As previously announced, Rokkenjima has now closed it’s doors. Both the Forum and Discord will be preserved as an archive for everyone to look over for as long as we can continue paying for it.
In the weeks leading up to the closure some kind members have taken the time to write letters to the Rokkenjima community. Between that and the initial reactions to the closure, I recommend giving both threads a read; there’s been some truly beautiful posts made.
We’ve also prepared a list of affiliates, many of which have appeared in response to Rokkenjima’s closure. Rokkenjima meant something different for everyone, and I’m glad to see the members of the community making efforts to preserve what made Rokkenjima special to them, whether it be the discord chatter, the playthrough discussions, the news or the gameboards. If you want to find me, you can find me on Twitter or at our sister site Kazamatsuri.
As for this blog and the Tea Parties, we are still in discussion, but I would like to keep them going in some capacity. My immediate plans are to host a Higurashi Kageboushi and eventually Tsumihoroboshi Tea Party on Twitter without any associated community attached to it, maintained through a hashtag. If you’re new to Higurashi and want to be on my podcasts for that, keep an eye on my Twitter. We are still deciding whether or not to continue covering news on this blog, but in the meantime you can check out The 07th Network on Twitter, managed by my good friend and co-writer Epika.
For those of you who might just be discovering Rokkenjima now, please take your time to look around the forum and Bookclubs / Tea Parties. We’ve spent two years cultivating this community and generated some amazing discussion over 07th Expansion works. Perhaps the discussion prepared here may serve as a launching pad for any new voyagers in their pursuit of their own truth. And if you like the podcasts, be sure to let me know on Twitter, I’d love to hear from you.
Just remember, this isn’t goodbye. The bonds we’ve made in this community won’t suddenly disappear. We will all share the time we’ve spent here as precious memories, and those will keep us all connected no matter where our journies take us. This isn’t goodbye, it’s just the end of the festival we enjoyed together. I have no doubt we’ll all continue to meet each other in the future.
Hasta la vista!
With love, Aspy.
