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Never thought I would see a Grandpa that hates all of his blood. He Thinks Krauss can't do anthing with money, Eva is too Greedy, Rudolf too preocupied with woman. He hates Rosa for having a bastard child, Jessica for being stupid in his eyes. George is too nice so to Kinzo that makes him a wuss, Battler diched the family for 6 years, Maria because he does not like to look at her and I bet he hates all the others for not being directly related to him. MonsterEnvy fucked around with this message at 18:45 on Aug 20, 2012 |
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Aug 20, 2012 02:29
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 23:33 |
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To be fair, Kinzo's the kind of guy who would hate the sky for daring to think it's above him. I'm pretty sure he has a list somewhere of everyone who has ever lived and why he hates them.
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Aug 20, 2012 10:25
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You'd be better off making a list of people Kinzo doesn't hate. Evidence so far suggests it's rather short.
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Aug 20, 2012 10:30
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Dr Pepper posted:You'd be better off making a list of people Kinzo doesn't hate. -Genji -Absinthe Alcohol is totally a person I think we're done.
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Aug 20, 2012 10:54
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Nanjo, sometimes.
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Aug 20, 2012 11:03
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blankd posted:-Beatrice He seemed to at least tolerate his wife long enough to have a few kids with her. Which is close as he gets to love. 
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Aug 20, 2012 15:48
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So we have reached Kinzo? This man shines so brightly later on, so you can expect alot from him. But we are still long ways from reaching the conflict point of this episode, which I can't wait for it to happen.
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Aug 20, 2012 16:44
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Here is what you need to know about the Ushiromiya patriarch: The TV series' closing theme is called 'Kinzo's Rock Opera Madhouse of Divine Tragedy' and this is entirely appropriate.
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Aug 20, 2012 17:43
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OH DESIRE is pretty much the one thing besides voice acting that the anime did correctly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMM_BPTYglM
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Aug 20, 2012 20:54
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So much stuff, and we have only finished the first meal on the first day here. How much is left for this chapter? Also, how many chapters does this VN have? From the discussions, it seems to have at least six.
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Aug 21, 2012 02:29
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A lot is left of the chapter, and the VN has 8 chapters total.
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Aug 21, 2012 02:33
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Jeek posted:So much stuff, and we have only finished the first meal on the first day here. How much is left for this chapter? We just barely finished the character introductions.
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Aug 21, 2012 02:48
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In more detail, the next update will start the 4th chapter out of 16. Though there are a few things that aren't counted as chapters by the game. Going by the text dump, we're just slightly less than a fifth of the way through Episode 1.
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Aug 21, 2012 10:30
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Part Seven: Magical Gohda Chef  For this scene, Battler will be supplementing his narration with the use of his previously unmentioned talent for astral projection. However, because the sons and siblings had been lent a great fortune, in the Ushiromiya family, which considers only those that achieve success in business adults, it literally was a conference.  My dad called it a bed of nails. Apparently, it used to be a very serious family meeting, bathed in harsh and angry voices. Even on a good year, it was common for someone to get slapped. On the bad years, well...decades later, Kinzo still has his disciplinary swords on hand and the no-questions-asked carpet guys on speed dial. However, that had become a thing of the past. Now, with everyone pursuing their own business ventures and achieving success, it was a normal yearly get-together. Even so, hearing about Grandfather's condition caused a significant amount of stress, so while to us grandchildren it was nothing more than a simple meeting, to our parents it was still a real stomachache. I guess that since the ringleader was absent for various reasons, today's lunch was even more delicious. The phrase 'while the demon is not around, everyone can relax' comes to mind. Well then, let's introduce Jessica's father, whose face I hadn't seen for six years.   Just like with Natsuhi oba-san, I didn't have many memories of speaking with Krauss oji-san. He had never been one to talk to children, and I felt like he was always talking with the adults, just like Natsuhi oba-san. From my father's gossip, it seems that he was a pretty spiteful and unreasonable person. Or in other words, an Ushiromiya. If what my father said is true, he used to be very domineering as the oldest sibling, and was hated by Eva oba-san, Rosa oba-san, and the rest of the family.  Oh, well. Even if their relationship was bad when they were children, sometimes when people grow up and go their separate ways, their relationship changes. That's probably what this was. After all, they all had children of about the same age. By sharing the same family environment, they probably profited by exchanging opinions. Maybe because of that, a short while ago the circle of parents began to discuss the exams Jessica and I were taking. Jessica, in order to escape the discussion of exams with my father sitting on her left, purposefully faced right while firing off a rapid series of comments, so as not to show any weaknesses. Moving on, let's look at the end opposite from Krauss and the others. In the very last seat at the table, an old gentleman with a sturdy physique sat facing Kyrie-san. This was my first time meeting him.  He had known Grandfather since the very beginning when the mansion was first constructed on this island, and had built up a relationship over several decades. I thought that he might be Grandfather's companion in his suspicious hobbies, but, surprisingly, it seems that he is Grandfather's chess partner. Ignorant all the while of the arcane patterns formed on their chessboard and the rituals powered with them. ...I see. That kind of hobby seems very like our Grandfather with his love of western style. You could probably say that he was the only person who could enter Rokkenjima and was neither a family member nor a servant. He gave an impression of a calm old gentleman as he listened to Kyrie and the other women's conversation. After staying by our short-tempered Grandfather's side for so long, his big heart was nothing to laugh at. ...Still, even if he was the head physician, having anyone outside the Ushiromiya family attend the family conference was a little odd. I imagined that because Grandfather's condition had grown much worse, it may have become one of the major topics of discussion. George was just saying it, too. Reports that Grandfather's remaining life was very short had been appearing continuously since around a year ago.  As a final “gently caress you” to his kids, Kinzo has cursed them to spontaneously vomit up the entirety of his fortune upon his death. If they survive, anything intact is theirs. Unfortunately for them, ingots and human throats mix...poorly... With this kind of thing, the greater the share, the more trouble would be caused. This would probably also be included in the family conference. Oh well, it's not like it had anything to do with us children. ...Finally, even though he was absent, let me introduce our Grandfather.  Are you sure you want that, Battler? Are you really, really sure? I mean imagine how much more ridiculous the names would be if he'd been using stuff like that from the start. As you can probably guess from the topics that have been raised, he was a frightening person with an extremely short temper. Because I was one of the grandchildren and hadn't met the family since elementary school, I had no memory of being beaten, but it seems that our parents were raised with an iron fist. That earlier conversation between my father and Krauss oji-san about who should go try to convince Grandfather to come out seems oddly funny if we take this into account. In order to tell Grandfather's story, you have to first go back and recount that episode that occurred before the Showa era (1926-1989).   Incidentally, Grandfather, as a member of the branch family, essentially had nothing to do with the main family. Distantly separated from the head's inheritance, his relationship with the head house was also very distant, apparently.  It then became a matter of who in the main family would become the heir, and it seemed as though no one except the branch family, which included Kinzo, was left. Kinzo himself later said that it was such good luck, it was as though fate itself had been turned upside-down. With that, Grandfather's normal life did a 180. He was entrusted with reviving the wealth that the dying Ushiromiya family had almost completely lost. Naturally, just because he had been entrusted with this task didn't mean he could accomplish it. It seems that the surrounding people weren't really expecting much.  It was like tumbling down a hill on a bike without any brakes. And then, jumping onto a neighboring bike, and then another one! Just like some crazy street performance. Probably, anyone would have thought that Grandfather had no business ability. It is entirely likely that Kinzo has literally done this at some point. Even so, with an unbelievable amount of good luck and miracles, with coincidences piling up and every chance taken advantage of, before anyone knew it, he began to make connections with the occupying forces. At that time, McArthur and the GHQ were in charge. Grandfather, in a twinkle of the eye, began succeeding in business under the protection of the occupying forces, quickly becoming very rich. At this point, it was no longer luck but information that won the day. He must have made some seriously thick connections with the occupying forces. ...Grandfather knew beforehand about emergency demands that would be made for the Korean War. No, on the contrary, he must have foreseen these special procurements from the very beginning and started eating into his businesses.  Only a very limited number of the super rich played the money game and made an easy profit. Most of the citizens remained poor. In other words, Grandfather was an extremely lucky member of this group of winners. This all happened...during the year Showa 25 (1950), I think. And, since the year following the Great Kanto Earthquake was Taisho 13 (1924)... ...That means Grandfather was able to revive the near-dead Ushiromiya family in only about 20 years to a level even higher than it had been before.  Buying an entire island is not something that you can ordinarily do today. However, Grandfather was clever. He contacted the GHQ and applied for the establishment of a marine resource base. He acquired this island as a business property, and then threw that away and claimed it as his own plot of land. And they were just...entirely cool with him taking their base and building a house on it instead. Something else to attribute to absolutely everyone being completely terrified of him, I guess. After the war there were prevention measures against food shortages, and, furthermore, having the sponsorship of the GHQ meant that nobody could oppose him. It seems that Tokyo Metropolis had almost no money at the time and offered this land. Later, Tokyo made difficulties by telling Kinzo to return the land, but the pushy GHQ intervened. Anyway, it seems as though under the table bribes worked perfectly. In the end, the city gave up in frustration.  A mansion was immediately built on the island. That would be this mansion. Grandfather, with his western style, made this once uninhabited island, Rokkenjima, a canvas upon which he could realize his dreams to his heart's content.  After that, making good use of his huge fortune, he became a large stock holder in the extremely stable iron and steel industry and was able to live an easy and comfortable life just using the dividends. Well, he's just that incredible. This kind of person usually has the ability to foresee and predict the future, or at least that is how they are portrayed. Grandfather denies all of that, repeatedly saying that he was simply blessed with extraordinary luck... And a contract with a powerful magical benefactor. That helped too. ...Anyway, even a lord like that, with all of his dreams made real, can't help but grow increasingly odd when locked up alone on an island.  Did his love of black magic begin way back when he became fascinated with everything western, or, possibly, did his miraculous stretch of good luck which allowed him to revive the family cause him to feel a mysterious power in himself? Or did it, perhaps, begin when he literally sold his soul to a witch for money? At some point, Grandfather began to make the research of black magic his life's work. He filled his study up with suspicious books, chemicals, and magical items as he became increasingly bizarre. I heard that, as a successful man, he had the right to decide how he wanted to live the rest of his life, and those surrounding him warmly watched over him, but... That's definitely a lie. They probably were just driven away, thinking 'that's disgusting, I don't want to get involved.' And/or trying to avoid being sacrificed to some dark power or other. Well, ...that agitated period was like a big gamble, with both opportunities and risks.  Man, Battler, don't you know how chess works? Sure, he might have been a pawn, but it's Kinzo. He would be the one that makes it to the other side and becomes a Queen. The only question is what he'd be queen of... England? Japan? Witches?  Chess? If that happened, he'd probably have sat somewhere, happily talking behind his boss's back. No, no. Not in a mansion's dining hall. More like a table at some bar. If that were the case, I'm sure that this would be a more comfortable family conference.     : "Hey, quit it Battler. Your upbringing will be exposed."Everyone let out a big laugh. drat it, you say that even though you love those cheap pubs.  : "Hahahaha. Depending on the situation with my job, I also have eaten at many odd places, but compared to all of those, this is an excellent dish. Gohda-san probably also learned a lot that way." : "Well, I don't know too much about it. At the famous hotel where he used to work, employee politics got pretty complicated and everyone split into factions. In the middle of all that, he was apparently forced to retire. Then, by chance, Mom sent out job offers for a servant."Gohda lowered the empty plate and, without losing his smile, began to recount his own uneven past.  : "The world is a difficult place. However, it is thanks to this that I was given a chance to display my skills as a chef once again, this time for the Ushiromiya family. Although I also enjoy the smiles of a larger number of people, being able to make only those who have hired me happy while performing such a delicate job is extremely entertaining for me. All of this is thanks to the opportunity given to me by Madam."Gohda-san respectfully bowed his head towards Natsuhi oba-san.  Shannon-chan and Kumasawa-san entered from the hallway with a serving cart.  : "Please excuse us.": "Now then, let us move on to today's dessert."Gohda-san and the others laid out the beautifully adorned dessert.  I don't know much about desserts, but this looked really good.  Apparently the sauce was a blend of sweet and sour. Despite it being bad manners, I also stuck my little finger in and licked it. Whoa, half of it was sour enough to make you pucker up. If it were yellow, I'd have suspected lemon, but I couldn't guess what kind of sourness would be red. I decided to ask Shannon, who was putting away the serving cart behind us.  : "Shannon-chan, what kind of sauce is this sour stuff?": "...Umm..., ...Err..., ...u..., "Shannon-chan hesitated to speak.  Gohda raided Kinzo's private stash for some of the ingredients. It looked tasty, and surely the label saying it was demon blood must have been some weird joke, right? While Natsuhi oba-san acted as though she had a headache, Kumasawa-san, who was setting the table at the opposite seat, began to laugh with a 'Hoh-hoh-ho'.   : "Don't tell anyone, alright? Let me borrow your ears."Kumasawa-san leaned across from the other side of the table. I leaned forward too when she asked me to listen. Their interest caught, Jessica, George-aniki, and, of course, Maria also put their ears closer.  : "Uu-. What? Wha-t? Quickly-! Quickly-!": "The sour part is, well, ...Actually, it's squeezed juice from a mackerel, Hoh-hoh-ho!"Especially since it was specified to be a mackerel demon. I mean, the very concept is just absurd!  : "Uu-? Mackerels are sour? If you squeeze them, this comes out!"Only Maria, Encyclopedia Demonica on legs that she is, is unfazed.  Only Rosa oba-san, her face red, told Maria that mackerel is sour only once prepared, in a small voice.  : "Kumasawa baa-chan, you sure haven't changed...! You know Maria's gonna believe now, right?": "Hoh-hoh-ho, it's just a joke, right? Now, Gohda will tell us what the sauce's true nature is, won't he?"Gohda looked a little put off about his masterpiece being laughed at in such a strange way, but after clearing his throat once, he introduced the dessert to us.  ...Ha--...Man, I almost want to applaud before eating. Just like with medicine, reading the instructions seems to work better than just drinking it. As Gohda-san elaborated on the details of this dessert, it started to feel even more appetizing. Seriously, should you call him subtle or just talented? The dessert was probably planned from the beginning, but taking the hint when we all stopped in front of the rose garden earlier today, he displayed an incredible and timely awareness by just adding a few rose petals from that garden. This combination of sweet and sour was also exquisite. If it was just sweet, you'd just get used to it and bored halfway through. But if you reached the sour sauce at that point, you'd get a really vivid taste. And then, once you returned to the sweet sauce, all of the sourness in your mouth would be replaced with an enjoyable sweetness. I'm sure everyone else felt the same way. Every time Gohda-san passed by one of the seats, someone praised the taste and his creation.  : "I am most grateful for your words. ...Madam, did you know? I have heard that rose hip has the ability to cure headaches. I thought that Madam especially would appreciate it, so I had it specially prepared." : "Is that so? Thank you." : "See, didn't I tell you, Natsuhi nee-san? Rose hip works on headaches.": "So it seems. ...At least it would be nice if that were the case." : "Haa-! Gohda-san, I love ya! Hey, later, why don't you tell me how they're treating you! If you've got any problems with it, just lift a finger and I'll give you whatever salary ya want! Havin' your talent monopolized by this small island is sacrilege to humanity's cookin' culture! Wouldn't you be willin' to display yer talent to all of the guests at my company?"  Everyone let out a huge laugh. According to Jessica, Kumasawa-san's mackerel was often the material of a running gag, and our parents had long since gotten used to it. Kumasawa-san often claimed that mackerel had a precious nutritional value that could do things such as prevent aging and make people smarter. ...It seemed that while it couldn't stop the outward signs of aging, it helped prevent aging on the inside. Since she was still healthy enough to tell these kinds of jokes at her age, that benefit must be the real thing. : "Hoh-hoh-ho... In that case, if you'll excuse me... Prepare yourself for tonight's dinner! I'll be cooking plenty of mackerel dishes for you to eat, so look forward to it!": "Wahahaha, we sure will. I want to get all dressed up for tonight's mackerel!" : "That sounds wonderful. I wonder if any delicious Japanese sake will be included.": "Really, is that so? How about some of our famous Rokkenjima mackerel liquor..."Honestly I would not be at all surprised if they've got a stash of that somewhere. Or of penguin meat, for that matter.  Kumasawa-san, together with Shannon-chan, bowed and pushed the serving cart away. Amusingly, Gohda-san, who looked just as though his stock had been stolen from him, explained very seriously that tonight's dinner would actually be calf steak.  : "Hoh-hoh-ho, I haven't done a~nything that requires thanks."Kumasawa may have played dumb, but she had obviously understood and saved Shannon in the nick of time. Back when Battler had asked for the details of the dessert, Shannon had unfortunately hesitated. There may have been several ways to dodge the question, but all of them would have been tricky. Shannon, who hesitated when hard pressed for a response, was always suffering because of this small weakness. If only Shannon, like Gohda, had a little of the craftiness needed to skillfully shake off a mistake, her days would be a little more comfortable. As far being able to flawlessly handle her work, this weakness was especially unfortunate. Naturally, those whose knew of Shannon's meek nature and her inability to gloss over a mistake and deceive people would understand this. Therefore, Kumasawa came to her aid without hesitation.  : "Ah, yes. I was thinking I might start cooking some mackerel in the oven. If you don't mind, I would be happy if you would help out a bit before your break."One way or another, she is going to shoehorn some mackerel into dinner, even if she has to quickly cut the steaks open and shove chunks of it inside while Gohda's back is turned. : "Ah, yes...! I would be delighted to help."To Shannon, Kumasawa was like a mother among the servants.  Maria insisted that she also wanted to drink the black tea, but was rejected by the old bastard, who told the children to go play outside. : "Battler-kun, why don't we all go for a walk outside?": "It's alright if you just go to look at the roses. But keep a close eye on the weather. The sky's still clear, but the weather report kept on talkin' about rain.": "Uu-! Maria wants the beach, wants the beach!!" : "Aw, isn't that great? Playing on a sandy beach isn't something that you get to do often, is it?": "Really? Alright, let's all go to the sandy beach then!" : "*giggle*, that obedience is so cu~te. Battler-kun, make sure you keep an eye out for Maria-chan, okay?": "Great, leave it to me!": "Haaah, isn't your obedience to Kyrie's request just as cute? ...Why don't you also listen to me obediently for a change?": "Heh! Hell no! Let's go everyone, c'mon!"The children flew out of the parlor.  The parlor was filled with a sublime aroma which entertained everyone while they waited to appease their thirst...  : "Hahahahah, ha... Rudolf's family sure seems close, doesn't it. That's nice.": "Quit it. Aniki's family beats ours.": "That's true~. Jessica-chan really has been raised to be cute. hasn't she? This is also the fruit of your training, isn't it, Natsuhi nee-san?": "...Thank you."Natsuhi answered coldly. With that, the conversation halted, and the parlor became silent. Possibly because he couldn't stand it anymore, Hideyoshi broke the silence with an exaggerated gesture.  : "I wonder where the border between child and adult is. I still don't feel as though I've grown up.": "Hmph, isn't that pitiful. That's not something the mother of a child should say.": "That's right. We're not children anymore. We are all adults. So I want to stop this sentimental talk and move on to a more intellectual discussion."When Eva smiled with sharp sarcasm, everything seemed to get more tense. ...It felt like the smell of the tea that had been prepared so carefully just flew out the window.  : "...'Just as it used to be,' is it? My, my. I wish I could wrap those words up and send them to this room a few decades ago. Right, Rosa?": "..."Rosa smiled with an uncertain face. Whether she agreed or disagreed, she knew that she would earn the displeasure of her brother or her sister. It was a bit of worldly wisdom she had needed to learn as the youngest sibling.    It also helps that he has a goodly bit of padding for the odd occasions when Kinzo flips out and goes to town with the R'lyeh Text.  Next time: Happy family fun time! Shiny777 fucked around with this message at 05:46 on Aug 24, 2012 |
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Aug 24, 2012 04:30
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This whole ''how Kinzo got to be the head of the family'' speech isn't adapted at all in the anime. May not be important but it adds depth to what you will expect of the Head of the family. The adult intellectual talk is something interesting and becomes even more interesting further in, specially how Eva ends up being overall about it.
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Aug 24, 2012 04:42
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The anime left out a lot of the stuff in the first half of Episode 1 to streamline the experience. While Episode 1's introduction could have definitely been trimmed in the VN, the anime's take on it resulted in an experience people ended up caring about a lot less in the end. Not sure if it could've been any other way given the medium, though.
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Aug 24, 2012 04:50
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So Kinzo's reckless investment when he was young was part of his "gamble at desperate situation" magic then?
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Aug 24, 2012 08:49
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Jeek posted:So Kinzo's reckless investment when he was young was part of his "gamble at desperate situation" magic then? We don't know. The comments are jokes for the most part. For all we know Kinzo's magic are just his crazy dilusions.
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Aug 24, 2012 08:55
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And the fact that he guzzles absinthe like water probably isn't helping either.
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Aug 24, 2012 14:40
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Rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated. Have an extra large update. Part Eight: Dysfunction, Part 1/A Lot   He's just taking reasonable precautions, really. After all, if he's supposed to have died nine months ago and he's still walking, they have to consider the possibility that he may in fact have become some form of undead monstrosity. If he's a dracula now, they're safe while the sun's out. Well. Safe-ish. Maybe. : "Still, Natsuhi-san. If we don't discuss this until somethin' happens, it'll be too late. He's still healthy now, so we must figure out something while we still have some time left over. It's the same as financial etiquette.": "It seems as though everyone is concerned about Father. ...Doctor Nanjo. Could we hear the details from you? It seems as though they are also hoping for that." : "....*cough*."Nanjo, standing by the window and staring out at the rose garden, let out a single cough when he realized that he was being called. : "...Doctor Nanjo. ...How is Father's condition?" : "...That is correct. Because of that, while I will accept everyone's repeated questions, I can by no means confirm when he will pass away. A human's life is supported by their body and their mind. ...If the body is weak, the situation becomes more dangerous, but if the mind is strong enough to compensate for that weakness, the lull in one's condition can be preserved.": "So you're saying that even if his body is weak, his mind is still firm and spirited."And he is living on pure : "...Kyrie, sorry, but please stay quiet for a while.": "...Sorry." Though it's probably just an odd figure of speech, given the nature of his hobbies and booze, it is still quite possible that demons figure into Kinzo's health issues somehow.  : "That's quite a rude question to ask about the head."Natsuhi jumped on Eva, unable to hide her astonished expression. In response, Eva returned a daring glance, but Hideyoshi, realizing what was going on, tried to smooth things over with a bitter smile.  : "Is that so? I hadn't realized."Hey, eager anticipation of his death is a kind of concern, right? : "Doctor Nanjo, please tell us. For the sake of the beautiful family love of a daughter worried about her father's lifespan."Krauss laughed sarcastically, and Eva, smiling sweetly, returned an identical chuckle. : "...You ask whether he will still be healthy next year, ...but as a doctor, it is very hard to say. Because while I do think this lull in his condition will continue for a while, if he suffers some kind of fit, there may be nothing we can do. ...Anyways, Rokkenjima is a solitary island. It is not as though an ambulance can quickly jump in to save him. Normally, I would want to have him hospitalized in a large hospital on the mainland, but...": "Father stated that he does not want his noble research interrupted. ...It seems he holds a grudge over the way we tried to force him out last year. Apparently, he strongly suspects that he'll be shut away in some hospital if he goes outside. And that's how things are now."And that's why he has so much security on the study. Because he is just that adamant about not getting put in a home.  : "Has Doctor Nanjo been examining him?" : "Father trusts Doctor Nanjo. ...It seems he can be examined when in a good mood..." : "Then, in summary, his expected life is still three months. There's no way to guess how long he will continue to live while still on the verge of death.": "...Rudolf-san. Couldn't you be more discreet with your words?": "Ah, sorry. I've always talked this way. Give me a break.": "I understand Doctor Nanjo's opinion. ...What do you think, Krauss nii-san?" Krauss: the one person on the island who gets it. : "Hahhaha. In the next world, get born after me....Alright, let's return to our discussion. In that case, according to the impartial and neutral doctor's opinion, it wouldn't be odd for him to go any time. Sorry, Aniki, but I'd rather trust the opinion of a specialist. With that, I believe the discussion of Father's fortune is no longer a premature topic.": "Father's personal funds probably reach as far as several ten billion yen, right? But, it's not as though all of that is neatly gathered as ready cash. It's not as simple as neatly cutting a birthday cake with a knife."Which would put the family fortune at the equivalent of…a couple hundred million dollars. Not a small amount by any means, but one that seems…oddly low for a family rich enough to own its own island. And which meshes oddly with some other estimates. Admittedly, since they specify personal funds, there's probably other chunks tied up in business and such, but they talk like it's the entire inheritance. Or maybe I just have no sense of scale/am overthinking the details again. I dunno. : "...Aneki's metaphor is interesting, isn't it? That's right, sometimes strawberries or chocolates are placed on top of the cake, making it hard to cleanly divide it into equal parts. Taking that into consideration, I think it's important to first discuss how best to stick the knife in, don't you...?": "I truly don't understand everyone. Even while the head is still alive, you're discussing the matter in loud voices as though he were already dead."Well, there’s no point in being quiet about it, is there? What’s he gonna do if he overhears? Hate them all just a little bit more? : "Come now, don't you see how important this is? After all, when the time comes, the inheritance of his fortune must be carried out immediately, right? Moreover, the glorious Ushiromiya house's wealth is vast. Don't you understand that a careful discussion is necessary beforehand? Because there's a huge difference between this family's resources and your family's wealth." : "Give it a rest, Eva... Natsuhi-san, forgive us! Pardon her rudeness."Hideyoshi, tried to smooth things over by glancing at both with a forced smile, but it only resulted in making the hostility between Eva and Natsuhi even more intense... : "...Staying any longer would make me a hindrance. Please excuse me."Nanjo rose from his seat and exited the parlor. ...To an outsider it may have seemed like a normal act of courtesy, but his back was watched by several glances envious of his ability to escape. And while they argue over the inheritance, Nanjo, knowing a few things they don’t and being familiar with Kinzo’s handwriting, goes to hole up in a corner somewhere and forge a will. After the doctor had exited and his footsteps had disappeared into the distance, Krauss recrossed his legs.  : "...We are not impatient. ...However, a decision between the siblings is essential. It doesn't matter when, but if the day when Father's condition worsens is approaching, discussing the matter beforehand isn't what I would call impatience..."Though Rosa, at least, does have a compelling reason to want her chunk ASAP. As noted in her bio back at the start, her business is doing pretty terribly because she can't be assed to run it properly. Rosa shot a glance at Eva and Rudolf. ...As the youngest daughter in the family, being cross-examined by the eldest was harsh. Man, they haven’t even started shouting and making objection poses yet and it’s already too much for her? Rosa is pretty pathetic. Sadly, no one in this scene even has objection poses. : "...Oh? Is that your true opinion? I didn't expect that the most honest and pure-hearted of the siblings would say something like that. I wonder if those two told you to say that...?": "...": "Quit it, Aniki. Rosa is also our sibling. She has a fair right to Father's inheritance. It's obvious she would be interested, right? ...After all, Father will definitely die, and that's not something that'll happen in the distant future. ...On the contrary, Aniki, you are far too relaxed. It seems almost as though you would like nothing better than to turn the discussion away from the distribution of the inheritance.": "...What do you mean by that? Are you trying to accuse my husband of something?": "C, calm down Natsuhi-san. Listen to what we have to say..." : "You sure are knowledgeable. Soon, Japan will see an unprecedented boom. Just like when Father revived the Ushiromiya family. Another case like the Korean War demands. ...The people of Japan have gotten into in a frenzy trying to realize vast economic growth and become the most prosperous people in the world, glorifying the spring of our society. Private spending has increased, and institutions that can profit from that can make easy money in this era. The people's needs are not three kinds of electrical appliances. Places to ski, to golf, public pools. Resort hotels and theme parks! Ah yes, Delsney Land! That world-famous famous theme park, home to such timeless classic characters as Mikhail Moose and Douglas Dolphin... Okay, he’s actually talking about the Tokyo Disney Resort, which opened in 1983. But honestly I was kinda surprised when I did a search that there isn’t a thinly-veiled ripoff by that name somewhere out there. It just seems like it should exist, doesn't it? : "Krauss-san, your readin' ain't bad. ...When I heard that several years earlier, I thought it was ridiculous. ...However, when I heard about the G5 nations' Plaza Accord, that changed. The yen became increasingly strong, and the price of land will soon skyrocket, I believe. The day that Japan becomes the economic center of the world isn't far off. ...You have a very forward looking view. At least there can be no debate about that."Except this is set right before the Japanese asset price bubble. So Krauss' prediction is pretty much completely off in the long term. : "I feel the same as Hideyoshi-san. Aniki, you can read into the next decade of history. That keen sense surely came from Father. It's incredible....However, unlike Father, there have been cases where the timing of your predictions have been mistaken, haven't there?"Much like Kinzo, Krauss can see what's coming and instinctively tell exactly what he needs to do to make himself even more filthy rich in any given situation. Except unlike Kinzo, he is then compelled to ignore that and do something completely stupid with his cash instead. : "Nii-san, believing that Japan will definitely face an economic boom, you have been planning resorts everywhere. And almost all of them continue to fail. ...While I'm sure that the era you predicted is arriving, it seems that you misread the timing of that boom.” : "...How rude! Are you trying to insult my husband?"Natsuhi's forehead creased as she rose from the sofa. Eva, paying this no heed, stared at Krauss with a confident smile. ...Krauss, who also maintained his confident appearance, told Natsuhi to sit down.  : "Proof that you have no talent is also right here. ...After all, Nii-san, weren't you all excited about turning this island into a resort? Building a wonderful resort hotel, beautifully maintaining the garden. I'm just an amateur and don't pretend to understand, but you must have used a significant amount of money, right?": "Then, what are you trying to say! My husband's business has nothing to do with you!": "Actually, that's not true, Natsuhi-san. Rokkenjima is not Aniki's. It is Father's. Of course, the hotel that was constructed is Aniki's, right? If you like, you can charge us lodging fees tonight. Right, Rosa?": "...Well, hmm. If what I have on hand will suffice.": "If I can make it into a resort, this island's financial worth will rise. It is true that expenses have piled up, but we can hope to have a large harvest in the future. When that happens, it should prove to be beneficial to all of you as well." : "We aren't dissatisfied, we're uneasy. In the first place, Aniki, when do you plan to open that hotel? Left this way, you won't get anything out of it except our grubby hand prints, right?": "That's right. It's an important tool for your business, isn't it? Surely you can't keep it locked up until the moment you open it for business, right? Buildings go bad if you don't use them and air them out every once in a while. Even so, it's a bit extravagant for a guesthouse that we only use once a year. Right, Rosa?": "...That's right. If it is that wonderful, I'm sure that it will become quite popular once you open it."Oh, definitely. I can see the ads now… : "Oh...The hotel that you mentioned earlier is actually the guesthouse, isn't it...": "It's splendid. Just as Rosa said, if you were to open it, I'm sure it would become popular."The lodging they had been guided to had not been constructed with the intent of building a guesthouse. ...It was originally constructed as a resort hotel. Visit scenic Rokkenjima! Behold its myriad natural wonders! The pristine beach! The primeval, majestic forest! The…other primeval, majestic forest! And even…um…more forest! Stay in a top class hotel, attended to by servants who all believe they are chairs or something of the sort! Observe the ultra rich in their natural environment! Watch their constant infighting and drama! (popcorn and lawn chairs extra) Listen to their mad patriarch scream about witches through a security door, and be told to gently caress off and die! Meet a horrible end at the hands of what may or may not be a witch! Truly, a recipe for resounding success. However, even though it was constructed two years before, there was absolutely no prospect of it opening. : "Nii-san, it's just like all of your enterprises. Your attention and planning are both fabulous. Then, it always becomes unable to maintain itself partway, and ends without being able to collect any profit." : "But, two full years have passed since you finished building, right? After two years, you still haven't had the opportunity to open it? Where is the managing company you entrusted it to?": "...Impertinence! That is not my husband's fault! There has just been some trouble with the company that my husband contracted with. No matter how you look at it, we are victims here!": "And yet... This company that Krauss-san hired..., I haven't heard many good rumors about it.": "Just spit it out. ...Did you think that rumors about nonpayment, embezzlement, and projects that disintegrated mid-way wouldn't reach my ears? I've been collecting evidence.": "I don't know what kind of evidence you found, but it's all baseless! As new members in the sightseeing business, it is necessary to lay the groundwork with various people. It is also important to discuss how trustworthy the other party is. This is nothing more than taking some time to meet that end!" : "Liar. I'll bet you want to sell it but can't. There's no reason for anyone to buy such an extravagant hotel on an isolated island without any established sightseeing routes. What happened to the financing that you collected for this project?": "Even if you aren't incurring maintenance costs, the borrowed money that you can't return is steadily swelling. ...Sorry, Krauss nii-san. I investigated the development plan for this island a little. ...Honestly, I have also heard nothing good.": "Hideyoshi-san. I'm sure that only looking at the current financial condition could lead you to that impression. However, that is a prior investment. I have no choice but to admit that my prediction was mistaken, and that up until now, several liabilities have been created. :"I'll accept that. Starting soon, the resort business will probably see an unprecedented boom... Whether it'll be enough to bury all of your liabilities is... ...However, Krauss nii-san. After all your miserable and repeated failures in the past, who in the world would supply you with funds? It would have to be a massive amount of funds. Enough funds to cover your massive debt, right?": "...What are you trying to say, Hideyoshi-san?": "Ahh, Natsuhi-san, please don't get angry! We also investigated that. We investigated to see if anyone loaned Krauss nii-san, who has continued to lose so much, a large enough investment to support him recently." : "Then what...? Where did you raise that money from? ...That's the question, now.": "...Ho. Isn't this an interesting story. And?": "D, dear! How long do you plan to ignore these abusive remarks!!": "Sit down, Natsuhi-san. Let me say it directly. Aniki has been diverting Father's private funds for his own business. There is almost no doubt. If we made some mistake, please, feel free to explain it for us.": "Rudolf, this isn't diverting funds. This is embezzlement, isn't it? This is a huge crime that can be criminally prosecuted."Or they could just tell Kinzo and watch him sic half the Goetia on Krauss or something. : "Th-, this is rudeness in the extreme!! How can you even face the successor to the Ushiromiya head house and level these abusive accusations!!" : "Y-, you can't say that...s, saying that he's betraying the head isn't something that can be easily overlooked!! You have no right to straddle the threshold of the glorious Ushiromiya family!! Leave this place immediately!! All right?! Get out!!"Natsuhi, who had already reached the limits of her anger, shouted at Eva in a rage. She then pointed alternately at Eva and the hallway, indicating that she should leave. Eva took out a folding fan and fanned herself with it, glaring maliciously at Natsuhi as though silently daring her to repeat what she'd said. However, her mouth was still smiling, curved in the shape of a crescent moon. ...In that unpleasant silence, Rosa gulped.  : "Hey, ...Natsuhi nee-san? Who do you think you are speaking to?": "I'm speaking to the extremely impolite sister of my husband!! As the person in charge of the main family's kitchen, I cannot overlook any more of this!!": "In charge of the kitchen? Huhuhu, hahahaha, ahhahahahaha!! Shut up, you maid servant!" :"How foolish. Bow down!! Before Eva of the Ushiromiya family! Note that bit about the eagle, and consider. Natsuhi, the wife of the current heir and mother of the next one in line after him, doesn't get to wear it anywhere. Shannon and Kanon, minor servants of rather questionable competence? Do. She's actually held in lower regard than their actual maidservant, in a way. : "...!!!"There were a hundred ways Natsuhi wanted to respond. However, her anger and sorrow crushed her throat, and not one of them managed to make it to her mouth. The anger which had lost any place to go became a single hot tear which slowly dripped down... : "Whaaat? If you have something to say, please, say it now. Come on."Eva faced her with a provocative gaze. ...However, Natsuhi's fist was shaking; she trembled all over, unable to do anything... Krauss quietly broke that powder-keg tension. : "Natsuhi. Leave your seat. You should cool off your head.": "Wha, ...!!"Natsuhi, resenting the fact that her husband had not come to her aid, shifted the focus of her attack.   : Even though I have always seriously considered this family's affairs, you've...!! WhaaaAAaaAaaaa, whaaaaaAAAAAAA!!!"Natsuhi was already unable to hide her tears. She flew from the room in that state. After that, all that remained was an somewhat embarrassed mood about the parlor... When the sound of footsteps grew distant and silence returned, Krauss shrugged his shoulders slightly.   Natsuhi flew into her room and bent over the bed, lamenting... Those heartwrenching sobs reached Kumasawa in the hallway...  : There is a deep enmity between her and and Eva-sama. Explaining their relationship would be very tiresome for a woman such as myself... The Ushiromiya family held blood in high regard, but if someone married outside the family, they were normally removed from the family hierarchy. ...Thus, under normal circumstances, Eva-sama should have been removed when she married Hideyoshi-sama.Oh, hey. More of that weird maybe-dialogue. As before, it’s voiced, but it has no quotation marks at all, and doesn't seem to be aimed at anyone in particular. I still dunno what the gently caress.  : Anyways, this was the male dominant Ushiromiya family. A wife was just a tool to create a heir. ...If that wife could not fulfill her only duty, she would not be treated as a human. It is painful to remember how much the Master tortured Madam during that time... : She inspired him to allow her to marry and give birth to a successor herself, making sure to avoid transferring her name out of the Ushiromiya register. There was a vast difference in the Ushiromiya hierarchy between Madam, who married into the Ushiromiya family and was treated like an outsider, and Eva-sama, who was related to the family by blood and whose husband took on the Ushiromiya name. And beyond that, Eva-sama was the first to give birth to a boy... As for how much weaker Madam's position was compared to Eva-sama, I believe you could see for yourself... : However..., that was not Madam's fault... All of the blame lies with god's whims and the stork that delivered Jessica late... Even so, Madam won't allow herself to see things this way... ...She probably can't help but cry bitter tears at her inability to carry out the duties expected of a wife...      As we did, we once again saw that witch's portrait. However, the word 'saw' is probably not the best word to describe that experience. ...It was more like our eyes were drawn to it. That woman's eyes, with their sage-like glamor, definitely had the power to make those who viewed it stand rooted to the spot.  Back when he had asked what this picture was, the first person to tell him it was Beatrice had been Maria. Therefore, when Battler showed signs of doubt, Maria must have felt that Battler didn't have faith in her. ...Of course, that's not what Battler meant. Maria ran up to the portrait and began banging on a plate hanging below it. Maybe the title of the portrait was written there. Maria, trying to prove that she wasn't lying, obstinately continued to hit the plate. : "Ah-, sorry 'bout that, it's not like I doubt anything you said, Maria.": "Uu-! Battler believe it! Uu-!"When he patted Maria's head and apologized, she seemed to accept it, sticking out her chest and proudly uu-uu-ing.  The plate did have the title of the portrait written on it, but it was much too big to contain only that. Beneath the title, what looked like an long epitaph was also written. If you just skimmed over it, several unnerving words would jump out at you. We just have to trust Battler on this point for now, since we don’t get to see the full epitaph until a later scene and he neglected to actually, y’know, quote any of the unnerving bits.  : "...Wait, is it that story about the Ushiromiya family's hidden gold? There's another thing that I remember from long ago...Wait, Aniki, ...is that for real?": "Grandfather had this written, but he never said anything about this picture or the epitaph. ...Even so, amongst the family, it is often whispered that it points to the location of Grandfather's hidden gold, and that he will relinquish the inheritance and the gold to the person who solves the riddle.": "Uu-! Maria heard that too, Maria heard that too! Lots and lots of gold!": "...Well, something like that. Something like 10 tons of gold bars. I think it's a fake, though.": "Still, if you read this all the way through, it almost seems real."...I think I already explained Grandfather's upbringing, but let me also mention the Ushiromiya family's 'Legend of the Gold'.  However, from here on, the strange part of the story begins. ...Part of it is closely tied to Grandfather's black magic hobby, so its credibility is extremely low, but... ...Well, wait until the end before you doubt or make fun of it.  Grandfather came from the branch family and had no connections in the business world or the financial world. Even though he later built connections with the occupying forces, in the beginning he was supposedly a nameless person who had not yet gained anyone's trust. And apparently coming from an old, established rich family counted for absolutely nothing. Money can only be gathered based on trust. There's no way anyone would lend money to an untrustworthy person. ...How did Grandfather, whose trustworthiness was zero, manage to obtain the large amount of funds in the first place? It is said that, when asked that question, Grandfather answered like this...  Grandfather then went on and on about how he continued to research alchemy and techniques for summoning demons in order to become a great magician. ...And the entity summoned as the result of the demon-calling ceremony was the Golden Witch Beatrice. Which is…sort of odd, since witches are distinct from demons, but eh, let’s assume it’s just Battler muddling up the minor details because he’s not one of the occult experts or something. He then said that he made a contract where, in exchange for his own soul, he would receive fortune and honor. The witch then granted Grandfather 10 tons of gold. Grandfather used this gold as collateral to prepare a vast quantity of funds, and then used that to multiply his wealth by several times and revive the Ushiromiya family...   : "...I remember that old story. When we were little, our parents told us about it and we went all over the island searching for treasure. ...Didn't we get lost in the forest and start crying until some of the servants found us? Our parents were so mad at us. ...How nostalgic.": "We sure were idiots, weren't we? After all, Grandfather used that to build up the funds that he finally bought this island with, right? That means he must have had the gold before coming to this island. There's no reason the gold itself should be on the island.": "That's not necessarily so. Maybe the gold was hidden on the island from the beginning and he bought the whole island just to make sure it was all his. There was a whole 10 tons of it, right? It seems more realistic that he would try to secure the place where it was hidden rather than try to move it all." The epitaph carved into the plate was very mysterious, with something like a poem or a song written on it. That paragraph was incredibly disturbing, filled with the signs of Grandfather's black magic hobby, and its contents were in bad taste, but it could definitely be viewed as a puzzle which, if solved, could lead to the place where the gold was hidden. : "Whether that's what he intended or not, I can't even imagine what his true motive was. ...All I can say is, this shady epitaph was displayed here so that everyone in the family could see it. By doing so, he could hint at the existence of the gold while still avoiding telling where the hiding place is. ...That caused our parents' imagination to run wild and call it equal to Grandfather's level of genius...": "...Sounds just like my dad, so greedy that he takes something like this so seriously. Even though he laughs at Grandfather's black magic hobby, he'll still believe this story about the hidden gold. It just sounds so good." : "Yeah, but, it's 10 tons. 10 tons! If you traded that for money, how much would that come to? Anyway, it'd have to be a ridiculous amount, right?!"  : "As for me, I think that that number '10 tons' sounds totally fake. In the first place, has anyone other than Grandfather ever even seen it? And even if some generous witch lent him some actual gold, couldn't that 10 be right but actually be mistaken from 10 kilograms? Even 10 kilograms would be a pretty incredible sum, right?": "Uu-. ...10 kilograms of gold is how much?"Maria, who wasn't following the story and felt like she was being spoken to in riddles, finally found a place where she could ask us a question. A question which I also wanted to know right then. Whether I hear 10 kilograms or 10 tons, I know that it's an incredible amount, but I couldn't guess exactly how incredible each one is. George-aniki folded his arms and tried to remember the market price of gold.  : "WHAAaa...I know I just randomly said that 10 kilograms would be a humble amount...but even that would be worth 20 million yen, wouldn't it!?": "Uu-? Maria weighs 28 kilograms.": "...Which means that if we had Maria-chan's weight in gold, we could estimate its worth at over 50 million yen.": "That's just unbelievable... How much would 10 tons be then? 10 kilograms is 20,000,000 times 1000, so...umm....That's it! 20 billion yen?! What the hell!"How much is 20 billion yen actually worth? ...We can only measure it relative to our own pocketbooks. Anyways, let's say that wages over a lifetime are about 200 million yen. ...You grow up and work like crazy, sacrificing your life for your company, and as you approach old age are finally freed. Everything including retirement money could be about 200 million yen. ...In other words, that is the amount of money for a human's life. You could even call it the price of a life.  : "...Uu-. Is 20 billion yen huge...?": "Yeah, it's huge. Maria, you could buy more of that shortcake you love than you could eat in a lifetime." : "Of course it's heavy, but internationally it's the most trusted and stable. Doesn't that mean something? With bonds, for example, if the country is destroyed they're just scraps of paper.": "You can also look at it that way....but even one 10 kilogram ingot is pretty heavy to carry around. Haven't you heard? A 50 kilogram person can't carry a 50 kilogram bag over their shoulder. With that many gold bars, the amount of labor and risk for one person would be hard to calculate.": "So what you're saying is, while a stack of banknotes worth 20 billion yen would be annoying, 20 billion yen in gold would be such a big mountain that practically it would be kinda pointless.": "That's right. ...Although the Legend of the Gold does have a pretty interesting ring to it, just the part about the 10 tons of gold makes it pretty much impossible..." : "You mean like his gratitude for the money he borrowed was worth 10 tons of gold, or something?": "Hehehe, maybe some rich man's leisured wife generously granted it to Grandfather. And maybe then he started calling this person a witch?"I see. Jessica's example isn't bad. ...Someone who would generously lend a huge sum of money to Grandfather when his trustworthiness was still zero could be called a witch. ...Furthermore, Grandfather later used that money to build a vast amount of wealth. ...Someone with such a great ability to judge people might also fittingly be called a witch. Generosity and lucky guesses: basically synonymous with witchcraft.  : "I see. ...So, in other words, this witch granted the funds necessary to revive the Ushiromiya family and Grandfather owed her big time. ...If that's the case, Grandfather, with his feelings of gratitude, had that huge painting drawn and displayed... I get it. It's not that strange a story.": "What if this person looked like an old witch-like granny? If that's true, I can definitely understand why Grandfather tried to pretty her up when he had the painting drawn. Hahahahaha, I'll bet if we ever did meet this person, she wouldn't be nearly this pretty!": "Hahahaha, that's possible. The name Beatrice sounds pretty western, and if you think about how everyone in our family has western-style names, maybe even the name Beatrice is the result of Grandfather trying to rearrange some Japanese person's name to make it sound western."  As I made fun of the witch, laughing, I was trying to separate myself from the kid I was six years ago who was afraid of the witch of the forest. At that time, Maria tugged on my sleeve. ...The strength with which she did was filled with a little unhappiness.  Maria has Sue eyes that change color to reflect her mood. However, they can only do near-indistinguishable shades of purple, so it's nigh-impossible to actually tell without amazing eyesight.  : "Witches exist! Witches exist! Uu-uu-uu-!!!": "Well sure, they do exist...if you turn the TV on and watch anime or something.": "Exi-st!! Witches exi-st!! Uu-uu-uu-!!!"I started getting impatient, not knowing why Maria was jumping on me like this. Then, Jessica tapped me on the shoulder and told me in a small voice.  D’aww. Lil’ girl wants to grow up to cut Faustian bargains, curse bloodlines, and conduct murderous rituals. Ain’t she precious?  ...I see. To a girl who wants to become a witch in the future, the existence of Beatrice was proof that witches do exist in this world, and was therefore an image that she yearned after and admired. : "Exi-st! Exi-st! Witches exi-st!! But Battler still doesn't believe! Uu-uu-uu-!!!": "It's alright. They exist, witches. Onii-chan believes it."George-aniki kneeled down and held Maria's head. ...Watching this, Jessica poked my side. ...So that's what it is. It's like, on Christmas Eve, shouting that Santa Claus couldn't exist in front of a child who believes in him. ...I'm not the kind of guy who likes to shatter kids' dreams.   : "Uu-... Really? Battler really believes?": "Yep. I believe. Sorry for doubting it. ...C'mon, let's make up."I stuck out my hand and Maria grabbed it with her tiny hand, and we made up. Maria didn't grumble any more than that, so George-aniki and Jessica were relieved.   : "Ah, Shannon. Well, this is the first time Battler has seen Beatrice's portrait. He was just fascinated by it.": "That's right, it is fascinating. ...Beatrice-sama is truly beautiful. I am sure that she captivated the Master.": "Ahahahaha. In addition to the patron theory, there's also a theory that she was Grandfather's first love. ...Either way, although it's been several decades since he met her, even now she holds a special place in his heart. ...Which must mean that he is still captivated by her." : "...Uu-? Good smell! Good smell coming from Shannon!"Maria, sniffing, approached the basket Shannon-chan was holding with interest. After hearing that, I noticed a fragrant scent with the essence of vanilla. : "Ah, I apologize. I was told by Kumasawa-san to bring them to everyone.": "What is it, I wonder? ...Ooh, excellent! Cookies.": "Uu-! Want to eat cookies! Want to eat cookies! Uu-!"So I did some calculations on a random whim, using the first thing to come up in a search for vanilla cookie prices. At $15.28 for a four pound box, the witch's gold would convert to... 52356021 pounds of Nilla Wafers, rounded up. I couldn't seem to find exactly how much a single one weighs to get even more ridiculously precise, but I'm gonna ballpark it at somewhere around “All the Nilla Wafers. All of them.” This has no particular relevance to anything and I'm not entirely sure why I bothered. All I know is I kinda want some Nilla Wafers now. : "Please, eat as much as you would like. ...But, umm..."After all, it's not like you can just serve cookies in a place like this, in front of the portrait. Shannon-chan sent us a glance which seemed to ask what we wanted to do about it. ...Well, normally that would be considered impolite.  : "That's right, let's go get some fresh air. We shouldn't grab food right in front of the witch.": "That's right, didn't we say that we wanted to go down to the beach in the first place? Let's go, let's go.": "Shannon-chan. Sorry, but could I ask you to get us a blanket to sit on and some flasks of tea.": "Right...! Certainly."Shannon-chan received her instructions and gracefully bowed before retracing her steps. We headed for the beach on our own. Everyone headed for the entrance in a group. ...Feeling as though that witch was staring down at our backs, I turned around once more.  : "Nope, I believe. ...That way is more imaginative! The golden witch Beatrice gave Grandfather 10 tons of gold! And that gold might be sleeping around somewhere. And besides, didn't Grandfather write that strange epitaph as though challenging us to find it if we can? I think that kind of romantic story is way better." 13 million some odd pounds of cookie, per the previous estimates. She could set up a Scrooge McDuck-esque pool of them or something. Practically, it's kind of a waste, but I can't say the plan doesn't have its appeal. Next time: More Happy Family Fun Times! The epitaph proper! More Kinzo! Parenting! I'm biting off an even larger chunk of script to try and get to the murders in fewer updates. Shiny777 fucked around with this message at 04:34 on Sep 4, 2012 |
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Sep 4, 2012 03:02
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I always felt so bad for Natsuhi. 
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Sep 4, 2012 03:47
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I can't see how you would dare imply that people WOULDN'T pay to listen to Kinzo rave for hours on end.
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Sep 4, 2012 03:55
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I just can't see the place having all that much appeal, overall. I mean, if nothing else, the horrible death part is gonna turn a lot of people away no matter how awesome the rants they hear before it, right? Or is there more of a market in Japan for "being brutally murdered" than I'm imagining?
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Sep 4, 2012 04:54
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I think that as long as the tourists get to sample Kinzo's special absinthe stash it might be worth the trip.
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Sep 4, 2012 05:56
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Shiny777 posted:Which would put the family fortune at the equivalent of…a couple hundred million dollars. Not a small amount by any means, but one that seems…oddly low for a family rich enough to own its own island. And which meshes oddly with some other estimates. Admittedly, since they specify personal funds, there's probably other chunks tied up in business and such, but they talk like it's the entire inheritance.
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Sep 4, 2012 05:58
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I don't know what it is, but the long tangents and theories and such are really pulling me in. It feels like listening to a discussion between real people, which isn't by any means a common feeling in any kind of media I know.
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Sep 4, 2012 07:19
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DrakePegasus posted:I don't know what it is, but the long tangents and theories and such are really pulling me in. It feels like listening to a discussion between real people, which isn't by any means a common feeling in any kind of media I know. Well, it's good that you like this because it sure as hell is not going away. Umineko is pretty much built around speculation, not just from the characters in the story but it encourages the reader to speculate as well.
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Sep 4, 2012 08:02
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At least 3/4 of Umineko is built around people having arguments. The other 1/4 is Kinzo
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Sep 4, 2012 08:20
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Eva is kind of a jerk.
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Sep 4, 2012 08:40
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The kanji for Kinzo, 金藏, can be roughly translated as "hidden gold". It is a fitting name for someone who purportedly hid literally tons of gold somewhere.
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Sep 4, 2012 08:53
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I'm not sure if the "have our own personal island" factor is as relevant to the probable extent of the Ushiromiya family wealth as it would ordinarily be, since Kinzo is a bit of a nutjob who might well spend a large chunk of his wealth to get that thing he really wants.
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Sep 4, 2012 09:00
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Plus, there doesn't seem to be any evidence that the island is particularly valuable - it's obviously a pain in the rear end to get to given the opening scenes, it appears to be somewhat vulnerable to extreme weather, and it's one of many in the area, of which none seem to have been deemed worthy of expanding on by some hotel chain or tourist company. Outside of some private vanity-project like Kinzo's, it seems like there's not much you could use it for, and combined with his having excellent connections with both the occupying forces and presumably the Japanese government, he could probably get it fairly cheap (for an island). Anyway, I've always found that the adults' scenes at this point are much more entertaining than the kids, which was nice since Battler's at this point giving off lovely-anime-protagonist vibes (which thankfully disappear once things get serious). Having actually interesting and non-juvenile/annoying (ugh Maria) stuff going on helped me get to the good parts for sure.
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Sep 4, 2012 09:46
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So I watched the first episode of the anime up to the scene where Eva takes a big fat dump on Natsuhi and drat, I hope you get some recordings of the voice acting going soon.
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Sep 4, 2012 10:07
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KamikazePotato posted:Eva is kind of a jerk. To be fair, most of the cast is at least some shade terrible human being.
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Sep 4, 2012 14:50
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The GIG posted:To be fair, most of the cast is at least some shade terrible human being. They show that shade of gray slowly, very slowly. Also, in this episode, 10 tons of gold out of no where to buy shortcake.
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Sep 4, 2012 15:31
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Still Eva is one of the biggest assholes for quite a while.
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Sep 4, 2012 16:40
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So far we've got: Kinzo- Hates everything that ever sprang from his loins, also an insane alcoholic Battler- Hits on his own cousin(s) Gohda- Huge douchebag to Shannon Eva- Pompous, vindictive jerk to Krauss and Natsuhi
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Sep 5, 2012 00:50
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Update's being worked on, is near done, it will be up tomorrow unless something goes catastrophically wrong. Turns out, giant updates and the semester's first decent sized pile of work mix poorly, especially when I lose one of my best chances to work on it by forgetting the flash drive like a dumbass. Anyway, kinda need a new page for it since there are already two updates on this one, and I did promise to provide a look at the voices. So I'm gonna partially deliver on that. Sample 1 Contains: Kinzo (Mugihito), Nanjo (Akihiko Ishizumi) and (barely) Genji (Masato Funaki) You get them in the form of select chunks of video, all taken from within the first update. Makes it comprehensible to non-Japanese speakers and saves me a bunch of chopping and splicing to get it by single character or by screen. Sample 2 Contains: Battler (Daisuke Ono), George (Kenichi Suzumara) Sample 3 Contains: Rudolf (Rikiya Koyama), Kyrie (Atsuko Tanaka), Battler (Daisuke Ono), Eva (Miki Ito), Hideyoshi (Masashi Hirose), George (Kenichi Suzumara), Rosa (Ami Koshimizu), Maria (Yui Horie) Not a complete set, but it's at least something for about two thirds of the current cast. Additional samples will come at some point down the line. Gotta leave myself something to work with in case I have to do this again.
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Sep 16, 2012 06:44
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This is good I look forward to updates to this. Also could someone help me with the ages. I know the kids ages but the only adult I have the slightest clue about is Eva who is over 50 and thats it. (I assume she looks so good for her age is because she travels all the time to learn and do new martial arts and not to mention training the ones she already knows.) MonsterEnvy fucked around with this message at 06:58 on Sep 16, 2012 |
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Sep 16, 2012 06:54
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 23:33 |
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Shiny777 posted:Update's being worked on, is near done, it will be up tomorrow unless something goes catastrophically wrong. Turns out, giant updates and the semester's first decent sized pile of work mix poorly, especially when I lose one of my best chances to work on it by forgetting the flash drive like a dumbass. Don't worry! There's not much expectation since nothing interesting hasn't been happening so far, but once we reach the night of this day, then that's when the expectation goes up. Also, probably providing a view from the anime aside of certain scenes would be good enough for this as well.
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Sep 16, 2012 07:23
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