Another - Episode 6 Discussion / Poll

[Random32]

Originally Posted by DesuX2

I've said this before, I'll say this again. Names have a huge importance in Another.Japanese culture dictates that a child take the surname of their parents. Japanese language allows for people of the same name with the same pronunciation, but completely different kanji.Now, is the Misaki in Yomiyama Misaki the same as the Misaki in Misaki Mei? That I would like to know.

They aren't the same. According to Wikipedia

岬 Yomiyama Misaki
見崎 Misaki Mei

Also, Yomiyama has Misaki as a given name. Mei has Misaki as a family name.

[DesuX2]

Spoiler for Spoiler:

Somehow, I don't really like people who read but don't think, and then try to refute something I was saying in a half-joking manner with the point I was trying to make through a very obviously incorrect theory.

Spoiler for 1+2:

In either case nobody said that Misaki Mei had to be fathered by Yomiyama Misaki since Misaki Kirika could easily have married someone else in the end.

Spoiler for Chibiki:

I've already point this out but everyone is basing their assumption on Mei and Chibiki's testimony, even when we know very well that they do not know the complete story.

Originally Posted by Random32

They aren't the same. According to Wikipedia

岬 Yomiyama Misaki
見崎 Misaki Mei

Also, Yomiyama has Misaki as a given name. Mei has Misaki as a family name.

Ok thanks, I already knew that the surname was different from the given name, I just needed the information exactly which kanji so I can look out for it in the anime.

[warita]

Originally Posted by Kanon

Incidentally, I believe the reason even family members are killed is because Misaki Yomiyama's whole family died at the same time as he did.

Thats a good observation!!!

I am betting my money on Sakakibara being the another.

His phone calls to dad prove nothing. If his memories are being altered, than the phone calls could easily be fake too.

You noticed, that his dad is calling him on the mobile and not the landline? Thats mighty strange considering the fact, that calling a landline is so much cheaper and the signal would be better too.

So basically, we see how his dad calls him on the mobile, but he never calls the house landline to talk to the rest of the family? Why is that? Maybe because the dad doesnt call at all...... so the phone calls from dad are a red herring, because we have ben informed that family members outside the prefecture are not affected. We hence assume that Sakakibara kun cant be the another, because his dad isnt affected by the memory alteration.

But just like a few people in this thread pointed out, Sakakibara is subject to memory change as well and his point of view cant be trusted.

[Forsaken_Infinity]

Originally Posted by DesuX2

Spoiler for Spoiler:

Somehow, I don't really like people who read but don't think, and then try to refute something I was saying in a half-joking manner with the point I was trying to make through a very obviously incorrect theory.

But his point was completely valid. And you should heed his words better than pout that he didn't heed yours because as a neutral reader, he clearly gave your post more merit than you gave his.

Given what we know from the show, the "curse", if it's indeed supernatural, is working without conscious control of a perpetrator. The "another" isn't responsible for the memory modification or anything of the sorts - they don't know anything more than any other student. For all intent and purpose, they are just normal students for the year they come back. So your saying that if the supernatural existed then you could blow away loopholes in the plot with ridiculous theories doesn't work. Because the show gives you definite and concrete clues that the supernatural at play here isn't omniscient or omnipresent. You can always argue for the devil's existence but you'd be talking about a different supernatural than the one the show concedes as being responsible in that case.

Also, please realize that this isn't exactly umineko and it doesn't have to play by the rules of umineko. While I'd be pleasantly surprised if this all turns out to be a magnificent weave by a human criminal, the existence of supernatural wouldn't take a single chip away from the show. And while you may love playing the detective with those reds and blues, fans of only this show that don't like Umineko (and the anime sucked, hard. And this is primarily an anime board.) would find you obnoxious beyond belief. Thus I suggest you bold the crux of your theories instead.

Originally Posted by DesuX2

Spoiler for 1+2:

In either case nobody said that Misaki Mei had to be fathered by Yomiyama Misaki since Misaki Kirika could easily have married someone else in the end.

That Kirika may have known Yomiyama Misaki or might even be the person itself could very well turn out to be true. But this is very outlandish and should thus be treated as such and you shouldn't be offended by people treating it as though it's just something on the fringe. Simply put, don't get mad at people for calling crack theories crack. You should make such speculah for one reason and one reason alone - fun.

Originally Posted by DesuX2

Spoiler for Chibiki:

I've already point this out but everyone is basing their assumption on Mei and Chibiki's testimony, even when we know very well that they do not know the complete story.

You're giving other posters here too little credit. That we can't trust their narration and that they don't know the whole detail is so obvious that it doesn't need to be reiterated every single time we make new speculations. In fact, theyare already far ahead of you - they are already working things out with the reasonable assumption that there is at least some merit to the explanations thus far. All you are doing is harping on the fact that the explanation is thus far incomplete. Everybody knows that. But why should that stop them from working with the assumption that there is truth behind their little tales? It shouldn't, just as it shouldn't stop you and me or whoever would like to view this as a crime mystery fiction than a supernatural mystery from working with the assumptions that they are completely or partially wrong.

[LKK]

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

What's interesting about this, whether it's true or not, is that Fujioka Misaki was in fact Mei's cousin. So is her death coincidental, or is it part of the calamity?

That's the implication of the chart. Assuming that the librarian is correct, of course.

Originally Posted by Dengar

I never said anything about cousins though.

I posted the chart because I read some confusion here and in some of the other threads as to whether cousins fell within the second degree of separation or not. I figured since they gave us a chart to go by, it would be nice to have that reference on the board. That's the reason I posted it. It wasn't intended as a response to anyone specific.

[haguruma]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

I'm hoping that haguruma can provide the original text. I think it's not so much a nickname as it is her "pen name". It's common for artists and authors to adopt such a name, so it's not necessarily sinister for Kirika to use one.

Mei also said that (I don't remember in which version of the story it was, but it's not what you'd call a spoiler) the name Kirika (霧果) also applies to how she sees herself. She is such a nebulous (霧=fog/mist) person who keeps things about herself hidden.
We can very well assume that she is using Kirika as a pen-name and has another name. But there's no real need to assume that the family-name Misaki is fake...and that makes it rather unlikely for any person carrying it being a "Misaki" by given name.

Originally Posted by VDZ

So...why don't they make copies of all the class rosters, drive them out of town, then re-check them at the start of the next year when the Another has appeared to identify him/her?

It would be a trick, but it's questionable how far that would actually work. As people already mentioned it has been established that the curse has something similar to a cellphone-range...it grows stronger the closer you get to it.
Now we also have reason to believe that phonecalls fall victim to the curses effect as well...thus probably even if people were to notice something strange on the outside of town they'd maybe gradually forget the closer they get to Yomiyama.
If we assume that Kouichi's conversation with his father was changed because of the curse, a conversation about the class rosters would probably result in a similar situation:
"Hey, I think I found out what you're looking for!"
"Really? What or who is it?"
"*static*static*static*...is it."
"What?!"
"Oh sorry...must have been wrong."

And we shouldn't forget, what are they supposed to do once they know who that "Another" is? Even if they knew, what would change if that person is basically living as another human?

[warita]

Originally Posted by haguruma

Even if they knew, what would change if that person is basically living as another human?

Exorcise him. :P

[totoum]

Originally Posted by warita

Exorcise him. :P

Whatever they do,it must not be pretty.

Reiko says they found a way to stop it in her year,but look at the state she's in

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by warita

Exorcise him. :P

Call the Winchester Brothers.

[Dengar]

That actually kind of makes sense. I still don't think that's it, but at least something to add to the "not-to-be-ruled-out" list.

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

Chibiki distinctly told Sakakibara that the phenomenon has a limited range, not unlike that for cellphones. People who go out of range are not affected by it.

That's concerning the deaths, nobody said anything about the memory correction response. If they meant the same thing, then by extension only the people connected to the class should have their memories altered, which is absolutely not the case.

[Skyfall]

Originally Posted by Dengar

That's concerning the deaths, nobody said anything about the memory correction response. If they meant the same thing, then by extension only the people connected to the class should have their memories altered, which is absolutely not the case.

While it could be possible that the different 'effects' of the phenomenon have different ranges, I find that rather unlikely and a bit contrived. And it most certainly does extend beyond the class, otherwise concealing the identity of "Another" would be impossible - it takes a whole lot more than altering the memory of 20-something students and their immediate families to hide the fact a dead person has revived and is spending the better part of a year living as a normal person.

[klare]

the dance scene was a nice surprise, totally different atmosphere from the show

the conversation with the dad in India sounds like hinting something, Reiko is suspicious too, and yeah that bird...

[warita]

Originally Posted by klare

the conversation with the dad in India sounds like hinting something, Reiko is suspicious too, and yeah that bird...

Like I said before, the phone calls are suspicious, because Kouichis dad never calls the house landline, he always calls him on the cellphone. Calling a landline is cheaper and there would be a better signal too, so why doesnt he?

The fact that Kouichis das calls him doesnt mean, that Kouichi is not the dead person, because we dont really know, whether his dad is really calling or not. If Kouichis memories get altered, then the phone calls could be part of that memory change and they never took place.

I bet my money on Kouichi being the another....

[Dengar]

Originally Posted by Skyfall

While it could be possible that the different 'effects' of the phenomenon have different ranges, I find that rather unlikely and a bit contrived. And it most certainly does extend beyond the class, otherwise concealing the identity of "Another" would be impossible - it takes a whole lot more than altering the memory of 20-something students and their immediate families to hide the fact a dead person has revived and is spending the better part of a year living as a normal person.

Maybe my brain isn't working today, but are you trying to counter or support my argument? It's very vague.

[Skyfall]

But then the fact he gets called loses any meaning at all, as these calls would serve no purpose. Furthermore, this assumption would carry an implication of enormous impact - that the phenomenon is capable of making people experience real-time delusions. If we go down that road then we lose all basis for speculation, because literally everything and anything we see, at any given time, past, present and future, can be assumed as untrue.

For the time being, I gather it would be more productive not to assign any additional properties to the memory-altering phenomenon beyond what we have been told. Those being, that in the start of the year people's memories and records get altered in a way to make them incapable of recognizing the Another, and that the influence of the phenomenon doesn't extend much beyond the town's boundaries.

With that in mind, Koichi's father's phone calls actually gain a very specific purpose - he has been in India for a while now (he didn't even know Koichi was hospitalized), and as such is well beyond the phenomenon's range. As such, he is the single person involved in the story whose perspective isn't suspect to manipulation. Most of it might seem like silly chatter, but I think it really is worth to take note of everything we can derive from his conversations - because his position within the show is unique compared to everyone else located in Yomiyama, as the single shred of information we can assume as being true.

@Dengar: Counter

[totoum]

Originally Posted by warita

Like I said before, the phone calls are suspicious, because Kouichis dad never calls the house landline, he always calls him on the cellphone. Calling a landline is cheaper and there would be a better signal too, so why doesnt he?

While that is an interesting catch,like Skyfall says,if you're going to go with the theory that these are hallucinations.Why would it matter if i's a cellphone or a landline?They could be hallucinations either way.

[ookamigirl]

Mei & Kouichi sure became pretty close.
The secret keeps on unfolding slowly.
Really interesting episode with lots of new info.
The ending scene was intense. Can't wait to see how it'll continue!

[Dengar]

There is a way for the memory alteration effect to have an incredibly long range, and that is if my theory is correct. The one I've been telling about.

The memory alteration effect is like a cascading or rippling effect. It affects people involved with the calamity first, and anyone they talk to. As in, your memory might be fine now, but after talking to someone involved with the class, your memory might have changed.

I have nothing to substantiate this claim, other than the phone conversation between Kouichi and his dad, but you can't say my theory is absolutely impossible.

[VDZ]

Originally Posted by Skyfall

But then the fact he gets called loses any meaning at all, as these calls would serve no purpose. Furthermore, this assumption would carry an implication of enormous impact - that the phenomenon is capable of making people experience real-time delusions. If we go down that road then we lose all basis for speculation, because literally everything and anything we see, at any given time, past, present and future, can be assumed as untrue.

Originally Posted by warita

Like I said before, the phone calls are suspicious, because Kouichis dad never calls the house landline, he always calls him on the cellphone. Calling a landline is cheaper and there would be a better signal too, so why doesnt he?

The fact that Kouichis das calls him doesnt mean, that Kouichi is not the dead person, because we dont really know, whether his dad is really calling or not. If Kouichis memories get altered, then the phone calls could be part of that memory change and they never took place.

I bet my money on Kouichi being the another....

Let's completely bury this 'landline makes no sense' argument right here. In India, mobile phones are much, much more common than normal telephones, and it's quite likely they're even cheaper than using landline to make cross-country calls.

From the Wikipedia article on Communications in India:

Until the New Telecom Policy was announced in 1999, only the Government-owned BSNL and MTNL were allowed to provide land-line phone services through copper wire in India with MTNL operating in Delhi and Mumbai and BSNL servicing all other areas of the country. Due to the rapid growth of the cellular phone industry in India, landlines are facing stiff competition from cellular operators.

With a subscriber base of more than 851 million, the Mobile telecommunications system in India is the second largest in the world and it was thrown open to private players in the 1990s.

India has over 35 million main line customers.

(From the section on mobile phones)
Government and several private players run local and long distance telephone services. Competition has caused prices to drop and calls across India are one of the cheapest in the world.

The story takes place in 1998, a year before the New Telecom Policy, so most likely landlines back then were even rarer and even less efficient. Rather than it being strange that he calls using his cell phone, it would be strange if he called using anything other than his cell phone.

[AbZeroNow]

Wow, all sorts of different speculation going in different directions. I love seeing it. Having read spoilers, I know the important stuff in the story. But seeing those who just have seen the anime piece things together is a wondrous sight indeed.

Getting back to the episode, I liked having a "breather" episode where nobody died and I just loved Kouichi's fantasy sequence where he is dancing with Mei. That was so moe and so awesome that the blood loss caused by it was not insignificant. I also loved seeing the positive romance flags for Kouichi and Mei, and I find myself rooting for them. Liked how Kouichi was walking Mei home after dark and their conversations and things.

We also learned that Kouichi's memory cannot be completely relied on, which has quite a few interesting possible implications, and we learn that Mikami-sensei taught in Class 3 before(during a year that bad things happened). We also learned that Chibiki(a character that I love seeing) was the homeroom teacher for Class 3 back in 1972.

The cliffhanger was at the right spot, where we know from the preview that something very bad is about to go down. The first half of this series has really kept up the atmosphere well, and I cannot wait until the second half starts and more things get revealed and such. And with the subtle foreshadowing and such, I also give this a 10/10.