@The:
I guess I can and can't entirely understand your problem, actually, because… Well, you're you. I mean, no joke, I get people's apprehension, I'll get to that in a second. But you're really into Negima and obviously also familiar with the idea that something really good can come out of booger circumstances. And the premise of fetishizing disabilities which was exactly what the original concept was ten years ago is completely a booger circumstance. Like, not trying to compare them too much and I am sure you are tired of Negima's circumstances being stated (and typecast forever as That Guy Who Likes It), but if you can get the idea of "a good action series that had to get by at first with a million panty shots and hot girl characters" as a compromise, then what's so far fetched about Katawa Shoujo's premise? I never really read much of Negima, but this is always what I'm told it was.
Well mostly because fan-service doesn't really conflict with the point of an action manga which is a swash-buckling adventure nor is it really a main focus. Hell, silly fan-service is mostly a staple for every shonen. They come with the package. VNs are really about conquering the girls which is kinda hampered when the appeal of said girls are their physical handicaps which ARE the main focus of the girls. But I digress. My main point is really…
@The:
And that's kind of the thing. I really don't care about the initial intentions of Katawa Shoujo. If it was intended as yet another in a large series of bishoujo games, then it's obvious, but the final end product is what really matters here and if one disregards the standards of the genre and format (sex, which is an entirely different issue unrelated to this, since I am bored of forced sex in every VN ever), then what really stands out about it is that so far it feels like the team who worked on this really felt sincere. The setting of a school for disabled teens isn't really felt as a gimmick at all. Nor, ahem, a fetish catering machine. It feels pretty natural, actually. And really, fans of VNs can be obnoxiously into the sex and the girls, but at heart what separates VNs from one another and causes the good ones to stand out is … the characterization! Which so far is strong.
And yes, notable because it does in fact feature an all disabled cast. Which I do seriously think is cool if it pulls it off as naturally as it's been so far. Now let me get to what I meant by apprehension. Because I understand it. I have life experience to say that the school isn't realistic, the prosthesis featured on one character is too expensive to be feasible that she'd have them. There are issues such as KATAWA being in its title. There's more where that came from.
But on the whole I'm willing to forgive it and try to see its strengths, because I really want to see where it goes with the subject matter because it's just so rare for these things to be explored. Like they aren't just DISABLED, they are also all pretty flawed characters completely disregarding the physical and I like seeing such a humanized portrayal. So far the characterization seems to lean on strong, though it is possible to wind down and maybe get weak (my forever disclaimer that I am only on ACT 3 durrr).
I just wanna see! But yeah, if anything in this happens to offend, I will be the first to admit total disappointment. It's flawed from the getgo for having to conform to standards of erotic VNs.
Yeah that…I wouldn't mind no in fact would love the idea of the game if they just cut out the sex and it were just about meeting these people and exploring the issue of flawed characters and how they cope with their disabilities. But when the game is exploring these issues yet at the same time directing you to boink them...well no matter how naturally written the characters and how sincere the feelings of the writers...the message of it's okay to be disabled is kinda distorted.
Edit: I mean I've been playing Muv Luv (though I swallowed two bad ends and haven't been able to conquer a girl yet) and I've been immersed in all these fun characters who are really all a joy imo. The format of getting to do all of them already bugs the hell out of me because it makes light of the strong feelings they all display for the protagonist and turns it into something gimmicky. But it's a silly thing to complain about, it's a VN. That's the point, if you don't like it, don't play 'em, yadda yadda. Fair enough. And it's only a minor annoyance I can deal with mostly because it's a fun slice of life VN. But when you put in a deep message which just doesn't work with the format of the game, well that just feels like a line was crossed somewhere.
Edit 2: But really this is all silly rambling. It's probably a good game, hell I'd probably love it if I played it and forget all about my qualms with it as I get immersed in great characterization. Just on the surface, it rubs me the wrong way.
