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TKMobile posted:I've been thinking more about retaliation against Hinamizawa with this last update. You and DelilahFlowers bring up good points about Hinamizawa's status as a quiet, backwater village - it does seem odd that it is one considering all of the stuff that happened with it in the past. Tonfa posted:I'm currently reading the third arc of Higurashi and clicked this thread to refresh myself on the start of Onikakushi. The first post detailing version differences confuses the hell out of me however, as I'm playing the Steam versions and contrary to the OP they feature the filtered photograph backgrounds (which is a style I love), without even a config option for the drawn ones. Shocked to hear the music in Steam ver is considered bad as I've found it to enhance any type of situation and rather listenable in it own right, from the madcap brain overdrive piano jam of the club games to the somewhat wistful afternoon walks to some genuinely unnerving pieces accompanying spooky stuff and more (can't exactly look for links for risk of spoiling myself, sadly). Is there some kind of phantom Steam version that had these things all different? I had to double-check but you're right, not sure why I wrote that in the OP. Assume, rear end out of me, etc. I'll edit that in the OP (and comb through it again), thanks! I also love the filtered backgrounds - the main thing is that they're 640 x 480 and the drawn backgrounds look nice with the PS3 sprites (which are overall less expressive than the original ones, agreed...). Re: the music, more power to you if you prefer it. I'm just too attached to Helter Skelter and Digital Network. - - - Updates on next page. EDIT: Beaten by a minute...
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Jul 2, 2021 19:51
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VIDEO: Onikakushi-hen | Day 5 Part 1 BGM: Afternoon in Paris   "So you went to Rena-san's house! Wasn't it amazing!?" "Ahahaha... It's nothing like that, right...? Right?"Unlike my house, the Ryuugu residence wasn't newly constructed. It had been renovated from a pre-existing building. Well, the house itself was fine. The problem was the yard. There...... it was crammed with... rows upon rows of oddities!  The cake shop's mascot, Lil' Licky. The Toadolmon in front of the pharmacy. She even had The Amazing Flying Elephant from the top of the department store!  "I'll agree with you that those are cute, but why the mailbox!? Won't you get in trouble for that one!?" She must have just thought about it, because her face filled with delight. "So it's the bigger the better! Just as long as it's big!" "And her room displays the smaller ones. ...I had a chance to see them before." "And kyute kids like Rika-chan are locked away in the basement?" "...Yep, yep... I'll keep anything☆ Hao... kyute..."So she takes anything she likes back to her nest. No ill will intended. "Hey, Rena. You know about the Statue of Liberty in New York, right? ...Is that kyute?" "...Yeah, kyute... hao... I want it..."The US should probably come up with some countermeasures ASAP. If not, the Statue of Liberty really will take a trip to Hinamizawa in the not-so-distant future… BGM: Hello!  Rika-chan had returned. "No fun being called to the staff room. Did you do something?"  "Ahaha. Nothing like that, Keiichi-kun. Rika-chan is a member of the Festival Committee." "Festival? The school cultural festival or something?" "Kei-chan, Kei-chan, I already told you. It's the village festival. The Watanagashi."Oh, come to think of it, she did say there'd be a festival at the shrine during the next break. "So what's this Watanagashi thing about? Is it like a floating lantern festival?" "I guess the last part where you set things adrift in a river is similar." "Except we use cotton things, like old worn-out futons and padded cloaks. It's a festival expressing thanks for their years of service."The people living in Hinamizawa dump their futons and padded cloaks in a stream...?? It sounds like it'd be a lot of trouble if it backed up the current... Maybe they should just drop some fish in and have a fish-wrangling competition. ...Skewer them and sprinkle a little salt... Oh man, I could smell it already...!  "That's just summer camp! I never anticipated how destitute Keiichi-san's imaginative capabilities would actually be~." "Wh-Wha!? How could you tell I was thinking something silly!?" "...It was written all over your face."What sort of face could have expressed what I'd imagined just now...!?  ...I see. No argument here.  "Let's all go together. I'll come get you that day!"I don't really feel like going to festivals unless someone asks me to. I wouldn't get bored if these guys were going.  "You won't get bored! We're doing it again this year!!"Mion's proclamation came as she looked at each member in turn. What was this all about? ...From the way Mion looked... it was probably...    "...I-I think it's a kyute name, though..."I tried to object sharply, but, since Rena looked happy about it, I decided it was pointless to fight it.  "...Since Keiichi is here this year, it becomes five demons."Rika-chan made a small correction in light of my presence. "So... How does this funky-sounding club activity tie in to the festival?" "O ho ho! This is where you exhibit the skills you've nurtured through your daily club activities!" "Exactly! We show the full extent of the abilities that the best of the best have obtained through our daily trials and tribulations...!!" "But last year the mayor got angry... so we need to make sure not to cause any problems this time..." "...So basically we're doing club activities while checking out the stalls." I see... So we'll be 'exhibiting' on those busy festival grounds. Rena was right, of course that would be a reason for the mayor to get angry! "Ahaha... but it's lots of fun!"That was the only point I did not doubt. It would be, without question, fun. The day of the festival was drawing near.  "Naaay!" Our voices rang out in unison. "When there's lots of people, card games really are the easiest to play! This really is the most basic of table games!" "Playing with the marked deck again!?" "We'll use a new one today. There are no marks on the cards, so we're on equal footing!" "I wonder if that really is the case... I will have to inspect them!"Well, that was fair. Just to be safe, everyone checked the cards. "Yes. These seem to be fine!" "Are you all satisfied? Then today, I guess ... we'll play President. That's good for five people!"Another standard card game. First one to get rid of all their cards wins. The basic rules: play a better card than the one before. You can play straights and pairs. There are various techniques that improve the game, like reversals. But because it's such a well-known game, there are lots of house rules for it as well. The name, for example. In my hometown, we called it 'Millionaire.' "I'd like to go over some details. Are the jokers wild? Can you make a reversal with three Threes?" "Also, you know how the Peasant sends a good card to the President? None of that."While I was confirming the familiar rules, Satoko looked over at me cautiously... I probably should have tried to look like more of an amateur. I was pretty used to this game! It's President, and it's with a new deck. Today... I might be able to win! I had the gist of the rules now... But that wasn't everything, was it? "So, what shall today's penalty be!?" Oh! That seemed like it could be interesting!  "Oh ho ho ho! I'll write a naaasty one and have Keiichi-san draw it!" "I-It would be awful if you wrote a bad one and drew it yourself." "Just don't lose!" "Don't you know best? O ho ho!"Mion handed out several slips of paper to everybody. "Then write down whatever and put it in this bag. When you lose, stick your hand inside, and pick one out."Now, then, what would be a good penalty? Worst case scenario, you'd draw what you wrote. ...Something too intense would be like digging your own grave.  Rika-chan's casual suggestion caused Mion's hand to lurch to a sudden halt.  "Aaaah! That's so sneaky, Mion-san! She wrote, 'no penalty,' and the corner of the slip is folded!"I see... Just in case you lost, you grabbed the note with the folded corner and you'd be safe. ...That was a good idea. Diabolical as ever, Mion! Rika-chan is quite formidable too, being able to see through that. I couldn't underestimate her even though she doesn't stand out.  Nobody agreed to Rena's proposal... Everyone was ruthless. "It's fine, Rena. Just don't lose!" "...Y-Yeah. That's true.” “Okay! I'll try hard so everyone has to pick the penalty I write!"Rena was quite brutal even though she usually appeared meek. Better not underestimate her either.  "...Everybody's penalties are scary."I still didn't know what Rika-chan's penalties would be like. "Basically... You can't afford to lose this game!! Everybody here ready!?"We all nodded determinedly. Having confirmed that, Mion dealt out the cards. ...Finally... the battle begins! BGM: Digital Network  Card after card was played in the middle. Not needing Mion to tell them, both Rika-chan and Satoko played their cards without hesitation. Rena and I were the only ones who paused to think. It seemed that Rena genuinely couldn't make up her mind... But I was different! I was like a shark stalking its prey, just waiting for the right time to strike.  "Nine! Nobody!? Eight! Seven! I'm out!" "...Five and Five. I'm out." "Then I'll discard this last one, and I'm out!" "Bah...! I missed my chance...!"The loser of the first round... was, of all people, Mion! And now I was certain... Today... I could win!!! "Now, now then! Mii-chan, pull out one of the slips, okay~?"Mion, accepting her defeat, scrounged around inside the bag and pulled out one piece of paper.  Mion quivered and shrieked. "...Um, what is it? What is it?” “... Haoh!?"Rena was also surprised when she peeked at it. ...What kind of terrible thing was written on it!?   "Keiichi-san, do you not understand!?!" The principal is balding and ashamed of it!!"Satoko yelled with a serious look on her face. But she wasn't as loud as Mion's shriek. What could it be...? "...The principal is a martial arts master." "He boasts about traveling around the world perfecting his skills when he was younger." "He switched to teaching after seeing the poor state of education in Japan after the war..."He was inhuman. ...Pet that guy's head...?   “...Hoo Yaaaaaaah!!"She bellowed out a yell as she dashed off down the hallway. "...Wouldn't it have been easier to sneak out quietly and try to do it without making a fuss?" "Probably impossible... They say he used to hunt sea slugs just by sensing their presence."I could do nothing but wait with bated breath. SFX: Various attacks  "...The principal’s special launcher move just started.”Boof pow whap!! Zazhing! KaboOoOom!!! Following the launcher with a jab, jab, strong, fierce combo!? He's even using meter! "From how it sounded... the principal's jumping fierce sounds like a multi-hit combo." "I-I don't want to know... I don't want to know...!!"Nothing I could do now except stay calm. ...I understood now why there were no delinquents at this school.  "...Petted. ...Is that... good enough...!?"Mion said before collapsing. "She's alive, at least. Now we can continue the game!!" "...M... monster..."I was amazed the person who made club activities like these could say that. "But now! The worst penalty is gone now, right? Right!?"Rena tried to lighten the mood, and was only met with Mion's malicious grin... She was serious now.  The pace of the game became bizarrely quick. I could tell the game had gotten more intense.  "Ace! Three, Four, Five!! I'm out!!" "...I'm out as well." "Heheh! I'm out too!" "Three! I am now out!" "Eek!! I-I loOoOost...!?"...And the heavens chose to vanquish Rena. "Wh... What kind of penalty, I wonder...? What kind of penalty, I wonder...!?"It wasn't exactly hard for her to be worried... Just thinking of the level of difficulty of Mion's first penalty still made me quiver... And so... the penalty she drew with trembling fingers was...! ...The heck was this. "Speak like a maid."  "...So basically... It means that you have to use the same expressions as a maid...?" "Ha... hao... okay ...Master..."It hit me like a tonne of bricks. ...I-I had no idea who wrote that penalty, but she was awesome! "Th-Then, Rena, can you... shuffle the cards and deal...?" “Y-Yes... Master..."Ah~ I could just die right now♪!! "A-A-A-Anyway, let's continue! Right, Rena!?" "...Yes, Master..." "Hoyah! I won't lose anymore! I'm out!" "I shan't lose either!" "...I'm out." "Then with that... I'm out, too!" "I-I can't believe it!! Is it Rena's loss again!?"Rena again...! What kind of penalty would it be this time...? I was delighted by the mysterious sense of anticipation. ...Anticipation? No, this was conviction!!  "Th-Th-Th-That's just indecent!! Who could have written this!?"My face reddened in anger. If I didn't yell something out, I wouldn't be able to hide my shaking! Ahh, who DID write that!? God, please give that man a Nobel Prize!! (  ) Not good not good, what I was thinking about was written on my face. "...Hao... uu... Mii-chan..."Rena begged Mion with teary eyes... but everyone knew Mion's answer already.  "Nope, nope! Won't go easy on you!! You lost, so take it like a man!" "...U-Understood, Master... .Hao... I'll... I'll undress..."Wh-Whaaaaa!?!? I looked around, thinking someone else would probably stop her. Of course, I wasn't exactly trying to stop her either!! Then I heard the rustling of clothing ... The sound of her skirt hitting the ground sent my heart racing! ( ) "I-Is this... fine... M... Master...?"I looked away like a gentleman. ...B-But these club activities... You needed to be ruthless, after all...!  "Keiichi-san, whatever were you expecting!? Certainly we would not have her strip if she weren't wearing her PE clothes underneath!"Satoko poked fun at me but right now I can't hear it...!  "Not bad, Kei-chan~!! This old man never even thought you would go after her like that." "Y-Y-You... You've got it wrong! I didn't write that one!" H-Her squirming around in her PE clothes made it impossible for me to not feel anything... C-Calm down, Keiichi Maebara...! Mion probably wrote that one and planned to go after me as I panicked!! You can't fall for her trap after knowing it's a trap! Clear your head! Calm down and assess the situation...! I was determined to think my way out of this. ...And the answer was quite simple. "I... I WIIIIN!"I then became a god! I, who had already entered the domain of godhood... What would dare stand in my way!? It was like they were pulled to me magnetically... I was picking up Aces and Twos like nobody's business!! "...Eek!? How could my luck of the draw be so bad!?" "Satoko lost, right? I'll draw the penalty. 'Speak like a little sister'!!!!" "Uuugh!! ...Fine, Onii-chan... ghhhk!"Yessss! The pleasure of making this brat disgrace herself!  "Mion's loss, right? I'll draw it out. 'Wear a girl's school swimsuit'!!!!" "Nooooo! That's the one I wanted Kei-chan to get!"Yessss! Mion's despair was like sweet honey!  "Rena lost? I'll draw it for you. 'Let the person in first place rest their head on your lap'!!!" "...Hu hao... ... In this outfit... Master...?"Yeaaaaah! She's not wearing a skirt, so it's her bare legs!♪ "Eek!! Onii-chan... You're too good... sniffle." "Satoko lost again? I'll draw it. 'Obey the person in first place'!! How about I have you give me a shoulder massage!?" "Fine, Onii-chan..." "Come on, do it a bit harder! Don't use your nailssss! Bwa ha ha ha~♪!" It felt like I could control how the cards played out with my mind, and even decide what suits would appear just by willing it! ...By the time I realized it, I had already assembled a harem. I was laughing haughtily as I rested my head on Rena, who was now a bloomer-clad maid. Satoko was wearing a collar and had taken on little sister properties. Mion was fanning me while wearing a school swimsuit. "Hao... To-Today is Master's overwhelming victory, isn't it... ...Eeek! Please refrain from moving your head around so much..."I began to think. ...Why does man have no end to his desires? How could I wish for more than this Palace of Dreams!?  "I'm saddened by the thought of a man having no end to his desires."That was it. Rika-chan hadn't been in first, but she continued to escape being in last. "...Keiichi is quite greedy. It's said you should know when enough is enough." "I know that very well. ...But how to say it... I feel like I wouldn't mind if I died now.♪♪♪" "Eeeek! Master... please refrain from moving your head around... Eeek! "...You say you wouldn't mind dying. ...Then that can be arranged."Rika-chan said it in her usual calm manner with a cheery tone. ...This was undoubtedly... a declaration of war...!   "I might not be able to win... but I'll beat him."Such stoicism from this little girl who's always hidden away in Satoko's shadow! It would probably be rude not to meet her head-on. ...I shall face you myself, little one! I saw Mion swap a few cards with Rika-chan in the middle of the game, but pretended I didn't see it. ...Do you believe you can defeat Keiichi-sama with just thaaaat!? "...Two. Ace, Ace, Ace. Eight, Eight, Eight, Eight. Reversal."Everybody looked over at me. I was still brimming with confidence. ...Mwahaha! The four of them have allied against me... That's it? ...You're making me laugh! "That was good. ...REVERSAL REVERSAL!" "Wuuuh!? How could such a thing be...!?!?!"Satoko let out a shriek! ...Mwahaha! You simpletons!!! Using up all of her cards before calling the reversal left Rika-chan with no good cards!! She was defeated soon after.  "Bwa ha ha ha!!! Finally, you fall into my clutches! Now I'll pick one out!! Uowwoh!?"‘Wear cat ears, a bell collar, and a tail.' Mwahaha! Even the penalties were as I wished!!! Rika-chan hung her head and equipped the three holy artifacts. It's questionable as to why such things were in Mion's locker but, since I had no objections, I didn't ask.  It felt like I had become Rena...! This was definitely... ky-kyute...♪♪♪  "Kyute, isn't it?? Isn't it!? ...Hao... I want to take her home...☆"That wasn't me talking. That was the actual Rena.  "...Mew..."As Rika-chan mimicked a cat, teary-eyed, rings of smoke escaped from Rena's ears with an audible 'poof!' "...Rika-chan... Must take home... Taking her home...☆ ...Just... Just for a while☆ I-I won't do anything strange... nothing strange...☆" "I-I see... I still have one trick left...!"Mion gasped and dropped her fist into her open palm. "If Rena must... she can take me home." They thought that Rena in Kyute Mode would be able to defeat me! Would it be that easy!?!? Opposing me was the same as opposing God!! I'd teach them their place!!!  For a moment, I didn't know what was going on. The 52 cards danced and flowed freely between Rena's hands like the machinations of a master magician. In the middle of those flowing cards was Rena's ecstatic expression, her head bobbing around...!! "Sh...Sha-Sha-Sha-Shall we, Keiichi-kun... Hurry, hurry!"My whole body knew it already. ...I was... Going to lose.  "No play!? Nothing to play, Kei-chan!? ...Then with this... I'm oout!!!"Everyone cheered. I was spent. "Phew... I've got no regrets... God... thank you for letting me dream a little." "Now then! I'll take one out! Keiichi-san's penalty! ...This is it!!"Everybody peeked at it in unison, gazes flicking between the text and my face. "All day today I did as I pleased. ...I'll do whatever it is. What's on there?"BGM: Silence  "Huh?"'Every penalty up until now.' "Wha ...What the heeeeck!?"- - - BGM: Sutakorasassa (Helter Skelter)  "Ugh! ...Yes, onee-chan. ...Uuugh!!!" "Uwaoah...☆ Th-This is quite addicting! Next I'll have you rub my shoulders!!" "Urgh... Y-Yes, Master..." "A-hao...! Keiichi-kun... Th-That's shou kyute... Say it again? Say it again!?" "Nyuu, please spare me, Master~...!"Rena passed out with a squeal, blood spewing from her nose like a fountain. My dignity was being trampled more than a communal doormat.  Fwoosh fwoosh!!!  "...Oh, almost forgot. You need to wear this, don't you? The school swimsuit.☆" "H-Haouh!?!? This is for girls!? Can't I wear the one for boys!?" "It was clearly written here, 'Wear a girl's school swimsuit,' as you can see!!!!"Satoko was like a loan shark. ...Actually, me trying to escape reality as fast as humanly possible was pretty adorable, if I did say so myself. "B-B-But, whose school swimsuit am I going to wear!? If I were wearing one of yours... You wouldn't like it right?!" "Ah, this old man doesn't care about that kind of stuff at all. ☆ Think of it as a little benefit! I'm not that in shape, so I think even Kei-chan can fit into it!!"The executioners surrounded me, wagging their fingers. "N-N... Nooooooooo!!!"  "Ahahaha~ Keiichi-kun is bending forward... kyute kyute!!" "...You'll be ready after you wear the cat ears, bell, and tail." "Kei-chan, wanna look in the mirror? ...It's amazing, really. It's probably best if you look."The stern, scientific, calculating nature mixed in with her fascination made Mion very scary. "Uh... I would like to respectfully decline, Master..." "Your ensemble is complete! If only we could send you home dressed like that! Oo~ ho ho ho!!" "Then... I-Is this enough? I'll change and..." "...Not yet, Keiichi... There's still the first penalty left." "...In this... get-up?"Rika-chan patted my head without saying a word… - - - BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi   "Yes. Please come in."I stepped forwards into the principal's office. My bell collar jingled adorably. The principal froze solid with a smile on his face as he saw me. I couldn't blame him. In this sacred place of study, specifically, in his office... Though I said "excuse me" as I entered... the sight of a person entering with a school swimsuit, cat ears, a collar, and a tail... And for it to be a young male student... Without a doubt, any normal person's psyche would have stopped cold... But this could be explained.  When humans see others, they can only begin to act after confirming "this is human." ...Meaning that if he could not comprehend what was in front of him, then in those moments before he could begin to fully process the situation... his mind was completely blank...!!! That was my one and only chance for victory...! My penalty... Rubbing the principal's head! "Princi paaaAaaAal!!! I challenge you... hurRrk!!!!!!"I heard what sounded like a 'zhazhing' three times. His 3-gauge super!? The principal said one thing to me.  And in a heartbeat... Bo OooOoOooooof...!!  
limeicebreakers fucked around with this message at 19:22 on Jul 5, 2021 |
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Jul 2, 2021 19:53
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VIDEO: Onikakushi-hen | Day 5 Part 2 BGM: Silence SFX: Night higurashi  Once again today, it was just Mion and I going home. "Maan... That was intense! I didn't know Kei-chan was so good at President!" "No, I was more surprised than anyone."If I was playing with guys, I wouldn't have been that strong... "But still... It was pretty bad... Being carried off on a stretcher in that outfit will probably haunt me until the day I die." "Ahaha! But that's fine, isn't it? You were able to do something to boast about for the ages too!"Hao... Well, when she says it like that... We both smiled at each other. BGM: Orange-colored Time  It was Tomitake-san. It felt like I'd been running into him quite often. "Hey. Take any good pictures?" "Well, a few. So..."Tomitake-san suddenly leaned over and whispered into my ear.  "You sure get around. Today you already have a different girl!?" "I-It's not like that!" "No need to hide it! It's important to get lots of experience when you're young~!" "I've heard through the grapevine that Mr. Tomitake is quite the catch himself, hmm?" "Huh, no, that wasn't my intention...!" "Sure, sure. Keep up the good work and take plenty of pictures~! See ya!"Mion seemed to really want to get rid of this lout quickly. From the way she spoke... it seemed as if Mion knew Tomitake-san quite well. "How's the year treating you, mister? Staying until the Watanagashi?" "Yep, I plan to. After photographing the festival, I plan on heading back to Tokyo." "Being a photographer sure is easy! Be sure to win some big award and become famous! You spent all your best years on photography, after all!" "I-I don't think I'm that far gone! Don't they say men start developing their own unique flavor in their thirties...?" "What does it matter what you taste like? That's so gross!" "Mm, ah, ahahahaha! Oh, look at the time. I need to get back to the inn before it gets dark!"Tomitake-san began to take his leave with a dry laugh. It did look like he was outmatched by Mion. "Now then. I'll see you both at the festival." "The way he's going, he probably won't ever get famous. I had him promise he'd display a picture of me if he ever opened up a gallery, but... I don't think that'll ever happen." "So you know Tomitake-san." "Yeah, he's an acquaintance of sorts. But you know how easy it is to tell who's an outsider." "It sounded like you meet him all the time." "Tomitake-san comes around to Hinamizawa regularly. Maybe two, three times a year? He says he's taking pictures of the seasonal scenery and wild birds. But well, those photos really are nothing to phone home about!"The image Mion painted of Tomitake-san was fairly unique. The Tomitake-san I knew... was more mysterious. The words flowed naturally from my mouth. "...I wonder if he's really here to take pictures of birds." "It just seems... he's here for something other than taking pictures... I think... Don't you get that feeling?"Like about... that incident... the dismemberment...  She agreed with what I thought, but was quite chipper in how she said it. "You knew about it then, Mion?" "Of course~! He might be able to pull one over on everyone else... but he can't fool this old man~☆"Mion was posturing pretentiously, but I had easily come to a very different conclusion from what she was imagining.  I was finally able to appreciate how clear the evening sky over Hinamizawa was. "...Ahhhh~!!"I exhaled everything in my lungs and inhaled just as much. It smelled like dusk. "What is it, Kei-chan?" "It's just that... I never thought the cries of the higurashi could feel this good." "Ahahahaha! What's gotten into you all of a sudden, Kei-chan?"We both continued to giggle, not knowing why. "I wonder what Rena is doing. I bet she's getting her fill of Rika-chan by now." "She's probably in the middle of asking her over so she can treat her to dinner." "It'd be great if she's able to take her home." "I wonder. Rika-chan is pretty good at that stuff!" "Yeah, I feel the same! That head-petting penalty was probably from Rika-chan." "I thought so, too~! The only one who could get away with patting his head is Rika-chan, after all."Just pointless chitchat.   - - -  TIP 9: Community Notice
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Jul 2, 2021 19:54
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Not all of the game scenes these kids play make it into the manga but this President one did... mostly. I don't think Mion tried to write an out for herself in the penalties during that, but it was a fairly prominent character establishing moment for everyone involved otherwise. That said, and this is mostly just a personal take since I play card/board/role-playing games with my hoodlum friends a lot (or at least pre-pandemic I did,) but the rampant cheating, misdirection and dirty-dealing makes Keiichi and the girls (and especially Mion) come off way way worse than I think the game is intending. Clearly there's an intentional effort here to give the reader pause and not trust any of the characters what with the gruesome murder hanging in the background. But even with that in mind, some of this unflattering stuff would be grounds for expulsion/exclusion of any gaming group I've been in. Mion's basically roped all these other impressionable girls into playing for keeps every-loving-day, and as a result, Keiichi (as the new kid) has reacted with stupidly greedy impulses which are, to be polite, kind of creepy. Harem anime wasn't even INVENTED until the early 90s, FFS. :V
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Jul 3, 2021 14:27
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Yeah that scene was quite wild. Keiichi turning into a teenage megalomaniac, inner monologues and all, and his inevitable comeuppance in the end was crazy but funny. How many punishment suggestions were in that bag? I admit, I thought he was gonna draw the no punishment card in the end, with how his luck with the cards was. So glad he didn't, that last scene with the principal was the funniest thing so far in this VN. I imagined the principal was doing this at the end to Keiichi. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNclP-KwLyE And yeah, you almost forget about the gruesome stuff already revealed, as well as hints of what to come from the first post. I expect things to unravel more and more in the coming days, with less and less zany antics happening.
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Jul 4, 2021 01:40
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TKMobile posted:Not all of the game scenes these kids play make it into the manga but this President one did... mostly. I don't think Mion tried to write an out for herself in the penalties during that, but it was a fairly prominent character establishing moment for everyone involved otherwise. Yeah, writing kids fooling around isn't Ryukishi's strongest suite, I think. Parts of the first day in the Umineko arcs felt cringey in the same way to me, like Battler reaching for Shannon's bust.  He's actually a fantastic character writer when it comes to serious topics, but kids goofing off in their free time? Ehhh. The first Ciconia arc was much better on this count, though, so it seems like he's improving. Just grin and bear it is my suggestion. When They Cry typically keeps its Wacky Antics to a PG-13 setting, so Keiichi is never going to fall face-first into Mion's cleavage or go into an excruciatingly detailed description of Rena's underwear. And while the series can take its good sweet time to get to the good stuff, the good stuff is always worth the wait.On a side note, do you mind if I mention stuff from the other WTC games, limeicebreakers? I don't plan on turning this thread into an overarching WTC-fest, but when talking about Higurashi's writing I might want to reference bits from Umineko or Ciconia; there are certain topics that are common to multiple games.
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Jul 4, 2021 02:30
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Viola the Mad posted:Yeah, writing kids fooling around isn't Ryukishi's strongest suite, I think. Parts of the first day in the Umineko arcs felt cringey in the same way to me, like Battler reaching for Shannon's bust. Ehh. Mion being a bastard when it comes to playing games is hardly the same as the dehumanized adults in Umineko (who were, to their credit, at least given reasons in the narrative to explain why they became such terrible people but were never meant to be condoned.) Her and Keiichi's behavior is completely egregious (and probably very bad influences on Rena and the actual children) but here at least it's got a double intent- we're seeing that these are just kids up to shenanigans, but look at how ruthless and deceptive they all can be, whether playing a long con or being outright greedy for a win in otherwise harmless games.
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Jul 4, 2021 05:49
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I agree that the President game is pretty "anime" in a pejorative sense, but I'm a bit milder on the cheating because everyone in the club has agreed to rules that say "win no matter what." It says a lot about the characters that they're all basically fine with the rules being basically "Law of the Jungle." It also gave us a lot of good character moments, especially Keiichi's arrogance when he thinks he's on top, illustrated by him ignoring the cheating when he could easily bust them for it. Either way, I'm really looking forward to more! Capfalcon fucked around with this message at 18:02 on Jul 4, 2021 |
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Jul 4, 2021 17:12
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Viola the Mad posted:On a side note, do you mind if I mention stuff from the other WTC games, limeicebreakers? I don't plan on turning this thread into an overarching WTC-fest, but when talking about Higurashi's writing I might want to reference bits from Umineko or Ciconia; there are certain topics that are common to multiple games. Go ahead, but I'd like to ask discussion of both Umineko and Ciconia to be under marked spoiler bars from now on. And, while Umineko and Ciconia are (nearly) completely separate stories from Higurashi, they both have elements that allude to or spoil prominent events in the latter that I'd prefer people avoid mentioning at all - spoiler bars or no. To that effect, plus the chance that some people reading this thread might not want future WTCs spoiled, please keep any discussion of specific story beats or events outside of the thread. (I'll update the spoiler policy to reflect this.) TKMobile posted:That said, and this is mostly just a personal take since I play card/board/role-playing games with my hoodlum friends a lot (or at least pre-pandemic I did,) but the rampant cheating, misdirection and dirty-dealing makes Keiichi and the girls (and especially Mion) come off way way worse than I think the game is intending. That's interesting, I always read it as Keiichi giving as good as he got. ...Well, not in the last update (he definitely 'gave' too much there), but as long as everyone comes out of it unscathed and unmurdered, it's fine...right? 
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Jul 4, 2021 17:16
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Don’t worry, you haven’t skipped any updates - chapters are named after the number of days that passed in the story. VIDEO: Onikakushi-hen | Day 9 Part 1 BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi A few days had passed since the incident.  Even though I thought I would never want to participate again after the years it shaved off my life each time, not having it only made my heart grow fonder. ...I really am not honest with myself. Today we finally had our club activities again. These weren't the same old club activities. It was called the Watanagashi Five-Demon Fire Fight!! And it was one of the biggest events in the club. BGM: Afternoon in Paris  Mom pulled out an old, dusty yukata. "Nah, I don't need a yukata... Those are embarrassing, so I'll just go in my normal clothes." "But this is a festival. Wear it, okay?" "Rena and the others said regular clothes are just fine. If I was the only one wearing a yukata, it'd be even more embarrassing!" This line is only correct with the original sprites - his vest was changed for a tank top in both the Steam and PS releases. "I'll be going with Rena and the others, so you don't need to worry about me." "Is that so? I'll be going with Dad when he wakes up."Dad let out a loud snore from the sofa. ”From how it looks... he must've pulled an all-nighter last night." "He just finished sending in his manuscript. So he might not wake up for a while..."It seems my dad writes for art magazines sometimes, too. ...I've never read it, though. I wonder if my dad... is a really famous artist. ...Since his own son is saying something like that, I can't imagine he's selling all that well. But he's able to feed a family of three, and my life isn't exactly full of hardships. It could be that he's some master painter... and I didn't know about it...   "Keiichi-kun, are you home~~!?"Uh-oh! It was already time! I didn't want them coming here, so I was planning on leaving early and waiting outside...!!   "Ah... M-Ma'am... H-He's also... b-been looking... out for..."Why are you blushing just from meeting my mom!? "Don't get all flustered! It really doesn't feel right! Let's go, Rena!"Since Rena would continue to space out if I left her here, I grabbed her hand and dragged her out.   "Hao!... Yes, Ma'am~~~! Even if it means I must sacrifice myself~☆"Then why don't you do it right now!? She waved back even as I was dragging her away.  "You thought I'd let myself get full knowing the club activities will involve the stalls!!?" "Wouldn't have it any other way!" "Where are Rika-chan and Satoko? Are they already at the temple?" "Yep! Rika-chan's a festival committee member after all. Satoko-chan is probably with her as well." "I see. ...All right! Let's make some noise today!!"  "Yeah~~~~~!!!!"We were already in high spirits with just the three of us there. BGM: Hello!  Throngs of people were crammed between rows of market stalls lined with colorful paper lanterns. Despite that, it was actually quite enjoyable. "There sure are lots of people here!! I can't believe they all live in Hinamizawa..." "Everybody attends the Watanagashi. I think about half the village is here." "It's not just that. Municipal and youth councils from neighboring towns and villages advertise this event as well." "That's right. There aren't that many students at our school. But there's a lot of kids here today." "It just doesn't feel like a festival unless there are kids running around, after all."That's true. I agree.  These two knew everybody we came across. Of course I greeted them as well, but I still wasn't familiar with everybody yet. "Oh, Rena-chan. Thanks for the food you brought me a while back! My son loved it. He said it was delicious." "Ah, it was nothing at all.☆ I'm glad he liked it. Say hello to Kazuma-kun for me, please!" "Hey! If it isn't Sonozaki-ojouchan! I'm in charge of a stand again this year, so make sure you come visit!!" "Pops, have you gotten fatter!? You'll end up having a heart attack with a gut like that!" "Oh. This kid here is new. Are you one of her underclassmen!?" "He's one of my members. ...An upcoming hopeful! If you cross him, he could crush your stand in one night!" "You've got little missy's seal of approval, I see! Hope you take it easy on me~!!!" "Mii-chan is really energetic, after all. She's really popular with the older men." "I think Rena is pretty popular too. Being cute and all."That was, of course, so long as her little 'condition' didn't flare up. But as long as she's blushing quietly, she's pretty cute. "...Uhh? ...I'm... popular with some people? Really? Really!?" "With some people."I evaded giving her a straight answer by roughly tousling her hair. "The stall keepers came all the way from town. It's not really a festival without them, after all!!" "So, we're going to mess with them now? ...I don't care what kind of match it is, I'm going to win it!!" "Oh, yes. ...Ehehe... I'll try, too!" "Ooh~. My bad. So, where is this lady I've kept waiting?" "Huwat did you just saAaaAay!?!?"All right! Satoko was in top form as well. Seemed she was all excited about being able to get everybody in the club together for the first time in a while.  "...Wooa~?... Rika-chan... Ky-K-K-K-K... Kyute...~?!!"Rena let out an elated sigh. It seemed that the real Lady had made her appearance.  "Woo!! Looking good! You're looking sharp again this year!" "K-Kyuutee...! Gonna take you home~!!"Rika-chan was wearing a shrine maiden outfit. Yup. Rena's little outburst was completely understandable! "Rika-chan's clothes sure look like the real deal...!! Is that a real shrine maiden outfit...?" "My grandmother made them by hand. They're quite authentic." "Rika-chan has an important task to do at the end of the festival, so she's wearing this."I see. Rika-chan was on the executive committee because she performed all the shrine maiden rituals for the festival.  "...My work is only during the finale of the festival... so I can still play for a while." "But we cannot afford to waste any time~! Let us begin!!" "Haoriiight!!"BGM: Digital Network  Mion called everyone over to a stand that caught her attention and proposed a rather odd competition. "Takoyaki eating race~!!! Everyone has to buy their own. Ready? Go!!"A standard in vendor stalls: the takoyaki stand! What was especially standard for these kinds of events was the fact that they were simply balls of dough, takoyaki in name only!! It’s a pretty common practice to make the octopus pieces in takoyaki tiny or nonexistent to cut costs, apparently. "It buUuUuUurns!!!" "A-Are you okay, Keiichi-kun!?!? Have some water!" "My~ my~... Eating those scalding takoyaki whole is suicide!" "I guess the trick is to buy the ready-made ones that have been left there for a while." "...They really don't taste good." It was still a bit too early in the season for that, but right then it didn't matter! "Let's do shaved ice this time! It's a shaved ice eating race!! Ready... Go!!!" "...Sh-Shaved ice eating race... I... I can't!!" "As long as you can melt it a bit with your body heat, then...!!”  “It's...! It's so coOoOoold!!!" "Not smart! This old man ordered it with plenty of syrup!! It'll melt quickly when it's mixed up!!"Those stooges were too late!! The moment they chose to tackle it head-on was their downfaaaAaaAll!!! "Pheeew!! FiniIIiiIIshed!!!" "K-Kei-chan is done!? Th-That was too fast...!!!!" "It... It couldn't be... Keiichi-kun... you didn't... add water from the goldfish tank behind you, did you...!?" "...That can't taste very good." A cotton candy stand!!  "Why don't we do this one next!?” “Of course, it's a speed eating conteeeest!!!" "H-Hey, hey... How do you... eat cotton candy quickly? How!?"On Satoko's mark, Mion, Satoko, and I all compressed the cotton candy with our bare hands!! The time it took to stick the whole thing in our mouths? ...Three seconds!!!  "I expected Satoko to figure it out, but I didn't think Kei-chan would too...!!" "I can't have you treating me like I'm a newbie forever, can I!?" "...It won't taste very good."Rika-chan had also crushed it between her hands and stuck it into her mouth.  I think only Rena's cotton candy was happy with how it was eaten... But... it felt like we'd end up doing stuff like "eat noodles through the nose contest!" or "human water pump at the goldfish scoop!" at the rate things were going... "This old man will probably still win, too!" "I am simply no match for Mion-san when it comes to eating repulsive things..." "Yeah, seriously." "What's up with you guys? Are you telling me you don't want to have a Blue Hawaii-topped yakisoba-eating contest??" "U-Um...! Can we have a game that doesn't involve food this time? Can we?"Rena's proposal was a godsend. It was about time we played a different kind of game. It also seemed like neither Rena nor Rika-chan were any good at speed-eating or gorging themselves. "Okay Rena. I'll let you pick out the next game!! Anything is fine!!" "Well then, well then! I'm going to be the judge! Find kyute things on the festival grounds!! You have one minute~!!" "Fine by me!! I know exactly what Rena likes!!!!" "All right... ...I think I can win with 'that'!!!" "Ready... Go!!!" ...Oh?” “Why aren't Keiichi-kun and Rika-chan starting? Why not?" "C-Could it be... You've already found it?? The kyute thing!" "...We've already found it. ...Keiichi, too?" "Yeah." "What is it? What is it!? I can't wait!!"Both Rika-chan and I stood motionless for those few moments before Mion and Satoko returned. "This is probably the first time...... We've gone head-to-head like this." "...It will be the first." "Rika-chan... You expect to win with 'that,' huh?" "...I am a member of this club as well. ...'Win by any means' is our society's third rule."  "Okay then, okay then, let's go in order! Let's start with the club president, Mii-chan!!" "Too bad, you guys! I'm ending this now!!! This old man brought thiiiis!!"Where did she get those? ...They were old tin, diamond-shaped signs. "...Pleb Curry... Snake coil incense... and Oronamin C!!! How about this!?!?"That's very understated... A little too understated, Mion... I used to see those stuck up on barbed wire fences. They were more nostalgic than kyute... ...Can you explain what part of that is kyute?  I... I didn't get it... "I shall be up next!!! It is this!!!!"...It was the hand-drawn poster from the ladies' society's roasted corn stall. It was a really bad sketch done by a housewife. ...An anthropomorphic roasted corn drawn without any sort of real plan. Its very existence invited a sense of sorrow to the viewer.  That was the sound of blood jetting out of Rena's nose...!! It seemed... to have been rated higher than Mion's!! ...I really didn't get it... It feels like your artistic sense is a little avant-garde by about... five eons... "Oh ho ho ho!! Those were nothing but mass-produced signs, after all! They had no chance against something hand-drawn!!"I couldn't even begin to follow the way those guys were thinking... "...Then I will be next." "Next is Rika-chan, is it? What can you even do without anything!?"Did you and Satoko both forget? ...If Rika-chan felt like it, she could simply... After moving back about ten yards, she began waddling up to Rena. ...Seeing that, both Mion and Satoko gasped!!  Too late!!!! Rika-chan tripped over nothing and lay motionless after falling down. ...Rena hurried over to her. "R-Rika-chan, are you all right!? All right!?"Rika-chan had a lump on her forehead and tears welled up in her eyes... Only her fingers peeked out from her sleeves... (This was the vital part!!) The palms of her hands were covered by her sleeves...!! She made just a single sound--  BGM: Sutakorasassa (Helter Skelter) "Aw-hao~~!!!! Ky-K-K-Kyute, kyute!!! Going to take you home~~!!!" "I'd completely forgotten thaaat!! The play that I personally had to use!!!"Rena's face went completely red, her head bobbing back and forth with excitement. She embraced Rika-chan and began rubbing her cheek against her...!!! "I'd expect no less from her... Not a single element was overlooked. She’s tiny! Shrine maiden! Brink of crying! Meep! It was perfect!! A simple trip, transcended into pure moe... Now this is what you call art!!" "...Kei-chan has a pretty weird definition of 'art.'"I'll just pretend the sharp sting of those words cutting through me like a razor was a figment of my imagination. Rika-chan turned her gaze to me with a daunting smile as she was caressed by Rena, who was in full Kyute Mode.  ...That cold smile is frightening, Rika-chan. It must just be my imagination, but I see a demon inside her sometimes... "Kei-chan seems to have his own plan of attack... ...I wonder what he's going to show her." "I also wish to observe the play Keiichi-san will make." "...Could it be...? Is Keiichi also going to give a performance?"I basked in their pointed stares... I pulled Rena, who gave no sign of cancelling out of Kyute Mode, away from Rika-chan.  "I'll show you something even cuter, so just hold on for now." "Huh? Oh? S-Something even... kyuter??" "But it's a bit too crowded here. Let's go back there."Rena looked very surprised as I pulled her behind the shrine. "...I cannot fathom what Keiichi-san could possibly be planning." "Kei-chan, wouldn’t stoop to... no, would he?" "...Keep on fighting! Yeah!"BGM: Silence After a bit, I returned.  "There's no way that scoundrel Kei-chan... did something... to innocent little Rena!?"Mion and Satoko passed by me, heading straight to Rena. "W-What, exactly, did he do to you!?"For a moment, Rena was too dazed to realize someone was talking to her.  "Rena! A-Are you all right!? Did Kei-chan do anything to you!?" "N... No... H-He... didn't do anything strange to me... hao..." "...This is quite severe... Exactly what did Keiichi-san show you!?" "...Um... It was so kyute... hao~☆" "Kyute!? What did he show you, Rena!?"Rena let out a really long "Hao~".  "Kyute, so kyute☆... It was Keiichi-kun's... furry little seal."BGM: Sutakorasassa (Helter Skelter)  Whamp! WhoOoOmp!!! In the blink of an eye Mion and Satoko's elbows smashed into my face...! "Huh? Haoh!? What? What!?" "...Sh-Showing Rena something so dirtyyyy~!!" "You sick pervert~!!! I shall have you beaten into oblivion!!!!" "W-Wait, wait, you've got it all wrong!!!!!" It was no good! Th-Th-They're gonna kill me!!!! "Mii-chan!? I'm not sure what's going on... but you've got it all wrong!! You see, Keiichi-kun had...!!" "...It's a fur seal keychain." "Ehh?" "...He said he made it long ago for one of his summer school assignments. He said he doesn't show it other often [sic] because it's embarrassing." "Yeah... So small and kyute. ...He tried his best to make it. It's so wonderful...☆" "Oh... Ohhh...! This old man thought you meant it was Keiichi's… Ahahaha.. haaa!!" "Oh ho ho ho!! I'd expect no less from Mion-san~! You misconstrue things in the wildest ways."They slung insults at each other and looked like they were ready to tear into each other at any second! ...I beg of you. ...If I'm in the clear, would you mind getting off of me...?  BGM: Afternoon in Paris  It was Tomitake-san. As I lay crumpled on the ground, Mion and Satoko continued to bicker above me. Rika-chan was patting me on the head and Rena was still in Kyute Mode... ...It was probably quite a lively scene... "It's a fine evening, indeed! Although it's rather poor etiquette to photograph a lady without her permission!!" "That's right. At least you don't really need Satoko's permission. Hurrngh!?!?"Satoko dug her heel into me!! "Good evening. ...Ah. You're heading back tomorrow, aren't you? Were you able to take lots of good photos?" "Thanks to you. I got plenty of good shots." "Tonight's the last we can see ol' Tomitake-sama, isn't it~!? It's such a shame☆ Hurry up and have your major breakout soon~!" "J-Just as rude as ever, aren't you...! I really am sad I won't be able to hear that voice of yours for almost half a year." "Be sure to have as much fun as you can tonight. You'll be back in Tokyo tomorrow, after all!" "...That's true. It will be another six months... until I can enjoy another night where I can see the stars."Tomitake-san looked up at the night sky cheerfully. At that moment, even though he was smiling, I sensed a bit of sadness.  Tomitake-san was speechless. "It's not very convenient here. No shops. Or recreational spots... There might not be anything really here, but you know..."Everyone knew what I was trying to say. ...Tomitake-san was also well aware. So Rena, Mion, Satoko, and Rika-chan... none of them butted in. "I've only been here for less than a month, so I don't really know everything about it."Normally I'm a really talkative guy, but in situations like this I'm at a loss for words. Even though all this was happening in such a boisterous setting, it felt like all the background noise was fading into the distance. "This place is probably...!" "...Thank you. Keiichi-kun. Mion-chan and Rena-chan, Satoko-chan and Rika-chan."Tomitake-san's smile was so slight it looked as if it was going to crumble at any minute, but it was warm. "I also think it would be great... if I could live here."Those might have been cruel words coming from a kid who didn't need to worry about working to feed himself. A hand touched my back. ...It was Rena. "Keiichi-kun. ...You shouldn't pick on adults. It's not nice." "We won't be seeing him for a while, after all! We need to make sure Tomitake-san also enjoys tonight!"When Rena smiled, the mood instantly got brighter. "That's true. I think I'll do just that." "Ah! Hey, Mii-chan!! How about it!? Can we let Tomitake-san in on our club activities!?"That's a great idea!! ...Or so I thought, but Mion had a snobbish look on her face. "...One of the requirements for membership is residence in Hinamizawa, you see." "Come on, Mii-chan... Just for today, don't be mean..." "Well, he does come around often every year. I'll make him an honorary citizen!!" "Whoa!! Yaay!!!""Now then! I wonder if this aged fellow, well past his prime, will be a match for me!" "...Let's have him show us the wisdom of a mature adult." "Heh heh! Can you keep up with us young 'uns?"Tomitake-san stepped back slightly at our audacious grins.  Her words were quickly drowned out by our cheers. "Wh-What do you mean by club...!?" "What our club does, you see... In order to cope with our complicated society, we perform various activities with various rules. Sometimes they are in your favor... ...and sometimes they work against you...!!" "...I'm pretty weak... so I'd prefer you not single me out. Let's try to get along." "If you wish to mock our childish games, then this will be the perfect opportunity!" "We'll leave you with nothing! We won't even leave the hairs on your butt!!" "...So, it's a club where we play games together."Of course Rika-chan was the only one to give an answer that made sense.  Tomitake-san got riled up and did a victory pose like he was ten years younger! That's perfect!! BGM: Hello!  It had some intensity to it!  "Same rules as always! The loser will, of course, be subject to a penalty!!"Tomitake-san was a bit surprised, but to us it was just the same as always. ...Regardless of how terrible a penalty it was, “'Just don't lose!'”Rena was also brimming with determination. She didn't have any intention of losing. "That's true!!"I tousled Rena's hair to lighten the mood. She giggled to hide her embarrassment.  Tomitake-san whispered that to nobody in particular. limeicebreakers fucked around with this message at 19:23 on Jul 5, 2021 |
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Jul 4, 2021 17:29
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This guy is 100% a dead man walking. ...And in the game!
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Jul 4, 2021 19:14
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He's cruisin' for a bruisin'
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Jul 5, 2021 05:04
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More seriously, he does seem to be all but shouting "HELLO CHILDREN, I AM HERE TO INVESTIGATE THE DEEP SECRET THAT THIS TOWN IS HIDING." He's so oily when dealing with them, that I'd be surprised if a single one of the girls haven't seen through him. Mion especially doesn't seem to like him. I think it's also noteworthy that people from the surrounding towns are present, given the theorized shunning targeting this community.
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Jul 5, 2021 16:20
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I mean, I don't see anything so far that would point to shunning. Illegal dumping doesn't peg to me as a retributive thing. I think its just there to establish as Hinamizawa as being way way out there in the boonies. Like, the school and dumping points to that definitely. And like, with other people from other towns coming around to partake in a festival, doesn't seem like a shunning is going on. Like, its been 4 years since the murder. While it was brutal, four people were caught and stated to regret it and were just accomplices. And with how mion and rena don't talk about it, the shunning is more likely for the murderers than anything else. Don't think punishing the town would go for that long. Also, maybe other small villages and homes near hinamizawa but not in it would get hit by the dam too and the town did stop that so maybe they appreciate that. But that one is speculation. And yeah, Tomitake clearly wants to pry. Maybe a paparazzi who is really keeping it low and just prodding. I think he does genuinely like the kids, specifically Keiichi seeing how similar they are with their outsider status. If he started coming here after the murder happened then its definitely suspect. Though, he only mentions murder stuff with keiichi, who knows as much as him or less. Maybe he thinks Keiichi is his key to information?
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Jul 5, 2021 17:15
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limeicebreakers posted:That's interesting, I always read it as Keiichi giving as good as he got. ...Well, not in the last update (he definitely 'gave' too much there), but as long as everyone comes out of it unscathed and unmurdered, it's fine...right? As someone who's hung out in 3-4 game store circles over the years, (non of which excluded girls,) Mion's play for keeps and frankly cutthroat behaviors would risk her becoming insufferable; at least, that's my impression of her. Keiichi being a good sport up til now of all of it DOES at least imply these kids are having fun screwing around and not taking it personally. All in good fun, but I wouldn't want Mion to show up at my game store playing Munchkin or MtG/Werewolf/Mafia/etc. with the tactics she brings. She probably memorizes the rules of any game she plays and otherwise preps wayyyy too much ahead of time to the point where she has arguably unfair advantages so she can screw with people like Keiichi. Capfalcon posted:This guy is 100% a dead man walking. DelilahFlowers posted:He's cruisin' for a bruisin' Let's pretend he's completely ignorant of anything about the Backwater Gruesome Murder. I still can't imagine him walking around like a jackass taking unsolicited photos (of minors, no less) would be appreciated by the locals even if the town had nothing to hide. Also, while I still think all the garbage dumping and lackluster schools is an intentional retributive action, all of Hinamizawa's neighbors aren't necessarily in on it. This seems to be a unique festival, which could attract outside attention, and while the town's residents are fairly insular if not outright xenophobic, they don't seal off the place to hold it (Like, say, the creepy cult from the first Siren Game) so they presumably are okay with some outsiders bringing in popcorn machines and Gundam model stalls in for an evening of partying.
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Jul 5, 2021 18:22
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Is it just me, or is Rika pretty withdrawn? It's been some time since I watched the show, but from what I recall, in early episodes Rika came off as the quiet-but-adorable little girl who always shows up in time to punctuate the club hijinks with an adorable little head-pat or an adorable little nipaa~. In the game, she's so quiet that you almost forget that she's there sometimes. She'll get caught up in the hijinks, like with the zombie game, but during the festival she just keeps repeating variations of the same line during the food competition. Up until the kyute thing hunt, it just seems like she was mostly checked out. Am I reading too much into this?  TKMobile posted:As someone who's hung out in 3-4 game store circles over the years, (non of which excluded girls,) Mion's play for keeps and frankly cutthroat behaviors would risk her becoming insufferable; at least, that's my impression of her. Keiichi being a good sport up til now of all of it DOES at least imply these kids are having fun screwing around and not taking it personally. All in good fun, but I wouldn't want Mion to show up at my game store playing Munchkin or MtG/Werewolf/Mafia/etc. with the tactics she brings. She probably memorizes the rules of any game she plays and otherwise preps wayyyy too much ahead of time to the point where she has arguably unfair advantages so she can screw with people like Keiichi. I wouldn't approach the club from the perspective of a gaming group (especially an adult gaming group, as I assume those groups were) so much as from the perspective of kids messing around. Usually you game because you find the game itself fun, and you socialize with other gamers because they find the game fun, too. Competition might be fierce in that setting, but good sportsmanship takes the sting from a loss and allows winners to stay friends with losers. In that setting, sore winners, minmaxers, and that one rear end in a top hat who clowns on ten-year-olds armed with Babby's First Deck are detrimental to the scene. But here in Hinamizawa, the fun doesn't come from the game itself--the fun comes from messing with each other. The real competition isn't to see who's best at $GAME, it's to see who's best at cheating. And the real fun comes from the crazy shenanigans that the gang can convince each other to do. I'd say the mood is more along the lines of Truth or Dare than a usual card game. At the end of the day, the club members are still playing a game, just by a very different set of rules than most people This dynamic tells us two things: firstly, the club members are very close-knit. You can only have this joking, teasing dynamic when there's a high degree of trust between friends. Secondly, the club members' dynamic is ripe for disaster. I think the biggest issue with the club is that there's no off button for Shenanigans. It's normal for friends to tease each other sometimes, and it's okay to cheat if everyone agrees to allow it. But the club members are constantly teasing each other, constantly competing with each other. That's a dynamic that leaves little room for serious conversation, and lots of room for boundary violations. How can you open your heart if you think your friends will tease you? How do you express discomfort when everything is just a game? In real life, kids generally learn to turn off The Shenanigans as they mature, or else the friend group will fall apart. In Spooky Small Town Hinamizawa...well, we'll see what happens.
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Jul 5, 2021 20:09
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Viola the Mad posted:Is it just me, or is Rika pretty withdrawn? It's been some time since I watched the show, but from what I recall, in early episodes Rika came off as the quiet-but-adorable little girl who always shows up in time to punctuate the club hijinks with an adorable little head-pat or an adorable little nipaa~. In the game, she's so quiet that you almost forget that she's there sometimes. She'll get caught up in the hijinks, like with the zombie game, but during the festival she just keeps repeating variations of the same line during the food competition. Up until the kyute thing hunt, it just seems like she was mostly checked out. Am I reading too much into this? This, wow, this is some spot on analysis, I tell you. (And yes, FTR, they all were adult/young adult gaming groups that I was part of.) It also, if you ask me, makes things hard for Rika and Rena most of all. Good loving luck to either of them if they need to catch a break; I wonder if some of Rena's attempts to speak with Keiichi (before he taunts her) were intended to be more serious/less jokey and that went right over the dude's head. Keiichi's made it a life's calling to tease Rena if he senses weakness, second only to his game war with Mion, and while he also targets Satoko by being a wise-rear end, the latter is just a kid who doesn't know any better and gives as much as she takes. Well, she tries more physical pranks since she's not on Mion or Keiichi's level of "psychological warfare" but she can still hold her own is my point. Rika just feels like the most poorly suited out of all of them to stick to this group. Rena's kind of a dope, but she's presumably also hung out with Mion for awhile; whereas Rika needs a pier group of more down to earth kids close to her own age, not the most insane posse this Non-School has to offer. But I feel what you said about trust goes both ways. Yeah these girls will cheat like gently caress at games without insulting anybody or hurting one another's feelings, but we also have witnessed the oldest ones lie about what they know concerning a murder. It's not a good sign, not at all...
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Jul 5, 2021 20:41
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VIDEO: Onikakushi-hen | Day 9 Part 2 Looking over, I realized it was the man Mion had greeted right before the festival. "You're here. Little Miss Sonozaki! Seems you brought quite the crowd." "We came to eradicate your entire stall!!" It was the usual setup where you had to knock down the prize you wanted with a cork gun. "The rules are simple!! Three shots! The winner is whoever gets the biggest prize!!"Everybody shouted their agreement. BGM: Digital Network There was no need to consider how to win, since the condition for victory was simply size. The biggest prize at the stall... It went without question. It was that one, wasn't it...!? "Whoa... Th... That teddy bear... K-Kyute...☆"Rena was gazing longingly at a large stuffed animal. It was intentionally placed on an unsteady platform, so it was possible to get it if you hit the right spot!  "Not bad, Keiichi-san. I figured you would see through this scam instantly." "Hmm. The most logical course of action would be to aim for some candy or a doll."The intent analysis had already begun. In this club, you'll get eaten alive if you don't come prepared. Everything hinges on what plan you can come up with before the main event...!!! At some point a large crowd had gathered around us, making a big fuss. There was this much of a following for our club's infamous event!?  "Only three shots. To use them all just trying... That'd be rough." "Hey! I have other customers waiting, you know!! Who's up first!?" "The first one has the advantage of being able to aim for the easier prizes... but it's dangerous to compete without knowing the gun's quirks."Tomitake-san's take on the situation was pretty good. He gets what our club is about...!  "That's really the only way! Rock, paper, scissors!!!!"After a couple of matches, it ended up with Mion being first. "I didn't want to end up first... Ah well, I'll just think of it as a handicap. Gramps!! Gun!!" "Here yah go!!"When the shooting range guy handed her a rifle, Mion looked it over intently. She didn't forget to check the cork bullet, either. "Okay. ...This gun is brand new, isn't it? No faults. Not bad!!"Mion raised the gun in one swift motion!! It was completely different from her careful inspection. She was shooting from the hip!!  Flop. ...Flop, flop. ...Three candy boxes fell, one after the other. A big haul!! The crowd paused in a moment of awe and then erupted in cheers.  "Th... That was quite good...!!!"Tomitake-san was at a loss for words after seeing such shooting prowess. "A... Amazing, Mii-chan!! Three! Three!!!"Her accuracy was incredible... Her choice of targets wasn't bad either. The three Mion had gone after were fairly large and pretty easy to knock over. They were all targets with very high return on investment...! "Who's up next? Satoko? ...Careful. The bullets are light."Next was Satoko. The rifle looked a bit big for her lithe body, but it didn't seem like she had any problem with the weight.  She proclaimed that she was going after the teddy bear! drat Satoko! Such a bold move! "The moment she knocks it over, she's guaranteed to be in first! Good luck, Satoko-chan~!!"Satoko was the opposite of Mion. She aimed at the target quite carefully... and squeezed the trigger! "...Bah. These bullets are too light...!"The first two bullets struck the bear in the torso, but it only shifted a bit. ...You need to aim higher towards the head or it won't work...! Satoko's third bullet wasn't aimed at the bear, but at the candy box below its arm.  She went boldly after the big catch, but since she switched over to less impressive prey at the last second, the crowd only gave a strained laugh. Were they laughing because she lacked the courage? ...These fools know nothing!! "A fine attempt, Satoko. You've gotten better!"The palm of Mion's outstretched hand went pomf! as it tapped down lightly on Satoko. She appeared to just be talking hot air, but this was actually completely calculated! drat that Satoko! Just to avoid being in last place, she dared to switch over to an easy target...! Without shame or honor!! Magnificent...  "Okay, okay! Thanks so much, Satoko-chan.☆ ...Hao~ Bear-san sho kyute!!"Rena was up next. She couldn't hit the broadside of a barn as regular Rena, but she said that bear was kyute! "I wonder how Rena-chan will do. ...I hope she's able to hit at least one." "You're underestimating Rena, Tomitake-san... ... Heh."It's Rena, you know? It's Rena Ryuugu, you know!? If it was to get that teddy bear...  Tomitake-san wheeled around to see what all the commotion the spectators were making was about! If it was to get that bear... she'd be able to shoot through a pinhole! The one known as Rena Ryuugu could do it!!!!  Rena couldn't hide her excitement over the bear's slow rocking...! Now Rena couldn't lose!! "Not bad, Rena-san...!! The less collected you become..." "The stronger you get!!!" Another big cheer! Rena's bullet hit the bear's forehead again!! Not enough. The bear seemed to wobble more than before. "...But it might not be possible." "Y-You never know! With Rena-chan's skill, it might be...!!"While Tomitake-san was just as excited as the crowd, Rika-chan's analysis was not swayed by emotion. If Rena had ten more shots, then she could surely knock it over. ...But... with just one more... No matter how you looked at it... No go!  The crowd let out a dejected groan... She had shot it right in the forehead three times... It was a bit late, but they gave her a good round of applause for the attempt.  "...Hao... Bear-san... take him home... hao..."She should be praised for her valor, but she had no trophies to show for it. ...Then, at that moment, the old man flicked one of the candy boxes with his finger and handed it to Rena. "This's fer you, little lady." "...Huh? ...You're giving this to... to me? Hao..." "The gods wouldn't forgive me if I let you go home empty-handed after such a display!"There was another shower of applause!  "You did a good job! Your Kyute Mode really surprised me!" "...Hao... I really wanted Mr Bear... Wah..."It was easy to see that it only needed a little more to be knocked over. Rena had done quite a lot for me. I still needed to pay her back for that delicious picnic. "All right! Then I'll..." Wuhaaaat!?!? Tomitake-san had stolen the words right out of my mouth! "Okay! Okay! Please, Tomitake-san!! Good luck~!!"D-D-drat you, old man Tomitakeee!! Stealing the good parts for yourself...!!  "...You keep on fighting too, Keiichi, okay?"Tomitake-san carefully studied the bear. ...Setting his sights, he shouldered the rifle while holding the other two shots in his hand. "Hm!? Why is he doing that!?" "...Yes, no doubt!! Tomitake-san is aiming for...!"Pwop! Pwop! Pwop!! The time between shots was short!! It was meaningless to shoot again once it stopped shaking!! So Tomitake-san was relying on rapid fire to win the battle!!! It was visibly wobbling much more than it ever had before...! ...But that was all... It still didn't fall over.  All of Rena's momentary expectation from watching it sway violently turned into a dejected sigh. "...Hmm~... I really thought it would work...!!" "Oh ho ho! It seems that, since you're a man, you will not be receiving any candy!"That was it! It meant Tomitake-san had no spoils of war!  "Avoid being the loser, huh. ...Oh, sorry about that." "It's your turn next, Keiichi-kun. Best of luck!"I was the fifth shooter. I took the rifle from Tomitake-san. If I took the ruthless route, as Mion had suggested, then I'd go for a small target. ...Except...!! When I picked up the rifle, I definitely got a feeling from it. ...It was... burning passion!! Passed down to me by Tomitake-san. The regret of not being man enough to fell the bear that Rena wanted...!! Yes, that's right. If I didn't aim for the bear... Then I wouldn't be a man!!  "...Huh ...huh? ...What... promise? What?" "To shoot down that bear. ...Then give it to Rena. That one." "Uh... uh... You mean... hao..."The crowd went wild when they saw our conversation! “”"Whoooooo!! Cool, onii-chan!! Show us what you’ve got!!!!"””Th-That's not it, fine men of the crowd! ...If I didn't do this... then Rena might mug the old man running the stall on his way home...!! No! That's not it! That's not it at all! Why can't I just express my honest feelings!?  "...Rena and Tomitake-san's shots did make it tilt a bit... but I think finishing the job will be difficult." "...Keiichii-kun..." "If only there was some way to shoot faster... I'd be able to pile more power on the sway from each hit...!" "Good luck! Keiichi-kun!!” "Two more rifles."Huh!? The crowd murmured amongst themselves. "I wonder what Keiichi-san is up to... One person can't handle three rifles at once!!" "I get it... Nice thinking, Kei-chan!!"Mion was able to figure it out magnificently! "Basically, what was taking the most time was reloading the shot." "Th-That's right...! Then... by putting three pre-loaded rifles next to each other...!"Tomitake-san went silent, peering at me and the bear through his lens.  And then the crowd finally picked up on what I was planning! They let out a great cheer! They chanted my name, Keiichi!!! Rapid fire is the key! If I miss, all is for naught!! ...Phueeeeeew... After letting out a deep breath... I paused. Relax… NOW!  That moment... It felt like time itself had stopped. I felt like I could see the trajectory of the bullets. Hit it... and... knock it down! The first shot hit the bear on its head. The second... ... The third... !!! The bear swayed hard!! And then...!   BGM: Hello! "oOOooOOOoOoOO!!!!"The cheers began before the stuffed animal even finished falling off the shelf. The guy caught it before it hit the ground and tossed it over to me. "...You actually knocked it over. You got me!!" "Amazing! Congratulations, Keiichi-kun!!" "Keiichi-san has finally learned how to use his head!! I see you in a slightly better light now!!" "I didn't do it all by myself. Everyone hit it, and those small bits together brought it down. ...This trophy belongs to all of us!!!" "Right! This is from all of us working together~!!" "...Mii didn't hit it a single time." "...Urk."After holding up the teddy bear like it was a championship trophy, I handed it to Rena.  Rena, thinking she was never actually going to get it, was momentarily speechless. "I-I can't, Keiichi-kun... This is everyone's, after all... hao~" "In that case, I was the one who knocked it down! And it's mine! It's mine, so I'm giving it to Rena!"I pushed the stuffed animal towards her again. ...This time, she embraced and accepted it. "You've watched out for me ever since I moved here, after all. I'm really grateful, you see... Thanks a lot!!" "...H-Hao~~!! Keiichii-kuun!! Thanks so much~~☆!"Rena dove at me.  I remembered what I was trying to say to Tomitake-san earlier. There really isn't much of anything here. ...But there are lots of things you can't find anywhere else. I gained a lot from coming to Hinamizawa. ...Especially at that moment. The crowd's cheers echoed on and on. - - - BGM: Afternoon in Paris  It was the finale of the festival. "...I'll be going off ahead, then." "Uh oh! I need to go and get myself a good spot, too. ...Well then everyone, see you in a bit."Both Rika-chan and Tomitake-san gave their farewells and disappeared into the crowd. "I wish both of you the best in your endeavors~!! Now... Shall we be off?" "Yeah, might as well go see Rika-chan's charming figure. Let's go!" "Yeah! Huh? Where's Rena? ...Wh-What are you doing??" Since she was carrying such a ridiculously large stuffed animal, she was being carried by the flow of people. "What is she doing... She must have her hands full taking care of that bear..." "So I'll leave Rena in your care, Kei-chan. I have my hands full taking care of Satoko." "Who would want to be looked after by you, Mion-san~!?”  “Ouch! Please don't pull on my arm~...!"Before losing sight of Mion, I grabbed the back of Rena's collar. "K-K-Keiichi-kun... Not there... don't grab me there...!" "Always so bossy. Where can I grab then?" "...Uh... um... Hao..." I grabbed onto Rena's hand and dashed after Mion and the others. "We're gonna be late. Let's hurry up!" "...Y-Yeah...!"I hadn't realized Rena's hand was so delicate... ...Maybe she needed a bit more exercise and nutrition? ...That wasn't what I meant! Not at all!! My ears burned. I tried to keep calm. I repeated the phrase 'Keep it together, Keiichi Maebara' in my mind, but it didn't look like I would be able to anytime soon. I really didn't want Rena to see my face right then, so I pushed onwards, dragging her along without looking back even once.  The fire at the altar made it as bright as midday and just as hot. There was a pile of futons warded with sanctified rope in front of the altar. Come to think of it, they did say it was a festival where they did something with the cotton in futons. "Keiichi-san! Rena-san~! We're over here~!!"Satoko waved her hand from the front row.  Making our way through the mass of people, we reached the spot they'd saved. "How was it? Were you able to have a little bit of excitement with Rena~?" "Y-Y-You punk! So that's what your plan was!?!?"Instead of replying, Mion gave us a perverse grin. "How was it, Rena? Was Kei-chan's hand bigger than you thought it would be~?" "Ha... Ha-o~..."Rena turned bright red, puffs of steam shooting out of her.  "...Mion... When... were you hit...?" "Between the 'ha' and 'o' of her hao~ I... think..." "Rena... It's not good to punch your friends to hide your embarrassment..." "I-I didn't hit her... W-Wh-whatever... hao."BGM: Silence Thump!! The thunderous beat of the drum echoed, silencing the crowd. "You must all be quiet!! It's beginning!!" Rika-chan entered dressed as a shrine maiden, followed by members of the municipal committee. The elders all looked at Rika-chan and clasped their hands in praise. The only thing allowed to disturb the profound silence was the flash from Tomitake-san's camera. "What's the big thing Rika-chan is holding?" "A hoe that's used for this festival. It's a sacred farming tool that only the shrine maiden may touch."It was an awkward shape for a piece of farm equipment. Not uncommon for something used in rituals. After reciting a Shinto prayer, Rika-chan approached the pile of futons gathered at the altar. She swung the hoe skillfully, ploughing it into the futons. Each and every little movement of this performance probably had to be done in a certain way... Without a doubt, this was a ritual. "What's next? Airing out futons?" "She's purifying the futons, which sacrificially absorbed winter’s illnesses for those using them." "So when Kei-chan said 'airing out futons,' he wasn't completely wrong." ...That hoe was probably really heavy. She staggered side-to-side with the momentum of each swing. Satoko looked on, silently lending her support... "...Worried?" "Rika practiced every single day with a mochi hammer... ...She will certainly prevail."Satoko's hands were sweaty, and whenever Rika-chan started to sway a little, she held her breath. "...Why wasn't Mion a candidate to be the shrine maiden? ...It feels wrong, having Rika-chan swing around something so heavy." "I'd do it if they asked me, you know... And well... it's not something just anyone could do." "That's true. Shrine maidens need to be pure, after all. ...Ghrnk...!!"Mion drove her elbow into my side!!  ...That triggered a round of generous applause. After the Shinto priests had raised up the cleansed futons like a portable altar, all the spectators stood up. Following after the priests, we all marched on at a moderate pace. They descended the shrine's giant stairs in a line. "What's happening now? Washing the futons in the river?" "Ahahaha. Watanagashi means setting cotton adrift, you know."SFX: River  A fire was stoked high and it was bright as day here, too. People started crowding around it and clamoring. "All right, get in line. Line up, Keiichi-kun."...I wondered what was up. Maybe we'd get some holy wine? Red and white bean buns? "Ahahahaha... It's not food. I said it was cotton (wata)."Ah, but of course. They didn't call it the Watanagashi for nothing. I finally understood.  Rena dove into the line and brought out some for me as well. We then proceeded to the bank of the stream. "Since it's your first time, Keiichi-kun, just copy what I do."She held the cotton in her right hand and, waving her hand as if to purify it, she touched it to her forehead, chest, navel, and both thighs. "You do this three times, and silently give thanks to Oyashiro-sama." "Oyashiro-sama? What's that? The name of the shrine's god?" "Yes. It's the guardian deity of Hinamizawa. It brings about both miracles and curses! So you must be sure to show respect."That sounded like a pretty frightening god. But, well, when in Rome... I was officially a resident of Hinamizawa now, after all. Doing as Rena showed me, I touched the cotton over myself three times.  "This way, all the evil that possesses you is sucked out by the cotton. ...Then you let it gently drift away on the stream, and you're done."Together, Rena and I set our pieces of cotton afloat on the surface of the water. The flowers of cotton blooming in the water had sucked out all the evil festering in Hinamizawa and drifted off, disappearing into the distance. It was wonderful, like those floating lantern festivals I'd seen on TV. The best part, though, was feeling like this rite of passage had made me a true resident of Hinamizawa.     
limeicebreakers fucked around with this message at 04:00 on Jul 11, 2021 |
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Jul 6, 2021 15:26
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Ooof. I just know bad times are ahead, but if that Bear (which we can see be removed from the BG, nice touch btw) was so big, Rena has problems carrying it, how huge was the airsoft pistol on display? Or the tank model? Forget Teddy, someone should have tried to win a monster gun to keep themselves safe. (I'm assuming nothing was to scale on there, but gently caress that. The sense of dread is building; I'd want a hand cannon right about now...) Also, uh... nice ritual there. Having a little girl ritualistically gut a bunch of futons and have the innards pulled out don't imply anything violent or insidious at all. Kinda reminds me of that ritual that kicked off Corpse Party, TBH....
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Jul 6, 2021 16:42
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TKMobile posted:I just know bad times are ahead, but if that Bear (which we can see be removed from the BG, nice touch btw) was so big, Rena has problems carrying it, how huge was the airsoft pistol on display? The manga draws this teddy bear absolutely gargantuan. So, yeah, probably not up to scale. 
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Jul 6, 2021 18:34
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Hey TK, this is the first time you've ever experienced Higurashi, right? When I saw the thread I assumed the audience would be fellow fans of the franchise, but it's been really neat to see the perspective of someone who doesn't know the story.
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Jul 7, 2021 02:00
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I mentioned earlier that I read the first two volumes of the manga and know a few spoilers but most of what I know is so random, these revelations don't make a lot of contextual sense to me, or I forgot what I read while reading the Umineko LP that links the games. I also know where to get a copy of the live action movie, but I haven't done so yet. (Also, also, I was around for the original Dangan Ronpa threads a few years ago and I loving despised the shitlords who purposely spoiled the mysteries (especially during DR2) so I've tried to avoid referencing anything I have prior knowledge of.) Like, my theory that garbage dumping being a possible form of retribution against Hinamizawa? This is just something that I came up with during the read of this thread and not the manga. Never occurred to me until now. Funny story, Yen Press used to put out a Shonen Jump-esque monthly with a handful of chapters of different Manga and Manwa, and it included Higurashi. They stopped publishing Higurashi chapters RIGHT BEFORE the first arc coverage ended. I was so furious at the time. EDIT: Sorry, I meant the first two Arcs worth of manga, but I'm still here for all the stuff not included in that. TKMobile fucked around with this message at 03:23 on Jul 7, 2021 |
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Jul 7, 2021 02:53
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VIDEO: Onikakushi-hen | Day 9 Part 3 BGM: Silence SFX: River SFX: Crickets  I wasn't very lonely though. I know this place now. ...This is where I live. My home. It's probably better if I just stay here instead of wandering around aimlessly. Someone would surely find me while I was enjoying the evening breeze. ...I heard a familiar voice. It was Tomitake-san's. I headed towards it.  "Yeah. Fortunately!"Tomitake-san was with a girl. ...I felt a little like I was intruding.  From the way she spoke, it seemed like she was a resident of Hinamizawa. ...I really should try harder to remember people's faces here. What was her name...? "Well... umm... It was fun." "It's probably because it hasn't been long since you moved here. It's pretty hard to believe, seeing how friendly you've gotten with the other kids."If that's how it looked, it was probably all thanks to Rena and Mion.  "Perhaps you feel more like a resident of Hinamizawa after taking part in the festival today...?" "...Hmm... I wonder about that." "Oh, that's not like you."I had tried to get used to Hinamizawa. But... there were still plenty of things I didn't know. The faces of people I'd met, for example. ...Things that had happened in the past, as well.  "It's not so much as feeling left out... It's just... I'm not sure how to say it..."That incident at the dam construction site. The fighting over it and other conflicts. ...That terrible incident they pretended they didn't even know about whenever I brought it up. Even though it was in the past... As someone living in Hinamizawa, it wasn't wrong to want to know about both the good and bad that had happened here. "If it will put you at ease, then I'll tell you everything I know."Tomitake-san's smile made me more relieved than I'd ever been. It was hard to think of what to ask when someone said "ask me anything," though. ...Even when there was so much I wanted to ask. "Then... could you tell me about what happened when the dam was being constructed? There was a big incident where Hinamizawa was going to be submerged, right...?" "I think the locals would be more knowledgeable about the dam than I am. Well, if you don't mind, I'll tell you what I know. ...It's only what I read in the newspaper though."Tomitake-san's eyes entered an unfocused gaze as he searched through his memory. Then he spoke.  SFX: Crickets There were three major issues in Japan at that time. Improving inter-island transportation infrastructure, meeting the higher demand for electricity, and flood control. There was a boom of dam building due to the massive economic stimulus they provided on top of generating electricity and flood control. Hinamizawa had the right conditions to support dam construction, so it was singled out. b]SFX:[/B] River "The dam reservoir would have covered quite a lot of ground when it was completed. The entire area, right up to Yagouichi way upstream, would be underwater." "...But... why did they have to pick a populated area like Hinamizawa? Couldn't they have instead picked a place where nobody lived?" "Hmm~... I'm not really sure why, but I heard that it was just the right terrain for building a dam."Of course, there were protests here in Hinamizawa. Rika-chan had said that they had ‘fought’. From that choice of words I had to guess things had turned violent. "There was a trial and it was even brought up before the National Diet. It was covered in the Tokyo newspapers, too."Mion had told me all about that, as well. I'm sure every resident of Hinamizawa had united to fight together. ...The feeling of solidarity found here, which could not be expressed properly with mere words, was likely brought about by that battle.  If I wanted to know, now was my only chance to ask. It was certainly a bizarre incident that boys my age would be curious about. I felt a little shame from the fact I was petty enough to have my curiosity piqued by Rena and Mion's refusal to talk about the event... But I figured I might as well ask since I had the chance... Just so I would stop thinking about it so much. "So... there was a dismemberment... right?" "There was. I happened to be here in Hinamizawa at the time, so I remember it well." BGM: Silver Mirror "...It was about this time, four years ago. It was the day of the Watanagashi, if I recall correctly."Debate on whether to continue construction on the dam was in disarray. Scandal after scandal rocked the project near the end. ...The incident that was the final nail in the coffin for the dam project.  Fearing prosecution, the six assailants divided the remains into six pieces and each hid one. Five of the six criminals turned themselves in out of guilt, but one was still on the run. The right arm he'd hidden had yet to be found. The major details lined up with what was in the tabloid I'd read earlier. It certainly was a tragic incident... but it wasn't so terrible that Rena and Mion needed to hide it from me. I guess they didn't want someone who'd just moved here to have a negative impression of Hinamizawa. I felt grateful for having friends who worried so much about me, as well as shame for still being so interested in it. "It was near the end of all the trouble with the dam, you see. So everyone was saying that it was Oyashiro-sama's curse." "Oyashiro-sama's curse, huh..."Oyashiro-sama was the name of the god at the shrine that held the festival today, if I recalled correctly. I see. Their guardian deity rained divine punishment down on the evil dam construction for trying to flood Hinamizawa.  The woman with Tomitake-san said with a mischievous chuckle. Tomitake-san began laughing with her. It was so infectious I ended up laughing as well. "...But... I wonder about now. There are quite a few, I think. Amongst the youth, too." "A few... what?" "People who believe... in Oyashiro-sama's curse."The woman's lips were still curled into a smile, but her expression turned stern. "Then after that... it continued every year. ...Always around this time." "Continued? What continued?"Tomitake-san paused for a second as if to build up some suspense. Then he whispered to me, as if someone might have been listening. BGM: Silence   BGM: Doukutsu (Cave)  "The year following the dismemberment, on the day of the Watanagashi...A man from Hinamizawa who had supported the dam fell off a cliff overlooking some rapids and died, while he was on vacation. Unfortunately for his wife, the body was never recovered." "He supported the dam construction even though he lived in Hinamizawa. At the time, there were whispers amongst the elderly saying it was Oyashiro-sama's curse."The woman chuckled mischievously again. "Then the next year. The night of the Watanagashi. The shrine's Shinto priest died suddenly from an unknown illness. His wife drowned herself in the bog that night." "The shrine's Shinto priest... You mean he was from the shrine here?" "There was a rumor amongst the villagers that they weren't able to quell Oyashiro-sama's anger." "Then the year after that, again on the night of the Watanagashi... they discovered the battered body of a local housewife."...Housewife? Up until now, all these mysterious deaths were people involved with the dam or who had connections with Oyashiro-sama. With that in mind, could the housewife have been involved in some way, too?  the woman stated slyly. ...No, it was more menacingly. "One of the victim's relatives, you see... was connected to the younger brother of the dam supporter who fell to his death two years before." "The younger brother is still alive, it seems, but it did bother him quite a bit. So he moved to the neighboring town."...For a while, I stood there with my mouth agape. The battle over the dam construction, with Hinamizawa's future at stake, and the murder at the center of it all. That was all I knew, and that was all I wanted to ask about. But that wasn't all there was to the story. Homicide. Body disposal. Accidental deaths. Terminal illness. Suicide. Fatal beatings. I'm a pretty level-headed person... I don't really want to believe in curses... But... the freakish deaths happened every year, on the day of the Watanagashi, and all of them were related to the dam construction...!? It was easy to dismiss each of them as coincidences by themselves. But when you put them all together... Dismissing all of them as coincidence would then defy logic.  The woman chuckled again, as if she picked up on what I was thinking. It felt like she was saying, "Maybe there was. Maybe we frightened him." Stuff like that. I felt embarrassed at being read so easily. I pressed Tomitake-san to continue, a bit of impatience and irritation in my tone. BGM: Silence SFX: River  "I wonder... ... Who do you think, Keiichi-kun?" "Th... The hell!?"The way he said it didn't agree with me. The sarcastic tone ticked me off. "Don't avoid the question...! I'm serious here...!" "Hey, hey. Calm down, Keiichi-kun."I realized when she tried to calm me down that I had been panicking. "We aren't trying to avoid the question, Keiichi-kun. It's just... When you say 'the next year,' that's..." When she hesitated to say it, Tomitake-san finished for her. ...I broke into a cold sweat. I really didn't like the direction this was headed.  "Nobody wants to speak of it, but they all think it's going to happen again tonight." "Th-The festival was so cheerful, though!!" "Well, the victim last year, the housewife... She was a non-believer. It turns out she didn't even attend the Watanagashi festival." "There was a rumor going around that if you didn't participate in the festival, you would incur Oyashiro-sama's wrath. ...Didn't you hear anything about this, Keiichi-kun?"I never even heard a whisper of that rumor. "...Th-Then the reason everyone was at the festival was... they were afraid of the curse!?" "I figured that must have been the reason... ...There were a lot more people at the Watanagashi than usual." "I guess everyone was... just afraid after all. Of Oyashiro-sama's curse." "...." In this modern age. Where we've made progress in all scientific fields, shedding light on the unknown and misunderstood. Where black and white television has been eradicated and we've sent men to the moon. Even with all of our accomplishments... This can exist in modern society? "Tons of invitations were sent out to neighboring towns' youth groups to help pad the numbers. But after that string of events, few decided to join. The municipal committee members were complaining about how hard it was to gather participants." "Also, the police are treating each case as isolated; they don't believe they're connected. ...But apparently they sent quite a few plainclothes officers for security.”It finally began to dawn on me why Rena and Mion were reluctant to talk. If nothing happened during this Watanagashi, everything would have been over with and I'd be none the wiser. ...If nothing happened, all would be well. In that case, it would all end up being just crazy talk. I should have just pretended like I knew nothing from the beginning. Then they wouldn't have had to act like nothing happened. ...And we would have all gotten back to life as usual.  The woman ran her fingers through her hair as she sighed. "N-No... It wasn't, not at all..."I had tried to act strong, but that just served to emphasize how much the information had unsettled me. After seeing how I looked, Tomitake-san appeared to regret saying anything. Letting out a sigh, he then spoke, forcing an awkward, upbeat demeanor. "Keiichi-kun, surely you don't believe in such things as curses." "...Well... no..." "If the causes of all of the crimes were unknown, with the perpetrators and their methods all mysteries, then I would think it's the work of a curse. But that's not how things are in reality. The police are investigating the evidence and suspects to uncover the truth."Hearing him say "police" made me feel a lot better. It was perfect for repelling the word "curse."  “That's no curse. ...Don't you agree?"That was true. If it didn't happen on the day of the Watanagashi, then I wouldn't think it was related to the curse at all... "The accidental death of the man who supported the dam is the same. He was in a position that made others hate him. The police made a point of investigating from that angle. They concluded it was an accident. Not foul play." "But they both happened on the day of the festival, right...?" "Ha ha ha. Just think about it, Keiichi-kun. Do you think people with a lot of enemies here in Hinamizawa could participate easily in a local festival? It would be especially hard for them to be around during the Watanagashi. So they probably left Hinamizawa intentionally around this time of year to travel, don't you think?"It wasn't a very clear explanation, but I sort of understood what Tomitake-san was getting at.  "Then, Tomitake-san, what about the priest who died after that? The one with the unknown illness. ...That also happened on the day of the festival." "It's even easier to explain what happened to the Shinto priest. The Watanagashi is a really big event that happens once a year. It was probably from all the built-up stress. Or it may have been because of a pre-existing condition." "But it was an unknown illness. It's hard to believe something with an unknown cause could exist with all our advances in medicine..." "It's just an exaggeration. Rumors making rumors. Anyone would get worked up over having incidents happen two years in a row. The sudden death is quite unnatural, though... Of course, the police ordered an autopsy because of the strange way he died.” “...But there wasn't enough for them to open a full investigation, you know? Turns out it was just a sudden death due to illness." "...The priest's wife committed suicide, correct? What about that?" "I believe I already explained that. Everyone was shaken up by the incidents happening for a third year. Those who are of strong faith were quick to believe it was the work of the curse.” “...Of course, that included the priest's wife. Apparently they found a suicide note that said something like: ... 'My death will quell Oyashiro-sama's anger.'" "Well, then, how about... the next incident, with the housewife? That happened on the day of the Watanagashi too!" "The perpetrator has already been caught and the case has been closed. Turns out it was just some nutjob trying to continue the legacy of the Hinamizawa curse." "Then... Then...! ...How about the incident the next year!? ...Oh, uh..."Oh, yeah. This year is the next year. Tomitake-san gave a hearty laugh.  ...My internal computer finally got itself back on track. I felt a bit embarrassed by how childish I'd become after losing control and panicking. "I can see very clearly now that Keiichi-kun really does love Hinamizawa. Even if Oyashiro-sama's curse actually did exist, Keiichi-kun couldn't bring himself to believe that such a thing existed."I felt very relieved. I should probably just forget everything I heard tonight. I'll greet Rena and Mion tomorrow with the same smile as always. They'd probably also like tonight to end without incident, so they can continue on tomorrow without having worried me.  "...Well, then. I should be getting back." "Goodness! I think I may have gone on a bit too long!"There were so few people compared to the crowd from before. I could only make out a few groups of families enjoying the cool evening air. I looked at my watch; it seemed we'd talked for the better part of an hour. "Didn't you come along with your friends, Keiichi-kun? Not going to look for them?" "...Oh, yeah...! They might all be looking for me!" "Heheheheh! You're quite the scoundrel, making the girls look for you." "See you, Keiichi-kun. Have a nice night. ...You too, Jirou-san. I'll see you a bit later."...Tomitake-san seems to be quite the scoundrel himself. (So his name is Jirou...) After dusting off her backside, she disappeared into the crowd of people still busy cleaning up the shrine grounds. BGM: Hello! "Keiichi-kun~!! So sorry~!!" I could see all the others behind her. Speak of the devil. "My bad, Kei-chan...! We got so caught up in our discussion!"I'd completely forgotten about them while caught up in my own conversation, so we were even. "My, so Tomitake-san was with you! This works out perfectly!!" "We still need to settle the shooting gallery competition." "Ah, th-that's right...! So I guess I'm gonna end up dead last?" The ones remaining were all tiny and difficult to hit. She did take her time and aim, but all three shots completely missed. She was to end up sharing the loser's crown with Tomitake-san. ...However, she did her little mewing cry in front of the owner, and he turned to mush instantly. She was given a pack of gum as a consolation prize. Her methods were a bit audacious, but she did avoid being the loser rather magnificently. "...Come to think of it, Rika-chan is quite the trickster." "Now then! It's decided that Tomitake-san is dead last~!!!"Everyone cheered and applauded. Tomitake-san smiled wryly, slightly bewildered. "So~ Tomitake-san, are you ready? Penalty time!!" "Huh? Oh, I completely forgot about that!!"You're too naive, Tomitake-san. This is why our club can never lose... Mion pulled a felt-tip marker from her pocket. ...Oh, it's that.  "Ahaha, it just has to be permanent. It comes off when you do the laundry, anyway." "Whoa, whoa! What is this!? Please take it easy on me!!"All of us pinned his arms behind his back and Mion approached him with the marker in one hand. "Aaand squip, squip, squip!"But she didn't write on Tomitake-san's face... She wrote on the shirt he was wearing.  Rena took up the marker next. "Show me your photos next time, okay?☆ -Rena" It was a little heartwarming, and I just had to laugh.  "Ho ho ho! I'm not as soft as the rest! I'll make sure this is a proper penalty!""Haha~ dead last! -Satoko" "Try harder next time. -Rika" "Here you go, Keiichi-san."I couldn't decide what to write, but based on what kind of penalty this was... this was probably the most appropriate. "Come back and play again. -Keiichi"  At first he was quite bewildered, but now he had a different look on his face. "So I have to wear this all the way back to Tokyo as part of the penalty?" "Of course! You'd better wear it all the way home~!" "Ahahaha, you could wear it when you come back. It would be nice!"He appeared deeply moved. Embarrassment mixed with a wealth of other emotions made him turn a bright red. "Understood. I'll wear this the next time I come here. I promise!"Everyone cheered and applauded. It was the finest parting gift possible for a buddy heading out tonight.  It seemed Tomitake-san noticed her too, and knew it was time to leave. BGM: Silence SFX: Crickets "Seems like your guest is waiting~! Isn't it about time? Hmm~?" "Yeah, that's certainly how it seems... haha."Tomitake-san headed off towards her and seemed to apologize for making her wait. We all shouted stuff at Tomitake-san. Each time we did, he looked back and waved his hand. ...Eventually, he faded into the darkness of the night, out of sight. It was quite the casual farewell. This wasn't the first time any of us had seen someone off. They had done the same thing many times before. "...He's gone." "Well, it's about time we take off too!"Rika-chan had to stay behind with the other committee members, since they were having a meeting. Satoko was tagging along with her. I headed back home with the usual suspects.  Should have done this, should have done that, that kind of stuff.  .Then we got to my house and I parted ways with Rena as well. "It's already pretty late. Are you all right by yourself?" "Yeah, I'm perfectly fine! It's close. I'm going to run, too." "...If you run into some weirdo, just yell." "If someone does come... will you come and save me, maybe? ...Maybe?" "If I hear you." "Hao...! ...O-Okay! I'll scream loud enough so you can hear me!"Merrily spinning her arms around at high speed, Rena dashed off. She was fine. In that mode, not even an adult could stand against her. Rena's cheerful presence disappeared and it finally became quiet again. The curse that not a single person even whispered about. ...The more I learned about it tonight, the more unsettling it became.  But if nothing happens tonight, then it all ends up being just crazy talk. Nothing will happen. Nothing bad, nothing at all. "What's wrong, Keiichi? Why are you standing in a place like that? Come inside. You'll catch a cold."It was my mom. "Did you go, Mom? To the Watanagashi festival?" "In the end your father didn't wake up, so I missed it. A little disappointing."Mom stuck her tongue out with a bit of an embarrassed look on her face.  - - -  TIP 9: Houjou Family falling incident TIP 10: Illness/Death of the Furude Priest TIP 11: Housewife murder TIP 12: Radio Log
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Jul 8, 2021 22:11
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I’m another one reading who’s never played before. I did read the Umineko LP, and with the info in this update, I see a parallel between the two in the direction (I think) Higurashi is headed, namely that we have to work out whether it’s an actual curse, a tragic coincidence, or a good old fashioned murder mystery. Assuming it’s a murder without any curses involved, I would say that Tomitake is looking suspicious as he was around when the initial murder at the dam happened and comes back regularly (is he always here for this festival?), but that might be too obvious. It’s also just as likely that he or his mystery companion is this year’s death. Also interesting is that the characters focus in the deaths, but it looks like in all three cases there was also a person related to the deceased who went missing or left town. Not sure what to make of that.
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Jul 8, 2021 22:41
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I swear to Crom, even though it's not what happened, that ONE angled pic of Tomitake and Blonde Lady the game kept using in this update made me think they were about to murder Keiichi. With their bare hands. That was eerie poo poo right there, I tell you. I really don't like the casual way they were talking about the subsequent deaths though. Maybe it was just me but the way they did that came off as somewhat disrespectful of the dead, but if I were going into this blind? Circumstantial connections or no, this TOTALLY feels like the rest of the town is in on the killings. Not literally everybody but it really feels like all of them are at least turning a blind eye to any heinous poo poo that transpires. And talk about loving overkill. If Tomitake's to be believed, this town fought really loving dirty against the Dam Builders, but I still don't know why --again, this is assuming the townspeople are doing all of this-- they'd keep on murdering people for years later on. They loving won. Doesn't matter if Japan's economic boom still kept on going past the 80s (thus increasing the need for those dam projects) the bureaucracy alone to get such a project going again in the exact same place would take a long time to go into effect and it couldn't have been seen as worthwhile anymore. So why would anybody keep killing people, even if they were all butthurt that some of their "own" were in favor of the now defunct and probably never coming back project? What's most sinister about this is just how circumstantial this is. If not for the fact those other people all die during the festival, there's just enough doubt (and probable ease to kill someone in a remote area without having to worry about the cops) to make one consider it all a coincidence.
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Jul 9, 2021 01:21
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I wonder if it's a witness elimination thing, maybe the previously killed people heard something or saw something even if they don't know the significance, especially if they were involved with the dam, and the one guy left from the original murder is cleaning up loose ends. You could also argue that most of the town being at the festival is enough cover for getting away with murder as you'd be less likely to be caught, so it's a good time to strike, the curse is just a bonus.
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Jul 9, 2021 02:31
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I read the manga of this and even I'm not sure WTF happened here. ...the problem is 5 of the 6 people involved with the original killing already confessed and, presumably, are all serving jail time as we speak. And the dam isn't being built anymore. The ringleader's goals were achieved, apart from being wanted for murder and being out on the lamb. If he's even alive of course. But let's say he is and he's still a free man. Even if he had the rest of the town backing him up, why repeatedly come back the day the first guy was killed, kill one more person in a way that looks accidental, and then go back into hiding? And then do that three more times? That's not just crazy, that's kinda stupid... And not just a stupid in the way of "Oh poo poo, we killed the foreman, let's chop him up and hide the pieces." It's stupid in a needlessly complicated way. TKMobile fucked around with this message at 04:28 on Jul 9, 2021 |
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Jul 9, 2021 04:26
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The housewife note actually gave me a chill. I'm not sure why, but reading that was just eerie. I wonder why it wasn't reported. I agree that the town is definitely at least cognizant that there's some of their neighbors up to some bad poo poo. Unrelated to the mystery at hand, does anyone else think it's weird that Tomitake has dog tags? I think the JSDF uses them, so maybe he's a veteran. But it still seems a bit odd. At this rate, they may be used to identify his body.
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Jul 9, 2021 06:28
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The housewife one was super, super chilling, yeah. Just the dead silence from the local news about a woman being murdered...  I bet the cotton-ball tap locations for the ritual will also end up being as relevant to the deaths as the ritual disembowelment of the futons, that scene has the same kind of sinister feel as the ritual dismemberment of the paper doll scene in Corpse Party, where it's surface-level innocuous but the vibes are totally rancid. Like Clockwork fucked around with this message at 16:52 on Jul 9, 2021 |
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Jul 9, 2021 06:52
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I had to go back and re-read some of this, but: Post Dam Year 1- Dude who supported the Dam project drowns/dies while on vacation, body is never found. Year 2- Local Priest and his Wife (Wife #1) both die during the next festival. Illness and drowning. Wife #1 leaves a suicide note Year 3- Housewife/ Wife #2 Didn't go to the festival at all, and she's only related to a "troublemaker." Who simply moved away and as far as we know, wasn't horrifically murdered during any subsequent festival. Her death is under reported AF for a scenario where some nutso killed her and the cops found her remains. The fact the last two victims were housewives confused me for a bit, but Wife #2 feels so weird. The Year 1 guy wasn't even in town when he died and feels the most accidental-tangent. Everyone else died in town, so like, you could totally accept that he just had one heck of a bad break. But why kill Wife #2? If the (other) guy who actually supported the dam moved away, and the first killing didn't give AF about where the victim was, why not hop on the bus and go strangle him or whatever? Why did the pattern of "You have to be in/around Hinamizawa to die" only start after Year 1 guy? And yeah, the sheer indifference to Wife #2's death definitely spells out to me that the town is turning a blind eye to the killings. If any of my neighbors just turned up dead one day, I'd be freaked out at the least. Or go down to the knife and sword store and arm up.
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Jul 9, 2021 14:00
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I wonder if guy #1 is a coincidence (male, not in town, could've sworn someone else went missing with him but guess not) and the wives are part of the murder pattern. Which I guess means trouble for Keiichi's mom, as hinted The tangential connection to the dam could be a coincidence too, our murderer could just have a thing against housewives and the festival timing is convenient since there's less chance of being caught.
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Jul 9, 2021 16:22
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Wait. If she's a housewife, that must mean she was *married* to somebody. What the gently caress... So did her husband or kids not raise any Kane about her death or it being under reported as it was? I know it's a huge social faux-pas to make a stink/create waves (despite the irony there of what this town did...) but not having *anything* to say about it kinda goes beyond the pale here. Jeez, I wonder if her family were pressured into just (publicly) shrugging "Oh well, Mom got mutilated; I wonder how the Tigers are doing this season..." leaving them to be hosed up in private over this.
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Jul 9, 2021 16:51
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TKMobile posted:I swear to Crom, even though it's not what happened, that ONE angled pic of Tomitake and Blonde Lady the game kept using in this update made me think they were about to murder Keiichi. With their bare hands. That was eerie poo poo right there, I tell you. Not gonna lie, when I was recording the footage for this update the image made me jump a little. Just a sinister CG in general. Last update had a lot of information. Let's see where it all leads...
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Jul 10, 2021 19:51
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 Here’s a reminder of the blanket trigger warning. This update has graphic descriptions of gore and murder of an adult, as well as fingernails. Future updates with bolded trigger warnings from the OP will not be tagged.VIDEO: Onikakushi-hen | Day 10 Part 1 BGM: Afternoon in Paris   "You didn't do so badly yourself, Mion! Yesterday was fun!" "I'm glad you like it. Don't use it as a pin cushion, though." "I-I wouldn't...!"  Still chatting happily, we entered the classroom. But the moment I stepped into the room... a splashing sound and a nasty sensation. It was a bucket filled to the brim with water. And unfortunately, my foot stepped right into it. BGM: Sutakorasassa (Helter Skelter)      BGM: Afternoon in Paris Everything was the same as always. Everybody was there and nothing felt out of place. The uncertainties I'd had in the back of my mind since yesterday had vanished.  "I slept like a log. But if you want, I'll do a reenactment during class." "You shouldn't do that...!"Mion alerted us that the teacher was coming, so everyone shuffled off to their seats. BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi  We were all slackers, so none of us actually helped clean up. ...Actually, I had a feeling that the only thing we did was run around the festival and cause a ruckus...  "Okay then. This time of year, you might see some people here from out of town doing interviews about the festival for magazines."I thought it was the usual stuff so I was going to tune it out, but then I noticed the different tone in her voice and started paying attention.  In unison, everyone replied, "Yes, ma'~~am!" What she'd said was really vague, but I understood what she was trying to say. After all, this was the fifth year. There were probably lots of third-rate reporters pouring in, hoping something regarding the curse had happened. It did nothing but perpetuate the village's bad image. She was saying, 'Don't spout stupid poo poo you think is funny.' And now, I was one of ones who needed to keep their mouths shut. I found it rather cute how I felt a sense of unity from such a trite thing, if I do say so myself.  Since everybody was still pretty tired from yesterday, we just spent the day relaxing pea— Yeah, that wasn't happening! BGM: Hello! "Today, let's play a classic game of deduction! How about this one!?" "Oh! A game from overseas! Looks interesting!" "The instructions are in English. ...But the rules don't seem that hard!" "...I-I won't lose, you hear." "I'm not too bad at this game."It seemed that Rena didn't handle this kind of game very well.  There were three kinds of cards comprised of suspects, weapons, and locations. I could see that the names "Mion" and "Rika" were written on the suspect cards. Oh~ A card with my name on it as well! "There are plenty of different weapons, too! Like knives, axes, and poison! The locations are pretty nice too! Like the living room, the study, and the courtyard!" "So basically... You take out one of each of the cards. These are the answer cards." "So we shuffle the remaining cards and hand them out. We ask each other about the cards and figure out the right ones!"Ahhh, I see. So the cards nobody has are the true perpetrators. "Then you raise your hand if you know the answer! The game ends and we check if the answer is correct." "If you're right, then you get a point! If you're wrong, then you lose a point! Since the game ends even if no one gets it right, all the cards are gathered up and redistributed!" "You'll learn as you go! You really have to use your brain!" "You'll get confused if you don't take notes."The game in question is, of course, Cluedo. "The rest you can figure out by playing... So, Mion! What's the penalty this time!?"Everyone directed their attention to Mion!  "So just being asked to go buy stuff like drinks and candy, I guess." "...I feel like the penalty today is pretty simple."...I wonder... Is it really? "Is Keiichi-san thinking what I'm thinking?" "Yeah... You don't know what you'll have to go buy." BGM: Digital Network The cards were lightly shuffled and passed out to each player. The real perpetrator, the correct weapon, and the scene of the murder have been taken out, so that means all the cards I have in my hand are "innocent" cards. "Then~ I'll go first since I'm the club president, I guess..." “Well, then... Mion, Knife, Study!"You pick one suspect, weapon, and murder scene and ask each person. If you have any of those cards, then you must say "I have one." However, you don't need to say which one you have.  "Me too." "...I have one." "Oh my, all of them are here."Three people answered when she asked if they had "Mion," "Knife," and "Study." So that means that "Mion" and "Knife" and "Study" are all in the clear. Got to jot that down...  Hrm, only two people said they had one? So it means... out of "Rena", "Axe", and "Lounge," one of them is correct and is part of the crime!? No, wait. Even if they say they have one, they don't have to say how many! It's possible that either Satoko or Rika-chan has two of the cards...!! "Well, Kei-chan is next. Go ahead!" "W-Wa-wait just a little...! I'm still sorting things out!"...The game has me thinking more than I thought...! Oh, man, this feels like it's going to be tough!!  "What!? Already!?"Here I am spinning around in circles, and Mion just now raises her hand. "The murderer is 'Rika-chan'... ...in the 'Infirmary,' with the 'Poison'! Well!?"Mion drew the cards from the box and we checked to see if her deduction was right... "I was right!!" "Errh~! All I needed was one more hand~! I couldn't tell whether it was 'Poison' or a 'Pistol'~!!" Rika-chan said such a hugely terrifying thing with such a sweet little face. Everyone was making a commotion about how they almost had it. Rena and I were left out in the cold, though. "...How did you do, Keiichi-kun...? I couldn't get it at all..." "Don't worry. I had no idea either." "How can you both be so unsure? You'll both end up in last place together at this rate."That's even worse!! Going off buying something together as a couple. What if we ended up having to buy the "Happy Family planning manual"...?!  "Wha! That's not true! I'll show you the true power of Sherlock Maebara during the next round!" "My, my~ That sounds just wonderful!!! I shall give you quite the thrashing!"After that, I managed to somewhat grasp the trick behind the game, but I was still always a step or two behind. ...I saw that Mion was somehow gleaning information from how the others were asking their questions. ...That level of experience was just too much! The only way I could stage a comeback was if I became ruthless!!! I tossed out the simple concept of deduction and switched over to the thought process needed to win... The important thing isn't to find out the criminal... It's to win at the game...!! ...Hm! Eureka!!!  "Take your time and squeeze out a nice one~!" "Mii-chan, that's gross...!"I had them hold off the game and headed down the hall. BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi  It showed just how stagnant the air in the classroom was from our body heat. On the school grounds, some of our classmates were still playing around. After spending some time cooling my head, Rena had made her way over towards me. BGM: Hello!  "Yeah, I did."As I got up from my seat I winked over at Rena. I'm glad it worked out. "I don't want to waste much time, so I'll get right to the point. Rena, what's your record at this game we're playing today?"She was taken aback... after a moment, she hesitantly opened her mouth.  I could tell from how apprehensively she was playing. "The way things are going... I will, as well. I can't figure out a way to pull off a last minute comeback on this one!" "S-Soo... I guess both of us will be taking that penalty...?" "Hey, hey! Don't accept defeat already! How about we win this!? Both of us!" "B-But... How can we!?" "Huh? I-Is that allowed!?" "Did you forget, Rena? The second rule of our society! Do everything in your power to obtain victory!" "Y-Yeah! I-I'll try my best."Our plan of attack was a quite rudimentary one. At the beginning of the game, everyone would be focused on their own hand for a while, taking notes and whatnot. Since our seats were right next to each other, we'd reveal our hands to each other! If we did it under the desk, then nobody would know! We'd begin the game with twice as much information as everyone else! Having this much information would mean we'd need to investigate less!! "...With this sort of plan of attack, we start off with a big lead over the other guys!" We both smirked at each other. If I was the shady businessman, then Rena was the corrupt senator. Heh heh, pleasure doing business with you!! "Then let's hurry back! We'll work as a duo to surprise everyone!" "Hey, now! There's no point if we go back together! It would be like flat out telling them we made a little arrangement!" "Oh, sorry. Then what should we do...?" "Go back ahead of me, Rena. I'll take my time coming back after washing my face or something." "Okay. Got it!"Rena turned around and headed back to the classroom. Hm, I guess I should wait a bit longer before going back... If I went too soon, it wouldn't seem like I went to the bathroom. If Mion or one of them suspected something, then there could be problems... Well, they'd figure it out sooner or later. Because both Rena and I would start winning over and over again! Both Rena and I will have earned enough points to avoid being the losers by the time Mion realized what was happening!! Excellent! Not bad at all!! BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi  Huh? It's the teacher. ...Man, things were just getting good!! "What is it? I'm a bit..." "You have a guest. Please make your way to the entrance." "A guest? It's not like I own a hotel..." "They have been waiting. Please hurry."It was rather unfortunate that I'd have someone waiting on me right before my big match, but I was more interested in the unexpected guest. I didn't want to waste any time, so I decided to take care of it quickly.    "Are you Maebara-san? Keiichi Maebara-san?"There was no question that he wasn't a resident of Hinamizawa, and that this was without a doubt the first time he had met me. ...Ever since I met Tomitake-san, I'd been running into so many middle-aged men... "That's right. ...Who might you be?" "I have the AC on in my car; let's talk there. It's a bit hot here, don't you think?" Y-You've got to be kidding me. I had no intention of going along with some geezer I didn't even know, and he was asking me to get in his car with him!?  He opened the back door of his car and called me over. ...I didn't like this old man but I wanted to know what this was about. ...Even while knowing that conversations that start out like this have never led to anything good.  Cars with air conditioners were supposed to be a luxury. My dad didn't have one in his car, at least.  "Please let me know if it's too cold for you, okay? I have a habit of cranking it all the way up." "So what business do you have with me?"Out of spite, I decided to ignore his remark in the same way he did to me and start my own line of questioning. He pulled out a notepad from his pocket and took out a picture that was stuck between the pages. On it was the face of a pretty goofy looking guy. "If you know anything related to this individual, then please tell me."Who the heck is this? ...I doubt even his close friends would be able to recognize who he was from this expressionless picture that looked like it was taken at the DMV.  BGM: Doukutsu (Cave) "...Huh? ...This is... Tomitake-san!?!?"There was no hint of his usual unreliable and easygoing personality in this photo. It was an expressionless, half-asleep face... "Then do you know this woman?"Even before seeing it, I had a good idea of who it was. "...Uhh, I don't remember her name, but she's some lady who was with Tomitake-san last night."I didn't know what her name was, but I did know she was a resident of Hinamizawa.  "The night of the Watanagashi. We spoke. ...They seemed pretty close, I guess..." "Did anything bother you about them? Anything is fine. Go ahead and say it."Being asked for every little detail is very troubling, honestly. ...I had a pretty good idea of who this guy was by now. "Did something happen to them?"There was no response to my inquiry. Thus, I replied to that silence in kind. I was pretty sure... no, certain... that this guy was a cop. Then why?? Why was he asking about Tomitake-san? Did something happen to him? More importantly, why me? Shouldn't there have been plenty of other people who knew more about him than I did?  ...After a long pause, he finally spoke again. "You've moved here just recently. Isn't that right, Maebara-san? Are you aware, I wonder? About the stories... of Oyashiro-sama."My heart began to race. I'm pretty terrible at hiding things. It probably showed on my face... "Not at all? If you don't, then that's fine..." "...Well... I have heard of it. Tomitake-san told me, actually..." "How much do you know about it?" The incidents that always happen the day of the Watanagashi, ending in suspicious deaths... I didn't think Tomitake-san would have kept anything from me. I think that was everything... ...No. Rather, I didn't want to think there was anything more than that. "Do you know of that... well, curse, Maebara-san? Feel free to speak openly about it."BGM: Silence SFX: Higurashi "I don't believe in it."My answer was instant. ...It wasn't so much that I didn't believe in it as I was on the verge of believing. I wanted to clear away my own doubts. That was the more prominent feeling. "Really? Then that's great. Guess you really are one of those city-raised boys." "So what if I don't believe? I have friends waiting, so could you get to the point?" My mind went blank. ...Huh? What happened... to Tomitake-san? "It would seem that he died last night. That was the night of the Watanagashi. Do you understand the implications behind that, Maebara-san?" "Implications... not any at..."Not any for the cause of his death or the reasons behind it. ...The real problem was that he died on the day of the Watanagashi... Meaning... This year... The curse of Oyashiro-sama had once again...!  I didn't want to understand why. "...Please tell me. ...Tell me what happened." "...It was rather peculiar. It might be a little too graphic for someone born and raised in Hinamizawa."It was a roundabout way of saying it, but it caused me to doubt whether or not I wanted to hear the rest. I would only regret forcing myself to learn of something I shouldn't. ...Or at least, that's how I figured I would feel if I listened to the rest… SFX: Crickets  “The location... was, umm... you know where the road into town becomes paved, right? Down past the slope. On the shoulder, around there."There were few street lights on that road. Its pitch-black darkness was only broken by the lights of passing cars and the moon. It was a stroke of luck that Tomitake-san was spotted collapsed on the shoulder of the road. Tomitake-san was face-down, covered in blood. ...Blood and muck covered the asphalt... "We thought it was a hit and run at first. But when the officer checked to see if he was still alive, he quickly noticed something abnormal. ...His throat had been ripped open." "F-From a knife or something...!?" Nails!? As in fingernails!? You mean… his neck was clawed through...?! BGM: Mazoku Kenkyuusho (Demonic Institute) "From the coroner's report, it was revealed that it was with his own nails." "Huh? Wha? ...What... does that mean...?"Basically, it means it wasn't a murder... It was suicide. Tomitake-san thought there was a reason to tear open his own throat! As hard as he could with his own nails. ...Tore through the skin until he started to bleed... And even then, Tomitake-san didn't stop. He continued clawing!! With enough intensity that it could have peeled off his nails... still clawing! Still clawing!!  As he bled... While gasping for breath... He collapsed... his body spasmed... and he died in agony. "We thought drugs were to blame, but nothing of that nature was detected."But this... It was a suicide!? I've never heard of such a thing!! ...This unnatural way of dying...!!! If this wasn't a mysterious death, then what was...? The way he died... In these five years, his death most resembled that of a curse...! As if to show both myself and Tomitake-san, who proclaimed there was no such thing as a curse, that we were wrong...!!  That was a given... It's hard to believe someone could be in a sound state of mind while clawing out their throat... "Wounds on his hands matched a discarded piece of lumber found nearby. ...There are traces of where he struck trees and the guardrails with it. Tomitake-san's blood was found all over the place... ...meaning..."Meaning that while tearing at his own throat, he was swinging around a piece of lumber. "There were external injuries, which were not self-inflicted, discovered on Tomitake-san. ...There is a high probability Tomitake-san was assaulted. The external injuries suggest there may be multiple suspects."To summarize: Tomitake-san was surrounded and attacked. While wandering the night roads in a state of panic, after being cornered, he picked up a piece of lumber and tried fighting back... Somewhere in there, he began madly tearing at his own throat. ...Clawing at it!! Then... he died.
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Jul 10, 2021 19:52
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Well... A cop is actually looking into it? That's... progress? Also, he (presumably) died in a shirt signed by all the club members. That's... Well, not conclusive, but it's a bad look! Also, good lord, Keiichi, you're not gonna last another day if you're dumb enough to get in the car with a stranger after only some light chiding. At least ask to see a badge or something! (Of course, the cops are probably involved too, so that won't actually help, but come on.)
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Jul 10, 2021 21:36
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I’m sorry I ever doubted you Tomitake  I wonder if his attackers killed him and then manually moved his hands to make it look like a suicide? I can’t imagine anything that could drive him to madness and suicide like that ...unless his lady friend died too It sounds like from this cop that they’re the ones who found his body, she didn’t call it in, so she’s either missing/dead or he died after they separated (but then why do a suicide if they parted normally?)I was really attached to my serial killer of housewives theory! This death doesn’t seem to fit with the others, if it was a group that ganged up on him. Could be that none of the deaths are connected other than using the curse as cover for murder. Or if they are, it’s a really vindictive group of townspeople who didn’t like his snooping.
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Jul 10, 2021 22:31
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I like how immediately after Chie tells the kids not to talk to anybody, Keiichi immediately starts talking to someone. This is literally the first time, that I can recall, I've even seen Chie the Teacher be named/have a character portrait; good job being indifferent AF, Teach. I hope this guy proved his credentials to you. But one thing that has ALWAYS bothered me about this loving scene is now none of the other kids (who all signed the victim's shirt in this version of the story, FFS) get dragged out of class and asked about this. I can... maybe see Satoko and Rika being excluded. They're extremely young compared to the other three; even though the cops have very good grounds to interrogate all 5 kids for clues it would look kinda bad if they were forcing literal children to answer questions about a double homicide...(and we all know the townfolk overreact if you piss them off.) This guy hasn't even named himself or flashed a badge or anything. And he grabs the new kid to grill about the killings. What if nobody had told Keiichi anything? It's improbable, but Rika and Mion were clearly trying. Whether he's a reporter or an actual cop or whatever, I always found this as an incredibly tactless move.
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Jul 10, 2021 23:19
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Updated the OP. I also forgot to put some screenshots at the end of Day 9 Part 2 that people might want to see, so that's been added, too.Capfalcon posted:Also, good lord, Keiichi, you're not gonna last another day if you're dumb enough to get in the car with a stranger after only some light chiding. At least ask to see a badge or something! (Of course, the cops are probably involved too, so that won't actually help, but come on.) TKMobile posted:I like how immediately after Chie tells the kids not to talk to anybody, Keiichi immediately starts talking to someone. This is literally the first time, that I can recall, I've even seen Chie the Teacher be named/have a character portrait; good job being indifferent AF, Teach. I hope this guy proved his credentials to you. Keiichi is not...the brightest bulb in the toolshed.  It improves later on, thankfully, but for now his idiocy is working out for him and the reader, because this doesn't look like info we'd get outside of the police officer. Note that he brought an unmarked car, though.
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Jul 11, 2021 04:23
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limeicebreakers posted:Keiichi is not...the brightest bulb in the toolshed. Well, that's actually kind of smart of this guy. Hinamizawa's residents probably don't like cops, given the givens, so showing up in a black and white cop car is asking for it. But you know what would have been smarter? If it was absolutely necessary to talk to ONLY Keiichi instead of getting all the kids to answer questions, take that unmarked car and go visit him in the privacy of his own loving home. I'm not sure how police procedures work in Japan, but it would seem way more on the level if he asked the kid questions with his parents present. Besides, Keiichi's house is literally designed for unmarked cars by the dozen to come visit without raising suspicion. EDIT: *goes to read the Day Nine part 2 update* ...Holy gently caress... TKMobile fucked around with this message at 04:38 on Jul 11, 2021 |
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Jul 11, 2021 04:35
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limeicebreakers posted:Updated the OP. I also forgot to put some screenshots at the end of Day 9 Part 2 that people might want to see, so that's been added, too. Oh... that seems... bad. I mean, the opening to the game basically shouts "This will all end in tears" from the rooftops, but... yikes.
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Jul 11, 2021 07:12
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