Katawa Shoujo/Heartwarming

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All of my feels...

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Meta

• Face it: The entire game, from its very existence to the reactions it's gotten out of its place of origin and all over the internet, is one big CMOH.
  • See also this message from the Anonymous of 4chan.
  • Try this blog post.
• After Visual Novels were banned from /a/ and /v/ (partially due to the popularity of Katawa Shoujo) and /jp/ mods banned Katawa Shoujo because of the Flame Wars it caused, the KS general threads ended up on /b/ while Moot creates a new section of 4chan that will allow them. /b/ has been so surprisingly civil, that one Anonymous made this post.
  • Even though later on the same day, Katawa Shoujo was allowed back on /v/, many anons are staying on the /b/ board because they are just that much nicer.
  • When the Katawa Shoujo general thread found a home on /vg/, the fans thanked /b/ for their hospitality.

Emi

• The moment in Emi's route when Hisao first admits he loves her while she was sick and in bed.
  • And when he admits it after Rin gets sick of his lollygagging and walks out to leave them alone towards the end of the route.
    • A similar scene gets to play out if you pursue her while at her house, but then choose the right options to make it up to her after talking to Misha of all people. The confrontation at the track plays out with her pushing Hisao away, but he breaks her down pretty simply, and the entire thing refreshes just how their relationship developed, probably doubling the impact of it.

Emi: Determination? What do you know about determination? Hisao: I know that there's a girl so determined to take care of a total stranger that she'd steal his food at a festival. I know that there's a girl so determined to help me with my own problems that she'd draw up a complete dietary and exercise plan, and that she'd not only draw up the plans, but she'd follow them with me, even when she couldn't run. Determined enough to keep me at arm's length that she'd put herself through emotional pain if she thought it was the right thing to do. Although, there's one thing that this determined girl didn't quite plan for, which was that I might feel that same kind of determination to keep her from being hurt. I fell in love with you, and I refuse to let that be thrown away because you're afraid of losing me.

• • The final H scene and the scene after it are this so very much especially in comparison to her two other H scenes.
  • The moment at the graveyard, where Emi finally tells Hisao about everything she lost in her accident, and why she keeps some distance from everyone. It also doubles as a Tear Jerker.

Emi: I tried not to fall for you, but I did. And then I tried to keep you at a distance [...] But I've been so scared, because I don't want to lose you, and I might anyway...

• • "Even if there's no chance of catching her, I'll still run after her."

Hanako

• Hisao playing chess with Hanako in the tea room during her Act I demo ending.
  • The previous Hanako scene, "Quiet," could also count. Near the end of the scene, after Hisao and Hanako had spent most of the day in the library, Hanako (after struggling for a moment) manages to get a "thank you" out to Hisao for spending time with her. While a simple thing in itself, for someone like Hanako, it's a different situation entirely.
  • Honestly, almost any scene that puts Hisao alone with Hanako has heartwarming moments as you get glimpses of her personality that she would have never shown to a relative stranger.
• This Tropette volunteers Hanako's "Good" ending in the full version. If you've seen that, no more needs to be said.

Hanako: Then, please accept my first gift to you, Hisao... [kiss]

• • That last scene is made even more heartwarming when you realize that in the final image, Hanako's scars are facing away from the camera. Towards the people in the background. All of whom are staring. (Including Molly, who seems to be very happy about it.) And she doesn't care.
    • And to this troper the looks aren't "Oh wow someone is actually kissing the scarred girl!" but rather "Daawww, that's so romantic!" from the girls, and "Man, how am I gonna match that." from the guy.
  • Above that, though, was just prior to that, when the Love Confession pops up. The raw emotion of the scene combined with the simple melody of "Innocence" brings on the tears, too.
  • That Hanako of all people is able to do this speaks volumes of how much she's grown thanks to Hisao and how much she fully loves him. Seeing someone so shy and broken open up and show affection IN PUBLIC without a care in the world... well, it gave me the feels, man.
  • Just as heartwarming is the part where the two of them pour out their souls toward each other, tearing down their walls.

Hisao: The wall between us is going away, even if it hurts so badly to bring it down.

• Hanako showing you her scars. That scene manages to evoke pretty much every emotion there is, but "heartwarming" is prominent among them.
• Hanako's "early" birthday party. Her cradling her presents with teary eyes. This is all.
• Hanako's last scene in Lilly's good ending shows her in the library, where she first met Hisao. In contrast to her running away that time, she discusses her plans to travel with Naomi from the newspaper club and showcases how much she has opened up.

Maybe Lilly was right. Although I may offer Hanako any help I can possibly give, I feel as if I know she doesn't need it. She really has grown.

Lilly

• Act Three. Lilly. Crescendo. Gods, that scene is beyond belief.
  • Also on Lilly's Route, the ending seems to be all set up for a Bittersweet Ending Star-Crossed Lovers scenario. If you manage to get the Good End, the Race For Your Love scene and the aftermath ( you waking up in hospital to find Lilly beside you) is so very this.

Random YouTube commenter: That feel when it took you 10 seconds to realize why the music box is playing.

• • More Lilly stuff. Lilly is setting up the paper work to transfer, she asks Misha to bring her some papers in braille. However, instead, Shizune brings them to her... and they show of CG of the two girls smiling, reconciling at long last.
  • Also on Lilly's route, after she reveals her family's plans to bring her to Scotland, Kenji comes out of his room as Hisao walks by. He notices how distraught Hisao looks, and offers him a helping hand, offering to talk about what's bothering him. The scene is depressing enough as it is, the fact that we get a heartwarming moment from Kenji and not a funny one just turns the whole scene into a major Tear Jerker.

Kenji: If you ever want to talk about it, I'm, you know, here. Hisao: Thanks, Kenji. Kenji: Hey, it's cool. That's what friends are for, right?

• • The final lines of Lilly's route. So much HNNNG.
• Lilly telling Hanako why they are friends, and that she never pitied her. Extra touching if you've seen Hanako's bad end.

Our pasts may be scattered and at times overshadowed by sadness, but they're also an irrevocable part of our lives and personalities. Even if I could change a single thing, I wouldn't, because my past is what led me here. That's why, even with all that's happened to us before, and all that may well befall us... together, we'll keep walking forwards. Forwards... towards the future. Our future.

• • And how can we forget their Love Confession. A CMOH from the beginning to the end. Specially when Hanako shows up few afterwards and is happy for them and she already guessed they had feelings for each other some time before.
  • Also from Lilly's good ending, Akira informing that she's back with her boyfriend, who will follow her in Scotland. Seeing what happened between Lilly and Hisao must have surely prompted her to not give up on her love as well.

Rin

• In "Creative Pain," Rin tells Hisao that she prefers not to think when she's painting, and that him being there helps her with that. Hisao asks her if there's anything he should do to help her not think, to which she replies "just be," implying that merely his presence is enough to comfort her to work.
  • She says something similar in her Act 1 ending, "Clouds in My Head." The two of them talk in circles for a few minutes about possibly going to see the festival, before Hisao says that if she wants he could let her be alone. She replies, "I like it if you are here." Hisao stays next to her, noting in his narration that her presence is something he enjoys also.
• The entirety of Rin's good end, when she no longer tries to force herself to be the artist others want her to be, and is content with how she is.

Rin: Hisao? What's the word for when it feels inside your heart that everything in the world is all right?

• The rooftop scene in the second act. Despite his inability to communicate with Rin, Hisao finally opens up and admits how much he resents his condition. Rin replies by simply hugging him, something she was also afraid would have startled him. When she leaves the rooftop, Hisao stays behind, cries for the first and last time about his condition, and leaves his depression behind, determined to now be a better person. Never before has the inclusion of a meme been so sweet.
• Despite all the frustration he's been feeling with Rin throughout her preparation period for the exhibit, Hisao still does little things for her, like peeling oranges and taking her out into the city.
  • The scene where he peels oranges for her is especially sweet. Feeding a loved one is an intimate act in its own, and it gets even more intimate considering oranges are a favorite food of Rin's she doesn't get to enjoy much for obvious reasons.
• A simple line at the end of her route: "I love you". After her entire character arc focuses on how Rin cannot understand herself nor communicate with others, these words become that much more meaningful.

Shizune

• During Shizune's Act 1 ending, "Throwing Balls", Hisao is generally feeling depressed after a bout of fatigue brought about by his heart condition. He finds himself talking to Shizune, who being deaf cannot hear him (Misha had fallen asleep) but manages to get a good idea of his emotional state anyway. Not willing to allow Hisao to wallow in self pity, Shizune simply stretches out her arms to implore Hisao to look at the beautiful scene of the Festival around them and the moment snaps Hisao out of it. This results in the only Act 1 ending where Hisao admits to falling in love with the Heroine in question.
  • "Just a little bit."
  • At the start of Act 2 Shizune and Hisao converse by writing notes, he asks if the fact they went to all the stalls he had built at the festival was another of her games. She tells him it wasn't and she actually did it because she could tell he was depressed,
• Also add Hisao asking Shizune to be his girlfriend at Tanabata in the end of Act 2.
• Shizune, Misha and Hisao's scene together at the end of Act 3 if you are not a two timing monster
• The part where Hisao shows Misha around the school, telling her about the time he spent with her and Shizune, and urging her not to push Shizune away, like he did with his old friends and Iwanako. It's one of the best demonstrations of his Character Development throughout a route.
• Shizune's and Hisao's conversation on the Roof late in Act 4 of her Good Ending where Shizune thanks Hisao for bringing Misha back to her old self. She also talks about proud she is of how she was able to cheer up Hisao from when he first came to Yamaku and how that gave her hope and that "was why I like you."
• Shizune, in the next to last scene of the Good Ending path of her route, is explaining to Hisao that all that she ever really wanted was to have other people open up to her, something that her deafness made extremely difficult, that part of the reason why she joined the Student Council, and why she was pushing for it to do so much, was because she figured that that best way she could do that was do things that made others happy and involved. It is there that she realizes that all this time, Misha has always been there for her opening up to her and that she lost sight of her original goal. She than vows to be a better friend to her from now on.
• "Infinity" Shizune's good ending: With Shizune, Hisao, and Misha taking a picture with a musketter pose while vowing to one day see each other again.