This review contains spoilers
And it's over... (mostly) I'll get to Rei & Hou and the animes that is a sequel? somehow? I don't get that yet and I guess I'll wait till I watch it, but then that will also be after I finish Umineko since it's also a sequel to that?? I guess I'll see, but now is time to talk about Ch8 not the rest of the series.
I will write a review for all of Kei at a later date but I want to think a bit more so here's a semi full review of this chapter.
In a weird way this chapter reminded me most of MGS4, there's alot of fanservice and also theres a few scenes in the ending that are very similar which is more of a coincidence with how well the rest of the game feels like it. Now it may be odd to start the review like this but Ch8 is a very messy chapter, it has alot it needs to do in order to tie up all the loose ends, and as a whole I'd say it does a good job but when you examine it closely there's defintley flaws that start to shine.
I'll start with the fragments becuase I'm very mixed on them, on one hand I thought they were all written really well, and didn't always reveal everything but regardless it still is the big answer moment for alot of questions and in some ways I kind of wish they could've come about in a better actualyl paced out section, but then at the same time I realise that would be impossible in the constraints of this chapter, so this method works quite well. The kinda semi puzzle thing that it's got going on is neat as well and I enjoyed figuring out which fragment I could read next. I also like that it doesn't answer every question with it leading a few still up in the air.
My main issue with this chapter, is that it kinda feels fanservicey, I usaully don't mind if I'm being honest, but stuff like the fight in the mountain just kinda felt like... a bit too much. I'm not super annoyed by it and I did enjoy it, but it just feels a bit like going too far if I'm being honest. and I know that the whole miricale and belief and it makes sense and I don't really hate it, yet at the same time my brain protests... If I'm being honest, in future rereads of Higurashi I almost defintley won't have as much of a issue with these type of scenes but for now this is just how I feel.
The chapter does have some great scenes, especially those that focus on the adults, which in a way are the main focus here, like the club just kinda gets sidelined here and honestly, I'm all for it, becuase I love the adult cast. You go through the rest of the chapters unsure if you should trust any of them and finally getting to acutally trust them and watch them help is really great. Akasaka becoming crazy powerful is also in the realm of maybe going a bit too far... but he's great and I'm happy with it.
Having to wrap everything up defintley makes this chapter harder to focus on specific characters, so in the time that it does have it focuses very much on Takano, which again makes alot of sense because we know very little about her before this chapter yet she's the main villain and focus of the story, which in a way meant that this chapters fate was kinda unavoidable, because her position as a character up to this point was great and the slow reveal of the truth is done excelentlly, but then that also means that in this chapter we have to rush out everything about her rather than slowly do it, which again makes this chapter have such a disproportiante focus, which I suppose having 7 other chapters focus on the club members in one way or the other is fine, but I guess I just wanted to see them in the focus a bit more.
Another thing to note, is the slow transition away from horror is very interesting, and it does reflect the story, and the horror really couldn't be kept up as we get more answers, because ch1 in the context I have now wouldn't be as scary because I know what's happening, so if they tried to do something like that here it just wouldn't work, nor is it realyl suitable to the story. The game still has some horrible imagery it describes, especially with the finger at the start and Renas fragment with ripping her leg open with the razor and all that entails, just really made me feel sick.
I feel I'll never be satsifed with what I write here, because I expected it to be a disjointed mess (and it is) but I still feel I have more to say, yet I feel it'll be very hard to truly write my feelings out, because in many ways I love this chapter because it does alot super well, but on the other hand I feel it goes too far sometimes and kinda is too happy, which is such a odd complaint, especially when I like the ending quite alot. I guess I'll try and sort my mind out when I write my Kei review....
One of my last thoughts now, is that this story kinda feels not complete, it feels like theres more to read, and I know that there is but that's all spinoff stuff and doesn't truly count, it just kinda feels like some things were left out in the open, but more minor things I suppose just like character relationships, memory of the past fragments, Satoshi etc etc which in all honestly feel like they're meant to be left open, especially stuff like character relationships because you know without a doubt there will never be a canon couple with Keiichi (even though Rena makes the most sense in terms of chemistry and just the characters in general, but the insistence with Keiichi Mion stuff, because I guess there needs to be endless shipping wars) or with Satoko and Rika because like come on you're very clearly implying that game... oh well that's perhaps expecting too much, I just like more defintive ends though that doesn't mean I hate open ends. (My main wish is that the anime sequel isn't like some form of other incident that happens like a few months later becuase I'll be pissed if it is, the end was great.
uhh other final thing to say, is damm the game kinda hates Mion she didn't get a single chapter focused on her, which kinda sucks because sure Ch2 techincally focused on her... but not really, we just got 2 Shion chapters (which I like Shion, but also these are the 2 worst chapters)
Also I might as well throw in My chapter ranking, (with top being best):
6, 7, 3, 1, 8, 4, 5, 2
And I guess my character ranking would be:
Rena, Rika / Keiichi (share a spot because they are both so good), Satoko, Shion, Mion
I love all the characters though especially in the main cast (sorry Hanyuu i wasn't sure where to put you) and that's also only in the club (and Shion I guess) butehhhhhh.
I should stop now because I've clearly got alot of messy thoughts here and prob no fun to read through, but I loved Higurashi and really enjoyed my time reading it. I'll start Hou (or Kei? or Rei?) I don't know the name but I'll do the one bonus game before starting Umineko, but I've got more Higurashi to get to and that's nice to know honestly, I want to read more about them so I hope the sequel stuff is up to the same writing quality as the main games.
Oh and actuall final final thing, is in the secret end, what??? I was very confused, but not at the same time, like I get it but who is that women that very clearly isn't Rika yet is? and that poet as well, is someone from Umineko (internet spoiled it....) but and huh? and who is the person with the fragments if not Hanyuu, but it doesn't seem to be?. The game has so many mysterys and I don't think I'm clever enough to truly be able to put together the answers but I'll think about it all the same, and I'll soon be reading Umineko too but Rei first.
Overall Really good chapter that leans a bit too towards the fanservicey route for me, which again is the point in this perfect world where we all work towards a mircale so I'm not actually that annoyed with it, and big conclusions like this are very rarely pulled off well, and here I'd say it was done pretty well overall. A happy ending that feels deserved after everything. Yet it still left me wanting to read more about the characters, so not a complete conclusion you could say (if I continue the MGS4 compariosn, that game made me happy with where the characters left off while here I just want to read more about them and see what happens, though in this scenario there is no War Economy or more danger to affect them, but I mean... I'd be happy reading anything with this cast if it's written to this quality.)
(Also big spoilers for MGS4 after this point but I did want to mention one more massive unintential similarity between them)
At the end when Okanogi (hope I spel that right) gives Takano the gun to kill her self, it's very similar to MGS4, like the gun one bullet in the chamber, he tells her to put it in her mouth, and that the problem would be solved if she was to die, and then the game does a fakeout scene of a gun being shot but her not killing herself... and MGS4 does basically all of that at the end as well, with snake being told that killing himself would put a stop to the foxdie and then also being told by a deity like person that they don't need to killthemself and that they'll die for them, though in Higurashis cases Hanyuu lives, but still Hanyuu = Big Boss. Anyway I'm a MGS4 lover and the game reminded me of it in many ways, and this came out before MGS4, so I guess Kojima copied from Higurashi huh.... and ALSO Keiichi last chapter mentions the PS3 and Metal Gear by name, it's all connected!! I'm not crazy!
I will write a review for all of Kei at a later date but I want to think a bit more so here's a semi full review of this chapter.
In a weird way this chapter reminded me most of MGS4, there's alot of fanservice and also theres a few scenes in the ending that are very similar which is more of a coincidence with how well the rest of the game feels like it. Now it may be odd to start the review like this but Ch8 is a very messy chapter, it has alot it needs to do in order to tie up all the loose ends, and as a whole I'd say it does a good job but when you examine it closely there's defintley flaws that start to shine.
I'll start with the fragments becuase I'm very mixed on them, on one hand I thought they were all written really well, and didn't always reveal everything but regardless it still is the big answer moment for alot of questions and in some ways I kind of wish they could've come about in a better actualyl paced out section, but then at the same time I realise that would be impossible in the constraints of this chapter, so this method works quite well. The kinda semi puzzle thing that it's got going on is neat as well and I enjoyed figuring out which fragment I could read next. I also like that it doesn't answer every question with it leading a few still up in the air.
My main issue with this chapter, is that it kinda feels fanservicey, I usaully don't mind if I'm being honest, but stuff like the fight in the mountain just kinda felt like... a bit too much. I'm not super annoyed by it and I did enjoy it, but it just feels a bit like going too far if I'm being honest. and I know that the whole miricale and belief and it makes sense and I don't really hate it, yet at the same time my brain protests... If I'm being honest, in future rereads of Higurashi I almost defintley won't have as much of a issue with these type of scenes but for now this is just how I feel.
The chapter does have some great scenes, especially those that focus on the adults, which in a way are the main focus here, like the club just kinda gets sidelined here and honestly, I'm all for it, becuase I love the adult cast. You go through the rest of the chapters unsure if you should trust any of them and finally getting to acutally trust them and watch them help is really great. Akasaka becoming crazy powerful is also in the realm of maybe going a bit too far... but he's great and I'm happy with it.
Having to wrap everything up defintley makes this chapter harder to focus on specific characters, so in the time that it does have it focuses very much on Takano, which again makes alot of sense because we know very little about her before this chapter yet she's the main villain and focus of the story, which in a way meant that this chapters fate was kinda unavoidable, because her position as a character up to this point was great and the slow reveal of the truth is done excelentlly, but then that also means that in this chapter we have to rush out everything about her rather than slowly do it, which again makes this chapter have such a disproportiante focus, which I suppose having 7 other chapters focus on the club members in one way or the other is fine, but I guess I just wanted to see them in the focus a bit more.
Another thing to note, is the slow transition away from horror is very interesting, and it does reflect the story, and the horror really couldn't be kept up as we get more answers, because ch1 in the context I have now wouldn't be as scary because I know what's happening, so if they tried to do something like that here it just wouldn't work, nor is it realyl suitable to the story. The game still has some horrible imagery it describes, especially with the finger at the start and Renas fragment with ripping her leg open with the razor and all that entails, just really made me feel sick.
I feel I'll never be satsifed with what I write here, because I expected it to be a disjointed mess (and it is) but I still feel I have more to say, yet I feel it'll be very hard to truly write my feelings out, because in many ways I love this chapter because it does alot super well, but on the other hand I feel it goes too far sometimes and kinda is too happy, which is such a odd complaint, especially when I like the ending quite alot. I guess I'll try and sort my mind out when I write my Kei review....
One of my last thoughts now, is that this story kinda feels not complete, it feels like theres more to read, and I know that there is but that's all spinoff stuff and doesn't truly count, it just kinda feels like some things were left out in the open, but more minor things I suppose just like character relationships, memory of the past fragments, Satoshi etc etc which in all honestly feel like they're meant to be left open, especially stuff like character relationships because you know without a doubt there will never be a canon couple with Keiichi (even though Rena makes the most sense in terms of chemistry and just the characters in general, but the insistence with Keiichi Mion stuff, because I guess there needs to be endless shipping wars) or with Satoko and Rika because like come on you're very clearly implying that game... oh well that's perhaps expecting too much, I just like more defintive ends though that doesn't mean I hate open ends. (My main wish is that the anime sequel isn't like some form of other incident that happens like a few months later becuase I'll be pissed if it is, the end was great.
uhh other final thing to say, is damm the game kinda hates Mion she didn't get a single chapter focused on her, which kinda sucks because sure Ch2 techincally focused on her... but not really, we just got 2 Shion chapters (which I like Shion, but also these are the 2 worst chapters)
Also I might as well throw in My chapter ranking, (with top being best):
6, 7, 3, 1, 8, 4, 5, 2
And I guess my character ranking would be:
Rena, Rika / Keiichi (share a spot because they are both so good), Satoko, Shion, Mion
I love all the characters though especially in the main cast (sorry Hanyuu i wasn't sure where to put you) and that's also only in the club (and Shion I guess) butehhhhhh.
I should stop now because I've clearly got alot of messy thoughts here and prob no fun to read through, but I loved Higurashi and really enjoyed my time reading it. I'll start Hou (or Kei? or Rei?) I don't know the name but I'll do the one bonus game before starting Umineko, but I've got more Higurashi to get to and that's nice to know honestly, I want to read more about them so I hope the sequel stuff is up to the same writing quality as the main games.
Oh and actuall final final thing, is in the secret end, what??? I was very confused, but not at the same time, like I get it but who is that women that very clearly isn't Rika yet is? and that poet as well, is someone from Umineko (internet spoiled it....) but and huh? and who is the person with the fragments if not Hanyuu, but it doesn't seem to be?. The game has so many mysterys and I don't think I'm clever enough to truly be able to put together the answers but I'll think about it all the same, and I'll soon be reading Umineko too but Rei first.
Overall Really good chapter that leans a bit too towards the fanservicey route for me, which again is the point in this perfect world where we all work towards a mircale so I'm not actually that annoyed with it, and big conclusions like this are very rarely pulled off well, and here I'd say it was done pretty well overall. A happy ending that feels deserved after everything. Yet it still left me wanting to read more about the characters, so not a complete conclusion you could say (if I continue the MGS4 compariosn, that game made me happy with where the characters left off while here I just want to read more about them and see what happens, though in this scenario there is no War Economy or more danger to affect them, but I mean... I'd be happy reading anything with this cast if it's written to this quality.)
(Also big spoilers for MGS4 after this point but I did want to mention one more massive unintential similarity between them)
At the end when Okanogi (hope I spel that right) gives Takano the gun to kill her self, it's very similar to MGS4, like the gun one bullet in the chamber, he tells her to put it in her mouth, and that the problem would be solved if she was to die, and then the game does a fakeout scene of a gun being shot but her not killing herself... and MGS4 does basically all of that at the end as well, with snake being told that killing himself would put a stop to the foxdie and then also being told by a deity like person that they don't need to killthemself and that they'll die for them, though in Higurashis cases Hanyuu lives, but still Hanyuu = Big Boss. Anyway I'm a MGS4 lover and the game reminded me of it in many ways, and this came out before MGS4, so I guess Kojima copied from Higurashi huh.... and ALSO Keiichi last chapter mentions the PS3 and Metal Gear by name, it's all connected!! I'm not crazy!