Kana Imoto
Encyclopedia
, is a Japan
ese visual novel
originally developed and released by D.O. in 1999. G-Collections
translated and published the English
version in 2002.
Kana: Little Sister focuses on storytelling, and falls into the subgenre of dating sims which are full of tragic events and meant to be emotionally moving for the player. It also falls into the subgenre of games, manga
, and anime
revolving around incest
uous relationships. One playthrough of the game takes about 5 to 10 hours.
The story of Taka and his little sister Kana is told from Taka's perspective, starting when Kana is just about to start high school and then delving into the past to explore the relationship between the two siblings.
The game is a visual novel, displaying scenery and characters in the background while the characters' dialogue and Taka's narration are displayed as text. Music and sound effects are also used. The unhurried narration is intended to allow the player to identify with Taka (and Kana) as the story unfolds.
Over the course of the game, the player is presented with approximately 30 decision points which determine which path the storyline will follow and, ultimately, which ending the player will achieve.
Kana: Little Sister is an eroge
and contains pornographic
scenes. It is only sold in a few online stores. Because of its limited availability, the game is relatively unknown among American and European gamers. However, the English translation can still be purchased through sites like Amazon.com or Jlist.com
The game was originally developed for Windows
. A Mac OS
version was subsequently published in 2001. In 2003, Panther Software announced plans to release an Xbox
port, which was ultimately cancelled in May 2005 after multiple delays.
The original versions published by D.O. are now out of print. A revival Windows edition was released in 2004 under the title Kana…Okaeri‼ (加奈⋯おかえり！！—"Kana…Welcome Home!"). This new edition retains the original storyline, but features new character designs and is fully voiced. However, this revival edition is not translated to English.
In 2010, the game was ported to the PlayStation Portable with the adult scenes removed. It featured the character designs and artwork from the original PC version of the game, along with new artwork specifically created for the PSP version.
Kana Todo (藤堂 加奈 Tōdō Kana): Taka's little sister. Because of renal insufficiency
, she spends most of the time in the hospital. She does not have many friends, and is very dependent on her brother.
Yumi Kashima (鹿島 夕美 Kashima Yumi): a girl who attends the same school as Taka. Taka liked her until an incident occurred between them in the fifth grade, after which he started hating her with a passion. She, however, has always pursued him.
Miki Kondo (近藤 美樹 Kondō Miki): the hospital nurse who has taken care of Kana since she was a little girl.
Yuta Ito (伊藤 勇太 Itō Yūta): one of Kana's classmates. When they first met, Yuta picked on her for her lack of school attendance and shy nature, but has now begun to develop an interest in her, and regrets his earlier actions. He now does his best to protect Kana from bullies at school, and seeks Taka's permission to go out with her. Kana still does not like him, though, and is shy and silent in his presence.
The endings are grouped into four categories:
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
originally developed and released by D.O. in 1999. G-Collections
G-Collections
G-Collections is an English translator, publisher and distributor of Japanese bishōjo games.-History:G-Collections was founded in 2001 by the Japanese bishōjo game maker CD Bros., and released at first Japanese titles and from 2002 on English localised titles...
translated and published the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
version in 2002.
Kana: Little Sister focuses on storytelling, and falls into the subgenre of dating sims which are full of tragic events and meant to be emotionally moving for the player. It also falls into the subgenre of games, manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
revolving around incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
uous relationships. One playthrough of the game takes about 5 to 10 hours.
The story of Taka and his little sister Kana is told from Taka's perspective, starting when Kana is just about to start high school and then delving into the past to explore the relationship between the two siblings.
The game is a visual novel, displaying scenery and characters in the background while the characters' dialogue and Taka's narration are displayed as text. Music and sound effects are also used. The unhurried narration is intended to allow the player to identify with Taka (and Kana) as the story unfolds.
Over the course of the game, the player is presented with approximately 30 decision points which determine which path the storyline will follow and, ultimately, which ending the player will achieve.
Kana: Little Sister is an eroge
Eroge
An or Ero-ga is a Japanese video or computer game that features erotic content, usually in the form of anime-style artwork. Eroge originated from galge, but unlike galge, they feature erotic/pornographic content.-History:...
and contains pornographic
Pornography in Japan
Pornography in Japan.-Before the 20th century:Shunga or pornographic wood-block pictures were printed with all imaginable situations. These often took the form of a book with sentences to describe verbal utterances of the partners, as well as to offer brief descriptions of a scene...
scenes. It is only sold in a few online stores. Because of its limited availability, the game is relatively unknown among American and European gamers. However, the English translation can still be purchased through sites like Amazon.com or Jlist.com
The game was originally developed for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. A Mac OS
Mac OS
Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
version was subsequently published in 2001. In 2003, Panther Software announced plans to release an Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
port, which was ultimately cancelled in May 2005 after multiple delays.
The original versions published by D.O. are now out of print. A revival Windows edition was released in 2004 under the title Kana…Okaeri‼ (加奈⋯おかえり！！—"Kana…Welcome Home!"). This new edition retains the original storyline, but features new character designs and is fully voiced. However, this revival edition is not translated to English.
In 2010, the game was ported to the PlayStation Portable with the adult scenes removed. It featured the character designs and artwork from the original PC version of the game, along with new artwork specifically created for the PSP version.
Characters
Takamichi Todo (藤堂 隆道 Tōdō Takamichi): the hero of the story, the average boy who deeply cares about his little sister Kana.Kana Todo (藤堂 加奈 Tōdō Kana): Taka's little sister. Because of renal insufficiency
Renal failure
Renal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
, she spends most of the time in the hospital. She does not have many friends, and is very dependent on her brother.
Yumi Kashima (鹿島 夕美 Kashima Yumi): a girl who attends the same school as Taka. Taka liked her until an incident occurred between them in the fifth grade, after which he started hating her with a passion. She, however, has always pursued him.
Miki Kondo (近藤 美樹 Kondō Miki): the hospital nurse who has taken care of Kana since she was a little girl.
Yuta Ito (伊藤 勇太 Itō Yūta): one of Kana's classmates. When they first met, Yuta picked on her for her lack of school attendance and shy nature, but has now begun to develop an interest in her, and regrets his earlier actions. He now does his best to protect Kana from bullies at school, and seeks Taka's permission to go out with her. Kana still does not like him, though, and is shy and silent in his presence.
Endings
The game has six different endings. The player's choices during the game determine the direction of the story and the ending achieved at the end. These choices also determine the nature of the relationship between Kana and Taka, as well as Kana's outlook on life.The endings are grouped into four categories:
- The "Best Ending": Ending 1, "The First Farewell"
- The "Normal Ending": Ending 2, "Recollection"
- The "Yumi Ending": Ending 3, "Out of the Maze"
- The "Intellectual Endings": Ending 4, "Snow"; Ending 5, "Memories"; and Ending 6, "Live Now".
External links
- G-Collections.com - developers of the English-language translation
- Official PlayStation Portable port website
- Kana - Little Sister at GameFAQs
- "Heart-wrenching Hentai: Playing Porn Games for the Story" by Leigh Alexander. A review in The Escapist.
- Kana: Little Fanfics - fan-written fiction continuing the game's storyline
- Kana: Fanfic Flash - Flash movies based on Darkling's stories from Kana: Little Fanfics
- Advanced Media Network review