Katawa Shoujo Forums

asd

Hi,

I'll be honest with you: I forgot about this game. I played it back in 2012 when I was 16 years old as a junior in high school. I remember how I became good friends with my friend as we played through the game in parallel. I am now 20, and I just finished my second year of undergraduate study in a university. After finishing my last exam, I sat alone in my apartment (my roommates already left for summer because their exams finished early) and plopped myself in front of my roommate's piano for the first time. I don't know how to play the piano, but I learned the right-hand side of Innocence 4 years ago and I suppose the muscle memory just came rushing back to me.

It turned out to be pretty emotional for me. I've just gone through a hell of a semester, and relistening to the Katawa OST pushed me over the edge. So, its been four years, but I'd like to thank 4LS for the wonderful memories, the beautiful OST, and the nostalgia.

Hey 4chan dudes and dudettes

I want to thank you for making me feel emotions again, to be HUMAN again, rather than a permanent snark knight enveloped by cynicism that was a wall to keep emotions away.

I didn't even have to actually play the game before I was emotionally affected. Just reading the character descriptions tugged my bitter heart and released a lot of pent up feelings I had held in for quite some time now. The only other "dating sim" I ever played was Simgirls (and that was with cheats) so to get me so into this genre when I normally wouldn't give it the light of day was a fantastic achievement.

I know I'm REALLY late to the party (I vaguely heard of this game back in 2012 but didn't play it until 2 weeks ago) but thank you sooo much for making me a human again who can feel. Really, thank you.

I've had the feeling of being late too, with knowing about KS for about a month now. Of course the game doesnt have expiration date, but I wished I had been there when the community was at its most active.

I was surprised by the game's quality and how touching it was. Even if I've become a bit too engrossed in KS world for a while I think the long term effect is going to be positive. I have been rethinking some things about my life. I also started doing some light excercise regularly few weeks ago (Emi's influence). I realized that doing so gives me time to make new insights and motivation to perform better in other aspects of my life.

Thank you 4 Leaf Studios

Thank you, really.

Katawa Shoujo hit way closer to home than I thought it would.

I was born with congenital bilateral glaucoma and couldn't see out of my left eye all my life. I'm also losing all light perception on my right eye, making me completely blind.

At the time I first heard about Katawa Shoujo I was legally blind with low partial sight and unable to see much in areas that aren't brightly lit. The only solace I found was in using electronics, which are always on max brightness. My friend insisted that I played KS after hearing about the several times I had gotten angry at my counselor for trying to send me into a center and after hearing about it many, many times. I finally gave in and gave the game a shot.

Immediately I related to Hisao. I didn't want to be stuck in some place with people that have disabilities. I could still see, no matter how little. I felt humiliated every time I had to use a cane or was allowed to use my laptop in class so I wouldn't have to struggle with writing on paper.

You know that part with Lily refusing help from Hisao after she tripped? Yeah that part hit me hard. I can't tell you how many people I rudely shoved away that were trying to help me. (metaphorically.) Teachers who referred me to counselors, Counselors who referred me to psychiatrists. I was always ignoring several opthamologists that told me I would go totally blind, thinking that they don't know anything. I was stuck in my own little world. I didn't want their pity. I felt like that would be admitting defeat and that doing so would make me less of a person.

I had a hard time admitting I had a problem. I even avoided Lily's route, feeling like I wouldn't relate to it and did Hanako's route first. I felt like I was able to understand myself a little better with each of the characters. It took me around a month after playing Lily's route to piece together my thoughts.

I soon called my rehabilitation counselor and took his offer to go to a center for a few months, learned Unified English Braille, began using my cane. I still haven't lost all vision in my left eye yet, but at least I've come to terms with it and I am enjoying it to my fullest. (Hopefully it can hold out until I can play a sequel if there is one. Hahaha.)

Sorry for the long wall of text and a sob story, but this game is great and I thank you, 4LS for making it happen.

Does anyone even read these? Eh, whatever I'm still gonna post this. First off, I must thank Hanako and Emi claimers from /waifu/ (waifu claim threads on /b/) for turning me on to this game. While they may not have done it directly, they made an enormous change for the better in my life. Now, for the developers. You have managed to make the most meaningful game I've had the pleasure to play in my life. This has made me strive to do better in life. I now go on runs at 5 AM due to Emi's route and how it has inspired me, even if I have arrhythmia, I always try to push myself, cause I know that's what Emi would do. This game has helped me enormously as an escape from tough times, always knowing that it will be there as an escape from depression and other things. Speaking of Emi's route, to speak on behalf of the Emi claimer of /waifu/, he now does marathons due to how it inspired him. On behalf of Hanako claimer, he is now a better person in general. I feel as if I can relate to every character, making it all the more special. I will be forever in the developers' gratitude for changing my life in such a better way.


Thank you for taking your time to read this.

TO the developers of this game. I just wanted to say thank you for a fantastic experience with this free to download game... Though the backgrounds were sometimes a bit... photoripped I guess... I don't have a word to describe what I'm thinking... I have to say the game was a really wonderful experience. From laughing at Kenji to tearing up at emotional moments this game was a wonderful rollercoaster of emotion. I'm ashamed to say, before i was not as.. open minded about physical disabilities as I am now after this game before I played/read it. It opened my eyes to a lot of things and made me think about stuff... so well done goal accomplished.. I had little issues with deaf people and had never really encountered a blind person.. but the idea of other physical deformities made me pity them or even recoil... now I can say that... while I don't like such things as people being chopped up or some of the more... extreme or bloody stuff on rule34 etc... I DO admit I can see the beauty in amputees, burn victims/people with some physical disfigurements and other such disabled people. I kinda wish you could date more of the students and learn more about them too... you barely get a passing glimpse of most of them... I won't force you to release more Obviously I can't but i want more More Kenji more girls to meet and learn about more of... EVERYTHING <3 SO I just wanted to say once again thank you for creating this experience, opening my eyes and letting me see the beauty of the world in ways I never thought to look before. Please make more.. or release an expansion or something so we can meet more and find out how different people cope with their respective.. well troubles I guess.. situations? I Dunno.. forgive me I'm an autistic person my mind wanders sometimes and i Don't always know how to get the words in my head out

Regardless... hope you guys actually see this and don't judge me too badly

BaldurAnthology AKA Bryce from Canada

This will probably be my only ever post on here because I'm not typically a fan of lurking on forums, and I highly doubt that really anyone will see it, considering the game's relatively smaller fan base and its age. However, I feel that I should post this anyway if only for my own peace of mind. I should start by saying that I absolutely adore this game. From the quite creative writing and the beautiful artwork to the lovable characters and their detailed histories, it's easy to become very attached to a piece of art such as this. I immediately fell in love with the messages this game was portraying to me, whether intentional or not. That being said, the immersive qualities of this novel have held me for the past few weeks (as of the day I posted) as I completed every ending through (two times for Lilly's good ending). I'll be honest and say that I actually cried a few times, more out of happiness than sadness, and I think that attributed to why I became so attached. I doubt I'm alone in my enthusiasm, however this is simply fiction and I need to remember that. I will never forget this game and the experiences that came with it and I hope that it has made me a better, or at least more accepting, person. If I learned anything, its that moving on from the past can be hard, and the future can sometimes be scary, but that shouldn't stop me from doing everything I can to do what's best for me and the rest of the world. Much like others feel, me finding this game seems like fate. I don't even really like visual novels, and I hesitated to even give this one a glance... Yet something I will never understand drew me in and here I am. I want to personally thank (for what it's worth) the creators of this game and the amazing community behind it for their dedication to this experience, and I wish everyone luck with their futures as well. I don't know if I will ever find another game or story as emotionally moving as this one was to me, for whatever reason, in my lifetime, but I guess that's okay. Thanks again for the memories guys!

P.S.
Lilly is the best girl in the game....

Oh, there are still quite a few people stil visiting the forum regularly - including some of the devs, so I'm sure your message will reach at least some of them.

The traffic isn't what it used to be, but there's a few of us that still hang around.

I downloaded this game October 2014, put it aside, and finished it Thanksgiving day 2015. I have no words to describe how inspiring both the story of the game's creation and the stories of the characters were to me. You people showed me that you can still do what you want for other people simply because you want to and because you can. Lilly showed me to really chase after something if I truly believed in it. Summer's Clover let me see Hisao in another light, and (obviously) let us see more of fan-favorite Miki. I played through all the routes again this Thanksgiving day, and I plan on making it a yearly Tradition for me (I still play Lilly Route whenever I need a pick me up.). You've inspired me to take up writing again. I am currently writing a novel series and a script to a visual novel that should, if things go smoothly, be released for free the same way you have done. I love each and everyone of you (especially you Suriko3). Thanks for your time.

it's really been so long, i just downloaded KS again few days ago and played it today. i was overwhelmed by nostalgia, it was 7 or 8 years ago when i found about KS.

i was wondering about the forum, about the artists, writers, etc. im kind of glad and happy to see some are still active, even the dev team (im still amazed how i can remember this old ID and password tho). those years waiting for the actual release and finally having to play it was a really great memory.

Thank you 4LS, i didnt manage to say it 8 years ago, but it's the same gratitude i felt back there and even now. Cheers.

Hello everyone. I know this will take awhile to type out and hopefully I can keep your attention long enough to read it all but I can't promise anything.

I am 24 years old and live in the south eastern US. Ten years ago I never thought I'd be one to get into the anime, manga, etc thing. I did everything that a normal high school kid does. I took stupid things way too seriously. I had a few friends that were close and that I could rely on. In my junior year, I lost my v-card and I can still remember the fumbling excitement and the heavy heated breaths. I was ordinary but I wasn't at the same time. You see, I've always found it difficult to connect with others. My mother used to say I have a highly analytical mind and it was evident in my love for math that bloomed in my college career. However, I always found it hard to understand people. Sometimes, I've even found it difficult to understand myself. The worst part is that I've never really been able to find a way to communicate how I feel to others and when others try to make me understand how they feel, I find myself uncomfortable and usually just end up offering responses that I've learned that are expected of me.

After high school, I watched as my friends slowly slipped through my fingers. Over time, they slowly moved away, got married, or I just stopped talking to them. I think that part of it was that I never really connected too deeply with them so they never really had much want to try to keep connected. The worst part was that none of them seemed to even care that they were leaving me behind. I know this is my own fault and I've grown to accept it, but I can't say it didn't mess me up a bit. I went to a private university immediately after high school because I was offered a scholarship that covered the majority of expenses. I thought I wanted to go into psychology because I wanted to understand how people thought. In the end though, I got frustrated and found that alcohol, weed, and a couple other things were more interesting than attending classes. I dropped out after my first year and ended up attending a state university where I... fermented for a couple years while getting an associates in general education.

It was around then that I found manga and started to read, and read, and read. I joined a scanlation group for a little bit as a cleaner because it was more interesting than anything else at the time. I met a few good people in the group and I still keep somewhat in contact with one of the friends I made, even if he lives on the other side of the country. Back then wasn't a great time for me. My family is predisposed to an addictive personality and tobacco and alcohol pretty much took over my life. I worked at a restaurant to pay the bills and support my addictions and quickly entered the world of high functioning alcoholics that seem to permeate the service industry. With them I didn't quite feel odd or unusual. They drank as much as I did, so I felt kind of like I had found my own family. After awhile I had a rough encounter with the owner of the establishment and quit. I'm not sure what came over me at the time but something didn't feel right. I left and after a month without alcohol or drugs, I decided to quit the drink and drugs. During my month of detox, I spent countless hours reading manga and watching anime. I lived through the stories that were in the silly cartoonish drawings. I was an avid reader before and I still am, but manga seemed to touch something else. It seemed to itch an itch I didn't know I had.

So, two years later, here I am. I'm finishing a degree in electrical engineering and I've a company that I'm 95% certain will fail. Funny thing is that I don't care. I've learned so much from starting and trying to run a company that I guess it just doesn't matter, I just enjoyed the ride. But, then again, I'm not sure if it's actually me that doesn't care or just the old me where I'm not sure what I feel about it or if it's the other me that was apathetic to everything and anything. I've had plenty of relationships since high school, but they've never really lasted. My most recent one ended because I failed at communicating how I felt or understanding how she felt, the one before that ended because she felt like I was just going through the motions during sex, and the one before that ended because I simply didn't care. Anyway, I know I have a future, and I am moving slowly, but steadily to the goals I'd set out for myself. I'm not happy with what I'd done in my past, but I've come to accept it as irreversible. I don't regret what I've done because thinking about it is pointless. I just step steadily forward, hoping that there's enough life in the rickety bridge to make it to the next step.

When I started KS, I didn't think much of it. I'd read more than a few things about it and how it would make me feel but I wasn't certain. When I finished, I felt hollow as I usually do after finishing something I'd been reading or watching and got invested in. This time, however, there was a little more. I felt the emotions of the characters like I'd never felt the emotions of others, even imaginary, before.

The bubbly attitude of Emi made me smile and the anguish of being blocked out reminded me of all those I'd knowingly or unknowingly blocked out.

The fearful but strength of Hanako despite her loss and anguish inspired me and the exasperation in trying to get her to push herself to become stronger reminded me of pushing myself to leave the alcohol and drugs behind (unfortunately tobacco is a bit harder. Don't start kids, you'll hate yourself for it).

Lilly's quite repose filled me with calm even as she protected her flock, despite her disability, and the fear of being left behind resounded harder than I felt it could.

Shizune's never ending drive to become better and help those that don't even want to help themselves makes me wish I had my own guide in recovery, but I don't think I'd ever want to place that burden on anyone.

Rin... I guess I don't have to explain her too much. Her frustration with being misunderstood. Her obsession with painting as a way to communicate. How relentlessly she tries to understand and make others understand but it always feels like a butterfly just out of reach. She is me in a different way and different time. I don't have it nearly as bad as she does, but I can almost understand her.

I guess, this is just my way of thanking you. You made a wonderful game that spoke to me, and countless others, on too many levels to count. I still haven't finished Rin's bad ending, but I think I'll leave it like that for now. I think I like it better if the only Rin I know of is happy.

If you made it this far, thank you. I appreciate it. This started out as a thank you but ended up a little bit more. Think of it as my letter on sunflower paper. More for my closure than yours.

Lianam wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2013 4:06 pm

followr_agent4444 wrote:hi, to whom it may concern,
a brief introduction. I am more the fast paced FPS maximum gore kind of person, i listen to hardstyle and my preferences generally lean towards the duke nukem personaggio with rather pathetic poor cultivated artistic perception.

so i (amazingly) noticed my buddy was acting weird, and rather apathetic almost disconnected from his surrounding. So I confronted him directly asking him waddup with that attitude.
he told about this game he had been playing. Are you serious? I asked him and myself internally. lol, i gotta check that out I said, i dont believe it. Loaded up the "game" and went with it, minutes turned to hours etc
so here I am, posting a reply in your forum.
Just wanted to say thanks . I completed the path of emi and I felt something strange/weird and warm around my chest area. Good job! mision acomplished i guess

Great work I will recommend this to anyone I hate (in a friendly fashion obviously) hehehe

Please tell me you're going to do the other paths...

now I have, i regret nothing. its pure art, nothing less. this game is amazing
edit: its more than a game, its a wake up call. it was back then as well, but I was afraid of playing it again and somehow ruin the terrific impression it made on me going through the first playthrough. glad I came back to do the other arcs, better late than never

I am new to this game and this forum. Not sure if this is the right place to post, but I really would like to thank the Devs here.

I just finished the Shizune line, and I absolutely loved it already. It made a huge impact to my personal life. Although I don't have a disability like Hisao, I often run into a state of self-pity, am afraid of new things, am easy to give up, and try to run away from responsibility. Shizune's aggresive and taunting character actually motivates me. (I think I personally fall in love with her.) As an analysis written elsewhere said, "As long as you are trying, and you are trying your hardest, Shizune likes you." Her character revolves around self-control (which fits the fact that her line only has one choice: Betray your girlfriend or Control your desire), which exposes my main problem of lacking self-control. If I can exercise my self-control, and attempt do my best, then I will get rewarded.

Upon realizing this, I ran back home right after work and apologized to my wife for being emotionally out of control at times, and running away from my responsibilities. I actually made a huge promise to her, which shocked both of us. She is extremely thrilled. I just climbed over a huge wall in my marriage life, and I am looking forward to my upcoming responsibility, just like Hisao when he graduates. I will definitely return and post again when my promise fulfils, to share my joy with the developers and whoever read this.

Tkiss, new to this game and forum