Higurashi ~ When They Cry

[ayase]

But then this is the same BBFC who made a mandatory cut to Paranoia Agent for showing a child merely attempting to hang herself (after already giving it an 18 certificate - their argument was that a child could copy it, so it was basically an admisson of how useless and pointless their own rating system is). I imagine the same would apply to things like beating people to death with baseball bats or children stabbing themselves in the neck. You can't say they aren't inconsistant in their approach though, so who knows? Fuckin' BBFC...

 

[memorium]

i can undertsand, since knife crime is pretty "bad" (though all those newspapers exaggerate the truth, in reality, crime has been the same for centuries) in the UK

it shouldn't even be in the hands of children anyway, therefore it's the parents' fault for not being enlightened to this

i know this is slightly off topic, but with video games only 2 games have been banned in the UK, Carmageddeon (which got rereleased uncut anyway) and Manhunt 2(which i'm not sure about)

so if Manhunt 2 managed to get into the UK why not Higurashi, afterall, this is only a theory, but to be fair from what i heard Manhunt 2 is far worse than Higurashi

also it's up to someone to pick it up or get the person who holds the license it released over here (i think Funimation own rights to it), and if that company doesn't think it would sell, it won't get published over here (although Higurashi got a release in France if i recall)

i'm personally leaning towards the fact that it won't sell what they would want it to (which is baffling, since Funimation haven't released One Piece in the UK yet), i can't really go for the fact that BBFC say they won't rate it because it's likely not the case in this moment in time

 

[ayase]

so if Manhunt 2 managed to get into the UK why not Higurashi, afterall, this is only a theory, but to be fair from what i heard Manhunt 2 is far worse than Higurashi

It's kids. The BBFC have a big problem seeing children do anything violent / dangerous which is remotely imitable. Lucy kills people in Elfen Lied, but she does so using a fictional power. In Higurashi the characters use actual weapons / implements to kill people, which is why I think the same reason they gave for cutting Paranoia Agent would apply. A child can pick up a knife or a piece of rope, they can't rip people apart using invisible hands.

 

[memorium]

i sorta pointed that out in my last post but yes
the deaths are far more realistic in Higurashi

but at the end of the day, it's fiction, it's animated,besides, most the killing isn't even shown (like when Keichi bashes Satoshi's Uncle in with a Baseball Bat) directly, only offscreen, besides it would probably get rereleased uncut anyway, that's what they did with School Days

i'm staying with the fact that IF Funimation doesn't think it would sell, it won't get a release, afterall it's a business, and businesses have to make money to survive

besides, doesn't the rest of Europe censort anything to do with Child Murder? just curious

 

[fabio de lunatico]

I imagine the same would apply to things like beating people to death with baseball bats or children stabbing themselves in the neck.

This is referring to When They Cry? Sounds awesome. My copy should be here tomorrow and I can't wait to get my fix of cartoon child murder.

/moons the BBFC

Seriously, though, they were fine with Battle Royale so I don't see why When They Cry would be inadmissible. I think the problem with Paranoia Agent's attempted hanging is the amount of detail and the darkly comic vibe of the episode in which it occurs. It's a potent combination and perhaps one the BBFC hadn't ecountered before.

 

[memorium]

I imagine the same would apply to things like beating people to death with baseball bats or children stabbing themselves in the neck.

This is referring to When They Cry? Sounds awesome. My copy should be here tomorrow and I can't wait to get my fix of cartoon child murder.

/moons the BBFC

Seriously, though, they were fine with Battle Royale so I don't see why When They Cry would be inadmissible. I think the problem with Paranoia Agent's attempted hanging is the amount of detail and the darkly comic vibe of the episode in which it occurs. It's a potent combination and perhaps one the BBFC hadn't ecountered before.

and yes! Battle Royale! the perfect way to say that IF the BBFC won't let Higurashi in, we can accuse them of Double Standards!!! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

 

[ayase]

at the end of the day, it's fiction, it's animated, besides, most the killing isn't even shown (like when Keichi bashes Satoshi's Uncle in with a Baseball Bat) directly, only offscreen

You and I can see that it's fictional, unrealistic and highly unlikely to be imitated, but do you think that matters to the morality police at the BBFC? And 'it's animated' still works against things in the UK, in their eyes that just makes it more appealing to children.

I agree sales play a big part in decisions to release or not, but I just can't see anyone taking on the headache of dealing with the BBFC over this. Plus if they submitted it and it was rejected outright or loads of mandatory cuts were made, the release wouldn't happen and they'd have lost their submission fee - according to the BBFC fee calculator disc one of Higurashi (125 minutes) would cost £825. Then of course you have to double that for the Japanese language track.

I imagine the same would apply to things like beating people to death with baseball bats or children stabbing themselves in the neck.

This is referring to When They Cry? Sounds awesome. My copy should be here tomorrow and I can't wait to get my fix of cartoon child murder.

Oh, and worse. Much, much worse. Spoilerific video here, be warned, but no-one can honestly tell me they think this would make it past the censors unscathed:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5vw1ir1YtQQ&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5vw1ir1YtQQ&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

 

[memorium]

indeed, but the BBFC aren't that bad with their ratings, not compared to say Germany or Australia (i've heard of loads of stuff that was given a 15 in the UK and an 18 in Germany) they're like the censorship nazis

i've watched the torture scene, and yes that probably won't get through unscathed, but if they were to censort that, it might be in the style of School Days (their cut of the final episode wasn't that bad, i felt it was more symbolic and emotional seeing all those flash backs) if it were to be like that, i wouldn't mind, but taking the scene entirely out could cause confusion (most people who would buy the the DVD would've probably watched a fansub, and know what's going on anyway)

you can bitch at me for saying that, but then at least we get something, rather than nothing

bottom line: minor cuts i don't mind, major cuts piss me off

 

[ayase]

you can bitch at me for saying that, but then at least we get something, rather than nothing

I try not to bitch at people unless they really deserve it. Welcome aboard by the way, I like the way you waded straight into a decent discussion. That's a rarity around here, most people introduce themselves then are never heard from again. :thumb:

The 'something rather than nothing' point falls a little flat when you consider that most people, upon hearing that a series is cut, decide to just keep their fansubs or import an uncut copy from elsewhere. No-one likes cuts, releasing a cut version is more or less a death sentance for a series. So [company] decides to licence Higurashi. Best case: the BBFC pass it uncut, they release it, everyone buys it. Worse case: the BBFC demand cuts, they release it cut and hardly anyone buys it. Worst case: The BBFC either hack it to pieces so it's near incomprehensible or refuse it outright, it doesn't get released and [company] is left with a large BBFC fee to pay. That might seem harsh, but that's just the way it goes.

 

[BlackWolf]

I think ayase's ideas would be the most realistic reality of the dvds coming out in this country (we could still be wrong though but we would just need a company with balls to go for it...i'm looking at you manga ent, you seem buddy buddy with funi) It would be a shame if they hacked up the series, but if we got it uncut then fantastic. Although i already obtained the first season a little while ago with the limited edition art box which is quite misleading really for the series. I shown a friend and they thought it was a comedy from the art.

Still i'm not too bothered about a uk release, i rather funi get off their behinds and license Higurashi Kai and Umineko no naku koro ni. if that doesn't get licensed i'll cry...(although it fares a better chance then higurashi at being let through uncut)

 

[Shakey]

I would love to see manga get it and release it. Be nice in two cheap half season sets like they did with Ouran, or even the same style of release that Claymore got. Maybe we could ask Andrew to try and convince Beez to go for it?

 

[Chaz]

Since it's almost Halloween, I'll resurrect a dead thread to answer one question....

What should I go for: the manga or the anime?
I'm just trying to see which is the cheaper or the more valued collection to get. Does anyone know how many volumes of the manga there is? If it's 8 volumes, I may want to go for the anime.

However, if the anime is missing huge story info or you get better feel for things in the manga, then I may reconsider. I.E. I dont want to see the girl stab her own neck consecitively if I can see the same thing from the manga with just a few images.

So I call upon the anime Gurus of the Higurashi clan. Please help me... ixi

 

[MikeP]

The anime is missing huge story info, and also the second season still remains unlicensed.

Although, from what I've heard the manga manages a similar butchering of the source material.

If you want the full experience you should wait for the English release of the visual novel by MangaGamer and pick that up.

I think it still has a tentative release date of December but that might have changed recently.

 

[Chaz]

Thanks for the info, Jiin. Much appreciated.
I may just go for the anime tbh. I'm not a big fan of the series, so I think the dvds will be cheaper and more worthwhile.

 

[Olio8O]

I can see what your saying about the level of violence in the anime Chaz, but having just seen the series all the way through, there isn't half as much blood and gore as I assumed there would be. There are a few isolated incidents in the series of genuinely horrific acts being carried out, but IMO something like Elfen Lied has way more graphic violence on show than Higurashi.

 

[Chaz]

There are a few isolated incidents in the series of genuinely horrific acts being carried out, but IMO something like Elfen Lied has way more graphic violence on show than Higurashi.

That's not violence! Lucy just made people into artworks... You saw what she did to the kidengarden. Sh'd be a great bride to Deidara (Naruto).