Katawa Shoujo Forums

I recently replayed all the routes in Katawa Shoujo and found myself reflecting on a rather sad detail: had Hisao never gone to Yamaku—or had he failed to connect with one of the girls—most of them would have remained in a state of emotional stagnation or pursued self-destructive paths, just as the game's bad and neutral endings suggest. Hanako is likely the one who would have fared the worst. Without Hisao to provide the necessary confidence and draw her out of her isolation, Hanako would have continued hiding in the library, relying entirely on Lilly. This would have been particularly disastrous given that Lilly leaves for Scotland at one point in the story; without Hisao, Hanako would have been left completely alone, as she lacks the social initiative to make new friends on her own. Without Hisao to give her a gentle "nudge" to coax her out of her shell, she would most likely have retreated even further into the library or the confines of her own room. Then there is Emi, who avoids confronting the pain of having lost her father. Without Hisao to urge her to talk about her trauma, Emi would have continued pushing people away whenever they got too close emotionally, leading a life that was physically active but emotionally solitary. As for Rin, without Hisao attempting to understand her, she would likely have continued painting without ever finding a sense of purpose or a connection with others. Her neutral ending suggests that, even if she had managed to secure an art scholarship, she would have lived in a state of constant dissatisfaction, never evolving beyond her deep-seated need to be understood. Finally, I wanted to mention Lilly; unlike the other three, she is the most mature of the group. However, without Hisao, Lilly would likely have left for Scotland to rejoin her family, lacking a compelling reason to stay—or an emotional bond strong enough to make her prioritize her own desires over her family obligations. As for Shizune—to be honest—not much came to mind; I get the sense that, of the five, she is the one who would be least affected by Hisao's absence. The only thought that crossed my mind was that she might have become increasingly isolated and obsessed with order and Student Council affairs, thereby straining her relationship with Misha. The truth is, it is quite sad to realize that, for one of the girls to be happy, the others must face their problems alone.

This assumes that Hisao is special and none of the girls would ever meet anyone else in their lives who could lead them to the same growth. Maybe they still meet someone else later in life, in which case all that changes is the timing. Which, to be fair, does still matter.

I've heard a few people say that Hanako shows more growth in Lilly's route than she does in her own. I don't know if that's entirely fair given that Lilly's route shows a longer time frame, but it is worth talking about how she's able to join the newspaper club and befriend Natsume and Naomi. Though it could also be argued that even in the Lilly route, her friendship with Hisao probably still contributed to her growth. So the real question is, if she doesn't meet Hisao, does she still make friends with Natsume and Naomi? If so, I think she has a chance. But if not, she could continue to struggle into adulthood and never find another opportunity to meet anyone.

Lilly returns to Scotland, and she does so without experiencing the heartbreak of a lost love. I would argue maybe it's better for her not to throw everything away for a high school sweetheart she's known for only a few weeks. She can always find love in Scotland.

Emi really feels like a case where Hisao isn't special and she still has a chance to meet someone else who can take it slow enough to get her to eventually let her walls down. If she did it for Hisao she could do it for someone else. It's just a question of whether she meets the right person, or whether she becomes the type of athlete who stays single and just has one night stands at the Paralympic village. Which is totally also a potential path for her.

Rin needed someone to save her from Nomiya more than she needed a relationship. Hisao was in the right place at the right time, and if not for him she might not have opportunities later in life. Out of the whole cast, Rin is in the most danger.

Shizune is practically the same person before and after her route, and I'd even go as far as to say that their relationship feels like the least likely to last any further than just a high school fling anyway. Not much changes for her.

Misha is actually more worth talking about than Shizune. We know she's hiding the pain of heartbreak, and that the pain she was trying to repress becomes amplified when Hisao enters the picture and gets to have what she couldn't. The good ending sounds like she starts to confront that pain and work through it, but how much is she still masking? Could she actually be better off if Hisao never happened, and she and Shizune just naturally part ways after high school anyway? I think there are valid arguments to be made for Misha being either better or worse without Hisao, could go either way.

I may be the minority here, but one that that always catches me when it comes to Hanako in her route vs her in Lilly's route.

Instead of actually addressing her big issue, she simply gives in to it.

She mentions that she feels 'friends' aren't actually a real thing and people will only tolerate you when they need you and let you go when they don't. In her route, she has to face the fact that she's actually wrong.

In Lilly's route, she buys into it. She feels that one day Lilly and Hisao are simply going to grow tired of her and spend less time with her. And they DO start to spend less time with her. While she does find other things to do with other people, nothing really suggests that she ever comes to terms with her feelings.

Hanako is hard to tell given the difference in time scale between her route and Lily's.

Lilly is probably fine, but whether moving back in with her parents will work out depends on how much you believe Akira's suspicions about their parents.

Rin. Oh dear god.

Emi has issues that need working out, but whether it's a partner to open up to or something else is up in the air.

Like others have said, Misha is probably the more interesting variable in Shizune's route. How things shake out between them could go any number of ways.