Katawa Shoujo Forums

1. Which girl's thread affected you the most emotionally? Why did it do this?
I would have to say that lilly's hit me pretty hard, i think alot of it was because she was my first play through and i was blown away by how much i could relate to the characters and really felt like i was a part of the story. now i must also confess that hanako's story was so close id include it as well, she reminds me of my childhood in alot of ways, i was not scarred like she was but i had the mentality and personality like hers. also had a defect i hid alot of which i had surgery and fixed a few years back. One last note would be the fact i relate a bit to hisao bonding on the fact i have a heart condition myself not as serious but none the less,

2. Which girl's thread did you successfully complete first (good ending)? How did you reach the good end of this thread? Did you use a guide, or did you answer the questions according to your own thoughts, as I did?
My first play through the game was natural answering as i saw fit some were what i would do and other times i tried to do what i think hisao would have done in that place. I managed the good ending on her and all girls using my own intuition after the first play through i treated the situations fully as it was me.

3. In what order would you rate the quality of the girls' threads?
hmm i honestly dont think i can rate them in any order as they were all so well done, if i have to i would say: Hanako, Emi, Rin, Lilly, Shizune. the more i think about this one i keep re organizing them as in different ways i find each one the best

4. If there was a single word which describes the key a player must remember to complete each girl's thread, what would that word be for each girl?
The key in my opinion is to be honest and remember to not smother them. alot of people get a little carried away IRL and smother people, im guilty of doing that when i was younger. dont try to hard and things work out better

5. How much time did it take you to complete each girl's thread? (Play time, not total IRL time)
I do not know my exact times but i would say from 5 to 7 hours Rin's play through being the longest notably.

6. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your favorite girl's thread.
id have to say the very last section of hanako's touched me the most,her finally opening up to you and showing you who she really is as well as allowing herself to care and trust for the first time since her accented.

7. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your least favorite girl's thread.
I would have to say shizune was my least favorite just in the fact i'm the polar opposite of her. i will admit i like how she strives for the best she can be and cares enough to try and make everyone around her strive for more.

8. Do you feel that, after playing Katawa Shoujo, that you are better equipped emotionally for a real-life relationship? Why or why not? If you are currently in a relationship, do you feel that playing KS will allow you to strengthen it? Why or why not?

I feel this has really enlightened me as a whole it has inspired me to try and better myself. id like to think most of the characters in this VN i can find some of me in and id like to be able to say in a years time that this was a turning point in my life, i honestly think that everyone should read this. i have never read anything that made me feel and inspired me so much, i think anyone and everyone could pull something from this. the real amazing thing is that something so amazing came from something so simple as a single persons idea that was embraced by people of all walks and turned into something i think no one could ever have imagined would have such a profound effect on everyone that has touched it .

i hope that helps im not the most insightful person but that my honest open opinions

1. Which girl's thread affected you the most emotionally? Why did it do this?
Emi's route affected me the most. Maybe because it was the first route I did, but it hit me hardest. Also the fact that her father died when she was young. Truth be told, my mother died when I was young, and she was divorced, meaning I only had the siblings to lean on. Problem was, they were adults with 9-5 jobs, meaning I was on my own during that depressing time. I remember not wanting to talk about it, becoming distant from everyone, and for some reason wanting to improve myself with no-one else's help whatsoever. After all those years of looking after my sick mother, I felt weak and useless everytime someone else tried to help me with even basic tasks. I know exactly how Emi felt. I've moved on from that stage in my life, but seeing Emi's ending made those feelings & memories come rushing back.

2. Which girl's thread did you successfully complete first (good ending)? How did you reach the good end of this thread? Did you use a guide, or did you answer the questions according to your own thoughts, as I did?
I got Emi's route first. I think it was pushing yourself on the track (which I always do) to make you healthier causes so many people to get locked into this route. I was annoyed because I wanted Lily or Hanako, but I wasn't disappointed. I did it on the day it was released, so I couldn't use a walkthrough (not that I needed one).I chose the most 'honest' choices, i.e. I was always trying to be there for Emi. Thankfully I listened to Mutou & Nurse's advice, & tried not directly confronting her. I got the good end.

3. In what order would you rate the quality of the girls' threads?
Hanako
Lily
Emi
Rin
Shizune

Keep in mind, it's only Shizune's position on the bottom that's constant (even though she's one of my fav girls, her route was atrocious). The other 4's positions are constantly changing, depending on my mood.

4. If there was a single word which describes the key a player must remember to complete each girl's thread, what would that word be for each girl?
Lily - Honesty (Always tell the truth, and talk about her friends if you're interested)
Shizune - Loyalty
Hanako - Independence (don't treat her like a child; she's a human being. Do what you would do with any other person)
Rin - Pride (That is to say, make sure she realises how great she is, and make her realise your feelings her you)
Emi - Indirect (You can start off being as close to her as possible, but when that dreaded moment comes where she becomes cold & distant, you can't just confront her, else it would end badly. Get other people to help you paint the picture)

5. How much time did it take you to complete each girl's thread? (Play time, not total IRL time)
5-6 hours

6. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your favorite girl's thread.
I consider Shizune to be my favourite. Even though her route was badly written, I still liked her as a person. And a well written piece was near the end. She always talks about how she strives to the best, what she wants to do in her later life, and how proud she is that she is able to make friends like Hisao & Misha, while Misha is in the clasroom opposite. That entire scene was well written, and it kinda makes you want to be a better person.

7. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your least favorite girl's thread.
Rin was my least favourite girl, as I couldn't really connect with her. But her route was so damn thought-provoking. Every time she goes into a monologue, hell even when she & Hisao were lying down together, everything she says makes you want to throw logic out the window, and see things from an abstract perspective.

8. Do you feel that, after playing Katawa Shoujo, that you are better equipped emotionally for a real-life relationship? Why or why not? If you are currently in a relationship, do you feel that playing KS will allow you to strengthen it? Why or why not?
It's been a while since I've been in a relationship. There are times where I think I'm more than capable of another long-term relationship, only to watch something emotionally-provoking and makes me stand back and look at things from another perspective. Katawa Shoujo's made me realise that I've perhaps become complacent over time. So yeah, I guess it has made be better equipped.

1. Which girl's thread affected you the most emotionally? Why did it do this?
Lilly's route for a number of reasons: I got her bad ending twice, so when I finally managed to get her good ending I was overwhelmed with emotions. Her story, while seeming cliched, was very heart-warming and I felt very connected to the story. Also she was a very nice character, very caring and honest which made her very lovable.
Another reason possibly is that I myself have experienced moving away from home suddenly, away from my friends, maybe subconsciously remembering how sad I felt when that event happened making Lilly's story more powerful for me.

2. Which girl's thread did you successfully complete first (good ending)? How did you reach the good end of this thread? Did you use a guide, or did you answer the questions according to your own thoughts, as I did?
Emi's route. I chose the options that seemed best for Hisao, thus ending up with him trying to improve his heart condition. I've never played a Visual Novel before so I thought it was best not to anger any of the characters haha, I also didn't know about any flowcharts or this forum until finishing Lilly's route.

3. In what order would you rate the quality of the girls' threads?
.Lilly - Best
.Emi/Hanako (Sorry couldn't decide)
.Rin
.Shizune - Least

4. If there was a single word which describes the key a player must remember to complete each girl's thread, what would that word be for each girl?
Lilly - Honesty
Emi - Determination
Hanako - Trust
Rin - Understanding?
Shizune - Loyalty? (Sorry this one only had one choice throughout her arc so it's quite difficult to choose a word)

5. How much time did it take you to complete each girl's thread? (Play time, not total IRL time)
Typically 6-10 hours.

6. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your favorite girl's thread.
Lilly's route: Hmm so many good parts to it but one example would be the good ending when Hisao chases after Lilly at the airport, having a heart attack, waking up to find the music box and Lilly. This is more effective when you actually hear the music box in the hospital.

7. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your least favorite girl's thread.
Shizune's route: The scene when Misha tells Hisao of her love of Shizune and what happened when she confessed.
Also, the image in the bad ending with Shizune on the steps with that doll that Hisao won her back in Act 1 had an impact too. Not exactly writing but just wanted to tell.

8. Do you feel that, after playing Katawa Shoujo, that you are better equipped emotionally for a real-life relationship? Why or why not? If you are currently in a relationship, do you feel that playing KS will allow you to strengthen it? Why or why not?
Hard one this, I suppose that I am more aware of things that could arise in a relationship, but i'll never know unless I actually have one. Though Katawa Shoujo has had a huge impact on me, i've been inspired to do more things, to appreciate the little things I have e.g. having my eyesight (though it's very bad), so when I actually get into relationship, in that sense I guess i'm slightly more equipped emotionally.

I hope i've helped, also please tell us how your conference paper goes!

Sajomir wrote:Interesting. Professor, I don't suppose you'd mind posting your credentials? If this is going to be an academic paper, you'll have your real name associated with it soon enough, so that shouldn't be a problem, right? I'd also like to be able to look up the completed paper, especially if it's published in a journal at some point.

Certainly:
Bachelor of Arts, Writing, SUNY-College at Buffalo
Master of Arts, English, SUNY-College at Buffalo
Master's Thesis Title: "Heroes of a Not-So-Bygone Era: Heroic Monomyth in Modern Storytelling"
Not yet a Ph.D., but looking for a suitable program to get into.
If I get it published, I will be more than happy to share the journal name/issue, or the conference at which the paper would be presented.

Also, I'd like to offer my thanks to everyone who has responded to my questions thus far. And you can certainly link this thread to others, by all means. The more opinions I receive, the better the paper will be!

NoOne3 wrote:While being on the internet for quite some time, I cannot resist a suspicion of a great trolling in progress, I guess I can spill my guts a bit.
If it's true, I hope you will link the results of your work. That's the least we can expect for revealing the shallow depths of our thoughts in this matter.

I'm not trolling at all: I hate trolls. I hope that the posting of my curriculum vitae in the previous post helps to assuage these fears.

The thesis actually seems to exist in case someone was wondering.

Esa94 wrote:The thesis actually seems to exist in case someone was wondering.

Yep, that's mine, all 100 pages' worth of it. Interesting that the page here looks to be in some kind of Nordic language: one of the sources cited in the work was from a Norwegian literary criticism journal.

EDIT: I should note before anyone searches for a text: only five copies of the thesis were bound. I have one; my thesis advisor (who, incidentally, happened to be blind) has one, one is at Buffalo State's English department, one is in the Buffalo State Library's archives, and one is in Buff State's library stacks. If anyone wants to read it for proof that I'm on the level, send me a PM and I'll e-mail it to you ... but be advised that as a Word file is 2MB+ due to graphics used as illustrations in one section.

Prof. Coyote wrote:

Esa94 wrote:The thesis actually seems to exist in case someone was wondering.

Yep, that's mine, all 100 pages' worth of it. Interesting that the page here looks to be in some kind of Nordic language: one of the sources cited in the work was from a Norwegian literary criticism journal.

Ah, pardon me, I sort of forgot the link would be to the Finnish Google Books. Let me change that.

.

Answering as someone who has only done Hanako's story...

1. Which girl's thread affected you the most emotionally? Why did it do this?
I've only done Hanako's story (twice). The second time around I was going to run Emi's (because apparently it's the most light-hearted story, and I needed a breather after Hanako, and because lol anal), but then Hanako came up again and I couldn't really bring myself to not go do Hanako's story again.

2. Which girl's thread did you successfully complete first (good ending)? How did you reach the good end of this thread? Did you use a guide, or did you answer the questions according to your own thoughts, as I did?
Just Hanako's. I didn't use a guide; to get through the first act, I recalled the choices I made for the demo; to get through the subsequent acts, I made decisions based on my own thoughts (with the overall goal to get the best ending).

3. In what order would you rate the quality of the girls' threads?
N/A

4. If there was a single word which describes the key a player must remember to complete each girl's thread, what would that word be for each girl?
Hanako: Equals.

5. How much time did it take you to complete each girl's thread? (Play time, not total IRL time)
About six hours, with text speed set to maximum.

6. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your favorite girl's thread.
"This is me. All... of me."

7. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your least favorite girl's thread.
N/A

8. Do you feel that, after playing Katawa Shoujo, that you are better equipped emotionally for a real-life relationship? Why or why not? If you are currently in a relationship, do you feel that playing KS will allow you to strengthen it? Why or why not?
No, I don't feel particularly "better equipped" in any way, emotionally or logically. Katawa Shoujo was a wonderful bit of escapism for me, but if I learned anything from it, I haven't the faintest clue how to apply that learning. If anything, the game hasn't helped my ridiculously impossible tastes/standards in significant others be any less ridiculous or impossible. Not currently in a relationship, so I can't answer the second half.

1. Which girl's thread affected you the most emotionally? Why did it do this?
Emi's. Her hesitance to share her emotions with even Hisao struck me as something I myself deal with commonly.

2. Which girl's thread did you successfully complete first (good ending)? How did you reach the good end of this thread? Did you use a guide, or did you answer the questions according to your own thoughts, as I did?
Emi, by my own thoughts.

3. In what order would you rate the quality of the girls' threads?
Emi>Lilly>Shizune>Rin>Hanako.

4. If there was a single word which describes the key a player must remember to complete each girl's thread, what would that word be for each girl?
Emi: Supporting
Lilly: Honesty
Shizune: Loyalty
Rin: Empathy
Hanako: Equality

5. How much time did it take you to complete each girl's thread? (Play time, not total IRL time)
Probably around an hour or two apiece. I read very fast, with the exception of some particular scenes...

6. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your favorite girl's thread.
To me, it was the scene where Hisao apologizes to Emi on the track for not understanding how she would take the way he treated her. I can't exactly put it into words, but in my eyes, it conveyed best a great example of the Hedgehog's Dilemma--very few stories are able to convey this in a way that seemed believable.

7. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your least favorite girl's thread.
For Hanako, it was definitely the bad ending. One of the most emotionally gripping scenes I have seen in a long time. The game hits home that Hisao (and by extension, you) have seen her as something lesser than you, and having --her-- convey that in a panicked, scared, and livid manner just really hit home.

8. Do you feel that, after playing Katawa Shoujo, that you are better equipped emotionally for a real-life relationship? Why or why not? If you are currently in a relationship, do you feel that playing KS will allow you to strengthen it? Why or why not?

I can't say that Katawa Shoujo applies to a real-life relationship more than it applies to improving people in general. because I really feel its not about the relationship with the girls more than it is a story that aims to change the worldview of the player and have them see disabled people past their disability, and appreciate their life and other people more than they might have beforehand. After playing KS, I can't say I want to date a disabled chick for her disability, but I can definitely say that I am far more willing to see past the problems and burdens people carry to appreciate who they are as a person. I can say that this game improved my relationship with my girlfriend because it improved me as a person, and that is why I love Katawa Shoujo as a game. I feel like a better person for playing it.

1. It's a tossup between Rin's and Hanako's.

Rin's the girl I would be most interested in hanging out with in real life, so seeing her suffer was more like seeing one of my friends suffer than any of the other girls. Plus, I could relate easily to that route's Hisao and his need to understand.

Hanako's path was the only one where I didn't figure out what the right choices were the first time through. I was flabbergasted when I got the Bad End. Hadn't I respected her privacy? Hadn't I avoided trying to push her out of her comfortable space? Why was I suddenly ignoring that she obviously wanted me to fuck off? What do you mean telling some random track star about our potential relationship and inviting her to go to the city were the Good End choices? That's not what I would have wanted in her place.

2. I completed Lilly's path first. I was able to get the Good End by remembering the choice in Act 1 between telling her about your condition or keeping it to yourself.

3. I feel that Shizune's thread suffered from only having one choice, but other than that I don't have an opinion. I'm not good at quantifying quality.

4. Lilly: Openness
Emi: Boundaries (respect hers)
Shizune: Fidelity
Hanako: Strength
Rin: Acceptance

5. Three to four hours.

6. Rin's long speech in "Dandelions". The way Rin was trying so hard to push out enough words to have some of them explain what she meant really brought home her communication problems.

7. I don't have a least favorite, just four girls I'd be less likely to end up friends with.

8. I'm not sure. On the one hand, the only definite lesson I learned was "Don't assume someone with severe social phobia is happy being as private and stay-at-home as you are," which I don't think is likely to come up. On the other hand, I'm hardly an objective observer of my own thought processes and interpersonal adeptness.

I'm not currently in a romantic relationship, and I don't think KS will affect any of my platonic relationships.

1. Which girl's thread affected you the most emotionally? Why did it do this?
Personally, Lilly's arc would have to be the one that impacted me the most emotionally. Her calm, thoughtful, caring persona grabbed a hold of me instantly and her and Hisao's relationship reminded me of my own a little bit. But when it became apparent that she had decided that she was going to take up her parents offer and move to Scotland, I was... confused, outrage, heartbroken. It didn't match her character at all. Why would she have gotten herself into a relationship if this was the way it was going to end. Was it only just a spur of the moment thing, their relationship. If she had fallen so deeply in love with him, why would she just leave without even consulting him about her parents proposal? It didn't make sense, I ended up getting her bad ending over and over again not understanding why I couldn't go after her! After deciding it was time to just go as far back as possible and seeing what I could have possibly done differently to change the outcome, it dawned on me. The moment when your at Lilly's vacation home and she's taking pity on you, I brushed it off. It was the one and only time I had decided it was better to not react honestly. That was it! Their entire relationship was built upon honesty. And with that I was finally able to continue after her and get the good ending. I felt invigorated. It was an amazing rush, their love.

2. Which girl's thread did you successfully complete first (good ending)? How did you reach the good end of this thread? Did you use a guide, or did you answer the questions according to your own thoughts, as I did?
Emi was the first arc I completed. I refuse to use a guide for everything I play through the first time, so it was trial and error to reach her good end... but man did that bad end drive me off the deep end. Even if she had a perfectly good reason for being so... stubborn.

3. In what order would you rate the quality of the girls' threads?
This is really hard to decide, but if I had to choose:
Lilly
Hanako
Rin
Emi
Shizune

4. If there was a single word which describes the key a player must remember to complete each girl's thread, what would that word be for each girl?
Lilly: Honesty
Hanako: Equality/Respect (I feel like Rin right know because I can't seem to find the perfect word for her)
Rin: Empathy
Emi: Understanding
Shizune: Loyalty


5. How much time did it take you to complete each girl's thread? (Play time, not total IRL time)
About 5 hours each, give or take an hour.

6. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your favorite girl's thread.
I just let everything happen, never even trying to help Lilly. Just her being there was enough. I thought I could keep going on if that were true. But that could never have been enough. It was a childlike dependance on somebody, without any attempt to understand or help their situation. Thanks to that, I lost Lilly. I lost the one person I loved most because I wasn't there for her when she needed me. (Lilly Act 4, False Cadence)

7. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your least favorite girl's thread.
Somewhere along the line, I think I started to ignore Misha, or see her as less of a person, or something like that. I took her for granted, I think would be the best way to put it. It was like she was just an extension of myself. I forgot that the whole time, Misha was there, opening up to me, and giving hundred percent every day. I missed what I was looking for, because it was in plain sight. How stupid of me. I really did become arrogant. That's why I've lost. (Shizune Act 4, Sneaking Mission)

8. Do you feel that, after playing Katawa Shoujo, that you are better equipped emotionally for a real-life relationship? Why or why not? If you are currently in a relationship, do you feel that playing KS will allow you to strengthen it? Why or why not?
I've been in a relationship for 3 years now and we've persevered through our own set of hardships already, but I wouldn't doubt that some of the things I learned through Katawa Shoujo will surface in the future. This VN definitely teaches some important life lessons that anyone could benefit from, be it for their personal relationships or even their simple everyday friendships.

Okay, here I go.


1. Which girl's thread affected you the most emotionally? Why did it do this?

To be honest, I had a hard time thinking of whose route affected me most, because I was already at the verge of depression every time I play a route. But also, the first route I've traversed was Hanako's. I dunno, but maybe I could relate to some of her problems or maybe I admired her temperament and approach to her friends and to the outside world. I dunno. But if I have to go with a specific answer, Hanako it is.

2. Which girl's thread did you successfully complete first (good ending)? How did you reach the good end of this thread? Did you use a guide, or did you answer the questions according to your own thoughts, as I did?

Again, Hanako. It was a natural gameplay, so no walkthrough. I went inside her mind without knowing anything.

3. In what order would you rate the quality of the girls' threads?

Lemme see...

Rin (Best written.)
Lilly
Hanako
Shizune
Emi (Least well-written.)

4. If there was a single word which describes the key a player must remember to complete each girl's thread, what would that word be for each girl?

In the order of what I've played:

Hanako: Independence You have to let her go; she does not want to give up her freedom for security.
Lilly: Vigilance Anything can happen anytime, good or bad. Avoid complacency. But be ready to accept it.
Shizune: Understanding Some people are not what they seem, they have reasons for the masquerade.
Emi: Patience You can't fix someone's aching tooth without them being ready to let you see it.
Rin: Acceptance You can't force people to change if you don't know why they are like that.

5. How much time did it take you to complete each girl's thread? (Play time, not total IRL time)

I have no idea, given that my sense of time without a proper watch is non-existent. But all I know is five days.

6. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your favorite girl's thread.

In Hanako's route, during the cellphone call to Scotland, Lilly tells Hisao that Hanako might seem to dislike the way she is being coddled. And when you look back at the route itself, she is showing signs that she's not just a little girl to be protected. I dunno, but the phone call seemed to be the most glaring clue of them whole route, if you did not see her subtle actions.

7. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your least favorite girl's thread.

In Emi's route, the fact that any story-savvy reader could predict that her father is already dead, yet that the way she approaches Hisao and the whole situation seems to be a bit saddening, is impressive itself.

8. Do you feel that, after playing Katawa Shoujo, that you are better equipped emotionally for a real-life relationship? Why or why not? If you are currently in a relationship, do you feel that playing KS will allow you to strengthen it? Why or why not?

I have no idea, as much as I felt somewhat emotional during gameplay. For me, it is just a story. If there was one thing I've learned from this game, that is...

...Every relationship, romantic or not, can give a person different experiences, bad or good.

Forgive my informality.

An academic paper? Very interesting. I don't suppose you'd tell us your name, or at least what university you're from, so that we can keep an eye out? Budding grad students want to know!

Okay, on to the questions.

1) Rin's. She was just so... lost. I wanted to be there for her, but I didn't know how. I didn't understand her. And that was the point. It was beautiful.

2) Hanako's. I just answered the questions according to what I thought would lead to a successful relationship. It helped that I have some basic psychotherapy training, so I had a pretty good idea what kinds of behavior would be helpful.

3) From best to worst: Rin, Hanako, Lily, Shizune, Emi.

4) Rin: Understanding.
Hanako: Respect.
Lily: Trust.
Shizune: Loyalty.
Emi: Observation.

5) Rin: 8 hours.
Hanako: 10 hours.
Lily: 9 hours.
Shizune: 8 hours.
Emi: 10 hours.

6) Rin's route, her very last line. "What's the word for when it feels inside your heart that everything in the world is all right?" After everything that happened in that route, that line just felt so... right.

7) Emi's route. Shortly after she tells Hisao about her accident. Emi tells Hisao that he's changed the way she wants to live her life. Hisao replies, "Well, these things happen." Very simple, but in-context it's a powerful thing for him to say.

Perhaps slightly. The game taught me to watch others and find out what they need from me, but not to try and fix their problems for them. That's a valuable lesson, but I think I knew it already. I can say for certain that the game helped to solidify the lesson, though.