Interpreting when they cry...

[zalder]

I'm rewatching when they cry for the second time so that I can review it on my podcast. Going to be one of the hardest reviews I have ever done. Gotten through the first two arcs and it is as confusing as I remembered (and still scary as crap, I am never going to be able to listen to cicadas again). The different arcs...are we supposed to interpret these as variations on a theme? We start over at the beginning of each arc, and it all most seems like we are just getting different looks at the same thing, until the end when they diverge extremely. As a game this must have been the most frustrating thing ever as there seems to be no good end.

And how scary is that opening song....if you have no place to go stop on my finger I'll take you (and that finger). Ok going to go to sleep and have nightmares now...

[Betenoire]

I'm rewatching when they cry for the second time so that I can review it on my podcast. Going to be one of the hardest reviews I have ever done. Gotten through the first two arcs and it is as confusing as I remembered (and still scary as crap, I am never going to be able to listen to cicadas again). The different arcs...are we supposed to interpret these as variations on a theme? We start over at the beginning of each arc, and it all most seems like we are just getting different looks at the same thing, until the end when they diverge extremely. As a game this must have been the most frustrating thing ever as there seems to be no good end.

The game is available in English from MangaGamer (http://www.mangagamer.com/allages/).

Variations on a theme...kind of. Yes in that things have a bit of a commonality to them but it is more a mystery series where each go round gives you new things to consider, though like a good mystery you have to try to separate what is real and what is not and realize how the perspective of the narrator-Keiichi (even with the anime changing this to more a third person view it still follows events in the original game as seen through his eyes)- can only give so much information.

The game is sound novel (their name, I guess to indicate a visual novel with no diverging paths) so it is more like a series of novels with the same cast that plays out slightly differently until finally all the pieces of the puzzle are in place. To mix mediums the part Geneon released is like part one of a two act (initially, there are more chapters now) play and while you can write up and try to figure out the point at intermission the chances are low-to-probably-zero that you will be able come up with all the whys and hows based on the info just from Keiichi's point of view. To get the full intent of the piece you have to have the second act of the play as it really lays out like peeling an onion what is true about what you have been told up to the point and what was lies-be they deliberate or unintentional ones told because they fit the facts at hand.

If you want to know what the point of the play is you'll have to arrange to get act 2 though I strongly recommend going the MangaGamer path (http://www.mania.com/higurashi-cry-game-review_article_127181.html) which takes far more time (I don't think I cleared any given chapter-except maybe 4-in under 7 hours but it may vary with reading speed and desire to listen to effect/ game music) but presents a far more rich and lush story than the anime could ever hope to given that the whole first season (minus op/ed) runs about, if not shorter than most of the single chapters will run you.

Now whether or not once you get to the end you will choose to accept the ending and everything the story has laid out or not is completely up to you.

[zalder]

I tried playing the first part of the game, but I just couldn't get past the whole bad animation part, along with the fact that I'm playing a game but I never get to make any choices...

So they put in an untrustworthy narrator as well did they? Interesting...

After watching the second arc I feel the need to go back and rewatch the first to see if any of the times we see shion it might really be mion though I am not sure how I could tell...I'll post here as I continue down the arcs again and maybe I can see how close I can get to understanding act 2 ;).

Will probably replay through the game for comparison purposes but just not sure how long I can stand it...

[nakimushi]

Well, if you don't think you can stick with the game, just so you know, while it is very possible to enjoy watching just the first TV series, it is impossible to actually figure out When they Cry by watching just the first TV series. The necessary information for figuring it out is not included in the first TV series.

Everything is actually answered in the second TV series: Higurashi no Naku Koroni Kai (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=7454).

[Draneor]

I'll agree that it's impossible to figure out the truth of Higurashi yet alone its main themes until you've watched at least half of Kai. The question arcs are, quite frankly, deliberately misleading in parts.

I tried playing the first part of the game, but I just couldn't get past the whole bad animation part, along with the fact that I'm playing a game but I never get to make any choices...

Well, for one, it's not really a game but a novel with pictures. If you don't like reading, I suppose the manga, published by Yen Press wouldn't really help either.

[Rhodes]

I tried playing the first part of the game, but I just couldn't get past the whole bad animation part, along with the fact that I'm playing a game but I never get to make any choices...



It's not a game...it's a (multi path) novel with sound effects that runs on a pc... the visuals are there to help but you can do without cause yeah it is an acquired taste... you can get around the character sprites...

There use to be books they offered to grade schoolers where at the bottom of the page you can choose what the protagonist will do... choose A and go to Page 123 or choose B and go to page 234... visual novels are the same. The fact that folks keep thinking of VNs as games is why they will never be mass released on consoles in NA.

[Nork22]

Ryukishi07's artwork is crap, but his storytelling in his Sound Novel makes up for it. :)

If you can make it to the end of the first season of the anime, there is a revelation made with Keiichi about what is going on and this is where the second season of the anime becomes all the more important to solve everything (well everything the anime can tell).

[cress2000]

Ryukishi07's artwork is crap

I feel like I'm the only one in the world who actually likes the original Higurashi VN character designs.

The hands are huge and the arms in general are very poorly drawn (and what the hell at Ooishi's right pocket), but they kinda grew on me. That weirdness added to the charm for some reason. The characters' faces also had a certain creepiness to them to me that only added to the atmosphere, which was completely lost from what I've seen of the remakes and anime.

This (http://daverost.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/higurashiliepc1.jpg) is much more freaky than this (http://daverost.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/higurashilieps22.jpg). :D

Disclaimer: I went through the VN first.

[ndm]

Ryukishi07's artwork is crap

I feel like I'm the only one in the world who actually likes the original Higurashi VN character designs.

The hands are huge and the arms in general are very poorly drawn (and what the hell at Ooishi's right pocket), but they kinda grew on me. That weirdness added to the charm for some reason. The characters' faces also had a certain creepiness to them to me that only added to the atmosphere, which was completely lost from what I've seen of the remakes and anime.

This (http://daverost.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/higurashiliepc1.jpg) is much more freaky than this (http://daverost.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/higurashilieps22.jpg). :D

Disclaimer: I went through the VN first.

I never read the Higurashi VNs, but if you extend it to the Umineko VNs I definitely agree. Ryuukishi's art is less polished than your standard anime character designs but they are really good at conveying emotion. I have the Umineko PS3 game as well with all its HD sprites and personally I still like the original art better.

To the original poster, you do realise that the 'When they Cry' dvds you're watching are only the first half of the story, right? There's a second season which explains it all but which was never licensed in the US.

There are also several OVAs with more coming out very soon.

[Betenoire]

This (http://daverost.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/higurashiliepc1.jpg) is much more freaky than this (http://daverost.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/higurashilieps22.jpg). :D

Oh yeah. And combined with that sound, the one every fan of the VN will never forget, it just strikes so much more of an impact than a more traditional art style does.

But damn, characters gots hands the size of frozen turkeys. That area must be the boxing champ capital of Japan with those mitts. :bigsmile:

[Draneor]

I prefer the PS2 Higurashi sprites myself (and there's a patch for that). I think the original ones are fine for doujin though. After all, it's kind of like comparing the graphics for Angband and Oblivion. Of course the commercial product will be significantly better.

[zalder]

I'll agree that it's impossible to figure out the truth of Higurashi yet alone its main themes until you've watched at least half of Kai. The question arcs are, quite frankly, deliberately misleading in parts.

I tried playing the first part of the game, but I just couldn't get past the whole bad animation part, along with the fact that I'm playing a game but I never get to make any choices...

Well, for one, it's not really a game but a novel with pictures. If you don't like reading, I suppose the manga, published by Yen Press wouldn't really help either.

I love reading its just that the language isn't that great here and the pictures were not that great...I will probably get back to it as a way to continue the story but prefer an actual well written novel, or a show.

Part of it is I cant get over the fact that a game should have some sort of choices for me to make, that part is me I know.

[zalder]

Ryukishi07's artwork is crap

I feel like I'm the only one in the world who actually likes the original Higurashi VN character designs.

The hands are huge and the arms in general are very poorly drawn (and what the hell at Ooishi's right pocket), but they kinda grew on me. That weirdness added to the charm for some reason. The characters' faces also had a certain creepiness to them to me that only added to the atmosphere, which was completely lost from what I've seen of the remakes and anime.

This (http://daverost.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/higurashiliepc1.jpg) is much more freaky than this (http://daverost.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/higurashilieps22.jpg). :D

Disclaimer: I went through the VN first.

disagree strongly the first looks to fake to be creepy. It is the fact that it looks real that makes the second creepier. It could really happen.

[zalder]

I assume you mean the sound that comes with the opening of the first arc...the sound that sounds like a knife hitting a body over and over again?

[Betenoire]

I assume you mean the sound that comes with the opening of the first arc...the sound that sounds like a knife hitting a body over and over again?

No. There is a sound in the game, a sound that indicates that the story is going to take a very nasty, probably very scary turn as it leads into a dark and ominous track.

[Nork22]

This (http://daverost.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/higurashiliepc1.jpg) is much more freaky than this (http://daverost.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/higurashilieps22.jpg). :D

Disclaimer: I went through the VN first.

To me, those 2 aren't as scary as the anime version. I would say Ryukishi's art is more of an acquired taste. I'm currently going thru the PS3 version of Umineko while reading the VN version at the same time and it just makes me wish the PS3 version was translated because the character art in the VN looks a bit goofy.

[E Nice]

I love reading its just that the language isn't that great here and the pictures were not that great...I will probably get back to it as a way to continue the story but prefer an actual well written novel, or a show.


The manga might be a route to go. I remember watching the show and then reading the manga as it came out afterwards. The manga added details to the story that were missing from the anime or depicted some events differently. The anime originally felt rushed but when I rewatched it afterwards it was apparent on how lacking it really was by shoehorning that many story arcs into it.