Katawa Shoujo

2021-08-17 · games

I am usually not a fan of writing reviews nor reading them anymore. Yet, I need to give a quick shoutout to this Visual Novel.

Katawa Shoujo, or "Disability Girls" is an indie bishoujo-style visual novel set in the fictional Yamaku High School for disabled children, located somewhere in modern Japan.

Hisao Nakai, a normal boy living a normal life, has his life turned upside down when a congenital heart defect forces him to move to a new school after a long hospitalization.
Despite his difficulties, Hisao is able to find friends—and perhaps love, if he plays his cards right.

There are five main paths corresponding to the 5 main female characters, each path following the storyline pertaining to that character.

My first thought was that the game would make me uncomfortable because the characters all have something that limits them in a way I currently cannot relate to in any way. But then I started playing it and I could not put it down. I think the thing I love most about KS is the story itself. It was (not surprisingly) much more flowing than any other VN I had read. Because it was written by an English speaking team, there was no translation needed, and this was a big thing for me.

Probably the best thing about KS isn't some great plot element or an amazing revelation. The best thing is just the high-quality dialogue (and the narration I've mentioned). It's just very fun, interesting. You can't predict what the characters will say. They have real personalities.

You want to find out where the conversations go, and you're thinking about how the characters feel about you (Hisao) and how they are perceiving your words, tone, and mannerisms.

It's just a great conveyance of the story, atmosphere, and characters' personalities. To me, it felt like a mother caressing her child every day, as gently as possible.

https://www.katawa-shoujo.com/download.php