Katawa Shoujo Forums

I learned of this game a couple days ago when a friend mentioned it to me. My initial reaction was "wtf? a dating sim about handicapped people?" He sent me a link, I was never actually planning on playing it, I am not a big fan of VN's, but I ended up downloading it and I tried it out. Within the first 5 minutes I was hooked. I never knew a game could elicit such an emotional response from me. I guess what I am trying to say is that until I played the game, I was not able to understand why or how this kind of theme would not be strange or offensive.

A lot of the controversy seems to be based on the title alone, which has some implications, so I can't really blame some Japanese people for being put off by it and being reluctant to want to play it. Jumping the gun and denouncing the game as an abomination is pushing it though, but yeah, if I were Japanese I would definitely think "that's a horrible title for a game".

From what I understand, Katawa isn't an outright slur, but the word itself has some implications (it literally means one-wheel and is a euphemism for something flawed) and is also antiquated-sounding. It's sort of like (as far I can tell) calling an African-American a negro, it's not technically a slur and was even the PC term in the 60s, but nowadays, it just sounds like something a rude senior citizen might say. Certainly if Japan released a dating sim called "Negro Girls" I would probably assume it's an offensive game.

However, as a non-Japanese speaking yank, I really could care less about the title or whether it's well-received in Japan, it's all moonspeak to me. I can appreciate the game for what it is, not whatever implications the title carries and I can only hope those who give the game a chance will enjoy it as well.

I do think it's interesting that the majority of people who hear "dating sim about disabled people" are quick to label it as offensive. What is so inherently wrong with seeing someone "different" in a romantic light? Isn't it more offensive to completely ignore that group as if they don't exist or to basically say "they shouldn't be in this particular medium"? If Katawa Shoujo were a manga about the disabled, I doubt people would label it offensive, there would probably even be people quick to praise it based on concept alone.

All in all, I'm honestly digging this controversy, it promotes some pretty interesting discussion.

Most of the comments in the Sankaku article are taken from here:

http://anago.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/moeplus/1325930645/

Looks like they just don't see the point of the game.

さしさわる、がいがある
って言葉のほうが差別的だし侮辱的だと思うな。

背が低い人も、力が弱い人も、色々いるのに、
目が見えにくい、耳が聞えにくい、頭が弱い…ただの個性じゃん。
めくら、つんぼ、きちがい…やさしくていい言葉だと思うけどな。

Still, there are many good comments.

CindehQ wrote:Certainly if Japan released a dating sim called "Negro Girls" I would probably assume it's an offensive game.

Oh, you will love this peculiar brand of candy we have here in Hungary.
http://m.blog.hu/ga/galm/image/gp_IMG_9303.JPG
http://www.fellowplaza.hu/files/product ... 1582_1.jpg

It's called Negro.

It's original flavor is a black, hard-candy with anise-menthol flavoring.
According to Wikipedia it was invented by Pietro Negro somewhere around 1920. I don't know if this is true, but I'm sure the name of the product is at least a pun on the spanish/portugese word "black".
Apart from the brand, the (bulk) wrapper sports a picture of a chimney-sweeper on it, along with the slogan "The chimney-sweeper of the troath."

So yeah... It's perfectly benign once you look behind the name. (And I do like the herbal-like flavor, but that's beside the point.)

rhfs wrote:Sankaku Complex has a known history of ridiculous sensationalism to make their articles more popular. It looks like this is just another one. I personally don't trust anything the site says.

I think the OP should probably mention something along the lines of this in the first post, using big, friendly letters.

---

Don't you think that it has a strange beauty that our dear KS game is severely handicapped in it's own way, regarding first impressions?

dragonfi wrote:

CindehQ wrote:Certainly if Japan released a dating sim called "Negro Girls" I would probably assume it's an offensive game.

Oh, you will love this peculiar brand of candy we have here in Hungary.
http://m.blog.hu/ga/galm/image/gp_IMG_9303.JPG
http://www.fellowplaza.hu/files/product ... 1582_1.jpg

It's called Negro.

It's original flavor is a black, hard-candy with anise-menthol flavoring.
According to Wikipedia it was invented by Pietro Negro somewhere around 1920. I don't know if this is true, but I'm sure the name of the product is at least a pun on the spanish/portugese word "black".
Apart from the brand, the (bulk) wrapper sports a picture of a chimney-sweeper on it, along with the slogan "The chimney-sweeper of the troath."

So yeah... It's perfectly benign once you look behind the name. (And I do like the herbal-like flavor, but that's beside the point.)

rhfs wrote:Sankaku Complex has a known history of ridiculous sensationalism to make their articles more popular. It looks like this is just another one. I personally don't trust anything the site says.

I think the OP should probably mention something along the lines of this in the first post, using big, friendly letters.

---

Don't you think that it has a strange beauty that our dear KS game is severely handicapped in it's own way, regarding first impressions?

I can't edit the opening post anymore, since i posted it as a guest but i did mention it a page back.

Just wanted you to know that 2ch constitutes only a fraction of the Japanese internet dwellers.
Also various 2ch boards have different tastes and attitudes.
Some threads just exist to throw crap at their targets from safe distance to kill their time.

Searching twitter with "かたわ少女" will reveal more diverse reactions.

People in Japan wouldn't actually play the game unless the Japanese version is released, so I don't think you'll find what you really want to hear, such as comments after completing the game. Most of the people are just reacting to the title or the news article.

My impression is that people who actually played Act1 are generally in favor of the news.

I realise i picked the wrong title and text in the post, but yeah, post above me, you are right ^^.

All that stuff about the name I find pretty amusing since practically everything, including the name (and I hear the part about Rin being the hardest girl to get, at least Act 1 seems to be designed that way), matches what RAITA wanted in the original sketch.

I wonder how people on places like 2ch would feel if someone pointed out that the source of the name is actually the same as the source of the concept. A very much Japanese person.

Esa94 wrote:All that stuff about the name I find pretty amusing since practically everything, including the name (and I hear the part about Rin being the hardest girl to get, at least Act 1 seems to be designed that way), matches what RAITA wanted in the original sketch.

I wonder how people on places like 2ch would feel if someone pointed out that the source of the name is actually the same as the source of the concept. A very much Japanese person.

They knew already, except i cut off the comments exactly where the picture was posted, more or less.

Click the link in the bottom of the first post and scroll down a bit, you will see the sketch.
Nothing really changed in their attitude though.

“How could a girl with no arms or burns on her face engage in a romantic relationship? It’s impossible, isn’t it?”

This is fucking retarded. I stopped reading after this.

I can't think of any less reliable yardstick of Japanese opinion than comments handpicked by the bullshit factory that is Sankaku... from 2ch, a cesspit of stupidity and extreme xenophobia. It's like expecting to get an honest review by asking the opinions of the worst trolls on /b/.

Any Japanese reaction right now is limited by the fact that the game is still only available in English. The single most praised thing about the game in English is the quality and sensitivity of the story. Until Japanese players can experience that, they won't have begun to scratch the surface.

That said, the name really should have been changed, in my opinion.

Well, again, the Japanese translation hasn't actually been released yet for anything except Act 1. I think when it does get released, the reception will be more positive.

I'm still studying Japanese, so I can't say I understand everything they're saying about the game, but from what comments I have been able to translate, it actually looks like a lot of them are giving it a decent chance.

From responses to the Japanese Kotaku thread (as well as I can translate them):
"I think this is good. 'Katawa' is misleading. 'Disabled' or 'handicapped' would be better. Still, I agree with the direction and spirit of the game."
"Prosthetic legs and arms are still a little too soon for me..."
"Japanese otaku and foreign otaku are amazing, aren't they?"
"I'd like to play that."
"A game where everyone's handicapped [...] I wonder what kind of scenarios, I'm really interested."

Sancom Wahahahaha!

I don't trust that place even if it was the only online source left on Earth! XD

Oh yeah I may be sort of new but this is relevant to our discussion about Japanese's take on KS. Then maybe I can bring this up....

Recently heard a story that suggest that some Japanese are discussing making their own rendition of Katawa Shoujo. Donno why or how come. I don't have a direct link or anything regarding this since it was picked up on twitter on some point.

But from what I was told based on the rumor. They are considering having a Japanese artist known as MAMA do the art. Who's MAMA? Well I got a link via pix (course he's known for his +18 art) to take heed. http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=10358

While I'm at it he posted somewhere his first initial sketches of Misha, Shizune, and Emi.


What's your take on this? I personally think this may be a few Japanese overreacting out of surprised of where KS came from ATM. But yeah is anyone can find some more on this said info that would please me.

Why is Emi squinting so hard? Is she looking directly at the sun or something?