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   What is When They Cry? The When They Cry series is a series of visual novels of Visual Novels by Ryuukishi07 and some of his associates. It has expanded into anime adaptions, music CDs, live dramas, and a bunch of other areas. Broadly, all of the VNs can be classified as mysteries to some extent, but they all differ in many ways. They are:
Why do these VNs get their own thread? While the Visual Novel thread has traditionally been used to talk about Higurashi and Umineko, a common trend for these VNs are for people to post their thoughts as they go through it, along with theories and such, with others responding to their theories. Even outside this, it generates lots of discussion, and tends to have a rather obsessed fandom. This regularly leaves the VN thread having several pages in a row that look like CIA documents, so now we are trying to remedy that.  Spoiler PolicyMark spoilers with what spoilers are contained within. It doesn't need to be precise, just ensure it is an upper bound on what will be covered. Don't give unsolicited spoilers for these VNs, even when you properly tag the spoilers. If someone asks you, are you trying to have a separate discussion with more spoilers, then fine, but make sure it is clearly marked as such. The entire point is that people who haven't finished are going to be active here, and we don't want them to lose the enjoyment of finding things for themselves. General thread rules Any post in this thread need to be at least one of the following:
Hypothetical questions for rhetorical purposes Is discussion about When They Cry banned in the main VN thread now? No, but posting there should ideally be limited to:
Oh I have the best Higurashi hentai co-- No, don't. Please. This is the kind of poo poo that got the old-old VN thread banned. These VNs are non-pornographic, and for the love of god, keep it that way. Can I talk about the franchise in general here outside the visual novels? Sure. Tag spoilers for these appropriately though. Can I liveblog something outside of When They Cry? No, at least not right now. The main VN thread isn't having any major problems with other VNs. MegaZeroX fucked around with this message at 22:37 on Apr 30, 2022 |
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Apr 30, 2022 21:59
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| # ¿ May 15, 2024 07:11 |
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Gaius Marius posted:Who the gently caress is shion I typoed Mion since I was trying to reference to that random argument.
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Apr 30, 2022 22:37
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I'm enjoying the wild speculation. I think to date You have accused literally every character with a sprite of being a murderer. 
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May 3, 2022 04:49
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As always I'm enjoying your reactions but my lips are sealed due to knowledge.
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May 23, 2022 04:38
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Spiggy posted:I'm in episode 8 of Higurashi and ready for it to be over. I get that it's a mystery game at it's core, but I really dig the horror adjacent sections in the questions arc more than the reveals to the meta-narrative in the answers arc. I do appreciate that the character interactions stay pretty great through the whole story. Honestly I would say (full Higurashi spoilers) It's not really a mystery, at least not as it's primary genre/core. It's really a deconstruction of the horror/mystery subgenre. You are set up with "hey look nice friends getting along" before the chapters go through a bunch of horror tropes which end up being delusional. In chapter one it tries to get you that your friends are all evil and trying to kill you. Chapter 2 is another variant but this time just one that is possessed by an evil force and is losing themselves to it. Chapter 3 you get the murder thriller subgenre. Chapter 4 gets you the "creepy little girl" subgenre. In the end, each of these are deconstructed. In chapter 1, Keiich is the one actually going insane. In chapter 2 it's not weird possession, it's your friend's sister losing it. In chapter 3, the act of murdering breaks Keiichi's brain. In chapter 4, yeah she's a bit creepy, she's depressed.  Chapters 5, 6, and 7, are responses to 2, 1, and 3 respectively. The messages of the game are clear: 1) Take care of yourself mentally. Check on with yourself and your loved ones to keep a reality check on you. 2) Be understanding of other people, particularly when it comes to mental issues. Check in with them regularly to make sure they are okay, and in general be proactive and approachable. 3) Don't give up. Even if the system seems rigged against you, find (with your close network of support) what you can do to fix those issues. 4) Give yourself time before making rash actions. Rarely do things need to be solved in a day. Brainstorm solutions with your network of support. Chapter 8 is just the emotional resolution. Higurashi doesn't really care much about the mystery in the second half, since in a sense it was only bait in the first place. It mainly concerns itself with this message along with character development. Chapter 8 does go a bit too far into "I'll explain every last detail" but saying it is concerned about the mystery is inaccurate I think. Anyways, it's partly this reason that I like Higurashi more than Umineko. (full umienko spoilers) Umineko's main message is about not necessarily needing to pursue the truth, but staring into the abyss to the point of self-harm has never been much of a thing to me (though given how people use the internet, maybe it has relevance to many others). It has some more nebulous theming of gender and identity (which I don't really connect to as a cis man), and about empathy (which is also a theme of Higurashi). Meanwhile, Higurashi's theme of mental health and perseverence are much more relatable to me. MegaZeroX fucked around with this message at 23:31 on May 28, 2022 |
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May 28, 2022 23:26
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Yay, Gaius' Higurashi speculation is back. No comments for now (most are reserved for later chapters).
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Oct 28, 2022 22:45
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I'll add that I'm enjoying your speculation Scree, even if I can't reply. I will say that some of your speculation was amusing with hindsight. Also, what did you use to create the Umineko style posts?
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Nov 8, 2022 01:08
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Scrree posted:Why does Keichi need to die? Or to put it another way, why can't Keichi Maebara stop dying constantly? The below includes mild Umineko reference spoilers 
MegaZeroX fucked around with this message at 06:18 on Nov 21, 2022 |
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Nov 12, 2022 19:50
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Yeah I'm also enjoying this but again, don't want to spoil anything. Nephthys posted:I just want to say that this thread is great and I love reading all these theories. I assure you guys if no one responds to them it's just because even vague responses can be leading. ftfy
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Nov 15, 2022 16:54
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Ytlaya posted:What are peoples' thoughts on false spoilers? If you see someone reading/playing something under the influence of false spoilers, is it worth mentioning? I would say that whenever someone is reading/playing Higurashi/Umineko/Ciconia, and they mention that they have been spoiled about anything, as a blanket response, someone should remind the person that false spoilers are not uncommon for WtC. This reminder should happen regardless whether the spoilers in question are real or not. That way we get the effect of people at least considering the possibility that the spoilers are fake/misremembered.
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Nov 18, 2022 00:28
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Scrree posted:i finished Minagoroshi last night. I'm going to take a decent break before moving on to the final episode both to process some thoughts, and also because my reading pace has cut into my sleep schedule a bit too much. Episodes 6 and 7 are just awesome in general. I won't say more until you type up thoughts on them.
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Nov 18, 2022 15:55
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A few things: First and most importantly, please either edit away your vague-posting spoilers about Umineko or include a warning that you do so in the post. For context on what I'm referring to: The first is the mention of Shannon and hinting at identity things with her. The second is the vague-posting about the Umineko theme about false beliefs. On the actual content, I can finally start to comment on things. (I will include allusions/comparisons to Umineko alongside spoilers for Higurashi 1-7) Yes, Rena is the best, and chapter 6 is also just amazing in general. One of my favorite things is how Rena's previous mental breakdown is handled. In episode 1, particularly if you believe in Keiichi's delusions, but even if you don't, the information about Rena's past unfairly taints your image of her. Rena in chapters 1-5 is nothing more than a loving friend who does her best, but as seen in earlier reactions, people don't trust her. Readers other her just because of her old mental break. Even when people shed having a completely negative impression of her, the readers, much like Shion in chapter 5, treat her unlike they treat the other characters. It is worth noting, since you mention Keiichi's remembering miracle being unique and as such negative, that everyone remembers a little in chapter 7. It is strongly implied that all characters overcame their own tragedies by remember lessons from their respective chapters. Keiichi and Rena remember about being open with friends and Shion remembers about living for the future and not the past. In general, Higurashi's main themes hit home more than Umineko's. I would define the 3 main ones as follows. The first is is about mental health, and helping people with mental issues without treating them particularly differently (beyond the minimal). The second is, as you mentioned, actually working to reach your salvation. And the third primary one is trusting support network you have around you when times get tough. All of these are much easier to apply to your life than "sometimes the truth isn't worth seeking" and "don't fixate your life on things that can't be fixed."
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Nov 20, 2022 17:33
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Wait there is Higurashi Mahjong? 
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Nov 22, 2022 15:55
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Scrree posted:Alright, I have finished Higurashi. Yeah, Chapter 8 is good, but it is mostly just a solid conclusion. The story needed resolution, and we got it. One thing I do want to address from before: quote:so to finally get to 'the demons of Hinamizawa' -- there are no demons in Minagoroshi. rule X and rule Z are defeated (and can only be defeated) with human solidarity, but rule Y? the mountain dogs are a legitimate outside force with ill intent. they don't give a poo poo about the social life of the village because they aren't part of it. it's why Ooishi gets got so bad, he can't imagine what he's dealing with and bares his neck to a beast with no need to hold back from killing. In the end, chapter 7 deals with X and Z but not Y, which is what chapter 8 is about. And thematically, I think it noteworthy that it is achieved, in large part, by bringing the outside in. Ooishi, Akasaka, and Tomitake are effectively brought into the circle. While still being the central villain, Takano, by being humanized, is effectively brought into the "inside" from the reader's perspective. A lesser theme but a real one I think is about the external forces vs internal ones, and how the only difference is really that of perspective, and how one can grow by moving the external internal. Can of R is, of course, an absolute banger, and probably my favorite percussion driven musical track ever. Something you may enjoy listening to is that Dear You got many various official vocal versions representing different characters. The "main" vocal version for Shion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqyKkcwd-rY The Cry version for Rena: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk7sQjcoqdc The Hope version for Rika: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqI4bEfEmrQ The Trust version for Keiichi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgWE2-CX_-o (technically its actually ano hi ano basho subete arigatou, but in English you often see it mixed up with the (inferior IMO) Trust version) The Kind version for Satoko: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyeeR_Tw0QA The Feel version for Mion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNu4F3rX83Y The Kizuna version for the whole cast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQPmBnnAczA There is also several more official versions than that On top of the like trillion covers/fan versions of it. My favorite fan non-vocal version of You this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bd-QD8OLk0 There is also a full vocal version of Sora no Mukou from chapter 8: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYUU_pZ0OOQ As for some great tracks directly in the VN you might have missed/forgotton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgfxMGBa9Ks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR0SvgLy_D8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuY_v9k9W0E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OncQlCnuv8o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtyE3kUIeLY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSqH1t7qpLQ
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Nov 24, 2022 02:32
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Nate RFB posted:VN, I have some nostalgia for the anime but it's pretty bad all told and was only really an acceptable alternative for the handful of years when only it was available in English vs. the VN. 
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Dec 1, 2022 14:04
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I solved that puzzle before the rules were even explained. It would have saved me a lot of time to actually go to the point where they explained it though lol.
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Jan 6, 2023 14:03
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https://twitter.com/Uminetta_/status/1671955525586616321
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Jun 22, 2023 21:40
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| # ¿ May 15, 2024 07:11 |
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I just saw this cover of kina no kaori, which released only a couple of weeks ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvjYFOPG6RA
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Nov 16, 2023 16:54
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