So, that new Yuuko.

[Csihar]

Yet she looks extremely good. Forget about her hippie librarian dress and the freckles that some people just don't dig. The style and painting of the sprite looks way too good. It looks out of place. newEmi could kinda compete, but not Rin and Lilly. I'm not so sure on Shizune and Misha.

I have to agree there, the level of detail in the coloring/shading seems a bit higher than the other characters. Hopefully there'll be a little normalization between the different sprites later in production, like Bara mentioned. Maybe once the CGs are done, which is probably the artists' main priority right now.

[G3n0c1de]

the level of detail in the coloring/shading seems a bit higher than the other characters.

That probably comes down to different artists with different art styles. And perhaps style changes as well. The original sprites were done some time ago, while New Emi, and New Yuuko have been made relatively recently.

[mstrchef117]

The new sprite is definitely very well done and detailed. I like her tea shop sprite very much (izzz nice). But wouldn't the new sprites not match up with the other sprites from Act 1 who are more 2D(drawing like/less detailed) in nature, though I could be wrong. I would liken her design/sprite style to the 3Desque sprites of some Digital Objet VNs/eroge namely Kana Imuoto and Sensei 2 while the other un-upgraded sprites are on the 2D side (Snow Sakura and other F/SN etc) Other than that, great work guys.

[EternalLurker]

I'm not sure why everyone always reacts to very wrinkled clothes with "less ironing = more detail".

[Bara]

I'm not sure why everyone always reacts to very wrinkled clothes with "less ironing = more detail".

Besides probably being a tad more complicated to draw well? (That is just a guess on my part but many complicated curves that have to look natural says more demanding to my mind)
There actually are some fashion designers in japan who design and sell clothes with the tailoring of a plastic garbage sack. This also reflects a bit more detail about the society/setting in which the story occurs. My personal opinion is that those clothes suck, but having some sprites showing other clothing fashions than are commonly displayed in the media we are used to seeing is not bad; just different.

[TemporaryFile7]

My personal opinion is that those clothes suck, but having some sprites showing other clothing fashions than are commonly displayed in the media we are used to seeing is not bad; just different.

And isn't that what Katawa Shoujo is all about? Accepting people's differences?

[Csihar]

There actually are some fashion designers in japan who design and sell clothes with the tailoring of a plastic garbage sack. This also reflects a bit more detail about the society/setting in which the story occurs. My personal opinion is that those clothes suck, but having some sprites showing other clothing fashions than are commonly displayed in the media we are used to seeing is not bad; just different.

Anyway, it could be worse. Hanako was almost a closeted Gothic Lolita, after all.

...wait, did I just say worse?

[Warwick]

I've been blasted for having poor taste on IRC, so take my opinions with a grain of salt.

My only concern (disregarding whether or not I like the change) is the "painterly" shading style things have been moving towards recently. Compare Yuuko's relatively soft shading with something like Shizune's and Misha's, where it's a little more hard-edged (compare esp. the folds of their dresses around the hips or their hair).

[EternalLurker]

isn't that what Katawa Shoujo is all about? Accepting people's differences? :wink:

I thought it was about people learning to live with their own problems. Yamaku-ers don't seem to have enough interaction with the outside world for the more interpersonal theme you're describing. And the VN's theme is a not-insignificant part of why I was irritated.

My only concern (disregarding whether or not I like the change) is the "painterly" shading style things have been moving towards recently. Compare Yuuko's relatively soft shading with something like Shizune's and Misha's, where it's a little more hard-edged (compare esp. the folds of their dresses around the hips or their hair).

Your preference is that the sprites stand out more against the background, then, it appears. Mine as well.

[toast]

I like it. Although I didn't think there was really anything wrong with the old one, i'm no art critic. This new one makes her seem more frantic somehow, which probably fits better with her character.

[Fronzel]

What's with the huge boobs and the line of lace that emphasizes them so?

[Zahlman]

What's with the huge boobs and the line of lace that emphasizes them so?

Everyone else had big boobs compared to what you might expect for something set in Japan (even "teh loli" Emi is half-decently un-flat), so... :/

Honestly, looking at the existing art, I really don't see how you're supposed to get that Shizune is the big-boobed one. She pretty much blends right in with the others. And hell, Misha dwarfs her, which kinda spoils it in a way x.x

[digiboy0001]

Honestly, looking at the existing art, I really don't see how you're supposed to get that Shizune is the big-boobed one. She pretty much blends right in with the others. And hell, Misha dwarfs her, which kinda spoils it in a way x.x

Well, Shizune's are "big" in proportion to the rest of her body. With how thin she is, you wouldn't likely expect her to have the C- or D-size knockers she has. Misha's melons blend in with her more "chunky" physique, and are about the size you'd expect them to be - as are the rest of the girl's; their chests seem to fit their body type, unlike Shizune, who has a rack clearly disproportionate to her weight (but still easily possible and believable in size). Out of the female cast, Shizune clearly has been the most "blessed" in that regard. At least until this new Yuuko came along (but she's older, anyway, so it makes sense).

How many synonyms did I use for "breasts" in that paragraph? I was shooting for five.

Anyway, on-topic. Unlike the new Emi, the new Yuuko hit me in entirely the wrong way at first, but the more I look at it, the less I hate it. While the new Emi design actually still looked like the Emi we knew, this Yuuko is basically an entirely new character. I find myself likening it to when the pilot of a TV show has different actors than the actual show: the new actor(s) is the "norm," but looking back, it's really very jarring seeing different people playing the same role. Only this time, it's reversed in that we're used to the "pilot actor" as opposed to the "actual actor."

[Yubiseiharukana]

Unlike the new Emi, the new Yuuko hit me in entirely the wrong way at first, but the more I look at it, the less I hate it. While the new Emi design actually still looked like the Emi we knew, this Yuuko is basically an entirely new character. I find myself likening it to when the pilot of a TV show has different actors than the actual show: the new actor(s) is the "norm," but looking back, it's really very jarring seeing different people playing the same role. Only this time, it's reversed in that we're used to the "pilot actor" as opposed to the "actual actor."

I've liked the new Yuuko ever since I first saw the new design on the blog. You referred to a situation which compared this new design to the actors of a pilot episode and the regular actors. Two problems:

- Unless the reason for replacing the actor is economic related (this is obviously not the case with the new Yuuko), the director decides on replacing actors on these criteria: an actor appears more consistent with the rest of the cast, an actor performs more consistently, an actor captures a better picture of a specific character in the directors' eyes, and/or an actor provides better behavior and cooperation than the pilot episode's actor.
- When replacing a character's actor, unless a director is keen on one specific actor (which may be the case for the new Yuuko, but who knows), the point is to better relate their targeted audience with the character. While an actor may not be as popular as a previous actor of the same character, the new actor may provide the audience with a better understanding of the character.

[digiboy0001]

I've liked the new Yuuko ever since I first saw the new design on the blog. You referred to the situation similar to the actors of a pilot episode and the regular actors. Two problems:

- Unless the reason for replacing the actor is economic related (this is obviously not the case with the new Yuuko), the director decides on replacing actors on these criteria: an actor appears more consistent with the rest of the cast, an actor performs more consistently, an actor captures a better picture of a specific character in the directors' eyes, and/or an actor provides better behavior and cooperation than the pilot episode's actor.
- When replacing a character's actor, unless a director is keen on one specific actor (which may be the case for the new Yuuko, but who knows), the point is to better relate their targeted audience with the character. While an actor may not be as popular as a previous actor of the same character, the new actor may provide the audience with a better understanding of the character.

Yeah, yeah, I know all that. I'm not trying to raise an argument; I like the new Yuuko better than the old one, too. I'm just saying, for those of us who are used to the old Yuuko (so, basically, everyone here), such a drastic change is jarring, to say the least, whether you like the change or not. Not to mention all the points you raised are completely inane, anyway, so...nyah.