Probably the console arcs to be honest, I would like to see what would happen if K1 just believed in his friends blindly instead of becoming paranoid. There are so much extra stuff from higurashi that I realize how much I don't know about it. The amount of extra content makes the Fate series pale in comparison.
Kotohogushi, I LOVED reading the notes and theories about the history of Hinamizawa from Takano's notes. I also wanted just a bit more from the ending from Hanyuu so sooner or later I'll get someone's idea of it.
I've never been all that excited for the console arcs, especially ones that don't even feature the original cast in any way. I've heard good things about Miotsukushi-hen though, which sounds promising.
Well, I think he once said that Rena is the character that comes closest to whoever he is or something. So she basically represents him into the story, that's probably how she guessed everything that had happened back in Watanagashi 😜
I think the biggest thing that redeemed higurashi gou was that it explored the only real thing higurashi needed a sequel for: What happens to the bonds of friendship when change is inevitable? How does friendship change when people have different goals in life? While I believe the pacing and execution (in every place except Satokowashi-hen) was just...awful, it was worth it to explore Satoko as a character, and what she's capable of when she's violently thrust away from her social safety net. As someone who's always had a hard time adjusting to change, seeing Satoko's arc near the end hit me really hard. I think the series could have been a lot better if it would have put more focus on Satoko's inability to deal with change instead of wasting so much time poorly rehashing the first 3 arcs. My only major complaint is that Satoko gets to experience the same things Rika did and mentally ages just as much as Rika did, yet Satoko stays almost completely the same person as she was before viewing all that, only now she doesn't care as much what happens to the people around her.
I do have some issues with Gou's execution (specifically in Satokowashi) but on the whole I thought it was well done and it seems like we'll be getting answer arcs in Sotsu that will shed light on the purpose of the first three arcs. I see them as completely separate from the original and they introduced many elements that can now be resolved in Sotsu a la the original question arcs and Kai (eg. what do the red eyes mean? Or the grainy filter over certain scenes?). I did really enjoy Watadamashi personally, for example, as an original story and insight into Mion's character, as well as a really compelling and well-thought out piece of mystery writing that rewards knowledge of the original.
Apparently, my favourite When They Cry content creator is back with another video! And it's about the subject that I am interested in most! I was willing to play these Bonus Arcs after my midterm exams and this will help me throughly! Thank you Bess Sonozaki! ^^
I love to hear your voice overflowing with an inexpressible love for higurashi. what a wonderful new video, thanks a lot for this channel; you inspire me to express what higurashi means for me in some way, someday! anyway, my fav arcs till now are yakusamashi, saikoroshi and yumeutsushi, but i cant wait to experiment as many new arcs as i can.
As a fan who’s really only watched the anime arcs, This gives me a better scope of things I should dive deeper into, It’s as I’ve only one side of this 16 sided cube that has loops and all kinds of twist, Thank you Bess I needed this
I just finished Matsuribayashi today and was craving more Higurashi content. To be honest, part of the reason I was interested was your analysis on Shion and how she's a powerful character. I suppose it's poetic that I return to another video by you now, a few months later, now that I've finished the main 8 arcs... Thank you for these videos and thank you for sharing the joy, lessons, and comfort Higurashi has brought you with me and with thousands of others.
I have never heard someone speak as passionately or eloquently about something they love as you do when you talk about Higurashi. I'm already a big fan, but whenever i hear you talk about it, it just makes me love the series even more.
Ahhh I’ve been waiting for your next post and am very much thankful for the guide~~ I really appreciate the amount of effort you put in them (this one was a pretty long one too). Thank you also for the mention in the Higurashi Radio part! I’m still currently in my hiatus as of now but as soon as my school year ends in around 3-4 weeks, I’ll definitely be back to deliver some more translations~~
Amen! If it wasn't for the first episode, Kira would just be an inoffensive addition to the show with some really nice little character moments and an amazing conclusion to the main story. That first episode is just a blight on the entire franchise
@@Drbeckerproductions Yeah, the first episode and that opening song SUPER turned me off of Kira. Didn't help that I was mad at Umineko at the time (at least, I think it was around the same time.) Anyways, I never watched beyond episode 1 of Kira cause I figured it would all be like that. Might give Kira another shot after this video though. ....I'm super gonna skip episode 1 and the opening song tho.
@@lovelysan you will love the episode 4 of Kira and it actually has a connection at the end of Kai since human Hanyuu was there with the cast... No HS and literally like the life of Rika after the 100 year loop...
I had been looking for a concise appraisal of the extra arcs everywhere (especially Saikoroshi-hen), and here you come and provide a video that answers all my questions and more. Thanks a lot!
Yumeutsushi-hen made me cry so hard, i keep rewatching when young rika talks about how much she loved hanyuu, the episode was already melting my heart because of how cute she was but what broke me was how she was so different from the present time rika. When she gets back to her time, the very thing she do is to call hanyuu, and during all the time when she's in 1983, she still talks about how hanyuu must be worried and that she needed to come back to her time, it simply was the contrary of what we seem rika do with hanyuu in an awful lot of times. The 100 old rika had been throught a lot of pain, and no doubt she did indeed love hanyuu but she didnt show it that often, the younger rika on the other hand not only speaked how much she loved her, but also did it in the ost innocent and rika way ."Because i love, love, love Hanyuu a lot". This may be my favorite Higurashi eposide of all, its so simple and yet it has everything i loved in Higurashi, the love between these charactersand how they always made their best to help each other
The anime will always be one of the greatest things I've ever witnessed, literally gave me so much that I'm still so thankful for. Really glad Sotsu is coming out, I really loved Gou despite how painful it was to witness all the darkness again, but Higurashi is not Higurashi without the suffering of it's main cast and how they need to overcome the worst aspects of themselves in order to finally move on.
Your commentary for higurashi gou was so powerful, I watched it again and again. I so agree and it's kind of sad as the same time that I do. Life is hard and we role the dice every time, hoping we will always have a 6, while we alrealy know it's impossible.
Sorry if my writing seems a bit strange, I'm talk spanish, and I didn't speak English very well, but I hope you at least understand me XD Wow, I just adore your videos, you are someone who really loves this franchise, and it is appreciated. I'm surprised by the number of arcs of Higurashi, especially those that went unnoticed, as in the case of Niesagashi hen, it has a story that seems very interesting, I feel sad that there is no translation :( I would like to you to make a video talking about Higurashi games, as there are many unknown games, such as phone games, pachinko, etc. I thank you again for your dedication, you are someone who knows very well what you are talking about owo
Gou Spoilers~ Felt the exact same way about Gou. Episode 16 is the crux of Rika's change of viewpoint from resenting her hometown to accepting it. After watching the series, I realized it's where Satoko believes she's finally won Rika over. For the rest of episode Rika is slightly hopeful, courageous, until Rika figures out that Satoko is the looper through Hanyuu leaving her the sword. I wouldn't be surprised if the red circle eyed Rika in the first arc of Gou is actually from after ep 16's arc. Rika in the next season, Soutsu, is going to have to respond to the knowledge of Satoko-as-looper. Which means in story terms, she'll probably lose it. Most fans probably take Gou as an origin story for Rika -> Bern and Satoko -> LambdaDelta. I figure this will be a subverted expectation in Soutsu. Since Higurashi as a story is about cleansing the pains of the suffering and choosing to live on into the future with the burden of the past, the next part of the story could easily be: 1)the 'logic game' where LambdaDelta lost to Bern 2)Rika winning a victory against Satoko using the power of 'miracles' The problem I see with the looper sword is that it forces Rika into a 'kill Satoko' choice, which, given this is Higurashi, Rika cannot do. However, I think it's likely that we'll see Rika getting fed up again before finally finding the hope to overcome Satoko. Gou told Satoko's story, now Soutsu has to tell Rika's story. P.S- I realized yesterday that classes I had in high school for Learning Disabilities were called 'LambdaDelta' classes. It struck me as really weird that Satoko's witch would have a name referencing that. I wondered if it was possible Ryu07 named LamdaDelta that because he came up with Satoko's future self way-back-when and is only getting around to telling the audience now! Likely not.
Saikoroshi acts as Bern's origin story and Rika's character piece imo and based on what Ryukishi has said, Gou is more for exploring the characters like Satoko that he didn't feel got enough focus in the original so I'm honestly not sure how much Sotsu will focus on Rika narratively speaking, though she will obviously have to play a central role plot-wise
after rereading Umineko, there is a part where Featherine and Lambdadelta are fighting and she explain her writing style and she explains that she writes everything backwards - ending first- so that foreshadowing is easier ~ so I think Ryukishi writes the same way, and that was his way of telling us
I think Rika will use it, she killed her mom, even if it was a "dream." I don't think we should assume this is the same Lambda and Bern game as mentioned in Umineko. I think that is the game where Takano is Lambda's piece. I think that would be a plot hole even with "witch magic" unless it's that one theory where everything loops to the original Onikakushi. I do think Satoko is probably Lambda though, it's being thrown so much in our face though that I am questioning it. I haven't played Ciconia yet but there are references to them being the same there too. Maybe Ciconia spoilers but I hear the story is about VR. I've seen the term Lambda in computer code. I think I might see where Ryuu is going with the entire wtc universe and it might be big.
+@@_bess+ Well after finishing all of GOU and SOTSU (which is inexplicably only 15 episodes) I observe the following. SOTSU is up until episode 13 basically the GOU answer arc with some interesting nuggets mixed in here and there along with some inexplicable censorship that wasn't present for the exact same scenes in GOU. Mion sadly didn't get the opportunity to shine and fight back in a meaningful way as I would have dearly loved a roving gun battle between her and Satako with insults being hurled both ways between reloads, ending in both of them simultaneously killing each other. The big surprise was in Episode 10 where Satoko rebelled against LambaDelta to prevent her Uncle's murder and got Killed in the process while Featherine watched. The interactions between Featherine (I'm not calling her Eua) and Hanyuu were fascinating but still left me craving for more, other than "Failure" being slung around a bunch along with the confirmation; that they may be connected but definitely aren't the same. It wasn't until 14 that the "WAR" between Rika and what was presumably LambaDelta began and it seemed there was a bit more of Satoko stil left in what I guess could be called SatokoDelta than I expected but I was disappointed again at the "I hate Studying" mantra just being slung around by Satoko; a little mention of the punishment class with the endless studying torture sessions and oh the literal Solitary Confinement Cell would probably have been a poignant point. Then after finally winning; Rika doesn't even think to ask how and why Satoko has powers to begin with and who gave it to her So she doesn't even hear about the Existence of Featherine, let alone meet her True Tormenter which I really wanted to see. Then there was the fight between Featherine and Hanyuu but it was only about 5 minutes long, it had an Umineko air to it along with thematically appropriate music yet Featherine felt like she almost intentionally. Yet I get a sinking feeling that Featherine Augustus Aurora will be back, while LambaDelta may have moved on from Satoko (or what's left of her), Rika and Bernkastel are still very much intrinsically linked and now she had left what was her best friend behind, the fabled Umineko Reboot seems far off now.
It's been a while since I watched it. Was the outbreak some mystery virus? Or was it a scenario in which the parasite spreads and everyone is going level 5?
@@Akaritomi l remember the villagers going after Satako that's mostly it tho lol, it's been a while for me too, just checked, yea, it seems to be the mysteryious virus
@@blankuchan4394 that's mostly cause the villagers (who already hated Satoko's family) thought sacrificing her to their god would save them. After they escape to a nearby city we see the place has already been mostly destroyed so it's probably driving everyone crazy.
@jonfitzpatrick9942 This is just a covering arcs, and some of their adaptations in the series. What Faygo is mentioning is a video reviewing, debunking, or discussing a Higurashi Iceberg meme. Hm. Kinda curious to see if there are any. Edit: *Clarified something, because for a moment my tired ass couldn't remember which of Bess' vids I had clicked.
At the end of the video, I had a tear. Actually, I don't know where to start. Higurashi was one of my first anime, although I only watched the first season for some reason but it was enough for me to like the series. After more than half a year, I decided to watch the next season, but before that, I bought the first manga volume to remind myself a bit and compare (it was my first manga). After watching the second season, I liked the series even more. I watched all the ova / specials and was looking for more information about Higurashi. After that, however, I left the series until Gou was announced. I probably said, "Maybe it's a remake but the Higurashi can never be too much". After watching Gou (we already knew it was not a remake) I got "energy" again, but with this, I tried to delve deeper into the subject. I was checking out more stories, I was thinking about the Visual Novel, I had already gone from the "Higurashi" path to the "no naku koro ni" path. And now I'm here after an hour of watching movies like the one after finishing Umineko Episode 5. I saw how extensive this series is and what it's like to be a fan for years. I hope that I will be able to get into this series as much as I can before its end because the feeling is different when we start the finished story and different when we reach the end of the journey with the story. I have never written any extensive comments but now it kind of got me. Maybe I got too emotional
If I should ever get an unrestricted magical wish I would wish for Batsukoishi-hen to be erased from existence. Such a blight on otherwise one of the best pieces of fiction over created
I actually prefer Miotsukushi. Because... well yes, it sucked Takano's backstory is glossed over, but Miotsukushi keeps it's focus on the characters I've spent the journey with. And it feels like they achieve a more valuable victory by resolving the issues of the story, and don't have an overly "friendship wins!" saccharine ending like Matsuribayashi. I feel Miotsu has WAY better focus compared to Matsu, where some of my favorite characters get very little to do or... well, resolve anything about themselves.
Another Yakusamashi-hen appreciator! I don't even inherently mind the absolute lunacy of something like Batsukoishi-hen, but what I *will* criticize is practically ensuring Kira would be forever tainted with the awful reputation that it's nothing but a hardcore fanservice romp, when the 3 episodes that follow are anything but. I just don't understand the logic that went into that decision. I'm glad to hear you have a positive opinion on Gou. I thought Satokowashi-hen was genuinely pretty fascinating, and I'm even one of those weirdos who were pretty thoroughly compelled even by the Damashi arcs as well (I know a lot of people seem to just dismiss them as just rushed, prettier versions of the original arcs with a last minute twist, but that doesn't seem to hold water for me when the entire point of them is that they're meant to look like the originals on the surface when they're actually not at all, with clues scattered throughout to hint to you about that. Believing that they're the same up until the very end is part of the "Deception", and the Sotsu PVs strongly imply there was even more going on than we thought.)
100% agree about the -damashi arcs. I've also given some thoughts in another comment but one of the things I'm most excited for in Sotsu is seeing the unravelling of the mysteries those arcs presented, and how everything will come together. Satokowashi is the scene-setting and then those arcs are the actual story we're following here chronology-wise, so it's strange to see them dismissed as some kind of side course rather than literally the main plot. They were the part of Gou I was more impressed with personally on an execution level, even though Satokowashi was the emotional core I addressed in the video.
Oh wow, Higurashi has so much material! I remember back in a day I would read/watch anything I could get Higurashi-related (even live actions). I have fond memories of Higurashi Rei, Yoigoshi, and few others, which I don't remember. Also, I didn't know that a lot of extra material was adapted. I still have vivid memories of Yakusmashi and how disturbing it was. One regret - I shouldn't have watched Higurashi Kira when I was 12, it was weird seeing Satoko and Rika being sexualized (2 characters which I adored) and being craved by older men. Even if later episodes were... alright, and wholesome (smol Rika). Now that I'm older, it baffles me how the author used his underage characters (but I need to remind myself that it was a norm in anime and still is...) to please otaku. Thank you for having a wonderful guide to bonus material ♥ Perfect for re-visiting Higurashi after 10 years haha;
I’m now realising just how much content I never even knew about, let alone haven’t read or watched. Also, thank you for the introduction to 07th Mod! I’ve been wondering ever since I got the Steam versions of Hou why all of the gameplay I’ve seen elsewhere has voice acting and console sprites.
You summarized Gou perfectly. I'm not a huge fan of it myself, for the reasons you brought up. Matsuribayashi and the lessons the cast learn in it are too conclusive and the message too powerful to go on to write a sequel with more tragedy. Satoko mistrusting Rika just doesn't feel like something Matsuribayashi Satoko would do (that said, the arc you brought up that sheds more light on Rika/Satoko dynamic might help me, I'll check it out), I simply can't suspend my disbelief enough to get over it. I wouldn't say I didn't like it, I didn't hate watching it, but having any of these characters doubt and mistrust after the original story just wouldn't stop gnawing at me. The scene especially where Rika offers to help Satoko study, she gets scared by the other girls, rejects her offer and then blames her for it later, just felt so, so wrong. The only justification I can think of is that, much like real life, even if you learn an important lesson, humans are wont to repeat the same mistakes, and it isn't likely that you can learn a really important lesson one day, and then be set for life because to it. Life is about repeating mistakes, learning from them, and vowing to do better next time. In that way it's realistic, but maybe that's the issue I'm having. Matsuribayashi was brought about by Rika's 100 year journey to reach a world where the stars aligned, no one succumbed to doubt, and every single person cooperated to bring about a perfect result. There's an almost mythical(?) feel to it. Something like this could happen in real life, it's just that odds are low, but when people do come together and cooperate, the world is yours. It's something to apply to real life, but the sad truth is that reality seldom works out this way. Maybe it's the disconnect between the fantastical Matsuribayashi, which could only be brought about by a 100 year long journey, and every single person's cooperation, vs. the grounded Gou, who's characters repeat the same mistakes despite the lessons they've learned, which is why I'm having such a difficult time? I rambled a bit and strayed from what I was originally going to say, but I truly appreciate seeing another's apprehension towards Gou. After watching it myself, I was gobsmacked by the overwhelmingly positive reception towards it, despite what I thought was a very questionable sequel story.
I think Gou makes lots of sense in that I felt the original series established very clearly that these characters would continue to struggle with their trauma and have to work to be happy and to maintain their bonds. I have little issue with it on that front. But turning off my logical brain, as a fan who loves these characters, I do just want to see them happy. But then, as I say in the video, I have to admire Gou's awareness of that conflict. I have a positive opinion of Gou even though I struggled with it at points, and I'm hopeful I'll like Sotsu even more. As an aside, I've seen a lot of negativity towards it, so it's interesting to hear of our opposite experiences.
@@_bess Despite my general dislike, I'm still very curious about Sotsu and where this story is heading. Another grievance I had with Gou is the overwhelming focus on Satoko and Rika and none of the other club members, which I completely understand, but I'm eagerly anticipating their return in Sotsu (the album art with Rena/Rika holding hands against Satoko makes me hyped af). When you boil it down, I think it just comes down to me wanting the end of Matsuribayashi to remain as a moment captured in time, untouched and unspoiled, it's the most perfect conclusion to a story I've ever read, but that might just be selfish of me.
Just the video I needed ! It made me read Saikoroshi and damn I might even put it above some of the main arcs, I feel like some of the more negative aspects of Rika were not thoroughly examined in the main story, which made me kind of meh on Rika compared to the other main cast, but this story did a lot for her and really put her up there for me. I feel like just the fact that Gou will spoil lots of unsuspecting newcomers to Higurashi and that this was in large part avoidable makes it a bit off a dick move, but I am also pretty critical of authors in general returning to already finished stories many years later and adding onto it or workshopping it, since they have over time became a significantly different person and are also influenced by different people, plus you just need to leave a story rest at some point. (although this is a problem I have with many japanese franchises)
I'm really glad if this video will get more people to read Saikoroshi, it's worrying how many people don't even seem to know it exists considering I think it's just as important as the other arcs. I do think Ryukishi has a very genuine want to share his work with as many people as possible and he doesn't personally seem to put much weight on spoilers which I think is his call, but yeah, I obviously have the same reservations about Higurashi being continued. I am reassured to know how long he's been planning this continuation, at least.
Thanks for this. Ever since watching Gou, I've felt like getting back into the series. Currently re-reading Umineko. Back when I originally read the Higurashi visual novel (2014), the console arcs weren't yet translated. When looking into the dozens of bonus arcs and their branching paths available today, it all gets rather confusing really quick. With this video, now I know exactly what's available, what VN arcs I've already read in manga format, and what VN-exclusive arcs are worth checking out. I'm excited for Sotsu, I hope it delivers. I honestly didn't expect them to pump up yet another season so quick. And while we're at it, let's keep our hopes up for a (faithful) Umineko anime remake in the near future. :)
I know this might sound weird since I didn’t expect you to like the arc considering your other videos but I’m honestly glad that you don’t like Batsukoishi. The series would 100% be better off without it and its kinda gross sexualization of underage kids, and I know people who have refused to touch Higurashi because they got a bad impression from that arc and thought it was an eroge game. Really a shame on an otherwise great series.
I realised that while I talk about it on my other social media, I hadn't stated my views on this issue outright on my channel (though I also figured they would be obvious), so I was happy to take the opportunity to do so lol
I liked miotsukushi omote more than matusibayashi A little spoiler from sotsugou: Satoko lived one of the most weird experiences getting into that weird place , talking to EUA, going back yet the moment she hears rika at that part of the story , she forgets her fears and confusing running to hug rika right away. She truly was the most important and precious thing in her life.
I recently finished the visual novels and binged Gau. I'm not sure how I feel about the later... Spoilers, since I want to talk about it, but my friend who got me into the series hasn't watched it... ...I feel that they made Sotoko's decent into villainy is... painful. Like her actions feel cruel, to the point she almost comes off as an irredeemable monster. She's causing someone she claims to love pain, to shape them into someone they want to turn her into... ...but I desperately want to see her redeemed. Since the Satoko I grew to care about in the 100+ hours I spent with the VN isn't a bad person. And I don't think making someone irredeemable is really fitting for Higurashi. ...but I'm also not sure I'm comfortable with as far as she's going to gaslight and torture Rika having the possibility of forgiveness. Like, I feel what she does as far as abuse is... Bad. I suppose it's going to come down to how culpable she really is and how much influence Eua really has over her. Sorry for the long post.
It is certainly painful to see. I have very many thoughts about the execution of Satoko's arc in Gou both positive and negative, but as you say, Sotsu is likely to give us a lot more information to work with. Higurashi's whole thing is showing nobody is irredeemable (even if we, the viewer, can't bring ourselves to forgive them), so I'm curious to see how Satoko's arc is resolved.
9:35:Genuine question, is that arc even canon? Cuz if it isn't canon, I don't want it. The only thing I found about regarding it's canonicity from the When They Cry wiki is that I shouldn't ask about it's continuity problems.
8:50 Yeah he tries to have his cake and lewd it too, that's one of the few points i don't like about R07, the furniture's overly revealling design (and Une god from Outbreak) takes you out of the story by contrasting so much with somewhat serious scenes, i could pass it with Gaap or Zepar/FurFur, but Dlanor not so much
It's as faithful as it can be within the time constraints--the arcs naturally have to be condensed, but I think it's a brilliant adaptation all around. I talk about it at length in this video: ua-cam.com/video/ng2BRcDLB3E/v-deo.html
when you say that some arcs are bad, do you mean in general or in comparison with other higurashi arcs? Also, mei not be in english but we can always enjoy new official drawings of the cast
there is so much stuff to consume and I deadass just wanna consume it all but my lack of japanese hinders me by a large margin which kinda upsets me but GAH DAMN.
Glad you pointed out the weird, off-beat raunchiness in some of these. Even the 8 core arcs feature some questionable stuff, which is honestly the worst thing about them, but the SoL anime arcs are extreme. It's kind of gross, really.
Well I’m new to the series since I watched Gou and I tried to watch the first season while the new season aired assuming it was a remake until it diverged. I assumed it was a remake. I finished Gou first which takes away some of the mystery but then watching the old series now gives more context that was missing. It’s sad the first season isn’t as highly rated as kai is. I also watched outbreak which was interesting to see. I have come to understand that perhaps Hanyū isn’t that good of a character as she seems especially with her similarities to Featherine and how it seems like Rika was allowed to have a good end almost. And the more I watch the old series the more I appreciate the characters. Gou hasn’t delved into some of the dark character pasts but maybe Sotsu will do that. Also seeing Satoko in the second season season I’m starting and comparing her to the current Gou version is astonishing
Also as I’m somewhat aware of Umineko I would love Sotsu to show the birth of Lambda from Satoko. While Lambda may be different and is supposed to be from Miyo, i have heard also something of a logic error for Lambda and the theory that Lambda is from both Satoko and Miyo. Also Satoko has been looping for easily more than 100 years since she did loop 100 years just to see all of rika’s loops too. But I bet old fans seeing Rika go through Gou again must feel like Rika in Gou
I'm wondering, by the way, if you did, or plan to do, something about Umineko. I'm finishing Ep. 8 of Umineko right now, and I am also completely in love with that work -- certainly a worthy follower of Higurashi. What do you think about it and its general themes?
@@_bess I will be looking forward to it then. You are a very thoughtful person, and your opinions, even (or maybe especially) the few I disagree with, are always worth listening to, and very rewarding. You give so much of yourself in them, and all I can do is thank you again; this isn't really fair... I must say my feelings agree with yours concerning Sotsu: I am also a mixture of expectation and fear, also partially because I sometimes think it might be better to let the story alone, to not continue it, because of the danger of diluting it and lossening its focus. But what you say about stories and life rings true, and it also reminds me of something I heard in an Umineko playthrough recently: it is OK to trust Ryūkishi. He is just a human being and by no means perfect, but by now we all know he is good at what he does, and he always has a plan. Even the fanservice arcs that cause you a headache can be seen as just an admission that Ryūkishi also has, like all of us at some level, a pervert inside of him. I hope he will someday find the right way to treat the topic of sex in fiction. He's done so much so well, he might also do that. Who knows? For the time being, and for Sotsu, I'm choosing to trust Ryūkishi.
Yes, Ryukishi has made clear he has had Gou and Sotsu planned maybe even since the original, and certainly for many years. He's clearly thought this through. I would also recommend reading Ciconia--it's early days, but it seems like a story that will deal with the topics of relationships/sex even more maturely, without any of the offensive and unnecessary elements of prior WTC titles. It's very promising.
Currently reading through the console arcs and oh my God it's so time-consuming but I want to finish all Higurashi VN content before starting Umineko. Currently reading Yoigoshi and I'm already curious about Miotsukushi but it's soo long and there's THREE VERSIONS OF IT. Idk when I'm gonna read all of this 😭 I'm afraid I'll die before I start Umineko, or I'll get a job and won't have time for VNs anymore, but I just HAVE TO read it because everyone keeps saying it's the best story ever written and a must-read for basically everyone. But I also want to finish all of Higurashi content and idk Edit (04. 21. 2024): just came back to this video and I'm currently reading the original Miotsukushi PS2 version and I like it so far, the only arcs left are: Miotsukushi Ura which I heard is the same as Miotsukushi but with additional Advanced Story crew scenes so I guess it won't take me that much time, Miotsukushi Omote which is the same as Miotsukushi but with some minor changes and one big plot twist, I'll just skip through the entire thing and read only the changed content so it won't take me much time, Kotohogushi which is shorter than Miotsukushi and seems very interesting, Hajisarashi, Hinamizawa Teiryuujou, Outbreak, Kamikashimashi and Mehagashi which are very short. So I should finish Higurashi soon, even before summer vacation! And I'll have the entire vacation for reading Umineko, I can't wait omg
Higurashi is already my favorite story of all time, and I\ve only read the original 8 chapters and watched the anime. I have no idea how I'm supposed to get my hands on all these extra arcs, do I just torrent them or what?
Interesting video but I'm probably going to start with Gou as my first bonus arc since I'm interested in how the author will string Higurashi, Umineko, and possibly Ciconia together especially since Bernkastel is definitely Rika.
Saikoroshi is the arc which links Higurashi and Umineko/Rika and Bernkastel and explains it in detail! It should be read/watched before Gou but after that I think Gou is the best next stop, I included it in this video because not everyone will know yet but it's not a bonus but a continuation of the main series
This post contains Umineko chiru spoilers. Umineko does have some extra "arcs" and some retcons in the manga. If you have only read the VN you should read Requiem's and Twilitght's manga adaptations, it includes stuff such as "confession of the golden witch" (which deals with some of the plot holes of the VN), it also explains what happened during episodes 1 to 6 and it does change episode 8 a lot (some people like it, some people don't, but it does give you some extra closure to some of the characters). Then there are some short stories that were adapted into a VN and were included in the Tsubasa, Saku and Hane discs. Tsubasa and Hane are more like a collection of TIPS than real arcs. Some of those mini arcs are kinda cool like the letters from the witches, but they were actually released between the original chapters, therefore some of the TIPS are not really that usefull if you have already read everything (for example, in Bernkastel's letter she tries to figure out umineko's 3 rules, but they are given to you in "Confession of the Golden Witch", that's because IIRC that TIP was released after the 3rd episode). Saku on the other hand does have "Our confession" and "Last Note of the Golden Witch" which are actually kinda cool. "Last Note of the Golden Witch" does have some really cool scenes and IMO is a great closure for a huge red herring that R07 used during Umineko and that deserved something better. And finally there's a manga "Umineko no Naku Koro ni Murasaki: Forgery of the Purple Logic" that is similar to Bern's game during episode 8. If you are really really really into Umineko you could also read the introduction to the manga "Hotarubi no Tomoru Koro ni" which features Lambda and Bern (The manga itself is kinda rushed tho). And Higanbana's "The Princess' Lie" chapter does really really feel like a commentary on Umineko. So yeah, there's some stuff.
@@yanbern2069 I've only read the manga coincidentally enough for umineko, I didn't know that there are that many differences from the VN and manga other than the mysteries being a bit more obvious than the VN, well looks like I got some reading to do, Thanks for the comment.
@@sebastianswan7975 The original episode 8 had some backlash (many people missed the point, some parts were actually rushed) so R07 ended rewriting some scenes. You are welcome!
First the original nine arcs of Higurashi which are all on Steam under the title of Higurashi Hou, then you have the options of these bonus arcs or going onto Umineko and then Ciconia, the next two entries in the When They Cry series. You can literally go through these bonus arcs in any order you like save for the Advanced Story which is why I put it all together. Not very helpful I know but I made this so people could decide which ones they wanted to read, if you do want to read/watch etc. absolutely all of them then I'd recommend just going in release order which they're listed in in the video!
Maybe after Sotsu, not sure yet! I do talk about Gou in this video just in case you missed it :-) I have posted various mini Gou analyses on Twitter too!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who was put off with ryukishi’s approving of the child characters being put in very sexualized situations. The vn describing it was bad enough, but when I saw they actually ANIMATED some of those scenes…??????
I agree some of Higurashi Rei is a little ehhh with the underage characters in those situations. I always skip over suggesting those when recommending series. OG series, Kai then Gou if anime only.
Rei is actually important especially episode 2-4 they are canon, so people won't be confused and began to question like "why is Satoko acting like a villain and obsessing over Rika?"
It's really that bad? I've seen the anime versions of Meakashi-hen and Tatarigoroshi-hen (particularly the discovery of Rika's corpse which is some really graphic stuff) so I'd like to think I could stomach gore from this series and I've been thinking of reading Hinamizawa Bus Stop. But......it's really worse than Meakashi and Tatarigoroshi?
@@Takejiro24 In general despite the fact that I think it tried to lean into the violence, the original anime is less disturbing than other versions of the story, it generally changes/censors/cuts the most violent scenes whereas the manga doesn't and has much more detailed art. Bus Stop is a separate thing from the original series though with a different vibe and I would say the manga has a notable emphasis on gore not present in the original series -- the OG series had gory moments, but the Bus Stop manga puts gore at the forefront in a way that makes those scenes a different kind of stomach-churning. won't necessarily impact you more than the original but it was different enough to warrant a warning
@@_bess Thanks for reply. And I see where you're coming from: different context likely yields different impacts and results. If I ever decide to read Bus Stop, I'll keep what you told me in mind. Thanks for the advice again.
Honestly, I hate Gou, but in an unfair way - for what it's not. I looked forward to a faithful adaptation. And first three episodes were fantastic! Until it all fell apart. Then the trend of starting the same and ending arcs in a "new" way without any hints or punch of the original. First three arcs of Gou are horrible. The other problems is that some of my acquaintances started watching it due to my hyping before the release. Most dropped after the second arc and one continues, but refuses to touch the first adaptation. It pains me. I would've gladly taken the new stuff after faithful recreation of the original, or if they didn't advertise it as a newcomer friendly thing.
SAME! i told SO MANY people to wait for the new anime and that it'll be super great, and then i had to tell them to drop it and go watch the old anime or read the VN, but no one cared to listen to me at that point (except 1 or 2 of them). If they had just advertised it as a sequel from the start non of that would've happened and i would've watched it with no hopes of a faithful adaptation of the VN. (but ofc R07 had to troll us and ruin his chance of getting a good adaptation for his VN).
I'm only really disappointed in missing out on some of my favorite scenes being done better and no VN music. I think seeing their futures and the Umineko connections might make it worth it though.
Hello helloooo Bess Sonozaki I am really enjoying your videos a lot awesome videos as always hope you have a wonderful day can't wait for new videos go Bess Sonozaki go.🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯
I have no idea how you can likemyoigoshi when it has glaring issues: alot of aspects of the story dont work and ruin the greater whole of higurashi. Like “if rika can come back as a ghost here why doesnt she come back to find her killer inatead of just moving on” or “why dont ghosts posses people in others arcs to do anything” or “why dont the hinamizawans who apparently have a connection to death use their power to talk to the dead spirits of ouashiro samas curse to figure out how they are killed”. Also the whole sonozaki bell thing is kinda dumb, mifune is an awful villain and a katana that slices bullets in half sounds more like an scp. it works standalone but as a side story to higurashi it hoenstly breaks it.
It's not explained whether Rika is a ghost or an illusion but I presume if she is, Mion can communicate with her because they are both dead. I also presumed Mion and Shion's connection is special and the possession thing is unique to them. In general, the idea of Yoigoshi is that Hinamizawa is a village with one foot in the afterlife specifically since the gas disaster, not before, so there is no connection to the dead inherent to Hinamizawans. With that being said, there are "inconsistencies" in the main story too, such as Hanyuu not just following Tomitake in her spirit form and seeing who kills him (somebody else pointed this out to me). I don't pick up on or honestly particularly mind things like this personally, as is probably evident from my videos--I'm much more of a character and themes person than a plot details person. Still, I would strongly disagree that the bell thing is "dumb"--rigidly following outdated tradition is a key element of the Sonozaki family's portrayal throughout the story and one of the major conflicts. Like yes, it is nonsensical in modern times, but that's very much the point. That clash of old and new is central to Higurashi and a really compelling aspect of Hinamizawa as a setting. That's what then makes the portrayal in Yoigoshi of Hinamizawa as a ghost village even more compelling--it's literally a place trapped in the past, and we see these new characters from 2006 contend with that. I agree there's not much time to develop Mifune and that the sword requires suspension of disbelief. I hope that answers your questions, but we're obviously focusing on different things. As I say in the video, I think Yoigoshi is a really compelling and beautifully realised piece of writing, stunningly illustrated and acted, that carries really important messages about life and affords some really essential development to a character I love.
Which of these arcs are you most excited to experience? Any you're already a fan of (or not a fan of)? Did I miss anything? Let me know!
Probably the console arcs to be honest, I would like to see what would happen if K1 just believed in his friends blindly instead of becoming paranoid. There are so much extra stuff from higurashi that I realize how much I don't know about it. The amount of extra content makes the Fate series pale in comparison.
Kotohogushi, I LOVED reading the notes and theories about the history of Hinamizawa from Takano's notes. I also wanted just a bit more from the ending from Hanyuu so sooner or later I'll get someone's idea of it.
I've never been all that excited for the console arcs, especially ones that don't even feature the original cast in any way. I've heard good things about Miotsukushi-hen though, which sounds promising.
Kotohogushi and Yoigushi. Your praise of latter got me interested and I’m excited to fully learn Hanyuu’s backstory.
Hinamizawa Teiroyuu
A detailed yet concise overview of the bonus arcs just when I was about to go through them? How convenient!
I like how its concise yet 47 minutes long, higurashi is a real beast huh xD
Literally me rn
Am I the only one that always reads Ryukishi07 as RyukishiReiNa? This guy and his puns lmao
Hau, omochikaeri!
Oh no, you're not! Rena's presence looms large in my mind every time I see Ryūkishi's name. Hell, I even see her in Umineko!
Well, I think he once said that Rena is the character that comes closest to whoever he is or something. So she basically represents him into the story, that's probably how she guessed everything that had happened back in Watanagashi 😜
They really got to me! LOL
@@wilhelmdietz4023 I think he said Rena is the character that best encapsulates the spirit of Higurashi, not himself.
I think the biggest thing that redeemed higurashi gou was that it explored the only real thing higurashi needed a sequel for: What happens to the bonds of friendship when change is inevitable? How does friendship change when people have different goals in life? While I believe the pacing and execution (in every place except Satokowashi-hen) was just...awful, it was worth it to explore Satoko as a character, and what she's capable of when she's violently thrust away from her social safety net. As someone who's always had a hard time adjusting to change, seeing Satoko's arc near the end hit me really hard. I think the series could have been a lot better if it would have put more focus on Satoko's inability to deal with change instead of wasting so much time poorly rehashing the first 3 arcs. My only major complaint is that Satoko gets to experience the same things Rika did and mentally ages just as much as Rika did, yet Satoko stays almost completely the same person as she was before viewing all that, only now she doesn't care as much what happens to the people around her.
I do have some issues with Gou's execution (specifically in Satokowashi) but on the whole I thought it was well done and it seems like we'll be getting answer arcs in Sotsu that will shed light on the purpose of the first three arcs. I see them as completely separate from the original and they introduced many elements that can now be resolved in Sotsu a la the original question arcs and Kai (eg. what do the red eyes mean? Or the grainy filter over certain scenes?). I did really enjoy Watadamashi personally, for example, as an original story and insight into Mion's character, as well as a really compelling and well-thought out piece of mystery writing that rewards knowledge of the original.
@@_besswhat do you think of sotsu now
Oh my god nevermind you have a 6 hour post mortem.
It's not a real VN franchise until it gets pachinko machines and gacha games.
(snaps fingers)
Well Metal Gear Solid somehow had the pachinko games but that was probably because Konami is a shit company.
Don't jinx it please
I've always been confused about the bonus arcs so thanks for making this video
Apparently, my favourite When They Cry content creator is back with another video! And it's about the subject that I am interested in most! I was willing to play these Bonus Arcs after my midterm exams and this will help me throughly! Thank you Bess Sonozaki! ^^
As always an awesome video and also thank you so much for using my videos for everyone who wants to read these arcs
I am so glad you exist and make it easy for us to enjoy the bonus arcs!!!
@@sophiesonozaki5886 thank you so much I'll keep doing my best 👍
I love to hear your voice overflowing with an inexpressible love for higurashi. what a wonderful new video, thanks a lot for this channel;
you inspire me to express what higurashi means for me in some way, someday!
anyway, my fav arcs till now are yakusamashi, saikoroshi and yumeutsushi, but i cant wait to experiment as many new arcs as i can.
As a fan who’s really only watched the anime arcs, This gives me a better scope of things I should dive deeper into, It’s as I’ve only one side of this 16 sided cube that has loops and all kinds of twist, Thank you Bess I needed this
I have watched all your Higurashi videos and I have to say, I love how in depth they all are!
9:36 Keiichi accidently swallows Magatama that makes people fall in love with each other
Mion : "Kei-chan doesn't get to have children anymore"
The Queen has returned !
I just finished Matsuribayashi today and was craving more Higurashi content. To be honest, part of the reason I was interested was your analysis on Shion and how she's a powerful character. I suppose it's poetic that I return to another video by you now, a few months later, now that I've finished the main 8 arcs... Thank you for these videos and thank you for sharing the joy, lessons, and comfort Higurashi has brought you with me and with thousands of others.
Onisarashi is so underrated in my opinion. It’s always actually been in my top favorite manga and the art is awesome!
I have never heard someone speak as passionately or eloquently about something they love as you do when you talk about Higurashi. I'm already a big fan, but whenever i hear you talk about it, it just makes me love the series even more.
come for the future to say that Koto is already English translated and upload to my channel
Ahhh I’ve been waiting for your next post and am very much thankful for the guide~~ I really appreciate the amount of effort you put in them (this one was a pretty long one too). Thank you also for the mention in the Higurashi Radio part! I’m still currently in my hiatus as of now but as soon as my school year ends in around 3-4 weeks, I’ll definitely be back to deliver some more translations~~
Take your time, good luck with school!
Your final remarks were really touching. Thank you for making this video!
Kira has a great OP, this is indisputable
Amen! If it wasn't for the first episode, Kira would just be an inoffensive addition to the show with some really nice little character moments and an amazing conclusion to the main story.
That first episode is just a blight on the entire franchise
I gotta disagree, I found it extremely painful to listen to, and I really hate to be a buzzkill.
@@Drbeckerproductions Yeah, the first episode and that opening song SUPER turned me off of Kira. Didn't help that I was mad at Umineko at the time (at least, I think it was around the same time.)
Anyways, I never watched beyond episode 1 of Kira cause I figured it would all be like that. Might give Kira another shot after this video though.
....I'm super gonna skip episode 1 and the opening song tho.
@@lovelysan watch Kira though, it's not that bad except for episode 1 that is
@@lovelysan you will love the episode 4 of Kira and it actually has a connection at the end of Kai since human Hanyuu was there with the cast... No HS and literally like the life of Rika after the 100 year loop...
I had been looking for a concise appraisal of the extra arcs everywhere (especially Saikoroshi-hen), and here you come and provide a video that answers all my questions and more. Thanks a lot!
I have been DYING for another higu video from you-- thank you sm for this piece of rare treasure. 🥺
Absolutely wonderfully researched video, and you compiled everything beautifully! Looking forward to your future videos!
The content is great as usual, but I also just love listening to your voice. It's very soothing.
Your voice is so calming, I always turn to these videos when I need something engaging but intense, loud audio just feels grating.
I like your voice since it soothing and relaxing
Yumeutsushi-hen made me cry so hard, i keep rewatching when young rika talks about how much she loved hanyuu, the episode was already melting my heart because of how cute she was but what broke me was how she was so different from the present time rika. When she gets back to her time, the very thing she do is to call hanyuu, and during all the time when she's in 1983, she still talks about how hanyuu must be worried and that she needed to come back to her time, it simply was the contrary of what we seem rika do with hanyuu in an awful lot of times. The 100 old rika had been throught a lot of pain, and no doubt she did indeed love hanyuu but she didnt show it that often, the younger rika on the other hand not only speaked how much she loved her, but also did it in the ost innocent and rika way ."Because i love, love, love Hanyuu a lot". This may be my favorite Higurashi eposide of all, its so simple and yet it has everything i loved in Higurashi, the love between these charactersand how they always made their best to help each other
I wish I loved any piece of media as much as you love Higurashi. I'm envious.
The anime will always be one of the greatest things I've ever witnessed, literally gave me so much that I'm still so thankful for. Really glad Sotsu is coming out, I really loved Gou despite how painful it was to witness all the darkness again, but Higurashi is not Higurashi without the suffering of it's main cast and how they need to overcome the worst aspects of themselves in order to finally move on.
Dear lord, there are so many of these. Kudos for putting it all together so neatly.
Thank you, this really clears up what chronologically happens after Kai.
Your commentary for higurashi gou was so powerful, I watched it again and again. I so agree and it's kind of sad as the same time that I do. Life is hard and we role the dice every time, hoping we will always have a 6, while we alrealy know it's impossible.
Sorry if my writing seems a bit strange, I'm talk spanish, and I didn't speak English very well, but I hope you at least understand me XD
Wow, I just adore your videos, you are someone who really loves this franchise, and it is appreciated.
I'm surprised by the number of arcs of Higurashi, especially those that went unnoticed, as in the case of Niesagashi hen, it has a story that seems very interesting, I feel sad that there is no translation :(
I would like to you to make a video talking about Higurashi games, as there are many unknown games, such as phone games, pachinko, etc. I thank you again for your dedication, you are someone who knows very well what you are talking about owo
Bess back with another amazing video, LETS GOOOOOOOO
Gou Spoilers~
Felt the exact same way about Gou. Episode 16 is the crux of Rika's change of viewpoint from resenting her hometown to accepting it. After watching the series, I realized it's where Satoko believes she's finally won Rika over. For the rest of episode Rika is slightly hopeful, courageous, until Rika figures out that Satoko is the looper through Hanyuu leaving her the sword.
I wouldn't be surprised if the red circle eyed Rika in the first arc of Gou is actually from after ep 16's arc. Rika in the next season, Soutsu, is going to have to respond to the knowledge of Satoko-as-looper. Which means in story terms, she'll probably lose it.
Most fans probably take Gou as an origin story for Rika -> Bern and Satoko -> LambdaDelta. I figure this will be a subverted expectation in Soutsu. Since Higurashi as a story is about cleansing the pains of the suffering and choosing to live on into the future with the burden of the past, the next part of the story could easily be:
1)the 'logic game' where LambdaDelta lost to Bern
2)Rika winning a victory against Satoko using the power of 'miracles'
The problem I see with the looper sword is that it forces Rika into a 'kill Satoko' choice, which, given this is Higurashi, Rika cannot do. However, I think it's likely that we'll see Rika getting fed up again before finally finding the hope to overcome Satoko. Gou told Satoko's story, now Soutsu has to tell Rika's story.
P.S- I realized yesterday that classes I had in high school for Learning Disabilities were called 'LambdaDelta' classes. It struck me as really weird that Satoko's witch would have a name referencing that. I wondered if it was possible Ryu07 named LamdaDelta that because he came up with Satoko's future self way-back-when and is only getting around to telling the audience now! Likely not.
Saikoroshi acts as Bern's origin story and Rika's character piece imo and based on what Ryukishi has said, Gou is more for exploring the characters like Satoko that he didn't feel got enough focus in the original so I'm honestly not sure how much Sotsu will focus on Rika narratively speaking, though she will obviously have to play a central role plot-wise
after rereading Umineko, there is a part where Featherine and Lambdadelta are fighting and she explain her writing style and she explains that she writes everything backwards - ending first- so that foreshadowing is easier ~ so I think Ryukishi writes the same way, and that was his way of telling us
I think Rika will use it, she killed her mom, even if it was a "dream."
I don't think we should assume this is the same Lambda and Bern game as mentioned in Umineko. I think that is the game where Takano is Lambda's piece. I think that would be a plot hole even with "witch magic" unless it's that one theory where everything loops to the original Onikakushi.
I do think Satoko is probably Lambda though, it's being thrown so much in our face though that I am questioning it. I haven't played Ciconia yet but there are references to them being the same there too.
Maybe Ciconia spoilers but I hear the story is about VR. I've seen the term Lambda in computer code. I think I might see where Ryuu is going with the entire wtc universe and it might be big.
+@@_bess+ Well after finishing all of GOU and SOTSU (which is inexplicably only 15 episodes) I observe the following. SOTSU is up until episode 13 basically the GOU answer arc with some interesting nuggets mixed in here and there along with some inexplicable censorship that wasn't present for the exact same scenes in GOU. Mion sadly didn't get the opportunity to shine and fight back in a meaningful way as I would have dearly loved a roving gun battle between her and Satako with insults being hurled both ways between reloads, ending in both of them simultaneously killing each other. The big surprise was in Episode 10 where Satoko rebelled against LambaDelta to prevent her Uncle's murder and got Killed in the process while Featherine watched. The interactions between Featherine (I'm not calling her Eua) and Hanyuu were fascinating but still left me craving for more, other than "Failure" being slung around a bunch along with the confirmation; that they may be connected but definitely aren't the same. It wasn't until 14 that the "WAR" between Rika and what was presumably LambaDelta began and it seemed there was a bit more of Satoko stil left in what I guess could be called SatokoDelta than I expected but I was disappointed again at the "I hate Studying" mantra just being slung around by Satoko; a little mention of the punishment class with the endless studying torture sessions and oh the literal Solitary Confinement Cell would probably have been a poignant point. Then after finally winning; Rika doesn't even think to ask how and why Satoko has powers to begin with and who gave it to her So she doesn't even hear about the Existence of Featherine, let alone meet her True Tormenter which I really wanted to see. Then there was the fight between Featherine and Hanyuu but it was only about 5 minutes long, it had an Umineko air to it along with thematically appropriate music yet Featherine felt like she almost intentionally. Yet I get a sinking feeling that Featherine Augustus Aurora will be back, while LambaDelta may have moved on from Satoko (or what's left of her), Rika and Bernkastel are still very much intrinsically linked and now she had left what was her best friend behind, the fabled Umineko Reboot seems far off now.
I absolutely love Outbreak, the club really outdoes themselves and the end is really funny and chill, which is perfect for me
It's been a while since I watched it. Was the outbreak some mystery virus? Or was it a scenario in which the parasite spreads and everyone is going level 5?
@@Akaritomi l remember the villagers going after Satako that's mostly it tho lol, it's been a while for me too, just checked, yea, it seems to be the mysteryious virus
@@blankuchan4394 that's mostly cause the villagers (who already hated Satoko's family) thought sacrificing her to their god would save them. After they escape to a nearby city we see the place has already been mostly destroyed so it's probably driving everyone crazy.
You should do a Higurashi iceberg 👍🏻
Lmao. Isn't that what this video is?
@jonfitzpatrick9942 This is just a covering arcs, and some of their adaptations in the series.
What Faygo is mentioning is a video reviewing, debunking, or discussing a Higurashi Iceberg meme. Hm. Kinda curious to see if there are any.
Edit: *Clarified something, because for a moment my tired ass couldn't remember which of Bess' vids I had clicked.
At the end of the video, I had a tear. Actually, I don't know where to start. Higurashi was one of my first anime, although I only watched the first season for some reason but it was enough for me to like the series. After more than half a year, I decided to watch the next season, but before that, I bought the first manga volume to remind myself a bit and compare (it was my first manga). After watching the second season, I liked the series even more. I watched all the ova / specials and was looking for more information about Higurashi. After that, however, I left the series until Gou was announced. I probably said, "Maybe it's a remake but the Higurashi can never be too much". After watching Gou (we already knew it was not a remake) I got "energy" again, but with this, I tried to delve deeper into the subject. I was checking out more stories, I was thinking about the Visual Novel, I had already gone from the "Higurashi" path to the "no naku koro ni" path. And now I'm here after an hour of watching movies like the one after finishing Umineko Episode 5. I saw how extensive this series is and what it's like to be a fan for years. I hope that I will be able to get into this series as much as I can before its end because the feeling is different when we start the finished story and different when we reach the end of the journey with the story. I have never written any extensive comments but now it kind of got me. Maybe I got too emotional
If I should ever get an unrestricted magical wish I would wish for Batsukoishi-hen to be erased from existence. Such a blight on otherwise one of the best pieces of fiction over created
I actually prefer Miotsukushi.
Because... well yes, it sucked Takano's backstory is glossed over, but Miotsukushi keeps it's focus on the characters I've spent the journey with. And it feels like they achieve a more valuable victory by resolving the issues of the story, and don't have an overly "friendship wins!" saccharine ending like Matsuribayashi.
I feel Miotsu has WAY better focus compared to Matsu, where some of my favorite characters get very little to do or... well, resolve anything about themselves.
The goddess dropped Bess dropped more heat🔥🔥♥️♥️
Why did I only get notified about this now!!!
I've missed your videos ☺️
THERE'S SO MANY?!?!
And none of those Bonus Arcs made Keiichi x Rena canon?! Dammit!!!
Another Yakusamashi-hen appreciator!
I don't even inherently mind the absolute lunacy of something like Batsukoishi-hen, but what I *will* criticize is practically ensuring Kira would be forever tainted with the awful reputation that it's nothing but a hardcore fanservice romp, when the 3 episodes that follow are anything but. I just don't understand the logic that went into that decision.
I'm glad to hear you have a positive opinion on Gou. I thought Satokowashi-hen was genuinely pretty fascinating, and I'm even one of those weirdos who were pretty thoroughly compelled even by the Damashi arcs as well (I know a lot of people seem to just dismiss them as just rushed, prettier versions of the original arcs with a last minute twist, but that doesn't seem to hold water for me when the entire point of them is that they're meant to look like the originals on the surface when they're actually not at all, with clues scattered throughout to hint to you about that. Believing that they're the same up until the very end is part of the "Deception", and the Sotsu PVs strongly imply there was even more going on than we thought.)
100% agree about the -damashi arcs. I've also given some thoughts in another comment but one of the things I'm most excited for in Sotsu is seeing the unravelling of the mysteries those arcs presented, and how everything will come together. Satokowashi is the scene-setting and then those arcs are the actual story we're following here chronology-wise, so it's strange to see them dismissed as some kind of side course rather than literally the main plot. They were the part of Gou I was more impressed with personally on an execution level, even though Satokowashi was the emotional core I addressed in the video.
Neat, I've skipped out on epilogue, but I guess I'll check it out.
Oh wow, Higurashi has so much material! I remember back in a day I would read/watch anything I could get Higurashi-related (even live actions). I have fond memories of Higurashi Rei, Yoigoshi, and few others, which I don't remember. Also, I didn't know that a lot of extra material was adapted. I still have vivid memories of Yakusmashi and how disturbing it was.
One regret - I shouldn't have watched Higurashi Kira when I was 12, it was weird seeing Satoko and Rika being sexualized (2 characters which I adored) and being craved by older men. Even if later episodes were... alright, and wholesome (smol Rika). Now that I'm older, it baffles me how the author used his underage characters (but I need to remind myself that it was a norm in anime and still is...) to please otaku.
Thank you for having a wonderful guide to bonus material ♥ Perfect for re-visiting Higurashi after 10 years haha;
I’m now realising just how much content I never even knew about, let alone haven’t read or watched.
Also, thank you for the introduction to 07th Mod! I’ve been wondering ever since I got the Steam versions of Hou why all of the gameplay I’ve seen elsewhere has voice acting and console sprites.
You summarized Gou perfectly. I'm not a huge fan of it myself, for the reasons you brought up. Matsuribayashi and the lessons the cast learn in it are too conclusive and the message too powerful to go on to write a sequel with more tragedy. Satoko mistrusting Rika just doesn't feel like something Matsuribayashi Satoko would do (that said, the arc you brought up that sheds more light on Rika/Satoko dynamic might help me, I'll check it out), I simply can't suspend my disbelief enough to get over it. I wouldn't say I didn't like it, I didn't hate watching it, but having any of these characters doubt and mistrust after the original story just wouldn't stop gnawing at me. The scene especially where Rika offers to help Satoko study, she gets scared by the other girls, rejects her offer and then blames her for it later, just felt so, so wrong.
The only justification I can think of is that, much like real life, even if you learn an important lesson, humans are wont to repeat the same mistakes, and it isn't likely that you can learn a really important lesson one day, and then be set for life because to it. Life is about repeating mistakes, learning from them, and vowing to do better next time.
In that way it's realistic, but maybe that's the issue I'm having. Matsuribayashi was brought about by Rika's 100 year journey to reach a world where the stars aligned, no one succumbed to doubt, and every single person cooperated to bring about a perfect result. There's an almost mythical(?) feel to it. Something like this could happen in real life, it's just that odds are low, but when people do come together and cooperate, the world is yours. It's something to apply to real life, but the sad truth is that reality seldom works out this way. Maybe it's the disconnect between the fantastical Matsuribayashi, which could only be brought about by a 100 year long journey, and every single person's cooperation, vs. the grounded Gou, who's characters repeat the same mistakes despite the lessons they've learned, which is why I'm having such a difficult time?
I rambled a bit and strayed from what I was originally going to say, but I truly appreciate seeing another's apprehension
towards Gou. After watching it myself, I was gobsmacked by the overwhelmingly positive reception towards it, despite what I thought was a very questionable sequel story.
I think Gou makes lots of sense in that I felt the original series established very clearly that these characters would continue to struggle with their trauma and have to work to be happy and to maintain their bonds. I have little issue with it on that front. But turning off my logical brain, as a fan who loves these characters, I do just want to see them happy. But then, as I say in the video, I have to admire Gou's awareness of that conflict. I have a positive opinion of Gou even though I struggled with it at points, and I'm hopeful I'll like Sotsu even more. As an aside, I've seen a lot of negativity towards it, so it's interesting to hear of our opposite experiences.
@@_bess Despite my general dislike, I'm still very curious about Sotsu and where this story is heading. Another grievance I had with Gou is the overwhelming focus on Satoko and Rika and none of the other club members, which I completely understand, but I'm eagerly anticipating their return in Sotsu (the album art with Rena/Rika holding hands against Satoko makes me hyped af). When you boil it down, I think it just comes down to me wanting the end of Matsuribayashi to remain as a moment captured in time, untouched and unspoiled, it's the most perfect conclusion to a story I've ever read, but that might just be selfish of me.
Just the video I needed ! It made me read Saikoroshi and damn I might even put it above some of the main arcs, I feel like some of the more negative aspects of Rika were not thoroughly examined in the main story, which made me kind of meh on Rika compared to the other main cast, but this story did a lot for her and really put her up there for me.
I feel like just the fact that Gou will spoil lots of unsuspecting newcomers to Higurashi and that this was in large part avoidable makes it a bit off a dick move, but I am also pretty critical of authors in general returning to already finished stories many years later and adding onto it or workshopping it, since they have over time became a significantly different person and are also influenced by different people, plus you just need to leave a story rest at some point. (although this is a problem I have with many japanese franchises)
I'm really glad if this video will get more people to read Saikoroshi, it's worrying how many people don't even seem to know it exists considering I think it's just as important as the other arcs.
I do think Ryukishi has a very genuine want to share his work with as many people as possible and he doesn't personally seem to put much weight on spoilers which I think is his call, but yeah, I obviously have the same reservations about Higurashi being continued. I am reassured to know how long he's been planning this continuation, at least.
Thanks for this. Ever since watching Gou, I've felt like getting back into the series. Currently re-reading Umineko.
Back when I originally read the Higurashi visual novel (2014), the console arcs weren't yet translated. When looking into the dozens of bonus arcs and their branching paths available today, it all gets rather confusing really quick. With this video, now I know exactly what's available, what VN arcs I've already read in manga format, and what VN-exclusive arcs are worth checking out.
I'm excited for Sotsu, I hope it delivers. I honestly didn't expect them to pump up yet another season so quick.
And while we're at it, let's keep our hopes up for a (faithful) Umineko anime remake in the near future. :)
GREAT video!
Author a lot of thanks for you job in analysis When the cry.I am newcomer but already fall in love in this anime
I know this might sound weird since I didn’t expect you to like the arc considering your other videos but I’m honestly glad that you don’t like Batsukoishi. The series would 100% be better off without it and its kinda gross sexualization of underage kids, and I know people who have refused to touch Higurashi because they got a bad impression from that arc and thought it was an eroge game. Really a shame on an otherwise great series.
I realised that while I talk about it on my other social media, I hadn't stated my views on this issue outright on my channel (though I also figured they would be obvious), so I was happy to take the opportunity to do so lol
i didnt expect sm arcs
Your voice is so soothing
38:31 Sakutarou!!!
I liked miotsukushi omote more than matusibayashi
A little spoiler from sotsugou:
Satoko lived one of the most weird experiences getting into that weird place , talking to EUA, going back yet the moment she hears rika at that part of the story , she forgets her fears and confusing running to hug rika right away.
She truly was the most important and precious thing in her life.
Would love to hear your opinion about Sotsu~! Great videos!
Yeah... I think there's a bit too many side arcs yall....
Great video!
44:00 For me it was suprising that Rika abandoned Satoko in this school for some stupid random girls
I recently finished the visual novels and binged Gau.
I'm not sure how I feel about the later... Spoilers, since I want to talk about it, but my friend who got me into the series hasn't watched it...
...I feel that they made Sotoko's decent into villainy is... painful. Like her actions feel cruel, to the point she almost comes off as an irredeemable monster. She's causing someone she claims to love pain, to shape them into someone they want to turn her into...
...but I desperately want to see her redeemed. Since the Satoko I grew to care about in the 100+ hours I spent with the VN isn't a bad person. And I don't think making someone irredeemable is really fitting for Higurashi.
...but I'm also not sure I'm comfortable with as far as she's going to gaslight and torture Rika having the possibility of forgiveness. Like, I feel what she does as far as abuse is... Bad.
I suppose it's going to come down to how culpable she really is and how much influence Eua really has over her.
Sorry for the long post.
It is certainly painful to see. I have very many thoughts about the execution of Satoko's arc in Gou both positive and negative, but as you say, Sotsu is likely to give us a lot more information to work with. Higurashi's whole thing is showing nobody is irredeemable (even if we, the viewer, can't bring ourselves to forgive them), so I'm curious to see how Satoko's arc is resolved.
9:35:Genuine question, is that arc even canon?
Cuz if it isn't canon, I don't want it.
The only thing I found about regarding it's canonicity from the When They Cry wiki is that I shouldn't ask about it's continuity problems.
I was introduced through the anime and oh boy when they cry kira DISGUSTED me and I almost didn't look more into the series 😭😭😭
8:50 Yeah he tries to have his cake and lewd it too, that's one of the few points i don't like about R07, the furniture's overly revealling design (and Une god from Outbreak) takes you out of the story by contrasting so much with somewhat serious scenes, i could pass it with Gaap or Zepar/FurFur, but Dlanor not so much
Thank you
I kind of want to read the manga for the main story, is it faithful to the VN? Or does it change things
It's as faithful as it can be within the time constraints--the arcs naturally have to be condensed, but I think it's a brilliant adaptation all around. I talk about it at length in this video: ua-cam.com/video/ng2BRcDLB3E/v-deo.html
@@_bess Sounds good, Thank you so much!
commenting for engagement
This video is too deep!
And here I am after just finished Kira
when you say that some arcs are bad, do you mean in general or in comparison with other higurashi arcs? Also, mei not be in english but we can always enjoy new official drawings of the cast
I just judge them all on what they're trying to achieve individually, but I make comparisons to the original when I think that's helpful
there is so much stuff to consume and I deadass just wanna consume it all but my lack of japanese hinders me by a large margin which kinda upsets me but GAH DAMN.
Glad you pointed out the weird, off-beat raunchiness in some of these. Even the 8 core arcs feature some questionable stuff, which is honestly the worst thing about them, but the SoL anime arcs are extreme. It's kind of gross, really.
Where did you find info abt Kuradashi/ do you know places i can watch or read it?
You should probably wait till Sotsu, but if you can, make a video about Satoko's character sometime.
Oh Thank God I've been so confused
Is it wrong to have actually liked the Soul Brothers episode. I thought it was hilariously goofy. 😅
I am an absolute souls brothers fan!!! The episode was strange but the souls brothers are gods
You're not alone, I thought it was pretty absurd and the fan service was fun, Higurashi doesn't usually go so overboard.
i liked the vn version, but i reaaaally felt uncomfortable while watching the ova xd
love this videos
Well I’m new to the series since I watched Gou and I tried to watch the first season while the new season aired assuming it was a remake until it diverged. I assumed it was a remake. I finished Gou first which takes away some of the mystery but then watching the old series now gives more context that was missing. It’s sad the first season isn’t as highly rated as kai is. I also watched outbreak which was interesting to see. I have come to understand that perhaps Hanyū isn’t that good of a character as she seems especially with her similarities to Featherine and how it seems like Rika was allowed to have a good end almost. And the more I watch the old series the more I appreciate the characters. Gou hasn’t delved into some of the dark character pasts but maybe Sotsu will do that. Also seeing Satoko in the second season season I’m starting and comparing her to the current Gou version is astonishing
Also as I’m somewhat aware of Umineko I would love Sotsu to show the birth of Lambda from Satoko. While Lambda may be different and is supposed to be from Miyo, i have heard also something of a logic error for Lambda and the theory that Lambda is from both Satoko and Miyo. Also Satoko has been looping for easily more than 100 years since she did loop 100 years just to see all of rika’s loops too. But I bet old fans seeing Rika go through Gou again must feel like Rika in Gou
I'm wondering, by the way, if you did, or plan to do, something about Umineko. I'm finishing Ep. 8 of Umineko right now, and I am also completely in love with that work -- certainly a worthy follower of Higurashi. What do you think about it and its general themes?
I talk about it in my guide video for the whole series but I plan to make some videos on it in the future!
@@_bess I will be looking forward to it then. You are a very thoughtful person, and your opinions, even (or maybe especially) the few I disagree with, are always worth listening to, and very rewarding. You give so much of yourself in them, and all I can do is thank you again; this isn't really fair...
I must say my feelings agree with yours concerning Sotsu: I am also a mixture of expectation and fear, also partially because I sometimes think it might be better to let the story alone, to not continue it, because of the danger of diluting it and lossening its focus. But what you say about stories and life rings true, and it also reminds me of something I heard in an Umineko playthrough recently: it is OK to trust Ryūkishi. He is just a human being and by no means perfect, but by now we all know he is good at what he does, and he always has a plan. Even the fanservice arcs that cause you a headache can be seen as just an admission that Ryūkishi also has, like all of us at some level, a pervert inside of him. I hope he will someday find the right way to treat the topic of sex in fiction. He's done so much so well, he might also do that. Who knows? For the time being, and for Sotsu, I'm choosing to trust Ryūkishi.
Yes, Ryukishi has made clear he has had Gou and Sotsu planned maybe even since the original, and certainly for many years. He's clearly thought this through.
I would also recommend reading Ciconia--it's early days, but it seems like a story that will deal with the topics of relationships/sex even more maturely, without any of the offensive and unnecessary elements of prior WTC titles. It's very promising.
Currently reading through the console arcs and oh my God it's so time-consuming but I want to finish all Higurashi VN content before starting Umineko. Currently reading Yoigoshi and I'm already curious about Miotsukushi but it's soo long and there's THREE VERSIONS OF IT. Idk when I'm gonna read all of this 😭 I'm afraid I'll die before I start Umineko, or I'll get a job and won't have time for VNs anymore, but I just HAVE TO read it because everyone keeps saying it's the best story ever written and a must-read for basically everyone. But I also want to finish all of Higurashi content and idk
Edit (04. 21. 2024): just came back to this video and I'm currently reading the original Miotsukushi PS2 version and I like it so far, the only arcs left are: Miotsukushi Ura which I heard is the same as Miotsukushi but with additional Advanced Story crew scenes so I guess it won't take me that much time, Miotsukushi Omote which is the same as Miotsukushi but with some minor changes and one big plot twist, I'll just skip through the entire thing and read only the changed content so it won't take me much time, Kotohogushi which is shorter than Miotsukushi and seems very interesting, Hajisarashi, Hinamizawa Teiryuujou, Outbreak, Kamikashimashi and Mehagashi which are very short. So I should finish Higurashi soon, even before summer vacation! And I'll have the entire vacation for reading Umineko, I can't wait omg
I haven't been able to find the Hou exclusive arcs anywhere. Did you install the fan patch on top of an actual CD installation?
Check the description!
Avoided it cause of the spoilers. Guess I'll super skim it
Higurashi is already my favorite story of all time, and I\ve only read the original 8 chapters and watched the anime. I have no idea how I'm supposed to get my hands on all these extra arcs, do I just torrent them or what?
Very detailed and nice :) Its too bad that half the Higurashi bonus arcs are Japan only
read umineko
Interesting video but I'm probably going to start with Gou as my first bonus arc since I'm interested in how the author will string Higurashi, Umineko, and possibly Ciconia together especially since Bernkastel is definitely Rika.
Saikoroshi is the arc which links Higurashi and Umineko/Rika and Bernkastel and explains it in detail! It should be read/watched before Gou but after that I think Gou is the best next stop, I included it in this video because not everyone will know yet but it's not a bonus but a continuation of the main series
Does Umineko have any extra chapters?
It has a few yeah, I wouldn't be the person to ask about those though
This post contains Umineko chiru spoilers.
Umineko does have some extra "arcs" and some retcons in the manga.
If you have only read the VN you should read Requiem's and Twilitght's manga adaptations, it includes stuff such as "confession of the golden witch" (which deals with some of the plot holes of the VN), it also explains what happened during episodes 1 to 6 and it does change episode 8 a lot (some people like it, some people don't, but it does give you some extra closure to some of the characters).
Then there are some short stories that were adapted into a VN and were included in the Tsubasa, Saku and Hane discs. Tsubasa and Hane are more like a collection of TIPS than real arcs. Some of those mini arcs are kinda cool like the letters from the witches, but they were actually released between the original chapters, therefore some of the TIPS are not really that usefull if you have already read everything (for example, in Bernkastel's letter she tries to figure out umineko's 3 rules, but they are given to you in "Confession of the Golden Witch", that's because IIRC that TIP was released after the 3rd episode).
Saku on the other hand does have "Our confession" and "Last Note of the Golden Witch" which are actually kinda cool. "Last Note of the Golden Witch" does have some really cool scenes and IMO is a great closure for a huge red herring that R07 used during Umineko and that deserved something better.
And finally there's a manga "Umineko no Naku Koro ni Murasaki: Forgery of the Purple Logic" that is similar to Bern's game during episode 8.
If you are really really really into Umineko you could also read the introduction to the manga "Hotarubi no Tomoru Koro ni" which features Lambda and Bern (The manga itself is kinda rushed tho). And Higanbana's "The Princess' Lie" chapter does really really feel like a commentary on Umineko.
So yeah, there's some stuff.
@@yanbern2069 I've only read the manga coincidentally enough for umineko, I didn't know that there are that many differences from the VN and manga other than the mysteries being a bit more obvious than the VN, well looks like I got some reading to do, Thanks for the comment.
@@sebastianswan7975 The original episode 8 had some backlash (many people missed the point, some parts were actually rushed) so R07 ended rewriting some scenes. You are welcome!
@@yanbern2069 wasn't there also some backlash for episode 4?
Wasnt ryukishi a social worker? Why is he okay with batsukoishi? Did he write that shit? Genuine question from a long time fan of this series.
I wish I knew lol
So across all VN’s, what order should they be read? I’ve seen all the anime and now I wanna cover all the VN
First the original nine arcs of Higurashi which are all on Steam under the title of Higurashi Hou, then you have the options of these bonus arcs or going onto Umineko and then Ciconia, the next two entries in the When They Cry series. You can literally go through these bonus arcs in any order you like save for the Advanced Story which is why I put it all together. Not very helpful I know but I made this so people could decide which ones they wanted to read, if you do want to read/watch etc. absolutely all of them then I'd recommend just going in release order which they're listed in in the video!
Are you going to make a video on higurashi gou? I love your videos, i’d love to hear what you have to say about it c:
Maybe after Sotsu, not sure yet! I do talk about Gou in this video just in case you missed it :-) I have posted various mini Gou analyses on Twitter too!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who was put off with ryukishi’s approving of the child characters being put in very sexualized situations. The vn describing it was bad enough, but when I saw they actually ANIMATED some of those scenes…??????
it just sucks because I adore higurashi and ryukishi’s writing, but some of the more questionable and disgusting parts make it hard to fully adore :((
I agree some of Higurashi Rei is a little ehhh with the underage characters in those situations. I always skip over suggesting those when recommending series. OG series, Kai then Gou if anime only.
Rei is actually important especially episode 2-4 they are canon, so people won't be confused and began to question like "why is Satoko acting like a villain and obsessing over Rika?"
Im thinking of playing the visual novels, is it okay if i only play the higurashi ones?
I watched Higurashi and Higurashi kai (anime)
Yeah absolutely!
@@_bess ok :D ty
I read the manga 36:00😬
It's really that bad? I've seen the anime versions of Meakashi-hen and Tatarigoroshi-hen (particularly the discovery of Rika's corpse which is some really graphic stuff) so I'd like to think I could stomach gore from this series and I've been thinking of reading Hinamizawa Bus Stop.
But......it's really worse than Meakashi and Tatarigoroshi?
@@Takejiro24 In general despite the fact that I think it tried to lean into the violence, the original anime is less disturbing than other versions of the story, it generally changes/censors/cuts the most violent scenes whereas the manga doesn't and has much more detailed art. Bus Stop is a separate thing from the original series though with a different vibe and I would say the manga has a notable emphasis on gore not present in the original series -- the OG series had gory moments, but the Bus Stop manga puts gore at the forefront in a way that makes those scenes a different kind of stomach-churning. won't necessarily impact you more than the original but it was different enough to warrant a warning
@@_bess Thanks for reply. And I see where you're coming from: different context likely yields different impacts and results. If I ever decide to read Bus Stop, I'll keep what you told me in mind. Thanks for the advice again.
It bugs me that the later higurashi seasons ovas weren't done in English. Especially since I'm so into Gou and am trying to better understand.
Rei was licensed which is the only directly plot-relevant one, you can stream it on HIDIVE depending where you live or buy it
Honestly, I hate Gou, but in an unfair way - for what it's not. I looked forward to a faithful adaptation. And first three episodes were fantastic! Until it all fell apart. Then the trend of starting the same and ending arcs in a "new" way without any hints or punch of the original. First three arcs of Gou are horrible.
The other problems is that some of my acquaintances started watching it due to my hyping before the release. Most dropped after the second arc and one continues, but refuses to touch the first adaptation. It pains me.
I would've gladly taken the new stuff after faithful recreation of the original, or if they didn't advertise it as a newcomer friendly thing.
SAME! i told SO MANY people to wait for the new anime and that it'll be super great, and then i had to tell them to drop it and go watch the old anime or read the VN, but no one cared to listen to me at that point (except 1 or 2 of them).
If they had just advertised it as a sequel from the start non of that would've happened and i would've watched it with no hopes of a faithful adaptation of the VN. (but ofc R07 had to troll us and ruin his chance of getting a good adaptation for his VN).
I'm only really disappointed in missing out on some of my favorite scenes being done better and no VN music. I think seeing their futures and the Umineko connections might make it worth it though.
Hello helloooo Bess Sonozaki I am really enjoying your videos a lot awesome videos as always hope you have a wonderful day can't wait for new videos go Bess Sonozaki go.🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯
Now, for an Umineko analysis please!
I have no idea how you can likemyoigoshi when it has glaring issues: alot of aspects of the story dont work and ruin the greater whole of higurashi. Like “if rika can come back as a ghost here why doesnt she come back to find her killer inatead of just moving on” or “why dont ghosts posses people in others arcs to do anything” or “why dont the hinamizawans who apparently have a connection to death use their power to talk to the dead spirits of ouashiro samas curse to figure out how they are killed”. Also the whole sonozaki bell thing is kinda dumb, mifune is an awful villain and a katana that slices bullets in half sounds more like an scp.
it works standalone but as a side story to higurashi it hoenstly breaks it.
It's not explained whether Rika is a ghost or an illusion but I presume if she is, Mion can communicate with her because they are both dead. I also presumed Mion and Shion's connection is special and the possession thing is unique to them. In general, the idea of Yoigoshi is that Hinamizawa is a village with one foot in the afterlife specifically since the gas disaster, not before, so there is no connection to the dead inherent to Hinamizawans. With that being said, there are "inconsistencies" in the main story too, such as Hanyuu not just following Tomitake in her spirit form and seeing who kills him (somebody else pointed this out to me). I don't pick up on or honestly particularly mind things like this personally, as is probably evident from my videos--I'm much more of a character and themes person than a plot details person. Still, I would strongly disagree that the bell thing is "dumb"--rigidly following outdated tradition is a key element of the Sonozaki family's portrayal throughout the story and one of the major conflicts. Like yes, it is nonsensical in modern times, but that's very much the point. That clash of old and new is central to Higurashi and a really compelling aspect of Hinamizawa as a setting. That's what then makes the portrayal in Yoigoshi of Hinamizawa as a ghost village even more compelling--it's literally a place trapped in the past, and we see these new characters from 2006 contend with that. I agree there's not much time to develop Mifune and that the sword requires suspension of disbelief. I hope that answers your questions, but we're obviously focusing on different things. As I say in the video, I think Yoigoshi is a really compelling and beautifully realised piece of writing, stunningly illustrated and acted, that carries really important messages about life and affords some really essential development to a character I love.
@@_bess in the yoigoshi vn okabe also sees rika, shrieks, and runs away so i dont think thats an illusion at least in the vn version
thank fuck for this video