Katawa Shoujo Forums

Dream wrote:Most certainly, it's just that in my experience when this topic comes up some people say that none of Hanako's fans would like her or stand to look at her if her scars were rendered realistically, which i feel is a bit of an hyperbole. They would certainly be shocking or jarring, but Hanako's not the Phantom of the Opera

I would agree with that, but then again, it's easy enough to say that. I just think that if skin like that bothers you, Hanako's skin probably would, too.

By the way, what i meant by professionalism is more a localized matter regarding the KS forums, since the fan-art section is also intended for people who want to have fun or an expression of their fandom throught the creation of something, with the technical quality and effort put into it only as a secondary concern.

Yeah, I get that. I'm not saying that people have to yearn for their skills to improve, I'm just saying that if they are yearning for that, a refusal to use reference isn't helping.

Oddball wrote:Most of those scars in the link seem rather fresh.

Like I said before, I'm only referring to the one I linked to directly, not any of the others below it. My fault for not being clear.

Woody Alien wrote:It's creepy as hell! Couldn't they just use the usual black bar over the eyes?

It's common practice in dermatological journals, where there's a need to show as much of the skin as possible. It's also pretty pointless.

A Forum Member wrote:I have been thinking about that, if you get serious burns on areas of the head where hair grows, then it shouldn't grow back, right? Shouldn't Hanako be partially bald and look pretty atrocious?

Yeah, and it seems like it's still an unsolved problem in reconstructive surgery. Maybe her hair was really, really wet and short at the time?

KeiichiO wrote:Of course, if her scarring was depicted as more realistic like in the supplied photos, the sight might take time to get used to, but I honestly don't think they'd diminish her overall cuteness.

I'm not sure if any of you will agree with me, and I'm probably just trying to be overly optimistic, but I try and view Hanako's scarring as an extended beauty mark, though, it'd probably be hard to view it like this in real life...

No, I think you're right about this. I know it wouldn't bother me, but for various reasons I'm used to seeing much worse than that by now, and I wasn't sure if that's why it didn't bother me.

pandaphil wrote:Anyway, did some Googling...

So the reason I linked directly to a peer reviewed paper on burn scars is that most of the Google image results are definitely makeup or photoshop (at least one of the images you linked clearly is). The image I referenced is something that dermatological researchers explicitly considered a significant recovery, and it doesn't match up with most of those images. It's hard to know whether what Google spits out is real or not.

Xanatos wrote:Those are all about Hanako-level. Doesn't seem too disfiguring to me. And people were bullying Hanako over this...What assholes.

Doesn't that suggest that her scars might actually be worse than that?

Xanatos wrote:A) The actual look of such severe burns would be a bother to accurately replicate in an anime-esque style like KS.

Now this I definitely disagree with. Look at Prince Zuko from Avatar: TLA. One of the key features of burn scars that differentiates them from other lesions is what's called skin contracture, and the avatar animators captured that pretty well. By contrast, Hanako's skin looks identical on both sides save for discoloration on her right (not that I'm saying that's this terrible thing, just that it is possible to be more true to reality with these things in this style).

YZQ wrote:Suddenly, I have this weird suggestion for Hanako to be a dermatologist.

Eh, better than my "It puts the lotion in the basket" thing.

One big problem for survivors is the destruction of structures found underneath the skin, e.g. sweat glands, nerve endings, hair follicles. As far as I know, there is currently no way to replicate these structures.

As for Hanako, maybe the fire just happened to miss that part of her head.

YZQ wrote:One big problem for survivors is the destruction of structures found underneath the skin, e.g. sweat glands, nerve endings, hair follicles. As far as I know, there is currently no way to replicate these structures.

As for Hanako, maybe the fire just happened to miss that part of her head.

Or she wears a wig.

I would think that Hanako will be frank with Hisao if she is indeed wearing a wig.

But, Hanako as a scientist/doctor in a lab coat. My, my.

Hanako's hair was saved because a half-bald girl isn't cute. It's as simple as that.

Handwaving FTW, then. In any case, the purple hair is already into anime hair territory.

muliebrity wrote:

pandaphil wrote:Anyway, did some Googling...

So the reason I linked directly to a peer reviewed paper on burn scars is that most of the Google image results are definitely makeup or photoshop (at least one of the images you linked clearly is). The image I referenced is something that dermatological researchers explicitly considered a significant recovery, and it doesn't match up with most of those images. It's hard to know whether what Google spits out is real or not.

Xanatos wrote:Those are all about Hanako-level. Doesn't seem too disfiguring to me. And people were bullying Hanako over this...What assholes.

Doesn't that suggest that her scars might actually be worse than that?

Xanatos wrote:A) The actual look of such severe burns would be a bother to accurately replicate in an anime-esque style like KS.

Now this I definitely disagree with. Look at Prince Zuko from Avatar: TLA. One of the key features of burn scars that differentiates them from other lesions is what's called skin contracture, and the avatar animators captured that pretty well. By contrast, Hanako's skin looks identical on both sides save for discoloration on her right (not that I'm saying that's this terrible thing, just that it is possible to be more true to reality with these things in this style).

You're probably right about the makeup. Looking back I should have at least skipped the black and white one. I guess my point is that we can't necessarily assume that Hanako's injuries are such that they'd make children cry, and dogs run away just from looking at her. As for your pics, not to offend people in India, but its a far poorer place than the U.S or Japan, so the same levels of medical care and reconstructive surgery might not be available there to deal with burn victims. It really seems like that gallery went with the most extreme examples to make their point.

YZQ wrote:Handwaving FTW, then. In any case, the purple hair is already into anime hair territory.

Actually, I knew a woman with purple hair...Never saw any signs of it ever being dyed. But yeah, it's the Rule of Cute in action.

That must be some pigments in her follicles. Definitely not common ones.

As for the scars, consider that she's had some years of healing before we see her and was protected during the fire as well. Her scars were likely never terribly bad (Google's usual results for 'burn victim'). It seems the sheer expanse of them is the main disfiguring factor.

Xanatos wrote:Hanako's hair was saved because a half-bald girl isn't cute. It's as simple as that.

I think Chelsea Hawks can look really good if done right. Shame it wouldn't suit her.

pandaphil wrote:You're probably right about the makeup. Looking back I should have at least skipped the black and white one. I guess my point is that we can't necessarily assume that Hanako's injuries are such that they'd make children cry, and dogs run away just from looking at her. As for your pics, not to offend people in India, but its a far poorer place than the U.S or Japan, so the same levels of medical care and reconstructive surgery might not be available there to deal with burn victims. Those really seem like they went with the worst cases.

Indian research tends to get funding from all over, and is generally well regarded worldwide (though, I admit, not nearly as much as, say, research from China). For what it's worth, there are American studies that show much the same thing, though I only have access to them through a university and can't show them to you.

Xanatos wrote:

YZQ wrote:Handwaving FTW, then. In any case, the purple hair is already into anime hair territory.

Actually, I knew a woman with purple hair...Never saw any signs of it ever being dyed.

Its just not possible. Most you can get is black hair with traces of red, and if you have the right light then it might look purple.

If her hair is indeed natural, then quick! Someone get her hair sample!

Most of them don't bother me, but as for the picture of the legs... I'm sorry, but if her body was that bad I just don't think I could see her in a sexual light.

But as for the pictures that can be compared to Hanako's burns, I would see Hanako the same. I was kind of aware the burns weren't that realistic looking, but the real scars wouldn't have been nearly as atrocious as some of that stuff.

muliebrity wrote: Indian research tends to get funding from all over, and is generally well regarded worldwide (though, I admit, not nearly as much as, say, research from China). For what it's worth, there are American studies that show much the same thing, though I only have access to them through a university and can't show them to you.

Good to hear of course. Though I still stand by my comment that I believe the article probably went with the most extreme "worst case" examples rather than typical burn victims to make their point.