Huge thanks to my best friend for generously allowing me to include her wonderful music in this video! Please check out her work: Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/3x0j8NsO5CNQ3JSMgCAFqf?si=PswC2Z_DTt6oSnHIqQUOQQ Bandcamp: lambia.bandcamp.com UA-cam: ua-cam.com/channels/LkdEnGydpNuGokDVsb_7Cg.html Twitter: @leelambia Songs featured in the video: Out There: open.spotify.com/track/36Q26M1SABKKtacR3GvgmS?si=61YuRtyXTDCd1abyOGoMoA Daydrunk: open.spotify.com/track/0ROggPZZlbcx2BnCRZnuV9?si=b8Ov0Gy3T268IXiGUkCnTQ
This video perfectly explains my obsession with the series despite having only discovered it 2 years ago. I also discovered Higurashi shortly after being in the lowest point in my life thus far, and the connection between all of the characters and the series focus on hope is what helped give me the strength to keep going. I really do wish more people understood this side of Higurashi. It saddens me greatly to see people who only watched the anime refer to the characters in it as yanderes. As if robbing them of all of the nuance that they actually have and only seeing the scary party.
one of my favourite things about Keiichi specifically is how generically he's designed compared to the other main characters. on the surface and completely out of context, Keiichi and his all-girl friend circle look like they could be the start of a harem anime. but Keiichi is so wonderfully, painfully 3-dimentional and relatable in a way that more self-inserty male protags rarely are. ive revisited this series after about 10 years, and im amazed at how much i missed within the text just because i didn't really know what i was looking at yet. these characters and this story mean so much
I enjoy how they subvert the “generic mc” trope by changing the protagonist as the series does on, especially in all the answer arcs. You start by thinking Keiichi is just a self insert, but as the story goes on, it becomes less and less about him
Yes! Someone finally made a video like this! No words could describe the love that I have for this series, and how it changed my life forever. Sure, it started out to me as a horror anime, but only after I finished Kai when I found out just how mistaken I was. It helped me realize how important friendship is, that violence can never solve anything, that everyone has a chance of redemption, that we must take responsibility for our sins or else our sins will never be forgiven, that fate could be defeated as long as we had hope, and helped me realize what true happiness and strength meant. I dare to say that this along with Umineko is one of the greatest pieces of literature ever written. Whenever my teacher asks me what kind of novels recommend to people, I always say Higurashi When They Cry. This series was what made me the best person I could be right now.
I used to scoff at Rika for only waiting for things to change, but as I get older, I'm not sure I can say I did things any differently. I have a lot of regrets however I too will let that pass and treasure the memories of warm days.
Thank you again for making me cry. I wanna say what I wanna say but I think if I write it out in a few, so I'll just say this. Higurashi changed me like so many other, but for me it made me the best person I could be right now. I'm doing good with most of my family, most classes above a 90, and have the most fun I can have with others and by myself I could have possible. I think I also wanna write a small doc about how I feel about this, so I think I'll also write about it when I'm done. I really wanna thank you, I wanna say I feel what you feel but still can't, but I think that's alright. I just want people to feel a nice feeling if possible.
I have been a fan of Higurashi since 2007 and some of my closest friends were made through our shared love of both it and Umineko. It truly warms my heart that, despite its lack of popularity, there are still people like you who are able to explain why Higurashi remains such a monumental series that more people should experience. Here's hoping that the 2020 anime reboot and the temporarily-free Onikakushi arc on PC help to draw in new fans to the series.
I could talk for hours about how much your words resonate with me and my experience with Higurashi - it's like you are in my head. You are an absolute boss! During the past decade I have shown this masterpiece to pretty much all my friends, with a 100% success rate - everyone thinks it's fantastic obviously. Ryukishi's stories are works of art that I believe will continue to stay loved and relevant till the end of time, but that is reliant on the fans keeping them alive, so I am very much appreciating your work. For me Umineko is the most brilliant storytelling masterpiece I never could have imagined was possible, while my heart will always lie with Higurashi. Nothing else has managed to inflict the emotions this story did on me as a young teenager, and I constantly dream about finding something similar to it. I honestly wish I could erase my memory just so I could experience this story blind again, but I laso keep enjoying each new rewatch/reread as much as the last, finding new things to enjoy every time. I'm currently playing Ciconia Phase 1, and come sunday I have plans to introduce a buddy to the Higurashi anime (which will be my ninth rewatch!). I will never shut up about these series.
I really like the point you make about Matsuribayashi seeming like a perfect ending. With the almost action movie like tone it takes at some parts, you almost forget how much these characters have been through, and that there is still so many mental scars left to work through after it is all over. Fantastic video!
nothing short of incredible! your essay makes me want to drop everything I'm doing and experience higu all over again. i'm glad that you included how it shaped your life and friendships, it's making me think about my own!
This is one of the best damn videos on AniTube in general and bar none the best video I've ever seen on Higurashi to date. This can't have been easy to write or edit, yet your personal experiences both added a layer of bittersweetness and relatability to it as well as contributed greatly to the overall immersion of this video. I hope you're in a great place, and keep up the amazing work. That's a like and subscribe from me to you, and keep your head up high knowing what you've done here is nothing short of a masterpiece of a video.
@@Asehpe It's honestly about the same. What it really comes down to is the themes and characters each story contains and which ones resonate more with you personally. Higurashi is a story about friendship, community, and fighting against fate, while Umineko is a story about love, family, and finding meaning and truth.
@@Asehpe Higu and Umi are very much two sides of the same coin and respond to and comment on each other's points from different angles so I would highly recommend experiencing both. They're trying to achieve different things but in equally accomplished ways. I think beyond that the attachment people have to each is very dependent on them as an individual--but personally, the clearest distinction I can make between them is that Higurashi is for when you want to feel and Umineko is for when you want to think. The true joy of Higurashi for me is in those cathartic, happy tears crying sessions whereas the joy of Umineko is in the staggeringly thought-provoking, philosophical experience it presents that makes you question how you look at the world. Yes, I have been bowled over by the intricacy of Higurashi's mystery and cried my eyes out at Umineko, but their respective greatest strengths and defining characteristics are as listed above imo. One thing you should know is that they are very different reading experiences. Umineko is a masterpiece and I love it to bits (when I first read it, I thought there was no way the Higu VN could come close in quality!), but it is a deeply uncomfortable read--the characters are mostly hard to like, their dynamics are wince-inducing and the intellectualism of the material is frankly enough to give you a headache. It is for this reason that I have yet to read Umineko again in the four years since I finished it, whereas in the three since I finished Higu, I've read it twice more. I do find Higurashi more enjoyable personally (surprise), but that is to say nothing of the quality of either story and my personal attachment to Higu is just that--personal. Many love Umineko more. The characters and mystery are nothing short of incredible in both, but I would also say Higurashi's heart is in its former and Umineko's is in its latter. As a character person, that is a main reason Higu appeals to me more personally.
holy shit that line about 'i am brimming with regrets' really hit me. i know that's the point but i (early 30s) often think about situations from my teens and twenties that i can see with my adult brain and... well, suffice it to say, a big focus on my therapy journey these days is spending less time in painful memories. it sneaks up on you how engrained that habit can become sorry for the rant; good show on this one! lovely video ^^
Your videos are amazing. Came here for Higurashi analyses, and I am leaving with a human heart. Your outlook on humanity, description of life, understanding the deeper lessons within the stories...you're truly amazing. Everyone who comes across you, via youtube or in person, is truly blessed for the opportunity to learn about your perception of reality. Thank you
Great analysis! I finished the Matsuribayashi yesterday and came running to watch this video. I think you were spot on on pretty much everything. I particularly liked how you highlighted what's probably my favorite scene in the series: the one at Tsumihoroboshi where Keiichi confesses to Rika, Mion and Satoko. What I love about that scene is that Mion and Satoko reaction is just so...Normal. I mean, I'm pretty sure I would react that way if a friend of mine came to me to confess something bad they did long ago. Yet, when viewed from Keiichi's viewpoint, their reaction comes off as surprising. It reminded me that people (and friends in particular) are not as judgmental as one might assume they are. They are just like yourself, and if you're willing to bear the weight of their sins with them, they are probably willing to bear the weight of your past sins with you. To add something to all the things mentioned in the video, I really liked Takano and Irie's portrayal as researchers. I'm a physics student nearing the end of my degree (I shoud be starting my PhD next year) so, while I haven't experienced it myself, I have seen first hand how cruel the scientific system can be. Scientific research is expensive so you can't do it alone: you always need someone to at least back you up economically. And in order for that economical backup to continue, you have to provide results. If a deadline is approaching and your investigation is stumped... Well, good luck with that. And if suddenly whoever supports you decides that they want to use their money elsewhere, you better start looking something else to research and/or a new sponsor. Takano getting as desperate as she does is a bit of an extreme, but the situation with her whole investigation facility shutting down is not that far from reality. It was nice (and unexpected) to see that kind of thing acknowledged here.
This video essay is a subterranean deep and brilliantly moving. Really pushed me to think about my own friendships and history. I don't really have the words to express how much this meant to me, so just .... From the bottom of my heart, thank you for this.
Keiichi is easily one of my favorite characters of all time. He is a character that I really identified with since the very beggining of the history. This fact made my experience with the questions arcs one of the most painfuls I ever had with any work of art. Tatarigoroshi, in special, made me feel completely lost after showing me contless problems that i had. But all the pain I felt reading these arcs was rewarded by what came after. The growth of, not only Keiichi, but of all the characters inpires me to this day, and the leasons I learned with them are things that I will never forget
higurashi is not just a series for me, but a complete alternative world everything in hinamizawa feels so alive, every single character is so well developed that you can say at least one strong caracteristic of them im glad that i've been able to know this series, its simply perfect
Oof, I’d love to watch this video but I’m afraid it’ll have to wait until I actually read the visual novel. Keep up the good though, your videos have really come a long way.
This is the 2nd vid I’m watching from this channel. I’m taken by the depth of insight. There’s an aspect that’s also striking…there’s an air of detachment in the narrator’s voice while speaking of such intimate topic. There’s a hint of melancholy or distance in the narrator…maybe it reflects me. Love your channel
Great Video Essay on Higurashi. I agree with your statements regarding the theme of friendship, and deeper understanding and communication. I love how you used not just characters but also arcs to justify your argument. This theme is also similar within Umineko No naku koro ni as well regarding deeper understanding of another. " Without Love, It cannot be seen. "
Hi. First of all, thank you for sharing such a personal piece of work. Second of all, thank you for sharing something I could relate to so much it brought me to tears. I too loved the anime as a lonely kid. I felt disconnected from my peers and surroundings, had a bit of a hard time making friends and an even harder time sharing my interests with the ones I managed to keep. A group of true companions like the one depicted in Higurashi was a fantasy of mine, Hinamizawa a safe place I could return to inhabited by characters I could see myself in. Even though my life at the time was heading in a bleak direction, the fictional universes I was into and the ones I created in my head made my worldview much more hopeful and added meaning to my reality. I'm an adult now, and since quarantine forced me to move back to my hometown, I got nostalgic and started revisiting my old favorites. So I read the vn for the first time, and. It's just as if it was waiting for me all these years. After finishing Matsuribayashi I laid down on the floor of my childhood bedroom for a solid hour, crying my eyes out, reflecting on the person I've become over all that time. On how much I still struggle with opening up, on how I often disregard the people in my life as unable to ever help me or understand me, on how I am sometimes unwilling to see others through a more empathetic lens, on how I'm too afraid to get hurt to even try. On how many people I love deeply and hope to see again. On how beautiful and complicated and messy human connections are. Higurashi made me feel validated in both my suffering and my hope for a better tomorrow. I felt validated by Ryukishi's incredibly empathetic portrayal of mental illness. Like you, I have rediscovered Higu at what is probably the lowest point in my life, and I think it's going to stay with me. I'm still thinking about it. The message about appreciating your life for what it is and noticing the happy moments is so simple and yet it resonates with me so deeply. "The thing is - I did, and that's exactly why it hurts". Yeah. We're complete strangers and yet just through this video, i feel connected to you and your experiences - that, to me, demonstrates the power of Higurashi and fiction in general. Thank you again! Sorry for dumping all that text here, I just felt I needed to share that
Thank you for sharing this. I'm very lucky in that I found a few people who were willing to pry me open, and like I said in the video, I definitely still have trouble with being vulnerable, but realising that at all is half the struggle. I'm glad Higurashi also found you when you needed it and I'm sure your days and years ahead hold deeper connection and meaning ❤
Everytime I tune in for a video of yours, I get a new perspective. A new perspective towards a character, a new perspective towards the story, a new perspective towards what it means to me and how I relate to it. It's like you take me into an emotional journey over the story, yet I find a different conclusion everytime. I've recently started Onikakushi on the VN and I must say that you were right, it really is a different feeling. I'm halfway through the arc and I see Keiichi slowly slip further into madness, desperately trying to trust his friends and wishing he never had learned anything about the village. And in a way, everyone relates to him, wether because of an experience we've been through that is similar or because we too are desperately trying to reach out to someone. I've also rewatched the anime and, although it didn't feel anything like the first time, it still took me to settings that I have now enough maturity and experience to understand. It made me understand more about others, their motives and how it affects the world and grow from it. Higurashi really is a masterpiece. I just wish people understood how great it really is as you and I do
I've never fully watched this series, and in fact, I fell down a rabbit hole of unrelated material to find this video. I just want to say that I appreciate the level of introspection that this script took; your writing and the narrative thread throughout was woven well into how you went about communicating the importance of Higurashi not only in relation to yourself but to empathy in general. I came away with moments of intense understanding that I don't find often, even in content I really enjoy. Sorry that this is mostly a praise of your writing! Character studies have always been something I fixate on, and I've watched all of your Higurashi videos now because of that aspect of them and your deep insight. I strive to make my comics reach levels of work like what's present here. All of this has been inspiring, so thank you. And good work!
It’s a crime that you only have 3k subscribers. This video essay was so well done as well as your other videos. Before watching your videos I only watched the first season and always saw Higurashi as just a horror anime (with some awkward and funny animations). But after this, it really changed my view as a whole and make me want to rewatch and finish the series.
Wow, this video is amazing. I’m currently reading the vn after watching the anime, and this video helped me understand the deeper themes of higurashi, and the connections to life. You really deserve more subscribers and views. Amazing video!
This is such a great video, it really helps me put into words why I love this series so much. I think a lot of people originally come into the show expecting only a thriller/horror series, but I feel like it's so much more than that, and you really helped explain those feelings
it's been such a blessing to find your Higurashi analyses. Thank you for sharing such a personal story. When They Cry is near and dear to my heart and I'm too surprised to still be talking about it a decade later. Watching your video while Gou is airing is making me really question the aims of the show. I guess these last few episodes will tell us.
Honestly I'm going through some real shit right now, and your essay made me both realize a number of things and give me a burning desire to rewatch Higurashi or find a way to enjoy the sound novel.
Gosh, what an absolutely incredible video essay. I'd always been a fan of higurashi and umineko through their anime and manga, but until I was able to finally enjoy the original VN source material was I able to fully understand what a powerful, amazing writer Ryukishi really is. Everything he does--even outside the When They Cry series--is full of such nuanced meaning and lessons every human being should learn. It's a shame not everyone can enjoy his works due to the violence and triggering content they contain, I wouldn't dream of shaming anyone for that. But at the same time I think the messages wouldn't hit the same without them. I've sobbed my eyes out so many times with Ryukishi's work. They've changed me for the better as a person. It's crazy to think horror stories like these are really about friendship and love and its core, about the unbreakable bonds between people. They're what made me love the psychological horror genre, even though my standards end up being pretty high when I'm constantly comparing things to the masterpiece that is higurashi (and umineko as an extention. but if i had to pick one, Higurashi has a slightly larger place in my heart) As a creator I'm in awe of his ability to draw people in so completely into his worlds while maintaining such a cohesive story. But you've already put it all into words why Higurashi is so great. By now I've bindged watched all your video essays on the series, so I guess this is really a comment on all of them haha. I started off with your explanation of Shion and the yandare trope (which I didn't think people were even saying about her! but I'm thankful you set the record straight), and was so impressed I had to listen to all your higurashi-related thoughts. It's a relief to see someone who really *gets it*. And I hope your beginners guide video has convinced people to get into When They Cry. I myself still have yet to start his newest work, but it makes me SO happy to see Ryukishi finally big enough to be getting a simultaneous international release of his sound novels like he's always deserved. Thank you again for all your hard work on these videos. Even if you're done voicing your thoughts on Higurashi you've earned yourself a sub!
Thank you. Your video made me realize a lot of things that I need to think about. When I get the time, I'm going to finish the rest of Higurashi on Steam. I've watched the anime over and over, but it's your video essay that really made me realize just how much it hits home. I cannot stress this enough how much I needed to hear all of what you said right now. I think this essay has pushed me in the right direction, which I hope will change my life for the better. Once again, thank you. Thank you.
Brilliantly written. I always thought why is that Higurashi is the only horror series that I am able to enjoy again and again so much but you were able to put rpobanly also my hidden feelings onto words along with your experience. I wish you all the beatbin life and also I subscribed for more content
Great video. You have wonderful insight and great artistic sense. I'm amazed by how deeply you are able to engage with the material, it actually makes me tear up. It seems I've barely scratched the surface of what it was trying to say. I just got into the series in the past few weeks and have been utterly blown away by the sound novels. I can't believe how much I love the characters, it's like they're real. You only come across things like this a handful of times in a life. The part about friendship makes me sad though. I haven't been a very good friend most of my life, which depresses me. I hurt and disappointed others and let people down without meaning to. But that's my sin, I've realized it. I think this series can inspire me to change.
Hey, just wanted to say great video. It's always nice to find someone else that loves Higurashi as much as I do. The video caused one of those moments for me when I really reflect on how I communicate with others. Hopefully I can make a significant change this time, instead of just using "defense curl" lol
I wouldn't describe the story of struggles of children with friendship and their emotions, because as you admitted yourself, these are things young adults and even people beyond youth struggle with as well. Young people in my opinion are only best to illistrate these things, as they struggle with these things in more obvious ways.
I've been holding off on watching this video for a rainy day and I'm glad you delivered! The writing and personal anecdotes were great as always, but I was really impressed at the editing this time around! I'm sure it wasn't easy to find the corresponding footage or text from all the different Higurashi adaptions but you pulled it all off wonderfully! It's an extremely well made video and it was clear that you put a lot of love into it. Keep up the amazing work :)
You brought me to tears ❤ but not in a wrong sense. Your videos on Higurashi are very passionate and so well done in every detail. I love the fact that you told us your own story to also share, get more into the masterpiece of this franchise. Personally i see myself in you a lot. I guess it's good to be able to symphatize with someone or a fictional character but i don't really know why. Anyway thank you for making it 😇
just finished the first season of anime and was craving a good analysis of the series to corroborate my own reflections on the series. thank you for this in-depth video essay, it really helps with using this story as a proper learning tool for story structure and character depth!
I’m currently in that point where I’m in love with anime as you were when you first started watching Higurashi. Higurashi was actually one of the first anime I ever watched (so the references to tropes went over my head). I like anime because i use it to explore parts of me and the broader human psyche (basically the opposite of escapism). Higurashi is also my first VN. Also, I’m super jealous of those figures!!!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, with the viewers. Higurashi also means a lot to me and seeing it through someone else's eyes allowed me to loo at it through other lense. It's not just a beautifully crafted story to entretain the people who read it, it's a piece to learn more about the human experience, about growing up, about making mistakes and owning up to them, and that's one of the resons why I love it so much
I wanted to say this video is so beautiful. So well written and vocalized. I remember for my second year college English class i wrote my final paper on Higurashi and saw the deep layer of friendship and individualism in Higurashi. How everyone in their own way was the main character. I hope you are well now and i send you well wishes 🙏
thank you so much for making your higurashi videos, OP, they're a part of my motivation for making my higurashi let's play. i think you've captured exactly what makes the game so special to people, why when people point out its flaws or compare it to more 'polished' pieces of work you may agree with them but still explain why it's one of your favorite pieces of media of all time. again, thank you.
I've been listening to your videos while drawing commissions but I ended up watching this one and I noticed the live action movie has Italian subtitles. I'd never have thought that there would be a translation for that, given that - to the best of my knowledge - the VN is only in English. I find the reflection on empathy troubling just because it's something I often think I finally got nearer to and then end up being sorely disappointed in myself. Best of luck with your masters degree!
Awesome video. I stumbled upon your channel and i have to say that your Higurashi content is amazing. You really seem to understand this masterpiece. Keep up the good work. By the way, at the beginnig of the video, what is the manga in the right down corner? The one where you can see Mion on the title. I haven' t seen that one anywhere. Perhaps are there any other mangas except from the first 8 arcs? And where did you get that awesome Higurashi merchandise? (Hope my english is correct)
Thank you so much! Your English is great! The Mion manga is a volume of Kataribanashi-hen--back in the 2000s, 07th got fans to send in their ideas for short stories and Ryukishi picked a bunch to write. They were released as this manga series illustrated by the official manga artists from the main series and some were made into drama CDs voiced by the official cast too! Unfortunately the manga was only ever released in Japanese (there are actually literally hundreds of Higurashi bonus manga like this that were only ever released in Japan). You might be able to find a few of the stories translated into English if you look around online! I'd love to do it myself one day if I ever get around to it. Secondly, I got 90% of my stuff second hand from Yahoo! Auctions Japan via proxy sites like ZenMarket. I've also used surugaya and OtaMart--very little of this stuff is available in the West unfortunately and a lot of my items are very rare. You can sometimes find some figures on Ebay or Amazon but they are often overpriced to take advantage of people who don't want to go through the buying from Japan route. Basically, try browsing Yahoo! Auctions Japan via the ZenMarket website! I hope this helps!
Higurashi taught me first-hand, before Dostoyevsky or Sartre, the numbing absurdities of human existence. Through that, it influenced me very early on, and I will always be grateful to it for that.
Glad I found this channel. It finally got me to start reading the VN after over a decade of sitting on the fence. Reading the Umineko VN was on my backlog for the longest time, I watched the anime as it aired and although the anime was not so great, I was madly in love with the premise. I wanted more, but truth be told, I'm terrible at reading things, so I just kept putting it off and never got around to it, I would just think about it now and then as something I really gotta get around to doing, but it just never happened. Seeing someone else who has so much passion for this series made me finally think enough's enough. Obviously I couldn't read Umineki first before Higurashi, so I've started with that. Despite being a terrible reader, a little over a week in and I've just finished the second arc, Watanagashi-hen. A part of me regrets watching the anime way back in 2006, because although I've forgotten a lot, I still remember fondly the broad strokes of the plot, and those old memories are coming back and filling in the blanks to the mystery. Reading the VN blind would have been such a wild ride, it's such an amazingly written mystery (although it is fun picking up on all the foreshadowing and red herrings), but despite that, I really love this story. It has such a wonderful cast of characters. The VN really goes that extra mile establishing just how much these characters appreciate and love one another. When bad starts happening, the trigger seems to always be a moment where they lack the courage to trust and confide in one another at the crucial moment. When things start going south, you just end up feeling sad, because of how well established their friendship is. I can't remember if the anime was the same, or being older, maybe I just appreciate this sort of stuff more, but I'm really enjoying this side to Higurashi.
Higurashi will always be one of my favorite pieces of media I've ever consumed in my life very influential in the stuff I create and the way's I see horror in the medium but also in real life. Thank you for the video essay on such a masterpiece of a series that I think in many ways is like the Evangelion of Horror and much more. Subscribed and I wish you all the best in life.
Wow this video is incredibly good. You’re awesome and honestly I relate to a lot of the things you talked about. I absolutely adore higurashi! Your channel is such a gem 🤯 I subscribed 💞
This video was incredible. Thank you for reminding me how special this series was. Now it's time for me to revisit Hinamizawa again before the new anime comes out.
this video was beautiful, all of your content is. after almost 9 years i finally caught up looking into the VN, currently watching it by rose matters. it came now back to me at a very fragile time in my live again and even thou i'm sure i will never truly be able to understand the core messages or have meaningful live changes as some of you longtime fans proclaim through this series, i still hold it all deeply dear close to my heart. i never saw a series that made me feel so strongly empathetic to as good as the whole cast and i wonder if there ever will be another show that can capture this again..as since today i have to let go of my long lasting only real connection to this world in my life, my 11 years old housecat, him having to die of cancer.. i don't know what live will have in store for me after this and i don't have bright hope at all.. but the last thing i can wish for is to take care of another pet some day again and to maybe build another strong connection once more, something i just can't have with people. i miss my baby boy so much already.. at the end, i feel more like a takano then anything else
Congratulations, you made yet another incredible video! I am glad that you finished your essay and that you expressed yourself through this video, and most of all, I am glad that you've managed to understand yourself through Higurashi. Best of luck to you in your future experiences! Enjoy the master's degree courses!
I'm so happy to have come across your channel when it was recommended to me in my inbox. Your videos make me feel things that I find embarrassing such as 'relating to me'. Yeah, I'm not the biggest fan of emotions. XD I'll gladly follow your work and see how far you go. Nice work.
The way I was introduced was the worst I saw a happy go lucking swimming pool ova ep and thought" boy this sure is wholesome" to someone's head getting bashed in through the span of 30 minutes there was no going back afterwards
i watched it around the same age as you probably. i forgotten about it for a long time. on hot summer days when the crickets chirp it reminds me of the time i watched this series. i dont think i understood what it was about for a long time. probably also because of the language barrier. but it makes sense now. i think i always understood what it was about. since i feel like i have this understanding in my heart. if you are ever in germany. let me know
I'm glad that I found this video (and channel) back. I remember watching it a few years back while trying to understand and get into the "When They Cry" franchise because I was fascinated by it, as its new Anime Adaptation was coming out and this video helped me understand its appeal of it. I didn't stick for the "Spoilers" 😬 but you still managed to make me understand how much this franchise means to you even without that. Besides, a quick look at your channel also helped make that point clear because there are 8 more videos covering this franchise. 😅 So thank you for all that! 🙌 P.S. - I am glad that Ryukishi07 is working on Silent Hill F next. Can't wait to see what he does with that franchise. 😁
I came across Higu anime first from a Legenda of Zelda parody of the opening of the 2006 anime. That being said the rabbit hole runs deep. Higurashi is a series that I don’t have a fav character. not that I don’t like any of the characters but selecting one fav over another feels wrong.
Actually This Month that almost over I start to finish higurashi and really start to become one of my favorite anime! Mostly for the main characters, i really care about them when I watch them, i feel happy, sad or angry that really makes it feel real, how they grow and specially always stay together like for satoko or rika. Im Glad I watched the anime, now im on the 2020 versión.
I don’t have any friends (and never did in the past) and do not have good relations with my family so the Hinamizawa club always seemed like my pretend friends. They’re more real than anyone I have met in my life anyway…
I consider Madoka Magica one of my favorite shows and Higurashi and Pmmm seem to have a lot in common in the friendship and connecting aspect. I'm deeply happy to have discovered Higu and can happily say it's right up there with Madoka Magica as my favorite show/VN.
I loved this video, it is so passionate, detailed and intime. Congratulations for your graduation! :D. By the way, what is your opinion on the console arcs, particularly Miotsukushi-hen?
Thank you! My opinions on the console arcs really vary from absolutely loving some to not liking others but are generally positive. I haven't read Ura yet but really liked Miotsukushi Omote!
I give your essay a B for Beautiful... Man... Higurashi... I count it as the very first anime I ever saw (well I saw it along Lucky Star) and I remember being so moved at the end, and even more in the final season Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei ;-;
I think the first time a child moves or changes schools, leaving behind its beloved friends, might be the first time in that child's life that it starts to slowly grow into the jadedness of an adult.
While I prefer Umineko, Higurashi is also one of the series closest to my heart. The way it uses its metaphysic (with timelines, resets, and the first sketches of the meta world) to explore its themes of friendship, trust, and scapegoating is incredibly clever, and for how long it is, it's remarkably coherent and focused. It made me nostalgic for a warmth I'd never had, showed me the nature of friendship in a way nothing else had or has, and gave me a banquet of food for thought. The fact that for anyone to win, no one could lose was such an important point. But there's something else vital that Higurashi does that you didn't touch on: Saikoroshi affirms that this depth of connection can only be achieved by making meaning out of suffering. Suffering is a formative opportunity so long as you have at least one person you can reach out to, and Hanyuu is always willing to reach out to people to get them started. Hanyuu is one of my all-time favorite characters, up there with Asuka Langley Sohryu and Milton's Satan, because she's the pillar upholding and connecting everything the series accomplishes. It's particularly impressive because Christianity is obscure in Japan, but the dynamic between Hanyuu and scapegoating is arguably what's at the heart of religion in general (rather than, say, parasitic delusions). And Higurashi went one step further, like you said: it went beyond self-sacrifice and allowed even Hanyuu to win and, presumably, lead a fulfilling life as a human rather. It's just so good. Thanks for making me cry again.
Trust me, this video certainly wasn't made to encapsulate all of Higurashi's themes and discussions, but the ones that personally impacted me most. I intend to address other points in your comment in the future on this channel!
Higurashi is really the most beautiful series for me that proves, if you put enough effort and never give up, if you believe what you do, even though it seems impossible... you'll eventually break the barries, overcome your problems and get the results of a happier life, And it also perfectly balanced the gore and horror between a tragedy, hope, and happiness, even comedy sometimes :) if anyone wanna watch it I always recommend even in my profile 😂
my friends were so obsessed in hs i didnt get it...i thought it was just gorey fanservice but then me and a friend watched the og anime together and i regret not watching it earlier
Umineko is my ultimate VN, but nothing will haunt me more than Keiichis monologue to Rena...as...he murders her lmfao. Everyone has those feelings, well, not the murder part, but clinging on the trust and happiness of the person you came to like even though it drives you insane. You know its actually insane to believe in someone who you think will hurt you. You know that, yet you cling to that peaceful friendship, silly crush, whatever you wanna call it. Then you are trying to fool yourself into thinking that you are not letting go. But you just did. Bruh Keiichi wtf. Kinda gives you chill.
So although I watched the anime of the Higurashi Koro Ni and Kai long ago (similar to you when I was in my pre teens) I haven't read the novels yet. So im going to skip the video for now, what I do need to know is what soundtrack is play at 0:39!
I only seen orginal season 1 It betrayed me i invested a lot of time But ending explanation f*#kd me with time loop alien virus bullshit But it had great potential I was really invested in it
Hi! I won't be watching this video yet (haven't finished even the first chapter) but I'm still curious about whether or not you recommend the Steam translation, or the original first MangaGamer translation. (Is the work so good that the translation doesn't really make that much of a difference, or would you strongly recommend one over the other?)
Steam translation all the way! I've only ever used the original in videos when the arcs (or playthroughs) hadn't been released with the new translation yet. More importantly, with the Steam games, you can apply 07th Mod's patch incorporating full voice acting from Japanese console releases of the series which is the definitive way to experience it imo.
So you seem like a Higurashi expert, can you explain to me what the hell was up with the two Keichiis in the chapter he kills Teppei? I'm still puzzled by it
Most likely Mion told everyone to create an Alibi for Keiichi since she knew what he did that night as shown with the phone call that same day where she thought Keiichi acted just like Satoshi who killed his Aunt. There was never a second Keiichi he just didn’t put two and two together that everyone was helping him
I mean, wow, I've known higurashi since the anime was first airing, back when what I really wanted from the anime at that time was to see gore and blood, but damn, girl, let's see, I always knew that the VN was great, but shamefully I didnt read it becasue of stupid things like the art not being good (i mean, I was a kid and those mid-2000 look has not aged well at all) but to think there is somewhat like you that breathes an anime (more like the story ) so hard you made it your life choice, im honestly impresed, im going to read the VN, no more doubts, I mean, I always enjoyed the anime a lot anyways, even tou at face value I always loved umineko more, at the same time I always knew that I wouldnt love umineko nearly as much if i didnt spent so many years loven higurashi, 2 sides of the same coin as you said in some other comment, I live in mexico so we will probably never see each other, but if a time comes that I culd meet someonelike you, I would like to ask a handshake, for you made me, through higurashi, the series that was only in my mind as blood and gore, re evaluate my life (and i was one of those kids that needed anime as an escapism in my youth, even went to the psycologist so your essay, your video, really hits home) thanks.
Hey sorry guys if this sounds like spam but do you know if Bess has or knows some kind of social media for Higurashi fans. I'm trying to find a place to interact with people part of the fandom but I don't get to find them. Thanks a lot to anybody that can help me out with this.
Huge thanks to my best friend for generously allowing me to include her wonderful music in this video! Please check out her work:
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/3x0j8NsO5CNQ3JSMgCAFqf?si=PswC2Z_DTt6oSnHIqQUOQQ
Bandcamp: lambia.bandcamp.com
UA-cam: ua-cam.com/channels/LkdEnGydpNuGokDVsb_7Cg.html
Twitter: @leelambia
Songs featured in the video:
Out There: open.spotify.com/track/36Q26M1SABKKtacR3GvgmS?si=61YuRtyXTDCd1abyOGoMoA
Daydrunk: open.spotify.com/track/0ROggPZZlbcx2BnCRZnuV9?si=b8Ov0Gy3T268IXiGUkCnTQ
I want the name of the music in the minute 25:03 please
@@aminetayara8834 Being by dai from the VN
@@_bess Could you please give me the link ?
This video perfectly explains my obsession with the series despite having only discovered it 2 years ago. I also discovered Higurashi shortly after being in the lowest point in my life thus far, and the connection between all of the characters and the series focus on hope is what helped give me the strength to keep going. I really do wish more people understood this side of Higurashi. It saddens me greatly to see people who only watched the anime refer to the characters in it as yanderes. As if robbing them of all of the nuance that they actually have and only seeing the scary party.
What do you think of the reboot?
one of my favourite things about Keiichi specifically is how generically he's designed compared to the other main characters. on the surface and completely out of context, Keiichi and his all-girl friend circle look like they could be the start of a harem anime. but Keiichi is so wonderfully, painfully 3-dimentional and relatable in a way that more self-inserty male protags rarely are. ive revisited this series after about 10 years, and im amazed at how much i missed within the text just because i didn't really know what i was looking at yet. these characters and this story mean so much
I think they all look generic, but its fine. Great series
I enjoy how they subvert the “generic mc” trope by changing the protagonist as the series does on, especially in all the answer arcs. You start by thinking Keiichi is just a self insert, but as the story goes on, it becomes less and less about him
"They allowed me to paste pictures of Mion on almost every surface of our home."
Life goals.
Yes! Someone finally made a video like this! No words could describe the love that I have for this series, and how it changed my life forever. Sure, it started out to me as a horror anime, but only after I finished Kai when I found out just how mistaken I was. It helped me realize how important friendship is, that violence can never solve anything, that everyone has a chance of redemption, that we must take responsibility for our sins or else our sins will never be forgiven, that fate could be defeated as long as we had hope, and helped me realize what true happiness and strength meant. I dare to say that this along with Umineko is one of the greatest pieces of literature ever written. Whenever my teacher asks me what kind of novels recommend to people, I always say Higurashi When They Cry. This series was what made me the best person I could be right now.
Oh, mb, I kind of answered to you on mistake… I'm really sorry!
I used to scoff at Rika for only waiting for things to change, but as I get older, I'm not sure I can say I did things any differently. I have a lot of regrets however I too will let that pass and treasure the memories of warm days.
Thank you again for making me cry. I wanna say what I wanna say but I think if I write it out in a few, so I'll just say this. Higurashi changed me like so many other, but for me it made me the best person I could be right now. I'm doing good with most of my family, most classes above a 90, and have the most fun I can have with others and by myself I could have possible. I think I also wanna write a small doc about how I feel about this, so I think I'll also write about it when I'm done. I really wanna thank you, I wanna say I feel what you feel but still can't, but I think that's alright. I just want people to feel a nice feeling if possible.
The crazy part is that if a normal person walked into your room they will 100% think that Higurashi is a cute/funny anime lol
I have been a fan of Higurashi since 2007 and some of my closest friends were made through our shared love of both it and Umineko. It truly warms my heart that, despite its lack of popularity, there are still people like you who are able to explain why Higurashi remains such a monumental series that more people should experience. Here's hoping that the 2020 anime reboot and the temporarily-free Onikakushi arc on PC help to draw in new fans to the series.
I could talk for hours about how much your words resonate with me and my experience with Higurashi - it's like you are in my head. You are an absolute boss!
During the past decade I have shown this masterpiece to pretty much all my friends, with a 100% success rate - everyone thinks it's fantastic obviously. Ryukishi's stories are works of art that I believe will continue to stay loved and relevant till the end of time, but that is reliant on the fans keeping them alive, so I am very much appreciating your work.
For me Umineko is the most brilliant storytelling masterpiece I never could have imagined was possible, while my heart will always lie with Higurashi. Nothing else has managed to inflict the emotions this story did on me as a young teenager, and I constantly dream about finding something similar to it. I honestly wish I could erase my memory just so I could experience this story blind again, but I laso keep enjoying each new rewatch/reread as much as the last, finding new things to enjoy every time.
I'm currently playing Ciconia Phase 1, and come sunday I have plans to introduce a buddy to the Higurashi anime (which will be my ninth rewatch!). I will never shut up about these series.
I really like the point you make about Matsuribayashi seeming like a perfect ending. With the almost action movie like tone it takes at some parts, you almost forget how much these characters have been through, and that there is still so many mental scars left to work through after it is all over. Fantastic video!
Thank you Bess for making me sob a little there. This is a really wonderful essay.
nothing short of incredible! your essay makes me want to drop everything I'm doing and experience higu all over again. i'm glad that you included how it shaped your life and friendships, it's making me think about my own!
This is one of the best damn videos on AniTube in general and bar none the best video I've ever seen on Higurashi to date. This can't have been easy to write or edit, yet your personal experiences both added a layer of bittersweetness and relatability to it as well as contributed greatly to the overall immersion of this video.
I hope you're in a great place, and keep up the amazing work. That's a like and subscribe from me to you, and keep your head up high knowing what you've done here is nothing short of a masterpiece of a video.
Thank you so much!
I am obsessed with Umineko,i need to get into Higurashi eventualy.
Do it! I love umineko but higurashi is my all time favorite. Enjoy!
I love both so much💜💓
@@Andy-lr6cc Haven't tried Umineko yet. Is it better or worse in technique and characterization? If you prefer one of them, then why? Just curious.
@@Asehpe It's honestly about the same. What it really comes down to is the themes and characters each story contains and which ones resonate more with you personally. Higurashi is a story about friendship, community, and fighting against fate, while Umineko is a story about love, family, and finding meaning and truth.
@@Asehpe Higu and Umi are very much two sides of the same coin and respond to and comment on each other's points from different angles so I would highly recommend experiencing both. They're trying to achieve different things but in equally accomplished ways. I think beyond that the attachment people have to each is very dependent on them as an individual--but personally, the clearest distinction I can make between them is that Higurashi is for when you want to feel and Umineko is for when you want to think. The true joy of Higurashi for me is in those cathartic, happy tears crying sessions whereas the joy of Umineko is in the staggeringly thought-provoking, philosophical experience it presents that makes you question how you look at the world. Yes, I have been bowled over by the intricacy of Higurashi's mystery and cried my eyes out at Umineko, but their respective greatest strengths and defining characteristics are as listed above imo. One thing you should know is that they are very different reading experiences. Umineko is a masterpiece and I love it to bits (when I first read it, I thought there was no way the Higu VN could come close in quality!), but it is a deeply uncomfortable read--the characters are mostly hard to like, their dynamics are wince-inducing and the intellectualism of the material is frankly enough to give you a headache. It is for this reason that I have yet to read Umineko again in the four years since I finished it, whereas in the three since I finished Higu, I've read it twice more. I do find Higurashi more enjoyable personally (surprise), but that is to say nothing of the quality of either story and my personal attachment to Higu is just that--personal. Many love Umineko more. The characters and mystery are nothing short of incredible in both, but I would also say Higurashi's heart is in its former and Umineko's is in its latter. As a character person, that is a main reason Higu appeals to me more personally.
holy shit that line about 'i am brimming with regrets' really hit me. i know that's the point but i (early 30s) often think about situations from my teens and twenties that i can see with my adult brain and... well, suffice it to say, a big focus on my therapy journey these days is spending less time in painful memories. it sneaks up on you how engrained that habit can become
sorry for the rant; good show on this one! lovely video ^^
Your videos are amazing. Came here for Higurashi analyses, and I am leaving with a human heart. Your outlook on humanity, description of life, understanding the deeper lessons within the stories...you're truly amazing. Everyone who comes across you, via youtube or in person, is truly blessed for the opportunity to learn about your perception of reality. Thank you
Thank you so much for the kind words!
Great analysis! I finished the Matsuribayashi yesterday and came running to watch this video. I think you were spot on on pretty much everything. I particularly liked how you highlighted what's probably my favorite scene in the series: the one at Tsumihoroboshi where Keiichi confesses to Rika, Mion and Satoko. What I love about that scene is that Mion and Satoko reaction is just so...Normal. I mean, I'm pretty sure I would react that way if a friend of mine came to me to confess something bad they did long ago. Yet, when viewed from Keiichi's viewpoint, their reaction comes off as surprising. It reminded me that people (and friends in particular) are not as judgmental as one might assume they are. They are just like yourself, and if you're willing to bear the weight of their sins with them, they are probably willing to bear the weight of your past sins with you.
To add something to all the things mentioned in the video, I really liked Takano and Irie's portrayal as researchers. I'm a physics student nearing the end of my degree (I shoud be starting my PhD next year) so, while I haven't experienced it myself, I have seen first hand how cruel the scientific system can be. Scientific research is expensive so you can't do it alone: you always need someone to at least back you up economically. And in order for that economical backup to continue, you have to provide results. If a deadline is approaching and your investigation is stumped... Well, good luck with that. And if suddenly whoever supports you decides that they want to use their money elsewhere, you better start looking something else to research and/or a new sponsor. Takano getting as desperate as she does is a bit of an extreme, but the situation with her whole investigation facility shutting down is not that far from reality. It was nice (and unexpected) to see that kind of thing acknowledged here.
This video essay is a subterranean deep and brilliantly moving. Really pushed me to think about my own friendships and history. I don't really have the words to express how much this meant to me, so just .... From the bottom of my heart, thank you for this.
Keiichi is easily one of my favorite characters of all time. He is a character that I really identified with since the very beggining of the history. This fact made my experience with the questions arcs one of the most painfuls I ever had with any work of art. Tatarigoroshi, in special, made me feel completely lost after showing me contless problems that i had. But all the pain I felt reading these arcs was rewarded by what came after. The growth of, not only Keiichi, but of all the characters inpires me to this day, and the leasons I learned with them are things that I will never forget
higurashi is not just a series for me, but a complete alternative world
everything in hinamizawa feels so alive, every single character is so well developed that you can say at least one strong caracteristic of them
im glad that i've been able to know this series, its simply perfect
Oof, I’d love to watch this video but I’m afraid it’ll have to wait until I actually read the visual novel. Keep up the good though, your videos have really come a long way.
This is the 2nd vid I’m watching from this channel. I’m taken by the depth of insight. There’s an aspect that’s also striking…there’s an air of detachment in the narrator’s voice while speaking of such intimate topic. There’s a hint of melancholy or distance in the narrator…maybe it reflects me.
Love your channel
i resonate so much with the love you express for this series here. you really hammered home so many reasons that this series is soo important to me.
Great Video Essay on Higurashi. I agree with your statements regarding the theme of friendship, and deeper understanding and communication. I love how you used not just characters but also arcs to justify your argument. This theme is also similar within Umineko No naku koro ni as well regarding deeper understanding of another.
" Without Love, It cannot be seen. "
Hi. First of all, thank you for sharing such a personal piece of work. Second of all, thank you for sharing something I could relate to so much it brought me to tears. I too loved the anime as a lonely kid. I felt disconnected from my peers and surroundings, had a bit of a hard time making friends and an even harder time sharing my interests with the ones I managed to keep. A group of true companions like the one depicted in Higurashi was a fantasy of mine, Hinamizawa a safe place I could return to inhabited by characters I could see myself in. Even though my life at the time was heading in a bleak direction, the fictional universes I was into and the ones I created in my head made my worldview much more hopeful and added meaning to my reality. I'm an adult now, and since quarantine forced me to move back to my hometown, I got nostalgic and started revisiting my old favorites. So I read the vn for the first time, and. It's just as if it was waiting for me all these years. After finishing Matsuribayashi I laid down on the floor of my childhood bedroom for a solid hour, crying my eyes out, reflecting on the person I've become over all that time. On how much I still struggle with opening up, on how I often disregard the people in my life as unable to ever help me or understand me, on how I am sometimes unwilling to see others through a more empathetic lens, on how I'm too afraid to get hurt to even try. On how many people I love deeply and hope to see again. On how beautiful and complicated and messy human connections are. Higurashi made me feel validated in both my suffering and my hope for a better tomorrow. I felt validated by Ryukishi's incredibly empathetic portrayal of mental illness. Like you, I have rediscovered Higu at what is probably the lowest point in my life, and I think it's going to stay with me. I'm still thinking about it. The message about appreciating your life for what it is and noticing the happy moments is so simple and yet it resonates with me so deeply. "The thing is - I did, and that's exactly why it hurts". Yeah. We're complete strangers and yet just through this video, i feel connected to you and your experiences - that, to me, demonstrates the power of Higurashi and fiction in general. Thank you again! Sorry for dumping all that text here, I just felt I needed to share that
Thank you for sharing this. I'm very lucky in that I found a few people who were willing to pry me open, and like I said in the video, I definitely still have trouble with being vulnerable, but realising that at all is half the struggle. I'm glad Higurashi also found you when you needed it and I'm sure your days and years ahead hold deeper connection and meaning ❤
thank you :)) ❤️
This video definitely hit close to home. A great essay!
Everytime I tune in for a video of yours, I get a new perspective. A new perspective towards a character, a new perspective towards the story, a new perspective towards what it means to me and how I relate to it. It's like you take me into an emotional journey over the story, yet I find a different conclusion everytime. I've recently started Onikakushi on the VN and I must say that you were right, it really is a different feeling. I'm halfway through the arc and I see Keiichi slowly slip further into madness, desperately trying to trust his friends and wishing he never had learned anything about the village. And in a way, everyone relates to him, wether because of an experience we've been through that is similar or because we too are desperately trying to reach out to someone. I've also rewatched the anime and, although it didn't feel anything like the first time, it still took me to settings that I have now enough maturity and experience to understand. It made me understand more about others, their motives and how it affects the world and grow from it. Higurashi really is a masterpiece. I just wish people understood how great it really is as you and I do
I've never fully watched this series, and in fact, I fell down a rabbit hole of unrelated material to find this video. I just want to say that I appreciate the level of introspection that this script took; your writing and the narrative thread throughout was woven well into how you went about communicating the importance of Higurashi not only in relation to yourself but to empathy in general. I came away with moments of intense understanding that I don't find often, even in content I really enjoy.
Sorry that this is mostly a praise of your writing! Character studies have always been something I fixate on, and I've watched all of your Higurashi videos now because of that aspect of them and your deep insight. I strive to make my comics reach levels of work like what's present here. All of this has been inspiring, so thank you. And good work!
Thank you very much! I consider myself a writer first and foremost so this comment makes me very happy!
It’s a crime that you only have 3k subscribers. This video essay was so well done as well as your other videos. Before watching your videos I only watched the first season and always saw Higurashi as just a horror anime (with some awkward and funny animations). But after this, it really changed my view as a whole and make me want to rewatch and finish the series.
Wow, this video is amazing. I’m currently reading the vn after watching the anime, and this video helped me understand the deeper themes of higurashi, and the connections to life. You really deserve more subscribers and views. Amazing video!
I think the first 5 minutes spoke to me a lot. It’s almost as if I’ve wanted to say it after most of my life myself.
This is such a great video, it really helps me put into words why I love this series so much. I think a lot of people originally come into the show expecting only a thriller/horror series, but I feel like it's so much more than that, and you really helped explain those feelings
it's been such a blessing to find your Higurashi analyses. Thank you for sharing such a personal story. When They Cry is near and dear to my heart and I'm too surprised to still be talking about it a decade later. Watching your video while Gou is airing is making me really question the aims of the show. I guess these last few episodes will tell us.
Omg I’m crying, thank you for this video ❤️
same 😭
Honestly I'm going through some real shit right now, and your essay made me both realize a number of things and give me a burning desire to rewatch Higurashi or find a way to enjoy the sound novel.
Gosh, what an absolutely incredible video essay. I'd always been a fan of higurashi and umineko through their anime and manga, but until I was able to finally enjoy the original VN source material was I able to fully understand what a powerful, amazing writer Ryukishi really is. Everything he does--even outside the When They Cry series--is full of such nuanced meaning and lessons every human being should learn. It's a shame not everyone can enjoy his works due to the violence and triggering content they contain, I wouldn't dream of shaming anyone for that. But at the same time I think the messages wouldn't hit the same without them. I've sobbed my eyes out so many times with Ryukishi's work. They've changed me for the better as a person. It's crazy to think horror stories like these are really about friendship and love and its core, about the unbreakable bonds between people. They're what made me love the psychological horror genre, even though my standards end up being pretty high when I'm constantly comparing things to the masterpiece that is higurashi (and umineko as an extention. but if i had to pick one, Higurashi has a slightly larger place in my heart)
As a creator I'm in awe of his ability to draw people in so completely into his worlds while maintaining such a cohesive story. But you've already put it all into words why Higurashi is so great. By now I've bindged watched all your video essays on the series, so I guess this is really a comment on all of them haha. I started off with your explanation of Shion and the yandare trope (which I didn't think people were even saying about her! but I'm thankful you set the record straight), and was so impressed I had to listen to all your higurashi-related thoughts. It's a relief to see someone who really *gets it*. And I hope your beginners guide video has convinced people to get into When They Cry. I myself still have yet to start his newest work, but it makes me SO happy to see Ryukishi finally big enough to be getting a simultaneous international release of his sound novels like he's always deserved.
Thank you again for all your hard work on these videos. Even if you're done voicing your thoughts on Higurashi you've earned yourself a sub!
Thank you. Your video made me realize a lot of things that I need to think about. When I get the time, I'm going to finish the rest of Higurashi on Steam. I've watched the anime over and over, but it's your video essay that really made me realize just how much it hits home. I cannot stress this enough how much I needed to hear all of what you said right now. I think this essay has pushed me in the right direction, which I hope will change my life for the better. Once again, thank you. Thank you.
I'm so glad the video was helpful and I wish you all the best in life!
Brilliantly written. I always thought why is that Higurashi is the only horror series that I am able to enjoy again and again so much but you were able to put rpobanly also my hidden feelings onto words along with your experience. I wish you all the beatbin life and also I subscribed for more content
Great video. You have wonderful insight and great artistic sense. I'm amazed by how deeply you are able to engage with the material, it actually makes me tear up. It seems I've barely scratched the surface of what it was trying to say. I just got into the series in the past few weeks and have been utterly blown away by the sound novels. I can't believe how much I love the characters, it's like they're real. You only come across things like this a handful of times in a life. The part about friendship makes me sad though. I haven't been a very good friend most of my life, which depresses me. I hurt and disappointed others and let people down without meaning to. But that's my sin, I've realized it. I think this series can inspire me to change.
Now this is what it's all about, the way fiction can influence people in a positive way. I love higurashi, and I really like your story.
To me onikakushi also is commentary on how we treat mental illness as some sort of curse or flaw
Hey, just wanted to say great video. It's always nice to find someone else that loves Higurashi as much as I do.
The video caused one of those moments for me when I really reflect on how I communicate with others.
Hopefully I can make a significant change this time, instead of just using "defense curl" lol
I wouldn't describe the story of struggles of children with friendship and their emotions, because as you admitted yourself, these are things young adults and even people beyond youth struggle with as well.
Young people in my opinion are only best to illistrate these things, as they struggle with these things in more obvious ways.
I've been holding off on watching this video for a rainy day and I'm glad you delivered! The writing and personal anecdotes were great as always, but I was really impressed at the editing this time around! I'm sure it wasn't easy to find the corresponding footage or text from all the different Higurashi adaptions but you pulled it all off wonderfully! It's an extremely well made video and it was clear that you put a lot of love into it. Keep up the amazing work :)
I really needed this video now. Thank you.
You brought me to tears ❤ but not in a wrong sense. Your videos on Higurashi are very passionate and so well done in every detail. I love the fact that you told us your own story to also share, get more into the masterpiece of this franchise.
Personally i see myself in you a lot. I guess it's good to be able to symphatize with someone or a fictional character but i don't really know why. Anyway thank you for making it 😇
This is so well put together :,) I love higurashi too. I wish more people talked about it like how you do !
just finished the first season of anime and was craving a good analysis of the series to corroborate my own reflections on the series. thank you for this in-depth video essay, it really helps with using this story as a proper learning tool for story structure and character depth!
I’m currently in that point where I’m in love with anime as you were when you first started watching Higurashi. Higurashi was actually one of the first anime I ever watched (so the references to tropes went over my head). I like anime because i use it to explore parts of me and the broader human psyche (basically the opposite of escapism). Higurashi is also my first VN.
Also, I’m super jealous of those figures!!!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, with the viewers. Higurashi also means a lot to me and seeing it through someone else's eyes allowed me to loo at it through other lense. It's not just a beautifully crafted story to entretain the people who read it, it's a piece to learn more about the human experience, about growing up, about making mistakes and owning up to them, and that's one of the resons why I love it so much
I wanted to say this video is so beautiful. So well written and vocalized. I remember for my second year college English class i wrote my final paper on Higurashi and saw the deep layer of friendship and individualism in Higurashi. How everyone in their own way was the main character. I hope you are well now and i send you well wishes 🙏
thank you so much for making your higurashi videos, OP, they're a part of my motivation for making my higurashi let's play. i think you've captured exactly what makes the game so special to people, why when people point out its flaws or compare it to more 'polished' pieces of work you may agree with them but still explain why it's one of your favorite pieces of media of all time. again, thank you.
I've been listening to your videos while drawing commissions but I ended up watching this one and I noticed the live action movie has Italian subtitles. I'd never have thought that there would be a translation for that, given that - to the best of my knowledge - the VN is only in English.
I find the reflection on empathy troubling just because it's something I often think I finally got nearer to and then end up being sorely disappointed in myself.
Best of luck with your masters degree!
Awesome video. I stumbled upon your channel and i have to say that your Higurashi content is amazing. You really seem to understand this masterpiece. Keep up the good work. By the way, at the beginnig of the video, what is the manga in the right down corner? The one where you can see Mion on the title. I haven' t seen that one anywhere. Perhaps are there any other mangas except from the first 8 arcs? And where did you get that awesome Higurashi merchandise? (Hope my english is correct)
Thank you so much! Your English is great! The Mion manga is a volume of Kataribanashi-hen--back in the 2000s, 07th got fans to send in their ideas for short stories and Ryukishi picked a bunch to write. They were released as this manga series illustrated by the official manga artists from the main series and some were made into drama CDs voiced by the official cast too! Unfortunately the manga was only ever released in Japanese (there are actually literally hundreds of Higurashi bonus manga like this that were only ever released in Japan). You might be able to find a few of the stories translated into English if you look around online! I'd love to do it myself one day if I ever get around to it.
Secondly, I got 90% of my stuff second hand from Yahoo! Auctions Japan via proxy sites like ZenMarket. I've also used surugaya and OtaMart--very little of this stuff is available in the West unfortunately and a lot of my items are very rare. You can sometimes find some figures on Ebay or Amazon but they are often overpriced to take advantage of people who don't want to go through the buying from Japan route. Basically, try browsing Yahoo! Auctions Japan via the ZenMarket website! I hope this helps!
Higurashi taught me first-hand, before Dostoyevsky or Sartre, the numbing absurdities of human existence. Through that, it influenced me very early on, and I will always be grateful to it for that.
I appreciate this video, and I appreciate your love for this series; may it live on as long, and even after, you or me.
Good god I love these video essays!
Glad I found this channel. It finally got me to start reading the VN after over a decade of sitting on the fence.
Reading the Umineko VN was on my backlog for the longest time, I watched the anime as it aired and although the anime was not so great, I was madly in love with the premise. I wanted more, but truth be told, I'm terrible at reading things, so I just kept putting it off and never got around to it, I would just think about it now and then as something I really gotta get around to doing, but it just never happened. Seeing someone else who has so much passion for this series made me finally think enough's enough. Obviously I couldn't read Umineki first before Higurashi, so I've started with that.
Despite being a terrible reader, a little over a week in and I've just finished the second arc, Watanagashi-hen. A part of me regrets watching the anime way back in 2006, because although I've forgotten a lot, I still remember fondly the broad strokes of the plot, and those old memories are coming back and filling in the blanks to the mystery. Reading the VN blind would have been such a wild ride, it's such an amazingly written mystery (although it is fun picking up on all the foreshadowing and red herrings), but despite that, I really love this story.
It has such a wonderful cast of characters. The VN really goes that extra mile establishing just how much these characters appreciate and love one another. When bad starts happening, the trigger seems to always be a moment where they lack the courage to trust and confide in one another at the crucial moment. When things start going south, you just end up feeling sad, because of how well established their friendship is. I can't remember if the anime was the same, or being older, maybe I just appreciate this sort of stuff more, but I'm really enjoying this side to Higurashi.
Higurashi will always be one of my favorite pieces of media I've ever consumed in my life very influential in the stuff I create and the way's I see horror in the medium but also in real life.
Thank you for the video essay on such a masterpiece of a series that I think in many ways is like the Evangelion of Horror and much more. Subscribed and I wish you all the best in life.
Beautiful tribute to an absolutely awe-inspiring series.
Wow this video is incredibly good. You’re awesome and honestly I relate to a lot of the things you talked about. I absolutely adore higurashi! Your channel is such a gem 🤯 I subscribed 💞
This video was incredible. Thank you for reminding me how special this series was. Now it's time for me to revisit Hinamizawa again before the new anime comes out.
Brilliant video! And an amazing series! Thank you 🙏🏻
this video was beautiful, all of your content is.
after almost 9 years i finally caught up looking into the VN, currently watching it by rose matters. it came now back to me at a very fragile time in my live again and even thou i'm sure i will never truly be able to understand the core messages or have meaningful live changes as some of you longtime fans proclaim through this series, i still hold it all deeply dear close to my heart.
i never saw a series that made me feel so strongly empathetic to as good as the whole cast and i wonder if there ever will be another show that can capture this again..as since today i have to let go of my long lasting only real connection to this world in my life, my 11 years old housecat, him having to die of cancer.. i don't know what live will have in store for me after this and i don't have bright hope at all.. but the last thing i can wish for is to take care of another pet some day again and to maybe build another strong connection once more, something i just can't have with people. i miss my baby boy so much already.. at the end, i feel more like a takano then anything else
I'm so sorry for your loss, I wish you all the best ❤
Congratulations, you made yet another incredible video!
I am glad that you finished your essay and that you expressed yourself through this video, and most of all, I am glad that you've managed to understand yourself through Higurashi.
Best of luck to you in your future experiences! Enjoy the master's degree courses!
I'm so happy to have come across your channel when it was recommended to me in my inbox. Your videos make me feel things that I find embarrassing such as 'relating to me'. Yeah, I'm not the biggest fan of emotions. XD I'll gladly follow your work and see how far you go. Nice work.
The way I was introduced was the worst I saw a happy go lucking swimming pool ova ep and thought" boy this sure is wholesome" to someone's head getting bashed in through the span of 30 minutes there was no going back afterwards
incredible. words feel insufficient, but knowing you, you'd have them
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
i watched it around the same age as you probably. i forgotten about it for a long time. on hot summer days when the crickets chirp it reminds me of the time i watched this series. i dont think i understood what it was about for a long time. probably also because of the language barrier. but it makes sense now. i think i always understood what it was about. since i feel like i have this understanding in my heart. if you are ever in germany. let me know
I'm glad that I found this video (and channel) back. I remember watching it a few years back while trying to understand and get into the "When They Cry" franchise because I was fascinated by it, as its new Anime Adaptation was coming out and this video helped me understand its appeal of it. I didn't stick for the "Spoilers" 😬 but you still managed to make me understand how much this franchise means to you even without that.
Besides, a quick look at your channel also helped make that point clear because there are 8 more videos covering this franchise. 😅 So thank you for all that! 🙌
P.S. - I am glad that Ryukishi07 is working on Silent Hill F next. Can't wait to see what he does with that franchise. 😁
I really love your videos I was wondering if you will ever do some Umineko analysis
I will!
@@_bess ohhh Wonderful I'm looking forward to them immensely 💖
I came across Higu anime first from a Legenda of Zelda parody of the opening of the 2006 anime. That being said the rabbit hole runs deep. Higurashi is a series that I don’t have a fav character. not that I don’t like any of the characters but selecting one fav over another feels wrong.
Thank you. Good luck!
Actually This Month that almost over I start to finish higurashi and really start to become one of my favorite anime! Mostly for the main characters, i really care about them when I watch them, i feel happy, sad or angry that really makes it feel real, how they grow and specially always stay together like for satoko or rika.
Im Glad I watched the anime, now im on the 2020 versión.
Good work! Enjoy this series as much as you. Own all the Manga and got my gf into it. She loves it too.
I don’t have any friends (and never did in the past) and do not have good relations with my family so the Hinamizawa club always seemed like my pretend friends. They’re more real than anyone I have met in my life anyway…
I consider Madoka Magica one of my favorite shows and Higurashi and Pmmm seem to have a lot in common in the friendship and connecting aspect. I'm deeply happy to have discovered Higu and can happily say it's right up there with Madoka Magica as my favorite show/VN.
I loved this video, it is so passionate, detailed and intime. Congratulations for your graduation! :D. By the way, what is your opinion on the console arcs, particularly Miotsukushi-hen?
Thank you! My opinions on the console arcs really vary from absolutely loving some to not liking others but are generally positive. I haven't read Ura yet but really liked Miotsukushi Omote!
I give your essay a B for Beautiful... Man... Higurashi... I count it as the very first anime I ever saw (well I saw it along Lucky Star) and I remember being so moved at the end, and even more in the final season Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei ;-;
I think the first time a child moves or changes schools, leaving behind its beloved friends, might be the first time in that child's life that it starts to slowly grow into the jadedness of an adult.
While I prefer Umineko, Higurashi is also one of the series closest to my heart. The way it uses its metaphysic (with timelines, resets, and the first sketches of the meta world) to explore its themes of friendship, trust, and scapegoating is incredibly clever, and for how long it is, it's remarkably coherent and focused. It made me nostalgic for a warmth I'd never had, showed me the nature of friendship in a way nothing else had or has, and gave me a banquet of food for thought. The fact that for anyone to win, no one could lose was such an important point. But there's something else vital that Higurashi does that you didn't touch on: Saikoroshi affirms that this depth of connection can only be achieved by making meaning out of suffering. Suffering is a formative opportunity so long as you have at least one person you can reach out to, and Hanyuu is always willing to reach out to people to get them started. Hanyuu is one of my all-time favorite characters, up there with Asuka Langley Sohryu and Milton's Satan, because she's the pillar upholding and connecting everything the series accomplishes. It's particularly impressive because Christianity is obscure in Japan, but the dynamic between Hanyuu and scapegoating is arguably what's at the heart of religion in general (rather than, say, parasitic delusions). And Higurashi went one step further, like you said: it went beyond self-sacrifice and allowed even Hanyuu to win and, presumably, lead a fulfilling life as a human rather. It's just so good. Thanks for making me cry again.
Trust me, this video certainly wasn't made to encapsulate all of Higurashi's themes and discussions, but the ones that personally impacted me most. I intend to address other points in your comment in the future on this channel!
Higurashi is really the most beautiful series for me that proves, if you put enough effort and never give up, if you believe what you do, even though it seems impossible... you'll eventually break the barries, overcome your problems and get the results of a happier life, And it also perfectly balanced the gore and horror between a tragedy, hope, and happiness, even comedy sometimes :) if anyone wanna watch it I always recommend even in my profile 😂
greath video and once again thanks for use my gameplays nwn, have you read the console arcs?
Thank you as always for uploading them! I have read them, I plan to make a guide to those when they're all out in English!
@@_bess i will be waiting nwn
Started the series by accident and never look back since. Higurashi is definetly one of the best animes of all time.
my friends were so obsessed in hs i didnt get it...i thought it was just gorey fanservice
but then me and a friend watched the og anime together and i regret not watching it earlier
Umineko is my ultimate VN, but nothing will haunt me more than Keiichis monologue to Rena...as...he murders her lmfao. Everyone has those feelings, well, not the murder part, but clinging on the trust and happiness of the person you came to like even though it drives you insane.
You know its actually insane to believe in someone who you think will hurt you. You know that, yet you cling to that peaceful friendship, silly crush, whatever you wanna call it. Then you are trying to fool yourself into thinking that you are not letting go. But you just did. Bruh Keiichi wtf. Kinda gives you chill.
I cried
Masterpiece series
+1 it is easily my fav as well!
So although I watched the anime of the Higurashi Koro Ni and Kai long ago (similar to you when I was in my pre teens) I haven't read the novels yet. So im going to skip the video for now, what I do need to know is what soundtrack is play at 0:39!
It's called Nearsightedness to Parallel -Taidou-!
so when is the higurashi 2020 review coming?
I only seen orginal season 1
It betrayed me i invested a lot of time
But ending explanation f*#kd me with time loop alien virus bullshit
But it had great potential
I was really invested in it
wait i just noticed the subtitles at 15:50 are in italian, sei ita?
Nah it was just the only version of the film that was compatible with my editing software :')
Are you going to talk about Gou or wait till its complete?
Hi! I won't be watching this video yet (haven't finished even the first chapter) but I'm still curious about whether or not you recommend the Steam translation, or the original first MangaGamer translation. (Is the work so good that the translation doesn't really make that much of a difference, or would you strongly recommend one over the other?)
Steam translation all the way! I've only ever used the original in videos when the arcs (or playthroughs) hadn't been released with the new translation yet. More importantly, with the Steam games, you can apply 07th Mod's patch incorporating full voice acting from Japanese console releases of the series which is the definitive way to experience it imo.
Will you do a video on the 2020 version when it’s complete?
So you seem like a Higurashi expert, can you explain to me what the hell was up with the two Keichiis in the chapter he kills Teppei? I'm still puzzled by it
Most likely Mion told everyone to create an Alibi for Keiichi since she knew what he did that night as shown with the phone call that same day where she thought Keiichi acted just like Satoshi who killed his Aunt. There was never a second Keiichi he just didn’t put two and two together that everyone was helping him
I mean, wow, I've known higurashi since the anime was first airing, back when what I really wanted from the anime at that time was to see gore and blood, but damn, girl, let's see, I always knew that the VN was great, but shamefully I didnt read it becasue of stupid things like the art not being good (i mean, I was a kid and those mid-2000 look has not aged well at all) but to think there is somewhat like you that breathes an anime (more like the story ) so hard you made it your life choice, im honestly impresed, im going to read the VN, no more doubts, I mean, I always enjoyed the anime a lot anyways, even tou at face value I always loved umineko more, at the same time I always knew that I wouldnt love umineko nearly as much if i didnt spent so many years loven higurashi, 2 sides of the same coin as you said in some other comment, I live in mexico so we will probably never see each other, but if a time comes that I culd meet someonelike you, I would like to ask a handshake, for you made me, through higurashi, the series that was only in my mind as blood and gore, re evaluate my life (and i was one of those kids that needed anime as an escapism in my youth, even went to the psycologist so your essay, your video, really hits home) thanks.
Hotarubi is a sequel and the girl at the end becomes similar to f featherine
Hey sorry guys if this sounds like spam but do you know if Bess has or knows some kind of social media for Higurashi fans.
I'm trying to find a place to interact with people part of the fandom but I don't get to find them.
Thanks a lot to anybody that can help me out with this.
Just curious, do you have any opinion on Higu-New (Higurashi When they Cry: New)?