I posted this in another thread, but I thought I would re-post it here, since it fits better into the feedback category.
First off, I just want to thank the developers for creating such an honest and incredible game.
Secondly, I want to thank my fellow fans for sharing their feelings towards the game. It amazes me how similar my feelings are to others to have played this.
So I guess this is where I share my experience.
To begin with, I've always tried to steer clear of most VN's. None of them caught my interest, and I felt that most were just merely fan service. When I began reading about KS on Kotaku and various other news websites, I have to say, I was turned off by all the negativity. Then, after reading Deskimus Prime's review on The Escapist, I was blown away at the effect it had on him and other readers. Needless to say it intrigued me, and I decided to give it a go for myself. 5 hours later, I had gone through one of the biggest emotional roller coasters that i had ever experienced. Hanako's story made me laugh, cry, stop and think, cry some more, and look back at my own life more than any other novel/story/movie has ever done. It made me realize so many things about myself that I didn't know, and it made me look at my life and evaluate it. It has made me rethink every aspect of my life; namely, how I treat others. I was so heartbroken at how Hanako felt about the world, and about herself. At that moment, if I could have, I would have done anything for her, even it was just to tell her that everything was alright. Then I remembered that I was just playing a game. But calling it a game seems so... wrong. It has been much more than a game to me. It has been a life experience.
Not only has it made me rethink how I live my life and treat others, it has made me re-evaluate my relationship with my wife. Now that i think about it, I think the reason that I subconsciously chose to go with Lilly/Hanako is because they are the ones that reminded me the most of my love. Minus the burns and blindness, my wife bears a striking resemblance to Lilly, and her personality is similar to that of Hanako (shy, awkward at times, and such a treasure once you get to know her). After playing through Hanako's happy ending, at first I felt a tinge of sadness. Now that it was over, that meant I had to move on. That meant that I couldn't go any further with her. That meant that she was nothing more than a figment of pixels on my screen. Then I realized that I already had a Hanako in my life. Someone who I wanted to make sure was the happiest woman in the world. Someone who I wanted to give everything to. This thought hit me like a train, and I realized that not only had I taken for granted everything that I had, but I had so much more than I ever could have asked for. Someone who loved me for who I was, someone who was always there for me, someone who if I lost, I would have no more reason to go on living. Keep in mind, we are both in our mid-20's, but when you find someone for whom you care so deeply about, the ominous reminder that you could lose them in an instant is always there. Even now, as I write these words, I can't bring myself to think about it. But this game helped me see past that. Yes, it's possible that I could lose her, but why dwell on that when I have her, living, now.
I'm not sure why, but it gives me a feeling of settlement for having written these words. It's given me a chance to share these feelings and get them (literally) off my chest. This game has brought me more than I could have asked for, and has been a stark reminder of what I have, and what I should be to others.
I apologize if what I shared was too much. But this is what Katawa Shoujo did for me.
This is why it's much more than a game.