COMMUNICATION THEORY IN KATAWA SHOUJO (2015):

COMMUNICATION THEORY IN KATAWA SHOUJO (2015):

Intro: I originally had bunch of Comm. notes after I 100%'d Katawa Shoujo back in 2015. These are just some of the "raw" notes I took. Without essay form. The essay can be found here, as can my other Katawa Shoujo analyses.

COMMUNICATION THEORY IN KATAWA SHOUJO:

Rin (Redefinition Theory): States that in communication with ablebodied persons and among themselves, disabled persons engage in a process whereby they critique the prevailing stereotypes held by the ablebodied and create new definitions.

Emi (Social Penetration Theory): Asserts that as relationships develop, persons’ communication changes from superficial to deeply personal topics, slowing penetrating the communicators' public persona to reach their core personality or sense of self.

Shizune / Misha (Social Influence Theory: Argues that relationships develop as a result of 'change in the belief, attitude, or behavior of a person (the target of influence), which results from the action of another person (an influencing agent)', and social power as the potential for such influence. (Update: I should probably write more on this and how Shizune represents coercive force/Misha represents legitimacy. More on this later.)

Hanako (Uncertainty Reduction Theory): Posits that when interacting, people need information about the other party in order to reduce their uncertainty. In gaining this information people are able to predict the other's behavior and resulting actions, all of which according to the theory is crucial in the development of any relationship.

Lilly (Principled Negotiation Theory): Argues that a good agreement is one which is wise and efficient, and which improves the parties' relationship. Wise agreements satisfy the parties' interests and are fair and lasting. The goal is to develop a method for reaching good agreements.

Hisao Represents The Stages of Culture Shock:

CH. 1:

Preliminary Phase

Marked by rising sense of anticipation tempered by regret of leaving.

Spectator Phase

Passive but alert spectator, marked by intensity of emotion that careens erratically; ends when passive stance is no longer possible

CH. 2: (Story/adaptation theory chosen)

Increasing Participation Phase.

Greatest variation from persons to person; after (characteristically) clash of values, questions arise: Are values arbitrary? A fabrication? Natural to one’s own culture?

CH. 3: (Bad endings stop here.)

Shock Phase.

Strikes people who have had some success in first efforts at adaptation; manifests as paranoia, fear, self-consciousness, intense judgments of others based on ethnocentric criteria; could precipitate departure.

CH. 4: (If good/neutral ending)

Adaptation Phase.

Sense of being foreign no longer exists; language and thinking are simultaneous—being both in and out of the culture at the same time.

Update: So, one can apply communication models to everyday circumstances, even in games/narratives where they might not be as explicit, but reveal themselves through cultural patterns and actions. I hope you've enjoyed these notes as much as I enjoyed writing them back then.