A Look Back: A Higurashi Gou & Sotsu Post-Mortem (Podcast)

omg tysm for answering my question!! i'm rlly looking forward to your thoughts on wataakashi and mion, so i'll be on the lookout on twitter for any posts you put out! i rlly hope my question didn't come off as pressuring bc i can totally understand not wanting to make a video about a manga considering everything you mentioned including the mental block stuff, and i'm also sorry my comment was so rambly i feel like that made it kinda difficult to read out loud LMAO i totally understand not finding oniakashi particularly compelling compared to other arcs especially coming off satokowashi and the fact that we've already had a rlly great exploration of L5 rena in tsumihoroboshi from the original rlly doesn't help it, and i also relate to trying not to have high expectations for meguri whilst still hoping it knocks it out of the park (it feels kinds contradictory but i swear it maked sense JFJHGJJDHGDH), but i still feel like there were a few small things that do inspire more hope for future arcs like the fact that rina's change of heart comes from interacting with rena and reflecting on how she relates to her afterwards made it feel more natural and makes me feel a little bit excited to see how teppei's "redemption" is going to be handled even though i'm still scared of it as everything surrounding him is a little bit sensitive and personal for me (presuming that's even going to be a thing in meguri but i doubt tomato will fully discard it so) and that bit in which satoko holds rika's hand, then monologues about how she's so glad she's back in june of 1983 is rlly good bc her motive is still being explored though the more interesting scene is the one after she's committed murder suicide with rika at the end of the loop and goes on to talk about how she's so delighted to be able to control fate so easily and how she's become fate itself bc it makes satoko's loops come off as more of a power fantasy of sorts/extravagant suicide and causing tragedies herself instead of waiting for them to happen on their own is a coping mechanism of sorts after being toyed with by everything that happened at st lucia then eua's loops so being in full control for once makes her feel happy? she's also never had much control over her life even back in the original so it feels more in line with her characterization imo? like satoko causing tragedies isn't just excused as just "lol witch" like in sotsu and feels like an actual part of her character arc and overall narrative that's going to be addressed?? there's another bit from the end of satokowashi where satoko kinda says a tragedy is essential to appreciate the happy times while likening it to how rika's 100 years went and i hope this will be explored more bc it feels equally important rn sorry if this comes off as a little bit annoying bc i'm giving the writing too much benefit of doubt, meguri is obviously not without its own set of shortcomings as you said, but i guess as someone whose #1 fave character of all time is satoko and also wasn't *inherently* against the kind of story gou/sotsu is there's this desperate need to see it rectified and handled with the love and care it deserves. it hurts to think that people's last memory of satoko might be gou/sotsu for a long time, but if meguri ends up handling her well and her arc ends up being great and meaningful in a way that doesn't detract from the original that won't be the case anymore? the st lucia bits were great so i want to believe the final result won't disappoint sorry i ended up writing too much, i hope that isn't annoying!! listening to you talk about the entire process of making this video made me earn a new appreciation for it bc it just makes the final result all the more impressive. i've been going back and revisiting bits of it a lot the past month and will continue doing so bc it's undoubtedly my favorite video essay rn!!! unrelated but you mention that you're rlly self conscious about your voice so i wanted to tell you that i find your voice and accent rlly soothing and pleasant to listen to and i'm sorry people have been so rude about it!!

Thanks so much for answering my question - it was really interesting to hear you flesh out that Watadamashi theory and every you would've liked to see. I also really wish Mion had gotten a chance to defy everyone's expectations (including the viewers!). That could've been amazing! 😭

Yurigasaki