![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_00.jpg?w=560)
higurashi no naku koro ni 10 (tatari goroshi-hen 2)
Categories: anime, episodic review, higurashi
Tagged: higurashi
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Most disturbing episode to date, and it isn’t because of crazed killer lolis. The fun’s been sucked out.
Every series has its reason why it’s enjoyable. Mai Otome? The Idiot Plot. Mushishi? Fantastic storytelling. Black Lagoon? Revy killing sprees. Higurashi? It was a fun series with killer lolis and melonpan. Come on… how serious can I take a series that features Colonel Sanders as a plot point? What do we get with the Tatari arc? Heaviness. Lots of heaviness. And heaviness makes for terrible blogging.
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_01.jpg)
Satoko doesn’t show up for school… which is odd since nothing in the previous episode indicated that she would.
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_02.jpg)
Oishi shows up and curiously asks if K1 could call Satoko out for him. K1 refuses, and Oishi starts playing a little hardball with him and even tosses out a few minor threats. Since Oishi has been in that Nagi-role egging K1 on since the beginning, I suspect that he’s the real bad guy. What kind of shitty cop would use a pre-pubescent boy as his informant?
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_03.jpg)
Luckily, the disturbingly homoerotic Dr Irie shows up and drives Oishi off. He warns K1 that Oishi’s bad news… duh! Though I’m not happy with the male leads for this series… there’s the evil cop, the possibly y4l doctor, the crappy photographer, and the clueless boy. Not exactly role models.
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_04.jpg)
I have an eye twitch. Major eye twitch. I could care less that Irie is explaining to K1 how Satoko’s parents died and how she and Satoshi were adopted by her aunt and uncle. All I can focus on is that if Ace and Gary ranked 10 out of 10, Irie and K1 right now are an 8 an climbing. Irie is even rubbing K1’s shoulder like what Ikus did to Honoka’s arm.
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_05.jpg)
I’m very glad that when Irie turned around, he didn’t pull a Yuki, “suki desu” instead he tells us that Satoko has been abused. Not much better, but 100% better than “suki desu.” I get enough homoerotic overtones from Ouran Host Club… I don’t need more from Higurashi. He tells K1 that last year, Satoko’s aunt was killed by a druggie (the Oyashiro-heroin I take it), and the uncle ran away.
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_06.jpg)
In a really weird plot contrivance, K1 gets info that the uncle is back and possibly why Satoko hasn’t been coming to class. Yep, random useless classmates suddenly stepping up with valuable information… if Rika, who supposedly lives with Satoko, doesn’t volunteer the information, why would these kids? I’m going to rewind and see if the credits for this episode include “Sunrise.”
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_07.jpg)
It does spur K1 to go visit Satoko to make sure she’s okay. Again, doesn’t Satoko live with Rika? This fact has suddenly been forgotten this episode. When he gets there, he runs into Irie who brings Satoko home from shopping.
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_08.jpg)
Satoko looks very messed up. Like Rena before she got demoned away in the Higurashi arc. The question now becomes, does she start tossing out a non-coherent stream of “gomen nasai” this episode or next episode?
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_09.jpg)
Not surprising, her uncle is a complete and utter jackass. He commands Satoko around like his own pet, makes her fetch beer (thank Oharuhi-sama I didn’t see a pack of condoms pop out of there, or else I’d hit the stop button and start watching yet another pantheon-class, action-packed, Miyazaki-quality Air Gear episode instead).
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_10.jpg)
Seeing Satoko like this… it just drains the fun out the series. I don’t have any will to try and do my normal schtick for this episode. The first two arcs, while they were laced in blood and deceit, it was very difficult to take them seriously. As a viewer, they were quite enjoyable in that they had this awesome gimmick of killer lolis and embellished in it. Plus, they tossed in plenty of intentional and unintentional comedy as well as the epic Sonozaki twins. Now, completely new direction. They’ve just tossed out everything they’ve done so far and gone the other way… we’re supposed to start feeling pity for Satoko. It’s like if Mushishi started telling fart and booger jokes, and they gave Ginko his own mobile suit. Just out of character. Higurashi isn’t as enjoyable as a serious series.
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_11.jpg)
Instead of invoking real pity from me (like what Mushishi 21 did… epic episode), I’m bugged out by Satoko. She smiles and insists on this cute nickname for K1, despite his offers to help her out of this mess. I don’t get it. Why would she do this?
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_12.jpg)
Normally, if I were in my normal blogging mode, I would start cracking cynical non-jokes like, “Irie invites K1 to his car, and the two drive up to inspiration point.” But, alas, with the heaviness of this abuse storyline, I’m just going to toss out a more generic, “Irie explains to K1 that Satoko wants to be abused to prove that she is worthy of Satoshi’s return. She’s doing it for Satoshi. It’s her only reason for living.” That’s really depressing. Higurashi is supposed to be a fun series. How is this fun? It’s like if they tossed in a Mäes Hughes-class death for Liru in the middle of Magical Pokan… would that even be remotely acceptable?
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_13.jpg)
Afterwards, K1 bumps into Tomitake. Yet another troublemaker. I can’t even muster yet another joke at this crappy photographer joke at his expense.
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_14.jpg)
The two meet up with Takano, who is also an amatuer photographer. I’m guessing the two will raid the storeroom and end up dead as usual. *yawn*
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_15.jpg)
Takano looks like a complete druggie too. She and Tomitake fills K1 in on some of the information involving the Watanagashi festival.
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_16.jpg)
The next day at school, everyone puts on a charade about Satoko. I mean, what else would they do if they knew everything? Kinda makes you feel helpless and quite insignificant. Satoko is clearly being abused, yet she refuses help. In fact, getting her conventional help may further deteriate her mental condition… talk about rock and a hard place.
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_17.jpg)
K1 remembers what Tomitake and Takano told him and decides to seek unconventional help. Normally, I’d toss out a line like, “K1 asks Mion if he could come over and inspect her ‘manga’ collection. Maybe they can have some ‘melonpan’ as a snack.” Just not in the mood. (Still, this K1/Mion manga makes me curious… it’s 1984! What manga are running then? DBZ?)
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_18.jpg)
Sadly, Mion still doesn’t break out the “wak-ta-ku-shi” out, and Shion hasn’t been seen in the episode yet. Any episode with Shion gets an instant +10 points. K1 starts to flatter Mion by calling her some great mastermind behind some elaborate curse. Mion deflects such flattery and insists that the big hole in her backyard is for a new swimming pool and certainly not an underground jail/torture pen.
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_19.jpg)
K1 asks Mion to “do something about Satoko’s uncle at the Watanagashi festival.” Wait, he just asked the Godfather for a hit? That’s what it sounds like to me. Mion, understandably upset (if she isn’t a crazed killer in this arc), tells him, “Uh, okay, get out. You’re not seeing my melonpan today.” In other words, K1 has blown it with both Shion and Mion and the last two episodes. Dude needs to take lessons from Ginko and Matsumaru on women skillz.
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_20.jpg)
The next day, Satoko happily shows up at school like nothings happened.
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_21.jpg)
Rika pulls K1 aside and tells him that Satoko is here because the government raided her uncle’s place (behind a tip from their teacher, Chie, who apparently is the only one capable of doing the sensible thing… of course you take a child out of an abusive environment ASAP, Oyashiro-sama be damned). Rika also tells K1 that this is the “third” incident and that the first was how Satoko faked a child abuse call to try to get her stepfather into trouble. The second? They don’t say, but I’m guessing it involves Satoshi.
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_22.jpg)
Life for the Killer Loli SOS Brigade seems to get back to some sort of normalacy. Satoko remarks to Rena that with her level of cooking skills, she’ll have to “beat men away with a stick.” No, Satoko, not stick. Machete.
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_23.jpg)
Would Rena make a good bride? My ranking for bride longevity-ness… redefining “till death do you part.”
- Shion. Seems most mentally stable (which I guess doesn’t mean much in this anime’s context). Makes random meals for strangers. Winks a lot. Oh yes, the melonpan.
- Mion. Might as well pick the most powerful woman in Hinamizawa. As long as you buy her lots of dolls and don’t make a pass at Shion, it’ll be okay.
- Rika. Haven’t gotten to her arc yet, which is a bonus. If the series can introduce abuse as casually as this Tatari arc or introduce Mion’s nail torture tecniques in Watanagashi, I’d hate to think of what blender they’ll put poor Rika through.
- Satoko. Tentatively here until this arc finishes. Seeing how “gomen nasai” Rena went crazy, Satoko’s timer is already ticking.
- Rena. First ever pre-nuptial will.
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_24.jpg)
The good times doesn’t last long as K1 pats Satoko on the head, which triggers something in her. Not only does she toss K1 across the room, she does her emo facial contortion dance.
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_25.jpg)
It gets to the point where she throws up in the middle of the classroom. Normally, I’d be giddy, but since this episode revealed that she was abused and could be a lightening stick of emotion, I’m laying off. It’s not fun when you start feeling pity for the characters.
![image](http://blogsuki.com/images/higurashi/10/10_26.jpg)
Satoko ends the episode chanting “gomen nasai” over and over again, like Rena in the first arc. From what the story has told, Satoko has been the recipient of some very unfortunate events that continue to make her life more and more miserable. I’m not sure why the scenario writers would suddenly make this arc fundamentally different from the first two. There’s a certain air of heaviness that weighs on this arc due to the very serious nature of Satoko’s abuse, and it’s definitely a way to get K1 to spring into action (by asking Mion for “help”), but the thing that bothers me is that while K1 got what he deserved, it’s not like Satoko deserves her fate.
Man, I could sure use a Mion/Shion beach/hot springs episode about now.
………..
This anime based on a game is going for a different tack and I enjoy the approach. Instead of choosing one ending, it’s going to do *ALL* for them!
btw,
http://derailedbydarry.com/ima...../10_00.jpg
Worst false advertising since Narutaru OP!
The only pity I feel for Satoko is for the sheer folly of having falsified the first allegation of child abuse and the ensuing cowardice on the other. The sheepish nature of the residents is sickening her mental health will only have the possibility of improving if the abusive environment is removed, mental stability can come after. Even if she never recovers she’d at least be protected from sexual abuse when she comes of age.
Satoko isn’t stupid, she had the audactity fo make false allegations. The only way to rectify the situation short of killing the brute is to make sure he understands that he is being watched, bring consequences when is in violation, make it so that he can’t even fart without you knowing. Bullies ever only understand one thing fear, physical disparities can be over come, cunning, and ruthelessness are needed to drive home the point. They say do onto others what you would have done unto yourself, clearly this man wants to be abused, one must oblige him.
The answer is simple enlist Rena to pull off anohter lolikidnapping or invite her over constantly or make a slew on uninvited visits. Isolate him physically and mentally, give his majhong buddies free ride to his place with a smile preferrably in a police car, observe his movements and log every one, present any and all incriminating evidence against him by stuffing his mail box. Make you ultimatium and make it stick, COINTELPRO tactics are encouraged. When he is declared insane Satoko becomes a ward of the state, thus she can live out her fantasy that she survived her twisted rite of passage as the outside only intervened when the uncle goes nuts and touches himself in public. Do your best to humor her as well.
I am still holding out for Sataoko to become possessed and smother the uncle in a bloodless coup.
It seems as though the whole village must be on the same spores that allowed Spock to kick the crap out of Kirk given that every one seems to be high on something.
At this point I would even oblige her with a Coup’de Grace since she seems unwilling to try and cooperate with any attempt to aid her. It’s not that she quit, she never even tried is the crux of the problem.
-post tenebras lux
Also informants are recruited due to their connections first and foremost, all other considerations are made after. Bear in mind K1 is dumb enough to be the only semi-normal person with the links to the killer loli-club, Oishi can’t help it if K1 always wants to make a sweep of the Darwin awards.
> There’s a certain air of heaviness that weighs on this arc due to the very serious nature of Satoko’s abuse…
It’s a bit early to say who’s really doing the abusing and who’s the abused. With that note, this arc is not so much different from the first arc.
It’s intriguing how extremely opposite of Satoko’s reactions toward the two Keiichi’s pattings in the previous and this episode. I sense Oyashiro-sama awakening in Satoko; Keiichi must have been caught given another doll to some other girl again.
5th cap:
Kei: Irie, please, be gentle…
6th cap:
Irie: Don’t tell anyne I am gay for you, understand?
Yes, I couldn’t help myself.
>>The answer is simple enlist Rena to pull off anohter lolikidnapping or invite her over constantly or make a slew on uninvited visits.
Dude, a Pokeball would suffice. Gently tap the empty ball onto Satoko while she’s sleeping, and then scoot off and give the Pokeball to Rena. Of course, assuming you manage to dodge the traps…
Each new arc finds a new way too kick our ass.
One of these arcs is gonna start with someone getting raped soon, i know it.
All of the arcs are suppose to be serious and heavy, but due to certain things like messed up facial contortions and lack of happy times to compare to messed up times, it may not seem as serious as it should.
anybody other than me feel like K1 has become a total bitch? all i heard was “oh sotoko oh sotoka i feel so sorry for you let me make a real sad face”, cmon man if you’re so mad just go kick the dude’s ass. of course, this new K1 does make alot of sense when you consider his “new relationship” with Irie
chuck: the problem is this is not Dragon Ball or Naruto.
LOL. Ok, having K1 and the Kantoku as gay partners is quite a new assumption for me. I prefer not to go into that.
But still… why is so bad that Higurashi introduces in abuse? I didn’t particularly feel any “heaviness” in this arc. Parhaps I’ve just gone numb with the earlier arcs.
This arc is no different from the first two. Unstable, murderous teenagers isn’t a light subject (think about the Columbine events). Torture acts camoufled as a supernatural punishment by the local mafia isn’t exactly a thing that would make someone laugh IRL. Child abuse is as dark as those previous subjects.
Higurashi isn’t a comedy. It ain’t about Mii~ Boo Boo~ Woo Woo~ nor melonpan. Those happy sappy parts are just here to widden the gap with the tragic events that are the core of the scenario. Without kawaii harem nonsense, the horrible sequences wouldn’t be that disturbing.
Of course, facial contortion might be a bit over the top, but again, this is a contrast element, not a funny thingy. Higurashi isn’t a slasher movie you watch while eating popcorn and laughing at bloodbaths. It’s a thriller.
Geez, I hope my apprehension about who was involved in the second abuse is wrong.
*thinks of Satoshi’s creepy smile*
And at it’s heart, it’s a mystery. Who’s responsib;e for the murders? Who’s the one abusing poor Satoko? Why are the Japanese so fixated on giving boobs to preteens? What are they high on? Why am I asking so many stupid questions? When will Mion get murdered again?
And in all this insanity, we have to make do with humour to soften the impact of the harshness. It’s sicck, it’s disturbing, but if we were to take the full brunt of it, ow.
Honestly, I found this episode hard to watch, as well. Abuse stories like this aren’t really my cup of tea.
I am glad that they’re finally bringing up the issue of what happened to Satoshi, since whatever he did has seemed to really shape the girls’ reactions to him, ever since they complained about his bat-handling skills back in the first arc. And all the other problems they’re going deeper into – who or what is the Kantoku, is Oishii a bad guy, what’s up with the clinic and how often does Takano do bong hits, what’s up with Rena’s transfer – and why is everyone always mentioning Keiichi being the scion of his father’s estate, anyway – it’s all tantalizing, but done slower than hell. It bothers me that I can’t wait for the next episode, when they’re most likely going to be like this one.
It makes me start picking apart the little personality changes, like how Rena goes from Killer Loli Supreme (1st Arc), to Ultra Detective (2nd Arc), to somewhere in the middle this time around (Killer Loli Supernatural Detective, perhaps?). And why is Rika always seem like the lone sane person around, and the one most likely to give out hints of the over-plot? If I were Keiichi, I’d buy her ice cream every day.
Wait till you see Evil Rika-chan.
I agree with Nidec. I still find this arc very enjoyable, but that might be because it’s Satoko-chan’s arc. And that Irie… is he after Satoko or Kei? Tch. Lolipedofin.
Man, I just hope they come up with a nice and smooth way out of this abuse story (one that makes sense with the plot, of course). I really like this show, but this episode in particular was hard on my stomach.
About Mion: I believe the Mion who “nailed” Keiichi in the previous arc was actually Shion. That would explain why Mion is not able to do anything against Satoko’s Uncle. But then again, I might be proved wrong in the next episodes.
>> Worst false advertising since Narutaru OP!
Actually, the original OMG OVA was the worst false advertising.
>> Without kawaii harem nonsense, the horrible sequences wouldn’t be that disturbing
Nah, look at it this way. The reason Gundam Wing was special over something like G-Gundam wasn’t because its mobile suits were cooler. No, it was the ancillerary homoerotic overtones between the five pilots. Sadly, that’s what set it apart. Just like how Higurashi’s special point is that it’s not just a plain out mindfuck like Paranoia Agent or a plain out horror like Ayakashi. It’s a special blend.
>> But still… why is so bad that Higurashi introduces in abuse?
Again, nothing in the series has been serious up until this point. Previously, the series was just so over-the-top that it was very fun to play along. Now? Not so fun. Abuse is as funny as Koi Koi 7.
>> About Mion: I believe the Mion who “nailed†Keiichi in the previous arc was actually Shion.
I don’t think so just because Mion already killed her. “Nailed”…
>> Again, nothing in the series has been serious up until this point.
So you mean to tell me that murder, torture and cultic activities are nothing serious at all? How are those things even less serious than abuse?
>> Previously, the series was just so over-the-top that it was very fun to play along.
So you mean to tell me that if they just go “over-the-top” with the abuse thing, then it’ll be alright and fun to watch?
I’m amazed at how skew some of our moral values have become.
“So you mean to tell me that if they just go “over-the-top†with the abuse thing, then it’ll be alright and fun to watch?”
I think what Jason means is that the first two arcs could be watched at a level of a typical teenage horror flick, with cheap thrills and cheap shots. This arc takes a different approach and adds the seriousness of abuse, hence cheap thrills goes out the window and makes for a different type of watching. He’s just comparing the two types of atmosphere and how it affects his expectations and blogging. I didn’t see anything about Jason hoping it would go over the top. At least I hope he didn’t mean that.
“I’m amazed at how skew some of our moral values have become.”
I’ll agree with you on that though.
Satoko Love
>> So you mean to tell me that if they just go “over-the-top†with the abuse thing, then it’ll be alright and fun to watch?
Man, you’re really butchering my words. Didn’t I say that abuse isn’t fun to watch? It’s never fun. If you don’t get the GW analogy, how about Melrose Place? It’s pretty much the early 90’s version of Higurashi… can you take a murder on Melrose the same way as the DC area sniper shootings? Of course not. Same with Higurashi… it’s anime with cute, loli characters… nothing screams, “TAKE ME SERIOUSLY!” Then the abuse storyline hits, which can only be taken seriously, and it never works in this kind of setting.
Even Melrose tried it, and fell flat on its face… Melrose had a very unwatchable storyline featuring Alison’s childhood abuse (when she runs away from her own wedding). Not fun. Never is, even at Melrose Place.
You don’t HAVE to take the abuse story seriously, just don’t take it lightly. Think of it another way since the anime itself doesn’t explain anything too well – if you feel this seriously about child abuse, just how would Keiichi, who pretty much loves Satoko[ and everyone else], feel about hearing her getting abused?
I apologize for taking your words out of context like that.
I was just reacting to how while we all agree that the abuse plotline is very hard to watch, yet we are not at all bothered by the previous plotlines of murder and torture.
It wasn’t so much a comment on the attitude toward the abuse theme as it is on that toward murder and torture.
>>So you mean to tell me that murder, torture and cultic activities are nothing serious at all? How are those things even less serious than abuse?
Christianity was a cult at one point too, but I find organized religion to be hypocritical at times to the point of loving your fellow man and thy naighbor to be kicked to the curb just cause some dude named Leviticus said to hate gays and not eat shellfish.
Watching Tom Cruise assault Opra and run his mouth about his new fad, err… religion is funny. Reading about how Scientology is lobbying ever so hard to gain tax exempt status is funny because any one can see that it is a huge scam.
The thing about Higurashi murders and torture is that it is so unbelievable. The entire loli-game club have the constitutions of Skeletor it humorous because IRL they could never wield any melee weapon effectively thus we don’t take it seriously. K1 is hell bent on getting himself killed. That God Father scene was a riot because for the head of crime syndicate don Mion ain’t exactly intimidating and K1 was blasted down.
>>I’m amazed at how skew some of our moral values have become.
Morality is something that is not only subjective but is more often or not held only by people who have a place to sleep and food to eat. Doing the right thing all the time is never easy, knowing what the right thing is all the time is even harder. Collective morals are anthema to free thought, morals should always be questioned and re-evaluated. There are people in the world who consider homosexuality to be wrong and immoral, are they right? If they are then do they have the right to beat them and force them to adhere to dogma laid out by some dude who lived in ancient times?
The village is faced with a problem Satoko is obviously being abused yet because of moral dilemma do nothing becasue the victim irrationally refuses help. Since humans are entitled to free will and Satoko chooses to stay bent over, does some one then have the right to drag her out of it against her will? If you do drag her away and she goes crawling back are you still obliged to help her? Afterall there are other people who are in equal need of help but are more capable of rational thought, should we waste our time on this miserable creature or leave her be and save someone else? Should we subsidize their stupidity?
This witnessing of a miserely creature whose plight is plausible and actually happens in real life is a far cry from the idiot K1 signing his death warrant yet again by insulting Mion, or sticking around Rena with a weapon. We expect K1 to die it is as indisputable as sunrise, how he dies yet again is humorous because always acts the same way like a deer jumping out towards head lights.
War is a nasty unforgiving affair yet many times you still have troopers use their trade mark black humor to deal with the horror of it.
-aut vincere aut mori
> If you don’t get the GW analogy, how about Melrose Place? It’s pretty much the early 90’s version of Higurashi…
Come on, don’t tell me you are comparing an adaptation of a doujin mystery thriller and an Aaron Spelling soap opera targeted at >40 y/o housewives!? :D
> it’s anime with cute, loli characters… nothing screams, “TAKE ME SERIOUSLY!â€
It reminds me of a point of contention about the end of Mai Hime. Several bloggers wrote that it was satisfying (I personally think it was utter crap) because it wasn’t a serious anime in the first place : it included pantsu side stories, a silly Mikoto, an abnormally well endowed Mai, and thus supposedly had to be watched as a parody even during the tragic episodes, making the ending acceptable.
With this flawed logic every series that has loli/pantsu/comedy/… couldn’t be taken seriously as a whole. Evangelion had some silly episodes when Asuka wasn’t completely insane yet. Thus do we have to classify Eva as a non-serious series? Nope. Higurashi as a loli design, does it mean it can’t possibly convey something serious beneath?
> The entire loli-game club have the constitutions of Skeletor it humorous because IRL they could never wield any melee weapon effectively thus we don’t take it seriously.
This seems to be the trade mark of the chara designer who worked on Higurashi (you’ll find the same traits in Strawberry Panic). Linking physical habilities of the characters with a design choice isn’t relevant imho.
This is my first time visiting this blog, but I have a few things to say regarding Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni.
Waterfall said:
“This anime based on a game is going for a different tack and I enjoy the approach. Instead of choosing one ending, it’s going to do *ALL* for them!”
1) It is based not on one game, but a series of games.
2) These games only have one ending each. In fact, I think they are just illustrated books on a CD, with no input from the “player” whatsoever.
3) There are 8 “chapters” The first 4 are “mystery” chapters and the last 4 are “answer/revelation” chapters that correspond to the 4 mystery chapters. Each of the four “Mystery” arcs are differnt versions of the same “event spectrum”.
ayyo wrote:
“All of the arcs are suppose to be serious and heavy, but due to certain things like messed up facial contortions and lack of happy times to compare to messed up times, it may not seem as serious as it should. ”
4) Despite some of the facial contortions, this anime is meant to be taken very seriously from the beginning. This is a pyschological thriller and not everything that you see is necessarily true. Everything you see is filtered trhough Keichi’s perspective. The juxtoposition of Mion’s bizarre facial contortions and her normal voice are intentional. Those facial contentions surely were not actually happening, but were just how Keichi was percieving them.
>>With this flawed logic every series that has loli/pantsu/comedy/… couldn’t be taken seriously as a whole. Evangelion had some silly episodes when Asuka wasn’t completely insane yet. Thus do we have to classify Eva as a non-serious series? Nope. Higurashi as a loli design, does it mean it can’t possibly convey something serious beneath?
K1 dies only to come back again during the next arc where he’s dandy and functional. He rarely deviates from the end result of death or pissing off one of his alleged pal. It’f funny cause we all know that he will be back for more, like clock work.
One can interpret Eva in a variety of ways, I am of the opinion that it was hijacked by fans who attributted more to the story and “philosophy” than the budget squandering staff actually did. Should I take this let’s all be one schtick seriously? I think not. I have met my fair share of basket cases to know that I have no desire to suffer their petty contrivance, over blown persecution complexes, bigotry, and ignorance. Seriously cry babies like Shinji have little to cry about and are a drain on resources, such people who care only for their own personal safety can never be free unless made or kept so by the efforts of better people. You can’t seriously insist that I subsidize cowardice right?
>>This seems to be the trade mark of the chara designer who worked on Higurashi (you’ll find the same traits in Strawberry Panic). Linking physical habilities of the characters with a design choice isn’t relevant imho.
It is relevant because it is so implausible and inconcievable that characters wielding weapons that have more mass than they have muscle is laughable. It’s the same thing with Child’s Play with the idiotic premise that a doll can kill and never get kicked into traffic. It requires so much suspension of disbelief that it must be a fantasy and an excercise in in implausible mystery with gouls and possession.
It is intriuging, but watching K1 go about like a Disney lemming is not conductive to inciting thrills and fear. Rather its almost like a fantasy where a stupid person is actually getting killed and always for the same shit. Its like Cops and the self incriminating offender, it is serious but few viewers go oh my thats so sad. Instead you get ZOMG did he just ask for his drugs back from that hooker?! LOL…
Reading your blog about this series has got me really interested. I looked on YouTube and the only guy who has all the episodes uploaded has them in korean subs I think. Do you know a site that has them in english subs or at least maybe there’s a site with a english script-type thing?
Bittorrent is your best bet just google tokyotosho, animesuki, or bakaupdates.
>>I looked on YouTube and the only guy who has all the episodes uploaded has them in korean subs I think.
(I guess using the /greater than/ “quote” /less than/ method doesn’t work here)
All the episodes are on Youtube with english subs. The are all split into 3 parts.
The scene with Satoko and the curtain and gomenasai, it’s almost exactly like Becky’s hauhau. Except with 200% more emo facial distortions.
I’m expecting some Eiri/K1 fan-Yaoi pretty soon. Doesn’t the doc have the same name as Yuki from Gravitation? Coincidence, I think not.
Maxtreme, it’s actually Irie. However, K1 always reminded me of Shuichi for some reason… I always thought his hair was pinkish…