Katawa Shoujo Review
4
Let me start off by saying that even though I was Jake’s roommate for a couple years, I had never played through a visual novel. He has made plenty of recommendations in the past, but a visual novel just seemed like some terrifyingly ugly love child of anime and manga. Turns out I was wrong, and by wrong I mean sex with a donkey in the middle of a preschool playground at recess while punching the Pope kind of wrong- At least in the case of Katawa Shoujo.
The scenery is beautiful, the writing is excellent, and the music does an amazing job at bringing it all together. All of these elements combined to form a wonderfully immersive experience and I found myself legitimately feeling for the characters and enjoying the story far more than my initial expectations.
I was also incredibly surprised but how such a perverse game concept could have gone incredibly awry in about a billion different ways, yet all of it was done tastefully and believably. Thanks to the far above average writing, the character development was very smooth and each of the girls’ possesses a very real, consistent personality.
I also loved the fact that there is this overall theme of opposites working together, which added a level of greatly appreciated depth. I’m sure many have noticed at least some of these opposites: a girl who shouts all the time with a girl that can’t hear, a blind girl befriending a girl who never wishes to be seen, and a girl with no legs and yet runs, paired with a girl with no arms and yet paints. Last of these pairings, and perhaps the most subtle of them all, we have the main character himself: the boy with a broken heart ultimately hoping to find love.
Overall my experience with Katawa Shoujo was a very pleasant one. As a final note I need to give special props to those who worked on the scenery and music, but the music especially. The “Aria de l’etoile” immediately comes to mind, adding a potent level of sentiment to the final scene and bringing the chapter to a beautiful close.
Can't wait for the full release!
The scenery is beautiful, the writing is excellent, and the music does an amazing job at bringing it all together. All of these elements combined to form a wonderfully immersive experience and I found myself legitimately feeling for the characters and enjoying the story far more than my initial expectations.
I was also incredibly surprised but how such a perverse game concept could have gone incredibly awry in about a billion different ways, yet all of it was done tastefully and believably. Thanks to the far above average writing, the character development was very smooth and each of the girls’ possesses a very real, consistent personality.
I also loved the fact that there is this overall theme of opposites working together, which added a level of greatly appreciated depth. I’m sure many have noticed at least some of these opposites: a girl who shouts all the time with a girl that can’t hear, a blind girl befriending a girl who never wishes to be seen, and a girl with no legs and yet runs, paired with a girl with no arms and yet paints. Last of these pairings, and perhaps the most subtle of them all, we have the main character himself: the boy with a broken heart ultimately hoping to find love.
Overall my experience with Katawa Shoujo was a very pleasant one. As a final note I need to give special props to those who worked on the scenery and music, but the music especially. The “Aria de l’etoile” immediately comes to mind, adding a potent level of sentiment to the final scene and bringing the chapter to a beautiful close.
Can't wait for the full release!
0
There's a whole world of visual novels waiting to be explored.
Excellent review.
I'm also looking forward to the full release.
Excellent review.
I'm also looking forward to the full release.
0
Great review. I'm a complete fan after playing it for only two hours, so much so that a few seconds after finishing the first scenario I googled the main site, registered to their forums and sent words of thanks and appraisal to the development team, all under 30 minutes.
I can't wait for the full release, but I know we all have to be very patient. One of the dev's told me that the full will have many different endings, as many VN's do, but it will include one or possibly more VERY BAD ENDINGS, designed to make even the most macho of bravados break down into gut wrenching tears...
Now I really can't wait!
^^
I can't wait for the full release, but I know we all have to be very patient. One of the dev's told me that the full will have many different endings, as many VN's do, but it will include one or possibly more VERY BAD ENDINGS, designed to make even the most macho of bravados break down into gut wrenching tears...
Now I really can't wait!
^^
0
Dude I couldnt agree with you more, when I first found this game I thought it was going to be some perverse sick game... but, I totally fell in love with it from the beginning (even before he met the girls...) the first scene proved it would be a good game, and it was... well for a demo... Fuck I hope the actual game doesnt put the demo to shame, which it wont... hopefully...
Also you missed the opposite of Kenji and Hisao, total opposites... In a way or two...
anyway dude I totally agree with you this game is good...
...
HANAKO FTW!!!
Also you missed the opposite of Kenji and Hisao, total opposites... In a way or two...
anyway dude I totally agree with you this game is good...
...
HANAKO FTW!!!
0
"a girl who shouts all the time with a girl that can’t hear, a blind girl befriending a girl who never wishes to be seen, and a girl with no legs and yet runs, paired with a girl with no arms and yet paints. Last of these pairings, and perhaps the most subtle of them all, we have the main character himself: the boy with a broken heart ultimately hoping to find love. "
T_T WOW. This is so true T_T
T_T WOW. This is so true T_T
0
Pretty nice review for being your first time. =D Glad Jacob managed to turn you around before it was too late.. >D
Now a whole new world lies before you. C;
Now a whole new world lies before you. C;
0
Welcome to the dark side.
Indeed all the juxtapositions are very nicely done. If there was any doubt to the amount of time and effort that's been put into the project... Well, shit like that just isn't fluke, ya know?
Cheers. Now go play Clannad.
Indeed all the juxtapositions are very nicely done. If there was any doubt to the amount of time and effort that's been put into the project... Well, shit like that just isn't fluke, ya know?
Cheers. Now go play Clannad.
0
Great review, I agree completely with it. This is also the first visual novel I've played and it makes me want to get my hands on some more. Also I like how you pointed out the broken heart thing, I didn't even make that connection before.
0
mibuchiha
Fakku Elder
hahaha misterdeal i understand how you, or rather, how jake feel. i mean, i got those weird stares from my roomates too, whenever i start playing visual novels...but finally i win. with fate/stay night, he finally understood the beauty of visual novels...
well, as for katawa shoujo, i have yet to play it, i'll just wait for the full release. because i still have tons to finish, so no need to rush...
well, as for katawa shoujo, i have yet to play it, i'll just wait for the full release. because i still have tons to finish, so no need to rush...
0
I think one of the reasons that so many people that don't like VNs, or couldn't be bothered to play VNs, actually do like Katawa Shoujo is that it's made by a group of westerners from various countries. They've put an interesting spin on the existing stereotypes and, in the case of Rin, put in a character you wouldn't really find in anime or a VN. There's definitely a type of person that likes (Japanese) VNs and, personally, I don't know anyone IRL who is that type, not even the one guy I know who's really into anime. It's odd, because Raze said I'm the only person he knows that played Fate/Stay Night and didn't like it, but I'm the only person I know IRL that's even heard of it.
Eh, so what I'm saying, in a long-winded, rambling way is that I guess simply by the virtue of being made by people from various western countries, Katawa Shoujo is different in certain ways that make all the difference. If you normally like VNs, you'll probably still like it, but most of the things that makes VNs unappealing to people are absent from Katawa Shoujo.
Eh, so what I'm saying, in a long-winded, rambling way is that I guess simply by the virtue of being made by people from various western countries, Katawa Shoujo is different in certain ways that make all the difference. If you normally like VNs, you'll probably still like it, but most of the things that makes VNs unappealing to people are absent from Katawa Shoujo.
0
You wrote a pretty convincing and fitting review there.
I hope that in the future you will play more VN's and enjoy them the way you did it now.
I hope that in the future you will play more VN's and enjoy them the way you did it now.
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Good review. Now that you have seen the light you should look around and test the waters with some other VNs. I myself can not wait for the next release, or the full release. I like this VN mostely because it puts you in the 'fresh new start' position. YOU DONT KNOW ANYONE, and neither does the main character. So right from the get go you rally feel a lot like your in the same position. (except most of us do not have a serious heart condition.)
So far I have got the bad ending (>_> first time through... go figure.) And I have gotten Shizune's ending, Sunako's ending, and the limbless pairs ending. Its fun, and for a ame thats made by freequenters of 4chan... I have to say, I am extreamely impressed that they took such a mature path into what could have been a sick immature joke of a game. bravo.
So far I have got the bad ending (>_> first time through... go figure.) And I have gotten Shizune's ending, Sunako's ending, and the limbless pairs ending. Its fun, and for a ame thats made by freequenters of 4chan... I have to say, I am extreamely impressed that they took such a mature path into what could have been a sick immature joke of a game. bravo.
0
good review, but i guess when u say broken heart, u should say its physically broken XD though i guess it was mentally broken a lil bit after :o
personally i dont play VN much at all, since i usually cant get my hands on any in english (hopefully i get into the almost always full japanese class next semster) and i hate using torrents (since they're always extremly slow to me) but katawa shoujo is among the very top ones i played. they acaully put "an international team of amateur developers" on the site info though with people playing this they probally wouldn't of guessed (and im still having a hard time agree'ing)
also i guess for people who hasnt played it yet but rather wait for the full version.....well they started working on the game 2yrs ago and only recently released the first act, so might as well play it as the full version seems to be ages away o.o;
....wat else, oh right: HANAKO FTW
personally i dont play VN much at all, since i usually cant get my hands on any in english (hopefully i get into the almost always full japanese class next semster) and i hate using torrents (since they're always extremly slow to me) but katawa shoujo is among the very top ones i played. they acaully put "an international team of amateur developers" on the site info though with people playing this they probally wouldn't of guessed (and im still having a hard time agree'ing)
also i guess for people who hasnt played it yet but rather wait for the full version.....well they started working on the game 2yrs ago and only recently released the first act, so might as well play it as the full version seems to be ages away o.o;
....wat else, oh right: HANAKO FTW
0
nice to know you pot a lot in to saying wat you wer feeling good job ther more one can say thin just that im just to deep thinking to say so much more thin needed one more thing i can say you have good way of saying it
