Katawa Shoujo Forums

Today, January 16, 2024, is the second anniversary of my acquaintance with Katawa Shoujo. For this reason, I am writing the first topic, and also attaching to it my two-year exam paper, inspired by one of the Katawa Shoujo routes. At one time, when I handed it in, the teacher, of course, was not familiar with the visual novel, and when he saw the volume of my work, he looked at the “short version” I had made. The initially according to the rules minimum amount of work indicated is two, three times less. My existing work came out, of course, thanks to Hanako; the ideas and themes that were “perceived” by me, I wanted to put into in it. Of course, not all ideas that are indicated in my work can be 100% referred to Katawa Shoujo, or can...?

The original file was translated and edited externally:

The teacher is not familiar with Katawa Shoujo, but the latter’s community certainly is, so I want to ask a couple of questions based on my work. Which in turn can be applied to any other creative embodiment, for example, to Katawa Shoujo itself.

• Who is the most important judge of the meaning of the work being reviewed, the viewer or its creator?
• If there are any meanings that are not found by the viewer, but indicated by the author in the work, can we consider that the author is making a mountain out of a molehill, exaggerating the quality of his work?
• If the author did not indicate the ideas that the viewer discovered, or what he identified is not true in the viewer’s opinion, can the author be considered wrong?
• Who and how determines the true, truest meaning of a creative project?

Tell all the pros and cons regarding these issues, and if you still have interest and strength, then I will be grateful for your comments on my work (the teacher gave an excellent grade, but you can evaluate it from the point of view of Katawa Shoujo), not only visually, but more meaningful, indicated with the participation of Katawa Shoujo. Thank you for your attention!

Hey there!

First off, congrats on the second anniversary of your journey with Katawa Shoujo! That's quite a milestone, and it's awesome that you've channeled your inspiration into an academic paper. Your teacher might not have been familiar with Katawa Shoujo, but it's clear you've put a ton of effort and thought into your work. The fact that it’s much longer than the minimum requirement speaks volumes about your dedication.

Regarding your questions, they really dive into the heart of artistic interpretation, don't they? The whole debate about who's the ultimate judge of a work's meaning – the creator or the viewer – is a classic one. In my view, it's a bit of both. The creator puts their vision and message into their work, but it's the viewer who brings their own experiences and perspectives, making the interpretation deeply personal. It’s like when you see someone wearing sexy leggings; they might just be a comfy choice for them, but they can leave a memorable impression on others, stirring different thoughts and emotions.

Thank you for the congratulations anniversary and the message in general! Of course, the teacher was not familiar with Katawa Shoujo, but in any case, it's okay that they don't give extra points for a larger amount of work. Since writing the text for the work itself, the volume that it eventually turned out to be, was for the sake of my own preferences, to spend more time "together" with the visual novel I liked.

Baki wrote: Sat Jan 20, 2024 10:01 am

Это похоже на то, когда вы видите кого-то в сексуальных леггинсах; возможно, им это просто удобно, но они могут произвести незабываемое впечатление на других, вызвав разные мысли и эмоции.

Wow! What a non-standard example, interesting. Hmm. I don't understand if it's okay to look for a deep meaning with leggings, but I'm sure it has a right to exist (or even more, it already exists, but to describe its content is a completely different question...). Thank you!

It's great to see someone who has the courage to bring up a piece of media that wouldnt typically be seen as intellectual in an academic production! It's the one thing i struggled with in essays when i was in high school, snobbism towards modern writing is something i really despise; each era has its tropes and litterary tendencies, every one of which defined and influenced the works that came after, considering any to be inappropriate in analysis of such things is idiotic. I wish you luck with the rest of your studies and then your work life! I apologize if my answers are subpar, while i greatly enjoy talking about this sort of things, i find myself to be a bit clumsy at expressing my ideas.

As for the questions;

"Who is the most important judge of the meaning of the work being reviewed, the viewer or its creator?" I believe media does not inherently have meaning, as no matter what is depicted, it is solely visual and/or auditory information that is then interpreted as having certain meanings, which are thus purely subjective. Although of course this does not mean the information cannot have patterns that evoke certain meanings in most peoples.

Learning about the intention of the creator will almost inevitably provide a lens to view the work through which will drastically increase the chance of having a specific interpretation, but that is outside information that does not affect the work itself unless known.

"If there are any meanings that are not found by the viewer, but indicated by the author in the work, can we consider that the author is making a mountain out of a molehill, exaggerating the quality of his work?" It means that he overestimating how well he can transmit ideas through art, but that does not mean the work itself is inherently worse, it can be just as enjoyable for an audience who'se interpretation differs from that of the author.

For the idea that more meaning = a better work that this seems to imply, i suppose this depends on your definition of meaning. I would define it, in media, as an idea/concept that a piece of art evokes, and so i would disagree as, for example, the manifesto of some bizarre ideology will typically have a lot of meanings that it will elaborate upon quite a bit, and yet a vast majority of peoples wouldnt consider it a work of art. At the opposite end, Madoka Magica is essentially one big allegory to Goethe's Faust that bring some of it's themes under the lens of societal exploitation, yet peoples like it mostly for it's characters, plot, and ambiance; being meaningful definitely can play a part in the enjoyment of art, but is only one of many factors.

''If the author did not indicate the ideas that the viewer discovered, or what he identified is not true in the viewer’s opinion, can the author be considered wrong?'' No, just like how two viewers with different opinions can not truly be wrong. His interpretation might go against the one that his work most commonly generates, but as there is no objectively correct answer, there cannot be any objectively incorrect ones. Somewhat unrelated, but of course for matters beyond philosophical interpretation, like defining what has cannonically happened and what didn't, the author has the final say.

''Who and how determines the true, truest meaning of a creative project?'' For the true one, no one does, as being a purely subjective matter, there cannot be any objective truth. For the truest one, i would say it is whichever one is currently the most commonly agreed on.