It was crowded at the bookstore. Perhaps a sign that the American economy is finally recovering? I have read reports that some sectors were showing growth; let's hope that the 2008 meltdown doesn't last much longer.
There were many people in the bookstore; little kids, mothers, teenage girls, (not reading Twilight, thank-you-very-much) and a middle-aged man reading . . . Naruto? Hey, I like the earlier chapters, but why is it, to this day, that I have never seen anyone in a bookstore or library read a manga that wasn't Naruto nor Inuyasha? Ah well, better orange shinobi than painful romance between human and dog-person.
Following the advice of some internet denizens, I was happy to find the manga version of Higurashi, or When Cicadas Cry available. I test-read most of the first volume.
It takes place in 1983, before the internet was used outside of universities, when cellphones were huge and generally used only by the rich, and when Michael Jackson was still universally beloved. (It sucks he's dead now. RIP man.) The protagonist is Keiichi, a . . . high school boy. He's moved into a small town out in the middle of nowhere called Hinamizawa. It's summer, school is on, and, if Evangelion has taught us anything, it's that cicadas will not STFU during summertime. Keiichi meets new friends, all of them . . . girls. Is this a harem comedy? Well, I don't sense much romantic tension (IN YOUR FACE, INUYASHA!), and I like the artwork thus far, so I'll keep reading.
Keiichi meets a freelance photographer. All is well, until the photographer mentions the town's past. Someone tried to build a dam four years ago. The dam would have forced the citizens to evacuate. There was strong opposition. Someone supporting the dam was murdered. The plan was canceled, and Hinamizawa stands. Every year, on the day of cotton drifting, someone is murdered. When Keiichi tries to ask his ladyfriends about this, they say nothing. And it's about to be the cotton drifting day of the year. This . . . is now starting to read like a Stephen King short story.
One of the girls, Rena, goes moe whenever she senses something cute. She says, and I quote, "I'm taking him/her/it home with me!" frequently. Ladies and gentlemen, I have uncovered . . . AN INTERNET MEME!
However, a shocking twist happens early in the third chapter. This . . . is not going to be pleasant. I stopped there, picked up the second volume, and bought both books. Yen Press has done a fantastic job translating Cicadas, leaving in honorifics (I support that if the characters are Japanese), leaving out typos, and having rather glossy and colorful covers.
Even though 07Ryukishi, of 07th Expansion, didn't have a lot to do with the making of the manga, I can see here, much like in Umineko, that he can quickly and effectively establish settings and characters. Wait, being able to do that without being excessively wordy . . . is he the reincarnation of F. Scott Fitzgerald? Regardless, I had a blast sampling When Cicadas Cry, and will read more (and probably buy more) in the future.
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"Visual novel" became a more prominent term than "Sound novel" because sound novel is a trademarked phrase. Is 07 being renegade? So, there's no real distinction between sound and visual novels. I got farther in Umineko . . . this definitely has the best soundtrack I've heard in a VN yet. I noticed there's no choices in this game. Is this a choiceless VN like Planetarian? Wouldn't really be a video game then, now would it? But hey, that's less stress on me; no bad ends!
Oh great 07, you have earned my respect as a storyteller! Please, lend me more of your content in the future!
