Communication Theories in Katawa Shoujo:

Communication Theories in Katawa Shoujo:

Katawa Shoujo is a visual novel game about a high school boy named Hisao Nakai in Japan. After developing a heart condition (arrhythmia), he’s transferred to Yamaku Academy, a school for students with disabilities. As he adjusts to his new life, Hisao meets five girls, each with their own experiences of disability and unique way of communicating. Through these relationships, Hisao not only explores romance but also learns to adapt to disability culture — and each girl’s story represents a different communication theory that helps him do so. The player also meets Kenji, a paranoid, legally blind student who lives across the hall. Though his over-the-top conspiracy theories and isolation from the rest of Yamaku make him an unforgettable character, his story ends early and doesn’t follow the same structure as the others. Because of that, while he deserves a mention, he won’t be discussed in detail here.

The game’s story structure follows a pattern of culture shock. Hisao leaves behind his old way of life and enters disability culture at Yamaku. “Only after I stand in front of the haughty main building, I surprise myself by realizing why the gate bothered me: it was my last chance to turn back, even if I had no life I could ever return to.”

Dr. Igor Klyukanov outlines five stages of culture shock in Principles of Intercultural Communication, which we can see reflected in Katawa Shoujo:

1. Preliminary and Spectator Phase – Hisao’s early days at Yamaku, where he passively observes the new environment but doesn’t yet understand it. He wonders if he will ever have a “normal” life again.

2. Increasing Participation Phase – As he interacts with the students, he starts questioning his old perspectives. He wonders, “Will I ever get used to sights such as this?” and, “Is this what passes for normal around here?”

3. Shock Phase – A turning point in Hisao’s journey, depending on the route taken. This is the emotional crisis where he must either accept his new reality or struggle against it.

4. Adaptation Phase – If he successfully navigates the shock, he reaches a point where disability is no longer foreign. He is able to exist in and out of the culture at the same time, accepting both his past and present selves.

Each girl Hisao meets serves as a guide, embodying a different communication theory that helps him through this adaptation process.

Shizune and Misha – Social Influence Theory

Shizune, a strong-willed deaf student and class representative, communicates through her interpreter, Misha. Misha’s loud, bubbly personality contrasts with Shizune’s serious and competitive nature, creating a comedic yet dynamic relationship between the three. Their story aligns with Social Influence Theory (French and Raven, 1959), which suggests that relationships develop through shifts in power, influence, and persuasion. From the start, Shizune wants to draw Hisao into her world, challenging him through student council work and games. She believes: “The mark of great people is that they are daring and can follow through.” She wants to make Hisao stronger by encouraging him to take on leadership roles. In her good ending, Hisao embraces this influence, realizing that Shizune was never trying to control him—she just wanted to connect. In her bad ending, the power dynamic collapses. When Hisao and Misha’s hidden relationship is exposed, Shizune loses trust in both, and Hisao becomes isolated. Since Shizune views love and life as all-or-nothing competitions, there is no neutral ending.

Hanako – Uncertainty Reduction Theory

Hanako, a shy burn victim who avoids attention, struggles with social anxiety and self-worth. Her story follows Uncertainty Reduction Theory (Berger and Calabrese, 1975), which states that as people interact, they seek to reduce uncertainty about one another. When successful, this leads to increased intimacy and trust. At first, Hanako barely speaks to Hisao, often relying on her best friend, Lilly, for comfort. But as Hisao shares his own struggles, she begins reciprocating. “I-I have to,” she says when explaining her past, indicating her need to balance the information she’s given and received. In her good ending, she fully opens up, allowing Hisao to see her scars and returning his affection. In her neutral ending, they remain stagnant, both agreeing to “stay the same,” preventing further connection. In her bad ending, she retreats completely, rejecting Hisao in a final outburst: “I hate Lilly! I hate you most of all! I know I’m broken!”—a full breakdown in uncertainty reduction.

Lilly – Principled Negotiation Theory

Lilly, a blind and kind-hearted girl, navigates relationships with a sense of fairness and compromise, making her story fit Principled Negotiation Theory (Ury and Fisher, 1981). This theory emphasizes agreements that satisfy both parties’ interests in a balanced, lasting way. Unlike Shizune, who views conflict as a challenge, Lilly avoids unnecessary confrontation, focusing on harmony. She even accommodates Shizune, her rival, saying, “Please, Hisao, it’s alright,” when he tries to defend her. In her good ending, Lilly stays in Japan, choosing her relationship with Hisao over moving to Scotland. The agreement is fair and mutual. In her neutral ending, she leaves, but encourages Hisao to follow his own dreams, showing wisdom but forfeiting their relationship. Because she has an older sister to care for her, she has no bad ending.

Rin – Redefinition Theory

Rin, an eccentric painter born without arms, often struggles to express herself. Her story follows Redefinition Theory (Braithwaite, 1990), which argues that people with disabilities challenge societal definitions and create new identities for themselves. Rin doesn’t see herself as limited: “I don’t think I’m that disabled. I mean, I do pretty much everything differently. But it’s not that hard. I can always practice.” She adapts effortlessly, seeing disability as a part of her identity rather than a restriction. Hisao, however, initially struggles to understand her. When he tries to “fix” her or make sense of her abstract thoughts, their relationship fractures. “I think in the end, I’m not really happy with who I am, either. But that doesn’t mean that I regret being who I am. That’s the thing that’s wrong with you, Hisao.” In her good ending, Hisao accepts that Rin doesn’t need fixing, and their relationship becomes one of mutual understanding. In her neutral and bad endings, he fails to see her as she is, causing her to withdraw completely.

Conclusion

Katawa Shoujo is more than just a dating sim. It’s ultimately about Hisao’s journey of adaptation and self-discovery within disability culture. Each girl represents a communication theory that helps him move through the phases of culture shock, from uncertainty to acceptance. Through these experiences, Hisao—and by extension, the player—comes to see disability not as an obstacle, but simply another way of being.

Bibliography

Berger, C.R., and Calabrese, R.J. (1975). Some explorations in initial interaction and beyond: Toward a developmental theory of interpersonal communication. Human Communication Research, 1(2), 99-112.

Braithwaite, D.O. (1990). From the Margins to the Center: An Intercultural Redefinition of Disability. Text and Performance Quarterly, 10(1), 7-21.

French, J.R.P., and Raven, B. (1959). The bases of social power. In Cartwright, D. (Ed.), Studies in Social Power. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research.

Klyukanov, I. (2005). Principles of Intercultural Communication. Boston: Pearson.

Ury, W., and Fisher, R. (1981). Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. New York: Penguin Books.

Kenji's Ending: Katawa Shoujo

Kenji's Ending: Katawa Shoujo

There's one ending in Katawa Shoujo where you die. I just want to talk about it. Since this is a visual novel, you have to show interest in one character, and then that character's narrative opens up. But, since Katawa Shoujo also deals with disabled characters, or characters that are negotiating disability, I find that many people often unknowingly get this ending.

So, what happens? Well, Hisao tells off all the girls after having a heart attack, and they express concern. Instead of picking one activity for the school festival, Hisao gets drunk with Kenji on the roof. Kenji rants about feminist brainwashing, how there will be a war between men and women, and you cannot trust anyone. So, he perceives everything as a threat to his masculinity as a blind man.

This is the only possible “ending” with Kenji, who otherwise is a clownish character, down to his theme music. But, it probably reveals the the most about his character. He simply doesn't know how to treat people as normal, because of his own sense of self-worth, or lack of it. Similarly, I think many players who first play Katawa Shoujo, unknowingly get Kenji's ending, where Hisao gets drunk and falls off the roof.

Again, this isn't because people are trying to be mean, or get the worst ending. This is simply storytelling. The game must continue with one girl's narrative taking over at the end of Act 1, the festival. If your answers are all over the place, the game can't continue. I think many players got this ending not through meanness, but through expressing curiosity about each girl.

When I first played, I was naturally drawn to Emi, because of her having no legs, which most mirrored my experience as a quadriplegic. I think most able-bodied players may not have that experience where they see their interests and positions mirrored in Katawa. They simply try to investigate the strange world of disability, and only later discover that they are more than they appear to be.

There's a lot of reasons why one might accidentally fall into Kenji's ending, if as previously stated, players are unfamiliar with the game's structure, just expressing interest in characters, or simply wanting to know more about disabilities. I'll put the ending down here, just to illustrate it. Kenji's ending might be the “worst”, but it is the most revealing of his character, and perhaps of the players' possible mindsets.

What Is A Visual Novel?

What Is A Visual Novel?:

“As a genre, "visual novel" is not defined by a mechanic or an aesthetic, but rather a distinctive presentation: VNs focus on presenting a text-based story using click-through text boxes, accompanied with static character graphics, and usually feature little to no actual gameplay.”– TVTropes.com

What is a visual novel? I guess the best way to describe a visual novel is like a virtual book that you read and occasionally make choices in that effect the story. But, then things get a little more specific. For example, many fighting games have “story modes”, which have larger plots connected to each character through a series of fights. Also, many role-playing games have story elements.

The main difference is that a visual novel is told mostly through text like a book instead of graphics. There can be graphics, but the story isn't told through the graphics, necessarily. But, then it gets even more complicated when you mix genres like fighting game-visual novels. The story is mostly text, and player decisions effect the plot, with an added fighting game mechanic.

This difference between “story mode” in most fighting games vs. fighting game-visual novels is mostly about how player decisions effect the plot. For example, if you lose fights in a traditional fighting game, you can't progress. The fights are the main game. In fighting game visual novels, losing a fight would effect the outcome, but the story text would continue. The text is the main mechanic, not the fight.

Then, you have kinetic novels, where there is no game at all. No choices are made by the player. It's a book in videogame format. You read it. There are no multiple endings, and there are no side mechanics. I don't really play visual novels that don't have gameplay. I like to make choices.

I just wanted to make this post because I've been posting about visual novels. And I realize that not everyone knows what they are. My favorites are Katawa Shoujo and short comedies like Leave Mr. Bear Alone. But, even some games like Blazblue, a story-heavy fighting game, have visual novel modes that are pretty fun. Like books, they can be any genre, not just dating games. If you have time today, look for a visual novel on Steam. You'll find something you like!

Katawa Shoujo: Summer's Clover (2014):

Katawa Shoujo: Summer's Clover (2014):

“The non-canon scenario of Miura Miki starting shortly before she meets the new transfer student Nakai Hisao.”

Summer's Clover is a non-canon side-story to Katawa Shoujo. You play as Miki. Miki is adjusting to life after an accident took her hand. She's a side character in the original game, alongside Emi and the track team. Here, she has two suitors to choose from: Hisao and Suzu.

Hisao is the main character from the original Katawa Shoujo. He bumps into Miki, and in this version, they can hit it off and become boyfriend and girlfriend, or just stay friends. I focused on Suzu's branch, because, well, that's my preference. Even if you choose Suzu, Hisao tags along for the story. He's still a main character.

Suzu has narcolepsy. A condition which brings on extreme drowsiness and loss of muscle tone during sudden extreme emotions. Suzu also likes women, it is revealed. So, that opens up her path as well. Essentially you have Hisao or Suzu as paths to choose from, with multiple endings for either character.

Since I only played Suzu's path, I know it's about Miki discovering her interest in women, and also getting Suzu's family to accept their relationship. Suzu also is an introvert who reads manga. (Comics.) As Miki helps her come out of her shell, they spend a lot of time together on the beach and in bedrooms for summer vacation. (Hey! Summer's Clover!) But, everyone but Suzu's cool older sister hates Miki and Suzu as a couple.

Honestly, this isn't a bad game. Only a few things give away that it's non-canon, but it was worked on by an Australian member of Four Leaf Studios. One thing is the characters constantly use Australian slang like “crikey!” and “blimey!” Another thing is some of the new characters look odd in shape and size, because they aren't re-used art from the original game, which is a little jarring, but fine.

Overall, it's a good side-story, with original art in addition to the original game. But, I can understand why it wasn't a fully polished game. It's one Australian guy from Four Leaf Studios working off notes and anime sketches. With Four Leaf Studios now basically gone, it may never get an official release. This might be all there is. But, it should be enough if you're a Katawa Shoujo fan, and want more Katawa Shoujo. Check it out.

Missing Stars (2023):

Missing Stars (2023):

"After a certain incident that left him traumatized, Erik Wilhelm transfers to Privatgymnasium St. Dymphna, a special Viennese school for teenagers living with psychological disorders, where he meets a colorful cast of characters that will turn his formerly uneventful life upside down."

It feels a bit unfair to review Missing Stars after reviewing Katawa Shoujo, but I'm going to do it anyway. It confuses quantity with quality, but is still heartfelt and inspired by Katawa Shoujo, despite being a complete mess. I think there's something like 6 girls to interact with. But, it feels like a lot more. Act One is very long. (Although, after looking it up, the whole game does have about the same playtime as Katawa...10-30 hours, depending on the paths, reading speed, etc. But, man, does it feel bloated.) It is openly promoted as a “mental health Katawa Shoujo”. It takes place in Austria, and basically tries to copy Katawa's plot, except for mental health instead of physical disabilities. I wish I could say I enjoyed it, but the game is just too big and too unfocused in its message, with every character feeling very disjointed in writing style, disability, and message.

Katawa Shoujo (2012)

Katawa Shoujo is the visual novel which began my love of visual novels. Hisao (The main character.) transfers to a high school for disabled people, Yamaku Academy. There's a blind girl, a burnt girl, a girl with no legs, a deaf girl, and a girl with no arms. The path you take depends on the girl you pick, and each girl has 3 possible endings. As a disabled person, I liked it, and there's a lot of replay value to get every ending.

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