Kana: Little Sister
| Kana — Little Sister | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | D.O. |
| Publisher(s) | D.O. G-Collections (English) |
| Platform(s) | Mac OS, Windows |
| Release |  1999 2002 |
| Genre(s) | Eroge, visual novel, dating sim |
| Mode(s) | single player |
Kana Imōto (加奈～いもうと～; translated as Kana — Little Sister) is a Japanese dating sim 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. The story of Taka and his little sister Kana is told mostly through dialogue of the characters and Taka's reminiscences. The player has limited control over the story, as there are about 25 to 35 moments in a game where he can make a choice for his character. Most of the time consists of watching the story unfold through the interactions of Kana, Taka and other characters. This unhurried narration is meant to build the mood and make the player identify with Taka and feel for his sister Kana. Kana - Little Sister falls into the subgenre of dating sims which are full of tragic events and meant to be emotionally moving for the player. One playthrough of the game takes about 5 to 10 hours.
Kana — Little Sister is an eroge and contains pornographic scenes. It is only sold in a few online stores, and because of its limited availability the game is relatively unknown among American and European gamers.
Originally the game was 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！！). This new edition retains the original story line, but features new character designs and is fully voiced.
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 (adopted) sister. Because of renal insufficiency, she spends most of the time in the hospital. She doesn't have many friends.
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, he 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 doesn't 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'.
Controversy
- Initially, incest is implied, but through a plot twist, it turns out that Kana is not blood related to Taka.
External links
- G-Collections.com - developers of the English-language translation
- Kana's Left Kidney - the largest Kana Little Sister fan site
- Kana - Little Sister at MobyGames
- Kana - Little Sister at GameFAQs
- Kana Imoto: Synopsis and information
- 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
- Wolfson's Den - omake-style fanfiction combining characters from Kana Little Sister with characters from other bishoujo games (in particular, Casual Romance Club)