Katawa Shoujo Forums

I first learned of Katawa Shoujo around April of this year, when it became a hot topic of discussion on another forum that I'm a member of. Up until that point I'd never had any experience with visual novels, so KS was my first. And let me tell you, it kept me riveted to my screen for evenings on end.

Of the five routes three have managed to make a lasting impact on me. I'll briefly elaborate on the particular chords they struck with me one by one.

Holding a very respectable third place is Lilly's route. Now, this one got quite the hype on my other forum. A lot of it was justified, I found. For me the strength of the route lies mostly in the way her blindness shapes her everyday routine. In my experience, Lilly's route is the one that focusses on the practical implications of a disability the most. Even the most mundane of activities, from preparing tea to playing a game of chess, took an interesting turn because she has to go about them in a way that is almost exotic to someone with perfect eye sight. I thoroughly enjoyed those scenes, even if they didn't advance the plot. I just liked the atmosphere they breathed.

Stealing second place from her closest friend is Hanako. Hers was the first route I felt myself drawn to, maybe because I recognised a lot of my own social insecurities in her. Hanako's story was the most "tense" for me. The more she retreated into her depressive shell, the more I feared she was teetering on Death's doorstep. Though I haven't made it to her bad ending just yet, I was at least relieved to find out that it wouldn't get as bad as I dreaded. Another thing I loved about her arc is how well it is intertwined with Lilly's, to the point where she paradoxically ends up getting much more confident when Hisao enters into a relationship with Lilly, rather than with her. That only reinforces the running theme throughout her story that the more she's being treated like a porcelain doll, the more likely she's to break. In my view Hanako showed the most varied character development out of all the girls, which is why she ranks so high on my list.

But I have to award first place to none other than Rin. She really turned out to be a gem cunningly made to look like a lump of coal. I gave this addle-brained, disinteresed tomboy a wide berth on my initial playthroughs. It wasn’t until I’d worked my way through most of the other routes that I turned to her, which is seemingly what the game intended, too, seeing as how I actually had to cheat for the first time just to unlock her route! I rapidly saw her change before my eyes. She went from “addle-brained” to “philosophical”, from “disinterested” to “alienated”. Suddenly I’d found a girl that was even lonelier than Hanako: trapped in her own quirky world. “Planet Rin”, as Hisao dubbed it, had an impenetrable border control for thoughts: few of them got travel visas to make it to earth and vice-versa. That vibe I got from it, that each mind is unique and that no other will ever be able to fathom it, is something that strongly resonated with me as a person with autism. I can only hope to one day proclaim to the world with the same conviction as Rin: “it’s alright to be me”.

Ondori-ou wrote:Holding a very respectable third place is Lilly's route. Now, this one got quite the hype on my other forum. A lot of it was justified, I found. For me the strength of the route lies mostly in the way her blindness shapes her everyday routine. In my experience, Lilly's route is the one that focusses on the practical implications of a disability the most. Even the most mundane of activities, from preparing tea to playing a game of chess, took an interesting turn because she has to go about them in a way that is almost exotic to someone with perfect eye sight. I thoroughly enjoyed those scenes, even if they didn't advance the plot. I just liked the atmosphere they breathed.

I have to disagree with you belief in what the main strength is- I think it's just how well written her route was. If you take away the good writing, you lose more than you would if you take away her blindness, because Lilly blindness is not what makes her intriguing- it's her personality. To say otherwise would be going against one of the main messages of KS: A physical disability does not define a person with a physical disability; their person...ness... does.

Ondori-ou wrote:Another thing I loved about her arc is how well it is intertwined with Lilly's, to the point where she paradoxically ends up getting much more confident when Hisao enters into a relationship with Lilly, rather than with her. That only reinforces the running theme throughout her story that the more she's being treated like a porcelain doll, the more likely she's to break. In my view Hanako showed the most varied character development out of all the girls, which is why she ranks so high on my list.

I must disagree- Hanako was better off at the end of her route than she was by the time Lilly confessed to Hisao, and chronologically the end of Hanako's route takes place earlier than that. The only reason Hanako is more socialable at the the end of Lilly's route than she is at the end her route is that the end of Lilly's route takes place weeks after the end of Hanako's route- I think it's safe to assume that Hanako would end just as sociable if not more so by the start of the summer vacation if she ended up dating Hisao. (Speaking of which, I'd recommend reading this: http://ks.renai.us/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=6750)

Ondori-ou wrote:But I have to award first place to none other than Rin. She really turned out to be a gem cunningly made to look like a lump of coal. I gave this addle-brained, disinteresed tomboy a wide berth on my initial playthroughs. It wasn’t until I’d worked my way through most of the other routes that I turned to her, which is seemingly what the game intended, too, seeing as how I actually had to cheat for the first time just to unlock her route!

You don't need to unlock Rin's route...
If what you mean is that Rin's route was the only one you had to look up a guide to get on, then I don't think that immediately means that the developers meant for you to not play Rin's route first. While they said it was intentional that it was the hardest route to get, that doesn't mean that they intentionally made it so that you'd most likely not get her route first.

Lianam wrote: I have to disagree with you belief in what the main strength is- I think it's just how well written her route was. you take away the good writing, you lose more than you would if you take away her blindness, because Lilly blindness is not what makes her intriguing- it's her personality. To say otherwise would be going against one of the main messages of KS: A physical disability does not define a person with a physical disability; their person...ness... does.

Hmmm, I may have kept things a bit too succinct in my post. I should expand on some of my other thoughts to give a more complete picture of my experience. Obviously Lilly herself is an intriguing character. Like you pointed out it's not so much her blindness that defines her, but rather her way of dealing with it. She doesn't think of her disability as something impairing. Like when she argues that she can too have a favourite colour, only she knows colours by the concepts associated with them rather than by what they actually look like. Just like Hisao feels like Lilly is missing out on certain experiences due to her blindness, so are we too are missing out on experiences that we can't even conceive of because we can't switch to her perspective. No one way of perceiving the world is better than the other, both can be equally enjoyable. Perhaps that's what I found the most memorable about her route.

Lianam wrote: I must disagree- Hanako was better off at the end of her route than she was by the time Lilly confessed to Hisao, and chronologically the end of Hanako's route takes place earlier than that. The only reason Hanako is more socialable at the the end of Lilly's route than she is at the end her route is that the end of Lilly's route takes place weeks after the end of Hanako's route- I think it's safe to assume that Hanako would end just as sociable if not more so by the start of the summer vacation if she ended up dating Hisao. (Speaking of which, I'd recommend reading this: http://ks.renai.us/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=6750)

Well, she could or could not. Her route ends once she enters into a relationship with Hisao and, from what I can remember, she never opened up to anyone else from outside her familiar trio before that.

At least in Lilly's route we know that she's seeing other people on a regular basis. Granted, she ends up doing work that involves locking herself up in her room a lot, but she did make new friends of her own accord, which is not something that we see her do in her own arc.

So, based on how I've seen her progress throughout the canon I still stand by my opinion that she's the most sociable in Lilly's route.

Lianam wrote: You don't need to unlock Rin's route...
If what you mean is that Rin's route was the only one you had to look up a guide to get on, then I don't think that immediately means that the developers meant for you to not play Rin's route first. While they said it was intentional that it was the hardest route to get, that doesn't mean that they intentionally made it so that you'd most likely not get her route first.

Yeah, I know they didn't deliberately try to hide Rin's route from the player. It's just that that's what it felt like when I found out that the only way to get to her route is by not getting closer to any of the other girls.

Ondori-ou wrote:

Lianam wrote: I must disagree- Hanako was better off at the end of her route than she was by the time Lilly confessed to Hisao, and chronologically the end of Hanako's route takes place earlier than that. The only reason Hanako is more socialable at the the end of Lilly's route than she is at the end her route is that the end of Lilly's route takes place weeks after the end of Hanako's route- I think it's safe to assume that Hanako would end just as sociable if not more so by the start of the summer vacation if she ended up dating Hisao. (Speaking of which, I'd recommend reading this: http://ks.renai.us/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=6750)

Well, she could or could not. Her route ends once she enters into a relationship with Hisao and, from what I can remember, she never opened up to anyone else from outside her familiar trio before that.

At least in Lilly's route we know that she's seeing other people on a regular basis. Granted, she ends up doing work that involves locking herself up in her room a lot, but she did make new friends of her own accord, which is not something that we see her do in her own arc.

So, based on how I've seen her progress throughout the canon I still stand by my opinion that she's the most sociable in Lilly's route.

Yes, but by the time she makes other friends in Lilly's route, her route would've already ended weeks ago. And seeing as she seems to come out of her shell more in her route, I think it's safe to assume she'd open up to other people just as quickly if not more so. (I still suggest reading Sisterhood. It's really good.)

Oh, and something I forgot to say in my last post: Welcome to the forums.

While she does make friends and apparently does some traveling, nothing in Lilly's route suggests that she's overcome her real issues.

Oddball wrote:While she does make friends and apparently does some traveling, nothing in Lilly's route suggests that she's overcome her real issues.

She may not necessarily have gotten over them, but it's a big step forward at least.

Lianam wrote: Yes, but by the time she makes other friends in Lilly's route, her route would've already ended weeks ago. And seeing as she seems to come out of her shell more in her route, I think it's safe to assume she'd open up to other people just as quickly if not more so. (I still suggest reading Sisterhood. It's really good.)

Well, I'm always careful not to speculate too much on what might happen outside the canon. Reading Sisterhood won't change my opinion, but it wouldn't hurt to check it out, either. So, thanks for the link! I'll check it out if ever I have a moment to spare. *thumbs up*

Lianam wrote: Oh, and something I forgot to say in my last post: Welcome to the forums.

Thanks, mate! Much appreciated.