Kana: Little Sister

Template:Short description Template:Main other{{#invoke:infobox|infoboxTemplate | child = | subbox = | bodyclass = ib-video-game hproduct {{#ifeq:|yes|collapsible {{#if:|{{{state}}}|autocollapse}}}} | templatestyles = Infobox video game/styles.css | aboveclass = fn | italic title =

| above = Kana: Little Sister

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| label2 = DeveloperTemplate:Pluralize from text | data2 = D.O.

| label3 = PublisherTemplate:Pluralize from text | data3 = Template:Vgrelease

| label4 = DirectorTemplate:Pluralize from text | data4 = Takahiro Yatabe

| label5 = ProducerTemplate:Pluralize from text | data5 = Ryūichirō Fujisawa

| label6 = DesignerTemplate:Pluralize from text | data6 = Takahiro Yatabe
Tomoyuki Iguchi

| label7 = ProgrammerTemplate:Pluralize from text | data7 = Takahide Kojima

| label8 = ArtistTemplate:Pluralize from text | data8 =

| label9 = WriterTemplate:Pluralize from text | data9 = Romeo Tanaka (under pseudonym Hajime Yamada)

| label10 = ComposerTemplate:Pluralize from text | data10 = Hechima
Hideki Takahashi

| label11 = Series | data11 = Template:If first display both

| label12 = Engine | data12 = Template:If first display both

| label13 = PlatformTemplate:Pluralize from text | data13 = Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, PlayStation Portable

| label14 = Release | data14 = Microsoft WindowsTemplate:VgreleaseMac OSTemplate:VgreleasePlayStation PortableTemplate:Vgrelease

| label15 = GenreTemplate:Pluralize from text | data15 = Eroge, visual novel

| label16 = ModeTemplate:Pluralize from text | data16 = Single player

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}}Template:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|ignoreblank=1|preview=Page using Template:Infobox video game with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"| alt | arcade system | artist | caption | border | child | collapsible | commons | composer | designer | developer | director | embedded | engine | fetchwikidata | genre | image | image_size | image_upright | italic title | modes | noicon | onlysourced | platform | platforms | producer | programmer | publisher | qid | refs | release | released | series | state | subbox | suppressfields | title | writer }}Template:Main other{{#if:kana cover.jpg|}} Template:Nihongo, is a Japanese visual novel originally developed and released by D.O. in 1999. Template:Ill translated and published the English version in 2002.<ref name="Alexander"/>

Kana: Little Sister has received widespread attention from the eroge player community. The plot was well-received by critics. However, reactions to the endings and the relationship between Takamichi and Kana were mixed.

Gameplay

Kana: Little Sister is a visual novel,<ref name="BugBug58">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="歴史大全">Template:Cite book</ref> which falls into the subgenre of "nakige".<ref name="前田"/><ref name="宮本">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="あの頃のゲーム">Template:Cite news</ref> The player assumes the role of Takamichi Toudou.<ref name="Videogame Cultures">Template:Cite book</ref> Most of the gameplay is spent reading text, representing the story's dialogue.<ref name="注目リリース">Template:Cite news</ref> In the PSP version, the text is accompanied by character sprites, which represent who Takamichi is talking to, over background art.<ref name="注目リリース"/> Throughout the game, the player encounters CG artwork in the story.<ref name="注目リリース"/>

Kana: Little Sister follows a branching plot line with multiple endings, and depending on the decisions that the player makes during the game, the plot will progress in a specific direction.<ref name="Alexander"/><ref name="Galbraith">Template:Cite journal</ref> Being an erotic visual novel, relationships between characters become sexual; this include the sexual relationship between Takamichi and his younger sister Kana Toudou.<ref name="Alexander"/><ref name="Videogame Cultures"/> The game has six different endings.<ref name="歴史大全"/><ref name="Alexander">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Plot

Template:Nihongo suffers a chronic kidney disease that requires her to be hospitalized for long periods of time.<ref name="Taylor">Template:Cite journal</ref> Although her older brother Template:Nihongo resents the resulting diversion of attention from their parents,<ref name="4Gamer.net20100708">Template:Cite news</ref> he changes his attitude towards Kana during a family trip; Kana and her family are separated, so Takamichi must find her in the forest. During the searching process he makes a promise to always will protect Kana no matter what.

Takamichi falls in love with his classmate Template:Nihongo while studying in Year 5, so he writes her a love letter and leaves it on her desk. However, other classmates know about his feelings towards Kashima and start teasing him the next day. He believes that Kashima deliberately showed the love letter to everyone,<ref name="Taylor"/> stops communicating with her until he graduates from high school, and concentrates on looking after his younger sister. Kana relies on her brother for emotional support as she rarely goes back to school.<ref name="4Gamer.net20100708"/>

Kana develops romantic feelings for Takamichi when he graduates from high school. During that same period, Kashima confesses her feelings for Takamichi. At this time, however, Kana's condition deteriorates, and she is given a few months left to live at most. Takamichi begins a relationship with Kashima while studying at university. However, his feelings for Kana begin to bother him, and he becomes aware of the fact that Kana is not related to him by blood. After this, the plot will unfold differently depending on the player's previous choices, and Kana dies in most endings.<ref name="Maniax">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp

Development and release

Kana: Little Sister is the first visual novel developed by D.O.,<ref name="BugBug58"/> and was released for Windows on June 25, 1999.<ref name="BugBug58"/><ref name="前田"/> The game's First Press Limited Edition included a Kana-themed mobile phone charm.<ref name="TG06-133"/> The novel marked Hajime Yamada's debut as a scenario writer.<ref name="前田"/><ref name="あの頃のゲーム"/> Yamada continued to work for D.O. after the game's release, going on to write the scenario for the visual novels Hoshizora ☆ Planet and Family Project. Alongside Kana: Little Sister, these three works became known as "Hajime Yamada Trilogy" by D.O staff.<ref name="宮本"/>

The development team stated in an interview that, despite the "novel-like game" moniker, they still consider Kana: Little Sister a proper game because it allows the player to unravel the story's contents, as other video games do. They also regard games in the visual novel genre as sharing the same advantages as a novel, including the use of an interesting writing style and the involvement of the player's imagination when self-inserting as the protagonist. The team prioritized these aspects of the genre when developing Kana: Little Sister.<ref name="TG06-133">Template:Cite magazine</ref> According to Japanese magazines BugBug and Tech Gian, the novel portrays a feeling of caring for each other that goes beyond "love" or "physical attraction."<ref name="BugBug58"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The team also stated that the game has a gentle atmosphere.<ref name="TG06-133"/>

An email application featuring Kana, where the user was prompted by Kana on-screen when an email was sent, was released on March 17, 2000.<ref name="前田"/> On that same day, a remastered Windows edition of the game was released under the title Template:Nihongo. This new version retains the original story line but features new character designs and full voice acting.<ref name="前田"/> A Mac OS version was subsequently published on June 30, 2000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2003, Panther Software announced plans to release an Xbox port,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which was ultimately cancelled.<ref name="前田">Template:Cite book</ref>

As reported by GNN News and Game Watch in July 2010, Cyber Front announced that the game would be ported to the PlayStation Portable in two different editions, Regular Edition and Limited Edition. The latter was to be bundled with the game's soundtrack and art book.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The PSP version of the game featured the character designs and artwork from the original PC version of the game, although with re-recorded voices and artwork created specifically for it.<ref name="前田"/><ref name="注目リリース"/> Cyber Front released two demo videos in July and August 2010.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Both editions were released on October 7 2010.<ref name="前田"/> An English translation of Kana... Okaeri!! was released in 2015 by JAST USA.Template:Cn

Reception

Kana: Little Sister has received widespread attention from the eroge player community. Some players have registered as bone marrow donors after playing the game.<ref name="前田"/> However, Kazuya Haneda's comment on Bishōjo Games Maniacs indicated that the game has received mixed reviews from players.<ref name="Maniax"/>Template:Rp When the game was released, it quickly became a hot topic on the Internet,<ref name="前田"/> with most online reviews focused on the plot and artwork; other online reviews have accused the game of sexualising minors because of Kana's appearance.<ref name="Videogame Cultures"/> In her Introduction to Cultural Studies on Adult Games, Naoki Miyamoto stated that Kana: Little Sister was considered, along with other games developed by Key, as masterpieces of "nakige" genre during the late 1990s.<ref name="宮本"/>

The plot of Kana: Little Sister was well-received by critics, who felt that it deals with themes such as love, life and family.<ref name="Alexander"/><ref name="歴史大全"/><ref name="ゲーマー第11回">Template:Cite news</ref> Au Yeung Yu Leung of IGN Japan voted the game as the best video game of 1999,<ref name="あの頃のゲーム" /> comparing it to Air, and praised the game for its emotional portrayal of the relationship between Takamichi and Kana, as well as its ability to make one realize the value of life.<ref name="ゲーマー第11回"/> In Complete Work on the History of PC Bishōjo Games this feeling was attributed to all players in general.<ref name="歴史大全"/> The game is known for its "depressing" and "touching" story line.<ref name="Alexander"/><ref name="歴史大全"/><ref name="ゲーマー第11回"/> Pasokon bishōjo gēmu rekishi taizen: 1982-2000 specifically commented that the development of Takamichi and Kana's romantic relationship under their "tragic encounter" was "touching".<ref name="歴史大全"/> In addition to the character's encounters, The EscapistTemplate:'s Leigh Alexander also found "simple empathy" for "well-drawn individuals".<ref name="Alexander"/> Haneda, on the other hand, criticized its setting as "too common", but also praised it for its unexpected mid-to-late development.<ref name="Maniax"/>Template:Rp

Another aspect of Kana: Little Sister that was commended includes the player's empathy. According to Pasokon bishōjo gēmu rekishi taizen: 1982-2000, the player would experience the same psychological pain as Takamichi.<ref name="歴史大全"/> Au Yeung felt that Kana was her real-life younger sister while playing, and attributed this to the plot's focus on Kana.<ref name="ゲーマー第11回"/> In Boku-tachi no bishōjo gēmu Kuronikuru 2, Hiroyuki Maeda surmised that the player's empathy came from the text, especially the psychological description of the characters.<ref name="前田"/>

Critics' responses to the endings and the relationship between Takamichi and Kana were mixed. Alexander said the incest was "handled delicately" in regards to Takamichi and his younger sister's relationship, which distinguishes it from other eroge.<ref name="Alexander"/> Au Yeung criticized the team for setting Kana as an adopted younger sister due to public's perception.<ref name="ゲーマー第11回"/> Regarding the endings, Haneda mentioned the "Recollection" ending as the most touching, and felt that the ending where Kana survives became meaningful only after completing the other endings.<ref name="Maniax"/>Template:Rp Au Yeung, however, criticized the latter, calling it "unnatural" compared to the other endings as there's no explanation of Kana's miraculous recovery.<ref name="ゲーマー第11回"/>

See also

• Autumn in My Heart, a South Korean romantic television drama with a similar theme to Kana: Little Sister.

External links

• G-Collections.com - developers of the English-language translation
• Template:Moby game
• Template:Vndb