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Latest update: Part Fifty: Quoth The Raven “A Bunch of Math Stuff”  What is Umineko? Umineko is a sound novel by 07th Expansion. It comprises two games, Umineko no Naku Koro Ni, and Umineko no Naku Koro Ni Chiru, each further divided into four episodes. These two games are respectively the 3rd and 4th parts of the When They Cry series. They were originally released for PC, one episode at a time, before receiving remakes on the PS3, which upgraded the graphics and added voice acting. They are about girls in fancy dresses using colored text and looping closed circle murder mysteries to troll the bastard child of Phoenix Wright, Captain Falcon, and Zelos Wilder. Sound novel? It's a variant of a visual novel, but with more focus on the soundtrack. Umineko's (original) visuals are...not that great, quality-wise. They looked like this. The soundtrack, however, is absolutely top notch. Also, on the visual novel note. This isn't a dating sim, and is in fact entirely linear. There is exactly one actual choice in the games, and it shows up at the very end of Chiru to determine the ending. What about the first two games? While there are a few links between Umineko and the Higurashi games, and a couple of sort-of-returning characters, everything that's actually important to the plot is summed up in-game. Umineko is self-contained enough that you can go in knowing nothing about Higurashi and the plot won't make any less sense. I'll be pointing out and explaining the connections and references as we go, though, so expect Higurashi spoilers. Other No spoilers for things that haven't been covered in the updates, please. It's a mystery, after all, don't want people who haven't played to stumble on the twists and answers half a dozen episodes early because they moused over the wrong black bar. In addition to the Witch-Hunt translation patch, I will be using the Umineko Tweak patch, which replaces the graphics with the PS3 versions, and adds the voices. The Witch-Hunt site also has a place to buy the games, for anyone who wants to play along. The download there is not available for all countries, however. They are also available from MangaGamer. Any commentary from me during the updates will be in italics. There probably won't be too much of it for the first couple updates, as Episode 1 takes a while to set up before the fun begins. Shiny777 fucked around with this message at 05:37 on Nov 1, 2014 |
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Aug 2, 2012 23:12
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Part One: A Journey of a Thousand Trollfaces Begins With a Single Gathering  Upon starting, we get these options. Start lets you start a new game or load an existing save. Official Web takes you to 07th Expansion's site, though it's all moonspeak. Tea party and ???? are plot related, and we'll get to them in time. On a completely fresh game, they wouldn't even be visible until you get to the appropriate plot points. Tips contains short character bios, translation notes, and some other miscellaneous information, and can be accessed in-game as well. At the end of each update, I'll show anything new that appears there. Music box is a sound test, and normally unlocks after finishing all four episodes, and Exit does exactly what it says.   Also, in a fresh copy, all episodes other than the first start locked. However, there's an option to remove the locks on any episode at will, which will also unlock any earlier episodes.    The old physician let out a sigh as he removed the stethoscope. Two elderly men could be seen in the dimly-lit study, which was filled with dust and a sickly-sweet stench. In the corner of this room, which was much larger than what most people would call a study, there was an expensive-looking bed, a man undergoing a medical examination, and the physician conducting it. There was also what appeared to be a servant watching over the whole thing.   : “............Kinzo-san. ...Your body only appears to be well thanks to the effects of the medicine. However, if you continue to drink such strong spirits, the treatment will become meaningless. ...Trust my judgement. Refrain from drinking.” : “I thank you, though only for the sentiment. My friend. .........Genji. Another glass. Water it down slightly. That way Nanjo can save face.” After eyeing both the master who demanded the alcohol and the family doctor who forbade it, Genji, the old butler, silently gave a slight nod and carried out his master's orders faithfully. The family doctor, Nanjo, let out a deep sigh once again as he watched the butler busy himself alongside the liquor cabinet... There was a smell filling up the room. ...This sweet, poisonous aroma felt as if it melted the heart, if not the soul itself. It was the smell of that venomous green drink that the man couldn't bring himself to part from.  : “I have done nothing. ......After all, you never listen to my advice as your physician.”: “Hahaha... And you never listen when I warn you about a mistaken chess move you're about to make. It seems we are even.” : “......Master.” Disregarding Nanjo, who had his face set in a resigned expression, Kinzo took the glass that Genji was holding out to him. ...There are probably very few people who would associate the venomous color, which filled the glass, with an alcoholic beverage. : “.........Nanjo. Be honest with me. How much time do I have left?”: “Well now... How short must I make it to get you to stop drinking? ......Let us illustrate it with the chess game here. You have very nearly achieved checkmate...but you have not yet cornered my king.” The black rook and bishop were cutting deeply into the enemy lines. The white king had already been castled and cornered, so that even an amateur could see that the match would reach its conclusion before too long. If you enjoy chess motifs, you are going to love the hell out of this game. Every time Nanjo came to give a medical examination, both of them would make a few moves. Nanjo was hinting that Kinzo would most likely fall into his eternal sleep before this game could be concluded. ...There were less the words of a physician than they were the words of an old friend. : “............Were you a normal patient, I would recommend that you write a will at this point.” : “Hoh. ......And apart from the division of the inheritance, what might I write of?”: “............Oh, there's your regrets...and matters you have left unfinished. Things you want to be passed down......and things you want to tell. ......Anything you want.” : “After I'm gone, I care not if it all goes to waste! I desire no tomb, no coffin!! Those were the terms of the contract I made with the witch! When I die, everything will be lost! That has been part of the promise since the beginning, that's why nothing will be left behind. There is nothing I can leave behind!!”After a furious crescendo, Kinzo suddenly slumped over. ...His expression was limp and feeble, as though an evil spirit had possessed him and then left. : “............However, I do have one regret. I have nothing to leave behind, but there is one thing I cannot leave undone...” When Nanjo tried to gently pat Kinzo's shoulder, the dying man flew into a sudden rage and batted away Nanjo's hand. : “It's useless, useless, useless!! It must be done while I still live! At the moment of my death, my soul will be devoured by the demons of the contract and wiped out of existence! For me, there will be no peace of another world after death! That's why everything must be done before I go!! That's why a will has no meaning for me!! And even if I had a chance to write such a thing, ......if I did have such a chance!!”   Click to watch the opening video. Note that the patch doesn't update it, so the old sprites still appear in it.      I couldn't help but scratch my head and marvel at how far things have come in recent years. We used to go by boat. Back then, we were all forced to endure nearly half a day of swaying back and forth over the sea before we reached Niijima. Things have gotten so much more convenient these days. Still, I've never been on a plane this small. I've flown in a huge jumbo jet before, but this will be my first experience in such a tiny one. ...It's going to shake, isn't it... They say the smaller boats shake more, so I guess the same rule probably applies to planes. ...Aaah, just spare me.   : “Oh, of course not, my mistake. I see you've changed a lot since we last saw you. After all, it's been six years since then. You're not a kid anymore. Hahahahaha.” : “Sheesh, and here you are, old enough to smoke and drink. I've got no interest in smoking, but I've always wanted to try some booze, heheheh! Well, if you've got your dad's genes, I bet you can hold your own when it comes to drinking, right?” : “Th, that's no good, Battler-kun, you're still a minor! Drinking alcohol is known to stunt the growth of minors and......um, never mind.”: “Come on, I'm tall enough already! In fact, it'd be easier to find clothes if I shrunk a little!”I puffed out my chest proudly. Until I hit my growth spurt, my height was below average in my class. But then, I grew and grew, and before I knew it, I'd passed 180 cm (5ft 11in). I guess I have all that muscle-training and those shady mail-order performance-enhancing drugs to thank for that. Before then, I never dreamed that I'd shoot 10 cm above George-aniki, who'd reached his peak height early on.   So here's the first sighting of colored text. Unlike the other four colors, green isn't plot-relevant. And wasn't in the original, as I understand it. The translators added it to indicate things that have related translation notes in the tips section.   Put it all together and you've got Ushiromiya Battler. Pretty crazy, right? It's crazy enough that my parents decided to call me that, but it's even more crazy that some government worker let them make it official. ...Both groups are at the top of my must-kill list. Battler here's our protagonist, by the way. Or, well. For the first four episodes, anyway.  He's five years older than me, so he's probably turning 23 this year. Since the Ushiromiya cousins consist of two boys and two girls, I ended up playing with George all the time. And because I always thought of him as a big brother, I still call him 'Aniki' today.   : “You know what they say, 'leave a boy for three days and you'll hardly recognize him'!” : “It must be in his blood, I suppose. Rudolf wasn't that tall either until around his high school years. Perhaps people end up taller if their growth spurt comes late.”: “Nah, it's nothing special. A real man needs to be tough on the inside too!”  He speaks in an odd and very noticeable Kansai dialect, but he's actually a natural-born Kanto man. Apparently, impressions are everything in the business world, so speaking in a different style than other people is an act that makes him stick out more. ......However, I heard that he gets embarrassed when talking within earshot of a real Kansai person, so he switches back to standard Japanese. ...I don't really get it, but he's definitely an interesting person.  : “Oh, really? I'd imagine a man with your looks would leave girls crying left and right. I can't believe that you have nothing at all to brag about.”: “Wh, what? Y, y, you're joking, right!? Of course nothing weird like that's ever happened to me! In fact, I'd rather it did!”: “Ah, so you do have some stories. ...*giggle* You must tell your aunt all about it later. After all, nothing of the sort ever happens to George. Heheheh...” Even so, George-aniki's family is interesting and fun, and they seem to get along just fine. ......Sheese, that's pretty much the total opposite of my family.   : “That's no way to talk about your own father. Still, this isn't the first time he's taken so long in the bathroom.”: “Yeah, the guy's always been that way. Does he really have to take a magazine with him every time he needs to take a dump? Oh, what on earth might he be doing with those?! Ihihi!”: “Oh, you don't need to worry about that at all. Since we've been together, I haven't let him do that on his own.”: “Hihihi! Oooh, I'll have to get the juicy details later. Sounds like Dad's got his balls in an iron grip.”  My real mom died six years ago. Kyrie-san is the woman my Dad married afterwards. It's understandable for someone my age. I could never bring myself to call his new wife 'Mom'. And I doubt she feels like using the word 'son' on this massive kid who's no relation to her at all. We aren't little kids. We know there's nothing to be gained by fighting. So, we decided that we wouldn't force ourselves to pretend that we were family. I've decided to act a bit more frank with her, as though she's a friendly neighbor instead. It's much easier to just keep a little distance, instead of forcing ourselves to act all close and making each other uncomfortable. Kyrie-san has been very open about all this, and thanks to that, we've been able to get along pretty well. Then, just when we were badmouthing Dad about being in the bathroom, the man himself came back, wiping his hands with a handerkerchief.   : “So, you've been talking trash about me with Mom again, have you? What makes it so hard to show a little respect for your father, hmm?”: “Owowow owowowowow! Dammit, that hurts! You can stretch my ear all you want, but I'm not gonna be able to fly. That hurts!!”: “C'mon now. Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right. Now say 'Father, please forgive me for being so rude'.”: “Like hell I will! Go find yourself some members-only store if you want it that much! Gyaah, let goooo!!” By the way, my height isn't the only thing I got from him. It seems having weird names runs in the family.  As the old bastard twisted my ear all over the place, Eva oba-san snuck up behind him and grabbed his ear. : “Hey, Rudolf? Isn't that child abuse?”: “Gyaah, that hurts, Aneki...”This scene perfectly illustrated the relationship between the prankster younger brother and the older sister who could deal out punishment to him despite his size.  : “You're one to talk, Aneki, abusing your little brother like that. Hideyoshi nii-san, I'd like to thank you very much for picking her up. If you hadn't been so generous, she'd still be unsold in the store. You have my gratitude and apologies.”: “...Hmm~?! Who are you calling 'unsold'?”After taking 2...3 steps back, Eva oba-san unleashed one of her beautiful high reverse roundhouse kicks, which stopped just a centimeter away from the tip of Dad's nose. After starting out with Tai-chi-chuan for her figure, Eva oba-san then developed an interest in the Chinese martial arts. After that, she went through karate, tae kwon do, capoeira, ...and what is it she's learning now, again? ...Well, anyway, they say a woman's weapons are in her lower body, and that's literally true for Eva.  : “Wahahaha, never had a brother or sister myself. So when I see you two bickerin' with each other, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It sure is nice to have a big family and siblings.”: “Oh, then why not consider making a little brother for George-kun? He's already a fine adult who's about to go off on his own, so it might be a good time to have another child.”: “Hey, have some sympathy for the kid and all the pain and suffering he'd have to live through. I'm surprised even George-kun turned out as well as he did after being born from this sinister sister of mine. And what an awesome kid he is. Please share some of that with our blockhead of a son someday, will you?”: “That's not how it worked. It's thanks to Eva nee-san's proper rearing that George-kun became the good, gentle kid he is now. Isn't that right, Nee-san.”: “Oh, come now. Heheh, you think so...? Our George still has a long way to go. Ah, by the way, how's your little Ange-chan doing? I heard she was vomiting?”: “Oh, that's right! And I was hopin' to finally see her face after such a long time. Is she alright?” ...And once the conversation suddenly veered off in that direction, we kids didn't have any chance of butting in. For now, I'm just happy that Eva oba-san gave Dad his just desserts for tugging on my ear.  According to Aniki, smaller planes are more subject to winds and other effects of the weather, and it's not at all uncommon for flights to be delayed because of that. ......Wait a sec, it isn't really going to shake...is it...? From down here on the ground, it just looks cloudy, not windy. ...Well, I guess it's different up where the planes fly. : “The weather's a bit uncertain today.”Eva oba-san looked at a TV in the lounge. The weather forecast was being broadcast, informing us that a typhoon was approaching the Kanto region.  : “...Very funny. Why don't you do it yourself? Our brother would never listen to anything I suggested.”: “No way. It doesn't really bother me that much to have it in October. I just suggested that you might want to propose it to them, since you said you hate typhoons so much.”: “I only said that typhoons always come around this time of year. You're the one who said you wanted to move it to the Obon festival, right?”: “Well, you said it too last year! Didn't you say that it would be easier to fit into your schedule if we had it during the Obon festival?!”: “I've never said anything like that.”: “Oh yes, you did. I certainly wouldn't forget something like that!”: “No, I didn't...you're the one saying that all the time!”: “Didn't you know? Stopping a kick just a hair's breadth away is a very high-level technique.”: “Sheesh, women your age shouldn't spread their legs like that!” : “Like me? Oh, I still have a long way to go. I still have very little experience out there in the real world, and I need to work on becoming more bold and sociable. ...I think you've far surpassed me on all those counts, Battler-kun. I'm sure you'll outstrip me fast enough when you become an adult.”George-aniki scratch his head and laughed, as though trying to hide his embarrassment. Of course, he was just being humble. Then, right after graduating, he got into Hideyoshi oji-san's company as his father's aide, piling up a lot of real-life experience as he devoted himself zealously to his work. His great dream is to one day stand on his own and build up his own kingdom. Aniki is a real paragon of a man, sparing no effort as he strives towards his goal. It's no exaggeration to say that I really respect him.  I've got no dreams for the future! I'd like to just sit back, stay cool, and let the money flow in, but of course that could never happen. ...When Aniki was my age, he had already formed an impressive objective and started devoting himself towards studying for that goal, so I guess I can't compare at all. My dad just says 'sure you can study at my company, if you like cleaning toilets'. Dammit, I'm not gonna be in the debt of that old bastard. I'll find my way myself! ….......If only willpower was all it took to become an adult.  Right then, Hideyoshi oji-san shouted out loudly. Oji-san is a nice person on the whole, but he does have a problem controlling the volume of his voice. When I looked over, I saw he was greeting Rosa oba-san, who had come late.    : “Maria! Shouldn't that be 'It's good to see you again'? Greet your uncle properly.” : “Uu-. It's...good to see you again...”: “There you go! Well said! How about some candy as a reward?! …...Oh, huh? Where'd I put it...”: “Rosa-san, it's good to see you again. It's good to see you too, Maria-chan.” : “Hey, Rosa. You're late. If the plane was on time, you'd barely have made it.”: “I'm sorry, we had some trouble making our train connection. So, are we waiting on the weather again?”: “Oh, don't complain. I much prefer the 30 minute plane trip to spending six hours bouncing about on a boat. Even if we're kept waiting here for an hour, it's still much faster overall.” : “Um, ...how tall were you the last time you got measured...? You keep getting bigger and bigger, don't you? Right?”: “Uu-!”: “I think she's grown a lot since last year. Let's see, she turned nine years old this year, didn't she?”: “Nine years old. Uu-.”: “That's right, you're nine years old now. Glad to see you're doing well too, Maria-chan! Up you......nng...I guess you've gotten a bit too heavy to play airplane with...” When I went to lift her up in Aniki's place, Maria stiffened defensively, staring suspiciously at my face. ...Ah, that's right. The last time I met Maria, it was six years ago, and she was only three years old. Of course she doesn't remember my face. : “Maria-chan, don't you remember? It's Battler-kun. You used to play together, remember?”: “…......Uu-.” : “Maria. This is Battler onii-chan. Rudolf nii-san's son. ...Understand?”: “…..........The brother's son is... The brother is the son... ….........?? …...Uuuu---!!”She probably uses that 'uu-' sound to fill in the blanks when she can't understand a complicated explanation. I guess that was a bit too confusing for her.  : “...Battler onii-chan?”Maria looked straight at me with a questioning expression, as though asking whether it was alright to call me that. : “Yep, that's me, Battler. Nice to meet you, Maria!”: “Uu-! Battler!”: “Maria! You mustn't talk to him like that! Call him Battler onii-chan...!”: “That's all right, Rosa oba-san. I don't sweat the small stuff. Hey, Maria! We're close enough that we don't need honorifics, right?!” We horsed around for a while to make up for the six year gap in our friendship. She probably still thinks of me as nothing more than a big, new friend, but things'll probably work out as we get to know each other again. But I'm surprised. She's just the way I remembered her being six years ago. Seems that people just don't change that much after all. I'm a bit happy that she's still the pure, innocent girl I remember.   ...When I think about it, all the names in my family sound foreign. Just why is Grandfather so obsessed with this? Because of him, even us grandchildren have to put up with this weird naming sense. It's even more annoying since Grandfather's own name is perfectly normal. Anyway, there's one thing about Rosa oba-san that's a relief compared to the other family members. The old bastard and Eva oba-san have this annoying urge to tease and mock people all the time, but even though she shares their blood, Rosa oba-san isn't like that at all. She has the most common sense among all the siblings. Like Hideyoshi oji-san, she's a kind aunt who'll always be on the kids' side. …...However, possibly because she's more strict as a parent, she's not liberal with handing out spending money like Hideyoshi oji-san.  Then, as though it had waited for us all to gather, an announcement rang out through the lobby.  : “Rosa, you still haven't gone through boarding procedures, right? Hurry up.”: “Oh no...! Maria, come on!”: “Uu-!” Now, let's check out the Tips section. The first part is the character bios, with red lines connecting the Ushiromiyas, and blue ones connecting a bunch of empty boxes that will eventually be filled with their servants. For some reason, Kinzo, Nanjo, and Genji are excluded even though we've seen them already.         By which they mean she has memorized pretty much the entire body of western occult lore. By the age of NINE.  The actual Tips section contains assorted notes, like copies of certain messages that show up, or explanations of the mechanics behind various magical stuff.  And the Grimoire has the translation notes. As I said, anything highlighted in green shows up here. In addition, all the episodes include a rundown of basic Japanese honorifics. If you've ever watched anime before, you probably know most of these already.       And that's it for now. Next time, we finish the journey to the island and meet another chunk of the cast.
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Aug 2, 2012 23:13
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Uhhhhh this isn't a game. Like. At all.
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Aug 2, 2012 23:20
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Dr Pepper posted:Uhhhhh this isn't a game. How so? Visual Novels are a video game genre. And I know they've been LP'd here before. There's even at least one other going on now. Granted, this one is more strictly linear than the others I'm aware of, but does that somehow make it not a game?
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Aug 2, 2012 23:29
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The visual novels that are LPed have interactive elements. That is to say, they have choices the player can make, resulting in a different experience. Umineko does not have any interactive elements until the last episode and even then they're very minor.
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Aug 2, 2012 23:30
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God I love Umineko. The art of the unpatched game is bad, but it could always be worse. It could be Higurashi's unpatched art.
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Aug 2, 2012 23:33
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This thread reminds me that I have to actually read the last episode.
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Aug 2, 2012 23:48
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This art looks so much better than the original.
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Aug 3, 2012 00:31
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Truly this is the thread I was meant for. Not a huge fan of the updated art myself, but it's definitely the better choice for doing a LP.
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Aug 3, 2012 00:43
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Dr Pepper posted:The visual novels that are LPed have interactive elements. That is to say, they have choices the player can make, resulting in a different experience. For the sake of preventing an extremely annoying and all-around stupid argument that I've seen many times: it doesn't really matter. Visual Novels are considered games in Japan, it's close enough, and it works fine with the LP format.
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Aug 3, 2012 00:53
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Golden Battler posted:Truly this is the thread I was meant for. There are some parts of the old art I'm fond of, but I wouldn't in good conscience recommend it to anyone who isn't already used to it.
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Aug 3, 2012 00:56
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Wow-ee loving zow-ee visual novels really use the gently caress out of those ellipses, don't they. My only request is that when you transcribe could you not put in the massive strings of ellipses they're using and cut them down to three? They kind of make the whole thing infuriating to read and I want to slap the poo poo out of the translators.
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Aug 3, 2012 01:02
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I've heard a poo poo ton about this series, so I'm interested in seeing how this goes. Here's hoping you don't burn out from transcription.
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Aug 3, 2012 01:07
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The old art, if nothing else, has the decency to be awesomely bad with some frequency. And as mention of it has been made, have a couple examples of what unpatched Higurashi looks like, for the benefit of those who haven't seen it: Example 1 Example 2 Even at its worst, unpatched Umineko is leagues upon leagues better than that poo poo. And transcription shouldn't be too big a problem. I've got text dumps on hand for the first five episodes, and if I can't find more when those run out I can try and rip the remaining ones.
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Aug 3, 2012 01:11
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I played through all 8 episodes of Umineko with the old art, but I don't think I would ever be able to get used to old Higurashi art. Ever.
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Aug 3, 2012 01:16
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I'm glad that someone is doing this LP. I watched the anime adaptation, and I'll be interested to see the differences between the two.
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Aug 3, 2012 01:33
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Shiny777 posted:I've got text dumps on hand for the first five episodes I was wondering why, even all things considered, somebody would do this and still be sane.
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Aug 3, 2012 01:34
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I'm with Dr Pepper on this one. There's no audience interactivity to be had because there's no choices involved. This is literally just the script of a game which is supposed to be atmospheric. You've not even tried to add your own take on proceedings, you're just posting a block of text with a few screenshots.Shiny777 posted:I've got text dumps on hand for the first 5 games
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Aug 3, 2012 01:34
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Uhh, what are you going to do when you have to use the old art again? (Last time I checked the patches for the high quality art only got up to Episode 2)
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Aug 3, 2012 02:28
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Volt Catfish posted:Uhh, what are you going to do when you have to use the old art again? (Last time I checked the patches for the high quality art only got up to Episode 2) And yeah to be honest I don't think an LP is that great of an idea. Partly because the ellipses abuse is a lot less annoying when you don't see it all in front of you, and partly because the music in Umineko is amazing and having to click on a link and loop it yourself just isn't the same.
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Aug 3, 2012 02:39
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I haven't read Umineko for a long while, since ep 5 I think. So I'll be able to following this thread though I have to say it going to be take some time to get used to the newer art.
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Aug 3, 2012 04:42
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I never noticed the ellipses at all really, playing through the series. I don't really understand how it sticks out so much to everyone else.
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Aug 3, 2012 05:01
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Personally Seacats with no catfaces isn't Seacats at all to me. I really don't have a problem with it as far as the no interactivity part is concerned. In fact, I was considering doing it myself recently, but decided against it because it would be SO MUCH WORK and I cannot imagine anyone trying to do it won't burn out, including you OP (though I hope you don't). That said, I do love Seacats, even as much as I hate the ending, and I'm interested in seeing the reactions of the uninitiated as the games and Ryukishi himself go steadily more insane. Godspeed to you OP, you mad bastard, I hope you teach the LP subforum that it is, in fact, all useless.
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Aug 3, 2012 05:51
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MCXD posted:I never noticed the ellipses at all really, playing through the series. I don't really understand how it sticks out so much to everyone else. Imagine if you were in a conversation with someone............ and every now and then they just, ..........would stop talking and stare you down...... for about............. five full seconds. It's just hideously jarring.
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Aug 3, 2012 06:10
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Yeah, the remade art is better, but the original art has a charm in a way. Especially the MADNESS FACES both this and Higurashi are famed for. That, and one particular character's expression, which can only be described as 'trollface' (seriously, it's uncanny).
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Aug 3, 2012 06:21
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Rodyle posted:Seacats Man, took me a moment to figure out what you were talking about here. Kaboom Dragoon posted:Yeah, the remade art is better, but the original art has a charm in a way. Especially the MADNESS FACES both this and Higurashi are famed for. That, and one particular character's expression, which can only be described as 'trollface' (seriously, it's uncanny). I personally prefer the original art too. There's so many 'crazy' expressions, particularly Beatrice's that don't look nearly as interesting in high quality. I've been reading the manga of this recently, and the story can definitely stand on its own without music. But the music really does do a smashing job of catapulting a lot of the 'good' scenes into 'great' or 'WHOAAAAAA!!!' territory. Also OP, can I ask where you got the textdump from? I'm interested in going through it and trying to solve some of the mysteries myself. Shark Tower fucked around with this message at 06:44 on Aug 3, 2012 |
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Aug 3, 2012 06:42
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Shark Tower posted:Man, took me a moment to figure out what you were talking about here. You've never heard it before? It's pretty much the catchphrase of the English fanbase, along with WITHOUT LOVE IT CANNOT BE SEEN.
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Aug 3, 2012 06:53
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Umineko is great and I would really like to see the reactions of people in the thread who haven't read it when we reach the crazier parts. That being said, I haven't gotten around to finishing ep 8 yet so I think I might stay out of here until I'm a little less terrified of spoilers.
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Aug 3, 2012 07:08
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The graphics patch for the first game covers all four episodes. There are a couple tiny slip ups here and there, but they're very rare. The entirety of Episode 4, for example, has all of one such occurrence. Chiru patch isn't out yet, but I'm given to understand it'll be available in an early form soon, and quite likely get a few updates in the time it'd take to actually reach Chiru. I am, admittedly, taking kind of a gamble on that, but I think it's a reasonably safe one. The text dumps I'm using are here. They don't quite match up perfectly with the Witch Hunt patch, with a couple minor differences in phrasing that I'm fixing when I catch them, but I've yet to see any major issues with them. On the issue of ellipses, I can chop the excess ones out easy enough if they're so jarring to some people. Pretty trivial task to add to the list. And in response to some of the other noted issues, I did say right in the OP that the commentary is going to be sparse at first while the game gets the basic introductions and setting establishment done and gets to the bits there's actually stuff to say about. As for audience participation, true, there's no voting or anything, but it's not like there's nothing for the audience to do but kick back and watch the updates pop up. The game is a batshit insane genre hybrid built around a mystery. It pretty much openly begs its players to come up with theories on the solution, which can get pretty drat bizarre even with just one person trying to work them out. Now get people in here bouncing them around the thread as things happen, on top of any other comments or discussion, and I'm thinking we've got a workable arrangement. Of course, it's always possible I'm thinking completely wrong here and it really will turn out to be a terrible, unworkable idea, but I'm gonna at least give it some time first and see if it works out. Second update should be up sometime tomorrow afternoon. Going to try for as close to one a day as I can manage for the month, and see if I can get through most or all of episode 1 before the semester starts up.
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Aug 3, 2012 07:39
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Ahhh, a mindscrew VN LP just in time for Remember11 finishing. I'm looking forward to reading this, especially as every spoiler I've ever encountered for this series has been too  for me to make heads or tails of.Also, Maria seems to act more like a 4-year-old than a 9-year-old.
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Aug 3, 2012 07:40
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Omniphile posted:Also, Maria seems to act more like a 4-year-old than a 9-year-old. I agree. It's difficult to believe she would have so much trouble understanding the concept of cousins while she is essentially an encyclopedia of all things occult.
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Aug 3, 2012 07:57
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I don't see why an LP of Umineko can't work - I've already learned one new thing, for example: that there's a voice and texture patch available for the PC version. And yes, this sort of game encourages people to talk about their theories and interpretations. Hell, Ryuukishi07 outright says to do so in a commentary corner in Higurashi, I believe. I do like the updated graphics, but still, the old ones have a certain charm to them. The PS3 ones work better for an LP, though. Also, am I the only person who can tolerate the original Higurashi sprites? Sure, their hands look like inflated sausages, but it's not THAT bad... right? Right?!
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Aug 3, 2012 07:59
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It takes a lot of work to make your characters look like fleshy potatoes AND noodle people at the same time.
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Aug 3, 2012 08:03
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I read the first episode of Higurashi without the art patch and was starting to somewhat adjust to the art by the end. To its credit, the crazyfaces were goddamn terrifying on the first read in the original art. Then I patched it at the start of episode 2 and could never, ever go back.
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Aug 3, 2012 11:53
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Yeah, this game certainly gets batshit insane, and I can't wait to see the speculation and theories that pop up from those that don't know the answer. Patware posted:Wow-ee loving zow-ee visual novels really use the gently caress out of those ellipses, don't they. As a translator, I want to slap the poo poo out of the writers. I have no idea why visual novel writers are so enamored with those damned things and I commonly have to cut them down from like 9 or 12 to 3. Seriously. It's annoying as hell.
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Aug 3, 2012 18:02
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Susurrus posted:As a translator, I want to slap the poo poo out of the writers. I have no idea why visual novel writers are so enamored with those damned things and I commonly have to cut them down from like 9 or 12 to 3. Seriously. It's annoying as hell. I supposed the Western equivalent would be the annoying habit of starting a new paragraph. Y'know. To build tension. Because that never gets old.
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Aug 3, 2012 18:11
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Going to be keeping an eye on this.
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Aug 3, 2012 20:16
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Ahh, this thing. Not quite sure what the point of LPing it is, especially with such sparse commentary since it doesn't keep the mood as well as the VN if you just transcribe it, but I'll keep an eye on this thread even so.
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Aug 4, 2012 09:09
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| # ? May 1, 2024 19:18 |
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A Dose of Japan and Ominous Portents Once all of us cleared the check, we followed the staff member out onto the runway. Come to think of it, everyone here is in the Ushiromiya family. It's like this is a reserved charter flight or something.   : “Boarding will now commence. As I call out the names on the passenger list, please take your seats in order, starting from the front row on the right side and going right to left, then onto the next row. I will now begin reading the passenger list. Ushiromiya Hideyoshi-sama!”: “Oh, I'm first! Right here! ...By the way, do you have some candy, Eva? I've been lookin' all over for some, but I can't find any.”: “Ushiromiya Eva-sama.”: “They're in the handbag. I'll get one once we're inside the plane.”I've heard that candies are a good way to protect your ears from hurting because of variations in atmospheric pressure when landing or taking off. That's probably what they're talking about.  : “Ushiromiya George-sama.”: “Don't worry, Battler-kun. It won't shake too much.”: “Ushiromiya Battler-sama.” : “Ushiromiya Rudolf-sama.”: “Come on, Battler, quit being a wuss and get in.”: “Ow! Dad! Don't push me! We don't get parachutes!”: “Ushiromiya Kyrie-sama.” : “Ushiromiya Maria-sama.”: “Uu-! Move, move!”: “Ushiromiya Rosa-sama.”: “Maria! Be quiet.” : “A, Aniki, did that guy just say we needed to wear seatbelts?! In a jumbo jet, they let you undo them after takeoff, right?! So it's gonna shake so much we can't take them off?! Dammit, you tricked me! It is going to shake after all! Where are the parachutes?! I knew I should have taken the boooooaaaaat!!”       That list of names covers pretty much all the core cast members introduced in episode 1. It'll still be a few updates before all of them finally finish showing up, though.    : "Faaalll! Faaalll! Uu-uu-uu-uu-!!": "Maria, that's enough! ...But what a surprise, though. And I thought there was nothing that could scare Battler-kun.": "I don't know why, but this guy hates any vehicle. He always babbles that it's going to crash or sink. You're a disgrace of a man, you are.": "...Shaddup. It's only to be expected, with all that shaking... It was my first time on a small plane like that, so I just got a little stressed, that's all..." : "Wah-hahaha, now now, everyone's got their strong and their weak points. It's bad to laugh at 'em. Wah-hahaha...!": "D, Dad, you're laughing too. Hey, Maria-chan, stop laughing already.": "Stop laughing already? Uu-!"Gyah, dammit! Is being scared of planes really such a big deal? Everyone obviously thinks I'm a big oaf now... Tch!   Since it's a neighboring island, it's not that great a distance. By boat, it's a leisurely 30 minutes to the island. After going to the pier where the boat to the island is anchored, we saw a silhouette waving its hand.   : "Ah, Jessica-chan, it's been a year since I saw you! You've gotten taller again, haven't you?" : "Kyah-haha, don't gimme that, it's embarrassing when you say that every year!": "...H-hey, Aniki, you've gotta be kidding me. That's really Jessica?!": "Wait a sec, George nii-san... This big guy, ...is Battler?!"We look at each other up and down, all serious.  : "Yo, Jessica! What's this now! You're kidding me, you look like a woman now! What're these, boobs? Even you managed to get a chest! Ihihi, let me rub 'em, let me~!": "Don't screw around with me, I'm a blushing flower of 18! Just like hair grows out, so'll other stuff! You think I got boobs just so you can go and rub 'em, loser!? And what about you, Battler? You got all ridiculously big only physically!! Did you get a little stronger?": "Don't screw with me, I'll show you how much training I've piled up since back then!!": "You're pissing me off!! I'll beat you at your own game!" She's Dad's older brother's daughter. That older brother is in fact the oldest son of the Ushiromiya family, so for now, it means Jessica is the direct heir of the Ushiromiya family. Since Jessica and I are the same age and sometimes had little boy-girl squabbles with each other, we've always been used to fighting and joking around together whenever the relatives gather. Jessica grew more quickly, so she always had me beat in terms of size and physical strength. So, when we scuffled as a contest of strength, it usually went Jessica's way. So even though I clearly understand that I'm bigger now, I still feel like I can't win against Jessica with my strength. : "...Woh...ah...! What the, wha, you're getting serious...! Owowow...": "Hey hey hey, this is nothin'! Jessica, you've gotten weak.": "Sh-shaddup. I'm a woman, so there's no way I could beat a man with physical strength forever, right?!"  : "I told you, my boobs aren't for you to feel up!! Besides, how 'bout you? Did your cute lil' elephant-san get a bit bigger to go with the rest of you?!": "Stop it, idiot! Nooo, you perv! I'll be ruined for marriage...don't touch my cro~tch!!": "D, don't say stuff people are gonna misinterpret!!"This is sort of an improvement over Higurashi, where it took maybe a dozen screens before they started talking about the main's “furry seal.” For the uninitiated, Umineko mostly stops with this poo poo once it gets going, trust me. But while it's setting up...this happens. Honestly, I was so surprised at how feminine Jessica has become that I had to seriously horse around to hide it. ......That's right, considering what a bossy brat she was six years ago, anyone would be surprised. And I guess it's even more true for Jessica. She sure didn't think she'd lose to me. Because she lost so easily, she must be shocked at all the growth I've had these six years past. ......Six years, was it? Once more, I realize the blank that all this time means.  : "Fa-ll? What the hell's that?": "Heheh! Sorry, but there's no chance Jessica'll be able to see that weakness of mine now! After all, the nightmare plane trip is already over and done with! Only thing left is the nice, quiet splashing of the boat trip. I never thought I'd start loving that piece-a-junk boat this much. Ihihi!": "Hu-h???? George nii-san, is there something wrong with his head?":"You'll understand soon. Very soon."At the time, I didn't understand what Aniki meant by that big smile...   "Battler-kun, you remember? Look, it's Kumasawa-san, the servant." "How could I forget Kumasawa baa-chan! Anyway, you haven't aged a bit in these past six years. Wait, you haven't gotten younger, have you~?"  : "Hoh-hoh-ho! Lately, my skin has been getting all smooth and silky! And look, hasn't my chest gotten even bigger as well? ...Want to try rubbing it?": "V-Very funny! My breast rubbing is strictly limited to bouncy girls!": "Even I had some bouncy ones in my youth, you know~? Now, now, please feel free to have a go!": "Gyah, gimme a break! It's girls I'm looking for! Not grannies!"The prank I'd pulled on Jessica was turning completely against me. Come to think of it, Kumasawa has always been the type to make fun of people.  The secret of eternal youth: loving with people at every opportunity. That explains so much about this game, really. : "It's rare for Kumasawa-san to come pick us up. Now, I do wonder why? Whenever you're entrusted with something to do, your lumbago always kicks in. *snicker*.": "Hoh-hoh-ho, Eva-sama, you are harsh as usual. I found myself with some urgent purchases to make, and while I was at it, I thought I would come welcome you all. Although, it does give a bad impression if the one waiting to greet you is a decrepit old woman. Hoh-hoh-ho...!"Eva oba-san was sarcastic, but Kumasawa baa-chan's years of experience are nothing to sneeze at. She showed that she was capable of smoothly and coolly letting that comment slide. Well, it feels weird to say it, but as a servant, old Kumasawa baa-chan may be past her prime. She might behave as if she's doing well, but between the headache and the lumbago, her body is wearing out. To tell the truth, the very fact that she's still working is already impressive. ...How old is she this year again? She must be pushing eighty at least. It's incredible that she's still able to act so brightly.  Whether or not Kumasawa baa-chan remembered the promise, she seemed deeply touched by the fact that someone would bring a gift to a simple servant like her.  It seems like her only flaw is a tendency to slack off. I hear she tries to get away from heavy or troublesome work by playing up her chronic diseases. ...In Kumasawa baa-chan's case, maybe we should call that a laid back craftiness rather than a tendency to slack off. ...Though it probably doesn't help her in the eyes of those paying her salary. Ah well, even if she's pretty flaky when it comes to work, I don't dislike her. I guess that's probably because of her cheerfulness and her constant smile. : "Hey, glad to see you're still in fine spirits! How's your back doin' then?": "Even with the medicine, it's not getting one whit better. According to the doctor, nothing can be done for this one. It's what's called an incurable disease, hoh-hoh-ho!" :"You idiot, don't you start looking like me. Your nose looking like mine already pisses me off.": "What are you talking about? You're surprisingly alike, you and your father.": "Come on, you can't be serious... Just how am I like Dad?": "You're his copy in arrogance and self-importance. Father's blood is especially strong in you and Nii-san. Wouldn't you say, Rosa?": "Oh, absolutely. Krauss nii-san and Rudolf nii-san are almost unbelievably like Dad."Except not in the ways that would make them amazing. Alas. : "Alright, alright already, why am I the only one under fire from the girls? Hideyoshi nii-san, please help me out.": "My my, Rudolf-kun, yer always popular with the ladies. I'm jealous! Wah-hah-hah-ha!": "Hoh-hoh-ho! As usual, you're popular enough to make me jealous. Well then, everyone, shall we head over to the boat? Come now, Maria-san, let's get on the boat together, alright?: "Get on the boat together. Uu-! Everyone gets on together. Uu-!" : "Oh yes, Battler-kun, I forgot to tell you. ...That fishing boat was completely decrepit so it was taken out of use a few years back. Now we get taken to the island in another boat.": "Ohhh, right. It's Battler's first time in the new boat! It's super comfy! And frickin' fast! It can go at crazy high speeds!": "Ohhh... That means less trip time, right? That sounds great! Anyway, even if it's only a bit better than an airplane, as long as we get just a little less time exposed to the danger of sinking, that's really just awesomely great~.": "...Uu-. Is Battler going to faaall faaall again?":"That's only on airplanes. Everything's fine now!": "Anyway, it's the captain's pride and joy, and it's a kinda modded high-speed boat. Seems he tinkers with big parts of it. He was bragging about how he attached four-base high efficiency propellers to it so that he could break 40 knots or something like that. I just remember how he's always bragging.": "Me too, I remember since we're told about it every year. The captain says that since he lost a speed contest with a foreign fishing boat a long time ago, he became obsessed with modding. He says that at the time, even though it was only in a fishing boat, his opponent could go at over 30 knots.": "To fulfill his thirst for a revenge match, he created an awesome whole new super high-speed modded boat. I'm sure you'll just love it, Battler."   : "Battler-kun, you shouldn't lean over the railing too much. You might fall.": "Uu- Uu-!! Faaall, faaall!!": "Daaaaammiiiiit..., so this is why you were all grinning before!"Maria really makes this bit, I think. Expression from the portrait, and the VA... She's the cutesy innocent kid of the bunch and yet she's just so overjoyed by Battler's suffering. Truly, she is an exemplary Ushiromiya. So this is the super high-speed boat that the captain started modding, oh yeah, it just can't be compared with the other piece-a-junk boat. "Whooooooooa, it's shaking it's shaking it's shaking!! Fall fall faaall!!"  : "Waah-hah-hah-hah-ha! What's up, Battler, what's with that kinda attitude, waah-hah-hah-hah-ha!": "Jessica-chan, Maria-chan, it's not nice to tease. Battler-kun, if you're scared, then just don't come out on the deck. I think that if you stay inside the boat, you'll be a bit less afraid.": "Heheh, that's a no thank-you, Aniki! Shipwreck victims are always the ones inside the boat. The survivors are usually those on the deck during the accident. That's why I'm here!! But, it's shaking!! I'm gonna faaall!! Whooooaaaaaahhh!!" : "*cackle*! Don't do that, Rosa. Ordeals are necessary to the young. Right, Battler-kun? If it's only this, you can easily conquer it, right? Otherwise, you won't be able to go to Egypt with your aunt!": "Whooooa, Eva oba-san, you're meeeeeeeeaaaan! Ooh noooo, I'm gonna faaaaaall!! Life jackeeeet, parachuuuute?!! Whoooooooaaaaaaahh......!!! N-no, okay, turn it over and think that way!! What's the enemy aiming for?! He wants to make me afraid like this?! If that's what he's aiming for, he's soft, I'm not gonna be scaaaaaaaared!! But stooopp iiit, I'm gonna faaaaaaall!!!"...So in the end, after making that huge uproar, they slowed down to a somewhat better speed for me, since Rosa oba-san was kind enough to talk to the captain... : "............Haa... This speed is a bit better............earlier, I didn't even feel alive......"The max speed I can tolerate seems to be considerably slow. And yet for some reason he doesn't freak out over the taxi leg of the journey. Are Japan's speed limits way lower or something? ...But that earlier was abnormal... The whole boat was shaking! Sliding and leaping on the ocean's surface! Instead of a boat, I felt like I was riding on a flying fish... Jessica was still guffawing at me as I leaned against the railing, tired and disheartened.  : "Uu-. Battler, all weak.": "Yeah, Battler, all weak... I want to die on land, not in the ocean or the sky..."Maria was patting my back, so I tapped her head in return. ...Her expression is blank as usual, but I understand that she wants to console me. : "Battler-kun, the captain is throwing in drinks to make up for this. Won't you have just one? To calm yourself down."George-aniki and Kumasawa baa-chan brought us all glasses with floating ice cubes and canned drinks.  : "...Hey, Jessica. How are Krauss oji-san and Natsuhi oba-san doing?": "My old man and my mom? Unfortunately, they're fine. Though every other word out of their mouths is 'study, study', which pisses me off. I'm so jealous, since it doesn't look like Hideyoshi oji-san or Rudolf oji-san say those kind of things.": "Hahaha, oh no. When I was slacking off during exams, I was always getting told 'exams, exams'. I thought it was annoying, but now I'm grateful.": "Hah, I knew it, George-aniki can be human too... Anyway, I have to look after myself. No one tells me what to do! Well, it's not like I'd listen if they did, hihihi!": "Battler-san, you still cannot return to your home?": "...Well, I kinda go back now and then. I'm still leaving lots of clothes and stuff at the previous house." You'd think the idea wouldn't be quite so baffling to a kid from an ultra-rich family, but I guess when the guy running the show is a crazy island hermit... Or maybe it's just the same deal as the cousin incomprehension. : "Maria! Look, you can see the harbor now...! Look, over there! Can you see it?!": "Uu-! Saw the harbor, saw the harbor!"Apparently, Jessica was trying to be nice by changing the subject. ...Ah, well. I'd rather not talk about it if I can help it, but it's uncomfortable to have it treated like some kind of weird taboo. ...I don't mind that much myself anymore. I'm a member of the Ushiromiya family, but the truth is that these six years, I've been living with my grandparents from my late mother's side, and I've even been using her family name. Those grandparents passed away one after the other, I basically had no choice except to go back and live with the old bastard. Behold. You now know...pretty much everything there is to know about Battler's other grandparents. I'm honestly not sure they're ever even mentioned again. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I ran away from home. The only one at fault here is my dad. ...I don't mind that much about Kyrie-san. Being able to hold that old bastard's reins and ride him out is no mean feat. ...But just the betrayal that the old bastard inflicted on my Mom, ...Well, unfortunately, I still haven't fully gotten over that.  : "......Please forgive my indiscretion. It seems this old woman has said too much already. If I have hurt your feelings-": "Heheh! I don't mind it and no one's feelings are hurt. Don't worry, Kumasawa baa-chan."Kumasawa-san seemed to regret speaking out of turn, but I was more concerned about being worried over for something like that, so I stood up and passed it off lightly. After that, I had a sip of my drink and headed over to Maria and Jessica, who were gazing at the silhouette of the island. : "Uu-! Battler, saw the island, saw the island! There there there! Uu-uu-uu-!":"Where is it...oh, I see it now. Even after six years, the island hasn't changed a bit." The island's name is Rokkenjima. Included in the Izu archipelago, it's a small island about 10km around. Since they call this archipelago 'the Izu Seven', lots of people think there are seven islands, but that's not true. There are actually more than seven. Rokkenjima is also one of the minor islands that don't get counted. Even considering that, there are probably very few people who know about this island. After all, only the people of the Ushiromiya family come to this island. In other words, it has no ties whatsoever to outsiders or tourists. So, you'll never find this island's name in a travel brochure.  There's only a harbor and a mansion. The vast majority of the island is still just uncultivated forest. Such a waste, when it could be made into a nice golf course. However, when you consider that the entire coastline is a private beach, it starts to sound pretty magnificent. To put it plainly now, ...well, the Ushiromiya family is just rolling in dough. The fortune possessed by the head house is apparently vast, and Dad and the others who make up the branch families have built up plenty of wealth for themselves, finding success in their respective businesses. I was living a commoner's life at my grandparents' home these six years, so I had completely forgotten, ...but the old bastard's house really is elegant, and everything about it is tuned to match the snobbish tastes of the annoyingly rich. Come to think of it, I guess that means George-aniki, Jessica, Maria, and I are all wealthy, high-class gentlemen and ladies.  ...Does that attitude really make us any less snobbish? Looking at it from the perspective of people in poverty who can't pay the bills, we must seem like we've been blessed with a lot. This isn't the place to explain any further, so I won't. Anyway, it's the same as not being able to choose the parents you're born from. I didn't ask to be born in a rich family. And I don't think it's really something to be envied. It can be pretty trying when people are prejudiced against you just because you're rich and refuse to judge you on your merits. As I pondered these sentimental thoughts, Maria started shouting and leaned over the railing. : "...Uu-. ...Gone.": "What's wrong, Maria? Did you drop something?" : "What's wrong? What's gone? I'll look for it too if you want. What is it? ...?"If she'd dropped something she probably would have looked down at the floor, but Maria was pointing out over the ocean. One would assume that she had seen something out over the ocean, but she kept saying that it was gone... Strange. But, since my last memories of this place came from six years ago, I was able to spot it before Aniki, who comes here every year. : "...Huh...? ...If I remember correctly, wasn't there a Torii or something on top of a small crag around here? ...That's right, it was definitely there. I remember it well, since as we get closer to the island, it's the first thing to greet us, like a landmark." Yeah, that's right. Not only are the Ushiromiyas rich enough to buy their own island, they're rich enough to buy their own private deity. And then stick him in a tiny little shrine on the cliff edge. : "Maybe they were washed away by the waves or something? It was a small crag, it probably got brittle because of its exposure.": "I think so too. It probably disappeared during the summer. Whatever."And then casually wave it off and barely notice when that shrine falls into the goddamn ocean. : "Or perhaps a huge lightning bolt fell one evening and smashed the shrine... ...The fisherman whisper that having a thunderbolt fall upon our honored tutelary God would be a certain sign of misfortune. ...Lightning begone, lightning begone..."Or perhaps Kinzo decided to top it by proceeding to buy the controlling share in the Norse pantheon and having Thor and the tutelary god fight to the death for his amusement. Kumasawa-san smiled impishly as if teasing us, rubbing her hands together. However, Maria was apparently taking it seriously, and she stared fixedly over the ocean to where the crag housing the god of the shrine was supposed to be. : "...A sign...of misfortune. ...Uu-." : "...Misfortune. ...Misfortune."Maria muttered that word over and over. Apparently, repeating a single word over and over is a habit that Maria's had for a long time. However, since the word she was saying was literally an ill omen, it was a bit creepy. : "Hey now, Maria. If you say it over and over like that, misfortune will really end up happening, you know?"I tapped Maria's other shoulder. And then, Maria whipped her head around, stared into my face, and spoke unblinkingly.  : "Uu-. ...Misfortune...is coming.": "Huh? And just where is it coming from?"I answered light-heartedly, trying to break the tension in the air.  That's right, they were saying that a typhoon was approaching. ...We had planned to spend one night on the island, but if this storm doesn't pass quickly, I won't be able to go to school on Monday. Well, I guess it makes for a pretty good excuse to be absent. : "...Uu-..."...She apparently sensed some kind of misfortune in the cloudy sky. She's been muttering that non-stop for a while now.  : "It's alright, Maria-chan. The weather might get worse around tonight, but tomorrow it'll clear up and become a pretty blue sky.":"Uu-. Pretty blue sky... Uu-..." Maria starts yelling her 'Uu-uu-'. It is at moments like this that, with voices added, one begins to feel distinct flashes of sympathy for Rosa. ...It looked as though she was having a tantrum because no one could understand what she was trying to say. What in the world is Maria trying so desperately to warn us about? Unable to understand her, we couldn't help but feel a vague sense of misfortune... ...I hear that everyone can feel the supernatural, but that it weakens as you age. That might mean that Maria, the youngest one of us all, still possessed some kind of sense that the rest of us had lost. ...I wonder if that sense is sending her a warning. Then, Kumasawa-san quietly opens her mouth. : ".........Rumor has it that, ...long ago, Rokkenjima was-": "Kumasawa-san. Let's not talk about that now."Just as Kumasawa-san was about to tell some story, Jessica sharply interrupted her. For Jessica, this was an extremely firm reaction.  Or perhaps, given her love of suffering and the occult, it'd be just the thing to cheer her up. Even odds, at the least. : "...Hoh hoh hoh, I do apologize about that... The wind here is hard to bear for the elderly, so if you would excuse me for now..."Gossipers have no reason to hang around after they've been told to stop chatting. When Kumasawa-san finally realized that she'd overstepped her bounds, she went back inside the boat. After she left, Hideyoshi oji-san came along to replace her. Since he'd shown up partway through, he completely failed to notice the complicated atmosphere that hung around the scene, so he refreshingly and unwittingly swept that atmosphere aside. And apparently he also completely failed to notice the nine year old screaming about storms and doom. So, in the end, it was his unwittingness that brightened the mood.  : "Ahaha, please, say more to him. Honestly, because of Battler, it's takin' forever~!": "...Uu-."Maria probably thought that no one would listen to her. She hung her head, wearing a fretful face. As she did, George-aniki crouched down to meet her eyes and spoke to her kindly.  : "Yes. There's nothing to be afraid of if we're together.": "...Uu-.": "That's right, exa~actly what George-aniki said. If we're all together, there'll absolutely never be anything at all to be afraid of. Right, Jessica?": "Yeah, no doubt about that. What George nii-san said will always be true, Maria.": "......Uu-. George onii-chan always true." After Aniki patted her head, she jumped away again. Her facial expression had undergone a 180 degree change, turning back to normal. She was once again the ordinary Maria. : "Uu-. There's nothing to be afraid anymore, because we're together. ...Uu-uu-.": "Yeah, that's it. ...You look all better now. You're strong, that's awesome!": "......Uu-! Maria, awesome!" Screaming portents of doom: a little known symptom of seasickness.  And this is one of two way the game signifies the end of a chapter. The episodes are subdivided into them, and after clearing any given episode, starting it fresh offers you the option of skipping to a later chapter in it instead of beginning at the start. There are 17 chapters in episode 1, and the highest count in the first game is 19 chapters in Episode 4.  Both ways are usually accompanied with a clock moving forward. .jpg) .jpg) She's held in such low regard, in fact, that despite being the second most senior servant and her skill at the job, she's the only one in Kinzo's direct employ who doesn't get to wear the family crest.   ...Well, I suppose that makes buying one less impressive if it's just free with the island. Bah. Next time: The seagulls don't cry. Shiny777 fucked around with this message at 23:09 on Aug 4, 2012 |
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Aug 4, 2012 22:28
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