And I never played the games so I have no idea what arcs those are. I have only ever watched the first and second season.
So I have no idea who the witches are, why they enjoy doing this, etc. To me a third season is just another set of kids getting killed and it seems that they will never be at peace. Which sounds boring to me for a third season.
I just marathoned S1 and S2, great dango what a great series. I would go back and vote 10's all around if I could be bothered to
Great end to this absolutely brilliant work of art. I was so happy for everyone including Tokano at the end of it.
In general the way they unfolded the story with little changes was so well done. Satako's arc was heart breaking... The way their faces contorted with madness was frightening. Each time they overcame an obstacle and became better people, it was heart warming. Higurashi I think shows what the word humanity should mean. Too many people use the phrase to err is human, but I think especially how everyone overcame this overly exaggerated dark side in them to be the real meaning of humanity.
Well
it's rather half assed
so forgive-me any mistake
Spoiler for piece 52:
「I'm going out to play---!!!」
The energetic voice of the girl resounds all over the house.
It is a poor tenement, so the walls are thin.
That energetic voice resounded even to the next door but, no one would be an inelegant person to complain about the pleasant and energetic voice of a child.
「Miyoko.
I think we'll go to the department store but...」
That voice doesn't reach the girl who created a new secret base in the field and wants a lot to play there with everyone as soon as possible.
The father making the girl going to the department store with the family turns out to be enjoyable and he knew that if he goes out only with his wife, she would be sulky, so he called out to her.
... And the girl has a hobby of collecting the flags of the child lunch and it seems with 1 more flag, she will have 20 flags.
The girl made wishes of happiness to the flags of the child lunch.
If she gathers 20 flags, she is sure that some miracle will happen and she can be happy,
...She believed that.
It can't be helped.
He'll get the flags of the child lunch back as souvenirs to her.
It's no big deal.
If she asks to the people of the restaurant she'll get even more flags.
That day, ......the schedule of the railroad was a chaos because of a trifling semaphore trouble.
In order make up for the delay and gain time, the driver stepped a bit slowly in the place you usually brake and a bit more quickly than in the place you usually accelerate, .... he was making those moves.
The Tanashi family does not have a private automobile.
They'll go to the department store by electric train.
A woman alone with whom she's not familiar call the girl to a halt,........ the girl who looks at the house of a friend while skipping.
With a glance, the girl thought that was not a person from this neighborhood.
This neighborhood is made of very poor tenements of acquaintances of the neighborhood.
Everyone knows the faces f the neighbours.
So, if people they don't know were here, ... they'd be or a new mailman.... or a stranger who wrong guessed his shortcut and lost his way.
The woman said to the girl.
「......Do you want to live?
.........Or do you want to die?」
Having asked just that, a normal person would suspect she is a strange person.
However, the girl still had the innocence to take that seriously.
So, the girl immediately replies.
「I want to live!」
「I see. Then go.
At any rate, even if you go, your friends won't be there but, even so, go.」
「............Won't be there?」
The girl strangely thought why would this strange woman know such a thing.
She calls the woman who tries to leave to a halt.
If this is the answer she gave to her "I want to live",... it is a bit strange but, with her childish innocence, she was curious to know what would be the answer she would get if her answer was the other option.
「Then, what if I'd like to die?」
「You'd get one more flag of the child lunch.」
「.....Eh!!
Aah, not fair, that's my reason to go the department store!!
Not fair, not fair!」
The girl is already at full speed.
Now, she tries to run back the way she came.
「Nice isn't it....?
........You don't regret it,....right...?」
The strange woman says that to call her attention.
「Why should I regret?」
「.........I won't tell you. ...Because it'd be unkind.」
「.....Huum....」
The girl thinks she is being tested with some enigma and ponders about that but, .... but she is clueless.
And then, ....what is that, she clapped her hands indifferent to it and said.
「It's alright, Onee-chan.」
「Why is it alright?」
「Whatever happens, my father and my mother will be with me.」
「...............................」
Hearing that, the woman makes her way.
The girl quickly nodded and ran back to her family.
Right after the doors unlock, there were her parents trying to depart.
The girl jumps at that and they hurried her to go
...... The girl managed to go to the department store with her family.
And the three people of the family went to the station, ... took the train,... and boarded on it.
The driver was in a hurry for falling behind the schedule that he couldn't recover and, ...it seemed that it was implictly transmitted even to the passengers by the way he drives.
Today it is shaking.
The girl says that while kneeled in the seat looking outside.
Her mother warns her to seat down properly because it is dangerous.
But the girl puts out her tongue.
..........And then, ......the train, .......approaches a very very big,.... and ver very steep,...curve.
Inside the train, they incline to that direction and many people are pushed to the other side and pressed into a manjuu.
In that narrow space, moans can be heard....
And then, ... everyone in the train is pressed tightly again.........
...................
The girl and her parents returned home under a whole starry sky holding with both hands full paper bags they bought.
They open the lock and turn on the lights inside the completely dark house,... after the girl placed the load in the entrance, she rushed to her room.
And then, ...... she opens the drawer of the writing desk, .... and takes what she had put inside her pocket.
......She opens the closed drawer a bit more and spreads all those flags,.... on top of the folded clothes.
Those were flags of the child lunch, .... that were copies of flags of many countries.
The Japanese flag, America, England, and, eerh, where is this one from...
This three coloured flag is hard to identify...
After that, she lines them up in order to count them.
And then, she placed them while counting with her mouth.
And then, the girl begins to dance happily.
Because she gathered 20 flags like she desired.
How much time did it take for her to gather these?
The girl had big hardships to surmount that and for a short while she jumped in delight for her great achievement.
Since she had lots of trouble to gather these, certainly, there might be something good in it.
If you gather 20 flags, you will certainly be able to be happy, so said the prayer.
So, she is sure that from now on something wonderful will happen...
The girl waits excited but,... the magical light doesn't appear and it's not that any devil appeared and granted her something.
Maybe it won't be tonight and something good will happen tomorrow.
The girl patiently waits.
She accomplished a great achievement of gathering 20 flags anyway.
Surely, a wonderful good fortune will come.
Surely, a wonderful miracle will come.
Or maybe it will become an amulet to chase away sad misfortunes.
The girl puts the 20 flags back again in the drawer.
And then, upon hearing her mother's voice telling her to to brush her teeth and go to sleep, she rushed to the bathroom....
Nice, isn't it?
To say it like this.
That she received an advance of the miracle.
Very well, I wonder what will I play next.
Because there are as many fragments as I want that I can play with.
What ?
You wanna play too?
*giggle*, it's interesting.
It gives you the feeling you became god.
Like a world where Satoshi is together with them or a world where the Sonozaki twins don't change places
I wonder how would be a world where Satoko's parents and Rika's parents are well.
Aah, how would it be?
If Akasaka was seduced by Takano and went to the enemy side.
Ahaha, it seems interesting.
Personally, I have interest in seeing a world where that Takano is madly in love with Tomitake.
It seems to be interesting to try and play pairing Keiichi with many girls.
I love fighting scenes.
*Giggle*
Well, I wonder what will I play next. There are as many pieces as I want.
I am who I am; Frederica Bernkastel.
Furude Rika and Frederica are different. Shame on you if you thought so.
My age? I've gotten bored with it, so I've quit counting.
Huh? Are you speculating that the real identity of the Oyashiro-sama is me?
Giggle giggle. You are so insolent.
The Oyashiro-sama is the Oyashiro-sama. You want me to introduce it to you? It's rather shy.
It gets frightened easily so don't scare it, okay? However, it seems that you are the one that's scared.
Giggle giggle giggle...
The last EP was great but I keep hearin other people that KAI isnt as gore as the 1st season.... But anyways i'ts fun to see a happy ending (IMO).
Hmm about the Season 3 I hope they'll include Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei and the Manga Arcs like Onisarashi-hen, Yoigoshi-hen and Utsutsukowashi-hen.
After I saw the Last ep I was frenzy playing Higurashi Daybreak Kai sorta kind of a possesion xD
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Canned Tomato Soup and Avocado Flavored Noodles are her favorites.
Nice ending - but I guess I'm just a hard-hearted bastard, because I have no sympathy for Takano at all. I would have been much happier seeing her suffer for everything she'd done. Seemed like Tommy's compassion and the epilogue were a tug at the heartstrings that was misplaced, at least IMO. Other than that, nice to see a well-deserved happy ending for a change (even without a Satoshi epilogue).
Yeah getting that happy ending was appreciated. Pulled the whole first season off a few months before this second season got started. Was glad they managed to survive and could finally move forward out of that repeating tragedy.
Just after seeing how hard things were on everyone wasn't much pity left for Takano. If she didn't make it through the last episode I wouldn't have been that upset.
Ahh coming back here is kind of a relief. My friends kept going on about Kai was bad and all since they lost their loli gore fix or something like that and they won't listen when I tell them they're losing the point of the whole show.
I half-blame Onikakushi and Tatarigoroshi for that.
Pfft.
EDIT: Crap, the moment I post this I see an Overall Impressions thread up. *Sigh*
Ahh coming back here is kind of a relief. My friends kept going on about Kai was bad and all since they lost their loli gore fix or something like that and they won't listen when I tell them they're losing the point of the whole show.
I half-blame Onikakushi and Tatarigoroshi for that.
Pfft.
EDIT: Crap, the moment I post this I see an Overall Impressions thread up. *Sigh*
That really seems to be a big issue with some people, I notice. I guess some people really can't handle a story that actually has depth. Not everything has to be about fan service!
Yeah getting that happy ending was appreciated. Pulled the whole first season off a few months before this second season got started. Was glad they managed to survive and could finally move forward out of that repeating tragedy.
Hee hee but did they survive? They actually died countless times My head hurts if I think about it too much
That really seems to be a big issue with some people, I notice. I guess some people really can't handle a story that actually has depth. Not everything has to be about fan service!
I lol'd so hard at the fact that you're calling the scary parts fan service, but you conveniently leave out any incidents of moe-blob "auauauau" bullshit in season 2.
Higurashi Kai was good. There's no doubt about that. But it was a HUGE departure from the genre the first season had already established. I went into the second season expecting to have my brain exploded a second time. I ended up having it pickled in sugar instead.
I really don't get how you think Season 2 is deeper than Season 1. Season 2 just out and tells you almost everything. The story is very linear and focused; it's a very neat, clean progression from point A to point B.
Season 1 though... it took me until the end of the season to figure out what was going on, which is exactly how it should be. Higurashi Kai? I predicted the ending way in advance. #24 was not even remotely a surprise. The dark, brooding, suspenseful "oh god they're all going to die please help ;_;" of Season 1 was replaced with bad action sequences and a heaping helping of "club activities" slice-of-life nonsense.
The focus on mind-bending horror in season 1 may be different from the stories of the original games, but I could care less. There's a terrible shortage of good horror stories out there and I for one am glad Higurashi adds to the pool.
Oh, the moe is definitely fan service. No kidding!
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I really don't get how you think Season 2 is deeper than Season 1. Season 2 just out and tells you almost everything. The story is very linear and focused; it's a very neat, clean progression from point A to point B.
The name of the series is When Cicadas Cry: Solutions though, so what do you expect? The story was always a mystery, and the horror was just a side effect of it. This should have been obvious from the second or third chapter. The horror in season 1 is just a red herring, leading you in the wrong direction from what is really going on.
If the show had continued with the same gimmick it had in the first season the story not only would have never progressed, but it would have just been ... BAD. Because it was always clear there was a lot more going on than gore, and it would never have delivered on the deeper meaning.
Furthermore, Kai was not that linear. The last chapter takes up about half of the series, so it may seem linear. But there was plenty of mystery and confusion in the first half, before Takano was even revealed.
In any case, whether you like it or not, Higurashi was never just horror story. Unfortunately, if you want only horror, you're just going to have to look somewhere else ... that's just the way it is. Most people enjoy the fact that the story evolves and has many layers, but I can see why you'd be disappointed if you never wanted more than that to begin with.
Higurashi Kai was good. There's no doubt about that. But it was a HUGE departure from the genre the first season had already established. I went into the second season expecting to have my brain exploded a second time. I ended up having it pickled in sugar instead.
This definitely means you were expecting simply more creep fest. You can't possible expect a resolution of this mystery plot without a situation back to earth?
Higurashi was never meant to be "creep story" for the hell of it.
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I really don't get how you think Season 2 is deeper than Season 1. Season 2 just out and tells you almost everything. The story is very linear and focused; it's a very neat, clean progression from point A to point B.
That is because it was needed for the mystery, and S2 was had hell more depth in terms of characters developments and resolution.
Questions arcs are nowhere near as developping characters and messages, while Minagoroshi and Matsuribayashi made their job neatly.
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Season 1 though... it took me until the end of the season to figure out what was going on, which is exactly how it should be. Higurashi Kai? I predicted the ending way in advance. #24 was not even remotely a surprise. The dark, brooding, suspenseful "oh god they're all going to die please help ;_;" of Season 1 was replaced with bad action sequences and a heaping helping of "club activities" slice-of-life nonsense.
Everyone was expecting the good end, it is within the philosophy of such storytelling. The real thing Higurashi Kai had to show was the execution and how the characters struggle for it. Bad action is quite relative, but as for the "slice of life nonsense" i'm quite surprised you can label it, despite the facts characters were meant to have fun like this and S1 proved it for a good while.
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The focus on mind-bending horror in season 1 may be different from the stories of the original games, but I could care less. There's a terrible shortage of good horror stories out there and I for one am glad Higurashi adds to the pool.
You basically watched Higurashi for its genre and not for its plot. That's good for you, but it isn't then surprising to see how you are "disappointed".
It is basically how people who care only for creeps reacted ever since Yakusamashi-hen.
I say Higurashi Kai was excellent and it neatly answered most of my questions season 1 left me with. The animation dropped quite a few times during the entire airing, but still what I really cared was how did Studio handled the story. Kai really gave the series a completely different mood from season 1 and reveal the series's truth theme which I was expecting. I was only dissapointed about how some minor details were left out. Since I follow the manga which is more in detail I feel a bit dissapointed how the anime left those details unanswered. Well the manga will answer those questions anyway, so on with Season 3!
Still it dissapoints me how unappreciated Higurashi is to the Otaku world. I tried recommending Higurashi to my friends, but they are more interesting in Shonen stuff like One Piece and Naruto (ugh). Some of my friends who read the manga are only interested in the gore and killer lolis. While some of my other friends heard the rumors about the blood and especially the lolis and decided to never touch the series. It just saddens me how some people just don't see the true theme of Higurashi and its not just a guro-type horror with killer lolis. I guess people just rather take mindless action over a complex and quality plot.
I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree then. I went into Higurashi believing it was a dark, mind-warping psychological horror. Season 1 mostly delivered, while Season 2 was more of a mildly supernatural character drama/fantasy.
I'm not saying this is bad; I'm just saying that after what S1 presented, S2 was a jarring genre-swap. Either S1 should have been more of an emotional character drama (but then I'd never have watched it to begin with, oh well) or S2 needed much more "WTF" moments.
Edit: And please effing explain to me why wanting a complex, intriguing psychological horror story is "mindless action without plot"? Why don't you go play Silent Hill, or System Shock 2, or Parasite Eve, and get back to me on that one, okay? Please don't lump me with the mindless Naruto/Bleach fanboy sheep.
I mean, seriously. Just because I'm not a fan of gushy happy emo crap and would rather see dark, brain-melting stories doesn't mean I'm an idiot.
I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree then. I went into Higurashi believing it was a dark, mind-warping psychological horror. Season 1 mostly delivered, while Season 2 was more of a mildly supernatural character drama/fantasy.
I'm wondering why you are considering that "fantasy". it has nothing to do with that, aside of the supernatural part of it.
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I'm not saying this is bad; I'm just saying that after what S1 presented, S2 was a jarring genre-swap. Either S1 should have been more of an emotional character drama (but then I'd never have watched it to begin with, oh well) or S2 needed much more "WTF" moments.
... you are going in circle: how can you vastly expect "WTF" moments considering its plot? I think things would be much less complicated to develop if Reunion was added in S1 instead of being inserted ater, but well.
And before you ask, S1 was already driven in character drama, such like Tatarigoroshi and Meakashi. There is a reason why there are some complaints about the "yay gore killer loli". It wasn't aimed at you, but it reflects how it is actually misleading the franchise.
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Edit: And please effing explain to me why wanting a complex, intriguing psychological horror story is "mindless action without plot"? Why don't you go play Silent Hill, or System Shock 2, or Parasite Eve, and get back to me on that one, okay? Please don't lump me with the mindless Naruto/Bleach fanboy sheep.
You didn't exactly get what chambaka meant: sadly the point is Higurashi get known only for its appearance and not for its substance. Horror and such are nowhere of mindless, it is rather a comparison of popularity with these mindless shounen, mind you.
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I mean, seriously. Just because I'm not a fan of gushy happy emo crap and would rather see dark, brain-melting stories doesn't mean I'm an idiot.
No one meant that way I believe, it was rather points we showed that your expectations were completely sidetracked to what higurashi was in S1 and how it is in S2.
Most of the blame of why some fans disliked Kai for its lack of horror elements goes to DEEN. Although I've never played the game, based on what I've read from the manga, Higurashi is definitely not just horror, mystery and murder. There's a lot of time given to character interaction and development. Season 1 had a bit of those interactions but was severly lacking. If DEEN hadn't focused on only the mystery and horror elements in season 1, there wouldn't be as many complaints about it in Kai. But then again, seeing how some people don't like the "slice-of-life" character interaction moments, people might've never finished season 1 if that happened.
If Higurashi had been made more true to the original sound novels, then no, I would have had absolutely no interest in it. As it was it took a lot of convincing for me to even watch it, and I almost threw it out during the three-episode test.
I can deal with a good psychological horror or thriller with a little comedy and school-day slice-of-life on the side. I can't really be interested in the reverse, though.
The horror genre is so devoid of anything good it just feels like the posters here, the fans of the "true" Higurashi story are blasting the horror genre as being shallow and nothing but a gore-fest.
But wait a minute... that's MY complaint with the genre! There are too many Saws, too many Hostels, too many Screams and I Know What You Did Last Summer, and not enough REALLY effed-up stories that are genuinely *scary* with the whole package, not just senseless violence and gore with no plot.
So Higurashi's anime succeeds at accidentally becoming a rather impressively brain-melting psych horror, and it seems like the only two responses are either "stupid horror elements, should have stayed closer to the games" or the Narutards spouting out things like "OMG KILLER LOLIS COVERED IN BLUUD!"
I don't see anyone really appreciating the "oh god what the F is THAT" part... I guess no one else really cares.
If Higurashi had been made more true to the original sound novels, then no, I would have had absolutely no interest in it. As it was it took a lot of convincing for me to even watch it, and I almost threw it out during the three-episode test.
That is actually funny because it would rather keep the same amount of "horror", but some counter balance with the fun and drama.
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The horror genre is so devoid of anything good it just feels like the posters here, the fans of the "true" Higurashi story are blasting the horror genre as being shallow and nothing but a gore-fest.
Good thing if it is actually your point of view *cough*. As far as I can see, no one has ever complained about the horror itself, which was an innate part of Higurashi. What was baffling is the fact S1 was too focalised on it, or rather, they simply skipped most "non horror" part. Being true fans or not (as I don't think many people can boats having played the game), the major point is the fact the series was a bit unbalanced, because of the time contraints, which were the true core problem, obviously leading to the genre unbalance.
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I don't see anyone really appreciating the "oh god what the F is THAT" part... I guess no one else really cares.
If there wasn't many of them, why would they follow S2, while loving S1 in the same process (until they were spoiled, knowing it would be drama and stuff)? You are exaggerating the reactions here and there, pure and simple.
Unbalance issues are nowhere near as problematic as the quality and pacing issues of S1. And yet, the S1 still had high scores from "these true fans"... meh, whatever.
finally on another note: Episode 24: Analysis
2 weeks late i gues *sigh* too much stuff to do, and toncrap things to upload
More BGM and stuff, as usual.
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