View Single Post
Old 2006-08-28, 17:48   Link #85
Wanderer
Goat
 
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Gnawing away at Rokkenjima
I have had the strong suspicion that Rika's type of death could have something to do with the gas disaster ever since episode 15.

Really, I think that Meakashi-hen is only a minor step in the greater mystery about what all these arcs are, and who is important in the greater picture. Basically, I think of Meakashi-hen as having its main mystery (The identity of the twins) as a more or less classic, logical type... which is within a greater supernatural mystery. It is why we see it first of the answer arcs, kind of as a prelude to the main course.

Up until now, I've thought that the main possibilities for the connection between the arcs consisted of:

A) The simple "Logical Answer". They are not even different, the viewer is just presented with information that makes it seem like there are these different events that coincide with the same time.

B) Parallel realities. They are different outcomes from a different set of decisions. The arcs are similar in content and setting, but there is no further connection between arcs.

C) Resets. Some people (or gods) have memory of the previous arcs. It may also be possible for normal people to remember as well (for example, Keiichi's memories at the end of Tatarigoroshi-hen of events we saw in Onikakushi-hen)

D) Transversable realities. They are like B, but there is a connection of some kind.

Up until now, I've more or less been undecided on whether I liked C or D better. The new poem for the next chapter
Spoiler:


pretty much confirms resets (C) being the answer. However, I've been ignoring:

E) Transverable Resets. It is like C but there is also a connection of some kind in absolute time.

I had this kind of idea floating in my mind for a while, but couldn't get my head wrapped around it very easiliy. For beings with memory, any two-way interaction with other arcs would be, in a way, time travel... even if the absolute time in both arcs was the same. Basically, it leads to a paradox.

However, what if the being(s) that observe the multiple outcomes have a non-linear sense of time? It is a common idea in many religions that gods have this attribute. We also know that Rika, or more likely, something that spoke through Rika, predicted the future accurately. Could this be how she(it?) knew the future?

At this point, I believe it is probably C, but I won't rule E out just yet.

The main questions now are:

How are the resets activated? Do the resets trigger on their own, or does someone or something make a decision to activate a reset? It doesn't seem to be anyone's death, since we've seen everyone die at least once and the world still moves on its own after their death. Or are multiple scenarios "run" at the same time?

How are the resets related in time, both absolute (for the outside world) and subjective (for beings able to percieve each successive reset with memory)? We are able to see many years passed the events of 1983 at times. Does it take that long to reset, or (again) are multiple scenarios "run" at the same time?

Who has memory of previous resets? Does Rika? Or does only whatever speaks through her have memory? Or does everyone have a dormant memory as well?

At what point in time do the resets diverge from? The time of Tsumiboroshi-hen?

Anyway, just things to think about. I think I'm gonna try to convince my friends who have a modded PS2 to get the game, or maybe even get it for them. It is for PS2 right?
Wanderer is offline