Higurashi Q & A

[Yirba]

Yeah, I think those illustrations are from quite a while back, actually. They're in R07's style, but not actually drawn by him.

[Kudryavka]

Originally Posted by Joly

I asked WarriorKK about those jacket covers awhile back, but they're actually illustrated by someone named 南向春風. Not R07. But I do think R07's drawings are lovely as sketches. You should see his character sketches in one of the Higurashi books. In my opinion, he just needs work on choosing a good coloring style that works well with his drawings.

Oh, woops. But I was mainly judging off the Umineko art which he did do I'm sure?

[Yirba]

Yes, he did the art for the Higurashi, Umineko, Higanbana, and some of the characters in the Rose Guns Days PC visual novels.

[GabrieliosP]

The coloring done in RGD is pretty much perfect, making his characters look pretty good. The coloring done in Umineko is average, and the Higurashi one is a bit bad, but the coloring done in Higanbana... my God, it's awful!

[Yirba]

Hmmm, perhaps I've been working on the game too long, but I think Higanbana's colouring is quite decent in-game. It kinda fits in with the tone of the story, as well as the background images.

I think some of the sprites in Higurashi look a bit weird. I always think that Keiichi looks a bit like an alien…

[Joly]

R07's drawings always seem to come out better when someone else colors them. Here's some pictures of his drawings from the Higurashi Character Guide Book. He did the drawings... but a different person did the coloring.

Spoiler for large images:

[Kudryavka]

Originally Posted by Joly

R07's drawings always seem to come out better when someone else colors them. Here's some pictures of his drawings from the Higurashi Character Guide Book. He did the drawings... but a different person did the coloring.

Spoiler for large images:

Yea, lineart and coloring are almost 2 seperate beasts. Lineart is more technical, but coloring is just kinda do what you want after basic color theory and light science... blind leap of faith. My coloring is way poopoo to my pencilwork

[TheGuraGuraMan]

For me, Higurashi's and Umineko's both have a huge problem : Proportion, or even just cohesion between the sprites. For example, just compare Chie's, Rena's, Irie's and Takano's. Alone, they're not THAT bad, but when you compare the proportions... Rena's head is huge compared to the rest, and Takano placement is weird when we compare it to Irie's (especially in doc suits).

Same for Umineko, what the fuck about Lambda being as big/tall as Beato, Battler and Goat Kun ?

On the other hand, it was okay in Higanbana.

[Yirba]

Speaking of sprites, some people might be interested to see this earlier version of Satoko's sprite:


(Left: Original version; Right: Revised version.)

In the original, you can see that Satoko's legs are in a VERY awkward position. How is she even standing up?! It probably looked awkward enough for the sprite to be moved down slightly, cropping the legs.

Also, the grey tie probably looked too dull. I think the yellow tie looks better.

[Kudryavka]

Originally Posted by Yirba

Speaking of sprites, some people might be interested to see this earlier version of Satoko's sprite:


(Left: Original version; Right: Revised version.)

In the original, you can see that Satoko's legs are in a VERY awkward position. How is she even standing up?! It probably looked awkward enough for the sprite to be moved down slightly, cropping the legs.

Also, the grey tie probably looked too dull. I think the yellow tie looks better.

Yea the yellow tie looks way better. And Im surprised he didnt just fix the legs instead of cropping.

[Yirba]

I don't think I've posted these before, but sorry if I have.

Here's an early image used on the 07th Storming Party website, probably around the time Higurashi was first announced, as a sort of placeholder. The photo was apparently just grabbed from the Internet somewhere and a primitive sort of logo superimposed on it:



And here's an early version of the title screen. I quite like the background image used. I prefer the final logo, though:

[GabrieliosP]

Yeah, this beta logo is too... generic, and bland. The final logo manages to be both simple, recognizable and good-looking.

[maximilianjenus]

Originally Posted by Kudryavka

Why change Rena's originally long skirt into a 3 inch long one in everything else but the orig game?? Its supposed to be as long as mions.

They changed it because she is not wearing any panties.

[Draugur]

I have a question again, although I'm sure it has been asked before (sorry):

Rika enters the Minagoroshi and the Matsuribayashi scenarios one or two weeks before the Watanagashi in Shouwa 58. How could she warn Akasaka to go back to Tokyo in these scenarios?

[battle22]

And I also have a question... XD , In Matsuribayashi Anime, Rika and Hanyuu are talking that 'With this , Everything is ready and this time they can win against Takanos will' ,But Rika forgets about Takano later? (This scene end the 'Piece connecting' part in the Original VN). This scene really bugs me lol.

[UmiLion]

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE THE HIGURASHI PC SPRITES ARE?I know R07 allows people to use them. Does anyone know where they are? If not, does anyone know how to extract it?

[GabrieliosP]

We can't tell you how to extract them, but all graphics are in the data02000.arc file (if you're with the official english release) or the usual arc files (if you're with the japanese version).

[Yirba]

Originally Posted by Draugur

I have a question again, although I'm sure it has been asked before (sorry):

Rika enters the Minagoroshi and the Matsuribayashi scenarios one or two weeks before the Watanagashi in Shouwa 58. How could she warn Akasaka to go back to Tokyo in these scenarios?

I believe that has indeed been asked before, but I'll try to answer it.

First, take a look at this rubbish diagram I just drew:


(Click for larger image.)

The way I see it, Himatsubushi takes place before any of the other arcs (from Rika's point of view), when Rika still had the ability to travel back to the time when Akasaka visited Hinamizawa for the first time. In that scenario, Rika was not able to get Akasaka to return to Tokyo. However, in another scenario, Akasaka does return to Tokyo. This is the last time Rika goes back that far, and so the fact that Akasaka returns to Tokyo 'sticks'. In other words, Akasaka will always return to Tokyo in all future scenarios. All the other arcs branch off this scenario.

This is how, in Minagoroshi and Matsuribayashi, Akasaka has been warned. Please let me know if my explanation still doesn't make sense. I can try to explain it a bit clearer when I'm not trying to type things out on a rubbish iPad on-screen keyboard.

[Ithekro]

Wasn't there one that takes place after the incidents were Akasaka trains more and wishes he could have saved Rika? He's visited by Hanyuu for some reason if I recall.

[Yirba]

Hmmm, I think that took place at the beginning of Matsuribayashi, before the connecting-the-pieces thing. You could say that was an extension of Himatsubushi. The main part of Matsuribayashi (after the connecting-the-pieces) is a separate branch along the "yes" fork in my diagram.