Some dialogue goes on way too long, especially in Shizune’s route, which was the longest for me and by far the least enjoyable. The only things holding this title back are a lack of editing in some areas and the fact that some of the stories are just flat-out better than others. This has a great effect in-game! I also enjoyed the soundtrack it was very soothing, even if a little repetitive, but the repetition of songs fit in well with the mundane nature of school life. Most of the backgrounds are still-life shots from actual Japanese locales with the focus changed to make them look flatter. You can tell that more effort was put in to some things than others. The game looks nice with the exception of some minor character sprites. The fact that Shizune is mute hardly factors in to her story at all! If you were expecting this game to be a sick fetishist freak show, you’ll be pleased to know you are dead wrong. What impressed me most about this game was that the disabilities of the characters never overpower what the story is trying to say. Conversations with her are packed with discussions of aesthetic philosophy: what it means to create art, why people create, and the value of their creations. For instance, Hanako’s tale has an excellent lesson in it that you don’t see a whole lot in video games: you can’t just feel sorry for somebody in a bad situation on some level they have to overcome problems themselves. I also found myself surprised by the depth of them at times. With the exception of Shizune’s, I found all of these characters’ stories interesting on some level. Rin, who has lost her arms but strives to create art, always questioning the meaning of what she is doing. Lily, a blind girl aspiring to become a teacher. Hanako, a heavy burn victim who has developed an intense fear of socializing, understandably so, but wants nothing more than to overcome this. Emi, a track star who lost her legs in an accident, but refuses to let her disability change anything about who she is and won’t accept help to a fault. Shizune, who is deaf and mute but also extremely bossy and arrogant, evidenced by her yes-woman Misha who hand-signs Shizune’s every thought. You are quickly enough introduced to the five main female characters of the game. Katawa Shoujo does an excellent job making the player feel like an outsider. It’s hard not to feel for Hisao throughout the game he’s suddenly aware that his lifespan is limited and has been thrust into a world that’s basically alien. The game is a slice-of-life/coming of age tale about a young man named Hisao, who has a heart attack and learns he’s got an arrhythmia, landing him in a school for the disabled in his senior year. However, to say that’s the main focus of Katawa Shoujo is missing the forest for the trees. Let’s take down the elephant in the room first: Yes, this is a game about dating disabled girls. Katawa Shoujo is definitely one of the best romance games I’ve played in the VN genre. However, after finishing all five routes after being hooked for two weeks straight, I have to say I’m glad I invested the time overall. Don’t let that scare you off it almost prevented me from taking the game seriously too. With one exception, they aren't too raunchy). Katawa Shoujo is an eroge visual novel developed by some people from 4chan (Yes, there are sex scenes. Making a game like this even remotely classy had to be one of the hardest things in the world.
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