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macaronnya · 2 years

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Fresh(?) Impressions (10)

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Hello Enstarries~☆ It is the 10th part already! With the trio Switch here! There really are a lot of idol (groups) to go through huh....I think I get now how the wayback machine works, so I hope I can finish this series next week or so to finally begin reading the "!" stories. Ngl, it's a lot more enjoyable to learn about everyone like this. I'd probably be too lazy otherwise lol.

DISCLAIMER!: Everything said here is for entertainment purposes only and not meant to attack anyone. This is not an accurate description of any characters but my subjective rambling for fun, so please don't take it too seriously. (Just to be safe, I'm kinda scared of elite idol fans) Also, you will hear me mention other games a bunch of times bc I'm that bad and uncreative at explaining and I'm still grieving A3!EN's shutdown. Eng is my 2nd (or 3rd?) language so there might be some weird grammar or spelling mistakes. And I write at 3 am usually.

Without further ado...Let's Ensemble!☆

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You wouldn't think they're magicians at first glance, which is not a bad thing. Honestly, I don't have a lot to say about them. Their outfits are decent. A bit weird maybe. Sora's variation is the only good looking one. That's because the shoes just don't fit with the long trousers and the big thunder symbol with its thick black outlines on the vest look ugly and it's kind of too much with a third color (red/blue). And I don't like the zippers. Or the belts. I like the the necklaces though. Their music is pretty decent, too. At first, it wasn't really to my taste but it does make for nice background music, is what I discovered after going shopping and having Switch songs come up. It's generally upbeat but a bit more lowkey compared to Trickstar. I

A bit funky I think and hmmm...idk how to say this but it often uses these snyth instruments??? I have no idea what you call them but like, sounds that don't belong to a classical intrument, y'know? I sound like a grandma. I guess they kind of give the music the sparkle, as they're modern magicians and all. I like I "witch" you a happy Halloween and Omoi no kakera. Oh, I almost forgot to mention this, it's neat how everyone has hair highlights.

5/10 - average but they have some good songs

Natsume Sakasaki

I do adMIT. While reading his Ep.1, I was more or less distracted by his magic of changing the text font as well as his speech haBIT. Maybe anone can do it and I just haven't seen it yet? But I saw that when he talked to Tsumugi it also changed? I cringed when he called us kitten. He seems like a gentleman but I just....don't vibe with him. He has a nice voice, though. It's rich and thick like condensed milk but not as sweet. He's a fortune teller so...yeah. Nothing comes to mind. Looks pretty chill otherwise.

4.5/10 - a dude but ehhhhh

Tsumugi Aoba

Why does everybody hate him? Perhaps my brain is exaggerating some memories but I remember him being really dunked on by magic redhead anytime he exists and a lot of others as well? His memes show him very pathetically if I remember right. He does seem to be a bit of a pushover but not really meek? I want to say I like his fluffy hair but somehow I hesitate. He has a normal voice but smoother than the average. Like, milk. Normal 3,5% fat milk instead of plain still water.

5/10 - a dude with glasses

Sora Harukawa

I think he's genuinely bebi but I can't bring myself to not dislike his voice. It's like muffled blackboard scratching. I thought he was just a normal happy go lucky sunshine shota but the bit of him having synesthesia came outta nowhere. I wonder if it's just like a trivial trait of his or if it's more explored. I was convinced that he didn't go through anything too hard but when he apologized for his laugh and talked about wanting to experience others perspectives, it gives me the feeling he definitely has experienced some kind of rejection due to his condition and general personality as well. Which is sad, you shouldn't apologize for being happy and expressing it, unless the situation is inappropiate ofc. That might also be the reason why he wants to bring happiness to others in need, like he once was. Btw his laugh is indeed a bit annoying. I'm sorry 🤧 maybe I'll get used to it with time.

5.5/10 - apple juice, smth most like but I prefer to drink only once a month

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Conclusion

This part might actually be shorter than Valkyrie's 🗿 Switch is just very lukewarm.

Now, just a small pet peeve rant that came to me after Natsume's Ep.1, that not necessarily just applies to him specifically, but I really hate the trope of "Oh, be careful around wolves, I am also one of them you know?" I know it's supposed to bring the fact, that they're potential love interest as well, to attention but to me it just seems like they're saying they're fucking perverts. Like, shouldn't you be happy, she feels comfortable enough with you to be in the same room or smth? Women especially know just how dangerous the world can be for them specifically, let them feel safe for 1 sec asshat. Like, doesn't Japan have train sections for women only bc the harassments got that bad? Women always hear to be careful at night, watch for their drinks, have some self-defense or escape tips, etc. Not attacking another person, let alone a women, should be fucking normal. Not even common decency. What is romantic about that?????? I know they all just mean it jokingly and all but I just cringe, whenever that happens. If you're already in an established relationship, that's a bit different but otherwise it's just weird and uncomfortable.

Phew, that was a mouthful. If you wanna share anything, just be mindful of others and keep in mind it's all just for fun here. My wrist is killing me so much rn. Until the next post ~☆

#ensemble stars #enstars #Switch #macaron rambles #it is not 3 am rn but 1 am!!!

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producktions · 2 years

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misc cards i got in the past week-ish on my main acc... enstars anniversary giving me mixed feelings fr

#my rambles #enstars #gacha pulls #natsume is cool but he's hella weak #well i have mv outfits for all of switch now sooooo................ omoi no kakera time babey

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despair-ninja-everything-agency · 4 years

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Rambles about Ink!Sans redesign

Ok, so Ink's new design just came out...

I admit I have that Ninjago's "Series vs Movie design" whiplash all over again. But I guess it's not as hard as that one tho since I can still treat him as the same character just with wardrobe change instead of treating it as different people like I did with Ninjago.

I do kinda curious if this will affect his backstory. Did he started out with the old design but changed into this new one out of practicality since it gives him more freedom in movements? Did he straight up wear the new clothes and the one where he wears the old one was a branching timeline(s)? If it's the former, the new design does give him a hint of maturity if a little bit.

I did say about this redesign will affect the "follow what happpens in meta/real life" nature of my KakeraTale AU but I feel like "the creator (Witch) treat the old design as if it not existed in the first place unless stated otherwise" kind of stuff was a bit too harsh for me now I think about it. Since it's surely not easy of the UTMV community to part with Ink's old design, I kinda think it'll translate in KakeraTale as "This new appearance of Ink (Piece) will be used from now and usage of old one will be restricted to ongoing projects under certain circumstances".

That said, this wouldn't affect Quill Ink (a.k.a. Kakera/WhenTheyCry!Ink) in anyway since they supposedly different characters with even different backstories. I do, however, considering making his pre-Witch design along with some other clothes designs since I canoned that the one he wears right now is quite recent (lets just say pre-Umineko till Ciconia era) so he wasn't always wear that Ink-inspired school boy outfit. Not to mention I actually have this Drakengard's Accord-inspired outfit and a costume for his (admittedly impulsive) appearance in Tart Magica in mind.

#UnderTale #InkTale #KakeraTale #Ink!Sans #Ink!Sans redesign #Trust me this is no different than the Series vs Movie design Ninjago fandom had #only this one is admittedly more bearable to me than that one #Ink looks more mature than his old design #but still we don't know if this will affect his backstory and timeline #since we can't definitely say his old and new design exist in a timeline

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vagarius · 6 years

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thanks for tagging me, @iamthefacebehindthemask!!! (I always get really excited when I see you tagged me, I love these things)

i’m not sure who to tag though... if there’s any writers who want to do this count this as me tagging you

1. How did you come up with your username and what does it mean?

vagarious: erratic and unpredictable in behavior or direction

I just took out the “o” lol. It’s kind of ironic now bc I’m pretty predictable when it comes to fics...

2. Which fanfic of yours has the most feedback? (bookmarks/subscriptions/hits/kudos)

Subscriptions: crumble; throw, which is one of my only multichap works and like the only one i’ve actually updated... still have to get out that last chapter though iT WILL HAPPEN

Hits: housework, a short kurokage fic which for some reason has 1711 hits

Kudos/Bookmarks: phones, which is my free/hq wrong-number crossover fic with 264 kudos and 42 bookmarks (it was a lot of fun to write)

3. What is your AO3 profile icon, and why did you choose it?

N/A (oops)

4. Do you have any regular/ favorite commenters?

odoridango and bystander have commented on a lot of my hq!! fics (thank you!!!!!) and horchata has written me some of the sweetest comments ever. And all my boueibu fics tend to have the same few commenters @nardaviel @mystofthestars @thatlittledandere @angelluckovich kakera

5. Is there a fanfic that you keep going back to read again and again?

There are quite a few, actually. Pretty much all of @fortune-maiden‘s boueibu fics bc they always make me smile, the vld fics Recoil/Release and Keith’s ‘Physical Contact’ Initiation Program, and all the gift fic people have written me and Distractions and Pliant by tastewithouttalent but they’re both enatsu smut and i’m embarrassed. I go back to pretty much all my bookmarks but sometimes I have to be in a certain mood to read them, I guess.

6. How many stories are you subscribed to? How many do you have bookmarked?

24 subscriptions, 108 bookmarks

7. Which AU do you find yourself writing the most?

um... slice of life aus, I suppose? most of the stuff i write is loosely canon compliant now that i think about it...

8. How many people are subscribed and bookmarked to you in total? (you can view this on the stats page)

27 user subscriptions and 477 total bookmarks (to works)

9. Is there something you’d like to write about but are afraid of people judging you for it? (Feeling brave? If so, share it!)

My more outlandish crossovers, I suppose. like dark!boueibu x vld

10. Is there anything you would like to be better at? Writing certain scenes or genres, replying to comments, updating better, etc.

I’d like to get better at writing fantasy/adventure. And actually writing longer fic. (I can usually plan it out but have trouble actually getting the words on paper when there’s just so much stuff and a majority of the time the fic veers off and i have to plan again...)

11. Do you write rarepairs or popular ships more often?

Rarepairs, I think. Or relatively popular ships in small fandoms :P

12. How many stories have you posted on AO3 to this day (finished and unfinished)?

48 (!!!)

13. How many stories do you have saved in/with your writing program?

oh god... too many... and they’re spread throughout three devices + an online drive

14. Do you write down story ideas, or just keep them in your head?

I mostly jot down snippets and lines and other small ideas like that to incorporate/develop into a fic later on. And I’ll layout longer fic if I intend to write said fic. Though there’s some things (mostly AUs and crossovers) I don’t intend to write but keep in my head to keep my thoughts warm.

15. Have you ever co-authored a story?

No, but I have participated in collaborative things like the free! shipping relay and hqbb

16. How did you discover AO3?

I honestly don’t remember.

17. Do you consider yourself to be a popular or famous author in your fandom(s) on AO3?

haha no

18. Do you have a nickname or fandom name for your readers?

um, if ever asked, I just say “Elena,” which is my first name, so...

19. Was there an author who inspired or encouraged you to write?

There wasn’t a specific author, but the fic catch a falling star by hoshruba is the fic that inspired me to really get into fic writing. I had written pjo/hoo fic on ffnet before then, but catch a falling star is when I started to get serious (for lack of a better term) about it

20. What writing advice would you give to a beginning author?

Like what you write. Which is crappy advice, I know, but if you write what you want to read and are happy with it, then you’ll keep writing, and when you keep writing you’ll inevitably improve, even if it doesn’t feel like it. You’ll improve bc, at least for me, the more fic I published the more I wanted to publish, and the more I had to learn how to do to write things. Ideas burst out of me at the seams. So write those short drabbles and ramble-ly one-shots and just. Enjoy them. Like what you write.

21. Do you plot out your stories, or do you just figure it out as you go?

I typically plot out longer stories, but my planning stages tend to just be random bursts of ideas and lines in an unorganized list. On the other hand, there are quite a few fics of mine that I started and finished within one sitting - it felt like they wrote themselves.

22. Have you ever gotten a bad comment on a story? If so, what did you do?

I haven’t gotten a bad comment that I remember (there are probs a few on my old fics but whatever), but I have gotten some weird/funny comments on said old fics on ffnet.

Examples:

You sweared!

What

also now that i’m looking at them most of my ffnet comments reported crying... i wrote a lot of angst and still kinda do oops

23. Is there a certain type of scene that you have a hard time writing? (action, smut, etc..)

Action. Fantasy. Fantasy action. Most things outside of slice of life, now that i’m thinking about it...

24. What story(s) are you working on now?

Too many, omg. I still have that last part of crumble; throw, and I also have an iokin fic I want to finish but it’s gotten out of hand... also a long keith (vld) fic but we’ll see how that goes. Plus all my little ideas floating around in various electronic devices.

25. Do you plan your next project(s) before you finish your current ongoing story(s)?

Um, the stories ideas kinda just... happen... and whichever I finish/start first are the ones I finish/start first.

26. Do you have a daily writing goal set for yourself?

Not a daily one, but when I do sit down to write I try to go for at least 300-400 words (though if I really sit down to write it’ll typically go beyond that)

27. Do you think you’ve improved as a writer since you first started?

Definitely (hopefully)

28. What is your favorite story that you’ve written?

an endless start of april, probably

29. What is your least favorite story that you’ve written?

There’s no fic I’ve written that I actively dislike. If I posted it, I like it, at least a little.

30. Where do you see yourself (as a writer) in 5 years?

Still writing fic, lol

31. What is the easiest thing about writing?

For me? Writing dialogue, probably.

32. What is the hardest thing about writing?

Starting.

33. Why do you write?

I first started writing because there was stuff I wanted to read but couldn’t find, so I wrote it myself. I don’t think that’s changed. I also think it’s fun to explore emotions and how they translate in to action (or lack of action).

#ernb its me #fic #tag thingy

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nakajimaakane · 7 years

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Hello! I know you've been inactive for quite a while so you don't have to answer this question but what's you fav otome games and the ones you recommend? it can be paid or mobile games thank you

Hello! oh my gosh, I’ve been inactive for like more than a year or so…? Ah, I’m so sorry anon for that! But of course, I’m answering your question!

Favorites…? Yeah, right! Be prepared for a lengthy list! But anon, I can’t really specify which I love the most because each game has its own uniqueness so the ranks here don’t mean that ‘Akane-chan likes this better than that’ or something out of sorts~

Though, I’ll only list the ones which leave great impressions on me here!

Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side 3rd Story – great bgm, great art and of course, great voice actors! I fell in love with Shitara Seiji (CV: Tachibana Shinnosuke) at the first sight, though his story is a bit lacking in some parts.

Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side 2nd Kiss – yea, another TMGS! This time, what I love the most is the romantic backstory, the mermaid legend! The bgm and art are still top notch and also the voice actors. I love the progression of Saeki Teru’s (CV: Morita Masakazu) route here and I just like Wakaouji-sensei’s (CV: Morikawa Toshiyuki) character~

Samurai Love Ballad Party – sengoku era! I’m smitten from the moment I downloaded this game. My favorite main story is Kojuro’s though I prefer Saizo more (if only his main story was written better) as a character. The MC here is cute and I find her pretty relatable.

Kiss of Revenge – old game yes but the story? Well it outmatches most otoges I know which prioritizes the act of having sex and romance more. The whole storyline isn’t perfect but if only Voltage put some more effort on it (like medical vocabs or such), it will surely become a better and great medical drama! One of some points I love from this game is the MC, she is independent! I also love how each of the characters’ story progressed. I prefer Issei here but I’ll definitely go for Takafumi Daidouji if only Voltage released his route…

Guard Me, Sherlock! – ahahaha, it’s one fun game! I’m currently in love with Mycroft’s route since it’s just recently out. Before, I was really smitten by James Moriarty due to his quirks and two stooges Sebastian and Jack~ Ah, the MC here is an actress! It’s pretty rare for otoges to have MC who is pretty famous or having a bunch of self confidence.

Liar! Uncover The Truth – I love this game, like, really really love it! The MC, especially! I love how she resembles me in general and how funny she is! I hate those sorts of helpless, masochistic MC Voltage creates in other games who will just close their eyes only to have the guys save her! I mean, it’s not realistic at all! Aside of that, the guys’ characteristics. Although I was raging while going through Keima’s and Kunio’s lies, they’re great characters, nevertheless. My pick here is Itaru – call me a traditionalist but yes, it’s him. He is friendly, cute and willing to go on great lengths to make MC happy. My second pick will be Sotaro since I just have a thing for cool guys…

Our Two Bedroom Story – okay, it’s the MC again. She’s sassy and funny and I just love it! The whole storyline is a bit refreshing too. And Minato! Tsumugu! I can’t pick between these two…

Hiiro no Kakera 4 ~Shirahana no Ori~ – though there was one point in my life when I was completely done with this game while in Gentoka’s (CV: Morikawa Toshiyuki) route (which also made me contemplate whether to get rid of this game for good or not) Kuuso’s (CV: Suzuki Chihiro) route made me see this wretched story in a new light! When I started his route, just then and only then I realized the true meaning–the jewel–of the story! He isn’t the nicest guy and he’s rude most of the time but he certainly gives her some feedback, advice, reassurances and love that she needs! Unlike Gentoka who only showers MC with ‘I love you’s! Ahh, my rambling might paint this game as unworthy but trust me, it’s worth a try, especially and only Kuuso’s route! This whole storyline used to be a whole bullcrap to me but in Kuuso’s route, it becomes a true historical drama that I long for! While other characters’ routes disappoint me, the story itself left a really great impression on me, in Kuuso’s route.

Otometeki Koi Kakumei Love Revo – the MC is funny, cute and so relatable! The story itself is already funny and the characters, while seem like to be too good to be true, are realistic as well! Overall, all the routes are great but Ayato’s (CV: Namikawa Daisuke) route is my favorite since it’s unlike the others. His character is enjoyable and I found myself replaying his story twice…

I suppose those are the ones which left quite the impression on me anon! And I’m not sure with what you mean by ‘recommend’, are you asking about the game or the characters? If the characters then you can say the ones I mentioned above (with the exception of Gentoka) are whom I find most enjoyable.

As for the game, then I suppose the firsts I recommend you will be TMGS series, Kiss of Revenge and Otometeki Koi Kakumei Love Revo. TMGS series cover everyday-like school days but it’s cute and highly relatable if you’re a student! Kiss of Revenge is probably my preferable Voltage game so far due to the unique storyline and Otometeki Koi Kakumei Love Revo, again, is about school but MC here is not your average, shy female student – instead, she has a lot of weakness that she has to overcome in order to get her happy ending!

Ahh it turns out to be a way longer post than I intended to but I’m happy to answer!

Have a good day/night, anon!

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unfortunatelycake · 23 days

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So this post made me think about Ye Olde Songfics (fics including actual song lyrics interspersed throughout the paragraphs) and I realised

Songfics predate streaming.

Back then we couldn't just link to spotify/youtube/soundcloud in the notes like 'hey this fic was inspired by this song, go give it a listen whilst you read!'

We had to embed the lyrics directly into our fanfiction, and hope that if people didn't know the song, they'd at least grasp the significance of the lyrics and how they were reflected in the scenes of the fic.

The only way readers would know the song was either by having heard it already, or downloading off a p2p and hoping their antivirus was up to scratch.

#kakera rambles #fandom #songfics

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natsmagi · 1 month

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we've done it. its honestly impressive how ive yet to grow tired of this song

#still jam to omoi no kakera in my free time too #Nothing can ever make me tired of switch love #nat rambles

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sailor-brunette · 9 months

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So! After so long,I FINALLY finished the Dance with Devils anime! I will now watch some more otome anime adaptations. But I will try my best not to take as long with watching them this time. And I will also continue playing Code Realize and hope and pray for more otome game localizations. That is all for now.

#Brunette ramblings #Relevant examples tagged #Dance with Devils #Meiji Tokyo Renka #Magic Kyun! Renaissance #Nil Admirari no Tenbin #Hiiro no Kakera #Neo Angelique Abyss #Haruka: Beyond the Stream of time #La Corda d'oro #Among others #Shoujo #Shoujo anime #Otome #Otome anime

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yume-fanfare · 6 months

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i do actually rly need to budget soon for the upcoming engstars months

#i havent spent dia since black swan tori #and before that was uuu ? omoi no kakera sora?#some crazy months were those i played lke 5 events in a row #mar's midnight rambles

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kimonobeat · 7 years

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aiko Lyrics: Form (ホーム; Platform)

English translation and romanization below the cut.

ENGLISH

“See you later.” I waved 'til I couldn’t see you Then went back home to my room I could still smell you in my hair after untying it

The deep breath of air I breathed in was so cold, it made me cough Much like the way we didn’t drop those shards of kindness together Though I’m still not quite sure what those were, exactly

We keep coming across so many things we cherished Like that one day when we saw the red planet for the first time Or the yellow chips from the platform where you waited for me Let’s talk about them tomorrow so we don’t forget

New waves of people every day I breathe in and out, over and over Cherry blossoms, summer, altocumulus clouds, winter mornings The hue of the view from this window, something I looked at countless times with you

I’m gonna ramble about how I feel about you Until it makes it through to you I’ll swallow my worries and find joy, and then I’m sure I’ll be able to take the plunge I love you. I just wanna keep holding you tight

If a single one of the sounds of my heart overlapped with yours, you’d hear the sound of something beginning Let’s meet up here again if you’re ever feeling lost about everything That’ll never change

ROMAJI

jaa mata ne to mienaku naru made te wo futte kaetta heya hodoita kami no ke ni anata no nioi ga tsuite’ta kara

ookiku suikonda kuuki ga tsumetakute seki wo shita issho ni yasashisa no kakera mo otosanu you ni mada sore ga nan nano ka chanto wakatte inai kedo

akai hoshi wo hajimete futari de mita hi no koto mo matte’te kureta ho-mu no kiiroi no kirehashi mo taisetsu na mono ni atashi-tachi wa nandoka deau ashita hanasou ne mou wasurenai you ni

mainichi atarashii hito no nami kurikaeshi iki wo suru sakura mo natsu mo hitsuji kumo mo yuki no asa mo anata to nandomo kono mado kara mita keshiki no iro

toritomenonai kotoba de tsutaeru omoi wa anata no moto ni todoku made ni fuan wo nomikonde yorokobi wo mitsuke-dashite kitto kanarazu tobikomeru ai shite’ru tsuyoku dakishimete’tai

mune no naka no oto ga hitotsu anata to kasanari-aeba hajimari no oto moshimo subete ni mayottara mata koko de machiawase shiyou kawaranai yo

akai hoshi wo hajimete futari de mita hi no koto mo matte’te kureta ho-mu no kiiroi no kirehashi mo taisetsu na mono ni atashi-tachi wa nandoka deau ashita hanasou ne mou wasurenai you ni

#aiko #aiko yanai #yanai aiko #toki no silhouette #translation

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sg2tiger · 7 years

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It's certainly interesting considering the different perspectives fans of Umineko would have depending on whenether they were along for the ride, or started after it ended. Though I can't really say if I agree with that betrayed mindset. It was a little frustrating yeah, but to me, all the clues were there. And there was really nothing in 1-4 that indicated the answer would be handed on a silver platter. If anything Higurashi betrays the genre after building up the mystery part so much in 1-6.

Well like I said, I feel like the betrayed feeling is something that people who started Umineko after it had already ended won’t really understand. You have to realize the perspective of people who were reading the series while it was still coming out, literally waiting 6 months between releases. I only got into Umineko during the time before EP5′s Japanese release, but even for me that meant two years just to get through Chiru. When you’re waiting excitedly for that long to read the next installment of the story, and it hits and the spoilers come out of the floodgates only to be told ‘yeah the ending doesn’t actually give any answers’…well, if you weren’t there at the time, I don’t think you could understand. Especially since now, years after it’s happened, you have tons of people who have come together to try and make sense of the EP8 ending, and now we have the EP8 manga to boot.

I don’t think EP8 is even a fraction as polarizing now as it was when it first came out - I mean, again, I’m not just talking about my own personal feelings, here. People were quitting Umineko in droves when they found out how EP8 ended, people started shitting on Ryukishi like crazy, and everyone either felt betrayed or was laughing at the people who took the story seriously enough to feel betrayed in the first place. It was a pretty universal sentiment at the time…it’s just one of those ‘you had to be there’ sorts of things that I’m not sure anyone who didn’t experience could really understand, even if I try to explain it.

As far as Higurashi goes, though - I can’t agree. Higurashi was never presented explicitly as a mystery series. It was certainly mysterious, but it was presented as a horror and supernatural-themed story right from the start. It challenged critical thinking, but it never outright said ‘this is a mystery, try to solve this’ to its readers. There also wasn’t really anything to be betrayed because Higurashi pretty concretely answered all the questions it presented. When I say ‘betrayed’ I don’t mean ‘because the answers weren’t satisfying’, I mean ‘because there literally were not answers’. Because, remember, the EP8 VN leaves the details on a LOT of things in the catbox that were only later given concrete details by the manga. The betrayal part is the fact that we were told to solve a mystery, and at the end, we weren’t given the sheet to check our answers against despite the story often reinforcing the very fact that people like to know that a mystery is, in fact, solvable (see EP5 ???? tea party scene with Virgilia and Dlanor specifically).

Higurashi didn’t betray anything, though. Not only because it never presented itself as an explicit mystery, but because it did answer all of its questions (aside from maybe some minor things). Matsuribayashi-hen’s puzzle segment of putting together all the kakera alone answers almost every lingering mystery from the series since Onikakushi-hen, going all the way back to the initial conflict over the dam and covering every incident until the present time. If Higurashi were a proper mystery, that would be the ‘answer sheet’ - like saying, before this point, get your theories together, because this is your last chance. And then the kakera puzzle goes through all the questions you may have had and answers them. And at that point you can say ‘oh hey, I guessed that right!!’ or ‘aw man I was totally off’. But the answers are given. To everything. Whether you were satisfied by ‘lol brain parasites’ is another matter entirely - that’s not what I mean by betrayal. It’s the fact that, prior to the release of the manga, Umineko’s ending decided not to even give us those answers at all.

Again, you have to put into perspective just how much discussion took place over even just the two years that I was into Umineko - let alone the four years for those who got into it from the time of EP1. Go to AnimeSuki sometime and check out the old archived Umineko forum, and look at the sheer number of pages each individual Episode’s discussion thread has…and that’s not even counting the general spoiler for all EPs discussion thread, all the anime discussions, manga discussions, or all the discussions that happened on other places like 4chan (unfortunately most records of those were lost when Foolz died, RIP original Pony Theory thread). People spent countless hours of their lives putting together theories to try and solve the individual Episodes and their mysteries, and at the very least, in the end, were expecting some closure more than just the cryptic solutions given by Will in EP7. People wanted that answer sheet so they could check to see if their theories were correct, or oh so wrong.

And they weren’t given that. Despite Umineko repeatedly going over mystery tropes and reinforcing to the reader that it was, in fact, solvable as long as they had their Critical Thinking Hats on…it never delivered on the chance to let us see how right or wrong we were. That was the core of people’s dissatisfaction with the ending, and Ryukishi’s smug attitude in that infamous interview just rubbed salt in those wounds by him basically going full Featherine and insulting his readers, basically telling us that if we couldn’t see the truth already we didn’t deserve the chance to check the answer sheet, mocking us for not liking his brilliant twists, and just all sorts of rude-ass shit. Have you read Answer to the Golden Witch? Check it out sometime and try to think from the perspective of people who were already feeling dissatisfied by the lack of answers in EP8…and then feeling that the mighty King Ryukishi was sitting high on his throne looking down on them and mocking the pathetic peasants who couldn’t grasp The Heart without someone holding their hands. Suffice to say, a lot of people lost respect for Ryukishi after that - hence, that feeling of betrayal.

But I do feel that Ryukishi has at least somewhat redeemed himself for that old attitude. The fact that he chose to release the EP8 manga the way he did at all shows me that he maybe realized how people like me felt about having the answers shut away in the catbox…which, while thematically appropriate, was not at all satisfying for the loyal Umineko fans who had devoted so much time to trying to solve the mystery. I’m sure there were a lot of mindless goats who just wanted the answers served on a silver platter - but we were not them. We worked out asses off trying to tackle the mystery from so many angles over the course of years. And I think he finally realized, once the dust had settled, how that inconclusive ending must have made us feel.

I read a thing here on Tumblr that was a snippet from a different interview or post or something by Ryukishi at the time when he decided to release the EP8 manga…anyone happen to have a link to that? I’ll edit this post if I find it. But basically it shows just how hard it was for him to make that ultimate decision, between keeping the thematic ending of shutting the truth up in the catbox, or releasing that truth to the people who grasped so hard for it for so long. And I appreciate the fact that he ultimately did decide to reward us for our efforts by giving the answers in the form of the EP8 manga. Reading what a difficult decision it was for him eased a lot of my old hatred…I’m still not terribly fond of the man, but I don’t hate Ryukishi anymore. As much. I just tend to have trouble getting over grudges. But I do respect and appreciate him for releasing the EP8 manga, because it shows at least some part of him doesn’t think all of his fans are stupid goats who want to be spoonfed. That was the part that hurt people like me the most, you know - we really did work hard at trying to actually solve the mystery. We did not want to be spoonfed the answers. We wanted to do the same thing Featherine wanted Bern to make EP7 for - to check our answers and know whether or not the solutions we found were true.

So yeah…maybe that helps explain a bit better what I mean when I say that so many people felt betrayed by the way Umineko ended. But I do think that it’s probably hard to understand if you weren’t there at the time. The current Umineko fandom is very different from the one back then, simply because the environment is so different now. We even have blogs like Ramblings of the Golden Witch that go through all the evidence in the existing material and analyze lingering questions.

But again, that’s only possible because the answers exist now. We actually have a complete set of all the novels + all the manga + the extra content of the EP8 manga in front of us that we can sit down and compare and dissect. That’s a luxury that didn’t exist in ‘my time’. We had the visual novel, the PC original without even voice acting, and we had a disjointed collection of partially-finished manga (the EP7 manga would have just scarcely begun at the time EP8 was released in Japan when this shitstorm broke out)…and we had our theories, and our discussions, which colored a lot of perceptions and further clouded the line between canon and unconfirmed. There was a lot more speculation than answers back then, which I feel has reversed now - there’s still a lot about Umineko that’s vague or inside the catbox, and that’s why we can still enjoy discussing it even all these years later. But there are also a lot of concrete answers provided by the EP7 and EP8 manga that did not exist back then. And more than the fact that they didn’t exist, Ryukishi was insistent about the fact that they wouldn’t exist, and shame on us for wanting them to, because obviously we weren’t worthy of them.

People who got into Umineko after 2011, and especially after the EP8 manga existed…they got to experience a very different Umineko than I did. One where there were answers and spoilers and people willing to sit down and analyze these things and try to make more sense of them. A world where, even if you’re the type who avoids spoilers and doesn’t want to confirm anything until you’ve read it for yourself, you could then go online and look it up or ask someone to help clarify the solution for you if you felt confused. A world where we could say concretely things like ‘Yasu’s reason for committing the crime was more than just being lonely because Battler didn’t come back, as seen in Confession of the Golden Witch’. And you can say, oh, I see, that makes sense, because you have actual factual evidence clarifying the mystery and making the foreshadowing more obvious in hindsight.

People who got into Umineko before 2011 didn’t have that. All we could say was ‘so, uh, she killed everyone because she took a kid’s promise too seriously? That’s it? We’re supposed to accept that as a motive? What is this shit?’ because the VN did a terrible job of exploring the other conflicts that pushed Yasu to her breaking point. That’s just one example, of course. But for basically everything you now have concrete evidence to back up, from the identities of Yasu’s accomplices in each arc to the solutions of individual closed rooms? We had nothing but speculation, speculation, and more speculation. And that speculation varied wildly. You think Rosatrice is as bad as it gets? Don’t make me laugh. I’ve seen some shit theories in my day. But because everything was shrouded in mysterious catbox mystery, even the shittiest theories couldn’t be denied. I’m talking literal goat-tier shit with a flimsier basis than small bombs that completely disregarded The Heart, not just of Yasu, but multiple characters. But people clung to these theories because ‘b-but there’s nothing saying it’s not true, devil’s proof, devil’s proof!!’. They were great times and I wouldn’t trade them for the world, but damn was the 2009-2011 Umineko fandom a shitshow.

TL;DR I don’t expect you to understand that feeling of betrayal because I think it’s fundamentally based on the circumstances of the time. Reading through all of Umineko in one go and being able to check your answers afterward is just too wholly different from the experience of reading an Episode at a time, with 6 months of waiting before the next, and then in the end being told ‘yeah you’re not gonna get a real answer lol sorry’.

I’d be curious to hear the perspectives of other people who were there at the time as well, assuming any are still in the current fanbase. I do know that every October when someone makes the annual Seac/a/ts thread you get a lot of people who pop in to say things like ‘do people still like this shit? I dropped it because DID Meido’ or to talk about how much Chiru sucks compared to the old EPs, and other things like that. And it often feels like the only people who stuck around did so because they want to deito Lucifer or fuck Erika, and I think there’s still a regular circlejerk general on /jp/ with all of like 5 people who still talk about Umineko. On the Tumblr side of things I get the impression that a lot of the more active blogs are people who got into the fandom later, and have a very different perspective than me (which I actually find refreshing and fun) who probably also don’t understand why I’m often so bitter about Ryukishi and how I still have yet to read EP8 for myself.

I’m like the grizzled old adventurer walking through a town full of fresh-faced younguns as I mutter ‘I hate Umineko, fuck Ryukishi’ under my breath. And they’re like ‘why does that person keep going into the dungeon if they hate it so much…?’ and I’m like ‘you wouldn’t understand, you’ll never understand the things I’ve seen’ while I venture into the darkness. But also we can sit down at the local tavern and swap stories of our own experiences and realize how different they are, and how they’re still fun to talk about, and every time I feel like I know the dungeon like the back of my hand someone comes along with a fresh perspective and I see it in a different way.

I think the analogy got away from me, but yeah, something like that. Somehow, after all these years, I’m still finding new things to discuss about Umineko with people from a different perspective, and I think that’s part of what makes it fun, even if they don’t always understand where my mindset is coming from :P

#somehow every time I sit down to answer one of these it takes me an hour to finish my reply #I am very nostalgic about The Old Days of the umineko fandom and like to share my memories for the people who weren't around back then #even though I feel like not many people probably read my walls of text #umineko #SG2 rereads umineko #asks #down-the-rabbit-well #long post #umineko memories #umineko asks

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