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This is interesting I never read anything about Umineko. I like the characters as well. Eva's design is my favorite so far.
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Aug 5, 2012 04:09
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Don't really get the complaints of doing an LP on this when Tsukihime and FSN were done here and I'd argue they're less interactive then Umineko. Umineko actively tries to get the reader to discuss it with others.
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Aug 5, 2012 04:52
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The VN for Umineko sets the mood very well with sound. Much better than Tsukihime, despite the fact that otherwise both of them have a simplistic style and bad art. You don't get that in this format. Since a LP of it ultimately just amounts to someone reading it to us, the discussion's the only thing it's got going for it.
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Aug 5, 2012 06:43
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I've only been able to get a few Higurashi manga volumes locally, so I'm glad I can experience Umineko this way! I'm guessing that the supernatural side of things means that her tantrums are Something Important, but I wonder if the idea of Maria being autistic is ever brought up. I really liked how George cheered her up, though. 
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Aug 5, 2012 07:11
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DrakePegasus posted:I really liked how George cheered her up, though. I watched the anime, and George ended up being one of my favorite characters. Apparently the fandom really hates him for some reason. The anime as well, and I guess I'll see why when this goes on. There are already some differences, but nothing I'd be willing to call "ruined forever" on yet.
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Aug 5, 2012 08:12
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By the way, to anyone reading this for the first time: Listen to all of the music as it comes up. Seriously.
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Aug 5, 2012 08:17
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I'm really glad someone is doing an lp of this game. The anime sort of cuts off, while the game has the entire story. Does anyone understand what is with Battler's name though? It just seems so stupid for a name. EDIT: Something just note beforehand, the beginning to this can be a bit slow, but it will escalate. Oh boy, will it escalate. Obscil fucked around with this message at 09:02 on Aug 5, 2012 |
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Aug 5, 2012 08:58
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Obscil posted:I'm really glad someone is doing an lp of this game. The anime sort of cuts off, while the game has the entire story. Does anyone understand what is with Battler's name though? It just seems so stupid for a name. As Battler complained all of his families names are odd for japan.
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Aug 5, 2012 09:04
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Don't think the autism possibility is ever brought up like by name or anything. Maria's almost certainly got some kind of disorder, quite possibly from that spectrum, but the game never comes out and says what exactly it is. As for Battler's name, I've seen one explanation for it that sounds vaguely plausible. It is, however, kinda tied in with one of the game's biggest plot twists. And still doesn't explain why the hell his parents thought it was a good idea.
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Aug 5, 2012 09:19
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I don't know how I should feel about this, but I guess this will be good to show to the rest of the people, since it will just spark up some debate later on. But I am glad as well for those who didn't hear about the series that want to read it, it's an okay series overall and the anime do much justice (try compressing about 100 hours of text, images and music into 26 episodes of 24 minutes each). One tip though, once things happen, don't stop thinking. EDIT: forgot to say as well, as soon as a piece of music shows up, please listen to it (just like another person said), since it creates the perfect atmosphere for the events that are happening. Walterion fucked around with this message at 10:34 on Aug 5, 2012 |
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Aug 5, 2012 10:16
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The reasons why VN readers hated the anime will become clear as we go forward. To be fair, I honestly don't think Umineko COULD be adapted well though, it's just impossible.
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Aug 5, 2012 11:52
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Just finished this series about two week ago and I will be very interested to see it again. I only regret I didn't realize there was a patch to replace content with the PS3 versions. I'm really looking forward to seeing other peoples opinions and ideas on this as things play out. This can't really be considered a "Game" that you "Play", but I still approve of starting this here. Also want to Nth the sentiment that it starts slow but once things get moving, you will be praying for the next update to come out a bit sooner, as well as the fact that the music is some of the best I've ever heard in a visual (sound) novel.
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Aug 5, 2012 11:56
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Watched the anime and am really glad you're taking the time to LP this. I really look forward to the discussions especially for when the ball gets rolling- I'm also almost sure the VN will start diverging a lot from how certain things were set up in the anime. As for Maria and her... "quirks", well I have no idea how differently the anime covered it but it's certainly something. blankd fucked around with this message at 14:34 on Aug 5, 2012 |
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Aug 5, 2012 14:31
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So how long does it take for poo poo to get real? I play videogames to get away from the mundane dammit! I'm also getting increasingly convinced that VN writers are paid by the word.
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Aug 5, 2012 15:14
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The first novel is the slowest one and spends quite a long time on the build up. It also has a different approach and style from every other novel.
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Aug 5, 2012 15:58
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Elite posted:So how long does it take for poo poo to get real? I play videogames to get away from the mundane dammit! Roughly, it would take a little bit till things start going badly. Then it gets REAL after it went badly.
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Aug 5, 2012 16:03
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A Seacats LP? I am pumped for this game! I never got around the purchasing the games when they came out but I did watch a bunch of clips online and the anime as well. It's pretty weird to see these new sprites. Try not to burn out, Shiny777.
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Aug 6, 2012 01:34
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Part Three: Seacats and Scenery Porn  Seems we've docked at the harbor. The boat driver came out and jumped to the pier with the mooring rope. There was a largely built man in a tuxedo greeting us with a warm smiling face. ...I didn't know his face, but judging by his clothes, I guessed that he was a servant of the Ushiromiya family head house.   : "Ah, thanks for caring! This moron got so scared, that we had to slow down. It was seriously annoying!" : "S, shut up..., someday, when the shoe's on the other foot, you'll remember this, ...ugghh."At this rate, the word'll spread around the entire family and I'll become the big conversation piece during dinner. Even without this, everyone'd be talking about me because of that six year gap, but now I'd given them an even juicier topic...! Dammit, why does the Ushiromiya head house have to live on this isolated island! In the meantime, the boat had finished its mooring. A small plank was lowered so that we could get down. One by one, our parents came out of the boat.   : "Battler-kun, isn't this your first time meeting Gohda-san? If I'm not mistaken, you weren't working here six years ago, right?" : "Indeed. So please, allow me to greet him for the first time. It is an honor to meet you at last, Battler-sama.": "...I'm pretty secure about my height, but you're huge. ...This is definitely our first meeting. If I'd ever met a big guy like you, I'd never forget it...! It's a pleasure. I'm Battler." Of all Gohda's skills, his most highly-valued by far is his ability to pronounce parentheses in speech. A rare gift, that.  : "Gohda-san, it's been some time.": "It has been too long, George-sama. Please, allow me to assist you." : "As usual, you're a reception pro... If you even need a job, just let me know, okay? I'd hire you anytime!": "You do me too much honor. Please allow me to assist you, Hideyoshi-sama."Gohda-san then lent a hand to everyone as they disembarked, greeting them as they passed. His speech and mannerisms had the refined polish of a professional. He was very graceful, in contrast with his initially rough-looking appearance.  After everybody disembarked, the mooring rope was untied and the boat started to steer away from the harbor. It was probably returning to its home port of Niijima. The captain waved his hand in farewell. Maria conscientiously waved her hand back.  A brief explanation of the titles. Umineko's translates to When The Seacats Cry, and Higurashi was When The Cicadas Cry. Generally, the titular animal crying is an indication of Bad poo poo. : "Seagulls? The birds?"It's true that whenever I come to this island, the seagulls always meet us with their lively 'nyaa nyaa' cries. And because of that, whenever I hear the cries of the seagulls in any other place, I get the feeling that I'm coming to a family conference. Except for the small part where those of the Ushiromiya head house live, Rokkenjima had been left uncultivated, apparently transforming into a paradise for wild birds. The whole wharf looked like it was turning into a huge seagull colony, and this island always was full of seagulls. Since those seagulls didn't come to greet us, I felt a bit lonely.  : "What's wrong, Battler-kun?": "Oh, Rosa oba-san. ...Nah, it's nothing really, I was just sayin' that since I can't hear the seagulls, it feels a bit lonely."  : "The hell, don't say disturbing stuff like that! You'll get Maria all confused!!" : "Uu-uu-uu-! Jessica onee-chan made them into yakitori, made them into yakitori! Uu-!!": "I did not, I did not! Why the hell would I do something like that?!""That's right, that's right~, Jessica made 'em into yakitori! Skin n' meatballs, liver 'n onio~on!" "Swim in meat dolls! Liver n' oniooon!! Uu-uu-uu-! Ahaha, ahaha! Kyakkya, kyakkya!" As I made fun of Jessica, Maria tagged along looking like she was having fun. In truth, the seagulls really were harvested by the Ushiromiya family. Nothing to do with yakitori, though. Their blood is the secret ingredient in Kinzo's booze.  : "That's not it, Maria-chan. It seems that wild birds are attuned to changes in the weather and atmospheric pressure. It looks like the weather will get worse around tonight. It's possible they hurried back to their nests.": "............Uu-. Not yakitori? Jessica onee-chan didn't make them into yakitori?": "I did not, I did not!! I said, I wouldn't do stuff like that! Alright, Battler, you admit right now that you lied!": "Battler-kun. Maria-chan is a naive girl, so she takes even jokes seriously. You should choose your jokes more carefully."...George-aniki gently scolded me. ...Even though I outstripped Aniki in height, Aniki was of course Aniki. There was no choice but to obediently apologize. : "H-hey, my bad, my bad... Maria, that just now was a joke. It's just today the seagulls are all quiet in their nests.": "......Battler lie? George onii-chan true?"Despite her having all that fun, she really was tricked...? Her pure eyes seemed to blame me. ......Maybe I went a little overboard with her after all.  : "That's right. Tomorrow, when the weather gets better, I'm sure they'll come back and let us hear their 'Myaa myaa' cries.": "Uu-. They're waiting for the weather to get better to come back. Waiting for tomorrow. Waiting for the weather to get better. Uu-uu-!"Maria was in a lighter mood, and was looking forward to tomorrow when the seagulls would come back and fill the skies. Still, George-aniki really was amazing at taking care of kids. ...I think I remember Aniki taking good care of me as well when I was a brat six years ago. ...Aniki, that's probably your gift.  : "You're truly modest, George-kun. But Battler-kun is also quite good with children! Earlier, even if it was just for a time, Maria seemed to be having a lot of fun. Keep on playing with her like you did just now. Just choose the jokes carefully though, alright? *giggle*."Rosa oba-san winked at me, giggling a little. A real mother, I thought to myself, who's happy that Maria looks like she's having fun.  : "Alright, alright, we're coming."The old bastard was waving his hand for us to hurry up. But yeah, we needed to get moving. It's not like it'd be too late to have the same discussion after we got our luggage in our rooms. : "Now then everyone, I shall lead you towards the guesthouse where you will be staying. Please, this way."Gohda-san called to everyone and started leading us. Kumasawa-san brought up the rear.  I'd guess the path was made twisting so that the slope wouldn't be felt too much, but personally, I'd have been happier if they'd had the guts to make some stairs in a straight line. ......No doubt they made the path twisting on purpose, to put on airs of distance and importance... The twisting path was really just a placeholder. Kinzo never quite managed to finalize his design for an elaborate, deathtrap-filled forest maze.  At the top of the stone steps, we saw a beautiful guesthouse.   This was, in large part, because he was unable to figure out how to properly integrate the rose garden.   :"Aren't the flowers less lively this year? It must be because the summer wasn't warm enough.": "I also believe that is so. When one compares with last year's blooming, it is a pity that this year's is a bit inferior." ...This rose garden was the first thing that greeted the people who came to Rokkenjima. Even our parents, who came every year, couldn't help but let their wonder slip out. And moreover, it looked like a 'powered-up' version of the garden from six years ago that was in my memories. : "This place is always so amazing. It must be wonderful to have a rose garden like this in your own home.” : "Give it up. Who do you think would take care of it? Roses are a real pain, with bugs and diseases to worry about.” : "That's right. Though in this person's case, the rose goes after the insects like some nasty carnivorous plant.": "...Oh, so that's what you mean. C'mon, Rosa, can't you give that a rest just for today? I've put that sort of thing completely behind me.": "I wonder. After all, you are a womanizer on an almost genetic level...!"This is...kind of an odd statement. The way she phrases it, it sounds like something Rudolf inherited, but it's definitely not something he got from Kinzo. Maybe it's from their mom? : "No need to worry, Rosa-san. When a rose gives you too much trouble, it's always best to snip it at the root."Even with the voices added, you can't hear Rudolf gulping as he realizes, all too late, that's he's married the Japanese Lorena Bobbit. But it's probably happening. Granted this is most of a decade before that reference would even be a thing, but When They Cry doesn't really give a drat about anachronisms. Higurashi was set three years earlier and namedropped Playstation and I think one of the Metal Gear Solid games. And itself. Higurashi was goddamn weird sometimes.  : "Hoh-hoh-hoh-ho..., such frightening talk this is.": "Guys who're popular with the ladies are always forced to live dangerously. I sure hope I turn out a bit prettier in my next life!" Notice, by the way, the constant background switches. There are about half a dozen of them for the garden. Oddly, despite them maintaining a rose garden huge and impressive enough to need that many backgrounds to get it across, the Ushiromiyas have no dedicated gardener on the permanent, full time staff. : "Hey, Maria-chan, come see here. The roses here are especially magnificent.": "...Roses are magnificent. ...Uu-!": "Hmmm~~, smells pretty sweet. Look, this matches my elegance pe~rfectly.": "Hey, cut it out! Maria's gonna imitate you and get hurt by the thorns!"She yelled at me as I leaned in to smell the rose's scent with an exaggerated gesture. ...I thought she was overreacting, but when I turned around I saw Maria imitating my every gesture, and George-aniki smiling broadly at us. : "Hey now, Maria-chan, be careful. Rose thorns can hurt.": "...Uu-? ...George onii-chan. Only this rose is strange. Uu-.": "Strange? What's wrong?" Though they couldn't be bothered to actually show a withering one in the mix. Can't have that detracting from the scenery. There wasn't any particular reason. Some roses flourish, and others wither. That's all there was to it, but Maria seemed very concerned about the only unhealthy one in the group. ...It must have made her feel lonely.  : ".........Uu-."It seemed that Maria's pure, sensitive nature was making her feel some emotional pain for the rose that withered alone. Even though she understood the logic of it, it still felt lonely to her. : "Then, Maria-chan, why don't we look after this rose until we leave?": "Uu-?"George-aniki straightened up and felt around in his pocket. He then took out the wrapping from the candy that Maria had eaten on the plane. He twisted it into a thin string, and gently tied it to that rose as a sort of marker. : "Heeey, that's pretty cute!": "Let's mark it with this. Later on, you can come and give it some water. I'm sure Mr. Rose will be happy."Why the translation dropped the usual Japanese honorifics for English in this one instance, I have no idea. : "......Uu-! Come to give it water!" : "Name...? Name.........Uu-...uu-..."Though she still wore her usual sullen face, Maria crossed her arms and began to consider this intently. At the very least, she appeared to have been completely pulled out of her sorrow. Nice going, Aniki. : "George nii-san has always been really understanding. Can't help but respect him.": "Yeah. I guess he was just born that way. We gotta start picking up tips!": "Was this garden just as magnificent when you all were kids?" : "Now then, everyone, if you please. I shall be guiding you to the rooms now."Gohda-san called to everyone to ask if we were ready, but our hearts had been completely stolen away by the rose garden after a year of absence, and we didn't lend him an ear. Since we weren't a travel group, it wasn't like we had a strict schedule to follow. Besides, since our parents were visiting their old home, full of nostalgia, it wasn't like they had to let themselves be urged on by anyone or anything. Understanding the situation, Gohda-san continued to wait, smiling widely, until our parents got tired of the roses and told him to guide us to the rooms... : "My...! Heeey! If it isn't Kanon-kun! It's been so long! How are you doin'?!"Hideyoshi oji-san suddenly shouted.   Meeting him right after a huge man like Gohda probably emphasized his small stature. The boy was in the middle of transporting piled-up gardening tools and the like in a wheelbarrow. When he realized he was being called to stop, he set down the wheelbarrow, took his hat off and bowed his head.  To those of you who were complaining about the ellipses spam before, man, you saw nothing. Kanon produces enough extra ...s to supply a couple medium-sized countries. ...I figured he was probably younger than me. I realized by the general atmosphere surrounding him that he was a servant too. He answered Hideyoshi oji-san's greeting, but he seemed unsociable deep down. It was a greeting that lacked feeling. When Gohda-san noticed that our interest had shifted towards him, he went to the boy's side and introduced him to us.  See? Told you. And it would appear that Gohda's talent for pronouncing the unpronounceable is not unique among the servants. Perhaps it's a requirement to get on the full time staff. Yep, my first impression wasn't wrong, he gave the feeling that he was unsociable, and a bit of a poor speaker. Compared to Gohda-san, who was extraordinarily polished as a servant, no matter what he did, he gave off a feeling of inexperience typical of his age. When Gohda-san urged him in a whisper to give a bit more of an introduction, the boy named Kanon only cast his eyes downwards.  : "Ah, uh, Kanon-kun's shy, he's the kind that doesn't talk much. He might not be that sociable, but deep down he's really a good person! Don't get him wrong...! You've been working here for three years, was it? So yeah, you've been here a year longer than Gohda-san, right Kanon-kun?"Even though it's not like he made a super bad impression, Jessica hurriedly backed him up. ...I see, apparently him being unsociable works against him all the time. : "Ok then, nice to meet you. I'm Battler! I'm 18, how old are you?" : "..."A silence, as if appraising whether it was a question that must be answered or not. ...But here again, Jessica plowed ahead. : "Um, uhh...! If I remember correctly, he's two years younger than us so,...sixteen, right?": "...Yes, ...that is correct."It looked like if given a choice, he would have preferred not to tell us his age. Him not wanting to tell his age was probably because he thought he would be looked down upon for it. ...I remember that when I was around his age, I hated being asked how old I was by adults. ...I see, sixteen huh? That's gotta be a delicate time. ...In that case, I asked something I shouldn't have.  Jessica looked all downcast for some reason. She seemed to think that my impression of Kanon was worsening because of his rejection. Well, that girl Jessica probably couldn't understand the fretful male heart at this age. As his elder, even by just two years, who would lead him into adolescence, I took it upon myself to understand that.  :  : "Hoh-hoh-ho... Gohda-san, Kanon-kun is trying his best, isn't he?"It looked like he had already been well warned about his discourtesy. And apparently he hadn't improved a bit. Gohda-san kept his business-smile, but let a small sigh of resignation escape. : "...Well then, I still have work to do. ...If you'll excuse me." Just then, suddenly, the wheelbarrow wobbled and fell, scattering the load. I guess the wheelbarrow with its single wheel caught on a pebble and lost its balance. : "What have you done..., now now, quickly clean it up...!" He seemed to be fine with the light-looking gardening tools, shovels and such, but he looked like he was having trouble getting his arms around and lifting up some sacks of fertilizer. In fact, not only do they not keep a full-time gardener, but they hand it off to someone who can barely do the job. Presumably for the schadenfreude. : "Are you alright? You're so careless. Here.": "Milady, you will dirty your garments. Please, leave it to us."Gohda-san took the shovel that Jessica had picked up with an elegant gesture. At his back was the figure of Kanon-kun having trouble with the sacks of fertilizer.  Kanon-kun turned his surprised eyes towards me. It was the face of one who would never have thought to receive help from a guest. : "...B-Battler-sama... That's sufficient..., I'll take care of everything, so...": "Don't you worry! I may not look it, but I've got it where it counts! Heheh!"Since Kanon-kun looked like he hadn't yet gone through his growth spurt, he was stuck with a sorta weak body. I guessed that this kind of weight was too much for him. : "It's quite heavy, isn't it. It's natural that it would be difficult for you. Kanon-kun, don't worry about it.": "Ok, my time to shine. This makes up for the boat part from before, right?" Nothing he does will ever be enough for him to live that down. Way the hell in the future, after curing cancer and overseeing the colonization of the moon, the poor bastard's gonna end up with a tombstone reading something like... “Here lies Battler Ushiromiya 1968-2050 Faaall faaall!! Uu-uu-uu-!!!” As they did this, I piled all the stuff back into the wheelbarrow. : "...For letting you see such unsightliness, I beg your forgiveness.": "Very well, enough now. Please, go."Letting such a disgraceful thing be seen by the guests who were supposed to be made welcome...must have been hideously embarrassing as a servant. Pressed by Gohda to hurry up and exit, Kanon-kun left.  : "Kanon-kun has a ton a things he's good at too. It's just that bein' young works against him all the time. It's a cryin' shame.": "It's a prickly age. You be nice to him. Close-mouthed servants are just fine. Right, Kumasawa-san?": "Hoh-hoh-hoh-ho, Rudolf-sama, you truly are harsh! There is no servant as silent as I, of course!"Everyone smiled wryly at that shameless lie. Even she herself didn't believe that, not in her wildest dreams. She said that to loosen us all up. Yeah, that's the kind of character Kumasawa baa-chan used to be. The mood that had stiffened a little was cleared up in a twinkling, thanks to Kumasawa-san's cheerful smile.  We headed towards a trim, elegantly simple guesthouse. This was gonna be our temporary quarters for a night.  In his mind, he kept going over his previous mistake. Battler, big and strong, had picked up the sacks in front of him, the sacks he couldn't lift himself, as if they were feathers. It was extremely difficult for an outside observer to guess what emotions that favor had stirred up in Kanon. But as far as you could tell by watching him hang his head from behind, there was something that he just couldn't let go. ...Muttered words escaped his lips. But those words he murmured were so soft that they didn't reach even his own ears.  Kanon hung his head, slightly biting his lower lip...   And yet despite not being terribly well regarded, he gets to wear the eagle. One suspects that this honor is really less merit-based and more Kinzo-tossing-blindfolded-darts-based.  Next time: Not Tourian. Shiny777 fucked around with this message at 03:18 on Aug 8, 2012 |
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Aug 7, 2012 11:25
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Oh Gohda, how I love to hate you.
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Aug 7, 2012 14:47
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Not being able to comment on stuff due to spoilers is killing me.
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Aug 7, 2012 15:21
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Rodyle posted:Not being able to comment on stuff due to spoilers is killing me. Yeah, I know what you mean about that. Episode 1 is slow in that aspect and doesn't go fast enough for someone to start going all over the place.
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Aug 7, 2012 15:47
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I never get tired of Kanon's stupid salute/pose/One Hand Inverted Raise the Roof. It is the most annoying thing to me.
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Aug 7, 2012 16:49
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The Servant Hand Pose(tm) is integral Out of all the new art, I don't think I'll ever get used to how new George looks compared to old George.  Apparently being better-drawn makes you lose 30 pounds.
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Aug 7, 2012 22:10
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Nah. Patched Umineko takes place in a parallel world from the unpatched version. One of the few differences between the two is that in this one, George went on a diet for the conference.
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Aug 8, 2012 00:49
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Goddamn that is a ton of text. Also a lot of ellipses. Is this common in visual novels (although this is more of a 'kinetic' novel?) or is this just normal for Japanese literature? Are you going to transcribe every single thing said in this game? I hope not, that sounds like a really tiring thing to do  I am interested in seeing if the infamous Umineko really deserves its fame for allegedly trolling its readers.Shiny777 posted:
 I thought it was "seagulls".
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Aug 8, 2012 01:52
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I think you messed up a picture, right before Kanon shows up.
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Aug 8, 2012 02:02
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toanoradian posted:Wait, Seacats it is Seagulls, but Umineko can be read as Umi, for sea, and neko, for cat. Thus, Seacats. It works both ways anyway. You will see afterwards about the entire reader trolling thing going on, it happens way later this episode.
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Aug 8, 2012 02:04
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toanoradian posted:Goddamn that is a ton of text. Also a lot of ellipses. Is this common in visual novels (although this is more of a 'kinetic' novel?) or is this just normal for Japanese literature? I believe he said he's using a text dump. Also yeah, ellipses seems to be a Japanese thing, although I'm not sure if you'd see it in actual literature (as it either wouldn't happen, or the translators would axe it.) And Umineko literally means Seacats, although it actually means Seagulls. It's a joke amongst the Western fanbase to call it Seacats.
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Aug 8, 2012 02:13
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toanoradian posted:Goddamn that is a ton of text. Also a lot of ellipses. Is this common in visual novels (although this is more of a 'kinetic' novel?) or is this just normal for Japanese literature? In a "pure" Japanese writing style, a period, which looks different from an English one, is just to denote the end of a sentence. The closest thing to ellipses I've seen is the long line marks they like to use. But that's for traditional top-down, right-left Japanese. I guess they don't like using the line in European-style left-right writing formats? I do see ellipses in VNs all the time. Seacats is a pun. 'Umineko' can be read as 'umi' or sea, and 'neko', which is cat  Obviously that's not what it's meant to be read as officially. It confuses me too because I thought seagull was 'kamome'. Shows what I know!
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Aug 8, 2012 02:20
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KamikazePotato posted:The Servant Hand Pose(tm) is integral
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Aug 8, 2012 02:31
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Kanon's short arm is killing me here. Guess they couldn't smooth out all the problems with the sprites!  Hope is one of my favorite songs from the soundtrack, and with a soundtrack this good that is saying something. It turned one well-done scene into one of the most memorable parts of the first story for me.
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Aug 8, 2012 03:15
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Endorph posted:This especially becomes weird later on when George talks about how he's average-looking, even though in the PS3 patch he looks like a character from a yaoi VN. Even better, there's at least one point later where it's directly mentioned that he's getting fat.
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Aug 8, 2012 03:25
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I think a lot of it's in how much less round his face is. Also, octuple-ellipses with commas immediately before or after? That's some uu-levels of terrible verbal tic.
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Aug 8, 2012 05:04
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heroiccreampuff posted:Seacats is a pun. 'Umineko' can be read as 'umi' or sea, and 'neko', which is cat It's not a pun, actually. The black-tailed gull is literally called "sea cat" in Japan and "cat gull" in Korea because I guess they sound like cats, which is why Rosa said "myaa myaa cries." Which means "kamome" is still the word for "seagull", the title is just referring to a specific kind of seagull.
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Aug 9, 2012 17:36
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Sorry about the sudden 5 day gap. Week became kind of a whole pet-centered clusterfuck that ate a bunch of time and kept throwing off my sleep schedule. Think things are finally pretty well in hand now, though, so should be able to pick the pace back up if nothing else goes wrong. Part Four: Fuckin' TIPs, how do they work.  So I'm just gonna lay this on the table. Before I actually picked up Umineko myself, or knew much about it, I saw this place referred to as Torian, and my mind automatically filled in the missing letter. Even to this day, I'm kinda disappointed the guesthouse contains no space jellyfish, laser donuts, or giant brains. The brand-new western-style guesthouse that stood overlooking the rose garden had a magnificent design carefully done in harmony with the garden. Though I guess they could still be working on those, since it's new and all. : "Correct! It was built the year before last. And after that, they made us sleep over here.”: "Hehe, this place's more fun than that junky old mansion you knew. I wish my room was over here!": "Uu-! Maria wants one too! Waaant!"...I guess you could say my house was also upper-class, but I thought it was completely ordinary compared to the head house. The display of wealth was shocking, as was the fact that they would build this kind of awesome guesthouse for guests who come over like once a year. : "Eva-sama, Hideyoshi-sama. Please, do make use of this room. Rudolf-sama, Kyrie-sama, please make use of this room here." : "...Haha, they've been fighting over making our new house Japanese-style or western-style. Mom still holds a grudge about Dad having the construction started as Japanese-style, and they bicker all the time about it.": "I'm really jealous, George nii-san. Your parents get along well, don't they? Mine are so frosty. But even so, they're right with each other when it comes to my grades."All the rooms seemed to be two-person. I was grateful, because since things turned out like this, I wasn't gonna be forced to share the same room with the old bastard, under the pretext that we were family. I figure those two wouldn't be able to enjoy themselves with someone like me around, ihihi. :"What's that creepy smile all about? You're thinking about something dirty, aren't you.": "Ihihihi~! Something diiirrrty? Of cooouuurse not! Do please...enjoy your staaay~! Ow, owowowow! That hurts, you old bastard!"Once again, Dad pulled my ears from behind.  : "...Hmm...,Same as last year, I guess. ...Considering they say he's got three months left, he's as stubborn, grumpy, and irritable as ever.": "Meaning, this year he's in his usual bad mood. ...And as usual, the only one who's able to take care of him is Genji-san?": "It seems that the Master will only open his heart to Genji-san. Lately, us small people cannot even get an audience...": "He's shut himself up in his study again, probably doing nothing but that weird black magic of his. What he does for a hobby is his own drat business, but when he starts stinking up the house, it really gets on my nerves. ...And I wish he'd never come out of that study again. Heheheh!"The house stinks of seawater, death, and things man was not meant to smell. Beatrice is really just Cthulhu in a dress : "You shouldn't talk like that about the elderly. We're all indebted to him, since he rebuilt the Ushiromiya Family, and a little gratitude wouldn't hurt.": "Hm, ...well... ...Sorry."After being rebuked by George-aniki, Jessica had no choice but to take back her thoughtless remark.  Dad had said he was getting a stomachache earlier..., but I guess that was what all the adults who came here today were actually feeling. They know there's fair odds at least one of them is going to end up on a blood-soaked altar before the conference is over. No doubt they were jealous of us, the grandchildren, just playing and laughing without a care. From the stories Dad told me, the Head of the Family was a violent man who rained blows on his sons with his own fists and even beat his daughters mercilessly with a wooden sword. Originally, he used a proper metal sword, but he switched when it got too annoying to have to replace the carpet and wallpaper whenever he hosed up and disemboweled one. If he was such a hard-rear end with his kids, why wasn't he the same with their names? Because of that, it's a pain even for us grandkids. ...Well, I'm not the least unsettled by his terrifying image. I don't have many memories of meeting him over the years, but I remember Grandpa, his face always full of menacing thunder-clouds, always making his surroundings shrink away with a sharp look.  Fortunately for them, they also know Battler, as the guest of honor, is more likely to be chosen as the offering. : "...Six years ago I was in grade school, but, as one would expect, I'm a high-schooler now. If I act up, things'll probably get serious. ...Ooo, scary.": "He does look frightening, but he's not completely terrifying. He's definitely never unfair. He's just very direct and not a pretty talker, that's all.": "But George nii-san, you've been the family darling since like forever because of your awesome grades, right? Grandfather treats us completely different! Like me, I've gotten slapped with a wooden sword. On my rear end, my rear end! On my maidenly, innocent rear end!" I think I already said it before, but Jessica was the daughter who would inherit the head house. As cousins of a branch of the family, the pressure on our shoulders was probably different. : "...Uu-? Jessica onee-chan, heavy? If Maria holds it, will it get lighter?": "Hm? Ahahahaha, thanks. It's alright, it's not gonna get pushed on you, Maria. ...I'm gonna bear that cross until my grave. ...Don't worry."She was grateful for Maria's innocent consideration, but it seemed that anxiety for the future she couldn't clear away remained on Jessica's face. ...Were we the same? If it was a high-schooler near an examination, nobody'd be able to hide their anxiety for the future. : "Maria, come here. Mom and Maria will be in this room.": "Battler-kun, you will be with me in this room here." : "Uu-! Maria likes here best too! Here is better than being together with Mom! Uu-uu-!": "Okay, you like it here better too, Maria! Alright, this room is George's and mine, but we'll specially allow you to come in and out! Keep it a secret from your mom, right?": "Uu-! Secret!"Her mother, Rosa oba-san, was right behind us, but Maria still answered, striking the air with her fists clenched tight. After our parents put the luggage in the rooms, they gathered again in the corridor.  Well, you heard him, folks! Turns out we get choices after all, and it's time to pick what we're going to do now. 1. Go announce our arrival 2. Hang out with the cousins in the guesthouse 3. Hit on the nearest female Voting will be open for about 24 ho-  : "Uu-! Maria will go too!": "Maria, you house-sit for Mommy, okay? You behave yourself and wait here.": "...Uu-."Telling Maria to take house-sit was a pretty lame excuse for leaving her behind. George-aniki soon realized it and gave a clear reply for all of us.  Or...or the parents could immediately choose 2 for us, sure... : "Kumasawa-san, I'm gonna stay here too! We'll leave the rest to the adults and us kids'll break rank, hehehe!": "That's nice, hoh-hoh-ho. I'll report it to Madam...": "Then, everyone, I will be guiding you to the mansion. Please, this way.": "...Since George isn't a child anymore, and is getting to be an adult, wouldn't it be better if he came with us?": "If we make him come, only poor George will be out of place. Interactin' with his cousins is also important. Okay, bye then!"The adults left one after the other. Like the time he had guided us from the harbor, Gohda-san went ahead, with Kumasawa-san at the rear.  He soon finished his business and came back. : "What's up, Aniki?": "Ah, nothing. I just wanted to ask something.": "Uu-! Tell Maria too! Tell Maria too!" : "No, it's a misunderstanding...! I'm not sure what Jessica-chan is misunderstanding but...!"Aniki was getting pretty tongue-tied. It's almost as though he had a guilty conscience and he was putty in Jessica's hands. ...Why? Something only Jessica knows and I don't is no fun at all! : "Well, Maria, it seems only us two are out of the loop, right~? What is this all about, now? I want to know, hmm~?!": "Uu-! Battler and Maria want to know too! Battler and Maria want to know too!": ""Uu-uu-uu-uu-!!!""I fooled around while "Uu~"ing together with Maria.  : "Wait a second!! Wait you two...!! Ahahaha, stop, ahahahahahaha!!"Maria and I played around, chasing George-aniki, who ran away, rolling on the bed. I think that when you're a high-schooler you try not to act like a kitten anymore, but in spite of that, I missed this kind of fun. A warm kind of fun.  : "...Uu-? Greet, Maria will greet too!": "What the hell, that's not anything to feel guilty about, Aniki. ...Hmm~~m? That's not it?? Maria, don't be fooled, what are you hiding, Aniki? More torture!! Uworyaaa!!": "S-stop it, seriously! Aahahahahaha! Maria-chan, you too, stop already!!": "Aahahahahaha, aahahahahaha! Kyakkya, Kyakkya!!": "They're probably busy with cleaning or lunch arrangements. It's alright, we'll go and greet them properly afterwards. Shannon's reception will sure be better than Gohda's nosy one, right? Heehehe!" And then the scene cuts out to spare our sensibilities as Battler, still determined to extract learn George's secret, pulls a few implements from his bags and begins to step up the torture. While the sprites show no difference, of course, George will going through the rest of the episode short three toes as the price of his stubbornness.   And then it cuts to the mansion proper mid-conversation. : "Oh, right. Here. A present for you, Natsuhi nee-san." : "...Thank you very much. I'm always receiving gifts from you. ...Is this black tea?": "It's herb tea with peppermint and lemon balm. It's a blend from a well-known store and is supposed to be good for headaches. I thought it might help you too."Rosa was always a conscientious woman. ...Probably because she was the youngest of four siblings and much younger than the other three, she managed to grow up without harboring the venomosity of her brothers and sisters. Her consideration made Natsuhi soften her expression for just a moment, but it wasn't enough to make her let down her guard, which was constructed around her long-held anxiety.  : "...I apologize. I was born with this discomfort."Eva sometimes fails to choose her words carefully, but even though she hid it with a smile, her comments aimed at Natsuhi contained shards of obvious malice. Of course, that didn't escape Natsuhi. She frantically contained her urge to grimace, and pretended to ignore Eva. : "Our Battler-kun will have his exams this year too, right? Rudolf-san, shouldn't you be a little concerned too? For the sake of your own son, get serious to the point of getting headaches like Natsuhi nee-san.": "If I say anything, he automatically goes against it. So what should I say? Should I say the opposite, that it's okay for him to mess around? That's probably the only thing he'd obediently listen to me say. In your family, Hideyoshi nii-san, didn't George do really well on his exams? Please, teach me the secret to controlling children." :"...That's splendid. It would be nice if our Jessica could understand that, though. As it is now, she doesn't at all, but as the heiress of the Ushiromiya family,": "Do you really have to force her into becoming the successor? Women have to find their own happiness. Parents shouldn't be deciding that for their children, right?" : "..."Though the light shining in through the window was quite warm despite the cloudy weather, there was a dark mood about the room, ...which probably caused headaches for other people besides Natsuhi. As if to brush away that mood, Kyrie brightly made a suggestion to all present.  : "...Thank you, both. Let us save that for later. One of our people will soon be coming to bring some tea, so please relax.": "Leave it for later, you two. Let's enjoy our 'welcome drink'."Rudolf gave a subtle signal with his eyes for them to sit down again. ...Kyrie and Rosa understood instantly and obediently returned to their seats. The guests had already been greeted, so it was time for some tea to be prepared for them. ...That tea was late and having the guests talk about making some themselves was an embarrassment for the host.  ...Of course, Shannon had no way of knowing what was taking place in the parlor. She came pushing a dish cart piled with tea cups. For no apparent reason, Natsuhi gave her a pained look, and Shannon couldn't help but flinch without knowing what she had done wrong.  : "Oh, Shannon-chan, it's been a while! You keep getting prettier every time I see you!" : "...Oh, ...um, ...thanks...,": "Leave the chatting for after you've set the table. The tea will get cold.": "...I,...I apologize, Madam."She apologized like a small frightened animal, and, bumping against the serving cart, made a jarring racket as she dropped several tea spoons. Her clumsiness made Natsuhi's expression even harsher, which made Shannon in turn quail even more. : "It's alright, Natsuhi nee-san. It's just one kind of greeting, no big deal. We've already been made to wait for so long, the tea must be cold. Heheheh." ...The ineptitude that delayed the tea, the clumsiness of the servant, everything pointed to the incompetence of Natsuhi's everyday guidance, making her lose face. As the person in charge of the Ushiromiya head house's kitchen, allowing that clumsiness to be exposed today of all days was surely nothing less than total humiliation. : "Lay off, Natsuhi nee-san. Don't you think it's a little harsh to bully Shannon-chan when she's trying her best?": "I'm not bullying anyone...!": "What a nice smell. May I ask you the brand of this tea?": "...Umm..., ...I'm, ...I'm terribly sorry... I'll find out for you later..." The head house really needs to shell out for better staff. : "Whaat's this? Shannon-chan, don't you even know what you're pouring us? Come now, you mustn't serve something so suspicious to guests. We'll need a silver spoon at the very least before we can drink this.: "...I, ...I'm sorry... I'll go get one immediately...": "Shannon-chan? Do you know what silver spoons are used for? Or why they have to be silver? Do you know why?": "...No..., ...umm..." ...Eva's expression as she watched was charming in an impish sort of way. However, the words being spun from her lips held within them the keenness of a razor. Shannon tried with all her might to avoid Eva's gaze, which continued to stare at her. Grasping that Shannon was hard-pressed for an answer, Rosa promptly gave some timely help. : "They say that if silver is touched by poison, it dims. ...*giggle*, you've learned something, right, Shannon-chan?"If the tea hasn't been tested for poison, it can't be drunk. And better accomplices. In Natsuhi's eyes, this was an insult to both the tea...and herself for serving it. Rudolf, laughing flippantly, patted Eva's shoulder.  : "Wa-hah-hah-ha! Since I get to hear that poison-tongue every day, I must be poison-proof by now! I don't pay it much mind, but poor souls without resistance are in fer a stormy ride! Wah-hah-hah-ha!": "My, how cruel. I only gave Shannon-chan a bit of information about tea, didn't I? *giggle*."Everyone followed the lead set by Hideyoshi's horselaugh and smiled, though sourly. Only Natsuhi didn't join in, but for the time being, the conversation inside the parlor could now be mistaken for a lively and friendly chat. Kyrie apologized to Shannon in a low voice for not being able to help as she finally finished setting the tea table and tried to leave. ...Shannon gave a light bow and made a hasty retreat... And so we get our first proper glimpse of those “spiteful genes” referred to in Hideyoshi's profile. Really it's less like genes and more like a contagion. Having the Ushiromiya surname gives anyone about a 50-60% chance of being an rear end in a top hat or some variety of terrible and hosed up.   : "Madam and Eva-sama can go to hell. ...But the even worse coward is that guy."Kanon glared hatefully in the opposite direction of the parlor.  There was no way that a showoff like Gohda would ever hand over a flamboyant job like carting the tea to the guests in the first place. He had ended up wasting time preparing the tea a second time. So, knowing that he wouldn't be able to make it on time, he pushed the task of setting the table on Shannon, who happened to be passing by. ...One could say that cutting corners like this was an especially despicable kind of cowardice. : "...It's alright, Kanon-kun, thank you. ...I really don't mind...": "..."Kanon's silence vividly showed that Shannon's words weren't coming from her heart.    : "...What are you doing here? ...Shannon, hurry back to the kitchen.": "Y, yes. ...If you'll excuse me...": "..."Shannon humbly obeyed and promptly made to push the cart and leave. However, Kanon appealed to Genji in silence, bearing something in his eyes that he could not express in words. :"...What is it? Did something happen...?" : "...If that is all, then go.":"...Yes. ...If you'll excuse me."From the shadows in the hallway, an old woman wearing an apron watched over them. It was Kumasawa...  : Until Gohda-san was taken in by the Ushiromiya head house, I heard he worked for a fabulous hotel somewhere.I am...honestly not entirely certain if this is dialogue or not. It lacks the quotation marks, but it has accompanying VA, which other internal monologues don't get. : I think the manner of work he learned there was quite something. It's just that...Gohda-san is the newest servant here. ...He must have a lot of pride accumulated from his previous posts.The only explanation I can think of is that she's telepathically communicating with herself somehow and even that is stupid and makes no sense. And unless I'm forgetting something rather major, there's no other indications that that's a thing she can do, so...  : Because Shannon-san and Kanon-kun are his seniors here at the mansion, and yet are inexperienced and have gone through much less in life than he has, he picks on them at every chance he gets... And also, ...although it's terrible, they are hated by Madam Natsuhi too...So, a summary of the relationships so far. The rest of the head house and the cook hate Kinzo's favorite minions. The favorite minions hate the rest of the head house. The siblings all want to fight with the head house over the inheritance and succession. And Kinzo just kind of hates almost everyone. They've barely been on the island an hour and already the cousins are basically the only ones who aren't actively scheming and nursing grudges yet. : Of course, in terms of experience, Madam has been in the family much longer. It's only that, ...they are just not allowed to sympathize with her. : ...Naturally, Madam's inner thoughts fully acknowledge that there's no reason to treat those two so harshly... ...However, the heart has reasons that reason knows not... Aah, I feel so sorry for them... I can't do anything but watch over them from the shadows...  Neither of the new characters show up in the tips yet, again for no particular reason. Perhaps next time. Speaking of. Next time: The portrait, and godfuckit Battler enough of this poo poo.
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Aug 12, 2012 00:02
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Well the part with the adults was pure spite. I know nothing about the series other then the fact that there are murders so I am guessing Kannon and Shannon are the killers because they seem the oddest right now.
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Aug 12, 2012 02:37
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I didn't know that (trivia? Superstition?) about silver spoons. Oh look! Super-rich household politics!  Surely this family get together will be a pleasant and happy bonding time.
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Aug 12, 2012 11:33
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Oh boy I am looking forward to even MORE family politics, reading this is certainly "heavier" than how the anime handled the scene. Shiny/OP have you watched the anime? If so will you be pointing out where some of the differences or otherwise parts where the anime fudged it? If not would you mind if others who have watched it point out the difference? (I'm not sure myself so I'm not sure how much I could contribute.)
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Aug 12, 2012 14:52
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blankd posted:Oh boy I am looking forward to even MORE family politics, reading this is certainly "heavier" than how the anime handled the scene. This is actually interesting to point out and I'd probably lend a hand on that as well. Even though I did like the anime overall, cause it provided a more visual approach to the whole thing, there are some stuff that had to be cut in order to get the point through.
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Aug 13, 2012 00:40
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| # ? May 2, 2024 00:05 |
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Good god, this is beyond abuse. I really like the kind relationship between the cousins, but I feel like there's something wrong with Maria. She just felt off, to me. Maybe I just suspicious towards young girls with that kind of clothes. Natsuhi's face when she admonished Shannon was just great. I imagine if she broke down later in the game (if this game had people breaking down) she would have plenty of that expression. Just to confirm, there is no choice at all for this game, right? There is only one path?
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Aug 13, 2012 02:03
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