I’ve made progress on Osana, but not enough progress to justify a whole video about the subject. It feels wrong to let two weeks pass without a video, so I’ve decided to make a video about a subject related to the game’s development.
Occasionally, I hear people say that they find Yandere-chan to be a boring character because of her lack of emotions. I felt a need to explain what led me to create that type of character, and that’s what made me decide to create this video. Over the course of this video, I also discussed related subjects, such as whether or not the other characters in the game will be simple or complex, and whether or not the statements in my videos are set in stone, or subject to change.
Spending so much time thinking about these subjects has made me wonder whether or not it would be appropriate to change Yandere-chan’s identity. It feels strange to suggest making significant changes to the protagonist after 3 years, but if the majority of the fanbase is disappointed in her, then it seems like the wise thing to do would be to change the type of character that she is.
In the above video, I proposed the idea of changing her identity from “a girl who can’t experience emotions” to “a girl who can’t experience happiness”. It’s tough to find the right words to describe exactly what I am imagining; I tried to phrase it a few different ways:
- “A girl who has felt like something is missing for her entire life.”
- “A lifelong sensation of having a craving that cannot be fulfilled.”
- “Being unable to ever truly experience happiness.”
- “A perpetual state of listlessness.”
It’s easy to summarize her current identity with one word: “emotionless”. But, unfortunately, there is no one word that adequately describes the new identity that I’m proposing for her. Terms like “something’s missing” and “perpetually craving” and “never happy” just don’t adequately describe it. I can communicate the concept pretty effectively with a speech in a video or with a bullet-point list, but not with a single phrase or word.
The condition that I’m proposing isn’t something that exists in real life, and it’s also possible that what I’m proposing is something that hasn’t ever been featured in fiction before, either. This would explain why there’s no pre-existing word for it, and no way to succinctly summarize it. It’s almost like we’d have to invent a new word just to describe the condition that I’m proposing.
The closest I can come to summarizing her condition is by calling her an “Empty Girl”. For her entire life, she’s felt hollow and incomplete – but she can’t even explain what’s missing, or what’s wrong. She craves something and yearns for something, but she can’t even explain what that “something” is. Then, on the day she meets Senpai, she finally feels “complete” and “whole” for the first time in her life. There’s no one word that accurately describes exactly how she feels before she meets Senpai, but “Empty” might do the trick for now.
You might be wondering, “Why go through the trouble of changing her identity into something that is difficult to define? Why not give her an identity that is easier to summarize?” Well, if it’s difficult to summarize or explain something because of a lack of comparisons, then it’s clearly something original. If I could summarize it in one word, then it would be something that’s already cliche. This is why I don’t want to take the easy way out and give her an identity that is easy to describe. Get it?
If you’re worried that it’s going to be jarring to adapt to a completely new Yandere-chan, I don’t think you should worry about it. What I’m proposing isn’t too different from her previous identity. In both cases:
- She cannot experience life in the same way as other people.
- She’s had an inexplicable, incurable condition her entire life.
- She pretends to be normal around others in order to avoid negative attention.
- She doesn’t realize what’s been missing from her life until she meets Senpai.
You might be wondering, “What’s the point of changing her identity, if so little is going to change?” The difference is that an “emotionless” character is like a machine; no personality, no desires, no reason to care about anything. This type of character is boring and uninteresting. But if she can feel emotions – but cannot ever experience satisfaction, fulfillment, or happiness – then she can have a personality, have desires, and care about things, which gives her waaaaay more potential as a character.
Crafting a believable serial killer requires more of an explanation than just “she lacks emotions” or “she felt empty and then found someone who made her feel whole”. I think that Yandere-chan’s nature can be attributed to the way that she was raised by her parents – specifically, her mother.
Yandere-chan’s mother (Ryoba) has gone through the same experience as her daughter – feeling “empty” for nearly two decades. So, she is the only person who could possibly relate to Yandere-chan or give her more information about her condition. Yandere-chan would seek answers from her mother, who would tell her, “One day you’ll meet someone who will make you feel complete,” These words would become a point of obsession for Yandere-chan. She would obsess over the idea of meeting her “prince charming” for over a decade, which explains how she could “fall in love” with a boy after just one meeting, and why she’d be willing to commit multiple homicides for his sake.
Yandere-chan’s father, having knowledge of his wife’s true nature, would do everything in his power to raise his daughter into someone who wouldn’t dare to spill a single drop of blood, which is why Yandere-chan would be willing to consider the possibility of eliminating her rivals in non-lethal ways…but, ultimately, it’s up to the player how Yandere-chan decides to solve her problems.
I don’t want to make any decisions that would anger the majority of the fanbase, so I’d like to ask you to vote on a few polls for me. Please note that the outcome of these polls won’t guarantee my next course of action, so if an option that you dislike is “winning”, don’t freak out about it.
Do you disapprove of Yandere-chan’s current identity as an “emotionless” character?
Which of these two identities would you prefer for Yandere-chan?
In your opinion, is it too late to change Yandere-chan’s identity?
I’ll look forward to reading your feedback!
Thank you for following the development of Yandere Simulator!
Yandere Simulator Development Blog 
It’s weird how sensitive Yandere Dev is to criticism, and how indignant he seems to be that people even have complaints at all. To base the personality of your main character entirely around a desire to minimize complaints is pretty over the top. There isn’t a single popular video game in existence that doesn’t have some people who dislike it, or dislike certain aspects of it. It’s impossible to please everyone, and it’s telling of the kind of person Yandere Dev is that he’s so bothered by that. He honestly doesn’t seem to be cut out for game development (especially indie game development) if he’s so bad at handling anything but glowing praise.
I don’t think he’s trying to avoid criticism, rather he wants to avoid people focusing on things they don’t like about the story/characters and ignoring the gameplay entirely.
He did explain it better in an older post of his. He would post his game ideas on 4chan, iirc, and then instead of giving suggestions, talking about gameplay, or really saying anything useful for the development of the game, the threads were about how they didn’t like the placeholder story. I don’t think it’s sensitiveness to criticism (although YanDev does look like he has some), as much as it was being upset about the complete silence regarding the stuff he wanted and needed opinions/suggestions on. Making a character without personality happened because he wanted to prevent derailing of the conversation, not because he didn’t want any criticism at all.
Why are you here then if you don’t like it, Rhianna? If it bothers you that much, just go. Nobody needs to hear your complaints.
I agree completely. He found it odd that we liked this or that, and he went with it, so he can get praised. When everybody turned down the whole fighting idea, he took it like, “Thanks for not telling me that my ideas are not good enough…”, and seemed disappointed about the cristism behind the idea. I mean, that just my opinion.
To be honest, I think all developers of games are going to be, to a degree, sensitive to comments. I believe that in Yandere Dev’s case, he understands that his game is built upon popularity-hence popular opinion. Such as his video highlighting Kokona-he knows that be taking away her character or replacing her will just upset the fandom. He is reacting towards fandom. I remember reading somewhere as well he was open to the fandom’s couples, since if he allows this sort of freedom of expression and ideas, it hardens his fanbase. If Yandev ignored fan comments, I don’t think his game would reach the sort of popularity it has now.
Don’t like it? Leave. Don’t sit here and complain.
I really like Ayano being emotionless. Sure I think the idea of her having basic emotions is interesting, but I’ve really grown to like the idea of an empty shell as a character. Like Yandere Dev said, it made it up to the player to decide her true personality. Her being without happiness, anger, and sadness, gave her a uniqueness too. But I do think the new idea for her would be cool. I’d love a compromise between the two options.
For example, Ayano has never felt any type of emotion. She knows she’s different and feels an emptiness in her that’s so strong it almost feels physical.
Her mom would always tell her that one day she’d meet someone who would enable her to feel what she’s been missing and she should never let him go (no matter the cost). Her father would try to do everything he could to stop his daughter from becoming a yandere. He’d try to teach her emotions (or at least how to fake them) and tell her that any violence is bad.
Ayano would still feel empty but when she thought of her future senpai (what he’d be like, who he was, and would he like her) the missing feeling in her would lessen. She’d be able to experience an obsession over him and a craving of feeling whole. When Ayano finally meets him the emptiness and want finally disappears completely. She feels a rush of emotion that she’s never had before.
Yan Chan needs this, to the point where she will kill. But now (even when she isn’t near him) she feels simple emotion. She might feel guilt when killing, or happiness when befriending.
That’s my thoughts. I really hope Yandere Dev doesn’t completely get rid of his first idea. But it looks like the second personality for Yan Chan is winning by a landslide in the polls. Oh well. He did say it wasn’t set in stone. So hopefully there will at least be a compromise of some sort.
I agree, though I would like Yandere-Dev to keep Ayano an emotionless shell it would also be interesting to give her another personality. Make her more memorable than she already is, the game is amazing in gameplay, design and storyline but it would change a lot if he does make changes to Ayano. Hopefully there will be a comprimise… anyways those are my thoughts on the matter, sorry if I bothered you.
That actually sounds really cool! It adds a bit more to her backstory while incorporating both ideas.
i guess people have never heard of legit apathy lolol
also, in all the poal results i’ve ever seen, it seems people are only telling you what you want to hear (being “nice,” and insisting that this or that new thing is better over what you’ve already implemented)
idk, i feel like people are asking for an entirely different game sometimes
I personally like the new idea (now that i have read the blog). It gives you a better understanding of her. (I can see someone like this). but still, leave us room to define her personality.
Saudade is of Portuguese origin and it specifically translates into “the love that remains” which is talking about extreme loneliness and a hunger for feeling complete when the only way to feel complete is when someone you are emotionally attached to is around. it evokes a sense of loneliness and incompleteness. I just thought that might help with the whole thing of there not being a word to accurately describe how Yandere-chan may feel.
As a Brazilian, I can tell you it does not translates to “the love that remains”. Whoever told you, is wrong.
The formal description is “The feeling caused by the distance or absence of someone or something.” Resembling a more deep and emotional sense of “missing”.
HOWEVER. That’s not how people use it at all. You can see your graduation friend, who you likely forgot for years, and say “Senti saudade” (I felt saudade). And it will work perfectly. Actually, it is super appropriate and common. People say it all the time, even to people they don’t really care about anymore.
I really like Yandere-chan being emotionless until she meets Senpai. It has a monstrous quality to it that simply having a craving lacks. In order for her to be at all functional with that condition, she’d have to have a very alien thought process, compared to most humans, likely something that’s very goal oriented. More like an AI than a person. It also does a very good job of explaining why she’s perfectly fine doing literally anything to her rivals. After all, she has literally no emotions regarding them, she only cares about the end result. Caring about their fate would be like a normal person caring about what happens to a single sheet of paper.
That said, I also think making her backstory deeper is a good idea. Most of the things you described for the empty condition could also a apply to the emotionless one, but the emotionless one also opens up new space to explore how she thinks when she’s not around Senpai and if how she views her own actions changes when she’s in his presence.
Oh my god, the controversy here. By the way people, YandereDeb didn’t want complaints A LONG TIME AGO. NOT TODAY. So if you hate him still or whatever, don’t say so in the comments. Just GOOOOOOO.
I like the option of a person unable to feel happiness instead of just some empty shell. Dunno.
I ruined that comment. But still. If you hate YandereDev, please just go. Nobody cares that you hate him.
I believe the first step would be for Yandere Dev to decide on whether he wants the character to be *realistic* or not. The first idea is exciting in the sense that it is easily modified- since Yan-chan doesn’t have any emotions, the player is left to build her character, and that seems incredibly fun. Still, the idea that someone is able to *not feel any emotions whatsoever* is simply not realistic. The second idea, however, is a lot more believable; it feels like a situation that might, to some extent, be encountered in the real world, and that is also entertaining. In spite of that, I think the beauty fiction is found in that it is simply fiction; it’s fake, it doesn’t have to be realistic, and that is fun. I believe both ideas will lead to equally good results in their own way, and that, us, as spectators and future players, should leave it up to the developer, Yandere Dev, to decide on his creation’s future.
But what about her mother as revealed on the audio tapes?
Ayano and her mother both seem to have what is known as Obsessive Love Disorder.
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/obsessive-love-disorder.html
The effects of this correspond to the standard Yandere model. Which is good considering it was based around this disorder.
its a suggestion where it goes is up to you. Best of luck
I do think that there should be some sort of balance between being totally dead inside and ‘just missing something.’ I think a good compromise would be her being able to experience emotions, but lack the key component necessary to feel strong emotions: empathy. She would still be able to experience emotions, just on a very shallow level. Things like likes, dislikes, annoyance, approval, curiosity, amusement, etc. would come easily enough to her; it’s just the ones that require a strong attachment to something that would be foreign to her. Things like hatred, anguish, envy, love, joy, grief, etc. You only feel those type of emotions because you form an attachment to something other than yourself, like a friend, a lover, or a family member. And Yan-chan just doesn’t feel that strongly about the people around her. Maybe her problem wouldn’t necessarily be an inability to feel, but rather an inability to form the meaningful attachments necessary to inspire strong emotions.
I believe what you describe is called Sociopathy… and it would work… very well for Lovesick: A Yandere Simulator.
Perhaps she could have anhedonia? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anhedonia
I’ve been trying to find the artist from 9:00 and no luck, can someone please help? Is it linked anywhere?
It is on the official Yandere Simulator page, in the wallpapers section.
Sounds like depression? A hereditary, life long illness that impacts ones ability to feel satisfaction or happiness, and causes feelings of listlessness (among other things) and some describe it as feeling numb. Many people with depression act like they’re fine or normal around other people due to stigmas around mental illness.
Perhaps when she’s with Senpai it increases her serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin levels and makes her feel more alive than she had ever felt previously and when he’s gone her serotonin levels crash…
Not unlike an addiction.
Granted, minimal research should be done to execute this properly with out offending people too much.
If you want one word that steers clear of a serious, real life mental health issue
How about Ennui?
en·nui
änˈwē/Submit
noun
a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.
synonyms:boredom, tedium, listlessness, lethargy, lassitude, languor, weariness, enervation; malaise, dissatisfaction, melancholy, depression, world-weariness, Weltschmerz
“an ennui bred of long familiarity”
I like the Kizana concept pitched here. I think likable Kizana makes you understand why Senpai would accept her confession.
I feel as if the rivals are almost like the characters of a dating sim: each a different kind of likable. We actually have quite a lot of basic dating sim tropes as our rivals.
I find “good” Kizana, the one who encourages Kokona instead of bullying her, a character it seems more likely Senpai would accept, a step away from a sort of one-dimensional cutout and a more living, feeling, person who gives the game more color, and a person the player should feel guilty for murdering.
I think a really good name for Yanderes condition could be a “Tantalus Complex” since in the Greek Myth Tantalus was punished for murder to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree with low branches, with the fruit ever eluding his grasp, and the water always receding before he could take a drink and so he could never be sated. Since Yandere chan has similar symptoms I think this is a good idea to describe her constant deprivation and emptiness.
The only thing I think you need to consider when it comes to characters is *these characters have to emotionally sway Senpai somehow*.
To this degree, it’s hard to establish a personality for Yandere-chan *because* of her flexability. IF ANYTHING she should show her *unending devotion* to Senpai whenever she can. Preferably she can cheer up Senpai when he has to refuse a rival or as a rival “disappears”, cementing her as the “happy option he can’t seem to notice until the end of the game”.
Along with that, ALL THE RIVALS MUST BE LIKABLE. Why would Senpai be *at all interested* in an egotistical prick of a drill-haired girl? This turns the option of her being “the one who can see the beauty in others” into the much much MUCH more preferable option. Maybe Senpai likes how she brings out the best in others. Maybe Senpai likes how *strong* the gang rival is. Maybe Senpai simply *lusts* after the first/last rival (depending on how you want Senpai to progress as a character).
You don’t need to set Yandere’s personality, but you *need* to make them *real*.
*WE* will be Yandere-chan, and you can’t tell us what kind of character we are.
But the rivals, and Senpai… we don’t control them, so *YOU* have to make them believable and atleast somewhat interesting.
Along that line, you can still build rivals around elimination methods, but the non-lethal method should be the *primary reason* for the inclusion of the character. You want that 2-D sex symbol? Sure, just try to prioritize the “Matchmaking” elimination method as the means for getting Senpai to stop lusting after her. You want the homemaker in the game? Try to prioritize sabotaging her Bento before Senpai gets them. Non-lethal should be the hardest route, because violence is so so much easier, but if you aren’t creating characters with the non-violent and character related route *primarily* they’re going to be forgettable and simply padding.
I whole heartily agree with you on this.
Honestly, Yandev as a fan and as a writer who experienced negative feedback, I think you shouldn’t let too much negativity affect how you want to portray things. It good to take constructive criticism and make some improvement, but don’t let completely say you from your desire, as a developer I know you want to try to make at least 90% or the majority of your fans happy, but it’s okay to be a little selfish too.
However some of the fanbase disappoint me, they want everything their way when they’re not the ones putting their soul into this game, they complain and don’t encourage you and make seem like you’re terrible or don’t care about us. Honestly, I like both versions of Yan-chan. But I would like her to have some personality, she is a high a school girl, Maybe the idea that she ‘hunger’ for something but not sure what it is would give her the feeling of that she is human instead of an empty, emotionless killer. Maybe should even confide in her mother since she’d be the one to understand since Yan-chan’s person would make it hard for her to make any at first. But I just feel that you should do what you what you feel is right, we will support you and give our opinions but don’t let that be 100% of your development because it would feel less of your game and more like ‘ours’ which as a writer, I would want to please my fans but I don’t want them to dictate my writing style. I know writing and game development are two different things, but it’s still same of doing something where you want others to enjoy and have fun doing it.
I’ll always support you even if I wouldn’t like some ideas, I’m not going to complain since I’m not the one putting work into it and so far I like the game and wouldn’t mind changes here and there.
I’m surprised so may people wanted the ’empty’ route instead of completely emotionless. I do like that decision though, I think it would be a good idea to revise the backstory.
You guys need to remember that this is his game, so you shouldn’t keep bothering Yandere Dev with complaints or suggestions. He can design it how he wants but you also need to remember that if too many people are trapping him in a box full of complaints about his game, it might kinda break down is confidence and just make the game really simple so people would enjoy it more. If it was too simple, many people would start to dislike it, so its a good thing that he is adding more details and stuff to the game so it itsn’t simplistic and boring. This might be his first game, i’m not totally sure, but if it is, it would make sense if he was sensitive to people making so many complaints. It’s also very far from being completed, so he still has to make several changes. So please, stop bothering Yandere Dev with more complaints and suggestions, because it’s his game. Think about if you were in his shoes and you were working day and night to finish the game while receiving complaints and suggestions because it will give you struggles. I like his ideas because it’s unique, its cool, and detailed. So great idea with the Empty Yandere-Chan, Yandere Dev!
To be honest, I didn’t see this whole thing as necessary. =/ I understand you want feedback, and that’s 100% OKAY. But I am worried about that you’re letting people frankly “pick” how they want the game to be made.
You created the concept of this game. You need to be the final say in anything you do with your creation. If you lose that, you lose control of your idea. Feedback is great, but only to a certain point. It’s good to question what you are doing, but if you do it too often, you’ll just end up stuck between trying to please the fanbase and trying to satisfy what you want to do.
I think you should just focus continuing the great work, ask for feedback when you want it, but make sure you are creating the game YOU want to create.
PS–I never viewed Yan-chan as emotionless or anything. I felt like Yan-chan and her mother were just sociopaths this whole time…so…O_O yeah.
what could happen is yandere chan started life as a normal happy girl but she then saw something completely traumatic {maybe involving her parent’s past?} and then began to feel unsafe and scared constantly causing her to distant herself from people, developing abit of a kuu-dere personality until she met senpai who made her feel like when she was young {happy, bright ect.} but that’s just a guess xD
I never thought of her as boring. “Emotionless, empty” people DO exist in reality. I myself have schizoid personality disorder (very similar to symptoms you describe for yanchan, minus the obsession with senpai, though not every mental illness presents the same in every person, and I can see how conditioning in childhood could have planted that in her young impressionable mind.) And it was always really nice to see representation for these traits that those who cannot fathom experiencing it believe to only be possible in fiction/boring. That being said, I approve of the change. Its more of a tweak or fine tuning than a change, I’d say.
It has been 8 days! (atleast from where i live)I don’t think i can last much longer.
Hi! Maybe a word fo express yandere-chan situation could be “Alexithymia”?
Yandere-chan’s
I really like that Yandere-Chan is emotionless. An empty shell that never cared for anyone, filled by the obsession for Senpai (maybe because he was kind to her ?). Clinging to Senpai in order to avoid letting her true nature out would be a nice aspect of her personality too. If you really want to change Yandere-Chan, I’d use a “Yuno Gasai” approach, because she’s seen as the yandere queen by almost everyone and she’s the perfect stereotype. Even if the context is different, some of her behaviours or aspects can be applied to Yandere-Chan too. I’d explore her ability to build a sweet looking, kind girl facade that hides the monster inside and how she manages to keep cool even when she’s mad jealous of him. Adding more options, like spying on Senpai’s phone, leaving letters on his doorstep (not in an exaggerated way, otherwise he’d notice that she’s not mentally stable and obsessed with him), etc. A “snap mode” would be cool too, you know, like a switch she presses to shut off completely her facade/human side and get full psycho. Hearing Yan-Chan thoughts would be nice/helpful too, if she sees Senpai speak to other girls I’d love to hear something like “She’s going to disappear from your thoughts… and this world” or “don’t let that girl get inside your head my love, I’ll kill her if she does” or maybe something related to the girl like “I’m gonna send you to hell/Have fun while you can/I’m going to make you suffer/You’ll never love him the way I do/Don’t court my boy like this or I’ll chop your head off/You’re messing with the wrong girl, I swear I’ll make you pay”.
in regards to the idea of Ayano being either emotionless or in ““A perpetual state of listlessness” why not combine the two? for example she could grow up with that empty feeling and her mother telling her one day she will find someone who fills that void, however over the years Ayano (i really like that name) starts to become numb and by the start of the game has been unable to feel emotions at all for quite some time, I may be wrong but I feel that adds something to her “awakening”
AAAAAAHH!!! I am so nervous about the new update!!! Maybe Yandere Dev will say us the Results because of the poals!
I would say: stick with the sociopath route. A sociopath isn’t completely unable to feel emotions. They are just toned WAAAAY down. A sociopath usually craves his own desires beyond anything other, usually has a strong will and mostly is apathetic. I am suggesting you to change only the “not experience happiness”, as sociopaths can quite experience that even if only for about a very little span, BUT CAN’T EXPERIENCE FULFILLMENT, and so they are most of the time bored and thrill seeking.
The wonderful thing about sociopaths is that they are humans and they have their own personality on top of the Antisocial Personality Disorder they “suffer” with, and so every sociopath is unique from the other (not everyone is thrill seeking, not everyone is a homicidal maniac, not everyone is an evil person).
I am not talking academically, but I am talking by personal experience. This is a matter which I am really fond, for quite the right reason I am not telling.
I hope I could inspire you in some way or another, or at least clarify something up your mind.
It’s passionate to have something you can relate, Misery must not die.
I believe that Yandere-chan should have an overall a more in depth character. As a player, I find it hard to like Yandere-chan because shes so plain compared to surrounding characters in the game. I think she should have more of your typical “Yandere” qualities considering the game is known as Yandere Simulator. When I think of a Yandere character the first image that comes to mind is “Gasai Yuno” from Mirai Nikki (Future Diaries). I want Yandere-chan to be more lovestruck. I want there to be a dramatic change in her outside personality and her Yandere interior. There should be more of a snap. Thats just one girls opinion! Regardless of it all, this game is extremely fun to play!
I really think YandereDev needs to keep up his amazing work!!! I love this game so far and feel when he finishes the game it will be a huge success!!! We just need to give him some time and space! Creating a game is not easy ya know! He is a hard worker, and is very interesting on creating this game! Ive never seen anything like this game so far! Its unique, and I like that it is! I’m letting YandereDev go with his flow, and I’m tired of people being angry saying ‘your taking too long’ and ‘its never going to be done in time!!’ So I would like to see YOU create a game as good as his if you can…. I’ve never seen a game as good as this when its only what 17% done? You have to have ALOT of creativity to make a game as good as yandere simulator! To me, YandereDev is a hero to the gaming community ( counting me), AND a very inspirational person to the youngins who decide to make games when they are older (me)!!! We all need to give YandereDev good feedback and try not to be so hard on him ya know? And, YandereDev if your reading this… Know I think WHATEVER… And I mean whatever you put in your game… Just know I’ll love it nonetheless! Thank you so much if you read this YandereDev! I wish you all the luck on yandere simulator!!!! I really do love the game!!! Buh bye!!!
I can relate to this, I’m being open about it but I was put on Risperidone (which is a strong antipsychotic) and it basically numbs you after a certain dosage. I was on this for several months (I was prescribed too much, so I subsequently stopped taking it) and I will say that the way you described Ayano fit the description of how I felt while I was on said antipsychotic, the emptiness is accurate. The craving is accurate. The feeling of just existing rather than living is something I can relate to.
I find this to be a very thought-provoking subject. Although the “Empty” idea does convey a larger sense of depth, and depth within a plot is something I’m always a fan for, I do still find the original “Emotionless” idea to be very appealing. I always compared Yandere-Chan before she met Senpai to someone who only ever saw things in gray, who could eat but not taste, and who could hear sounds but never heard music. Similarly, she recognized the emotions of others, but wasn’t able to feel said emotions herself. Then, upon meeting Senpai, everything suddenly comes into color, blandness is replaced by flavor, and monotone becomes symphony as long she is near him. And thus she becomes obsessed. This has been how *I* personally always saw Yandere-Chan, but that’s my point of view. The “Empty” idea kinds of fits into this picture in that everything else was there, but was missing a core component. On the other hand, the “Emotionless” idea ties in as well, as being without emotions could be why she never truly registered such things and only saw life in such an unexcitable way- she wasn’t able to *be* excited until she met Senpai. Personally, I find myself leaning more towards the “Emotionless” idea, as not only does it seem to fit this idea better, but the ‘blank-slate’ approach–where the finer details of her character are determined by our actions–allows for a player to become more personally connected to the game because they can more easily envision an answer to the question “What would I do in this case?”, and this approach falls more in line with the “Emotionless” idea than the “Empty” idea. For this reason, I’m likely going to vote for the “Emotionless” idea, rather than the “Empty” idea. Of course, as we all know, it will be Yandere-Dev that makes the final decision, and for the reasons stated above I will be ultimately satisfied with whatever route he goes.
The character is already fine to me. She just seems like a depressed person who’s overly dependent on a small sliver of happiness she felt while being with someone. The key word her is she is depressed, those are mostly symptoms of depression that I see, and it’s simple and suiting for her to have depression as she seems to show the symptoms for it by your beginning description.
I also think the sociopath route would be best. Sure, she can still feel emotions to an extent, but not at all like the majority of people can. I think this lets each player create the Yandere-chan they want without making the story too plain and uninteresting.
Here’s the thing to remember: Yandere-chan will *kill* someone for flirting with Senpai. She will drive her competition to suicide, frame them to get them expelled, or will lock everyone in her basement, one by one, and make sure they’re never seen again. She’ll chop a body into pieces if it’s easier to hide. On the other hand, she’ll befriend her competition if everything is calculated to make the girl back off. She does whichever she fancies, with clear disinterest for all her rivals’ well-being.
In other words, she decidedly lacks empathy. She’s not just a monster so much as she is an outsider looking in.
Like someone else already said, sociopathy doesn’t automatically make a person a robotic murdering machine with no real personality. Maybe Yan-chan prefers to befriend her rivals because she finds them all amusing or fun to be around, or maybe instead because it’s easier than covering a crime and hiding a body. Maybe it’s because she likes to trick people into being her friend and backing off from Senpai, because to her playing with people’s empathy is a fun game. On the other hand, maybe instead she prefers to kill her opponents because duping the cops is another fun, thrilling game to her that also brings her closer to Senpai. Maybe she only goes with whatever is easiest per rival, killing Rival A and defaming-to-suicide Rival B.
The actions that we as players take to eliminate our rivals molds Yan-chan’s personality. Using a sociopathy approach makes this inherent flexibility in her character more believable as a character, and I also think emphasizing her flexibility this way makes for a fun mechanic. It lets everyone play as the Yandere-chan they see her as, each different playthrough supported by the fact that she’s a sociopath. I think it’s the most consistent with different playing styles and makes the generally fun “mold-her-personality” mechanic most accessible to everyone. Regardless, it’ll be a fun game any way you do it.
Personally, I find it preferable that Yanchan is in an ’emotionless’ state. Senpai is a wallflower in general, so if Yandev were to give her too much personality, he would just receive criticism towards Senpai’s character as merely something to obtain than an objective to the player.
I think one of the reasons why Yandev is sensitive to Yanchan’s character is because he’s critic of if Yanchan fits into the ‘yandere’ trope. Though to be honest, I’ve seen a lot of characters that have been labelled as ‘yandere’ (e.g: Tharja, Faye, Camilla- Fire Emblem and Rem from RE:Zero) despite not constantly displaying the yandere trait. I think it’s nice to use the yandere trope as more than just a label and instead, using it to display a personality. It’s the same with tsundere’s-some are given more than just a label and instead a personality (I’ve read there was a character who played as a fake tsundere for example. Also, I recall there’s a tsundere trait, where the tsundere feels guilty for her cruel- ‘tsun’-side. Can’t remember what it was called, though.)
I don’t think it’s necessary if Yanchan has a personality. The idea yandev has now fits well already. A girl who is initially emotionless and then gains emotions through love and obsession. I think some people who criticise Yanchan for being emotionless forget that Yuno Gasai- ‘yandere queen’- started off as a depressed character before she was smitten with Yuki. Also, if yandev is implying that Yanchan is a sociopath/psychopath before being yandere, then technically, she will display some emotions (if leaning towards sociopathic) but just at a lower level than normal people. Also, I like the idea that Yanchan doesn’t necessarily have to kill in order to get senpai. It’s really a shame there aren’t many yandere’s who use a similar method (I can’t think of any named yandere’s for that) to that-where they don’t have to kill, but they will still go to cruel means in order to get their loved one.
I feel that giving yanchan a personality will just lead to more criticism. It seemed that yandev thought that yanchan had to act ‘cute’ in order to implement personality. But I don’t think that is necessary. However, if yandev does come to deciding a personality, I hope he does one in which can be relatable to the player. Again, though, I don’t think she should have emotions- or if so, to a small extent until she meets senpai-I think at most yandev should think of her background. Yanchan and Senpai both seem to have an underdeveloped background-which I think will be the main reason really for her emotionless character to be seen as ‘boring’. I understand her name Ayano Aishi means ‘by design’ and ‘love/kill’? and I like that Yanchan can be to the player’s design. So if Yandev is planning on making her a personality, I think it should be shown through the player’s decisions or perhaps dialogue/interactive choices. If not, I think she should be given a background that can be relatable to an average person (like her interests? hobbies?) . Or maybe more of a reason for her emotionless. I get that her emotionless side has something to do with genetics-presuming-due to her yandere trait. However, maybe show more of her mental struggles at home. Inability to feel accepted by her father or an outcast to society to the point of numbness and apathy. Maybe her mother suggests to explore her feelings and later on yanchan comes across senpai. I think yanchan being emotionless can work if the player can feel enough sympathy towards her incapability for emotions and for her drive and desire to get senpai.
Why not have both ideas I mean say she has a mental disorder where she can’t feel any emotions until she meets sempi and whenever he’s around her she feels all of these positive emotions like happiness love joy and etc but when he’s gone she feels empty again and it runs in the family or something
Yan Dev, Yan-Chan is a curious character. The idea of a empty character is a unused one, and you have a lot to do. What I propose though, is you have the character’s personality evolve over the Story. perhaps Yan-dev, Yandere chan as she kills would become more cruel and callous as she handles matters, but, perhaps if you befriend each girl, Yandere-Chan evolves over the story, and if you befriend each girl, those girls come to your aid as a group of close friends to help you win over Senpai, and even cheer it. they can start the rumors of Yandere-chan’s feelings, and help set the mood of the High School as your love-struck quest. The school reacting to deaths is a amazing idea, but so should the girls if you befriend them. You can truly write a amazing story with vastly different outcomes all dependent on Yandere-chan’s actions.
Hey dav my id is THE TWO!!! the player is going to be in some story’s if they were killing they are the bad yandery , if they were doing tasks and helps they are goog
I mean good
This is how I felt about Yan-chan before this video/post (and what I imagined her/her life was like), and I actually still very much feel the same way:
I’ve honestly never thought as Yan-chan as an “emotionless girl” (even though that’s what Yandere-dev has been calling her).
I’ve always thought that she has emotions, and that she feels them very strongly. However, due to some trauma in her life (I was thinking of long-term parental abuse and neglect) she has learned to (or was forced) to suppress her emotions (as a survival tactic) and was never taught how to control or properly process her emotions.
Because of her surpress emotions, I feel as if she sees the world as bland, foggy, almost dark. She’s lonely, and she wants to reach out to people, but is afraid to truly open up to anyone because she is afraid (afraid because of what happened within her own family [the abuse she suffered {suffers?}]). I also feel as if she is deeply depressed.
I also like the idea that, along with this, she had constantly had the feeling of “missing something” (but I don’t like the idea of her obsessing over it [pre-Senpai]). This “missing piece” part actually is very relatable to me, personally.
I feel as if Senpai, as was stated, “fills” that hole within her, that he’s her missing piece. And I also feel as if he makes her feel safe, something that she hasn’t felt in a very long time. He makes her see the good in the world, he makes her truly happy, he makes the world seem vibrant and beautiful. I do think that she loves him (but perhaps not necessarily in the traditional sense [at least, not yet]). Perhaps she is so shy and bashful around him because she’s naturally shy by nature, she’s not quite sure how to process her emotions for him, and she’s still battling her remnants of fear that she has with everyone (again, because of her abuse).
I think that her capacity to do harm and to murder is not because she’s an evil person or that she’s incapable of empathy. Like Yandere-dev said, she’s willing to do anything to make sure that she can get Senpai.
She’s willing to (or has the thought or at least the capacity) to resort to violence because she was brought up in an extremely violent households–children who grow up in violent households and are beaten are, statistically, much more likely to he violent people themselves (look up how many serial killers grew up in abusive households). And she is very cunning and sneaky (or at least has the capacity to be), again, because of the situation she grew up in–anyone who has/had extremely strict parents knows that their strictness only teaches you to become extremely sneaky (so as to avoid punishment).
I like to think (and hope) that, after getting together, Senpai would encourage Yan-chan to seek help and to become a better person. Perhaps he would encourage her to attend counseling/therapy (for her trauma, her emotions, her thoughts and impulses, etc.). I also like to think that he would show her all the best things in life and teach her that having relationships with other people (as friends and family) is healthy, and that it’s important to always be empathetic of other’s and to be as good and as kind a person as possible.
But most of all, I just really think that Yan-chan needs and deserves professional help.
I also don’t think that Yan-chan has necessarily never experienced happiness. I think that she has been happy before.
However, I think the whole “missing piece” most likely began when she started puberty and/or when she got to a certain age.
I hope (and think) that Senpai should be by her side. Honestly I think that he should try and get to know her a bit more. Then like befriend her. But that’s what I think. If it’s possible you could maybe add a little bit of a back story.
Because people like me like back stories to get to know the character a little more and I like to write stories about characters. And I came to like Yan-chan so, I want to write a story about her and Senpai. Right now I’m making one but the stories I write are not getting published because it’s more of a fanic really.
Anyway I would really love it if you could add a little bit of a back story please and thank you.
-Sarai
What if, you had a chance to play as Ayano’s mother when she was in high school, maybe like as a flashback if there is a scene where like she is talking to Ayano about what she’s feeling.
I totally understand your feelings, Yandere Dev. It pisses me off that people have the nerve to talk crap when so much work has been put into the creation of this fantastic game build. CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM is one thing, but shit talking criticism is another. Personally, I believe Ayano should be empty, but not emotionless, and have a backstory. I think it’ll allow players to connect with her more. It’s not too late to change the character :). But whatever you go with, I’m not going to hold a grudge. Ultimately, it’s not my say. I’ll support this game till I drop dead >:)
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Hey Yandere Dev, I know this post is from a couple of months ago, but I’ve just watched the video and got an idea.
How about instead of giving her a complete history or no history, just give her something vague, and let the rest to be up for the player’s imagination? For example, in Skyrim, nothing is said about the Dragonborn’s past, only that they were at the border when they ran into an ambush.
This way, the players won’t hate what you made her be, and they themselves can decide what she is.
I actually like the character as someone who can have and experience emotions but theres an unhealthy craving and obsession and she can’t have a very satisfying relationship. The other thing i about the character is that she has a condition or has some demon possessing her making her devoid of that satisfaction. The more devoid she gets from senpie after every attempt she makes fails the more she gives in to her condition. I love deep stuff lol
I know I’m a bit late to this, but I would like to say something.
I like the idea of Ayano starting out emotionless and slowly gaining her own personality? Possibly based on the player’s actions? It would be complicated, yes, but even a simplified version, independent of the player’s actions, would be pretty interesting in my opinion.
It’s a very appropriate suggestion; Ayano is a blank slate, an empty canvas for the player. You decide what kind of person she is, through your gameplay decisions. But, with that said…
Having multiple different possible personalities that the protagonist can develop would be very ambitious and would require a lot of additional writing / voice acting. It’s not something I’m planning to support, because of the amount of time/resources/budget that would be required.
Understandable. Still would be cool to see her develop a personality of her own, unrelated to actions taken, as the weeks progress. 🤔
In the end though, it’s just an idea.
I may write a fic about it for fun though, to see what I can come up with.