Disturbing Questions about Yamaku

[Fyn]

After my tragic thread, it seems inappropriate to start another one immediately, but whatever. Alright, my story is this. While replaying Act 1, I started to notice some small things in Yamaku that made me question its origin and its goal. And every question disturbs me so much I decided to share it.

1. How did it happened that there was so many disabled students?
-School for the disabled are popular schools that is often founded by charities and government. But the last time I check, it doesn’t have much students. In fact, within 5 towns that surrounds my area, we only have 2 special education schools. One shutdown due to lack of students, while the other was an extension of a public school. And they still have so few students that they uses only 2 rooms when they have 5. (I know this because I once had a blind friend who introduced me to braille)
And let me tell you that in a SPED, they combine every grade, no matter how old. You will be thought in the same way. In Yamaku however, they have enough disabled teenagers to arrange them by their disabilities, room by room, distributing more than 15 disabled each. And we do not even know how many has already graduated or transferred. Not to mention, everyone is a teenager!

It was said that Yamaku accepts normal students like Misha, but if that’s so, then why did Mutou and Yuko said “Everyone here has their own disabilities” (not canon script, but you get the point)

2. Is it just me or Hisao’s parents forced him to enter Yamaku?
-Having a bedridden love one is a very bad experience. When that happens, you ensure that they are still happy despite their state. And what can be a better present than some news that they can get a chance to enjoy their youth that is being waste. But to bring a 6 month bedridden patient into a new school will be a decision so big you will have to consult the person involve.
And when they revealed the news to Hisao, they said it like it was the answer for everything, They never ask if Hisao is in favor of it. Something’s fishy here, it appears like they were removing Hisao from their sight. And during the first day, they never bother to take him to school personally nor try to wait for him to return to the dorm room to provide an appropriate goodbye. This is just so weird

3. Is it just me or the capability of the school clinic seems inefficient?
-Right from the start, Hisao noticed the above normal amount of apparatuses in the clinic. But he never questioned how many nurses there are. Yamaku houses teenagers afflicted with varing degrees of disabilities. From simple diabetics to the most fatal such as Hisao’s case. They are handling the most fragile humans on the face of the planet. Surely they must be prepared for anything right? Well, no.
As stroke and heart attacks can occur anytime, the school must have enough security guards and CCTV cameras to keep an eye on every students on the line. Yet Hisao can enter the girls dorm without any effort. And in Lilys arc, he gets to spend the night inside a girls room with 2 babes. And when he got out the next morning, one has seen him but no one seemed to care. Seem like the guards are slacking off, huh? Well, it gets worse
In Hanako’s Arc, after her advance birthday celebration, Hisao had too much hangover that he had to skip classes. And it was too much that when Shizune and Misha came banging on his door, he was unable to answer it. And after some long minutes, they both left the scene. This is just so wrong!
Have they forgotten that Hisao has a heart problem? Had they never thought of the possibility that he could be dead? But Mutou never reported his absentee and no one broke down his door. Then, as if adding insult to injury, when you return back to school the next day, every classmate and even Mutou himself greeted you with a wide smile.
1 word: TERRIFIYING. Shizune and Misha said that they noticed how Lily and Hanako were also absent but that was all that they said. It doesn’t seem like they know about their violations of the school rule though. I feel like “some wise person” made it look like that the 3 of you were out for on a group date so no one bother to pay your rooms another visit. Which creeps me further
Another thing to notice about the school is the lack of transportation. The school clinic maybe above average but it is still just a clinic. It is powerless against the most extreme cases that can occur any minute (e.g Hisao’s pacemaker malfunctioning) In cases as that, you will need to be transported to the hospital. But bad news, the town was said to be peaceful and quiet, which means that big sources of income such as malls and hospitals are not in downtown.
Calling a taxi is a bad idea as it is always late. Your only hope is for the school to have its own high-speed car. But unfortunately, you are safer to walk as I realized something about the nurse.

4. Am I the only one who’s afraid of the nurse?
- Right from the first meeting, I perceived the Nurse as friendly, humorous and caring of his patients. As what his wiki says. But on the second meeting, I sensed the negative signs. His smile that never falters no matter how dread the situation. His theme whose title means “Confusion” and his dry humor…its just creepy. My friendly advice: Stay away from the clinic!
Why? Because haven’t you noticed that when he met you the second time, he told you to do some exercise. And not just some light hearted walks, he wants you to run in the track. What the hell, you cannot even have sex without having the risk of an attack buthewants you to dig your own grave?
And there is still space to make it more frightening. He paired you with Emi, the schools star runner. He believes that you don’t want your manly pride to be stained. He wants you to compete with Emi and dance with the devil. He wants you to run to death. And once you did, its game over.
Well, that was his plan. When you survive, cant you see the disappointment in his eyes? He never even called your parents about your condition. Be warned, he is always watching you. He said it himself that he has Emi as his spy but there could be more. He must have tricked Emi into thinking that your heart can be cured by doing exercise, proven by how she said “A death experience is not an excuse for skipping training”.
Keni’s madness and Yuko’s nervousness can be possible signs that they had been to the clinic at least once. Kenji was a victim of the nurse female assistants. Yuko was a witness who flees to Shanghai for safety but not too far to arouse suspicion. The Nurse said that the school clinic cannot do a lot of things like brain surgery. But can you trust someone who wont even tell his name? I wont be surprised if his name can translate to 666.

This list would have gone longer if I finished the game first, But oh well, the hunter who hunts 2 rabbits catches none.

[Fyn]

My Fan theory. (This is just a fan theory, do not take it too seriously.)

Based on the 1st question, I believe that an accident once happened in Japan. An accident that released a virus that can mutate the genes of further generations (Rin, Lily and Shizune’s defect were from birth) Out of concern, the government founded Yamaku as an instate for the outrageously growing number of disabled children. Or at least it pretended to be.
Outside, it was a school of noble cause. Inside, it aims to eliminate those who are positive of the virus to avoid further spread. They do not want to look murderous so they build Yamaku in a place isolated from wandering eyes. Hisao was among the unfortunate ones to be tested positive. The government must have had a talk with his parents who agreed in signing his death warrant. Every corner hides death, every shadow has it blade. They aim to kill you without arousing the public
The nurse was the officer in charge of the death of every student. And it was his style to drive them to their own death rather than using poisons. But he has a brotherly relationship with Emi, and if you take Emi’s route, he will remove you from his list as he worries that your death can drive Rin to further grief. Besides, with Emi’s adventurous personality, it is obvious that your lifespan has decreased
The nightmare attacks that Hisaos experiences were no side effects, it was the school ghosts haunting him to flee. Kenji’s attachment to you was is way of making you feel safe without realizing that he is also an agent of the Nurse. He whiskey and pretzels was his attempt at testing your hearts tolerance to strong liquors. Your death by falling was a pleasant surprise for him
I repeat, this is just a fan theory, do not take it too seriously

[Xanatos]

This isn't the fanfiction forum...

1. It's the premise of the game. Quit overthinking it.

2. Probably. They're parents. All parents force their kids to do stuff.

3. They don't need security guards or cameras. This isn't a prison. And most people aren't paranoid or dumb enough to immediately assume 'absent student' equals "HE'S DEAD!"

4. That's all you. There is nothing at all wrong with Nurse. What the hell is wrong with you? Humor is creepy? Smiling is bad? You must live an awful life.

[win746]

You sound just like Kenji.

[Steinherz]

You sound just like Kenji.

Ok, I wasn't the only one who thought this.

[Xanatos]

Kenji makes more sense.

[win746]

Kenji makes more sense.

Okay, OP is worse than Kenji.

On an off-topic note, your profile picture is extremely disturbing. I think I've seen it on Shimmie before.........

[Xanatos]

Kenji makes more sense.

Okay, OP is worse than Kenji.

On an off-topic note, your profile picture is extremely disturbing. I think I've seen it on Shimmie before.........

There's a version of it there, yes. I edited it and placed it over Shizune's good end scene because...Well, it's explained in the Shizune Arc thread.

[Fyn]

This isn't the fanfiction forum...

-Well, this isnt a fanfic either

1. It's the premise of the game. Quit overthinking it.

- Dont be so prank, you will depress me. LEts have a debate about pointless matters once in a while

3. They don't need security guards or cameras. This isn't a prison. And most people aren't paranoid or dumb enough to immediately assume 'absent student' equals "HE'S DEAD!"

- Dude every hospital doctors and nurses do some rounds to check on students. Isnt Yamaku a hospital already?

4. That's all you. There is nothing at all wrong with Nurse. What the hell is wrong with you? Humor is creepy? Smiling is bad? You must live an awful life.

- Still doesnt explain why he wants you to exercise heavily. Also, have you heard of the proverb "Beware of the nice ones"

[Fyn]

Kenji makes more sense.

Well thats just rude, excuse me while I go to my sad emo box

[Guest Poster]

- Dude every hospital doctors and nurses do some rounds to check on students. Isnt Yamaku a hospital already?

No it isn't. It's a boarding school with a on-site nursing staff. It's main purpose is teaching students how to adapt and cope with their condition properly and come out as productive members of society. Most students don't need constant surveillance.

- Still doesnt explain why he wants you to exercise heavily. Also, have you heard of the proverb "Beware of the nice ones"

He doesn't want you to exercise heavily. Try exercizing heavily and see what happens. He wants you to build up your stamina because after half a year in the hospital, Hisao is extremely fragile. The guy gets winded just by tossing a few balls at a pile of cans/bottles at the start. The point is to get him enough in shape so he can handle moderate physical activity without keeling over dead. Also, "Beware the nice ones" doesn't mean every person who acts nice has a hidden agenda. At least, most people don't interpret it that way.

Also, maybe you SHOULD finish the game. As in, 100%. THEN you can focus on the other rabbit.

[FoxtrotZero]

1. How did it happened that there was so many disabled students?
I think to a degree we need suspension of disbelief here. Obviously, Yamaku isn't real. It's also not based on a real school (well, the shots are taken from Brown University, in Rhode Island, which I wish would stop sending me mail because I'm not considering out-of-state colleges). But also, Yamaku isn't a state-sponsored school. It's a privately funded university, hence why it's actually quite nice. It probably has students from all across Japan - and indeed, it probably has more foreign students than most schools. As for non-disabled students, they're very much the exception, not the norm. Misha is the only non-disabled student in the class, and one of the few in the entire school.

2. Is it just me or Hisao’s parents forced him to enter Yamaku?
The Devs did a lot to try to keep parents out of the picture. In Hisao's case, they didn't do too bad, suggesting that his parents were always fairly busy, so he has an independent lifestyle, but never that they didn't care. While their actions might be a bit overprotective or inconsiderate, Hisao would have a lot of trouble at any normal school - And I'm not going to get into the psychological stuff, I mean literally, if he had another episode, in any place other than Yamaku he'd have seriously diminished chances of receiving proper care in time. Again, though, we're really just not expected to think about it quite that much - obviously, Hisao had to go to Yamaku or we really wouldn't have a story, now would we?

3. Is it just me or the capability of the school clinic seems inefficient?
You seem to be under the impression that students are constantly monitored for things going wrong. That's not how it works. The advantage of the medical staff is twofold - one, that by being so close, they can provide medical response faster or as fast as any hospital, and two, by actively checking up on students (in Rin's route, Hisao saw Nurse every other monday - in Emi's, every morning). Admittedly, the lenience some students are given with skipping classes is unrealistic, but I happen to know this is lampshaded in one route (where Hisao says something along the lines of "I should probably go to class, lest some EMTs break down my door thinking I've suffered another heart attack). Lampshading is basically the same as saying "yeah, we know, ignore it". It all comes down to plot devices. Likewise, illness happens, and with students like Lilly and Rin, nobody is going to break down their door wondering if they've died in the middle of the night, because their conditions don't really lend themselves to that happening. Also, the town Yamaku is on the outskirts of is pretty laid back, but it's also something like twenty minutes by bus to a major city (probably Sendai, but that's never outright stated), which isn't extremely far for an average ambulance ride. (Also, Hisao isn't on a pacemaker).

4. Am I the only one who’s afraid of the nurse?
You're overthinking this. Nurse is a young and charismatic medical professional. He knows what he's doing when he tells Hisao to get exercise, and when Hisao gets his exercise, he certainly doesn't notice his health getting worse (I should point out, when Hisao opens up on the track at the beginning of Emi's story, both Emi and Nurse chastise him for overexerting himself). Nurse is the head of staff for the clinic at Yamaku, and while it might not be the most realistic that he's personally checking up on Hisao and Emi (after all, he heads an entire staff), this was probably done because he's an enjoyable character. Some students are notably strongheaded - Hisao basically doesn't get his prescribed exercise outside of Emi's route - and it makes sense that he'd use the resources available to him - including other students - to make sure those under his care are following the doctor's orders, as it were. It's all in the best interest of the health of Yamaku's students.

My reccomendation is that you try to enjoy the rest of Katawa Shoujo without overthinking every little thing. You'll ruin it for yourself that way, and that would be a tradgedy.

[Guest Poster]

But probably pretty interesting for some of us on the forum.

[Fyn]

No it isn't. It's a boarding school with a on-site nursing staff. It's main purpose is teaching students how to adapt and cope with their condition properly and come out as productive members of society. Most students don't need constant surveillance.

Hisao needs constant surveliance though. And im sure that they have worse cases than his. Not providing enough security is just the same as arranging them for their deaths.

He doesn't want you to exercise heavily. Try exercizing heavily and see what happens. He wants you to build up your stamina because after half a year in the hospital, Hisao is extremely fragile. The guy gets winded just by tossing a few balls at a pile of cans/bottles at the start. The point is to get him enough in shape so he can handle moderate physical activity without keeling over dead. Also, "Beware the nice ones" doesn't mean every person who acts nice has a hidden agenda. At least, most people don't interpret it that way

Excercises for coma patients are meant to set their nerves going again. Running is not one of them as it can produce shock than recovery. Also, Hisao was bed ridden, and not a coma patient. He said that he always walk around in the hospital library. If its stamina that Hisao needed, then he can only have miles of walks. Hell, Emi even allowed him to run without warm ups (that can break the nerves if your unlucky). Proving that the nurse never warned her of how fragile Hisao's condition is
Also, It was proven that being too nice equates danger

[KeiichiO]

The Nurse is such a fun loving guy! Although, he does come off as someone who'd like little boys...