Introduce Yourself!

[Mow]

Hi, Mow here! I am from the USA. I am a huge umineko fan, I am also reading rose guns days (I’ve been stalling a lot but I will finish it) and also higurashi as it releases on steam. I saw all of the higurashi and umineko anime as well… (well not kira shivers.)

How did I find this place, well it is actually kind of a long story, sure I could just say I found it through kazamatsuri but that wasn’t really the true start.

My very first encounter was with higurashi. This may sound strange as hell but it was in school. Why some guy was watching higurashi in school is beyond me. Anyways he showed me a rather violent part and that is when I said to myself, “I will NEVER watch this anime.” fast forward to today and somehow that anime is sitting on my shelf along with a signed umineko. So yeah what happened between back then and now? Honestly why I changed my view from saying “I will never watch it” to lets give it a try, is a mystery. I think it was just a spur of a moment thing, I figured I wouldn’t like it at all because I am not into horror what so ever. But the thing is I DID give it a try for some reason and I am glad I did. Cause damn once I started watching it I could not stop.

So then one day I discover these things called “vns” So there was like this big list of vns, this was a long time ago when I really didn’t care about downloading games, mainly cause I really didn’t know where to buy them, without getting massively ripped off. But the two I decided to get was Umineko since I was watching the anime and people kept telling me I should read the vn, and Little Busters cause I was a fan of key. (well later I bought them both so it is okay right?)

So then there was the fairly large time frame I like to call the great wait. It was sort of painful at the time but looking back it was fun. Neither umineko or little busters was anywhere near done translating. So first off the thought of not waiting for the patch came to mind, machine TL and learning some japanese sounded good at the time. But then somewhere on the internet somebody said something, just some random person. It was you shouldn’t machine TL, you should think of the vn as a work of art and read it in your native langue. That and also umineko has some tricky wording in it for sure, plus I am not really a person who reads anything expect vns, and I am just not very good at English anyways so learning another language that well is too much for me. So I waited, not just for umineko but for Little Busters as well. Plus when I started he had only written up to ep 5. But since I had to wait it felt like it was growing on me even more, because I could stop and think for a long time about what happened rather than just going through from start to finish, and the the wait ended, I still find it so odd that the two vns I started first would finish tl within 24 hours of each other, still blows my mind even today. Probably one of my best days of my life tbh lol. Also the fact that I find them linked, cause I started them together.

It is pretty strange how when you think about my story I start as pretty closed minded not wanting to watch higurashi, but at the end of reading umineko, I feel the vn opens your mind to think in different ways. So I really feel that is what I will remember the both as; the time I opened my mind to new things and ideas…

Oh and one more thing, I really feel like 07th expansion and key are extremely connected, and mind you not just cause of rewrite or whatever. The fact that this new website exists born from a key one just strengths that thought for me. I feel even more so connected with umineko and little busters.

Welp I think I wrote more than enough, I always get carried away when I talk about how I got into vns/umi/LB.

[Aspirety]

A big warm welcome to everyone who’s made it! I hope from the bottom of my heart that we can work together to make Rokkenjima the place to be for English speaking 07th Expansion fans around the world!

[RedEspeon]

Hey guys! I’m Liam from Canada. I’m 19 (20 in May) and Umineko is basically my favorite work of fiction right now. I’ve played Umineko twice, read the manga, as well as played Higurashi, and Rose Gun Days.

I first watched the Higurashi anime when I was around 15, and that really caught my attention, since it was pretty violent and surrounded in mystery. After finishing it and quickly browsing the internet, I discovered Umineko and have since been up to date with 07th Expansion’s work.

I am a huge fan of everything Umineko (always up for discussing it) as well as anime, manga, visual novels, video games, etc. Really excited to discuss it with everyone, and I look forward to talking to everyone.

[Aspirety]

Welcome @RedEspeon! It’s very reassuring that the Umineko and Higurashi love is still alive all these years later. I know I’ve been waiting for a place like this for a long time.

[AchroShana]

Hello everyone! I’m Achro(-Shana), a guy who has way too much free time. I’m French (and live in France) and I’m better known as the Japan-Expo-Guy-Who-Announced-That-Harmonia-Was-Coming-In-English on an other forum connected to this one by a “mysterious power”.

Of course I found this place by Kazamatsuri (in case you didn’t understand).

Concerning my experience with 07th Expansion and the great Ryuukishi, I read both Umineko and Higurashi but I only watched the Higurashi anime 'cause… well, let’s say that no Umineko anime existed, like ever. I also read Rose Guns Days (which I didn’t finished yet), Iwaihime (which I only finished some days ago, it helped me learning my japanese) and Higanbana. I also played the side games of both Umineko and Higurashi: Ougon Musou Kyouku (and Cross) and Higurashi Daybreak and the side stories: Tsubasa and Hane for Umineko and… way too many for Higurashi.

Manga wise, I only read the Umineko manga for obvious reasons (the famous “Ryuukishi’s truth”).

Well, I think that’s enough for an introduction. If you have any question, don’t hesitate to ask

[Funyarinpa]

Hello! I’m a 16-year old high schooler from Istanbul, Turkey. I got into Ryukishi 07’s works by reading Umineko a couple years ago. Even though it left me more than a little confused by the end, I still think it was a very special experience and I think Umineko’s the most successful VN ever in terms of achieving what it set out to do. I actually prefer the old, blurry backgrounds of Umineko except they are 4:3. Besides that, I’m following Higurashi’s Steam releases and had it not been for the discussion that will take place in here I might have gone and downloaded the full game from somewhere already.

Looking forward to discussing everything Ryuukishi with my fellow goats! ^^

[EisenKoubu]

Hi, I’m EisenKoubu. It’s a strange name, I know, but bear with it.

Most of you know me by the same name at Kazamatsuri, and for those I know from there, I’m glad to meet you all again! For those exclusive to this site, I’m glad to meet you for the first time.

I live in Texas, and I was first drawn into 07th Expansion’s works sometime after I got my first Kindle on my 18th birthday. I was scrolling through the Amazon Appstore one day and I discovered that Onikakushi-hen (the old translation) was available for free. This was back when I was still discovering what visual novels were, and I was a bit skeptical at first, as I knew Higurashi was famous for its horror elements. After some thinking (and a lot of research) I thought it would be good to give it a try. I mean, if I didn’t like it I could always put it down.

I couldn’t stop reading.

Every time I tried to put it down, within a handful of minutes I wanted to read the next part. The mystery and suspense hooked me, and by the time I got to the end I was thoroughly engrossed in the plot. I wanted to read more, but unfortunately I couldn’t read much more for a long while. (I still can’t yet… )

Onikakushi-hen is the only 07th Expansion work I’ve read so far, but I think it’s enough to make me a fan of the circle’s work. I hope to read the rest of Higurashi and perhaps even Umineko someday.

As to how I found this place, I saw it promoted on Kazamatsuri. I initially thought it was an elaborate April Fools’ joke, but further exploration of the site made it seem pretty legit to me.

My interests outside of 07th Expansion are numerous. My friends at Kaza know me as a huge fan of JRPGs, particularly the Tales series. Of course, I also like Key visual novels. I love watching slice-of-life anime, particularly ones with a soothing feel to them. I could go on, but I believe the question only asked for some of my interests, so I’ll stop there.

Something interesting about myself? I’m a fiction writer. I can say that with much more confidence than when I joined Kazamatsuri over a year ago. I have written a few pieces of fanfiction along with my own original stories, and I’m currently experimenting with writing visual novels. I aspire to be a scenario writer for video games or visual novels someday.

I am glad to meet you all!

[ctom42]

How was Iwahime? No spoilers obviously, but you are the first person I have seen mention having read it.

[Aspirety]

@AchroShana @ctom42 Please, share your thoughts in the Iwaihime topic! Iwaihime General Discussion

[Bofu]

I’m Bofu, and I’m an American musician (currently living in Texas, but who knows how long that’ll last) who was brought here from a post on the /r/visualnovels subreddit. I’m a huge fan of Higurashi and also enjoy Umineko, but Higurashi will always be my favorite, hands down. I’ve watched the Higurashi anime (not all of the OVAs, but some of them), read the manga, and have played the awesome Japanese PS2 and PS3/Vita versions of the Higurashi VN (as well as the current Steam releases in English). My only real exposure to Umineko is that I’ve read the manga. I got to meet Ryukishi07 at Anime Expo, and he signed my Vita copy of Higurashi Sui and even talked to me and one of my friends through an interpreter. It was really exciting, and even in Japanese (which I’m not anywhere close to proficient in), he just oozed charisma, enthusiasm, and energy.

I’m getting married in June, and my fiancee is a much more casual fan of the series than I am, but she still liked it enough to decide to cosplay it at a recent con in the area (and we’re not really cosplayers). We went as Keiichi and Mion, and literally one person recognized us, but it was great. I used to write and draw a lot, but these days, my fandom hobbies are pretty much limited to roleplaying (and not even doing a whole lot of that). I’ve outed myself as a giant nerd already, but whatever!

I was pretty uneasy about trying out Higurashi at first because I’m not really big on gore. But surprisingly enough, I really enjoyed the series, mostly because of the focus on interpersonal relationships and friendship. I actually really liked the fact that characters would learn from their mistakes and that even a character who would commit terrible crimes in one arc would prove to be sympathetic and likable in another. Umineko has a few characters that have grown on me, but I’ve had trouble getting as excited about it as I get about Higurashi. I know it’s the more popular of the two series, but it just doesn’t appeal to me in the same way (though I still really like it).

I actually don’t read a lot of other visual novels, so it’s nice to be in a community that’s focused on some of the few that I actually do read.

I’d also really like to get a translation of Miotsukushi-hen, the alternate ending arc to Higurashi that’s exclusive to the console versions of the series. I know the plot points, but my Japanese is nowhere near good enough to interpret exact dialogue or finer details.

(obligatory “mion is best girl” mention but they’re all great)

[ghagler]

Heyo! I’m from both Kaza and reddit.

Umineko was actually my first visual novel, as well; there was some mystery game on reddit that used Red Truths. After asking about it, they pointed me to Umineko. I bought the digital version off of MangaGamer and started reading.

What a wild ride.

That was in the beginning of August 2013. I finished it a few months later (it was loooong), but I loved it. Wow. Simply excellent.

About me: I’m a big mystery buff myself (absolutely love Christie’s And Then There Were None and G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown locked room mysteries. Fun fact: Christie, Knox, and Chesterton were all big members of the Detection Club mystery writers group and ate brunch in London together often), and I’m attempting to write mystery fiction. Not sure if being a writer’s in my blood, but we’ll see. It’s fun to plan murders either way (hehe).

Besides that: a lot of people here seem to be in their early twenties or late teens, which I find awesome; being in that same age group, it makes me happy to have other people my age to chat and chill with. Guess I’ll close with some random facts: I plan to be a priest! God willing. I like playing piano and chess (really, logic games in general). I even started a murder mystery subreddit! Which quickly died. alas. But it was fun while it lasted.

Looking forward to discussing this great series with y’all! (Especially the music and locked room logic battles.)

[italktowalls]

Hello! I’m italktowalls, and currently in the U.S.A. i found both higurashi and umineko through their anime series which caused me to fall in love with them. I own all of forms of both higurashi and umineko, including the anime box sets for umineko. I came because of my love for horror and stayed for the amazing story.

[StarTurner]

Hey there all!
I’m Xavier, but I’m usually just called by my nickname, Star. I’m 18 and live in Melbourne, Australia, and am currently an university student studying Computer Science and Japanese! I hope to use this knowledge of Japanese to read more 07th Expansion works in the future.
I’ve completed the Umineko visual novels (Chapters 1-8) and part of the manga for it. My favorite one would be the latter of the two VN’s, but if I were to pick a chapter, I’d have to pick the 5th. Umineko was an amazing read, which I blasted through in a few weeks, it’s kept me thinking about everything that’s happened, like I’m sure it has for most of you. It’s definitely my favorite VN and work to date. (Steins;Gate is close behind though).
I found Rokkenjima through a post on the subreddit r/visualnovels, and have been looking for an Umineko community to participate in, so it seemed like a great idea to join!
Outside of 07th Expansion, I have an avid interest in Gaming, Programming, and Japanese VN’s/Anime along with Japanese culture. I game a lot in my free time, as well as read VN’s and watch the occasional anime when I have time!
There’s not much to say about myself, but I can say a few random things, my personality type is INTP, my vision is garbage (-3.75 in both eyes shortsighted).
I tend to lurk a lot more than I post, so I’m not sure how much I’ll be posting, but I’ll do my best to participate when I can, hope we all have some great discussions going on!

[Pepe]

Pretty interesting name. What the hell is a Funyarinpa!?

No, I won’t apologize to the Funyarinpa

[EnDy_S]

Hello everyone!

• I’m EnDy_S (21, my other nick is gdfjhnwt) from Hungary, currently living in Japan, majoring in Japanese language and culture.

• It probably says all that my greatest regret in life is not following Umineko the time it was released and still actively discussed everywhere. I hope this forum with a fresh start can make that experience available again, to a certain extent at least. (I still plan to read back all the thousands of pages on animesuki sometime though).

• As for 07th Expansion works, I’ve watched Umineko and Higurashi anime about 10 times, read Umineko VN twice so far and I also play Ougon Musou Kyoku X even up to this day!
  Umineko is my favourite work of all time, to the level that I can’t even imagine finding something even remotely close to it. Still have big hopes for Ryukishi’s and Maeda’s new works though. Oh yeah and Kazamatsuri, I might seem like a new guy here but I’m actually following that site since it’s first day, It’s just that I usually don’t have time to take part in the conversations.
  I’ve also decided to make the most complete Umineko collection I can. I will post a picture of my treasure once I’m finished. What I’ve got so far is PC and PS3 version of the game, every single umineko related book from amazon (LNs, art books etc., about 30 I’d say), posters, limited edition goodies, all manga released in english, both Ougon Musou Kyoku aaaand the sign of Ryukishi from an auction.
  Also luckily I had the chance this year to visit the real life location of both Umineko and Higurashi.

• I’ve got here from VN reddit

• My interests outside 07th Expansion would be other animes and VNs. I’m a big fan of Key as a whole not only Maeda’s works. For example Rewrite affected my views on things just as much as Umineko and Clannad did. Also a Minori fanboy, oh all them dramas. And last but not least, I spent years with hardcore gaming but I had to give up on that to pursue my academic goals.

Yoroshikuonegaishimasu desu

[Isae]

Hi everyone. I’m Isae. I translate visual novels.

Higurashi is my all-time favorite work of fiction. I was somewhat into it “back in the day,” but for some reason I only really got into it the second time around, which was a few years ago.

I’m also a big fan of Ryukishi’s other works; I think I’ve read everything except Rose Guns Days.

My passions are good stories (in novels, movies, games, anything) and linguistics (although I only speak English and Japanese).

I guess something that people might find interesting about me is that I’m the official translation checker for the new Umineko releases.

[Aspirety]

@Isae Wow, one of Umineko’s translators is here! Thank you for joining us!

And thank you to everyone else! @AchroShana, @Funyarinpa, @EisenKoubu, @Bofu, @ghagler, @italktowalls, @StarTurner and @EnDy_S! It’s awesome to see so many new faces here. I hope you’ll consider joining our Discord chat as well!

Let’s prove to everyone that the 07th Expansion fandom is not going anywhere!

[Aulin]

Hello everybody! I’m Aulin/Carlos. I found this page in tiwtter, from a rtweet and I found this to be interesting, so maybe I can have here good times talking about Umineko, Higanbana, Rose Gun Days and Higurashi that are some of my favourite visual novels. I’ve read all of them but the first of them was Umineko.
Well, I’m also from Spain, sorry for my bad english, somehow I’m trying to improve it. Outside of 07thExpansion, I really like TYPE-MOON, Steins;Gate, To Aru, Game of Thrones.
I’m really bad at introducing myself, but I hope I can have a really good time here

[Beatrice]

Hello everyone! I’m Grey/Beatrice, 19, from the USA!
I tend to overshare and can be a lot of enthusiasm, and I hope to get to know many of you! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ⌒●~*

My first exposure to the 07th expansion world was through Higurashi, which will always hold a really special place in my heart.

BUT the real reason I came to the Cry party and never left was Umineko.
I got into the series in 7th grade and it’s sustained it’s role as my favorite series of all time / hyperfixation since. I personally identify deeply with\as Beato, and it’s been my goal for years to champion Umineko into everyone’s lives, wether they like it or not. I cosplay Sayo and Shannon and i’ve been enjoying my year long celebration of the Rokkenjima murders by memeing about Umineko 24/7. I’m cosplaying every Sayo fragment and getting my golden eagle tattoo in October! Needless to say, Umineko has my heart and is my home and is a ridiculously large part of my identity and my life.

I also enjoy Higanbana and Rose gun days, and look forwards to anything Dragon Dad Ryukishi offers and I love nothing more than talking with other people who enjoy his works! I got here from tumblr where I hide for seacats memes and I’m happy to join the other 50 umineko fans screaming into the void of the internet (or how it feels, at times).

My other interests include Star Wars, Pokemon, and general prop and costume making.

Please always feel free to say hi and scream with me or @ me when you want to talk about Beato or Sayo! I can’t wait to get to know everyone.

[ghagler]

Welcome; glad to have you!

I personally identify deeply with\as Beato, and it’s been my goal for years to champion Umineko into everyone’s lives, wether they like it or not.

That’s pretty awesome. I’ll admit that my love for Umineko is more for the mystery and locked rooms, but Ryukishi certainly poured an immense amount of depth into the reasons behind those mysteries and Beato. It’s really fascinating stuff; I look forward to discussing it with you on those topics! Though I need to go find said topics first, haha.