When They Cry - Higurashi and Umineko

Worst in what way?

They were the worst Rewrite routes in that they didn't match the tone of the rest of the story, contradicted it at points and either felt like a bad shounen or had a goofy ending respectively. They also had two annoying little fairies and worse writing overall. Komari's route is the worst in Little Busters in that it's completely full of wangst and centers around Komari. Her grandfather was cool though. And I did like Kurugaya's route, but about half of that is just because I like Kurugaya.

Tanaka Romeo is still good, though. He wrote the best stuff in Rewrite as well as Cross Channel.

edited 2nd Apr '15 3:38:01 PM by Arha

Shouldn't a character's route focus on that character?

But as for a series as comparatively well-written, doesn't sound like the best of news.

There were other things wrong with Komari's route. For example, her emotional issue was ridiculous and the trigger for it left me completely unconcerned with her well being rather than that of the kitten involved.

That sounds like it would be included in the wangst bit.

They're separate issues. Anyway, it doesn't really matter.

Hmm, I want to believe that we'll have more stuff coming from 07th Expansion, but there's a chance this is an April's Fool's joke. How likely do you think this is genuine?

...It was announced on April 2nd.

edited 2nd Apr '15 8:36:49 PM by universalperson

The fact that the next work would be a three-strories anthology had been anounced a while ago actually. And "Alice" looks like one of the characters in those space opera pics revealed at the time RGD ended.

I've honestly never heard of these two authors, so I don't really know what to expect. I wonder if there will be other collaborators from KEY...

edited 3rd Apr '15 5:16:30 AM by Lyendith

These three have worked together before.

I know, on Rewrite apparently. Maybe I should check that one out… after Steins;Gate that I should have started a year ago already… >.<

… nothing to do with that but god, reading Episode 8 in a real paper manga format is pretty damn intense. You just can't compare it to a scanlation. It's in times like these that I'm glad I learned Japanese.　mmTT^TT

Those are probably my two favorite visual novels.

x5 Pretty sure I saw news of this on the 31st, when it was already the 1st on Japan.

Mangagamer acquired Higurashi Hou (also MYTH).

That means their new Steam release will include everything of that version, including all the new arcs! Furthermore, they apparently got the right to use the original BGM as well, so no crappy replacements! The ultimate PC version of Higurashi is being officially translated to English, which is just too good to be true. Makes me wonder if it is 04/01 still.

(MYTH sounds cool too, but not really When They Cry related.)

edited 3rd Apr '15 7:57:53 PM by Heatth

Important part of that being Onikakushi-hen being released on 5/15. Apparently, Watanagashi-hen is about 15% translated.

Since we're supposedly getting every chapter, it reminds me of that joke theory concerning Hou. The one spoofing a really stupid twist in another anime. The theory in which Rika undergoes a Face–Heel Turn becoming a Satanic Archetype to Hanyuu (becoming a demon to Hanyuu being a goddess) over what Tamura does.

edited 10th Apr '15 8:54:11 PM by magnum12

Steam now has Higurashi When They Cry Steam Edition Ch.1 Onikakushi listed as a May 15th release.

Changing the topic a bit back to the pipe dream "remake"

This time focusing on if along with a remake, we get a new dub to go with it. When I think about it, I think the real problem with the english dub was terrible directing. I noticed that the dub seemed to improve significantly around Meakashi-hen as compared to Onikakushi-hen. Add in that several people in the cast are actually good actors (Ahra and myself should recognize a few from other works), and this theory holds water. Who would you want?

Keiichi: Grant George. From the original dub. Is actually a good actor if his performance as Axel the Dark Hero and Lancer (Fate Zero) are anything to go by.

Shmion: Megan Hollistad. Original dub, seemed to get much better around Meakashi-hen.

Rena: Mela Lee: Original dub. Once again, evidence to the "terrible directing theory" given her other roles such as Rin Tosaka (I've only seen the Fate Zero version).

Rika AND Fredrica Bernkastel: Stephanie Sheh. Considering that she is also Nui, I think she can pull the alternate persona perfectly.

Satako:

Hanyuu:

edited 13th Apr '15 5:52:30 PM by magnum12

For the main cast, Megan Hollingshead is easily the one I'd most want to see return. Her Mion was always great, and as stated, she nailed Shion by Meakashi Hen. (She was a bit flat in comparison during Watanagashi Hen, particularly her laughs).

Speaking of Shion, I've rewatched her arc recently and I've gotta say I really find she's got some serious Magnificent Bastard credentials that go unspoken of a lot of the time in favor of talk of how psycho and Yandere she is. It really shows something that even when gradually utterly losing all her marbles, she manages to be at least between a 1000 and 10000 on the MB Sliding Scale due to manipulation, quick thinking and efficient action taking that successfully catches everyone off their guard. For all her horrific insanity, she outplayed everyone in her arc and looked cool doing it. (And in a sense, she even managed to get Keiichi from beyond the grave at the end of Watanagashi Hen due to the trauma-induced hallucination that supposedly ends up stopping his heart and killing him. Damn.)

Regarding the manga and EP 8, wasn't R7 heavily involved with the Umineko manga? If so, then we can legitimately call the manga's solution canon to the VN as well in regards to the trope pages of Yasu, Rudolf, and Kyrie. Makes the bit about Beatrice and Zero-Approval Gambit make sense for the purpose of motive as well.

It seems obvious that he was involved. Natsumi Kei says she talked a lot with him in the comment of volume 8-6, and I don't think she would have just made up whatever she wanted.

Err… otherwise, I stumbled upon that… "Higurashi Chū" he says… I have no idea what it's supposed to be. ò.Ô

Anyone know Japanese around here that can translate this? Part of me wants to know if I have to bring out Commisar *F*lav and the Angry Marines to purge some horrors out of our heads or not. If so, then....I have to say stuff like "Double Heresy" or "Extra Heretical".

No one commented, but the Steam version of Higurashi was released last Friday. Well, the first Chapter anyway. I hope the rest come out soon, but I don't have much expectations.

Found out some pretty interesting Word of God regarding Higurashi. Turns out it wasn't that well known at first, that it was actually a Sleeper Hit. The breakout chapter that put Higurashi on the map of wide spread recognition was Meakashi-hen (on an amusing side note/coincidence, about the time R7's parents found out about the novels).

Also, the finale of Tsumbihoroboshi-hen was based off a conversation R7 had with his scientifically inclined father. The statements about the amount of "gas" required to fill the school enough to set it ablaze are dead accurate. Showed Their Work indeed.

-Edit: Realized some serious Irony to be had. The anime for Higurashi is often considered amongst the best animes of the 2000's (but NOT for everyone) due to its original approach to narrative, array of enjoyable characters, and being one of the few works of horror to stay away from excessive gorn and jump scares (which have made western horror jump the shark). This same anime is considered a terrible adaptation of the source material.

edited 21st May '15 9:15:46 PM by magnum12

I certainly enjoyed the anime the first time I watched it. It's only after I read the VN that I realized it was… eeh… flawed on some levels. But at least the director seemed to have a general vision of what they were doing − the obvious absence of such vision is what made the Umineko anime so dull by comparison.

Interesting bit of trivia with R7's dad.

Started reading this after seeing that article with R07's interview. Jesus, this is spooky. I see what the guys meant by calling it a 'sound novel'. The audio part really was why Onikakushi-hen was scary. Gonna get to playing the second arc later today.