u/columnal

I know Hinamizawa is based on the irl Shirakawa-go, and theres many places that directly translate between the two as being equivalents.

But where is Okinomiya based on? There are various photos and OG backgrounds that aren't from Shirakawa go... I get theyre less iconic and less interesting but is it known what city / area they were taken from and their inspiration? I've tried looking this up but I cant find anything on it.

I presume these photos were largely just taken without much thought put into them as the Hinamizawa ones... if Ryukishi07 even took them himself? I know the original background music was not created for Higurashi. Eitherway I find it intriguing.

I decided to do an "evil" entente playthrough where I empowered the British exiles in Canada and in my headcanon some variant of the cecil rhodes "round table" secret society were pulling the strings and decided to just subjugate the United States and restore anglosphere hegemony... so basically theres a new one world order controlled by the british exiles.

(I basically just annexed all of the american syndicalists then I just waited for the ACC and APG to weaken eachother and destroyed them both at the start of the 2wk)

I will say this is the most overpowered strategy I have ever done. Spamming armoured cars is good enough to suppress resistance in USA, meaning you get an absurd amount of industry (on top of the already large amounts you can get in canada proper).... i was able to easily build a 300 ship strong navy by 1941

I was able to singlehandedly overwhelm the UOB and COF primarily because I was just playing as the USA at this point pretty much lol. Very fun. I did make it balanced by forcing myself to keep physical garrison divisions and american loyalist paramilitary divisions in the USA and keeping some canadian divisions there.

anyway this is the best outcome for the american civil war and the british crown has a more legitimate claim than any of the illegitimate 1936 presidential candidates

I only ask because I've heard its a pretty divisive chapter, some people don't really like what it does to Rika and especially Hanyuu's character.

In my opinion Saikoroshi is probably one of, if not the best things Ryukishi has written in the Higurashi series, and it serves its purpose incredibly well as not only a conclusion to Rika's character but also just as an epilogue to the original 8 Chapters.

>!I think theres also a lot of misunderstanding and misinterpretation of it (Maybe I am too) but for me it is all about Rika just accepting that to be happy she has to distance her persona as a 'witch' and not fret about achieving the "perfect" world. She should be content with what she achieved in Matsuribayashi. !<

>!I think Rena often serves as a bit of a self insert for what Ryukishi07 is trying to convey in a way, and she summarises Imo what the arc is really trying to say right at the end,!<

>!"As soon as you compare different worlds, you're already overstepping your bounds as a person"!<
>!"We only ever have one world given to us, and we're made so that we can find happiness in it"!<

>!I guess its a pretty simple conclusion but I like how the series ultimately concludes with Rika just accepting to be a human. In order to accept her identity as Rika Furude she has to detach herself from her godlike Persona, and I always interpreted the chapter as Hanyuu teaching her this specific lesson, because normal people can't worry about the other world, they only have one, Rika also has to learn this lesson.!<

>!"Worrying about which of the two futures in the box was better was a job for those who werent human"!<

>!I've seen some people interpret all of this as blatant character assasination for Hanyuus character because they interpret all this as Hanyuu saying she wish she never helped Rika at all. But I feel like this is a pretty bad oversimplifcation of Hanyuus morals and agenda in regards to Rika and how she feels by the end of Saikoroshi.!<

I really like Saikoroshi. I think theres even more to say and I think its unfairly not given as much attention, but imo its really the essential final concluding piece to Higurashi. I just love how Ryukishi07 ended it on a poignant conclusion for Rika/The Club but also I think it serves well as a final meta message to the reader in a way.

10/10 Absolute Cinema.

I just finished Higurashi's final chapter and epilogue, Saikoroshi, so I guess I've basically completed the core and essential parts of Higurashi now. I'm kind of bummed out because I know im going to miss this series, I already feel kind of empty after finishing Saikoroshi.
I felt like sharing my thoughts here because well the novel does encourage you to discuss it, and it took my forever to finish so I thought I might as well.

Saikoroshi
I really liked Saikoroshi as a conclusion to the series. I don't hate Matsuribayashi as an ending, but Saikoroshi really makes it so much better.
The last scenes in Saikoroshi are beautiful, I love the conclusion to Rika's character >!that she has to come to terms with the fact that life isn't perfect and that Rika should appreciate the imperfections in life, allowing her to be a normal human and not a witch who is forced to constantly try and make it perfect.!< In a sense I guess it really is the perfect conclusion to Rika's character. I guess the emotion of it all is added to by the fact you realise this is the actual ending and you wont see the characters after it. Its a pretty simple conclusion but I really liked it.

Tsumihoroboshi
I loved how much attention Rena's character was given in this arc. It was beautiful and very emotional and everything I love about Higurashi. It felt like the horror returned somewhat too, and Rena's backstory and >!her struggles with Mental Health!< feel like some of the most sincere things written by Ryukishi07 in Higurashi. The ending was beautiful too. It was peak.

Onikakushi
I find a lot of people don't actually like the first chapter that much, but I think it was brilliant. The horror was genuinely surprising and pretty creepy for me. I went into Higurashi fully blind so maybe thats why. It was incredibly sad too. And the mystery it gives you felt very enticing, it never felt like it was forcing a particular narrative and I was genuinely confused. Also the OST in Onikakushi-hen is amazing. Higurashi OST is 50% of what makes these VNs so great.

Minagoroshi
Felt like it was fizzling out a little bit by the end, and the reveal is pretty Jarring, but I would put this in S tier otherwise. I think the >!whole arc of Keiichi healing the towns wounds about the dam site and the child abuse center!< is just amazingly well written, made me care about the club members a lot more. It was very emotional and again was just Higurashi at it's best.

Connecting Fragments
All of these fragments were pretty cool. I can see it feeling a bit cheap for some that Ryukishi07 basically gives a prequel of sorts in these, but they all felt very apt and not out of place. It didn't feel cheap and some of them were very beautiful and gave depth to characters like Mion and Satoshi and Irie. Big part of what I loved about CH8 was these fragments.

Tatarigoroshi
One of my favourite scenes is when >!Keiichi is murdering Teppei in the forest. And its raining, and then he meets Takano and you think "shit is this bitch evil?"!<. Its such a strong segment. Also Satoko's backstory is heartbreaking and you can tell Ryukishi07 wrote these characters with such affection and sincerity. I still think the ending to Tatariogoroshi wasn't paced as well as other chapters, and kind of suffers a bit from this.

Meakashi
This chapter is easily the darkest of all of them, Shion's character is incredibly well written. Its incredibly depressing to read and I think my rating was probably impacted by this. The soundtrack by Dai is amazing. Again, the Higurashi OST is easily one of the best things about Higurashi. I think one of my issues is that it basically becomes impossible to >!sympathise with Shion at a certain point,!< and that kind of makes the ending a little bit of a drag as it just reuses stuff from Watanagashi. Im fine with this but I think I preferred all the other chapters above it.

Watanagashi
Probably my favourite when I was reading it. I do like how the character development between >!Shion and Mion!< later turned out, but reading Watanagashi with mion in mind was basically a different experience, but I can't help feeling like it was a little cheapened by the later reveal. This is just a opinion of mine, I dont think the writing was awful or anything. I think this chapter had some of the strongest scenes in the series, >!when Keiichi feels responsible for Rika and Satokos deaths and Dawn plays, or when Rena and Keiichi confront Mion at the house. !<I like it, but in retrospect its just not as strong as everything that came after it.

Himatsubushi
It was good. Just in retrospect not really doing as much as other chapters.

Matsuribayashi
>!I guess my placement is a little controversial. I don't hate it. I really like the connecting fragments, and Takano's backstory is pretty well written and a very compelling read. I just wish maybe it took itself a little bit more seriously in some scenes. I am not a huge fan of the places it tonally decided to go, but I did really like the imagery of them at Watanagashi being the ending. The ending was a decently happy one but it didn't feel as satisfying as I hoped, though my complaints about this arent a big deal anymore as I read Saikoroshi.!<
>!Also everyone talks about Takano in this chapter, but Imo Irie got an equal amount of very important character development and I honestly feel the two are somewhat equal in their writing in this chapter.!<

I was thinking about watching Gou and Sotsu, but I've kind of been spoiled to what happens and honestly Saikoroshi feels like a good enough conclusion and I dont know how I would feel about Higurash if i forced myself to watch gou and sotsu, so I guess this it.

I don't really have anything else to say, but Higurashi is absolute cinema. I wish I could read the whole thing over again.

Damn. Its basically over now.

I really had a lot of fun reading Higurashi WTC, it was my first visual novel and introduction to Higurashi.
Personally, the novels mean so much to me as they remind me of my own childhood and just growing up in general and having a group of friends (without all the murder of course). All the slice of life moments were really a highlight to me, and I was not expecting to like them but yeah the novel's amazing OST like Afternoon in Paris and Boy in the Windmill really made these moments feel weirdly nostalgic in a way.

I respect Ryukishi07 for sticking the landing in terms of just carrying out what he wanted to do with the ending of Matsuribayashi. I disagree with how quite a few things unfolded and some creative decisions but overall Ryukishi07 atleast wrote Higurashi as feeling thematically pretty concise.

Overall the writing was pretty decent in Matsuribayashi, the connecting fragments and Takano's backstory were probably some of the best writing in the series so far and I feel like thats pretty universally agreed upon so I wont expand on it that much.

My main issue was really just how it all unfolded for them to takedown Takano. Okonogi vs Mion is probably one of the worst and most cringe things I've had to sit through whilst reading this novel.

Honestly all the hand to hand action in this and Satokos traps were pretty cringeworthy and took me out of the emotion of the story. I would've much preferred something like End of Evangelion where Seele is destroying Nerv HQ, I think if Higurashi's action/stakes were similar to that it would be a lot more digestible and feel a lot more mature and fitting.

Also, it was a little predictable that nobody would die in this chapter. Whilst I dont have a problem with that, it made me care a little less for scenes such as when its presumed Kasai and Shion are shot dead by the mountain dogs, I just struggled to feel emotion in any of these scenes I should be feeling emotion.

Also the scene with Tomitake and Takano at the end, whilst their relationship was very well written in this chapter and honestly one of the highlights, the actual conclusion to it, I just really didnt feel anything or emotional at all.
And conceptually whilst I like Mion volunteering to take the bullet, again, the way it was actually written in the scene just felt a little out of nowhere and a bit cheesy. So i just didnt feel the emotion I probably should have.

Also Satoshi being revealed to be in the basement of the clinic? Again I have no problem with this conceptually but the way it is revealed is just done so weirdly and feels really bolted on and sudden. Again, I feel it could've been made way more emotional.

Also the club members (and I understand why from a thematic perspective) just kind of get over the whole thing very easily. And whilst I like the imagery of them celebrating the Watanagashi and just moving on, and the last CG of them doing the cotton drifting ritual is pretty iconic/beautiful... it felt a little bit like an anti climax.

Last thing I'll say, the epilogue didnt do it for me either. I'm so confused. Mion is doing entrance exams? I thought they were already in High School so is she doing entrance exams for senior high school or university? because I thought her character was supposed to be like 14/15.
Rena and Keiichi and Satoko also didn't get a great followup and was mostly just straightforward and expected things, like yeah obviously Keiichi will be class president but none of these things felt very conclusive to their characters and it just felt pretty unsatisfying for the club members.
I liked Irie and Tomitake/Takano's conclusions though. Shion and Satoshi still feels a little creepy and not emotional at all despite the potential it had for that, but it was okay.
Honestly I just wish we got see more of what happened to the club members in like 10 years or something.

overall Im glad I read Higurashi. I like CH8 for the most part. Its ending wasnt bad despite its flaws and i think it for the most part managed to make it emotional knowing this is the last proper canon send off for these characters (yeah saikoroshi exists but it mostly focuses on rika and hanyuu from what ive heard). Man I feel a little empty and emotional after reading through such a long novel but it was worth it still, I imagine I'll feel worse after finishing Saikoroshi.

if you've bothered reading this lol, then my only question is if I should play Miotsukishi next as a proper alternative send off, and then read Saikoroshi as my final piece of Higurashi Media, or if I should read Saikorishi straight after CH8 (as from what i know saikoroshi doesnt connect to miotsukishi) and then read Miotsukishi after saikoroshi

Having played through all Chapters now, I'm still pretty confused about the first chapter despite most of my questions having been answered... I understand CH6 was supposed to serve as an answer arc to ch1 and although It did clarify most of what happened in that chapter im still confused on quite a few things.

To clarify, im not trying to suggest rena was secretly evil or involved somehow im just confused by a lot of what happens

>!- Does Rena actually just watch Keiichi for like an hour or however long it was, standing silently, whilst Keiichi is talking to Oishi on the phone? I don't see how this is conveniently explained, like maybe I missed something but I dont think Keiichi's dad was lying in that scene about having seen Rena. But even if it did happen, I dont know what that really suggests. !<

>!- How much of what Rena does is actually just Keiichi hallucinating or being paranoid due to Hinamizawa syndrome? For example, when she mentions in the "chase" scene near the end about Satoshi having transferred, I dont really get what she's trying to imply with this or why from Keiichi's perspective it looks like shes laughing/taunting him? I guess the real version of the scene is that Keiich is just imagining Rena's callous/taunting reactions, and that Renas just trying to calmly explain to him what is happening? Its still confusing !<

>!- Im confused about the door slamming scene, does Rena just put her fingers between the door because she doesnt want keiichi to close it? If she wanted to confront keiichi more directly then why doesn't she do it in a way that reaches him, when shes demonstrated in other chapters she perfectly capable of this? it just seems really odd!<

>!- why do mion and rena shrug off keiichis questions about the curse like they do? i mainly ask because its implied in other chapters that theyre fine telling him about it even though nothing has really changed. does this imply that the club members subconciously remember things from the previous chapters like keiichi and rena and shion do later on, thus causing them to tell keiichi about the murders to avoid his suspicion? or maybe im overthinking it.!<

>!- do mion and rena actually care about keiichi talking to oishi, do they actually question him somewhat about who he was talking to? !<

please dont downvote 🥺🥺

Reasoning:

Keiichi - I mean hes the protagonist. He gets probably the most character development. Hes the only protagonist in a (borderline) harem game where I can see why he'd get so much attention. He's written in a very likeable and charismatic way so obvious S tier.

Mion - Best personality out of the club members. Character design is iconic. Her dynamics with Keiichi and Shion are very interesting and well written. Shes also just really dumb and her country girl persona is pretty endearing I guess. Also green hair. Best Higurashi Girl.

Oishi - His drive to solve the murders is pretty admirable considering nobody else really takes the initiative until Keiichi arrives in Hinamizawa and >!Rika decides to stop fucking around.!< Hes pretty well intentioned, hes pretty chill and his animosity towards the villagers is deserved and understandable 99% of the time. The only reason he doesn't solve the mystery is literally because hes fated to not do so and theres information that is borderline impossible for him to obtain, so its admirable he got as far as he did in most of the chapters. Also hes just pretty charismatic and its refreshing to see a character not suck up and tolerate bullshit.

Rena - Would be S tier but her personality can be pretty passive aggressive sometimes and I find that side of her pretty annoying to be honest. Shes pretty funny from how autistic her antics are. Also her backstory is incredibly sad and the stuff with the >!maggots in ch6 and her breaking down!< is one of the saddest and most emotional / well acted scenes in Higurashi. I relate to her the most out of the club members but she just has a few annoying scenes.

Kasai - I don't see any flaws. Okay hes a little creepy in his dynamic towards shion, but he doesn't do anything weird and hes ordered to be her bodyguard anyway. He's just pretty chill and likeable for a Yakuza member. Although I guess its implied with the >!Rina murder!< that hes pretty despicable, although she had it coming.

Rika - Not gonna lie I don't find her as cute or endearing as most of the fanbase, which I guess is a hot take. She can also just be really cringe when >!she is in her Bernkastel mode!<. The writing does make me feel some sympathy for her in CH7 especially though, and I do like her dynamic with Hanyuu. Her dynamic with Satoko never really interested me much though same with >!Tokyo!<.

Satoko - Satoko's character and her backstory and what she goes through often feels like it does more for the other characters in the club rather than herself. It's all well written, I enjoyed it thoroughly. I found her dynamic with Satoshi very sad obviously, but something about it just never stuck with me as with all the other club members. It all feels very distant and something I can't really relate to. Also the whole trap's stuff and satoshi stuff got a little tiring after a while compared to some of the other character motifs.

Tomitake - i might be wrong but hes literally >!a fascist?!< still hes pretty likeable although i guess some of his earlier interactions can be interpreted in a >!pretty self centered, weird manipulative way?!< still I like him

Irie - okay I dont think hes a pedo I think he just has a weird but honestly funny sense of humour. >!however hes also very fucking unethical and yeah yeah i know judging him on being a lobotomist is a bit harsh but hes pretty complicit in some pretty fucked up shit.!<
Also I'll give him props for being a baseball coach.

Oryou - ok my hot take is i dont think shes even that bad. she's a total hag to shion I guess, mainly oryou >!redeems herself in ch7 with forgiving satoko!<, and her confrontation with keiichi is pretty funny in retrospect. also she doesnt seem like that bad of a person in general i mean she makes ohagi for everyone.

satoshi - hes just kinda there. again it feels like his worth comes from his relations with other characters, like shion and satoko. his personality is just pretty bland and sad. his backstory is pretty cool and interesting though and he introduces a good amount of mystery into the plot.

shion - i dont like how she increasingly became a member of the club, she always worked better as a character in ch2 and ch5 when she was outside of it. >!her actions in ch5 are pretty fucked and although understandable to a degree they go way beyond any other person with hinamizawa syndromes actions.!< also in the later chapters she can just be pretty cringe. also her fucking with keiichi and mion in ch2/ch5 is just manipulative. also her romance with satoshi is completely one sided

akasaka - i dont fw his sprite and i dont like mahjong

akane sonozaki - limited screentime, but shes pretty funny ig. also i dont fw her sprite either really.

chie - she smells of curry. thats all i can think of when i see her. it kind of repulses me. she's just very neutral. well intentioned i guess.

kimiyoshi - again, i never got a full moral picture of this guy. he seems likeable enough i guess.

hanyuu - only as high as she is because of that one gif of her stomping which is really cute.
shes kind of annoying and i dont really like her. doesn't belong in the club. i guess shes not evil though. also her interactions with rika are pretty funny.

kumagi - irrelevant, is his only point to be a twin peaks reference with his sprite?

kameda - ugly + fucking weird. but hes pretty funny sometimes. wish keiichi wouldve spent more time with him because literally he has no male friends his age. i like his dynamic with keiichi in ch7 and when theyre not at angel mort

takano miyo - >!literally worse than hitler. she is insufferable. shes a genocidal nazi with a god complex. she manipulates mentally ill teenagers and children all because shes a fucking orphan with a god complex. even hitler cared about germany or some shit takano is just fucking evil.!< ok shes kind of hot i guess and a little funny sometimes. >!all of that is lost by ch7 and shes just insufferable at that point.!< shes also more of a pedo than irie ever was.

rina - do i even need to explain

teppei - whilst he is fucking terrible, i do find his motivations and backstory atleast a little interesting. still the worst.