, because I was afraid if its gonna feel so much.
Got the good ending in just the first try with avoiding spoilers while finishing all other girls route.. feels goood man.

What Hisao said to Rin hit me hard, Dont expect people to understand you and so on..

[Levy]

I just finished Rin's path and I think I finally have my word for her. She is difficult to understand, hard to pin a single word to her. It's not that she's hard to communicate with, she just can't communicate with herself at times. She doesn't seem to know herself very well. She fears things, questions, expectations, even kindness. She also acts like she's missing a part of herself, both physically and emotionally. It's like she's everything and nothing.

Rin's word is Mystery.

I was happy I managed to stumble to the good ending. It almost pains me to try for the bad ending(s). I'll need to watch something light-hearted afterwards.