Higurashi - Game Discussion (spoilers lurk here) [Archive]

Sushi-Y

2005-12-19, 01:42

Question, kj.

First, why does the Na signify as a whole in the game? I know it's part of the title, but there has to be some symbolic meaning....

(I assume you mean "what", not "why")
Actually, I used to wonder about that too, and now that I'm pretty much caught up with the game (finishing up Tsumihoroboshi)... I still don't know. :heh:

Maybe I'm just slow. :uhoh: (Like how when Shion was mentally ridiculing Keiichi and Rena near the end of Meakashi for not being able to see through her deception, I felt like she was ridiculing me as well)

Second, how long are these novels compared to 1 scenario of F/SN and W-Wish? If this novel is too long, I rather not ask my cousin in Japan to send them to me as I don't plan to translate while reading for 80 hours. My Jap is bad, so meh.
Hmm... I can't really be certain (maybe kj can gauge this better than me), but I think one "chapter" of Higurashi is about the equivalent of one scenario for F/sn, perhaps a little shorter. Maybe because Higurashi is a very straightforward novel (no selections, no branching story paths), it feels like you can read through it faster compared to ones like Fate. But at the very least, you'll probably spend somewhere close to 10 hours to read through each chapter (depending on your Japanese level, it might take longer). There are no visual goodies in Higurashi, so you'd really need a good level of knowledge in Japanese in order to really enjoy it.

But Fate only had 3 scenarios, Higurashi so far has 6 chapters (Onikakushi, Watanagashi, Tatarigoroshi, Himatsubushi, Meakashi, Tsumihoroboshi), with 2 more to come (the next (7th) one, Minagoroshi, will be out in a couple of weeks at the Winter Comike), so if you're only starting now, it'll be a while before you can get caught up (unless you have some insane ability to read without having to rest).

Edit:
(Just for fun) I'm curious, kj-san, what are your personal character rankings? And how have they changed with each new chapter? For example, here's my ranking:

Onikakushi:
Rena:
====|4
Mion:
==|2
Satoko:
==|2
Rika:
===|3
↓
Watanagashi:
Rena:
====|4
Mion:
====|4
Satoko:
==|2
Rika:
====|4
Shion:
==|2
Keiichi:
===|3
↓
Tatarigoroshi:
Rena:
====|4
Mion:
====|4
Satoko:
=======|7
Rika:
====|4
Shion:
==|2
Keiichi:
=====|5
↓
Himatsubushi:
Rena:
====|4
Mion:
====|4
Satoko:
=======|7
Rika:
=====|5
Shion:
==|2
Keiichi:
=====|5
↓
Meakashi:
Rena:
====|4
Mion:
=======|7
Satoko:
=========\\=|A very high number
Rika:
======|6
Shion:
====|4
Keiichi:
======|6
↓
Tsumihoroboshi:
Rena:
========|8
Mion:
=======|7
Satoko:
=========\\=|A very high number
Rika:
========|8
Shion:
====|4
Keiichi:
=======|7

Notice how the numbers don't drop. :heh:
Noticable mention is probably that "very high number" thing for Satoko in Meakashi. I don't care what anyone else says, Satoko's final moments in Meakashi drove a nail into my heart and my "Satoko stock" through the roof.:(

Nightengale

2005-12-19, 06:00

Freakman

2005-12-19, 07:24

As per Kj's request, spoiler removed

Also I'm wondering about something : if someone is indeed responsible for the Tatari, would he have to have a portrait ?

The more I try to think about it, the more I end up thinking the last chapter will be nothing but disappointment.
The value of Higurashi is definitely in the mystery.

kj1980

2005-12-19, 15:12

Information regarding Higurashi no Naku Koroni doujin games

"Question" Chapters
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/Cut_Higurashi2.jpg
Higurashi no Naku Koroni Onikakushi-hen
Comike 62 (2002.08.10)
Included chapter:
Chapter 1: Onikakushi-hen

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/Cut_Higurashi3.jpg
Higurashi no Naku Koroni Watanagashi-hen
Comike 63 (2002.12.29)
Included chapters:
Chapter 1: Onikakushi-hen
Chapter 2: Watanagashi-hen

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/Cut_Higurashi4.jpg
Higurashi no Naku Koroni Tatarigoroshi-hen
Comike 64 (2003.08.15)
Included chapters:
Chapter 1: Onikakushi-hen
Chapter 2: Watanagashi-hen
Chapter 3: Tatarigoroshi-hen

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/Cut_Higurashi5.jpg
Higurashi no Naku Koroni Himatsubushi-hen
Comike 66 (2004.08.13)
Included chapters:
Chapter 1: Onikakushi-hen
Chapter 2: Watanagashi-hen
Chapter 3: Tatarigoroshi-hen
Chapter 4: Himatsubushi-hen

"Answer" Chapters"
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/J5.jpg
Higurashi no Naku Koroni Kai Meakashi-hen
Comike 67 (2004.12.30)
Included chapter:
Chapter 5: Meakashi-hen

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/j6.jpg
Higurashi no Naku Koroni Kai Tsumihoroboshi-hen
Comike 68 (2005.08.14)
Included chapters:
Chapter 5: Meakashi-hen
Chapter 6: Tsumihorobishi-hen

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/j7.jpg
Higurashi no Naku Koroni Kai Minagoroshi-hen
Comike 69 (2005.12.30)
Included chapters:
Chapter 5: Meakashi-hen
Chapter 6: Tsumihorobishi-hen
Chapter 7: Minagoroshi-hen

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/j8.jpg
Higurashi no Naku Koroni Kai Matsuribayashi-hen
Comike 70 (2006.08.13)
Included chapters:
Chapter 5: Meakashi-hen
Chapter 6: Tsumihorobishi-hen
Chapter 7: Minagoroshi-hen
Chapter 8: Matsuribayashi-hen

Fan Disc
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/j9.jpg
Higurashi no Naku Koroni Rei
Comike 71 (2006.12.31)
Included extra stories:
The Chapter After Chapter 8 (Don't read as Chapter 9!): Saikoroshi-hen
Chapter X: Hirukowashi-hen
Chapter X2: Batsukoishi-hen

Sushi-Y

2005-12-19, 16:47

Crap, that is long. I'll ask my cousin to send the 1st Question, Onikakushi and I'll evaluate if I want the rest. And I have quite a lot of spare time these coming months, so I can take it. Judging from what you say, I'd probably need 25 to 35 hours per scenario.
You can download the entire first chapter (Onikakushi) for free as a trial version from the official site: http://07th-expansion.net/Main.htm (scroll down to the contents menu, click on ひぐらしのなく頃に, then look for 体験版)

Nightengale

2005-12-19, 16:59

Thanks. I totally forgot about that ever since the hack.

I take it that the average length of each chapters are almost the same, right?

Freakman

2005-12-20, 07:19

The Himatsubushi chapter is a tad shorter than the others.

Sushi-Y

2005-12-20, 22:43

I take it that the average length of each chapters are almost the same, right?
That's a tough one, when each chapter is this long, you can't really tell if one chapter was longer than the other at the end, just that they were all "pretty long".

But the chapters are all split into intervals and breaks, after every 2 interval is a break that allows you to read new "tips" that you have received. The interval lengths are all pretty consistant across all chapters, I think.

Assuming that, I checked the number of interval (or maybe it's breaks?) there are for Onikakushi using scenario jump mode (a new option available once you finish reading a whole chapter once), and compared it to the other chapters. Onikakushi is somewhat shorter than ones like Watanagashi and Tatarigoroshi (Onikakushi had 15, both Watanagashi and Tatarigoroshi had 21). Himatsubushi was really a "side-story", so it's the shortest chapter (it had 10).

The "Kai" (answer) chapters so far are all pretty long as well, Meakashi had 27 intervals, while Tsumihoroboshi had 26.

I'm not sure if the length of intervals are really consistant across all chapters, but I'm pretty sure that the 2 answer chapters were certainly longer than the earlier chapters.

======
Speaking of Tsumihoroboshi, I finally finished it yesterday, that means comment time! (Even though close to nobody would be able to respond to me :heh: )

First, general comments. I'd just like to say that Tsumihoroboshi was truly the best chapter yet. I finally understood what Ryuukishi07-san is trying to get at with his "same world, alternate result" thing (For example, how Onikakushi-hen was actually a "failed result"). The key does lie in Rika after all (and Keiichi)...

Also, I have always noticed that Ryuukishi07-san always builds up his story in a subtle fashion that leaves you wondering "where is he going with this?", and then totally floor you when the pieces fall together during the second half of the story; but Tsumihoroboshi truly pulled this off more brilliantly than any other chapter.

The amazing part is how the stories are almost self-conscious, Ryuukishi07-san seems to know exactly what I would think as I read the story, and wrote the story out in a way that would always explain any doubts that I might have had. Everytime I saw something that stroke me as "alright, this time, that's just too unreasonable to work in the story", the story would always strike back with a response that makes me go "oh my god, so that's what's it's about!!"

Now, for some comments about Tsumihoroboshi, I won't make any explicit plot references, so it shouldn't really spoil the story, but just in case, I'm putting them in spoilers:

First of all, The text color thing, that was an ingenious trick. I think I first noticed it after Rena finished her first readthrough of Takano's scrap book. (I'm quite slow :heh: )

Second, Rena's phone conversation with Keiichi about Takano's scrap book, that was a brilliant scene. The background music at the time was called "Sheep Counts", and it really gave me a "this is it! The pieces are all falling together!" feeling. :heh: ←Keiichi No.2

Third, the "triangle misunderstanding" portion of the story between Rena, the police, and Keiichi (and the gang), that was just... m(_ _)m

Fourth, the scene where Keiichi hugged Mion, that made me （つДＴ） (And shock, "he... 'remembers'!?") (as well as amazement at Satoko and Rika's understanding of sins and forgiveness, "are these people really children!?"). So I was touched, shocked, and amazed. Not something you usually feel from entertainment media.

Finally, the "school siege" scene... I was literally expecting a digital clock to pop up with that unique "beep, beep, beep, beep" sound because this was more than fit to be an episode of "24". :heh: Also, Rika's über cool line "遊んであげるわ、おいで鉈女" together with the hi-tempo background music change ("彷徨いの言葉は天に導かれ") and my imagination of a Rika taking battle stance against Rena, while Keiichi races off against time to find that all-important "timer"......... Wow, I'm still excited just from thinking about it, the entire scramble was just incredible.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v97/Sushi-Y/20051025780782.jpg(Yu-ji-san's concept, カッコよすぎだよ!)

Of course, Keiichi and Rena's final scene was strangly exciting and touching at the same time. Again, rare feeling if you think about it.

When the chapter ended, I was happy but confused. Then I read the final tip "Demon's Script" and I wasn't happy or confused anymore...... damn it!

kj1980

2005-12-21, 07:53

Well, it's almost Comike...It's almost time for Minagoroshi!

Sushi-Y, congratulations in completing Tsumihoroboshi before Minagoroshi's release! You are now finally "caught up" with the rest of us Higurashi fans. Let's continue to discuss Higurashi as soon as Minagoroshi is released.

I definitely have to agree with you on that red text changing scheme. It was a brilliant way to show Rena's descent into madness in a way that only a visual novel can.

And that Takano's scrapbook is really a source of all troubles ain't it? Man, Keiichi was falling for it and the TIPS scene that related to "contagious madness to people close to you" was great as well.

That school siege had me in a upbeat as well. Both Rika and Keiichi were kick-ass, especially the final showdown on the roof... that was just awesome.

And just when you thought everything was done and it all turned out happily...bam! The last TIPS screws you over. Oh man, the feeling from "yeah! Keiichi and them finally beat the system!" to crashing your ass down to the floor and beyond with a BIG "awww, fuck! That ain't right man!!"

Sushi-Y

2005-12-21, 18:41

I assume Minagoroshi would be the answer chapter that corresponds with Tatarigoroshi? So Satoko should take the main stage... gimme!

Speaking of which, during Tsumihoroboshi's final portion,
inside the classroom during the siege, Rika said to Satoko "Satoko should be able to understand too...... That there are times where you can't stop the demon within your heart from going berserk no matter how sad it is...." And Keiichi thinking (I couldn't understand what Rika-chan and Satoko were talking about. ....But, .......It might be..........)Do I see a foreshadow to Minagoroshi?

By the way, the Watanagashi-hen drama CD should be out today, but my money......
(That first promo clip with the soul brothers was so brilliant :heh: )

kj1980

2005-12-24, 05:27

Sushi-Y

2005-12-27, 01:29

Seems like Twilight Frontier (黄昏フロンティア) is going to be distributing a test version of the Higurashi game they've been working on for a while, "Higurashi Daybreak", at C69. Yay!

Info Page - http://tasofro.net/higurashi/index.html
C69 Info - http://tasofro.net/c69.html

Seriously, this thing is bringing me brain orgasms.

DaFool

2005-12-27, 01:43

OMG, seriously, LOOOOOOL

This sort of stuff is why I love the manga / anime / game doujinshi scene in Japan, it really gives the "By Gamers, for Gamers" feeling (btw last I heard Interplay shut down). It's a healthier culture than the Electronic Arts - spoonfed one in the U.S.

Can anyone capture the popup flash from this link and create a gif out of it?

http://tasofro.net/higurashi/flash.html

kj1980

2005-12-27, 02:55

kj1980

2005-12-28, 00:02

The Japanese government-owned broadcasting station NHK did a special on Akihabara yesterday night, and lo and behold it featured "Higurashi no Naku Koroni" for part of its segments on doujin games!!!

Screencap credits: Walking Touhou (http://warking-touhou.hp.infoseek.co.jp/higurasi.html) (for those who can read Japanese)

Minagoroshi-hen disc shown on NHK... Higurashi Himatsubushi-hen
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/higurasi.jpghttp://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/higurasi2.jpg

Higurashi figurines
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/higurasi_fig1.jpghttp://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/higurasi_fig2.jpg

ｷﾀ━━━━(ﾟ∀ﾟ)━━━━!! NHK aired this scene of Rena!!!
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/usoda_on_nhk.jpg

The man Ryukishi07 himself
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/ryukishi07-a.jpghttp://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/ryukishi07-b.jpg

Scripter/Programmer Yata Zakura was Ryukishi07's younger brother!?
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/yatazakura.jpg

Ryukishi07's dad, Ichiro-san: marketing and market research
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/dad_ichiro.jpg

Ryukishi07's mom, Aiko-san: internet and research
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/mom_aiko.jpg

It seems 07th Expansion is largely a family done effort! Wow!!!
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/kj1980/family.jpg

Wait a minute...Ryukishi's father is named "Ichiro" and mother is "Aiko?"
Oh! Maebara Keiichi's dad is named "Maebara Ichiro" and mom is named "Maebara Aiko!"

Man! Ryukishi07's family rules!!! His dad is hella funny! I was busting out laughing when dad began talking about volcanic gases and amount of gasoline necessary to blow up a school!!!

DaFool

2005-12-28, 02:00

Dangit, I wish I had a family like that!!!

It sucks to be the only one in your family into anime (or be the only one into games, manga, and computers, even)

arias

2005-12-28, 02:30

DaFool

2005-12-28, 02:38

Eh, what is this game/series about? Can anyone provide a lowdown on the story?

Anyways, you guys who've played the game should try to keep your posts and stuff spoiler free, because they're all sprinkled with clues to potential spoilers.

Dude, I really have a hard time figuring out how one would answer your first question without violating your second question :D

A mouse is your friend. Especially one with a working left button:
http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=26477

Gah, since I've insulted you already, I'll indulge. The lowdown (very general):
* Upcoming anime is based on the best-selling doujin (non-professional) visual novel / game of same title. It's not really an ero-game, because it doesn't have any ero scenes, and it is a straight-through read (no choice options)
* It's a murder mystery in a small town school setting
* The appeal of the game lay with the anticipation of the next chapter (After the question chapters come the answer chapters)

kj1980

2005-12-28, 02:41

Eh, what is this game/series about? Can anyone provide a lowdown on the story?

Anyways, you guys who've played the game should try to keep your posts and stuff spoiler free, because they're all sprinkled with clues to potential spoilers.

It's a combination of:

1. Suspense, mystery, and horror
2. That deals with local myths, traditions and superstitions
3. Intertwined with serial murders
4. That involves three heads of households
5. Which all began from a unpopular dam project
6. That takes place in a humble rural town
7. Set in 1983

It is highly popular as:

1. The characters are very lively and the story is absolutely brilliant
2. It reminds you of the good ol' days when there were no mobile phones or video games
3. When kids actually improvised existing games and went outside to play
4. At the same time gives importance on family and friendship
5. Which can snap and break with just a little wrong turn...

There are absolutely no selections to choose. All you do is read the text along with the visuals. But solving the mystery through acquiring hints and clues called "TIPS" is the main "gameplay" of this game. And the suspense and mystery is so intriguing, it makes people who at first scoff at this game get hooked into it.

The rest...you have to play for yourself - or at least read the manga.

[edit]
I've also created an English wikipedia site (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higurashi_no_Naku_Koro_ni) for this game/anime. Feel free to check that out as I've written as much as I can think of for FAQs.

arias

2005-12-28, 02:41

Dude, I really have a hard time figuring out how one would answer your first question without violating your second question :D

A mouse is your friend. Especially one with a working left button:
http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=26477

Gah, since I've insulted you already, I'll indulge. The lowdown (very general):
* Upcoming anime is based on the best-selling doujin (non-professional) visual novel / game of same title. It's not really an ero-game, because it doesn't have any ero scenes, and it is a straight-through read (no choice options)
* It's a murder mystery in a small town school setting
* The appeal of the game lay with the anticipation of the next chapter (After the question chapters come the answer chapters)

I don't need to insult you, because your nick is perfect :D

I did check that page, but no one gave a story summary. I saw the detective, and I accidentally saw ki1980's mega-spoiler so I thought it could be along the lines of murder mystery, but I wasn't sure. Anyway, okay, I guess I get some of it.

It's a combination of:

1. Suspense, mystery, and horror
2. That deals with local myths, traditions and superstitions
3. Intertwined with serial murders
4. That involves three heads of households
5. Which all began from a unpopular dam project
6. That takes place in a humble rural town
7. Set in 1983

It is highly popular as:

1. The characters are very lively and the story is absolutely brilliant
2. It reminds you of the good ol' days when there were no mobile phones or video games
3. When kids actually improvised existing games and went outside to play
4. At the same time gives importance on family and friendship
5. Which can snap and break with just a little wrong turn...

There are absolutely no selections to choose. All you do is read the text along with the visuals. But solving the mystery through acquiring hints and clues called "TIPS" is the main "gameplay" of this game. And the suspense and mystery is so intriguing, it makes people who at first scoff at this game get hooked into it.

The rest...you have to play for yourself - or at least read the manga.

Aye, I'm not up to date with manga so I'll check it out sometime. So, I guess this was what my Japanese housemate was telling me about.. a very intriguing murder mystery that was revealed in later chapters or such. Ah well.. I'll just wait for the anime to arrive, or see if anyone's scanlating the manga.

Sushi-Y

2005-12-28, 08:45

It seems 07th Expansion is largely a family done effort! Wow!!!

That's probably the biggest revelation, isn't it? Everything from programming to marketing are all handled among family members, it's really something.

As I read the various, er, revelations, I got the feeling that this was the "my mind was totally blank" thing that Ryukishi07-san was talking about in his 12/14 diary entry. ^^;

Eh, what is this game/series about? Can anyone provide a lowdown on the story?

Anyways, you guys who've played the game should try to keep your posts and stuff spoiler free, because they're all sprinkled with clues to potential spoilers.
It's hard to give a proper summary because the game isn't cleanly wrapped into one game, one story. But rather one game, split into many chapters, each chapter taking place with the same setting, but with totally different outcomes.

But if I were to give a general description, it would be something like the following, it's impossible to write a summary without spoiling things, but I'll try to keep it at a minimum:

The story takes place in a small Japanese rural village called Hinamizawa, the year is the 58th year of Showa (1983). The primary main character, and also the primary narrator of the story (that is, the "player"), is a young boy named Maebara Keiichi. Keiichi has only recently moved from the city to Hinamizawa together with his parents, the move was considered a good change of environment for the family.

Away from the convenience of urban life, Keiichi felt a little uncomfortable with life in the countryside at first, but as he attended to the local school branch (which didn't even have it's own building, instead, a section of the local forestry office building was borrowed, even then, there was only one classroom and one teacher in the entire school, with children of all grades in the same classroom), Keiichi soon met some individuals who soon became his close friends and helped him learn the ropes around this new environment.

One of them was Ryuugu Rena, a classmate who also moved to Hinamizawa recently herself, and lives close to Keiichi. With a bright and cheery personality, Rena is a honest, straightforward, and reliable girl who always actively offers her help to others. Rena was a great help to Keiichi in teaching him the way around town on their trips together to and from school. Rena loves cute things, although her taste can only be said to be eccentric. However, when Rena spots something she think is cute, she tends to fall into "Kaaii-mode" (a degeneration of "Kawaii", cute), and would say "Omochikaeri~" (take home~) while attempting to bring the said object home (regardless of what it is, even if the object is another human being), anyone attempting to stop Rena while she's in "Kaaii-mode" will be floored with an unblockable lightning fast jab called "Rena-pan".

Another was Sonozaki Mion, the class president of the only class in Hinamizawa. Mion is an active and energetic girl who always takes charge in decision makings. A leadership type who gets along with everyone well, Mion was the first person to greet and become friendly with the newcomer Keiichi. Mion also joins Keiichi and Rena on their trips to and from school and offers a good source of jokes and fun gossips compared to the slightly more quiet Rena. Mion loves all types of games and plays (except videogames), and formed a club specifically for members to gather and play out these games (all of our main characters are in this club). The kicker of this "club activity" is that the loser of the game must accept the "punishment game" imposed on him/her afterwards, no matter what kind of request it may be. As the club leader, Mion rarely loses (and hates losing), and always have embarassing punishments waiting for the her next unfortunate victim.
Mion is the daughter of the Sonozaki family, one of the three main houses of Hinamizawa, which appears to be quite a big presence around the area, although Keiichi doesn't seem to notice it yet.

Next is Houjou Satoko, a young classmate who loves to play pranks on others. Satoko is always trying to get someone to fall into one of her traps, and nobody suited that role better than our new transfer student, Maebara Keiichi. Always speaks in a polite manner, but perhaps because she's still young, her grammar is odd in places. Unlike her manner, Satoko's actions can only be described as "brat-like". Against a girl like Satoko, Keiichi takes no reservation. However, most of the time when Keiichi trys to give Satoko a good whopping, she falls back to crying, which in turn triggers Rena's "Kaaii-mode", who promptly knocks out Keiichi with renapan while comforting Satoto, who is now enjoying the view of a splayed-out Keiichi on the ground. Satoko's parent both passed away in an accident 3 years ago, and she and her brother, Satoshi, were taken in by her uncle's family. But an event last year saw to the death of her aunt and her brother going missing, and her uncle leaving the village. Satoko currently lives with her close friend, Furude Rika.

Finally, we have Furude Rika, a girl similiar to Satoko in age. Unlike Satoko, Rika is very quiet and calm for her age. Although she doesn't speak much, her behaviours always leaves a lasting impression in people (that is, the reader), from her favorite phrase "Mi----" (like a little kitten), to her wall-shatteringly cute smile complete with her own sfx "nipa~☆", and from the fact that Rika seems to KNOW the powers of her own cuteness, we can say that perhaps she's the scariest one of the bunch. Rika seems to enjoy providing consolation to suffering people by petting them on the head. If there aren't anyone around who's suffering, she goes to find people who are and offer consolation to them. Rika is the sole survivor of the Furude family, operator of the local shrine and also one of the three main houses of Hinamizawa. However, since the death of her parents 2 years ago, Rika has been officially taken under the care of the village head and lives together with her friend Satoko. Rika also works as a miko of the shrine.

The happy times continue until one day, by chance, Keiichi learned of certain stories about this village of Hinamizawa. A dam construction project years ago that threatened to sink the village underwater, the "war" that broke out between the villagers and the government, and the dismemberment murder incident 5 years ago that forced an end to the project.

Not only that, but in June every year after, on the day of the local festival "Watanagashi" that honors the local god, Oyashiro-sama, one person would die, and another disappear. Some villagers calls it "Oyashiro-sama's Curse", while others refer to it as the "Hinamizawa Serial Mystery Death Case".

Keiichi just remembered, isn't this year's Watanagashi festival only a few days away...?
As I wrote that, I realized how impossible it is to write a proper "general" description of the story (because I know so much now). Anyone who played through the game would say "there is SO much more to it than that", and I agree, what I wrote is no more than the tip of the iceberg (and there would be multiple icebergs, mind you). This sound novel, like all great novels, isn't limited to a single genre. On top of the advertised "horror", "suspense", "mystery", Higurashi also contains just as much comedy (oh boy the comedy), drama, action, and even some romance (more specifically, just how powerful "love" can be, as demonstrated in the Meakashi chapter). It's a story that makes you laugh, cry, angry, scared, confused, and, most importantly, it makes you think.

At first, perhaps most people would step into the story thinking their ultimate goal would be to "figure out who the murderer is". But as one become more and more attached to our characters through all the events that can make one laugh-out-loud, burn with passion, stunned with shock, or moved to the point of sheding tears, and then faced with an uncertain but unavoidable outcome, the sense of powerlessness is true. As each new chapter releases go by, we see the same characters in the same setting, but with the story unfolding in a totally different direction, the readers will have to discover what similarities and differences that all these "alternate universes" share, think about the possibilities of events happening, and truly, not to find out "who did it", but to find a way to "avoid the tragedy".

Or as the catch phrase on the game package would say: "Challange the Tragedy"

Oh, other than that, it's just a bloody good game, I'm so happy I learned Japanese.:heh:

kj1980

2005-12-29, 12:59

I'm heading out to Comike right now in order to get my hands on Minagoroshi-hen!! I'll weather the cold for this hot item.

Cloudnine

2005-12-30, 07:00

Na~ Was anyone able to grab the demo Higurashi Daybreak @ Tasogare's booth?

Sushi-Y

2005-12-30, 18:42

Na~ Was anyone able to grab the demo Higurashi Daybreak @ Tasogare's booth?
If all else fails, you can always look to Wi○○y... (The only way for me to play it I'msorryI'llbuyitwhenitcomesout m(_ _;)m)
http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/2272/renapan21ns.th.jpg (http://img510.imageshack.us/my.php?image=renapan21ns.jpg)
Undefeatable Rena-pan. ヽ(゜▽゜)ノ

My Minagoroshi shipped one hour after it was released yesterday (go Mangaoh), but it probably won't get here until next week, so I'm going to escape this thread before kj comes in and blows everything up.

Sushi-Y

2006-01-08, 10:52

Took me two days to finish Minagoroshi, but in any case, I finished it.

...How many time does a game make you seriously want to just absolutely KILL the bastard who just so deserves to die, like, 100 times?

A, ahem, I wanted to make some general comments that doesn't spoil this chapter, but that's kinda hard this time for obvious reasons (which you'll know if you read it), except maybe:

- Keiichi is now my hero (not only for what did for Satoko (+many other things he said and did in this chapter), but also for his selfless display near the end during the "time freeze", I seriously felt my heart torn there)
- Most mysteries were answered in this chapter... but the scale of the truth is just... and the obstacles that these 6 children (7?) have to fight against to beat fate and obtain happiness... Auauau...
- The music was, again, beautiful in this chapter too. There was quite a good number of piano tracks this chapter, some did more than deliver the feeling of sadness, but also the helplessness and cruelness of fate in some scenes. dai's 虚(the symphonic arrange of "thanks") left the most impact on me. Really, when it played after the end of the "time freeze", there was nothing left for me to do except bawl...)
-
Minagoroshi:
Rena:
=========\\=|∞
Mion:
=========\\=|∞
Satoko:
=========\\=|∞
Rika:
=========\\=|∞
Shion:
=========\\=|∞
Keiichi:
=========\\=|∞
It's pointless to keep points anymore, in this "best possible" world, everyone deserves top points. Chapter rank wise, Minagoroshi would take place near the top along with Tsumihoroboshi as my favorite (Tatarigoroshi was my favorite question chapter, so it's obvious I'd love Minagoroshi too)

Ever since Rika's suicide in Meakashi, I've always wondered if she's actually the "same" Rika from all the other chapters (In the otsukaresama-kai of Watanagashi-hen, I remember one sentence from Rena very well, and that's "no matter how different the worlds are from each other, remember that the characters are always the same, the hatchet-swinging berserk Rena in Onikakushi-hen is the same calm Rena you see in Watanagashi-hen"), and that Rika takes it one step further by being able to retain the memories of all the worlds she had experienced. In Tsumihoroboshi, during Rika's goodbye scene to Rena in the junkyard, saying "I'm done with this world, pray that the next world will be a good one", it pretty much confirmed my suspicion there.

In any case, I think Minagoroshi can be split into 3 sections, "best possible world", "saving Satoko", and "Rika's death fate".

"Best possible world" actually had a lot of bases to cover, if Rika has had so many "resets" in her lifetime, then the possibities of changing fate would've been close to infinite, and that she should've been able to figure out a way to a happy future. (Of course, now that we know that everybody's berserk is caused by the Hinamizawa Syndrome, and that it's trigger is simply "doubt", and the one aiming to kill Rika is that nutjob Takano, who unfortunately commands an entire team of commandos, it's understandable why Rika has never been able to live past June with all her friends intact)

"saving Satoko" (or as I call it, Operation Satoko Freedom), what can I say, long live Keiichi, this guy deserves to have a school named after him or something. Keiichi's recuit at Angel Mort made me laugh so hard I pulled a muscle. And that Sonozaki super lawyer made me laugh so hard I almost felt bad for Oishi and that consultation center clerk.

Satoko's final scream for help was actually pictured in my head very clearly, if this scene ever gets animated, it could be one of the most emotional scenes ever. Everything that everyone went through was all just for that one single cry of "save me!".

"Rika's death fate" begins after Watanagashi, I suppose. When Takano and Tomitake returned to the clinic, and start going off about "Hinamizawa Syndrome", L5 class, H173, Tomitake is a lieutanent, Takano is a major, betrayal, etc., that was like "whoawhoawhoawhoa, wait what? whawhawhat? wha?"

When Rika explained the whole truth about the syndrome and "Tokyo" to Keiichi and the others, it feels as if "finally, everyone's on the same page, sharing the same fate". Which is why Oishi's little sidetrack that got himself killed kinda pissed me off ("finally everyone's fighting together, and you go and get yourself killed first!?")

I think the "time freeze" was a very emotional scene, Takano's bullet stopping right in front of Keiichi, and everyone's panicking, trying to find a way to save him, yet Keiichi himself realizes that he's going to die, and tells everyone to give up on him and focus of saving themselves. I mean, Keiichi literally was faced with an "unchangable fate", that the moment time moves again, the bullet would hit him and he would die, yet he just sort of chuckled and acted like "oh well, forget me, save yourselves". And when time moves again, Keiichi's slow-motion death along with that damn (good) music "虚"... (つДT) 終わった．．．くそ．．．くっそぉ．．．．．(If this scene ever gets animated... I'd die crying)

Watching Rena, Mion, Shion, and Satoko get executed one by one was even harder to watch... Add to that Rika's determination to see her own death to the very end so that she could burn it into her memory... (滝涙)

To finish it all off was the extermination of all 2,000 residents of Hinamizawa... It was hard just to read through it...

From the spectator's point of view, things that we know that Rika doesn't at the moment of her death are, obviously, the things that happened after her death.

For one thing, we know that Rika's death = Hinamizawa gas disaster... I don't remember well, but did the gas disaster happen in Watanagashi and Meakashi-hen? That is, the two chapters where Rika died during her fight with Shion rather than getting killed by Takano? The research says that after the queen (Rika) dies, all the other infected people would show L5 symptoms within 24 - 48 hours... I don't remember seeing any of those near the end of those two chapters... Or did I?

Ahaha, my head's burned out after spending the whole night finishing Minagoroshi, I guess I'll add more comments later when I can think better.

Hopefully in the next chapter, Ha'nyuu would believe strongly to change the fate in order to change the deathloop that Rika-chama is in...
Not "hopefully", if fate doesn't change next chapter, we're screwed, it's the last chapter. ^^;

kj1980

2006-01-08, 16:13

Took me two days to finish Minagoroshi, but in any case, I finished it.

...How many time does a game make you seriously want to just absolutely KILL the bastard who just so deserves to die, like, 100 times?

But that is the point in the end - murder isn't the answer no matter ho despicable the bastard is. Trust me, my mind synchonized with Keiichi/Shion. What really touched me, however is how much Shion is taking care of Satoko in Minagoroshi. Hmm...Ne-ne-?

One thing that I visually imagined and teared is when Rika mentioned that one time she attained the "longest time alive" record until early July by hiding in the woods on self-survival. To see a child like that to go such extreme is very disheartening...

And I highly agree with you on Satoko's final plea for help. I literally jumped out of my bed in joy.

As for Watanagashi/Meakashi, I wouldn't say that Rika's death triggered the Hinamizawa Syndrome. At the end of Watanagashi there was a ending scroll that listed the various characters such as Rena and other members in Hinamizawa (including that bastard Teppei!!) well alive to this date. Takano must've had to abort the plan as Rika was murdered/committed suicide in a situation which wasn't expected. My theory is that the Hinamizawa Syndrome isn't vested in Rika, but actually through Ha'nyu which holds a special place within the Furude household. Rika's death doesn't cause the L5 symptoms to show - it's probably something that Takano came up with? Hmm....

But seriously, what the heck is Akasaka (or as many would say, BAKAsaka) doing!? He shows up to make Rika (and many of us readers) optimistic and he did jack!!! I sincerely hope that this is Ryukishi07's way of torturing us by having Oishi's death adverted in the next chapter when he teams up with Akasaka.

And the way the lives ended for the Bukatsu members with one cheap head shot by Takano's handgun was very hard to look at....after all this, it only takes a bullet to the head. That just sucks big time....that ain't right.

This was the best possible world whey they beat all of fate...but it ended up the same. Just a little more effort by one extra member would've broken that thin wall.

Sushi-Y

2006-01-08, 19:45

But that is the point in the end - murder isn't the answer no matter ho despicable the bastard is. Trust me, my mind synchonized with Keiichi/Shion. What really touched me, however is how much Shion is taking care of Satoko in Minagoroshi. Hmm...Ne-ne-?

One thing that I visually imagined and teared is when Rika mentioned that one time she attained the "longest time alive" record until early July by hiding in the woods on self-survival. To see a child like that to go such extreme is very disheartening...

And I highly agree with you on Satoko's final plea for help. I literally jumped out of my bed in joy.

As for Watanagashi/Meakashi, I wouldn't say that Rika's death triggered the Hinamizawa Syndrome. At the end of Watanagashi there was a ending scroll that listed the various characters such as Rena and other members in Hinamizawa (including that bastard Teppei!!) well alive to this date. Takano must've had to abort the plan as Rika was murdered/committed suicide in a situation which wasn't expected. My theory is that the Hinamizawa Syndrome isn't vested in Rika, but actually through Ha'nyu which holds a special place within the Furude household. Rika's death doesn't cause the L5 symptoms to show - it's probably something that Takano came up with? Hmm....

But seriously, what the heck is Akasaka (or as many would say, BAKAsaka) doing!? He shows up to make Rika (and many of us readers) optimistic and he did jack!!! I sincerely hope that this is Ryukishi07's way of torturing us by having Oishi's death adverted in the next chapter when he teams up with Akasaka.

And the way the lives ended for the Bukatsu members with one cheap head shot by Takano's handgun was very hard to look at....after all this, it only takes a bullet to the head. That just sucks big time....that ain't right.

This was the best possible world whey they beat all of fate...but it ended up the same. Just a little more effort by one extra member would've broken that thin wall.

Of course, we know that violence isn't the solution, it's been stressed very hard in this chapter.

And yes, I was happy to see Shion finally able to keep her promise to Satoshi and achieve the relationship she always wanted with Satoko. Of course, same for Rena and her family situation.

...All the more emotional it makes you to see Rena's bravery and Shion trying to protect Satoko even at the very end.

But of course, Rika's decision to stay awake for her own death, even knowing how horrible it is, is what really torn me up.

Satoko's final cry for help was a great joy, but it really shook me too, because then it was a race against time to save her from Teppei. Thank god for Oishi and the cops.

Speaking of Oishi, I think, for the first time, it's proven that he's really a reliable ally (just with some misconceptions). Throughout this chapter, he has been a big help in both Satoko's case and Rika's plead for assistance. He's strictly business when it comes to his duty as a police, but he really is on the children's side. Oishi getting killed in this chapter was regrettable, but if you think about it, even if he reached Rika's house and learned the truth (and calls reinforcement or something), chances are Takano's squad would still be able to carry out their job... I hope to see Akasaka finally stepping up to the plate in the next chapter.

The report about the queen's death triggering the L5 symptoms was written back in 1945... Rika mentioned that the syndrome has weakened over the years, so people could leave the village or go on travels without the symptoms showing, maybe by Rika's time, her death doesn't affect the villagers anymore? Well... no matter, Rika must not die in any case. :heh:

In the end, it all depends on how much Rika can remember, I guess, if she could at least remember that her true enemy is Takano, it'd be an easier run next time. If not, at least she knows that she could trust her friends to be there for her (even fight off an assassination squad for her :heh: ). The key probably lies in the disabling of Takano, the problem would be how. The next world would also have to favor Rika as well (none of the gang going paranoid). It'd be great if the next world is a "replay" rather than a "restart".

It's a bunch of kids against a national conspiracy and a nutjob woman with a bad costume, hey, it can't be that hard. :heh:

kj1980

2006-01-09, 02:03

Although, I had to give hands down to Kei-chan as a truly a member of Hinamizawa. Throughout the question chapters, Kei-chan was a poor sap of an idiot. But as Kai came along, he gains so many personal points inside me that it makes me difficult which character I should vote as my favorite for...Mion or Kei-chan.

On a side note, I am kind of interested in one of the alternate worlds that Rika lived through; the one that she said it was the most boring - the world where Keiichi doesn't move to Hinamizawa. Man, that must be really boring...no bukatsu!! No Angel-Mote!! No, "K"eeeeiiiiii da man!!

By the way, Sushi-Y, do you recall the scene in Meakashi where Rika stabs her own throat? She was calling out "Hanyuu, hanyuu-" at that time. It's really interesting to go back and play "Higurashi no Naku Koroni" and the other "Kai" chapters once again after completing Minagoroshi. You find yourself reading at the subtle meanings and hints now that you know all the secrets.

And I highly suggest listening to the Watanagasahi drama CD... Ms. Yukino Satsuki does an excellent job in acting Mion/Shion - especially now that we both know which one was which at each scene.

Gitami

2006-01-09, 14:25

The spoiler button are just like those signs that mysteriously hang in the open and say "do not pull". Well I pulled and the snippets makes me want to know more. Is there any website that explains the games in detail for those of us who can't really read Japanese?

Freakman

2006-01-09, 17:50

What I could add as someone that has read most of it, is that you don't want to read details about the game, since it is really all the more enjoyable that way.
The creeping feeling you get as events unfold in the first scenarios is definitely ruined if you already know what happened in the 5 past years beforehand.
Other than that, I can only say... either you learn Japanese, or you try to forget about Higurashi before the anime comes.

Gitami

2006-01-09, 22:03

I am muddling through the manga (yay for kanjis) for Onikakushi and Watanagashi and they appear to be alternative or at very least simultaneously occuring(to give perspective for the overall plot). Are each of the game/chapters the "same world, alternate result" or simultaneous occuring or linear one after the other?

I'll take the advice and limit my contact with things Higurashi as much as I can. >.>

Sushi-Y

2006-01-09, 23:11

Are each of the game/chapters the "same world, alternate result"?
Bingo.

The mangas' biggest weakness, besides not being nearly as detailed as the original sound novel, is the lack of explanations that's not directly related to the story. In the sound novel, you receive critical pieces of information that's important to the player (you), but disconnected from the actual story, in the form of a "tip". As you progress through the story, tips accumulate and are read seperately from the actual story, and sometimes they can provide valuable insights to the player.

In any case, the one thing to keep in mind is that "the characters, and the world itself, are the same across all stories. Just because _____'s behaviors are so different between 2 chapters, it does not mean that two different _____s exist."

kj1980

2006-01-10, 01:26

The mangas' biggest weakness, besides not being nearly as detailed as the original sound novel, is the lack of explanations that's not directly related to the story. In the sound novel, you receive critical pieces of information that's important to the player (you), but disconnected from the actual story, in the form of a "tip". As you progress through the story, tips accumulate and are read seperately from the actual story, and sometimes they can provide valuable insights to the player.

Marketing-wise, I am assuming that there will be "TIPS" only manga for this purpose, just like the drama CDs.

Although I do appraise all three mangas in their respective ways in being true to the original game. But yes, the manga lacks the critical informations that is necessary to bring out thoughts and your own theories.

An important thing to remember when reading the different chapters is "what caused it to lead to this result" and "what are the similarities between the different worlds." (i.e.: _______'s action here caused the domino effect and ______ always seems to die no matter what)

Sushi-Y

2006-01-11, 22:53

I read an after-play comment of Minagoroshi written by Shun-san over at ろくでなしの詩 (http://good-for-nothing.sakura.ne.jp/top.html). He took it off now because it was a rather negative review bordering on being extreme, which probably pissed off a few people. But overall, I think he raised some good points.

General complaints include the overuse of the words "miracle" and "comrades". When a word is used over and over so many times, the meaning cheapens. I agree with Shun-san here, but I have to say it didn't particular bother me because that's just the way the characters were like. An unpassionate Keiichi isn't really Keiichi at all.

Next, about Rika's ability to "resurrect" in the past. I mentioned that Ryukishi07-san would have a lot of grounds to cover here. Because as Shun-san pointed out, "the ability to go back to the past while retaining your memory is a HUGE advantage point". And with her influence among the village elders, Rika had plenty of resources available to her.

I agree with Shun-san in that Rika being able to resurrect while retaining her memory is an advantage. But with the critical moments leading up to her death always missing, it's a fact that Rika doesn't know who the killer is, nor does she know when and how she'll be killed. As a result, the number of precautions she can take is limited.

We know that the assassination squad isn't afraid to kill anyone who gets in their way, so we need to seperate "those who WANT to help Rika" from "those who CAN help Rika". The local police and the Sonozaki group are the only two with enough powers to protect Rika from her attackers. From her previous experiences, Rika knows that these two groups aren't her enemies, yet by the end of Minagoroshi, she has only received a token number of police protection because her request for assistance came too late. And Rika didn't bother asking for the help of the Sonozaki family at all (in fact, Shun-san noted that when Rika and Satoko were attacked, they escaped their shed house to head for the Sonozaki main house. If that was the case, then they should've just stayed over there in the first place)

The next was probably a personal complaint by Shun-san: the lousiness of the assassination squad. Of course, as cool as Keiichi's last second rescue was, there was no reason that a professionally trained military squad should have any trouble at all against a bunch of kids. Yet we see Keiichi and the gang successfully fending them off with ease, and if Takano hadn't showed up with her gun, the kids probably could've actually escaped. ("If the death squad was getting beaten by a bunch of kids, they probably would've been instant kills against the Sonozaki's yakuzas")

Well, all of the above can be easily ignored if you had a willing suspension of disbelief (which I had), but among his complaints, Shun-san raised one very important and valid point: Why didn't Rika take advantage of Hanyuu's ability?

If you think about it, Hanyuu is a spiritual entity who is able to move freely on her own, and nobody is able see or hear her except Rika... Doesn't that sound like something somewhere along the lines of a "perfect spy"? If Rika wanted to know who was responsible for Tomitake and Takano's death, all she had to do was get Hanyuu to follow them, and then report back what she saw after. If Rika wasn't sure about whether Takano's squad was her ally or enemy, she could have sent Hanyuu to monitor that squad captain guy and see what he was doing behind Rika's back... Really, though Hanyuu keeps saying she's powerless and that she's nothing but an observer, she's really actually the most powerful tool in Rika's possession.

Either way, I think that point ↑ will make it's appearance in Matsuribayashi as part of the whole "EVERYONE must help in order for a miracle to happen" thing. Although Shun-san's comments were a little harsh in some places, I still think it was very informative, which is why I'm sharing it here. (That and his webmanga are funny as hell)

Nightengale

2006-01-11, 23:06

Okay....I've finally finished Onikakushi with a 70% understanding of the whole scenario, and while it is quite interesting, I'm not sure I want to nurture out the strength to continue it. It has yet to touch my addicting point, and translating really takes a lot of effort in my hand. I'll have to go to the advanced Japanese class when my holidays are over.

At this point, I may even be thinking to wait for the anime before playing the rest.

Question, does it get more ~addicting~ later on?

Freakman

2006-01-12, 00:09

Hmm. If Onikakushi can't hold your interest...
WataNagashi is a really good downward spiral once the matsuri is over. Although obviously you'd have to read through the cheerful first part of the story.
I found that enjoyable, but if you're still uncomfortable with your japanese and you find it tedious well... I can't quite help you.
The least involving scenario would probably be HimaTsubushi, but it's short.
Other than that I got helplessly addicted to all of the other scenarios.
Can't wait for the end of MinaGoroshi <3

Sushi-Y

2006-01-12, 00:30

Question, does it get more ~addicting~ later on?
Onikakushi is probably the weakest of all three major question chapters in terms of content (the 4th chapter, Himatsubushi, was meant to be a "side-story" to begin with, so I'm not counting it).

The appeal level really skyrockets when you get to the Kai 解 (answer) chapters. Not just story-wise, but even the presentation for the Kai chapters appears many times more polished compared to the earlier chapters (especially in terms of new musics).

Imagine it this way:
Reading through the question chapters is like finding empty cans to set up in a row.
Reading through the answer chapters is like blowing the the cans away with your air rifle.

Some people might find the "first-half" of the chapters (happy daily life) to be boring, but they're there for a purpose. Only after you have become familiar with all the characters and their daily lives can you feel the shock at full force when "something goes wrong".

Freakman

2006-01-12, 19:50

Wow. Just finished reading through Minagoroshi.

[Big spoilers removed]

And finally some suppositions about Satoko/Satoshi (which may be obvious though, but then I'm pretty slow)
Satoko has gone to level 5 once. Which means that if she didn't commit suicide, she at least committed a violent act.
So she must have killed the aunt. But there are some couple issues with time tables (iirc, Satoko was at the Matsuri ?), but it sounds the most likely. Considering the Rika-Satoko exchange after Rika tells the truth about the Syndrome, it sounds believable.
After that, Satoshi tries to cover for his sister but as a result gets suspected by the police (I'll assume he was at the scene).
At this point the commando intervenes, pulls up the insane-gets suicided-hannin and onikakushies Satoshi (because he had seen Satoko kill the aunt, or because he was suspected by the police ? Had Satoshi not been suspected, they would have onikakushied Satoko ? Although that's doubtful because at that point research was still ongoing I guess. So they had to onikakushi Satoshi to cover all tracks.
But the one point that doesn't work with this theory, is that Takano refuses to reveal whether she killed Satoshi or not.

Sushi-Y

2006-01-12, 21:54

Wow. Just finished reading through Minagoroshi.

And finally some suppositions about Satoko/Satoshi (which may be obvious though, but then I'm pretty slow)
Satoko has gone to level 5 once. Which means that if she didn't commit suicide, she at least committed a violent act.
So she must have killed the aunt. But there are some couple issues with time tables (iirc, Satoko was at the Matsuri ?), but it sounds the most likely. Considering the Rika-Satoko exchange after Rika tells the truth about the Syndrome, it sounds believable.
After that, Satoshi tries to cover for his sister but as a result gets suspected by the police (I'll assume he was at the scene).
At this point the commando intervenes, pulls up the insane-gets suicided-hannin and onikakushies Satoshi (because he had seen Satoko kill the aunt, or because he was suspected by the police ? Had Satoshi not been suspected, they would have onikakushied Satoko ? Although that's doubtful because at that point research was still ongoing I guess. So they had to onikakushi Satoshi to cover all tracks.
But the one point that doesn't work with this theory, is that Takano refuses to reveal whether she killed Satoshi or not.

For the most part, I agree, although reaching the terminal stage doesn't automatically means you have to suicide or kill anyone, that's simply a tendency caused by the symptoms. The report on Hinamizawa Syndrome clearly states that the symptoms for a terminal patient include delusion and psychopathy, especially complexes about being victimized. The tendency to suicide is mainly due to the itch that occurs in the lymphatic gland, and that the patient would literally scratch their way to it, usually breaking the artery in their neck or wrist in the process.

But in any case, we know that Satoko has reached this stage once before, and it's likely that it lead up to the death of her aunt (refer back to what I quoted Rika saying to Satoko during the school siege in Tsumihoroboshi). And yes, when Satoko was crying about her condition after Rika revealed the truth to her, Rika said "That was an accident. It's not Satoko's fault.", which strongly suggests that Satoko may have been the one who killed her aunt. After that, things get fuzzy. It's possible that Irie took Satoko under him for treatment, and prevented Takano from getting her hands on Satoko. Throughout this, it's possible that Satoshi learned the truth, and got erased by Takano's squad for it.

As for your negative "comments", it can really be argued either way. Since Rika never remembers the events leading up to her death, and her relationship with the police has always been bad, she had no way of knowing that Takano's dead body was actually a fake. Add to that the fact that Rika has "given up" trying to survive for a good portion of that 100+ years, it CAN be argued that it's reasonable for Rika to not know the identity of the true mastermind (by the way, 黒幕=kuromaku, not kurotobari). As for Rika trying to prevent the deaths of all the previous years, we can use that simple argument Rika gave "I tried to _____ before, but it didn't work". As for Hanyuu, read my other post about her true potential as a perfect spy, I'm almost 100% certain it'll play a part in Matsuribayashi.

On another topic, the injection that Rika tried to give to Shion and Rena must've been the treatment medication that Satoko received. I believe it was called treatment C120? The interesting point raised at the end of this chapter was that C120 must not be used on a healthy person. If used, it would cause "full body rashes, fever, enlarged pupils, and delusions", which sounded awfully like what Rika experienced when Shion forced the injection on her... hmm... Just something to think about.

JarOfMayo

2006-03-12, 23:34

Hi,
I'm always browsing around for a new "novel" to read after finally~ finishing last scenario for FSN maybe this week. I been working on FSN all last summer but I never thought the last scenario was very interesting until I played it late at night and you first encounter the "darkness" (purposely mislabeled for spoiler reasons) which freaked the sheets out of me. :uhoh:

But anyway Sushi-Y's sig drew me to this, good to know its a novel with no ero, but how is the "novel" experience compared to FSN? I was impressed from first playing FSN and how it did action sequences sooo well.

Just wondering is Higurashi like it in a sense or... more toward a plantarian or naucissa (sp?) sorta thing?

Also how is the horror in this work, I've always been a coward lol. Like I said things like the FSN "darkness" scared the begeesus out of me. I was wondering am I gonna be jumping in my pants or... lol I don't even watch horror movies ;-;

Also (mmm lots of also lol), I understand through the horror description the element of blood on the theme for the website... but what the heck is the "eyes" thing after you "enter" at http://www.oyashirosama.com/web/enter.htm. I'll know eventually? Cause damn i hate creepy stuff like that :heh:

Sushi-Y

2006-03-13, 02:21

But anyway Sushi-Y's sig drew me to this, good to know its a novel with no ero, but how is the "novel" experience compared to FSN? I was impressed from first playing FSN and how it did action sequences sooo well.
Yay, the sig worked. ^^;

Compare it to Fate? Hmm... my suggestion would be to not do that; these are two completely different games, they're both great, but in their unique ways. You'll only be disappointed if you start Higurashi expecting "something similiar to Fate/stay night".

My suggestion is to just start the game with a blank mind, and don't judge about what it's like (whether it's the visuals or story developments) until you have finished the game (or the first chapter, at least).

Experience wise, Higurashi is definately one of the best. Regardless of where we are now (Minagoroshi-hen, the 7th installment out of the planned 8, where most of the mystery has been solved), when the story was still rolling around in the early chapters, it was certainly gripping.

Just wondering is Higurashi like it in a sense or... more toward a plantarian or naucissa (sp?) sorta thing?
No, Higurashi is nothing like those games. ^^; Well, in terms of presentation, at least. Don't be fooled by all the publicity out for the game. Higurashi no Naku Koroni is not simply a horror-mystery game, it's got comedy, adventure, action, romance(?), and even sci-fi(??) elements to it. The game features countless laugh-out-loud moments throughout the chapters that you won't find anywhere else (there's a lot of otaku humor here, it's a doujin game after all). All of this serves as an excellent way for the reader to become familiar and attached to our main characters, so that when the serious and dark portion of the story comes into play, we'll find ourselves empathizing with the characters and sharing their viewpoints.

Also how is the horror in this work, I've always been a coward lol. Like I said things like the FSN "darkness" scared the begeesus out of me. I was wondering am I gonna be jumping in my pants or... lol I don't even watch horror movies ;-;
Higurashi doesn't really have "jump-out-of-chair" scares (for me, at least), the scares in Higurashi doesn't surprise you either, but creeps up on you. The musics and sound effects do most of the scaring, not the visuals. If you play this game, do not turn down/off the sound. ^^; Then again, I don't see how there's anything remotely scary about the "darkness" you mentioned for Fate/stay night, so maybe you'll find Higurashi horrifying. ^^;

Also (mmm lots of also lol), I understand through the horror description the element of blood on the theme for the website... but what the heck is the "eyes" thing after you "enter" at http://www.oyashirosama.com/web/enter.htm. I'll know eventually? Cause damn i hate creepy stuff like that :heh:
Oyashiro-sama? Don't worry, I think that only showed up a couple of times in the game.

In any case, you should head to the official site:
http://07th-expansion.net/Main.htm
and browse around for more info there.

Most importantly, you can download the trial version of the game there as well (the trial version contains the entire first chapter/installment of the game, Onikakushi-hen).

JarOfMayo

2006-03-13, 04:03

lol thanks for the answers, I was really drawn in by the sig in particular but I realized I knew about the anime earlier from checking new animes for this year, just surprised about the origins of this work and all (since the original anime site was pretty bland and undescriptive first time I looked at it). Was wondering what the heck it was until I saw this thread and realized it was a sound novel.

Will try out that trial chapter thingy ;) lol i got used to the "darkness" just the first time it came from out of nowhere it was freaky. (excuses excuses lol :heh: )

kj1980

2006-03-13, 04:58

Higurashi doesn't really have "jump-out-of-chair" scares (for me, at least), the scares in Higurashi doesn't surprise you either, but creeps up on you. The musics and sound effects do most of the scaring, not the visuals. If you play this game, do not turn down/off the sound. ^^;

I definitely agree. The sound and the music increases the creep factor ten fold, especially as you said, when it creeps up at you little by little.

But I have to admit, the first time I saw Rena's "oyashiro-mode" kick in, I freaked out.

And the manga does an excellent job at this too!

JarOfMayo

2006-03-16, 14:02

Finished the trial chapter (Onikakushi) this morning...

I thought I should write out what I thought before taking a long break (since my spring break is over lol) since I have to wait my order to come in anyway for the next chapters.

But... I don't know the last portions really threw a screwball at me.

First of all I'm pretty certain Rena+Mion+etc. actively tried to keep quiet to Keiichi about the barabara murders.

Rena's first changed scared the sheets out of me :heh: but it suggested to me that at least in Rena's case Rena doesn't seem to have an active acknowledgment of what changes occur to her.

The subsequent occurences however made me consider some other possibilities. Either the "bu" is actively a part of the "cover-up" (which could be suggested from their non-acknowledgment of the barabara thing), or they seem to be controled by something outside of their normal will. It is like they know they are controlled yet are already active participants. They've given up their wills? There is some sort of control factor among the "changed" girls that doesn't seem to be very obvious. Some psychological problem doesn't seem likely (especially if its prevalent among the townsfolk). Oyashirousama? I personally don't think so.

Jirou's death struck me as bizarre, however the later occurences suggest that the suspected 1-4+~ suspects could have honestly been anybody, even if what Mion said during some of the portions is true. I feel this way because Mion only said Keiichi would taste the same fate as Jirou, which doesn't imply that she did it herself. It seems from what Mion was trying to (inject?) to Keiichi in these portions was probably something Jirou couldn't avoid. Is this particular thing the "madness" that killed Jirou too? Probably. The fact that the note Keiichi wrote was tampered with suggests this highly.

I'm sure I have more thoughts but...
Uhhh, that nurse that disappeared (Takano?). I find her suspicious as well (some of her lines were creepy), though she disappeared that doesn't mean she died too or anything. The Onikakushi itself might just be a way of hiding members of the suspect group, or people who know to much.

Finally, what Keiichi said last over the phone, that he wanted to think humans were behind the events. This part I probably need to look over again, but I have a feeling Keiichi's paranoia took over in a sense... and metaphorically, "I did want to think that humans were the suspects of the events, but there is oyashirosama..." a statement about the barbarity of humans? I also have a feeling Keiichi ended up suffering during his last moments from some nasty illusions. Something similar to Jirou's last moments?

Some Tips stand out as strange or creepy lol like Reina-Rena, and especially Supamaat-nite. Not sure what the latter meant...

Anyway this should be a good reminder to myself when I start playing it again toward summer. Can't wait for the anime now lol :D

kj1980

2006-03-16, 14:51

Sushi-Y

2006-03-16, 17:21

Finished the trial chapter (Onikakushi) this morning...

I thought I should write out what I thought before taking a long break (since my spring break is over lol) since I have to wait my order to come in anyway for the next chapters.

But... I don't know the last portions really threw a screwball at me.

First of all I'm pretty certain Rena+Mion+etc. actively tried to keep quiet to Keiichi about the barabara murders.

Rena's first changed scared the sheets out of me :heh: but it suggested to me that at least in Rena's case Rena doesn't seem to have an active acknowledgment of what changes occur to her.

The subsequent occurences however made me consider some other possibilities. Either the "bu" is actively a part of the "cover-up" (which could be suggested from their non-acknowledgment of the barabara thing), or they seem to be controled by something outside of their normal will. It is like they know they are controlled yet are already active participants. They've given up their wills? There is some sort of control factor among the "changed" girls that doesn't seem to be very obvious. Some psychological problem doesn't seem likely (especially if its prevalent among the townsfolk). Oyashirousama? I personally don't think so.

Jirou's death struck me as bizarre, however the later occurences suggest that the suspected 1-4+~ suspects could have honestly been anybody, even if what Mion said during some of the portions is true. I feel this way because Mion only said Keiichi would taste the same fate as Jirou, which doesn't imply that she did it herself. It seems from what Mion was trying to (inject?) to Keiichi in these portions was probably something Jirou couldn't avoid. Is this particular thing the "madness" that killed Jirou too? Probably. The fact that the note Keiichi wrote was tampered with suggests this highly.

I'm sure I have more thoughts but...
Uhhh, that nurse that disappeared (Takano?). I find her suspicious as well (some of her lines were creepy), though she disappeared that doesn't mean she died too or anything. The Onikakushi itself might just be a way of hiding members of the suspect group, or people who know to much.

Finally, what Keiichi said last over the phone, that he wanted to think humans were behind the events. This part I probably need to look over again, but I have a feeling Keiichi's paranoia took over in a sense... and metaphorically, "I did want to think that humans were the suspects of the events, but there is oyashirosama..." a statement about the barbarity of humans? I also have a feeling Keiichi ended up suffering during his last moments from some nasty illusions. Something similar to Jirou's last moments?
Σ(゜д ゜；)
That's actually a very good analysis.

But yeah, compared to the next 2 chapters (Watanagashi and Tatarigoroshi), Onikakushi is only an appetizer. ^^

Freakman

2006-04-21, 14:13

As per Kj's request, I removed the most offending spoilers from my posts.
Sushi, can you remove them from your quote (post #42) if possible too ?

Sushi-Y

2006-04-21, 18:56

I can't find the delete post button, but either way, some of the posts took me an effort to type, so I'd rather keep them. I went through my posts in here once and wrapped most of the stuffs in named spoiler tags. If people still want to spoil themselves, then I can't do anything about it.

While I'm here, might as well add some news:

- Info on the consumer port of Higurashi, 「ひぐらしのなく頃に祭」 (http://www.dengekionline.com/data/news/2006/04/16/56baa08dddcc5c4884a44998fbf7c086.html) has been released during the "Alchemist Festival 2006" back on the 16th.

The biggest change for the consumer port is probably the fact that the game characters and CGs will be completely redrawn.
http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/96/alche220rf.th.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/my.php?image=alche220rf.jpg)
Another major change is the addition of selection points, which is a very interesting addition indeed (will the player finally gain the ability to alter the final outcome?). The characters should be fully voiced by the same voice actors from the drama cd/anime as well.

Eleutheria

2006-04-27, 15:54

BANZAI my games arrived in the mail today, all seven chapters on two discs. After a quick system change to Japanese, I now have quite a lot of procrastination material.

:D:D

kj1980

2006-04-28, 07:17

BANZAI my games arrived in the mail today, all seven chapters on two discs. After a quick system change to Japanese, I now have quite a lot of procrastination material.

:D:D

Congrats. Now it's just the matter of getting used to Ryukishi07's...err...unique character designs.

No trust me. Somehow the artwork grows upon you after you've played through the whole thing ww

Eleutheria

2006-04-28, 10:47

Congrats. Now it's just the matter of getting used to Ryukishi07's...err...unique character designs.

No trust me. Somehow the artwork grows upon you after you've played through the whole thing ww

No kidding. The first thing I noticed was, "whoa. She has four fingers."

Nightengale

2006-04-30, 23:21

Sushi-Y

2006-05-01, 15:19

Okay......this really has both to do with the anime and the game, but the question really relates more to this part, so I'll ask it here.

I have yet to watch the anime, and I should be recieving my air-mail of Chapter 2 to 5 in about 2 weeks time.

Sushi-dono knows that I wasn't too thrilled about Onikakushi, and I just really want to ask if watching the few episodes will ruin the game experience from Chapter 2 onwards?
Well, in case you don't know yet, the anime's approach is to allocate a short series of episodes to cover each chapter (Episode 1 - 4 summed up Onikakushi, for example. 5 - 8 will probably make up Watanagashi, 9 - 12 would be Tatarigoroshi, etc.), this means that the anime story will be somewhat of a summarization compared to the game's original story: the important key events are all there, but lacks in detail for the rest of the story.

Still, Higurashi IS mainly a novel based around the suspense and mystery, so once you have seen the story once, the "whoa" impact value is bound to decrease. Some people care about this, some don't. Personally, I would go through the game first before watching the anime, because it has been pointed out through the first 4 episodes that the anime has made some misses / skipped some things which made things a little more confusing for anyone who haven't played the game. On the other hand, if you watch the anime first, then you will probably enjoy it better due to the freshness of the story + you wouldn't notice the rushed pacing as much.

In the end, it's up to you.

kj1980

2006-05-01, 15:37

Well, in case you don't know yet, the anime's approach is to allocate a short series of episodes to cover each chapter (Episode 1 - 4 summed up Onikakushi, for example. 5 - 8 will probably make up Watanagashi, 9 - 12 would be Tatarigoroshi, etc.), this means that the anime story will be somewhat of a summarization compared to the game's original story: the important key events are all there, but lacks in detail for the rest of the story.

Still, Higurashi IS mainly a novel based around the suspense and mystery, so once you have seen the story once, the "whoa" impact value is bound to decrease. Some people care about this, some don't. Personally, I would go through the game first before watching the anime, because it has been pointed out through the first 4 episodes that the anime has made some misses / skipped some things which made things a little more confusing for anyone who haven't played the game. On the other hand, if you watch the anime first, then you will probably enjoy it better due to the freshness of the story + you wouldn't notice the rushed pacing as much.

In the end, it's up to you.

On the other hand, anime watchers are restricted as they don't have the intriguing TIPS on hand to complement the show. Care to help me out by translating some of the TIPS on the sticky at the top of this sub-forum?

Freakman

2006-05-03, 02:36

Sushi-Y

2006-05-03, 03:22

About episode 5:

As we know, the Mion/Rika confrontation only happened in Meakashi, because Rika reacted to the events in Watanagashi and tried to change things.
Oh well. It's not too important anyway, since those events could be those from Meakashi just as well as those from Watanagashi.
But then... what scene will they use as an opener for Meakashi ?
The scene where Mion kills the baba ?

Oh yeah~ so I was wrong in the episode 5 thread about that opening scene being a Watanagashi event then. Oops (always forget details like that) :heh:

The way I see it, the reason why they used it is because of the blood (same with Onikakushi. I bet they'll use the Keiichi/Teppei scene for Tatarigoroshi's opening)... But then again, if all they wanted was a scary bloody scene, then they could've used Watanagashi-hen's final Keiichi/Mion scene in front of Keiichi's house where he tried to give her the doll, that would've made a great opening too, I think. Maybe "multiple hits" are a requirement? :uhoh:

Then again, Meakashi was so bloody it probably doesn't matter if they lost one or two scenes like these.

... I just pray to god that they don't use Satoko's final moments as Meakashi's opening, I'll friggin' break down. :(

Freakman

2006-05-03, 03:32

About the openers :

For Tatarigoroshi, how about the Satoko/Keiichi scene on the bridge ? (they just cut the scene as Keiichi starts falling).
The Keiichi/Teppei scene happens too early to make a good opener scene.
Well, there's also the option of showing the gas leak incident.

For Himatsubushi hmm... Rika's "yogen" scene perhaps.

For Meakashi, come to think of it, yes, the Satoko scene could be effective, but how about the scene where Mion/Shion pushes Mion/Shion into the "well" ?

And finally for Tsumihoroboshi... most likely an extract from the Keiichi/Rena fight. Seems the best option.

Sushi-Y

2006-05-04, 18:03

Some random news that should be interesting for the gamers (yes, all 5 of us):

平成にひぐらしはなく (http://www.geocities.jp/heisei_higurasi/)

ほほ、面白いのが来た。:heh:
(The Maebara Suzu pic I posted in the other thread also came from this)

There's a "test" package available from the development diary:
ttp://www.h6.dion.ne.jp/~dyaru/sinario_0.lzh
(just drag a copy of the higurashi exe (or a ncsr.exe from the downloaded nscripter package) into the extracted folder and run it)

Also, from that same diary, I found this:
http://www1.coralnet.or.jp/ar-80l/
Otsukaresama kai for Meakashi and Tsumihoroboshi! Finally! Closure (for me)! :heh:

Eleutheria

2006-05-05, 18:06

EDIT: never mind. I saved my game during a TIPS. That made me unable to continue...thank goodness for scenario jump.

DingoEnderZOE2

2006-05-05, 19:18

Sevens Mart is a discount liquor and grocery wholesales store located inside the city.

Keiichi's mom: "What's this, Keiichi? There's so much! You can't just get all the different flavors, you know?!"
I dumped cup noodles of various different colors all into the shopping cart.

Keiichi: "The cup noodles recently are all so fancy, and there are a lot of different types too. I want to try each one out at least once."
I know that this was half a selfish request, but I thought I'd make a challenge just for the heck of it.
Keiichi's dad: "Keiichi. Get the ones they sell in whole boxes, they're cheaper."
The old man's grumbling.

Well, I figured it'd end up like this.
If the old man comes into the play, then it can't be helped.

Keiichi: "But then there's only one flavor! I'll get tired of it!"
I'm resisting only in form.

Inside my mind, I have already given up and is lost over which box of ramen I should buy.

Keiichi's mom: "If you can't decide then Okaasan is going to pick for you."
Even if you rush me, it doesn't help...!
I quickly departed to search for the box of ramen that I want.

Keiichi's mom: "Tonkotsu Ginger flavor, giant cup? Hey Keiichi, can't you get something more normal?"
If I let the old hag pick, there's a good chance it'll be a steady choice like soy sauce or salt flavored.

Keiichi: "Tonkotsu tastes great! I know it's a big serving, but that doesn't mean it's tasteless...!!"
In this reminiscence, I was justifying my choice for the box of ramen that I had picked.

*screen freezes*
There's no way that I could turn around in this world, whose time has already ended, and has been laminated and packaged....

That's why.... the only thing that I can do is to make the eyesight, hearing, and feeling of the me in this time even more sensitive.

No matter where I searched inside my vision...... I can't find Rena.
Let's go back in time and look.

But of course, she's not found anywhere.

*screen blacks out*
Then... was she observing me from a blindspot outside of my vision...?

I go back on my hearing and feelings, and search again.

The presences of other customers.
All of them are mixed up... moving around randomly on their own.

None of them are observing me steadily, nor is there any presence of anyone following behind me.

None. Should be none. Probably none.

No matter how much my guard was down at the time... I would've definitely noticed if someone was following right behind me.
I'm laughing bitterly here for using an ambiguous expression like "probably", and yet using a contradicting adjective like "definitely"....

At that time, the replay of time stopped with a shiver.

.........There was a shadow presence behind me.

It was... a fear that can't be described.
If it was a presence that appeared behind the real me right now, then it's possible for me to turn around and make sure.

However, for the me inside a world whose time has already ended, it's impossible to turn around.

While carrying such a horrifying shadow behind me... I ran around the store happily looking for boxes of cup ramens...?

While making rude remarks about the old hag, I ran around the instant noodle aisle....
But.... behind me, that presence always stuck right onto me. It dangled right after me like a shadow.

Without...... a way to make sure of something, and not realizing it until just now...... is actually such a horrifying and repulsive thing......

I happily ran across...... the world whose time has already ended.

I held onto the cardboard box.
Patapata. (footsteps)

......But, if I listen to those footsteps carefully again...... there was a 'petapeta', something other than my own footsteps was definitely included in there as well.

Patapatapata. Petapetapeta.
Patapata. Petapeta.
Patapatapata. Petapetapeta.

Exactly the same as my running, the 'petapeta' sound of footsteps that sounded like they were made by bare feet followed behind me.

I happily ran across...... the world whose time has already ended.
But that was only because...... I couldn't hear it.

No, it is because I heard it that I'm able to recall it like this.

... I heard it, but I didn't mind it.
That's why I didn't turn around.
That's why, I couldn't turn around...!!!

In the world whose time has already ended, I'm always being chased by a 'petapeta' sound of footsteps.
I can't run any faster and escape either.
For the me whose time has already ended, I can only run at the predetermined speed.
Nor can I turn around.

Since the me whose time has already ended never turned around once.
And then, I arrive back at the sides of my parents, and begin a conversation. While carrying the shadowy presence with me.

Since I'm not moving, the shadow doesn't move either. Therefore there's no sound. That's all.
At the time, I was supposedly conversing with my parents without moving a single step.

I remained standing perfectly still. No doubt about it.
And yet, ......a 'peta' ... sound was made.

That can't be possible.
If I run 3 steps, you follow 3 steps. That was the rule, wasn't it...?

There are no more sounds after that.
At that instant, the entire world had a power outage.... It was a sudden total darkness.

This reminiscence trip is over now.
I want to sleep for today now.
I want to end this.
Somebody turn on the lights.

But my body won't move.
...As if it was sewed onto... this world whose time has already ended.

Peta.

The hairs on my entire body stand up.

No way...?!
You've been breaking the rules since earlier!!
I'm not walking!
So you can't walk either!!

I'm not moving! So you don't move either!! Follow the rules!!!

Peta.
And yet, once more, that sound echoed across the darkness.

The hairs on the back of my head stirs up.
To a distance behind me close enough that I can't tell whether it's touching my hairs or not....... it has come.

Why can't I move like how the presence behind me is moving?!?!

... I soon realized it.
I can move.
...... I just can't turn around because I'm afraid.

Now's the only time I can turn around.
The action was not allowed in the world whose time has already ended.... But...... I have to turn around now......!!

All the cells within my body, as if trying to stop me from doing this forbidden action, begin to claim of pains like needles pricking away at every single pore on my skin....

I'll turn around!
I'll turn around!
It ain't scary at all!!
I'll turn around!
I'll turn around!
It ain't scary at all!!!!

It was a scream without sounds within my chest.
oOoOoOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!!

I turned around.

......And there, .......... I didn't get the meaning of it at first.

Keiichi: ".........Eh, ....................Eh?"
This is..................... Eh?

With the situation placed in front of me, it's like someone who has to take a bite out of an apple and drink it's juice before realizing that it's an apple......... my brain begins to eat the apple.

Munch, munch, it begins to chew on it....
Drinking the juice......... It realized that it's an apple.

In other words......... what's in front of me is,

GYAAAAAaAAaAAaAAaAAAaAAAaAaaA........

Okay I'm well aware that this TIP is being presented from Keichi's POV after his death as he tries to figure out where Rena was during his trip at the Sevens mart. But what I'm confused about is what happened near the end of this tip, like what was going on after the "Somebody turn on the lights" remark? And lastly what was in front of Keichi that made him scream??

kj1980

2006-05-05, 19:55

Okay I'm well aware that this TIP is being presented from Keichi's POV after his death as he tries to figure out where Rena was during his trip at the Sevens mart. But what I'm confused about is what happened near the end of this tip, like what was going on after the "Somebody turn on the lights" remark? And lastly what was in front of Keichi that made him scream??

It wouldn't be a mystery if it was told, now would it? It's never explained...but it makes sense if you figure it out (or see the larger scope of things after you see everything).

Crimen Scythe

2006-05-06, 23:15

out of curiosity, in the game, wut would be considered the best or creepiest arc....?

kj1980

2006-05-06, 23:25

out of curiosity, in the game, wut would be considered the best or creepiest arc....?

Hard to say. This is my opinion only, so it won't be as same as others:

Onikakushi-hen: Appetizer
Watanagashi-hen: !!!!!
Tatarigoroshi-hen: orz the most depressing　 (´Д⊂ヽ
Himatsubushi-hen: ( ﾟДﾟ)ﾊｧ?
Meakashi-hen: !!!!!　(´Д⊂ヽ
Tsumihoroboshi-hen: !!!!! \(^o^)/ orz
Minagoroshi-hen:　ｷﾀ━━━━(ﾟ∀ﾟ)━━━━!! (´Д⊂ヽ

melange

2006-05-07, 01:43

I wouldn't know, and most likely not. Hey, there was practically no interest in this game in the English speaking world. Perhaps Chinese ones exist. I wouldn't know. My best bet is to buy the game at cdjapan or what not, and do your best with a Japanese dictionary at hand.
About purchasing the game itself, which I have located on Paletmail (looking elsewhere too), just to confirm: "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni" contains "Onikakushi", "Watanagashi", "Tatarigoroshi" and "Himatsubushi" (4 chapters) while "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai" contains "Meakashi", "Tsumihoroboshi" and "Minagoroshi" (3 chapters) right?

After hearing about the sound effects of the game (and their non-appearance in the anime) I'm thinking of getting it because I'm such a sucker for Japanese horror background sound. *shivers at memory of sounds in Juon, Fatal Frame etc* :heh:

kj1980

2006-05-07, 02:30

About purchasing the game itself, which I have located on Paletmail (looking elsewhere too), just to confirm: "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni" contains "Onikakushi", "Watanagashi", "Tatarigoroshi" and "Himatsubushi" (4 chapters) while "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai" contains "Meakashi", "Tsumihoroboshi" and "Minagoroshi" (3 chapters) right?

After hearing about the sound effects of the game (and their non-appearance in the anime) I'm thinking of getting it because I'm such a sucker for Japanese horror background sound. *shivers at memory of sounds in Juon, Fatal Frame etc* :heh:

Exactly. And if you wait until Matsuribayashi-hen is released, you'll get all four of the answer arcs in that one disc. You can find which disc contains which here: http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost.php?p=411693&postcount=7

Sushi-Y

2006-05-07, 03:28

out of curiosity, in the game, wut would be considered the best or creepiest arc....?

The answer to that varies a lot from people to people, for me:

Onikakushi-hen: It was great while it lasted. But compared to the other chapters, this was really nothing but an intro to the game.
Watanagashi-hen: Things really got interesting in the second half when the tension and pace picks up. The ending was *censored*
Tatarigoroshi-hen: My favorite chapter. But still, Satoko... （つдT）
Himatsubushi-hen: ( ’・ω・) Rika-chama...
Meakashi-hen: Beginning: （ ´ー｀） Aww | Middle: Σ（（；゜ д ゜）） Hiii | Last: （つдT） NOOOoOoooOO!
Tsumihoroboshi-hen: Beginning: ( ’・ω・) Rena... | Middle: （゜ー゜） Hoho | Last: ( >ヮ<) GOGOGO-----! | After Ending: _____ (spoiler)
Minagoroshi-hen: Beginning: （；´ д ｀） Everything's so... great, yet, so sad | Middle: （つдT） For the love of god, no... | Last: ( 〇д〇)... | Ending: *censored*

That was confusing.

About purchasing the game itself, which I have located on Paletmail (looking elsewhere too), just to confirm: "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni" contains "Onikakushi", "Watanagashi", "Tatarigoroshi" and "Himatsubushi" (4 chapters) while "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai" contains "Meakashi", "Tsumihoroboshi" and "Minagoroshi" (3 chapters) right?
That's right, if you looked at kj's list, you'll notice that everytime a new chapter came out, the new disk contained that chapter PLUS all the previous chapters (except the fact that the "answer" chapter disks don't contain the "question" chapters).

In other words, all you need to buy is the Himatsubushi-hen disk (since it was the 4th chapter, it contained the first 4 chapters. In other words, the entire "question" arc), and the Minagoroshi-hen disk (it's the latest "answer" disk, containing itself + all previous "answer" chapters (Meakashi, Tsumihoroboshi))

In simpler terms, the two disks here: http://07th-expansion.net/Soft/Higurasi.htm

Why carry over the chapters onto newer disks?
1) New player friendly: Rather than having to search for and buy every released chapter on seperate disks (1000 yen/ea), newcomers would only have to spend less than 3000 yen for two disks: one containing all the "question" chapters, one containing all the "answer" chapters (so far).
2) Collectors value for the older chapter disks. ^^;

After hearing about the sound effects of the game (and their non-appearance in the anime) I'm thinking of getting it because I'm such a sucker for Japanese horror background sound. *shivers at memory of sounds in Juon, Fatal Frame etc* :heh:
I think the musics and the sounds are what made Higurashi for me. Especially when we get into the answer chapters starting with Meakashi, musics like dai-san's wonderful piano arrangements ("Iru", as short as it is, still remains my favorite piano track EVER) or the "thinking" musics by Propan Mode were probably just as vital for me in the game as the story itself.

Knowing that the anime probably won't have them is kinda disappointing, but I'm not going to hold it against Deen, they're probably doing their best.

Meowshi

2006-05-09, 02:20

kj1980

2006-05-09, 02:22

Thanks Sushi, that answers a friggin lot. So the anime plays off of the sound novel?

One question about the game though- Is it possible to 'not' get Keichi killed at the end of the first game, selecting correct choices?

Please read the post above you again and again until it clicks in your mind that THERE ARE NO CHOICES TO PICK IN THE GAME

You are going to end up exactly as it was shown in the anime. Why? Because you CAN'T choose anything. It's just like reading a novel. It's like watching a Monty Python sketch! There's no choices! There's no selections! This question is no more! It has ceased to be! He's expired and gone to meet his maker!

It's not like one of the shitty Batman mystery books that my English teacher used at NOVA! Batman tries to escape through the roof. Turn to page 89. He dies. Shit! Okay, I'll go back and choose Batman tries to escape by kicking the door. Turn to page 125. He lives! Hooray! No, it's not like that. It's just read, read, read, with excellent BGM and er...unique pictures to bring out the chill and suspense.

Meowshi

2006-05-09, 02:29

kj1980

2006-05-09, 02:40

I thought he meant that there were no choices in the sound novel? O.o

There was a link earlier in the "Game Thread" in which Chapter one was free, so I dove in and downloaded it (Like I do with all links)

After a bunch of mindless clicking, I reached a point in which I could pick options

What were these then? Gimmicks? Explain please :o

---
Reading again, I guess the "game" = the sound novel?

That's a point where you reached an intermission. You have the option to (from top to bottom):

1. Read unread TIPS
2. Show all TIPS collected so far
3. SAVE/LOAD
4. Continue on

Choosing a TIPS isn't like choosing a selection that alters the story in anyway. The TIPS are exactly as written on the sticky on this thread (http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=31732).

DingoEnderZOE2

2006-05-09, 02:42

The only options that were in the game that would show up during the game after "mindless" clicking would be the "eyecatch"(As I like to call it...). Where the game gives you a chance to read the tips for that section of the game, check all the tips you've gotten so far, Save & Load, advance the story. I've never seen any options during the story part of the game.

Did the options you've seen happen to look and go like this:

未読ＴＩＰＳを読む　
ＴＩＰＳ一覧を表示
ＳＡＶＥ・ＬＯＡＤ
進む

Meowshi

2006-05-09, 02:44

Geez, that looks so obvious though- I wasn't really paying attention, too fed up about me not being able to understand Japanese, and me wanting to pick random choices (That weren't really choices) :(

Thanks for the help ^^;;

Sorry...

Eleutheria

2006-05-23, 10:19

Read through to the last TIPS of Onikakushi-hen.

Having watched the anime beforehand,

At the door-slamming scene right after Keiichi realizes he's alone in the home. That scene is so horribly sad if you imagine Rena being in "normal" mode instead of psycho mode. I could so imagine myself in Rena's shoes, having bumped into Keiichi-kun's mom yesterday at the supermarket, and trying to poke fun at Keiichi's taste in ramen. Then I get my fingers broken.

:(:(:(:(

EDIT: Finally finished onikakushi-hen. It's a bloody tragedy, that's all I can say. A bloody tragedy. On to Watanagashi-hen!

cat1313

2006-05-27, 13:24

Hello, I just wanted to ask if there is another way to get the first chapter of the game. Because if I try the link you posted, I reach a page that's "forbidden".
I'd really like to try the game first before I buy it (especially since I don't know if my Japanese is good enough to enjoy it...).

I'm sorry if this question has been asked before, then I read over it, but I tried to read all posts and avoid the spoilers at the same time :heh:

Thanks for any help!

iamandragon

2006-05-29, 16:06

Just found a game called Higurashi...although it's still in progess...A fighting doujin, a great game indeed!

I<3killerloli's

2006-05-29, 18:52

kj1980

2006-05-29, 19:42

Is there any chance of somebody making an English Hack/Patch of the game and releasing it on the net for Enlgish speaking fans? I'd love to play the game, the show is the most intriguing anime I've seen in a while.

Probably not as there were no interest in this game in the English speaking world. If you love the anime and want to play the game, please buy the game out of respect of the creator. It's only around 1500 yen for the Onikakushi~Himatsubushi disc, and 1000 for Meakashi~Minagoroshi disc. That would be the simplest and the fastest way for you to play the game. Obviously you'll need a Japanese dictionary at your hands if you can't read it.

By the way, didn't I mention to myself quite a while ago how questions like these seem to pop up everytime an anime based on a game comes along? It's getting tiring. I'm adding this rule to this Q&A so no one asks these rhetorical questions over and over again.

ayyo

2006-05-29, 19:55

Is there any chance of somebody making an English Hack/Patch of the game and releasing it on the net for Enlgish speaking fans? I'd love to play the game, the show is the most intriguing anime I've seen in a while.

Highly unlikely, this is the sum (http://www.shii.org/translate/) of a few years worth of fan translations on text games.

If it helps, I've started a self project (http://www.makenaidesuwayo.com/category/features/the-higurashi-and-the-jewel/) to summarize anything the anime cuts out of the game, moving slowly but surely. Still I can't expect to finish any earlier than a year (way pass when the anime is over ><)

I<3killerloli's

2006-05-30, 17:09

kj1980

2006-05-30, 18:01

^ Well, you guys seem to have a fair knowledge of Japanese. Maybe when the final chapter of the game comes out, someone will try to hack the disk and translate it into English. I remember playing an English version of Detective Club and it was that game that got me into visual novels.
I only wish I could speak/read Japanese. Playing the game with a dictionary would be so tedious, and even if I were to get the game, it would be a waste of money unless I knew how to read it (though the artwork seems woth it.)
One last question, is the game in kanji or katakana? The later is more friendly to Japanese newcomers like myself.
Thanks for answering these by the way :)

All "normal" Japanese is a mix of kanji, hiragana, and katakana - not one or the other. If you can read the news site Asahi.com (http://www.asahi.com/) with no problem, then you can play any Japanese game. (And please don't ask how to enable Shift-JIS as I don't know.)

As for the artwork...uh...I would say it's unique in the way that you get what you pay for. Strangely however, you become accustomed to Ryukishi07-san's drawing that it becomes moe~...in a way.

Turkinolith

2006-06-03, 07:30

of the large list of vendors to get the novels/game any suggestions which would be most friendly to international orders?

Sushi-Y

2006-06-03, 16:19

All "normal" Japanese is a mix of kanji, hiragana, and katakana - not one or the other. If you can read the news site Asahi.com (http://www.asahi.com/) with no problem, then you can play any Japanese game. (And please don't ask how to enable Shift-JIS as I don't know.)
"エレベーターに挟まれ、高２男子が死亡"
Owwww. :(

As for the artwork...uh...I would say it's unique in the way that you get what you pay for. Strangely however, you become accustomed to Ryukishi07-san's drawing that it becomes moe~...in a way.
Agreed. Although his drawings may not appear as visually appealing as other bishojo game character arts, there's a "lovableness" about them that makes you feel more and more attached to them over time. So far, I have not seen any artist who can replicate Rika's "nipa~☆" with the same feel of Ryukishi-san's original drawing.
http://img424.imageshack.us/img424/7171/untitled797ee.th.jpg (http://img424.imageshack.us/my.php?image=untitled797ee.jpg)

of the large list of vendors to get the novels/game any suggestions which would be most friendly to international orders?
Well, I think the vender you choose should be able to process and ship your order smoothly enough that you won't NEED to find out whether they're actually "friendly" or not. :heh:

But the vender I (and many others) buy from is HimeyaShop (http://www.himeyashop.com/), they're fast and keeps their game titles constantly up-to-date. The downside is that they're pretty expensive, and they only ship through EMS, which, although fast and secure, costs more than regular airmail.

Just to answer the "friendliness" question, Himeya offers an effective custom order request function (they will actually add the game you requested onto their game catalogue, just so everyone can find it on their website), and their return/exchange policy has been excellent for me as well (I got a defected copy of Fate/hollow ataraxia (first edition) from them, but rather than me sending it back for an exchange, they shipped a new second copy to me for free) (so now I have two sets of servant tarot cards :heh: ).

But really, the important thing is that you get what you paid for, so if you don't mind the slightly expensive price, then Himeya is a good choice.