Katawa Shoujo

[waffo]

...relatively, huh? Well, calm is good too. My impression of her as a character has gotten better than when I first saw her.

Also, I just realized earlier today who I hear whenever Misha speaks. From voice and personality, I definitely hear Minori from Toradora. It's really uncanny.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by waffo

...relatively, huh? Well, calm is good too. My impression of her as a character has gotten better than when I first saw her.

Also, I just realized earlier today who I hear whenever Misha speaks. From voice and personality, I definitely hear Minori from Toradora. It's really uncanny.

eyup.... that's the character type I thought of as well (though I think Minorin is wilder and more manic).

Just my opinion of course, but I spent the Lilly route very relaxed and in "good om". The other routes (even Hanako, who I adored) were simply more stressful.

[Stiletto]

Originally Posted by Kakujitsu

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it's not really from the game.

Already figured that out. But, those eyes hit like a bullet train at rush hour. You'd have to have ice in your veins to not smile back a little.

Spoiler:

I wish I could unsee this ;_;

I wish I could too. No amount of bro-headbutting or wall punching will let me forget this. Katawa is making me regret having feelings, god damn just rip my heart out.

Judging from the talk though, at least Lily's won't be too bad. I think. i hope. Liable to get all the bad endings before any good ones.

[Tempester]

Originally Posted by LoweGear

Spoiler for Emi arc:

Yup, that talk with Mutou about Black Holes might seem like random filler at first, but then it actually ties into how best to approach Emi, and therefore how you can approach her at her house.

Oddly though, there are actually TWO ways to go about getting Emi's good end. If you choose to talk to her mother, you get the part where Hisao puts the advice imparted on him to good use, and you reconcile with Emi on the roof top. The other way to get the good ending though is to go after her at the kitchen. This sounds counterintuitive at first and gets you on the path to the BAD END, but then you get a "saving throw" later in the form of a choice while talking to Misha. If you are forthcoming with talking to Misha about your problem with Emi, you get a much improved reconciliation scene on the track complete with CG, which I felt was actually better than the rooftop reconciliation.

Spoiler for Emi route:

Holy cow, I didn't know there was more than one way to get to Emi's good end. I had taken the path where I foolishly forsook talking to Mutou. I was puzzled by you bringing up a choice to talk to Emi's mother, but then I realized that I had to talk to Mutou to get that choice to begin with. Overall, I think this liked this path more simply because the additional personal support from the other characters balanced out the last parts of the route better, although the track reconciliation scene was better than the roof one.

Thanks for the info.

[waffo]

Spoiler for "cuttlefish" scene in Lilly's Act 3:

So during the three day weekend , Hisao thinks this: "Given what happened last night, we both have more than enough reason to be finding the situation awkward; just how are we meant to react to meeting each other after something like...that?"

So...what exactly did he mean, without any gritty details? >_>

[Saturn Beaver]

Spoiler for Answer:

Simply put, after the confession in the flower field, they have sex. I assume you have the disable adult content box ticked?

[waffo]

Oh. Maybe it's from memories of Emi's route but I was expecting something weirder than just that. And yeah, I've been basically popping in here and asking what I miss every few days since I have that turned option turned on.

[demonix]

Originally Posted by Utsuro no Hako

Played through the first time just going with my instincts and ended up with Emi's good ending. I was angling for Hanako or Rin, but I guess I ruled the first out when I made Lily angry, and then I took the stupid nurse's advice about running and triggered Emi's route.

If memory serves siding with Lilly in her little spat with Shizune/Misha is one of the major flags for getting to choose between her and Hanako later on in act 1 and even if you take the nurses advice you do get a get out of Emi's route free card on the second day of your morning runs with Emi.

Spoiler for If you choose to take it easy:

Then after the run Hisao decides that doing the running isn't much of a good idea and decides to think of other ways of getting some exercise and gets changed to go to class and although you still have to have lunch with Emi and Rin on the roof (although in this instance she just says that the one given to Hisao was one she made the day before and didn't get around to eating) after classes end (and after a trip to the library) Hisao decides to go out shopping and runs into Lilly on the way there (and into Rin on the way back but that doesn't matter for this side) and the next day after classes end you'll get to choose to either go into town or go to the library which the former would start taking you down Lilly's route and the latter will take you down Hanako's route.

Spoiler for If you choose to go all out:

You end up having another slight attack (just like when Emi runs into Hisao like a freight train a few days prior) and Emi drags Hisao to the head nurses office at which after who is to blame is decided Emi decides to make Hisao lunch to make up for what happened, but even then your just a passenger heading to Emi's act 2 as pretty much after that your with Emi and Rin for the two days after that and Emi decides that Hisao will be her running partner.

Also just for a heads up it looks like the DDL links have gone live.

[Skane]

Finally finished Lilly's route, and wow... it's considerably longer than Emi's and Hanako's. It even has a freaking proper epilogue after the credits. Is Lilly meant to be the "True Ending" or something?

The thing that stood out for me in Lilly's route is how different the dynamic is between her and Hisao, compared to Emi and Hanako. With Emi and Hanako, Hisao plays the role of the caretaker. In Lilly's route, Lilly's the caretaker, and it really puts a different spin on the story.

Also... she may appear to be a "Saint", but under that angelic facade, she's one Hell of a voracious Devil. A sexy one, but a devilish one (with a taste for alcohol...) Pretty amused that Hanako managed to sleep through all that.

Still... it was enthralling to see the guy being the one suffering from the "KEY-AIDS(Arbitrary Incurable Death Syndrome)" trope, instead of the typical "Sad Girl in Snow" tropes so typical in Visual Novels.

I also see now what people meant when they said Hanako gets better development in Lilly's route. Instead of being treated as an object, she got treated as a person and has really blossomed and grown. Her character growth in Lilly's route is very heart-warming.

I only wish they would have expanded on the conflict between Shizune and Lilly, but I suppose that would be handled in Shizune's route.

Onwards to Shizune's route.

Cheers.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Skane

Finally finished Lilly's route, and wow... it's considerably longer than Emi's and Hanako's. It even has a freaking proper epilogue after the credits. Is Lilly meant to be the "True Ending" or something?

The thing that stood out for me in Lilly's route is how different the dynamic is between her and Hisao, compared to Emi and Hanako. With Emi and Hanako, Hisao plays the role of the caretaker. In Lilly's route, Lilly's the caretaker, and it really puts a different spin on the story.

Also... she may appear to be a "Saint", but under that angelic facade, she's one Hell of a voracious Devil. A sexy one, but a devilish one (with a taste for alcohol...) Pretty amused that Hanako managed to sleep through all that.

Still... it was enthralling to see the guy being the one suffering from the "KEY-AIDS(Arbitrary Incurable Death Syndrome)" trope, instead of the typical "Sad Girl in Snow" tropes so typical in Visual Novels.

I also see now what people meant when they said Hanako gets better development in Lilly's route. Instead of being treated as an object, she got treated as a person and has really blossomed and grown. Her character growth in Lilly's route is very heart-warming.

I only wish they would have expanded on the conflict between Shizune and Lilly, but I suppose that would be handled in Shizune's route.

Onwards to Shizune's route.

Cheers.

A number of us suspect Lily would be the "true ending" in an anime/manga adaptation, even those that "like other girls better".

... and yeah, its a bit of a "what?" that Hanako slept through some of that ruckus

[BetoJR]

The poor girl was wasted, guys...

[Random32]

I wouldn't call Hisao's disease Key AIDS. Its a real disease portrayed fairly realistically. Nothing like Nagisa/Ushio/Shiori/Etc Key Girls with Key AIDS.

[waffo]

Alright, only Rin and Hanako left. ...and manly picnic sometime since my friend wants to see it. By the sounds of what I've been reading, Rin shouldn't be left for last or I'll be depressed so she's up next. She's the only character left that I haven't really built a voice in my mind for yet. Just haven't seen much of her.

Spoiler for Lilly's ending:

The use of the music box at the end was sweet. I expected it to have some importance at some point but then sort of forgot about it over the hours. Aww.

[Skane]

Originally Posted by Random32

I wouldn't call Hisao's disease Key AIDS. Its a real disease portrayed fairly realistically. Nothing like Nagisa/Ushio/Shiori/Etc Key Girls with Key AIDS.

Hmm... maybe I am using the wrong analogy, but what I am trying to get across is that usually in stories like these, especially Korean Dramas, there is always that one girl who has a crippling condition that can snuff her out at any time. A source of tragedy so to speak.

To have the male protagonist play that role instead, and have the female protagonist be the caretaker is seldom done (especially in anime). Which made it that much more refreshing for me.

I am leaving Rin for last, since her route is usually described as being... different, and I don't really want to end with Shizune either. Her archetype is just not my taste.

Too bad Misha is not an option. Girl seems... interesting.

Thus far, it seems "overly" easy to get the "Good Ends". The cues aren't really ambiguous enough for conflict of choice, though on the other hand, I am glad they are not obtuse either.

Game: "Lemon or Apple"
Me: "What?"

I'll probably speed through the "Bad Ends" just to complete the experience after I am done with all the routes.

Cheers.

[BetoJR]

Originally Posted by Skane

Thus far, it seems "overly" easy to get the "Good Ends". The cues aren't really ambiguous enough for conflict of choice, though on the other hand, I am glad they are not obtuse either.

I do believe Rin's good end is the most troublesome. I kept wondering "what the hell did I do wrong", even when I did get it.

[Soliloquy]

I finished Hanako and Rin's Route, I found them both heart-wrenching and yet hopeful by the end. I want more but I know there's no more. All I'm doing now is just reminding myself of brief time of joy by listening to the music and just frequenting Katawa Shoujo forum.

So far, I've gone through Rin's neutral end and happy end and I don't think many people will be satisfied with the conclusion as it wasn''t really happily ever after compared to Hanako's happy end. I've read Rin has 3 endings you can aim for. Both of her endings are sort of similar as it is very poignant in terms of setting and emotions. When it all comes down to, what she says come off very memorable. In my case, I loved watching spilling her various emotions in her route because in the beginning, she has an impression of deadpan and perpetually boring type of character. Maybe it's just that I also am studying art and similar courses, I feel I want to understand whatever she is saying.

As for the other characters, interesting they may be, I'm not that motivated to complete their routes. They seem to be normal type of girls you see everyday except the disabilities they have.

[Vexx]

Came across this article and immediately thought of this VN...
http://thesocietypages.org/cyborgolo...he-good-robot/

[Stiletto]

Originally Posted by Soliloquy

neutral end.

Wait... what? There are neutral ends? Oh, god dammit.

[LoweGear]

Originally Posted by Stiletto

Wait... what? There are neutral ends? Oh, god dammit.

Only for Rin and Hanako. Some people argue that Lilly's bad end is technically a neutral end, but she still only has two endings

Edit: 4LS can make the oddest mashups sometimes:

Original link to the music from their blog here

[Skane]

Just finished Act-2 of Shizune's route, it wasn't all too bad, but I still gritted my teeth at some of the more grating aspects of her personality. Doesn't help that Hisao is not so... assertive in this route (I hesitate to use the term, "spineless").

Also... there were zero decisions in the whole of Act-2? Eh? Made it more like a Kinetic Novel.

Just a pity that Misha is not a viable route.

~~~~ ~~~~

Lately I have been conjuring various ideas about the game's setting as I am wont to do when I am enjoying something.

Like a MUGEN-style fighting game starring the girls, as they battle each other to visit Hisao in Hospital. The premise is that Hisao has been hospitalised, and due to his critical condition, visitation rights are limited and are on a first come first serve basis.

You choose your gal of choice and battle it out with your competitors as you make your way from school to the hospital. The penultimate boss will be Nurse who doesn't want Hisao to be disturbed, and the final boss is... Iwanako.

~~~~ ~~~~

Cheers.