Rewrite & Harvest Festa

[Eater of All]

Originally Posted by Ceral

Thinking about it, Rewrite being made into an anime would probably be really weird as far as anime go. Just imagining an anime with it's first half of the series being a comedy/slice of life/occult and then turning full-on into sci-fi/psychological/suspense/thriller later on... I don't think I've ever seen an anime genre shift like that .

I haven't played Rewrite, but Steins;Gate's anime is kinda like that. Mostly comedy/slice-of-life until shit hits the fan in the second half. Incidentally, S;G is animated by White Fox.

[Leo_Otaku]

Originally Posted by Ceral

TW Edit: Umineko no Naku Koro ni ***861+***528=*1,389 (13) (Studio Deen)
Ugh, not that it means Rewrite would do bad, but kinda interesting anyway. Never seen the show, but Ryukishi won't guarantee you any sales I guess :P. (1400 sales dvd+blu-ray combined, people discussing sales in the thread say you need 3-5k to break even.)
Angel Beats! 11,802+22,308=34,110 (7) (P.A. Works)
Angel beats kicked ass though(with sales), Rewrite is more similar to this than Umineko. I would guess this is about what Rewrite would do if the animation was good.

Actually his work is very popular, it was everything to with how horrible the transfer from game to anime was. The anime made hardly any sense and the animation wasn't as good as it should have been. If Deen touched Rewrite i think I would throw up XD

[Ceral]

Originally Posted by Leo_Otaku

...it was everything to with how horrible the transfer from game to anime was. The anime made hardly any sense and the animation wasn't as good as it should have been. If Deen touched Rewrite i think I would throw up XD

My sentiments exactly, better to wait then to have a disaster. I'm not so sure how good Rewrite can be even if it was "done right" though, hehheh. The verdict is still out. I've seen a few people put it on hold/drop it already. The ending routes seem rather underwhelming, there is like no climax in this game. As you can see there aren't exactly a ton of people coming here to hype up the game saying how great the ending was. It's rather sad, I found it to be a love/hate case myself. There's no discussion going around here.

The VN is pretty confusing IMO, and hard to make sense of. I'd love to see a studio get the chance to make an anime about Rewrite that makes sense. Despite how it ended, I still want more...

Edit: Ah, lol. Btw, Rewrite has the same rating as Kud Wafter on Amazon.co.jp. 3.9/5.0... pretty much spot on with what I think it should be. It has a few brilliant moments that are bogged down by a lot of long and boring scenes, and the genres/plot/story don't mix like they should to be considering an amazing game. But there's enough amazing scenes that possibly make it a must read anyway...

Another interesting thing is it already has 2/3x more reviews than past Key games.

[TJR]

Originally Posted by Leo_Otaku

Actually his work is very popular

His work is popular, but he's definitely lost momentum lately. Ookami Kakushi (game and anime) bombed. Umineko on PS3 bombed. Manga sales have spiraled downward, and to top it off, Ep. 8 kicked off a flurry of controversy.

Higurashi was a smash hit across multiple forms of media, but the popularity of later works hasn't held up as well. I don't think Ryuukishi's name alone can sell a product.

[Tyabann]

Originally Posted by Ceral

As you can see there aren't exactly a ton of people coming here to hype up the game saying how great the ending was. It's rather sad, I found it to be a love/hate case myself. There's no discussion going around here.

It's not in English, which makes a world of difference. If/when it gets a translation project you'll see more traffic.

[Klashikari]

In fact, you can say there is actually -much- more discussion about this VN than most recently that weren't translated.
I'm pretty sure 2ch threads were much more heated however.

[Ceral]

Originally Posted by Kaisos Erranon

It's not in English, which makes a world of difference. If/when it gets a translation project you'll see more traffic.

Originally Posted by Klashikari

In fact, you can say there is actually -much- more discussion about this VN than most recently that weren't translated.
I'm pretty sure 2ch threads were much more heated however.

I see some opinions but not much dissection of the plot, especially discussion of the plot as a whole. I remember the LB thread here had quite a bit of discussion about refrain and the entire plot, maybe more of it, looking back on the threads(I wasn't there in real time like I am here now. I'm not gonna go back and look at the dates and count the posts :P) I feel that the community here was more enthusiastic about LB after completing it. LB TL project isn't completed either, so I don't see why that would affect end-game discussion(Especially in the couple months after the game is out). I haven't seen any posts on the plot here for a week. But the reviews on amazon have really piled on since then. I know there are some English primary speakers out there. Is there a better place to discuss Rewrite in English than here? Because unfortunately I still think in English, I'm working on that though...

Yea, I've been lurking on 2ch. I will probably try to mix it up there. It's just going to be tough trying to talk about THIS plot since it has so many Sci-Fi and psychological themes in Japanese. I already have a tough time talking about moe, I guess. I type in Japanese to my friends and they understand, but it doesn't look like the Japanese I read from other people/forums hehheh. Meh, I don't even think people understand my English. But who cares about that! Can we talk about Rewrite? I mean the actual game Rewrite?

[Leo_Otaku]

Originally Posted by TJR

His work is popular, but he's definitely lost momentum lately. Ookami Kakushi (game and anime) bombed. Umineko on PS3 bombed. Manga sales have spiraled downward, and to top it off, Ep. 8 kicked off a flurry of controversy.

Higurashi was a smash hit across multiple forms of media, but the popularity of later works hasn't held up as well. I don't think Ryuukishi's name alone can sell a product.

OT: lol Ookami Kakushi... I didn't think the PS3 Umineko bombed as you say it wasn't as excepted for sales as they wanted. I prefer the PS3 version highly, I enjoy the art and hearing the voices. It is all around a MUCH better experience IMO

Originally Posted by Ceral

Edit: Ah, lol. Btw, Rewrite has the same rating as Kud Wafter on Amazon.co.jp. 3.9/5.0... pretty much spot on with what I think it should be. It has a few brilliant moments that are bogged down by a lot of long and boring scenes, and the genres/plot/story don't mix like they should to be considering an amazing game. But there's enough amazing scenes that possibly make it a must read anyway...

On erogescape there is a better average and better amount of reviews to do a tally of opinions.

[Balzac]

Originally Posted by Ceral

Not much discussion of plot here, I thought it was very complicated and left a lot open to interpretation. Anyone able to give a good summary of how the different events occur?

My interpretation:

Spoiler for All of Rewrite:

Koutaro exists in one dimension at the start of the game, and based on his choices, he branches off into multiple dimensions for all of the heroines. This theory is based on information from the Moon Route, where Koutaro has memories from all the different lives he lived and that there are many different branches which the world takes, as explained in Kagaris' research.

After completing the five main routes, Kagari puts life in all of the dimensions on "hold", since the Earth is dying in all of these dimensions. She does this so that she can perform a 2nd "rebirth". She isn't able to find a perfect solution though, however Koutaro helps her to find a solution that is "Uncertain", which at least means that there is hope. Somehow he summons the girls and Yoshino & co. Also of note he can't die until the invasion begins. It seems that they are able to make it in time and life is reborn on earth. However Kagari stays on the Moon, and all of the characters we know cease to exist? I'm a little hazy on this, this seems so harsh, the last battle really didn't let the heroines shine much. Lucia and Kotori get like 3 lines in the fight... . This seems to be the real ending to the game if we continue along the path set by the 5 main heroines. They end up sacrificing themselves to bring life to Earth once more.

Then Terra route begins. Koutaro is now older, but they are in the past. It seems like time has rewinded. Pretty much all of the past routes have been erased. This route is pretty much all about saving Kagari. Something interesting happens here in the bad ending, Koutaro gets killed by Kagari and wakes up in his room where he is about to go to middle school. Is this a precursor to the five main routes? Anyone able to explain how he goes from a 20 year old to going to middle school? There is a record of Koutaro from when he used his powers in elementary school, so when Akane read that record, she should probably have noticed how old he was? Since that record is there, the school would probably know too... (Maybe Koutaro wakes up in a different dimension?)
Anyway Kagari gets the good memories she wants, but she says it's already too late... I don't know, I have to read this part again, but I guess Earth will die soon anyway. So Koutaro gets reborn, and the girls somehow find eachother, and Koutaro takes them to the moon where life is born there and the occult club lives happily ever after on the moon or something...

My Japanese is horrible, anyone have anything to add or disprove? I don't feel like I grasp this sci-fi part of the story too well. Some help would be appreciated.

Finally, finally! I can write. Somehow my computer doesn't seem to like these forums, and almost always when I come back I'm locked out. I can access the animesuki main site though, so it must be a bug somewhere down the line.

There are so many things to address, and I don't have the time to type it all at the moment. I will thus address this one thing to get my theory across before I get locked out again.

Spoiler for Moon>Terra:

I do not believe that time travel is used here. It doesn't make it any less of a cheap shot.

"The Kagari" of Moon is an entirely different entity. It is noted that there are many versions of Kagari that can exist, and that they are all manifestations of the "star's energy".

The Kotarou in Moon is the Kotarou that results from the multiple of possibilities in the heroine routes. This "moon" is a space that is not unlike the Illusionary World (Clannad), it is a place not entirely in reality.

This Kotarou comes from all possible ends - some ends not even explored in the heroine routes. Example, he becomes husband of Kotori, he becomes a hunter of Gaia, he marries some unknown woman, etc. What is common, and in fact what this Kagari is concerned with, is that one way or another the Earth is doomed to die.

Take the heroine routes. There are two main ways that the world would die, Kagari initiates Ruin, or she is killed, and the world is ruined anyway through the wasteful acts of humans. The former happens in the Sizuru route, with the latter happening in some degrees with the other routes. Lucia route explains most of all how this second scenario comes about (the simulation).

Thus, the theory of Kagari is unattainable and unexecutable. No matter what, no matter the conditions, it seems there is no hope for Earth. At least in the "here" of Moon, the Earth has ended. There is no energy left for reevolution, or even ruin.

Recall, this kagari is a different manifestation. It is formed from the Moon instead of the Earth, formed from the energies of our satellite.

Halfway down, this Kotarou, thinking all is lost as there is really no way of getting that last 2% completion of the theory, just writes down a note near the theory.

"I hope we meet again."

This comment is significant, at least to the eyes of this Kagari. It is a sliver of hope, and one she takes, because it is then "proven" to be feasible by the theory.

What does this mean? "Let us meet again." How could "Kotarou" meet "Kagari" again? What effect would this have on everything?

Perhaps this Kagari believes that Kotarou has the power to change everything. As seen in Terra, he has the capability to be of both Gaia and Guardian. He is a superhuman as well as having the necessary psyche to summon demons.

This is thus my theory. It's also corroborated by some folks over at other forums.

By the end of Moon, the theory is executed.

Slivers of Aurora, flittering towards the Earth from the Moon.

"My selfishness, I am sorry." "I cannot just keep hoarding the energy eternally" (or something of the same, can't quote it due to time) this is what this Kagari of Moon tells Kotarou, once he is swept away in the arms of Aurora. Aurora, the spark of life.

Initiator of Ruin.

And Re-evolution.

To a world that is ruined, the Moon sends its last vestiges of energy. Energy it has contained since it was formed, retained from its creation with the Earth.

Carrying with it the single hope - of rewrite.

The theory will be executed, in an again primordial earth. From the smallest bacterium to homo sapiens. History will occur right as the theory states.

And in this theory, a "Kotarou Tennouji" will again exist. He is the Key. He must overcome his mistake - the "blank spot" in his memories, so Earth will at least be saved.

The conditions are set for Terra. Kotaoru will light the way to the future, a future of hope.

It is noted that falling into the bad end in Terra will unmistakably be a resounding, agonizing cry of Moon's Kagari. Now Earth is truly lost.

I might edit or add along if and when I can make it. Here's hoping I won't be locked out for almost a week again

Edit: For your gear questions

Spoiler for Gear:

I believe it's more of a symbol of the mystic powers more than anything. But primarily it us used for anything related to demons. Recall Chihaya summoning Sakuya. The gear is like a magic circle for the most part. Starting a new game, or Moon or Terra is like giving birth to a new Kotarou. This is seen in the epilogue where the heroines summon their new familiar, Pochi, (who I don't believe is really Kotarou, since why wouldn't Kotori or Akane recognize him?) and the gear icon is used again.

The dial in the common route is used to represent one of Kotarou's powers: Rewriter. The more it moves, the more Kotarou has rewritten his body. By the end of Terra, it is shown how Kotarou would become another existence entirely (a demon) if he rewrites his humanity away.

Also, as to the game's reception, yes it varies a lot. There are many who think it's too abrupt a change in genre, some who think the overall flow is fine, and some who think it's awesome how they managed to get a "deep" (I use this term cautiously) Key game.

Personally, Rewrite's end irritated me, since, as I've stated quite a few pages back,

Spoiler for Rewrite:

it cheapened the heroine routes too much. It's way different from Little Busters! where there was a purpose for all the torture but here? When you think about it, there really was no point.

No point at all.

[johnishida]

Hello there, Ceral. I’ll try to answers your doubts to the best of my abilities.

Spoiler for Plot Spoilers:

IIRC Kotarou was 20 years old by the end of Terra route. When he meets Kagari in the woods he must have been at least 15~16 years old since, there was a 3-4 years gap until he is reunited with her in the hill.

So, when he gets sent into a coma by Kagari, he must have been 15~16 years old, not 20. This is never said clearly but it seems he wakes up from his coma when Kotori is in the last year of middle school… (I didn’t read the bad ending so I can’t confirm this.)

In Kotori’s (small) description in the Memory option it’s clearly written that the real gap between their ages is 10 years. This would mean that Kotarou was probably in a coma for that much time.

When he’s saved by Kotori using a piece of Kagari’s ribbons, a part of Kotarou’s body becomes that of mamono which is why he stops aging / his body ages slower. This can be confirmed in Kotori’s route and he himself says this in the Moon route.

I believe, the gear appears only when Kotarou is transformed into a mamono. Since he transformed using a part of Kagari’s power is obvious he would return to normal when Kagari is killed.

He goes crazy not by going over the 12 o’clock limit but simply by using more power than he can handle in an instant. His “fuel” is also not his own life energy but Kotori’s and while she’s a druid the Power Spot she controls. This explains why she suddenly starts using her life energy to keep Kotarou’s mamono-side alive when Kagari dies in her route.

The needle position represents, IMO, not how much power he’s gained but instead how much has his transformation from human to mamono advanced. Sakuya states this in Chihaya’s route and then Kotarou says it himself in Moon route.

The prior statement explains the absence of the needle in Moon route. In Moon, Kotarou is a full mamono, evidence of this would be his body always turning into dust when killed by Kagari.

Since Terra’s Kotarou is completely human he will always use his life energy in order to rewrite his body. He can rewrite it as many times as he wants until his life energy is exhausted.

At the end, Kotarou does manage to create a “good memory” for the world but, Kashima Sakura had used the “Choir” to accelerate Kagari’s judgement which is why Kotarou much kill Kagari at the end.

Using the remnants of her power, Kagari seals Kotarou’s life energy inside the nearby tree putting him to sleep.

Nishikujou who is already taking care of Sizuru, finds Kotori just as Kotarou asked her. Later she finds Chihaya and Lucia being lead by Akane who runs up to her and ask her to help her just like Kotarou taught her.

Using the information that Jasmine leaked on the Internet, humanity as begun to use the power of life to sustain itself. It’s thanks to that power that Kazamatsuri and humanity can survive in this new Ice age.

Using mamono Contract, Kotori and Co. awaken Kotarou as a mamono pretty much like Chihaya did with Sakuya in the past. Kotarou (Pochi ) says he can do much more than just being a buttler, with enough power he could even take them to another planet but, with just the five of them he can only make it to the moon where they meet Moon’s Kagari.

They don’t stay in the moon, they are just able to go there using Kotarou’s powers. With even more “lives” Kotarou can even make other planets thus spreading “life” and avoiding it’s demise which was Earth’s Kagari original wish for humanity during the whole Terra route.

[Balzac]

Before I bid adieu to this forum for possibly another week of "cannot connect", I would just like to address Ceral on the review section.

Unless they filter out the bad reviews, most of the reviews in Key's section are actually good. "Poignant" "Taught me to live differently" "Where's my animation" "Lucia is love" "Brilliantly executed finale" "Please make an Akane spinoff (I am not kidding)" "Finally a better step in a different direction than Little Busters!" are some of the few I can recall off the top of my head.

Frankly, I was looking for the "HOW COULD U DO DIS TO <insert favorite heroine> BY TERRA END HUH?" Would've been my review if I had software to type in Japanese characters. (Please refrain from using replies to recommend some software if they did exist, I do not plan on reviewing or ever writing like thus)

[thorium95]

Originally Posted by lightl

one is out already tested and it work

well, plz pm me with the link too, thanks

[Ceral]

Good posts, some questions were answered but I still have some more left. Short on time so I'll re-read your posts and make more comments later for sure.
This post is sort of directed at both of you, although it might seem aimed at one person at any one time.

Originally Posted by johnishida

Hello there, Ceral. I’ll try to answers your doubts to the best of my abilities.

Spoiler for Plot Spoilers:

IIRC Kotarou was 20 years old by the end of Terra route. When he meets Kagari in the woods he must have been at least 15~16 years old since, there was a 3-4 years gap until he is reunited with her in the hill.

So, when he gets sent into a coma by Kagari, he must have been 15~16 years old, not 20. This is never said clearly but it seems he wakes up from his coma when Kotori is in the last year of middle school… (I didn’t read the bad ending so I can’t confirm this.)

In Kotori’s (small) description in the Memory option it’s clearly written that the real gap between their ages is 10 years. This would mean that Kotarou was probably in a coma for that much time.

When he’s saved by Kotori using a piece of Kagari’s ribbons, a part of Kotarou’s body becomes that of mamono which is why he stops aging / his body ages slower. This can be confirmed in Kotori’s route and he himself says this in the Moon route.

I believe, the gear appears only when Kotarou is transformed into a mamono. Since he transformed using a part of Kagari’s power is obvious he would return to normal when Kagari is killed.

He goes crazy not by going over the 12 o’clock limit but simply by using more power than he can handle in an instant. His “fuel” is also not his own life energy but Kotori’s and while she’s a druid the Power Spot she controls. This explains why she suddenly starts using her life energy to keep Kotarou’s mamono-side alive when Kagari dies in her route.

The needle position represents, IMO, not how much power he’s gained but instead how much has his transformation from human to mamono advanced. Sakuya states this in Chihaya’s route and then Kotarou says it himself in Moon route.

The prior statement explains the absence of the needle in Moon route. In Moon, Kotarou is a full mamono, evidence of this would be his body always turning into dust when killed by Kagari.

Since Terra’s Kotarou is completely human he will always use his life energy in order to rewrite his body. He can rewrite it as many times as he wants until his life energy is exhausted.

At the end, Kotarou does manage to create a “good memory” for the world but, Kashima Sakura had used the “Choir” to accelerate Kagari’s judgement which is why Kotarou much kill Kagari at the end.

Using the remnants of her power, Kagari seals Kotarou’s life energy inside the nearby tree putting him to sleep.

Nishikujou who is already taking care of Sizuru, finds Kotori just as Kotarou asked her. Later she finds Chihaya and Lucia being lead by Akane who runs up to her and ask her to help her just like Kotarou taught her.

Using the information that Jasmine leaked on the Internet, humanity as begun to use the power of life to sustain itself. It’s thanks to that power that Kazamatsuri and humanity can survive in this new Ice age.

Using mamono Contract, Kotori and Co. awaken Kotarou as a mamono pretty much like Chihaya did with Sakuya in the past. Kotarou (Pochi ) says he can do much more than just being a buttler, with enough power he could even take them to another planet but, with just the five of them he can only make it to the moon where they meet Moon’s Kagari.

They don’t stay in the moon, they are just able to go there using Kotarou’s powers. With even more “lives” Kotarou can even make other planets thus spreading “life” and avoiding it’s demise which was Earth’s Kagari original wish for humanity during the whole Terra route.

Good posts,
The gear:

Spoiler for The gear:

Hmm, good points but I think I still see some cracks in this theory. When he goes past 12 o'clock from the two instances in Chihaya's route the hand on the gear starts to spin wildly, and Koutaro goes crazy, he doesn't change into a mamono though as Shizurus' gas attack doesn't work. So I definitely think that the dial is related to Koutaro going crazy. It's strange that Koutaro can be brought back after going over though. Maybe it's like rolling a dice when you get to 11:30, you will always go crazy, but sometimes it's reversible sometimes it's irreversible...? Mehh the gear as an absolute gauge for anything seems kind of broken. The whole point of it seems that it should be irreversible.

I think we've come across a more important point though. What happens when Koutaro rewrites himself too much? He has this power since he was born, so it doesn't originate from his incident with Kagari. Without the incident in the forest with Kagari/Kotori, using his power too much still makes him turn into something strange, (His hand turns into something like a "mamono" right before he turns into a tree at the end.) . He doesn't seem endangered of going crazy though.

The dial and Kagari are most definitely related, since the dial disappears if Kagari does. Mmm, and I'm starting to think that it is a gauge of how much control she has over him perhaps? If he has to use Kagari's power to rewrite himself, perhaps that takes over his mind? Knowing that Kagari wants to destroy civilization, it would make sense that Koutaro wants to kill everyone after being taken over.

Damnit, I think I found a satisfiable explanation. When I started to think about this whole gear thing after a playthrough, with Koutaro's powers and what I perceived the gear to mean, the relation of these things seemed to contradict eachother. It started to make me think that all of the routes were based on different "World Defining" elements. And maybe every route should be thought as it's own story (Aside from Moon.) Like Balzac says I think it cheapens the other routes to think of it as one story together :P.

Spoiler for Discussion of all the routes:

Originally Posted by Balzac

Finally, finally! I can write. Somehow my computer doesn't seem to like these forums, and almost always when I come back I'm locked out. I can access the animesuki main site though, so it must be a bug somewhere down the line.

There are so many things to address, and I don't have the time to type it all at the moment. I will thus address this one thing to get my theory across before I get locked out again.

Spoiler for Moon>Terra:

I do not believe that time travel is used here. It doesn't make it any less of a cheap shot.

"The Kagari" of Moon is an entirely different entity. It is noted that there are many versions of Kagari that can exist, and that they are all manifestations of the "star's energy".

The Kotarou in Moon is the Kotarou that results from the multiple of possibilities in the heroine routes. This "moon" is a space that is not unlike the Illusionary World (Clannad), it is a place not entirely in reality.

This Kotarou comes from all possible ends - some ends not even explored in the heroine routes. Example, he becomes husband of Kotori, he becomes a hunter of Gaia, he marries some unknown woman, etc. What is common, and in fact what this Kagari is concerned with, is that one way or another the Earth is doomed to die.

Take the heroine routes. There are two main ways that the world would die, Kagari initiates Ruin, or she is killed, and the world is ruined anyway through the wasteful acts of humans. The former happens in the Sizuru route, with the latter happening in some degrees with the other routes. Lucia route explains most of all how this second scenario comes about (the simulation).

Thus, the theory of Kagari is unattainable and unexecutable. No matter what, no matter the conditions, it seems there is no hope for Earth. At least in the "here" of Moon, the Earth has ended. There is no energy left for reevolution, or even ruin.

Recall, this kagari is a different manifestation. It is formed from the Moon instead of the Earth, formed from the energies of our satellite.

Halfway down, this Kotarou, thinking all is lost as there is really no way of getting that last 2% completion of the theory, just writes down a note near the theory.

"I hope we meet again."

This comment is significant, at least to the eyes of this Kagari. It is a sliver of hope, and one she takes, because it is then "proven" to be feasible by the theory.

What does this mean? "Let us meet again." How could "Kotarou" meet "Kagari" again? What effect would this have on everything?

Perhaps this Kagari believes that Kotarou has the power to change everything. As seen in Terra, he has the capability to be of both Gaia and Guardian. He is a superhuman as well as having the necessary psyche to summon demons.

This is thus my theory. It's also corroborated by some folks over at other forums.

By the end of Moon, the theory is executed.

Slivers of Aurora, flittering towards the Earth from the Moon.

"My selfishness, I am sorry." "I cannot just keep hoarding the energy eternally" (or something of the same, can't quote it due to time) this is what this Kagari of Moon tells Kotarou, once he is swept away in the arms of Aurora. Aurora, the spark of life.

Initiator of Ruin.

And Re-evolution.

To a world that is ruined, the Moon sends its last vestiges of energy. Energy it has contained since it was formed, retained from its creation with the Earth.

Carrying with it the single hope - of rewrite.

The theory will be executed, in an again primordial earth. From the smallest bacterium to homo sapiens. History will occur right as the theory states.

And in this theory, a "Kotarou Tennouji" will again exist. He is the Key. He must overcome his mistake - the "blank spot" in his memories, so Earth will at least be saved.

The conditions are set for Terra. Kotaoru will light the way to the future, a future of hope.

It is noted that falling into the bad end in Terra will unmistakably be a resounding, agonizing cry of Moon's Kagari. Now Earth is truly lost.

I might edit or add along if and when I can make it. Here's hoping I won't be locked out for almost a week again

Edit: For your gear questions

Spoiler for Gear:

I believe it's more of a symbol of the mystic powers more than anything. But primarily it us used for anything related to demons. Recall Chihaya summoning Sakuya. The gear is like a magic circle for the most part. Starting a new game, or Moon or Terra is like giving birth to a new Kotarou. This is seen in the epilogue where the heroines summon their new familiar, Pochi, (who I don't believe is really Kotarou, since why wouldn't Kotori or Akane recognize him?) and the gear icon is used again.

The dial in the common route is used to represent one of Kotarou's powers: Rewriter. The more it moves, the more Kotarou has rewritten his body. By the end of Terra, it is shown how Kotarou would become another existence entirely (a demon) if he rewrites his humanity away.

Also, as to the game's reception, yes it varies a lot. There are many who think it's too abrupt a change in genre, some who think the overall flow is fine, and some who think it's awesome how they managed to get a "deep" (I use this term cautiously) Key game.

Personally, Rewrite's end irritated me, since, as I've stated quite a few pages back,

Spoiler for Rewrite:

it cheapened the heroine routes too much. It's way different from Little Busters! where there was a purpose for all the torture but here? When you think about it, there really was no point.

No point at all.

Balzac, go find a netcafe to post at!

Hmm Moon is such a weird route. The wording seemed ambiguous to me, but is it generally accepted that Terra is a direct continuation of Moon? (EDIT: Ok, yea I'm totally on board with Terra being a direct continuation, it's 100% obvious when he talks to Sakuya at the end. Seems like a roundabout way for a timeloop Seems like Sakuya has been waiting 2 billion years or however long evolution takes.)With the multiple dimension thing, it seems weird. I see, the whole note thing makes sense. There might be an infinite amount of dimensions but before Moon, none of them exist where Koutaro tries to rescue Kagari. But with the celestial post-it-note somehow a dimension gets created where he does save Kagari. (Oh man, multiple dimensions and time loops seem to be the norm nowadays lol.)

That's interesting that Moon is thought of as an illusionary world. I guess once the invasion begins Moon turns into one of it's own dimensions? Kind of crazy if you think that Moon Kagari has waited millions or billions of years. That moon dimension is very weird though, it's sort of an end all place to all other dimensions but then it can be turned into a "Real Dimension" with laws again. It's also strange that Sakuya is summoned out of nowhere after the fight has begun. I wonder if this can happen for any dimension. Very weird that a dimension can be created with elements of different dimensions and not have any "Laws" (Koutaro being able to be revived), and then be turned into a dimension that does have Laws. It makes me wonder if they authors are able to make sense of everything they wrote.

I agree, they cheapen the other routes by saying they all get destroyed in Moon, but if you think about, all the other routes are their own dimensions that possibly keep on going. Shizuru exists after ruin, and Koutaro will almost certainly appear like Sakuya as we know him in human form(Was there any explanation for why Shizuru was saved?). Certainly they have a future together. In Lucia's route a sunflower is living in the ruined world, so that dimension still continues on. In Chihaya's route, the impetus for Guardian and Gaia reconciling with eachother seems to have begun. Perhaps there is hope for creating good memories there?
Just because Earth stops, doesn't mean the Universe stops. Moon sort of suggests that it does though? That would seem contradictory...

This game is definitely very deep with sci-fi elements that could keep you thinking for a long time, but as far as being deep, with meaning that I can use in everyday life, Rewrite didn't have much of that. I had some expectation of that from the trial version and all the talk about loneliness, but it turned out to be a sci-fi story, I thought. There was some interesting dialogue about being turned into a hateful, fearful person through the story about Kotori's dog Pero. I wish they would have made something like that the theme of the game.

Which makes me want to ask, what was the main theme of this game for all of you?

Also may I ask what other forums are good for reading about Rewrite?

[Balzac]

Spoiler for Random thoughts in response:

Certainly, as Ive said in my first or second post, the fact that this Key game made me think on an intellectual level instead of made me feel is one of the reasons I'm dissatisfied with it, but when one judges it as a game by itself, it lessens the reaction, and I believe it is an excellent game. It's just that one goes into a Key game wanting to cry - that is their trademark - or at least feel some sort of deep, intense emotion towards the end. Rewrite, for me, had almost none of those moments, gearing more towards climaxes and resolutions that one sees in sci-fi or heaven forbid, shounen-esque works (which believe you me, is quite common in other eroges of this genre).

I've no idea where English speakers go to discuss games like these, aside from blogs hidden in the internet, this is as far as the only one with a thread actually dedicated to this one game.

The theme of Rewrite for me is touched upon quite obviously: non-violence is sometimes the best option. As a precocious Kotori states, "Violence is abhorred". The "lesson" I as a player learned from the heroine routes was that all of this tragedy - Lucia, Sizuru, Akane, Kotori and Chihaya's pasts - could have been avoided had Gaia and Guardian not been abhorrent humans bent on annihilating each other. (I know, it's extremely narrow for the game to have it all rest on two global organizations that utilize mystical elements. but it's not surprising. Most eroges are also extremely narrow or at least Japan-centric in genres such as these.)

In the process, the two sides waste energy, resources, things that are provided by the Earth but which is finite. The destructive tendencies trigger the birth of the Kagari tasked with Ruin and re-evolution. As shown the Earth cannot sustain this phenomenon for long, and this lead to the dilemma in Moon. Yes, those dream dimensions of the heroine routes could persist, Akane and Kotarou would wander a broken world for the rest of their lives, Shizuru's finally reunited, Lucia and Kotarou will have a blessed life, but the Kagari of Moon is concerned most of all about the fate of humans who are doomed in all cases.

Far from being a romantic option, I see Kagari as the manifestation of a maternal instinct. In this case, the maternal love of a Star (the Sun) towards its intelligent life. As stated in the ending scenes, it has always been the desire for the Star for humans to finally reach the stars, because the planet can no longer support them for long. The anguish of a mother for its child each time the Earth is ruined in the heroine routes is intense, and a solution is desperately sought.

In the end, the Moon sacrifices itself, in the Moon route, having its Kagari use its remaining power (Aurora) to encode the theory and execute it to the Earth, the last Re-evolution. Realize that the Kagari is banking on Kotarou to not make the same mistake as his past self did, as this really is the last time.

Kotarou then is tasked in Terra, after having seen the hypocrisies and evils of both world-reaching organizations, to eliminate both organizations so as to achieve some happy memory.

Somehow, I get the feeling he wasn't that successful; however, a good memory had been achieved, and at least Gaia and Guardian have been cut off at the head, Gaia losing its Holy Woman and Guardian devastated by Gaia's assault. The leak of their technology to the surviving humans also sealed their fates, as now the humans can rebuild in a renewed Mythic Age.

It is stated that the world has entered another Ice Age, and that efforts are turned from developing technology to kill one another than to survive. Here, now the future is now left to the girls and the rest of humanity, using their funky aurora powers, finally go on space exploration, etc.

But first stop? The Moon. How is our lovely satellite, who has now apparently been sparked life?

As to your gear concerns, remember that in that part of Chihaya route

Spoiler:

Kotarou was in a bind, he and Chihaya were cornered by Guardian, and there was no other choice but to exceed himself - not in a physical but in a mental way. Midou's words having also affected him, Kotarou had gone so far as to rewrite his own sense of inhibitions, turning into a temporary berserker.

The dial disappearing is a consequence of Kotarou losing his life. Remember that he had been supported by the means of Aurora, and in Kotori route, when Kagari disappeared, the source of power was also gone. So Kotarou is "dead", and shouldn't be able to exist as himself anymore.

One might raise the question, but Kagari died in some other routes, how come Kotarou still survived? I'll answer that some other time.

Hopefully I can enter this forum still

[johnishida]

Spoiler for Rewrite's Theme:

I believe Rewrite's theme was from the very beggining to be very end about "rewritting" or, to put it more simple: to change. The object of this "change" varies from "yourself" (Guardian) "the world" (Gaia) and even both. This "rewrite of the destiny" also applies to all the girls and not only Kagari despite what people may think.

The game is really clear about this during the common route when you are prompted to pick between what you want to change: Yourself, The World, Can't Answer.

In all the individual routes (except maybe Chihaya's) everyone's destiny is unaltered. In all other routes other that her own Kotori dies (Akane, Sizuru) or goes MIA (Lucia, Chihaya) but, by Kotarou's involvement with "a heroine" her destiny is changed (Sizuru's route may be an exception but, she's happy at the end too).

Terra is like the "ultimate rewritting", despite it not being the "perfect happy ending" all the girls are alive and well and even Kotarou (Pochi) & Moon's Kagari return. Life has been given a new possibility and humanity is moving foward (it's pointed by Earth's Kagari that one of the reason for the "judgement" is that humanity has remained unchanged for too long).

About Kotarou (Pochi). This is only my interpretation of what happens but, I strongly believe his memories return at the end. In the ending video he does look back at the girls with a "huh?" expression as if he just "remembered" something. Maybe I'm being too optimistic but, that is was I choose to believe.

There are other themes mixed in like friendship, justice, romance, sci-fi and fantasy but, these are all derived from the "rewrite" theme, IMO.

Spoiler for Moon:

I see Moon as a "blank". A world that has already ended yet, at the same time is about to begin. It's also pretty much clear that Terra happens in the same "dimension" as Moon but, in completely different timelines. It's not a loop but, more like " far far away the future".

There is only one question that I find hard to answer. All the other "dimensions", Do they really happen? or, Are they just simulations of Kagari's "Theory of Life"?.

I personally believe in like the "World Tree" in Senarukana with Moon being the "root of the world" where "eveything exists at the same time". With the "World Tree" running dry on Life Energy / Aurora, Moon's Kagari gathers all the branch worlds remaining Aurora in order to "give birth" to this one last world. To assure it's success she creates from it's very foundations, the "Theory of Life".

In this "root world" where "everything exists at the same time" it's not wonder Kotarou can remember what happened to him in the branch worlds.

Also, Kotarou was sent / summoned to this world by Kashima Sakura, he didn't just happen to wake up there. His original mission was to destroy Kagari and prevent her from completing her Theory of Life to finally put an end to life itself. Kotarou does not "revive" he's "revived by".

When Kotarou finally realizes this, he chooses to defy Kashima Sakura and protect Kagari. This is reason why he can no longer be revived if killed again.

Thanks to the rewriting of his brain he has a superior understanding of "this world laws" and he is able to summon his friends, too.

It took him god knows how many hundreds of years but, Sakuya was also able to infiltrate this world. But, unlike Kotarou and all the others, it was Sakuya's very existence that was born in this world which means dying this time is an absolute for him. He won't be born next time.

Hmm... took longer that I thought but, this pretty much sums up my understanding of Moon and everything that happens in there.

Spoiler for Other Stuff:

Sizuru and many other people survive Kagari's "judgement" thanks to a shelter the "last humanity" created. The shelter itself were the ruins located in the woods. How is this possible? The game just says the "last humanity" was far more advanced than the current one and the shelter is remmant of it's technology.

We can't really be sure about what happens in the individual routes after they end but, be it by Kagari's "judgement" or humanity's actions the world will definetly end. It just take longer in some worlds than in others. Akane's route may be the only exception since they end up living in an artificial world but, this can also be seen as "humanity was not destroyed even though the world did end"

From my understanding, the only world that is given any hope of survival is Terra's.

About, Kagari dying and Kotarou still living. From what happened in Akane's route we can asume just destroying Kagari's body isn't enough to kill her.

In Kotori's route Kagari is killed but, Kotarou is saved thanks science.

In Chihaya's route Kagari is not killed. Her physical form just disappears. Since she did not die Kotarou can keep his powers?. There is also the posibility that it's Kotori who keeps him alive through her life force / the Power Spot.

In Sizuru's route it's self-explanatory. He rewrites himself as a tree and no longer needs to drain anyone life. Unless he is summoned as a mamono, of course.

In Lucia's route, Kagari probably didn't die from the poison or just like in Chihaya's route it was only her physical form that disappeared. Sizuru does mention the existence of a druid somewhere.

Akane's route. This one is complicated. Kagari is killed by Kotarou at the end, he loses his powers but, it's never mentioned whether his wounds open again or not. For the sake of everything making sense it's safe to asummed it did open.

[Balzac]

Well answered, though there is one other reason, and it's shown in the Kotori climax.

Here're some questions for people who've finished the game to munch on. Hopefully, this'll be something for all people who've finished the game to ponder on their own time.

Spoiler:

Concerning Kotori's age, and the discrepancy with Kotarou's that involved his apparent memory involving him confessing to her in middle school.
How could the Tennoujis miss, in the heroine routes, that their son hadn't looked like he'd aged at all through the years?
How could Sizuru, a superman, contract Kotarou as a demon?
Why did the reunion with Sizuru involve having Kotarou turn into a tree?
Can one call the Sizuru route a happy ending?
How was Sakuya able to exist in Terra even after his apparent total demise in Moon?
Who is the woman in the ending CGs - when "Canoe" is playing - with the silhouettes of Midou and his pals?
How could Akane and Kotori, who knew Kotarou in Terra, not recognize "him" in their familiar?

WHY OH WHY, in the epilogue where it is implied that the five girls spent their childhood together, was one still wearing the uniform of another school while all the others wore the Kazamatsuri dress?

Esaka "WHAT'S UP WITH THAT!?~~~~~~~~~"

[Ceral]

Spoiler for Rewrite:

Originally Posted by Balzac

Certainly, as Ive said in my first or second post, the fact that this Key game made me think on an intellectual level instead of made me feel is one of the reasons I'm dissatisfied with it, but when one judges it as a game by itself, it lessens the reaction, and I believe it is an excellent game. It's just that one goes into a Key game wanting to cry - that is their trademark - or at least feel some sort of deep, intense emotion towards the end. Rewrite, for me, had almost none of those moments, gearing more towards climaxes and resolutions that one sees in sci-fi or heaven forbid, shounen-esque works (which believe you me, is quite common in other eroges of this genre).
I've no idea where English speakers go to discuss games like these, aside from blogs hidden in the internet, this is as far as the only one with a thread actually dedicated to this one game.

Not enough emotion is one way to put it. I find it hard to feel any emotion because so much of this game is about organizations and celestial bodies. If I was 12 again I would probably find these themes to be super cool, but to be honest I just find them lame. I just cannot work myself up to cry for a planet, it's just too obvious this is fiction. When the story is about a bishoujo with a heart of gold it's much easier to feel empathy for them. I find this stuff about superhuman powers, magical monsters, the end of the world to be trying way too hard to look cool and grandiose. If they used these themes to make the story more fun while focusing on the heroines, I would be much more comfortable with it. For the people who prefer stories on a grand scale about the death and survival of planets, to each his own I guess.

No problem, I was asking for sites in Japanese?

Originally Posted by Balzac

The theme of Rewrite for me is touched upon quite obviously: non-violence is sometimes the best option. As a precocious Kotori states, "Violence is abhorred". The "lesson" I as a player learned from the heroine routes was that all of this tragedy - Lucia, Sizuru, Akane, Kotori and Chihaya's pasts - could have been avoided had Gaia and Guardian not been abhorrent humans bent on annihilating each other. (I know, it's extremely narrow for the game to have it all rest on two global organizations that utilize mystical elements. but it's not surprising. Most eroges are also extremely narrow or at least Japan-centric in genres such as these.)

Hmm, I dunno about this one. Koutaro pretty much has to use violence to solve all his problems in every route. I get the feeling that they're trying to say violence is bad, but at the same time they're saying violence is inevitable and that violence can sometimes solve problems. At the same time, the fight scenes glorify violence a lot the same way that most shonen shows do. Particularly in Chihaya's route. For Sakuya, him being able to fight is a way for him to express himself. Violence is bad, but then since it's most of the entertainment, they're also saying it's cool. You can't really say fighting to protect something is the moral either, as that's what Guardian is trying to do, but they're clearly part of the problem.

Originally Posted by johnishida

Spoiler for Rewrite's Theme:

I believe Rewrite's theme was from the very beggining to be very end about "rewritting" or, to put it more simple: to change. The object of this "change" varies from "yourself" (Guardian) "the world" (Gaia) and even both. This "rewrite of the destiny" also applies to all the girls and not only Kagari despite what people may think.

The game is really clear about this during the common route when you are prompted to pick between what you want to change: Yourself, The World, Can't Answer.

In all the individual routes (except maybe Chihaya's) everyone's destiny is unaltered. In all other routes other that her own Kotori dies (Akane, Sizuru) or goes MIA (Lucia, Chihaya) but, by Kotarou's involvement with "a heroine" her destiny is changed (Sizuru's route may be an exception but, she's happy at the end too).

Rewrite is more like a plot device than a theme. Saying that Rewrite is about Rewrite is sort of like saying an Action movie is about action. Perhaps I am asking about what the moral is. Change can definitely be a theme, but in what regard?

The questionnaire was interesting but, I never really thought that that had as strong as an effect on the story as I thought it would. I don't feel that Kotarou made any enourmous changes to himself to enter or even save Shizuru. Perhaps he changed into a Mamono, that would indeed count as changing himself, but that is a very short sighted, "Literal" change. In order to be the theme of the story, it should carry some sort of philosophical meaning to it. A story should have a central message with meaning don't you think? Otherwise it's just for entertainment.

Originally Posted by johnishida

Spoiler for Rewrite's Theme:

There are other themes mixed in like friendship, justice, romance, sci-fi and fantasy but, these are all derived from the "rewrite" theme, IMO.

Well I know the genres of the game... Obviously, these themes are in there, but what meanings are they concerned with?

E.G. I thought that love conquers all is a big theme in Shizuru's and Lucia's routes. Love conquers all is usually a very common theme or moral of many stories. However in Shizuru's route, Kotarou seems more concerned with Kotori than he is about Shizuru. In Lucia's route, she tries to kill murder Koutaro. It's very hard to believe that both pairings truly loved eachother in their individual routes. It's more like if one side loves the other side enough, they'll end up together. That's sort of sad for the other side though, haha. If their mutual love could overcome the end of the world, which actually seems to be a fairly accurate description of all the routes including Moon and Terra, I would be happy with it. But like I said, it's a lukewarm sort of love than true love. IIRC They do say that love is the strongest thing that humans can grasp too. Koutaro pretty much betrays the whole world just for his love for Kagari. (That love don't make much damn sense to me though . If they did a better job of making me feel like that love was strong enough to make him want to do the things he did, I would like this story a lot more.)

Was there an absolute meaning to this game? I feel like the game didn't have a direction for what message they wanted to get across.

Originally Posted by johnishida

Spoiler for Rewrite's Theme:

There is only one question that I find hard to answer. All the other "dimensions", Do they really happen? or, Are they just simulations of Kagari's "Theory of Life"?.


Also, Kotarou was sent / summoned to this world by Kashima Sakura, he didn't just happen to wake up there. His original mission was to destroy Kagari and prevent her from completing her Theory of Life to finally put an end to life itself. Kotarou does not "revive" he's "revived by".

When Kotarou finally realizes this, he chooses to defy Kashima Sakura and protect Kagari. This is reason why he can no longer be revived if killed again.

The other dimensions would have had to have occured, otherwise Kashima, the city, etc, wouldn't be able to enter from another dimension? I don't see why they would call it a re-evolution either.
I thought it was more like when Kashima arrived, the dimension sort of solidified into itself? If not, how do you explain being able to summon the girls & gang? I thought that Kagari had summoned all of the heroes herself, while one Kashima had discovered a way into this dimension from one of the infinite other dimensions.

Originally Posted by johnishida

Spoiler for Rewrite's Theme:

We can't really be sure about what happens in the individual routes after they end but, be it by Kagari's "judgement" or humanity's actions the world will definetly end. It just take longer in some worlds than in others. Akane's route may be the only exception since they end up living in an artificial world but, this can also be seen as "humanity was not destroyed even though the world did end"

From my understanding, the only world that is given any hope of survival is Terra's.

About, Kagari dying and Kotarou still living. From what happened in Akane's route we can asume just destroying Kagari's body isn't enough to kill her.

In Kotori's route Kagari is killed but, Kotarou is saved thanks science.

In Chihaya's route Kagari is not killed. Her physical form just disappears. Since she did not die Kotarou can keep his powers?. There is also the posibility that it's Kotori who keeps him alive through her life force / the Power Spot.

In Sizuru's route it's self-explanatory. He rewrites himself as a tree and no longer needs to drain anyone life. Unless he is summoned as a mamono, of course.

In Lucia's route, Kagari probably didn't die from the poison or just like in Chihaya's route it was only her physical form that disappeared. Sizuru does mention the existence of a druid somewhere.

Akane's route. This one is complicated. Kagari is killed by Kotarou at the end, he loses his powers but, it's never mentioned whether his wounds open again or not. For the sake of everything making sense it's safe to asummed it did open.

But from Shizuru's route, it's quite apparent that ruin is executed. And Kotarou returns similar to the way he returns in Terra. Why Shizuru is spared, I could not find a clear explanation. Also ruin can come in a variety of different ways, (Flood in the case of Noah). (Are you saying that every single life will be killed when you say the end of the world will occur?) I am saying that ruin will always happen, but some individuals can be spared, which is evident from Shizuru's route.

The Kotarou/Kagari/Kotori relationship seems too convoluted to be based on the same lore in every route. Which sort of leads credence that each route is it's own story. He should be coughing up like crazy in other routes whenever Kagari disappears then. Or if there a way to explain it, I have a feeling it's going to be really really lame like my gear explanation .

Originally Posted by Balzac

Kotarou was in a bind, he and Chihaya were cornered by Guardian, and there was no other choice but to exceed himself - not in a physical but in a mental way. Midou's words having also affected him, Kotarou had gone so far as to rewrite his own sense of inhibitions, turning into a temporary berserker.

The dial disappearing is a consequence of Kotarou losing his life. Remember that he had been supported by the means of Aurora, and in Kotori route, when Kagari disappeared, the source of power was also gone. So Kotarou is "dead", and shouldn't be able to exist as himself anymore.

One might raise the question, but Kagari died in some other routes, how come Kotarou still survived? I'll answer that some other time.

Hmm I don't know how important Midou's words were... his words don't seem very important when he fights Kuriboirogu, they seem to be more like wods of warning then having controlling his mind. Also remember Sakuya has gone crazy before himself by overusing his powers and warns Kotarou about using his powers too much or it could be "dangerous". Going crazy/turning into a mamono seem to be the inherent dangers of being a Rewriter.

In order to explain the dial, remember that Kotarou always has had his powers, proof of this is from Terras route(And from his incident with bullies in elementary school). If the dial represents how close he is to becoming "mamono", why should it disappear completely after Kagari dies? He should still have his powers and be somewhere along the dial to becoming a mamono if this is what the dial truly represents. (I think I'm done thinking about the dial )


More 「 って、何故だぁぁぁぁぁぁぁぁっ！！！！」 stuff:


How come Kazematsuri isn't nuked in the other routes? The festival date goes by in every other route without anything happening... such a thing wouldn't seem to be related to what happens to Koutaro and Lucia. I'm thinking each individual route should be thought of as it's own story. Lucia seems to have her smell in Shizuru’s route too... It's like the story is completely different in every route and only slightly based on eachother. Not just of Koutaro's actions, but the worlds actions, if the world is changed, it's like there's no limit to what conclusions we can draw.

The Moon route occurs on the Moon right? How does Kazematsuri get there?


About the age… Koutaro retains his looks @15-16 without changing dimensions. So how come he’s able to re-enter middle school and confess to Kotori? He runs away from home for at least some time and the first thing the parents after a long time find that he's been in some terrible accident. They take him back in and he wakes up a couple years later after being in a coma and they send him to Middle School? How does that work? Shouldn't he be sent back to high school at least(Since he started HS before running away)? I would think there would be some sort of school records of him before his coma that would raise suspicious somewhere in this game's world. There is also the elementary school incident, shouldn't the date of those incidents spark a whole lot of interest? Also, he doesn’t change residence, if he’s 10 years older than Kotori, than he should be 24 during the last year of middle school, surely that must be alarming. In the ten years that Kotarou catches up to Kotori, someone must notice something, (the nurses, neighbors, classmates.) Gaia and Guardian should have lots of info about Koutaro too, seeing as he was in their organizations. Nishikujou should be especially irked I would think. He uses the same name too. Seems like there's something missing here.

Koutaro at the end of Terra seems to remember things from the Moon route. Is this because of the “comment” that was made and left from the Moon route or because Koutaro is somehow linked to the him from the past?

[etalocohc84]

Originally Posted by Balzac

Spoiler:

Who is the woman in the ending CGs - when "Canoe" is playing - with the silhouettes of Midou and his pals?
How could Akane and Kotori, who knew Kotarou in Terra, not recognize "him" in their familiar?

WHY OH WHY, in the epilogue where it is implied that the five girls spent their childhood together, was one still wearing the uniform of another school while all the others wore the Kazamatsuri dress?

Esaka "WHAT'S UP WITH THAT!?~~~~~~~~~"

Spoiler for Rewrite Plot:

That ending scene slightly confused me. I thought that Kotarou only rescued 3 children in the battlefield. They were Jasmine, Midou (most likely) and one other unidentified child (either Tenma or Tenjin). Yet all four children appear in that scene. I think I misread something during that part.

I felt that Kotori recognized Kotarou (she had a slight pause before his awakening, so she definitely was recollecting the past). She might be still angry at him for shooting her parents and so she doesn't mention anything about knowing him. As for Akane, I believe she is still a profit-driven girl that cares more about getting a familiar than her remembering her own savior . She met Kotarou only several times and doesn't she have to deal with the mind transfer thing? Besides, Kotarou is still considered a traitor of humanity and maybe that is why they are keeping his identity a secret.

As for the last question.....because Chihaya is an idiot? Who am I kidding, KEY was just lazy in not spending more money to draw new art for Chihaya, just like there is no character portrait for Inoue, Tenma, Tenjin, Iko, Lewis, Jasmine, etc. Yet they made one for little Shizuru, who appears in only one scene with no speaking lines at all!

Originally Posted by Ceral

Spoiler for Rewrite:

About the age… Koutaro retains his looks @15-16 without changing dimensions. So how come he’s able to re-enter middle school and confess to Kotori? He runs away from home for at least some time and the first thing the parents after a long time find that he's been in some terrible accident. They take him back in and he wakes up a couple years later after being in a coma and they send him to Middle School? How does that work? Shouldn't he be sent back to high school at least(Since he started HS before running away)? I would think there would be some sort of school records of him before his coma that would raise suspicious somewhere in this game's world. There is also the elementary school incident, shouldn't the date of those incidents spark a whole lot of interest? Also, he doesn’t change residence, if he’s 10 years older than Kotori, than he should be 24 during the last year of middle school, surely that must be alarming. In the ten years that Kotarou catches up to Kotori, someone must notice something, (the nurses, neighbors, classmates.) Gaia and Guardian should have lots of info about Koutaro too, seeing as he was in their organizations. Nishikujou should be especially irked I would think. He uses the same name too. Seems like there's something missing here.

Spoiler for Rewrite Plot:

The main thing you are forgetting is that it was Guardian that did the cover-up for Kotarou to spend a normal life. The drug that erased his memories also resulted him to be mentally similar to a child and had to slowly build up his education again (that's why Inoue mentions how suspicious it is for Kotarou to do poorly in middle school and yet somehow easily got into their high school). Also, Kotarou's parents are part of Martel (AKA Gaia), so there was a conspiracy going on with Kotarou being the center of. That is why Akane tried to get Kotarou to join her club (and maybe into Gaia). He never went to that specific high school so no one would recognize him. Everyone in Kotarou's class does know little bit about his "problem" (it was mention right after Kotori transfers out in her route), they were just kind enough to not shove it in his face.

I believe Nishikujou was irked in Shizuru's route when Kotarou insults her taste in music, especially when they belong in the same age group!

[Balzac]

Originally Posted by Ceral

Spoiler for Rewrite:

Hmm, I dunno about this one. Koutaro pretty much has to use violence to solve all his problems in every route. I get the feeling that they're trying to say violence is bad, but at the same time they're saying violence is inevitable and that violence can sometimes solve problems. At the same time, the fight scenes glorify violence a lot the same way that most shonen shows do. Particularly in Chihaya's route. For Sakuya, him being able to fight is a way for him to express himself. Violence is bad, but then since it's most of the entertainment, they're also saying it's cool. You can't really say fighting to protect something is the moral either, as that's what Guardian is trying to do, but they're clearly part of the problem.

Spoiler for Rewrite:

And that I believe is crucial to the tragedy of that route, or should I say the tragedy of Terra. It even sends the message that is oft repeated that violence is sometimes the only option. That is what elevated Kotori from a mere heroine in my eyes, as well as the Kotarou from the heroine routes. Recall the latter's attitude towards Yoshino always spoiling for a fight(though he exhibits human flaws of being easily excited to fight). As to Kotori, her "punches" to calm Kotarou down during the common route to ease his forthcoming violence also lends to the impression.

The fight scenes are there to further impress the fact on me, they're brutal, unneeded and ultimately leads to some form of ruin. It may be an overused theme, coming hand-in-hand with its opposite "violence is inevitable", but that is what I think Rewrite is trying to present.

Kotarou curses himself by the end of Terra because for all his sacrifice that he keeps telling himself to be okay, and the hypocrisy of using his powers to violently force a chance in the world, he still ends up using that same violence on someone he cares about.

Tnat might also be another theme - sacrifice - though I won't elaborate on that for now. For a moral, well yes, fighting is definitely not good. Fighting is just "looking cool", and no matter the situation, drawing your "Wrist Blade" always ends up with someone being hurt.

War vs. Peace

Back to the animating possibility. The reason why I stated earlier that it would be "easier" than Little Busters! is that Rewrite's heroine routes

Spoiler for heroine routes:

are exclusive, and are stated to occur in different dimensions. While in LB! a reset is necessary to the plot, and I wouldn't know how they would make it so ordinary anime viewers could understand. As far as I remember, LB! is also really slice-of-life. But hey, if the Japanese audience prefer that, then more power.

I remember a friend commenting how if LB! were to be animated, the Baseball game would be last or towards the last, with the heroine problems solved through the power of friendship (a major theme). The boys' routes could be interweaved, with Masato and Kengo having some sort of crisis a week before the game so the Busters have to mobilize to recruit them back. Well, enough about that.

Rewrite could have individual routes through the episodes without meshing (as I believe Clannad did, I'm not sure) because they're all from different dimensions, all occuring. Of course, Moon would tie them all up, it could even be a "dream" of Kotarou before "waking up" in the beginning of yet another route (meeting Kagari at the hill, being killed). Then he gets a major revelation in Moon episodes proper.

Soundtrack has probably been released. The wait is killing me I want to loop Journey at work so bad.

[johnishida]

Spoiler for Rewrite's Theme:

Rewrite is more like a plot device than a theme. Saying that Rewrite is about Rewrite is sort of like saying an Action movie is about action. Perhaps I am asking about what the moral is. Change can definitely be a theme, but in what regard?

The questionnaire was interesting but, I never really thought that that had as strong as an effect on the story as I thought it would. I don't feel that Kotarou made any enourmous changes to himself to enter or even save Shizuru. Perhaps he changed into a Mamono, that would indeed count as changing himself, but that is a very short sighted, "Literal" change. In order to be the theme of the story, it should carry some sort of philosophical meaning to it. A story should have a central message with meaning don't you think? Otherwise it's just for entertainment.

Saying "Rewrite" is about Rewrite / Change does sound redundant but, is a fact that that's pretty much what the game is all about. Perhaps a more suitable theme would be the "struggle against destiny"?

One can see from all the routes that every single character simply gave up and accepted their "destiny" despite not being happy about it. This is also part of the "change" I was referring to. A message of "Never give up and when in doubt do what you believe is right"?

As an example of this, Sizuru's says she will follow any order given to her by Guardian despite of whether she thinks is right or wrong and will accept any form of "unhappiness" this may cause. Despite she didn't want to do it, she was willing to kill Kotarou and Chihaya just because those were her orders. At the end, after seeing Kotarou's struggle she starts to do what she believes is right and not what other people tell her is the right thing to do.

Man, if only we would just ask the writers about what they wanted to convey it would make it a lot more easier.

E.G. I thought that love conquers all is a big theme in Shizuru's and Lucia's routes. Love conquers all is usually a very common theme or moral of many stories. However in Shizuru's route, Kotarou seems more concerned with Kotori than he is about Shizuru. In Lucia's route, she tries to kill murder Koutaro. It's very hard to believe that both pairings truly loved eachother in their individual routes. It's more like if one side loves the other side enough, they'll end up together. That's sort of sad for the other side though, haha. If their mutual love could overcome the end of the world, which actually seems to be a fairly accurate description of all the routes including Moon and Terra, I would be happy with it. But like I said, it's a lukewarm sort of love than true love. IIRC They do say that love is the strongest thing that humans can grasp too. Koutaro pretty much betrays the whole world just for his love for Kagari. (That love don't make much damn sense to me though . If they did a better job of making me feel like that love was strong enough to make him want to do the things he did, I would like this story a lot more.)

I don't see how Kotarou being worried about Kotori may affect his relationship with Sizuru. Kotori has always being an important part of his life. Should he just give up on that kind of person because he now has a girlfriend? If anything, that makes Kotarou more human and interesting in my book.

In Sizuru's route is love what allows Sizuru to give her life to sustain and already dead Kotarou, erase his memories and try to return him to his everyday life. Love is also what makes Kotarou rewrite his body and give back her "life force" even though he may die at any moment. Love also gives Sizuru the strength to keep living during her time in the shelter and despite the bitter-sweet development is because they keep thinking of each other and love each other that they meet again. If that isn't true love I don't know what it is.

I think the problem with Kotarou and Lucia was that despite they loved each other they never truly understood each other which caused a lot of misunderstandings.

Kotarou said he wanted to save her, that he would stay at her side forever, all because he "loves her". However, he never really took a moment to think about her feelings. He just assumed that's what she wanted. The result? This feelings of his were translated in Lucia's eyes as "pity". For Lucia who only wanted to feel needed, who wanted to feel there was some meaning to her life Kotarou's gentleness was only hurting her.

Of course, Lucia's SSS-class stubbornness was also a problem. Her stubborn nature caused her to continuously doubt Kotarou's feelings. So, she chose she easiest way out and gave up to the curse called "Asahi Haruka". Unable to get a satisfying answer from Kotarou, "Asahi Haruka" decides to cut all her ties with "Konohana Lucia" and killing Kotarou was, the person that meant to her most, was the easiest way. In the end, Kotarou is finally able to convey how much he needs Lucia's existence regardless of her situation.

More than "Love conquers it all". I think Lucia's route was meant to describe how even two people who love each other cannot sometimes fully understand each other. In this case, lukewarm love is fitting but, is only normal since from the very beginning their relationship what unnatural. Their true love story starts with the end of their fight in the rooftop.

But from Shizuru's route, it's quite apparent that ruin is executed. And Kotarou returns similar to the way he returns in Terra. Why Shizuru is spared, I could not find a clear explanation. Also ruin can come in a variety of different ways, (Flood in the case of Noah). (Are you saying that every single life will be killed when you say the end of the world will occur?) I am saying that ruin will always happen, but some individuals can be spared, which is evident from Shizuru's route.

Is pointed by Nishikujou that Kagari's ruin does not always result in the "reset of the world", The Great Flood and Tunguska Explosion are an example of this. Minor, isolated destructions of life. However, this time is clearly different. Kagari's ruin is meant to "reset the world".

Like I said before, the only reason Sizuru and many others are spared is because they take shelter in some ruins left by the previous humanity which for some unknown reason is able to survive Kagari's ruin.

The Kotarou/Kagari/Kotori relationship seems too convoluted to be based on the same lore in every route. Which sort of leads credence that each route is it's own story. He should be coughing up like crazy in other routes whenever Kagari disappears then. Or if there a way to explain it, I have a feeling it's going to be really really lame like my gear explanation.

It is complicated but, it should be considered "a truth" in all the individual routes simply because is established before the said routes start. I don't think it can be simply denied in the routes different from Kotori's.

The Moon route occurs on the Moon right? How does Kazematsuri get there?

This is only a hypothesis. It's mentioned that Kazamatsuri has always been the one place Kagari's returns to when she is ready to unleash her ruin. Clearly, this place holds some important meaning for Kagari which is why it's not wonder it would also exist in Moon Kagari's world since she is the twin of Earth's Kagari.

A more simple reason would be that it was just put there by the writers to prevent us readers from noticing it was actually the moon and not the earth.

About the age… Koutaro retains his looks @15-16 without changing dimensions. So how come he’s able to re-enter middle school and confess to Kotori? He runs away from home for at least some time and the first thing the parents after a long time find that he's been in some terrible accident. They take him back in and he wakes up a couple years later after being in a coma and they send him to Middle School? How does that work? Shouldn't he be sent back to high school at least(Since he started HS before running away)? I would think there would be some sort of school records of him before his coma that would raise suspicious somewhere in this game's world. There is also the elementary school incident, shouldn't the date of those incidents spark a whole lot of interest? Also, he doesn’t change residence, if he’s 10 years older than Kotori, than he should be 24 during the last year of middle school, surely that must be alarming. In the ten years that Kotarou catches up to Kotori, someone must notice something, (the nurses, neighbors, classmates.) Gaia and Guardian should have lots of info about Koutaro too, seeing as he was in their organizations. Nishikujou should be especially irked I would think. He uses the same name too. Seems like there's something missing here.

The cover up was made by Guardian who are really good at erasing a person's past and even creating a new one. The hospital were Kotarou stayed was probably also Guardian's. Also, Kotarou wakes up right after middle school, just before he enters High School, just like he was meant to before he joined Guardian. For him whose memories are all hazy, it's just made sense.

Akane is clearly suspicious of Kotarou in her route. With Inui being her secretary she surely remembers Kotarou and told her about his involvement with Guardian in the past. In the common route Akane also labels Kotarou's info as "Another". What "Another" means is a mystery but, she was suspicious of him from the beginning which may be the reason she wanted to "observe him".

Imamiya does ask Kotarou: "Are you now a truly Highschool Student?" when they meet in the suburbs. Nishikujou asks him something similar at some point the common route as well. So, even though they surely found it weird they weren't too bothered by it. Kotarou is no longer related to them, after all.

Spoiler for Spoiler:

Concerning Kotori's age, and the discrepancy with Kotarou's that involved his apparent memory involving him confessing to her in middle school.
How could the Tennoujis miss, in the heroine routes, that their son hadn't looked like he'd aged at all through the years?


This is pretty much a lame answer but, they probably didn't care. Kotarou and his parents never truly got along with each other. In Chihaya's and Akane's route he joins Gaia but, neither he or his parents tried to meet each other.


How could Sizuru, a superman, contract Kotarou as a demon?

Kotarou is a superhuman yet, he is able to use demon contract to some extend, right? Then it's not surprise Sizuru can do it as well.

Why did the reunion with Sizuru involve having Kotarou turn into a tree?

It's probably the same as Sakuya. He needed to change into something that allowed him to live long enough in order to keep his promise. Also, Nature seems to be the only thing that's spared from Kagari's judgment.

Can one call the Sizuru route a happy ending?

Dunno. I thought it was really bitter-sweet and sad ending with some hope for happiness. She did reunite with "him" at the end and there are chances for him to return to human form just like Sakuya did.

How was Sakuya able to exist in Terra even after his apparent total demise in Moon?

He is that awesome...?
He probably didn't die. His conscience was probably still alive but, he didn't have a body nor his former power. He just saved it's last bit of "life" to confirm Kotarou's resolution one last time...? After all, Sakuya constantly said Kotarou was his destiny.

Who is the woman in the ending CGs - when "Canoe" is playing - with the silhouettes of Midou and his pals?

That would be Jasmine. That's the only possible explanation.

How could Akane and Kotori, who knew Kotarou in Terra, not recognize "him" in their familiar?

Once again, this is only a lame answer. They simply forgot about him. Even though it was for her sake, Kotarou was really mean to Kotori at the end. Akane only meet with Kotarou like 4 times for really short periods of time so, she probably just forgot about him as she grew up.

WHY OH WHY, in the epilogue where it is implied that the five girls spent their childhood together, was one still wearing the uniform of another school while all the others wore the Kazamatsuri dress?

Hinoue was that lazy?

Spoiler for chihaya: