Katawa Shoujo Forums

Favorite girl: Two scenes for Hanako: her panic attack in the classroom because I've had to talk my wife down from panic attacks in the past; and her good end when she and Hisao are finally able to see each other as equals, not to mention her "first gift" to Hisao.

pretty much the whole last half of Hanako's story was emotionally effective for me truthfully....it had a huge impact on me emotional wise and i learn't quite a bit aswell from her story in general

First let me say that I signed up just to write to this.
Many kudos, my good man. Let us know how the paper ends up.

1. Which girl's thread affected you the most emotionally? Why did it do this?
Hanako's thread, with a small dip into Emi's (I felt like some elements carried over). I personally find it very difficult to resist the pull of a "girl in trouble," as it were, and that is the description Hanako fits to the letter. The second I saw her I knew that she was the one I wanted to help grow up and outwards- and wanted to create a relationship with her that "we" (Hisao, at least, and her) could use to better ourselves.
When it then delved into how she really wants people to treat her as an equal, not some "damaged goods," it hit very close to home and made me realize that I need to grow, too.

2. Which girl's thread did you successfully complete first (good ending)? How did you reach the good end of this thread? Did you use a guide, or did you answer the questions according to your own thoughts, as I did?
Emi's; I was following my own choices and ended up being too wishy-washy. At first I was annoyed by Rin, but soon found out she was one of the deepest- especially when I tried to follow after her like a "knight in shining armor" and she yelled at me. From that point on I used a mixture. I would make a decision, then check the guide to make sure I was right. I only wanted to play through the threads once, you see, and I felt it would be closer to real life if I didn't "load a save" so much as I relied on another's advice.

3. In what order would you rate the quality of the girls' threads?
No question on the first, though the rest is more muddled. I would tentatively say RIN, HANAKO, LILLY, EMI, SHIZUNE.

4. If there was a single word which describes the key a player must remember to complete each girl's thread, what would that word be for each girl?
Rin: closeness.
Hanako: sameness.
Lilly: kindness.
Emi: fun.
Shizune: understanding.

5. How much time did it take you to complete each girl's thread? (Play time, not total IRL time)
3 hours each, with Rin's being an exception of 4 total.

6. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your favorite girl's thread.
My favorite piece of writing actually wasn't; to me, the picture that Hisao formed of his bottle label reading "2 pills a day to stay alive" was very powerful. It spoke deeply to me of his quiet and hidden desperation and depression.
In a girl's arc... probably the part near Hanako's end where she admits that she only had sex with Hisao so he'd see her differently. While it wasn't a favorite at the time, I now appreciate it for how amazing the very idea was.

7. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your least favorite girl's thread.
None to give. Shizune didn't really stand out for me, honestly. You could say the entire premise of you being little more than sex-friends was effective in that it was very different, but I don't think it said anything too well.

8. Do you feel that, after playing Katawa Shoujo, that you are better equipped emotionally for a real-life relationship? Why or why not? If you are currently in a relationship, do you feel that playing KS will allow you to strengthen it? Why or why not?
In some ways yes, and in some ways no. I don't think that KS as a game will be anything like a real relationship, but I can say it has opened my eyes to several of my own idiosyncrasies. Will I be better equipped to handle a relationship? Maybe. Better equipped to handle life? I think so.

I agree. I'm baffled with how this game has affected me and It's not like me to get emotionally attached or feel drained from something such as this.

1. Which girl's thread affected you the most emotionally? Why did it do this?
Lilly's and Emi's. Both of them are still playing on my mind. Purely because I felt the most involved with the both of them. I cried multiple times throughout Lilly's arc and felt the most attached to Emi while playing through hers. I think it's because I don't know any girls as pure and sincere as the pair of them. When I upset Emi at her house, I was genuinely destroyed. I've never felt so empty and emotionally dead inside. I still don't feel myself.

2. Which girl's thread did you successfully complete first (good ending)? How did you reach the good end of this thread? Did you use a guide, or did you answer the questions according to your own thoughts, as I did?
Emi. I got the good ending through my own means without help.

3. In what order would you rate the quality of the girls' threads?
So far Lilly-Emi-Hanako (favourite to least favourite). I haven't played the others yet.

4. If there was a single word which describes the key a player must remember to complete each girl's thread, what would that word be for each girl?


5. How much time did it take you to complete each girl's thread? (Play time, not total IRL time)
Emi's took me about 5 hours, Hanako's 4 and Lilly's took me about 6-6 and a half.

6. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your favorite girl's thread.
Not a direct quote, but during Emi's arc whenshe explains to you how she lost her legs and about her fathers death. I'm tearing up just reminiscing about it.

7. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your least favorite girl's thread.
Hanako's arc, when she opens up about her scars and the event that killed her parents.

8. Do you feel that, after playing Katawa Shoujo, that you are better equipped emotionally for a real-life relationship? Why or why not?
No.

I believe the events that take place during each KS storyline are... Overdone. Not overdone as in beyond believable but a set of events that I could never see existing in reality. Which is the reason I think I feel so depressed after playing just a few characters routes. I know I'll probably never meet a girl as sincere and kind as Lilly or Emi- and that upsets me deeply even though I ended all the routes on the good endings. This VN highlights how good relationships would be if girls WERE like this.

It's heart breaking to be honest.

1. Which girl's thread affected you the most emotionally? Why did it do this?
Rin - Apart from it being heart breaking I have been in a relationship like that (it was a family one though not romantic) where you still love them but you just see the world in such different ways that you find it hard to comunicate. It can be so frustrating and awful but you don't wanna give up on them. I really understood Hisao towards the end of the storyline.

2. Which girl's thread did you successfully complete first (good ending)? How did you reach the good end of this thread? Did you use a guide, or did you answer the questions according to your own thoughts, as I did?
Emi- I was aiming for Rin but got Emi instead because I gave it my all during track scene. It was an accident but it was an enjoyable storyline. At this point I didn't even know you could get bad enddings lol

3. In what order would you rate the quality of the girls' threads?
Rin>Hanako>Lilly>Emi>>>> Shizune

4. If there was a single word which describes the key a player must remember to complete each girl's thread, what would that word be for each girl?
Emi: Perseverance At one point it really seems hopeless with Emi but as long as you give it your all and are honest with your feelings for her then it will work out.
Hanako: Be Friendly: Hanako wants to be treated like a equal not like a child. Don't go out of your way to protect her if you really like her.
Lilly: Honesty - There will be a point where Lilly opens up to you fully for the first time and it is at that point you realise that she just want you to be open and honest about your feelings as well.
Rin: Be Perseptive - Like Emi's route there will point where it seems like you should give up on Rin but the main point in Rins path is loving her for who she is not who you want her to be.
Shizune: Be Forward - Say what you want, when you want it and don't mess Shizune about by being wishy washy about your feelings for her.

5. How much time did it take you to complete each girl's thread? (Play time, not total IRL time)
My longest was Emi's at 3 hours and 49 minuets, then Lilly's (3:01), then Rin's (2:48), then Shizune's (2:21) and lastly Hanako's at 1 hour and 4 minuets.

6. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your favorite girl's thread.

"The difference between me and Rin [sic] is that I'll be more likey than not to be dead before turning thirty, while she can't eat oranges with out help.
I can't deside which of us is worse off.
I try to grasp the passing of time, but it seems hard. I'm still used to the rhythem of the hospital, where trivialities such as the day of the week or time of day didn't really matter.
Everything was the same, no matter what."

7. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your least favorite girl's thread.

"It makes me sad when people give up. I used to think giving up was kind of like running away, since that's how people always describe it, but now I think about it, it's usually more like throwing somthing away.
When you run away from somthing, you can think of it as still being there. So, I was in the hospital, and I didn't just want to run away from my problems, I wanted to never think about them again."

Lol didn't mean to make them both about the hospital, I just think Hisao is the most interesting when he talks about his issue with the girls in relation to his life experiences.

8. Do you feel that, after playing Katawa Shoujo, that you are better equipped emotionally for a real-life relationship? Why or why not? If you are currently in a relationship, do you feel that playing KS will allow you to strengthen it? Why or why not?

I'm not sure, I think if anything it showed me that somtimes relationships just don' work out because everyone has issues. But I think I already knew that and KS is just a really well written exsample of that.

Yeah So I made an account after posting this and I realised that I answered questions 6 and 7 incorrectly according the the prof. I still consider these quotes:

DSQ wrote: 6. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your favorite girl's thread.

"The difference between me and Rin [sic] is that I'll be more likey than not to be dead before turning thirty, while she can't eat oranges with out help.
I can't deside which of us is worse off.
I try to grasp the passing of time, but it seems hard. I'm still used to the rhythem of the hospital, where trivialities such as the day of the week or time of day didn't really matter.
Everything was the same, no matter what."

7. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your least favorite girl's thread.

"It makes me sad when people give up. I used to think giving up was kind of like running away, since that's how people always describe it, but now I think about it, it's usually more like throwing somthing away.
When you run away from somthing, you can think of it as still being there. So, I was in the hospital, and I didn't just want to run away from my problems, I wanted to never think about them again."

Lol didn't mean to make them both about the hospital, I just think Hisao is the most interesting when he talks about his issue with the girls in relation to his life experiences.

The best writting but to answer them properly it would be 6. the scene where Rin and Hisao were smoking togetherand 7. The scene where Misha explains what happened between her and Shizune.

1. Which girl's thread affected you the most emotionally? Why did it do this?

I would have to say that Emi's did. Emi was the first route I completed, and it was also the only route in which I answered the questions based on my own judgments- which is why I felt like Emi was talking to me at times, not just Hisao. That's why I think it affected me the most.

2. Which girl's thread did you successfully complete first (good ending)? How did you reach the good end of this thread? Did you use a guide, or did you answer the questions according to your own thoughts, as I did?

Emi was the first girl I finished. I reached the good end by answering the questions according to my own thoughts (Thank God).

3. In what order would you rate the quality of the girls' threads?

To be honest, this question is kind of like asking me if I would rather have a billion or two billion dollars. No matter which I pick, I can buy whatever I want. Likewise, I can't really pick favorites here, because I found all the girls' paths to be absolutely fantastic. Even so, I'm willing to give it a shot.

Emi, Lilly, Rin, Hanako, & Shizune. But this says nothing about my personal preferences on them. I love them all~

4. If there was a single word which describes the key a player must remember to complete each girl's thread, what would that word be for each girl?

Emi: Determination
Lilly: Honesty
Rin: Understanding
Hanako: Independence
Shizune: Loyalty

5. How much time did it take you to complete each girl's thread? (Play time, not total IRL time)

Emi: ~ 2 1/2 Hours
Lilly: ~ 2 1/2 Hours
Rin: ~ 3 Hours
Hanako: ~3 Hours
Shizune: ~4 Hours

6. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your favorite girl's thread.

Hisao: "Call me crazy, but I kinda would prefer to see you happy and healthy."

With each statement, Emi's frown fades a little more, until eventually she's grinning, albeit a little shyly.

Emi: "Well, if you're going to put it that way,then I guess I'll have to see him. Otherwise, you'll keep worrying, and then I'll never hear the end of it, right?"

Hisao: "That's right. I'll keep bugging you about it, and that might put a damper on our dates. 'How's the food, Hisao?' 'Talk to the nurse, Emi.' 'How was your day, Hisao?' 'Talk to the nurse, Emi.' 'Hisao, I think I'm ready to go all the w-' 'Talk to the nurse, Emi.' See? it doesn't work that well."

Emi giggles at my high-pitched rendition of her own voice and gives me an affectionate shove.

Emi: "My voice isn't that high, jerks."

Rin: "I thought it was pretty accurate."

Emi and I stare at Rin for a while before I burst into laughter. Emi crosses her arms and huffs, mock-offended.

Emi: "You're both jerks."

Hisao: "Such vile calumnies from you, young woman. I'm stunned that you would call me, of all people, a jerk. Honestly, I just... I don't know what to think.

Emi sticks out her tongue at me.

Emi: "You ass."

7. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your least favorite girl's thread.

For brevity, I'll simply note the scene. It's "Look Ahead," from Shizune's route. Basically, the entire conversation with Misha on the roof, ending right when Shizune appears.

~Wahaha.

8. Do you feel that, after playing Katawa Shoujo, that you are better equipped emotionally for a real-life relationship? Why or why not? If you are currently in a relationship, do you feel that playing KS will allow you to strengthen it? Why or why not?

Yes, I do. I have to say, it's really weird to say that, having never been in a relationship before. Even so, I feel like the lessons Katawa Shoujo teaches you in the process of playing the game are absolutely invaluable, and will totally help in a relationship. That's why this game made me feel more melancholy than it should have- it made me want a relationship just to put what I've learned to the test.

Coincidentally, Just the other day, I was talking to one of my friends, and she was worrying about one of her friends (a mutual acquaintance of ours). She was worried that the other girl was pushing her away for some reason, and she didn't know why. I instantly thought of Shizune and Misha. Seconds later, my friend tells me she wanted to confront her about it, which is what Shizune tried to do, and failed. I told my friend, drawing upon KS as best as I could, to be cautious when talking to her, and perhaps not directly confronting her, because that's not always the best course of actions, even when its with the best intentions (as Shizune herself learned).

First and foremost, I'm going to be a bit biased right now because I have yet to finish Lilly's route.


1. Which girl's thread affected you the most emotionally? Why did it do this?
Rin's by far. Rin's path involved her not being able to show her feelings that well, and paired with the stress of a higher authority figure (or figures) expecting greatness from her, her emotional pitfalls felt relatively steep. The curiosity that I felt as Hisao trying to be closer to Rin felt genuine, as did my wants in certain situations. Rin's path, much like Hanako's, felt a bit isolated from the outside world, and much like myself, I often feel like all I need is one other person. Rin gives up much of her social life and basically allows only Hisao to be with her -that essentially amplified the effect of her on me. Rin was talented, yet helpless; popular, yet alone; uncaring, yet caring. Her endings (both neutral and bad) were very emotionally jarring as they reminded me of the sudden halt of a past relationship as well.

2. Which girl's thread did you successfully complete first (good ending)? How did you reach the good end of this thread? Did you use a guide, or did you answer the questions according to your own thoughts, as I did?
Rin's ending. I had to use a guide because I had gotten the neutral ending and the bad ending. I was so deeply saddened by the bad ending that I did not want to get that again, and so I had to resort to a flowchart. Rin's choices were a bit less clear, that is to say that she was unpredictable, but for every other character, I had answered with my own thoughts.

3. In what order would you rate the quality of the girls' threads?
Lilly excluded:
Rin > (barely) Hanako > Emi > Shizune

4. If there was a single word which describes the key a player must remember to complete each girl's thread, what would that word be for each girl?

Rin: Empathy
Hanako: Value
Emi: Press
Shizune: Morality

5. How much time did it take you to complete each girl's thread? (Play time, not total IRL time)

Rin: Around 6.5 hours
Hanako: Around 5.5 hours
Emi: Around 6 hours
Shizune: Around 7 hours

6. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your favorite girl's thread.
And so, Rin simply takes a few steps to close the distance between us and the rises on the tips of her toes to even out the height difference...
Rin: It was a bad idea. Maybe you should forget about it, and I will too.
It's a reflex, and almost as an afterthought, the words "no", "yes" and "maybe" simultaneously surface inside my mind. My hand is between her lips and mine, a wall that I raised to guard against... something. Her breath feels warm against my fingers. The scent of her skin lingers about, the mysterious indescribable sensation that captures me and draws my eyes deep into hers. The look in her eyes is surprised, quizzical as to why the impertinent hand prevented her advances. Her eyes are really big and glistening with moisture, and staring right into my own with a soft gaze that I'm having a hard time to match. Rin's half- open mouth makes her look even more confused, although the sensual way her lips are arching is signaling something completely different.
Rin: Please. I need you.

7. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your least favorite girl's thread.
I'm not sure how I feel. Regretful, slightly, even though I've grown to hate regret. Sad, for a multitude of reasons. I'm also a little angry, both at her and at myself. And in a way, it seems like I'm not really feeling at all.
Hisao: Don't be.
Misha: No, Hicchan. It's okay~. I am, really, really~. But... just asking was enough for me, I think. I'm happier that you said no.
Hisao: Is that right? Well, that's good.
Misha: Yeah~, it is. Thanks, Hicchan.

8. Do you feel that, after playing Katawa Shoujo, that you are better equipped emotionally for a real-life relationship? Why or why not? If you are currently in a relationship, do you feel that playing KS will allow you to strengthen it? Why or why not?
In all honesty, I don't think that I am any more emotionally equipped for a real-life relationship that I am now. My previous relationship -my first real, lengthy relationship- ended worse off than my first (ever) relationship. So much worse that I had slipped into a deep depression for about a year afterward. As much as I've learned from the joyous parts of that relationship, I've learned much more about the deadly pitfalls that can occur when I make decisions that fit me. I've learned that all I can basically do is be myself, and if I'm not myself, then I will be living a lie -a false life. It's why I resonated with Rin so well.

1. Which girl's thread affected you the most emotionally? Why did it do this?
Rins, I feel with being awkward, having trouble expressing my self, and being eccentric and not taken seriously that I'm in the same boat as her, so it really resonated. however it's probably tied with Hanako, dud to the massiveness of the player punch that the white knight approach, that I believed in, was only hurting her.

2. Which girl's thread did you successfully complete first (good ending)? How did you reach the good end of this thread? Did you use a guide, or did you answer the questions according to your own thoughts, as I did?
Hanako, no guide, but in ending up getting both her other endings before her good one.

3. In what order would you rate the quality of the girls' threads?

Hanako=Rin>Lilly>Emi>>>Shizune

4. If there was a single word which describes the key a player must remember to complete each girl's thread, what would that word be for each girl?
Hanako = trust
Rin = hypocrit (mabey its just for me, but what would be reasonible for hasino to say from her shoes)

5. How much time did it take you to complete each girl's thread? (Play time, not total IRL time)
6-8 depending on if I skipped act one ans whether I went straight to good end.

6. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your favorite girl's thread.
Tie: Hanako good end and Rin "I don't know what's wrong with me!"

7. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your least favorite girl's thread.
Misha explaining her backstory

8. Do you feel that, after playing Katawa Shoujo, that you are better equipped emotionally for a real-life relationship? Why or why not? If you are currently in a relationship, do you feel that playing KS will allow you to strengthen it? Why or why not?

not in a relationship and haven't been in one, but looking at some of the girls made me realize some of my own problems, and really want a relationship, so I don't think I can compare to prior to be better equipped, but maybe it will actually happen

1. Which girl's thread affected you the most emotionally? Why did it do this?

Rin's thread, by far. I was amazed by the level of pain both Rin and Hisao deal with, especially considering how lighthearted Rin's path starts out; you don't usually see a depiction of a romantic relationship causing so much angst in any sort of media. Rin and Hisao were really fleshed out as characters in this route. Rin also reminds me of myself, which gave the route an extra emotional impact.

2. Which girl's thread did you successfully complete first (good ending)? How did you reach the good end of this thread? Did you use a guide, or did you answer the questions according to your own thoughts, as I did?

Shizune's. I didn't use a guide and answered the questions according to my own thoughts (this applies to most of the other routes as well).

3. In what order would you rate the quality of the girls' threads?

Rin, Hanako, Lilly, Emi, Shizune. This question is hard for me; I think all the routes were really well written and had great art, but I put Shizune's last because I felt it had bad pacing and some unnecessary scenes. I found parts of Shizune's route really powerful, especially Misha's storyline and the route's bad end.

4. If there was a single word which describes the key a player must remember to complete each girl's thread, what would that word be for each girl?

Rin: acceptance; Hanako: respect; Emi: persistence; Lilly: understanding; Shizune: loyalty

5. How much time did it take you to complete each girl's thread? (Play time, not total IRL time)

Around 3--6 hours.

6. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your favorite girl's thread.

One of Rin's ends (the "goodbye in the rain" scene). The fact that Rin has concluded that she can't get close to others and wishes she'd never gotten to know Hisao is incredibly sad.

7. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your least favorite girl's thread.

Emi's good end. It's very touching in an understated way.

8. Do you feel that, after playing Katawa Shoujo, that you are better equipped emotionally for a real-life relationship? Why or why not? If you are currently in a relationship, do you feel that playing KS will allow you to strengthen it? Why or why not?

I'm not in a relationship. I don't feel that KS has directly prepared me emotionally for a real-life relationship so much as it has inspired me to be a better person in general. The story and characters, Rin and Shizune in particular, made me reflect on my own personality and try to do my best in life. Honestly, I'm not sure if KS will help me in my relationships in the long run, but I feel it's had a positive effect on me.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Psych! wrote:I've gotta say, reading this thread has been fascinating. It scratches my psychology itch. I find it interesting to see how many people playing along personally identify with Hanako and Rin. Is it the quality of the writing, or indicative of the kinds of people drawn to Visual Novels in the first place?

It's not really the indicative to the type of people drawn to Visual Novels. As a person who plays nakige (visual novels designed to draw emotion out of you) and utsuge (visual novels that are sadistic, I mean, designed to draw tears out of you *cough* Key Visual Arts *cough*), I will say this. Among fellow nakige, Katawa Shoujo is weird.

Most story-based visual novels are good because of plot or atmosphere. Characters have to be interesting, sure, and they usually are but the really good VNs sacrifice characterization for plot or atmosphere. Katawa Shoujo is very different from them since it focuses much more on characterization and realism, and some fellow veteran VN players don't appreciate it because of that. Some of them even complain that the disabilities aren't used enough as a plot device. They are way too used to Key using cute sick girls to extract tears out of them. (In case you're wondering, I am quite biased against Key Visual Arts. They make good VNs, but their strategy of doing so just irks me. There doesn't seem to be love for the characters. Alice Soft and Rance games forever, Gahahaha! It's a bit sad that comedy rape eroge has more love and effective use of its characters than the average story-based visual novel but I digress.)

What I am trying to say is that if anything is to blame, it's the quality of the characterization. It's just so good that it can evoke empathy in the audience. I remember one reviewer claiming that Katawa Shoujo had s**t writing but it still managed to evoke emotion out of him. Those silly elitists. A real bookworm knows that wordsmithing is overrated.

Professor, please remember that the plural of anecdotes is not data. Although a big fan of KS myself, I admire your spirit for trying to give this well deserved game a more serious study. On the other hand, as a fellow academic in the field of economics, I cannot but express a feeling of hesitance when I see that another colleague trying to base his study on a few minimal questions posed on an internet forum.

1. Which girl's thread affected you the most emotionally? Why did it do this?
It's a toss up between Rin and Hanako, I liked Rin's route because of the moral, that the right thing is to accept someone instead of trying to change or understand them. I've heard from people before that they way the Rin explains things and perhaps the way she acts is a lot like someone with aspberger's syndrome. As someone that has a diagnosis of aspberger's syndrome, I can relate because in many ways I have difficulties communicating with people, in some ways I'm like hanako where I want to be left alone, I feel defeated when I need help other people don't need, like at work but in the end, what I need is someone to support me. No one wants to a broken bird. On the other hand like Rin I want to be accepted. Many times it feels like i'm the diagnosis, my behavior is explained as a symptom instead of being a part of me. I'm pressed into a cookie cutter that my parents think a person with my disability should be.

This is not how I want to be seen. Katawa Shoujo doesn't make fun of disabilities nor does it glorify them. One thing that really bothers me is how people gain fame for being good at something and having a disability. Like that movie about the surfer girl that lost an arm and then came back to win a whole bunch of surfing championships. This is just another way of seeing someone as the disability. I think that people with disabilities should be seen as people, it shouldn't be about what they can't do nor should it be about what they did do. This is what katawa shoujo gets right. Nearly all of the girls routes could have a non-disabled person and not change. If Rin had her arms her route could still be about her trouble with expressing herself. If Emi had her legs, her route could still be about how she lost her dad. Yet in some way them being disabled makes the game more special. I don't understand why, but I can smpathzie with it.


2. Which girl's thread did you successfully complete first (good ending)? How did you reach the good end of this thread? Did you use a guide, or did you answer the questions according to your own thoughts, as I did?

I did Rin's route first. When the full version came out I had already read all of act 1. To get her path I used a guide. After that I was on my own. I reached the good end without getting either bad end. The way I reached it was simple. I read what she was saying, by the time I reached the crucial decision, I was able to think through it. (This is the "then explain" or "I want to understand" decision) I knew that if I said "then explain" Rin would say that she can't. If I said "I want to understand" Rin would still not be able to explain and Hisao won't understand. Both answers are wrong, but I concluded that "I want to understand" was less wrong.

For the second decision it one of the options was to not have to understand and instead just accept her. This leads to good end.


3. In what order would you rate the quality of the girls' threads?

Tough question. Shizune's path is the weakest by far. It lacks a coherent theme and forshadowing, while being confusing and convuluted.

On the other hand both the other 4 are very strong for different reasons.
So to rank them it would be

Rin, Lily, Hanako, Emi, Shizune

4. If there was a single word which describes the key a player must remember to complete each girl's thread, what would that word be for each girl?

Rin- acceptence
Lily- Honesty
Hanako- perspective taking
Emi - support
Shizune - loyalty

5. How much time did it take you to complete each girl's thread? (Play time, not total IRL time)

about 4 to 6 hours each. I read all of act 1 on all 5 play thoroughs

6. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your favorite girl's thread.

Why...? Why does all this happen? People are doing things I don't ask for and don't want and everyone keeps getting angry at me. I have no idea what's going on anymore, and can't stop feeling like I want to run away from everything...! I have no idea what's wrong with me!!" - Rin

Hisao: And you can depend on me if you feel like you need someone to support you, you know.
Hanako: B-but I can't ask that of you...
Hisao: You can, because that's exactly what I'm asking of you. I'm going through the same thing, you know.
Hisao: It's called love.

"This is me. All of me." -Hanako

"From then on, I believed that it didn't matter if nobody else acknowledged me. All my existence ever did was to make people troubled, after all. It was...easier ...if I just didn't exist."
"But after meeting Lilly, and then you..."
"I tried, but I...couldn't make myself think that way again. -Hanako"

Emi: Stay with me please?

Her voice dropped to a whisper, the question is barely audible over the sound of my own breathing.

There is something about the way that she asks that question, the hesitancy in it, the quiet voice, that makes me thing she doesn’t mean tonight.

No, she means exactly what she said. “Stay with me.” Not “tonight” or “forever,” because both of us know there’s no such thing as forever.

There’s no time limit to her request, there’s just the request.

The favor.

Can I do that?

Can I stay with her?

Hisao
“Of course”

7. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your least favorite girl's thread.

Shizune's route had confusing to me, so I didn't really feel that inspired by it. Sorry

8. Do you feel that, after playing Katawa Shoujo, that you are better equipped emotionally for a real-life relationship? Why or why not? If you are currently in a relationship, do you feel that playing KS will allow you to strengthen it? Why or why not?

I do, I feel that by reading it I have gained a better understanding on myself and how I feel. Katawa shoujo is something I want to show everyone, it's something anyone can relate to and sympathize with.

I learned for Rin's path that I should accept people for what they are, I mean I knew that, I never take people at face value, but Rin's path went farther and said that instead of trying to understand just accept it.

emi's path reenforced what I already learned the hard way. If you see someone headed down the wrong path you can say something but you can't force your way in a stop them. This was happening when she was obviously having a problem with her legs. Hisao says something and then gets an option to press her hard on it. If Emi is stubborn and refuses to listen all you can do is wait for her to fall and catch her.

This was the moral of emi's path and hisao almost lost it when he went too far. Lucky I talked her mom instead of talking to emi with gave me a chance to make up and break the wall she put up.

shizune's path was different. The whole thing with misha and her feelings with shizune, was really good. It inforces what I believe about same-sex relationships. I feel that if two people are right for each other gender should matter. The problem was that the nothing built up to this conflict and the resolution was confusing. Shizune's path should of had this theme from the beginning instead of going to her mansion, and then when the awkward and complex situation came to a boiling point there should have been some kind of confrontation.

Lily was a love a pure love story and closest to being the true end. It doesn't focus on her blindness at all, instead being about hisao accepting his heart condition and finding someone that loves him back

Hanako taught me that a relationship should be mutal, no one wants to be seen as a broken bird, instead the relationship should be people supporting each other and helping each other. If hisao was the white knight or if hanako was looking for someone to carry her it wouldn't have been a successful relationship. Instead it's mutal, they help each other. Hisao helps hanako with her scaring and hanako helps hisao with his heart condition.

I think that in the end I feel like i've become a better person. I'm at the point of my life where I want to improve and Katawa shoujo gave me hope that some day I find the right person. When they day comes i'll know what to say and how to act (hopefully >_<)

1. Which girl's thread affected you the most emotionally? Why did it do this?

Rin. I made a thread you seem to have already read about how it lead to my ex-girlfriend still being alive today. It also was the most thought provoking to me.

2. Which girl's thread did you successfully complete first (good ending)? How did you reach the good end of this thread? Did you use a guide, or did you answer the questions according to your own thoughts, as I did?

I reached Rin's good ending first. I honestly just answered with what seemed to obviously be the "right" choices and got the good ending.

3. In what order would you rate the quality of the girls' threads?

Kenji>Everyone Else

Really though, I think this question is kinda like Christianity or Islam. You say potato. Each route was meaningful in it's own way. In short, I would never tell you that Hercule Poirot is better than Sherlock Holmes because Arthur Conan Doyle and Agathie Christie's styles of stories (even if the genre is very similar) are not the same.

Things I gathered-
Lily was very much about setting boundaries for where relationships can and cannot go and I thought it was well-done.
Rin's was very much about grasping things where they stand and not trying to grasp what isn't there in Rin.
Emi's was very much about how determined you can be to chase and hold close what's important to you.
Hanako's was about accepting a superficiality in relationships as a given to an extent but also getting over what you don't want to.
And Shizune's was about determination and dedication to a certain goal and not getting sidetracked.

4. If there was a single word which describes the key a player must remember to complete each girl's thread, what would that word be for each girl?

Rin- Tolerance
Lily- Devotion
Hanako- Understanding
Emi- Boundaries
Shizune- Don't be an ass and you'll get the good ending.

5. How much time did it take you to complete each girl's thread? (Play time, not total IRL time)
Uh, I dunno. I played the whole game within about 14 hours or so. I guess I spent less time on routes I was less interested in because of my tendency to get a little spacebar happy when I get bored. I would say a good "few" hours of straight reading per route.

6. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your favorite girl's thread.
Rin's last line in the good ending is more or less the only line that sticks out in my head, so I guess I remember that.

7. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your least favorite girl's thread.
I didn't really HAVE a least favorite girl's thread. But I thought the awkwardness in Misha's scene (you know the one) was pretty well translated to the reader.

8. Do you feel that, after playing Katawa Shoujo, that you are better equipped emotionally for a real-life relationship? Why or why not? If you are currently in a relationship, do you feel that playing KS will allow you to strengthen it? Why or why not?
It was a great read, but I didn't really learn anything other than one simple thing that helped me out a lot recently. That tolerance and subtext are huge when it comes to many relationships.

1. Which girl's thread affected you the most emotionally? Why did it do this?
Lilly, Hanako, Rin and Emi were all emotional roller coasters. Shizune less so. Lilly's story impacted me the most, because it deals with the issue of abandonment, something that I unfortunately struggle with. Even though Lilly and Hisao have a good thing going, Lilly is still able to leave him behind forever at the drop of a hat when family calls. That sort of thing strikes a nerve with me. So, when the final twist of the Lilly good ending is finally revealed at Hisao's most desperate hour, it simply explodes the flood gates open. It's been done a million times in different forms, but it always works with a good writer, and Suriko delivered.

2. Which girl's thread did you successfully complete first (good ending)? How did you reach the good end of this thread? Did you use a guide, or did you answer the questions according to your own thoughts, as I did?
I reached Hanako's good ending 1st, and getting there was ultimately very logical. Don't be a jerk. Treat her like an equal, like a fellow normal human being, and absolutely always listen to people who have known her for longer than you have, because they know details that you may not have caught yet. No guides were needed, I simply did what felt reasonable. In Hanako's case, the trick was to make her feel that you want her to be in your life, for altruistic reasons. To give her a chance to loosen up and be normal with the rest of them.

3. In what order would you rate the quality of the girls' threads?
In order from best to worst:

1. Lilly
2. Hanako and Rin shared
3. Emi
4. Shizune

The writing in Lilly's path was simply in a class of it's own. No path was horrible, but they can't all be the best.

4. If there was a single word which describes the key a player must remember to complete each girl's thread, what would that word be for each girl?

Hanako: Equality. Try to see her as no different from you.
Lilly: Honesty. Never lie or hide things from her. She'll know.
Rin: Sympathy. Try to understand the fact that she most likely can never meet whatever expectations you place on her, and just deal with it.
Emi: Respect. Respect her feelings, and the fact that you really cannot understand what some things mean to her.
Shizune: Determination. She'll go trough hell and high water to get what she wants, and appreciates all those who do the same.

5. How much time did it take you to complete each girl's thread? (Play time, not total IRL time)
An estimated 11-13 hours per path.

6. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your favorite girl's thread.
Lilly's entire good ending. The desperation and feelings of defeat that Hisao goes trough during all that, and the sheer relief that you feel after the final plot twist.

7. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your least favorite girl's thread.
Most anything that came out of Jigoro's mouth during Shizune's path. For a fictional character, he did a good job of making me wanna kick his ass.

8. Do you feel that, after playing Katawa Shoujo, that you are better equipped emotionally for a real-life relationship? Why or why not? If you are currently in a relationship, do you feel that playing KS will allow you to strengthen it? Why or why not?
No, I can't see KS as some sort of handy relationship training simulator that you can use to practice being a better husband/boyfriend. Katawa Shoujo, ultimately, is still just a game where victory can be achieved every time simply trough following some pre-determined, fixed logic and rules. Real life is still much more complex, chaotic and fluid than that.

Please note that I had only finished 3 routes so far, and I don't think I have any more time to spend to finish the rest.

1. Which girl's thread affected you the most emotionally? Why did it do this?
Rin. It portrayed the problem of communication and reluctance to change very well. Also gives a good depression in case of "trying to understand other people"


2. Which girl's thread did you successfully complete first (good ending)? How did you reach the good end of this thread? Did you use a guide, or did you answer the questions according to your own thoughts, as I did?
I used flowchart to seek for routes, but after I reached routes, I was playing by instinct. Found Hanako Good End first since I played her route first.

3. In what order would you rate the quality of the girls' threads?
Without Assumption : Rin > Lilly > Hanako
With Assumption : Rin > Lilly > Hanako/Emi > Shizune (Haven't played the other two routes but I roughly know what are the route about)

4. If there was a single word which describes the key a player must remember to complete each girl's thread, what would that word be for each girl?
Rin : Understanding
Lilly : Honesty
Hanako : Empathy

5. How much time did it take you to complete each girl's thread? (Play time, not total IRL time)

Around 5-6 hours.

6. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your favorite girl's thread.
I found the whole symbolism about "Drowning" from Rin is very good. The first H scene is also a good portrayal of despair, and the final sentences about "she looked like has a wing" in her good end is a very good touch.

7. Give an example of a particularly effective piece of writing from your least favorite girl's thread.
The whole Hanako's panic attack is awesome, so do the innovative "White Knight Syndrome Reversal" theme.
And actually while I rated Hanako as the worst route from the three that I played, I still rated the route as a good route.

8. Do you feel that, after playing Katawa Shoujo, that you are better equipped emotionally for a real-life relationship? Why or why not? If you are currently in a relationship, do you feel that playing KS will allow you to strengthen it? Why or why not?
Not really. Some great Visual Novel had already did very great impacts before in my life, and honestly they outshine the whole impact that I got from KS. But I am agree that Visual Novel is a very good medium to change someone's perspective due to it's subjectivity, the ability to draw (or not) players to MC's perspective, supported with good art and music to boost the impact.

Katawa Shoujo is very good, but it lacks in some recipes to impact emotionally, at least for me (who already had a higher standard in VN). Funnily, I find the whole backstage story had more impact in methan the actual story...But I know that for other, KS should be able to touch some heartstrings.
It had the potential, but for me it's a miss...But still a good try.

For relationship, currently I had a good relation with my Ex and I didn't feeling like to seek for a new partner. So, it didn't change anything to my relationship.