Why didn't I cry?

[pauper]

I didn't cry either, but the game really touched me more then I expected when i started playing.

[Nekken]

Crying at games may just not be your thing. I didn't cry either, despite being deeply emotionally affected.

[Caesius]

I think the strength of your emotional response to something like KS is at least partly dependent on what you're going through in real life at the time.

For example, I have almost never cried from watching a movie, TV show, video game, or whatever since hitting puberty, despite a few things coming close (the Wilson's Heart episode of House for example; I was watching it in my friend's dorm room at the time though so I had to try really goddamn hard not to cry).

However, the Fate route of Fate/Stay Night made me very depressed about 2/3 through, and once I finished it I cried. Not just once, even, but several times for the day or two afterwards. Even hearing certain pieces of music from the game made me cry.

Yet, considering all the crap that happened in the nearly 3 years before reading F/SN, it should be no surprise that I cried:

-My cousin died in a drunk driving accident. The truck he was in smashed into a tree at 100+ mph and he was alive with a snapped neck for 15 minutes following the crash. The three guys in the front of the truck, including him, all died; the two girls in back were paralyzed. This happened in Texas and I was living in Pennsylvania at the time, so my family had me stay home and take care of our pets while they all went to the funeral.
-About a year later, my uncle and said cousin's father died of cancer. Same deal with the funeral.
-My cat died. She was just "sleeping" on the bathroom floor for a day or two and I didn't notice she hadn't moved until I noticed the smell. I didn't know that that was what death smelled like, but I knew for sure when I picked her up to put her in a garbage bag and she felt stiff.
-My dad almost died from complications following surgery on his throat. I was alone with him the morning after his surgery and he starts coughing blood. I call 911 and get a message about how the system is down or some such bullshit, so he ends up driving himself to the hospital since I couldn't drive. I go home with my mom after she arrives, and after dropping me off at the house she goes back to the hospital to look after my dad. That evening when my mom gets home she tells me about all the stuff that happened later: The staff at the hospital was incompetent and they just allowed his lungs to fill with blood for a few hours despite repeated orders from his doctor at a hospital in Delaware to have him transferred; they eventually acquiesce and allow him to be airlifted to the hospital; even after arriving the staff at the Delaware hospital don't take him too seriously until he "crashes." That's when I realize that he might actually die that night, and I don't know what to think. He eventually comes out of it fine, but I'm left worrying about what my reaction to his death would've been.

I didn't cry during any of these events, so really F/SN just served to blow the lid off a shitload of bottled-up emotions. If I had played KS instead of F/SN at that time I'm almost certain I would've had the same reaction, particularly with Emi's route considering her dad died in the accident that took her legs.


Edit: Also just fyi my uncle left a wife and two daughters, one of whom was living on her own already while the other was only 13. I think the younger one is now 15 or 16. It's hard not to pity her, considering she's very lonely with just her mother around. Meanwhile the older one got married to and had a baby with her drug dealer after he got out of prison.

[Xegar]

I'm sorry to hear all that, Caesius.
I can't say many bad stuff happened to me. Hanako was very lonely during her childhood, and while I didn't have the best childhood, I wasn't extremely bullied or anything.
So while I understand her, it didn't bring much to the surface in me.
It's not like I don't cry ever; there are some movies that made me weep kinda bad.

I guess I'll try some more routes.
Now that I've read that Hanako's route is short compared to the others, it fits together. I knew something was not right with it.
It was just too fast. One minute, she's that shy little girl like in the rest of the game, then she just drops her clothes off. And that's not that bad, but the sex scene just felt a bit out of place

[FissionXMailed]

I'm sorry to hear all that, Caesius.
I can't say many bad stuff happened to me. Hanako was very lonely during her childhood, and while I didn't have the best childhood, I wasn't extremely bullied or anything.
So while I understand her, it didn't bring much to the surface in me.
It's not like I don't cry ever; there are some movies that made me weep kinda bad.

I guess I'll try some more routes.
Now that I've read that Hanako's route is short compared to the others, it fits together. I knew something was not right with it.
It was just too fast. One minute, she's that shy little girl like in the rest of the game, then she just drops her clothes off. And that's not that bad, but the sex scene just felt a bit out of place

To address your spoiler about Hanako.

Hanako brought it up toward the end why she gave into Hisao and didn't resist. I believe she said she allowed him to do it to try and hint and express that she was wanting to be involved with Hisao as a lover/significant other, than as a child who needs protection like he and Lilly were treating her in her arc. This relationship she wanted with Hisao was all new to her and she didn't know anything else other than lovers have sex. (Since she was lonely majority of her life.) It's sad but it was what happened if I remember correctly. (Correct me if I'm wrong please.)

[crystal]

I didn't cry either, but I still loved that ending. Some people just cry easier than others, it doesn't make you a horrible person or devoid of emotion.

[chase]

What do you think guys - whether I will cry at Lily's route if I cried hard at Shizune's? I just would like to know what to expect Should I prepare myself for depressing feelings or the light ones...
Certainly, it depends only on me, but nevertheless...
Maybe with Shizune's route it was so just because themes of friends loss and unrequited love are close to me and really touches my feelings.
BTW, so far I finished only one route (Shizune's).

--
In advance sorry for my bad English.

Shizune's story is an robotic compared to lillies so yes ... you'll cry if you cried at Shizune's.

I didn't cry but it definitely stirred good emotions : ) Though I got unhealthily angry at Hisao a few times during Rin's arc. Being a twat is ok when the other person is being a twat not when they are just so confused they don't know what to think/do. He could have easily talked with her and said shit comforting like "Hey if you can't find the words I have all the time in the world for you to find them", but no .... he was a complete jackass. All she wanted was someone to validate her or "get" her. .... Yes I JUST finished Rin's so a little steamed ....

[Not-an-alt-account]

I didn't cry but it definitely stirred good emotions : ) Though I got unhealthily angry at Hisao a few times during Rin's arc. Being a twat is ok when the other person is being a twat not when they are just so confused they don't know what to think/do. He could have easily talked with her and said shit comforting like "Hey if you can't find the words I have all the time in the world for you to find them", but no .... he was a complete jackass. All she wanted was someone to validate her or "get" her. .... Yes I JUST finished Rin's so a little steamed ....

Your explanation of the events of Rin's story reminds me of a saying "hindsight is 20/20." Remember people don't always know the right things to say (Rin herself had trouble if you remember) so don't expect it that way, this also help the story progress and have a much deeper impact on people.

And to the discussion of this topic I didn't cry my eyes got moist but no tear was shed. All the stories that I've finished had a deep impact on me and I did want to cry but just couldn't. Now I am left depressed and emotionless, kind of wish I just let down my guard and just wept

[Foxxy]

Manly tears were shed. Took me a while to do another story after Hanako.

[A ghost...]

Honestly....no.

[Kenji_SpecOps]

I did not cry and I got 100% on this game. My eyes got watery on some scenes, but no actual tears. The only anime or game that made me shed manly tears was Clannad.