Thursday, January 11, 2007

Higurashi Sound Novels for the Japanese-Impaired


The whole cast (fanart by Fujitaka Akasora)

For those interested in sampling the Higurashi sound novels, and not quite ambitious enough to purchase the discs and teach themselves Japanese, a friend (thanks, BZ!) has created video files of the first parts of Minagoroshi-hen (The Massacre Chapter), with the translations from zettai.makenaidesuwayo.com applied. Minagoroshi is the seventh chapter, and picks up right where the anime left off, with some really crucial revelations...
Minagoroshi Prologue
Minagoroshi Chapter 1
I point these out merely to give people a taste of what the original Higurashi is like; I have no intention of posting further installments. If you're interested, buy the sound novels (Minagoroshi is on the second disc, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai), and use the zettai.makenaidesuwayo translations.

Some more Higurashi videos have turned up on YouTube: a series of interviews with original writer and artist "Ryukishi07." In the videos, Ryukishi checks out some doujin software shops in Akihabara, and talks about a childhood that was long on games and short on physical activity or social interaction. We also meet his younger brother, "Yatazakura", the programmer for the sound novels. Ryukishi's parents are also interviewed; the overall theme of the program seems to be that Higurashi has strengthened familial bonds for its creators, and forged new bonds with gamers around Japan.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4