Post by aka Cthulhu on Jan 9, 2010 12:59:38 GMT -5
Well, might as well post it here too. To summarize things, I once posted a review of Katawa Shoujo in good old Wrestle Crap, so... well, basically here it is, in it's messy glory~
A is for Anime, episode 1! ...it's not exactly anime, but it's the first review! Katawa Shoujo
Katawa Shoujo, or Disability/Cripple Girl, is an English visual novel made by Four Leaf studios using the Ren'Py visual novel engine. The story is set in the fictional Yamaku High School for the disabled. It's main character, Hisao Nakai, a new student there after being hospitalized due to an accident and a heart defect. And then there are five (or six) girls, each of them with a disabilty. In the end, it's up to the player to decide Hisao's path, in making friends, fitting in, falling in love, or making him some sort of shut-in. Something like that.
Gameplay:
Well, it's safe to say that there's not much gameplay here. Close to zero. Or zero. To those unfamiliar with visual novels, it's pretty much reading a lot of text and then picking two to three choices during certain moments in the game. Depending on your choice/s, your relationship with other characters will advance a little.
Katawa Shoujo's not complete yet, and there's only a demo available that covers "Act 1" which kind of gives a sense of hope that there will be an Act 2 and beyond. Act 1 is 7 seven days in Hisao's life in his new school, and there are several paths you have to choose before the seven days are up. Depending on your choices, Hisao will either spend his time on the 7th day with one of the female characters, which can be considered a happy ending to the demo, or he gets drunk and lonely, if you pick the wrong answers.
P.S. There are no "adult" scenes in Act 1. The full game however will have some, and they can be skipped if the player does not want to see them.
Score: n/a. There's no gameplay, duh.
The Story
Hisao Nakai collapses from a heart attack after receiving a confession from the girl he likes. Hospitalized, Hisao's life is turned upside-down after the heart attack, and the discovery that he has arrhythmia. The long time he spent recovering in the hospital isolates Hisao from other people, including the girl that had confessed to him.
After being discharged, Hisao is transfered to Yamaku High School for the disabled where he meets his new classmates in his new environment. Something like that~
Act 1 is the first 7 days of Hisao's life in Yamaku, and how he adapts to his new life. All the main female characters are introduced, each of them with a certain disability. Like I said before, depending on the players choices, Hisao will spend his time on the 7th day with one of the 5 girls (not exactly -- for example, if you get Shizune's ending Misha is there with her).
--
Hmm... I have to say the story had surprised me a little. The title itself kind of gave me an awkward feeling when I started playing; honestly, something that translates to Disability Girl doesn't have much tact. I'm not sure if I'm using the word tact correctly but I think it's right. Anyway. The story of Katawa Shoujo is good -- above average, but not a 9 or a 10.
The idea itself was very interesting... I mean, one guy in a school and he's surrounded by girls. That's the basic idea of most harem anime/games, and dating sims. Katawa Shoujo uses that kind of harem setting and adds in the fact that the characters are disabled. I don't know how to say what I said in a more tactful manner, but that fact made the story interesting. However, that interesting-ness just a part of what made the story good; the characters and how the story developed is the more important thing in the story, I think.
Like I said, it's good, but if I had to give it a score it's not going to get a 9 or a 10. It's no The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle in terms of storyline, but it's good enough to interest me.
The Characters:
(I'm just copy-pasting the character info from the main site and wiki, because I'm lazy at the moment. My thoughts about them are in the next post.)
Hisao Nakai:
The main character of the story. Diagnosed with arrhythmia. Troubled over his months-long stay at the hospital after his heart almost gave out and trying to adjust to his new surroundings, he is trying hard to find his place in world. After being thrown into a new beginning, the chaotic circumstances have forced Hisao to rethink his apathetic disposition, especially regarding things like life, friendship and future.
(left to right; Lilly Satou, Hanako Ikezawa, Rin Tezuka, Shizune Hakamichi, Emi Ibarazaki)
Emi Ibarazaki
Emi is a short, pigtailed girl with light brown hair and forest green eyes. She has prosthetic legs as a result of having lost her legs in an accident and is amputated below the knee. She considers her misfortune a blessing, being able to perform as a star on the track and field team, although she seems to not be too fond of her short stature. She is always full of energy and values good diet and exercise, and is on friendly terms with the head nurse of Yamaku, who she promised to keep tabs on Hisao's exercise in exchange for having him as a running partner. Because of her running habits, however, she is constantly running around campus, especially in the halls, despite repeated warnings regarding the safety of others. She also meets Hisao this way by crashing into him, and despite her good intentions, she endangers Hisao's heart on more than one occasion. Despite this, Hisao warms up to her, feeling guilty whenever she pouts, equating her to that of a puppy. Emi is Rin's friend and roommate, who was paired up by the housing staff, since they complemented their disabilities well.
Hanako Ikezawa
Hanako, as a child, suffered in an accident in which her home was burned down and her father's life was taken. Much of her body was horrifically scarred from the incident and has left her traumatized. Her dark purple hair hangs down across the right side of her face and hides much of the damage. Because of the scarring, she is incredibly shy and has difficulty opening up to anyone except Lilly, whose blindness helps her cope with her appearance. She is another one of Hisao's classmates, but is frequently absent, preferring to spend time reading in the library. Her truancy is noted by Hisao as odd but seemingly accepted behavior which goes unpunished by their teacher Mutou. She usually spends her time in the school library, where there are few people to disturb her or interact with.
Lilly Satou
Lilly is the class representative of 3-2, a class composed of blind and partially blind students (including Kenji), and has been blind herself since birth. The tallest member of the main female cast, she has long blonde hair and blue eyes. She is very polite and ladylike, not wanting to intrude on others' private life (including Hisao's reasons for being at Yamaku). It is also noted that she had previously attended a strict all-girls school. In contrast to Misha's fast-paced attitude to Hisao's transfer, Lilly takes things at her own relaxed pace, helping Hisao to adjust to school life in the midst of a busy festival. She is Hanako's close (and only) friend, who she regularly has lunch and tea with, as well as accompaning her when grocery shopping. She also knows Yuuko on a friendly basis. Shizune and Lilly has been see to not get along, perhaps due to the fact that direct communication between her and Shizune alone is not possible (as she cannot see Shizune's signs and Shizune cannot hear or speak to her).
Rin Tezuka
Rin is a girl with thalidomide arms. To make up for her lack of arms, she uses her feet to accomplish everyday tasks with surprising dexterity. She has short red hair and dark green eyes, and wears a boy's uniform to avoid awkward situations that would arise from using her feet while wearing a skirt. Instead, Rin's odd personality that can only be described as "unique" is what brings about awkward situations with the people around her. This goes especially for Hisao, although Lilly is also well aware of the difficulty in interacting with Rin. Oftentimes, it seems that Rin is unaware that she does not even have arms, and tends to act nonchalant with other students and their disabilities in general, having been the first person to blatantly ask what Hisao's problem is during their introduction. She is Emi's friend and roommate. It is also implied that she knows Kenji to some degree, having shown interest in him and his passion for art despite being partially blind. Her role in the school festival is being the sole painter of a giant mural posted in front of the dorms.
Shizune Hakamichi
Shizune is one of Hisao's classmates, as well as the student council president who supervises every aspect of Yamaku's school festival. She has short dark blue hair and eyes, and wears glasses. She is deaf and mute, communicating primarily through sign language. Her friend, Misha, is almost always at her side, translating everything Shizune signs and signing back to her, allowing for communication with other people. She is strong-willed and forceful and is capable of creating craftily manipulated plans, as noted by Hisao, as well as having an extremely competitive nature, even wanting to be first to complete class assignments. This can be attributed to her favorite game, Risk. Occasionally, she displays a softer side, but generally shows a face full of emotion to make up for her lack of speech. She has an intense intolerence of Lilly, and indirectly dislikes Hanako as a result.
Shiina "Misha" Mikado
Misha is Shizune's best friend and only fellow member in the student council. She serves as her interpreter, and is the first friend Hisao makes, being in the same class as him. She has long curls of pink hair and gold eyes. She is friendly and cheerful for the most part, though she is overly enthusiastic about everything she does, which tires everyone around her. Despite being a relatively major character in Act 1, she has no route with Hisao but helps Hisao get used to the school in his first few days of his transfer, as well as helping Shizune convince Hisao to join the student council. It is not clear what disability or condition she suffers from to warrant enrollment at Yamaku.
Conclusion (also known as stuff I added before I post it here in the Apartment):
Well, of course, it's normal to be offended by something like this. This is the internet, and hearing about a game that involves several characters with noticable disabilities, and the fact that there would be sex in later chapters makes your mind think funny thoughts.
However, those things does not make something bad. At the very least, Katawa Shoujo with it's first act has given a decent story, and interesting characters that you could be, well, interested in.
Try it out. You might like it, or at least not hate the idea. Something like that. Nya.
A is for Anime, episode 1! ...it's not exactly anime, but it's the first review! Katawa Shoujo
Katawa Shoujo, or Disability/Cripple Girl, is an English visual novel made by Four Leaf studios using the Ren'Py visual novel engine. The story is set in the fictional Yamaku High School for the disabled. It's main character, Hisao Nakai, a new student there after being hospitalized due to an accident and a heart defect. And then there are five (or six) girls, each of them with a disabilty. In the end, it's up to the player to decide Hisao's path, in making friends, fitting in, falling in love, or making him some sort of shut-in. Something like that.
Gameplay:
Well, it's safe to say that there's not much gameplay here. Close to zero. Or zero. To those unfamiliar with visual novels, it's pretty much reading a lot of text and then picking two to three choices during certain moments in the game. Depending on your choice/s, your relationship with other characters will advance a little.
Katawa Shoujo's not complete yet, and there's only a demo available that covers "Act 1" which kind of gives a sense of hope that there will be an Act 2 and beyond. Act 1 is 7 seven days in Hisao's life in his new school, and there are several paths you have to choose before the seven days are up. Depending on your choices, Hisao will either spend his time on the 7th day with one of the female characters, which can be considered a happy ending to the demo, or he gets drunk and lonely, if you pick the wrong answers.
P.S. There are no "adult" scenes in Act 1. The full game however will have some, and they can be skipped if the player does not want to see them.
Score: n/a. There's no gameplay, duh.
The Story
Hisao Nakai collapses from a heart attack after receiving a confession from the girl he likes. Hospitalized, Hisao's life is turned upside-down after the heart attack, and the discovery that he has arrhythmia. The long time he spent recovering in the hospital isolates Hisao from other people, including the girl that had confessed to him.
After being discharged, Hisao is transfered to Yamaku High School for the disabled where he meets his new classmates in his new environment. Something like that~
Act 1 is the first 7 days of Hisao's life in Yamaku, and how he adapts to his new life. All the main female characters are introduced, each of them with a certain disability. Like I said before, depending on the players choices, Hisao will spend his time on the 7th day with one of the 5 girls (not exactly -- for example, if you get Shizune's ending Misha is there with her).
--
Hmm... I have to say the story had surprised me a little. The title itself kind of gave me an awkward feeling when I started playing; honestly, something that translates to Disability Girl doesn't have much tact. I'm not sure if I'm using the word tact correctly but I think it's right. Anyway. The story of Katawa Shoujo is good -- above average, but not a 9 or a 10.
The idea itself was very interesting... I mean, one guy in a school and he's surrounded by girls. That's the basic idea of most harem anime/games, and dating sims. Katawa Shoujo uses that kind of harem setting and adds in the fact that the characters are disabled. I don't know how to say what I said in a more tactful manner, but that fact made the story interesting. However, that interesting-ness just a part of what made the story good; the characters and how the story developed is the more important thing in the story, I think.
Like I said, it's good, but if I had to give it a score it's not going to get a 9 or a 10. It's no The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle in terms of storyline, but it's good enough to interest me.
The Characters:
(I'm just copy-pasting the character info from the main site and wiki, because I'm lazy at the moment. My thoughts about them are in the next post.)
Hisao Nakai:
The main character of the story. Diagnosed with arrhythmia. Troubled over his months-long stay at the hospital after his heart almost gave out and trying to adjust to his new surroundings, he is trying hard to find his place in world. After being thrown into a new beginning, the chaotic circumstances have forced Hisao to rethink his apathetic disposition, especially regarding things like life, friendship and future.
(left to right; Lilly Satou, Hanako Ikezawa, Rin Tezuka, Shizune Hakamichi, Emi Ibarazaki)
Emi Ibarazaki
Emi is a short, pigtailed girl with light brown hair and forest green eyes. She has prosthetic legs as a result of having lost her legs in an accident and is amputated below the knee. She considers her misfortune a blessing, being able to perform as a star on the track and field team, although she seems to not be too fond of her short stature. She is always full of energy and values good diet and exercise, and is on friendly terms with the head nurse of Yamaku, who she promised to keep tabs on Hisao's exercise in exchange for having him as a running partner. Because of her running habits, however, she is constantly running around campus, especially in the halls, despite repeated warnings regarding the safety of others. She also meets Hisao this way by crashing into him, and despite her good intentions, she endangers Hisao's heart on more than one occasion. Despite this, Hisao warms up to her, feeling guilty whenever she pouts, equating her to that of a puppy. Emi is Rin's friend and roommate, who was paired up by the housing staff, since they complemented their disabilities well.
Hanako Ikezawa
Hanako, as a child, suffered in an accident in which her home was burned down and her father's life was taken. Much of her body was horrifically scarred from the incident and has left her traumatized. Her dark purple hair hangs down across the right side of her face and hides much of the damage. Because of the scarring, she is incredibly shy and has difficulty opening up to anyone except Lilly, whose blindness helps her cope with her appearance. She is another one of Hisao's classmates, but is frequently absent, preferring to spend time reading in the library. Her truancy is noted by Hisao as odd but seemingly accepted behavior which goes unpunished by their teacher Mutou. She usually spends her time in the school library, where there are few people to disturb her or interact with.
Lilly Satou
Lilly is the class representative of 3-2, a class composed of blind and partially blind students (including Kenji), and has been blind herself since birth. The tallest member of the main female cast, she has long blonde hair and blue eyes. She is very polite and ladylike, not wanting to intrude on others' private life (including Hisao's reasons for being at Yamaku). It is also noted that she had previously attended a strict all-girls school. In contrast to Misha's fast-paced attitude to Hisao's transfer, Lilly takes things at her own relaxed pace, helping Hisao to adjust to school life in the midst of a busy festival. She is Hanako's close (and only) friend, who she regularly has lunch and tea with, as well as accompaning her when grocery shopping. She also knows Yuuko on a friendly basis. Shizune and Lilly has been see to not get along, perhaps due to the fact that direct communication between her and Shizune alone is not possible (as she cannot see Shizune's signs and Shizune cannot hear or speak to her).
Rin Tezuka
Rin is a girl with thalidomide arms. To make up for her lack of arms, she uses her feet to accomplish everyday tasks with surprising dexterity. She has short red hair and dark green eyes, and wears a boy's uniform to avoid awkward situations that would arise from using her feet while wearing a skirt. Instead, Rin's odd personality that can only be described as "unique" is what brings about awkward situations with the people around her. This goes especially for Hisao, although Lilly is also well aware of the difficulty in interacting with Rin. Oftentimes, it seems that Rin is unaware that she does not even have arms, and tends to act nonchalant with other students and their disabilities in general, having been the first person to blatantly ask what Hisao's problem is during their introduction. She is Emi's friend and roommate. It is also implied that she knows Kenji to some degree, having shown interest in him and his passion for art despite being partially blind. Her role in the school festival is being the sole painter of a giant mural posted in front of the dorms.
Shizune Hakamichi
Shizune is one of Hisao's classmates, as well as the student council president who supervises every aspect of Yamaku's school festival. She has short dark blue hair and eyes, and wears glasses. She is deaf and mute, communicating primarily through sign language. Her friend, Misha, is almost always at her side, translating everything Shizune signs and signing back to her, allowing for communication with other people. She is strong-willed and forceful and is capable of creating craftily manipulated plans, as noted by Hisao, as well as having an extremely competitive nature, even wanting to be first to complete class assignments. This can be attributed to her favorite game, Risk. Occasionally, she displays a softer side, but generally shows a face full of emotion to make up for her lack of speech. She has an intense intolerence of Lilly, and indirectly dislikes Hanako as a result.
Shiina "Misha" Mikado
Misha is Shizune's best friend and only fellow member in the student council. She serves as her interpreter, and is the first friend Hisao makes, being in the same class as him. She has long curls of pink hair and gold eyes. She is friendly and cheerful for the most part, though she is overly enthusiastic about everything she does, which tires everyone around her. Despite being a relatively major character in Act 1, she has no route with Hisao but helps Hisao get used to the school in his first few days of his transfer, as well as helping Shizune convince Hisao to join the student council. It is not clear what disability or condition she suffers from to warrant enrollment at Yamaku.
Conclusion (also known as stuff I added before I post it here in the Apartment):
Well, of course, it's normal to be offended by something like this. This is the internet, and hearing about a game that involves several characters with noticable disabilities, and the fact that there would be sex in later chapters makes your mind think funny thoughts.
However, those things does not make something bad. At the very least, Katawa Shoujo with it's first act has given a decent story, and interesting characters that you could be, well, interested in.
Try it out. You might like it, or at least not hate the idea. Something like that. Nya.
