Kana Little Sister

"A fair review on Kana."

Many of you must remember the first time you play this game. What you thought was an H-game turn out to be something else. Anyway, I'm not here to talk about that. Kana itself is quite old now (I'm talking about the game, silly), but it's still fun to play nevertheless. Some of you may like this game very much, and some of you may not. Whatever you may think about the game, this review is unbiased. This is a fair review from me, for Kana. Enjoy.

Graphics >>[8/10]
Well, it IS an H-game. You know what to expect. Whether you like the graphic or not, it depends entirely on your "taste".

That's all I have to say.

Sound >>[8/10]
The sound is okay, I guess. The background music and sound effect is nothing special, but they get the job done. It's good to hear when you're playing the game. And they tend to be quite emotional.

Some of the songs are sung (in Japanese, of course). Too bad the characters' speeches are not vocalized. I would like to hear Kana's voice, for instance. Mmm, I guess it's an older game.

A deduction in score is because, well….. I think it could've been a lot better. Kana only takes about 280 MB from 700 MB (in a CD). I figure that they can use the free space for more music, and perhaps vocalized some of the characters' speeches. It's good already, nevertheless.

Story >>[9/10]
Kana is famous for its story. It's most likely to be known as a game with good story than a game with good H*****. Anyway, I'm sure you know the story of Kana. I'm just here to give my opinion about the story.

While many people like the story very much, some people may despise it. That depends on your taste, once again. For me myself, I think the story is quite touching, but not necessarily amusing. In fact, the story of Kana centers on death and terminal disease. I don't know why that would be amusing to anyone.

Those who like it, understand the moral of the story. Those who despise it, pity, they don't take Kana for who she is. The story personally teaches me the meaning of strength, love, and never ending hope. Kana tells us about the story of a human, striving for her life, and making whatever left of her life to the fullest. It doesn't have to be sad or anything. What you feel toward the story is what you feel toward those things in the story. Death, love, hope, sadness, happiness. It's amazing how they mix together all these things in Kana.

It's quite complex. No wonder some people who don't understand these things fail to grab the moral of the story.

The characters themselves are quite interesting. There are only a few characters in this game and they all make a strong and lasting impression on your mind. Almost all character in Kana has strong, outstanding personality that separates them from the others. They take their role impressively. Take any of these characters out of the game and it will never be the same anymore.

Well, speaking of which, some people really did cry after they've played this game. It's just what you truly feel for the game, for the story, or maybe for the characters. Personally I don't even shed a tear, but I did get glassy eyes because I'm deeply touched by the story.

In conclusion, what I want to say about the story is that, you get something from this game. I don't know what that is. It may differ from person to person, but I'm sure it'll enrich your life and possibly open your view of the world. Don't be mistaken. Kana does not teach us how to die, but how to live.

Gameplay >>[N/A]
Pretty standard stuff. Most of the time you'll click throughout the game. At some intervals, you'll be given some options. Depend on how you choose, you'll be taken into various parts and possibly affect the ending. Even kids can play this game (make sure they don't!).

Replay Ability >>[8/10]
Kana has a lot of endings. Six of them in total. I guess you'll have fun seeking them all. Take note that you can only uncover all the CG by playing this game several times. It'll most likely take a lot of time. For those of you who can wait to see the endings, Kana also feature a handy "skip out" button to speed up the game.

Fun Factor >>[10/10]
I think I had a lot of fun playing this game. The story is deep yet easy to understand and most of the time I can hardly wait to play the game to the finish. I can never guess what will come next and that's pretty fun.

Overall >>[8/10]
Every once in a time, there's a game that is meant to be remembered for times to come. I think Kana is one of those games. No matter what you think of the game, let me tell you one outstanding fact about Kana. It is an H-game right from the box, and yet, it's never played for its "H" factors. And that, is completely outstanding.

Buy or Rent?
Well, if you think what I've written make any sense to you, buy the game immediately.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/23/06, Updated 03/16/07