Katawa Shoujo

Making a game like this classy had to be one of the hardest things in the world. Katawa Shoujo is an eroge visual novel developed by some people from 4chan (Yes, there are sex scenes. With one exception, they aren't too raunchy). Don’t let that scare you off; it almost made me ignore the game too. 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. Katawa Shoujo is definitely one of the best games I’ve played in the VN genre.

Let’s take down the elephant in the room first: Yes, this is a game about dating disabled girls. However, to say that’s the main focus of Katawa Shoujo is missing the forest for the trees. 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. 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. Katawa Shoujo does an excellent job making the player feel like an outsider, which proves important.

You are quickly enough introduced to the five main female characters of the game. 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. 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. Hanako, a heavy burn victim who has developed an intense fear of socializing, understandably so, but wants nothing more than to overcome this. Lily, a blind girl aspiring to become a teacher. Rin, who has lost her arms but strives to create art, always questioning the meaning of what she is doing.

With the exception of Shizune’s, I found all of these characters’ stories interesting on some level. I also found myself surprised by the depth of them at times. 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. Rin’s tale was especially profound. 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. Amazingly, the disabilities of the characters never overpower what the story is trying to say. 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.

The game looks nice with the exception of some minor character sprites. You can tell that more effort was put in to some things than others. Most of the backgrounds are still-life shots from actual Japanese locales with the focus changed to make them look flatter. 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. Overall, no big complaints in this area.

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. Some dialogue goes on way too long, especially in Shizune’s route, which was the longest for me and by far the least enjoyable. Rin’s tale is the best overall, in my opinion, and it greatly overshadows the rest of them. For a fan of VNs, though, you get a lot for the time invested. There are genuinely funny, sad, and powerful moments to experience here. I can’t recommend Katawa Shoujo enough.

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