#that one scene from omori

[tabis-picnic-corner]

“You won't leave me? Right, Agoti?”

I tried and I failed miserably don't @ me for this.

[clegfly]

“Of course you have an Other Brother,” he says, waving off her denial as he opens some nearby cabinets. “Who else would I be if I wasn’t?”

Small WIP sketch of the Other Brother from IDKSomethingClever99’s fic “Mari in the Pink Palace”!!! OMORI and Coraline are my two biggest interests ever so this fic was like winning the lottery for me. Not to mention how good it is… please go read it ragh

[aria0fgold]

Omori was created for the sole purpose of protecting the dreamer, Sunny. Keep him from anything harmful, keep him from discovering the Truth, anything that can possibly hurt him. And Omori resolved to do so from start to finish, a mechanical clockwork of duty he had been enacting for 4 years. It’s so simple, and oh so easy for him.

Except, it wasn’t.

Not when he started gaining his own sentience, not when he started thinking for himself. Not when everything started to fall apart as he recalled all the past resets.

Arriving in Blackspace always mean one thing. The dreamer is close to discovering the Truth again. An area that is ever changing and never constant, with pitch black doors leading to cursed sights that Sunny buries deep in his mind, it’s something that Omori had gotten used to.

“Omori... You came back for me!”

It seems he had chosen a door leading to Basil’s one of many deaths. He’s used to it.

“Watermelons sure are delicious!“

He’s used to it.

“Summer vacation with friends was the best, wasn’t it?“

He’s used to it.

Walking to the far right, finding themselves in a room full of watermelons scattered about with Basil closely following behind in silence. He’d cut open every watermelon he sees for the key, the way out of the place. Until his cut was directed to Basil instead, turning it bits and pieces of a bloody watermelon staining the floor behind him. He didn’t look, and instead continued to cut the one in front of him, grabbing the key to hurriedly leave the place with pursed lips. Unbeknownst to him that he subconsciously bit his inner cheek, not too much so as to draw blood, but it is an action foreign to a boy with neither a will and emotion of his own. Supposedly.

Omori continued opening the other doors.

. . .

“Oh, thank goodness you’re here, Omori. I thought I was gonna be stuck here forever.“

Another impending death. Omori stared at Basil for a moment, trapped within a large cobweb. He easily gets him free with one slash.

“Phew... That feels so much better.“

He led the way just the same as he once did with the other one.

“You know... I think spiders are really misunderstood...” Basil started to talk again.

Omori merely listened in silence.

“There’s so many spiders here all of a sudden...“

They continued to walk again. Omori tightly clutched his knife. He’s feeling a certain emotion he has yet felt at all, he doesn’t know what to describe it as.

“Ack! They’re biting me!”

The feeling grew. What is it, what would the others describe it as. Omori glanced at Basil. There were too many spiders on him, it made Omori feel uneasy. Was it uneasiness? No, it couldn’t be. Basil was comforting the spiders, awaiting Omori to move again.

They’ll hurt him. They’ll kill him.

Another impending death...

Could I... prevent that?

Omori took a deep breath as he turned around.

“Wh-what is it, Omori? Why are you holding your knife like that?“

“Stay still...“

Omori carefully swatted the spiders away with the blunt side of the knife before slashing them with its blade.

“Oh! Th-thanks! But.. ack!“

He kept at it. Yet no matter how much he swat away and kill, more emerges from seemingly nowhere. And soon, there was far too many of them.

“There’s so many of them... I can’t get them off!“

Omori can only watch in horror as Basil was engulfed by them.

I couldn’t prevent it...

Perhaps, he never could. Omori continued on to find the key and open another door.

[stardustdiiving]

Last night I stayed up until 3am to do the masquerade of the guilty archon quest and evidently the part I felt most compelled to live tweet was the Furina Being Sad And Tormented Montage

[goshenite-fanboy]

[pebblesgum]

More versions under the cut

Version with actual motion blur

[sirenspells]

[Amnesiac Omori AU]

You should’ve never come back! You should’ve never been born at all!!

[biocrafthero]

Okay im back. This game is so good for my mental health honestly /srs

[beevean]

I fear no man. But that thing...

... it scares me.

Currently replaying OMORI because I'm a masochist with my best friends @beevean and @the-crow-binary providing emotional support lmfao. Even despite how soul-crushingly boring it is, I think we're still having some sort of fun with this clusterfuck of a game

Highlights (and the misc. problems we've managed to spot) so far include:

I already knew that this game's length was detrimental to it during my first solo playthrough, but this playthrough is helping me put into perspective just how bloated OMORI is, even when it comes to an aspect like dialogue. For example, a single conversation between Space Boyfriend and the main cast took us approximately 5 minutes to get through, and it's not like the writing is gripping enough to make us give a shit about the characters or anything they're saying

Speaking of the dialogue, you can just see how hard it tries to be witty and Quirky™ the way Earthbound and indie RPGs like Undertale were. Needless to say, it fails horribly, and the end result of that was me having to fast-track some conversations because they were unfunny and weren't relevant at all

I got unintentionally (!) stuck in White Space for 15-20 minutes because I couldn't find the map the game needed me to find to let me open the door. Beev came to hate the repetitive 8-bit BGM the area had by the time I finally found the map lol. game_design.exe

Headspace's music is so ear-gratingly abysmal oh my god. I can only call it "dollar-store Kirby music" because that's the most appropriate description that comes to mind and I'm pretty sure Lost at a Sleepover gave Beev severe PTSD. Of course, the music of Faraway Town isn't any better: the "track" that plays in the first fight with Aubrey is less music than it is the result of an .exe file being put through an audio player. Sonic Chronicles might have some serious competition in the "worst video game soundtrack" category asdfghjkl

The plot of the Faraway Town segments is so cookie-cutter that it genuinely hurts to sit through. Character writing (or the lack thereof) aside, Sunny and Kel spend half a day loitering around the town and asking Aubrey's cronies where she is even though Kel could've easily gotten that information from Mikhael had he just indulged the latter's delusions of grandeur a little bit

Sunny's fights against his fears are boring. You just need to wait until a particular turn when the game grants you a special skill you use to end the fight immediately. What was the point of designing these hallucinatory monsters if the player doesn't get to fight them at any point during the main route?

Aubrey (ostensibly) swinging at a nail bat at Sunny is not treated with the same degree of realism as Sunny slashing her with a knife. Additionally, Aubrey rides away on her scooter just fine even though she's supposed to be bleeding

Mari's picnic baskets are inexplicably scattered all across the town and fulfill the exact same function as they do in Headspace. So much for realism!

I won two of the fights against Aubrey's goons even though I was trying to lose. gameplay.exe

Sunny is even more unpleasant of a character than I remember. He doesn't even respond to Basil - who is supposedly his best friend - when the latter talks to him and barges into the church despite Kel's advice to wait until the sermon ends

Kel generally seems to treat Sunny like an actual baby, spelling out incredibly obvious things to the latter (e.g. that Sunny shouldn't be carrying a knife or walking in the road because it's dangerous) and making all of Sunny's decisions for him, to the point of not allowing Sunny to return into his own house until nighttime under the pretense of "there's so much to do! it's a brand new day!"

Finally, the "fight" against Sunny's fear of spiders at the end comes completely out of nowhere since nothing triggered said fear during Sunny's adventures outside

Peak game, everyone.

And it's going to get way worse down the line!

[ask-bad-end-sunny]

So...can...can I just say that...this scene was totally Omori overcoming Sunny in that moment?

In the game, I always thought it was the same way, or that Sunny was just having a really hard time distinguishing dreams from reality...but, here, you can see the reflection in the blade, how his eye changes to one that's more dull...how, in his thoughts he's NOT wanting to hurt Aubrey like this

Idk maybe it's just me, but that's what I'm seeing going on here...

- 💛

[pineappleciders]

i think one of the greatest representations in omori is that for so many mentally ill people, your mind is your greatest enemy. for so many people myself included, self-sabotage and the urge to not want to get better is something that holds people back so much. for sunny, the entire game is him running and running away from the truth and fighting himself and his own mind. and after losing omori boss fight by omori who will not succumb, instead of repeating the cycle, he stands and plays the violin. he plays just how mari always wanted him to. he plays the real duet, and all of the scenes during final duet are all REAL memories. and not once after that does he succumb back into headspace, it's all reality. i think he's one of the most mentally strong willed characters in realistic fiction, and is also an amazing representation of mental illness.

[imbecominggayer]

Writing Advice: Too Many Characters

A common advice when writing stories is "don't write too many characters". But, like with everything creative and good, there is no definitive answer to how many characters should be in a book!

So I will be discussing numerous variables in storytelling which impacts how many characters you should have and what makes something in a book "pointless".

Themes! Themes! Themes! (Omori Spoilers, Not Too Much)

The most important question that a writer has to ask themself is "what is this scene/book/media trying to do?". If your story is based on the relationships we have with others and the impact they can have on our psyche then having a close-knitted community of people will drive the message of intimate connection better then just having more people in there. If your story is focused primarily on introspection, looking inward, individuality, and other spiritual activities then the protagonist is more likely to spend longer durations of the media by themselves.

An example of these to forces is the popular game of Omori.

(SPOILERS ABOUT OMORI<3)

Omori is a game that focuses on acceptance first and foremost. Self-acceptance to be more specific. Due to the fact that the game is a piece of introspection both for Sunny and for the player, the most important moments in the game such as the "reveal" sequence of pictures and Black Space are ones that are done on your own.

However, the game also prioritizes the relationships Sunny has between his friends as this serves as motivation for the final duet. The final duet was an act of bonding as Mari and Sunny just wanted to spend time together, doing something they liked.

The introspection moments are pushed towards the end of the game because it's only when Sunny has that support and belief in his friends, can he rise above his doubt and shame and fear.

2. What Is The Purpose Of This Character?

All characters need to have a purpose in the narrative. Both within the context of the world and in the context of the book.

Within the context of the world, they need a goal that is going to impact the protagonist either positively or negatively.

Within the context of the book, what is this character giving to the audience that wouldn't otherwise be there?

Pro tip: All the characters you have need to have more then one purpose! Characters that give exposition can't JUST give exposition.

If you have a love interest that can be cut out without taking away a vital part of the story either from a thematic(theme) standpoint or a narrative(plot) standpoint, just replace them with an object and move it along!

If you have an ally character that only shows up twice and can be changed into "I went down to the store to buy these items", give that "ally" tag to someone more story relevant"!

3. Priorites?

Ask yourself this: "Do I have the book length to dedicate time to this person?"

If the answer is no, follow my next steps. If the answer is yes, here is how to make them better.

When I say "prioritize", I mean you need to figure out what type of character this character is. Are they a main character? A side character? Cannon fodder? A symbol? WHAT ARE THEY?

Also, can you give these character responsibilities to someone else? This simultaneously gives those characters deeper complexity and eliminates more characters

Example: Love Interest, after being trapped by the villain, uses their intelligence in order to provide information about the villain to the hero. (Love Interest + Ally + Informant)

Example: Friend is revealed to be a double agent on the side of the Villain. However, it's revealed that Friend was secretly a triple agent who is finally redeemed from their original believed betrayal. They're back to being an ally. (Friend + Betrayer + Ally + Enemy)

[clegfly]

Thought I had today that I decided to doodle. Oh em gee I wonder what musical cleg’s been obsessing over for the last like month

[aria0fgold]

I just got to thinking... Moments where a character argued with their loved one only to find out next day something bad happened to them is some wonderful angst, but I think the opposite is also equally devastating.

Moments where you happily said "See you later!" or "See you tomorrow!" or even moments where you excitedly planned a hangout with them. Fully expectating to still be able to talk to your loved tomorrow, to still be able to spend time with them, only to find out that they're gone, whether it'd be they're missing or dead, is soul-crushing.

Cuz everything wasn't out of the ordinary the day before, it was just any other normal day, like all the other days before that too. Everything was fine, so where did it all go wrong?

[dreamer1084]

Natsuyuu Anime S7EP8 VS Manga Vol22 Ch.87

Anime removed the line "What's your emergency..." and changed the tone of the dialogue to be more straightforward (there are a lot of dialogue changes in anime that just change the tone, so I won't repeat it)

Pseudo Natsume's facial expressions were different.

Pseudo Natsume's dialogue was simplified.

Anime added a scene on the first night that Nishimura was startled when he saw pseudo Natsume jumping from the second floor.

In manga, Natsume was simply passing by with some books, but in anime, he had obviously just finished using the washroom.

Anime included conversations among Natsume, Tanuma, Nishimura and Kitamoto who were worried about their test.

In anime, Nishimura was already sleep deprived at this time.

Added the background sound of Natsume and Tanuma talking and laughing, and Natsume had noticed something wrong with Nishimura.

Nishimura even bought snacks for pseudo Natsume.

A few more days of pseudo Natsume's visit, and Nishimura had lunch with friends.

Sasada, who only lived in the OP before, finally appeared in anime. (And the day was 20th May)

At this point in manga, Nishimura's lack of sleep made Natsume notice that something was wrong. Anime extended the test mentioned before and here Natsume was even more concerned about Nishimura's lack of sleep.

Nishimura in anime was obviously waiting for pseudo Natsume to visit during his studies, and he immediately ran to the window excitedly when he heard him.

What pseudo Natsume humed in manga should be a pure nasal song, and anime had lyrics. According to the director Omori-san, this song is "星めぐりの歌 (Lyrics: Kenji Miyazawa)". It was one of the songs when Omori-san asked Midorikawa-sensei what her impressions of this scene were. The BGM of anime was also adapted from this song.

In anime, Kitamoto was worried that Nishimura was studying too much, and Natsume said that he would go find out.

Deleted Nishimura's inner thought "You have become gentler, Natsume"

Converted some of Nishimura's internal dialogue into spoken dialogue, and added the action of pseudo Natsume unilaterally starting to walk.

Manga just depicted Nishimura looking at the moon and listening to pseudo Natsume's nasal voice. Anime added a lot of original scenes during their "walk" (the smell of the night, Nishimura saying that he was a little afraid of getting lost when going out at night, moon viewing in the park, flower viewing road)

In manga, pseudo Natsume had been leading Nishimura up to the second floor. In anime, as soon as they entered the house, pseudo Natsume disappeared. He led Nishimura by humming.

Deleted Nishimura's frightened shouting "T-the doll is moving...!?"

Anime added "after inserting that finger" in Nishimura's dialogue, so Natsume immediately knew that it was "the finger"

Anime deleted Nishimura suddenly remembering that he had never seen Natsume's left hand at night.

There were also subtle changes in Natsume's tone and sentence formation in anime.

Anime added how Natsume spied on Nishimura.

[sheep-sorbet]

while that is a pretty funny idea, it doesn't make sense to me still, because what sunny wants is what omori wants: to relive the past, forget the bad things that happened, to stop hurting and have fun with his friends forever. not everything omori does aligns with things that are ultimately good for sunny, as we see later on, but they are rooted in what omori thinks is sunny's best interest. so there's no reason not to play make-believe about this specific thing. (this is also based on the idea that the two are truly separate people which is up to interpretation)

that one i could believe, although i also don't think it's necessarily more likely than him not having a crush on her to begin with. but if we are operating under the assumption that he does, then this would check out as a potential reason why it doesn't go anywhere since his relationships with everyone else are stagnant as well.

that one definitely doesn't hold water to me, but i explained why above so i won't really rehash that. i just think it goes directly against other things we see in the game.

thanks @seven-oh-four and sorry for not being able to reply directly. curse of sideblog lol

okay i keep seeing it so i gotta ask something

Why does everyone in the omori fandom act like sunny definitively had a crush on aubrey? im not against the ship, it's cute, but it's left pretty intentionally ambiguous imo?

like, okay, the evidence people have is....headspace aubrey seemingly having a crush omori, and that one flashback scene where basil asks sunny if he has a crush on aubrey and he blushes. but my takeaway from that was very much just that basil was teasing sunny. most kids would blush/be embarrassed after being asked a question like that, whether it was true or not. BUT more importantly...

omori never reciprocates headspace aubrey's crush. he never even responds or shows any interest at all. and i don't think one can soundly argue that it's omori/sunny not letting himself have nice things, because the entire point of headspace is so he can have everything he wants, at least that was the initial point.

he wants mari to be alive, so she is. when headspace basil tries to bring up mari's death, he vanishes. up until things start to go wrong in headspace, every bit of trouble is nothing more than childish make-believe, problems that exist so sunny can fix them with his friends. wish fulfillment.

so, if he definitely had a crush on aubrey....wouldn't they already be dating in headspace? wouldn't aubrey's affection and love for him come up more often?

if anything, i think it's more likely that aubrey had a crush on sunny, and he picked up on that, but never felt comfortable enough to engage with it or reciprocate. we already know that the parts of his friends' personalities that bother him are still present in headspace, even if they are minimized to create idealized versions of them in his head. so it seems likely to me that headspace aubrey having a crush on omori is being treated the same way that headspace kel being annoying is treated. it happens, but he moves on from it.

he might like the attention headspace aubrey having a crush on him gives him, the same way he might like headspace kel being annoying or dumb makes him look in comparison. but ultimately, if he wanted something to come of it, it probably would have happened, and maybe even broken down as the story progressed.

that's just my thought process, anyways. again, no hate to the ship, its super cute. but i don't think it was necessarily meant to be canon, just a possibility at best. maybe there's yet more of this game i haven't seen that fuels that fire? i made sure to get every ending, but man, this game is so jam-packed with stuff.