Katawa Shoujo Forums

Camoufrage wrote:

Murex wrote:

ArazelEternal wrote: Maybe people do complain here a bit much about real life, but there is a separate thread for that now, Hanakos Broken Heart Club. I have posted there myself. Sometimes a person doesn't need a shrink to talk to to feel better. Sometimes just posting there depression and frustration there can help significantly. IT helped me a bit. And there are plenty of us who do not have the funds to be able to see an actual shrink anyway. So if it helps that much, whats so bad about it?

Absolutely nothing. I struggle with depression myself and understand the difficulties in seeing a therapist or psychiatrist. If this forum can help people with depression and related issues, that's awesome (I checked out Hanako's Broken Heart club the other day. It looked cool).

Its the truth. Most therapists and psychiartrists arent helpful at all. Ive had quite a few, and it took me so long to finally find one that actually helped. They are all so robotic usually, sometimes in a creepy way. I know it isnt always 100% their choice to be that way, but still. If anyone has had a therapist or psychiatrist they know exactly what I mean.

Here people can be straight forward and help others without a big "professional" barrier, like the therapists and such. THAT is why people post their problems here.

It's important to understand the role different kinds of therapists play in session. Some take a friendlier approach, to help a client who is having trouble expressing themselves or have had a traumatic past. Other therapists are trained to take a more critical approach to help clients who are ready to take a more direct approach with their lives and need that structure to make real changes. Both are valid approaches, it's just a matter of finding what's right for you. I'll admit that it can be time-consuming and difficult for people who don't have a lot of money or time.

Posting online is fine, especially if you have a supportive environment like this one. There's just a tendency that I've noticed after lurking a number of forums for people to make the difficult parts of their lives into a narrative of struggle that becomes a part of their identity. I've done it myself, and I've found it to be an unhealthy way to live. I just wanted to use the spirit of self-improvement that's around here to maybe put forth the resources that some might feel they need.

My advice has its limits, of course, as it can only reflect my own experiences, so I apologize if I'm come off as being kind of aggressive around here about the whole therapy thing.

I'm pretty sure the whole "waifu" thing is mainly an internet inside joke. I mean it could be worse, like that one Korean guy who legally married the game character in a Nintendo DS game. I'm not sure if that was more of a serious thing or some kind of anti-establishment jab though.

I can see why people are defensive about the characters they love. Often it's because they share similar traits, or feel like that person personifies what they are. Like if someone made insults jabbing at Hanako because of her personality I would be at the very least irritated, as I like Hanako because of how I can connect with her shyness and not wanting to be a burden on other people (oh god the game out of tiles almost brought a tear to my eye, i do the exact same thing). The game did effect me emotionally, I did feel sad when I got the bad ending for Hanako or when Rinbreaks down at the art exhibit. I've had terrible experiences with love, and am seriously not looking forward to getting into actual relationships considering what happened to me.

However even I think there's limits to that as well. Hanako, (or rather Rin in my case) whether she is the perfect person in my ideal world, is not real. Whether or not the events in this game are touching, the fact is they never happened. I'm not going to do something like saw off my legs in hope that I'll be transferred to a school for disabled people and find Rin somewhere. I've come to terms that there is no such thing as the perfect person, you just live your life trying to find someone you can stand and can stand you. Even if I can't find someone like that, I can always contribute to the world in other ways. Adoption, Art, Science, etc.

I know this is a long post, so
tl;dr - Waifus are self-depreciating jokes. People get attached to characters they connect with, even if they are fake. I wouldn't replace real life with them though.

WorldlyWiseman wrote: It's important to understand the role different kinds of therapists play in session. Some take a friendlier approach, to help a client who is having trouble expressing themselves or have had a traumatic past. Other therapists are trained to take a more critical approach to help clients who are ready to take a more direct approach with their lives and need that structure to make real changes. Both are valid approaches, it's just a matter of finding what's right for you. I'll admit that it can be time-consuming and difficult for people who don't have a lot of money or time.

Posting online is fine, especially if you have a supportive environment like this one. There's just a tendency that I've noticed after lurking a number of forums for people to make the difficult parts of their lives into a narrative of struggle that becomes a part of their identity. I've done it myself, and I've found it to be an unhealthy way to live. I just wanted to use the spirit of self-improvement that's around here to maybe put forth the resources that some might feel they need.

My advice has its limits, of course, as it can only reflect my own experiences, so I apologize if I'm come off as being kind of aggressive around here about the whole therapy thing.

Interesting. I've noticed people doing this before; not just on these forums but all over the internet, and in real life too. You could argue that the hard parts of your life are a part of your identity, though; look at all the people who've gone through a traumatic experience and made something out of it (wrote a book, helped others going through the same thing, etc.) I guess you just have to be careful not to get too caught up in your own struggles and forget the rest of who you are.

Guest wrote:I'm pretty sure the whole "waifu" thing is mainly an internet inside joke. I mean it could be worse, like that one Korean guy who legally married the game character in a Nintendo DS game. I'm not sure if that was more of a serious thing or some kind of anti-establishment jab though.

I can see why people are defensive about the characters they love. Often it's because they share similar traits, or feel like that person personifies what they are. Like if someone made insults jabbing at Hanako because of her personality I would be at the very least irritated, as I like Hanako because of how I can connect with her shyness and not wanting to be a burden on other people (oh god the game out of tiles almost brought a tear to my eye, i do the exact same thing). The game did effect me emotionally, I did feel sad when I got the bad ending for Hanako or when Rinbreaks down at the art exhibit. I've had terrible experiences with love, and am seriously not looking forward to getting into actual relationships considering what happened to me.

However even I think there's limits to that as well. Hanako, (or rather Rin in my case) whether she is the perfect person in my ideal world, is not real. Whether or not the events in this game are touching, the fact is they never happened. I'm not going to do something like saw off my legs in hope that I'll be transferred to a school for disabled people and find Rin somewhere. I've come to terms that there is no such thing as the perfect person, you just live your life trying to find someone you can stand and can stand you. Even if I can't find someone like that, I can always contribute to the world in other ways. Adoption, Art, Science, etc.

I know this is a long post, so
tl;dr - Waifus are self-depreciating jokes. People get attached to characters they connect with, even if they are fake. I wouldn't replace real life with them though.

You pretty much summed up my point here. Now if you'll excuse me, my 500 wonderful spouses are waiting.

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(here,this was at least worth my first post...)


this subject being brought up is not surprising at all.

But honestly,this goes with EVERY games/animes and whatever on the internet.
I once met a guy that was in love (but like,REALLY in love) with naruto (he was gay with that,yes)

so,it was only to be expected from human kind.


though,yes,I'll admit that:
katawa shoujo gave me deeper feeling than any other fictional work before....
and Yes,I never loved a character as much as hanako...

But that's it!
And I personnaly think that as long as this doesn't mess up your everyday life,this is entirely fine to have feelings over something fictional.


Now indeed,dumping your girlfriend for a fictional character...this is out of proportions...

so after finishing hanako's path i felt this way...so i went and played lillys path which semi helped except when ever i saw hanako...after this i felt even more empty...o i went to play shizunes path and that killed it for me...so i guess what i can contribute is "play the paths till your sick of them/play a bad path." another thing that helped me realize that its a game and its over is playing hanakos bad ending. not to hate but it wasnt exactly well written but it still helped me with closure.

For me, as said before, making yourself distracted to not play the game is a nice tip. Other thing I do is (kinda weird but) I imagine it on my head to have a nice closure. Kinda like making your own manga, cept' I don't draw so I keep it in my imagination and end it there. Then I play gta4.

The other thing I did after Emi's good ending and closing the story in my head. (when I felt like cheating, as said by odnsfvn before) was to take a break on the game. After a month of not playing, I'm good again.


btw, this was a very helpful topic. Nice one dood! wahahaha~ ( I blame Rin's neutral ending for making me feel weird )

People have said this befo', but I'mma say it again:

The most effective way of "getting over" the characters of KS is to view them as the manifestations of aspects of your own personality, and then try and draw inspiration from the VN as to how you can improve, and overcome the same hurdles that the characters had to get over.

Whatever you do, try NOT to fall in love with fictional characters. Don't dwell on a nonexistent "relationship".

i agree

this is mainly why i try to avoid romantic stories. it leaves kind of an emptiness, due to me never experiencing that kind of joy as well as my previous experiences with girls. Toradora! did this to me in particular.

usually i just look for comedy or action series for this reason. or stuff like MIrai Nikki or Angel Densetsu.

Wonderfully well written piece of analysis. Really helped me to put some of these feels into perspective, as I've only just cleared my first route yesterday. As someone who's played only more action/horror VN's, it was quite a shock to see a romantic one have such an effect on me. I guess the only real way to win these things is not to play.

ProtocolRain wrote:Wonderfully well written piece of analysis. Really helped me to put some of these feels into perspective, as I've only just cleared my first route yesterday. As someone who's played only more action/horror VN's, it was quite a shock to see a romantic one have such an effect on me. I guess the only real way to win these things is not to play.

sprung immediately to my mind

I will admit that for some time, even after finishing the story, I fell in love with the girl. This is only natural as it shows the character was believable and the story was well written. More importantly, it shows that you're capable of feelings and love.

There's no easy way to let go something as touching and powerful as Katawa Shoujo. With time, your feelings for the characters will subside and eventually you'll be occupied with other aspects of life to finally lessen the pain caused by the end of the stories. Give it some time and try to focus on other things. Don't be afraid that you'll lose or forget your experience with KS, because if it really reached your heart then it'll stay with you forever.

First of all congratulate OP for the wonderful post he made.

I have to admit i first felt sad when i first finished my girls story, everything seemed correct, the way it would happen to me. It just felt as if i would wish it to really happen, of course you have to draw the line between reality and this, but still, it felt real due to how well the story and the characters are developed.
Today i played another girls path through in just one day, and it felt indeed as if i were cheating, but i dont know, it helps as OP said, i guess.

I dont even know why i am doing this post, but i guess it helps me deal with the situation.
The irony is i am in love with a girl that is different, not that she has a disability, but she is different just by looking at her, and sometimes i could relate to the feelings of the main character in some situations...
Im just writting stuff that interests nobody, so i will cease, thanks for the attention though

Experiencing "The Pain"?

why not...

...Eat some "Pain-killers"


...now excuse me as I run to cover

Phew! Nice post!

Might as well post my thoughts about this game.

When I first heard about this game I thought it would be interesting to see how disabled people actually live on their lives, too bad the local games newsletter totally flattened my expectations for this game by writing stuff like "it gives people biased opinions about disabled people and how its not really how they are etc" But then again i have always loved Visual Novel's (or novel. Fate/Stay Night is really only one i've actually managed to read properly to end, in addition to Katawa Shoujo) And i sure as hell dont trust anyone who has prejudiced views about anime/manga style of art and writing. Such as that games newsletter reporter guy.

I never actually thought it would shock me this much after reading Katawa Shoujo.

I mean the deep character storylines, romance, deep character relations to each other,family matters, disabilities, protagonists own disabilities and relating with it to other characters and most important of all, the desire to help others in need. Choices (althought limited) gave it a little roleplaying feel which was welcome.

I could really write up a ton of more reasons but this Visual Novel was very VERY well written. It gave me so much emotions and feelings while reading it that i could not stop. I actually changed my sleep rhytm so i could read in silence after midnight, drinking up energy drinks for coffeine to keep me awake so nobody would disturb me. Fortunately its summer so i could do it without any consequence but damn was it worth it! I actually read the paths (except for Hanako's) non-stop for like 7 hours straight.

The art was superb! It was everything I expected of Visual Novel and more. It was very faithful to anime and manga art tradition like the way they portrayed different characters and their disabilities with their own unique traits (Lilly's eyes have no iris signing blindess, Hanako's long hair hiding her scars etc, Emi's carefree spirit)

After reading this post by pure accident, I think im one of lucky ones because it didnt really take me more than a day + some jogging in between to get over this... withdrawal?

I first read Hanako's story and managed to get the good ending (I think, im not 100% sure, I screwed up at one point) Didnt get the much withrawal there, I was just happy it ended with happy(?) ending. I waited for about a day and did some jogging to ease tension and take stuff off my head.

Then i read Emi's story which was really complicated and at some points even bizarre. It really had me thinking how to solve her problem. It gave me a really good feeling at the end because i was actually thinking about the same things as protagonist was. This one was a bit hard to shake off for some reason i managed to relate to protagonists situation really well, and I had really my first experience of the "real" withdrawal. I jogged and jogged and jogged but still it wasnt enough, i actually jogged for like 10-15 kilometers for about 2 hours and then i went to visit my parents who i have not visited for long time. I think the withdrawal went away there.

Then... I read Lilly's story, holy hell was it a shock. This one was so well written i think it was by FAR the best of the three. This was by my opinion the most realistic path of the three(The school pressure, people depending on you, having responsability to help others, future and family stress, fear of losing someone etc.). I actually have been in the same position as Lilly so i could relate really well to her situation, adding her blindess and stuff like that really drew me in to the character story. I also have some of the Lilly's problems. So this one was really an inside experience more than others. Story actually had me sweating and fearing that I made a bad choice somewhere when protagonists started to get heart flutters or that i thought it was going towards the bad end but phew, was i relieved that it was all right.

Now withdrawal for Lilly's story... DAMN! I just finished last night and Im still shocked after finishing it in one go (yes i read for about 8-9 hours straight through midnight to the morning) I went to jog this morning for about 1 hour, took some pressure out of my head, then I came back. After half hour im back withdrawal feeling. I waited and tried to figure what to do for like another hour. I couldnt play any games nor could do any other stuff, I again went to jog again for like 2 hours, it helped for a moment and im back to square one and my feet are KILLING me. Then I went to sleep. I sleeped for like 3 hours despite staying up all night! And im back to the goddamn withdrawal feeling! Then i decided to take a looong and relaxing walk. I walked for like 4 hours and then I came back. Im feeling much better and decide to leisurely surf internet and for some reason I go to Katawa Shoujo homepage and notice that there ares forums here. By freak accident I notice this post and feel like I have to give my thoughts about this.

And now that I think about it... Im feeling much better, I never thought this would actually help me in this, perhaps now that this feeling has subsided perhaps I can play Hanako's path once again and try to get the good ending this time. Thank you Odsnfvn you really made my day a brighter day. Atleast for today, I wonder what feeling i have tomorrow?

As for the writers, artists, programmers and everyone at Four Leaf Studios, thank you for this game. Its really great game and i can clearly see much effort was put into making this. You managed to do it without profit involved and you fought through criticism and still managed to finish the game. For the writers of the game, this was VERY well written game in my opinion (especially Lilly's Path) I can't believe that aforementioned game newsletter told me that this game was made by "amateurs" It had so many details, plot points, characters, feelings and relationships all combined into one elegant whole that it could have easily been written by some bigshot writer for all i know, thats how I atleast feel. I really enjoyed this game and I really appriciate the work you have done especially since its free and you didnt make game for profit, perhaps that is why this game is so... unique for me? Or perhaps its because i have not played Katawa Shoujo kind of games.

Althought there is one thing you should have made better and that is the closure. It would have been nice to know what happened to the characters after the finale like after say... 5-10 years? I mean "Happily Ever After" is all great and all but still more details would have been welcome. I know Lilly's path had better closure than others but still Hanako's and Emi's should have had better closure. More Closure!

That is my only complaint about the whole game and that is something to behold.

And im actually suprised that I managed to write this long wall of text. I guess this game makes people do miracles.

And once again, thank you Four Leaf Studios for creating such a great game. It really left a lasting impact on me, perhaps i even grew up as a person.