So I have started reading Katawa Shoujo a couple of days ago, and I was wanting to know what everyone thought about it; judging from the feedback I got when I brought it up in the Skype chat, I’m expecting a lot of negative thoughts about it.
Right now, I’m still in the common route, so please use the [spoiler] tags if needed.
It’s decent. For a western VN it’s great.
But it’s one of those games that newbie people use to look down on other VNs which pisses me off.
“Katawa Shoujo actually has a good story, it’s not like Japanese VNs where it’s just sex”
well to be precise, (anecdotally I guess) the huge KS fans tend to think they are VN masters because they read it
I have finished KS not long after they first released it, and it was okay.
I don’t get all the hype for it and all the hatred for it. It’s not worth 10/10, nor for 1/10.
My score for KS would be 7/10. Story is pretty meh imho, art is okay (They have a lot of artists and sometimes the artstyle difference is pretty jarring… Although overall is still pretty good), music is okay good.
The sex scenes are pretty awkward for me tho. Also I sometimes felt “Uh what” when playing it.
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It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t really memorable. It feels like a very watered-down version of Key VNs. Lilly’s route was pretty good though.
For me KS was the beginnig of everything with VN’s and Anime. I heard about it somewhere and that it was free so I thougt I will give it a chance. Turned out awesome and here I am now. I often read that quite some people startet with KS.
It’s good but after I’ve read other VN’s I wouldn’t say its totally awesome. It’s a nice read and thats all.
I think their supposed to be awkward. Especially the h-scenes with Hanako and Rin. I can’t imagine that it would work with these two and totally normal h-scenes. And how could the thing with Emi in the shed not be awkward… But what happens in the shed, stays in the shed.
Lillys character and route are the best, second would be Rin but I don’t like her Route.
I read Katawa Shoujo when it was somewhat new and me and a group of friends went through it at the same time. I found it to be enjoyable enough for the most parts but some characters just infuriated me beyond belief! (looking at you Shizune)
Anyway I think a lot of people got into VN because of it but in comparison to what’s out there its nothing to write home about.
I got interested in Katawa Shoujo when I heard Mike Inel was getting involved, and honestly, his parts were the best parts of the VN.
I gave it a 6/10. It was badly written, and the soundtrack was sub-par, the art wasn’t great, and there was no investment to be had during the common route.
It’s one of those VNs where you really only need to read one route, and you’ll know which route that is once you meet all the heroines. Every other route will feel like it’s worse.
The protagonist spends a lot of time doing… nothing. It’s not interesting.
The story of the VN is very forgettable. The only things I remember of KS are some of the CGs, and the off-shoot fan works that came out later.
All this is amplified when you realize that it released not long after both Little Busters!'s translation and Umineko Chiru’s full translation. Playing it right after either of those VNs really makes the drop in quality stick out.
At essence, Katawa Shoujo is a mix of other VNs, made to a lower standard. There is a much better VN out there for every aspect KS touches. Katawa Shoujo isn’t bad, there are just a lot of VNs that do it better.
But, KS has a well-ranged mix. It has enough little things to interest a wide range of people, and that’s all that really matters. If it can attract more people in the west than other VNs have, then it’ll be a top VN. That’s exactly how it went.
They were jokes. The awkwardness was purposeful.
I honestly liked it a lot. It was my 5th VN I think and I personally enjoyed the music and characters, though the art was pretty different. I thought it was hilarious at some points, while sometimes boring in other parts. I’d have to say my favorite route is Hanako’s because I honestly just think seeing her developing (or breaking) is the best thing after interacting with her throughout the game. I didn’t really like Shizune’s much (which seems to be the overall opinion here) but it’s still good.
misha forever though. WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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Was my 1st VN, and I enjoyed it while I was reading it. Unfortunately, I think @Bonecuss and I share the same situation where there is a huge amount of nostalgia associated with it… never to be satisfied due to it actually being kinda shit comparatively.
[quote=“atingf, post:6, topic:1201”]
(looking at you Shizune)
[/quote]Disgusting
[quote=“Takafumi, post:7, topic:1201”]
the soundtrack was sub-par
[/quote]I dont agree with this, the soundtrack is still today probably my favorite part.
[quote=“Takafumi, post:7, topic:1201”]
At essence, Katawa Shoujo is a mix of other VNs, made to a lower standard. There is a much better VN out there for every aspect KS touches. Katawa Shoujo isn’t bad, there are just a lot of VNs that do it better.
[/quote]Nailed it here though.
[quote=“Takafumi, post:7, topic:1201”]
They were jokes. The awkwardness was purposeful.
[/quote]Yeah, @Hirato, have you ever played it with the H-content off? Instead of the H it shows random picture, e.g. grilled shrimp with sizzling sound effects. Clearly not supposed to be taken seriously.
I secretly don’t even dislike it that much.
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I’ve put it on in background a few times, because the time of year I read it was a pretty nice time, and I get nostalgic over it. No matter how many times I listen to it though, it’s just so… dreary. It’s dull and boring and… it makes me want to turn it off. I can’t even have it as background noise for long.
Oh wow, it’s good to see a decent mix of praise and criticisms with this. I expected a lot more bashing from how people reacted in the chat (you know who you are).
Ah, I think those were joking exaggerations. Aspi did a Kanon. Ignore the elitism.
It’s not a bad VN, and no one can deny that it’s one of the most successful VNs in the west. It’s done a lot.
@Yerian Yah, I got a picture of hamster or some fluffy little-ball-of-fur thing in Hanako’s sex scene iirc. Either way, sex scene turned on or off they’re both pretty awkward.
KS actually did a pretty good job introducing VN to the westerners, but only if you had read something else much much much better, KS is probably just like horse dung (also this is not my opinion). Some people are overly praising it, and some others overly despise it.
I actually like how KS is about normal girls in love, not something that 100% focusing on their disabilities. At first I was “Oh wow so why they had to be “crippled” if they won’t touch that subject at all?” but then I realize that those “crippled” girls are just normal girls too.
Quite honestly, that’s one of the main things I was looking forward to the most with Katawa Shoujo, and even though I’m still in the common route (haven’t even met Rin or Emi yet), I can already see that. I don’t see Shizune as “that deaf/dumb girl,” I see her as the confident and capable class rep/student council president. I don’t see Lilly as “that blind girl,” I see her as a sweet and caring girl from the next class. And I don’t see Hanako as “that girl with the horribly burned face,” I see her as that shy and awkward girl who tends to keep to herself in the back of the class. They are not defined by their disabilities, they are defined by who they are as people, and that’s what I’m liking about it.
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KS totally nails it in this regard. I think they treated the whole disability thing very tenderly.
It’s pretty unique in subject matter, but the story and routes aren’t the best.
Iya iya iya. She’s an arrogant douchebag.
Yeah, I continued reading a little more earlier today, I’m beginning to see a bit more of that, especially towards Lilly and Rin. I just hope she gets better.
Shizune’s route gave me such a freakin headache, her dad was the most annoying character I think I have ever ran into! it feels like they purposely made her route down right torture.
The only reason why I played her Route was misha. And then she cut her hair… Wasn’t really bad, but not as good as her long hair 
