Katawa Shoujo Forums

I think the topic of sexual content in the game has been discussed to death, but don't worry this is new (delete if I'm wrong)

It's just a small question: Do you think the sexual content in the game has benefitted the game by rousing interest in unlikely players that would've otherwise never played the game? Or do you think it just drove away potential players by increasing the weird-o-meter, and made itself unrecommendable material? (e.g I can't give this to my friends, they just woudn't play it)

inquisitivenegro wrote:I think the topic of sexual content in the game has been discussed to death, but don't worry this is new (delete if I'm wrong)

It's just a small question: Do you think the sexual content in the game has benefitted the game by rousing interest in unlikely players that would've otherwise never played the game? Or do you think it just drove away potential players by increasing the weird-o-meter, and made itself unrecommendable material? (e.g I can't give this to my friends, they just woudn't play it)

I don't think the sex scenes made this game unrecommendable at all. I think they actually fit their arcs pretty well. It may have drove away some potential players who lost interest upon the words "sex" and "disabled" but it seems nothing short of natural.

I think the circumstances of the game's creation (originated on 4chan), its genre (eroge visual novel), and its topic (disabled girls) combine to give it a sort of "train wreck" appeal to most denizens of the internet; it causes a lot of people to be profoundly intrigued, mostly thinking "oh wow, it would be unimaginably easy to screw that up, I wonder how well they handled it".

On the other hand, there's no question that the presence of adult content does cause some potential players to dismiss the game immediately, since porn is stereotypically known for basically having the worst writing possible.

But my guess, based on 0 solid evidence, is that the sex and nudity do more good than harm to the overall initial appeal of Katawa Shoujo.

Mirrormn wrote:I think the circumstances of the game's creation (originated on 4chan), its genre (eroge visual novel), and its topic (disabled girls) combine to give it a sort of "train wreck" appeal to most denizens of the internet; it causes a lot of people to be profoundly intrigued, mostly thinking "oh wow, it would be unimaginably easy to screw that up, I wonder how well they handled it".

^ This.

inquisitivenegro wrote:It's just a small question: Do you think the sexual content in the game has benefitted the game by rousing interest in unlikely players that would've otherwise never played the game? Or do you think it just drove away potential players by increasing the weird-o-meter, and made itself unrecommendable material? (e.g I can't give this to my friends, they just woudn't play it)

It's done both. It lured in some players with promises of cripple porn, only to cause them to think about more wholesome things - like their own emotions, and the emotions of others.

However it pushes away viewers who, I think, would find it to be a good collection of stories if they could handle the sex, nudity, and coarse language (which unlike in modern cinema pictures, is hardly profuse, hardly pornographic, and hardly intended for selfish reasons).

With a few exceptions.

I think it's both. Some people will be attracted by the idea of playing a pr0n game, and then find out that it turns out to be not really pr0n at all. A great bait and switch, for the best, I'd say! Some people will be repulsed because they can't handle nudity or depictions of sex, and loose out on the splendid contents of the game. I really can't say who is in the majority.

inquisitivenegro wrote: Or do you think it just drove away potential players by increasing the weird-o-meter, and made itself unrecommendable material? (e.g I can't give this to my friends, they just woudn't play it)

That's a good question. I've recommended KS to a few people, and I explained the sexual content with something like this: "It's got a few scenes with some nudity, but it's less frequent and more tasteful and plot driven than, say, any HBO programme". The story of how it came to be is an interesting hook as well.

That said, that content means that there are specific people I can't recommend it to, even if they might really like it in the end.

alot of the sex sceens were not meant to be sexy ( hanako and misha's sex scenes just may me feels uncomfortable and wrong ) ... what i tell ppl is just try the game ... you shouldn't over look the game just because of the anime style and sex

Paddy wrote:

Mirrormn wrote:I think the circumstances of the game's creation (originated on 4chan), its genre (eroge visual novel), and its topic (disabled girls) combine to give it a sort of "train wreck" appeal to most denizens of the internet; it causes a lot of people to be profoundly intrigued, mostly thinking "oh wow, it would be unimaginably easy to screw that up, I wonder how well they handled it".

^ This.

inquisitivenegro wrote:It's just a small question: Do you think the sexual content in the game has benefitted the game by rousing interest in unlikely players that would've otherwise never played the game? Or do you think it just drove away potential players by increasing the weird-o-meter, and made itself unrecommendable material? (e.g I can't give this to my friends, they just woudn't play it)

It's done both. It lured in some players with promises of cripple porn, only to cause them to think about more wholesome things - like their own emotions, and the emotions of others.

However it pushes away viewers who, I think, would find it to be a good collection of stories if they could handle the sex, nudity, and coarse language (which unlike in modern cinema pictures, is hardly profuse, hardly pornographic, and hardly intended for selfish reasons).

With a few exceptions.

For me it's really just the sex stuff that prevents me from passing KS around on a USB, coarse language is definitely not an issue - isn't it just Kenji that drops the f-bomb?

...actually to be completely honest I think a big obstacle in recommending KS is that I myself don't want to be associated with playing a "cripple fetish porn" game. Why am i so weak?? T.T

Anyways thanks for the answers, I think what I'll do is when I finally have built up the courage I'll recommend the Hanako route, which is short, easy to understand (compared to the close-reading nightmare that is the rin route nywayz), has great music+cinematic and only has one sex scene in all three endings.
...And I'll make sure they never play the Lily route (healthy adolescent sex drive D:) or the Emi route (surprise _u_ts__)

You could always say "I haven't gotten there yet. Thx for the spoilers"
:p

I think my problem is that a lot of the people I know are judgemental. If I tried to recommend the game, I'd get about as far as "Hey, I've found a cool game I think you should try. It's called Katawa Shoujo" before they'd shut down on me. A lot of people (myself included tbh before I played the game) will look on it as "dating game, disabled girls, sex scenes = porn" and assume that that's all there is, and not wish to play it based on those factors alone.

Althamus wrote:I think my problem is that a lot of the people I know are judgemental. If I tried to recommend the game, I'd get about as far as "Hey, I've found a cool game I think you should try. It's called Katawa Shoujo" before they'd shut down on me. A lot of people (myself included tbh before I played the game) will look on it as "dating game, disabled girls, sex scenes = porn" and assume that that's all there is, and not wish to play it based on those factors alone.

I agree with this, but extends to most other visual novels as well. Since VN's are classified as 'adult content', there's a lot of common stereotypes and misconceptions involving sex and the 'adult girls with face of a child'. It's sad really how people tend to brand negative images with something they really know nothing about.

Myself, I think the intimate scenes are important both to the plot (exclude anal) and character development. Sex and nudity never played the main role in the game, but were still essential to the plot. I wouldn't associate anyone with 'cripple porn fetish' just for playing the game either, but then again, people tend to make wrong assumptions easily, so it might be wise to think twice to whom you suggest the game.

Personally, I think most of the sex scenes were handled very delicately and helped a lot to further the plot (Except in Emi and Lilly's route). Now, I haven't played the game with the sex scenes disabled yet (Yes, I know the pun.), so I can't say how the game is when they're excluded. After all, in mist routes you only get the pr0n at the good ending.

Anyone who decides not to play this game for its sexual content is, in my opinion, shortsighted. Especially so since you have the option to disable the sexiness.

In general, I think it attracted more people than it pushed away, some people might've played the game just to see how depraved disabled sex could be and hop on the hate train, only to be proven wrong.

Wonder how many people were repulsed by "Ugh, sex scenes" and not "Ugh, sex scenes with girl without arms".

Oogy wrote:Personally, I think most of the sex scenes were handled very delicately and helped a lot to further the plot (Except in Emi and Lilly's route).

I think that even in the case of Emi and Lilly the sex scenes are also meaningful and advance the plot, but in a more symbolical way. They also help define their the character's true personality.

For Emi, the anal scene is an example of how she tries to solve all problems by just stubbornly persevering even if it causes her pain. She could say to Hisao, "This isn't working, let's just stop it and try something else tomorrow.", but that would require her to "give up". It's also a metaphor of how her relationship with Hisao is: she tries to do something that requires very strong intimacy, without actually being truly intimate. No wonder it doesn't pan out.

And for Lilly, her healthy adolescent sex drive is the evidence that she is definitely not the prim and proper lady who she pretends to be. That's just her persona. In reality she's far more playful and mischievious, but also far weaker than she shows. And the blindfold scene is actually an anticipatory element towards the good ending. Hisao had to get a heart problems in front of her not once, not twice, no, but three times. Only then does he she realize that she should to follow her own desires and stay with the man she loves in stead of to just weakly following her estranged and emotionally neglectful parent's wishes.

Hm, I guess I hadn't really thought about it that way. For the most part, I kind of agree what what you think about Lilly, but the bathtub scene didn't really add anything relevant. Okay, that they shared a bath was rather cute, but the sex afterwards just felt unnecesarry, since it was so quick after the previous sex scene. I mean, the're together for two days and have already had sex two times?

As for Emi, I think that's overthinking it just a bit. I've always considered Emi's route the be the funniest one, and I've got to admit that the anal scene was hilarious. Now, I'm no woman, but I think that not many women would back down from continuing the sex that they themselves proposed, that'd just be kind of cruel towards their partner.

But we're probably getting a little off topic here.