Higurashi Q & A

[Kantoku]

Originally Posted by Joly

I've skimmed through Kotohogushi-hen, but sadly I don't understand a huge chunk of it. I do recall sometime during the beginning of Masturibayashi-hen (sound novel), Rika also mentions that Hanyuu's tribe was traveling around.

I thought the deep Rika voice thing was something the anime and CD drama just added in to make the change of personality more noticeable. I don't recall in the novels any description describing something like "suddenly... Rika's voice got deeper!" Even in one of the Pieces, Irie mentions that Rika's voice remains the same.

I think the farthest it was described as was just she suddenly became more "mature" / "like an adult", but now that you mention it, I don't think I've ever seen anyone remark that it went deeper either.

Originally Posted by Oblivion

I'm curious as to why Rika still is able to use her deep voice even though she separated from Bernkastel?

Just a mannerism for a serious expression that stuck to her after hundreds of years. It's not like Bernkastel started out as a separate entity anyways, and in Umineko, Bernkastel does say "Nipah~" in Rika's normal high voice once. So her voice can be switched around and vice versa. If you want to take it at a metaphorical standpoint, the separation-from-Bernkastel thing really just means that Rika has finally accepted everything and will lead the rest of her life normally, just like every other human being.

[Ithekro]

Well it is that or become the White Devil, voice.

Wait...

[Golden Witch Drugs]

Originally Posted by Joly

I've skimmed through Kotohogushi-hen, but sadly I don't understand a huge chunk of it. I do recall sometime during the beginning of Masturibayashi-hen (sound novel), Rika also mentions that Hanyuu's tribe was traveling around.

I thought the deep Rika voice thing was something the anime and CD drama just added in to make the change of personality more noticeable. I don't recall in the novels any description describing something like "suddenly... Rika's voice got deeper!" Even in one of the Pieces, Irie mentions that Rika's voice remains the same.

So Hanyuu was actually just a human who travelled with her tribe, and the horns is what made people think that she was a demon? That's not really what I expected :/ I always thought that her clan really was some kind of supernatural beings that could travel the kakeras etc.

Also, at the end of the latest Kira OVA when they reach the shrine where little Rika came from, older Rika asks Hanyuu if it was left there by her people, which made me think that all of Hanyuu's tribemembers had the power to travel through time.

Then again, that was just an OVA, and it's not really canon, so I guess that could've been misunderstood.

[Oblivion]

Originally Posted by Joly

I've skimmed through Kotohogushi-hen, but sadly I don't understand a huge chunk of it. I do recall sometime during the beginning of Masturibayashi-hen (sound novel), Rika also mentions that Hanyuu's tribe was traveling around.

I thought the deep Rika voice thing was something the anime and CD drama just added in to make the change of personality more noticeable. I don't recall in the novels any description describing something like "suddenly... Rika's voice got deeper!" Even in one of the Pieces, Irie mentions that Rika's voice remains the same.

Now that you mention it, I don't think anyone ever noticed it. What about Akasaka though, when he first met Rika? Did he only notice her personality had changed, or voice as well? So basically when she switches to her older personality, only her way of speaking is noticed and not her actual voice?

Originally Posted by Kantoku

Just a mannerism for a serious expression that stuck to her after hundreds of years. It's not like Bernkastel started out as a separate entity anyways, and in Umineko, Bernkastel does say "Nipah~" in Rika's normal high voice once. So her voice can be switched around and vice versa. If you want to take it at a metaphorical standpoint, the separation-from-Bernkastel thing really just means that Rika has finally accepted everything and will lead the rest of her life normally, just like every other human being.

Yeah, I guess it makes sense that way. So her deep voice is basically a deep-thought/threaten-Hanyuu-with-kimchi-voice.

[Joly]

Like Kantoku mentioned, there's really only mention that they notice there's a change in her personality. It's been awhile since I read the arc where Akasaka first meets Rika, but I believe he only really says something like "You're not Rika...! Who are you?!" Her voice actually changing is never described.

I think the only time it's ever mentioned that her voice changes is in the lyrics of Keiichi's image song, Cool ni Nare!, which was made after the anime and is kind of a humorous song.

[Ithekro]

well at that point, Rika talked like a little girl and then suddenly she's talking like an adult...even if her voice didn't change, her style change would be rather noticable when she was little. Plus Akasaka had been around her all day at that point.

By the time of Keiichi, she talks more normally so that a change in her voice pattern wouldn't register as easily. She's just sound more serious...or perverted...that usual. And she sometimes uses those patterns witout really going into Dark Rika mode.

[Golden Witch Drugs]

Originally Posted by Oblivion

Now that you mention it, I don't think anyone ever noticed it. What about Akasaka though, when he first met Rika? Did he only notice her personality had changed, or voice as well? So basically when she switches to her older personality, only her way of speaking is noticed and not her actual voice?




Yeah, I guess it makes sense that way. So her deep voice is basically a deep-thought/threaten-Hanyuu-with-kimchi-voice.

In the SN, Akasaka just points out how her mood changes and how she speaks in a different manner. He does, however, think she is posessed, which might've pointed out that her voice changed all of the sudden.

[RandomAvatarFan]

She's supposed to talk like an adult. It's the contrast with her cutsey little "nipah~*" voice that makes it sound dark. And the characters do notice it when it happens, I think most of the main cast heard it at one point, although I've only seen the anime and I don't know how it's handled in the VN, but it starts in Himatsubushi-hen and continues until the end of Kai. They react to it too.

I guess it's the same as "Why doesn't anyone [notice] her horns?" when it came down to Hanyuu in Matsuribayashi-hen.

[Ithekro]

Hanyuu the forgetful witch/Gamemaster?

[RandomAvatarFan]

Originally Posted by Ithekro

Hanyuu the forgetful witch/Gamemaster?

Witches don't exist

I have a question of my own about MangaGamer and the VNs.

I understand some of the music was replaced for the Question Arcs, but were any replaced for Kai, or was it okay because Dai did the music for it?

[Toku]

Planning on reading this soon, since I loved Umineko so much. Just wanted to ask a few questions before I do so.

Like for example, what can I expect from this series? How much do you like it personally, and for what reasons? How does it compare to Umineko? Does it require as much thinking?

And, most importantly, if the answers to Higurashi are given... In what arcs can I expect them to be in? Are those arcs translated? Because I heard that the answers are in the PS2 game, which doesn't seem to be translated.

[Kantoku]

Originally Posted by Toku

Planning on reading this soon, since I loved Umineko so much. Just wanted to ask a few questions before I do so.

Like for example, what can I expect from this series? How much do you like it personally, and for what reasons? How does it compare to Umineko? Does it require as much thinking?

And, most importantly, if the answers to Higurashi are given... In what arcs can I expect them to be in? Are those arcs translated? Because I heard that the answers are in the PS2 game, which doesn't seem to be translated.

There are two parts to Higurashi, the first 5 arcs, and the 2nd part is called "Kai" which is the solution. It isn't as complex as Umineko and is generally more straightforward. All arcs are translated by MangaGamer already. The PS2 version just has some few extra arcs, but for the most part, they are not needed to understand Higurashi.

I've also read Umineko before Higurashi, and I personally liked the latter more than the former. However, I'll say this, please do not read Higurashi and try to make clear connections to / expect it to be like Umineko! Both are incredibly different in their own ways, so read Higurashi with a completely cleaned mindset.

That is my recommendation, at least

Originally Posted by RandomAvatarFan

Witches don't exist

I have a question of my own about MangaGamer and the VNs.

I understand some of the music was replaced for the Question Arcs, but were any replaced for Kai, or was it okay because Dai did the music for it?

I think much of the music was replaced for both arc sets; if I recall correctly, there were a few more tracks kept in for Kai, but MG still used their own music for a good portion of it. There is a music patch on HigurashiFix that can replace all MG music with the originals, though.

[RandomAvatarFan]

It's very different from Umineko. It's what introduced me to Ryukishi07, and still holds a place in my heart.

Yes, it's still "When They Cry" but it's very different. The Metaworld aspect does not exist, and the genre is different. Umineko gave the feel of the classic detective novels, but Higurashi starts off more like a typical horror story. "Someone dies, and someone goes missing every year on this night." The rules are still pretty much the same: each chapter is a reset (in this case the last two weeks of June 1983). The answers are in Higurashi Kai, which is a PC game as well, just like Umineko the answers are separate.

As for how much it compares with Umineko, as far as story goes, it's difficult to compare them. There's a tighter cast of characters, but the stakes are higher (which you'll see at the end of the question arcs) A major difference is in the answers, where Higurashi's answers outright tell you what went wrong.

The answer arcs are separated from the questions (like in Umineko) called Higurashi Kai. It is PC originally and is translated by Manga Gamer. Questions come together at MangaGamer, and you can buy the answers separately or together in a bundle pack.

It's quite fun and is an emotional ride just like Umineko. It is earlier than Umineko, so the artwork and writing might not be as good, but it's still worth the read. I also felt the difficulty of it was lower than Umineko.

There are two parts to Higurashi, the first 5 arcs, and the 2nd part is called "Kai" which is the solution.

It's four questions and four answers. The anime put the first two answers with the questions, to make it 6 and 3 with an anime original starting off Kai.

I think much of the music was replaced for both arc sets; if I recall correctly, there were a few more tracks kept in for Kai, but MG still used their own music for a good portion of it. There is a music patch on HigurashiFix that can replace all MG music with the originals, though.

Is Dai's work mostly in it though, like "You"? That's mostly what I care about.

[Golden Witch Drugs]

Originally Posted by Ithekro

Hanyuu the forgetful witch/Gamemaster?

But witches aren't very chanel.

Still, I am rather intrigued by Hanyuu's past, as her past would pretty much be the start of Higurashi timeline-wise. I hope someone'll do a summary/translation/whatever of Kotohogushi-hen so I can stop being so damn obsessed.

[Yirba]

Originally Posted by RandomAvatarFan

I have a question of my own about MangaGamer and the VNs.

I understand some of the music was replaced for the Question Arcs, but were any replaced for Kai, or was it okay because Dai did the music for it?

All of the music for the question arcs was replaced. But actually, a lot of people have mentioned that they prefer the replacement music to the original (some of which was rather poor quality).

Most of the music for Kai was left intact. All of dai's music was kept. In fact, MangaGamer's release contains some tracks which weren't even available in the Original Soundtrack.

The replacement music was provided by Hobibox in cooperation with 07th Expansion, and is also used for other commercial releases of the game, including the iOS and Android versions.

To my knowledge, all the sound effects for both the question arcs and Kai were replaced.

[Golden Witch Drugs]

Originally Posted by Yirba

All of the music for the question arcs was replaced. But actually, a lot of people have mentioned that they prefer the replacement music to the original (some of which was rather poor quality).

Most of the music for Kai was left intact. All of dai's music was kept. In fact, MangaGamer's release contains some tracks which weren't even available in the Original Soundtrack.

The replacement music was provided by Hobibox in cooperation with 07th Expansion, and is also used for other commercial releases of the game, including the iOS and Android versions.

To my knowledge, all the sound effects for both the question arcs and Kai were replaced.

Some of the tracks in Kai was replaced by Mangagamer, but yeah, I think most of them were left intact.

[TheRussianMeatClob]

Hey does anyone here know if Yen Press is going to release Minagoroshi-hen & Matsuribayashi-hen?

[Dante of the Inferno]

Originally Posted by TheRussianMeatClob

Hey does anyone here know if Yen Press is going to release Minagoroshi-hen & Matsuribayashi-hen?

Yen Press has reported that they will release the Higurashi Kai chapters. In the manga, that includes ALL of the answer arcs.

[TheRussianMeatClob]

Nice good to know. Thanks for the answer.

[fuff]

according to the anime....who is older shion or mion?