View RSS Feed

Karifean's Blog of Visual Novels

Katawa Shoujo: Rin Tezuka's Route Thoughts

Rate this Entry

Going through the visual novel once more from the very beginning, I ended up simply picking the exact opposite choices I picked the first time, and I ended up on Rin's route. Which was perfectly fine with me because it was a route I was interested in seeing how it would play out.

Rin is difficult to describe. The prime adjective that comes to mind is "different". She reacts to situations differently than one would expect, she thinks differently than one might assume and interacting with her is different from any other person.

Much of Rin's route is centered around this. Rin tries expressing herself in a manner of different ways, but since she just communicates and thinks on a completely different wavelength than literally everyone else, things do not work out that well. How do you talk if there are no words to get across what you really want to say?

Naturally the rest of this post will contain spoilers for Rin's route, but I find it difficult to explain or express what it is about in the first place, and there's very little plot in Rin's route overall. It's a very slow-paced, character- and interaction-focused plotline. There is not much to spoil.



A huge gap lies between Rin and everyone else.

The focus of Rin's route is the relationship between her and Hisao. Hisao has his own preconceptions, or rather norms, about what a 'friend' or 'lover' is, but what Rin wants or needs isn't really either of those in particular. Again and again is Hisao met with sadness when he realizes that Rin is just too much of an enigma for him to grasp. He cannot understand her, and honestly, I cannot either. I feel like I got a glimpse of what she is like, not more. Sure, Rin is as human as anyone else and she has motivations, a worldview, preconceptions, but they are difficult to grasp - and for her, to convey. In the end, that is what Rin's route comes down to - an attempt at understanding this girl.

Of course Rin wants to be understood; or should I say she wants people to 'see' 'her'. That is part of her motivation in being a painter. For the most part she simply took up painting for no particular reason, just because she could and it was there. But another reason for her to paint is to express herself. She hopes that someone might see her through her paintings. Naturally, it doesn't go quite that well.



Understanding someone truly is an impossibility.

By the end of the route it does feel like Hisao and Rin have gained some sort of an understanding, even if it is not what Rin had wished for. But finally, that is okay even for her. She is fine with what they have.

I'm sorry that I couldn't seem to make even one concrete statement in this entire post, but Rin's route just defies explaining. Even I couldn't begin to say I understood it/her. I gladly invite you to see how well you do at reading difficult-to-read people.

So what did I think of her route? Honestly, up until Act 4 it was boring as all hell. Essentially nothing happens. But at that turning point it gets somewhat of an intruiging and interesting air to it. As bad as I am at it I found it interesting to try to understand Rin and how she thinks/feels/acts. The interactions with Hisao to that end were well-written and believable. Also, I didn't think I'd ever say this, but the H Scenes were actually well executed as well and provide some further (much needed) insight into Rin's character.

I kinda wish that there had been a perspective switch to Rin's point of view at some point. Would have been immensely helpful in getting an idea. But then, isn't that just what Rin's route is about? Understanding her - from an outside perspective?

Damn it. I swear I'll collect my thoughts more before I cover the next route.

Comments