Katawa Shoujo Forums

This is cut and pasted from an earlier post, but I put it here because it fits better here.

Its really hard choosing between the 5 lovely and fun to be around ladies, but as of Act 1, I'd have to place them thus:

1) LILLY
I'm totally a sucker for refined, elegant, kindly, and beautiful (though not necessarily in that order) girls. After I
completed her path I realized that even if she could see Hanako and her scars, she would still be her friend, simply
because she's the kind of person who helps out anyone who is willing to accept her help, but isn't controlling or
berating like Shizune is. I find her magnanimity really appealing and that that led me to instinctually end up with Lilly
on my first playthrough. I've also always been attracted to girls with a high-class air about them and Lilly has that in
SPADES. Her theme music (Concord) defiantly helps establish that too. If that makes her 'a bit clichéd' well, I don’t
care one bit. TLDR; Lilly is mai waifu.

2) RIN
Her path is kinda hard to find, but not as much as I expected, but she's hilarious and more importantly
thought-provoking. Even if she is totally bonkers. She's sort of like a female Andy Warhol, only more funny, less
pretentious, and even more incomprehensible. It bothers me slightly that, IMO, she gets the least screentime for her
path than any other girl barring possibly Hanako, her ending more than makes up for it as it is the best one in the
game, even if it takes a while for the emotional depth of the scene to play out. You also don't feel like you're
'hanging out' with her like you do with the other girls, but more like she's allowing you to take part in the crazy, but
awesome, place that is her mind. And that is what's so appealing to me about Rin. Examining Rin's thought
processes was an enlightening experience into a fascinatingly different way of thinking.

3) SHIZUNE
I really had a hard time placing her above Hanako. Shizune's scheming almost made me believe in Kenji's moonbat
crazy (but endlessly hilarious) conspiracy theories and her desire to turn EVERYTHING into a competition was far
more annoying than charming. What I found most annoying about her was Shizune's antagonistic attitude towards
everyone who wasn't Misha or Hisao. Sure, you can blame that on her stress and pressure to finish her work on the
festival, some of her scoldings are deserved, and I'll reserve judgement on her rivalry with Lilly until more about it
is revealed. However when she and Misha start picking on Hanako simply because 'the friend of the enemy is my
enemy', it GREATLY lowered my opinion of Shizune since I really just cannot stand anyone who would cause trouble
for someone else just to hurt that person's friend by proxy. Yet, I after playing her route, I did become attached to
her character as well. Because, for all thier faults, Shizune and Misha are still really fun to hang around. Her
competitive streak means that being with Shizune is never dull, Shizune's tsundere-ness is somewhat offset by
Misha's Genki-ness, I really like that Shizune seems to be driving Hisao to overcome his self-pity and make the
most out of his life, and in spite of everything, she's still a lot more personable than most tsundere characters.

4) HANAKO
Before I played Act 1 I thought Hanako would be my favorite, but after playing I was actually somewhat put off
by her character. I know she's supposed to be painfully shy, but its taken almost to the point of ridiculousness.
It's only very late in the game that you learn anything about Hanako other than 'She's got burns all over her and
flees in terror from anyone who isn't Lilly, who she follows around like a duckling.' Way less intriguing than the
other girls mentioned above. So much that I sometimes wondered whether her ending would be worth the effort.
However, I turned out to be wrong and her ending was appropriately endearing. Sure it wasn't romantic in the
same way that the fire-works endings of the above girls were, but in the end, it was sweet and it fit her character.
A scarred (literally and figuratively) girl coming out of her shell enough to have a nice game of chess with a new
friend. Her indisputable Moe powers also help too.

5) EMI
I originally worried that Emi might be too Genki for me to like, since I almost always find Genki girls to be more
aggrivating than fun to be around. While I ended up liking her like all the other girls, my main complaint against her
isn't her Genki-ness, but rather the lackluster appeal of her personality in comparison to the other girls. While still
a well-written character, and her Genki-ness (usually) doesn't come off as overly sweet or insencere, her personality
doesn't have the draw of Lilly's kindness and refinement, Rin's fascinating and audaciously hilarious thought processes,
Shizune's boldness and tenacity, or even Hanako's sweet and simple charm underneath her deep scars. It also doesn't
help that she nearly gets Hisao get killed IN HER OWN PATH which is beyond stupid and irresponsible even if
Hisao was mostly responsible. Granted she does try to make up for it, but the day of the festival is not nearly as fun with
her as it is with the other girls since she keeps Hisao from eating junk food and there's no fireworks scene because Hisao
has to get up early next morning to jog. WTF?! Does that sound like a fun day at a festivial to you? He only hs to become
Mr. Fitness because he over-exerted himself trying to keep up with Little Miss Legs of Steel. Why should we miss out
vicariously because Hisao was being to stupid to live? Also, she tries to use Genki-ness to be cute and while it is effective,
it is no match for the power of Lillys grace, Rin's Kookiness, Shizune's Tsundere-ness, or Hanako's undeniable Moe.

As for Misha, well she seems to be something of a darkhorse favourite of the KS fandom, but I really just don't care for
her. Her Genki-ness does help to offset Shizune's more aggravating tsundere tendnecies, but she's exactly the grating
and in-your-face kind of cute that usually puts me off from Genki characters (though I must give Emi credit for being
genki without being too annoying).

Overall, however, I'd say that they're all wonderfully drawn, wonderfully written characters with distinct and vibrant
personalities (except Shizune, who it is sometimes difficult to tell from Misha, but then again that was the whole point)
and it was well worth the time it took to earn 100% completion and I can't wait to repeat the achievement in the full version.

Despair Sensei wrote: It also doesn't
help that she nearly gets Hisao get killed IN HER OWN PATH which is beyond stupid and irresponsible even if
Hisao was mostly responsible.

Mostly? What was Emi supposed to do, mind read his condition and tackle him to the ground? She just knew the nurse wanted him exercising, not that he'd have a heart attack if he exerted himself.

SirMax wrote:

Despair Sensei wrote: It also doesn't
help that she nearly gets Hisao get killed IN HER OWN PATH which is beyond stupid and irresponsible even if
Hisao was mostly responsible.

Mostly? What was Emi supposed to do, mind read his condition and tackle him to the ground? She just knew the nurse wanted him exercising, not that he'd have a heart attack if he exerted himself.

You have a point good sir, but it still doesn't justify having Hisao act like an idiot in order to get a girl.
Real life precedents not withstanding.

He wasn't doing it for the pussy. He was just having a little fun. He obviously doesn't know his limits yet.

Hypothermia wrote:He wasn't doing it for the pussy. He was just having a little fun. He obviously doesn't know his limits yet.

Hisao's personality changes for each path. Different girl=different Hisao. After playing all the paths I have trouble seeing Hisao as anything more than an undefined mass who gradualy molds himself to fit whichever of the girls you choose. On Rin's path I don't see any kind of phyical competition ever arrising, but for Emi's path it has to; for Shizune's path, mental challenges and emotional fireworks, which are the opposite of what Hanako's path needs. The girls characters are more solid to my mind, Hisao morphs to fit them.

Face it, Hisao is the virtual penis for all the players to get into the girls panties.

Haha. I guess you're right.


I guess that's okay, but only if the girls change too. Otherwise it's just Hisao being a dishonest manwhore.

Hypothermia wrote:dishonest manwhore.

that's kinda like saying black negro, white caucasian or green grass :p

I wouldn't want my personification in a porn game any different

Try to keep the discussion to a minimum, please. This thread can do without clutter.

Looks:
I think they're all pretty, but this is just in comparison to one another.

Misha>Lilly>Hanako>Emi>Shizune=Rin

Personality:
I'm tired so I'll just write my favourite one.

Misha: Favourtie girl. Always smiling and trying to make others smile, comes off as a bit of a ditz but at times shows real and genuine emotions. She's so innocent in her happy attitude, and in my opinion she's just a pleasure to be around. Anytime I play Shizune's path, I'm always smiling because of her. She literally does make my day better.

Side note and do not discuss this further in this thread (because that's not what the thread is about); I can't see any reason why she doesn't have her own path. She was actually the only girl I was really playing the game for, and I was met with utter dissapointment at the ending. Not because of the ending itself, but because I didn't get to choose to end it with her.

Looks
Lilly > Hanako = Misha > Rin > Shizune > Emi

Lilly: Tall and elegant. I'm sure what needs to be said already has. Perhaps I like the tallness more than most because I am super tall IRL and look for that in women.
Hanako: I'm a sucker for long straight dark hair. I would probably be more repulsed by her if I got a good look at her face, and I don't feel the edges we did see are as repulsive as if we met her in real life
Misha: Healthy + Dem curls.
Rin: Kinda like the tomboyish look.
Shizune: Pretty generic animu design.
Emi: Doesn't look bad, but right away just looking at her gives me the feeling of "Hyperactive little sister", which does nothing for me, and I'm even a huge fan of wincest.

Personality
Lilly = Misha > Rin > Hanako > Emi > Shizune

Lilly: Strong, Independent, motherly, but still needs help sometimes. That scene in the supermarket was fantastic. She seems a bit reserved though, and it means we didn't get as much of her personality during the demo compared to all the other characters, but once she opens up more in the full game it will be worth it.
Misha: So happy, she makes me so happy. I want to go on some ridiculous adventure with her. I don't care if she is the leader of the feminist uprising, I will bow to her will. She needs a path in the full game.
Rin: I don't know to describe how I feel about Rin. IRL I would probably think about her as a bro, but then stick it in her pooper, and feel gay about it later.
Hanako: When I first played I was all about being the White Knight for her, and it overwrote all my senses, but then I met Lilly and ditched that train of thought. I came back in a second playthrough because she was obviously my second favorite, but it turns out she doesn't have much personality.
Emi: I never played her route so maybe I'm not qualified to write about it. She did seem to be the "Hyper little sister" which doesn't do anything for me.
Shizune: Annoying manipulative bitch. The whole time I was thinking about how I could try and run off with Misha.

The more time passes and the more I think about it, Misha is really growing on me.

Zz:
"Misha: So happy, she makes me so happy. I want to go on some ridiculous adventure with her. I don't care if she is the leader of the feminist uprising, I will bow to her will. She needs a path in the full game."

I agree 100% even though i would like a serious path instead of a feminist uprising one.

Appearance:
Rin > Misha > Lilly > Hanako > Shizune > Emi

Personality:
Rin > Shizune > Misha = Emi > Lilly > Hanako

Rin
Ever since I saw her picture in TVTropes and saw the related tropes with her, she stuck to my head. She's probably the main reason I even tried Katawa Shoujo. When she first meets with Hisao and trying to guess what condition he has, she starts eliminating the various condition he couldn't have and I started thinking, "It would be hilarious if Hisao has problems between the legs," and then she says it! That puts her right there as my favorite and stays there.
I've alway been partial to green eyes with auburn, almost faded red hair. Her lack of arms makes her look like the armless Venus sculpture. Has a tomboyish look with her short hair and boy's uniform, which make her seems to have a larger cup size as well. She's also very flexible, a definite plus. Of course, there's the obligatory "great with her feet" insert.
Even without being a love interest, she's like a kindred spirt. Like she says, she's easy to talk to. Although it may seem like she says random and nonsensical things, she has a certain logic that she follows as strange as it may sound. Even her non-sequiturs seem to make a certain sense. She also has a sense of humor that is not alway readily apparent, but it's there. She can joke about her condition and her subtle flirting with Hisao shows hints of this. Then there's the snark at Emi's manly outcome of losing her girlish figure. Her entire route is awesome and memorable, ending Act 1 with my favorite scene in the preview.

Shizune
Hmm, the blue short-haired and glasses look is okay, but generally associated more with the quiet-type. Which she is, now that I think about it. She has the shortest figure next to Emi, but with more curves. Her strong point is her personality. She's assertive, competitive, downright pushy and manipulative at times, but also with a mischievous side. Playing Risk with her shows that she is ambitious as well. I can easily picture her becoming an important person in the future. She can be quite mean to the other characters, but it might just be because she has (if hypocritical) high standards and she's stressed from overwork.
After getting to know her a bit, I'm liking her more. I get to know her more playful if still competitive side. Athough she and Misha tends to take advantage of their Student Council positions to have some break, it's understandable considering that they're the only ones in the council and how much work they do compared to all the other characters, with more days with late night work. Only Lilly comes close as class president.
Despite her thick-headedness, she shows her concern when Hisao has trouble from the ball-throwing game. And at the fireworks when Hisao was feeling down, she cheered him up in the best voiceless way she can.

Misha
Love her looks. Rather than chubby, I think she has a healthy figure with the bust to match. And pink drill hairs! Her personality is fun and lovable kinda like Tsuruya in Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu if a bit more clueless, but it might be fortunate there's no voice acting, since I probably wouldn't be able to handle the volume. Actually, that might describe her best: she has a lot of volume. Whether it's with her figure, voice, or personality, there's high volume. She's the kind of person that's popular and likeable to a lot of people. She's also very accomodating. The fact that she managed to be with Shizune all this time says a lot. Too bad she has no path by herself; I'm curious why she has problems with stairs. But considering how she's with Shizune almost all the the time, that's fine. It's interesting how synchronized they are, yet Misha manages to stand out with her own personality even as an interpreter. One of my favorite characters.

Lilly
Tall blonde with blue eyes looks good. I think the cloudy eyes gives her a unique look. She is an elegant and sophisticated lady. She's motherly towards Hanako but also willful enough to stand up to Shizune. It may seem that she's perfect at first, but she also has flaws and insecurities that appear when you get to know her more. She can't handle Rin's uniqueness for one thing. There's also the little feud with Shizune.
No matter how independent she is, she still need help with things since she can't see. I love the scene where she holds on to Hisao's collar while she lets him lead her around. When she lets down her guard, she can be quite girly. Being away from her sister shows that she may be a little more lonely than she first appears. She used to live at home, but had to move to the dorms. Despite this, she copes quite well.

Hanako
I like her long hair and bookworm look. Her scars look interesting. She looks a little too much like Nodoka of Mahou Sensei Negima though, and I can't help but be reminded of her.
Her personality is rather skittish, which tends to go beyond the typical shy, bookworm type. Quite appropriate how dealing with her is like hunting. Rather than a love interest, she's the kind of girl that you'd want to hug and protect, and to talk to so she doesn't get too lonely. I can see a bit of myself in her, especially after seeing her doing the tile-playing game. There's also a hidden playfully competitive side to her. I look forward to her gaining a bit more development in the full game.

Emi
The most childish of the main character. The loli look doesn't do it for me though. She might look better with a single pony-tail or braided tail. Actually, seeing her hair down would probably look good too.
However, I really like her personality. On one hand, she seems more like a cute kid with her puppy-dog-eyed requests. On the other hand, she's definitely an athlete. I'm a health-conscious person myself and I've wanted a practice buddy. I also enjoy her interaction with Rin. She's the probably the one who is least hinder by her disability. I got to say though, her Act 1 end is the most unsatisfying. The first thing that comes to mind is, "Is that it?" I didn't even get to see the fireworks. Hopefully, we get more in the later Acts.

I find it interesting that for most people, if they really like Shizune, they like Hanako the least, and vice versa.

IMO:

Shizune = Rin > Emi > Hanako > Lilly

Emi has a good personality and I wouldn't mind hanging out with her, but she looks so young, and that puts me off her a little. She's always cheerful and cares about Hisao.
Hanako is so insecure I doubt I could work up the courage to even talk to her about anything for fear of upsetting her. She seems nice once she gets used to you, though.
Lilly is a nice person, but she comes across as a bit too motherly and caring for me.
Shizune came across as one to avoid at first, being all work and no fun, but once you get to know her she is a lot more interesting. The final scene on the roof was pretty nice.
Rin's feelings are hard to figure out, which is probably why I'm interested in her. I like the way she can completely derail conversations with her oddness and her final scene was very cute.

Now, personally, I really don't care how each of these characters look; the fact that they're all pretty cute's good enough for me (which is how I am in real life, too, lol.)

what it mostly comes down to for me is personality and what effect the girls have on me/Hisao.
On that note, the order I have is Lilly > Hanako > Rin = Emi > Shizune

1.) Lilly: I can't really think of anything I DON'T like about Lilly. She's refined, nice, and calming. Lilly seems like the kind of person who wants to diffuse a conflicting situation whenever she can. The one time we see her truly angry is with Shizune, and she quickly drops the heat down when Hisao chimes in to stop it. (If you pick the right option, that is.) She's an excellent friend to Hanako and almost motherly in the love she shares with the ones she knows. She doesn't push Hisao for answers and she always knows what to say at just the right time. I like how talking with Lilly can just make you feel good about yourself, or at least that's the effect I get from the conversations Hisao has with her. All of the girls in the game have that "potential girlfriend" thing you expect from this sort of game, but, for me, Lilly is the one that just screams "Mother of my Children." And, IMO, you just can't beat that.

2.) Hanako: An obvious close second to Lilly. It might just be my instincts feeling sorry for her and wanting to give her a new friend, but I dunno. She's quiet, but you know she's very smart and very thought-oriented person, since she reads all the time and also knows how to play chess. You just know that once you get inside her "shell," she'll end up being a really good partner. And, I wouldn't have any problems with the "clingy-ness" either.

3.) Rin and Emi: I honestly can not have a clear third choice between these two. Rin has nothing else to say for her other than the fact that she's the "weird" one. Not just weird weird, but HILARIOUS weird. I like how brutally honest she is, also, and how she seems like she can do anything. Emi, I like because of her upbeat attitude and careful attention to everything that she does, even if she's not the best at it. The only reason why she isn't higher up on my list is because she's an over-the-top athlete, and I'm sorry, but I'm a pure, flat-out geek, and I hate sports with a passion (except for soccer, incidentally, but I have more fun watching than I could ever have playing it.) Inspite of this, Emi seems like she's the most "fun" one to be around, and that's why she and Rin are about the same in my book, because they strike me as the one's you'd have the most fun hanging around.

4.) Shizune: I really and wholly DO NOT LIKE Shizune. The main thing is that being around her is flat out stressful. Ignoring the thing with Misha, since I'm willing to bet Hisao will learn sign language gradually as his relationship with her develops; it doesn't change the fact that she's manipulative, she has a HUGE ego, and she has a real attitude whenever she has to compete. Not to mention that she's bossy and she just doesn't know when to quit. Now, I'll hold out for the actual game to see what she's got underneath this load of crap, if there's anything there at all, but until then, she's at the bottom of my list, for good reason.

hanako was the best, i think
lilly, lacking something... (i dunno either)
misha is annoying (to me. don't take that into your heart)
shizune is equally annoying...
rin... well, she looks manly...
emi, is just TOO cute, to an extent it is not so cute

my taste is weird, yes
that's me
ahak!

probably elaborate more on nxt post