Ask!

[Guest]

Q: I saw this game for sale. Are you selling this now?
A: No. Four Leaf Studios is not charging for Katawa Shoujo, and never will. If you see anyone selling Katawa Shoujo, charging for "official" merchandise, or using game assets in their for-sale items, please report them. Selling fanworks that do not use official content (including the KS logo) and do not pretend to be official is okay.

Does that include if we were to have a custom rendition of one or more of the girls as an album cover? Making KS-inspired music and trying to figure out what to do for a cover.

[SteelSatsuma]

It is in my understanding, and I think I remember Aura saying this, that a KS anime isn't some kind of a dream come true for you guys.
I've thought about it, and I can definitely see why you would say that:

1. It would probably require all of you to get involved in it again, and even taking the back seat in things as a 'consultant' of sorts for a storyline would eat up a lot of time (not to mention, again, the logistics of it all, you all being scattered throughout the world).
2. It would mean handing the reigns over to a studio, and endangering the finished, perfectly rounded up stories by giving creative control to a third party. How can anyone be sure it won't suck, as some adaptations do?
3. The whole headache with making a transition from one medium into another, massive problem.
4. The matter of financing the project: how would it be done? How would the result be distributed? The team has decided to make the game free, but the costs associated with producing a full-blown anime should be quite astronomical, comparatively. The larger the amount of money is involved, the higher are the various risks.

These are the reasons that I can name off the top of my head. I'm sure you've discussed this amongst yourselves, do you think you could add something?

Is there an ideal scenario under which you would agree to go through with the idea? A studio that you think would handle the source material well?

[WinterCrow]

It is in my understanding, and I think I remember Aura saying this, that a KS anime isn't some kind of a dream come true for you guys.
I've thought about it, and I can definitely see why you would say that:

1. It would probably require all of you to get involved in it again, and even taking the back seat in things as a 'consultant' of sorts for a storyline would eat up a lot of time (not to mention, again, the logistics of it all, you all being scattered throughout the world).
2. It would mean handing the reigns over to a studio, and endangering the finished, perfectly rounded up stories by giving creative control to a third party. How can anyone be sure it won't suck, as some adaptations do?
3. The whole headache with making a transition from one medium into another, massive problem.
4. The matter of financing the project: how would it be done? How would the result be distributed? The team has decided to make the game free, but the costs associated with producing a full-blown anime should be quite astronomical, comparatively. The larger the amount of money is involved, the higher are the various risks.

These are the reasons that I can name off the top of my head. I'm sure you've discussed this amongst yourselves, do you think you could add something?

Is there an ideal scenario under which you would agree to go through with the idea? A studio that you think would handle the source material well?

I would add something they've mentioned before. They would need to decide an "Official Storyline" for the anime, which would kill the essence of the game . Not to mention how the writers should feel when facing this choice, since choosing one path means also choosing one writer over the rest. Too many headaches I'd say, and there's always the risk that it will suck, as you said.

[KILLTHIS]

It is in my understanding, and I think I remember Aura saying this, that a KS anime isn't some kind of a dream come true for you guys.
I've thought about it, and I can definitely see why you would say that:

1. It would probably require all of you to get involved in it again, and even taking the back seat in things as a 'consultant' of sorts for a storyline would eat up a lot of time (not to mention, again, the logistics of it all, you all being scattered throughout the world).
2. It would mean handing the reigns over to a studio, and endangering the finished, perfectly rounded up stories by giving creative control to a third party. How can anyone be sure it won't suck, as some adaptations do?
3. The whole headache with making a transition from one medium into another, massive problem.
4. The matter of financing the project: how would it be done? How would the result be distributed? The team has decided to make the game free, but the costs associated with producing a full-blown anime should be quite astronomical, comparatively. The larger the amount of money is involved, the higher are the various risks.

These are the reasons that I can name off the top of my head. I'm sure you've discussed this amongst yourselves, do you think you could add something?

Is there an ideal scenario under which you would agree to go through with the idea? A studio that you think would handle the source material well?

I would add something they've mentioned before. They would need to decide an "Official Storyline" for the anime, which would kill the essence of the game . Not to mention how the writers should feel when facing this choice, since choosing one path means also choosing one writer over the rest. Too many headaches I'd say, and there's always the risk that it will suck, as you said.

Well, I actually like how the stories are related, but I also like it when also Hisao is affected by the path you actually take. And yes, an official storyline would just kill it, so everything's fine here.

[SteelSatsuma]

I would add something they've mentioned before. They would need to decide an "Official Storyline" for the anime, which would kill the essence of the game . Not to mention how the writers should feel when facing this choice, since choosing one path means also choosing one writer over the rest. Too many headaches I'd say, and there's always the risk that it will suck, as you said.

Surely you wouldn't draw it out for more than 25 episodes or so (the standard length, I believe)?
Around 5 episodes per girl would be enough.

[Aura]

It is in my understanding, and I think I remember Aura saying this, that a KS anime isn't some kind of a dream come true for you guys.
I've thought about it, and I can definitely see why you would say that:

1. It would probably require all of you to get involved in it again, and even taking the back seat in things as a 'consultant' of sorts for a storyline would eat up a lot of time (not to mention, again, the logistics of it all, you all being scattered throughout the world).
2. It would mean handing the reigns over to a studio, and endangering the finished, perfectly rounded up stories by giving creative control to a third party. How can anyone be sure it won't suck, as some adaptations do?
3. The whole headache with making a transition from one medium into another, massive problem.
4. The matter of financing the project: how would it be done? How would the result be distributed? The team has decided to make the game free, but the costs associated with producing a full-blown anime should be quite astronomical, comparatively. The larger the amount of money is involved, the higher are the various risks.

These are the reasons that I can name off the top of my head. I'm sure you've discussed this amongst yourselves, do you think you could add something?

Is there an ideal scenario under which you would agree to go through with the idea? A studio that you think would handle the source material well?

All of those reasons are secondary or even irrelevant. The thing is, there's not really much inherent worth in an anime adaptation for us. If some director who we think is cool and figure actually could take KS to the next level through animation wanted to make an adaptation, sure we might agree to that.

[Aura]

I just wanted to thank Aura for creating the character of Rin. While the character interaction in that section of the game was frustrating for me, I found the character herself to be a wonderfully crafted one. It ultimately helped me to get back in touch with some of my own creativity and emotional energy. So thanks n' stuff.

As to a question (and sorry if this was answered), when writing for Hisao in the Rin sections, did you craft his behavior specifically to counter Rin's own idiosyncratic nature, or was it based mostly on a previously designed template for Hisao's personality? Did you perhaps create Rin specifically as someone who you felt Hisao would have a hard time understanding in order to go with the general theme of understanding, or was that aspect more of a coincidence? Something else entirely?

The Hisao in Rin's story has some aspects (that are not as strong in the other stories) that emphasize Rin's personality. The characters are not tailored to the story, nor vice versa, nor is it a coincidence. It's more a kind of a symbiosis that was developed as a one single whole. The characters lend themselves well to a certain kind of story, and the story necessitates certain things of the characters.

[cpl_crud]

About the intimate scene with Hanako and Hisao; what's up with the condom? To be more specific, was Hisao prepared for something like this to happen (which is the last think I would've expected him to be thinking about at that time) or did he just keep one there, just in case? It's not a burning question, but it did make me raise an eyebrow pretty high.

Man, the amount of attention that condom has brought...

I'm not sure about y'all, but we had access to condoms at our school (for seniors, obviously). It was kind of the "done thing" to carry one around "just in case." We also have vending machines in a lot of toilets in Aus. I've seen similar vending machines in Germany as well, so it's not just an Australian thing.

Sure, many of them went unused (or ended up as balloons) but the principle is sound.

Once you start getting to the age where you might be putting your wee-wee into a girl's wee-wee, then it's not such a bad idea to carry one around.

Have kids when you want to have kids. Take this as a lesson from Hisao (and from Lilly too, I guess). Stick a rubber in your wallet today!

[Brogurt]

girl's wee-wee

Does wee-wee mean something different in Australia than it does here in Murrika, or was that a joke?

[Mahorfeus]

I think I liked Suriko's answer better.

Joking aside, I guess I never had that awkward stage where I might just happen to have sex, so my wallet was empty.

[axlryder]

I just wanted to thank Aura for creating the character of Rin. While the character interaction in that section of the game was frustrating for me, I found the character herself to be a wonderfully crafted one. It ultimately helped me to get back in touch with some of my own creativity and emotional energy. So thanks n' stuff.

As to a question (and sorry if this was answered), when writing for Hisao in the Rin sections, did you craft his behavior specifically to counter Rin's own idiosyncratic nature, or was it based mostly on a previously designed template for Hisao's personality? Did you perhaps create Rin specifically as someone who you felt Hisao would have a hard time understanding in order to go with the general theme of understanding, or was that aspect more of a coincidence? Something else entirely?

The Hisao in Rin's story has some aspects (that are not as strong in the other stories) that emphasize Rin's personality. The characters are not tailored to the story, nor vice versa, nor is it a coincidence. It's more a kind of a symbiosis that was developed as a one single whole. The characters lend themselves well to a certain kind of story, and the story necessitates certain things of the characters.

So based off of what you're saying, I'm under the impression that you and the others intentionally crafted the characters to have inherent elements that are drawn out by one another and their environmental pressures based on the different situations they're placed in, thus allowing the characters and story to be mutually complimentary. I'm guessing that the writers all worked pretty closely with one another then.

One last question if it wasn't already answered. Did you find yourself getting emotionally attached to any of the characters, or did you pretty much keep them at arms length throughout the writing process? If the latter is true, did it come naturally, or did you have to force yourself to remain objective?

[mainframe004]

Stick a rubber in your wallet today!

Incidentally, carrying a condom in your wallet for extended periods of time is a bad idea. Your body heat will degrade the integrity of the latex that way.

[BlackWaltzTheThird]

Maybe things are different up Sydney way, but at the high school I went to not once did we ever have 'access' to condoms or any of those vending machine things; I haven't seen any so far at Uni either. I've only ever seen one of those in the toilet in Southern Cross Station. Having now mentioned it... I really should get some. Just in case.

[cpl_crud]

Stick a rubber in your wallet today!

Incidentally, carrying a condom in your wallet for extended periods of time is a bad idea. Your body heat will degrade the integrity of the latex that way.

True enough, but at least you've got a better chance of protection than you did if you had nothing...
Also most of them have expiry dates written on them to prevent such degradation (and lawsuits, I imagine).

Also to the Melbourne guy, this is talking a good 14 years ago. That was when AIDS was still a big deal. Things might have changed now, but I'm pretty sure that most airports, highway petrol stations, and some train stations and pubs have vending machines.

[KILLTHIS]

AIDS is still a big deal, if you ask me - and even other STDs, which aren't that commonly known like Chlamydia infection.
To be precisely that's a thing which happened to me when I was younger and less careful - there's a chance that your Girlfriend or your chosen One night stand might meddled with someone and may not show symptoms herself, but shit's really messed up. No matter what, it's gross, so better protect yourselves.