Discussion - Emi Route (*Spoilers* Warning)

[Pomegranate]

This was definitely the most natural of the routes by far. With Hanako I felt like Hisao was forcing himself on her for about 90% of the route, Lilly never really seemed very genuine to me, Shizune's "relationship" seemed way overly forced, and Rin was...Rin. Emi's seemed just like a normal, healthy relationship would unfold.

I also felt that Hisao was best off in this route. This is the only one where he actuallytakes care of himself enough to last a long time, and especially in Lilly's route it's shown how his choice not to exercise will affect his life in the future in very negative ways from all the times that he had to stop after just a bit of exertion.

[Otherworld]

Ditto to what everyone else said about the big secret being incredibly obvious, and Hisao being incredibly obtuse. Actually, seeing how hard Emi was taking it, I had the horrifying thought that maybe her father wasn't in a cemetery; maybe he was in a hospital, and had been in a persistent vegetative state ever since the accident. That would be a lot harder on her, I think, and more painful on her visits. But then she probably would visit more often than once a year...

This idea flashed through my head only after having played through the game, as an alternative to how events could have unfolded through the narrative. I agree it was quite obvious to the reader that her father had died in the accident. However we do have the advantage of a birds-eye view over the story and the awareness that we are reading a fictional story, so we have certain expectations. Real life wouldn't be so clear cut. Still, I thought it provided a good opportunity to turn our expectations upside down. As we are all expecting her father to have died, it might have been shocking (maybe tonally too shocking) to have him paralysed or in a vegetative state as you mentioned. We'd have been completely caught unaware making the revelation more emotional and the Emi character even more tragic. Plus there's the added potency of her father being paralysed, so can no longer run or move for that matter, while Emi continues to run where her father can't. I do think this would perhaps be too jarring tonally, to have the game climax with such a tragic revelation. It would be hard to write a happy ending off the back of that. That raises a question about storytelling in general, why death is easier to stomach and move away from than that same person being alive but paralysed or something. But that's a different discussion entirely.

I found the route to have some incredibly pertinent messages on relationships in general. I imagined Emi to have been written as the attractive character of the bunch, the one easiest to fall in love with, hence the stress on her being so popular with many of her classmates and Hisao's constant insecurity around their relationship. There was a genuine feeling of inadequacy written into his character which added a few layers to him. He always sought more evidence that Emi loved him and only him so he could no longer fear losing her. I believe the main message to be to take it slow in relationships and maintain a trust in your partner and don't smother them. If you're already going out, its clear the other person likes you, so don't push for constant reassurance and if they're defensive let them naturally come out of their shell, don't force it. When you've attained a level of comfort with each other, they'll open up naturally.

[gecko]

I still think Hisao had guessed.
When you re-read the cemetery scene, he offers no surprise at going to a cemetery or seeing the name.
It's just that until Emi confirmed, he couldn't rule out any other option.
But I agree that making it clearer in the text would have been nice, it's a bit ambiguous as it is.

(and I still don't see what's unrealistic in a girl liking sex with her boyfriend or being open to experiment with him... If the gender were reversed, everybody would be high-fiving male-Emi... Girls don't have the right to like it? Guys, you only dream of raping submissive women?)

[themocaw]

(and I still don't see what's unrealistic in a girl liking sex with her boyfriend or being open to experiment with him... If the gender were reversed, everybody would be high-fiving male-Emi... Girls don't have the right to like it? Guys, you only dream of raping submissive women?)

I actually thought it was kinda charming that Emi was so forward sexually: a nice change from a genre dominated by retiring virgins. I also liked that it addressed that some things aren't for everyone. "We're never doing that again," made me laugh out loud.

[gecko]

I actually thought it was kinda charming that Emi was so forward sexually: a nice change from a genre dominated by retiring virgins. I also liked that it addressed that some things aren't for everyone. "We're never doing that again," made me laugh out loud.

Same here (both for the charming and the lol)

[newnar]

I actually thought it was kinda charming that Emi was so forward sexually: a nice change from a genre dominated by retiring virgins. I also liked that it addressed that some things aren't for everyone. "We're never doing that again," made me laugh out loud.

Same here (both for the charming and the lol)

The cup froze at my lips here.

[gecko]

I actually thought it was kinda charming that Emi was so forward sexually: a nice change from a genre dominated by retiring virgins. I also liked that it addressed that some things aren't for everyone. "We're never doing that again," made me laugh out loud.

Same here (both for the charming and the lol)

The cup froze at my lips here.

I wrote something wrong? (please be patient, English is not my native language)

[Bagheera]

(and I still don't see what's unrealistic in a girl liking sex with her boyfriend or being open to experiment with him... If the gender were reversed, everybody would be high-fiving male-Emi... Girls don't have the right to like it? Guys, you only dream of raping submissive women?)

I actually thought it was kinda charming that Emi was so forward sexually: a nice change from a genre dominated by retiring virgins. I also liked that it addressed that some things aren't for everyone. "We're never doing that again," made me laugh out loud.

Yesyesyes! Very much agreed.

[MoonShadow]

I wrote something wrong? (please be patient, English is not my native language)

No, he was just citting a passage from Katawa Shoujo :
Emi : "Anal"
Outside, the wind dies off. The birds stop chirping. Somewhere, a man freeze, his cup at his lips.

[gecko]

Ooops, momentarily forgot this one!

[Guest]

After going through all the endings except bad and neutral for Emi, I can decidedly say Emi was my fav, she felt the most real to me of the cast. In this tag I talk about other routes Hanako is very good in the sense that though she tarts as the standard shy anime chick with traumatic past but goes beyond that and pretty much makes a statement about how much bullshit white knighting can be, but by ending it where it did, it didn't allow to get a good sight at how all their mutual changes affected them. Lilly... Lilly is beautiful and charming and nice and lovable and... she ends up being too perfect and the ending is a bit too hollywood for my tastes, though it is the route that best adressess the fact that our main character has fucking heart problems along with Emi's. Rin is pure mindfuckery, it is the best written route with the best choice branching since god knows I had no idea what I was choosing half the time, but it was still incredibly stressful, though the life lesson of sometimes people aren't meant to understand each other is fantastic. Shuzine... poor shizune got the shaft and I won't say more about that.

Back to Emi, her way of being, how she seems to be a bit of a bubble head till you scratch the surface, how she has flaws, gets angry, gets flustered. How she manages to keep herself up even with all the crap around her, how playful she is while sometimes sad. She was an emotional rollercoaster and I loved it. Another huge help is the supporting cast, Mutou is at his best here, head nurse is a fantastic character and Emi's mother does her part. The humour is another high point in the route with Emi and Hisao taking jabs at each other, wittiness, chuckles and so on. The H scenes were also some of the nicest with it feeling like a normal couple that enjoy each others intimacy and who don't mind experimenting. Also, in the whole scheme of things, Emi is probably the best girl for Hisao, gave him a new drive in his life, in this route is where he is the most focused about what he really wants to do and it's the only route where I can see him living way beyond his 30s (in Lilly's he'll be lucky to survive for 3 more years...)

The only blemish, stated here a lot already, is how Hisao couldn't piece 2 and 2, I mean, one thing is him not wanting to confront Emi about it and wanting to take it slow, that I can totally agree with, but a single line like "Oh no, don't tell me... Her mother said he wasn't around anymore and Emi has told me she lost something else in the accident. Her dad may have died there... or even worse... I'd better not pressure her about it till she feels ready to tell me, it clearly riles her up a lot" would have allowed the exact same trayectory without making Hisao look dense. But hey, a small blemish to a great arc.

[U.T. Raptor]

...how did Emi's path (the worst ending in act 1) become more romantic than Shizune's (who had by far the best one)? WHAT IS THIS I DON'T EVEN.

...that said, Rin's "you're having sex? Whatever. So anyway I was watching this awesome cloud-" scene was great.

[Mercutio]

...how did Emi's path (the worst ending in act 1) become more romantic than Shizune's (who had by far the best one)? WHAT IS THIS I DON'T EVEN.

seriously, man. I didn't think about it like that, but you're totally right. Emi's act 1 ending seems like you're just set to be workout buddies, but it turns into the total happy-ending high school love story thing, while Shizune's act 1 ending makes it seem like you're going to see more of her than what she's shown and it'll be a romance but turns into The Adventures of The Student Council, guest-starring Kenji (over and over and over again). dunno how that happened, but I like Emi a fuckton more than Shizune, so I'm good with that.

...that said, Rin's "you're having sex? Whatever. So anyway I was watching this awesome cloud-" scene was great.

that was hilarious. if Rin had come in, like, two minutes earlier, it would have been even funnier. "aren't you supposed to take all your clothes off for that?"

[dunkelfalke]

I've just seen something, made a screenshot, fired up old and trusty Paint Shop Pro 7 and after a minute of work... ladies and gentlemen, I present you Emi in her younger years

[newnar]

I've just seen something, made a screenshot, fired up old and trusty Paint Shop Pro 7 and after a minute of work... ladies and gentlemen, I present you Emi in her younger years

That is good.