#dschehuti

[thewhitefluffyhat]

Dschehuti here. Nice fix fic prompt! I especially like how you really didn't limit yourself to fixing Gou, but went to construct an entirely new story around their existing flaws. My own wishes for Gou so far were sticking closer to the story I think Gou wants to tell. Up to Satoko meeting Featherine all would be the same, but when brought back to 1983 Satoko would have to deal with the tragedy triggers of her friends the hard way, no easy shortcut to Matsuriyabashi.

(cont’d) ... So Satoko would genuinely try to aim at a happy ending for herself and Rika where they work their issues out, but every time she tries one of their friends goes crazy and murder happens. After several such loops Satoko would be so worn down that she essentially gives up on reaching the future and is happy just keeping Rika in 1983, blissfully unaware that Rika is also looping and trying to fix things. Of course I guess that wouldn't quite end with a world so broken all they can do is leave..

(In reference to this.)

aaaaaaaaaaaaa omg you liked my fix it idea!  Yay!!  And yes, it may have started as just a short “what if” about Satoko still having the Syndrome, but partway through it also turned into “how can I expand on Satoko and Rika’s flaws from OG Higurashi in a way that leads to Gou?” 

But ooh, I really like your fix it idea too! That works much better with the existing Higurashi lore that the Matsuribayashi Fragment was so special and unique.  But of course poor Satoko wouldn’t know that, and oops, now they’re both back in looping hell. *insert Eua cackle*

I also find that a much more satisfying way for Satoko to learn the patterns of Rika’s loops.  Her merely watching them was rather underwhelming, but her actually living them… oof. Yeah, I could see her giving up and passively accepting 1983 as the end like Rika did for a while.

Though hm, you’re right that the real problem is where Gou is all going.  In your version, Satoko isn’t the culprit any more, just the reason Rika is looping again. But when Satoko eventually learns Rika’s side of things, I imagine there might be some angry words, but I can’t see them seriously fighting each other a la Lambda and Bern. And once they team up, it’s just a retread of the original ending, maybe with a few more Miotsukushi-esque bumps for them to overcome together rather than all the miracles lining up like in Matsuribayashi.

...might be interesting to revisit this idea once Gou is over, and we can actually talk about the end goal!

[thewhitefluffyhat]

Dschehuti here. Interesting that you are tagging theories about a theme of the club drifting away from each other. I had a conversation yesterday where it struck me that Ryukishi was involved in a story with such a theme already: Country Girl from Trianthology!

Well now, that's very interesting! Ryukishi does like to revisit and reuse his themes, so that seems a potential point in the theory's favor.

...Given that Piece shows up in Saku, I guess I really should add Trianthology to my "even more Ryukishi07 works to read list." orz

[thewhitefluffyhat]

Dschehuti here, maybe you are interested in my ramblings about the latest Gou episode: reddit com/r/Higurashinonakakoroni/comments/jywxr1/okay_lets_review_all_the_clues_in_watadamashi/

Finally had a chance to read this! Seems like we saw most of the same clues, and have more or less the same timeline of when it's Mion vs Shion!  Though I disagreed on a few points that led me to think Rika's death was still Shion rather than a Player X.

Granted, I still need to invoke some kind of unknown for whatever is happening with Takano and Tomitake.  But I just find "Unknown X" as a major culprit to be so unsatisfying, I do everything I can to avoid it in my own theories, haha.  Even if it might make more sense, honestly...

[thewhitefluffyhat]

Beato here. Yeah, the ending had its issues. Hanna as a villain sucked. I liked the implication that she saw Mikoto die and snapped, but her actions were so prolonged and specific that she ended up being just another generic 'crazy bitch'. I did like Nanaka seeking out a duel, going straight after her soul gem and seemingly sparing her just to see what happens when a soul gem turns black. About where WTC fans hang out... no idea. With the death of Rokkenjima I can only throw WTC at acquaintances

Yep, that was exactly my problem with Hanna too!  I think she had potential, but when even she herself admits her complicated plans were just random, it's hard to get invested in her or the trouble she causes.  Either a trickster with a whimsical personality, or a girl bitterly taking out her anger on the world might have worked, but the combination really didn't land.

Aw, so you're in the same boat as me with searching for other WTC fans, then.  Well, hopefully with so much new stuff on the horizon, maybe it will be easier to spot the activity hubs?

(cont) ...Still "Beato", supplemental: Your are responsible now! Without you I never would have known that Higurashi Mei was a thing! And my first reaction was an aghast "How would a Higurashi Mobage with mobs and loot even work? Would you beat up classmates for lunch money or what?!?". So I had to check it out! And the story from my first impressions seems to be OVA level stupid, so I feel inclined to write a goddamn fanfic about the Cast realizing with astonishment that they are in a Mobage now. Gaaaah!

Ahahaha, there's nothing like throwing someone else into a gacha hell to realize you're not in it! 

...Except the reason I'm queueing up these asks is because I plan to spend several hours tonight reset marathoning so I can finally start the game too.  (Why do I do this to myself...)

I think Mei's writer is supposed to have written some of the console-only Higurashi arcs, so you're probably spot-on if you say it reads like an OVA.  The initial website's story description seemed interesting, but if it's really that bad then I probably won't stay with it for long.  :/  

If you do write that fanfic, though, do send it to me!  :D

[thewhitefluffyhat]

"Beato" here (damn my naming choice, I usually go by Dschehuti, Beato is just my Little Kyubey, but you already made a tag for these convos XD). Good luck with Higurashi then. I already made an account (this time it IS Dschehuti), but the game so far had been only aiding in my Japanese learning endeavor by making me try to read maintainance notices. What is going on for it to have this messy a start? And the black cat Madoka saved guided Homura to Madoka's corpse? What?! Which adaptation? Manga?

Haha, xkit exists for a reason!  Your asks have now been re-tagged~

And yeah, Higurashi Mei got off to a really rough start.  Their twitter account posted something about a third party attack being the cause, which if it's true, oof.  I agree with the twitter commentators, it was clearly Oyashiro-sama's curse.  XD

The black cat guiding Homura is from the drama CDs!  The wiki article on her explains the story of the CD pretty well.

Edit: Also, I was wrong and @leafbladie‘s note is entirely correct - Amy leads Homura to the Walpurgisnacht battle, and Madoka was still alive when she got there.  

(Honestly, taking Homura there just in time to watch Madoka have a brief moment of hope and then die seems even more Bernkastel-like...)

(cont)... Still "Beato". Keep in mind in regards to my criticism about Higurashi Mei that I'm basing this on the premise alone as I can't read it yet. In my mind a mobage would only work if they had placed it in the Outbreak timeline as a zombie apocalypse or, if they went the wacky route, by having the whole story be an elaborate club activity. Like the South Park games, that would even justify the silly costumes! But... actual demon mobs? Hanyuus colleagues wrecking stuff? Nooo... that's just stupid...

Having actually attempted to read some of Mei now, I'd actually say you got pretty close!  I still don't understand where the Tsukuyomi monsters come from, but using silly costumes to fight them is indeed a club activity in this weirdo world!  

Overall, I'm actually somewhat intrigued by the game's writing?  The "transform and fight monsters" premise is still by far the weakest part, but the actual story doesn't really focus on it that strongly.  

Instead, the first three chapters read more like a remix of Onikakushi (and some Watanagashi) but with Kazuho and Miyuki replacing Keiichi in joining the club and slowly learning about the curse incidents from Tomitake and Takano (and a new writer lady called Midori?  Not sure if she's a new character or not).  Kazuho's whole "girl from the future who was too young at the time goes back to the past to learn the cause of the tragedy that killed her family and ruined her life" also gives me really strong Ange vibes.  

And since I really don't like Keiichi and I quite like Ange, I find the result to arguably be an improvement?  Much less perving on the club members, much more Kazuho reconnecting with a past and place she idealized but barely remembers any more.  

The game also has a pretty decent and self-aware sense of humor, from what little I can understand?  Like, there's a scene in Chapter 2 where the girls call Tamurahime on a pay phone, which immediately devolves into Miyuki ragging on the goddess for making mortals do her dirty work.  And then realizing that hey, being able to literally call up a goddess to complain whenever you want is actually pretty convenient~!

At which point Tamurahime explains that the phone line won't always work because <insert time magic technobabble here>, quickly gives them their next objective, and hangs up on them.

Smooth.

[thewhitefluffyhat]

Hi there once again! 'Beato' here. An anime adaptation doesn't has the time constraints of a stage play and also I think after Rebellion ending on a cliffhanger having another show end on one will cause the fans to eat the writers alive. That's why I don't think they are going to try that. Now Ciconia... admittedly, I will wait for the first reviews to tell me whether it feels enough like When they Cry, because I don't like the setting. Also my god Momoko acting kinda like Mion blew my mind!

Haha, oh boy, I hadn’t considered the Rebellion connectionin that light.  I know people are alreadyunhappy we’re getting this instead of a Rebellion sequel, so yeah, when you putit that way, the rage at a MagiReco cliffhanger would probably be legendary.

…I’m not sure I trust Aniplex (or whoever greenlit this)enough to believe they’ll realize that, though. I think I’ll split the difference and invest in popcorn just in case.

*

Yeah, I was really surprised by the far-future Ciconiasetting.  I suspect that even if it’sgood, it still won’t overtake Umineko as my favorite WTC, since so much ofUmineko’s setting and music and aesthetics is extremely my thing.

I’m still willing to give it a chance, though – in particular,I’m both excited and wary to see characters from all over the globe.  It could be really good, or it could beterrible.  But the last time Iunderestimated Ryukishi, it caused me to spectacularly miss the solution toUmineko, so I’m not making that mistake again!

And if nothing else, if Miyo is there, then Lambdadelta isat least spectating, and I want to know aaall the details for that.

Anyway, if you do find well-written reviews around launch, I’dbe interested to read them myself too!

[thewhitefluffyhat]

Hi there, "Beato" again. If that other Chara account that added me on JP is indeed you, then kudos to your detective work and you weren't kidding about your miracle luck! That max-slotted Madokami is pretty impressive! I also have to say that I would really like to hear what irked you so much last week. There is nothing wrong with criticizing the stuff we like for its problematic parts. Fortunately this fandom is not as hostile as the Fate one where you get attacked from all sides for doing so.

Whoops, this is super late, sorry!!

Yes, I’m Chara on both JP and NA!  And so much for my miracle luck – it justtook me 733 rolls to max out Holy Alina last weekend.  DX

(Thank goodness for AkuHomu hoarding?)

Ah, yeah, that thing.  It was such a “oh no, the game ruined my weird headcanon, how ~sad~” trivial-sounding criticism that I decided against posting the full rant anywhere.  But since you asked, here’s the short version!

*

So that “favorite trash ship” I mentioned was AliMifu.  I was really enthusiastic about it for a while, to the point of putting together an outline for a fanfic with them.

And what interested me about Alina’s character is that she might be a terrible person, but it’s implied she’s a genius artist because she sees beauty in unusual places.  While most people find witches scary/ugly, Alina loves them.  While Karin’s manga attempts are rough and amateurish, Alina sees potential in her. Etc.

So, I thought, wouldn’t it make sense if that pattern was true for Alina’s obsession with Mifuyu as well?  After all, Yachiyo is actually a professional model, yet Alina shows no interest in her body while instead gushing over Mifuyu.  Perhaps there was something that made Mifuyu’s body unusual and not typically attractive by today’s standards, then?

For example, maybe Mifuyu was more of a “classical/Renaissance” style of beautiful, instead of fitting the modern “thinness is everything” style that Yachiyo presumably is.  Or if not exactly that, then something along those lines.  

That’s what I liked to headcanon, anyway…  

Now, I never expected the game to actually confirm this interpretation, but I wascontent just leaving the possibility open as a fun, plausible idea.  (So I could then use it in my fanfic, of course, haha.)

Unfortunately, the interaction in Mifuyu’s costume story slams the door shut on any interpretation like this.  As soon as Mifuyu gains weight, as soon as she fails to be conventionally attractive, Alina completely loses interest in her.  That’s the entire point of Mifuyu’s swimsuit costume story, and of Alina’s comments on the event’s battle node select screen as well.

And thus, since “Alina sees beauty in unconventional places” isn’t necessarily true anymore, then Alina herself loses a lot of potential to be an interesting and unique character in my eyes.

 *

The summer event also confirms something I’d been worried about with Mifuyu as well.  Namely, that the writers have no idea what to do with her.

It was starting to get apparent when Mifuyu sacrifices herself in Ch9, and neither Alina nor Yachiyo are given a chance to be affected.  Like, after all the Ch5 buildup of Alina wanting to protect Mifuyu, and the foreshadowing that Alina might overuse her doppel and/or turn into a witch… nothing comes of it.  I also liked Mifuyu’s backstory with Yachiyo and Kanae, I liked her early interactions with Magius and the protagonists… but apparently none of those plot threads will get developed either.

Then, post-Ch10, it seems like the writers completely ran out of material for her, so they’re just repeating the same lazy “joke” about “Mifuyu is getting old (and fat)!!” ad infinitum.  So now any time Mifuyu feels positive about herself, the story tears her down.  Seriously, even the AliMifu swimsuit memoria is another comment repeating that exact same beat.  :/

It’s hard to care about a character anymore when she’s getting turned into an even more one-note punchline than Saotome-sensei.

*

Like I said, this cratered my interest pretty badly at the time, but Kuro(e) in the anime intrigues me and at the very least I’ll be playing NA until next summer since I want to read the InuCurry Valentines and Summer events in translation.

But with the AliMifu writing on thin ice and the YachiIro unit for the anniversary, I really don’t have high hopes for MagiReco Arc 2…

[thewhitefluffyhat]

Dschehuti here. Yeah, you are right, the lack of jiggle physics and the surprisingly reasonable swimsuits so far are a plus. I even like Mion's sporty one-piece. Even in the character portraits so far have been mostly fine, only Shion seems to continuously get the short end of the stick in regards to camera angles (next to Angel Mort Mion... and what the fuck is the deal with Angel Mort Satoko?). And isn't Magical Girl Satoko already in the game as a SR? Anyway, I add you once maintenance ends!

I don't have much to say here, other than that I agree with all these observations!  

Also yeah, SR Satoko seems to use her magical girl hammer, though she's more clown themed than straight magical girl, in my opinion.  (Maybe she and Himika or Ayaka could form a team, haha.)

(cont) Just added you! It is odd though. Higurashi Mei doesn't allow you to follow people back, but does have a "mutual friend" marker in your friend list. Somehow they didn't think this through. Also the update seems to have killed "Magia" animations, at least for me it's now in slow motion. Lovely.

Yeah, it's a very weird system.  You can't see who is following you, which seems like it would discourage users interacting with each other.  And yet there's the clubs for chatting, which is far more direct user interaction than Magireco has.  

There's also the way that the event characters don't give bonuses when used as supports.  It's such a minor thing, but it's a really strange decision.  Don't you want to encourage whales to show off their new units, and encourage F2P to reward the whales by using them?

And hm, I seem to have dodged the bug somehow.  My Limit Skill animations are still playing just fine, though they now have a kind of bloom lighting effect on them.  I wonder if that was intended or another bug?