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Gewürtztraminer



Joined: 14 Nov 2007
Posts: 1028
Location: Texas - Its like whole other country.
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 12:19 pm Reply with quote
Played the demo of KS about a year and a half ago, I think it went through act 1. I was impressed, it was better or on par with most commercial VN's available in the US. I will have to check it out now that it has been completed.
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Sir Amyas Leigh



Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Posts: 91
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 12:47 pm Reply with quote
I've been playing through Katawa Shoujo, and I'm fairly impressed with it. It doesn't fetishize the characters (though I'm sure its up to the fans to do that... that 'completely insane' link was scarey, and I didn't even watch the video). that said I still stopped when I got to the first H scene (I somehow got to Emi's route) but I almost always do that with VNs that aren't just glorified porn games, which KS certainly isn't.

It takes a certain type of person to play VNs in general, typically I like to think anyone that likes romance anime and books would love to play any number of some of the top Visual Novels ( anything by key or type-moon). KS is a really good read, I didn't really get the 'moe' feel from it like you did, but I guess moe is like allegory, for every man to decide for himself (movie joke). Really I think its kind of cool that even though all the heroines have these 'disabilities' the player character is the only one whose problem could kill him, which is I guess kind of a change from the typical moe dying/sick girl... thing. Awesome play for a free VN, plus you can use a gamepad, so... its pretty cool. I usually only play after I've had a few so I might not be the best reviewer, but it seems pretty solid, if you can get past that is a visual novel with cripples...
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Mad_Scientist
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Joined: 08 Apr 2008
Posts: 3011
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 12:53 pm Reply with quote
Sir Amyas Leigh wrote:
I've been playing through Katawa Shoujo, and I'm fairly impressed with it. It doesn't fetishize the characters (though I'm sure its up to the fans to do that... that 'completely insane' link was scarey, and I didn't even watch the video). that said I still stopped when I got to the first H scene (I somehow got to Emi's route) but I almost always do that with VNs that aren't just glorified porn games, which KS certainly isn't.

Aren't you supposed to be able to turn the H-scenes off? That's what I read in one review.
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Beatdigga



Joined: 26 Oct 2003
Posts: 4342
Location: New York
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 12:56 pm Reply with quote
Let's see here...

1. The closest I'm going to get to FFX 13-2 will be the inevitable mockery provided by the Spoony One. FF 13 was so annoying, so frustrating, and so boring that it made me give up on the series. Thank God for Bioware.

2. Soul Calibur V might be fun if they care more about the gameplay then the guest stars. Ezio and Assassins Creed are both cool, but not at the expense of gameplay.

2. Kawata Shoujo disturbs me on so many levels. I'm terrified of the idea that people get their jollies from it.
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Sir Amyas Leigh



Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Posts: 91
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 1:01 pm Reply with quote
Mad_Scientist wrote:
Sir Amyas Leigh wrote:
I've been playing through Katawa Shoujo, and I'm fairly impressed with it. It doesn't fetishize the characters (though I'm sure its up to the fans to do that... that 'completely insane' link was scarey, and I didn't even watch the video). that said I still stopped when I got to the first H scene (I somehow got to Emi's route) but I almost always do that with VNs that aren't just glorified porn games, which KS certainly isn't.

Aren't you supposed to be able to turn the H-scenes off? That's what I read in one review.


Yeah I figured that out before I started the game. I didn't mean to sound like I was complaining about it, and like another poster said you'll miss out on some interesting dialog if you skip it. I'm planning on starting it up again and finishing Emi's route tonight, and after reading a 'spoiler' on here I might try to get Lilly's but seeing as how KS has incredibly vague choices like every other VN.. well I'll try.
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encrypted12345



Joined: 25 Jan 2012
Posts: 715
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 1:05 pm Reply with quote
Beatdigga wrote:
Let's see here...

2. Kawata Shoujo disturbs me on so many levels. I'm terrified of the idea that people get their jollies from it.


People aren't getting their jollies from it. One of the complaints about Katawa Shoujo is that the sex scenes are unfappable. They are just too dang tasteful, emotional, and plot relevant.
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andyscout



Joined: 20 Jul 2010
Posts: 36
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 1:07 pm Reply with quote
Yeah, I really enjoyed KS. The story is extremely well done and I think the writers did a good job of approaching the subject. As many other posters have stated, the characters have disabilities but they are in no way disabled. They are just girls. Most of the routes thus far (I've played Shizune, Lilly and Hanako's) are more about Hisao coming to terms with himself. At the beginning of the story, he is very bitter. His life has done a 180: he can't run around like he used to, he takes tons of pills everyday, and he has been, in his mind, shipped off to some invisible school to get him away from normal people. The girls end up helping him realize that, like them, he is still just a normal person.

Yes, there are ero scenes. But the ones I've gone through so far have been tastefully done. Lilly's, for example, seemed like a passionate love scene that you might see in an R rated movie.

As other posters have stated, if the ero scenes are a big deal to you, there is an option to turn them off. I'm not sure entirely how the game goes if you do, as several of the scenes are fairly engrained into the story (especially Hanako's, as they use it to reveal a lot of her personality and set up the eventual conclusion of her story).

Actually, I almost wish they had done this project as something other than a VN because I feel like the medium has a lot of negative things associated with it (at least for those who are unfamiliar with VNs) and KS is a story that a lot of people could learn from. I know I did.
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SayuriUliana



Joined: 25 Jan 2012
Posts: 33
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 1:07 pm Reply with quote
I'm not going to parrot all the good things that have already been said about Katawa Shoujo, since nothing I will say will be any different from what anyone who has played and loved the game will say.

I will however link a post to all of the reviews I've found as of current for Katawa Shoujo, which have been overwhelmingly positive in their praise for the game so far.

Kotaku AU - Unexpected Sincerity: Disabilities, Girls and Katawa Shoujo.

Kotaku wrote:

You might expect a project like Katawa Shoujo — a free, internationally developed eroge (Japanese visual novel with erotic themes) roughly about dating girls with disabilities — to be a crass, perverse, even exploitative piece of work. Perhaps that expectation would only be amplified after learning that the game originates primarily from notorious internet messageboard 4chan, a community not exactly known for its subtlety and sensitivity.

But you’d be wrong.


Escapist - Deskimus Prime Skips A Beat With Katawa Shoujo

Deskimus Prime wrote:
Summed up, what do I think? The world needs more of this. It's an eye-opener, a mind-opener and a heart-opener. If you don't seriously reflect on yourself as a result of playing this, you're either already a moral and empathetic savant up there with Buddha and Gandhi, or due for a trip to the Wizard of Oz, though I hear he's fresh out of hearts. It's an experience, and a damn moving one to boot. It'll make you feel feelings, think thoughts, and above all else, smile. And I could be wrong, but those are some of the finer things in life.


Twinfinite - Review: Katawa Shoujo

Twinfinite wrote:
Yes there are disabled girls in it that you can date. Let's move beyond that and look at what's left. An emotional, human experience that captures the best of the warm, heart touching powers of anime and its outrageously eccentric ability to make us smile.

In the end this is an engrossing, captivating narrative that accomplishes many of its high reaching goals to deliver a fully fleshed out and emotive story, moving straight past its premise of dating crippled girls and never looking back.


Game Podunk - Katawa Shoujo Review

Game Podunk wrote:
Katawa Shoujo meets its most important goal, no doubt about it, and that’s making you realize that all these girls (and the other characters) are beautiful people despite their disabilities and hardships. The game may even change your view on life for the better and you might want to start improving your own lifestyle just like Hisao.

To wrap things up, Katawa Shoujo is a definite must-play, especially for those interested in visual novels. Best of all, it’s completely free to play. Its fabulous plot, writing, artwork, music, and more will touch your heart and urge you to play as much as possible. If you do aim for 100% completion of the game, just make sure it’s not going to be when you’re muddled with work or school, because you’re not going to stop once you start.


GameElitist - Katawa Shoujo

Game Elitist wrote:
The brilliance lies in its ideas. This isn’t a sex and done dating sim. I pulled through to the end for that human connection with a video game character. How ridiculous is that? I almost died (in game) just for her. That’s when I realized, this is human. This is that human connection. It’s human to love. It’s human to be different. I’ve realized these things about life from (I can’t believe I’m saying this) a DATING SIM.

I think my friend Shane said it best.

“I came for the cripple sex, I ended up learning about myself.”


Tap Repeatedly - Impressions: Katawa Shoujo

Tap Repeatedly wrote:
You already know if you’re not the target audience for an anime romance novel about disabled schoolgirls. This depends most on your tolerance not for disability, but for romance: long walks in the rain, last-minute dashes to the airport, lunches on the rooftop. If that sounds as if it would bore you to tears, this isn’t for you. But if you want to try out this quirky, cute experience, don’t let the premise scare you off. It’s lovely and thought-provoking and I recommend it.


The Fandom Post - Katawa Shoujo Game Review

The Fandom Post wrote:
So: put away any doubts you may have had about the game’s origins or subject matter; turn off the sex scenes if they make you uncomfortable. While I’ve never really been “into” visual novels – I don’t often have the free time or patience for the amount of time they need you to invest in them (getting a 100% clear in Katawa Shoujo with the help of an Act 1 walkthrough will take you around 25-30 hours) – I have long been a sucker for anime adaptations of them, particularly ones that play on the emotional side (KEY titles and similar). Katawa Shoujo, in its best routes, proves itself adept at just that sort of emotional manipulation, skillfully using it to draw you into some well-realised tales, and keeping your attention on them – and that, far more than any brief kicks you might get from the sex scenes, is what makes it worth taking a look at.


Technology Tell - Important Importables Review: Katawa Shoujo for Windows, Mac, Linux

Technology Tell wrote:
I can understand why someone would be skeptical heading about Katawa Shoujo. It deals with some very strong and sensitive issues. However, it doesn’t skirt around these issues and disabilities or mock them. It’s straightforward and honest. Which is probably why it is such an effective visual novel. It rings true. If you want to play a really good visual novel about interpersonal relationships and don’t mind occasional adult content, then you should put any hesitance aside and try Katawa Shoujo.


Amaenbou: Aero-ge Impression: Katawa Shoujo

Amaenbou wrote:
Was it really worth the hype? The game didn’t stress the disabilities of each heroine. To some degree I feel like the whole setting was pointless. BUT, when I was playing through this game, I never really felt sorry for the heroines because of their disabilities. They were just girls, who were slightly different. If the makers of the game were going for this kind of feel, then they were probably geniuses. Those who find that they are put off by the whole disability theme will be surprised at how little it actually affect them once they get into the game. Judging the game overall, it was good, but not fantastic. At most I would give this game a 7/10, and that’s being generous. Being an english doujin, they did a good job. Heck, I’m impressed that they were able to make the game have such an eroge feel to it.Though I’m not a big fan of doujins, I hope that more groups will start making english doujins to expand the eroge community.


And across forums like IGN, NeoGAF, Reddit and many others, the amount of praise and civil discussion given to this game is phenomenal in the least.
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Sir Amyas Leigh



Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Posts: 91
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 1:14 pm Reply with quote
Beatdigga wrote:
Let's see here...

2. Kawata Shoujo disturbs me on so many levels. I'm terrified of the idea that people get their jollies from it.


I guess If you go by what the folks at ANN say you would Razz. I take it you've never played a VN before. Its fine, no one is really 'getting their jollies' (maybe that dude from the 'Insane' link) from it. If anyone wanted that there is the internet and a million adult shops around the US. As much as its worth KS is a genuine ren-ai ( true love) visual novel and like everyone else has said, its not a fetish game. the cripple part is just a piece of each characters past, and what ties them together (like them only having met because they had to go to a special school) not necissarily who they are . I guess I'm just a fanboy but its really not what you are thinking and what most of the haters are calling it which would be cripple hentai.
I would love to see the look on a pervs face after they downloaded it expecting hardcore amputee action... hell I had to play through 6 - 7 hours of above average slice of life/overcoming obstacle story just to get to the first H scene with Emi, and just by looking at the H scene cg you wouldn't be able to tell it from any other top tier VN scene. Oh yeah I forgot to mention it does have a really good musical score. comparitively speaking.


Last edited by Sir Amyas Leigh on Wed Jan 25, 2012 1:53 pm; edited 2 times in total
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SayuriUliana



Joined: 25 Jan 2012
Posts: 33
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 1:22 pm Reply with quote
andyscout wrote:

As other posters have stated, if the ero scenes are a big deal to you, there is an option to turn them off. I'm not sure entirely how the game goes if you do, as several of the scenes are fairly engrained into the story (especially Hanako's, as they use it to reveal a lot of her personality and set up the eventual conclusion of her story).


Activating the "Disable Adult Content" functions by replacing the explicit sexual imagery with random images of food, aquatic life and other mundane stuff. However, the written scene is still there, and it doesn't totally block out nudity - nude sprites will still be nude for instance.

I'll pitch in on the favorable impression of Katawa Shoujo however: There's nothing tasteless, crass, or exploitative about the way the disabilities are portrayed in the game, and they are in no way fetishized at all. And even the sex scenes are done very tastefully, and many are integral to the understanding of the characters. The game treats the subject matter with much dignity and respect, and goes out of its way to address the perception and feelings behind the subject of disabilities in general. Most of all however, Katawa Shoujo is a straight-up romantic story, and is actually quite touching. It is a game that appeals more to a person's heart than to their crotches.

Beatdigga wrote:

2. Kawata Shoujo disturbs me on so many levels. I'm terrified of the idea that people get their jollies from it.


As mentioned by encrypted12345, one of the most common "complaints" about Katawa Shoujo is how it is actually "unfappable" for lack of a better description. Not because the characters are disabled, but because the game does such a good job of making people somehow care and/or respect the characters that by the time they get to the sex scenes, they find the thought of using these characters as "masturbatory fodder" outright wrong. In fact, there are entire testimonials written to how Katawa Shoujo "kills one's sex drive due to feels".

As written in a review of KS by website Game Elitist:

Quote:
he brilliance lies in its ideas. This isn’t a sex and done dating sim. I pulled

through to the end for that human connection with a video game character. How ridiculous is that? I

almost died (in game) just for her. That’s when I realized, this is human. This is that human

connection. It’s human to love. It’s human to be different. I’ve realized these things about life from

(I can’t believe I’m saying this) a DATING SIM.

I think my friend Shane said it best.

“I came for the cripple sex, I ended up learning about myself.”
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GVman



Joined: 14 Jul 2010
Posts: 729
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 1:47 pm Reply with quote
I'll never get the amount of hatred FFXIII has got. I could definitely see why some people wouldn't like, but being enough to make some people give up on the series?

Anyway, I'll be picking up FFXIII-2 when it comes out. Like I did with FFXIII, I'll be getting the edition that comes out in Asia with the Japanese dub and the game text can be switched to English, Traditional Chinese, or Simplified Chinese.
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sainta



Joined: 21 Feb 2011
Posts: 989
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 2:03 pm Reply with quote
Again with bullying Final Fantasy XIII? I get why some people dislike it but this is really getting annoying.
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Dimlos



Joined: 02 Mar 2008
Posts: 226
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 2:11 pm Reply with quote
Anthis wrote:
Same goes for the artwork, which ranges from pretty good to mediocre
Quite frankly, I thought the art was better than you see in a lot of Japanese doujin games. Higurashi's original art, for example, was god freaking awful, especially the hands.
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Beatdigga



Joined: 26 Oct 2003
Posts: 4342
Location: New York
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 2:14 pm Reply with quote
GVman wrote:
I'll never get the amount of hatred FFXIII has got. I could definitely see why some people wouldn't like, but being enough to make some people give up on the series?


Because it's as much a game as those old FMV fests for Sega CD. It's a movie. A very bad movie with unlikable characters, a jumbled narrative, and Hope, the Jar Jar of Final Fantasy.
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GVman



Joined: 14 Jul 2010
Posts: 729
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 2:33 pm Reply with quote
Beatdigga wrote:
GVman wrote:
I'll never get the amount of hatred FFXIII has got. I could definitely see why some people wouldn't like, but being enough to make some people give up on the series?


Because it's as much a game as those old FMV fests for Sega CD. It's a movie. A very bad movie with unlikable characters, a jumbled narrative, and Hope, the Jar Jar of Final Fantasy.


That's completely the opposite of how I feel about the characters, the narrative, and Hope. I don't see how he's anything similar to Jar Jar. I also don't see how the narative is "jumbled". The plot seemed pretty straightforward to me.
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