|
If Shizune has a simultaneous interpreter, wouldn't that obviate the need for special segregated school anyways, especially since none of the instructors or peers at this one apparently can directly talk to her? It seems like shipping a kid who can only sign off to a special school where nobody else can is like giving them the worst parts of both educational approaches. Unless the objective was to learn lipreading but she can to rely wholly on Misha instead? I'm wondering what the wahahaha~ sounds like. I've narrowed it down to three options and I really think it's the third: https://soundcloud.com/user-297254204/wahahahaha
|
#
?
May 22, 2021 19:27
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 8, 2024 23:46 |
|
|
Falconier111 posted:For what it’s worth, the game establishes that Misha is a regular student who translates for Shizune because she wants to. They’re just friends. Speaking of which, Sketchie, Ghost Car, permission to add your informative posts to the OP. Sure, go ahead! I'm also happy to answer questions about my experience as it compares to the game, if people have any (with the caveat that as an occasional drop-in rather than a full-time teacher at that school, there's a lot that I don't know).
|
|
#
?
May 22, 2021 19:51
|
|
|
Falconier111 posted:That wasn’t actually a question to be voted on Emi doesn't override Shizune. If you have both their flags a final "tiebreaker" choice comes up where you choose which one to have lunch with.
|
|
#
?
May 22, 2021 20:23
|
|
. Mostly I was setting things up to explain something next update. I didn’t know Emi’s flags overrode everyone else’s, though, that actually makes it easier for me to explain something down the line.
|
Ghost Car posted:I don't know whether the devs did research on this or if the game concept just sort of serendipitously lines up with reality here, but "one school that all the kids with special needs get shuffled off to" actually is the way it works in Japan, or at least a way that it can work. While working as a teacher at a regular high school in Japan, I also did occasional lessons at a special-needs school in the same district. (A public school, though - I don't know whether there are private residential special-needs schools like the one in the game.) Yep! We did our research on this and tried to portray such facilities as accurately as we could. It wasn't just arbitrary!
|
|
#
?
May 22, 2021 23:08
|
|
|
renessia posted:Yep! We did our research on this and tried to portray such facilities as accurately as we could. It wasn't just arbitrary! Sorry, I think my phrasing was a little off - I meant I wasn't sure whether the characters being at a separate school was a core part of the premise from the start (that then happened to be accurate) or whether that was a decision made based on research. I know you mentioned earlier that you guys did a lot of work to ensure accuracy and sensitivity in general!
|
|
#
?
May 23, 2021 01:20
|
|
|
Decoy Badger posted:If Shizune has a simultaneous interpreter, wouldn't that obviate the need for special segregated school anyways, especially since none of the instructors or peers at this one apparently can directly talk to her? It seems like shipping a kid who can only sign off to a special school where nobody else can is like giving them the worst parts of both educational approaches. Unless the objective was to learn lipreading but she can to rely wholly on Misha instead? Be a lot more vivid if i could access the file  whitehelm posted:Emi doesn't override Shizune. If you have both their flags a final "tiebreaker" choice comes up where you choose which one to have lunch with. ...I had no idea that was a thing. You learn something new every day.
|
|
#
?
May 23, 2021 02:27
|
|
|
Do you have the route map?
|
|
#
?
May 23, 2021 16:18
|
|
|
Falconier111 posted:Be a lot more vivid if i could access the file Should be fixed now. Trying to make this a more constructive post, I watched an excerpt from this documentary on the 10th anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake. It's about how deaf people and other people with disabilities in Japan were effectively left to face a tsunami and the aftermath without any warning or useful communication. If you can find it, it's worth a watch: quote:Actually, in the case of this disaster, the rate of fatalities for people with disabilities was twice that of people without disabilities. It is in fact the case that some people might have survived if they had been able to hear the tsunami warnings and the evacuation instructions over the loudspeakers. Because much of the life-saving information was not accessible to deaf people, many precious lives were lost due to this terrible disparity of information. I wonder if the disaster had any impact on the game's development.
|
|
#
?
May 23, 2021 17:57
|
|
|
Cobalt-60 posted:Do you have the route map? Yep. The one I was working off was old and incomplete; the one I just found (not linked for spoilers) lays things out in more detail.
|
|
#
?
May 23, 2021 23:26
|
|
|
Falconier111 posted:For what it’s worth, the game establishes that Misha is a regular student who translates for Shizune because she wants to. They’re just friends. Speaking of which, Sketchie, Ghost Car, permission to add your informative posts to the OP.
|
|
#
?
May 24, 2021 17:44
|
|
|
Update 6: Pseudo Tea Cosy Katawa Shoujo OST – Hokabi   MISHA: "She says you have no chance if you keep playing like this, no you won't~!" =>She has a point. Attack aggressively! She is either really mocking me, or trying to trick me. I have nothing else to lose, though, so I might as well try something different. Maybe if I spread out my forces and try to control more territories, I can recoup the advantage. Shizune seems to focus on conquering whole nations, so maybe I can sacrifice my hold on continents to gain more small countries. It's worth a shot. A few turns later, I end up losing the game anyway. Shizune adjusts her glasses victoriously and allows herself to tentatively pump a fist in the air in celebration.  SHIZUNE: "..." MISHA: "I win, I win~! Yay~!"  HISAO: "There's no need to translate that, it was pretty clear." MISHA: "Wahaha~! Don't look so sad, Hicchan~! You were really giving it your best, that's what I thought! Sometimes, your best just isn't good enough, though~. If anyone knows that, it's me~! You did very well for someone who just learned how to play today!" SHIZUNE: "..." MISHA: "Hicchan, you attacked Iceland and North America at the same time, that's a very daring move. Shicchan is impressed~!" SHIZUNE: "..." MISHA: "The mark of great people is that they are daring, and that they can follow through~! You're already halfway there; isn't that great, Hicchan?" SHIZUNE: "..." MISHA: "That isn't enough though; just potential isn't enough! There is no point to potential if you don't take the first step, and there is no point to that if you don't keep going. I want to see more. You're right, Shicchan~, but, that's so demanding..." SHIZUNE: "..." MISHA: "..." (Silence)  Shizune leans forward, suddenly looking a lot less playful and more like the serious person I expected her to be from the start. SHIZUNE: "..." MISHA: "Hicchan, would you like to join the Student Council?" She really doesn't waste any time, does she? But... It's only my second day of school, so I'm hesitant about committing to something so early. I haven't even taken a look at any other clubs yet. But spending time with Shizune and Misha doesn't seem like something I would hate. I still need more time to think about it before I decide for sure. Katawa Shoujo OST - The Student Council (Shizune's Theme) HISAO: "Maybe. I'll get back to you on it." SHIZUNE: "..." MISHA: "Okay, Hicchan~! But, I hope you're not just saying that so we don't feel bad." HISAO: "No, really." MISHA: "Really~? Hicchan, if you're going to say that, you're saying that it is definitely the truth, and there can't be any~ mistaking it~!" HISAO: "I know, I know. I guess I should have my revenge for losing, at the very least." Shizune smiles at that in a mischievous way that feels like twisting the knife in the wound of my loss.  This, by the way, is the correct answer if you want to curry favor with Shizune. It won’t matter much for triggering Emi’s route, though, for reasons I’ll cover in a few updates. I take a glance at the clock on the wall and realize I've spent far longer playing Risk than I expected. HISAO: "Sorry, I think I have to go. I wanted to go to the library. It's not closed yet, is it?" Shizune scratches her head and gestures at Misha. How hard can it be to determine whether the library is open? There's a clock right there on the wall. SHIZUNE: "..." MISHA: "It should be, unless the librarian is absent. I think you're right, Shicchan. We... think the library is open. It's on the second floor; can't miss it. Do you want us to show you where it is?" HISAO: "No thanks, it's okay. See you tomorrow." MISHA: "Bye bye!" (Silence)  Jesus, this school has some baffling wall art  One flight of stairs up and I run into problems. The second floor hallway is a carbon copy of the third floor one. Wide, of course; and plain, like only hallways can be. The problem is that the library's whereabouts are not as easily determined as one would think. The classrooms are marked with signs stating which class they belong to, but then there is a plethora of other, unmarked rooms. Is the library one of them? Or is it just somewhere down the hallway? I bet on the latter and choose my direction at random. After I turn around the corner, an unmarked door draws my attention because it's not closed. It's not open either though, just barely ajar so that I can see it's open and nothing else. It would make sense for the library door to be invitingly open, and while this one is not quite that, it's good enough. At the very least it means that someone is inside and I can ask for directions no matter how embarrassing that is. I gingerly push on the center of the door with my fingertips, every muscle in my arm ready to pull back at a moment's notice. The feeling of being an outsider to this school can't be shaken from my mind, so much so that I instinctively fear doing something wrong by entering. The door slowly creaks as if groaning from a deep sleep, though is much easier to open than I'd anticipated. Leaning over and poking my head ever further inside to gain sight of the room as fast as possible, the meek 'Hello...?' on my lips is quickly snatched away. Katawa Shoujo OST - Concord (Lilly's Theme)  … This is... not as I was expecting. I mindlessly let the door open to its full extent, taking in the sight of the solitary figure taking center stage in the otherwise abandoned room. The situation steals my voice, leaving me standing at the doorway staring at the beautiful girl. Evidently having taken her time to assess the situation, the girl gently puts down her teacup and opens her eyes, but doesn't look at me.   LILLY: "Hello there. May I help you?" Staring directly in front of herself, the movements of her lips seem to break the silence rather than the words. However it's the soft, measured voice that reminds me she's a being separate from the room itself. Not only is she likely the tallest girl I've ever laid eyes on, but even among the foreigners I've met she's strikingly distinct. HISAO: "Uh, hi. Sorry for intruding, I was just... kind of lost." She takes a moment to formulate a response before speaking. Every action she takes feels as if it's carefully choreographed beforehand. LILLY: "Care to take a seat?" ...unexpected, considering that I'm intruding upon her. HISAO: "Ummm... thanks." I slowly step towards another seat opposite her, the girl resting the teacup and saucer on the wooden table inbetween. The way she doesn't track my movements with her head is telling... that, and the slight cloudiness to her eyes means she must be at least partially blind, like Kenji. Come to think of it, her voice doesn't have any detectable accent either. I guess she must be half-Japanese. As I take my seat, her composure takes me slightly off-guard. Her air of relaxed confidence makes the silence entirely comfortable. The calming atmosphere is so very different from the student council office. LILLY: "I take it you're a new student to Yamaku?" HISAO: "Ah, yeah. I just transferred in yesterday." I get the distinct feeling my speech patterns don't match the formality of hers, accentuated by her restrained bow of greeting. One which I hasten to match, before realizing the futility of the action. LILLY: "I'm Lilly Satou. Pleased to meet you..." HISAO: "Hisao. Hisao Nakai." She gives a nod before gesturing roughly in the direction of her teacup. LILLY: "Would you care for a drink?" HISAO: "Sure." As much as it pains me, I can't keep step with her formality in the proceedings. She gives a kind nod, taking the request in stride. Without another word, she steps off the chair and prepares a second cup of tea from a collection of supplies laid out along a shelf. A brush here, a brush there, her left hand often lightly touching the side of whichever container she's pouring into... it seems to be a process she's followed dozens of times before. As I lean sideways to see around her back, she seems to use her long, dainty finger to measure the right amount of water in the cup. It's one thing to see the different disabilities the students in my class have, but it's quite another to see how everyone seems to adapt. Shizune and Misha have no problem working together to communicate to me, and Lilly herself seems to have workarounds for problems I'd never thought of. While I feel slightly guilty about her doing the work, she seems pleased to be following the “correct” process of the offerer preparing the drink. LILLY: "So," Her soft voice brings me out of my silent observance.  LILLY: "Which room were you looking for? It's not often this classroom is visited after school." HISAO: "The school library. Shizune and Mi— I mean, some classmates, told me it was on this floor." She finishes pouring water into the teacup as she nods, a small metallic tapping coming from the teacup indicating it being stirred. LILLY: "I'm aware of Miss Hakamichi, as are most students. To be with them means you're in class 3-3, no?" HISAO: "That's right. In the science room with Mutou."  She gives a small giggle before setting down the teaspoon and slowly walking towards the table, teacup and saucer in hand. LILLY: "He's quite a character. I imagine you'll come to like him; most do." As she sets down the tea, I gently take it and have a sip. I'm really more of a coffee person, but this seems like a rather bad moment to bring it up. Nonetheless, the smell's quite nice. I hardly think it'd be hard to choke down. HISAO: "Thanks, Satou. It tastes really nice." She smiles and quickly waves her hand in front of her face. LILLY: "Lilly, please. There's no need to be too formal." She says this in spite of her exceedingly well-bred speech. Oh well. I guess I should try and ask her about herself, as it really does seem as if she's catering to me. HISAO: "So which class are you from? I imagine it's one of the third-year classes."  LILLY: "Correct, I'm in class 3-2; which is on the third floor, same as yours. It's taught by Miyagi, and is specifically for both blind and partially blind students." HISAO: "I see. Ah, I mean, uh, s-sorry..." I feel like slapping myself for the faux-pas. Looking at her face, though, she doesn't seem in the least bit put off by it. LILLY: "My my, there's no need to change your speech on my account." HISAO: "Ah, sure. Sorry, I guess I'm really showing my newness here." LILLY: "An environment like this would be a big change, so I can't fault you for it. While the same can't be said for everyone, many have come to terms with their conditions." A category which would include her, it seems. All too ready to jump ship from this particular topic, I segue into another. HISAO: "Do you come here to drink tea often? It's a really nice place." Thinking on it, this might be her version of the place behind my school that I liked to have lunch at. LILLY: "I come here fairly often during lunch times. My duties as class representative don't leave enough time for an 'official' club, so a friend and I use this room for having tea." Class representative, huh? Compared to Shizune, her mannerisms seem to be almost completely opposite. While Shizune's blunt and fiercely driven, Lilly seems relaxed and calm, almost aloof. Come to think of it, she might be useful for a less biased view of the school's clubs. HISAO: "What kinds of clubs are there to join?" LILLY: "Hmm... the more popular ones are the track and field club, which uses the field near the school during lunchtimes, the baseball club, and the book club in a room near the library. There are also numerous small ones too, though, such as the art and music clubs." At a time when I'm just wanting to get on my feet, rushing into a club right away seems slightly unappealing. I wonder if this school shares the same rule as my old one... HISAO: "Is it compulsory to join a club?" LILLY: "It isn't, though it is encouraged." HISAO: "Ah, good. That's a relief."  I've really let down my guard around this girl to let such a thing slip out. The fact seems to slightly amuse her. Not wanting my tea to get cold, I finally start drinking it as Lilly does the same Katawa Shoujo OST – Afternoon  As I look over to the window over her shoulder, I notice the light coming into the room has a distinctly orange tint. Even here, time doesn't stand still." HISAO: "Huh, the time's gone quickly." LILLY: "Sorry?" Right. She's blind. Of course she can't see the sun setting. HISAO: "It just looks like the sun's starting to set." It seems to come as a surprise for her. I guess she must have lost track of the time. LILLY: "Sorry, Hisao. I didn't mean to keep you from the library for so long." I quickly move to allay her concern. HISAO: "Ah, no, it's okay. The library's still open, isn't it?" She pauses, and takes a moment to think on it. It's probably something I should've asked Shizune when I had the chance, but Lilly seems likely to know in any case. LILLY: "True. It's open until six-thirty during weekdays." A quick glance at my watch confirms I have well enough time to get there. HISAO: "Hmm, I might get going in that case. It's been nice talking with you, Lilly." She smiles and gives a deep nod, her hands still neatly folded on the table in front of her. LILLY: "It was my pleasure. Oh, come to think of it... shall I show you to where the library is?" HISAO: "I couldn't possibly ask for more help. I should be able to find it all right." Well, unless my navigational skills fail me.{w} Which they seem to have a habit of doing. LILLY: "It's all right, I was going to be talking to the librarian there in any case. I could introduce you." This gets better and better. It's pretty hard to deny her offer. HISAO: "If you're sure, then that'd be great. Thanks."  As she stands up to follow me, she takes hold of a straight, retractable cane that had been slipped in the handle of her bag on the floor. Compared to the cane the boy in my class had, Lilly's looks much thinner and longer. His must be for support, whereas Lilly's is for navigation. Together we leave the peaceful room and enter the empty hallway on the way to the library. I usually shoot for 1500 to 2000 words per update, but KS has some long scenes which I’ve been struggling mightily to break up. Would the thread mind 2250-2750 word updates or you want me to shoot for the previous length? Sometimes I’ll have to stray in either direction to make everything fit right, but most updates will fit inside those ranges. Voting closes in 24 hours.Falconier111 fucked around with this message at 15:24 on Aug 19, 2021 |
|
#
?
May 24, 2021 21:39
|
|
|
Bigger updates are fine with me! And wow, this game is shockingly decently written even with the horrid abuse of ~?
|
|
#
?
May 24, 2021 22:13
|
|
|
Longer posts is fine by me.
|
|
#
?
May 24, 2021 22:20
|
|
|
No opinion on the update length but I wanted to say thanks for doing this. On the one hand, I don't care for visual novel type games with very few exceptions. On the other, I'm partially blind so my curiosity is piqued. Thanks for going to the extra effort of transcribing the game text. I appreciate it.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2021 00:01
|
|
|
I'm for longer posts; I actually feel like the ones up to this point have been a bit short sometimes.Galick posted:And wow, this game is shockingly decently written even with the horrid abuse of ~?
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2021 01:13
|
|
|
Honestly surprised that they didn't give the MC a pacemaker. I've worked on some heart-adjacent stuff (valves and suchlike), and have some experience with atrial fibrillation, which is a type of arrhythmia. Not a doctor though, just an engineer who has worked on and researched this stuff for a living. I would never wish half of the meds they put people on for heart issues on anyone, much less a child. I had the poor fortune to be on beta blockers for a short time in my 20's, and it was horrific just how badly it messes with you. Add to that the blood thinners and everything else, and that's not a fun place to be. Blood thinners alone are awful, but while the bleeding and the potential for a hematoma or the like are bad, at least it's better than a stroke. Pacemakers are actually really fascinating devices, and there's a lot of ways that they can be customized to an individual patient. You can stimulate each individual portion of the heart separately, compensate for electrical issues where signaling doesn't travel properly from atrium to ventricle, and just generally force the heart to be properly or reset it whenever problems arise. There's even a really cool piece of tech from Medtronic (https://www.medtronic.com/us-en/patients/treatments-therapies/pacemakers/our/micra.html) that is completely leadless and is a pretty big gamechanger for some other related therapies. There's also some really cool technology for heart monitoring. I had to wear a big bulky box around my neck with electrodes taped to my chest for a couple of weeks, but nowadays they'll do things like basically implant something the size of a pill under your skin and have it record data. You can have monitors like that synced through bluetooth and throw an alert out if there's a major issue.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2021 02:21
|
|
|
My favorite tonal shift. While it isn't so bad in transcript, the WALLS OF TEXT from Shizune/Misha are overwhelming in game. On the other hand, the noise makes me appreciate the quiet better.Dirk the Average posted:Honestly surprised that they didn't give the MC a pacemaker. I've worked on some heart-adjacent stuff (valves and suchlike), and have some experience with atrial fibrillation, which is a type of arrhythmia. Not a doctor though, just an engineer who has worked on and researched this stuff for a living. A pacemaker comes up later in one of the plotlines. None of the specific medications come up; they ran the list by a pharmacist for accuracy, but the names are largely irrelevant to the story. Cobalt-60 fucked around with this message at 03:38 on May 25, 2021 |
|
#
?
May 25, 2021 02:53
|
|
|
I'm excited to see an LP of this game, since I played it a couple years after it first came out, and while I remember it being really good, I was also much younger and nostalgia glasses are definitely a thing. It's nice to see its reputation of taking the issues seriously is actually true. I had heard that was the case but didn't know if it was a bunch of neurotypical all deciding that was the case or not. As for length I am 100% okay with longer posts.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2021 04:41
|
|
|
The updates are currently very bite-sized. As far as I'm concerned they could double in length and still be fine
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2021 11:26
|
|
|
Dance Officer posted:The updates are currently very bite-sized. As far as I'm concerned they could double in length and still be fine 
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2021 14:57
|
|
|
Lilly's Theme is so serene and relaxing. Its a shame I never did her route years back. Love the music.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2021 17:03
|
|
|
Update 7: Shared Library (Silence)  Side by side, my pace carefully slowed to match hers, we slowly walk through the hallway. It doesn't take long for us to arrive at the door to the warm-looking room, apparently situated in the center of the floor rather than either wing. HISAO: "Ladies first." She gives an appreciative smile at the gesture, taking the lead as we file in. Katawa Shoujo OST – Fripperies To the left is the wooden library counter, with the library proper being on the right. It easily dwarfs my old school's library, with the distinct smell of old books giving the place an almost old-world air. There don't seem to be a lot of students here. Considering the time, it isn't a big surprise; everyone's probably either in the school grounds or the dorms. LILLY: "Yuuko, are you here?" She says it to thin air since the librarian doesn't seem to be present and of course Lilly can't see this. What's unexpected is that it draws a reaction. Something from under the counter thuds against it, followed by a quiet wail. The origin, apparently the librarian, quickly crawls out and bounces up to extremely rigid attention.   YUUKO: "Hi, Lilly. How can I help you?" Her voice is strained in a failing attempt to sound casual and she's rubbing the back of her head. LILLY: "Good afternoon. What happened just now? I heard a strange sound." YUUKO: "It's nothing, I just hit my head. See, I dropped an eraser under my desk and while I was looking for it a pencil dropped and when I was looking for both of them you came and surprised me..." LILLY: "Are you all right? I'm sorry, I couldn't know—" YUUKO: "It's okay! It's okay, sorry for making you worry. This is nothing, I've had worse happen to me." She's quick to reverse Lilly's apologies, almost frantically trying to push aside the possibility that she could be in any way inconvenienced by bashing her head on the counter. YUUKO: "Yes... worse things have happened, hehehe..." The girl fidgets with her fingers as Lilly doesn't seem to drop her concerned expression, and then she shuffles some papers around the counter for no reason. A little shorter than Lilly, replete with glasses, freckles and a very troubled look, she seems to fit a library perfectly. YUUKO: "Ah, Lilly! Did you get my message?" LILLY: "Message... hmm... Oh, the two imported books that arrived?" YUUKO: "Right! Right! They finally came! I can't believe it took so long, but—" Amidst her celebrations, partially for managing to change the topic I'm sure, she notices me from the corner of her eye and freezes on the spot when she does. YUUKO: "Oh no, I'm sorry for not noticing you before! Did you need to check out a book? Or return one? I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" The way she can so quickly shift between moods is a little unsettling  LILLY: "He's with me. Yuuko, this is Hisao, a new student. Hisao, this is Yuuko, the school librarian." HISAO: "Pleased to meet you." YUUKO: "Hisao. Right. Hisao. Pleased to meet you, too. Hisao." For a second she visibly attempts to engrave the name on her mind so she won't forget. LILLY: "Yuuko often arranges to import foreign books in Braille for me. Would you like to tell Hisao a little something about the library?" Lilly's innocent suggestion is met with an expression of abject terror. YUUKO: "I... Please Lilly, I can't. I don't know what he could be interested in. This is too much responsibility.” How it's any responsibility at all I don't get, but her objection is so sincere I don't doubt for a second that she would rather disembowel herself on the spot than tell me where the light novels are. LILLY: "But..." HISAO: "So, there are a lot of books in Braille here?" I attempt to save the day by asking the first thing that pops into my head. It seems to work at least partially, as Yuuko seems to... not exactly relax, but at least look slightly less tense. YUUKO: "Well... I think about a third or a fourth of Yamaku's library is either in Braille or audio." Makes sense, given all the blind students that'd be here. HISAO: "If it's only that, how come this library is so big in the first place?" YUUKO: "Ummm, well, we get a lot of new books regularly because the library is adequately endowed. That's probably why. They spend more on new books than on my salary, and then I have to organize and shelve all of them. It's so troublesome and they weigh so much, I wish I could quit this job. ..." A very awkward silence follows this revelation of too much information. HISAO: "Umm, I'll go check the aisles then, if you don't mind." It's probably best for all of us if she doesn't keep talking to me. LILLY: "Very well. Meanwhile, Yuuko, I would have those books if it's all right with you." My first impression was right; the library is surprisingly big. Ambling down the narrow aisles, I study the spines of the books in random order, occasionally sliding one out to read the blurb, taking it with me if it looks good. In a few moments I have a respectable stack of books in my arms. I guess I'll never be stuck for choice in here. The normality of the library sinks in. Sure, there are large-print and Braille books scattered throughout, but it is what it is: a library. It's as if the calm mood from the room I had tea with Lilly in snuck with us in here, unless it was here to begin with. Something about that puts me at ease, just like before. I reach the end of the aisle and find a collection of desks, set up for study or personal reading. Going a little further, though, I discover a nice quiet corner at the back. While the rest of the library has the odd student sitting at a desk either reading or stealthily sleeping, the back is pretty much deserted. As I glance around, I see someone who I recognize sitting on one of several beanbags. Katawa Shoujo OST - Everyday Fantasy  It's the dark-haired girl from my class. The one who snuck out of the classroom earlier. She's reading a book, keeping it close to her face which makes her look like she's really into it. From the way she was acting today, I had her pegged as more of a delinquent than a bookworm. In fact, her mysterious disappearance from the class raises all sorts of whys in my head. Intrigue floats slowly but surely towards the surface, and before I know it I'm walking towards the mysterious long-haired girl. I guess there's no harm in introducing myself as I would with anyone else. She's a classmate after all. Walking over to another beanbag, I take a seat and lay my books beside it.  The girl starts, looking scaredly up at me from underneath her fringe. This is the first time I've seen her this close. Underneath her long, dense bangs, I can see that part of her face, at least a third if not a half, is pretty badly scarred. My eyes are immediately drawn to the scars, subconsciously peeking past her hair until they meet her own eyes. For a second, I am shocked, and divert my eyes to the book in her hands, before I realize that looking away probably only makes it worse.  It takes too many seconds to collect myself and remember what I walked up to her for. >"Hi! I'm new here. Hisao Nakai. We're in the same class." >"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." =>"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." HISAO: "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."  HANAKO: "It... it's okay." The girl certainly doesn't look like it's okay, but I let it slide. HISAO: "So, umm... do you mind if I sit here?" She seems to be very uncertain whether it's okay or not for me to sit, but finally she nods, just a little. HANAKO: "O... okay." I take the seat next to her, and she hides herself behind her book. 'Life of Pi'... Never heard of it. HISAO: "So, errr... sorry again for startling you. I'm Hisao." She looks up from her book, stalling a little before replying. HANAKO: "I... know. We... are in the same... same class." Her speech is stilted and so quiet that it is barely audible even in the still library. Somehow I think that my 'delinquent' impression of her was wrong. HANAKO: "H-H-Hanako. I'm... Hanako. ..." I resist the urge to say 'that's a nice name' just to have something to say, but really, it's the only thing that I can think of. I feel like an idiot. Everyone here must be used to being different to each other, and here I am being all bothered and fussed about that kind of thing. HISAO: "Don't let me interrupt your reading. I'll... just check these books if you don't mind." She nods a little, and sighs a little sigh of relief… So I try to read the covers and the introductions of the books I picked up and she buries her face in her book. Uncomfortable silence consumes us. My eyes still wander to her direction, and I sneak peeks at her flowing hair and the scars it's hiding. After a while I realize that she's doing the same, and only pretending to immerse in 'Life of Pi.' Her gaze is not inquisitive at all though, it darts around like a scared rabbit. When our gazes finally meet, the chain reaction is unstoppable. She stands up forcefully from the beanbag and takes a deep breath."  HANAKO: "I... I... I..." HISAO: "I...?" HANAKO: "Ivegottogodosomething!" Without warning, Hanako takes off and runs towards the counter. Her hare-like takeoff catches me so off guard that I don't manage to go after her until she has a good head start. If you take the other option, you cheerfully try to chat her up. Hanako, who jumps every time she hears a loud noise, stiffened up the moment she saw you, and just watched you stare at her scars. She panics a lot faster and practically runs away screaming. You dick. Katawa Shoujo OST – Stride By the time I reach the counter she is nowhere to be seen. Lilly and Yuuko are happily chatting away. Knowing that I won't be able to catch Hanako myself, I approach the girls. HISAO: "Hey, did you see... er... notice a girl run past here?" YUUKO: "Um, maybe... what did she look like?" HISAO: "Long, dark hair. Kinda shy. She had... well... some scars... on her... face." LILLY: "You wouldn't be talking about Hanako, would you?" HISAO: "Yeah, that's her. I saw her reading and tried to talk to her, but I think I scared her off or something." LILLY: "Oh dear. Yuuko, would you excuse me, I had better try and find her." YUUKO: "S-sure. I'll just hold onto these until you come back." HISAO: "Um, what's going on?" LILLY: "I'm sorry, but I'll have to explain it to you some other time." HISAO: "Right. I'll see you later then..." Lilly hastily grabs her cane and hurries out of the library, leaving me alone with Yuuko. HISAO: "I don't think I'll ever get the hang of this place. Did I do something wrong?" YUUKO: "What did you do?" HISAO: "Nothing! I was just looking for some books and then she got this fit and ran off. The most offending thing I can think of was that I might've looked at her general direction a few times." YUUKO: "Well, she is a very timid girl. You have to be very careful around her. She can be very jumpy, I think, and she's not accustomed to talking with other people." HISAO: "Isn't that a bit... strange?" YUUKO: "I wonder... It's just how she is, I think." Yuuko doesn't sound all that convincing. Then again, maybe this is just the norm around here. Everyone has their own problems, or else they wouldn't be here. If you approached Hanako aggressively earlier, Yuuko guilt trips you about being insensitive and calls you tactless. You dick. HISAO: "But how should I deal with these people? Forcing myself to act overly casually only makes me feel phony. Like I was supposed to be ignoring the elephant in the room." Yuuko fidgets, looking like she wants to say something to that, but resists it.  YUUKO: "I think it's an elephant only if you feel that way." I guess she doesn't have a good sense of self-restraint. It makes me smile, and she blushes heavily. YUUKO: "W... what? Did that sound stupid?" HISAO: "No no, it sounded really wise. I guess you're right. It's more about me than anyone else." Neither of us has anything to add so Yuuko fills the silence by shuffling some papers around. People who have papers on their desks really like doing that. YUUKO: “Did you find any books? I should be closing soon. I mean this library should be closing. But I have to do it. I hope that's not too inconvenient for you.” HISAO: "Oh. Yeah, I want some books, but I left them over there because... ...I'll just go get them." I fetch my stack of books from beside the beanbags where Hanako and I were sitting and return to the counter. YUUKO: "Wow. You read a lot, don't you?" HISAO: "I surprise myself with that too, honestly. At least, when I really think about it. I had a lot of free time earlier this year, so I just kind of... started reading books to fill that time. I couldn't do much else." YUUKO: "I see." But she doesn't say anything else, and just checks out my books for me. I guess this is what they call 'tact. (Silence)  Holding the library books with one arm, I trawl my pocket for the key to the door. A sudden sound from behind startles me, making me nearly drop the books I'm carrying or the key that I almost managed to get into the lock."  KENJI: "Who is it?" Katawa Shoujo OST - Out of the Loop (Kenji's Theme)  I turn around to see who is talking to me. It's Kenji. He seems to be in a friendly mood, although the light glinting off his glasses in the dark gives him a sinister look. HISAO: "It's just me." This makes him pause and lick his lips nervously. KENJI: "Who is me? I don't know anyone called me. Are you some new guy again?" His voice is suddenly strained and quick. HISAO: "Yes... but we've met before. Yesterday." KENJI: "I don't think so, I would remember someone who I met only yesterday. ...When was that? What day is it today?" I try to ignore him. Is he joking or what? KENJI: "Prove that we've met before!" HISAO: "You live across the hall. You're Kenji."  Kenji jumps back, his eyes filled with an uncomprehending fear. KENJI: "How do you know my name? drat, this can only mean one of two things: Either we have met, and you are telling the truth, and I just can't remember it, or you are a spy." He pauses. KENJI: "A psychic spy." His eyes dart around me, trying to peek into my room, although it's hard to believe he can see anything through those thick glasses. His mood swung from friendly to manic in less than a minute. HISAO: "I'm not psychic." KENJI: "How do I know that? I'm not a mind reader." Kenji points a finger in my face damningly. KENJI: "...Unlike you!" HISAO: "Stop that, man. We met yesterday. What's wrong with you? I live in this room." KENJI: "Lies. If you think you can pass as Hisao because I'm legally blind you are sorely mistaken. You don't even look like him. I mean, the resemblance is real, real slim. Maybe at a distance, but who do you think you're kidding?” I want to grab him by the shoulders and shake him. Exasperated, I rub my eyes and let out a heavy sigh. KENJI: "Stay there." Kenji comes closer, one careful step at a time. I stay still, lest he assault me physically, although I doubt he could do much damage even if he did. KENJI: "Oh, wait, I see it now. drat, it really is you." Sighing again, and then once again for good measure, I step backwards, just in case. KENJI: "What's up, man? You don't look too good. I think. Something wrong?" HISAO: "I don't know. Just had something stupid happen to me. A few stupid things, actually. Even if you discount this one. I can't get a proper touch on other people here, and I have no idea if it's because of me or because of them." I don't know why I'm telling this to Kenji. It's not like we've had any contact either. KENJI: "That's rough, dude. Yeah, I'm sorry about calling you a psychic spy and all, but you can never be too careful.”  KENJI: "It's the hard reality we live in." I'm slowly starting to think that Kenji isn't necessarily living in the same reality as the rest of us. KENJI: "You see? This is how it is, this world. There is no justice. You see? Even when I lose, I win, because I don't lose the lesson." HISAO: "...What does that even mean?" KENJI: "It doesn't matter." He dismisses it flatly with a wave of his hand. KENJI: "So what happened? Why the long face? Do you have a long face?" HISAO: "Eh, it's nothing. I just scared some girl off accidentally. Literally too, she actually ran away from me. Was my fault, really, I think. I'm not really... used to all this yet." KENJI: "A girl? A cute one?" Cute? That's a hard question. She had a nice body and really beautiful hair... but the face...  I guess it could go either way. >”She was cute.” >”She wasn’t cute.” =>”She wasn’t cute.” HISAO: "Not exactly cute, no." KENJI: "Hmm..." Fair, but still kind of a dick move to just come out and say that. The things I do to show off parts of this game… KENJI: "There are a lot of cute girls here. A strangely disproportionate amount... I believe this is one of the dark secrets of this school. I tried to warn you man, but did you listen..." I don't remember any such warning. HISAO: "Dark secrets?" KENJI: "Yes, dark secrets. Extremely dark. Like a black hole. Have you noticed that the number of girls in this school is slightly but significantly higher than the number of boys? It's like 60-40." He turns his head to the left and stares off into the distance at nothing. KENJI: "Why is it like this? I mean, to the untrained eye, it doesn't appear to be that bad, but that is a full 20%. One would think that a school with such a huge pool of women would be a man's dream. But no! What I am about to tell you could blow your mind. Are you ready?" (Silence) I don't know where this is going, but I think I won't be missing much by cutting out now. HISAO: "No, I am not ready." I only get as far as turning the doorknob before Kenji starts talking again, showing that he doesn't really care if my mind is blown or not. Katawa Shoujo OST #19 - High Tension  KENJI: "I believe that this school is a battleground. The site of a feminist infiltration.”  KENJI: "This disparity in the number of men to women is a clear sign of how far they have come. In case this cold war turns hot, they will have superiority in numbers. Just another skirmish in the eternal war against the forces of the feminists... They're everywhere. In Japan, women outnumber men. It's not a 60-40 split, but it's only a matter of time, man... Even in America, women are the majority by a hair. They're building up their numbers. In the past, the buildup of a military has always been the clearest sign of imminent war. Japan is just the first step. Our economy is badass, and the country itself is small and isolated, yet a huge part of the Pacific in terms of political value. The perfect target. They are so cunning... As expected of women. Soon, the day will come, when...” Kenji's voice trails off ominously. KENJI: "That is why you can't trust them. They will string you along, and then kill you, just as they killed me. You will end up just like me." Katawa Shoujo OST - Out of the Loop (Kenji's Theme) HISAO: "Oh, hell no..." I can't stop myself from blurting it out. KENJI: "Hey! What the hell does that mean?!" HISAO: "You said it, not me." It's the best I can think of. KENJI: "So? You're not supposed to say something like that! drat, so rude. Where was I? Oh, yeah, vast feminist conspiracy." HISAO: "Stop it. Stop! I lost you way, way back there somewhere. Somewhere around 'feminist infiltration.'"  KENJI: "Too hard to follow? It's cool, I have some graphs and stuff in my room. And puppets. You like puppets?" HISAO: "No puppets." KENJI: "You don't like puppets, okay. Graphs are still cool, though, right?" He speaks energetically, responding almost before I'm done talking, moving his hands in an animated way as he continues to rant on. This is too strange. I had him pegged as relatively normal, but it's clear that I was wrong. KENJI: "Something on your mind, dude?" HISAO: "Just thinking about what it's like to be the last sane man in an insane world." Kenji frowns, looking deeply upset.  KENJI: "You mean that's you? That can't be, because I'm the last sane man in an insane world. That is my dream, you can't just steal a man's dream. What the hell, there can't be two last sane men. It would invalidate that whole “last” part... and that part is kind of important. There can only be one, like in that foreign movie where there could only be one, and in the end there is only one dude left, because that was the point." I have never seen anyone talk so heatedly and so defensively about absolutely nothing before. KENJI: "Anyway, if you wait here, I can get my graphs. I also have a list of the other dark and complex conspiracies that this school holds, as tangled as... Quick, finish my analogy for me. Be a pal." HISAO: "I'm going to go to bed now. It's extremely late." KENJI: "That doesn't sound like an analogy. But whatever. I like you, you seem like a cool dude. Most people don't understand what I'm talking about when I try to explain the vast feminist conspiracy to them. Denial is a terrible thing. Later." Can you tell this part of the game was written in 2009? When 4 Leaf Studios released the demo (the entirety of Act 1), the term alt-right didn’t exist, Gamergate was still five years out, and Trump had yet to commit to any political ambitions. The seeds had already been sown, but they haven’t borne fruit yet. The game treats Kenji as a joke, and in retrospect that’s an incredibly uncomfortable position, but it’s not like we can travel through time to fix it. I will fight for this game's virtues, but I will never deny its flaws. He claps me on the back and then vanishes into his room so quickly and quietly it's like he didn't even open the door but instead walked right through it like a ghost. I don't know if I can fully digest what just happened, so I give up and just go to my room, kicking off my shoes before falling facefirst into bed. Falconier111 fucked around with this message at 19:16 on Aug 19, 2021 |
|
#
?
May 26, 2021 22:16
|
|
|
Falconier111 posted:Can you tell this part of the game was written in 2009? When 4 Leaf Studios released the demo (the entirety of Act 1), the term alt-right didn’t exist, Gamergate was still five years out, and Trump had yet to commit to any political ambitions. The seeds had already been sown, but they haven’t borne fruit yet. Hell, look at what Kenji says, talking about violent coups instead of the vast cultural conspiracy bogeyman his real-life equivalents latched onto. The game treats him as a joke, and in retrospect that’s an incredibly uncomfortable position given what happened later, but it’s not like we can travel through time. At the risk of being pedantic, nothing about the "alt-right" (can we go back to just calling them "Neo-Nazis" like we did back in the nineties yet?) or Gamergate/Trump* were especially new, the only difference is that a major political party is now fully cosigning their bullshit. Even in 2009, "Men's Rights Activists" and conspiracy theorists of various stripes were distressingly common online (the hate group, A Voice For Men, was established that same year). They've been organized, emboldened, and united under a single banner (there's been a lot of good writing about how QAnon has essentially "absorbed" most popular right-wing conspiracy theories), but even back when KS was new, those were no mere seeds. It's just that fringe crackpots had been around for decades so nobody took them seriously anymore. Less "they hadn't become dangerous yet" and more "nobody was paying attention to how dangerous they already were". And, in fairness, we did get a violent coup out of it earlier this year, just not involving feminists. *Fun fact: Gamergate and Trump are actually directly connected. Steve Bannon developed a lot of the tactics he'd use during the Trump campaign during Gamergate (via Breitbart), fanning the flames of reactionary gamer rage after learning of gamers' potential to be radicalized when he was running a gold farming scam in World of Warcraft. Wait, that fact wasn't fun at all, sorry.
|
|
#
?
May 27, 2021 02:06
|
|
|
Wömen...
|
|
#
?
May 27, 2021 03:42
|
|
|
Is Kenji a route in this game?
|
|
#
?
May 27, 2021 06:08
|
|
|
wologar posted:Is Kenji a route in this game? There's not a Kenji route, but there is a Kenji Ending of sorts. Idk if the OP will go over all of the endings, not just the regular Good Ends.
|
|
#
?
May 27, 2021 06:33
|
|
|
Xelkelvos posted:There's not a Kenji route, but there is a Kenji Ending of sorts. Idk if the OP will go over all of the endings, not just the regular Good Ends. They said they're not going for any of the Neutral or Bad ends.
|
|
#
?
May 27, 2021 07:49
|
|
|
senrath posted:They said they're not going for any of the Neutral or Bad ends. Honestly, it would be really nice if they'd at least go over that particular ending, as it's far and away the most interesting.
|
|
#
?
May 27, 2021 09:04
|
|
|
I wish there was a little more room for male characters. Having only one male friend(?) in the whole school is kind of weird.
|
|
#
?
May 27, 2021 09:54
|
|
|
Hey, it's my favourite character (Hanako) and my least favourite character (Kenji) in the same update! Hanako I identify with a lot, and Kenji... Kenji is annoying.
|
|
#
?
May 27, 2021 09:58
|
|
|
Kenji is a bit of a rambling dipshit (I'll cut him some slack partly because he's a teen, but still) and some of the poo poo that comes out of his mouth I really wish he didn't, but at least Hisao is quick to not put up with his bullshit any longer than necessary and that's good.
|
|
#
?
May 27, 2021 10:24
|
|
|
I always thought Kenji didn't quite fit in what's otherwise a more grounded and dramatic story. Like, while his conspiracy theory of choice is more problematic, his actual writing and delivery are reminiscent of Dib from Invader Zim or Dale Gribble from King of the Hill. I'm probably more willing to cut Kenji some slack than most, given I grew up in something of a golden age of "characters hamming up funny non-sequitur rants", but that aspect of the character can be pretty jarring compared to the rest of KS' tone.
|
|
#
?
May 27, 2021 11:13
|
|
|
2009 was the age of the pick-up artists, proto-incels. Remember Romeo Rose and the associated trainwreck thread? Kenji's rant and scarf really wouldn't be out of place there.
|
|
#
?
May 27, 2021 13:10
|
|
|
Falconier111 posted:
This is a very good line.
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2021 00:29
|
|
|
EclecticTastes posted:Honestly, it would be really nice if they'd at least go over that particular ending, as it's far and away the most interesting. I'll talk about this when I finish Act 1 for the first time, but you gotta leave something for people who want to play the game. Also I disagree 
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2021 01:56
|
|
|
Falconier111 posted:Also I disagree Well, to be more precise (and hopefully avoid spoilers), it's the one with the most new characterization, rather than just punishment for making The Wrong Choice.
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2021 03:08
|
|
|
Ahh Kenji. Don't recall everything when I was 13, but I did think Kenji was funny. Managed to avoid his path mostly due to osmosis from forum discussion about it. Think I tried to get it once just to see if it was funny or not. While the politics IRL are no joke, Kenji as a comedy relief character lampooning those beliefs is funny to me now. Music that pairs with him is also top notch, he really is a clown. I think his comedy relief role fits in just fine here, though I recall it being frontloaded. Think interaction with Kenji falls off as you get further into any of the routes. Makes sense, but a comedy relief character should come in and provide some levity once or twice in the more serious parts. Honestly, think there should have been a proper route for Kenji. Think it would have worked.
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2021 07:30
|
|
|
Misha deserved a route imo Edit and the librarian too
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2021 09:03
|
|
|
I'd heard about this game before, both that it was made and that it was made well. Being someone who got bounced around a bunch of diagnoses (ADD, ADHD, etc.) and medications before a trained neurologist pegged me with Asperger's, it's an interesting thing to read, and also interesting to hear about other people's experiences in the same circles. Doubly so as I actually spent some time in a 'separate' school for children with 'behavioral' issues, both from having actual diagnoses, and from just being, well, 'naughty' for a variety of reasons. It was NOT a well-handled situation at all, and I'm still surprised at myself sometimes for how well I've done after coming out of places like that. Really enjoying the LP so far!
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2021 20:55
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 8, 2024 23:46 |
|
|
DelilahFlowers posted:Honestly, think there should have been a proper route for Kenji. Think it would have worked. SSJ_naruto_2003 posted:Edit and the librarian too Hunter Noventa posted:I'd heard about this game before, both that it was made and that it was made well. Thanks! And same to everyone who's said the same, too. Keeps morale up, you know?
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2021 22:11
|
|