Higurashi Kai (2nd Season) - General Discussion

[FatPianoBoy]

Originally Posted by theacefrehley

Of course I liked SuzuHaru
...
And the original episode was so... bleh that it doesn't count hehehe

See, I loved the original episode. I thought it was a great "break" from the all the fast-paced ZOMG! stuff and it portrayed the evolution of the characters' relationships in ways that the novels (as far as 'Snow Mountain Syndrome' anyway) did not.

When I talk about creativity not being welcomed, I mean on the plot that is already stablished.
I don't know if you watched Chobits, but to me that was a terrible adaptation. They wasted time on silly stuff (original stuff) and rushed the real important parts, distorting the original plot.

I did see Chobits, actually. I read most of the manga, too. My only real complaint with the anime adaptation was the ending and not enough Zima and Dita. The epic quest for pantsu had me rolling, and I don't usually laugh at that kind of stuff.

About Higurashi;
They already have many hours of contents to work with. To me, there's no reason to change an arc like the ones that are already done. But if it is a totally separated arc, like the PS2 port, it is fine for me

Which is also how I feel, in this case. I don't think there's a whole lot of room open for creative license with Higurashi, as it's very dependant on details.

[Ayu-ayu]

Well, it's dissapointing it's DEEN again (HiMusashi no Gundou Ni, here we come!) , but at least we'll get some closure.

My second biggest beef with DEEN after screwing up the animation so much was that they left it unfinished (and third would be for having Kenji Kawai, who *can* occassionally do a good soundtrack--he's certainly done ENOUGH of them at least @_@---do such a generic set of compositions for this series) What really gets me is that the first arc was actually pretty good in terms of animation and directing, yet they never returned to that benchmark of quality again.

Still, I really am annoyed they are still doing it, given how apathetic they seemed on the production for most of the original series. They really don't deserve the license anymore, I feel. But yeah, I'll still watch every episode, I'm sure. >_<; Auauau...

I'm glad to see some folks defending Keiichi, I thought he was fine. I'm surprised to see Satoko bagged on though, I thought it was one of Kanai Mika's best dramatic performances I've seen from her (and she's been in the industry a lonnnnng time now, heh). She usually plays more goofy characters though...and I often get her voice confused with Koorogi Satomi's on some roles, lol.

--I should qualify those first remarks by noting that I think Higurashi is perhaps the deepest story I've seen attempted as a TV anime adaptation. It's unfortunate the adaptation itself is inadequate, but I can't begrudge the fact it at least exposed me to this amazing work. And of course the voice acting way outshone the visuals....

[Kaioshin Sama]

Originally Posted by Ayu-ayu

Well, it's dissapointing it's DEEN again (HiMusashi no Gundou Ni, here we come!) , but at least we'll get some closure.

My second biggest beef with DEEN after screwing up the animation so much was that they left it unfinished (and third would be for having Kenji Kawai, who *can* occassionally do a good soundtrack--he's certainly done ENOUGH of them at least @_@---do such a generic set of compositions for this series) What really gets me is that the first arc was actually pretty good in terms of animation and directing, yet they never returned to that benchmark of quality again.

Still, I really am annoyed they are still doing it, given how apathetic they seemed on the production for most of the original series. They really don't deserve the license anymore, I feel. But yeah, I'll still watch every episode, I'm sure. >_<; Auauau...

I'm glad to see some folks defending Keiichi, I thought he was fine. I'm surprised to see Satoko bagged on though, I thought it was one of Kanai Mika's best dramatic performances I've seen from her (and she's been in the industry a lonnnnng time now, heh). She usually plays more goofy characters though...and I often get her voice confused with Koorogi Satomi's on some roles, lol.

--I should qualify those first remarks by noting that I think Higurashi is perhaps the deepest story I've seen attempted as a TV anime adaptation. It's unfortunate the adaptation itself is inadequate, but I can't begrudge the fact it at least exposed me to this amazing work. And of course the voice acting way outshone the visuals....

Koorogoi Satomi is May, WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Ahem, but on the animation do you mean you would prefer DEEN used the games deliberately chibiish style animation or that they did a better job with the fluidity of it? I know the character designs are wildly different from the game and look more proportioned too.

[Ayu-ayu]

Originally Posted by Kaioshin_Sama

Koorogoi Satomi is May, WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Ahem, but on the animation do you mean you would prefer DEEN used the games deliberately chibiish style animation or that they did a better job with the fluidity of it? I know the character designs are wildly different from the game and look more proportioned too.

Actually, in terms of design, I thought overall it was fine, and liked the character designs in general. I wouldn't expect the original cartoony style of the sound novels to translate well outside the original context, and I'm rather curious to see what the PS2 version turns out like.

But IMHO the animation itself took a huge downturn for the most part over most of the series after the Onikakushi arc (with a few notable exceptions, including, bizarrely, the water pistol showdown...which they seemed all too enthusiastic to animate well, while the final confrontation on the rooftop looked outsourced to some third-rate studio). Particularly, compare how Rena's Oyashiro-mode in the initial arc compares to any similar "scary" face in the other arcs. The ladder-shaking scene really was where it first started to get annoying for me...rather than really make Shion look scary, they used an awkward animation cycle that didn't match what she was saying and wasn't particularly creepy. In general, they switched from the subtlety of the first act to wildly distorted "emo-faces" that looked more just off-model than particularly threatening or appropriate, and to top it off the general production quality was really low, and a lot of the drawings looked rather weak as a result.

I suspect that the reason some parts look much better is becuase more of the sakuga was done in-house for those parts, in other words, someone in the studio cared enough about getting those scenes right that they took more responsibility over getting it done. The stuff that looks more rough or off-model is where they let more of the work go out-of-house, and the fact that they did this on so many important scenes is why I consider it a reflection of a possibly apathetic attitude at the studio ("Oh, a water fight! This is more fun to work on than this repetitive creepy stuff")...although that's probably also because they stretched themselves and their 3rd party houses thin already working simulatenously on other productions such as Simoun.

Perhaps their enthusiasm at the studio was also dampened when they realised they weren't going to be able to tell the whole story, and they thought they were stuck with a lemon as a result. Meanwhile, Simoun was their own baby, so it got more love.

[Kaioshin Sama]

Originally Posted by Ayu-ayu

Actually, in terms of design, I thought overall it was fine, and liked the character designs in general. I wouldn't expect the original cartoony style of the sound novels to translate well outside the original context, and I'm rather curious to see what the PS2 version turns out like.

But IMHO the animation itself took a huge downturn for the most part over most of the series after the Onikakushi arc (with a few notable exceptions, including, bizarrely, the water pistol showdown...which they seemed all too enthusiastic to animate well, while the final confrontation on the rooftop looked outsourced to some third-rate studio). Particularly, compare how Rena's Oyashiro-mode in the initial arc compares to any similar "scary" face in the other arcs. The ladder-shaking scene really was where it first started to get annoying for me...rather than really make Shion look scary, they used an awkward animation cycle that didn't match what she was saying and wasn't particularly creepy. In general, they switched from the subtlety of the first act to wildly distorted "emo-faces" that looked more just off-model than particularly threatening or appropriate, and to top it off the general production quality was really low, and a lot of the drawings looked rather weak as a result.

I suspect that the reason some parts look much better is becuase more of the sakuga was done in-house for those parts, in other words, someone in the studio cared enough about getting those scenes right that they took more responsibility over getting it done. The stuff that looks more rough or off-model is where they let more of the work go out-of-house, and the fact that they did this on so many important scenes is why I consider it a reflection of a possibly apathetic attitude at the studio ("Oh, a water fight! This is more fun to work on than this repetitive creepy stuff")...although that's probably also because they stretched themselves and their 3rd party houses thin already working simulatenously on other productions such as Simoun.

Perhaps their enthusiasm at the studio was also dampened when they realised they weren't going to be able to tell the whole story, and they thought they were stuck with a lemon as a result. Meanwhile, Simoun was their own baby, so it got more love.

Yeah I kind of wondered what was going on with that ladder scene. I actually had to rewind it to see if I saw what I thought I saw with the weird fidgeting animation and Satsuki Yukino's voice not matching up at all with the lip flap. Still don't know exactly what that was all about, but if it gets worse than that I'm kind of scared frankly.

[aliensporebomb]

Fantastic news - the animated season one is a bit incomplete
and leaves anyone who had never played the game probably
just as confused as you might imagine. "Huh?"

Perfect - a conclusion would be nice, I don't imagine there will
be a "remake" ala Kanon or Negima but you never know.

Still, the title hints strongly at a conclusion.

[sagematt]

Originally Posted by Kaioshin_Sama

If Kyoto Animation takes it proves to me for certain that all they can do is take other peoples work. They're officially the BASF of anime as far as I'm concerned. They don't make a lot of the stuff you buy, they make a lot of the stuff you buy better (well more pretty in this case)(...)

Uhhh, it seems someone posted your comment on 4chan: http://bin.4chan.org/a/res/1567651.html

[panzerfan]

Well, adoption is actually no easy feat...
and I rather define great as to excel in what you do, not so much in how much you do...

[Thisguy]

From Oricon Style News

今回も、アニメーション制作は第1期と同じくスタジオディーン。
監督などメインスタッフも第1期を踏襲。

Translated

Studio DEEN will be making it just like 1st series.
Main staffs, like director, will remain same, too.

... It's done. ＼(＾o＾)／

[Shuin4]

So, this will be Minagoroshi? Good news, but how many episodes?

[Shiroth]

Not to sure if its just me, though the fact that Studio DEEN/the same team who worked on the first series are doing the second to be the best way around it. I spent yesterday rewatching the series (yes, 26 episodes in one go, best way to spend a new year), and i have a new style of love for this series - and that comes from the great job Studio DEEN did.

[dspr8_rugged]

I actually just finished the first series two weeks ago, and well, it is rather comforting to hear that a second one is coming out this year.

Though I have to say that animation was rather bad, despite almost every aspect of the show being great. I just wish that Studio DEEN would at least improve on it - even a bit.

[karumofin]

guys im sorry, but im really not that much a higurashi freak as you, ordering the games and such.
i just wat to see the END, how it goes on, i dont care about no remakes (even though i know some of the stuff thats been mutilated and its painfull)

[willem113]

Cant wait till this is fansubed.
The first season was one of the best animes i had seen in 2006.

[The Bloodlust Kid]

Now my question is, will it be as scary as Onikakushi? The first two arcs I would say is what put shitty Hollywood horrors to shame. But the rest felt like they were going down towards the path of a mystery than horror (well, maybe except Meakashi >_<)

[Akabane_Kun]

Oh yeah 2nd serie now thats a good new,lets all hope for DEEN to work harder in the drawing>_>,its probably an conclusion cuz the anime is going to be aired sow shortly if it was a remake then it would be in setember or close to that not in the begining of 2007(at least thats what i hope for).

[Klashikari]

Originally Posted by The Bloodlust Kid

Now my question is, will it be as scary as Onikakushi? The first two arcs I would say is what put shitty Hollywood horrors to shame. But the rest felt like they were going down towards the path of a mystery than horror (well, maybe except Meakashi >_<)

the last 2 arcs are most likely revelations, so much more actions and feelings based. (the creeps were most likely based on the theories, and the mystery, so you won't probably encounter such mood in the 2 last arcs)

Originally Posted by Akabane_Kun

Oh yeah 2nd serie now thats a good new,lets all hope for DEEN to work harder in the drawing>_> and put the original musics plz

They wouldn't have to work a lot for the chara design (not that it is bad, but it doesn't require a lot of works, when you compare it with F/SN, from the same staff), so it shouldn't be a problem (as long as they avoid some emo-distorsion faces/animations...)

but for the time being, it is most likely the content which is leaving a lot of questions... will they be able to cover "CORRECTLY" minagoroshi and matsuribayashi ? (or a original arc?) They will also have to change what they have let as an end of tsumihoroboshi...

[dspr8_rugged]

Originally Posted by The Bloodlust Kid

Now my question is, will it be as scary as Onikakushi? The first two arcs I would say is what put shitty Hollywood horrors to shame. But the rest felt like they were going down towards the path of a mystery than horror (well, maybe except Meakashi >_<)

Yeah, same observations, eh?

Originally Posted by Klashikari

They wouldn't have to work a lot for the chara design (not that it is bad, but it doesn't require a lot of works, when you compare it with F/SN, from the same staff), so it shouldn't be a problem (as long as they avoid some emo-distorsion faces/animations...)

I so agree. At least they should lessen that or remove it at all. I mean, obviously, its purpose is to at least put a little scare to the viewers, but honestly, it doesn't - it turned me away instead. (read: Shion)

Well, Rena's facial distortions were still cute, IMO.

[Alohomora]

Higurashi's site is now updated!

http://www.oyashirosama.com/web/

[Klashikari]

Originally Posted by Alohomora

Higurashi's site is now updated!

http://www.oyashirosama.com/web/

kuh... it's simply a banner contest (they want to renew the usual anime banner), which ends the 9th march ~~