#higurashi on the other hand definitely was

[stellamancer]

hi yes okay. i know tumblr will cut me off if i comment so i'm reblogging it. also i actually have not replayed since i first played LMAO.

ZERO TIME DILEMMA.... i have a love hate relationship with that game, it's like a trigger almost. almost. but YES TEAM C SUPREMACY!! I love them so much. I mean the Zero Escape games have always had such colorful cast members and ztd is no exception even if... i don't care for. some of them. LMAOO.

i remember when i started and got the good ending first and went 'whatttt' and then my friend also got it which should have been a Clue. in retrospect that was honestly a brilliant play. to establish a safe timeline and then by the time the end came most of us all probably forgot.

i did all of the team q fragments i could first. because. i was like 'well might as well get the set i don't like out of the way first.' and like. i don't like eric. i got a little sympathetic toward the end and i do think he's real for being attracted to mira even tho she's a serial killer because like HELLO?? i, too, support women's wrongs. she just wanted to understand human emotion can we blame her?

but right right. what i think. my biggest issue is that ztd, at the bare bones, was trying to do what 999 did, but for delta instead of akane. and the problem with that is that delta spends most of his time off screen and so when he's revealed it's like mADDENING. because it's like THE WHOLE TIME YOU WERE HERE and you put everyone here through ALL OF THIS for tHIS. and it's like. akane did the same thing! but akane was there and endeared herself to us so that we didn't want her burning to death!! BUT FUCKING DELTA CHEATED US!!! i felt SO CHEATED that he basically got to have his cake and eat it too by not only creating a stable time loop to ensure his existence bUT HE TECHNICALLY DIDN'T COMMIT A SINGLE CRIME BECAUSE EVERYTHING HE DID!! WAS IN A DIFFERENT TIMELINE!!! so like, as a player i was MAD!! i wanted justice! retribution!! HE KILLS GAB!!! but thinking on it now it makes sense because akane as zero, while initially introduced as the antagonist of 999 was ultimately not the big bad whereas delta always was.

i think from a storyteller perspective, the reveal of delta as the fourth player on team q was pretty respectable LMAO. i think i actually ended up finding out a little later due to my fragment progression.

my second biggest issue was that after vlr, i was pro sigma/phi. i wouldn't call myself a big shipper but. their dynamic, to me, was just chef's kiss, i love me some bickering (which probably shows in my writing). BUT I CAUGHT ONTO THE FORESHADOWING WITH PHI DYEING HER HAIR. and like... sniffs... i guess it's okay... i guess... it's okay that hE'S HER DAD... i guess it makes it funny... still. kinda.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT. at LEAST JUNPEI/AKANE BECAME REAL. i mean in a way it was always REAL but. like the FRUITION OF IT. the hilarity of junpei proPOSING IN THAT SETTING. by the time vlr happens (in it's respective timeline) junpei and akane have grown too far from one another. like that quote you mentioned, the junpei and akane they remember are long gone. but in ZTD!!! it's like yes. perfect. all i ever wanted. akane going insane at junpei's death and coming at carlos with the chainsaw... junpei willing to kill everyone in the world for akane. they are the couple of all time. actually team c in general would make a great poly ship. i actually would like to get in on it too. lemme in please. this is a complete tangent but akane gives me the tiniest bit of makima. a beautiful woman who is a master manipulator? yes. i actually have some fan plushies someone made of the junpei and akane. my beloveds.

AND ACTUALLY this is a big tangent but i've already rambled so much already so now you're here for the ride. when i was writing halloween fic, i actually did a bit of thinkling about the SHIFTing they do in ztd. if i wanted reader's ct to be shifting or more like mental time travel and i decided that the moral dillemma of shifting and switching places with an alternate version of themselves on top of everything else they were going through was way too much. plus it would possibly involve discussions of the multiverse and alternate timelines (which could still crop up).... LMAOOO. it always comes back to fics with me.

ultimately, though, i think that ztd was an okay experience. not my favorite title in the series though. i think my reaction has mellowed out a Little. i do owe it a replay though... one day LMAO.

AH YES ANOTHER PERSON OF CULTURE (zero escape fan)!!! Though I suppose I should not be surprised when you did mention loving time loops!!! Akane Kurashiki is truly my girl of all time....

NIKUUUU MY BELOVED PERSON OF CULTURE… yes…. the time loops ………. my biggest weakness 😔 uchikoshi is insane in the head (AFFECTIONATE!!) but i truly think he’s a genius for turning the classic video game format of diverging paths into a real part of the story …….. it’s just theeee coolest thing ever AND AKANEEEE OUR GIRL!!!! hehe i knew i could trust your taste :3 sigma n akane are my favs too!!! they’re just so silly…. a little insane…….. very tragic & doomed 💔 my type in other words (i think gojo and sigma would hit it off so well but i also Really don’t want them to i feel like their meeting would destroy us all)..

ok but niku ….. 👀 i neeeeed to know what you thought abt ztd . plot and lore aside i thought the carlos/junpei/akane dynamic was just so great……… i love them all so much <333 two divorcees and a Himbo

[ot3]

Trying my luck here since you're the most trusted women in media person I follow: Can you recommend any media (movies, shows, books, comics, podcasts, whatever) that is centered around violence between women? I'm specifically looking for something with

1. A primarily female cast

2. Women committing violence against other women with minimal influence from men

3. Actual graphic physical violence, not just Mean Girls stuff. I want blood

Bonus points if the violence happens because of some female social dynamics, like mother/daughter relationships or toxic high school friendships, not just because the heroes and villains happen to be women.

Yellowjackets left a hole in my heart

honored to be your source for this.

If these are your tastes and you somehow haven't read the locked tomb trilogy, go read that for sure.

Ginger Snaps (2000) is a horror comedy about two sisters trying to deal with one of them becoming a werewolf and their dynamic is the core of the entire movie, it's one of my favorites.

The flower that bloomed nowhere definitely fits the bill, and i would say 'violence that occurs because of female social dynamics' is an area where it shines, but in a slightly different way than what you're looking for. Flower is a murder mystery so there's plenty of straight up killing, but the murders are definitely not the most fucked up and violating things that happened here even if they are the most gory. Flower is pretty much my go to rec for anyone who wants fucked up women

Umineko and Higurashi from the when they cry series would have a lot for you here. Umineko has more women by volume but less proportionally, and the men play larger roles in their lives. The women in umineko are all insanely well written but due to the nature of the story a lot of the way they act is heavily influenced by the patriarchal standards of their society/social class and the needs of the men around them, which is The Point but also may not be what you want. On the other hand girls are a higher proportion of the Higurashi cast and that's a narrative that's much less purposefully informed by the crushing vice of misogyny, and i feel like is slightly more in line with this specific request.

Worm is just about as graphically violent as it's possible to get in writing and although the massive ensemble cast has plenty of men in it the female characters, including the protagonist taylor, are much more interesting overall and they have great dynamics with each other.

that's about it off the top of my head but also this is several million words of stuff right here so im sure at least some of it will appeal to you. happy hunting.

[coquinespike]

WIP Wednesday I guess??

“Hey Coquine, you ever gonna finish any of your unposted fic and maybe, yknow, share it?”

“Yep, definitely! Just gotta do this one thing first…!”

*starts writing a completely new WIP on her lunch break*

😅

Anyway…here’s what I got so far, please please be so so gentle with me I’m so very rusty.

Unmistakable (tentative title)

You ever look back over a series of events and can pinpoint all of the mistakes that were made to lead you to the point you were at now?

For the life of him, Inuyasha still couldn’t figure out HOW he’d gotten HERE.

Mistake number one was accepting Kagome’s murmured invitation to join her under the warm covers of her bed. Actually, the mistake was laying down next to her at all. Also for acquiescing her point that sleeping in just his inner hadagi would be more comfortable. Or even agreeing to stay the night in the first place.

Scratch that, mistake number one was definitely failing to lock her bedroom door earlier that evening, which would have prevented mood-killing younger brothers from barging in and interrupting Very Important Things. If they hadn’t made THAT mistake, then none of the rest would have happened. Inuyasha and Kagome would then have sealed their declarations with a proper kiss, and he could have gone back to the feudal era satisfied in where they stood and what the future might hold for them.

Instead, the rest of the evening spent with her family held a current of tension buzzing just under the surface of their skin, each glance in the other’s direction like a jolt to their auras, every incidental contact between them a spark. Unfinished business.

The other three Higurashis retired shortly after dinner, worn from their day trip. After a slightly awkward moment standing in the living room, Kagome made mention of having time to get a bit more studying done before going to bed, and asked Inuyasha if he’d rather head back now or later. “I’ll stay,” he replied simply, and followed her up the stairs.

To her credit, Kagome did in fact get a couple more chapters of her literature assignment read, but when faced with switching to her geometry homework, she threw in the towel. Swiveling around in her desk chair to face inuyasha where he sat on her bed, arms crossed and head tilted slightly downward, eyes closed, she huffed a laugh. “Okay, maybe I’m not as motivated as I thought.”

Looking up, Inuyasha smirked. “Lazy.”

“Ah! I am not!”

Before she could work herself into a tizzy Inuyasha waved his hand at her. “I know, I know, I’m just teasin’ ya.” He took a deep breath, glancing around the room. “Guess I’ll head back then,” he sighed, reluctance showing in every motion as he rose from her bed.

Before she could second guess herself, the invitation to postpone leaving until the morning was past her lips, a slow flush creeping up her cheeks. “I mean…if you’d like,” she finished lamely.

Wide-eyed, Inuyasha nodded slowly. “I’d like.”

[officialinuyasha]

Yashahime Manga Volume 1 - Bonus Interview with Rumiko Takahashi and Takashi Shiina

The long-awaited interview with Rumiko Takahashi, legendary creator of Inuyasha, and Takashi Shiina, who pens Yashahime! You've mentioned before that when it was announced that the Yashahime anime would be adapted into a manga, you exclaimed, "I want to draw it!"

Shiina: One of the manga I drew before Psychic Squad was an adaptation of Ultraman Nexus. It was fairly popular, so I started getting offers to turn other anime into manga. Among them was Kidou Shinsengumi Moeyo Ken, which featured character designs by Rumiko Takahashi. I see. Shiina: I really wanted to do it, but I was about to start work on Psychic Squad, so I had to turn the project down. But the idea of working on something with Takahashi stuck with me. I kept thinking how much fun it would be to draw manga based on her characters, and I regretted the missed opportunity. Fortunately, I heard about the development of Yashahime just as Psychic Squad was ending. I thought to myself, "Well, if the timing is right, I'd love to do that!" So, 17 years later, my dream of drawing Takahashi's characters in a manga has come true. Takahashi: When I first heard that [Shiina wanted the job] shortly after the anime started airing, I thought, "Are you kidding me? You must be pulling my leg!" When his name came up in conversation three more times, I realized the editors were serious. I thought it would be amazing to have Shiina work on Yashahime, so I gave them the go-ahead.

What were your thoughts after reading his first chapter of Yashahime?

Takahashi: It was so much fun! He highlights the characters so well. He uses Towa's signature glare to define her personality. Setsuna's glare is even fiercer. And the fiercest of all is their father Sesshomaru's glare. What a great technique. Also, the slightly elongated way he draws Towa and Setsuna is just right. I thought to myself, "That's exactly what Sesshomaru's daughters would look like!" The reactions of the Higurashi family are well thought-out too. Of course, Shiina is a seasoned manga artist, so it's no surprise. It was really fun to read.

^ Towa's otherworldly glare Shiina: I'm kind of like Takahashi's apprentice… though I've never studied under her. (laughs)

I'm sure there was discussion about the art. Can you talk about how you view each other's approach to manga?

Shiina: Takahashi's art is impossible to reproduce. You can come close, but it's still a copy and a fake. I was worried that readers would get distracted by the disconnect between our drawing styles and have trouble getting into the story. So I approached it as what would happen if a Takahashi character came into my world. For example, her version of Towa is cuter and feels younger. With my approach, Towa expresses emotion the most when her eyes are downcast. I added extra volume to her bangs so I could use them to hide her eyes. On the other hand, I want the characters to remain recognizable. I'm always trying to strike a balance. Takahashi: I think it's better that Shiina is drawing it in his style. It enables me to come to it as a reader. The designs are similar but definitely not clones. The glimpses of Inuyasha and Kagome in the past are drawn very well. I really like the Kagome in the picture frame. She has a soft, grounded look.

^ This image of Kagome is one of Takahashi's favorites. Shiina: (laughs) Takahashi: I enjoy following the manga as just a reader. When this project was announced, Takahashi was quoted as saying, "I'm looking forward to the chilling beauty of Sesshomaru." Did you set any rules for Shiina when it came to drawing Inuyasha's brother? Takahashi: I think the only note I sent him was, "Sesshomaru never gets nervous flop sweat." He's an aloof, solitary character. I knew Shiina would be able to capture that, but manga artists have a tendency to draw panic and flop sweat to create drama. Shiina: Yes, yes. We do. Takahashi: But that was about it. I knew Shiina's drawings would be great. I made the "chilling beauty" comment knowing he'd understand what I meant. Shiina: (laughs)

What did you think after seeing the finished art? Takahashi: It was just as I expected Shiina's work to be. It was good. Shiina: Thank you very much.

Shiina, how did you handle drawing Sesshomaru?

Shiina: I thought about how to direct the characters more than how to draw them. Sesshomaru doesn't open up much, but he has to share enough of himself for us to understand his perspective. He's facing his own challenges. His personal convictions and aesthetic are always in conflict with his reality. But would he talk about that with anyone? No. So the challenge is to find ways for him to express himself through his actions.

Compared to the characters you created in your original manga, like Ghost Sweeper Mikami and Psychic Squad, is it harder to figure out how they would behave and what they would say?

Shiina: Absolutely. I try to draw the three girls as if they're my own daughters and add a little bit of myself to them. Inuyasha and Kagome have open, lighthearted personalities, so it's easier to figure out what they'd say or do in a situation. With Sesshomaru, I can guess what he's feeling, but it's difficult to imagine how he would reveal that. He's a tough character to understand.

^ Sesshomaru's chilling beauty, as drawn by Shiina What do you have to consider when adapting an anime into manga? Shiina: I think it's fine for the adaptation to be different from the original. In fact, there are things that have to change. My intention is to keep the themes of the story in alignment with both the original work and my own perspective. I'm not trying to create a copy of Takahashi's work, but to build something new on the foundations she's created. I'm finding where her artistic sensibilities and mine intersect…or something like that. I look for points in the story where the manga and anime can connect so they don't diverge too much.

What do you mean by "artistic sensibilities"?

Shiina: For example, before Takahashi became a professional manga artist, she absorbed the works of creators like Kazumasa Hirai, Daijiro Moroboshi, and Yasutaka Tsutsui. I also love their work, so I think about how that commonality between us connects to Yashahime. When I'm reading her work, I try to imagine her intentions.

What do you focus on when you draw the monsters and demons?

Shiina: I'm a geeky guy, so I love to draw cool-looking monsters. But reading Inuyasha and Takahashi's other manga, I realize it's not all about the battles. She puts focus and weight on the emotional impression of the monster and the reactions of the character fighting it. Instead of anime-style cool, her monsters have a raw feeling, like they've emerged from the shadows of folklore. Takahashi: Except my drawings aren't as scary. Shiina: They are! Takahashi: I just hope they're scary enough. I'm careful not to make them look silly, I guess. I do use the human characters' reactions to sell the idea of how terrifying they are. I also use darkness and visceral effects to further build the scene. But I don't really think deeply about it as I'm drawing. It's just fun to draw monsters!

^ Takahashi's monsters and people reacting to them. These reactions are crucial to the tone. Shiina: The other day, when I was drawing the un-mothers, I also drew little kanashibari, demons said to cause sleep paralysis, which have appeared in Inuyasha. They're super fun to draw. I love the stippling on their bodies, their big eyes and squiggly eyebrows, the way it's impossible to tell what they're thinking. They wear odd cloaks over their shoulders. I kept thinking, "Why do these guys dress like that?" and, "I wonder what they're thinking right now." It was exciting.

Takahashi: I agree. I like the smaller, animal-like demons that look like they could be scuttling around in hell. They're creepy to look at. And I like their cute pot bellies. Shina: Yes, exactly. Maybe it didn't make sense to put them with the un-mothers. But they added visual appeal and an otherworldly atmosphere, so I felt they needed to be there. In my imagination, Sesshomaru originally summoned them to defeat Inuyasha, but afterwards they continued to work for him, and they still take on special assignments. (laughs) And that's why I drew them into the scene. Takahashi: That's so fun.

^ Some of Shiina's favorite demons When it comes to character design, what's your approach? Shiina: If I try to plan a character design in my head, I get confused. Like, I'll want a character to look flashy, but then start asking myself, "Why flashy? And will that relate to their personality or be confusing?" I approach character design from the inside out, developing an appearance that suits their personality. That's the only way I know how to do it so the characters are the right ones to tell the story I want to write. Takahashi: First I think up the plot and setting. Then I think about what characters would fit into that world. That's when I start drawing, but I redraw them over and over before I'm satisfied. Shiina: (laughs) Takahashi: The smallest adjustments in a design, like how their hair curls, or their eyes, or their glasses, make a character look completely different. I feel like I just have to keep drawing until the character design settles into the story.

Takahashi, you designed the three main girls in Yashahime. How did you go about that?

Takahashi: Sumisawa, the writer of the anime, told me that Towa was the "white Sesshomaru" and Setsuna was the "black Sesshomaru." Moroha is the daughter of Inuyasha and Kagome, so I didn't put much thought into her at all. I just drew her so that she unquestionably looked like their daughter.

[ggren-mainz]

Umineko - question arcs playthrough -> ep 2 - 6

last part - All parts and episodes - next part

My Maria figure came shees soooo cuteeee!!!

You see this goes on the wrong assumption that the person wants to escape the island after. If they do not, then suddenly this is no longer an issue.

i do not like how "human woman" is underlined....

When Battler catches the "mass hallucination" excuse, it's joever for Beatrice. Literally, nothing you can't explain with that.

no ok this is pretty important. It basically says to think outside the box, or else you won't be able to solve this mystery. But that's the problem, how outside the box can we think without ending up agreeing with "she's a witch"? Because if we do that, we lose. So in a way my thinking is probably cornered by the logical and human arguments, but i have to...expand them me thinks. hgh.

oh this one hit good.

huh so he's (Kinzo) is aware of all the last games/loops?

reminded me of this meme from Reddit.

hmm...thats...uff...umm...damn...yeah...mmmnn..

she got me...she got me reaaaalll good... does that mean we take out those? no that's stupid. that means we go back to what kyrie said. Nothing on this island can be taken as a definitive truth. Didn't Higurashi show us that multiple killers could exist in multiple timelines? yes the mastermind or a certain canonicity remained, but the details of who did what are up to debate.

so the entire thing says:

"Welcome, Maris.

Happy Halloween. (Krauss)

Didn't i tell you? Stomachs are packed full of candy. (Natsuhi)

Everyone has a stomach filled with sweet dreams. (Eva)

Why would there be anything filthy inside someone's stomach? (Hideyoshi)

This is why we want to be as sweet and innocent as candy. (Rudolf)

This is why, i give you the land of dreams.

Happy Halloween. (Kyrie)"

I feel like this might be important, and that the characters might not be chosen randomly (cause of rudolf and sweet and innocent and eva and dreams), so if remember ill analyse this later.

She's either not there or dead. Putting my bet on dead.

Meh she just wasn't in the room...ok.

NOOOOO

But actually i just thought about it, but in a roundabout way she does just teach them how to be human. Tho i would say his reaction and mistakes were very human already. But i do wonder if it's like Higurashi, in which each loop they learn more and more.

huuuhh?? is that...the dude that that person on vinted is selling a charm of???

ooh no it's a furrryy!!! nooooooo

So Kinzo's just raising these battle royale RPG characters??? And also wdym by subhuman Beato?? He has a fucking sword hand, i would not call that the lower species.

1- oh ok so they couldve never won. Makes sense, i didn't think any other way either. 2- this is lust??? So that big ass cabaret of Kakegurui looking girls are these sins??

TELL IT TO ME THEN! DW I'LL PASS IT OVER.

omfg...it will make everyone believe he was the killer, won't it?AGHHHHHH KAAAAAANOOOOOOONNN

next part

[8bitsupervillain]

Higurashi When They Cry Hou Ch. 7 Minagoroshi pt. 23

I don’t know why exactly I seem to have less to say about the ongoing plot of this chapter compared to Tsumihoroboshi. It just feels to me like I’ve written less about this chapter than some of the others. Maybe since I’m enjoying it more I have less to complain about? Or it could be because it’s answering my questions so I don’t have to go on these long elaborate theory-crafting tangents.

Buckle up, we’re going for a ride.

The sheer amount of clenching that happened at the start of this explanation was astonishing. You could probably inserted a piece of coal and got a diamond I was so apprehensive.

But it hasn��t been explicitly called a parasite, so all’s great and perfectly reasonable explanation wise so far. I freely acknowledge I overreacted in Tsumihoroboshi. However I do also find this to be a pretty whack explanation and plot device, but I’m able to suspend my disbelief somewhat (stay tuned for Matsuribayashi, I take things slightly harder there).

I’m beginning to think there were reasons other than wanting to avoid an international incident for why the Japanese military began to disregard Hifumi Takano’s research into Hinamizawa Syndrome. It seems perfectly reasonable to me that it would be a pretty hard sell to convince your higher ups that this infection could be sold as a bio-weapon when it only affects a small percentage of your citizenry.

Unless your plan to sell this as a viable terror weapon is to have a not insignificant portion of your military go through the random tiny-ass village in the middle of nowhere, it seems like a hard sell. I think the implications that this somehow kick started the Sino-Japan war was just a very timely excuse to shut the project down.

For a brief second I wondered if this new information about Hinamizawa Syndrome tied in, in any way to the earlier stories about the Sonozakis being embroiled in that conspiracy about canned human flesh. I very quickly decided it probably doesn’t have anything to do with anything since if memory serves Shion admits in her narration that she was just making it up to screw with Keiichi and Rena.

What I wonder here is, did Keiichi actually hear Hanyuu apologizing when he was going of the deep end during the course of Onikakushi? I know at the time in the chapter itself it made it look like Rena was the one apologizing to Keiichi after he smashed her hand up with his door. But what if it was actually Hanyuu he heard, and he just mentally wrote it off as it being Rena.

I don’t think it explains it, but I can’t help but wonder how does Rika know all of this? About the Japanese war time politics, the founding of the secret organization Denver, Takano’s role in it? Did Hanyuu learn this at one point and just sit Rika down during one of her past revivals and lay it all out for her early enough so she’d retain the information across the timelines? Very excited for three screenshots from now where the VN will go “and this is how I know all this information,” and make me look stupid.

It’s not Ryukishi07’s fault, but I can’t take a legitimate organization calling itself Police Squad seriously. Maybe Lt. Frank Drebin can solve the Hinamizawa mystery for Rika.

I like the confirmation that it was an entirely unrelated group who kidnapped the construction minister’s grandson all the way back in chapter four.

I’m sure the information is out there, but I wonder how old Takano, Irie, and Tomitake are. Early thirties at minimum right? Maybe late twenties? For Irie, and Takano they’ve definitely got to be at minimum in their early thirties. Not to reveal too much information from Matsuribayashi, but these two have got to have gone through college enough to have gotten doctorates in their respective fields. Irie definitely needs to have gone through medical school since he was a practicing brain surgeon. I don’t know how much education one needs to become a bacteriologist, but I would assume it has to be at least four years minimum to become a noted and somewhat famous researcher in the field. So presuming that Irie, and Takano started college immediately after high school, their education alone would put them at around 26 when they finished school. Assuming of course they finished their high school career at eighteen. Takano you could probably handwave away that she may not have been a research scientist a particularly long time since there are characters who were keeping an eye on her due to her relationship with the doctor who researched Hinamizawa Syndrome. Irie, however doesn’t have that going for him, it’s revealed in Matsuribayashi his career suffered due to a major scandal while he was a practicing surgeon.

Tomitake meanwhile, is a lieutenant in the military. I admit that I don’t know the first thing about the military structure of other countries, and my knowledge of American military rankings is flimsy at best. But since he was selected to act a liaison between Tokyo and the Irie Clinic he must have been in the service for quite an amount of time to be trusted with this task.

Of course I acknowledge this is probably completely useless information, but it’s something I find interesting. It doesn’t affect the plot in any way whatsoever, but I think it’s a fun thing to think about.

[felixcloud6288]

Higurashi: Dice Killing Chapter 4

Rika is just getting worse and worse.

I think Rika's mental state is even worse than what she was like back in Massacre. Back then, she didn't know whether that ideal world she wanted even existed. It was easy to give up because she could assume what she wanted didn't exist.

But now that she's gotten that world, she cannot give up. And if she doesn't find a way to return to it, she'll have to live the rest of her life knowing what could have been.

That girl needs a freaking drink. And she mixes it with orange juice.

Kinda surprised a company would deliver to such a remote location. Five stars for the customer service.

In her drunken stupor, Rika realizes that even the Rika from this world is not the same person she's familiar with. From what I understand, the Rika from every world was always aware of what was going to happen. I'm not sure if they knew because of their connection to Hanyu, if they're gradually channeling memories from earlier loops, or if Hanyu just tells them what's up. Then when Rika rewinds, she gets all the memories from her time-traveling self.

But this world's Rika was completely disconnected from all that. Rika is an old being who pretends to be a child, and the Rika's from every other world were children given insight and wisdom beyond what they should know. This world's Rika was just a little girl. And Rika kind of acknowledges that this world's Rika Furude probably had more right to call herself by that name because she has lived a normal existence as Rika Furude.

I bet Hanyu taught Rika how to read that book she had.

Satoko is being an utter prick, stealing Rika's book and tossing it around. I can understand those other girls joining in on her bullying, but I'm disappointed that Mion participated as well.

And oh, that next scene was satisfying. You can feel the buildup as Rika walks up to Satoko. And then you turn the page and WHAM!! She punches Satoko so hard that Satoko is knocked to the floor.

And actually, more happened between Satoko getting punched and landing on the floor. I checked all the desks in each panel before that punch and none of them were pushed over beforehand. Satoko crashed into a desk when Rika punched her, and the desk got knocked over as well.

And it's not over!! HERE COMES RIKA WITH THE STEEL CHAIR!!!

Based on the sound effects, she hit Satoko five times with that chair.

And that moment is definitely what solidifies Rika's disassociation from herself and this world. She doesn't care about this world because it is not her world. She doesn't care that Satoko is crying because she's not her Satoko; she doesn't listen to Kaieda because he's not her Kaieda; she doesn't care about the pain in her right hand, because it's not her right hand.

Yamamoto brings up how Tomita and Okamura were Rika's friends, that she was the only girl in their friend group, and all her friends have moved away. I think Satoshi might be the only boy still in their class.

Rika has treated this world as strange and weird, but Yamamoto accidentally points out that Rika is the one who is actually strange and weird here. This world is perfectly normal even if it isn't the world Rika is familiar with.

The chapter began with Rika contemplating her existence and identity. She is a time traveling witch who usurps Rika Furude's existence in every world, and she cannot cope with her existence without wine. And now she's trying to own up to that and give herself a new identity.

She is a being mimicking Rika Furude who needs to drink wine to exist.

She is Furude Rika plus the Bernkasteler wine.

She is...

back

[catsvrsdogscatswin]

Higurashi Month 2024, Day 17: Infatuation

Higurashi Month prompts archive: AO3 

It was generally accepted that girls of a certain age were incredibly fond of cute things. That range included 13-year-olds with ease, but where Rena somewhat sharply deviated from the norm was how her definition of what was and was not "cute" was both eccentric and rather… broad.

This, she maintained, was not her fault. Most people simply defined cuteness by something small, or even just quirky –or maybe simplistically colorful, or perhaps with soft, rounded edges –or, if it was alive, very big and sweet eyes. Cute things were often childish, and childish things were often considered cute.

Rena defined cute as "anything that brought that same sudden, sharp rush of happiness" as what most cute things did –things that were popularly, properly considered cute, that is. Puppies, bunnies, ducklings, and the like.

It didn't matter if it didn't have rounded edges, or big limpid eyes, or bright, simple colors. What mattered was the… the spark, the sudden glint of glee that these things brought to her. The familiar surge of chaos in her life, the sense that many things might be possible, just around the corner, if this existed.

That was why she collected the things that she did. Maybe the dusty, dirty, broken-down old Colonel statue wasn't cute by most standards, but when she saw it, she'd felt her heart leap like a bird taking flight –they were so far from his chain of restaurants, so how had he come here, and why? What kind of strange, wonderful journey must that stoic statue face endured, and now he was here, peering at her out of the trash heap.

Obviously, she had to take him home. She rubbed him with soap and water and cleaned up the grime as best she could –but she didn't try to paint over the chips and dents, or replace the cracked lens in his glasses. That would take the magic, the memories, right out of him. Her Colonel statue was a wonderful memory –of that first happy jump in her heart when she first saw it, of digging together in the rubbish with Keiichi-kun and the others, of wheeling her new prize home through laughter and the slanting golden sunset in an old farm cart.

To polish the scuffs and fix up his old cracks would be to debase that memory, that happiness, that joy. Rena wouldn't do it, not if she was offered a million yen. It would take the very soul of the thing away.

She took her joy as she found it, and if she spent all her time polishing, trying to improve upon the already-whimsical happenings of her life in an effort to find cold perfection... she'd drain all the happiness away. It was more important to keep the memories, to simply have them. Trying to fix the unfixable would only make her miserable.

Her collection was meant to take away her misery, not increase it.

So Rena built up a small little junk-heap in her backyard –she tried to keep the messier stuff in her van, but some memories were simply too precious to leave way out there, even if they did lower the tone of the whole yard. On the quiet nights, the bad nights, she'd sometimes scuttle out here and curl up among her hoarded memories, pressing her hand to this or that treasure and trying to will the joy of that moment back into her.

See, the jewelry box she and Mi-chan found on their first hunt among the trash heap, Rena's welcome-back gift when she returned to Hinamizawa.

See, the bobble-headed clownish thing that Satoko had won at a booth during the festival –the first time she had beaten all of them in a game.

See, the tarnished locket Rika-chan had found with her foot amongst the pebbles in the river, still on its silver chain. Mi-chan had had them looking for buried treasure for weeks.

See, the mangled, rusty collection of rods and wires that was all that remained of the club's unified attempt to learn soldering.

All memories, all incomprehensibly precious. Other people might only see chipped, tatty, peeling junk stashed in the back corner of the Ryugu family's yard –trash best suited to a scrap heap– but to Rena's eyes, these things were cuter than the sweetest doll or the fluffiest kitten. They were her joy, her treasures.

They could not be replaced.

AN: I know Rena is Like That for the bit, but I thought it might be nice to explore the what and why of she finds such weird things "cute."

[fujoreads]

Umineko: Episode 1 // Review & Thoughts

I was initially NOT going to do this since I played Episode 1 long ago last year, but since I'm doing this from episode 3 to 8, might as well have these.

I have daily logs with my reading sessions' reactions and thoughts, but I'll try to find my highlights and summarize everything!

VNDB | Steam

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

CW: Murder (duh, it's a murder mystery); ableism + dysfunctional/abusive family talk

P.S.: There are youtube previews but they break inside my blog's theme, so they won't look as good, but I refuse not to show them, hmph!

This Episode was definitely more of an introduction, even though we seem to get introduced to new concepts, characters and even plot points with each chapter—just like with Higurashi. They do have the same author, after all.

One of the most common complaint I hear from folks about this episode is that it's too much of a slog at the beginning and while I can understand people's issues with pacing in general, I disagree. Maybe I just read too fast and am used to slow pacing, but I feel like people are just too used to having everything quickly presented to them without having to wait at all.

I see this same complaint with Higurashi and I gotta say: it's exactly BECAUSE it's not scary and mysterious from the bat, that when it does become crazy, you feel it. And it's gradual, even at that stage. You can see that as you go further: so far, this is the tamest episode yet and each ones outdoes the previous.

Anyway: I really enjoyed this as a first episode. It truly felt like an Agatha Christie and then it went 180 on it, just like I was expecting from Ryuukishi.

The incest jokes are fortunately short and quick to end, and I get why they'd bother so many people looking for a serious story, but at the same time I feel like people made too much of a ruckus over it. Battler is a horny teen and hasn't seen his family in 6 years; while that doesn't excuse him being a creep, this is clearly meant to be a funny scene and not be taken seriously. You can either laugh it off, roll your eyes or just ignore it, not drop the VN altogether—though if you can't take some tasteless jokes, you wouldn't last the entire ride for how long it is (lol)

I really like how similar yet so different the MCs from Higurashi and Umineko are. While they are both lovable perverts, Keiichi is quick to paranoia and doubting his friends; meanwhile, Battler shows a strong resolve to never doubt his family to the very end. ...This might age poorly depending on future episodes.

PLOT

Honestly, the score doesn't matter that much to me anymore. Especially not when I've read further and have been therefore corrupted with more exciting scenes.

This might be the less out-there scenario, and I appreciate it for what it is. This is basically Ryuukishi saying "hold on to your seats, this is gonna be crazy, but for now, just take it all in and get ready."

On the other hand, the family drama got INTENSE. Eva being voiced by Takano's VA makes so much sense, her being so sly and scheming. Poor Natsuhi, she's a bit too serious for her own good, but Eva is just a bully T^T

The scene where the first twilight happens is too much of a banger!!! I was not to control my emotions: I didn't know whether to dance or to grieve/be shocked. Ugh. But I'll talk more about it in my Soundtrack part.

Also, I just fucking love all the subtle (and not so subtle) references to Higurashi. It's really lovely to see a connection to one of my favorite VNs ever.

And those are my thoughts for the plot itself! I'll be talking about other aspects of the game after, but before, we still have the Tea Party and ??? chapters to talk about!

I knew beforehand there would be something akin to the All-Cast Review Session (from Higurashi) but it certainly surprised me. I was expecting a 20-minute read and I got 2 hours of reading AND a direct connection to the main plot??? Bonkers.

Plus, Battler was so badass the whole time, even if I called him an idiot a few times before this.

Oh yeah, and he was a bit of a savage at times LOL

(this hurt even ME)

CHARACTERS

Since this is the introduction, most characters are still very barebones compared to how far they've come where I currently am. HOWEVER! Ryuukishi is a fucking madlad writing characters.

Everyone feels like their own person with their own faults and liking points. Hell, he plays you like a puppet whose strings have been cut masterfully, shaping your opinion of certain characters just for that illusion to be broken along with our tame expectations of them.

Ushiromiya Battler

My cutie patotie, my little meow meow.

He started off a big incestuous weirdo but he's more mature than he shows, being all considerate for people around him and never being malicious. I love him.

Oh yeah, the whiplash I got from hearing Akasaka's voice is no joke-

Ushiromiya Rudolf

He's a dork and not a great father, it seems. I like his character but I know I wouldn't stand him irl. Though to be fair, I would be more like Maria—but we'll get there in a sec.

Ushiromiya Kyrie

MY WIFEEEE 🛐🛐🛐

I just love Kyrie no matter the episode. She's badass, reliable, but always mysterious. I never thought those "cool" mysterious characters were all that until I met her.

Ushiromiya Eva

MY QUEEN, SLAY 💅🏻✨ Jokes aside, she's a fucking great character. She might have a venomous tongue and be very shitty at times, but that's what makes her her.

Ushiromiya Hideyoshi

Hideyoshi is my utmost "can do no wrong" pick. What a wholesome and cute husband, especially to someone like Eva. God have mercy on this man.

Ushiromiya George

George is another cutie patotie, but he makes me a bit suspicious. I don't know, while Battler is just a pure-hearted goofball, George seems a bit more formal, more intentional with his behaviour and acting. Maybe it's just the glasses... Probably.

I gotta say though, some of the phrasing in his scenes with Shannon (or Sayo, I guess) are uuuuhm... I'd call this a red flag. Unless they were both into it, I guess lmao

Ushiromiya Krauss

I still remember my first impression of him:

He doesn't stand out particularly in this episode, so I won't make any comments. He does remind me of one of my uncles. As I said: insufferable.

Ushiromiya Natsuhi

So far (currently on episode 3), this is her episode. Maybe we'll get further character development (I hope so!) but for now, this a Natsuhi-centered episode. She starts off rather traditional and even cruel to servants, but she quickly earned my respect as the leader of the group, when the murders start happening.

Kinzo acknowledging Natsuhi as an Ushiromiya made me tear up 🥺💗

So many queens in this game 👑

Ushiromiya Jessica

I find Jessica a bit lame as a character. Maybe I'm just an adult, but her whole teen drama felt a bit too much. I mean, I get it; hell, it could even be envy... My own mother is mostly a Natsuhi-type and I can relate to Jessica's feeling, but I have grown up more contained—afraid— than her, let's just say. (Growing up autistic + ADHDer and undiagnosed with a overworked mother who now rejects my official diagnosis does things to you lol)

Ushiromiya Rosa

Rosa started as one of my favorite characters. As the younger sibling to a Eva-type of sister, I could relate to her struggles so much. That is, until you see how she is as a mother. I can still sympathize with her own individual struggles and I don't suddenly hate her because she isn't perfect, but again, as someone who grew up undiagnosed and was the "weird thing" that freaked everyone out and shamed my mother for exisiting, Rosa's behavior towards Maria was hard to watch.

Ushiromiya Maria

I will say: Maria's behavior is a bit weird when the occult is involved, but I daydreamed my whole family would die in a traffic accident at 11 so I'd be free of them—who am I to judge?

I could relate SO MUCH to Maria. I swear to God, Maria is so autistic-coded it hurts: ecolalia (the "uu"s, even if it's also supposed to be a moe? trait lol), lack of facial expressions, special interests (occult, Beatrice), not understanding jokes (even if she is a child)…

She's just like me fr. Her meltdown over the Rose reminds me so much of my own childhood, even if I don't remember much. Beatrice should just adopt her, heh.

Also, pretty sure Maria is the one writing these character profiles.

Ushiromiya Kinzo

OOOOOOH BEATORICHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Nothing much to say, he's painful to listen to. I mean, I guess that's intentional so hey, the VA did a wonderful job!

I think this is how my family must feel as I shut myself in my room all day long, only leaving to walk the dog and eating lol

Shannon

As of this episode, Shannon isn't given much spotlight. I'll be commenting more next episode!

For now, she's my little cutie patotie (3)

Kanon

I didn't love Kanon at first, but he’s just a teenage boy, it’s understandable. I still don't love him, but he's grown on me.

Genji

Genji is an interesting character. I don't remember much from him during the first episode, but I basically saw him as the reliable type.

I wouldn't be too surprised if there were any Kinzo x Genji fanart, not that I ship them

Kumasawa

Ah yes, the only able to outdo Battler in the pervert lines.

Kumasawa is a fine supporting character, but we don't see much from her. I mean, there are some things about her during episode 3, but not really? I can't explain without spoiling, so I'll complain more when I get to it.

Nanjo

Nanjo's cute mustache my beloved. That's all.

Gohda

Gohda might be the funniest character, actually. The fact that he is just a random dude caught in the whole mystery is so funny to me.

Other than that, I absolutely hated Gohda this episode. He gets a bit less insufferable for the next episodes, but maybe it's just me sympathizing for the poor guy just trying to do his job.

Atmosphere & Soundtrack

FUCK. I LOVE BEING ABLE TO HEAR.

Seriously, what a divine soundtrack. Especially the ones by zts.

I just couldn't stop banging my head!

And I've heard Umineko has around 200 tracks—I can't wait to get through all of them <3

I'm kind of sad I don't know what else to say, but I'll just leave this video here. It's what made me pick up Umineko once and for all:

Ooooh I almost forgot about the Voice Acting, so I'll include it here. I LOVED IT. A lot of VAs from Higurashi came back so it's always fun to notice these little things. It makes the drama much better too.

Art

I've chosen the PS3 sprites. Yes, I know: heathen behavior. But personally, I love them. I know that compared to the OG art, they may not be as expressive, but I just enjoy them a lot more. I've grown to appreciate Ryuukishi's art a lot more as I played Higurashi, don't worry.

The Pachinko version, on the other hand, is fucking awful. Say what you will, I just can't swallow it down.

Writing

I know Ryuukishi's forte isn't his prose, but it's actually not bad at all!

I don't have anything in particular to comment on, so I'll make this one short. Great writing, even if a bit convoluted at times.

Mechanics & Gameplay

This is a weird section, as Umineko doesn't even have choices, let alone "gameplay", but hear me out: I'm playing with the mods.

The visual and sound rain effects, the lip sync, the overall visual effects... chef's kiss! I doubt my enjoyment would be so great without these. Call me spoiled, but they are truly amazing.

Final Thoughts

Phew, I wrote a lot!

Umineko is not an unknown work for those into visual novels so I don't think I have to particularly recommend it, but I am absolutely loving it. No wonder people praise it so much.

My final score for this episode is a solid 8.5/10, aka 4 stars!!

If you want to have an idea whether this is for you, don't drop it until the first murder happens, please! It's considered to have a slow start, so take that into consideration. If you're a fast reader like me, you'll get there in no time!

For reference, the first episode took me around 15~17h to finish, a length somewhat close to Higurashi's Episode 1. Episode 3 and 4 are said to be the longest ones and they average a total of 30h, but when you get there, you'll be hopefully fully immersed. I certainly am, at least!

Well then, I'll be writing my thoughts on Episode 2 soon! Look forward to it~

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Thank you for reading it all to the end! I’m working full-time and looking for another job to make my life possible; would you be so kind and consider giving me a little tip? It can be as low as 3 bucks and it’d make a huuuuuge difference!! If you tip 10€ (or higher), you can dictate my next read and be credited (if you’d like) on that review! Have a nice day!!

[summer-lantern]

⭐️Virtual Angel’s diary, leading up to now⭐️

(Mod Note 1: will definitely make this a series as days go by)

WARNINGS: abuse, cursing, slight descriptions of physical abuse, Winter being Winter, lmk if I missed anything!

Man… I guess I should actually fill in my diary in case my actual self gets lost in a Hollow or something.. so let me introduce myself. Hi, hello, Привет!~ 

My name is Snezhana Volkova, or Winter. Just call me ‘Winter’, only people I’m close to can call me Snezhana, and even that’s debatable.

I saw some other Hollow Guides filling out full details of their lives in case humanity gets almost completely wiped out because of the Hollows, so here I am doing it myself, let me start from the beginning…

The date was 7/12/insert the year here idek

I was created in a laboratory as part of a project, I don’t know the name of it.. I don’t know a lot about what happened in the lab. I just know that I was created as a test,  I remember waking up and the first thing I saw was Aster, my.. “brother”. I remember that he said “Hey, your name is Snezhana Volkova. And you’re my sister, okay?”

A long while after that, I grew up fast, like.. really, REAAAALLY fast, in like 5 months, I was 15, and Aster and my “father” were teaching me things, how to fight, how to shoot a gun, teaching me all about these things called “Hollow Sites”.

I don’t know if I’m supposed to know this or not, but I was made from a Hollow. Or— a Hollow Core. The things that power a Hollow Site, where all that Hollow Energy comes from. I guess that’s enough angsty teen backstory stuff now, let’s get to the good stuff!

————————

~Prestige Academy~

Virtual Angel Note; I’m not gonna put dates here cause I don’t even remember, all the days I spent at the Academy just blended together.

I had just turned like… 17? And my “father” sent me to the base of this organization called “Anti-Entropy”, for “training”, as if I haven’t been through enough training at home.. ugh. 

Of course I went anyways cause like.. the flip am I gonna do otherwise? Max out my avatar in games I’ve played a million times? Overdose on banana milk? Lmao, naurrr!~

I regret it. I should have stayed back, said no, run away, anything. 

At this place, the training was flippin’ HORRIFIC. Like I’ve played games like Resident Evil, watched anime like “Higurashi: When they Cry”, and this was worse. They forced up to swallow these pill things, I still don’t know what they did it what they were for, but we- everyone there did it without question, we’d be shot dead if we didn’t. 

They put us in shooting training, and hand to hand combat, technology stuff, as if I didn’t know how to use a Personal Computer or a handheld gun already.. 

And the highlight of it all, it was never safe. They ENCOURAGED shooting and killing your “classmates” in order to proceed up the ranks and eventually graduate. They starved us too, it was kinda scary, always having to be alert, but fr tho, COME AT ME BRO. Sorry the brainrot got to me, anyways, we got any food and our sleeping quarters was like a jail, like seriously if you want us to be productive then maybe give us an actual room?? Tf??

The food I could eat, I had to be really careful, another classmate could have poisoned it or something with hopes of offing me so they would be one point up the leaderboard, so I just didn’t eat, I ate like.. a thing or two that I was 10000% sure was safe. That’s about it. 

They sent us to these.. surgeries? Yeah, surgeries, one person would get certain things implanted or removed, like I remember seeing some string-like thing being removed from a classmate’s brain, maybe a worm?? I dunno, but like.. brother euuugghhhhhhhh.

 While a classmate was operated on, the rest of us watched. I remember people dropping like flies during the procedures, only to be dragged off and never seen or heard from again..

I’ll spare you, and myself because I don’t think I wanna talk about it anymore. 

————

~MEETING KARINA~

I will say that there was this girl, uhh… Karina Siling, she had already graduated from the academy, I guess that what you could call it. She was already like a teacher, I remember the first time I had a solo class with her, whenever I saw her around the academy, like passed by her, I always got such a weird vibe about her, like she was some anime villain or something, maybe it’s just because she’d been through a lot. Or maybe it was my head telling me to stay the hell away from her, either way, we met. Tbh, I was gonna say I was injured or sick or something so I couldn’t go, but I went anyways, and honestly, I’m glad I did!~ 

Karina was actually SHOCKINGLY kind, drastically different from the other instructors. She was in charge of one on one combat training, she was really good at her job, no wonder she already had a callsign, “Black Swan” is what they called her. But she said I could just call her “Karina” when around other people, and “unnie*” when it was just us. When I went to her class injured or malnourished or something, she’d give me a break and when asked about it, she’d tell the higher ups that I had been helping her.

Karina made my time at Prestige Academy much more bearable.. until she just.. disappeared???? Like what the flip Karina where did you go?? If you didn’t wanna teach me anymore you coulda just said so lmaoooo‼️‼️‼️

———-

~graduation~

KABOOM. I FUCKIN’ SURVIVED‼️‼️

Insert several years later, when was 18, I finally graduated from that hellhole, I still didn’t know what happened to Karina, but I didn’t have time to worry about that, I was FREE!-

Until I was assigned to literally LEAVE my HOME UNIVERSE and go to some place called “Yokohama”, in Japan, in a completely different universe! Like what the fuck man, you’re gonna send a 18 year old who only knows a lab and a shitty learning environment to a different universe??? Alone??? No wonder most of the instructors ain’t got families, they were fucking idiots! 

Anyways, since I didn’t have a choice because free will? What’s that? I was sent to Japan. I was supposed to like… scout the area for other LITERAL CHILDREN to bring back to Prestige Academy. 

Jokes on them because I just faked my death, found a video of some poor dude dying in a explosion and used some AI to replace the dude with myself and sent it back to base with a fake “Yo if you’re seeing this I fucking DIED because of a damn unsafe work environment. THIS IS ON YALL FRFR.”

Very convincing, right? AND YAY GOD IS REAL THEY FELL FOR IT‼️‼️

I was officially signed off as dead in Anti-Entropy’s eyes and I moved locations and decided to do whatever the heck I wanted in order to get money and such. I made my own new identity, and hacked government files in order to make myself a “actual person” in Japan, an Immigrant I guess you could say lmaoooo-

My government file had stuff like my name “Winter Volkova”, yes, my real name “Snezhana” is NON-EXISTENT BRO. I don’t want ANYONEEE to call me that name. You better address me as Winter or I’m leaving you on delivered lol

————

~Life in Yokohama~

Aight, so time skip a while, I set up a place for myself in an old warehouse on a part of town no one ever goes to and set up my PC, some RGBY lights and made the warehouse into a slay asf gaming/living place for myself. 

I made money by doing a bunch of jobs for people like making better filing softwares for some “Armed Detective Agency” and straight up faking or destroying government files or tracking down targets for a certain mafia.

One day, I was walking through the city headed back from buying my usual several gallons of banana milk and ramyeon and other foods, when I bumped into someone…

FUCKING KARINA SILING?? WTF ARE YOU DOING HERE?? OMGGG-

It was Karina‼️‼️ Turns out she had faked her death too and left Anti-Entropy, but she wasn’t able to tell me, she had joined some organization called the “World Serpent”, and she wanted me to join her, claiming that I could do whatever I wanted, like I’ve always been doing, but instead of living in a warehouse, I’d get to have my own room in a place where I’d get to come and go as I wanted, whenever I wanted. Seemed like a pretty sweet deal to be honest.. 

It was a pretty sweet deal, but giiiirrrll-

I’ve been living fine on my own, why would I WANT to tie myself down to a single organization? 

Karina said I could have some time to think about it, then I could call her. 

Throughout that week, she kept visiting me and bringing other members of this World Serpent to meet me, a young dude named Yuta Maus Sakuya, he was originally from where I am too, where he was a level 7 Hollow Guide with the callsign “Helix”, and then Karina brought a man named Vega Chase. He was the leader of the Yokohama branch of the World Serpent, and a Hollow Guide himself, he didn’t have a callsign though, he just called himself “Vega”, I guess because no one in their right mind would think a guy with a name like that was ACTUALLY named like that. 

A week after all that, I was like “yk what, YOLO.” And I joined the World Serpent!!! Yay‼️‼️‼️

As promised, I was allowed to come and go whenever I want, I did have to go through Hollow Guide training, but it was fun— and EASY. I got my own callsign, ‘Virtual Angel’ literally so slay, right? 

I guess that’s everything up to now. Damn, looking back, I only have one thing to say… Miss Creator, WHAT THE FLIP MAN?? WHO HURT YOU????

(@pleasepress1forfrontdesk WHABOOM)

[amaiguri]

Wanna see the business side of story-based games?

Me! I want to! 👋 Hi, I'm Amaiguri. I'm a full time gamedev and I've released two games before and correctly predicted how much money I would make each time! Wow!

I've been considering converting the webfic I write into a story game of some kind -- a visual novel or a RPGmaker game or maybe even a walking sim? But I didn't know what I wanted to make!

This story has been THE STORY of my early adult life here -- it is SO important to me. So, while I'm a huge advocate of making whatever you want, I wanted to ensure whatever I put my effort into would be VAGUELY marketable. (Because, lemme tell you, webnovels are not marketable XD)

Before I dive in too deeply, **BIG DISCLAIMER**:

I am not a business person. I am using big, wide guestimates to make non-essential business decisions with myself. BUT I want to share my learnings with you. So, take everything I say with a grain of salt and JOIN ME on this journey:

Earlier this month, I made a post about wanting to make a visual novel. Specifically, a kinetic visual novel where you don't make choices and you just read basically. SO I've now done research into how well they sold. I used THIS website to determine how much money each of these games made (VERY loosely):

Juniper's Knot: ~$4k USD

Higurashi (The Whole Series): ~$300k USD (Averaging like 400 reviews per game and $50 for the whole bundle)

House in Fata Morgana: ~$1 million USD

I picked these out mostly because these are the small handful of kinetic novels I have actually heard about. I'm not saying there aren't other, more successful ones I haven't heard about but I figure, if I'm supposed to be representative of my target audience, I'm as good of a sample as any for this wild estimation.

Besides, Higurashi has a whole anime -- it is definitely fair to use that as an upper end -- and Juniper's Knot -- a tiny game no one has heard of -- as the lower end. (I mean, $0 is the lower end, but... you know...)

This paints a pretty stark picture, honestly. Like, this is looking at 6 to 8 years of work for... maybe a couple thousand for me? Realistically? Maybe up to $300k if I'm super lucky and go viral? And I'm not saying that isn't LIFE CHANGING money but like in the MOST MIRACULOUS scenario here, I am compensated less than my current salary for my current magnum opus. But realistically, I'm looking at maybe $1-4k if I get lucky. I'm not a horror-writer and I'm not a romance writer -- I will not have THAT feral of a fanbase XD And on top of all of that, I don't even play that many kinetic visual novels. I'm barely in my own target demo here!

Now, compare that to the numbers I ran on RPGmaker games where you just do narrative and there is very minimal gameplay:

Rakuen: 4000+ Reviews, over $100k in profits estimated

To the Moon: $8 Million in profit

A Bird Story: Definitely sold worse than To the Moon, was cheaper to make and cheaper to buy -- estimated at $397k

Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea: Dunno cuz it's free BUT its manga adaptation has 267 reviews on Amazon -- so the creator COULD have made bank on the actual game

See how much higher those are? Even when they're not as well known? And sure, the bottom is still $0 ultimately but the upper limit, with the most successful of these titles (and incidentally, the video game that convinced me to get into Game Design) is much much higher.

"BUT BELLE! Laura Shigihara did the music on a lot of those! You don't have Laura Shigihara!"

Ok BET! I'll hire her! The base industry rate for music per minute is $100/min. Let's suppose now she charge 10x that, cuz she's famous -- $1k/minute of music. I get her to compose a 3 minute song for $3k BUT she also brings over... say... 5% of her audience to check out my game.

That's admittedly, a high conversion rate so we'll just take 5% of Rakuen. Now, I'm imagining I'd charge like $25/copy of my game because it's gonna be like 300k words -- people pay $25 for a book of that length, so if I have art and programming also, I can do that. With just her 5% of Rakuen reviewers (21 reviewers of her 4.3k), that's like $7k USD. So, she'd probably just pay for herself and then some.

And to top all this off: I'm back in the target demo. I am ABSOLUTELY the kind of person who will play a solodev's RPGmaker game and forgive all jank and flaws and lack of gameplay if the story, art, and music are good.

That is, of course, making the assumption that I'll make good music and art 🥺🥺🥺

Now obviously, all this is WILD guestimates so like. You shouldn't make business decisions off this. I'm barely making "business" decisions -- I'm making hobby decisions. I have a full time job and I intend to keep it. BUT I think it's pretty clear where the potential money might be for me -- RPGmaker games.

Eris (Blinking): Thank you for reading!

[pochapal]

As an avid Umineko understander, the cross thing is 100% censorship. Japanese censors don’t like bringing up fascism, at least not so directly. There also can’t be any direct references, or at least one that haven’t been approved of, to outside media and brands, which is why the gun Natsuhi holds isn’t referred to as a Winchester gun like it was in the original, and why Hideyoshi only calls it a “gun from a movie he loved” instead of the original line breing that it came from the Western “Wanted: Dead or Alive”

However unlike Higurashi’s console release, nothing important either thematically or in the story’s narrative is censored so you can continue with the translation you already have.

that's unfortunate. i've seen similar things in other translated japanese works (iirc one of the zero escape games had some kind of problem with their references? it's been a while since i played them so i may be misremembering but i recall something about those games and censorship) so i'm glad that outside of maybe a handful of exceptions nothing major has been affected in umineko. i guess you can also get away with it a little more in umineko because of the type of mystery game this is - relegating some of this stuff to subtext would technically clear the censors but wouldn't deprive a reader of the meaning.

interesting to hear that about higurashi. i guess maybe since higurashi is more horror-oriented (i am remembering that right aren't i?) this stuff is harder to tell in a more roundabout way so it ended up being censored beyond recognition? i'm more thankful than ever that umineko has a comparatively unproblematic "definitive" way to experience it without much friction.

[generalherasyndulla]

the bingo meme but exclusively villains from visual novels

SO to keep this simple I'm sticking to one villain per VN and I'm being strict in what I even define as a VN (so no danganronpa, zero escape, aini or ace attorney. although if anyone WANTS my opinion on character from those series my askbox is open)

That said except for a few exception most VN villains (at least from VNs I've played are kinda uhhhhh boring) so don't expect much interesting ANYWAY let's begin under the cut

Takano from Higurashi

You know you'd think I'd have more to see about Takano but like I don't. She's a good character and she works WELL within Higurashi but like I don't particularly love her, that said I also don't hate her. I even get why other people love her she doesn't really click for me in a way that other villains or even in a way that other higurashi characters do. She's a great character just not a blorbo at least for me.

Bernkastel from Umineko

Starting to realize this is gonna become repetitive because once again I like Bern, but most of this doesn't really apply to how I feel about her. She's good I like her character, but that's as deep as that goes.

Mitake Toujirou from Ciconia

So Ciconia is not complete yet so thoughts COULD change but for now GOD this man sucks but in an interesting way so far. I think the contrast between him seemingly being a doting and embarrassing father (in a society where parenthood isn't even a thing anymore) and being the kind of person who would just control his child's body to murder one of his friends makes for a very hateable dude. We don't know much about his motives yet but what we do see so far fucking uhhhhh sucks

Rikako Uematsu from Raging Loop

So I have mixed feelings on this one. Because on the one hand, Rikako is one of the only interesting characters in Raging Loop that has some form of depth. On the other hand that depth is underwritten within its narrative and is very grossly and unnecessarily sexualized. And even then she's made sympathetic and redeemed in a way that doesn't really work at least for me. Then again a lot of Raging's Loop's ending doesn't work for me AT ALL. I do think it's funny that there's like only one route she wins because she's just really bad at making her plan succeed. The concept of a failgirl villain is conceptually funny so she has that going for her!

Aimee Joubert The House in Fata Morgana

So Fatamoru is one of those series I'd argue doesn't really have a main villain. Like sure Morgana takes an antagonistic role in the game but like the whole point of its final door is to save her, and is about how even the men she cursed who did horrible things to her are still people and not complete monsters. Aimee however is only in Michel's chapter and is just an unlikeable person who tortures Michel because she can and has zero redeeming qualities. The backstage extra of fatamoru even call her the most evil woman in the game and yeah I agree she sucks SO much but that's the point.

Kimijima Kou from Robotic;sNote

Shout out to Kimijima for being them most memorable and interesting villain in the entire sciadv series. There's really one other sciadv villain I'm gonna talk about her but like purely going off of canon Kimijima is the best written villain. It's hard to really talk about him since what works about him is the plot twist that he actually is a villain but it works really well! He sucks but he's fun to hate. A solid villain for a deeply underrated VN

Wakui from Chaos;Child

So there's not a really a lot of Wakui in canon and he's not even well developed or anything. BUT as you the bitch asking this question know we have talked a LOT about chaos;child and various headcanons and I'm just attached to our version of Wakui that we expanded canon off of so I appreciate him because of that (and the dog that we decided he definitely has)

Maya from Slow Damage

There are technically other characters I could have chosen for Slow Damage but I think Maya is the most interesting of the Slow Damage villains. Sure she's dead before the start of the VN but she really just haunts the game, especially in Fujieda's route, as the awful manipulative person who tried to groom her son into being just like her. She's vile and will gladly hurt others to achieve what she wants, including Towa but she's not just a one-dimensional hate-sink. Towa finding her diary does help give more depth to her in a way that doesn't remotely excuse her actions or tries to redeem her. In fact it's just an effective to show how she has failed because Towa is not like her. He's not alone like she was and he never will be. (and god slow damage is SO fucking good y'all.)

Alphard from 428 Shibuya Scramble

Alphard is such a FUN villain I don't have much to say about her if only because she's more of a plot twist villain BUT the reveal is done SO well and she has SUCH a presence when the reveal happens too. She also kinda wins at the end which is fascinating and really sells the whole brilliant criminal mastermind thing. Even when she loses she wins!!! Also I haven't watched the anime spinoff yet but whatever the fuck is happening with Canaan is probably gay so good for her. She sucks but also we love a girlboss!

Shuu from Hatoful Boyfriend

Yeah I can't justify anything here I just really love Shuu he sucks SO much but also he genuinely doesn't know any other way of being. Sometimes you fuck up EVERYTHING because you're gay and thought genocide was the best way to help a child???? Literally there is SO much wrong with him and I love that for him <33 Also his human design is kinda hot so there's that going for him too.

Ryouta from Lucid9

He sure is a murder man and that's about it really. He sucks but he serves his purpose in the game well so. meh

Toue from drammatical murder

It's been years since I played dmmd and all I remember about him is his line about being able to "stylishly and drammatically murder someone" that's never fucking elaborated on. the fuck was he talking about????

Monika from doki doki literature club

My opinion on ddlc is mainly that it's fine for what it is but Monika's a pretty good character within it not gonna lie. Idk I have a soft spot for her and she makes me :)

Inubushi Keiko from Remember11

Wow a serial killer with DID how groundbreaking :/ Tbh the only interesting thing about her is that she's involved in the whole body swap through time thing so sometimes she is possessed by a fucking baby and a real woman who is freezing to death and ultimately dies. Idk she doesn't do much for me and as a character herself shes one of the weaker aspects of remember11

and that's all I could think of VN villains (besides some sciadv ones I left out because eh sciadv villain are mostly boring). Enioy whatever this is :)

[chuunijianghuyuri]

Could you imagine an alternate universe where that Higurashi gacha game whatever the fuck it was called was as popular and made as much money as Fate Grand Order? On one hand we'd DEFINITELY get Ciconia, on the other hand I don't want to live in a world where Higurashi and When They Cry becomes known as the gacha game with loli shit series. I think I'd literally rather die at that point, after Ciconia is finished of course.

[tamarakkoarchive]

Shin Megami Tensei II livetweet thread (7/8)

finally moved my ass to finish the law ending and i.... i.... where do i fucking begin

okay guys so remember that the reason that i wanted to go through all the snes games was due to pressure of understanding the smt4a themes and then i went through the stage of finding a lot of aspects of mt2 and smt1 being done better than later titles

so... smt2 was basically the game that made me go "...okay, i DEFINITELY prefer the smt4 rendition of this" instead

~

i think the story is a lot more branched here so i'll have to see the rest of the routes to understand how everything went down but as of now all i can say is that i'm beyond appalled with how... awfully confusing the law side is

i'll try to summarize the whole route in green text form because again it's too much shit to put in screenshots

> be zayin > be goody two shoes that work for the church, unaware you're a clone > comes aleph, "church bad actually" > "shit he's right, i must side with the struggling people"

> try to convince everyone to rebel against the state's dictatorship, realize a lot of people are too afraid to speak up > decide to use myself as a shield, tresspass to fight the leaders and see a fake yhvh

> "oh i get it... the reason church bad is because the law guys are evil and fake. we must strive to be the Good and Authentic law guys instead" > "ALSO i remember now, i was originally a half-angel half-demon entity. that means i have the power to fairly judge everything"

> "anyway Humanity Is Full Of Sin And Must Receive Divine Punishment By The True God" > escape with aleph and hiroko and a group of selected people on a spaceship > shoopdawoop the whole planet > arrive to (the true) yhvh congratulating them

> "btw yhvh You Are Also Full Of Sin For Making Such Genocide Happen In The First Place And Now We'll Fucking Kill You For Last" > kill yhvh AGAIN >

me: hmm the massacre ending in smtiva has something to comment about nanashi and yhvh but i can't pinpoint exactly what me beating the law route in smt2:

so... before further discussion, let's just comment on this little aspect

>smt4 trio shares the naming theme with the smt1 guys (futsuo = average man = flynn/furin) (waruo = bad man = walter/waruta) (yoshio = good man = jonathan/yonatan) what if i told you... nanashi has a similar thing going on with aleph >the names of aleph & the smt2 eugenic babies are hebrew alphabet letters. yhvh is god in the hebrew bible

>you don't pronounce aleph. just like you aren't supposed to pronounce... yhvh >nanashi technically was found as a orphan and named as the jpn equivalent for John Doe... so if he stays with this name (which is preferred by his adoptive family), it'd technically turn out as he having no name of his own for someone to pronounce...

~

me: fans often say smt2 is centered on law themes just like nocturne is centered on chaos. if demifiend went chaos because everyone was an asshole and he didn't have much choice, i wonder what would make aleph go to law me: me: lord HE'D BE A BACKSTABBING BITCH FOR ALL THE ALIGNMENTS

that initial plot point of the church being bad because of a fake yhvh giving the impression they were onto a less fascist law route and then zayin just keeps fucking changing his mind and puts both the humanity and yhvh on the same murder list like WHAT SIDE ARE YOU FUCKING ON

LIAR!!!!!!!!!

LIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR

i'm going full higurashi rena at this dude. i can't fucking take this.

he says all this shit in defense of a being that he ends up nonchalantly effing moments latter. if yhvh was fascist then satan goes triple fascist

the funniest thing is that despite all my horror with zayin's character arc he STILL doesn't beat chiaki

to be fair what made zayin sting so much is that he goes from moderate conservative to labor activist and then to EXTREME eugenicist while chiaki on the other hand never gave us any expectation she cared for other people so the shock wasn't as big when she started spewing n4zi nonsense

~

good news guys, there are chaos and neutral runs on youtube so that means i don't have to play them myself ❤️

okay since the struggle is over let's just look at the art. beth and hiroko. so since lilith gets rejected by the smt1 protagonist (adam) over the heroine (eve), i guess... kaneko this time wanted the protagonist staying with a canon bdsm gf?? COUGH i mean... his bdsm mommy

it's not that i hate slutty designs, but the tone shift caused by hiroko is REALLY too distracting for me lmao. i gotta repeat over a hundred times, this bitch 1. worked for the church 2. had a completely average personality

funnily the incest aspect would be the one thing that would make me invested in her relationship with aleph but after dr mekata dropped the bomb and she got mad at him, the game never.... touches on the subject again

~

holy shit guys, just realized this is the sample that gave origin to the iconic fiend theme in nocturne

and smt2 is the first game w fiends in it! but they don't play this theme or any different one from the normal battle sadly but ngl they felt so irrelevant in smt2 that the music deserved its real debut in nocturne

dying at the name this streamer picked for hiroko

~

man i'm so disappointed on both of these streamers not talking to overworld npcs that i'm pretty sure have different dialogue depending on the route. this is already a game with barely much written text damn

basically a plot point in the chaos route is that you gotta help astaroth return to its true form ishtar so the barren lands where demons are originated can go back to being fertile again and you see this little guy being born

but the fucking stream didn't talk to this npc! why do i know this scene exists then? because of a post i reblogged on tumblr 6 years ago and saved it on the tag which is why i could go back to get these

it me

~

okay so i watched all the endings, read a smt2-specific interview with the devs, even reread the neutral route again in a let's play thread so i could extra check for stuff i didn't notice before so let's pass the judgement

what makes this title stand out individually in the mainline series? A: worldbuilding (it goes the deepest regarding how society with monsters and humans would work, the clash between different religions, the consequences with victims of war disasters etc)

smt1-2 are in a way the "must-play-to-understand-posterior-games" not necessarily for better characters or for better story, but basically so you can understand how certain key elements of the series work

a lot of explanation regarding why law and chaos don't mix together is left out in the other games. nocturne is almost empty on this matter, even smt4 where they play a big role you hardly know the full context of why they are fighting

hell SJ and smt4 go in such a superficial way that they end up making the chaos side severely nonsensical to understand. the lack of focus on the church causing the oppression on different religions undermines their cause a lot and end up just making them worse than the law cucks

for another smt2 tidbit, lucifuge is the fucker who created the demonic currency and it's even commented on how a messiah affects the economy

btw speaking of unspoke lore, you know a very random worldbuilding fact that is never brought up ever again? in mt2, they explain that guns = good for killing physical demons while swords = good for killing transcendent being like ghosts

[8bitsupervillain]

Higurashi When They Cry Hou Ch. 8 Matsuribayashi pt. 45

I often think about including little whinings about writing these all out, the sheer length of the chapter, and other such complaints. Sometimes I even write giant paragraphs about that, but then I just delete the entire thing. Way I figure it, you’re not here to listen to me bellyache about the writing of the playthroughs. Although I do have to say, it was weird when my word processor, and Firefox just seemed to not want to work together and actively had to shut it down in order for it to unfreeze one or the other. I think that was just because the programs were being childish and demanding updates.

A Fragment of Minagoroshi

I wonder how much of a pain it is to program a visual novel? Comparatively speaking, it’s got to be easier than programming an action game right? I’m not saying it’s simple by any means. My brief foray into web-development has destroyed any preconceptions I have about programming or development being easy.

As a brief reminder: Rule X is a person becomes violent under the influence of paranoid thoughts. Rule Y is Tomitake and Takano die on Watanagashi, and Rule Z is the Sonozakis always act like they’re responsible, regardless of whether or not they are. Just a brief refresher, and definitely not because I sort of forgot them myself.

Oh I sure did! Tsumihoroboshi almost finished me off, but I persevered god damn it!

I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say I believed in Rika and Hanyuu. Sheer stubborn refusal to let the visual novel beat me perhaps, also I wanted to see how they were going to work their way out of this one.

A Fragment of Himatsubushi

The reason why I tackled these last handful the way I did is because partially it made sense to me, but also I seem to recall when I clicked on Himatsubushi the game gave the vague implication that if I selected it right then I was locking myself into a bad ending. And I don’t have a save file before that to verify if that’s anything other than my paranoid thoughts. Onward!

Given the way the narrative acts the two most important people in the universe are Keiichi and Akasaka. Rika’s in there somewhere, in the middle of them.

A Fragment of Matsuribayashi

I guess this counts as a title drop.

And then the chapter became yet another flashback going over the entire rest of the chapter thus far. Really pad this sucker out.

Leftover Fragments

When you can’t finish the fragments, just pop em in the fridge for later. They’ll be fine.

This section, along with multiple parts that will be coming up in the future are actually part of the reason why I keep waffling on whether to experience Matsuribayashi for what would technically be the third time.