Katawa Shoujo Forums

This is an interesting point.

I believe that giving voices to the characters would add a whole new dimension to the game. I also think that it would be a great idea to have the voices optional. Personally, I would prefer to save shizune's voice for after hisao learns sign language. I think that before that point, it would be better to keep it misha.

Alabaster Usagi wrote: I would prefer to save shizune's voice for after hisao learns sign language. I think that before that point, it would be better to keep it misha.

This. Of course when Misha is translating her voice is the only one we should hear. However it isn't strange for people who can hear and know sign language to actually give a voice to the deaf person (unless they can speak but Shizune doesn't). Hisao actually states at one point that he gives Shizune a voice in his head (although Misha's voice does interrupt him every now and than).
You could make a HUGE thing out of that. When Hisao learns sign language and begins to communicate to Shizune by herself you could give Shizune a voice that comes from Hisao's imagination. However the there will be no consistent voice actor. The voice actor will change according to how Hisao sees Shizune and Hisao's state of mind. For example when Hisao proposes to Shizune and she accept's Hisao could giver her a very sweet and romantic voice that would fit the romantic atmosphere they have. But when Shizune tells him that she is going away in the bad end, Hisao could give her a sad or haughty voice (or perhaps no voice at all for effect) to show how he sees her.
This could add a whole new dimension to Shizune's arc and enrich the story a lot more.

BTW Shizune and Lilly could directly communicate to each other using a computer and a Braille keyboard. There is also tactile sign language and tadoma method among other methods.
Shizune could also learn how to talk and hone her lipreading skills or go for tadoma method to figure out what Lilly is saying. Good thing Misha and Hisao make life easier.

Csihar wrote:That was a little tl;dr for me at this time of morning, but let me just say that I read KS in the different characters' voices (in my head, that is), and Shizune's basically just had a bunch of reverb on it. Actually, I tried a few times to stop reading Shizune's lines in a voice for authenticity's sake, but damn it, I just couldn't do it.

So, uh, for whatever that's worth.

I read Shizune's lines in my own voice (i.e. the neutral "voice" I read regular text in), whereas I had mental voices for the other characters, so make of that what you will.

EDIT: Just realized this is a necro thread; my bad all.