Re: Why the hate for Shizune ??
Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:40 pm
Wow; this topic stirred up quite the discussion! After reading everyone's points, but not finding one that quite matched my thoughts, I think I'll jump in, at the risk of creating a potentially disruptive set of ripples.
Being a rather industrious and goal-oriented guy, I began Hakamichi Shizune's arc feeling pretty excited. I'm not a particularly outgoing individual, nor am I all that competitive, but the idea of working hard to accomplish something for the benefit of everyone is a rather significant part of who I am. And, of course, her route was generally pleasing. More specifically, the changes that arose in Hisao were the most admirable I had seen out of all five story arcs. He became a fine and well-adjusted (for the most part) individual who was capable of not only living a stable, productive life within Yamaku, but doing so outside in the real world, as well. Similarly, I found Shizune's childish and carefree 'games' to be quite endearing, and her seriousness regarding work ethics did not hurt at all .
What turned me off about her, however, was the way she regarded other individuals. Yes, she stated that she cared for others, and even worked superficially to try and help them. When it came to the bottom line, however, she expected others to adapt to her, rather than changing her tactics or attitude even a little to work toward a better situation for all involved. It was very easy to see that at least a little of her father's arrogance had rubbed off, and unfortunately, that's just one of those automatic turn-off traits for me. In fact, I believe it was hinted that she didn't even acknowledge that she did this; she is described as being incapable of understanding any approach to problem-solving other than her own. This, when combined with her selfish desire for competition, puts some of her otherwise positive accomplishments in a different light.
What this all boils down to, I think, is a mixture of personal preference and literary interpretation. We all have different lists and priorities of personality traits we enjoy in individuals; as such, we tend to have different opinions about different people. Furthermore, since we don't share the same mindset, we will undoubtedly paint the words written in this story differently, either because of bias or lack thereof. But that's cool. Many of us have found a story to which we can truly connect in Katawa Shoujo. And I think that's the important part.
As an aside, I personally preferred Hanako's story arc, both because of Ms. Ikezawa's personality traits and simply because her history mirrored my own life's story so closely that I was brought to tears. To me, it was somehow indescribably comforting to see that, whether by happenstance storytelling or another stranger's experiences, a very important portion of my life was not just my experience, alone, but someone else's, as well. For that, this story will remain forever dear to me.
TL;DR Version: Everyone has differences in opinion; what's important is how awesome Katawa Shoujo, as a whole, turned out to be.
Being a rather industrious and goal-oriented guy, I began Hakamichi Shizune's arc feeling pretty excited. I'm not a particularly outgoing individual, nor am I all that competitive, but the idea of working hard to accomplish something for the benefit of everyone is a rather significant part of who I am. And, of course, her route was generally pleasing. More specifically, the changes that arose in Hisao were the most admirable I had seen out of all five story arcs. He became a fine and well-adjusted (for the most part) individual who was capable of not only living a stable, productive life within Yamaku, but doing so outside in the real world, as well. Similarly, I found Shizune's childish and carefree 'games' to be quite endearing, and her seriousness regarding work ethics did not hurt at all .
What turned me off about her, however, was the way she regarded other individuals. Yes, she stated that she cared for others, and even worked superficially to try and help them. When it came to the bottom line, however, she expected others to adapt to her, rather than changing her tactics or attitude even a little to work toward a better situation for all involved. It was very easy to see that at least a little of her father's arrogance had rubbed off, and unfortunately, that's just one of those automatic turn-off traits for me. In fact, I believe it was hinted that she didn't even acknowledge that she did this; she is described as being incapable of understanding any approach to problem-solving other than her own. This, when combined with her selfish desire for competition, puts some of her otherwise positive accomplishments in a different light.
What this all boils down to, I think, is a mixture of personal preference and literary interpretation. We all have different lists and priorities of personality traits we enjoy in individuals; as such, we tend to have different opinions about different people. Furthermore, since we don't share the same mindset, we will undoubtedly paint the words written in this story differently, either because of bias or lack thereof. But that's cool. Many of us have found a story to which we can truly connect in Katawa Shoujo. And I think that's the important part.
As an aside, I personally preferred Hanako's story arc, both because of Ms. Ikezawa's personality traits and simply because her history mirrored my own life's story so closely that I was brought to tears. To me, it was somehow indescribably comforting to see that, whether by happenstance storytelling or another stranger's experiences, a very important portion of my life was not just my experience, alone, but someone else's, as well. For that, this story will remain forever dear to me.
TL;DR Version: Everyone has differences in opinion; what's important is how awesome Katawa Shoujo, as a whole, turned out to be.