I remember my initial impressions being that it was some shallow attempt at internet shock value, but like you say the distinction of having a focus on people who happen to have disabilities’ rather people who are defined by them makes all the difference. I was also pleasantly surprised that H-scenes are icing on the cake rather than the cake itself; another thing which could easily have made it exploitative had it been handled differently.

A good write up anyhow :)

It’s been interesting reading Katawa Shoujo’s reception across the blogosphere. On one hand, the internet’s anime/manga/vn culture seems to embraced it wholeheartedly, but on the other hand you have normally very perceptive review sites like Rock Paper Shotgun that are just totally turned off by it. Obviously Katawa Shoujo isn’t perfect (although it’s certainly an achievement) but it’s still sad that its pacing and subject matter turn a lot of people away.

I think it has something to do with the fact that visual novels are so much of an acquired taste, but I dunno–stuff like To the Moon and Don’t Take it Personally seems to have been embraced by the indie game community at large while Katawa Shoujo remains stuck in an extremely popular but ultimately very narrow niche. I can’t say it’s anyone’s fault, per se, since most visual novels share a number of key aspects–glacial pacing, occasionally inconsistent writing, enormous cultural stigma–that would turn any sane person away. Makes me wonder what that says about the people who remain? What does it take for visual novels to “click” and become enjoyable?

(Also if you’re looking for some more awesome English language visual novel stuff, I’d check out don’t take it personally babe, it just ain’t your story and Digital: A Love Story if you haven’t already. Neither are traditional visual novels in the same way Katawa Shoujo is but they are both pretty great!)

Shirou’s turning point for me from average heroic male lead to awesome badass was unquestionably during the end of the Fate route when he was down in that hellish pit of Kirie’s and finally came to terms with his past. Now, HF’s Shirou cast aside not only Kiritsugu and his ideal, but these poor people and all those who died in the fire to pursue his own, as you said, selfish desire.

Perhaps this may come down to a simple difference in opinion, but I cannot see him turning his back on all that as anything but cowardice, something which Shirou himself recognizes that he will be punished for. And this is precisely the reason why I cannot bring myself to respect him in HF, regardless of how moving his determination is, nor now utterly blinded he is by his supposed love towards Sakura in order to save her.

As for why I don’t like Sakura, well… it all boils down to my opinion that, quite frankly, I find her to be a weakling – the weakest of the three female leads, as I said.

Both Saber and Rin were strong-minded leads with clear goals of their own – and so, whether you agreed with them or not, that’s part of what made it such a joy to watch them pursue it to whatever end.

In Sakura’s case though, I didn’t know what the hell she was after. Time and again, all I kept seeing was a pained little girl venting her anger and frustration out on countless people, particularly her friends and family. Now, to be clear, I’m not mitigating what she went through nor that she has every right to be angry, but she never found it within herself to move beyond that – and so she was manipulated like a puppet on strings throughout near the entire story, either by Zouken, the Shadow, Shinji, or her own tragic past.

Both Saber and Rin stood on equal ground with Shirou, and that’s part in what made it so fascinating to watch them. But Sakura is so obviously dependent on Shirou that, and I don’t like to have to describe it like this, it makes me sick to have to watch him chase after her like a shining knight to rescue the captured princess.