Katawa Shoujo Forums

Tough one; especially since it could easily break off into a discussion about the relatively short life-spans of human beings, and how even an extremely short life on average could easily be ten times more worthwhile than the dull and repetitive lives that most so-called "normal and healthy" people live. However, in my own humble opinion, I'd have to say Emi, since Hisao seems like he got the best deal at the end of that route - since, even if their relationship didn't work out in the end, he would still have benefited from it in so many ways. I try to see things from Hisao's point of view when considering these kind of things, and I'm pretty sure he'd be an EMI-MAN. Personally, thought, I'd feel more comfortable around Rin or Lilly.

acewing905 wrote:

Synthus wrote:Shizune's.

No stagnation, no mediocrity.

And what do you mean by stagnation, exactly?

WYSIWYG.

Shizune strikes me as the kind of person who'd keep pushing Hisao out of his comfort zone. You don't grow as a person and a human being by staying home and wanking all day, you do so by getting shit done even if it's physically and mentally discomfiting.

Synthus wrote:

acewing905 wrote:

Synthus wrote:Shizune's.

No stagnation, no mediocrity.

And what do you mean by stagnation, exactly?

WYSIWYG.

Shizune strikes me as the kind of person who'd keep pushing Hisao out of his comfort zone. You don't grow as a person and a human being by staying home and wanking all day, you do so by getting shit done even if it's physically and mentally discomfiting.

I dunno about you, but me and most people I know don't consider dating someone "outside the comfort zone" to be a very healthy prospect. But I guess it's each to his own.

Emi's. Hisao handled his BIZZNASS in that one. Clear college/career path, health issues taken seriously and dealt with as far as he is able, healthy relationship with someone who will KEEP him on the straight and narrow as far as his health goals (and hey, maybe he'd be able to help emi plan for the future a bit better, win/win).

All in all, best outcome in the game for our protagonist.

acewing905 wrote: I dunno about you, but me and most people I know don't consider dating someone "outside the comfort zone" to be a very healthy prospect. But I guess it's each to his own.

I can't tell if you're being deliberately obtuse or if you just misunderstood me completely.

Mediocrity is comfortable. Why? It never asks more of you than you're willing to give. Growth requires a willingness to take risks and to break your suboptimal established patterns.

Hisao/Shizune has the makings of an eventual power couple. Hisao could be a renowned tuition teacher at a cram school (don't laugh, those fuckers are near-celebrities and can earn millions) while Shizune would kick ass as a prominent businesswoman and an advocate for the deaf.

Hanako - Perhaps actually not the best. No, I don't hate her character (she's actually my favorite...despite my avatar) but I don't see it being the best. I see Hanako gaining enough self-confidence in herself as she gets older and maybe break up with Hisao. GRANTED, if they truly love each other (Hisao because he was able to open up about his bitterness and Hanako because she was able to open up about the raw truth of her hellish past) it could last. On the plus side, Hanako doesn't seem like the girl who would ask for a lot and expect somebody to be very perfect. Like Lilly, she's too much of a kind and sweet girl.

Emi - Emi would be on Hisao's ass about his health and force him to work out and run all day everyday, thus prolonging his life, perhaps beating the odds and living to his 70s or 80s (it's possible.)

Rin - This is weird. I honestly do not know if this could be the best ending for Hisao. I don't see 'em having anything in common.

Lilly - If we're talking about Lilly being a "Mary Sue" and everything being so perfect, yeah, of course this will be the best ending for Hisao. Lilly's a rich and very sweet and kind girl and I can see them having a relationship for a good long ass while.

Shizune - Her desire to outdo and be the best no matter what could rub off Hisao, making him become a second Shizune in terms of wanting to have power and the balls to do whatever the fuck he wanna do even with his bad heart.

None of 'em - if we're talking about outside the box realstic views, do you honestly think High School Sweethearts last that long? Granted, I'm a product of two high school sweethearts that have lasted in marriage and relationship for almost 45+ years but that's rare.

Synthus wrote:

acewing905 wrote: I dunno about you, but me and most people I know don't consider dating someone "outside the comfort zone" to be a very healthy prospect. But I guess it's each to his own.

I can't tell if you're being deliberately obtuse or if you just misunderstood me completely.

You've already explained it perfectly clearly, twice. Move on, leave him to it.

Mediocrity is comfortable. Why? It never asks more of you than you're willing to give. Growth requires a willingness to take risks and to break your suboptimal established patterns.

Damn straight. It's something I wish I'd figured out when I was Hisao's age.

Synthus wrote:
I can't tell if you're being deliberately obtuse or if you just misunderstood me completely.

Mediocrity is comfortable. Why? It never asks more of you than you're willing to give. Growth requires a willingness to take risks and to break your suboptimal established patterns.

Hisao/Shizune has the makings of an eventual power couple. Hisao could be a renowned tuition teacher at a cram school (don't laugh, those fuckers are near-celebrities and can earn millions) while Shizune would kick ass as a prominent businesswoman and an advocate for the deaf.

I don't understand how taking risk and breaking one's suboptimal established patterns (aka 'habits") is exclusive to Shizune's route. Sure, it's more stressed in hers because she is utterly unable to stop shoving her friends out of their comfort zone, but Hisao goes out of his way to close the gap with his love interest in every path...well except Kenji's.

Also, I firmly believe that consistently seeking challenge for the sake of it can be harmful, certainly not as harmful as doing nothing all day, but still. You'll end up focusing on a challenge, then another, then another, until you either bite more than you can chew or go so high you have to create artificial challenges to keep you going.
You'll surely become a very active and productive member of society. Chances are you'll also be an overconfident ass who cares little for the few people who are willing to bear with your abrasive personnality. (To clarify, I don't see Shizune that way. She cares, but she doesn't quite know how to show it.)

Summarizing some of my guesses on Hisao's post-game life, listed as most probable to least probable. I'm just banging this out off the top of my head right now, I may have made some disagreeable calls about Lilly's and Rin's since it's been a while since I've played those paths.

Emi's Hisao - Health > Open to Experiences > Reliable > Understanding Others > Integrity

Hanako's Hisao - Reliable > Understanding Others > Integrity > Health > Open to Experiences

Lilly's Hisao - Reliable > Health > Understanding Others > Integrity > Open to Experience

Rin's Hisao - Open to Experiences > Understanding Others > Integrity > Reliable > Health

Shizune's Hisao - Integrity > Reliable > Understanding Others > Health > Open to Experiences





My major is in Waifu Studies

Ascended Flutist wrote: I don't understand how taking risk and breaking one's suboptimal established patterns (aka 'habits") is exclusive to Shizune's route. Sure, it's more stressed in hers because she is utterly unable to stop shoving her friends out of their comfort zone, but Hisao goes out of his way to close the gap with his love interest in every path...well except Kenji's.

It only really shows up in Emi's and Shizune's routes, and my impression is that in Emi's route it's more of a 'runner's high' deal. Hisao might eventually transfer that idea to other parts of his life, but he's denser than I am. It'll take him a couple more years to catch on.

Ascended Flutist wrote: Also, I firmly believe that consistently seeking challenge for the sake of it can be harmful, certainly not as harmful as doing nothing all day, but still. You'll end up focusing on a challenge, then another, then another, until you either bite more than you can chew or go so high you have to create artificial challenges to keep you going.

Yes, which is also why you focus on the journey and not the destination. If your happiness and fulfillment is contingent on your achievement of a specific goal, you'll never be a happy person. You don't need to take it to an extreme, but you do need to kick yourself in the ass and stop wanking around in your happy place for too long if you want to keep growing and maturing.

Ascended Flutist wrote: You'll surely become a very active and productive member of society. Chances are you'll also be an overconfident ass who cares little for the few people who are willing to bear with your abrasive personnality.

Let's just say that this is one hell of a strawman and leave it at that.

Seems to me there's a mostly different answer depending on what you'd mean by "best."

Best long-term outcome: Eri. Mostly for health, of course, but now that she's beginning to work through her trauma she isn't going to be as difficult for him to relate to as she was at times.

Happiest - in a conventional sense, at least: Lilly. But likely with the shortest lifespan. He hasn't done well so far, and Lilly isn't one to motivate him to change.

Most interesting future - and most challenging - Rin, but with Hanako a close second. For both.

I kinda feel guilty for not seeing anything "best" about Shizune, because I loved her storyline, and her character, but not quite as much as I did any other. I think it's a mark of how good the story arcs were that the one I found the least interesting is still really good.

Thrasher Thetic wrote:Emi's. Hisao handled his BIZZNASS in that one. Clear college/career path, health issues taken seriously and dealt with as far as he is able, healthy relationship with someone who will KEEP him on the straight and narrow as far as his health goals (and hey, maybe he'd be able to help emi plan for the future a bit better, win/win).

All in all, best outcome in the game for our protagonist.

Couldn't have said it better brotha.

...where is Manly Picnic xD

I can understand why there are so few votes for Shizune, but in the end I think this ending was the best, for one overwhelming thing he was lacking in almost all of the other endings. He learned to do things for himself, not because someone else suggested it to him, or someone he cares for wants him to do, but because he himself wants to do it.

The only other path I feel that comes even close is Lily's, but its a completely different kind of ending, where he has someone to commit to.

Overall I think Emi's would probably be the worst of paths. I know a lot of you will be saying wtf, but its pretty simple, the very reason most seem to think it would be good, is exactly why its bad. First things first, being physically fit does not equal being healthy, Hisao is the perfect example of this in fact. Certainly keeping his body active with light exercise is the ideal, but pushing his body constantly will have the opposite effect on his already weak heart, and he will live a shorter life. Sure he'll be healthy as an Ox for quite a while, but after any lengthy amount of time with this lifestyle, his heart will simply not be able to keep up.

His heart condition isn't something he can get rid of, or "Get Better", it simply becomes more manageable with a little activity. A very active lifestyle may feel good for a while, but will ultimately end badly.

Joeshmoelb wrote:I can understand why there are so few votes for Shizune, but in the end I think this ending was the best, for one overwhelming thing he was lacking in almost all of the other endings. He learned to do things for himself, not because someone else suggested it to him, or someone he cares for wants him to do, but because he himself wants to do it.

The only other path I feel that comes even close is Lily's, but its a completely different kind of ending, where he has someone to commit to.

Overall I think Emi's would probably be the worst of paths. I know a lot of you will be saying wtf, but its pretty simple, the very reason most seem to think it would be good, is exactly why its bad. First things first, being physically fit does not equal being healthy, Hisao is the perfect example of this in fact. Certainly keeping his body active with light exercise is the ideal, but pushing his body constantly will have the opposite effect on his already weak heart, and he will live a shorter life. Sure he'll be healthy as an Ox for quite a while, but after any lengthy amount of time with this lifestyle, his heart will simply not be able to keep up.

His heart condition isn't something he can get rid of, or "Get Better", it simply becomes more manageable with a little activity. A very active lifestyle may feel good for a while, but will ultimately end badly.

i quite agree