Katawa Shoujo Forums

I do believe I loved the story too much... I'm not the fastest of readers and from what most people have stated when they suggest this to me is that this should take at least a week. I can honestly say the only thing that surprised me was how well things went with Iwanako, after the foreshadowing Hisao's parents created I thought Hanako and Iwanako meeting would have been a disastrous panic attack waiting to happen but their meeting actually turned out to be really sweet. Outside of that I can't say most of the story surprised me which is in my opinion a good thing. If a fanfic is even slightly predictable that means the story is either plain or in this case if fit the official good enough to be believable. Hanako had her ups and downs just like she did during the original story and I'm glad you didn't make it where they just had a gushy relationship with all the realistic bumps in the road being removed. If Katawa Shoujo ever had an anime adaptation I would love if they used the original story + your fan fiction would probably make for one AMAZING slice of life anime.

I'd say that the H-scenes were irrelevant and too often in the story but I feel they actually did mean a lot to show the way the progress/regress was fairing. Honestly though? As much as I did enjoy reading those VERY indepth H-scenes you could have probably toned down quite a few of them. Only 2-3 of the H-scenes actually felt like they held a big enough significance to be described so indepth.

all in all I'd give the original KS Hanako good ending a 7/10(mostly because Hanako was my favorite character) and Sisterhood True Edition a 8.5-9/10 because of amazing suspense, great use of the soundtrack, heartwarming moments, tearjerking moments(It made me cry on more than one occasion so I'm happy for that,) Hanako Cuteness, Hanako opening up and admitting she has been accepted/she realizes she isn't a burden, and Finally Hanako getting the most amazing ending I could have asked for If I'm not afraid of crying again I'll probably be back in a few months to re-read this masterpiece.

I LOVE this fan fiction so much. Althrough I didn´t used the soundrtrack, I felt like I was in the game. The ending of the Hanako path wasn´t enough for me, so after enough internet research someone recommended this to me and for me it appeared to a massive, massive wall of text, but in the end it was so much worth it. Every time I felt with the characters, I even was a little despressed when Hanako said that she brakes up with Hisao. I think one part that I can feel so good in this story is, that I suffer from a heart disease myself, not arrythmia but two others. I like the idea a lot that you wrote in different perspectives ( I enjoyed the perspective of Hanako and Hisao the most) and I liked the H-Scenes too. I think they weren´t to detailed but I think they were necessary to describe their relationship a bit further and I even felt a bit happy that these scenes were different from the one in the game. But like the moment when I finished the game, I was really sad that his fanfiction had to end. I hate open ending and I wish this story could go on forever, how their trip in the summer vacation would turn out and how Hanakos life at the university after her graduation and acomplishment with Miss Yumi would turn out but I think this will be up to my imagination. But one in all, I would give this fanfiction a 10/10 because I just love this fan fiction so much, it is just so well written in my opinion and it described especially Hanako a bit deeper and I now see this as an offical expansion of the game You did such a great job, I would do EVERYTHING just to continue this wonderful story, I can´t be satisfied with open endings And I love how you combine things with another. You used some quotes from the game, the newspaper club from Lilly´s path for example and you used it great.

Open ending?
Well, I guess the alternative would be to continue the story until her eventual death...

Mirage_GSM wrote:Open ending?
Well, I guess the alternative would be to continue the story until her eventual death...

Haha I would love that Althrough I would be very sad when she dies

Brythain has the monopoly on that anyway.

Open ending?
Well, I guess the alternative would be to continue the story until her eventual death...

Mechanik actually did that in his Hanako epilogue stories, though he employed large time skips up to that point. I wouldn't call this story's ending an open one though. Hanako graduating from and leaving Yamaku was the most definite closure possible, since Yamaku is a large part of Katawa Shoujo and leaving it behind for good is kind of like leaving KS behind for good.

how their trip in the summer vacation would turn out

It's spring, rather than summer. And it'd be kind of like the Scotland trip, except without the health scares.

and how Hanakos life at the university after her graduation would turn out

Hanako's initial time at Kasshoku would predictably be stressful due to her looks and her mannerisms and her inability to deal well with the awkwardness her classmates display around her. (the knowledge that Hisao and Lilly went through the same being only a limited comfort) Naomi's company and efforts to drag Hanako along in whatever activity she partakes in would turn out to be a bit of a double-edged sword too, since Naomi is the type to try and make as many friends as possible as quickly as possible (preferably defining herself to others before her seizures can become what people associate her with) while Hanako likes to slowly get to know people and feels most comfortable with a small group of friends who individually earned her trust. There'd probably be some tensions between the two over that, though they'd eventually smoothe that over. Hanako and Naomi would eventually each gain their own circle of friends at school (Hanako's being significantly smaller, but a little bit tighter) with relatively little overlap. Despite no longer spending all their time at school together, Naomi and Hanako would remain close friends throughout their Kasshoku years and Naomi would very frequently come to hang out with Hanako at her apartment, particularly whenever Karla comes by to visit. (Naomi tends to fangirl over Karla)

Hanako's initial time at Kasshoku would predictably be stressful due to her looks and her mannerisms and her inability to deal well with the awkwardness her classmates display around her. (the knowledge that Hisao and Lilly went through the same being only a limited comfort) Naomi's company and efforts to drag Hanako along in whatever activity she partakes in would turn out to be a bit of a double-edged sword too, since Naomi is the type to try and make as many friends as possible as quickly as possible (preferably defining herself to others before her seizures can become what people associate her with) while Hanako likes to slowly get to know people and feels most comfortable with a small group of friends who individually earned her trust. There'd probably be some tensions between the two over that, though they'd eventually smoothe that over. Hanako and Naomi would eventually each gain their own circle of friends at school (Hanako's being significantly smaller, but a little bit tighter) with relatively little overlap. Despite no longer spending all their time at school together, Naomi and Hanako would remain close friends throughout their Kasshoku years and Naomi would very frequently come to hang out with Hanako at her apartment, particularly whenever Karla comes by to visit. (Naomi tends to fangirl over Karla)

And how would be the relationship between Hanako and Hisao ? Will they be meeting in their appartments in Kasshoku ? Sorry for the questions I am just very interested in that

Kasshoku is the name of the university, not the town it's in. (kasshoku is Japanese for brown; Brown University was the school Yamaku was based on) Hisao doesn't live in an apartment near university. He moved back in with his parents after graduating from Yamaku. (attending a university in his home city was a deliberate move on Hisao's part to save money) Sometimes Hanako comes over to hang out there (she did promise herself to spend more time with Hisao's parents since she didn't really get to see them very often during her ronin year) and sometimes Hisao comes over to the apartment Hanako and Lilly share.

Guest Poster wrote:Kasshoku is the name of the university, not the town it's in. (kasshoku is Japanese for brown; Brown University was the school Yamaku was based on) Hisao doesn't live in an apartment near university. He moved back in with his parents after graduating from Yamaku. (attending a university in his home city was a deliberate move on Hisao's part to save money) Sometimes Hanako comes over to hang out there (she did promise herself to spend more time with Hisao's parents since she didn't really get to see them very often during her ronin year) and sometimes Hisao comes over to the apartment Hanako and Lilly share.

Thanks for the reply, now I can imagine it better ^^ Althrough they don´t live together, they still spend some time together and hopefully still go on dates Now I just need to imagine how their live would be after the university

Honestly, it's okay to be disappointed or a bit sad if a story you liked concludes, but can't you even use your own imagination for what happens after?
I mean, I'm by no means the most creative person ever, but do you have to ask about every little detail of their future life?

What will you do if GP tells you that they break up after moving in together after having finished college, because Hisao couldn't take Hanako's psychological problems on a daily basis? Or he doesn't leave her but is so stressed out about it that he dies from a heart attack? Both are real possibilities.

In your own mind you can create your rosy happily-ever-after scenario and play it out to your heart's content...
Sometimes I wonder if people really are NOT able to do that anymore, because they're so used to having every little thing explained to them

Mirage_GSM wrote:Honestly, it's okay to be disappointed or a bit sad if a story you liked concludes, but can't you even use your own imagination for what happens after?
I mean, I'm by no means the most creative person ever, but do you have to ask about every little detail of their future life?

What will you do if GP tells you that they break up after moving in together after having finished college, because Hisao couldn't take Hanako's psychological problems on a daily basis? Or he doesn't leave her but is so stressed out about it that he dies from a heart attack? Both are real possibilities.

In your own mind you can create your rosy happily-ever-after scenario and play it out to your heart's content...
Sometimes I wonder if people really are NOT able to do that anymore, because they're so used to having every little thing explained to them

I´m sorry, I don´t ask any other question now. You´re right, I shold have asked, I just should have used my imagination. I´m dumb, sorry for that. I shouldn´t have done that, GP I´m sorry for bothering you with this stupidity from me for asking every little detail

So.....now it's almost a year passed since I discovered Katawa Shoujo and this fanfiction. I think it is weired to say it but it is a habit of mine now to always read a bit of the story before I go to sleep. KS and this fanfic hold a pretty significant place in my life because I'm a heart patient myself, not arrythmia but a rather nasty one too. And it didn't started until a little while ago that I realized all the negative sides of it, I nearly died as well because of it. And actually both the fanfic and KS showed me how much my life can be worth despite my condition. Still the fanfiction is a great piece in my eyes but not only helped it to develop my English vocabulary further but it just holds such a big significance for me that I'm just really grateful and thankful for putting so much effort in something like this. And I'm very well aware that this probably sonded pretty silly but it's just the way I'm thinking and I thought that it could be interesting what impact a mere fanfiction could have. And once again I apologize for the comments I left here earlier.

Mirage_GSM wrote:Honestly, it's okay to be disappointed or a bit sad if a story you liked concludes, but can't you even use your own imagination for what happens after?
I mean, I'm by no means the most creative person ever, but do you have to ask about every little detail of their future life?

What will you do if GP tells you that they break up after moving in together after having finished college, because Hisao couldn't take Hanako's psychological problems on a daily basis? Or he doesn't leave her but is so stressed out about it that he dies from a heart attack? Both are real possibilities.

In your own mind you can create your rosy happily-ever-after scenario and play it out to your heart's content...
Sometimes I wonder if people really are NOT able to do that anymore, because they're so used to having every little thing explained to them

That reminds me somewhat of a book I read a long time ago. I think it was by Stephen King, but I'm not positive. It was either the last chapter or one of the very last chapters, he basically comes out and gives an author's note saying, if you like happy endings where everything is wrapped up neatly, this is a good place to stop reading.

neilerator wrote:So.....now it's almost a year passed since I discovered Katawa Shoujo and this fanfiction. I think it is weired to say it but it is a habit of mine now to always read a bit of the story before I go to sleep. KS and this fanfic hold a pretty significant place in my life because I'm a heart patient myself, not arrythmia but a rather nasty one too. And it didn't started until a little while ago that I realized all the negative sides of it, I nearly died as well because of it. And actually both the fanfic and KS showed me how much my life can be worth despite my condition. Still the fanfiction is a great piece in my eyes but not only helped it to develop my English vocabulary further but it just holds such a big significance for me that I'm just really grateful and thankful for putting so much effort in something like this. And I'm very well aware that this probably sonded pretty silly but it's just the way I'm thinking and I thought that it could be interesting what impact a mere fanfiction could have. And once again I apologize for the comments I left here earlier.

I don't post here in the forums, just lurk. But I have to say I understand how you feel, because I've felt the same. Hanako's route (and KS in general) and this fanfic are something truly special.

Oddball wrote:

Mirage_GSM wrote:Honestly, it's okay to be disappointed or a bit sad if a story you liked concludes, but can't you even use your own imagination for what happens after?
I mean, I'm by no means the most creative person ever, but do you have to ask about every little detail of their future life?

That reminds me somewhat of a book I read a long time ago. I think it was by Stephen King, but I'm not positive. It was either the last chapter or one of the very last chapters, he basically comes out and gives an author's note saying, if you like happy endings where everything is wrapped up neatly, this is a good place to stop reading.

It's the final installment of The Dark Tower series. The story itself is one that spanned a good many years, and both creation and creator nearly died halfway through. Its a true masterpiece, and I have it here with me, though I had nearly forgotten it and its wisdom.
A few choice passages of the "author's note": Though it's hard to define it as such, since SK breaks not just the 4th, but like 7 walls.

"I can stop now, put my pen down and rest my weary hand(...).Yet some of you (...) are likely not so willing. You are the (...) ones who will not believe that the joy is in the journey rather than the destination no matter how many times it has been proven to you. (...) You are the cruel ones who deny the Grey Havens, where tired characters go to rest. You say you want to know how it all comes out. (...)you say that is what your money paid for, the show you came to see.
I hope most of you know better. Want better. (...)
And so, my dear Constant Reader, I tell you this: You can stop here. (...)
Should you go on, you will surely be disappointed, perhaps even heartbroken. (...) There is no such thing as a happy ending.
Endings are heartless.
Endings are another word for goodbye.
(...)
Would you still?
Very well, then, come. (Do you hear me sigh?)"

It's not so much a warning as a tired writer getting something off his chest. (Though it does contain that warning, and should you ignore it, prepare for the mind fucking of a lifetime.) A tired parent, chiding his child because if they ask one more question, they'll find out santa isn't real. What annoying kids, but isn't that great? What goes unquestioned goes unnoticed, so if there's so much questioning you get sick of it, doesn't that mean you created something that enraptured that heart?

Is that attitude not what drives all fanfiction? Only we know "Endings are another word for goodbye." And we don't want to say goodbye. We are too invested, too captivated, we won't take "no" or "just because, now go to bed" for an answer.
We are the pesky kids asking for 1002 nights of story, and making up a decade's worth when Sherazade can't go on. Santa isn't real? Then he might as well fight crime besides Shelob Man, using his faster-than-light sleigh and infinite toy sack. We are not the ones demanding endings, we are the ones who ask for just one more chapter, who never want it to end.

We love this media, this work, this... wonder we found too much to say goodbye.
When my father had just died, each night I would dream up another scenario where he never left me, or came back, only to feel lost in the morning, in this reality where none of what I created happened. Isn't that similar?
When I finished Katawa Shoujo, it was my search for a way to not say goodbye that guided me here, and I caught myself in the same position of not wanting to say goodbye to these new characters I'd found in fanfiction (Damn you, Helbereth). Now that I'm writing it (coming soon), I planned out the cast's entire lives and interactions, and with their endings drawing to a close, I ended up making new characters and now I'm completely fucked.

It's our way of keeping them alive, even if only in this small way.
Heck, I still dream of my father sometimes, but I (usually) don't wake up lost anymore, but with a tear in my eye and/or a smile to my face. I haven't forgotten his face, sai, I remember it well.
It may reach an ending, it may be goodbye, but we'll always carry the core of them with us. Fuck I need therapy.

PS: Sorry for the long post and for going on a tangent.
Loved the fic, specially the way it shows a bumpy road towards happiness, not a "and then they found each other and magically everything was right forever".