katawa-shoujo.com review
Katawa Shoujo Site Review
Katawa Shoujo is a free English visual novel by Four Leaf Studios. It follows the story of Hisao, a young Japanese high schooler who is transferred to Yamaku Academy – a school for students with physical disabilities.
He must learn to cope with his condition and mingle with the other students as he works towards getting to know one of the girls. There are five in total – Shizune, who is deaf; Lilly, who is blind; Hanako, who has extreme burns; Rin, who has no arms; and Emi, who has no legs.
Characters
Developed by 4 Leaf Studios, Katawa Shoujo is an English-language bishoujo visual novel that tells the story of a young man diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and transferred to Yamaku High School, a school specialized in teaching and caring for disabled students.
The game follows Hisao Nakai’s journey to cope with his new life and relationships. He will encounter five girls (Emi, Rin, Shizune, Lilly and Hanako) suffering with varying disabilities.
The game’s main message is that disability doesn’t have to define a person, and that sometimes it can be the best thing that ever happened. The characters themselves are much more than just their disabilities – their quirks, likes and dislikes give them depth and make them memorable.
Story
Katawa Shoujo is a visual novel about romance. It tells the story of a high school student named Hisao Nakai who has to leave his old school and attend Yamaku High, which is a special school for disabled students.
In this game, you play as Hisao and have a variety of choices that will affect your character’s future, including how to choose from a number of potential paramours. This is something that not many games do, and it’s a great way to add depth to the game’s plot.
The idea for this game has been around for a long time, but it was only recently that it took form. It originated from an omake page that was published in December 2000 by the doujin circle Zettai Shoujo, written by RAITA and centered on the Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind character Kushana.
Music
Katawa Shoujo is a Visual Novel that features a large amount of music. Unlike many other games in this genre, Katawa Shoujo’s music is a big part of the game’s overall story.
The underlying message of the game is that disabilities do not define who you are, and that people with physical disabilities are not necessarily “disabled”. This is a message that can be very important in society at large.
Katawa Shoujo is a beautiful story that shows us that we are all human, no matter how different we may be. It also shows us that no matter what we do or how disabled we are, there is always something about us that can connect with others.
Artwork
Katawa Shoujo is a free visual novel/dating simulator made by a group of amateur developers that formed out of 4chan. They came together for one purpose, making this game.
KS is not your typical visual novel or dating sim, but it does what it sets out to do very well. It focuses on the characters and their individual personalities, rather than their disabilities, and it isn’t afraid to deal with sexual content that not many other games would touch.
The artwork in KS is good, it’s hit or miss but it works for the story and isn’t distracting from it at all. The only drawback is that some of the girls are way too young, Shizune looks her stated age and Lily and Emi could pass for their mid-teens.
Audio
Katawa Shoujo is an interesting experiment in visual novels starring a cast of disabled girls. It was created by a group of people from the 4chan board and was developed with no budget, so there’s no doubt that it has its flaws.
For example, some of the separate routes are a bit too different to feel like one cohesive story. The art and writing are often inconsistent in tone, as well as in style, and that can make the game difficult to follow.
Despite its limitations, however, I’m confident that Katawa Shoujo is a worthwhile experience for anyone who enjoys a good romp. Its message that disabilities don’t define a person is a powerful reminder of the importance of empathy, and it’s certainly something that has stuck with me after a first read.
