Namida Side Stories: Katekyo's first date

The way I wanted to strangle Lara as if I were Homer Simpson

God, this was so heartbreaking but I'm happy that Katekyo ended up realizing he's not broken and that he's completely valid. While I'm not sex-repulsed like him, I could still relate a lot to many of his feelings; like how he mentioned giving grandchildren to his parents, people asking REALLY intrusive questions and think it's completely okay, or someone saying it's weird that he hasn't dated anyone despite his age... it all hit very close to home. 

I'm so glad this game exist 'cause it shows REALLY WELL just how much acephobia there is in the world and how some comments/question might not seem like a "big deal" to the people who say/ask them but they ARE a big deal to the ace-spec person receiving them.

I hope Katekyo can be happy with himself as he is and stop trying to please his parents instead of doing what he wants 🫂

regina lara george...may both sides of her pillow be warm for as long as she lives

Just finished playing this game, it was lovely!

As an ace, I could relate to quite a few of Katekyo's thoughts. Finding baked goods more attractive than another person? Of course! There's nothing quite a delicious pastry! I found his love for baking absolutely adorable, and I'd love to learn more about Katekyo himself.

As for the girl... I already knew I was meant to hate her, but man, that hate just kept on growing everytime she spoke. While I've never had any experiences of the sort myself (never went on dates either and I'm 23 :P) I've heard of many ace experiences similar to this. It may be something I'm aware of, but this is a good way to show it to people who perhaps haven't thought of the consequences of their words, of how some people may feel.

ALSO almost forgot to say, I love Katekyo's eye color. It's lovely!

Anyway, loved the story, and wish the best for Katekyo, please let him be happy!!!

(repeating my rating rambles because you deserve more comments)

Play this game then read this review! 

(Spoilers below) 👇 

I recorded myself playing it initially and will send that to you! I fucking adored this game so much! It was so smart how you tackled this topic that means so much to you in a brilliant way! It’s like the epitome of asexual based story telling and if anyone ever as ever confused about it, I’d simply have to link them to your game!

I see now why Katekyo is on it your favorite characters! Cause now he’s one of mine 🥹 

Lara *shakes fist* LARA!!! So cute but so evil man- like she feels so real, but like- ughhhh

Musicccc greatly picked as always! I adore their character designs so much, some of my favorites from you with Amanda, Peter, and Chloe’

GUI so so niceeeee 💜

But the writing the writing AHHHHHHHH one of my favorites! Like genuinely, the realism, the comedy, and the analogies and internal dialogue just. So. Much. Yes. 

I said so much of what I wanted to say in the video but please please please, anyone reading this okay the game! And rate it 😉.

Wow, this made me sad and uncomfy. Poor Katekyo.😞

The thing that strikes me the most about this is Katekyo's need to conform and to be 'normal' by society's standards. It's just heartbreaking to see him go against his own wishes to please everyone else and fulfill the 'duties' he believes he has because of cultural programming. (and personally, the grandchildren thing is grating on me the most; nobody is entitled to grandchildren ffs ghghhgshsjsl)

And though Lara's comments and questions made me super uncomfortable, it was refreshing (and surprising!) to see Katekyo turn the tables on her. You managed to pinpoint the double standards and the hypocrisy surrounding men's and women's past experiences when it comes to dating. Plus, Lara's reaction to having the same level of nastiness thrown back at her was spot on. 👌

It was an emotional experience overall, so great job! I sincerely hope Katekyo finds happiness on his own terms in the future. 💜

I could write a longer review but all I want to say is: chouquettes, more like, I want to cho-ke her, congrats for making me feel hatred towards a character like this because I tend to try and sympathize with characters most of the time and here, there was no way to do so

I love this a lot. The music is so relaxing, the word choice and overall tone is great. And oh my God Katekyo is adorable. I love that he calls his mum "mummy". Very Sweet!

P.S. I'm awfully sorry about the Twitter suspension. Hopefully they can sort that nonsense out soon. Chattercap was kind enough to link me to your Itch 

BOOOOOOO HISSSSSSSSS

This could only be called the Worst First Date Ever! For a person who was already struggling with his identity such as Katekyo, this was truly nightmarish...Somehow this was so much worse than what I expected, but also...I'm crying because Lara's sentiments are SO accurate (sadly). I think that a lot of people do feel that way; they just don't voice them nearly as brazenly (most of them...) Seeing Katekyo struggle so much with Lara's words, knowing that he was ALREADY struggling before that point, was very heartbreaking to watch!

The music is well-chosen, and it fits the tone of each scene. (The menu animation was great, even better than in Out of the Suitcase!) The art is GORGEOUS, and I loved the vibrantly chosen colors and the expressions (Katekyo's increasingly flustered faces were, while upsetting, also very adorable). The composition and colors of the cafe scene were on point, with the sprite and background melding perfectly together. The highlight was definitely the animated sequence at the end during Katekyo's breakdown, before he discovers the website! The combination of hand-drawn illustrations/rotating pictures really gave weight to the depths of Katekyo's despair! 

Although this is a prequel, it's a self-contained story with a satisfying arc! Though Katekyo hasn't quite processed his identity at this point, he's on a good path. However, I also think that this drops quite a few interesting tidbits that might be explored in the full Namida game, and I'm looking forward to seeing the continuation of Katekyo's story!

Overall - great game, and great ace rep!!!! 

The realisation scene was really cool!! the ominous ending too! And the tittle screen is so cute!!!!!

Katekyo made think of myself a little with the "pfffff, I'm not ace I just never found someone sexy in my life..." lucky for me I never felt "broken" for it but, being seen as a woman in my day to day (even if I don't fully identify as one) makes my disinterest a """""virtue""""" and not a """""flaw""""" (always found that difference so weird and dumb) like "wuo! You are so great and pure for not caring" it's so "ok?????????????????"

It was really interestig to see that dichotomy in a way and how it can be really unconfortable in diffent but similar ways in the end people asuming and expecting stuff from you because it's "the normal" and then being treated like some sort of spectacle for deviating from de norm is... well it can really suck

In that, the whole date made me think of a visit to a doctor that I had, he spend half of the appointment congratulating me for "not being like those other girls" and the other half telling me that I NEDED  a boyfriend and to have a child "before is too late" I found it so absurd and out of touch that it ended up being kinda funny.

But sorry, I liked Lara, she made me laugh so much with her bad takes and intrusive questions (would hate to spend time with her in real life but maybe in retrospective would remember our encounter as something kind of funny like that doctors appointment)

Soooo.............

Sitting here crying LOL

Thanks for that /j

This hit me pretty hard. Though I never had a first date like this, as someone who never actually "dated" and didn't find a partner until, well, let's just say a good while into my life and who got made fun of a number of times for not having kissed anyone (or more than that) "at my age," I related to Katekyo more than I can say. Particularly the realization afterwards, the attempt to refute it -- because it can't be true, right?? -- to the research and posting on forums about it (AVEN), to the acceptance that you know what, that actually makes sense, and the eventual relief and comfort I found from it (for me personally, figuring things out made it so I didn't have to assume/accept I'd have to do certain things with a partner, which provided me comfort as before that I had always assumed it was inevitable no matter what somehow LOL).

Ehhh... anyway. Didn't mean to ramble on so much but just wanted to show how much I could put myself in his shoes and then why there were tears running down my face in the part where Katekyo was having his realization/denial panic moment.

Lara made me want to scream. And it's not even just like, her as a character, but the fact that so many people think like this that I think is what really gets me. So having so many her comments just stark and out in the open like that really cut into me. Like, even just from the very beginning -- Katekyo feeling uncomfortable because of the way he knows she's looking at him and the sexualizing comments she's making were already sending uncomfortable shivers up my spine as I feel similarly in that just knowing that someone is looking and thinking about me in a sexualized way unsettles me to the core. You did a really good job of writing a scene that would make an ace person want to shrivel up and die LKAJDLFKASDF I really enjoyed when Katekyo finally shot back at her with his own insensitive and demanding questions. I could probably never have done this myself in a situation like that, so it felt incredibly empowering and I enjoyed getting to feel like Katekyo (and I) had regained some of his agency in the end at least.

GOD SHE MAKES MY BLOOD BOIL THOUGH.

Guh...

Going back to the whole realization/denial scene, that was so well done. With the sprites and the expressions and the animation and everything. It was incredibly intense, especially as I was already overwhelmed by the whole experience, so it really hammered it home. You're really good at directing those kinds of "jolt" scenes that cut straight into some kind of intense emotion and really make you feel it as the player (similar to those scenes in High School Lolita).

Mmm. OK finally my heart has started to calm down a bit LOL I had to just kinda sit there and stare at the title screen after it was done before I was able to write this LOL And now writing this has helped me work through my feelings LKAJDLFKASJDF Anyway, this was wonderfully done. I MEAN SUPER INTENSE. But really well done. And also I'm really excited and curious to learn more about Katekyo!! I feel like we have a lot in common LAKJDLFKSD