Emi Ibarazaki and Social Penetration Theory:

Emi and Social Penetration Theory

Intro: As mentioned earlier, Emi aligns with Social Penetration Theory, which asserts that as relationships develop, communication moves from superficial topics toward increasingly intimate disclosure. Interaction gradually penetrates the communicators’ public personas to reach their core sense of self.

EMI (SOCIAL PENETRATION THEORY):

If Shizune’s route is structured around influence, Emi’s is structured around layers.

Social Penetration Theory visualizes personality as layered:

• Outer layer: surface traits, routines, public persona
• Middle layer: emotional patterns, guarded vulnerability
• Core: trauma, identity, unresolved grief

Emi’s route maps almost directly onto this model.

Outer Layer: Energy, Routine, Accessibility

“I like running. It’s what I do.”

“You’re coming running with me tomorrow, right?”

Her communication is playful, energetic, routine-based, and forward-looking. Morning runs become the foundation of their relationship. They share time, jokes, and light teasing.

This reflects high breadth but low depth. They talk often. They spend time together. But the conversation avoids emotional gravity.

“They’re just legs. It’s not a big deal.”

Even when discussing her prosthetics, she keeps it surface-level. The statement minimizes depth and redirects focus away from trauma and toward functionality.

Emi’s outer layer is transparent but controlled.

Middle Layer: Selective Vulnerability

As intimacy increases, emotional friction appears. Hisao begins asking questions about her accident and her father. Emi responds with deflection:

“Why does it matter?”

“It was a long time ago. I’m fine.”

These are penetration barriers. She is not hostile; she is protective.

Social Penetration Theory emphasizes reciprocity. Hisao opens up about his heart condition and allows emotional depth. Emi does not fully reciprocate.

“Running helps me not think about stuff.”

This line is pivotal. It acknowledges “stuff” without naming it. The middle layer is partially visible but sealed.

Physical Intimacy and Emotional Asymmetry

Physical intimacy develops before full emotional disclosure. Emi allows closeness physically, yet resists emotional excavation.

“Don’t make this into something it’s not.”

This reveals asymmetrical penetration:

• Physical layer: accessible
• Emotional trauma layer: restricted

Intimacy does not progress evenly across all dimensions. Emi controls the rate and direction of access.

Core Layer: Grief and Emotional Avoidance

The emotional climax forces confrontation with her core. When Hisao pushes too forcefully, conflict emerges. The core contains her father’s death, the accident, and fear of stagnation.

“If I stop moving, I have to think about it.”

Running is not just athleticism. It is emotional containment. Greater intimacy requires risk. For Emi, that risk is reliving loss.

The Rift: Premature Penetration

In the negative trajectory, Hisao presses too hard. Emi withdraws emotionally. Penetration without consent produces retreat. Depth must be mutual.

Resolution: Voluntary Core Disclosure (Good Ending)

In the good ending, disclosure becomes voluntary rather than extracted.

“I don’t want to keep running away.”

This marks full-layer access. She allows Hisao to witness her grief without deflection.

The communication dynamic shifts from activity-based connection to emotion-based transparency. Disclosure becomes reciprocal rather than forced.

Summary

Within Katawa Shoujo, Emi’s route exemplifies Social Penetration Theory through:

• High-breadth, low-depth beginnings
• Controlled vulnerability
• Conflict caused by premature emotional pressure
• Resolution through voluntary, reciprocal core sharing

Emi does not resist intimacy itself. She resists losing control over how intimacy unfolds.

Shizune / Misha and Social Influence Theory (2026):

Intro: As established earlier, Shizune and Misha align with Social Influence Theory, which argues that relationships develop as a result of change in belief, attitude, or behavior caused by another person’s actions. Power is the potential to produce that change.

SHIZUNE / MISHA (SOCIAL INFLUENCE THEORY):

Shizune represents coercive and structural force.
Misha represents legitimacy and normative reinforcement.

On Festivals / Life (Misha translating for Shizune):

"Human beings evolve with each new generation! The ideals and beliefs behind a festival will inevitably change with time! Now, it's about delicious fried food and amusing little games that you play to win prizes! Hahahaha!"

This statement reframes tradition as adaptive behavior. Festivals are not sacred constants; they are evolving systems shaped by participation.

That mirrors Shizune’s approach to relationships and institutions:

• Meaning follows engagement.
• Structure sustains participation.
• Ideals shift, but activity remains.

Misha’s enthusiastic delivery normalizes the philosophy. Shizune supplies the framework; Misha supplies social accessibility.

On Decision Making (Shizune):

"We are going to play for it... The oldest game known to man, upon which the fate of nations has been known to rest: Rock, Paper, Scissors."

For Shizune, decisions are rarely casual. Even minor disagreements are formalized into competitive systems.

Rock, Paper, Scissors functions as:

• A procedural equalizer
• A depersonalized method of conflict resolution
• A ritualized distribution of power

This preference for structured competition extends beyond isolated scenes.

Shizune:

• Has mastered snapping loudly despite being deaf; an intentional physical assertion of presence and control over attention. She has one of the “loudest” characters act as voice (Misha).
• Prefers strategic board games such as Risk, where territorial dominance and calculated expansion determine success.
• Turns even leisure activities, like a fishing trip, into competitive metrics of performance.

Competition is not incidental to her personality; it is her communication mode. Rather than negotiate emotionally, she negotiates through systems. Influence becomes measurable: who wins, who adapts, who participates.

In Social Power terms, this reflects:

• Legitimate power (Student Council authority)
• Coercive power (pressure through structured expectation)
• Reward power (approval, inclusion, status)

The snapping is particularly notable. Despite being deaf, she ensures auditory impact. That act demonstrates that influence is not diminished by disability. She asserts control over the communicative environment in ways that compensate rather than retreat.

On Friendship (Shizune):

"I forgot that the whole time, Misha was there, opening up to me, and giving a hundred percent everyday. I missed what I was looking for, because it was in plain sight."

This line identifies the limits of influence when it is overly systematized.

Misha’s role is relational reinforcement:

• She softens directives.
• She amplifies enthusiasm.
• She legitimizes participation socially.

Where Shizune creates structure, Misha creates atmosphere.

From a Social Influence perspective, Misha embodies referent power, which is compliance gained through warmth and identification. Her legitimacy makes Shizune’s more coercive directives sustainable.

When Shizune overlooks that relational labor, it highlights a distinction:
Influencing behavior is not the same as recognizing contribution (participation; creating a rift).

On Friendship (General):

"The world would be a different place without you or me but who else would realize it?"

This line reinforces a central concept of Social Influence Theory: influence is often incremental and unnoticed in real time.

Daily behavioral adjustments accumulate:

• Schedules change.
• Habits shift.
• Expectations recalibrate.

In the good ending, we have increased participation and contribution from Shizune and Misha through Hisao.

Shizune alters environments and structures.
Misha alters tone and perception.

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.

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!

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.

>