Kana: Little Sister

Kana: Little Sister is a visual novel, which falls into the subgenre of "nakige". The player assumes the role of Takamichi Toudou. Most of the gameplay is spent reading text, representing the story's dialogue. In the PSP version, the text is accompanied by character sprites, which represent who Takamichi is talking to, over background art. Being an erotic visual novel, relationships between characters become sexual; this include the sexual relationship between Takamichi and his younger sister Kana Toudou. ==Plot==

suffers a chronic kidney disease that requires her to be hospitalized for long periods of time. Although her older brother resents the resulting diversion of attention from their parents, 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 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, ==Development and release==

Kana: Little Sister is the first visual novel developed by D.O., 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." The team also stated that the game has a gentle atmosphere. In 2003, Panther Software announced plans to release an Xbox port, which was ultimately cancelled. 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. 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. Both editions were released on October 7 2010. An English translation of Kana... Okaeri!! was released in 2015 by JAST USA. ==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. Au Yeung Yu Leung of IGN Japan voted the game as the best video game of 1999, 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. In Complete Work on the History of PC Bishōjo Games this feeling was attributed to all players in general. The game is known for its "depressing" and "touching" story line. 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". In addition to the character's encounters, The Escapist Leigh Alexander also found "simple empathy" for "well-drawn individuals". Haneda, on the other hand, criticized its setting as "too common", but also praised it for its unexpected mid-to-late development. 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. Au Yeung felt that Kana was her real-life younger sister while playing, and attributed this to the plot's focus on Kana. 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. 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. Au Yeung criticized the team for setting Kana as an adopted younger sister due to public's perception. 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. Au Yeung, however, criticized the latter, calling it "unnatural" compared to the other endings as there's no explanation of Kana's miraculous recovery. ==See also==