Misha's disabillity?

[phantomwolf]

Also, she doesn't have Asperger's. She doesn't even possibly might have Asperger's, she simply doesn't. Diagnosis of Asperger's requires an inability to function in a social environment. It's pretty clear within the first few minutes from Misha's interactions with Shizune and Hisao that she does not have anything resembling major social dysfunction. She does, however, have some obnoxious histrionic personality traits.

While I do agree she doesn't have Asperger's...asperger's isn't an INABILITY to function in a social environment. That's such a ridiculous thing to say, it's like saying someone can't be dyslexic because they aren't incapable of reading. Aspies have difficulties, but it's not a complete inability, and the issues can be overcome with help and training. Asperger's also deals with more than just having social difficulties...rather, it's the issues themselves (ie. obsessiveness, oversensitivity of the senses and emotions, difficulty reading emotions, literal understanding of words) that cause the social difficulties in the first place.

I suspect that it's ADHD. The way Mutou reminded her to keep her "inside voice" reminded me of how those I know with ADHD are dealt with.

[Tezzeret]

Lulzy answer: She's a lesbian

Serious answer: I highly suspect ADHD.

[Palas]

I've been thinking and I concluded that she doesn't have any disability, but does have brain cancer.

It's not only about the symptons in themselves. It's about why they're there. You see, it's funny because Shizune's path is all about A22 telling us there is something wrong with her but not saying what exatcly it is.

It's all a joke the devs played on us, quite like that one about the principal being a professional wrestler. Anyway~! Let's see our evidences that the devs didn't tell us everything:

a) She's the only one who gets sick for no plotwise reason.

Sure, Emi and Rin also do get sick, but it's all for a reason that makes the story advance somehow. Emi's cold is preceded by one of the most important decisions in her route (actually it doesn't make much of a difference, but it's one of the decisions that have to do with the path's main idea the most) and succeeded by her first H-scene. Rin's illness is very alike, except it's just a kiss.. Misha's ailment after the parfait scene doesn't quite lead to Hisao getting closer to Shizune in any way, as far as I can remember and Shizune even tells him there has been more of it. For no particular reason.

b) She's a character with really, really uncommon personal traits.

Whereas the main girls where carefully built in order to avoid stereotypes. Misha is the one whose personality is the furthest from a real, or at least a common person. Either she's some kind of mockery at a particular trope (and then a physiological cause would be perfect for this kind of internal joke) or she's not, but then again it doesn't seem like her weird sleeping habits or her inability to spot Jigoro's - or anyone's - hostility were just there. And don't forget that all of these details were lampshaded, but didn't serve any literary purpose. And I don't think charisma was the aim here, even though it did make me like her even more.

c) They had a professional medical consultant

Or something like that. Aura dixit. This means that they weren't even intending to miss a trick. It's as if everything said and stated has a reason to be so, particularly about medical issues. They wouldn't want to lay out a handful of weird behaviours and say it's a coincidence when asked about it. And, even then, that would make it just another trick. Because that's what they would have wanted us to think. Either way, it's not aimless.

EDIT: In-game, of course, no one knows about it.

[GIRakaCHEEZER]

I thought originally her "disability" was that she was a lesbian, but then it was decided against (for obvious reasons) and now she's only there to become a sign language teacher.

Maybe she's a candidate for Angelman syndrome? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelman_syndrome

[HarvestmanMan]

To everyone who thinks she has Asperger's or another mild mental disability: Why is she at a school for disabled people? She seems to function perfectly fine other than stumbling over long words, loudness, etc.

I read a summary somewhere that mentioned a cancer patient in the game. Am I forgetting someone, or could it be Misha?

[lml99]

Isn't it possible that she just doesn't have a disability? I think that somewhere in the storyline, Misha mentions that non-disabled students can also be admitted to Yamaku. Wasn't there also some part in the (either Hanako or Lilly, I can't remember which) plot where Lilly says that Yamaku accepts all non mental disabilities? I thought that Misha just joined because she chose to be a sign language teacher as a career. She even said that she couldn't afford to attend if she didn't on the roof, since Yamaku had provided a grant to her. if she were really disabled, could she really afford not to go?

[HarvestmanMan]

Isn't it possible that she just doesn't have a disability? I think that somewhere in the storyline, Misha mentions that non-disabled students can also be admitted to Yamaku. Wasn't there also some part in the (either Hanako or Lilly, I can't remember which) plot where Lilly says that Yamaku accepts all non mental disabilities? I thought that Misha just joined because she chose to be a sign language teacher as a career. She even said that she couldn't afford to attend if she didn't on the roof, since Yamaku had provided a grant to her. if she were really disabled, could she really afford not to go?

I was thinking that as well.

I haven't done Shizune's path yet, so forgive me if I'm missing something... Are we ever told how Misha and Shizune know each other? It could be that Misha knew Shizune before they came to Yamaku, and she decided to do translating duty. Or it could be that she was assigned to do as such by the staff of Yamaku.

Like others have said, hopefully some of these things will be addressed in the final version.

[guy37]

I haven't done Shizune's path yet, so forgive me if I'm missing something... Are we ever told how Misha and Shizune know each other? It could be that Misha knew Shizune before they came to Yamaku, and she decided to do translating duty. Or it could be that she was assigned to do as such by the staff of Yamaku.

It's explained near the end in Shizune's path. Shizune was trying to recruit people into the student council and she knew Misha was taking sign language classes. Although Misha wasn't very good at it, Shizune pushed her to try harder.

[Bigbishounen]

I thought originally her "disability" was that she was a lesbian, but then it was decided against (for obvious reasons) and now she's only there to become a sign language teacher.

Maybe she's a candidate for Angelman syndrome? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelman_syndrome

[Libra]

After playing Katawa some more, I don't think Misha is disable at all, I still think she annoying and loud but not disable.

[Daitengu]

Why would people think Misha is slow in the head? Every time she stutters or spells something out it's because she's trying to figure out a word Shizune signed. She is learning sign still, even if she's decent at it.

[Palas]

Why would people think Misha is slow in the head? Every time she stutters or spells something out it's because she's trying to figure out a word Shizune signed. She is learning sign still, even if she's decent at it.

Well, she's kind of unable to spot sarcasm or anger.

[Daitengu]

Why would people think Misha is slow in the head? Every time she stutters or spells something out it's because she's trying to figure out a word Shizune signed. She is learning sign still, even if she's decent at it.

Well, she's kind of unable to spot sarcasm or anger.

I think it's her forced personality or perhaps even because she's trying to translate in real time vs after a sentence was finished. Hard to say.

[Paddy]

As I understand it, having played Emi's Good Route, Shizune's Route, and about midway through Act 2 of Lilly:

1) You don't have to be disabled to go to that school. As Misha herself says (right?) even normal students can go, not that they'd usually want to since a) it's remote from most of "civilization", b) obviously a normal student wouldn't blend in well.
2) Misha is learning how to become a sign language teacher. She went to this school to learn how to do that. Her reason for being here is to learn how to teach sign language.

[newnar]

Mutant Drills