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On February 12 2012 08:59 SheaR619 wrote:Show nested quote +On February 12 2012 08:09 NationInArms wrote:
Just finished Emi's good ending route. First time ever playing/reading a VN. n_n
I seriously don't know if I want to go through the other routes. Emi the worst wrote lol. It was so bluntly obvious and so anti climatic sadly. I am pretty sure a large majority would say Rin or Hanako is the best arc here. Rin arc was a bit too lengthy though so I had to say Hanako was the best. The tampons scene, is the best scene in the VN lol. For anyone who went down Rin arc knows what I am talking about hahah
...well boop you. I can actually "relate" to Emi since I'm a runner myself. Each to his own.
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On February 12 2012 09:47 NationInArms wrote:Show nested quote +On February 12 2012 08:59 SheaR619 wrote:On February 12 2012 08:09 NationInArms wrote:
Just finished Emi's good ending route. First time ever playing/reading a VN. n_n
I seriously don't know if I want to go through the other routes. Emi the worst wrote lol. It was so bluntly obvious and so anti climatic sadly. I am pretty sure a large majority would say Rin or Hanako is the best arc here. Rin arc was a bit too lengthy though so I had to say Hanako was the best. The tampons scene, is the best scene in the VN lol. For anyone who went down Rin arc knows what I am talking about hahah ...well boop you. I can actually "relate" to Emi since I'm a runner myself. Each to his own.
Well I am just saying overall the quality of the writing seems to be better in Rin and Hanako. Everyone entitled to their own opinion. I havent played Lilly arc or shizune arc so I cant really shouldnt of said which one was worst. I dont have much expectation of Shizune arc as well because she mute and deaf so I think in a way it would lack quality and depths too which is why I pretty much ignored that one. Just from what I have played so far and from what most people opinion that I have listen to in RL and on this forum, it seems to favor Rin and Hanako.
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On February 12 2012 11:09 SheaR619 wrote:Show nested quote +On February 12 2012 09:47 NationInArms wrote:On February 12 2012 08:59 SheaR619 wrote:On February 12 2012 08:09 NationInArms wrote:
Just finished Emi's good ending route. First time ever playing/reading a VN. n_n
I seriously don't know if I want to go through the other routes. Emi the worst wrote lol. It was so bluntly obvious and so anti climatic sadly. I am pretty sure a large majority would say Rin or Hanako is the best arc here. Rin arc was a bit too lengthy though so I had to say Hanako was the best. The tampons scene, is the best scene in the VN lol. For anyone who went down Rin arc knows what I am talking about hahah ...well boop you. I can actually "relate" to Emi since I'm a runner myself. Each to his own. Well I am just saying overall the quality of the writing seems to be better in Rin and Hanako. Everyone entitled to their own opinion. I havent played Lilly arc or shizune arc so I cant really shouldnt of said which one was worst. I dont have much expectation of Shizune arc as well because she mute and deaf so I think in a way it would lack quality and depths too which is why I pretty much ignored that one. Just from what I have played so far and from what most people opinion that I have listen to in RL and on this forum, it seems to favor Rin and Hanako.
Have you been on reddit?
KS Quiz:
http://www.sporcle.com/games/crab_legs/feminists_are_everywhere
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On February 12 2012 11:33 NationInArms wrote:Show nested quote +On February 12 2012 11:09 SheaR619 wrote:On February 12 2012 09:47 NationInArms wrote:On February 12 2012 08:59 SheaR619 wrote:On February 12 2012 08:09 NationInArms wrote:
Just finished Emi's good ending route. First time ever playing/reading a VN. n_n
I seriously don't know if I want to go through the other routes. Emi the worst wrote lol. It was so bluntly obvious and so anti climatic sadly. I am pretty sure a large majority would say Rin or Hanako is the best arc here. Rin arc was a bit too lengthy though so I had to say Hanako was the best. The tampons scene, is the best scene in the VN lol. For anyone who went down Rin arc knows what I am talking about hahah ...well boop you. I can actually "relate" to Emi since I'm a runner myself. Each to his own. Well I am just saying overall the quality of the writing seems to be better in Rin and Hanako. Everyone entitled to their own opinion. I havent played Lilly arc or shizune arc so I cant really shouldnt of said which one was worst. I dont have much expectation of Shizune arc as well because she mute and deaf so I think in a way it would lack quality and depths too which is why I pretty much ignored that one. Just from what I have played so far and from what most people opinion that I have listen to in RL and on this forum, it seems to favor Rin and Hanako. Have you been on reddit? KS Quiz: http://www.sporcle.com/games/crab_legs/feminists_are_everywhere
No, lol i didnt think the game as that popular to begin with. Its an OK visual novel but it wasnt amazing so I didnt think there would be that much talk about it. What the opinion of the reddit people?
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On February 12 2012 11:47 SheaR619 wrote:Show nested quote +On February 12 2012 11:33 NationInArms wrote:On February 12 2012 11:09 SheaR619 wrote:On February 12 2012 09:47 NationInArms wrote:On February 12 2012 08:59 SheaR619 wrote:On February 12 2012 08:09 NationInArms wrote:
Just finished Emi's good ending route. First time ever playing/reading a VN. n_n
I seriously don't know if I want to go through the other routes. Emi the worst wrote lol. It was so bluntly obvious and so anti climatic sadly. I am pretty sure a large majority would say Rin or Hanako is the best arc here. Rin arc was a bit too lengthy though so I had to say Hanako was the best. The tampons scene, is the best scene in the VN lol. For anyone who went down Rin arc knows what I am talking about hahah ...well boop you. I can actually "relate" to Emi since I'm a runner myself. Each to his own. Well I am just saying overall the quality of the writing seems to be better in Rin and Hanako. Everyone entitled to their own opinion. I havent played Lilly arc or shizune arc so I cant really shouldnt of said which one was worst. I dont have much expectation of Shizune arc as well because she mute and deaf so I think in a way it would lack quality and depths too which is why I pretty much ignored that one. Just from what I have played so far and from what most people opinion that I have listen to in RL and on this forum, it seems to favor Rin and Hanako. Have you been on reddit? KS Quiz: http://www.sporcle.com/games/crab_legs/feminists_are_everywhere No, lol i didnt think the game as that popular to begin with. Its an OK visual novel but it wasnt amazing so I didnt think there would be that much talk about it. What the opinion of the reddit people?
It's currently the second played game their right now on /r/gaming. n_n A lot of people like Emi, but those are mostly new I guess (like me). Hanako is also cool while Rin is worth it. Something like that, I don't spend that much time reading spoilers since I don't want to spoiler myself if I eventually do the other routes. :S
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actually for a free visual novel, I would say it was pretty well done. Only problem I have with the game is that there isnt as much choices that I would of liked. You can get through like a day or two and there wouldnt be a single choice and when there is a choice, the choice are usually pretty blunt and obvious. It almost feel forced to be there so that just my little rant on the game but it free so I cant really say much crap about it because of so. It exceeded my expectation nonetheless.
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Like a lot of people are saying after reading through most of the endings (I need shizune, lilly, hanako, and emi bad endings) I'll agree that it overall feels slightly "rough". To me the characters feel full, but sometimes it lacks a bit in direction as if simply trying to pass time to an event with little more than a few lines of dialogue connecting them. At times it also feels a little bit too descriptive. I'm big on long and full descriptions, but sometimes it felt unnecessary like when a room was bring described. The art was nice overally, but in some images Emi looked a little dopey. The Hanako picture from whispered touch is striking and I wish they made a high-res available for it. That's the "this is all of me" scene.
Rin's path was difficult to understand. It had a fair measure of humor as well as heavier themes. The wall of text scene (Dandelions) with the song Parity playing in the background was abrupt and amazing. Appropriate music and the sheer surprise make it one of my favorite scenes along with the Lilly music box scene (Under a Bright Sky), Hanako scar reveal (Whispered Touch), and Misha confession (Look Ahead) scene.
One of Rin's scenes struck me on a very personal note much like Hanako's panic attack did. It's a scene that made me step away from the game and review events in my life and better appreciate my friends who I so often complain about.
In the Rin's path scene Raison d'être there was a line. It's a though from Hisao and not spoken dialogue. "I remember myself, thinking of the purpose of friendship. To put up with anything and everything, to be there for your friend." The days that I was reading Rin's path I had been arguing with a very dear friend of mine. The most vicious arguments people can have are over money and this was no exception. I knew I owed her, but she didn't need to continually drill that point home. I had not forgotten and nearly had all the money ready to give her. Hearing her acidic speech one day when she explained to me her opinions on my behavior was scarring. She's never had that much anger towards me even on my most inconsiderate days. I went home and buried myself in reading or gaming. I opened those little windows who's view was of something consistent that made sense. Then on another day she had a minor blowup on me about a doughtnut which was also related to money. A few days later she pressed me into talking about something I repeatedly declined to comment about and became upset with me answer even after digging for it. Two days later I was reading the aforementioned Rin scene.
Crying is something I hate, but was unable to avoid upon reading that. My controller fell without notice from my hands as my eyes absorbed the words on the screen. It was so minor, she was already upset over things and isn't one to vent usually, I could just let the little shit go and worry about bigger problems, and then I asked myself would she have shunned me as I was now? Not having spoken to her in almost two weeks when we typically see each other once a week or more was to us a long silence. She would not have abandoned me and in-fact she reached out to me during that time and I rejected her. On my worst and cruelest of days (rare) she endured my anger and then we simply talked. Here I resisted every attempt she made at talking. I was upset that I could have neglected someone who never said "no" to me even when she was not having a good day. Then I called her and as I thought she didn't decline to talk to me, but she was busy. Today I apologized and now things are somewhat better. Hopefully things recover in time, but for now I know that the sound of her voice will forever marr my memory. The comfort I used to have will hopefully return, but maybe not, it's tough to know. I'm happy though because as stubborn as I was I may not have ever tried to contact her again.
It's pathetic that it took a scene in Rin's path (Raison d'être) and Hanako's path (Falling) from a seemingly innocuous video novel to make me fully realize what I've been doing to other people and amned that. For all it's roughness Katawa Shoujo has has a wildly positive impact on me. Hopefully to others it's value is firmly placed despite it's blemishes.
Katawa Shoujo is not perfect, but much like life it doesn't have to be perfect to be meaningful.
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The general consensus regarding Katawa Shoujo from the Anime Discussion Thread (aka Japanese Culture Thread) is that it's a good eroge visual novel and all, but there are much better ones out there.
I'd recommend: Fate/Stay Night, Clannad
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Wasn't a good VN at all. Like many others have said a large portion of it was apparently written by a 12 year old.
Just overhyped by hordes of "babby's first vn reader" like OP (most fans have never read a VN in their life, and are simply trying to look cool). As negative as this seems it's an unfortunate truth, and I wish people would stop talking about this.
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In reply to the two posts above me, I can see your point and you're both probably correct.
However, Katawa Shoujo was fan created so it's obviously going to be sub-tier compared to the other VNs like F/S N and Clannad. It does serve as an introductory VN though. If you go on reddit/r/katawashoujo you will find posts about how good people thought Katawa Shoujo was and how it was their first VN. Even though it seems pathetic to you, it is their first experience with VNs and it made in impact. Believe it or not, more people who read through Katawa Shoujo are going to try out other VNs. Eventually they'll realize that KS isn't the best, but it'll still have a special place in their minds as the first one they ever read through. It's like the first anime someone watches, it sticks in their mind forever and at the time it seems like the most awesome thing ever (unless you watch School Days first, etc). And I'm not sure that they're trying to look cool. Who are they trying to impress, a bunch of anonymous otakus on the internet who spend their time watching anime and going through eroges VNs?
Regardless, maybe Katawa Shoujo isn't as bad as you think it is. It made me think about things differently, and I still like Emi.
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On January 22 2012 06:29 VoO wrote:Show nested quote +On January 18 2012 12:12 neobowman wrote:On January 18 2012 06:16 HardMacro wrote:
For those that liked this game and other VNs in general, may I ask why you think this game/genre is entertaining?
I am a regularly performing musician who reads novels and prefers drama over action movies, so I'd like to think of myself as sensitive and not without emotions, which was why I downloaded KS in the first place. I honestly gave it a good chance, playing for ~2 hours but in the end I just had to give up. It could be that I'm one of those people that could never get into anything anime, but I'd like to think that I could and am simply missing something here? Basing an entire genre on a single piece is not the way to go. I recommend you try some more widely acclaimed VNs. Fate/Stay Night, Umineko No Naku Koro Ni, etc. I absolutely recommend all Nitro+ VNs, you can start with ChäoS;HEAd which, I think, will appeal to the TL audience.
Nitro+ also did Saya no Uta, which is definitely the most fucked up, deranged story I've ever read. It also has the advantage of being a few hours long instead of the usual 50+ for VNs, and it's one of the most popular and highest rated on vndb.
For people that want some gameplay and like puzzles, 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors on the Nintendo DS is amazingly good too.
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Went through it in the weekend, enjoyed it =)
Only got to complete the Hanako and Emi arcs, and each had its own charm. I personally prefer the Hanako arc, the Hanako picture from Whispered Touch (mentioned by VATO above) was amazing.
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Did the Emi story arc.Now people will just laugh at my opinion.
Call me a sad puppy,but i tought it was really good.Almost brought a tear to my eyes.And not because she was disabled and stuff,but because chances of things like this happening in real life are really slim or 0.
Just my 2 cents.Also this got my interest up regarding the VN genre.
And like other people said,even if i find other VNs,much better,Katawa Shoujo will have a special place in my heart!
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On February 12 2012 13:57 VATO_Gandair wrote:
Katawa Shoujo is not perfect, but much like life it doesn't have to be perfect to be meaningful.
I haven't kept up with this thread in a while, but I just wanted to say that this sentiment is amazing.
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I find it very interesting that the reception to this VN has been so varied. For some of us, it has touched our very hearts. For others, it was droll, unrefined, and overyhyped.
Well, in any case, I've added two polls to the OP, so you can vote for your favorite girl and route :D (I voted Lilly and Emi, respectively).
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On February 16 2012 10:24 happyft wrote:
I find it very interesting that the reception to this VN has been so varied. For some of us, it has touched our very hearts. For others, it was droll, unrefined, and overyhyped.
Well, in any case, I've added two polls to the OP, so you can vote for your favorite girl and route :D (I voted Lilly and Emi, respectively).
Hanako my waifuuuu <33333
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On February 13 2012 13:08 ShadowDrgn wrote:Show nested quote +On January 22 2012 06:29 VoO wrote:On January 18 2012 12:12 neobowman wrote:On January 18 2012 06:16 HardMacro wrote:
For those that liked this game and other VNs in general, may I ask why you think this game/genre is entertaining?
I am a regularly performing musician who reads novels and prefers drama over action movies, so I'd like to think of myself as sensitive and not without emotions, which was why I downloaded KS in the first place. I honestly gave it a good chance, playing for ~2 hours but in the end I just had to give up. It could be that I'm one of those people that could never get into anything anime, but I'd like to think that I could and am simply missing something here? Basing an entire genre on a single piece is not the way to go. I recommend you try some more widely acclaimed VNs. Fate/Stay Night, Umineko No Naku Koro Ni, etc. I absolutely recommend all Nitro+ VNs, you can start with ChäoS;HEAd which, I think, will appeal to the TL audience. Nitro+ also did Saya no Uta, which is definitely the most fucked up, deranged story I've ever read. It also has the advantage of being a few hours long instead of the usual 50+ for VNs, and it's one of the most popular and highest rated on vndb. For people that want some gameplay and like puzzles, 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors on the Nintendo DS is amazingly good too.
I can vouch for the quality of Saya No Uta, just go in expecting Lovecraftian horrors.
After much trial, tribulation, and drunken falls off of buildings I finally figured out Hanako's good ending. I have played through Emi and Rin's arcs too... Hanako's arc is by far the best so far.
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On February 16 2012 14:39 Sinensis wrote:Show nested quote +On February 13 2012 13:08 ShadowDrgn wrote:On January 22 2012 06:29 VoO wrote:On January 18 2012 12:12 neobowman wrote:On January 18 2012 06:16 HardMacro wrote:
For those that liked this game and other VNs in general, may I ask why you think this game/genre is entertaining?
I am a regularly performing musician who reads novels and prefers drama over action movies, so I'd like to think of myself as sensitive and not without emotions, which was why I downloaded KS in the first place. I honestly gave it a good chance, playing for ~2 hours but in the end I just had to give up. It could be that I'm one of those people that could never get into anything anime, but I'd like to think that I could and am simply missing something here? Basing an entire genre on a single piece is not the way to go. I recommend you try some more widely acclaimed VNs. Fate/Stay Night, Umineko No Naku Koro Ni, etc. I absolutely recommend all Nitro+ VNs, you can start with ChäoS;HEAd which, I think, will appeal to the TL audience. Nitro+ also did Saya no Uta, which is definitely the most fucked up, deranged story I've ever read. It also has the advantage of being a few hours long instead of the usual 50+ for VNs, and it's one of the most popular and highest rated on vndb. For people that want some gameplay and like puzzles, 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors on the Nintendo DS is amazingly good too. I can vouch for the quality of Saya No Uta, just go in expecting Lovecraftian horrors. After much trial, tribulation, and drunken falls off of buildings I finally figured out Hanako's good ending. I have played through Emi and Rin's arcs too... Hanako's arc is by far the best so far.
Hanako is a white knight trap. If you try to coddle her or protect her too much, you get yelled at for being a jerk. It's actually pretty funny imo, because that's most people's first reactions. It's a great story.
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If you liked Katawa, that's cool.
However, for those who hated it, and unless you just hated it because its anime-related, I'd give another visual novel a shot that's actually done by professionals and from the country in question. I enjoyed Katawa, the art was nice and so was the music. I'll admit half the writing is incompetently done, which is mostly due to the fact that there were so many different writers for every character which made the experience jarring and uneven. Lilly's was probably the best. Emi's route was incredibly weird, and reeked of extreme feminism projecting. And if memory serves correctly, Shizune's route was hastily finished due to the writer bailing on it multiple times. Then again, this is all just my opinion, which doesn't mean much.
Anyways here's my reccomendations;
((And if you want a better synopsis, just [search] type the title in at vndb.org, i wrote this pretty fast for shits and giggles))
+ Show Spoiler +
Comedy/Romance:
Good genre for beginners, despite length.
Clannad [all ages] - (It's really long, and the art style is unique to Key's usual artist, however it is legendary in terms of further pioneering the semi-new nakige or 'crying/emotional' visual novels of its time. Wonderful music, and the true route (nagisa's) is unforgettable. It also has a superb anime adaption. Themes of family, love and death. 50+ hours)
Kira Kira [18+] - (Very fun read, hilarious dialogue, easy to find since its distributed by an english localization company (mangagamer) it uses themes of highschool, friendship and rock and roll/punk band kick backs, which as a fan of the genre was an even greater plus. 20+ hours)
Little Busters! [all ages] - (Another Key game, just recently completely translated. It's very long, as you need to clear every character to get to the final route, but the comedy is hilarious, and it has some touching moments. Lots of mini-games and great music. 50+ hours)
Kana ~little sister~ [18+] - (Touching story about taboos, life, and family. Don't let the title put you off if you can muster a little open mindedness, I don't think you'll regret it if a good romance is what you are looking for. 10-20 hours? can't remember.)
Shuffle! [18+] - It's bad. The premise is retarded, and its pretty much like a dating simulator compared to everything else listed here. If you're truly a beginner you can appreciate it next to katawa shoujo for example. The art is nice, the girls are cute and so is the music. 5-10+ hours?
Action/Mystery
Ever 17 [all ages] - (Trapped in an underwater theme park, you must uncovered the mysteries that follow and how to get out alive. This is a staple piece of it's genre, and how the true ending ties up all the loose ends and mysteries is incredible, which is something I will never forget that left me watery-eyed from joy at the end. Quite a journey, with memorable characters and voice acting. 30+ hours)
Fate Stay/Night [18+] - (One of the biggest names when it comes to the visual novel industry, written by nasu of acclaimed doujin work 'tsukihime'. It has multiple anime adaptions, and is pretty awesome. However, the long winded paragraphs and overall writing style of nasu put off many. Despite that, it has some of the greatest actions scenes of any visual novel, combined with historical references to mythology of around the globe and themes of magic, romance and growth. Great music and sprites, however many hours may be invested in order to get all three true endings. Cult following. 50+ hours.)
Sharin no Kuni, Himawari no Shoujo (Sunflower Girl) [18+] - (Fantastic read that combines themes of societal pressure/expecatations and accepting one's faults. Definitely a more mature read towards the end, but the ending is truly epic if you can over look some of the unrealistic plot holes. Great music, and cg. 20-30+ hours.)
Drama/Suspense/Dark
Swan Song [18+] - (If you like those stories where people are semi-isolated and have to fend for themselves and against humanity that loses touch with the outside world, this is for you. It reminds me of one of those post apocalyptic films without the zombies. It's a mature read with great music and atmosphere, that deals with the harshness of humanity. Very philosphical. There are some awesome characters in here. A must read for anyone looking for something a little darker with light at the end of the tunnel (true ending). 30-40+ hours.)
Hanachirasu [18+] - (Fantastic read. It's somewhat of a tragedy, and despite the misplaced sex scene near the beginning, it's almost perfect. This one has action elements to the plot, as it's about samurai in a modern setting, but it deals with themes of betrayal, friendship and atonement. There is great info dumps about swordsmanship and the true ending is fitting and bittersweet. Truly a dark gem among it's genre.)
I think anyone can find a visual novel they enjoy, whether they are a fan of anime-related stuff or not. I think what usually puts people off is the presence of sex scenes in (some) of them, creating a misinterpretation about the novel's focus--as such scenes are simply kind of a guilty pleasure to appease fans. I try to justify it as a semi-realistic portrayal of teenagers in love, but who are we kidding if its not included for masturbation material. It doesn't hurt the story if you crtl through the scene, i know that much (looking at you fate stay night). Despite the few short commings that are jarring towards newbies of the genre, I find that the stories rival some of the western's greatest, and if they were ever made into movies/novels that were enigneered towards a western audience, they would undoubtedly be hits.
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Just finished Fate/stay night.Let's say it impressed me more then i expected.
The thing that dissapointed me a little ...
+ Show Spoiler +Is the fact that the endings we're a little less heartwarming then in Katawa.I did the Rin Tohsaka story arc.
Specifically the Brilliant Years ending.Well he likes her,she likes him..and all they could talk about was magic :<. I mean is no mention of the they're future.
And also saw on youtube the "Sunny Day" ending,the one which both Rin and Saber survive.Well that shows a more ..umm...suggestive Rin,regarding they're future relationship.
I'll take EMIYA's selection into consideration and try some more novels.
Emi's route was incredibly weird, and reeked of extreme feminism projecting.
Don't mind me asking EMIYA,but why ? I mean i liked that story arc for a single fact.It teaches 1 thing (i know it sounds silly that VN teach you something,but hear me out on this).
That thing is ..."If you really want something,don't be afraid to ask at the right time.Letting time pass and not doing things at the right time just because you you're shy or ashamed ,just means that later you'll just regret it for not having the guts."
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EPT
