Katawa Shoujo Forums

It all started when my friend handed me a flashdrive at school. He said to play the game on the flash drive because it was the best thing ever.
When I started it, my first reaction was "WTF is this? Is he trolling me?"
I though this because knowing him, he wouldn't enjoy something like this.
On facebook, he urged me to go on.
I stayed up the whole night finishing Lilly's story. I wish I had read slower and really savored the whole thing. I hate myself for it.

I can't believe how much KS has changed me after reading just two stories.
After reading Lilly's story, I couldn't concentrate on anything. My mind keeps coming back to the plot of the whole thing.
It makes me sad that I already finished. I wish that somehow I can forget the story so I can read it again...
Even as I was starting Emi's story, I really couldn't move along from Lill's story...

Its almost turned my life upside down. It feels like I've started a new life.

It helped me quit playing video games. I've moved on in my life. I don't know what kind of black magic has been worked on me.

I would do anything to see Katawa Shoujo animated. It would be a dream come true.

Quitting video games over a video game?

Boy, you have zero game!

Crypt wrote:Its almost turned my life upside down. It feels like I've started a new life.

It helped me quit playing video games. I've moved on in my life. I don't know what kind of black magic has been worked on me.

I would do anything to see Katawa Shoujo animated. It would be a dream come true.

Same here. I don't have time for games much anymore either. KS inspired me to get a new college degree, so my nights and weekends are full of things more productive than games I am working out again too, and that sucks up the last of my free time. It feels really good investing my time in things that will count later on now.

Crypt wrote: I can't believe how much KS has changed me after reading just two stories.
Its almost turned my life upside down. It feels like I've started a new life.

Why do you think this is?

I haven't personally experienced any "feels" or life-changing inspirational experiences that half the people on here have experienced, but I am quite curious as to why those who have had their lives changed by this visual novel think it changed them.

I'm not entirely certain, to be honest. I think, for me, one of the main things was just feeling emotions that I hadn't felt since the last time I fell in love, and thus being confronted with the fact that I'd been numbing myself emotionally for a few years. Being reminded of how good it can be to feel the full spectrum of emotions made me want to start feeling again, basically.

I've always liked romantic subplots in video games - from Baldur's Gate 2 to Dragon Age - and there have been times when I was far more interested in that than in the game's main plot. KS was getting nothing but the romantic plot for the first time in a "game", so novelty may have something to do with it, too.

Also, going through Emi's path (my first and favorite) and vicariously experiencing Hisao's improving health made me want to do something similar in real life. I don't have a heart condition, but I am overweight and am at risk for diabetes (my father had it), and for a long time I've been depressed about the way I look. So seeing Hisao do it made me say, "Well, why not me?" Seeing the Couch to 5K thread here on the forums finalized it; how could I resist the notion of being cheered on by Emi?

I dont know why.
I've felt so much emotion reading the whole thing. I cant think of anything else but Lilly's story...

Crypt wrote:I dont know why.
I've felt so much emotion reading the whole thing. I cant think of anything else but Lilly's story...

Most of us felt the same after each route, but if it goes on for like 2-3 days and ruins your concetration, you might want to check back here and ask people for some advice.

Rin and Shizune's routes had no impact on me, though... dunno what's up with that.

Crypt wrote:I dont know why.
I've felt so much emotion reading the whole thing. I cant think of anything else but Lilly's story...

It sounds like it rocked you hard just like many of the folks here, me included. I'm glad that it helped you reflect on your life and give up video games (if they were a big problem for you). Try to do harness this inspiration; make something, draw something, write something, do something, anything at all. Like Mysterycycle I ploughed some of that feeling into Couch to 5k with Emi, and I've lost some tonnage and I feel great.

Make sure to profusely thank your friend!

Walrusfella wrote:

Crypt wrote:I dont know why.
I've felt so much emotion reading the whole thing. I cant think of anything else but Lilly's story...

It sounds like it rocked you hard just like many of the folks here, me included. I'm glad that it helped you reflect on your life and give up video games (if they were a big problem for you). Try to do harness this inspiration; make something, draw something, write something, do something, anything at all. Like Mysterycycle I ploughed some of that feeling into Couch to 5k with Emi, and I've lost some tonnage and I feel great.

Make sure to profusely thank your friend!

You know what,
I think ill try the Couch to 5k with Emi. I'm not much overweight, but I could lose some fat.
Everytime I dont want to run, or if I want to eat something unhealthy, I will think of Emi.
Thanks.

Crypt wrote:
It helped me quit playing video games.

I don't see the connection. KS has nothing about stuff like video game addiction... o.O (That is, of course, assuming that you were addicted in the first place. If you weren't addicted, no reason to "quit", of course.)

There doesn't have to be a connection. Sometimes things can just make you think about other things by proxy.

For example, I've been playing less video games since I've been spending more time working out and applying for college and grants. In the near future, I'll have even less time for that as I plan to get involved with volunteer work of some sort.

Video games are a fine distraction and form of entertainment, but a lot of people just have problems with spending too much time on them.

Crypt wrote:It helped me quit playing video games.

Nothing wrong with some video games every once in a while. Learn to prioritize.

mysterycycle wrote:I've always liked romantic subplots in video games - from Baldur's Gate 2 to Dragon Age - and there have been times when I was far more interested in that than in the game's main plot. KS was getting nothing but the romantic plot for the first time in a "game", so novelty may have something to do with it, too.

Well, if you want to see more romantic plots, be happy because that's what the vast majority of visual novels revolve around. In fact, it has resulted in a problem where almost every VN is based on a "here are some cute girls/boys, choose your favorite" scenario, just like with KS, so there is a noticeable stagnation in variety among VNs. You'd have a lot of trouble finding VNs that have an art style, setting and story resembling western fantasy RPGs like Diablo and The Elder Scrolls.