Disabled Girl Dating Sim Katawa Shoujo Finally Available

[Alterego-X]

Now I don't care if this game features more text than the lord of the rings trilogy or the longest digestion period ever. It sure as hell not going to convince me to give it a chance. Now you seem rather convinced that this game, if anything, is going to help the disabled community and I find that hard to believe, but If I have to play the game to prove you wrong then it's not worth it.

The problem isn't that you don't think that it will *help* the disabled community. I don't think that, either. And it's OK, because it's not supposed to be a great anti-ableist tract, just a heartwarming story for Visual Novel fans to enjoy.

The problem is this:

This is probably, regardless of the motivation, the worst, most clusmy and insensitive way to handle this issue imaginable.

Basically, you are mixing your own tastes, with stements about a whole MEDIUM, and which issues it shouldn't be allowed to treat certain themes, based on your vague stereotypes about how that medium works. That's exactly the kind of bullshit that has been holding back all kinds of media and art. "I don't know how it is executed, but I heard that it's medium is known to be vulgar, so I will just make it clear that it is a bad work."

And this is the kind of thing that you can't just cover up with an "imho". "I'm disturbed by the idea of sex senes with high schoolers, so I won't read it" is a resonable opinion, even if you have never seen a sex scene with a high schooler, you just KNOW what you fel about the issue. But "This work is insensitively, clumsily, badly executed" isn't the kind of thing that you should say when you are only vaguely aware of even the work's genre or medium, let alone it's style.

You DON'T KNOW if it's pornographic, you DON'T KNOW if it's insensitive. You even seem to have trouble grasping it's genre.

@CarlMinez

Holy crap, you are Cooper Lawrence

We are being too kind. At least Cooper Lawrence admitted that she "misspoke" about Mass Effect, when it was pointed out. CarlMinez seems to have a trouble with even believing that it's players are better at identifying a game's genre or medium, than himself who read an article about it.

 

[Alterego-X]

I know the feel, heh. I'm 5 hours in, and really getting into it. It's weird, because I always kinda looked down on this whole genre. It's like becoming a Brony all over again.

Great analogy, it's really a lot like those threads a year ago. Never since that, did I see so many people in the same thread with writing prejudiced first posts, and then checking it out for the sake of objectivity, and then doing a 180 degree turn, apologizing for these fist posts, and having an identity crisis about liking a looked-down genre.

 

[ParkourMcGhee]

I don't see the short-armed girl in the screenshot.

Spoiler: I'm assuming that one.

Stolen from the Sankaku complex article.

http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2012/01/08/2ch-outraged-by-discriminatory-katawa-shoujo/

Honestly, I don't see why everyone's making such a fuss about this now, I saw it repeatedly on 4chan's /a/ a while ago, and though amusing, I never bothered to actually play it.

To me, this is just another fetish, that's had the big bright light of the media shone on it.

I'm just impressed that volounteers managed to pull something off that's qualified as a full game in todays market. I've tried modding - never worked out.


TLDR: Y u all rage? Just ppl doin ppl things.


End note: No I'm not disabled, yes I've had disabled girlfriends. *shrug*. Not so much different from normal, apart from the very obvious being very obvious, and the not so obvious being a bit obscured by the obvious.

I think we won't truly stop discriminating, until we see games like these as "normal", and I very much doubt that'll ever happen.

 

[Nalbis]

Well... whatever floats your boat I guess.

 

[(whitty name here)]

I never really cared for VNs, but I got into this one for some reason. I really enjoyed learning about Hanako and how she came to know Lilly, and why she is the way she is.

Though I didn't know what appeared to be frivolous when it came to some of the options were actually very imporant to how the story progresses. I mean, depending on what you do in the Risk game is apparently supposed to have an impact on which storyline you follow.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

We are being too kind. At least Cooper Lawrence admitted that she "misspoke" about Mass Effect, when it was pointed out. CarlMinez seems to have a trouble with even believing that it's players are better at identifying a game's genre or medium, than himself who read an article about it.

True, even that moron had to admit her obvious ignorance. It just amazes me at how bigoted some people on this site can act.

 

[deidara]

Thanks. Wanted to try it myself, but it's a little exact for that. I was only missing the "maybe" option for lily I think, hard to guess you would need that.

Anyone else stuff up and die on the roof with kenji? The dialogue was beyond awesome, but then I got sent back to the main menu, and thought I only downloaded the demo or something. So much for doing what I would do in real life.

You failed to choose a route. Or you chose multiple ones. Start again, skip through the read text, and only take the choices that express interest in one specific girl.

Haha I'm a n00b at these games, didn't know it would stuff up if you showed interest in more than one girl. That makes sense, thanks. I just thought it would sort itself out somehow. This time I saved before all the choices though, as opposed to last time >_>. (Yeah I got the roof scene again.)

Here is a simple walkthrough: http://ks.renai.us/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=1221
And you can skip read text with ctrl.

Thanks for the link. Wanted to try it myself, but it's a little exact for that. I was only missing the "maybe" option for lily I think, hard to guess you would need that. It kinda makes sense in hindsight. Lack of enthusiasm about exercise = no emi path = no conflict there.

 

[Weentastic]

I guess I've already accepted that there is apparently a coveted "disabled" demo that need their own dating sim, but how come the most glaring prejudice in these games is being glossed over in favor of others. All these girls are "anime" beautiful. They all have disproportionately large breasts in unreasonably small bras with token differences like "brunette" or "wears glasses". Why is there no dating sim for ugly people or people who are at least average?

 

[Selef]

I guess I've already accepted that there is apparently a coveted "disabled" demo that need their own dating sim, but how come the most glaring prejudice in these games is being glossed over in favor of others. All these girls are "anime" beautiful. They all have disproportionately large breasts in unreasonably small bras with token differences like "brunette" or "wears glasses". Why is there no dating sim for ugly people or people who are at least average?

because drawing ugly anime people is harder than drawing good looking ones, no joke.

 

[Pickapok]

I guess I've already accepted that there is apparently a coveted "disabled" demo that need their own dating sim, but how come the most glaring prejudice in these games is being glossed over in favor of others. All these girls are "anime" beautiful. They all have disproportionately large breasts in unreasonably small bras with token differences like "brunette" or "wears glasses". Why is there no dating sim for ugly people or people who are at least average?

Because most visual media want their characters to appear appealing. It's the same thing in Hollywood. Why don't we have more ugly actors? Because they only get typecast roles or bit parts. Or go into voice acting like Mark Hamil after Star Wars.

And for the last time, it's not a dating sim. Stop calling it that.

 

[DR123]

I read about it a little before trying it out, and it sounded kind of strange. Almost immediately it really hit home though...

Oddly enough before my senior year, I had a serious medical issue crop up. As a result instead of going through my senior year with all of the friends and people I'd known throughout school, I ended up in a hospital. I went back a year later, but didn't really know many people, and didn't really try to get close to anyone again.

The part where the main character while hospitalized has become a "class project" so to speak was amazingly familiar. It's odd how quickly friends can abandon someone they've known for so long, especially when they are in need.

I wish I knew why. It sure can make the person unwilling to get close to anyone ever again though, and chase them deep into their own head, where they hide their true thoughts...

Anyway... I'm rambling.

I've gone through a couple of the routes so far, and the story lines of both have been nothing short of amazing. To those who are calling it a "dating sim" it's not anything like that.

The disabilities that each character has to overcome are not in any way some weird fetish thing. It's all part of the story, and each well developed character conquers their own disabilities in a different way. As you get to make a very limited number of decisions for the main character, you go down different paths, getting to know the other characters much better, and seeing their quirks, and the internal struggles they go through on a daily basis.

To describe this as some weird fetish game, disturbing content, or anything like that is really about as wrong as one could be about this. The limited amount of sexual content is really a very minor part of this. If that's all you see from it though, then you are really missing out.

I'm not usually a fan of this type of thing... but this was flat out amazing.

Just my 2 cents...

 

[mega48man]

oooooh, simple physical disabilities, ok. when i saw "tasked with romancing the disabled", i couldn't help gaze in shock. i'm assuming that children with physical disabilities are segregated from "normal" children, which is more appalling than the idea for this dating sim. if an athlete at my old high school broke a limb, which happened to me once, life goes on as normal. hell, one class had to move downstairs temporarily because there was no elevator on that side of the school. this segregated class thing is really interesting, so much so i will google it later.

but when i saw the word 'disabled' by itself, i immediately thought mental retardation. at my old middle school, the school had a special program unique to the school district, a program that very few schools in america have. the middle school i went to was near by a school for mentally disabled children, and from time to time the kids from that school would take a shuttle bus (with teacher assistance of course) to my middle school where there was a special room waiting for them. i had no idea what purpose it served other than it looked like a kindergarten room.

my high school also had a similar unique program for hearing impaired students (this was at the middles school to). according to my psych teacher, because our school district has these programs, my fellow peers and i have met more hearing impaired people than 80% of americans will in their entire lifetime.

so now i can't help but wonder; why the fuck are students with random physical disabilities being segregated from non physically disabled students? and don't say "cuz it's japan" that's a bullshit answer.

 

[ZombieGenesis]

Had to give it a look once I saw this thread.
Nothing special to report, it's just a dating sim that happens to involve a boy being transferred to a special care school....
Nothing monsterous there, save for a very depressing beginning.

 

[kurupt87]

Personally, I'm disappointed. It wasn't cringingly hilarious and amazing, it was serious. I am disappoint.

 

[Pickapok]

so now i can't help but wonder; why the fuck are students with random physical disabilities being segregated from non physically disabled students? and don't say "cuz it's japan" that's a bullshit answer.

They aren't. It's an entire school for the disabled with a specialized facility designed to care for a variety of different needs and a trained medical staff complete with facility close on hand.

 

[mega48man]

so now i can't help but wonder; why the fuck are students with random physical disabilities being segregated from non physically disabled students? and don't say "cuz it's japan" that's a bullshit answer.

They aren't. It's an entire school for the disabled with a specialized facility designed to care for a variety of different needs and a trained medical staff complete with facility close on hand.

ummmmm uhhh no wait Ignore all my previous theories! i'm 10 something minutes into the game and it's not what i thought at all, a little questionable as to weather or not a school like this actually does or could exist in japan, but it's not what i thought at all!!!

 

[VanQ]

so now i can't help but wonder; why the fuck are students with random physical disabilities being segregated from non physically disabled students? and don't say "cuz it's japan" that's a bullshit answer.

But it's not segregation, they're simply being put into a facility that can cater to their special needs, which is explained thoroughly by one of the teachers. In fact, it's even stated that some of the students there have no physical abnormalities whatsoever. They are in the minority and not part of the focus, but they are there.

 

[VanQ]

Is it just me or is that Lelouch VI Britannia sitting in the middle of class... I swear that looks exactly like him.

Oh yeah and il check this out eventually.

It is, but they cut it out of the full release probably because it was way too obvious

I think it's just kind of a fun joke they had going.
Riitsu from K-ON! is in there as well.

As is one genderbended Haruhi Suzumiya. Which is funny, as it's often joked that she has a severe case of something or other on certain parts of the web.

 

[Weaver]

so now i can't help but wonder; why the fuck are students with random physical disabilities being segregated from non physically disabled students? and don't say "cuz it's japan" that's a bullshit answer.

But it's not segregation, they're simply being put into a facility that can cater to their special needs, which is explained thoroughly by one of the teachers. In fact, it's even stated that some of the students there have no physical abnormalities whatsoever. They are in the minority and not part of the focus, but they are there.

I can also say with absolute certainty that, at least in Canada, we have schools/institutions dedicated to educating the blind/deaf/disabled. These aren't always the same building (you could have just a school for the deaf, for instance) but these things are necessary.

A teacher going through their 1 year teaching program is not taught how to properly educate the blind/deaf. Conversely, teachers who are capable of teaching the disabled are far more rare than your work-a-day public school teacher. Hence having them teach a collective group of people with varying or similar conditions (depending on the circumstances) is the best way the government sees their resources as being used. Having buildings designed to their needs can also be beneficial.