Misha's disabillity?

[cemex]

NEW THEORY: Misha's disability is that she is actually a vampire, going around drinking people's blood in order to survive. Eventually Hisao discovers this and is forced to kill her, partly so the devs don't have to write a route for her. It's okay though, because she'll get to star in a fighting game spinoff alongside everyone else in the VN, finally getting the screentime she rightly deserves.

Or maybe she is a werepoodle, transforming into a fluffy pink poodle every full moon

[Wraith_Magus]

Right, sorry if I don't read through all 35 pages of the rest of this thread, but honestly, when I try to put my head to this subject, I come to a couple quick conclusions.

First off, the obvious, she has no clear external disabilities, so she almost certainly has something internal, such as a looming major organ failure like Hisao, or something that would require constant medical attention, like some form of cancer or Leukemia or some other major illness.

When you're talking about the "clues" of Misha getting dizzy on the stairs, or being clumsy, and you are talking about some sort of major disease or organ failure, then it really does nothing to narrow it down - almost any serious malady, or the drugs that are used to treat those diseases (such as chemotherapy) or injuries can leave the person weak, anemic, or just generally uncoordinated... and that's assuming Misha isn't already klutzy just by nature. It's not like Yuuko needs a disease to make her bump her head or be clumsy.

There were also some points I saw in things like that Neuman video, where she's foreign, and knowing sign language, but again, there is no proof that it is related to any disease in particular, although having at least some experience with deafness because of knowing at least some sign language is the most reasonable and telling piece of evidence I have heard.

Hence, I draw my conclusion that if you "follow the clues", you can basically give Misha almost any chronic disease you want, and it would fit the criteria, which reminds me of something I remember reading on a blog called Less Wrong, talking about scientific theories: That a theory's strength doesn't lie in what it allows, but in what it allows, because if you make a hypothesis that allows any possible outcome to happen without breaking the hypothesis, then you have effectively zero knowledge.

Rather, I think that it's better to look at this from the perspective of how the devs want to use Misha in the plot: She isn't a pursuable character, and functionally exists as a prop in the plot, something that negates Shizune's disability so that you can have conversations with Shizune during Act 1. Because of this, I think that there's basically two ways to go with Misha:

First, Misha is nothing more than comic relief. She has something that is functionally unimportant to the plot, and in which case, I kind of expect her to have had cancer or leukemia or something in the past, had chemotherapy to treat it before Hisao ever came to the school, but has already mostly recovered, and is just a little unstable and wobbly as a lingering effect. She's basically ready to go out into the regular world again and live a fairly healthy life, but rather than kick her out to go to a normal school, they let her stay to finish out the rest of her high school years as a Yamaku student, since she got along with the others there. (I also like to think that Misha's actually got really short hair or is just bald, and her "pink drill hair" is actually a wig, and she just bought the most outrageous one in the shop. You'll actually see her at the end of the game, and she'll have short brown hair.)

As a "first and a half", it's possible that she can mostly be comic relief, but have some dramatic backstory behind it. She could have had some sort of very protracted battle with illness, the sort which had left her in the hospital since she was basically a toddler, and she has essentially never been out of a hospital until she came to Yamaku, when she had finally started to really overcome her illness, and she's basically finally able to actually go out and about. In this case, her extreme energy, lack of volume control, and clumsiness are all explained by her being too sick in the past to be able to talk properly, being bedridden for most of her life, and not having any friends or people she could converse with, besides maybe her parents or nurses, and now that she actually has that option, "OHMYGOD, HI HI HI! I NEVER MET YOU BEFORE, HEY, LET'S BE FRIENDS, OK? I NEVER HAD FRIENDS BEFORE, OHMYGOD, WHY ARE WE JUST STANDING HERE, LETS GO DO SOMETHING! WAAHAHAHHA!" If she could actually speak, it's possible that she was simply a wardmate with someone who was deaf, and as such, learned sign language simply by being some other deaf girl's friend, because she was stuck in a bed with nobody else to "talk" to for years on end.

Either way, Misha basically is fine and getting better, and can generally just keep playing the role that she currently plays in the game, although if you go the Shizune route, and Hisao learns sign language well enough to converse directly with Shizune, then her role basically gets faded out, and she becomes less important as a character, if more her own person, because she isn't just Shizune's right hand anymore.

Secondly, however, Misha can be an instrument for injecting some extra drama. She can still have basically anything, but the main point is that she's getting worse. For an ironic twist, I think it might even be amusing if Misha has Arrhythmia, and that's the reason why Shizune and Misha are the only ones, aside from Hanako, you can't just outright say you have arrhythmia to in Act 1. Anyway, the point is, she basically goes down at some point later on, (not necessarily dead, but possibly put back in a hospital ward) after Hisao has some chance to learn a little sign language, and suddenly, Shizune's prop to communicate with everyone else is gone, and she's left almost totally alone again, except, of course, for Hisao, who she would have much more reason to depend upon for daily life without Misha around. Insert dramatic love story here. Anyway, it would also explain the whole, "she doesn't get a part to play, because she's actually a vampire, and dies, but gets to be part of all the fighting games, isn't it sad, Micchan?" thing fairly neatly.

There is, however, a third option... "WAAAHAHAHA! You have done well to get this far, Hicchan, but now you know too much! That's right, *I* am the final boss, and empress of the New Feminist Empire! WAHAHAHA! One year ago, I set my plans into motion by draining Kenji of all his manly superpowers, taking them all for myself! Now, when I have yours, I will be INVINCIBLE!" *Commence Misha rapes Hisao scene.* After which, clearly, Lilly tries to stop Misha, but then gets caught up in a gun kata battle with Shizune on the burning rooftops of a major industrial plant that they were near for no reason because it was finally time to decide who would inherit their secret ninja school, and the day is only saved when Rin learns the true meaning of her foot chopsticks, and uses them to pilot her Super Robot, which gives Hanako the courage to finally use her witch magic openly to save the day. Oh, right, and Emi was a time traveler, but that's not really important.

[neumanproductions]

^^^ That Arrhythmia idea of yours actually made a thought burst into my head of how plausible and interesting that might be. I'm still sticking with my original idea but that theory has taken up a large space in my mind right now.
Excellent discussion by the way.

[Wraith_Magus]

^^^ That Arrhythmia idea of yours actually made a thought burst into my head of how plausible and interesting that might be. I'm still sticking with my original idea but that theory has taken up a large space in my mind right now.
Excellent discussion by the way.

I can't remember what exactly it was about it, but during the scene where Misha and Shizune visit Hisao's room during Shizune's non-Emi-interrupted path, when they were looking at Hisao's pills, that idea popped up in my mind.

I guess if you really want to stretch for "evidence", you could also say the part where Hisao blows out his heart with Emi, and Misha asks him where he was, and Hisao says "I was having fun giving myself a heart attack", then her whole "being seriously concerned for someone she considers a friend casually talking about a heart attack" before Hisao gives her and Shizune the middle finger for caring about him, and wanting to know what is wrong is some sort of clue, because she obviously flips out when she hears it.

Basically, I just don't understand why Hisao wouldn't be open about his condition, and instead chooses to throw in some needless wangst about it to people who obviously mean no ill, so I figure some sort of idiot plot is at work, and there's some sort of plot-related reason Shizune and Misha can't know what Hisao's condition is until later (or Hisao can't know what Misha's is), because the plot is constructed in such a way that you could resolve it quickly and efficiently if Hisao wasn't such a dick who would take out his daddy issues on a couple of girls who clearly just want to be his friend.

[Minister of Gloom]

Holy feces, your idea is so awesome.
And in one of the Shizune path Bad Endings, Hisao and Misha have sex and they both die. It's incredibly creepy.

But seriously now, awesome idea. Even if it ends up not being true (and it has no more a reason to not be than any other idea here), I really like it.

[Wraith_Magus]

Well, the other thing is, if Misha were to have Arrhythmia, and then give up the ghost, as in the second option I listed above, then I'd see Shizune reacting with, "You are absolutely not allowed to die on me! THAT'S AN ORDER!" You know how Emi was being strict about the junk food, but it was mostly because she just wanted to act like a big sister? Yeah, now Shizune is going to be following you around with a blood pressure reader, and strictly watching everything you take in, and measuring its nutritional values down to the milligram. And of course, there will be absolutely no salt in your diet, and everything will be organic. And you are getting up at precisely 0600 hours to begin your fitness regimen. Sleep will commence at precisely 2200 hours. I will be installing security cameras, if you open your eyes for even a second after the appointed sleep time, I will know!

[neumanproductions]

Well, the other thing is, if Misha were to have Arrhythmia, and then give up the ghost, as in the second option I listed above, then I'd see Shizune reacting with, "You are absolutely not allowed to die on me! THAT'S AN ORDER!" You know how Emi was being strict about the junk food, but it was mostly because she just wanted to act like a big sister? Yeah, now Shizune is going to be following you around with a blood pressure reader, and strictly watching everything you take in, and measuring its nutritional values down to the milligram. And of course, there will be absolutely no salt in your diet, and everything will be organic. And you are getting up at precisely 0600 hours to begin your fitness regimen. Sleep will commence at precisely 2200 hours. I will be installing security cameras, if you open your eyes for even a second after the appointed sleep time, I will know!

Considering I just thought about how Misha and Shizune have takeout so often (100 pairs of chopsticks) Arrhythmia is starting to slow down on my thought process. Still one of my fav theories, but i'm starting to look around Misha's actions again with the thought that "if she had arrythmia; death long time ago". Maybe a less fatal heart condition is in order. It the dizzyness on stairs and the smile/left hand Misha has on the opening classroom CG that i'm still most intrigued about.

[Wraith_Magus]

Considering I just thought about how Misha and Shizune have takeout so often (100 pairs of chopsticks) Arrhythmia is starting to slow down on my thought process. Still one of my fav theories, but i'm starting to look around Misha's actions again with the thought that "if she had arrythmia; death long time ago". Maybe a less fatal heart condition is in order. It the dizzyness on stairs and the smile/left hand Misha has on the opening classroom CG that i'm still most intrigued about.

That doesn't necessarily have to be evidence against it. Just because it's bad for her to eat junk food doesn't mean she won't, especially when it's much more convenient to order takeout because you can't afford time to go out and get it. (Besides, there is also quite a wide range of severity on something like arrhythmia.) But I know I shouldn't eat fried foods and avoid salt because I have a problematic heart, myself, but sometimes I don't want to go out, there's nothing in the house, and if I order Chinese, I can get steamed chicken and broccoli and white rice, which are as healthy as anything, but I still order the Hunan Chicken extra spicy, because I love that stuff.

[Yuurei]

I know what you mean and your theory surely is interesting, but something doesn't work.
The "I can't but I like it so I do it however" thing is appropriated for Misha's outgoing personality, but she isn't just that. She goes to a private school to be more safe, she's one of the two people in the student council and, moreover, she takes care of Shizune. It's not a person who can let herself die so easiest without thinking about consequences imho.
Hisao does safety things too and he is a crybaby who makes problems about everything, I don't see how Misha could be less responsible than him.

[neumanproductions]

Due to the increase in traffic on this topic I looked back at my old data video supporting Angelman-like syndrome and have thought of an extra piece of evidence.
Since Angelman-like syndrome is X chromosome carried Misha's mother could be perfectly normal while her father is the one who expressed the traits of being unable to speak. That could easily explain the fact of her knowing sign language since she would need it to converse with her father. Also, another symptom is a loss of some hearing which would support the reasoning for her speaking loud at some points.
This would all tie into her having partial symptoms of the genetic defect because of her having two X chromosomes and the only way she could be a girl is if she, got the defected X chromosome from her father.
I'm working towards med school so in depth analyses like this are important for that sort of thing.

[Yuurei]

Damn, I just said in another topic that parents are not so relevant in KS and now I am faced with a good explanation for Misha's disability that implies her father lol.
I'm not into this sort of medical things but this is another nice theory. She speaks loud quite a lot and she can be a little deaf also if never asks "What the hell you said, Hicchan? I haven't heard you WAHAHA--". Before now I was thinking that maybe she has learnt the sign language just to communicate with Shizune but it sounded a bit strange. The deaf father is an excellent excuse instead.

[Shades of gray]

certainly makes some sense (to me anyway)

Being 3/4th deaf (and getting worse, bloody alport syndrome) i know and have been told i speak louder then "normal" hearing people.

but one thing to throw into the misha pot, we never see her ears, therefore are unable to ascertain if she wears a hearing aid.

one last thing IF Misha is partially deaf. it would be kinda ironic due to hisao's thoughts { I know you heard me, you dont have an excuse like suizune } (trying to remember the exact point that was said, early emi path anyway)

going to play through again to see if i can spot some clues

[Yuurei]

Forced home -damn temperature- and bored, I was thinking.
About Misha we know that she has dizziness upon the stairs, a loud voice like deaf people and knows the sign language. The Meniere's disease is an assumption already made in this topic -I searched- but not taken seriously. It causes vertigo and a progressive hearing loss, that explain the first two things that we know. About the sign language, it's often written in the game that Misha has a very very good coordination with Shizune, so that they seem the same person. Maybe, like I wrote days ago, they were both sended at Yamaku when they were children and they are childhood friends. There is also a sign language class, Misha could be learned at it and did practice spending all the time with Shizune for years.
I still prefer the Angelman theory, but maybe this works. I simply can't forget the stairs thing.

[neumanproductions]

Maybe, like I wrote days ago, they were both sended at Yamaku when they were children and they are childhood friends.

This has already been proven false as Misha, when Shizune goes to get drinks, tells Hisao that she was just placed by Shizune and they became best friends. This all happens during the (Shanghaied scene)

Hisao: I've always been curious as to how these two met. "Do ypu two go far back or something? Childhood friends? Next-door neighbors?"
Misha: "Haha...Sorry, Hicchan, it's not anything like that, even if it would be cuter that way. When I can to this school, they just placed me next to Shicchan, and she looked like a very serious person."

Hisao says later that he wants to know more about where Misha learned sign language so I have no doubt we will get to see that down the Shizune route and maybe a few of the others.
God this is one of those scenes that makes me want Misha so much.

[Rocket Science]

Calling it right now, Misha has multiple disabilities.