[Altima of the Gates]

Originally Posted by Sushi-Y

Finally got a chance to work my way though this.

Once again, hats off to Ryukishi-san and his amazing writing skill. I was honestly expecting nothing more than a light-hearted epilogue-ish story, but what I got was a truly engaging story that had me on the edge of my seat the entire way. The fact game players like us have gotten to know the characters and the world so well really helped. Personally, I was able to dive into the story right away, feeling everything at full impact.

Spoiler:

For a IF world, Saikoroshi-hen is probably the most revealing of all. I think everything pretty much already speaks for itself when we realize the fact that the reverse of everything we have come to know and love is actually a sinless world. Just like the puzzle game in Matsuribayashi suggested, many sins are required in order for Rika to live on with all of her friends. The Saikoroshi-hen world showed us just how "miserable" things would be if no one ever commited any sins, but lived on "happily" instead.

As for the story itself... I almost bawled together with Rika in the beginning.

But the delinquent dark Rika was a little moe.

A personal highlight was the portrayal of the mental confusion going on between her Bernkastel personality and her role as Furude Rika in the Saikoroshi-hen world. I really felt Rika's fear here about losing her own self.

Personally, I think the climax of the story was that last long conversation between Rika and Hanyuu before Rika made her decision. A lot of what was said there really reflected deeply on the morality of Rika's own journey.

The final scene with everyone around Rika's bed was quite nice as well. It reminded me of just how much I love everyone in Higurashi.

Hanyuu is simply stunning. I love characters that normally acts childish, but is still capable of becoming deadly serious and philosophical when needed. The gap really makes them lovable for me.

In the end, I think Hanyuu probably just wanted Rika to learn about the importance of her own choices, as well as her own life, probably as some kind of redemption. Whether or not the whole thing was just a dream, well, that's probably not important. After all, it's just like Rika said, she was practically sacrificing the lives of many people, including her parents, evertime she chooses to "restart" her own life into another world where their death is predetermined.

Spoiler:

Yeah, in all the other worlds, the fact that "Rika is the reincarnation of Oyashirosama" remained unchanged. That's why Rika was always able to communicate with Hanyuu. But in Saikoroshi-hen's world, Rika's mother was the 8th decendant, not Rika. And like Hanyuu said to Rika through the crystal, the Hanyuu in Saikoroshi-hen's world has already completed her existence after living out a full life with Rika's mother.

The only way to allow Rika's Hanyuu into Saikoroshi-hen's world is to erase the fact that "a reincarnation of Oyashirosama already exists". By killing Rika's mom, the fact that "Rika's mom was the reincarnation" will disappear (since nobody but Rika's mom knows about it).

Spoiler:

The original world, no doubt about it.

Of course, I'll admit a part of it is because there's no way a sudden parallel world can win against the years of affection I have developed for the Higurashi world and characters.

But Rena's metaphor in the end about the greenhouse flower vs wild flower is very true as well. If having lived through a harsh past has made you a wiser and stronger person in the end, then there's no reason to think of that history as shameful or regrettable.


In the end, it's all down to this though:

Original Satoko = Awesome moe moe loli tsundere who's truly mature on the inside *love*
Saikoroshi-hen's Satoko = I cheered when Rika socked her, 'nuff said.

Spoiler:

Interesting viewpoint there. although from what I've gathered here you're going by bias then from what Rena actually meant about greenhouse flowers (something sheltered from the harshness of the world) and wild flowers (something who has experienced the pain/cruelty/harshness of reality and retains their vitality). I for one beleive that not regretting the past is very important, because it shapes you as a person. However, here we have the main characters who have gone about there lives and not gone through those painful times. I really find it funny though how some people cheer for the happiness of the characters, but it must be under a certain criteria for the audience to feel fulfilled.

Mind you, this is not an attack on you, but a statement I'm trying to make. when you wish for someone else's happiness, if they are happy then your wish is fulfilled. So technically, if you scoff at this world then you aren't really wishing for the happiness of the characters in this world, you'd be saying, "as long as they went through all of the pain they went through in the past, I'll cheer them on, and if not, then they don't matter to me." Also, if you believe that all the characters, no matter what crimes they committed or how they acted in each arc in the storyline are the same, then it should be the same about these characters in this world. Otherwise its kinda a half-hearted wish.

Its not really regretting the past by accepting a world like this but accepting that the "wish for happiness came true."
All that said, I'm really enjoying the storyline so far and I Do like the characters as they are, but if my friends were truly happy why would I find the need to change that just to fulfill my own desires?

Sorry about the long post here.