Disabled Girl Eroge “Katawa Shoujo” Developed by 4chan
- Author: Artefact
- Categories: Games, H, News
- Date: Nov 18, 2008 00:00 JST
- Tags: 4chan, Announcements, Doujin Soft, Eroge, Internet, Katawa Shoujo
The newly launched homepage for 4chan developed English language disabled bishoujo eroge Katawa Shoujo / かたわ少女 (or “Cripple Girl” if we render it into English) went live recently, and the game has attracted a great deal of note (mostly derision) from Japanese observers; nonetheless, it looks to be an interesting project, so let us look it over.
The basic pattern the game takes is fairly standard: a visual novel with five female characters, each with their respective play paths; presumably a harem ending is also possible. The only caveat is that, like a great many doujin visual novels, the game will not be voiced.
The characters are as follows:
Lily Satou – 佐藤リリー – Blind
Hanako Ikezawa – 池沢華子 – Disfigured by burns
Rin Tezuka – 手塚凜 – No arms
Shizune Hakamichi – 羽加道静音 – Deaf-mute
Emi Ibarazaki – 茨崎笑美 – Both legs amputated
Something for everyone, then.
A release date has not been announced.
The game looks to be tastefully and sensitively realised, if we excuse it its rather jarring name, rather than a purely guro work, although a final verdict will have to wait until release.
The site explains the process by which the game came about:
The New Year of 2007 was bound to be business as usual for the /a/ board of 4chan until on 4th of January, Anonymous posted an omake page from a doujin by Raita of doujin circle Zettai Shoujo, detailing character art for a dating sim he dubbed “Katawa Shoujo”.
For reasons we will never know, someone’s genius idea of actually realizing Raita’s idea of the game caught on like wildfire and soon suggestions ranging from tender love stories to depraved sex fantasies were running amok in the thread.
The insane idea of creating an actual original game, based on nothing but a single picture and the sparse ideas Raita had written in the margins titillated the imaginations of Anonymous so much that people became truly serious about the fledgling project.
Soon, there were development forums and for the next months, ideas and suggestions were flying around, with people trying to flesh out their ideas, drawing sample art, writing sample text, trying to control the chaos of dozens of people arguing and bickering about the direction of the game.
From there, the most active people began the actual game developement as a working group named Four Leaf Studios and the project truly took off in the summer ’07.
Your first port of call is of course the official Katawa Shoujo site.
Via Itai News.
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nice! disabilities added to the moe factor!
its been 2 years since then havnt they still completed it yet?
Although everyone working on the project has posted on 4chan before, some of them don't participate in the 4chan thing any more. That's how 4chan made it: it didn't.
is this what we call an Open-source bishoujo eroge?
You know, this game seems a LOT better then most of the shit eroge on the market.
This is breaking new grounds, and with this kind of scenario, I can really see it tugging on some heart strings.
I have great faith in 4chan's writers, and I hope that this game turns out well!
I Have a feeling there will be a raep scene with the Deaf-mute girl D:
we are both alone together as the translator girl left to the toilet, ~I begin having thoughts about her not being able to scream for help... though, that isn't the case, she can scream I'm sure... well I'll never actually do such a thing to a cutey though...
"hey, if you want, I can leave..."
she shook her head, it was I who was here first anyway... this infirmary is the only place I can go to rest my heart, the only place with a decent bed, close to the school.
I begin to think about her large breasts... dear god, when will her friend return, this silence is too awkward...
her eyes are looking over the farthest wall, such cute eyes... her face is rather redder then usual though... maybe its because she feels awkward being alone with me...
"hey erm... if you don't mind I'll just be going go now."
I get up from the bed and start to walk passed her, I noticed that since recent scratch on her leg, had been bandaged it stopped bleeding... I look into her eyes as I pass them over her chest and face, she's looking directly at me, her stare seems somewhat apologetic as if trying to say sorry...
seeing such a cute face gets my heart racing...
"damn it..." I clutched my chest as I fell to the ground...
I woke up on the bed, the deaf girl with the large breasts must have brought me here...
"how long was I out?"
she was closer now, closer to the bed, and to me... she looked a little sad.
she tried speaking to me, since she knew I didn't know any of that sign language... it sounded pretty awful... but it was really helpful that she learned how to lip read for people like me...
"how pretty, you have a beautiful voice..."
she blushed...
"ten minutes huh... where is your friend?"
she told me that her friend got back and then left almost immediately after seeing me in this girls arms being propped up, she left before this girl could make any sense out of the situation, and decided it best to attend to the unconscious me...
time passed slowly... but I just noticed, I forgot to thank her...
"erm, thanks by the way..."
she nodded... for some reason, she isn't leaving... I thought I should be going soon now anyway... I turn around and try to stand up...
but she pulled me back down, insisting that I don't move until I'm checked out by the nurse...
"don't worry it happens a lot when I'm around cute girls." I froze...
did I just say that out loud?
my relationships with the other girls have all been strenuous, to say the least, but to actually make a Fruedian slip like that, I'm probably going to be killed!...
she doesn't say anything but her face seems redder than before... this girl doesn't like me right? that can't be the case right... no one can be happy like this, just from being called cute right?
can it be? can I really try it on with her?
"erm... do you want to do something to pass the time?"
...
Oh, wow! lol, I remember seeing this on 4chan at the time. People went so crazy for it, but I never seriously thought it would one day be real! I think the girl with the prosthetic legs is cutest!
so wait, how did 4chan make this?
Hahaha oh wow, I was expecting something like this to come out one day. The disabled girl moe isn't anything new (Rei in bandages anyone?). I'm surprised by the fact that something like 4chan spouted this out.
The concept is bizarre, worrying, and downright disturbing to me... yet I am for some odd reason, compelled to play this. Dear god, what is wrong with me?
I feel the exact same way.
pretty cool. Looking forward to this.
certainly seems more interesting than the usual Key
"that one girl you were friends with then forgot about when you turned teen" and
"girl dying of some mysterious illness" and
"magic girlfriend comes out of where because you have an uninteresting life"
since i am not into being a hardcore fan of anime, keygames nor harbor a fetish for everything Japanese.
i wish this game luck.
wow, I saw this page in the raita doujinshi and thought this would be a cool as hell game to play. I never thought it would be made though, let alone by 4chan. and apparantly this has been going on for a while too, wow.
The blind blonde (Lilly) - she looks, uh, interesting. As in, her route. Yeah.
I have the actual artwork form the doujin, and im quite delighted that they actually developed this.
I wonder what Raita would say though.
Just played the Act I demo and I really enjoyed it. I thought the subject matter was tastefully done and heartwarming.
PS. Yeah, Rin seems to be my favorite. Maybe because she's an artist like me.
This deserves respect it was damn good :)
Im from the future, the development finished its all good
It has been released.
http://katawashoujo.blogspot.com/2012/01/katawa-shoujo-released.html
I would take the disfigured one.
Looks kinda cute, and I don't mind the scars.
Hanako is my favorite.
I'd have to say Ikezawa-chan(Disfigured by Burns) or Tezuka-chan (Arm Amputee). Tezuka-chan is attractive based on the deep-seated conversations, but overall, Ikezawa-chan seems most attractive. I've generally found that the more scarred a person is on the outside, the greater the capacity for Inner Beauty.
On a side note...I think the "Cripple Fetish", as I think I saw it termed earlier, is somewhat based on the whole Nurturing Reflex...but I also think it appeals to Man's higher Nature of looking past Flesh and Bone when choosing a Mate. Keep in mind that the way this is setup is that no matter who you end up with, you have a physical problem you have to look past to get closer to said interest...it's Perfect!
Reminds me of Deuce Bigellow Male Gigolo for some reason. ^^;
It should be noted that the game wasn't actually produced by 4chan. The idea simply had its roots in a discussion that took place in the 4chan forums. To say that 4chan was responible for the creation of the game would be the same as saying, if the idea had been born in a dinner conversation at a restaurant, that said restaurant was the creator of the game.
Four Leaf Studios developed the game. 4chan is a imageboard, not a game production company.
As for the demo itself, contrary to what one might expect, it's tastefully done and very professional. The art and writing are top notch, and the characters themselves are given an unexpected level of depth. Overall a very pleasant surprise.
http://katawa-shoujo.com/download.php
Download the preview. It is amazing. Lot's of character development and a fairly decent story. Emi (No legs) is the super cute loli style; Shizune (deaf/mute) is the tsundere; Hanako (Burn scars) is the shy, deep character; Lilly (Blind) is the dainty, high society girl; Rin (Stunted arms) is the straight forward one; and Misha (No defined disability) is te really oboxious bubbly one.
Is the protagonist in some way disabled?
I remember him having some kind of heart disease that could bring a soon and sudden end to his life. But don't ask me why he gets transfered to a school for disabled people.
might have been a better idea to have him disabled in another way to that, like in a wheel chair, or something else... but I suppose they won't put out ne.
Pretty interesting. Inner parts of myself are in a little conflict. A part seems to thinks that this is simply too weird, and the other seems to like it.
Oh wow!
has anyone checked out the sampled soundtrack it's pretty damn good. rest of this game or novel also looks really interesting. I'm being attracted to Hanako and Rin. Can't wait to play this.
We are moved to tears by the sheer fact that 4channers managed to do something cooperative and productive...
Still, good job... I guess... Definitely going to try it out.
hell I'll play it. looks interesting enough
looks awesome :)
hmmm . . .interesting topic . . .
Good. I need some other girls to love other than Bikko.
A game that will definitely get a two thumbs up from the disabled community. Looks to be awesome!
That depends on the kind of disability.
This should be interesting,
though I've always viewed the "disabled" fetish was something that fed of our desire to nurture and protect something that is weak and helpless.
Okay, so how does the mute girl and the blind girl communicate -*-?.
You should go play ONE, it's quite enlightening (has a blind girl and a mute girl). Old-school goodness, and it's even translated for your enjoyment. :)
http://akane.is.moelicious.be/
Just because a person is blind doesn't mean they can't talk. And a thing called braille is helpful too. Mute people are usually taught sign language.
But when they're blind AND mute? That's a double whammy right there. I guess it severity of the case depends on whether they were born like that or became like that.
Ever heard of Helen Keller?
The mute girl signs to the pink haired one (Misha or something) who then speaks to the blind one. The blind on speaks and the pink haired on translates it to sign for the mute one.
Haven't you seen "The Miracle Worker"?
She's a deaf-mute, not blind and mute. The blind girl can hear and speak fine.
One of the sketches were shown clearly she uses sign language. ^^;;
I more potent question is how the deaf mute girl and the blind girl communicate with EACH OTHER.
That's simple to get around, I read something similar in a fictional novel before. A deaf-mute girl communicated with a blind girl by holding hands and arranging each other's hands into sign language positions.
just wanted to say that in game it seems the deaf/mute girl(Shizune)doesn't get along with the blind girl(lily)because of the fact that she never knows shi is there due to her lack of speech ability and lily is unable to notice that shi is using Misha as a translator due to the fact that she can't see the signing.
through touch,
if you know what I mean.
Hmmm, it looks sick... but fun at the same time... i just want to see the different techniques "the guy" will use to seduce each girl.
i want the mute girl~!
imagine, a girl who can't bitch, nag or whine all the time~!?!?
still, if she doesn't groan or moan, i'd miss the audio... it's not all about the visual to me ^^;
you never had sex with a mute girl i guess? they make croaking sounds.
Ribbit.
I'm becoming ever more strange do to this site.It's a sad day when you want to fuck a mute girl....out of curiousity of how it would sound.They can still pant you know.
Yea and if you took the time to learn how to sign to her then if you dont wanna have her sign bitchin to ya all you have to do is slap her hands which could be fun in it's own way.
no one is mute only deaf
If I remember correctly, the deaf/mute is the tsundere, so.......
lol, I remember that thread back then, anonymous never cease to amuse me
Finally!
I first saw this image on iichan YEARS ago, I was so enthralled by the tender thought put into describing and depicting the characters. Not just another flesh game, there was soul... But then I was told that it was just a concept, no actual real game existed, and therefor there would be no other 'official' art of the characters. Very upsetting.
And now this! Thankyou Artefact, thankyou so very very very much!
Saw the "no arm" and I went OH MY GO-! LOL
I find the no arms the most attractive. :) (don't ask why)
I see they are using Ren'py to make the game. More power to them. I'm quite surprised they were able to get together such a motivated team.
dre-san... I'd imagine you've imagined how cool it would be to be with a no-legs, no-armed, deaf, and mute girl...
to all others, I believe he means to rape...
and the girl I described, can't fend off an attacker nor scream.
incidentally, the girl dre likes, can headbutt him.
Also note, in a different take on the Tsundere, it seems she has the biggest chest as well.....
man, this is really good, I dont understand exactly wat I like, but it's really "moe", in a way, i mean, this is really something u want to protect and stuff, really good yes, really good
Damn you Internet, you made handicapped girls my new fetish.
It disappoints me that 4chan would make a VN about crippled girls WITHOUT including conjoined twins.
all I can say is wow.
Out of curiosity, can you provide some examples or translations of this "Japanese derision" of the game?
I'm curious as to what they actually have to say about this.
Plenty decry it as being "weird", but leaving those aside, there are those who accuse it of being a Key rip-off, those who basically won't accept a non-Japanese made doujin game (some slow witted commenters ask "why are the characters Japanese?"), etc.
Generally the reaction is very negative.
This was to be expected. One can't really blame them though. In my experience many Otaku (not all of course) are quite the xenophobic bunch, right up there with landlords and Onsen owners. I've heard many voices who say Anime and Manga should have never left the country. Hell, sometimes I'm thinking this too while hoping I would've still managed to get exposed to it somehow. It will be interesting to see how this turns out and what the reactions are when it's actually finished. I remember there were arguments about a Japanese version too.
I need a copy of this ASAP!!!
/a/non is so freaking awesome =3
The Japanese posters seem to mostly be turned off by the clumsy attempt at giving an English doujin game a Japanese name.
Which is especially amusing when you consider that the name was included in the concept sketch by a Japanese artist.
It should also be noted that all the fuss is visible on 2ch, which harbours a fairly particular bunch at the best of times (much as the users here are inclined to be receptive to such a work, on 2ch special interests are also in play).
Wow, I'm glad to see that half of the character names I suggested made it into the game.
Whats the other half?
Deaf/mute is win/mute.
A deaf/mute tsundere...? Now this I gonna see.
I forgot to add that hopefully it will be released eventually and not end in development hell
Lol looking forward to play this one
I want a copy of this ASAP
Did I hear tsundere?!
Don't care if it's FUCKING WEIRD. Don't care if it's eroge.
CARE THAT THEY ACTUALLY MADE IT.
I have been looking forward to this game for along time. When it is finally released my life is ttopping so I can play right through the whole thing 5 times.
This just crossed the fine line between eroge and JUST FUCKING WEIRD. lol