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A Higurashi LP?!  I'm a fan of the anime and despite its flaws I still stand by it, though I know that makes me a traitor in the eyes of the SN fans. It left one hell of an impression on me when I watched it back in college (binged the first 8 episodes in one night and then went to bed...not the wisest decision I've ever made), enough that I looked up this "Umineko no naku koro ni" thing that was just starting to come out. These days I'm far more interested in Umineko and Ciconia, but Higurashi will always hold a special place in my heart for introducing me to WTC in the first place. I've thought about picking up the SNs, but the original art was a huge turnoff for me, and I didn't have the time to give it the attention that it deserves. I've always been curious about them, though. I was one of the nerds who was super-hyped for the Higurashi remake--I was hoping for a show that was more faithful to the original. Finding out that it was an unnecessary sequel (in my opinion) was a big disappointment. Thank you for LPing this game! I'm looking forward to this trip back to Hinamizawa. 
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Jun 21, 2021 00:48
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 06:58 |
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TKMobile posted:Not all of the game scenes these kids play make it into the manga but this President one did... mostly. I don't think Mion tried to write an out for herself in the penalties during that, but it was a fairly prominent character establishing moment for everyone involved otherwise. Yeah, writing kids fooling around isn't Ryukishi's strongest suite, I think. Parts of the first day in the Umineko arcs felt cringey in the same way to me, like Battler reaching for Shannon's bust.  He's actually a fantastic character writer when it comes to serious topics, but kids goofing off in their free time? Ehhh. The first Ciconia arc was much better on this count, though, so it seems like he's improving. Just grin and bear it is my suggestion. When They Cry typically keeps its Wacky Antics to a PG-13 setting, so Keiichi is never going to fall face-first into Mion's cleavage or go into an excruciatingly detailed description of Rena's underwear. And while the series can take its good sweet time to get to the good stuff, the good stuff is always worth the wait.On a side note, do you mind if I mention stuff from the other WTC games, limeicebreakers? I don't plan on turning this thread into an overarching WTC-fest, but when talking about Higurashi's writing I might want to reference bits from Umineko or Ciconia; there are certain topics that are common to multiple games.
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Jul 4, 2021 02:30
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Is it just me, or is Rika pretty withdrawn? It's been some time since I watched the show, but from what I recall, in early episodes Rika came off as the quiet-but-adorable little girl who always shows up in time to punctuate the club hijinks with an adorable little head-pat or an adorable little nipaa~. In the game, she's so quiet that you almost forget that she's there sometimes. She'll get caught up in the hijinks, like with the zombie game, but during the festival she just keeps repeating variations of the same line during the food competition. Up until the kyute thing hunt, it just seems like she was mostly checked out. Am I reading too much into this?  TKMobile posted:As someone who's hung out in 3-4 game store circles over the years, (non of which excluded girls,) Mion's play for keeps and frankly cutthroat behaviors would risk her becoming insufferable; at least, that's my impression of her. Keiichi being a good sport up til now of all of it DOES at least imply these kids are having fun screwing around and not taking it personally. All in good fun, but I wouldn't want Mion to show up at my game store playing Munchkin or MtG/Werewolf/Mafia/etc. with the tactics she brings. She probably memorizes the rules of any game she plays and otherwise preps wayyyy too much ahead of time to the point where she has arguably unfair advantages so she can screw with people like Keiichi. I wouldn't approach the club from the perspective of a gaming group (especially an adult gaming group, as I assume those groups were) so much as from the perspective of kids messing around. Usually you game because you find the game itself fun, and you socialize with other gamers because they find the game fun, too. Competition might be fierce in that setting, but good sportsmanship takes the sting from a loss and allows winners to stay friends with losers. In that setting, sore winners, minmaxers, and that one rear end in a top hat who clowns on ten-year-olds armed with Babby's First Deck are detrimental to the scene. But here in Hinamizawa, the fun doesn't come from the game itself--the fun comes from messing with each other. The real competition isn't to see who's best at $GAME, it's to see who's best at cheating. And the real fun comes from the crazy shenanigans that the gang can convince each other to do. I'd say the mood is more along the lines of Truth or Dare than a usual card game. At the end of the day, the club members are still playing a game, just by a very different set of rules than most people This dynamic tells us two things: firstly, the club members are very close-knit. You can only have this joking, teasing dynamic when there's a high degree of trust between friends. Secondly, the club members' dynamic is ripe for disaster. I think the biggest issue with the club is that there's no off button for Shenanigans. It's normal for friends to tease each other sometimes, and it's okay to cheat if everyone agrees to allow it. But the club members are constantly teasing each other, constantly competing with each other. That's a dynamic that leaves little room for serious conversation, and lots of room for boundary violations. How can you open your heart if you think your friends will tease you? How do you express discomfort when everything is just a game? In real life, kids generally learn to turn off The Shenanigans as they mature, or else the friend group will fall apart. In Spooky Small Town Hinamizawa...well, we'll see what happens.
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Jul 5, 2021 20:09
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Hey TK, this is the first time you've ever experienced Higurashi, right? When I saw the thread I assumed the audience would be fellow fans of the franchise, but it's been really neat to see the perspective of someone who doesn't know the story.
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Jul 7, 2021 02:00
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Wow, this is all incredibly depressing. This is from a few updates back, but I forgot that Ooishi told Keiichi about Rena breaking the school's windows. Dude spills the private medical details of a minor--mental health issues, for chrissakes, think of how humiliating that could be for anyone, much less a teenage girl--just so he can undermine this kid's trust in his friend. What a loving rear end in a top hat. Now that I think about it, there's something vaguely reminiscent of an abusive relationship in the dynamic that Keiichi has with Ooishi. A common tactic by abusers is to isolate their victims from friends and loved ones in order to build their dependence (real and perceived) on them. I don't think Ooishi is trying to predate on Keiichi--he's "just" willing to cross boundaries in order to nab the murderer(s). But it says a lot about him that he's willing to exploit a child in this way with little care for the impact it'll have on Keiichi's mental health. TKMobile posted:Maybe I'm thinking of this from an American perspective, but killing the son of a local 'celebrity' would just bring way, WAY more attention on Hinamizawa whether or not the killings/secrets are mundane or supernatural. I don't think Daddy Maebara is a celebrity, just a reasonably successful artist. But I would expect any competent government to have noticed a string of deaths like the ones in Hinamizawa. Then again, many of the deaths seem to be accidents or suicides, so it's possible that some lazy Tokyo bureaucrat would write everything off as local hysteria whipped up by coincidence. Someone dies/disappears during a local festival -> villagers conclude that the local deity is pissed -> villagers get super anxious about the curse when the festival rolls around -> someone already on the edge snaps and kills themselves, or makes a fatal mistake that they would normally avoid -> cycle repeats. You may have picked this up already from the dam story, but the important dudes in the national bureaucracy probably don't pay much attention to tiny villages like Hinamizawa. The murder of a child would definitely grab attention, especially in low-crime Japan, but who's to say that Keiichi would end up murdered? After all, Satoshi wasn't murdered. Neither was Mama Furude...or Mama Hojo... 
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Jul 31, 2021 07:30
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TKMobile posted:... Just call him Mr. Delicious, no one will care.  And as you noted earlier, 1980s Japan (or America, for that matter) was hardly an ideal environment for a special needs child. I'm actually reminded of Ushiromiya Maria in Umineko, who comes off as a horrible little creep when you read the first novel, but in subsequent arc is revealed as a special needs child clinging to a fairy tale because it's her only escape from her abusive home.. A lot of people, myself included, interpret her as autistic, but we never get a formal diagnosis, probably because Rosa isn't the sort to consider therapy. Going back to Rena, something like breaking all the school windows is going to force an intervention, but I wouldn't be surprised if the doctors are more focused in "fixing" her than in treating her, which is not quite the same thing. She's the proverbial nail that sticks out. And that's the kind of situation that does lead to misdiagnosis. (I should probably add the caveat that I low-key identify as neurodivergent (ADHD), so these kinds of issues cut pretty close to me.)
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Jul 31, 2021 21:07
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On an unrelated note, I made An Art several updates ago but forgot to post it. Honestly, it's pretty on-point for Ooishi, too.
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Aug 1, 2021 03:07
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The loving fingers incident!  I was NOT prepared for this when I reached this scene in the anime. This time I'm just glad that I don't have to watch Rena's fingers wiggle frantically and listen to her beg Keiichi to let her go. There are far, far more gruesome scenes in WTC, but there's something horribly visceral about this scene. Everyone has probably had a cabinet door or something close on a finger, and though it hurts like bejezeesus usually you get your finger back right away. The idea of an actual door slamming shut on all of your fingers, and then trapping them there...  I'm fairly certain that Keiichi is misremembering the supermarket incident. Notice how he rakes his memory for any sign of Rena, and only then suddenly remembers being followed? I think that's the TIP hinting that he's subconsciously editing his memory to match the suspicious incidents that he's facing in the present. Memories get distorted all the time, it's why handling witnesses' testimonies can get very tricky in court trials. That's not to say that Rena wasn't at the supermarket, or that she wasn't following Keiichi. I just don't think he noticed anything strange at the time.
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Aug 2, 2021 03:07
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TKMobile posted:Wait.. I wonder if lying in and of itself is a trigger? Sorry, what do you mean by "tagged by the creepiness"? That the girls see him as the creepy one? Because, uh, he's kinda acting like a future school shooter or something.
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Aug 3, 2021 01:22
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TKMobile posted:Actually, according to the Higurashi author at the end of the first manga arc (in his afterward) he stated that the mystery can be solved with the info we were given. The mystery of Onikakushi-hen (i.e., what's going on with Keiichi and co.) or the mystery of Hinamizawa as a whole?
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Aug 8, 2021 20:25
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limeicebreakers posted:Wow, did he really say that? I'd say neither - maybe the overall mystery in Onikakushi (i.e. wtf happened during this arc) could feasibly be solved, but it's a shot in the dark because the reader doesn't have the tools yet to confirm their theories. It's like solving a crossword that can have multiple solutions. Yes, this. Anyway! Onikakushi-hen! I think this is probably the most famous arc from Higurashi (okay, there's another competitor for the title, but we'll get there when we get there). The iconic image of Rena with a cleaver comes from this arc, and most of those USO DA memes do, too. And I think it deserves its fame. Onikakushi-hen is Higurashi at its most disorienting. You have none of the context that comes with later arcs, you don't even know that the other arcs start new stories--all you've got is the perspective of one Keiichi Maebara, and poor Keiichi-kun is slowly losing his mind. So you don't even get the comfort of a reliable narrator. Is Keiichi hallucinating? Is he "only" misunderstanding his friends? Or are they really out to get him? When I first watched Higurashi, I recall being baffled, disturbed, and not a little incredulous. Was that it? Did they really just kill off the main characters? What the hell just happened? The only thing I knew for sure was that I had to keep watching. Onikakushi-hen gleefully dumps you in the deep end and then sits back, cackling, while you flail around for the pool's edge. I love it. It's the perfect start for a mystery/horror series.
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Aug 9, 2021 00:35
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...So when does (Sorry, I couldn't resist.  )
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Aug 9, 2021 22:52
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TKMobile posted:TBH, I WAS wondering if they were going to call the cast here like a crank caller or something. :V The first Umineko tea party is actually a subversion of the Higurashi wrap parties. The banter between the cousins is supposed to lull returning fans into thinking that it's another wrap party...and then Beatrice shows up. I wasn't there for the start of Umineko--didn't hear about it till the second episode was out--but I'd bet there were a lot of readers who were completely caught off-guard when the (apparent) new Oyashiro-sama abruptly gate-crashes the lighthearted wrap party and challenges the protagonist to a mystery-off. It's a pretty clever trick, now that I think of it. I'm really looking forward to the second chapter, too! I realized just the other day that almost all of my memories of Wataganashi-hen have been overwritten by the events of its answer arc, I only remember a few bits from the very beginning and end. All that's left is a strong impression of  and the memory of some spectacular insomnia. Eight episodes of Higurashi in one sitting, late at night. Never again.  Solitair posted:I saw the first season of the anime years and years ago and got spoiled on the second season. Going from that to the VN kinda feels like going from the Scott Pilgrim movie to the Scott Pilgrim comic. If you like the speculative hype, then you should check out the Ciconia: When They Cry playthrough that ProfessorProf did. It doesn't seem to be up on the archive just yet, but it shouldn't be too hard to find. Plus, literally no one know what the hell is going on because it's completely brand new! Viola the Mad fucked around with this message at 03:43 on Aug 10, 2021 |
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Aug 10, 2021 03:36
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I'm gonna say...aliens. Definitely aliens. The next arc is going to be a wacky sci-fi romp. After-school Games Club IN SPACE!!
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Aug 12, 2021 00:53
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I get the impression that Mion's games are mostly limited to the club...mostly. That doesn't excuse her poo poo, but it does help explain why she gets away with it. If Mion Pulling Her poo poo is something that the other kids only have to put up with every couple of months, I can see how they might let it slide, or just skip the events. As for the adults, if Mion events are usually this profitable (losers have to buy the game!!  ), then there's an incentive to let her get away with poo poo. e. Also, outside of gaming she seems to play the role of "cool big sis" to the younger kids in Hinamizawa. When you're ten, a fourteen-year-old can be so much BIGGER and COOLER and EXCITING and  .
Viola the Mad fucked around with this message at 01:39 on Aug 17, 2021 |
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Aug 16, 2021 23:05
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Mion posted:"Oh I didn't let that little detail get by~! I have a nice XL size one prepared juuust for Kei-chan!! So, Kei-chan, are you ready!? I'm going to have you walk around outside dressed up as a maid~!!! Mion. Calm the gently caress down.
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Aug 18, 2021 01:39
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TKMobile posted:I know, right?!? Did she have that specifically made with Keiichi, or hell, Satoshi in mind? why are you putting these questions in my head STAHP
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Aug 18, 2021 05:36
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gently caress, this arc is making me feel Things. I didn't expect to relate to the characters this much.
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Aug 23, 2021 23:57
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 06:58 |
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This is out of the blue, but I've got a lot of embroidering to do and I'm using it as an opportunity to finally, FINALLY catch up on this thread. Just got off of Shion Sonozaki's Wild Ride last night and I gotta say, all the gory anime scenes engraved in my mind still did not prepare me for the relentless misery in the last few updates of Meakashi-hen. Goddamn. Of course, then the thread immediately dives into wacky school hijinks and loving Angel Mort before reminding me once again that Ryukishi always nails domestic drama so well that it hurts. I recall during the Umineko thread, after finishing the bullying scenes in the fourth arc, someone posted, "Can we get back to the gruesome murders now?" Which kinda feels like a secret motto for the When They Cry series as a whole. All the gore is sensational and eyecatching, so it's what everyone remembers. But the parts that really hit home when you read the novels are the agonizing psychological snapshots of people in turmoil.I am looking forward to the ending, though. When I watched the anime I found the ending immensely cathartic, so much that it uplifted the rollercoaster ride of the story into something magical. I was so delighted that I brushed off the die-hard novel fans' complaints about the anime and began pursuing other WTC works--which, of course, led me to the much better Umineko. More than a decade later, this LP has finally shown me why the novel fans were complaining so much--and it's only heightening my expectations for the ending. It also makes me super salty about Higurashi Gou. We coulda had a proper adaptation, dammit!  Thanks for LPing Higurashi, limeicebreakers. I don't think I could have made it through the game on my own, so I'm so glad to have you here.
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Jun 26, 2022 14:21
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